LAPTOP Reloaded

Laptop Reloaded June 21 – July 4: Battle of the Acer Notebooks; Superphone Face-Off; Android Cup Final

July 5th, 2010 by K. T. Bradford

Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T [4 Stars] — A good-looking ultraportable that packs Core i5 power and nearly 6 hours of battery life.
Dell Inspiron 14R [3.5 Stars] — An attractive notebook for work and play with discrete graphics and good ergonomics.
Asus Eee PC 1201PN [3.5 Stars] — Improved Ion graphics and longer battery life make this 12-inch multimedia netbook a tempting choice.
Viliv N5 [3 Stars] — Although it”s on the pricey side, this pocket-size Windows PC is remarkably capable.
Acer Aspire One 721 [2.5 Stars] — It performs better and is more comfortable to use than a typical netbook, but this 11.6-inch machine”s poor battery life is a big strike against it.
HP TouchSmart tm2t [2.5 Stars] — A poor touchpad and sluggish touch software make this gorgeous convertible tablet tough to recommend.

Apple iPhone 4 [4 Stars - Editor's Choice] — Apple’s latest smart phone raises the bar for displays, camera quality, and two-way video chat in a remarkably slim and sexy design.
Motorola Droid X [4 Stars - Editor's Choice] — Motorola’s supersized Droid has a gigantic display, excellent touch keyboard, and an impressive high-def camcorder with HDMI output.
Also, don’t miss:
- Superphone Face-Off: iPhone 4 vs. Motorola Droid X
- Smart Phone Video Showdown: Motorola Droid X vs iPhone 4
- Darth Vader Holds the iPhone 4 Wrong (Filmed and Edited on the iPhone 4)
- Video: HTC Evo 4G Frees FaceTime From Wi-Fi (Sorta)
eReader Apps for Every Smart Phone Platform — Android, BlackBerry, and iPhone; Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and more.
Zomm Wireless Leash [3.5 Stars] — This versatile Bluetooth device lets you know when your phone goes missing, doubles as a speakerphone, and even dials 911 in an emergency.

Kindle for Android – Though the Android app is the newest of the bunch, Amazon didn’t give the app a major overhaul for its new digs.
Genius SPi150 Speaker — Mono Has Never Looked So Cute.
OnLive — Is It Too Early For “The Future of Video Games?”
Clingo’s Parabolic Sound Sphere — Boost Your Smart Phone’s Volume.
Comply Foam Tips Earbud Enhancers — Comply makes a slew of foam eartip replacements, but do they work?

The Geek’s Geek: Pocket-Sized Notebooks Have Magic iPad Lacks — For me, the ultimate mobile device is not a giant iPod Touch, but one which takes all the power and flexibility I get on my desktop or notebook and makes it as portable as possible.
SpoonFed: For Smart Phones, How Big is Too Big? — Handset makers are pushing the boundaries of what’s pocket-friendly with screens that measure 4, 4.3, and even 5 inches. What is the sweet spot? How big is too big?
G Styled: Battle Of the Oversized (or Overhyped) Smart Phones — Clash of the titans, G Style.
Is Buying Handsets From A Carrier a Rip-Off?
Worst Tech Products of the Year (So Far) — Let’s take a mid-year step back and look at the gear that didn’t make the grade.

The final game of the Android (World) Cup ends today at midnight, so you still have a few hours to tell us which Android phone you think is the best: the Droid Incredible or the Google Nexus One. That’s right, after weeks of pitched battles, surprise defeats, and a lot of smack talk, these two phones emerged as the best of the bracket. Click here to vote.