Sunday, March 6, 2011

The Droid Pro and Droid 2,VGP-BPS9

The Droid Pro and Droid 2 have nearly identical dimensions, but the latter weighs more VGP-BPS9 than a ounce more (4.7 vs. 6 ounces). But in addition to its larger display, the Droid 2 includes 8 GB of built-in memory and includes a built-in 8 GB VGP-BPS9/B microSD card, versus the 2 + 2 GB in the Droid Pro. This Droid has four capacitive buttons above the keyboard, which, while responsive, felt like a disconnect in that this handset has physical VGP-BPS9/S keys.


Behind the easily pried-off battery cover is the microSD card slot, which is guarded by a springy plastic bumper clip VGP-BPS9A/B that's difficult to remove. However, you'll want to do this because you only get 2 GB out of the box.


By adding a QWERTY keyboard to its face, Motorola has reduced the space for a screen, VGP-BPS8A thus the 3.1-inch 480 x 320 (HVGA) TFT display is larger but has a lower resolution than on the BlackBerry Tour and Torch (2.4 inches, 480 x 360), VGP-BPS13 and 0.6 inches smaller than the 3.7-inch 854 x 480 WVGA screen on the Droid 2.


The Droid Pro's screen is not only smaller than other Droids', but it's not as crisp, either. Small text on websites is squint-VGP-BPS13A/B inducing. You'll definitely need to zoom in on this device. On the other hand, apps such as Angry Birds looked fine on this scrunched VGP-BPS13A/Q display.


How do you differentiate between a "consumer" VGP-BPS13/B smart phone and a "business" smart phone? Motorola attempts to answer that question with the Droid Pro ($179 on Verizon), an Android 2.2 device with a physical QWERTY keyboard, a pre-installed light version of the Quickoffice Mobile Suite, VGP-BPS13B/B and Microsoft Exchange support for secure corporate e-mail. But while Motorola has added these pro amenities, you'll need to make some sacrifices to VGP-BPS13B/Q carry this BlackBerry alternative, including a half inch of screen size. So should business users opt for the Droid Pro over consumer-focused Droids and RIM's VGP-BPS13A/S latest devices? It depends on your priorities.


Design

In many ways, the Droid Pro is a throwback, design-wise, to the many BlackBerry black slab imitators--an elongated VGP-BPS13/Q 3.1-inch 480 x 320 HVGA touchscreen situated above a three-line QWERTY keyboard. Inserted into the silver-banded perimeter are a volume toggle VGP-BPS21A/B and the micro USB jack on the left side, an assignable function key on the right, and a screen on/off and 3.5mm headphone jack up top. Around back, the VGP-BPS21/S 5-megapixel camera/LED flash assembly forms a bit of a hump, which makes the Pro a bit thinner than its stated 0.46-inch thickness.


Keyboard

The Droid Pro's most important differentiating physical feature is its QWERTY keyboard. The tall rectangular keys are wedged, VGP-BPS21 with the wedge ridge located on the right side of each key on the left-hand side of the keyboard, and toward the left on the right side. Keys and rows VGP-BPS21A are arranged checkerboard-style rather than staggered and, even though they are jammed together, the wedge ridges help avoid accidental adjacent VGP-BPS21B key presses.


Overall, the keys are large enough that you'll likely type with more accuracy and confidence on this layout than VGP-BPS22 you would on a touchscreen-only phone. We also like that the keyboard never gets in the way of content. However, the keys felt a bit stiff, and required VGP-BPS22A more effort than we'd like to type. The humped keys on the Droid 2 are larger, staggered, and slightly easier to use, but you have to slide out the keyboard to VGP-BPS13B/S enter text, which can be a pain. And the Droid 2's layout doesn't offer as much travel. Having the keyboard always accessible can make a big difference, too, whether it's typing a quick tweet or using Android's universal search VGP-BPS13S feature.


The VAIO F is crafted from black and dark gray plastics. While this lends a sober, VGP-BPS13/S business-like style to the laptop, it also isn't what we'd call terribly premium; other machines in this price range offer metallic finishes. There is a little bit VGP-BPS13AS of flair here, such as the power button that sits in the circular hinge and glows green when the laptop is on and slowly pulses orange when asleep. Above the keyboard is a long speaker grille which subtly blends into the VAIO F's dark gray color scheme. The expansive palm rest area is delicately textured.


The VAIO F didn't get hot under the collar. After playing a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, we VGP-BPS2 measured the temperature at the center of the keyboard to be 93 degrees. The touchpad returned a slightly cooler reading of 90 degrees, and the underside of the chassis VGP-BPS2A registered 89 degrees. However, once the laptop really starts to flex its muscle, fans begin to audibly pump air out of vents on the VAIO's VGP-BPS2B left side.


The VAIO F's large, comfortable keyboard is virtually identical to the previous F series model we enjoyed VGP-BPS2C before. Featuring big, black, chiclet-style keys that are similar to those found on MacBooks, the keyboard offered satisfying feedback with a nice soft pop with each stroke. VGP-BPS21A/B Another welcome feature is the backlighting. Illumination is set to adjust automatically by default, but you can also toggle brightness manually to suit your tastes.


By comparison, keys on the typical BlackBerry are spaced apart a bit in slightly VGP-BPS21/S curved rows. This approach results in speedier typing on candy bar designs such as the BlackBerry Tour, but the Torch slider phone's keyboard feels flat compared to this device. We prefer the Droid Pro for typing.


There are notebooks made for travel, and there are VGP-BPS21 notebooks made for entertainment. Sony's latest VAIO F (VPC-F136FM/B) falls in the latter camp. Boasting a high-resolution, 16.4-inch widescreen, the latest Core i7 processor, robust NVIDIA GeForce 3D graphics, and even a Blu-VGP-BPS21A ray drive, the VAIO F ($1,299 at Best Buy) offers plenty to love. Meant for users who often roam from room to room, the VAIO F provides lots of computing power VGP-BPS21B and multimedia prowess minus the size of a traditional desktop rig. Still, $1,299 is nothing to sneeze at. Check out the full review below as we delve into this machine's strengths VGP-BPS22 and weaknesses to help you decide if it's worth the splurge.


Design-wise, the Sony VAIO F plays a very VGP-BPS22A conservative game. Our model's chassis sports a smooth, matte gray lid, with the only embellishment being the understated Sony branding and larger VAIO logo writ in metallic silver. Weighing in at a hefty 6.4 pounds, the VAIO F has a decidedly laptop battery sturdy feel to it. Measuring 15.3 x 10.4 x 1.6 inches, the VAIO F can be stuffed into most laptop bags. However, this laptop's girth will make you think twice about hp battery lugging it anywhere for long. That said, the VAIO F is lighter than other desktop-replacement laptops on the market, such as the HP Envy 17 (7.5 pounds).


To the right of the keyboard is a full number pad that will sony battery please home accountants and gamers alike. An unfortunate side effect of this addition is that the keyboard is shifted a little left on the deck. As a result, the touchpad sits directly below the spacebar and is positioned on the deck's left side; this alignment dell battery can take some getting used to. Still, the touchpad provides friction-free navigation as well as multitouch gestures. Though not as big as the MacBook's or the HP Envy ibm battery 17, the VIAO F's 3.2 x 2-inch touchpad is also on the large side and offers lots of room to maneuver. The two mouse buttons below are big hp notebook akku as well.


Display

Outfitted with a 16.4-inch display, the VIAO F's expansive screen pumps out a sharp resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels. sony notebook akku While its pixel density is not quite high enough to natively display 1080p video content, movies looked great on the laptop's screen. After popping asus notebook akku in our Apocalypse Now Blu-ray disc, we were treated to an impressive show. The glossy screen delivered deep blacks in nighttime segments and rich fujitsu notebook akku colors especially during the pivotal chopper attack scene. Viewing angles were not bad either, letting groups gather around to enjoy the experience. That said, the VAIO's display didn't appear as bright as other large mainstream toshiba notebook akku notebooks we've tested, specifically the HP Envy 17 and Dell Studio 17.


Ports and Webcam

Due to this laptop's large size, the VAIO F comes well equipped with connectors. Running along dell notebook akku the left side you'll find Ethernet, VGA, and ExpressCard ports. There's an HDMI connection for outputting HD video and sound to home theater acer battery systems. There's also a combo eSATA/USB port and iLINK for connecting extra peripherals. Two more USB ports and the Blu-ray drive can be found on the VAIO F's right side. There are headphone and mic jacks plus a S/PDIF port here apple battery as well. The front lip features Memory Stick and SD Card slots, plus a physical switch for activating the wireless radios.


The laptop's 1.3-megapixel webcam is standard fare and identical to the one we saw ibm battery on the previous VAIO F Series earlier this year. It snaps colorful images, but photos and videos possessed the typical grainy quality we tend to see hp battery from notebook webcams. To control the camera, Sony bundles the ArcSoft WebCam Companion 3 software. We like this tool's sleek black UI and its inclusion of some neat extras, such as Masques, which humorously lets you merge your mug sony battery with the body of, say, a baby or wizard.


Like other laptop vendors, Sony has outfitted the VAIO F's webcam with motion-sensing asus battery technology, called Motion Eye. It automatically identifies your face and pans the camera accordingly to keep you in the frame and in focus. You fujitsu battery can also set the notebook up to operate in sentry mode. If movement is detected, the VAIO F automatically snaps a picture. These features worked fairly well, but the camera took a few seconds to lock on toshiba battery to faces.


Audio and Optional Headphones

The long speaker grille positioned directly below the screen and above the keyboard generates dell battery a sizeable amount of volume. Unfortunately, bass was noticeably lacking. Playing Slacker Radio tracks from electronic to Motown stations resulted in a acer laptop battery tinny, alarm clock radio sound. For music appreciation and proper audio treatment of movies, we suggest opting for a good set of headphones.


Speaking of which, Sony sells a new Digital Surround Headset System ($200) which promises to provide a virtual surround-sound apple laptop battery experience. The system consists of a DR-GA500 processing unit and a specially designed gaming headset. Essentially acting as both an external audio ibm laptop battey device and breakout box, the DR-GA500 supports analog audio inputs from stereo all the way up to 7.1 channels. For digital input, the DR-GA500 sony laptop battery connects to PCs via USB.


We tested this Digital Surround System with the VAIO F and found it improved our audio experience a good deal. saus laptop battery The bundled headphones are light and comfortable, provide a decent amount of bass, and sport a flip-down mic for audio chat during gameplay. Also fujitsu laptop battery cool are the DR-GA500's surround audio effects. While not quite the amazing virtual surround as advertised, these cans did expand our toshiba laptop battery perceived sonic field and made music, movies, and games more enjoyable.

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