laptop computers reviewed

You can now use your small laptop computer, or desktop computer for that matter, to transfer all of your old family videos on VHS tape to DVD without paying a fortune! DVD Maker USB 2.0 could be the product you are looking for – just keep in mind that nothing is perfect, including the quality of your original video. Following is a review of :

Having two college-aged kids, I though it would be nice to take all of the VHS tapes that had accumulated over the years, from infancy, preschool, dance recitals, sports, high-school events, family holidays, etc., and transfer them to DVD for the kids (and myself) to keep with their treasured mementos. After doing some online research, I found the DVD Maker USB 2.0 to be the product with the most positive reviews, the least amount of negative feedback and the most reasonably priced (between $45-$60).

The box contained:
1 capture device – USB 2.0 Plug-and-Play Interface
1 “Quick Start Guide”
1 CD-ROM with driver, utilities and basic user manual
1 CD-Rom with Cyberlink PowerDirector v5 software and PowerProducer v4 software

The Quick Start Guide amounted to about ¼ of a page in English – the rest of the sheet was translated into other languages. It all seemed simple enough, so I really wasn’t worried. I installed the software and the driver utilities CDs and proceed to plug the capture device into my computer and VCR.

On one end of the capture device are cords for your source, a yellow video (composite) connection, audio (red and white) connection and an s-video connection. On the other end are the cords to connect to your computer, a USB 2.0 plug and Audio Out (to be plugged into your line-in port for sound).

Problem – an old VCR with only one audio port (white) - this device has two (red and white). Unable to find a splitter, I had to borrow a more recent VCR from a friend in order to make the sound work. Note - I was able to view the newer, smaller cassettes directly from the video camera without any problem, but for the really old, large VHS tapes, the VCR was needed (the camera had long since bitten the dust).

The PowerProducer program contains several options, one allows you to transfer your movie “Right-to-Disc” and another option, “Produce Movie Disc,” allows you to make a more customized DVD, like breaking your movie up into snippets or chapters. There are other options for managing and editing your videos. I was never able to get the “Right-to-Disc” option to work – after about 30 minutes into the movie, the program would freeze up and I would have to reboot the computer and start over. It became very frustrating and was not happy with the lack of product support available.

The “Produce Movie Disc” was the option selected for everything, which wasn’t all bad - the end result turned out to be a better presentation and easier deal with when viewing, since you can select “chapters’ to view individually if you don’t want to watch the entire movie. It was nice to cut out all of the dead space and lousy takes from the original tape.

The PowerDirector software was really of no use, because whenever I tried to do something with it, I was prompted to upgrade - it seems these programs are the lite version. It would have been helpful if there were manuals included with the software instead of having to hunt for one online.

As for the quality of the recorded DVDs, they turned out to be fairly decent after tweaking the sound settings on my computer and keeping in mind the quality of the original videos. The more recent tapes came out perfect, while the old, grainy tapes came out as new, grainy, DVDs. In the end, I am just grateful for the ability to copy the movies to a format that allows my family to continue to enjoy old times.

Tags: Laptop Accessories // Add Comment »

As soon as Mr. Jobs pulled that MacBook Air out of the manilla envelope, gadget geeks everywhere started swooning. This ridiculously thin ultra-portable laptop has attracted an enormous amount of attention from everyone – Mac fan, or not.

But is all the fuss worth it? Here’s an overview of the basic features:

- Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 1.6GHz
- 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
- 80GB 42000rpm hard drive
- 13.3” TFT widescreen (1280×800)
- Intel GMA X3100 graphics with 144MB of shared RAM
- AirPort Extreme WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
- iSight webcam
- USB 2.0 port – micro DVI
- Lithium-polymer battery
- MagSafe power adaptor

Weighing in at a hair over 3lbs., it is probably every traveler’s dream. The sleek, clean design with its rounded corners and polished surfaces is hard to resist. It seems so paper-thin and fragile, although it is supposed to be durable (too chicken to do the drop test) and it feels very much so.

The display is excellent – nice vibrant colors and great backlighting. Absolutely nothing to complain about there. The keyboard is a little funky, although relatively comfortable, it misses some of the usual keys like ‘Home’ and ‘End’ which have to be accessed through the function key.

The touchpad is huge and has the cool multi-touch capabilities of the iPhone and iPod Touch – you know, the finger pinching, spreading, circling motions for zooming and rotating items. Once a novelty, this feature is now available on the 2008 edition of the MacBook Pro and will probably become standard on every Apple computer before long.

There’s not much in the way of Ports, but what could you expect? Only one USB port, no Ethernet port, no FireWire, no Mic port, no SD card slot and no Express-Card slot. Apple is far ahead of average consumers here - they need to keep in mind that not everyone can afford WiFi enabled cameras and devices just yet.

What there is – AC power port, one USB port and a micro DVI-out port. The one (yes, one) speaker is hardly worth mentioning, but obviously not intended to be a stellar feature and frankly something most travelers don’t care about – noise-canceling headphones are the thing.

Having no optical drive is something that could be hard to get used to even though it has the ability to transfer data wirelessly - but keep in mind that you will always need to have another computer, or external device, to access.

Battery life claims as any regular laptop user knows, are all relative. You might be able to squeak 4+ hours out of it, with all the extras (Bluetooth, WiFi) off and the screen brightness decreased substantially, but who uses their laptop that way?

The fact that you cannot access the battery is a major drawback. It is sealed into the unit much like the iPod, so there’s no ability to swap out a spare battery. Personally, the battery is the one thing replaced most on just about every laptop.

Prices start at a little over $1700 – it seems a bit steep, since it realistically cannot be the sole computer for many. But if you are in the market for an ultra-portable laptop, if its looks mean everything to you, and you’ve got money to burn - this is your baby. If you take a few minutes to compare what you get for you money in either the MacBook or MacBook Pro vs. MacBook Air, the novelty may wear off quickly.

Tags: Small Laptop Computers // Add Comment »

If you are shopping around and comparing small laptop computers, take a look at Lenovo’s 3000 series. I purchased one just for travel purposes (and as an alternate/back-up).

Here’s the specs on the one I bought: Model - Lenovo 3000 V100 0763.

 It’s features include:

Intel Core Duo Processor T2500 2 GHz with Centrino Mobile Technology

Screen Size: 12.1? VibrantView TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA )

Memory: 1 GB (installed) / 2 GB (max)

Hard Drive: 100 GB

Optical Drive: DVD-Writer

Networking: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g, Bluetooth

Weight: 4 lbs. (yes, I could have gone lighter if I could live without the DVD writer, but 4 lbs is pretty darn light!)

Included Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Warranty: 1 year limited

The web cam is one feature I did not choose, which I regret.Anyway, this computer is loaded with features and has been a joy to travel with, weighing in at only 4 lbs. (even the power adaptor is lightweight) and has a battery life of just over 4 hours. Although it is not much to look at, this computer’s performance more than makes up for its lackluster appearance.  The most important features to me when comparing small laptop computers was weight, battery life and wireless capability (bluetooth), as well as the most power I could get at a reasonable price. Since most of the programs I use are Windows XP based, a Mac notebook was not considered.

The choice came down to this model and the Lenovo ThinkPad X60 which weighed in at 3.5 lbs and had a battery life of up to 7 hours, and a number of other features that were nice, but features I could live without, considering the price difference of about $600.

The integrated fingerprint reader seems to be the only inconsistent feature in my opinion, as it seems to be very sensitive and will not work if your finger is dry, or overly moist. When it fails to read the fingerprint as it was originally submitted (after three tries), it prompts you to enter your password manually.

The keyboard is full sized and comfortable, unlike many of the other small laptops I tested, which felt cramped for space. The touch pad is okay, although I usually use a wireless mouse. Above the keyboard are external volume controls and a button to start Lenovo’s MediaNow application, along with a button for the Lenovo Care management and help utility.

The two speakers located at the front of the computer sound tinny, weak and hollow, which is not a problem for me personally, since I usually work with the sound off, or use my Bose . The Wi-Fi on/off switch on the right side of the computer is very handy.

The processing speed is great, even with all of the multitasking that I usually do, it has run very fast, smooth, cool and quiet. Since purchasing the computer I have taken it on numerous cross-country flights, several shorter commutes, along with a number of road trips. The battery had plenty of juice every time, even on the cross-country flights.

There have been no hardware issues and the performance of this small laptop has been nothing short of solid. Yes, there are lighter laptops on the market, but for the price ($1200), it was a bargain. The manufacturer’s warranty is only one year, so if you are into extended warranties – you might consider one.

Tags: Small Laptop Computers // Add Comment »