If You're A College Student...Check Out The Dell M5030

Dell Inspiron 15 (M5030) Review

The Pros: Very inexpensive; Comfy keyboard; Stays cool and doesnt overheat


The Cons: No HDMI; Short battery life 


The Bottom Line: The Dell Inspiron 15 (M5030) offers a large screen and all the necessary features for basic computing at a very good price. It is an affordable notebook that is adequate for everyday computer activities such as surfing the web, updating Facebook, and playing games. 


The Dell Inspiron series includes good-looking notebooks with plenty of power at affordable prices. These notebooks are traditionally available with many optional features but arent a master of any particular task. The Inspiron 15 is one of Dells notebooks that offer good performance at a value price. The Inspiron 15 M5030 is a basic black rectangle that weights in at about 5.6 pounds. Its glossy black lid adds a stylish flare to this notebook including the embossed chrome Dell logo in the center of the lid. When you open up the notebook, youll find everything is matte black. The keyboard has a traditional layout with the keys positioned more closely together. There can be a little noise from the keys when typing, but its nothing to whine about. The touchpad is roomy and extremely responsive. 


The 15.6 inch display has a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution, making the screens colors look bright. The sound filled up the room when I cranked up Foster the Peoples Pumped up kicks, but at full volume the sound got a little distorted. The Inspiron 15 has three USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, and a VGA port. There is also a DVD burner on the right side of the notebook. 


The Inspiron 15 M5030 is a great notebook to get if youll be happy with a notebook that is equipped with components necessary for basic computing activities or on a budget. If you want something bigger than a netbook but still at a decent price, the Inspiron 15 M5030 is definitely one to consider buying.

Memory Type	DDR3
Video Card	ATI Mobility Radeon HD4250
Display Port	VGA
Wireless Type	IEEE 802.11 G
USB Ports	3
Screen Resolution	1366 x 768
Battery	6-cell
Weight	5.6 lbs

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This guy does it all - works out and works hard. He doesn't even need to change out of his formal business clothes...what a man!

How Much Longer Will DVD Drives Be Around?

We've all been hoarding DVDs since the day they became more popular than the prior VHS. Now that we have more DVDs than we probably should, what's next. More importantly, are we going to have drives that read DVDs in 10, 20, or 30 years? Contributing Editor for PCMag, Lincoln Spector, writes his thoughts on the issue.

"It's impossible to say with complete confidence what present-day media will be supported by readily-available hardware when our grandchildren have grandchildren. But we can make educated guesses. And I'm guessing that DVDs and CDs will be readable, with some moderate investment, for a very long time to come.

When a medium has enjoyed wide consumer popularity for a significant amount of time, the market for players stays alive for decades. You can no longer assume that every home has a floppy drive, phonograph, or cassette player, but you'll have no trouble buying these devices--all brand new. In fact, you can buy them with USB ports, which you couldn't do when these types of media were popular.

Of course, if a medium was popular only briefly, never enjoyed wide popularity, or was entirely controlled by one company, finding a player decades later becomes more of a challenge. To my knowledge, no one is making Laserdisc players or Bernoulli Box drives. You can still buy used ones, but eventually these will disappear.

Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector writes about technology and cinema."

source

Awkward Laptop POTD

Nap time, anyone? She prefers the floor next to a line of laptops. Maybe you want the same...maybe you don't.

Awkward Laptop POTD

Well, looky here! Problem solved. If you start getting sleepy at work, just use your tie-sleeve to get a little rest. I'm sure the boss won't mind!

Check It Out: The Dell Latitude D420

Dell Latitude D420 Review 

 The Pros: Ultra portable; Sturdy; Good battery life; Slim; Lightweight design 


The Cons: Small keyboard; Low sound quality 


The Bottom Line: Even though the Dell Latitude D420 is Dell's smallest business laptop, it has plenty of positive perks including its great balance between features, portability, and price. It combines decent specs with a convenient form factor. 

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The Latitude is Dell s laptop brand that is targeted for business use. Latitudes are made of plastic with a durable magnesium-alloy casing and Strike Zone shock protection in case of an accident where it s dropped or suffers some type of impact. Latitude models are made more durable and tend to have a higher quality than the other Dell notebook lines.

The Dell Latitude D420 is a a very solid notebook, despite it s feather-light weight. The chassis is constructed of magnesium alloy, but some of the laptop s exterior is made with a solid plastic material. There is only a small sign of flex in the palm rests but I believe that s just because the battery is the only thing found underneath that location. Overall, the D420 has a very strong frame that protects the entire chassis.

The keyboard is smaller than what you might be used to, but the keys feel nice to touch and the key feedback is user-friendly. This Dell comes with two mouse replacements, a pointer and a touchpad. Both of them allow you to precisely control the mouse pointer in a quiet manner. The Latitude D420 is also equipped with two USB ports, VGA port, Firewire, and a PC Card slot. Not to mention, the battery life is impressive and can last more than four hours. The D420 will also keep you connected with an 802.11 G Wireless.

The Dell Latitude D420 would be an excellent companion for someone who does frequent traveling. This notebook is light, looks professional, feels sturdy, and has a battery life that could last throughout those long flights. This is a well-equipped notebook that has definitely earned it s right to be called a business notebook.

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Memory Type	DDR2
Video Card	Intel GMA 900
Processor	Intel Core Duo 1.2 GHz
Display Port	VGA
Wireless Type	IEEE 802.11 G
USB Ports	3
Screen Size	12.1"
Screen Resolution	1280 x 800
Height	1.1"
Width	11.5"
Depth	8.5"
Battery	6-cell
Battery Life	Up to 4.5 hrs
Weight	3.0 lbs

TechTurn Editor's Rating

Reviewed by Chelsea Rivet

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Awkward Laptop POTD

Is it just me or does it look like this guy is about to poke his eye out? 

Check It Out: The HP NC8430

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HP NC8430 Review 

The Pros: Slim and lightweight; Large display with sharp resolution; Full-size keyboard; Fingerprint reader 


The Cons: Very plain design; Low speaker quality; No ExpressCard slot 


The Bottom Line: The HP NC8430 isn't the most attractive laptop out there, but it does offer business-oriented features and solid performance at a good price. 

The HP NC8430 feels very sturdy with a magnesium chassis and display enclosure. The hinges are very strong and there is no wobbling. It's easy to say the design on this model won't turn any heads. Although, its normal for most business notebooks to have a plain design. The USB ports are located near the front of the keyboard which can be a little annoying if you're in a tight space with the ports filled. There are nice little pictures along the edge of both sides of the keyboard deck that make it easy to find which port you're looking for.

The 15.4-inch screen shows off sharp images with its 1280 x 800 resolution. The viewing angles were also very good. The screen comes with an ambient light sensor that chooses the proper brightness based on the amount of light in the room. I was a little skeptical about this at first, but it seemed to work pretty well. Speaker quality isn't the greatest I've ever seen, but they're decent enough for listening to music or videos on low volume. As you increase the volume, the sound tends to sound a little "staticy". I would recommend getting a pair of good quality headphones or external speakers.

The NC8430 includes most of the ports you'd expect to see on a business notebook. On the left side, you'll find a Kensington lock slot, Ethernet port, phone jack, s-video, TV out, IEEE port, one USB 2.0 port, PC card slot, SD media slot, and an integrated smart card reader. On the right side there is a Serial port, Integrated DVD/RW optical drive, 2 USB 2.0 ports, and a microphone and headphone jack. It even has a respectable battery life with the 8-cell battery that lasts up to 3 hours and 30 minutes. 

Overall, the HP Compaq NC8430 is a great notebook. There are a lot of mainstream notebooks out on the market today that you can choose from. The NC8430 is a great choice because it combines durability with an outstanding performance.

Memory Type	DDR2
Video Card	ATI Mobility Radeon X1600
Display Ports	VGA
Wireless Type	IEEE 802.11 G
USB Ports	3
Screen Resolution	1280 x 800
Battery	8-cell
Weight	6.0 lbs

TechTurn Editor's Rating

Reviewed by Chelsea Rivet

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She's not the cat lady. She's the awkward computer cat lady!

Check It Out: The Dell Inspiron 11Z

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Dell Inspiron 11Z Review 

The Pros: High audio quality; Wide range of color and design options; Comfortable keyboard

The Cons: Touchpad isn't the best we've seen; Performance could be better; HD streaming is almost impossible to watch (multimedia isn't its strong suit) 


The Bottom Line: The Dell Inspiron 11Z is an ultra-portable notebook that's offered at a very reasonable price. Although the performance and graphics could better, this is a good netbook to choose if you're looking to move around with your notebook without getting an arm workout and save a little money at the same time. 

The Dell Inspiron 11Z has a simple yet stylish design with a black glossy screen cover, matte black chassis, and a silver painted palmrest. There are no media buttons other than function keys on the keyboard which keeps the design from looking cluttered. The build quality is decent and has a durable fell. The keyboard shows very few signs of flex under strong pressure which is key for a comfortable typing experience. The 11.6" screen has a 1366 x 768 resolution which is an excellent upgrade from the average netbook's 1024 x 600 resolution. The LED-backlighting shows off very even lighting and has a good color reproduction. You won't have any trouble viewing your favorite sites while browsing the web. The speakers sound slightly better than other netbooks we've tested. The highest volume was fine for watching a movie or listening to music. Although if you're going to watch a movie in a large room, we'd recommend an HDMI-out.

The keyboard is full-size and like we said before, gives you a very comfortable typing experience. The key design is flat, similar to a Chiclet style keyboard design, only without an inner bezel dividing the keys. One new function is the reversed key layout. If you want to change the brightness, you have to press the correct button and the brightness changes. Also, instead of hitting F5 to refresh a page, now you hit FN+F5.

The port selection on this model is average for most netbooks. On the left side, you'll find LAN, an HDMI port, and one USB port. Turn to the right side and you'll find an SDHC-slot, Audio jacks, two USB ports, an AC power, and a Kensington lock slot.

Overall, the Dell Inspiron 11Z is a good netbook to choose if you're looking for an affordable laptop to work on basic tasks. This netbook definitely isn't the best choice for photo editing and watching lots of HD movies; you might be sitting there waiting for the screen to load for a while. The battery life is kind of short so I wouldn't recommend bringing it anywhere without the charger. The 11z is basically a little travel netbook that gives you basic features for a great price.

Memory Type	DDR2
Video Card	Intel X4500
USB Ports	3
Display Ports	HDMI
Wireless	IEEE 802.11 G
Screen Size	11.6"
Screen Resolution	1366 x 768
Height	0.9"
Depth	8.4"
Length	11.5"
Weight	3.4 lbs
Battery	3-cell / 28 Wh
Battery Life	Up to 3 hrs
RAM	2 GB
Processor	1.3-GHz Intel Pentium SU4100
Built-in Devices	Keyboard, LED panel

TechTurn Editor's Rating

Reviewed by Chelsea Rivet

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Computer nerd? Possibly.

Psycho with a knife? Higher possibility.

Facebook Starts Redesigning Their Profile Look AGAIN

Everyone has been getting used to Facebook's new look, the Timeline. Now, we might have another update on our hands. Go ahead and say it, "Sweet heavens!!" That's what we're thinking. Here is what the current Facebook looks like:

Here is a view of the new Timeline look Facebook has been working on:

What's changed?

"The new look creates subtle but noticeable changes to the top of user profiles, chiefly moving the user’s name, home location, occupation, education, and other basic information into a layer of text atop the “cover photo,” the widescreen image that serves as the backdrop for a user’s profile. The text has been changed to white to stand out against the dark colors of a user’s cover photo 

The new view also adds a whole new tab on a user’s profile, the “Summary,” which when clicked, shows a list of the major “Life Events” of the user. The “Likes” section of a user’s profile has been changed to read “Favorites.” The new test also condenses current tabs, including the “Friends,” “Photos,” “Map,” and new “Favorites,” into a smaller space just below the cover photo, making for a more streamlined design. 

Facebook declined to specify how many user profiles the new test would involve, as well as whether the new look would eventually be the standard for the website. "

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Classic.

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Check It Out: HP EliteBook 2730P

The HP EliteBook 2730P has the comfort and style you're looking for in a tablet. If you spend a lot of time out of the house but still want to stay updated on e-mail and be able to web surf, the 2730P is a great choice for you. Click here to view the review on our store.

Memory Type	DDR2
Video Card	Intel GMA 4500MHD
USB Ports	2
Display Ports	VGA
Wireless	IEEE 802.11 N
Screen Size	12.1"
Screen Resolution	1280 x 800
Height	1.11"
Depth	8.3"
Width	11.4"
Weight	3.7 lbs
RAM	3 GB
Processor	Intel Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz
Battery	6-cell

HP EliteBook 2730P Review 

The Pros: Good tablet performance; Comfortable keyboard; Good viewing angles; Good battery life; Solid design; Keyboard light 


The Cons: Uncomfortable mouse buttons; No finger-touch input; Needs a bigger touchpad 


The Bottom Line: The HP EliteBook 2730P has a solid performance, good battery life, and travel-friendly business features that make this a great choice for a notebook. The 2730P is a good notebook for someone constantly on the go. 

The HP EliteBook 2730P is a good Tablet PC. It has a solid design and a strong chassis. The stainless steel look makes it look a little bit modern and sleek. The 2730P is the updated version next to the 2710P. They have most of the same features, but the 2730P has an upgraded 1.86GHz Core 2 Dup processor and upgraded hard drive options.

With its weight around 3.7lbs, it feels extremely lightweight yet still very solid. It's easy to take notes with the portable pen that writes like a real pen. You can amuse yourself for hours with that pen! The 12.1" Illumi-Lite WXGA UWVA anti-glare display shows off bold and vivid colors. Even in tablet mode, the display is easy to read and locks into place.

The keyboard is solid and shows no signs of flex. The keyboard even has a cool light that illuminates the keys, so typing at night has never been easier. This is perfect for someone who's constantly taking plane trips since most of us like to see while we're typing. The touchpad is nice and has two buttons. The 2710P only had a pointing stick, so the addition of the touchpad is a step up.

The 2730P has a good variety of ports as well. There is an optional dock, which I would recommend using if you plan on using this in the office rather than mobile use. Speaker quality is decent. I wouldn't recommend having a party and relying on the speakers of your 2730P, but it's good for drowning out noises (such as a snoring person sitting next to you on the plane) with your headphones on.

The HP EliteBook 2730P is a nice tablet PC that will give you a good performance, keep you busy while you're on the go, and might even turn a few heads with its sleek design. Two words: quite impressive.

TechTurn Editor's Rating

Reviewed by Chelsea Rivet

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