Remember desktop PCs? People used to use them before laptops were powerful. Some people still use them today, believe it or not! I have one – ha! If you want to see what all the fuss is about in regards to desktop PCs, then Woot! has a pretty stellar deal on a quad-core Gateway system with 8GB of RAM for $480 – it’s refurbished but carries a 90-day warranty.

Other specs include:

• Intel Core2 Quad Q8200 CPU at 2.33GHz, 4MB L2 cache, 1333MHz FSB
• 8GB DDR2 RAM
• NVIDIA GeForce GT120 GPU with 1GB DDR2 memory
• 640GB SATA hard drive (7200RPM)
• Card reader, HDTV tuner, 8-channel audio, DVD burner, Gigabit Ethernet
• Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit

So for $480, there’s plenty of pop here. Might take a while before this thing is OBSOLETE.

The first to make use of Intel’s recently launched mobile Core i7 chips (codenamed “Clarksfield”), the specs of the Alienware M15x indicate that the company’s marketing is right on target. No doubt maxing out the configuration will result in a $4000+ laptop. However, at the starting price of $1500, here’s what you get:

• 512MB NVIDIA GeForce GT 240M
• Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz (2.8 GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
• 15.6-inch WideHD+ 1600 x 900 – WLED
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
• 3GB DDR3 – 1066MHz
• 250GB 5,400RPM
• Internal Wireless Bluetooth 2.1+ Enhanced Data Rate
• Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
• Ports:
  • IEEE 1394a (4-pin) port
  • Integrated Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 (1000 Mbps)
  • 3 Hi-speed USB 2.0 ports (1 via USB 2.0 / eSATA combo port)
  • 1 eSATA (via USB 2.0 / eSATA Combo Port)
  • VGA, DisplayPort – Video Output
  • 8-in-1 Media Card Reader
  • ExpressCard Slot
  • 2 Audio Out Connectors
  • Audio In / Microphone Jack (retaskable for 5.1 audio)
  • Two Built-In Front Speakers
• Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
• Intel WiFi Link 5300 a/g/Draft-n 3×3 MIMO
• 6-cell battery

Impressive, though I think Alienware could’ve done better with the standard hard disk and battery. 250GB is definitely too small for enthusiasts nowadays, and 6-cell batteries are simply too weak to keep the action going away from the wall socket. Then again, this laptop isn’t exactly designed for typing out reflections at the neighborhood coffee shop, but then again, it’s nearly two inches thick when closed. Perhaps Alienware could’ve crammed more data and power capacity? In any case, the Alienware M15x is still a “portable” platform powerful enough to run practically any game or application on the market—most probably at a fast pace.

You can buy the Alienware M15x from Dell.com. Starting price is $1500. If you don’t have that much money to burn, you can check out the $700 gaming desktop.

The new Alienware M15x laptop, the world’s most powerful 15″ laptop.

Post from: The Gadget Blog

Looks like Dell’s dropped the starting price on the super thin Adamo to $1499 — when the machine was officially announced in March, the starting price was $1999.

The base configuration will get you the following features:

• 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU
• Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
• 2GB of RAM
• 128GB solid state drive

That’s for the “Admire” version. Step up to the “Desire” configuration, which has now been lowered to a starting price of $2299, and you’ll get a 1.4GHz CPU, double the RAM, and a mobile broadband chip.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t make the arbitrary comparison to the MacBook Air, so here goes:

The $1499 base price of the Adamo is now the same as the MacBook Air. With the MacBook Air you get a 1.86GHz CPU, 120GB SATA hard drive, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics versus the Adamo’s 1.2GHz CPU, solid state drive, and Intel graphics. The Adamo also weighs about a pound more: four pounds versus three pounds. And the higher-end MacBook Air starts at $1799 versus the $2299 Adamo. You get a 2.13GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM, NVIDIA graphics and a 128GB solid state drive with the MacBook Air whereas with the Adamo you get 4GB of RAM and mobile broadband, albeit with a slower CPU.

The Mac runs OS X, the Dell runs Windows. Dell is based in Texas and Apple is based in California. The Apple comes in light gray or light gray and the Dell comes in black or white. Dell’s CEO sometimes wear a suit and is named Michael and Apple’s CEO wears jeans and turtlenecks and is named Steve. Dell is better if you like Dell better than Apple and Apple is better if you like Apple better than Dell. Or if you hate Dell, you might like Apple better. If you hate Apple, you might like Dell better. If you hate both, maybe you own an Acer or an HP or something.

Dell Adamo [Dell.com via Gizmodo]

The ASUS G50V-A1 is a new 15.4" gaming notebook to hit the market this holiday season.  The G50V-A1 is one of the best machines produced by ASUS performance-wise, but it has other issues that should be considered if your intention is to use the "gaming notebook" heavily for its intended purpose.

The notebook offers excellent performance powered with an Intel Core 2 Duo T9400, high-quality WSXGA+ screen, and numerous features that make the system stand out.  It is even bundled with useful accessories that do not normally come with a laptop, including a backpack and gaming mouse. The G50V is covered with a two-year warranty, and the first year includes accident damage coverage as well.  The ASUS G50V-A1 also comes with a recovery disk that can be useful in the case of emergency.

If the system was marketed as a business machine, we could stop there with an exceptional review.  However, while the laptop offers great stock performance, the G50V-A1’s over clocking and power management abilities didn’t fare so well. Even though the machine was nearly flawless during regular usage, it’s always a plus for it to perform during rigorous benchmark tests (WorldBench, Mobilemark, etc.). Another serious issue is that it lacks driver support for widescreen resolution (1440×900), which would come in handy. It runs perfectly in its normal resolution of 1680×1050, but having to step down to 1280×768 for a decent widescreen resolution is not a good look.

The G50V-A1 comes with Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit, with 4GB of DDR2-800 RAM. The notebook includes an 8X DVD-RW Super Multi drive, 8-in-1 memory card reader, built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam, and Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5100AGN with built-in Bluetooth support.  Overall, the G50V is a quality gaming platform.  The design and numerous features are great. The graphics card it uses (the NVIDIA GeForce 9700 GT) is a bit of an undershot for ASUS since it’s quite underpowered for a gaming laptop.

The A1 can be purchased for a little under $1600, but it may be overpriced since the ASUS G50Vt-X1 can be purchased for $1,250. It’s a cheaper machine, but it has a Core 2 Duo processor, a 15.6" 1366×758 display, and a NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GS, which is simply a better graphics card for a gaming platform.