Top 5 Laptops Launched Recently
Since the invention of the first laptop by Steven John Freer, laptops have come a long way, especially with high processor speed, faster startup, and enhanced audio-video quality. There is a laptop available as per every person's requirement, and at the same time adds to the style quotient.
The article is divided into three sections that cover laptops for home, business, and gaming purposes, and gives details about them.
INDEX
Laptops for Home
- HP Pavilion G6
- MacBook Air 13
- Samsung Series 3
- Dell XPS 15
- Sony Vaio E15
- MacBook Pro
- Samsung Series 9
- Lenovo X230
- HP EliteBook 8460p
- Latitude E6430
- Alienware M18x
- Asus G74SX-A2
- MSI GT680R
- Samsung Gamer
- Origin Eon 17-S
Laptops for Home
These laptops are useful for general purposes such as Internet browsing, sending and receiving e-mails and storing small chunks of data and music. The price does matter when it comes to this category. These laptops are also seen as desktop replacements by many. The following are a few must-haves for a home laptop.
- Dual core processor
- High storage memory
- Wireless connectivity
- DVD burning feature
- Graphics card that supports light gaming
HP Pavilion g6
Battery Life: 7.15 hours
Hard Disk: 640 GB
RAM: 4 GB
Display: 15.6", LED
Warranty: 1 year
Price: $499 onwards1. HP Pavilion g6
This latest HP laptop has all the features desired by a home user at an affordable price. It uses the latest Intel Core i5 processor. The operating system that it comes with is Windows 7 Home basic (64-bit). Altec Lansing speakers provide good sound quality. Multimedia cards, DVD-RW, webcam integrated with microphone, etc., are some of the other features.
Best buy for users looking for a low-cost laptop
Pros
- Good battery life (7.15 hours)
- Enhanced sound quality
- Cost-effectiveness
- Limited screen tilt (reflections observed when viewed from different angels)
MacBook Air 13
Battery Life: 7 hours
Hard Disk: 128 GB
RAM: 4 GB
Display: 13.3", LED
Warranty: 1 year
Price: $1199 onwards2. MacBook Air 13
MacBook Air 13 has the latest OS X Mountain Lion. It has Intel 4000 HD graphics, Thunderbolt audio-video output, 720 pixels webcam, backlit keyboard and multi-touch keypad.
It uses the latest Intel Core i7 technology that speeds up the processor.
The USB 3.0, Thunderbolt connectivity, lightweight (2.96lbs) feature and Ivy Bridge (power saver) make a good choice for any usage (personal or business).
Pros
- Improved screen resolution (1440x900)
- Turbo boost up to 2.8 GHz
- Highly priced
Samsung Series 3
Battery Life: 7.5 hours
Hard Disk: 640 GB
RAM: 4 GB
Display: 13.3", LED
Warranty: 1 year
Price: $749 onwards3. Samsung Series 3
This slim bezel display laptop is the latest offering from Samsung. The fastest startup time of 3 seconds is its key feature. It comes with Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and has Intel 3000 HD graphics. The laptop has 3W audio speakers and is also equipped with a 1.3 MP webcam. It uses the latest Intel core i5 processor.
The low-priced AMD-powered laptop is ideal for home use, but not recommended for gaming purposes.
Pros
- Anti-glare screen
- Chiclet-style keyboard (less strain to hands)
- Long battery life (7 hours)
- Plastic cover at the bottom makes the appearance poor.
- Poor graphics card does not allow heavy gaming.
Dell XPS 15
Battery Life: 5.1 hours
Hard Disk: 512 GB
RAM: 6 GB
Display: 15.6", WLED
Warranty: 1 year
Price: $1299 onwards4. Dell XPS 15
The Dell XPS 15 is equipped with the latest NVIDIA GeForce graphics card. It has DVD-RW, Blu-ray Disc drive and a glass integrated touchpad. The operating system used here is Windows 7 home premium (64-bit). The processor used is Intel i7. There is an option available for using i5 processor as well. However, the laptop is heavier than the others in this category. It can stream 720p HD video and has a Skype-certified webcam. It also has a facial recognition feature that allows direct login to Windows.
XPS 15 has high-definition audio, Skype-certificate enabling video chat and full HD display.
Pros
- Powerful graphics
- WiDi connectivity
- Heavier than its counterparts (5.79 lbs)
Sony Vaio E15
Battery Life: 4.1 hours
Hard Disk: 320 GB
RAM: 4 GB
Display: 15.5", LED
Warranty: 1 year
Price: $499 onwards5. Sony Vaio E15
The gesture sensor in the webcam is one of the main highlights of the laptop. It has a QWERTY backlit keyboard. Among the other features, it has a 1.3MP HD camera, Blu-ray DVD/CD and audio with xLOUD feature. The basic model has Intel i3 processor but it can be scaled to i5 and i7 as well, as per one's needs. It has Intel 3000 HD graphics card and comes with Windows 7 professional as well as Windows 7 home premium (64-bit).
It has Ivy Bridge and powerful multimedia, making it useful for gaming purposes.
Pros
- Stylish design
- Ivy Bridge
- Poor battery life (4.1 hours)
- Touchpad does not have left-right keys, making it difficult for usage
Laptops for Business
Business laptops are generally built for the frequent travelers. The laptop must be handy and should support the latest connectivity technologies. The system must be robust as it will contain important business data. The important features to look out for are:
- Brand name
- Latest connectivity features (LTE mobile broadband can be an added advantage)
- Increased battery life
- Keyboard built (essential for typing fast)
- Weight
- Backlit keyboard (enables working in the dark)
- Screen brightness (should be built to be used outdoors as well)
Apple MacBook Pro
Hard Disk: 256 GB
RAM: 8 GB
Battery Life: 7 hours
Display: 15"
Weight: 4.46 pounds
Price: $2199 onwards1. Apple MacBook Pro Retina
The standout feature of this laptop is its retina display that reduces the glare, and at the same time maintains the color contrast, thus giving an enriched user experience. The all-flash architecture helps in achieving quicker startup and the navigation is fast as well, giving the business users all that they need. The Intel i7 Ivy Bridge processors boost the processing speed of the laptop. The other features are multi-touch keypad, backlit keyboard, 720p HD webcam, Thunderbolt connectivity and NVIDIA GeForce graphics card.
It has a good screen appearance (retina display) and the processing speed is increased, but the laptop cannot be upgraded.
Pros
- Ultrathin (0.71 inches thick)
- Better HD resolution
- Ample storage
- Highly priced
- Elimination of optical drive (means the data sharing or transfer from the CDs and DVDs is not possible)
Samsung Series 9
Hard Disk: 128 GB
RAM: 4 GB
Battery Life: 7 hours
Display: 13.3"
Weight: 2.28 pounds
Price: $1399 onwards2. Samsung Series 9
This latest Samsung product has an important feature that saves time as well as the battery power. The laptop goes into sleep mode as soon as the lid is closed, thus saving tremendous battery power. If one wishes to resume work, the start-up time is as low as 3 seconds. The other main feature is the image sensors that are present on the multi-gesture touchpad. The sensors ensure that you do not lose any data because of the unwanted cursor movements. The touchpad supports 21 types of gestures. The 1.3MP HD webcam is one of the highlights of the laptop. The graphics card used is Intel 3000 HD.
It is thinner than MacBook Air (0.64 inches). Solid state drive instead of a hard disk gives impressive speed than the other laptops in this section.
Pros
- Anti-glare screen
- Compatible with Windows 8
- Fast boot-up time of 3 seconds
- Highly priced
- Poorer HD resolution compared to its counterparts
Lenovo X230
Hard Disk: 320 GB
RAM: 4 GB
Battery Life: 9.9 hours
Display: 12.5"
Weight: 2.9 pounds
Price: $849 onwards3. Lenovo Thinkpad X230
Thinkpad is one of the very few laptops that are 4G-enabled. It also can provide up to 24 hours battery life with the optional feature of a slice battery. The audio feature is well-equipped with Dolby Advanced Audio v2 and the graphics driver is Intel 3000 HD. Like MacBook, it also has a 720p HD camera. The i7 processor boosts the speed of the laptop, making it apt for mobile users. The noise cancellation dual array microphones make the VOIP experience, better.
The backlit keyboard, fast mobile usability and the battery life add to a good business laptop buy.
Pros
- 4G ready
- Not sleek
HP EliteBook 8460p
Hard Disk: 250 GB
RAM: 4 GB
Battery Life: 8.15 hours (6-cell battery)
Display: 14.0"
Weight: 4.56 pounds
Price: $1269 onwards4. HP EliteBook 8460p
This latest offering from HP claims to have a battery life of 32 hours when an additional ultra-extended life notebook battery is used. It is a highly rugged design that is tested for military standards. Also the other main feature is the night light that focuses light on the keyboard while working in the dark. There is a light sensor adjacent to the webcam that senses the ambient light and automatically reduces the brightness of the screen that increases the battery power. It also has a point-stick input device that eliminates the need of an external mouse.
The night light feature and the security tools are Elitebook's standout features.
Pros
- Matt screen appearance
- Better battery life (9-cell version has about 13 hours of life)
- No Wi-Di connectivity option available
- No backlit keyboard
Latitude E6430 ATG
Hard Disk: 320 GB
RAM: 2 GB
Battery Life: 11.2 hours
Display: 14.0"
Weight: 6.04 pounds (6-cell)
Price: N.A. 5. Dell Latitude E6430 ATG
This Dell offering is truly mobile due to its high performance in outdoor conditions as well. It has LTE mobile broadband feature that easily connects to the Internet when on the move. The NVIDIA NVS 5200M discrete graphics enhances the video experience. Latitude also provides an optional integrated HD video webcam and a dual-pointing backlit keyboard. The fast response free-fall sensor helps protect the laptop from any shocks and damages, making it a highly rugged machine.
The anodized aluminum lid and the ruggedness of the machine make it ideal for people working in tough conditions.
Pros
- Best battery life amongst the counterparts (almost 32.7 hours with 9 cell battery option.)
- Optional LTE mobile broadband
- Bright display enables outdoor usage.
- Heavy (about 6 pounds)
Laptops for Gaming
Gaming laptops are known for their strong performance, huge screen and high quality audio, good 3D graphics and video quality. From the initial laptops that were introduced using a 8086/8088 processor, the gaming industry has come a long way. The modern gaming laptop uses Intel Core i5 or i7 processors with about 7200 rpm hard drive speed. These tough machines are a treat for the gamers. The main parameters that one should look out for while buying such a laptop are:
- Audio/video quality
- Video memory (should have a separate video memory)
- Graphics card (upgradeable ones are to be preferred)
- Screen size
- Better hard drive rpm (better rpm boosts the speed)
Alienware M18x
Video Memory: 1.5 GB
Battery Life: 3.5 hours
Display: 18.4"
Weight: 12.8 pounds
Price: $1999 onwards1. Alienware M18x
Alienware M18x is hugely built with 18.4 inches wide screen (diagonally measured). The user experience is further enhanced due to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M graphics card and 5.1 WavesMAXX sound system. The keyboard is designed in such a manner that it is divided into four zones and is RGB-colored. Keyboard is AlienFX backlit and gives 5 user-programmable keys, giving up to 15 applications for each game.
Dual NVIDIA graphics and fast performance make this laptop a good buy but the only flaw is the price (when compared to laptops with similar configuration).
Pros
- Customizable gaming keys
- Better battery life from the rest (3 hours)
- Heavy (12.8 pounds)
Asus G74SX-A2
Video Memory: 3.0 GB
Battery Life: 3 hours
Display: 17.3"
Weight: 10 pounds
Price: $1595 onwards2. Asus G74SX-A2
Asus' latest launched G74SX-A2 model comes with a unique feature of having the number pad and the keyboard separated by an inch. This feature is highly appreciated as it enables the gamers to freely use the number pad. The other highlighted feature of A2 is the desktop rotation. It allows to toggle between eight different desktops. The best part is, when the user returns back to his desktop, all the windows that had opened are automatically saved! There is no need to reopen them again.
The quad-core processor and the separate number pad make gaming easy and fast.
Pros
- Number pad separated by almost an inch
- Best video memory (about 3 GB)
- 8 desktop options (Rotation Desktop Feature)
- Heavy (about 9.4 pounds)
- Noisy fan even in idle mode
MSI GT680R
Video Memory: 1.5 GB
Battery Life: 3 hours
Display: 15.6"
Weight: 7.7 pounds
Price: $1499 onwards3. MSI GT680R
GT680R has a discrete GeForce CTX 460M graphics card that has the latest DirectX11 effects which gives good 3D gaming experience. The Dynaudio sound and the THX TruStudio Pro provides excellent surround sound effects. It comes with a built-in 720p webcam. The keyboard is desktop-like with a separate number pad. The screen is comparatively smaller - only 15.6 inches.
The fun LED lights and the sound effects give more than satisfactory user experience.
Pros
- Customizable keyboard LEDs
- Dynaudio 4.1 speakers
- Direct 11X effects (enhancing the 3D experience)
- No keyboard backlit
- Poor wireless connectivity
Series 7 Gamer
Video Memory: NA*
Battery Life: 2.12 hours
Display: 17.3"
Weight: 8.41 pounds
Price: $1899 onwards4. Samsung's Series 7 Gamer
The first of its kind from the manufacturer, the Series 7 Gamer made its debut in the American market recently. The keyboard is designed to give the users better gaming experience. There are about 102 keys and the main gaming keys are highlighted in red. Also, the main gaming keys are U-shaped providing better control. Series 7 Gamer has four different modes, gaming being one of the modes. The keypad and the Windows key can be disabled in the gaming mode. The sound quality is also enhanced with the inclusion of Dolby home theater HD sound.
The different modes (gaming, balanced, library and eco) make it a multipurpose laptop.
Pros
- Four-mode power dial (ranging from Eco mode to gaming mode)
- Blue backlight of the keyboard with the main U-shaped gaming keys highlighted in red, makes gaming easier
- Better viewing angles
- 1 TB Hard Drive
- Becomes heated after a few hours of gaming and increased fan noise
- Comparatively poor battery life
Origin Eon 17-S
Video Memory: 1.5 GB
Battery Life: Up to 360 minutes
Display: 17.3"
Weight: 8.6 pounds
Price: $1592 onwards5. Origin Eon 17-S
The Eon 17-S has enhanced audio quality due to TruStudio Pro audio with 7.1 channel support and 3D sound blaster. The graphics quality is enhanced by NVIDIA and AMD options and the card is upgradeable. The 17.3-inch screen size is decent for gaming and the keyboard is divided into three lightning zones with seven different color schemes available. The Intel core i7 processor boosts the speed of the system. The security aspect is also taken into consideration with the inclusion of the fingerprint reader.
The TruStudio Pro audio quality and the sound blaster make for a thrilling gaming experience.
Pros
- 3D sound blaster
- Separate number pad
- Fingerprint scanner
- Loud fan noise
The laptops that are reviewed above are the latest ones in each category. The general features to consider while buying a laptop from any of the above categories are memory, processor, battery and price. Depending on the configuration selected, the price and the performance of the laptop can vary.
* - Not Available
Note.- All the laptop reviews are for the basic models. All the above-mentioned laptops can be customized for higher configuration.
