Sony VAIO F Series,VGP-BPS21

There are notebooks made for travel, and there are notebooks made for Sony VGP-BPS9/S Battery 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-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 Sony VGP-BPS9/B Battery power 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 and weaknesses to help you decide if it's worth the splurge.

Design

Design-wise, the Sony VAIO F plays a very conservative game. Our model's chassis sports a smooth, matte gray lid, Sony VGP-BPS9A/B Battery 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 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 lugging it anywhere for long. Sony VGP-BPS9 Battery That said, the VAIO F is lighter than other desktop-replacement laptops on the market, such as the HP Envy 17 (7.5 pounds).

When we watched a downloaded episode of 30 Rock Sony VGP-BPS13 Battery from Samsung's Media Hub store, we were impressed with the detail. The display provided strong viewing angles even in bright light or outdoors.

Keyboards

Samsung bundles the Galaxy Tab with two virtual keyboards, its own and one from Swype. Because this tablet is narrower than the iPad, we found it much easier to enter text without stretching our fingers all the way across the screen.

Still, we made quite a few errors, where we accidentally hit the wrong key, particularly in portrait mode. We appreciated that @ and .com Sony VGP-BPS13A/Q Battery keys showed up when we typed in an e-mail address field, and that the .com button was present when typing URLs in the browser. A welcome optional predictive text feature suggests words as you type.

With the Swype keyboard option, you can quickly enter text by drawing a continuous line from Sony VGP-BPS13A/B Battery letter to letter, and the software is smart enough to enter spaces between words. Plus, you can easily tap things such as periods and special keys in this mode. It's definitely worth a try.

Unlike the iPad, the Galaxy tab offers haptic Sony VGP-BPS13/B Battery feedback so you can get a simulated tactile feel while you're typing. If you don't like this feature, you can turn it off, but if you love it, you can adjust the level of vibration up or down, something most Android phones don't offer.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab is fast becoming the main competitor to the iPad. With its hi-res 7-inch screen, a more travel-friendly design, and access to the Android Market, the Tab strikes a strong balance between a large smart phone and Apple's larger tablet. However, with each of the four major U.S. carriers selling the 3G-equipped Galaxy Sony VGP-BPS13B/B Battery Tab with their own pricing and a smattering of extra features, it can be difficult to decide which one to buy. With a $599 price with no contract required and data plans starting at $20 a month for 1GB, the Verizon Galaxy Tab offers a lot of flexibility, but is it worth the high up-front price?

Editor's Note: Portions of this review were taken from the original review of the Sprint Sony VGP-BPS13B/Q Battery Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Design

The Galaxy Tab's premium design stands out in Sony VGP-BPS13A/S Battery contrast to bargain-basement slates such as the CherryPad CherryPal. The glossy all-black front has a premium feel with four light-up capacitive touch buttons for Home, Back, Settings, and Search. Unlike the Sprint Galaxy Tab, which has an all-white back, and the T-Mobile Galaxy Tab which has a specked-black back, the Verizon Galaxy Tab has an even more attractive textured black surface.

At 13.5 ounces and 7.5 x 4.7 x 0.5 inches, the Galaxy Tab is significantly thinner and lighter than the iPad (9.56 x 7.47 x 0.5 inches, 1.5 pounds). Sony VGP-BPS13/Q Battery While not small enough for most pants pockets, it can slip into a large coat pocket and easily slides into most purses.

Like most Android tablets, the Galaxy Tab offers only minimal connectivity options. In addition Sony VGP-BPS8 Battery to its microSD slot and a 3.5-inch headphone jack, the Tab has a proprietary docking port that it uses to connect to the charger or to your computer's USB port. Samsung also sells a couple of accessories, including a keyboard

and an HDMI-out dock, that connect to this port. Sony VGP-BPS8A Battery However, we wish that the device used a standard microUSB port for charging so we could attach a standard cable.

While it's not as vivid as the AMOLED display on some of Samsung's Galaxy phones, the 7-inch screen provides bright, colorful images at a high resolution. As the first Android tablet with a 1024 x 600 screen, the Galaxy Tab provides a lot more screen real estate than any handset. The greater screen real estate allows you to see more Sony VGP-BPS13AS of a web page

without scrolling or zooming out, and it also allows you to view more detail in photos and Sony VGP-BPS13S videos.

The VAIO F is crafted from black and dark gray plastics. While this lends a sober, 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 of flair here, such as the power Sony VGP-BPS13/S 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.

Heat

The VAIO F didn't get hot under the collar. After playing a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, we measured the temperature at the Sony VGP-BPS13B/S center of the keyboard to be 93 degrees. The touchpad returned a slightly cooler reading of 90 degrees, and the underside of the chassis 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 left Sony VGP-BPS2 Battery side.

The VAIO F's large, comfortable keyboard is virtually identical to the previous F series model Sony VGP-BPS22A Battery we enjoyed 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. Another welcome feature is the backlighting. Illumination is set to adjust automatically by default, but you can also toggle brightness manually to suit your Sony VGP-BPS22 Battery tastes.

We tested this Digital Surround System with the VAIO F and found it improved our audio experience a good deal. 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 cool are the DR-GA500's surround audio effects. While not quite the amazing Sony VGP-BPS21B Battery virtual surround as advertised, these cans did expand our perceived sonic field and made music, movies, and games more enjoyable.

Ports and Sony VGP-BPS2A Battery Webcam

Due to this laptop's large size, the VAIO F comes well equipped with connectors. Running along the Sony VGP-BPS21 Battery left side you'll find Ethernet, VGA, and ExpressCard ports. There's an HDMI connection for outputting HD video and sound to home theater 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. Sony VGP-BPS2B Battery There are headphone and mic jacks plus a S/PDIF port here as well. The front lip features Memory Stick and SD Card slots, plus a physical switch for activating the wireless radios.

To the right of the keyboard is a full number pad that will please Sony VGP-BPS21A Battery 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 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 17, the VIAO F's 3.2 x 2-inch touchpad is also on the large Sony VGP-BPS21/S Battery side and offers lots of room to maneuver. The two mouse buttons below are big as well.

Outfitted with a 16.4-inch display, the VIAO F's expansive screen pumps out a sharp resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels. 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 in our Apocalypse Now Blu-ray disc, we were treated Sony VGP-BPS21A/B Battery to an impressive show. The glossy screen delivered deep blacks in nighttime segments and rich 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 notebooks we've Sony VGP-BPS2C Battery tested, specifically the HP Envy 17 and Dell Studio 17.

Audio and Optional Headphones

The long speaker grille positioned directly below the screen and above the keyboard generates a sizeable batterymag.co.uk amount of volume. Unfortunately, bass was noticeably lacking. Playing Slacker Radio tracks from electronic to Motown stations resulted in a tinny, Sony Laptop Battery 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 experience. The system consists of a DR-GA500 processing unit and a specially designed gaming headset. Essentially acting as both an external audio 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 connects to PCs via USB.

This Windows Phone 7 device has an innovative design with a slide-out speaker

All Windows Phone 7 devices have minimum hardware requirements such VGP-BPS13 as a 1-GHz processor, 5-megapixel camera, and 720p video recording, so many people wondered how manufacturers would make their phones VGP-BPS13A/B stand out. In HTC's case, the company went with a unique a slider design with a speaker in the place where a QWERTY keyboard would normally be found. Available for $199 on AT&T, we like the idea of a phone with strong media capabilities, a kickstand VGP-BPS13A/S for watching movies and TV, and a big speaker that can fill a small room with Zune tunes. HTC also bundles an app that delivers some of the VGP-BPS13/Q company's Sense goodness. Still, the Surround must compete with the identically priced Samsung Focus and its brilliant Super AMOLED screen. Assuming you like what WP7 has to offer, which device is the best choice?

Design

The Surround weighs a hefty 5.8 ounces and measures 4.7 x 2.4 x 0.5 inches. The phone VGP-BPS9 feels well-crafted, with hard black plastic on the back and aluminum accents on the sides. The bottom half of the phone slides out a half-inch to VGP-BPS8 reveal the silver speaker grille, which is perforated with tiny holes. Several people we showed the phone to were perplexed that the speaker didn't extend further. "That's all there is?" was a common reaction. A solid metal kickstand is on the opposite side of the phone so VGP-BPS9A/B you can prop up the device on a table or desk.

The top of the Surround has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a sleep/power button, the right side VGP-BPS9/B has a volume rocker and a dedicated camera button, and the bottom has a microUSB charging port.

Display

The 3.8-inch capacitive LCD on the Surround screen VGP-BPS9/S looks good, with strong, accurate colors and nice contrast. It has a resolution of 800 x 480, so text and pictures were easy on the eyes. However, the screen looks a little dull next the Super AMOLED display on the Samsung Focus, another AT&T Windows Phone 7 device, VGP-BPS8A not to mention the category-best iPhone 4's 960 x 640 Retina display. Still, an episode of "30 Rock" streaming over the Netflix app looked VGP-BPS2 decent on the Surround.

Audio

When slid open, the Dolby-powered speaker on the VGP-BPS2A Surround is activated. The default sound on the speaker is Dolby Mobile, but there are two other options that can be accessed by pushing a small square button on the speaker. When the button is pressed once, it enables SRS WOW HD and when pressed twice, it activates no VGP-BPS2B effects at all. Both Dolby and SRS claim to offer audio enhancements, but we surprisingly found that the "no effects" option offered the most VGP-BPS2C volume and clarity. The song "If I Ever Feel Better" by Phoenix is a danceable rock song with guitars, bass, keyboards, and drums. good battery With Dolby Mobile or SRS WOW HD, the song sounded flat and it was hard to differentiate the subtle changes of the drum beats and key changes. With no sound "enhancements," the song came alive with pulsing bass and sony battery guitar licks.

In lieu of the button on the speaker, users can also select between the Dolby Mobile, SRS, and no effects audio profiles using the HTC VGP-BPS13B/B Sound Enhancer app. There's also an Equalizer which has presets (such as bass booster, treble VGP-BPS13B/Q booster, and more) but that's only available when using headphones or external speakers.

The overall volume of the speakers was enough to fill a small room, but not "take the party to another level," as HTC claims on its website. Oddly, games were much louder than music, but when the speaker is right in front of your face, it's not necessary to blast it. While VGP-BPS13/B it doesn't have as much treble and bass, the speaker on the Samsung Focus got almost as loud for music and video.

When using a pair of good headphones with the 3.5mm jack on the Surround, music VGP-BPS13A/Q sounded full, clear, and generally excellent.

SMK Link's PadDock 10

This rotating iPad speaker dock produces good sound for the price vgp-bps21a and will encourage you to use Apple's slate more.



The beauty of the iPad is that it's easy to vgp-bps21/s pick up and start using anytime, whether you want to look up something on the web, play a quick game, or watch a movie or TV show. You'll get even more out of your investment if you store it inside this clever accessory. SMK Link's PadDock 10 ($99) is a sturdy Sony VGP-BPS9 Battery stand with two 3-watt speakers that provide impressive audio oomph for the price, letting you stream music from your iTunes and apps Sony VGP-BPS9/B Battery such as Pandora from across the room. And when paired with apps such as ABC.com or Hulu Plus, the PadDock 10 can turn your Sony VGP-BPS9/S Battery iPad into a nice little TV for the kitchen. You'll even fire up slideshows more often, since the dock both charges and syncs your device. We have a few complaints, but overall the PadDock 10 delivers.

Design

The PadDock 10 consists of a sturdy table stand topped by a four-pronged, grapple-like frame that holds the iPad in place. The holding Sony VGP-BPS9A/B Battery frame turns a full 360 degrees, so you can use apps in landscape or portrait mode, and you can tilt the iPad forward or Sony VGP-BPS13 battery back for the best viewing angle. The accessory elevates the iPad approximately 10 inches above the table surface, putting the device vgp-bps21/b in an ideal position to tap the screen when sitting on our desk. The PadDock weighs 3.4 pounds and it's base is 7-inches wide so it's light and small enough to move from room to room with ease. It's not collapsible though, so expect to keep the stand at home or in vgp-bps21a/b your office.

Because the PadDock 10 secures the iPad just below eye-level, we imagine plenty vgp-bps21 of people pairing this accessory with a Bluetooth keyboard to turn the tablet into a mini desktop/net top. The stand's base is well-weighted, so we never vgp-bps13/b worried about tipping over the PadDock 10 with a forceful tap.

A 30-pin connector, the iPad's standard interface port, is built into one of the two holding hooks that lock the iPad in place. That vgp-bps13/q means docking and undocking is a two-part process: First you have to ensure the connector is inserted into the tablet's port, and then you must vgp-bps13a/q push the opposite end of the iPad into a small clasping mechanism on the opposite hook. After a few tries, docking and undocking the iPad was quick vgp-bps13b/q and painless.

A switch to toggle between charging and syncing modes, along with LED lights to indicate which mode is active,PA3534U-1BRS is located on the right side of the PadDock 10. The two 3-watt speakers are located behind a long gray bar pa3535u-1brs underneath the iPad. The speakers face backwards and can't be seen when you're looking at the iPad's screen dead on, but that's because SMK Link designed this accessory to project sound against a wall for better amplification.

On the backside of the four-pronged holding frame and above the speakers are two ports. There's an AC port to power vostro 1510 battery the dock's speakers and charge the iPad, and a mini USB port, used for syncing the iPad with a PC.

Unfortunately, the PadDock 10's volume can only be raised or lowered via a small vostro 1310 battery wheel on the right side of the device. There's no remote control. SMK Link says the company omitted this feature because adding e6400 battery the necessary electronics would have increased the cost well beyond the $99 the company was shooting for

Syncing

To sync the iPad while it rests in the PadDock 10, the tablet must first be connected to your PC via the included mini-USB e6500 battery cable. Then the device can be switched into sync mode with a small button located alongside the same holding hook with the 30-pin connector. Once e5500 battery syncing is done, it's necessary to switch the PadDock 10 back into charge mode if you want to continue providing juice.

Charging

When not playing video or music the PadDock dell studio 1535 battery charges an iPad with 11-watts of power. If the speakers are active, 6-watts are used to power them and 5 watts are used to simultaneously power the docked device and charge it (the standard Apple adapter can charge the slate with 10 watts dell studio 1737 battery of power when the iPad is not being used). We docked an iPad with 40 percent battery life in the PadDock 10 at about 11:30 am, used it intermittently dell studio 17 battery to listen to music and watch some video for about an hour, and let it charge until 4:45pm when it hit 100 percent capacity.

Speaker Performance

The PadDock 10 uses a two-channel stereo system comprised of two oval-shaped left Dell studio 15 battery and right speakers. There's no built-in sub-woofer to cover deep low frequencies, but a passive radiator is used to deliver bass response. The Dell gd761 battery satellite speakers are set at a slight angle so that audio output can bounce off a nearby surface (say, a wall or the back of a desk) and then be reflected back at the listener. In our tests, we noticed that the PadDock 10 performed best when its speakers were Dell xps m1530 battery about 8 to 12 inches away from a wall.

We watched movie trailers, television clips, and listened to MP3 samples on the PadDock 10, Dell xps m1730 battery both against a nearby wall and on the open surface of a table. When positioned against the wall, we could hear more vibrato in the Dell CF623 battery background music of a movie trailer for the film Chico and Rita than when we pointed the dock's speakers toward the middle of the room. The same goes for hip-hop music sampled with iTunes.

Though the bass drop was noticeable when we moved the PadDock 10 away from a wall, the general audio quality was Dell KD476 battery quite good. Even at 50 percent, the volume was loud enough to parse dialogue, make out sound effects, and hear songs or background music from an acer aspire 5920 battery episode of Castle. And when we raised the volume, the show's audio filled our office conference room with sound; for instance, we had acer aspire 5050 battery no trouble hearing birds chirp while our lead characters talked during a stroll through Central Park.

The PadDock 10 also provided satisfying sound quality during music playback. When we streamed Green Day from Pandora, there acer aspire 5100 battery was real warmth in Billy Joe's voice that simply wasn't present when we used the iPad by itself. Just don't expect to use the PadDock apple a1185 battery 10 at parties. While the volume was sufficiently loud to annoy nearby co-workers, it's not enough to fill a large, crowded room. The PadDock 10 apple a1175 battery is best for playing background music or watching video content in a bedroom or kitchen

Verdict

For $99 the PadDock 10 makes for a much better iPad resting place while at home or in the office than a case. The audio output apple a1189 battery is fairly impressive given the affordable price, and when paired with a Bluetooth keyboard this, accessory makes Apple's slate a better good battery productivity device because it's close to eye level. We just wish the package included a remote control so you could change tracks and adjust battery the volume from across the room. Audiophiles may want to invest in the iLuv iMM747, an iPad speaker batteries dock that costs $50 more, but the PadDock 10 is a better multipurpose dock that adds more functionality to an already good batteries great multipurpose device.