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Lenovo ThinkPad T400s (Multitouch)

A Well-Executed Multitouch Laptop

TheT400s (Multitouch) incites lust among business users. It has the ThinkPad X301’s exquisitely thin dimensions, with a 14-inch LED widescreen to boot. It’s the lightest business laptop in its class—and that’s with the internal optical drive. The latest edition (and bear in mind that this is not a convertible tablet) takes advantage of Microsoft’s Touch Pack and other touch-friendly applications made for Windows 7 and is, bar none, the best implementation of a multitouch panel yet on a laptop.

The T400s is considerably thinner than the ThinkPad T400, measuring 13.3 by 9.4 by 1.1 inches (HWD), but weighs a bit more than the original T400s—4.4 pounds versus 3.9. Unfortunately, the T400s had to unload certain features to achieve this thinness; it has only one memory card reader slot and no FireWire port. It does, however, have every wireless technology built-in—3G, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a GPS chip. And hard drive options include a 128GB SSD.

But the big story is obviously the new multitouch gestures. By tapping two fingers on the screen, you invoke a series of icons called Simple Tap. You can also customize screen icons for commonly used apps and tasks. Though Simple Tap could be a bit temperamental, otherwise the touch features worked like a charm.

In our testing, high scores were split between the T400s and the T400s multitouch version. Video encoding scores improved by a margin of 6 seconds with the T400s (Multitouch) and outperformed the original T400 by 2 seconds. On MobileMark 2007, the multitouch T400s scored 4 hours 20 minutes, which trails the T400s by 11 minutes (4 hours 31 minute). There is no support here for an extended battery. And the multitouch T400s met our criteria for a Green Tech Approved product, with Energy Star 5.0, EPEAT Gold, and RoHS certification, among other factors.

Though finding the right business implementation for the multitouch screen could prove a challenge, this new T400s is nonetheless an exciting look ahead for Windows 7 systems.—Cisco Cheng

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ISPECS 2.5-GHz Intel Core 2 P9500 processor; 2GB SDRAM; 128GB SSD hard drive; Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics; 14.1-inch widescreen; 4.4pounds (5.1 travel); 3 USB ports; 44-Wh battery; Windows 7 Professional (32-bit).

Lenovo ThinkPad T400s (Multitouch)

$2,395 direct

L llhm PROS Multitouch panel works well. Exquisitely thin. Modular optical drive included. Fast, energy-efficient processor. Nice resolution. Tough as nails. Phenomenal typing experience. Excellent green credentials. CONS No FireWire or extra card slot. No extended batteries available.

PERFORMANCE TESTS

L High scores are best. M Low scores are best. Bold type denotes first place. MoBILEMArk 2007 L

(hr:min)

Lenovo ThinkPad T400s (Multitouch) 4:20

Lenovo ThinkPad T400s

Lenovo ThinkPad T400 4:31

4:12

MULTIMEDIA TESTS WInDoWS MEDIA EncoDEr M

min:sec

0:56

1:02

0:59

cInEBEncH r10 L

5,222

5,292

5,838

PHoToSHoP cS4 M

min:sec

0:34

0:35

0:26

Fujitsu LifeBook T5010 (Multitouch)

Fujitsu’s Multitouch Tablet

Convertible tablets are and will remain specialized products that cater to a certain group of people. Nevertheless, the multitouch LifeBook T5010 is the hallmark of what a tablet user experience should be. Though the design lacks style and the battery life could use some pick-me-up, it now has dual active displays, which works like this: The pen triggers Wacom’s digitized panel, and when you apply a finger (or two), the capacitive touch panel similar to the Apple iPhone’s, is activated.

The T5010 retains an older chassis that’s just begging for a makeover. While other tablet makers are using 12-inch widescreens, the T5010 opted to use a 13.3-inch screen, one of the biggest for a tablet. The T5010 also has a responsive capacitive touch technology, instead of resistive, so you don’t have to apply pressure against the screen. The multi-touch display recognizes up to two fingers, and that means you can pinch and rotate photos, Word documents, Web pages, PDF files, and so on. You also get a free upgrade to Windows 7.

Though pricey and a bit outdated in terms of design, the T5010 is a convertible tablet that gives you three vital tools for data input: a keyboard, a digital pen, and now, multitouch.—Cisco Cheng

Fujitsu LifeBook T5010 (Multitouch)

$1,859 direct

l llhm PROS Capacitive touch panel. Support Windows 7 Multi-touch. Digitized pen is an excellent tool. Powerful and energy-efficient processor. Mobile Broadband available. Tons of security features. CONS Clunky design. Tablets are still pricey instruments. Battery life is below average on a single battery. 80GB hard drive is more meager than those found in netbooks.

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ISPECS 2.53-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 processor; 2GB SDRAM; 80GB hard drive; Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics; 13.3-inch display; 4.8 pounds; 3 USB ports; 63-Wh battery; Windows Vista Business (32-bit).

Getac 9213

A Laptop With Rugged Good Looks

Getac has deep roots in the ruggedized space, a company originally geared toward military- and government- oriented computing products. But the Getac 9213 purges the notion that a ruggedized ultraportable should have a rough-and-tumble appearance; its stylish metallic frame looks more like a mainstream product with business-rugged features. With the help of Intel’s low-powered parts, this featherweight delivered more than 5 hours of battery life, but the 9213’s toughness and energy efficiency may not be enough to warrant its bloated price tag.

In design, the 9213 is reminiscent of the Acer Aspire 3935, measuring just 12.5 by 9 by 1 inches, and weighing 3.6 pounds. Its 13.3-inch widescreen clings to the old-school aspect ratio (16:10), whereas most consumer laptops are moving to 16:9. And the 9213’s classification as “business rugged” means it can survive 1.5-foot drops, water spills, and shock to its hard drive, but it’s not nearly as tough as a fully ruggedized laptop.

The 9213 Ultralow Voltage (ULV) processor eliminates clunky fans and has huge benefits in power savings, but it trails many of its consumer counterparts in performance. Luckily, the 9213’s 3GB of memory can help offset some of its performance woes. If you work with resource-intensive apps, this laptop is probably not for you.

Overall, the sleek metallic frame and more than 5 hours of battery life can compete with the best of them, but until the price comes down, I would carefully consider the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 or the Acer Aspire 3935.—Cisco Cheng

Getac 9213

$1,800 street

l llhm PROS Feathery light. Can sustain drops, spills, and shakes. Efficient battery. Excellent navigating experience. Very stylish. CONS Expensive. Mislaid forward-slash key. No HDMI or DisplayPort technologies.

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ISPECS 1.4-GHz Intel Pentium SU9400 processor; 3GB DDR3 SDRAM; 160GB hard drive ; 13.3-inch display; Intel Wi-Fi Link 5300 AGN; 3.6 pounds (4.4 travel); 3 USB ports; 58-Wh battery; Windows Vista Business (32 bit).

Epson Stylus NX515

Impressive, Capable Home All-In-One

With the previous NX400, Epson bucked the trend of designing all-in-ones (AIOs) for home and home office. It instead focused just on home use, with attributes such as printing photos extremely well. That model missed an Editors’ Choice only because the text quality wasn’t quite good enough. Well, Epson’s back now with the NX515, and with this model, the text quality is much improved, and yes, it’s now earned a spot as an Editors’ Choice.

The NX515 measures 7.2 by 17.7 by 13.5 inches (HWD). The focus on home use shows in the printer’s high quality for photos and scans; the ability to print from PictBridge cameras, memory cards, and USB memory keys; the 2.5-inch LCD for previewing photos; and a special photo copy feature. And the Ethernet and WiFi connections make it easy to share your snapshots. But the lack of an automatic document feeder (ADF) and fax modem limit its usefulness for home offices.

This printer scored an impressive 8 minutes 32 seconds on our QualityLogic speed tests. Photo speed was less impressive, averaging 2:05 for each 4-by-6 and 4:41 for each 8-by-10, but the output quality more than makes up for the moderate speed. And this printer offers better-than-par text quality and fairly typical graphics quality for an ink jet.

With all of these strengths, plus the convenience of Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections, the NX515 not only earns its Editors’ Choice award with room to spare, but resets the bar for what to expect from a home AIO.—M. David Stone

Epson Stylus NX515

$149.99 direct

L lllm PROS Extraordinarily fast. High-quality output, particularly for text and photos. Ink is smearresistant, even on plain paper. CONS Only limited potential for the dual role of home and home office, with features that concentrate on home use.

AVADirect GT3 Core i7 Gaming System

A Pint-Size Gaming Box

Nomad gamers who find themselves rolling from place to place know that portability can be almost as important as performance. The AVADirect GT3 is made for them. This gaming desktop has a compact chassis, yet boasts a full-blown Core i7 quad-core processor and high-powered ATI Radeon HD graphics card. Thanks to its manageable size and reasonable weight, the GT3 is a more practical gaming rig for LAN parties than the humongous speed machines.

The GT3’s mostly ABS plastic chassis (to keep weight down) measures about 15.5 by 4.5 by 12.5 inches (HWD) and uses an internal riser card system that turns the graphics card orientation 90 degrees to fit a full-size graphics card. Because of the cooling needs of a quad-core processor and dual-width graphics card, the very noticeable fans make quite a din. There are also customization options for some of the components but not much room for expansion.

This system was a very good performer on our 3D games test, returning smooth, playable numbers for both Crysis (81 frames per second) and World in Conflict (93 fps) at our standard 1,280-by-1,024 resolution. The GT3 also finished our Windows Media Encoder test in 34 seconds. In the niche market of hard-core gamers, the GT3 makes a good argument for buying over building. —Joel Santo Domingo

AVADirect GT3 Core i7 Gaming System

$1367.26 direct

l llhm PROS Compact gaming rig with carrying handle. Decent 3D performance. No bloatware. Fits full-sized cards. Nice price. CONS Carbon fiber look is a decal. System is loud. No digital card reader. Upgrade/serviceability is awkward. Only 350W power supply.

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ISPECS 2.66-GHz Intel Core i7-920 processor, 6GB DDR3 SDRAM, 500GB SATA hard drive, ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics, DVD±RW drive, ten USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire port, one eSATA port, Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit).

DESKTOPS

Gateway DX4300-03 $749.99 list

LAPTOPS

ASUS K50IJ-C1 $680 street HP ProBook 4310s $880 direct Gateway LT3103u $380 street

PROS

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• Multimedia oriented • New styling • Device tray on top • Included TV tuner • Built-in Wi-Fi • Cheap desktop replacement • Numeric keypad included • Big, bright screen • Good battery life • Fast hard drive • Matte screen minimizes glare • RJ11 and fingerprint reader • Lightweight • Generous, atypical 11-inch widescreen • Full-size keyboard • 2GB of memory • Big hard drive • Competitively priced

CONS • No Blu-ray drive • Lots of bloatware • Short 60-day subscription to Norton Internet

Security • No HDMI-Out • Design is a little boring • Mouse buttons make clicking sounds • Boxy, thick design • Only 37-Wh battery available • Not enough battery life for road warriors • Battery life falls short of its rivals • Bland design

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BO TTOM LINE

SPECS A middle-of-the-road quad-core desktop for the multimedia enthusiast, the DX4300-03 is good at a lot of things, but great at nothing. The K50IJ-C1 is as cheap as a desktop replacement laptop can get without sacrificing too many features or too much performance. The HP 4310s is inexpensive and comes with a nice mix of business and consumer features, but make sure you buy an additional battery. The Gateway LT3103u goes against everything that coined the term netbook, but you’ll like the price, 11-inch screen, and the full size keyboard.

2.4-GHz AMD Phenom X4 9750 processor; 8GB SDRAM; 1TB hard drive; 1GB ATI Radeon HD 4650 graphics; DVD±RW drive; Vista Home Premium (64bit). 2.1-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 processor; 4GB SDRAM; 250GB hard drive; 15.6-inch screen; Atheros 802.11g Wi-Fi; 5.7 pounds 46-Wh battery; Vista Home Premium (32-bit). 2.2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6670 processor; 4GB SDRAM; 320GB hard drive; 13.3-inch screen; Intel Wi-Fi Link 5100 AGN; 4.6 pounds; 37-Wh battery; Vista Business (32-bit). 1.2-GHz AMD Athlon 64 L110 processor; 2GB SDRAM; 250GB hard drive; ATI X1270 graphics; 11.6inch screen; 3.2 pounds; 56-Wh battery; Windows XP Home.

Clickfree Transformer for iPod $49.99 list

PROJECTORS

Optoma HD20 $1,000 street

DISPLAYS

Lenovo L215p Wide $250 list

SCANNERS

Canon CanoScan LiDE 700F $129.99 direct

L lllm

• No configuration necessary • Easy to use • Works with any iPod or iPhone • Mac and Windows compatible

• Doesn’t work with limitedaccess accounts • Requires .NET installation • Doesn’t have iPod dock connector

Lllhm

• Breakthrough price for a 1080p projector • Reasonably high-quality image quality for 480p and above

• Unimpressive image quality for 480i (standarddefinition) TV signal

You’ll never have to worry about leaving your hard drive at home again with the Clickfree Transformer, which turns your iPod into a backup device. The HD20 brings a new level of affordability to 1080p projectors, with reasonably good image quality for 480p signals and above.

USB and SATA connections. 16:9 aspect ratio; DLP engine; 4,000:1 rated contrast ratio; component, composite, HDMI, and analog VGA connections; 3.8 by 12.8 by 9.2 inches (HWD); 6.4 pounds.

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• Stylish design • Sharp, hi-res picture • Good color, text, and dark grayscale reproduction • Includes Webcam and

USB hub

• No height adjustment on base • Slightly expensive • Some tinting and light grayscale compression

The L215p Wide LCD delivers a sharp picture in full HD and offers a few nice features, including a Webcam and a USB hub, but showed some color issues in testing.

Widescreen LCD; 21.5-inch screen; 1,920-by-1,080 native resolution; 1080p format; 16:9 aspect ratio; HDMI and analog VGA connections.

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• Reasonably capable for photographic prints • Backlight correction and color restore features in driver • GreenTech approved

• Film scan doesn’t work for slides • Scans only one frame of film at a time • Film scanning is extremely cumbersome

The Canon 700F handles photographic prints and, to a lesser extent, documents reasonably well, but its film scan capability is best ignored.

Flatbed scanner; 4,800-pixel maximum optical resolution; letter size maximum scan area; USB connection.