The rear and bottom of the machine are largely featureless as well, with the latter hosting four plastic bumpers to lift the machine off of its worksurface. There are also a number of five-lobed Torx screws on the bottom for those so bold as to risk voiding their warranties for a peek at the insides. Opening up shows off a typical MacBook sight – individual black keys poking up through perfectly cut holes in the aluminum case. Noticeably, the keyboard on the new MacBook Air models is not backlit, a downgrade from prior models. Likely a cost-cutting measure, it’s also unfortunate, as Apple seemed to standardize around the backlit keyboard – it certainly makes low-light computing much easier.
The trackpad on the MacBook Air might be called large when comparing it to any notebook on the market – considering that it’s on an 11.6-inch laptop, it becomes much more impressive. Apple is one of the few companies who have managed to integrate buttons into the trackpad and get it right – when companies get it wrong, it quickly becomes the bane of a user’s existence.In order to save space but still provide a large trackpad and full-sized keyboard, the function keys on the 11.6-inch MacBook Air are half the size of those on the 13-inch MacBook Air and the rest of Apple’s mobile lineup.
As the Airs lack built-in optical drives, the eject button traditionally found on Apple laptops is replaced by the power button, which now looks like just another key on the keyboard. All the other keys appear to be identical to other MacBooks. While the keyboard will exhibit substantial flex if pressed firmly, it isn’t something even heavy typists need to worry about.Additionally, while the power button might look like just another button now – and just as easily pressed – casually powering off the machine shouldn’t be a concern as it goes to and returns from sleep rather quickly.
As for the keyboard cover, it worked well enough. I will likely keep it in my notebook bag as a screen cleaner. When transporting a notebook I can see it providing insurance against having parts of the keyboard rub against the screen. These sorts of scuffs or scratches are not as common today as they once were.The Protection Pack that I received had a flaw. My PVC hand-rest cover had about 1/2" of adhesive missing from the right hand side. As a result there was an unsightly half inch unsecured flap on the right side.I sent a quick note to Marware’s support team and had a resolution in about two hours. Upon seeing my proof of purchase, a new hand-rest cover was shipped out to me. Great service!Marware’s Protection Packs are fully recommended. For the money (about $20) it is hard not to see the value. They are a great way to keep your expensive notebook investment looking new while not detracting form the overall aesthetic.
Overall the iBook G4 12″ is an excellent value for a notebook under $1000 with a great software package and outstanding multitasking capabilities. The slot loading DVD/CDRW drive is a nice touch and Mac OS X is just beautiful. However 30GB of hard drive space may run out a lot quicker than expected. Also die hard PC users may have some difficulty adjusting to the OS X’s annoyances (as if XP doesn’t have a set of its own problems) and be steered away by a limited software library. For the PC user looking for a high quality notebook at a low price, the iBook is a good choice to take the work you do on the PC on the go as it is compatible with all the Microsoft Office software (except Access).
The 12.1″ Samsung NC20 is a netbook that is just on the fringe of being the same size as regular notebooks. It offers a large keyboard, higher resolution screen than most netbooks, and long battery life that you would expect from a ULV platform. With a retail price of $549 it is set to compete against the Dell Mini 12 and HP Pavilion dv2. Overall we were pleased with the performance from the VIA Nano platform, which was a massive step up from the lackluster performance of the older C7 we saw in the Everex CloudBook. My only complaint with our review sample was it not being the much better looking black model, but that can be easily fixed by buying that version instead.
The Studio 17 is a 17-inch multimedia and gaming desktop-replacement notebook from Dell. This system can be configured with Intel Core i7 processors as well as high-end ATI Mobility Radeon graphics cards to compete against powerhouse systems like the Acer Aspire 8940G or Asus G51J. Dell has one trick up its sleeve with the Studio 17: it’s the first large consumer notebook to offer an optional multitouch display.Attentive readers might notice that we already reviewed the Studio 17 last year. However, this isn’t the same Studio 17. The system we’re reviewing here is the new Studio 17 (1747) which uses a completely new chassis with 16:9 ratio widescreen display, new speakers, and support for the latest processors.
I did not buy this MacBook Pro. It was another replacement in a long line of replacements dating back to June 2006. My last unit was a Core Duo that I had for about 4 months. Unfortunately, the seal on the LCD was not airtight and dirt was able to accumulate. Having had so many problems, I called Customer Relations, who were willing to replace my Core Duo machine with the new Core 2 Duo version. While I question Apple’s quality control, their customer service has been second to none. It has taken very little effort on my part to get issues corrected. In the month I have had my Core 2 Duo machine, I have thankfully not noticed any build quality issues.The Samsung NC20 is a 12.1″ netbook and larger brother to the 10″ NC10. The NC20 offers a larger nearly-full-size keyboard, large 6-cell battery, WXGA resolution display, and the VIA Nano platform. Since the last VIA-based netbook in our office was the Everex with less than stellar performance, the biggest thought on our minds is if the VIA Nano can compete against the trusted Intel Atom platform. In this review we see how well it compares against its netbook brethren, and if it changes our thoughts about VIA processors in notebooks.
The design of the Samsung NC20 is very clean with a consistent color scheme inside and outside the netbook with a thin border of chrome around the edges. The pearlescent white on our review sample has the same almost-dirty appearance that the original ASUS Eee PC 701 had. I think a pure white looks better or even better would be going all black. The black configuration of the NC20 looks stunning from the samples I have seen and if I were buying one that would be my only choice.Build quality is above average with durable feeling plastic throughout the body. Flex is minimal on the lower half of the notebook, usually an added perk of having such a thin frame packed with components. Flex under the keyboard structure is non-existent which adds a level of quality that you notice while typing. The screen lid has some minor flex that when squeezed shows some distortion on the panel.
User upgrades to the NC20 are limited to swapping out the RAM or hard drives. Samsung has a single panel on the bottom of the it that gives quick access to the hard drive bay and single memory slot. No “warranty void if removed” stickers were over the cover or screws.The 12.1” display on the Samsung NC20 is above average compared to most notebooks. The LED-backlighting is very even across the screen with barely any backlight bleed around the edges. Image quality is excellent thanks to the glossy surface, with vibrant colors and nice contrast levels. Vertical viewing angles are average with a narrow viewing sweet spot where colors are not washing out or inverted. Horizontal viewing angles are better, staying true at steeper angles. Screen backlight brightness was good for viewing in a bright office setting, but you would be pushing the limits trying to use the NC20 outdoors on a sunny day.
The Samsung NC20 has an almost-full-size keyboard that is comfortable to type on and very easy to transition to from larger notebooks. Compared to other netbooks the keyboard is very good, but notebooks still have an edge on it. Business notebooks in the 12-inch form factor have been able to incorporate completely full-size keyboards, but they are generally higher priced. Individual key action is smooth with no sound emitted when clicked. The ability to type covertly in a quiet classroom or office meeting could easily be added as another feature.
The NC20 offers a Synaptics touchpad that is nicely sized for a netbook. Measuring in at 2.75″ x 1.63″ it is larger than the touchpad on my Lenovo ThinkPad. The surface texture is a fine matte finish that is smooth to slide your finger across even if your hands are moist. Sensitivity is excellent once adjusted, since the default driver settings put the “PalmCheck” adjustment at max, which made movement very twitchy. The touchpad buttons are controlled through a bridged button that connected the left and right side. Feedback from it is shallow with a mild click noise when pressed.