Tips & Trik Mengenal Ragam UPS

Uninteruptible Power Supply atau yang lebih dikenal dengan sebutan UPS, bagi sebagian orang, istilah ini mungkin terdengar akrab. Akan tetapi seringkali orang hanya mengenal dua jenis UPS yang memang paling mudah ditemui di pasaran. Kedua jenis tersebut adalah UPS jenis standby dan UPS jenis online. Pada kenyataannya, UPS masih memiliki beberapa jenis lainnya dengan keunggulan dan kekurangannya masing-masing.

American Power Conversion (APC), pemimpin global dalam layanan critical power dan cooling services yang juga terkenal dengan produk-produk UPSnya, memberikan informasi dan tips mengenai ragam UPS agar para pengguna dapat lebih mengenal dan memilih UPS yang sesuai dengan kebutuhannya.

Standby
UPS tipe Standby merupakan tipe yang biasa digunakan oleh para pengguna rumahan untuk disandingkan dengan PC mereka. Transfer Switch telah diatur untuk mengambil input AC (searah) sebagai sumber daya utama, sedangkan sumber daya cadangan diambil dari baterai atau Inverter (pada saat sumber daya utama padam). UPS dengan tipe seperti ini mampu melakukan filtrasi terhadap gangguan daya dan pengelolaan arus, di samping juga keuntungan bagi pengguna dari sisi rancangan yang efisien, ukurannya yang kecil serta biaya yang harus dikeluarkan terbilang murah.

Line Interactive
UPS tipe ini adalah yang paling sering digunakan pada unit small business, pengembang web, dan sejumlah server yang berada di departemen pemerintahan. Hal ini dikarenakan selain memiliki tingkat reliabilitas yang tinggi, tipe ini juga memiliki kemampuan menyesuaikan voltase yang cukup baik. Bagian Inverter (pengubah daya dari batere ke AC) selalu terhubung ke output sistem UPS. Dalam keadaan normal, Inverter akan melakukan pengisian batere. Sedangkan dalam keadaan listrik padam, Transfer Switch akan menutup dan mengalirkan daya dari batere ke output UPS. Posisi Inverter yang selalu terhubung ke output memberi tambahan penyaring daya. Hal inilah yang membuat UPS dengan tipe ini banyak digunakan untuk server dan kondisi listrik yang tidak terlalu baik.

Double Conversion Online
Tipe ini merupakan yang paling lazim untuk UPS dengan daya lebih dari 10kVA. Tipe ini memiliki kesamaan dengan tipe Standby. Hanya saja tipe ini memiliki sumber tenaga utama yang terletak pada Inverter, bukan pada sumber listrik AC. Pada tipe ini, terputusnya pasokan listrik utama tidak akan memicu sakelar transfer karena arus listrik AC yang masuk pada bagian input tengah melakukan pengisian pada batere yang memberikan tenaga pada Inverter yang terletak pada bagian output. Oleh karena itu, ketika arus listrik AC terputus, arus tenaga akan segera dialihkan tanpa mengambil jeda saat pengalihan terjadi. UPS tipe ini memperlihatkan kinerja di atas rata-rata. Dapat dikatakan tipe ini mendekati gambaran ideal dari sebuah UPS, sayangnya tipe ini menghasilkan panas yang cukup tinggi.

Delta Conversion Online
Diagram UPS ini merupakan bentuk teknologi Konversi Ganda (Double Conversion) yang terah diperbaharui dan tersedia dengan daya 5kVA hingga 1.6MW. Memiliki kemiripan dengan tipe Double Conversion, tipe ini menggunakan Inverter untuk selalu memasok voltase. Saat pasokan tenaga terputus, tipe ini melakukan hal yang sama dengan tipe Double Conversion.

Misalkan saja sebuah paket harus diantarkan dari lantai 4 ke lantai 5. Teknologi Delta Conversion menghemat energi dengan cara mengantarkan paket tersebut menurut perbedaan pada titik awal dan titik akhir saja. Delta Conversion memiliki dua fungsi, yang pertama adalah untuk mengendalikan karakteristik power input. Sedangkan fungsi yang kedua adalah untuk mengendalikan arus pada input untuk mengarahkan proses pengisian pada sistem baterai. Hal yang perlu diingat adalah tipe ini meminimalisir energi yang terbuang. Selain itu, ia memiliki kompatibilitas tinggi terhadap beragam jenis generator serta mengurangi kebutuhan akan penggunaan kabel.

Pada akhirnya, semua jenis UPS yang telah disebutkan di atas memiliki tujuannya masing-masing dan tidak ada satu jenis pun yang dapat menjadi tipe yang paling 'ideal'. Kita harus dapat mengenal betul kebutuhan dan lingkungan tempat UPS akan diletakkan sebelum menentukan jenis apa yang akan digunakan.

Mengacu pada kategorisasi yang dibahas sebelumnya, tabel berikut akan mempermudah dalam melihat tipe manakah yang sesuai dengan kebutuhan Anda.

Tipe UPS: Standby
Keunggulan: Biaya rendah; efisiensi tinggi; desain kompak
Kekurangan: Baterai tetap terpakai saat listrik padam; tidak cocok untuk pemakaian di atas 2kVA
Keterangan: Paling cocok untuk pengguna personal

Tipe UPS: Line Interactive
Keunggulan: Reliabilitas tinggi; efisiensi tinggi; penyesuaian voltase baik
Kekurangan: Tidak cocok untuk pemakaian di atas 5kVA
Keterangan: Tipe UPS yang paling sering digunakan dalam kondisi listrik yang tidak menentu

Tipe UPS: Double Conversion On-Line
Keunggulan: Penyesuaian voltase yang sangat baik; mudah untuk disambungkan secara paralel
Kekurangan: Efisiensi rendah; harganya mahal untuk tipe dengan daya di bawah 5kVA
Keterangan: Mendekati gambaran ideal UPS, tapi menghasilkan panas yang cukup tinggi.

Tipe UPS: Delta Conversion On-line
Keunggulan: Penyesuaian voltase yang sangat baik; efisiensi tinggi
Kekurangan: Tidak cocok untuk penggunaan di bawah 5kVA
Keterangan: Efisiensi tinggi memperpanjang daur hidup perangkat saat digunakan pada sistem yang besar

More info click here :
http://nino-computer.co.nr
http://baliforever4u.blogspot.com
http://malangoke.wordpress.com

Eee PC 1000 Review from Notebook-Review

When ASUS announced and launched the Eee PC line of subnotebooks last year, they caught the attention of the world with their inexpensive and light products. Dubbed “netbooks” by the community, the original Eee PCs were good for little more than web browsing and word processing. However, they weighed a mere 2lbs., had a tiny footprint, and perhaps most importantly cost only $200-300.

Buying Choices for the Asus Eee PC 1000H (black) Amazon.com | $449.99

ASUS has continued expanding on the Eee line with larger and more powerful models, and in June 2008 released the 1000 series, based on a 10” form factor. Many people did not approve of a 10” netbook, arguing that ASUS was crossing into the threshold of mainstream small-and-light notebooks. Moreover, at a launch price of $649, it was creeping into the price range of mainstream notebooks as well. Fortunately, that price has fallen considerably, and I decided to purchase one.

Here are the specifications on the ASUS Eee 1000H.

• Intel Atom N270 (1.6GHz, 512KB cache)
• 1GB DDR2-400 SO-DIMM
• 80GB 5400RPM 2.5” SATA Hard Drive
• Intel GMA950 Integrated Graphics
• 10” WSVGA 1024x600 LED-backlit screen, 1.3MP webcam
• Windows XP Home (comes with ASUS recovery DVD)
• Atheros wireless 802.11b/g/n mini PCI-Express card, integrated Bluetooth 2.0
• 3 USB 2.0 ports, 10/100 ethernet jack, MMC/SD card reader, mic in, headphone out, VGA out, Kensington lock slot
• 6-cell 6600mAh battery (Asus claims 7.5hr. battery life)
• 1-year Global Hardware Warranty
• Dimensions: 10.5”x7.5”x1.5”, 3.2lbs. with battery
• Retail Price: $449 ($649 at launch)

The price of $449 is a steal for a netbook of this functionality. Just a few weeks ago the 1000H was selling for $549, then ASUS announced a $100 price drop. The only comparable netbook, the MSI Wind, is still selling at $549 with the 6-cell battery. One important note – the 1000H ships with a slipcase. I think it’s pretty handy to keep the netbook from scratching and getting dust, but it certainly won’t protect it in a fall. I like to keep the 1000H in the slipcase and then in my backpack.

Reasons for Buying

Around this time last year, I was looking for a full-featured notebook that would not break the bank. Unfortunately, I realized that I could not get the balance of functionality and portability that I wanted in any current notebook, so I abandoned that plan and bought a reasonably powerful desktop. This year I have gotten the itch again, but since I already have a powerful desktop PC, I did not really need another powerful notebook. I just wanted something that I could move around with, and bring to class to take notes. I knew I needed a netbook, and after waiting for a while and doing research on the possibilities, I decided on the 1000H.

Where and How Purchased

I purchased this netbook from Zipzoomfly (www.zipzoomfly.com) because at the time they had the best price. This was a few days after ASUS had announced the $100 price drop, so most resellers were in the $440-450 range. ZZF was listing it at $439, but I could not buy it for a few days. When I went back to check, it had dropped to $409. Not wanting to miss that deal, I immediately pulled the trigger. Not surprisingly, the 1000H went out of stock within a few hours. My order went through, and my final price was $409 shipped. As it turns out, the price drop was to help ASUS sell off their remaining stock so they could introduce a new 1000H model. The new model ships with a 160GB hard drive and retails for $479.

Caveat Emptor: I purchased this netbook from ZZF on Saturday (9/13/08), and as of Thursday (9/18/08) my order had still not been processed. I later found out that I had to call them to verify my address, something that they make no mention of during the checkout process. It's highly unusual and frankly annoying that the customer has to call the retailer, rather than the other way around. If you do buy the 1000H from Zipzoomfly, keep in mind that you may have to call them. From now on I'm just going to avoid the hassle altogether by buying from other retailers that do not require me to jump through hoops to get my package.

Build and Design

I think the 1000H is extremely solid, and that's a testament to its design. At just over 3lbs. with the battery, it is fairly lightweight. Combined with its small footprint (10.5”x7.5”) it is extremely portable and I can easily carry it around without issue. Most of the body is made of ABS plastic, which I find to be quite sturdy. The mouse buttons, though they are likely plastic as well, have a brushed aluminum finish to them. After pushing relatively hard on the back of the screen, I was able to get some rippling along the bottom, but I had to apply a significant amount of force to get those ripples. The screen has a barrel hinge that is extremely solid, and its frame resists flex to a very high degree. In fact, I could only get some flexing by pushing forcefully on the top corners of the lid, and even then it was minimal. The casing seems to be very thick and sturdy, and the all-around construction is quite impressive for a notebook of this size.

The lid and palm rests are covered with a glossy plastic, which naturally is a magnet for fingerprints. Fortunately ASUS throws in a nice microfiber cloth that you can use to wipe the fingerprints off. The rest of the body is a matte plastic that won’t pick up fingerprints as easily.

Screen

The 1000H comes with a 10” screen with a native resolution of 1024x600. This is actually an unusual ratio, not conforming to the standard widescreen 16:10 ratio or even the HDTV 16:9 ratio. It's somewhere in between the two. The screen itself is matte, which I prefer to glossy because it does not pick up glare as easily. The colors are quite vibrant, and the blacks and whites are well defined. It is LED-backlit, like most netbook screens are, and with the matte screen it is bright enough to be readable in direct sunlight.

My unit shipped with zero dead pixels, which I am thankful for. Coming from a 20” desktop display, I figured it would be difficult to acclimate myself to a screen half the size. In reality, though, it is not too difficult. I do find myself scrolling quite a bit, though I suppose that is to be expected on a screen of this size. I won’t be doing post-processing on a screen of this size, but for what I intend to do with it, it is more than enough. Horizontal viewing angles are quite decent, but vertical angles are not as good. The screen does appear washed out from above and over-contrasted from below.

Speakers

The speakers are as good as can be expected from a notebook of this size. They are adequate, but at maximum volume they do become tinny while not producing a whole lot of sound. Sound quality is much better with external speakers or headphones, and I do recommend that if you plan on listening to a lot of music or something that you do invest in headphones or speakers.

Processor and Performance

The 1000H, like nearly every netbook on the market, comes with an Intel Atom N270, clocked at 1.6GHz. It has Speedstep functionality to reduce the clock speed and increase battery life, and can be set to run at half-speed on battery power and full-speed on AC power. It is extremely fast for a mini-notebook, taking 23-25 seconds to get to the logon screen from boot. The hard drive is a standard laptop model; 2.5” and 5400RPM.

The 1000H ships with 1GB of RAM, but can be expanded to 2GB. ASUS does allow modification of the RAM and hard drive under warranty. Actual modification is made quite simple – just remove the back panel and you have instant access to the DIMM slot as well as the hard drive.

If you come in with reasonable expectations, the 1000H will do what you need quite snappily. So far, all I've done with it is web browsing, typing this review, importing a few pictures, and watching some TV shows online at Hulu. It performed all of these tasks very well, and I was especially impressed by the smoothness of the online TV stream. As this only comes with a GMA950, games are pretty much out of the question. You can play flash games and basic emulators, but I would not push it with 3D-accelerated games.

Benchmarks

The Intel Atom is not built for speed, and coupled with a GMA950 and 1GB of RAM this netbook certainly will not be much in terms of power. It still puts up respectable numbers for a notebook of its size and more notably its price.

3DMark05: 264 3DMarks

SuperPI: 3m 9s to calculate 2M

HDTune:

wPrime: 112.343s to calculate 32M

Heat and Noise

Keeping with what seems to be a trend among Atom-equipped netbooks, the 1000H does get a little warm under use. The left palm rest does get warm after prolonged use, and the bottom area just under the hard drive does get noticeably warm as well. Neither of these reach the point of being uncomfortable, but they are noticeable. Fortunately the 1000H comes with rubber “feet” that prop it up about 0.5-1cm off the ground, allowing more air circulation underneath.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard is always an area of uncertainty, and while many notebooks have solidly-built keyboards, just as many have flimsy keyboards that you don’t feel safe typing on. Fortunately, the 1000H’s keyboard is firmly in the first category. The base is solid, owing to the relative lack of empty space underneath it, and the keys don’t suffer from any flex or bouncing. ASUS claims that this keyboard is 95% the size of a normal laptop keyboard; while this may be true, anyone coming from a desktop keyboard to the 1000H’s will encounter some difficulty.

All the keys are smaller, and to maximize the amount of keys they could fit in the 1000H’s small frame, they’ve severely cut the size of some of the extra function keys. The right-shift key, for example, is smaller than any of the letter keys, and is awkwardly placed to the right of the up-arrow key. This makes it tricky to use, and you have to get used to its placement. What many users have done is used a keyboard remapping software to swap the up-arrow and right-shift key functions, and then physically swapped the key tops. If you want to, know that option is available to you. Along the top row, you have four additional keys. From left to right, there is a screen on/off key, a resolution switcher, a performance switch, and a Skype hotkey.

The touchpad is small, but it is relatively large for a notebook of this size. The 1000H uses a Synaptics touchpad, which to my pleasant surprise has multi-touch features built in. You can, for example, scroll by dragging down the touchpad with two fingers. If you tap two fingers, you activate the “mouse wheel”, and can scroll by dragging one finger. Right-click is activated by tapping with three fingers. I thought this was a great feature, and definitely was unexpected. The touchpad functions are remarkably similar to those on Apple notebooks, which leads me to believe they also contract Synaptics for their touchpads.

Input and Output Ports

The 1000H comes reasonably well-equipped in the input/output department, for a netbook. It has three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA-out port, a 10/100 ethernet jack, mic in, headphone out, and a Kensington lock slot. None of the ports are stacked, and all of them are far enough apart from each other that you could have something plugged into each one without issue.

Wireless

The 1000H has an Atheros mini-PCI Express wireless card that works with 802.11b/g/n. The reception itself is solid, and in my house I can get a strong (4-5 bars) signal from the basement when my router is on the second floor. The 1000H also comes with a Bluetooth module, which conforms to the 2.0+EDR standard. Its performance is also good; I was able to easily sync my phone with the 1000H and it transferred pictures from the phone very quickly.

Battery

The 1000H ships with a 6-cell 6600mAh battery that ASUS claims is good for up to 7 hours of computing. The bad news is that you will not see that kind of time unless you dim the screen all the way, turn Bluetooth off, turn wireless off, and take other severe optimizing steps like disabling ports and the webcam. The good news, however, is that the battery can easily go 5 hours under normal use. With wireless and BT on and the screen at half brightness, I was able to browse the web and even type parts of this review for 5hrs 43mins before the battery hit the two percent warning.

Recently, third-party vendors have begun selling extended-capacity batteries for the Eee series. For about $70 you can get an 8800mAh 8-cell battery, which I would project is good for about 7 hours of normal use and potentially over 9 hours in battery-saving mode. There is also a behemoth 11000mAh 10-cell battery on the way, which could net 8.5 hours of normal use or nearly 12 hours in battery-saving mode. Keep in mind that the tradeoff here is weight, and the early word is that a 1000H with the 10-cell battery will be in the 4.5lbs. range. At that point, you are creeping dangerously close to the weight range of mainstream notebooks, though I doubt any of them can do 12 hours of continuous operation.

Operating System and Software

The 1000H comes preloaded from the factory with Windows XP Home Edition, as part of an agreement between Microsoft and the various netbook manufacturers to be able to still ship products with Windows XP. It also comes with a recovery DVD that has a complete Windows XP installation along with all the 1000H drivers. I found this a bit strange, considering that the 1000H has no optical drive. I would have preferred an SD card or USB thumbdrive with the drivers preloaded, but I suppose that would have increased costs.

The 1000H comes preloaded with some basic software. Microsoft Works is included, as is Microsoft Powerpoint Viewer 2007. ASUS also includes their own office suite, named StarOffice 8, which is based on the Openoffice software. In addition, the 1000H comes with Skype and ECAP, ASUS’ webcam capture utility.

There is one gripe I have, however. The 1000H comes with the 80GB hard drive split into two equal partitions. My guess is that Asus assumed people would want one partition for installing programs and the other for storing files. I don’t find that very useful, but fortunately you can format the netbook and resize the partitions how you please.

Customer Support

The 1000H comes with a 1-year warranty Unfortunately the 1000H, along with all other Eee PCs, is not eligible for ASUS’ 1-year accidental damage warranty. They also have a 24/7 support center which you can call to resolve hardware issues, or you can chat with one of their customer service reps online. I’ve not had to call in the warranty, but if their warranty service is anything like their laptop quality, I’m not worried.

Buying Choices for the Asus Eee PC 1000H (black) Amazon.com | $449.99

Conclusion

I am thrilled by this little netbook, and based on its specs, price, and reading various reviews of other netbooks on the web, I would go as far as saying that the 1000H might be the best netbook on the market. It offers nearly every feature found on similar netbooks, but takes it a step further with a 1” larger screen, as well as Bluetooth and wireless-N. The build quality is also fantastic, and upgradability is made simple with the removable back panel offering easy access.

The Eee PC 1000H is an excellent combination of performance and size, wrapped up in a usable 10” screen and a $450 price tag. I unconditionally recommend it to anyone in the market for a netbook, as I believe it to be the best one available.

Pros:

• 10” Screen affords a little more screen real estate than the other netbooks.
• Comes with an 80GB hard drive rather than a sub-20GB SSD.
• Has Bluetooth and 802.11n built in.
• Stellar build quality, and the added slipcase is a nice touch.
• Excellent battery life, and extended-life batteries available for purchase.
• Very easy to upgrade, and supports 2GB RAM.

Cons:

• At $450, a little more expensive than competitors’ products.
• Glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet.
• Hard drive comes pre-formatted into two 40GB partitions.
• Slightly larger and heavier than other netbooks due to larger frame.

More info click here :
http://nino-computer.co.nr
http://baliforever4u.blogspot.com
http://malangoke.wordpress.com

ThinkPad X200 Review from Notebook-Review

The 12.1-inch screen Lenovo ThinkPad X200s ultraportable notebook is a lighter and slightly less powerful version of the ThinkPad X200. The three major advantages the X200s offers over the X200 is a lighter weight, higher resolution LED backlit screen and better battery life. The better battery life comes as a result of using a lower voltage processor in the X200s, so that does leave you with a less powerful processor. If you're a user that values battery life and lower weight over performance then the X200s could fit your needs better than the X200 -- so long as you can justify the extra $500 price tag for those needs.

Buying Choices for the Lenovo ThinkPad X200s Lenovo | $1,630.00

Overview

The ThinkPad X200s is a 12" screen ultraportable business laptop that replaces the X61s predecessor, the X200s is the lightest notebook offered in the ThinkPad series. With the smallest 4-cell battery installed the X200s weighs in at an amazingly light 2.47 lbs. Consider the fact many of the 7 to 10-inch screen sized netbooks are weighing in at 2.5 lbs these days and here we have a 12.1" screen highly durable laptop with that same weight (along with a laundry list of superior features over netbooks) and you can start to understand what it means to have a nicely engineered product and why "you get what you pay for."

The X200s shares all of the same rugged features found in the larger sized T400 series, such as a magnesium roll cage and spill proof keyboard, and more. It also has the comfort of a full-sized keyboard that matches the size of the larger ThinkPad T400 (14.1" ) /T500 (15.4") series.

Since the X200s is designed to be a notebook for road warriors it uses an Intel Core 2 Duo low voltage (LV) processor to provide better battery life. While an LV processor does mean slower performance compared to the regular voltage Core 2 Duo processors used in an X200, for most normal business tasks you will not notice a slow down due to the lower clock speed.

The X200s also offers a bevy of wireless options and SSD storage to appeal to the business user types who worry about how they will connect to the Internet and how their data will be protected.

The Specifications of the X200s being reviewed are as follows:

• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400 1.86 GHz (6MB L2 cache, 1066MHz FSB)
• Chipset: Intel GS45
• Memory: 2GB DDR3 1067MHz (1x 2048MB) (can support up to 4GB of DDR3 Memory @ 800/1067MHz)
• Hard Drive: 7200RPM 160GB Hitachi Travelstar (HTS722016K9SA00 ) SATA
• Screen: 12.1" widescreen 1440x900 LCD, 250 nits of brightness
• No built-in Optical Drive (need X200 UltraBase for this capability)
• GPU: Intel X4500 Integrated Graphics
• Network/Wireless: Intel Wi-Fi Link 5300 (802.11 a/b/g/n) 1Gb Ethernet Card, Bluetooth, Wireless USB, WiMax (optional), 56 Kbps modem (optional).
• Inputs: 95 Key Keyboard with Three Button Touchpoint
• Buttons: Power, ThinkVantage, Volume Up and Down, Mute, and WiFi/Bluetooth On/Off Switch.
• Slots:ExpressCard/54mm, SD card reader (5-in-1 media card reader optional, not installed)
• Battery: Nine Cell Cylindrical (4-cell, 6-cell and 9-cell options)
• Weight:
  • 4-cell battery ~ 2.6 lbs
  • 6-cell battery ~ 3.0 lbs
  • 9-cell battery ~ 3.3 lbs
• Operating System: Windows Vista Business
• Extra Options: Web-cam, fingerprint reader, 56Kbps modem, 5-in-1 card reader

The price of the above configuration at the time of this review is $2,078 USD.

Competing Ultraportable Notebooks

It's always good to know what the competition is out there for similar notebooks, so here's a list of 12" business ultraportables sold by other manufacturers and links to reviews if available:

• Fujitsu P8020 12.1" ultraportable - Fujitsu LifeBook P8020 Review
• Dell Latitude E4200 12.1" ultraportable - First thoughts by corporatetraveller
• HP EliteBook 2530p 12.1" ultraportable - HP EliteBook 2530p Review
• Toshiba Portege R600 / R500 ultraportable - Toshiba Portege R500 Review

The competition and design choices among each of the different 12.1" business notebooks are very interesting. Dell chose to offer the Latitude E4200 feather-weight 2.2lb SSD only laptop that can be decorated in Blue, Red or Black. HP went the route of offering an optical drive in their 12.1" 2530p. Toshiba also offers an optical drive in their 12.1" R600 laptop. The ultraportable category is always quite fascinating as it's where each company allows their engineers to really innovate and unleash their design prowess. Sure, more 14" and 15" laptops get sold, but it's the 12 - 13" screen laptop category that turns heads and gets the most attention for design.

Design, Looks and Build Quality

The all black staid look of the X200s can be called either clean and professional or downright boring, depending on your take. At last check bankers and CEO's still wear black suits to work so why should Lenovo change when its customers aren't either. You can't go wrong with black.

At 1.2-inches thick the X200s is not super-model thin like the Dell Latitude E4200 which is less than 1-inch thick, nor is the X200s offered in red, blue or pink like the E4200. Nor does the X200s have a striking look or built-in optical drive such as you get with the Toshiba Portege R600. In terms of looks and eye-candy factor, the ThinkPad X200s is the least interesting of its competitors.

Where the X200s does shine is in the fact it has an incredibly light starting weight of 2.5lbs and still feels more durable than any other ultraportable we've handled. When you pick up the X200s with a 4-cell battery after seeing how solid it looks and feels, you'll simply be amazed by the weight. Upon initially picking the X200s up before bootup this author thought it must have been a hollowed out prototype. The case feels rugged and durable so it seems like the the case alone should weigh 2.5lbs. One trick Lenovo uses to keep weight down comes with the carbon and glass fibre composite lid that offers durability better than titanium at a mere 22% fraction of titaniums weight. Material choices such as a magnesium roll cage that reinforces both the bottom of the notebook and keyboard area along with strategically placed plastic reinforcement plates also contribute to the durable feel of the X200s.

The most noticeable change we see between the X200s and its ThinkPad X61s predecessor is that the display is widescreen instead of the 4:3 ratio aspect screen seen on the X61s. This offers a lower overall system profile, more spacious keyboard and ability to more easily view two windows side-by-side.

More subtle design changes between the X61s and X200s include red accented mouse buttons coming back from the ThinkPad days of old. The volume control buttons have gone from a silver color on the X61s to black on the X200. The power button look changes to that seen on the ThinkPad X300, except it is not backlit.

The steel hinges that we're used to seeing on ThinkPad notebooks are of course still in place. The hinges keep the screen firmly in place with no wobble, even during bumpy plane rides. There are two latches to hold the lid tightly closed when you have it in a bag.

There are two spill drains on the keyboard area that will carry any liquid spills safely out of the bottom of the notebook. Spilling that morning cup of coffee on your X200s might not be disastrous thanks to this feature.

The ThinkPad Active Protection System (APS) for the hard drive is still part of the mix. The APS is software on board that works with a built-in accelerometer to detect drops and knocks and remove the read-write head of the hard drive so as to prevent any damage to the data.

For upgrades and repairs that might come up down the road, the X200s keeps the user in mind with easy to remove access panels and covers. The most frequent upgrade items being the HD and RAM are accessed through panels on the bottom and side of the X200s. Other items such as the keyboard, wireless cards, and backup battery can be reached by removing a handful of labeled screws on the bottom, and easily popped out. Worth noting is that even if you don't get WWAN configured at purchase, the necessary antenna is installed by default so all you would have to do is open up the X200s and put in the WWAN card and voila, built-in WWAN.

Input and Output Ports

The X200s port selection has changed a bit from the X61s, placements are especially a bit different. Gone is the old style PC card slot, it's now an ExpressCard 54mm expansion slot. The FireWire port the X61s had is dropped with no appearance on the X200s. You can choose between an SD card reader and no built-in modem or an enhanced 5-in-1 card reader and a modem.

The port locations are best described by taking a picture tour:

Left side - power jack, heat vent, USB port, monitor-out port, Gigabit Ethernet, USB port, ExpressCard 54mm slot, wireless on-off switch:

Front side - SD card slot or optional 5-in-1 card reader:

Right side - USB port, headphone out, microphone, modem port:

Keyboard and Touchpoint

The keyboard on the X-series ThinkPad has always been a standout in the field of ultraportables. Now with the extra real estate width the keys that were slightly shrunken on the X61s appear in their full glory here. The keyboard on the X200s is exactly the same as that on the T-series, so it's entirely comfortable to type on with no adjustments necessary for smaller keys you often find on ultraportables. The feel of the ThinkPad keyboard is well documented as being one of the best in the industry. Each key feels individual and the feedback you get from a key press is very satisfying. The keyboard is also quiet and won't click or rattle to annoy others in a business meeting room, lecture hall or wherever you happen to be working.

While there have been some complaints regarding keyboard flex on the T-series, there is no noticeable flex on the X200s under normal typing pressure. Of course, if you apply extra force on the keyboard you'll generate some flex, just as with any object that has space inside.

The lack of a touchpad will probably come as a shock to some users. To save space the X200s omits the touchpad system in favor of just a touchpoint/trackpoint. The trackpoint is a navigation stick in the middle of the keyboard, it allows you to move a cursor around the screen efficiently as you can keep your fingers on the keys while using it. Some users that are familiar with a touchpad will take some time to adjust to the trackpoint, and potentially never get over the fact the X200s is touchpad-less.

The mouse buttons just below the space bar are easy to use with a nice travel distance, good smooth feedback, and no stiffness or annoying click noisiness.

Screen

The ThinkPad X200s screen is of the LED backlight variety and has a high resolution WXGA+ (1440 x 900) type display. The LED backlight has a thinner profile than a regular CCFL backlit display, a lighter weight and is more power efficient.

Screen brightness is very good, measuring in at over 200 nits, which is better than the sub 200-nit screen the ThinkPad X61s had. The screen brightness can be adjusted along fifteen levels, if the room is dark it's recommended to dim the screen to half brightness in order to protect your pupils, there's no ambient light sensor to do that for you like with some business laptops.

The 1440 x 900 WXGA+ resolution is a real gift for those of us who crave being able to see more on a screen. The X200 offers a maximum resolution of XGA (1280 x 800) with no option for a higher resolution, so the X200s offers about 20% better viewing real estate. Of course, if you have poor vision the smaller text and icon sizes that come with the higher resolution might be a problem. For most, the higher res screen will mean better productivity. As an example of the extra screen real estate WXGA+ gets you on a 12" screen over XGA, you can see the top 9 forums displayed on the screen of the X200s while only the top 4 forums display on the XGA ThinkPad X61 screen with 1024 x 768 resolution.

Below is a screenshot of the NBR forums from a ThinkPad X61 12" screen with 1024 x 768 resolution display

Below is a screenshot of the NBR forums from the X200s 12" screen with 1440 x 900 resolution display

The viewing angles on the X200s screen are typical for a laptop, the horizontal viewing angles are decent while vertically colors tend to invert as you tilt the screen away from you. With business users you'll often find a 3M privacy filter in place, especially when a business person is on the road, so we don't care as much about how good the viewing angles are on a portable business laptop - the goal might actually be for as few people around you to see the screen as possible.

Speaker

The mono-speaker on the X200s is located on the front side underneath the keyboard. The speaker loudness is good, but because the speaker is located on the bottom of the laptop, the sound direction isn't exactly optimal. The speaker sound quality is ok enough for listening to speech audiobut not as great when it comes to highs and lows associated with music, you'll want to plug-in earphones when listening to tunes.

Performance

The X200s utilizes the latest Intel Core 2 Duo low voltage processor. This particular review unit comes equipped with the Intel SL9400 1.86GHz processor. While the SL9400 is on paper a slower processor than the Core 2 Duo 2.40GHz processor, there was no noticeable performance difference for the daily tasks a typical business user would be doing. The PCMark05 score generated by the X200s was actually slightly higher than what was achieved on the X200. PCMark05 measures overall system performance, not just processor, so a faster hard drive and fewer background processes might have been helping the X200s out in this case.

3DMark06 is a benchmark that measures graphics performance, or more accurately measures the notebook's ability to play 3D computer games. The score is based in part on overall performance, but the single most important factor in this benchmark is the performance of the dedicated or integrated graphics. In the case of the X200s, the integrated graphics performance wasn't bad ... but you certainly won't be playing Crysis on this machine:

3DMark06 comparison results for graphics performance (higher scores are better):

Notebook	3DMark06 Score
Lenovo ThinkPad X200s (Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400 @ 1.86GHz, Intel X4500)	897 3DMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad X200 (Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.40GHz, Intel X4500)	927 3DMarks
HP EliteBook 2530p (1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400, Intel 4500MHD)	898 3DMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad X300 (Intel Core 2 Duo L7100 @ 2.10 GHz, Intel X3100	502 3DMarks
Apple MacBook Air (Intel Core 2 Duo P7500, Intel X3100)	504 3DMarks
Lenovo IdeaPad U110 (Intel Core 2 Duo L7500 @ 1.60GHz, Intel X3100)	620 3DMarks
HP 2133 Mini-Note (1.6GHz VIA C7-M ULV, VIA Chrome 9)	93 3DMarks
Averatec 2575 (2.2 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-64, ATI RS690T)	377 3DMarks
Dell Inspiron 1525 (2.0GHz Intel T7250, Intel X3100)

545 3DMarks

Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS 128MB)	1,408 3DMarks
Asus A6J (1.83GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB)	1,819 3DMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16 GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	827 3DMarks

Battery Life

The ThinkPad X200s comes with three different battery options: 4-cell, 6-cell or 9-cell. The bigger the battery the longer the battery life and of course the heavier the weight. We have the 9-cell cylindrical battery which causes the system weight to jump to about 3.3 lbs instead of the 2.6 lb weight you get with the 4-cell. However, the 9-cell may well be worth carrying the extra weight, especially if you're a mobility freak that hates having to hunt down the next power outlet.

With the screen set to the to 8/15 level of brightness, Vista power mode set to power saver, wireless on and using the X200s for 4 hours to write this review, surf the web, check email and download programs and the rest of the time spent idling the X200s went into hibernate with 5% battery remaining at exactly 7 hours and 30 minutes of usage.

The power adapter for the X200s remains the same as that used for the X61 and X300, though the battery for the X200s is compatible with neither of those X-models. The power manager interface within the ThinkVantage software has also changed, the UI is a little more friendly, though some long time ThinkPad users may have to figure out how to find information they were used to seeing in a different way before, there's a bit of a re-learning curve if you will.

Heat and Noise

The ThinkPad engineers have once again raised the bar on reducing both heat and noise. The X200s has adopted the "owl-like" fan design that was first seen in the ThinkPad X300. The fan is amazingly quiet when it runs and does its job well. Even if you don't care to appreciate the details of the engineering with the fan design, you'll appreciate the fact there's simply no areas of noticeable warmth on the X200s. Even if you put your hand up to the heat vent area it's hard to feel anything more than a bit of warm air coming out. We often find with ultraportables that the heat buildup can be off the scale and noisy fans the norm as designers have to cram all the internals into a smaller space. The X200s proves this does not have to be the case if the right type of engineering is used. Reducing the heat buildup is important to both your comfort and also ensuring that the system doesn't cook itself and break down under the heat stress.

Wireless

The X200s has a number of Wi-Fi options: the Intel WiFi Link 5100, WiFi Link 5300 and ThinkPad 11b/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Express. The new Intel WiFi Link 5300 worked well for the most part, though sometimes we found that the ThinkVantage connection software froze for a few seconds while the card was trying to connect to a network. Once connected things were fine though and the range and speed what you'd expect. The antenna placement at the top of the X200s screen and non-metal lid help when it comes to improving wireless range.

BlueTooth is also an option with the X200s. It's definitely a recommended feature for those that want to use a wireless BlueTooth mouse or pair the X200s with a PDA or Smart Phone device. Also part of the mix now is a built-in GPS option if your opt for WWAN.

Expansion Capabilities

The X200s has an updated docking connector and so there is a new UltraBase dubbed the X200 UltraBase. The X200 UltraBase allows you to snap into a dock with the following ports: UltraBay Slim (SATA), four USB 2.0 ports, VGA, DisplayPort, Microphone in, Headphone out, Stereo Speakers, RJ-45 Ethernet, Cable lock slot, Key lock slot, second battery charger. The list price for the X200 UltraBase is $219.

Conclusion

The ThinkPad X200s offers a few premium features over the X200 that do make it more desirable as a travel laptop, but you'll have to carefully assess whether the $500 price premium of the X200s over the X200 is worth it to you. The higher resolution screen and lighter weight of the X200s are definitely nice to have, and the performance is so close between the X200 and X200s that it's not even worth considering the difference. The battery life achieved with the X200s isn't much different to the X200 in our testing, you'll get about 9 hours with either if you turn off wireless radios and dim the screen. At the end of the day, both the X200 and X200s are great ultraportables, the higher-res LED screen on the X200s really gives it the edge and the lighter weight is sugar on top.

The downside of the ThinkPad X200s compared to the 12.1" screen HP 2530p and Toshiba Portege R600 is that there's no optical drive built-in and no touchpad for those that prefer that style of input. Having no built-in DisplayPort, HDMI or DVI port could be a deterrent for some. The all black and professional look has stood the test of time and looks both clean and professional, we like it, but the appeal for a more contemporary design such as the Latitude E4200 offers might sway some.

Overall, the X200s is an excellent business ultraportable due to its durability, light weight, great battery life (at least with a 9-cell battery) and more than adequate performance when it comes to business related applications.

Buying Choices for the Lenovo ThinkPad X200s Lenovo | $1,630.00

Pros:

• Surprisingly good performance from a low voltage processor
• Runs very cool and quiet thanks to unique fan design
• New WXGA+ widescreen display and extra width means more keyboard space and can fit enough on the screen for dual-window viewing
• Great battery life, close to 9-hours with conservative usage on the 9-cell battery
• Very sturdy notebook built to last with mag-alloy case, magnesium internal roll-cage and carbon-glass fibre lid protection

Cons:

• No built-in high-definition video output port such as HDMI, DVI or Display Port
• No touchpad available, just TouchPoint
• No built-in optical drive
• Costs $500 more than the X200

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Qosmio Review from Notebook-Review

The Qosmio X305-Q708 is Toshiba's flagship gaming and multimedia notebook. This 17-inch monster has a flashy design, dual Nvidia video cards, and Intel's first mobile quad-core processor. Despite all the bells and whistles, is the X305-Q708 worth $4,200?

Buying Choices for the Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q705 - Core 2 Duo P7350 2 GHz - 17" TFT Amazon.com | $1,949.89

Our test notebook has the following specifications:

• 17-inch WSXGA+ (1680x1050) glossy display
• Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9300 (2.53GHz/ 12MB L2/ 1066MHz FSB) quad-core processor
• 4GB DDR3-1066 RAM
• Dual Nvidia GeForce 9800M-GTS with 512MB GDDR3 memory in SLI
• Nvidia GeForce 9400M chipset
• 128GB Toshiba SSD primary disk, 320GB 7200RPM secondary
• DVD Super Multi drive
• Atheros WLAN and built-in Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR
• One-year warranty
• 230W AC adapter
• 47Wh 8-cell battery
• Weight: 9.04 lbs
• Dimensions: 16.2” (W) x 12.0” (D) x 1.7 – 2.5” (H)

Toshiba only offers the X305 as a pre-configured model; the Q708 version we are testing is the most expensive with an MSRP of $4,199.99. It can be purchased from Toshiba Direct and authorized Toshiba retailers.

Build and Design

The Qosmio X305 has the most radical design I have seen to date. In addition to its look-at-me color scheme, its lines also set it apart. The side of the notebook and the lid are curved like an upside-down parentheses, which is truly different. Finding an even surface on this notebook is difficult.

Every single visible bit of the X305's viewable surface is glossy plastic, even the keyboard. Despite its vulnerable appearance, Toshiba's Fusion finish is actually quite durable.

The internal frame of the X305 is rigid, but the exterior plastic construction is thin and has weak points. It is relatively easy to flex most parts of the notebook, especially the lid. The lid's hinge is sturdy, but the display can be twisted side-to-side easily and the back does not have enough reinforcement. Fortunately, no ripples appear in the display when the back is pushed in. Due to this notebook's gargantuan size, it feels hollow.

This is one of the largest notebooks I have tested. It weighs nearly ten pounds, with the power adapter adding another two, and is an insane two and a quarter inches thick at its highest point.

Despite the X305's radicalness and my initial rejection of what Toshiba's designers had created, I must admit the notebook's look has grown on me, and I actually think it is well done. The swooping lines meld together well, and the overall look of the notebook is polished (pun intended). The entire base around the keyboard of the notebook is downright elegant, especially the speaker grilles, touchpad buttons, and the strip of chrome red plastic surrounding the base of the notebook. The flame-covered back lid is quite attractive in person and is fitting on this notebook. There is not a single part of the X305 that looks out of place in relation to the rest.

I was originally in the crowd of "wow, that's an ugly design" surrounding the X305. However now that I have spent significant time with this beast, my opinion has done a 180. Toshiba has created something unique and beautiful. I highly recommend that anyone who is curious about this notebook to go see it in person at a brick and mortar retailer, and spend some time with it.

Display

The X305-Q708 has a 17-inch WSXGA+ (1680x1050 pixels) glossy display. It has ample brightness, good contrast, and is not grainy. Viewing angles are typical for an LCD – great from side-to-side, but colors wash out from above and darken from below. Though the display passes my judgment, it is not stand-out in any particular way, and is actually below-par next to competitors in this price range. My major complaint is the resolution; a gaming notebook of this caliber should have a full HD WUXGA (1920x1200 pixels) resolution. Nevertheless, the X305-Q708 has a satisfactory but not outstanding display.

Speakers

It is appropriate to call the X305 a portable boombox, because it is one. The four harman/kardon speakers and subwoofer are absolutely fantastic – clarity is excellent, they get very loud, and the bass isn't just noticeable, but can actually be felt. Sound quality is present at all volume levels, which is impressive. The Toshiba X305 is unsurpassed when it comes to notebook sound. I am going to miss these speakers dearly.

Heat and Noise

Three centrifugal fans on the bottom of the notebook jet hot air out the back of the notebook. The X305's cooling system did a fantastic job of keeping the notebook cool during hours of gaming. The three fans create noise, but it is in the form of air rushing, not motor whine, and can be dismissed as background noise.

Keyboard

As someone who places extreme importance on input device quality, I consider the X305's keyboard to be quite disappointing. It does not feel solid at all. On good keyboards, keys give ample feedback when fully depressed; there is multi-step feedback loop for each key. You can feel the key providing resistance while being depressed, be able to tell how long and how much distance it took to reach the bottom, the key hitting the bottom, and the key pushing your finger up to the top again. The X305's keyboard provides no such feedback. Key travel (the distance between the keyboard and the bottom) is vague, since there is a lot of flex – using a small amount of pressure, the whole keyboard caves in. There is clearly a lot of space between the bottom of the keyboard and a solid surface. The keys are not springy enough and this further adds to the vague feel. The keys are made of very thin plastic and, combined with the hollow sound the keys make when depressed, feel and sound cheap.

While gaming, I had issues pressing down keys – if I pressed the [W] key down on an angle, it sometimes jammed. Not good.

Touchpad

Fortunately, the touchpad fared better. It has a nice granular surface, which means tracking accuracy does not depend on whether your fingers are moist or dry. The two shiny buttons have a hollow sound but are overall solid and relatively quiet.

Touch Buttons

Above the keyboard are a series of touch-sensitive buttons. There are keys for multimedia playback, muting the sound, shutting off all the lights, opening the camera, and a sound control panel launcher. By far the best two features are the ability to mute the sound and shut off the lights.

Input & Output Ports

This calls for a picture tour – all descriptions are left to right

Right side: Volume control knob, headphone + SP/DIF output, microphone, 2x USB 2.0, and (behind flap), 5-in-1 media card reader and 56k modem jack

Left side: eSATA/USB combo port, USB, ExpressCard/54 slot

Back: Kensington lock slot, IEEE 1394 mini-Firewire, power jack, exhaust vent, HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet

Front: Wireless on/off switch, optical drive

There is a huge variety of ports here. The most notable ports are the HDMI, DisplayPort, and eSATA. The volume control knob is especially nice, and makes adjusting the volume a cinch.

Wireless

The Atheros wireless card provided problem-free wireless Internet. I was able to connect to a number of different wireless networks with no problem. The internal Bluetooth wireless works as expected.

Battery

A unique feature of the X305-Q708 is Nvidia's hybrid SLI technology. This notebook actually has three graphics cards – yes that is correct, three graphics cards. On battery, the integrated Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics take over and the dual 9800M-GTS cards shut off, greatly reducing power consumption. The included 8-cell, 47Wh battery provided one hour and 48 minutes of life, which is reasonable for a machine of this caliber. This seems to be an odd feature to implement in a notebook like this, since users of the X305 most likely do not have battery life high on their list of requirements.

Operating System & Software

Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit is pre-installed on the Q708, with an unfortunately large amount of bloatware. Trial software, useless games, and other unwanted bits of software litter the main drive. Seeing this kind of bloatware on a $4,200 notebook borders on offensive. Toshiba also includes an inordinate amount of utilities.

Customer Support

The X305-708 comes with a one-year warranty. On a $4,200 notebook, this is also a disappointment. Notebooks with a pricetag higher than a down payment on a car should have a more extensive warranty. I had some issues with Toshiba's support site as well. I went to the site to get new video drivers for this notebook, but to my surprise, no drivers for any device are even listed under the X305. On the positive, the support site was easy to navigate.

Buying Choices for the Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q705 - Core 2 Duo P7350 2 GHz - 17" TFT Amazon.com | $1,949.89

Conclusion

The Toshiba Qosmio X305 is the most uniquely-designed notebook I have tested. This notebook is unlike any other and anyone who carries it will get looks wherever they go. It has good gaming performance and an effective cooling system. The sound system is the best on any notebook, and the variety of ports is impressive. Unfortunately, there are too many cons for me to give this notebook my recommendation, at least in this configuration at this price point. It simply does not measure up to the competition. Lower-priced versions of the X305 around the $2,000 price point are available and a far better value than our top-of-the-line Q708 model.

Pros:

• Unique design
• Mobile quad-core power
• Plays modern games well
• Excellent cooling system
• Fantastic sound system
• Port variety is outstanding

Cons:

• Poor value
• Display is nothing special, not full HD resolution
• Keyboard is a mess
• Slow 128GB SSD
• Intel Extreme processor not overclockable
• Competitor's notebooks at this price point have superior gaming performance
• Build has weak points
• Only one-year warranty standard
• Bloatware on a notebook at this price point!?

Performance and Benchmarks

A complete analysis of system performance and benchmarks can be found on the benchmarks page.

More info click here :
http://nino-computer.co.nr
http://baliforever4u.blogspot.com
http://malangoke.wordpress.com