We began our look into holiday retail desktops in the beginning of November, reviewing a total of 16 systems that ranged in price from $199 to $1,199. Five weeks later, we have our top picks. This is also the end of a year spent focusing heavily on desktops available at brick-and-mortar retail outlets, and we think we learned something.
Gateway's DX4822-01 is our favorite budget desktop available at retail this holiday.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)Budget pick
Desktops in our budget category ranged from the $199 Acer Aspire Revo 1600 to the $510 Gateway DX4822-01. We always advocate spending as much as your budget can handle for the purposes of longevity, so we weren't surprised when we found we liked the aforementioned Gateway best of the six desktops in this group for its speed and large 1TB hard drive.
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The Dell Vostro V13: a cheaper Adamo?
(Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)Today, Dell announced the availability of the Vostro V13, a new addition to its small-business Vostro line of laptops. The big news here is that it's the company's first ULV thin-and-light for the business sector, an area that seems to be a big focus factor in a down economy when lots of small business entrepreneurs are looking for affordable portables. We had the chance for a quick up-close hands-on look at one, and it's definitely an attractive little laptop.
It's certainly thin.
(Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)With an industrial design that's heavy on anodized aluminum and borrows a lot of what was eye-catching about the original Adamo, the Vostro V13 is .65 inch thick and weighs around 3.5 pounds, comes with a Webcam, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an ExpressCard slot standard, and starts at $449--but, mind you, that's a configuration that includes a single-core Celeron processor and Ubuntu Linux as an operating system.
For Windows 7 and a Core 2 Duo ULV, the price rises in the range of mid-to-high $600, which is still really good compared with its closest competitors, the HP Pavilion dm3 and Asus UL30A-A1.
The Vostro V13 will support up to 4GB of RAM, and can be optionally upgraded with 3G mobile broadband.
Battery life courtesy of the sealed-in six-cell is, according to Dell, slightly less than 5 hours, though we'll have to see for ourselves when we review one. We have to hand it to Dell, though--it seems to have taken a lot of what was so appealing about the Adamo and passed it down into a machine that'll still be sleek enough to show off. The keyboard felt nice and comfortable and the laptop has a sturdy-feeling frame, which isn't always the case with ultrathin budget-range laptops.
Check out the photos below. The Vostro V13 is already available for order on Dell's Web site.
Just in time to round out your holiday shopping season, we've consulted the Web traffic oracles and compiled a list of the most popular laptops of 2009.
Based on which system reviews CNET readers clicked on most often, this list shows what's on the minds of laptop shoppers -- and the emphasis is clearly on value over all else.
We've got six Netbooks in the top 10, including the Asus Eee PC 1005HA, which we've held up as a classic example of a Netbook done right. Apple, and 13-inch laptops in general, are also well-represented. Interestingly, while five major PC brands are represented, there are a few big names missing in action, including Gateway, Lenovo, and Toshiba.
To see what the most popular laptops of 2009 were, based on reader interest, click through to the slideshow below.
Our list of 10 most popular desktops follows the same rules as the lists from the other product categories. Because it's based on click volume, the desktops listed skew toward those that have been around longer, as well as those that received the most promotion (such as spending time on our list of Editor's Top Desktops).
You'll find a few reviews on the list from 2008, some of which are still lingering in stock at various online retailers. We advise you not to buy those old systems, as they've all been updated since we posted their reviews.
Our slideshow below breaks the most popular desktops down in order from most to least popular. We've provided a few other numbers after the jump.
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In our current roundup of retail-specific laptops, we've divided our 25-plus systems into four different price categories, from sub-$700 budget models to high-end ones that cost more than $1,000.
In the "Budget" category, covering laptops up to $699, we found a collection of largely indistinguishable systems, along with a few that stood out as particularly good or bad. Most of these will provide a decent low-end experience, as long as you stick to one of the models with a dual-core CPU.
Our favorite, by a hair, was the Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980, with an Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 CPU and a big 500GB hard drive.
Note: For a roundup of retail laptops in all price ranges, check here.
Check out details of each system below:... Read more
Dell has released an experimental version of Google's Chrome OS adapted for its own Mini 10v Netbook.
Earlier this month, Google released the source code underlying the Chrome OS browser-based operating system; the first version of the software won't be complete until 2010, when it will become available only when purchased on a computer. But because it is open-source software, others can sample it today if they're willing to build it themselves.
Dell's Mini 10v Netbook
(Credit: Dell)That's what Doug Anson, a technology strategist for Dell, did.
"I've been doing some tinkering over the last few days working to get our Dell Mini 10v up and running with ChromiumOS. As of late yesterday, I can report success," Anson said on the Direct2Dell community blog.
Anson released the software so it can be loaded onto an 8GB USB flash memory drive. But he offered cautions along with tips to those considering using it. "Use this image at your own risk," he said. "It comes to you totally unsupported and very minimally tested."
Chrome OS uses Linux under the covers, but Google intends for the software to run only browser-based applications. That obviously leaves a lot behind, but Google is among several allies working to gradually improve the Web and browsers as a foundation for programs.
In July, Anson said in a blog post that Dell will evaluate Chrome OS, but he didn't make any commitments to offering a product using the software.
The initial version of Chrome OS is for Netbooks, but Google intends to spread it to higher-end computers after that.
I'm sure that all Dell laptops are wonderful machines that would make perfect gifts for even the most misanthropic, laptop-loathing humans.
However, my feelings were temporarily frozen, not unlike Michael Douglas' forehead, when I espied that Austin's finest was trying to garland this holiday period with a Netbook that seems to have special twittering powers.
I see the liquid remnants of your scoffing floating through the ether. However, please peruse the picture with which I have decorated this post.
(Credit:
Dell.com)
It's from the Dell site and it seems like a normal Dell Netbook, doesn't it? The blurb beneath this picture declares, "Build it your way make it your own," which is quite a tempting offer when you consider the price seems to be a vastly generous $299.
Yet this sweet little device appears to be called the Twitter Mini. And the promise that Dell offers reads: "Perfect for Tweeting! Windows 7 Starter Included!"
Naturally, I am already excited. It has been something of my month's dream to find a device that is perfect for pumping out my 140 finest characters. But I'm stumped to the point of limping to work out why this particular Netbook is perfect for tweeting and others aren't.
I clicked on the image and found myself at this page, which offered me nothing other than some severe pain in my neck and brain.
While telling me this was a Netbook, and while mentioning that this series of Netbooks was "small, ultraportable, and designed to keep you connected," there wasn't even a mention of the word "Twitter."
Look, were there a Technological Olympics, I would not even make it as a hostess. But could someone please explain to me why the Twitter Mini is perfect for tweeting when the Mini 10, for example, is perfect for, well, according to the site, nothing at all?
Does the Twitter Mini automatically shorten tweetable URLs if I just stare at the screen? Does it have a direct and very hot line to Ashton Kutcher, Shaquille O'Neal, Stephen Fry, and that weird Russian girl who keeps following me, even though the Twitter folks keep deleting her naked entreaties?
Or did someone in the Dell marketing department get a little over-excited? Please feel free to send me a tweet.
Update 2 (10 a.m. PT): Looks like it's back up again. See? Told ya. Crazy Dell. Why do you torment us this way?
Update (8 a.m. PT): Well, I am NOT giving thanks for Dell this year, as this deal has already expired. My apologies, peeps. Watch for something even better later today--you have my word.
Still on the prowl for a Netbook? Sorry for all the grief with that Lenovo deal last week. (Anyone actually get one?) Hopefully this one makes up for it.
Dell is offering the Inspiron Mini 10v Netbook for $229 shipped. That's after removing the Bluetooth card from the configuration (switch to List View and scroll all the way to the bottom).
Of course, if you need Bluetooth, the $249 price tag is nothing to sneeze at. Indeed, it was nary a few months ago that finding a 10-inch Netbook for under $300 was virtually impossible.
I have little use for Bluetooth, but I'd probably think about dropping an extra $30 to get Windows 7 Starter (the Mini 10v comes standard with Windows XP Home). That'd get you out the door for $259--still a solid deal.
The system's other specs are fairly standard: an Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and a 1.3-megapixel Webcam. It comes with a three-cell battery; an extra $35 buys you a six-cell--another upgrade worth considering.
CNET had lots of good things to say about the Mini 10v, which, incidentally, was $334 (with the six-cell battery) when we reviewed it just three months ago. Not sure why we dinged it for a lack of configuration options, though--Dell offers more than most Netbook vendors.
I'm hoping this doesn't sell out, like, five minutes after I post it. (We've been down that road, right?) If it does, check back later in the day and even in the days to come; Dell often gets replenished stock.
I'm off tomorrow, so let me take this opportunity to wish everyone who celebrates it a happy Thanksgiving. I'll be back on Friday (and Saturday), and in the meantime you can catch me embarrassing myself almost daily on CNET's Holiday Help Desk, which airs live at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET. (Here's yesterday's show if you just can't wait.)
On Sale Now: $299.00
View the latest prices for Dell Inspiron Mini 10v Netbook Computer (Intel Atom N270, 120GB HDD, 1GB)
Dell and China Mobile on Monday offered up more details about the Dell Mini 3i smartphone, which will be going on sale in China later this month.
The Android-based device, Dell's first smartphone, will support e-mail, instant messaging, and both MMS and SMS messaging. It will include Bluetooth and GPS capabilities and a Mini USB connector, and will accommodate Micro SD cards up to 32GB.
The quadband GSM/EDGE phone weighs 105 grams and includes a 3-megapixel camera with zoom, auto-focus, flash, video capture, and photo-editing capabilities. The touchscreen has a 640x360 resolution. Dell had already confirmed earlier this month that the Mini 3i would have a 3.5-inch high-definition screen.
Under the hood, the device is running China Mobile's OPhone software, a customized version of Google's Android operating system.
Like other Android phones, the Mini 3i will provide access to an online store, in this case, China Mobile's Mobile Market, where people can download apps, games, wallpaper, and ringtones. Users will be able to run different widgets on the home screen to keep on top of the news, weather, stock prices, and sports scores.
Dell said it has been collaborating with China Mobile for about a year on the development of the phone. The two companies teamed up earlier in the year to integrate a 3G data card for Dell's Inspiron Mini 10 netbook for the Chinese market. With more than 500 million customers, China Mobile is the world's largest mobile service provider, according to Dell.
Dell was initially mum on details when it first mentioned the Mini 3i about 10 days ago. But the company did reveal that China Mobile and Brazil's Claro would be the first global providers to carry its new smartphone.
Like China Mobile, Brazil's Claro boasts a huge subscriber base, with 42 million customers in Brazil alone. By selling the Mini 3i through both providers, Dell can potentially capture a much larger mobile audience than it could through any U.S. carriers.
Arriving in China Mobile stores by the end of November, the Mini 3i will shortly thereafter be sold directly from Dell. For those interested in color schemes, the Mini 3i will be available in Red Passion and Oiled Bronze--the image below shows the Red Passion treatment:
Dell Mini 3i smartphone
(Credit: Dell/China Mobile)
Dell Zino HD: Mac Mini killer?
(Credit: Dell)No, The 404 Podcast isn't getting a TV deal with CBS, but it doesn't seem that far out of reach. The network has its giant eye on the witty musings of a cynical old man, posted on a Twitter account created by his son, Justin Halpern. Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are signed as Exeuctive Producers and Justin himself will super the writing along with Patrick Shumacker. Uhh, HELLO CBS, is anyone from our parent company out there? You already got a strategically developed television show just waiting to delight the eyes and ears of America: it's called THE 404.
Next, we take a moment to spotlight the Dell Zino HD, a full-on entertainment PC that looks remarkably like Wilson's firstborn son, the Mac Mini, but can actually do a lot more with up to a terabyte of storage space, 8GB of RAM, and the option to throw in a Blu-ray or DVD drive. Wilson wishes his Mac Mini gave him direct HDMI access and a bigger hard drive, but still defends Apple and its OS to the death--it's interesting to hear him try to wiggle his way out of this one.
Another story from today's episode comes from our own Caroline McCarthy, who tells us that the New Oxford American Dictionary has picked the verb "unfriend" as its 2009 Word of the Year. If you're unfamiliar with the term, it refers to the process of removing someone formerly deemed as a friend on a social networking site such as Facebook or Twitter. You might recall the Burger King ad campaign that encouraged users to "sacrifice" friends to get a free burger. Systems like these encourage the use of the term "unfriend," and give it value in the everyday lexicon, but when will this stop? I'm scared to think that the 2018 Word of the Year will something awful, like "tweet" or "pwn."
If you haven't had a chance to listen to yesterday's show with Tony Hawk, definitely go back and check it out and keep listening for your chance to win tons of video game prizes, including a free giveaway of Tony Hawk: RIDE. Have a great Tuesday, everyone!
EPISODE 469
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