Windows Experience Blog : Laptop

Rolling with Windows 7 on Toshiba’s Satellite U505

Brandon LeBlanc — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:49:24 GMT

In my guide to awesome Windows 7 PCs, under “All Around Great Everyday PCs” I listed the Toshiba Satellite U500. Courtesy of Toshiba, I had the pleasure of living with the Toshiba Satellite U505 for a few weeks this summer.

So let me start off with the specs for the Satellite U505:

Windows 7 Home Premium x64
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo CPU P7350 @ 2GHz
Memory: 4GB (Supports up to 8GB)
Display: 13.3” Widescreen |1280x800 Resolution | Native 720P HD
Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
Network: 10/100/1000 Ethernet | Intel Wi-Fi Link 5100AGN 802.11a/g/n Wireless
Storage: 400GB (5400 RPM) Serial ATA
Optical: DVD SuperMulti Drive

The Satellite U505 has a textured design to it and comes in Luxe Red, Luxe White, and Luxe Brown. The Satellite U505 I have is Luxe Brown.

This Toshiba laptop comes with 3 USB ports (USB 2.0), a LAN port, modem port, and an eSATA/USB combo port. This eSATA/USB combo port comes with something a little extra: USB Sleep and Charge. That means while the Satellite U505 is asleep or off, you can plug USB devices into this port and have them charge. I had been out traveling with laptop and ended up leaving the charger for my cell phone at home. I was able to use the Satellite U505 to charge it overnight without leaving it on. It worked great. The Satellite U505 also has a VGA port to connect a monitor as well as a HDMI port to connect to an HDTV.

The TouchPad on the Toshiba Satellite U505 has multi-touch controls and can be enabled and disabled. It also comes with a LED backlit keyboard and just above the keyboard are media control buttons for mute, media, playback controls and volume controls.

The Satellite U505 also comes with an ExpressCard slot and a Memory Card Reader that supports Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Multi Media Card, and xD Picture Card. You could certainly use the Memory Card slot to quickly add some more memory using Windows ReadyBoost but the fact the Satellite U505 comes with 4GB of memory and is expandable to 8GB tells me you likely won’t need to.

For more on the Toshiba Satellite U505, click here. Price starts at $698.99. You can also find the Toshiba Satellite U505 on Windows PC Scout as well.

After using the Satellite U505 for a couple weeks, it’s certainly a great everyday PC and perfect for Windows 7. The Toshiba Satellite U505 is packed with some great specs that give you the flexibility to use this laptop for a wide range of scenarios based on your needs – from video editing to multimedia hotness with Windows Media Center to simply being your workhorse PC.

Oh, one other thing – Toshiba has released updated models of the U500 series Satellite laptops that support Windows Touch in Windows 7 available today!

Lenovo Announces New T-Series ThinkPad Laptop – The T400s

Brandon LeBlanc — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:14:09 GMT

Lenovo announced today a new T-Series ThinkPad Laptop called the T400s. Lenovo’s T-Series laptops cater to business customers looking for a powerful and thin laptop. Lenovo put a lot of effort in designing this laptop to be light, durable, robust, and powerful – key elements to a great business laptop for the mobile worker. I’ve had the chance to play with a T400s here in my office for the last few days and it has been a great experience so far.

The T400s will ship with the following specs:

Choices of Intel 2.53 GHz Core2Duo processors and graphics
Choices of up to 128GB SSD or 250GB hard drive storage
9.5 mm slim DVD burner or Blu-Ray player
Ethernet (Gigabit) & WiFi
Optional WiMAX, WWAN, Bluetooth and Ultra-wideband Connectivity
34mm Express Card slot or 5-in-1 multimedia card reader
Almost 6 hours of battery life
Display Port and VGA connectors (Supports 2 External Monitors!)
Energy Star 5.0 Compliant
2 Built-in USB Ports
1 Built-in eSATA/USB Combo Port (Total of 3 USB Ports)
Fingerprint Reader
TPM 1.2

As you can see, with these specs the T400s is quite powerful. It also can come jam-packed with network connectivity options (including support for Mobile Broadband) helping keep you connected no matter where you go. Because security is super important to the Mobile Worker – the T400s comes with a Fingerprint Reader and TPM 1.2. With TPM 1.2, BitLocker can be used in both Windows Vista and Windows 7 to secure the laptop. You also get your choice of storage. My T400s had a 250GB hard drive.

The design of the T400s is pretty slick. The T400s uses Lenovo’s “Top Cover Roll Cage”, which they first introduced with the X300, in the construction of its frame. This roll cage is made out of reinforced monocoque carbon fiber which is the same stuff they use on airplanes and super-fast cars. This keeps the T400s pretty light. It weighs in at just under 4lbs (with a 6 cell battery) which is about 20% less than its T400 predecessor. A non-SSD hard drive may also add some weight to the laptop as well as they tend to be a little bit heavier. But Lenovo gives you the choice to choose (as mentioned above).

This is a pretty thin laptop, measuring in at 0.83 inches (yes, I measured!). Part of the ability to keep this laptop so thin is that Lenovo uses a very thin 14.1 inch LED screen.

For the T400s, Lenovo tweaked the keyboard a bit. The keys are much closer to each other – likely to prevent gunk from getting underneath. The Delete and ESC keys are also larger.

The touchpad is now flush with the palm rest and is textured to help people feel its location.

I also discovered that the T400s has an “always on” USB port in the back. This means that if the system is in sleep/standby or hibernate mode you can still plugin devices like MP3 players or mobile phones and have them charge off the laptop’s battery.

Another very interesting aspect of this laptop is how Lenovo optimized it for VoIP. Many businesses are utilizing VoIP for their communications. This laptop can essentially serve as your communication hub when you’re out-and-about. Lenovo added a new toggle switch at the top of the keyboard so that you can easily increase and decrease your system volume – putting the user in more control of their audio. I’m told this will become a standard for all Lenovo laptops going forward. The speaker volume has been amped up to be more than 2x greater than audio levels see on the T400. And the speakers themselves have been moved to the sides instead of on the palm rest area seen on the X300 series laptops.

Lenovo put 2 digital microphones in for better recording. The dual microphones are expected to cut down the amount of ambient noise picked up during your VoIP calls and improve clarity with sound. And of course you can have audio without video. The T400s comes with built in 2.0 megapixel webcam that can shoot video up to 30fps. The webcam also has “Lower Light Capture Capability” to capture decent video is very low-lit conditions.

Lenovo puts Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate on their business laptops. The T400s I have came with Windows Vista Business.

However I decided to put Windows 7 (the Windows 7 RC) on it. Instead of upgrading from Windows Vista, I did a clean install. Windows 7 picked up most of the drivers with updates to many of them available for me on Windows Update. I had everything up and running very quickly.

With Windows 7 and the T400s, I am able to secure the laptop with a variety of features from Windows 7. Windows 7 has BitLocker (which we introduced with Windows Vista). Using TPM, I was able to encrypt the hard drive of the laptop to ensure if the laptop ever gets lost so that no one can get the data off the hard drive.

Windows 7 has a new biometric framework and in combination with UPEK’s biometric software – I was able to quickly enroll fingerprints for a further enhanced security. UPEK takes advantage of Windows 7’s biometric enhancements. This process was incredibly easy. As mentioned above, the T400s can come with built in Mobile Broadband. Windows 7 brings enhancements that take advantage of Mobile Broadband making it easy to connect and stay connected.

I had fun playing with this laptop. Special thanks to Lenovo for the opportunity!

The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s will become available at www.lenovo.com starting at $1,599.

Laptop Hunters: Meet Giampaolo

Brandon LeBlanc — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 18:30:04 GMT

I’m probably not going to make it a habit to blog about each and every TV ad we do but I thought it would be nice to highlight the next ad in our Laptop Hunters series. This time we’re introduced to Giampaolo, a recent college grad and engineer. Giampaolo is looking for a laptop that has portability, battery life, and is powerful – for under $1,500. Here’s how his “hunt” went:

Laptop Hunters #2 - Giampaolo

In case you missed my introduction to Laptop Hunters (and the first Laptop Hunters ad with Lauren) – you can read my post here.

Laptop Hunters: Real People Find Windows PCs A Better Fit For Their Lives

Brandon LeBlanc — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:22:10 GMT

Today we’re introducing the next chapter in the ongoing Windows Brand Campaign - an exciting new series of ads called Laptop Hunters. These new ads trace real people as they go on a hunt for a new laptop. For many people looking to buy a new computer today, it is likely that if they make purchase it will be a laptop. Laptop sales increased more than 20% last year.

The Laptop Hunters are not told they are taking part in an ad campaign by Microsoft. Instead, they think they are participating in market research. Each participant set their own budget for a laptop to meet their own unique needs. We then provide the participant with cash and sent them out to find and purchase a laptop – all in a single day. We followed them with a camera crew throughout the course of their hunt and recorded their experiences. Everything is completely unscripted. Once the participant finds and purchases their perfect laptop – we inform them out in the parking lot that it’s actually Microsoft and this was part of our Windows brand campaign. The participant can of course decline to be part of the ad series if they so wish.

In the ad making its debut today, we’re introduced to Lauren who is on the hunt for a new laptop under $1,000, a budget she set herself. She is out to find a laptop that has “speed”, a comfortable keyboard and a 17” screen. Here is Lauren’s hunt:

Laptop Hunters #1 - Lauren

Lauren’s hunt is a good example of real people finding Windows PCs a better fit for their whole lives with the right value.

We define the right value as simply benefits + cost. Windows PCs offer more “bang for the buck”. Competitors offer laptops that often cost quite a bit more, even though they have less powerful hardware, and can’t offer technologies such as Blu-ray, HDMI, eSATA, and 3G wireless broadband connectivity. When buying a laptop, after all, purchasing a laptop is an investment right?

The current state of the economy is forcing people to cut costs and save as much as they can, which means that people are looking for laptops with the most value at the lowest cost possible. According to NPD data as of February 2009, 74% of people looking at buying a new computer rated price as their most important purchasing factor.

Windows PCs have the benefits people want at the price point they like. They also offer choice and flexibility. If a person is a gamer, they can get a gaming PC for example.

In the coming weeks, you can expect to see more from Laptop Hunters as we follow real people on the hunt for a laptop.

Be sure to check out the Laptop Hunters website on Windows.com too!

Find a Laptop with Windows Laptop Scout + Special Holiday Offers

Brandon LeBlanc — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:59:00 GMT

Need help finding the perfect laptop just for you or someone in the family for the holidays? We’ve got the perfect tool for you. We’ve launched Windows Laptop Scout to help you find the right PC. Windows Laptop Scout helps you search for a laptop starting with how you or someone in your family will use the laptop. You can choose from 4 selections to get results on laptops that will meet your needs (you can choose all that apply to your needs).

Once you click “Show laptops” – you’re given results based on your needs. I took Windows Laptop Scout for a spin myself. I chose “Work on the go” and “Music, movies, and more” and as you can see in the below screenshot, I got 18 out of 31 laptops that meet my needs (more laptops will continue to be added).

I was able to refine my search by adjusting the settings on the bottom such as Price, Screen Size, Speed, Storage and Weight. The results update automatically. Windows Laptop Scout is a tool I strongly recommend checking out if you are looking for a new laptop.

I’ve also got some deals I think you’ll be interested in especially as we officially head into the holidays.

Over on Windows.com we have a list of a few special deals folks can take advantage of…

Sony: Buy any eligible VAIO CS or SR series notebook with a VAIO DPF-D80 digital photo frame and save $180. Click here for details.
Dell: Save now when you buy the Dell XPS M1530 together with a Linksys by Cisco Router and Media Center Extender. Click here for details.
Blockbuster: Buy a qualifying laptop from participating retailers and get 6 months of Blockbuster movies. Choose from more than a dozen models from 5 great companies. Click here to pick a qualifying laptop.
Best Buy: Buy a Windows Mobile Smartphone and 2-year activation, and Geek Squad will set up your phone, including e-mail, right in the store. Click here for details.

Hopefully along with Windows Laptop Scout, you will find these offerings useful!

Oh and don’t forget the recent updates to Windows Live too! You can check out all the offerings of Windows Live at WindowsLive.com.

Checking out Dell’s Vostro 1500 Business Laptop

Brandon LeBlanc — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:18:00 GMT

Two weeks ago my new Dell Vostro 1500 arrived. Dell's Vostro Notebook line-up is a relatively new line-up of laptops that cater to business users. While I love the Tablet PC experience the HP tx1000 offers, I was in need for something a little more powerful. I'm the type of guy that likes to feel like I am taking my desktop PC with me when I travel.

After looking at the specs for the Vostro 1500, I decided to customize it for some added benefit. Here are the specs on my Vostro 1500:

Processor - Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 2.2GHz Processor
Screen - 15.4 Widescreen XGA+ LCD TrueLife
Memory - 2GB DDR2
Graphics - NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT 256MB
Storage - 160GB 7200RPM SATA Harddrive
Media - 8x DVD-RW with double-layer DVD-R write capability
Network - Intel 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini-card
Integrated 2.0 Megapixel Webcam
Mobile Broadband - Dell Wireless 5520 HSDPA 3.6 Mini-card (for AT&T)

With Windows Vista Ultimate (this laptop deserves nothing less), the Vostro 1500 has everything I need in a laptop and makes "going mobile" much easier. It has a Windows Experience Index of 4.6 with the lowest rating being Graphics. The rest of the scores are the highest I've seen on a laptop to-date.

For the first time, I am enjoying running at 802.11 N with the Vostro 1500. Right now as I wrote my post on the Vostro, I'm running at 130Mbps.Works absolutely amazing. My router, the D-Link DIR-625 RangeBooster N Router, supports 802.11 N but I've not had a device with 802.11 N wireless capabilities until now. The DIR-625 was part of D-Link's initial wave of devices that took advantage of and supported Windows Vista when Windows Vista launched last January.

After 2 weeks with the Vostro 1500, I'm really happy with my decision. I've still got more experiences to write about, such as using the Mobile Broadband wireless capability but I'll save that for another post. I've updated my What I Use page to reflect the Vostro 1500 - check it out.

Also: my new HP MediaSmart Server arrives this week. I plan on having a post up on rolling out Windows Home Server in my home by the end of the week. I look forward to getting the HP MediaSmart Server set up.

Images of the Dell Vostro 1500 were uploaded to my Flickr account using Windows Live Photo Gallery.Click here for the full set of photos of the Dell Vostro 1500.

Testing out the HP Pavilion Entertainment PC tx1000

Brandon LeBlanc — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 07:18:00 GMT

In January, Windows Vista launched with an impressive slate of Notebook and Tablet PC's. One of those PC was HP's tx1000. The tx1000 is a Pavilion Entertainment PC that is also a Tablet PC with an impressive set of specs:

AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-60 (2.0GHz/1MB)
2GB of DDR2 RAM
12.1" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150
802.11b/g WLAN and Bluetooth
160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
LightScribe DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
3 Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0)
1 Expansion Port 3
TV-out (S-video)
Integrated Consumer IR (remote control receiver)
Integrated Altec Lansing stereo speakers
Fingerprint Reader

I was fortunate to be able to spend a few weeks test driving the tx1000 out. You'll note the integrated IR receiver in the above specs - that is because the tx1000 truly is an entertainment PC. The tx1000 comes with a mini Windows Media Center remote that can be docked into the left side of the PC. Whenever you want watch videos in Windows Media Center (or play music), you can pop out the remote and use the remote to navigate through Windows Media Center.

The tx1000 can be configured to come with HP QuickPlay 3.0, which includes a mobile TV module that supports Internet TV streaming. My tx1000 I tested out did not come with this capability unfortunately. What I did was I recorded TV shows on my desktop PC and when I went to travel, I would grab a few of my recorded TV shows and throw them onto the tx1000 to watch while on the road. This worked out real well for me.

Speaking of traveling, one of the coolest features the tx1000 comes with is dual headphone jacks. Instead of having to buy a little adaptor to allow two users to listen through the same headphone jack, the tx1000 does it for you. This makes the tx1000 a very nice laptop to have if you're traveling with someone on a long flight or road trip.

Windows Vista also lets you control the volume level of each individual set of headphones thanks to the new sound abilities Windows Vista ships with.

The tx1000, being a Tablet PC, enjoys many of the Tablet PC features that Windows Vista offers. I was particularly impressed with Windows Vista's ability to read my handwriting and format it to text. It was able to recognize much of my hand writing without any problem.

There are a few more notable features with the tx1000. The tx1000 comes with a fingerprint reader to automate logging on to the PC and also logging on to some of your favorite websites. You also get a 1.3 MP built-in webcam at the top of the screen. The webcam works well with Windows Live Messenger.

The tx1000 has a Windows Experience Index of 3.0 with the strong areas being in the areas of Memory and the Processor.

I ran Windows Vista at 32-bit although the tx1000 supports running at 64-bit.

Overall, I found the combination of being a entertainment PC and a Tablet PC to be a very interesting combination - a combination you really don't see much of today in Notebook PC's. What do you think?