Sony Xperia X10 Users Finally Get to Taste an Old Eclair, Android 2.1

Consumers spent Tuesday morning bashing Sony Ericsson and AT&T for announcing today that it has begun upgrading Xperia X10 phones to Android 2.1, or "Eclair"�the version of Android launched in January 2010.

"WOW!!! And you guys are actually excited to announce this. SE has just lost the plot," wrote one user at Sony Ericsson's blog.

On Tuesday, Sony Ericsson announced the manual update to Android 2.1 in a blog post: "We couldn't be more excited to bring you the news we have for you today. After much hard-work, we are happy to announce that the Android 2.1 upgrade will be available for AT&T XperiaTM X10 customers in the US starting Tuesday, May 31. We can't thank you enough for your patience."

The announcement was met with more sarcasm than the usual tech post, with responses like "Thats great news...everybody open up a bottle of campaign (sic) and lets celebrate this!!se you are a joke!!and a bad one!!" and "No wonder why sony always get hacked, good luck with this."

Xperia X10 users in the U.S. have reason to be annoyed. Android 2.1 is a minor platform update that Google launched in January 2010. The update gives Xperia X10 devices 720p HD video capture, multi-touch support, continuous autofocus on the camera, face detection during video capture, and expanded homescreen support. Click here to download instructions for manually upgrading your phone.

Sony Ericsson can't be blamed entirely for the holdup. In fact, it first announced the upgrade last November for users in Europe and Australia. AT&T had "no comment" on the U.S. delay.

According to Android Developers' May stats, only 24.5 percent of all smartphones still run Android 2.1, a vast improvement from last November when the figure was 77 percent. Since then 70.2 percent of all smartphones have been upgraded to Android 2.2 (Froyo) and above.

In the U.S., the Xperia X10 series launched in August through AT&T and with an outdated version of Android, 1.6.

PCmag

New Sony Vaio F, S series laptops go upscale

Sony laptops generally tend to be particularly good at being two things: big, high-end media experiences, and small, slim executive powerhouses. The new Vaio F and S series laptops, announced today, offer a bit of both for laptop shoppers willing to spend over $1,000.

The 13.3-inch Sony Vaio S series is only .95 inch thick, and also relatively light: just 3.6 pounds, despite having an optical drive. The closest equivalent we can think of is the Toshiba Portege R835. Unlike the Portege, the Vaio S has a higher-resolution display--1,600x900 pixels--and optional discrete graphics. The Vaio S comes with a second-gen Intel Core i7 CPU and optional AMD Radeon HD 6630 Hybrid graphics, and a wide variety of high-end features such as optional Blu-ray, a backlit keyboard, and a face-tracking low-light Exmor-sensor Web camera.

Meanwhile, the new Vaio F series laptop is a super-size beast that probably won't stray far from your desk. A 16.4-inch, 1080p, 1,920x1,080 display, 3D front-surround Dolby Home Theater speakers, a Blu-ray optical drive, Nvidia GeForce GT 540M or 520M graphics, and the same high-end Exmor-sensor Web camera are part of an attractive package that includes a quad-core second-gen Intel Core i7 CPU.

The look is similar to the new F series laptops we first saw at CES 2011, but at least this 3D-free version costs less than the 3D Vaio F.

The Vaio S series starts at $1,370, and is available in four colors including the newly added pink and blue. A sheet battery for extra charging costs $150.

The Vaio F series will start at $1,100. Both are currently available for preorder on Sony's Web site. Hopefully, we'll have both in for review soon.

Cnet

T-Mobile releases Samsung Exhibit 4G, Gravity Smart

Just a day after it announced release dates for the HTC Sensation 4G, T-Mobile is back for more Android fun with the new Exhibit 4G and Gravity Smart. Both smartphones carry a budget price tag and will be out in June.

The Exhibit 4G sports a slim candy bar design in violet or black. The touch screen takes up most of the real estate leaving space below for three touch controls and a physical OK button. You'll use a virtual keyboard with Swype for your typing needs and it all runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Inside you'll find a 1GHz processor, a 3-megapixel camera with a flash, a front-facing VGA shooter for self-portraits and video chat, Wi-Fi calling, a full HTML browser with Flash, a memory card slot, USB tethering, and support for T-Mobile's HSPA+ network. When you're not being productive, you can watch live and on-demand programming from T-Mobile TV, download movies and TV programs from the Samsung Media Hub, and play preinstalled games like Bejeweled 2, Scrabble and Doodle Jump.

The Gravity Smart is the first Android handset in Samsung's Gravity series (previous models like the Gravity T ran Samsung's TouchWiz OS). It offers a slider design with a full QWERTY keyboard hidden behind the front face. The keyboard includes a decent selection of shortcut keys (colored in green) and a convenient space bar. The 3.2-inch touch screen also offers a virtual keybaord with Swype.

Features on the Froyo 2.2 device include a full HTML browser, a 3-megapixel camera with a LED flash, a personal organizer, messaging, e-mail, a music player, the usual Google features, and access to apps through the Android Market.

The Exhibit 4G will be $80 after a $50 mail-in rebate and two-year contract. The Gravity Smart will sell for $70 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year contract.

Cnet

Motorola Atrix next in line for Gingerbread update?

appears AT&T's Motorola Atrix 4G might be next in line to receive Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Tech site BriefMobile has scored an alleged copy of the update, which claims it's full of new features, including application grouping, downloads management, and a retooled user experience.

According to BriefMobile's information, the revamped user interface feels less like Motoblur and more like the Motorola Droid X's Gingerbread update. Another noteworthy feature is the ability to download apps from outside of the Android Market. As you may know already, AT&T recently changed its stance on this topic, beginning with the Infuse 4G.

BriefMobile anticipates a June or July release for the Atrix update and expects it to have a build number along the lines of 4.5.XX. The AT&T smartphone recently saw an update that enabled support for the HSUPA+ network, but it didn't play nice with select banking apps. For those affected, Motorola has since made a minor update available.

Since we're on the subject of Motorola software updates, readers should be reminded that Verizon's Droid X is now seeing its Gingerbread update. Many of the features here look to similar to those found in the 2.3 that's apparently headed to the Atrix 4G.

Cnet

Sony launches new Walkman B160 series

Sony has launched its Walkman B160 Series MP3 players, which weigh 28g and are less than 10cm long. The Walkman B160 Series features a two-tone finish in a choice of vivid colours.

According to Sony, the Walkman B160 Series delivers big sounds and deep bass notes despite its compact size. If users push the bass button on the MP3 player, it is designed to release more deep notes and also starts a colour matching power illuminator, which pulses in time with the music.

The device is designed to provide 90 minutes of power with just a three minute charge, and when fully charged has approximately 18 hours of play time.

The device can be connected directly to a PC via the player's built-in USB connector and users can drag and drop files or transfer them to the device via Windows Media Player 11/12.

ZAPPIN song search technology is designed to allow users to browse through their music archives via the ZAPPIN button, which activates a short snatch of each track.

The MP3 player also now features a detachable belt clip to allow for easier portability. A new feature, the detachable clip, attaches Walkman to a belt, bag strap or outside the pocket of the shirt or jeans.

The new Walkman NWZ-B160 range of MP3 players is now available in the UAE at all Jumbo Electronics showrooms.

ITP

Unreleased BlackBerry Bold 9790 leaks out

Reality Mirror has leaked images of what it claims to be the RIM Blackberry Bold 9790. The posting indicated the 9790 would run BlackBerry OS 7.0 and come with 8GB internal memory, a QWERTY keyboard, a touchscreen, and offer NFC. No details were provided about the screen size, resolution, or what processor was being used.

The 9700 series was first released in 2009. In 2010 it received a facelift. Since then, RIM has announced the new Bold 9900 series, which should be available later this summer. Given that, it is unclear if the images are those of a future product or a prototype that was ultimately scrapped.

Electronista

Samsung 5-inch Galaxy Player gets $270 Best Buy price leak

Best Buy's mobile app inadvertently gave away possible pricing for the Galaxy Player 5. Also known as the Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0 elsewhere, the five-inch, 8GB Android player is shown costing $270. The price puts it well above a similar iPod touch, although it has a much larger display, a higher-resolution three-megapixel camera, real GPS, FM radio, and a microSDHC card slot.

Neither Best Buy nor Samsung has confirmed the pricing. The device's presence would still line up with official plans for a spring launch. Just the 8GB capacity will be available, but a four-inch Galaxy Player 4 is also on tap that should come closer to the $230 mark of the iPod.

Both are effectively versions of the Galaxy S without the phone and share the same version of Android 2.2 with Samsung's TouchWiz interface on top.

Electronista

Viewsonic intros 24-inch LCD with built-in 3D emitter

At the Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan, ViewSonic introduced a 24-inch, 3D LCD display, the ViewSonic V3D245wm-LED. ViewSonic claims it is the first 24-inch smart monitor with an integrated 3D emitter. The V3D245wm-LED has full 1080p HD playback at 120 MHz refresh rate. The monitor includes integrated SRS Premium surround sound speakers and one HDMI 1.4 input. ViewSonic claims it has a dynamic contrast ratio of 20,000,000:1 and a peak response time of 2ms.

One pair of active shutter 3D glasses is included.

The company mentioned the V3D245wm-LED in a press release prior to the 2011 CES show in January, but the unit was not displayed there. ViewSonic says the V3D245wm-LED will be available in the third quarter of 2011. Pricing for the North American market was not released.

Electronista

review: Munitio Nine Millimeter Earphones

Bass lovers, rejoice. Munitio has delivered its �Nine Millimeter Earphones� which unapologetically crank up the bass ratio, and do so within an audio scape which sounds fantastic. At $179, the Munitio had better sound fantastic, of course. But while the middle and low end of the earbud price range has a fair number of options which offer a higher than usual bass to treble ratio, this product represents an opportunity for bass lovers to move into the higher-end of the mainstream earbud pricing spectrum. And when it comes to accentuated-bass earbuds, Munitio has the clearest bass of any I�ve ever tested.

However, a couple of things about the Munitio may make you think twice. The product is clearly aimed at users of iPhones and other such devices, as evidenced by the built in microphone and play/pause/answer button. However, it lacks the accompanying volume buttons which are almost always standard these days with any mic-enabled earbuds above the $100 price point. Also, the design of the earbud itself places the rubber right up against the barrel, meaning that the barrel presses up against your ear � a non issue if you have medium to large ear canals, but may be less comfortable than you�re expecting if you have small ear canals.

If you can look past those issues, however, the Munitio represents a rare opportunity to get your hands on bass-accentuated earbuds whose overall sound quality is up in the high end of consumer-level quality. Comes in a choice of silver, gold, or black, and comes with a slim leather carrying pouch as well as a variety of rubber earbud tips.

Price: $179 � Munitio.com
Beatweek

review: Future Sonics Atrio m5 Professional Earphones

Future Sonics wants to make one thing clear about its Atrio m5 earbuds up front: unlike an increasing number of earbuds reaching market these days, the m5 is not intended to be one of those kitchen-sink type products with a built in microphone, play-pause buttons, or volume control. Those who want such functionality can look elsewhere, as the m5 is designed to do one thing and do it well: play back your music. And boy does it ever.

Billed as being a �professional� product, the Atrio m5 is nonetheless being marketed to the mainstream. The $199 price tag will naturally eliminate a large chunk of consumers right off the bat, as earbuds in this price range are aimed at those who are willing and able to invest fairly serious money into making sure their music sounds as great as possible. As such, the m5 possesses a level of clarity I�ve rarely found in other earbuds at any price point, a quality I�m assuming relates back to the fact that Future Sonics specializes in making custom �Ear Monitors� products for professional musicians.

So am I ready to trade in my current favorite earbuds in favor of the m5? In a word, no. Like plenty of other users, I�m in that category where I want all the bells and whistles and controls built into my earbuds for use with my iPhone. But for those who view such controls as mere distractions and instead want earbuds which simply deliver crystal clear music in the high and low ranges, the Atrio m5 delivers some serious audio firepower. It comes with a host of single and double flanged rubber earbud tips along with a variety of foam tips and a zippered case, and in a choice of beige, black, blue, brown, or red.

Price: $199 � FutureSonics.com

Beatweek

Acer DX241H review

We�ve seen Linux-based software used before to provide a quick way to boot into a basic, internet-enabled OS, but usually it�s been in a motherboard or laptop. Acer�s DX241H extends the idea to the world of monitors.

From the outside it looks like any standard 24in monitor, and it has the usual 1080p resolution. The difference is that at the rear, alongside the standard HDMI and D-SUB outputs, are four USB 2 ports and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Hook these up to your keyboard and mouse, an external hard disk or USB thumb drive and your network connection, and you have a standalone internet-cum-media playback terminal. No need for a PC at all, in fact.

Switch on the DX241H and in around ten seconds you�re thrown into Acer�s proprietary UI. This is dominated by six buttons: one launches a simplified version of Google Chrome (complete with Adobe Flash compatibility), while the rest provide links to popular social networks and search engines, with YouTube, Twitter and Facebook alongside Bing and Yahoo.

A group of buttons in the bottom-right of the screen hide the Acer�s true selling point, though: the CyberLink-developed clear.fi software. This picks up any DLNA-compliant client on your network, as well as files on drives connected to the USB sockets at the rear, for music, movie and photo playback.

In practice this is a good idea, but it�s ruined by poor performance and design. The chip used inside the DX241H clearly isn�t up to task: HD clips on YouTube and BBC iPlayer were unwatchable thanks to constant juddering; only SD clips played smoothly. Video file playback was better: we managed to get some of our test 720p clips to run smoothly, but we found file compatibility patchy, with many files failing to play and some causing the Acer DX241H to crash.

The UI doesn�t help. It�s slow and unresponsive, with options taking a couple of seconds to initialise once selected, and graphical glitches mar the slick-looking software. You can�t build playlists, the device navigation interface doesn�t support mouse scroll-wheels, and the lack of tool-tips makes already-unfamiliar icons even more difficult to understand.

Issues abound elsewhere. There�s no indication of network connectivity once you�ve left the setup wizard. Photo slideshows are plagued by sluggish image transitions and playback controls that are unresponsive in the extreme. The browser is better, gaining a SunSpider score of 4,119ms, but that's not much compensation.

Image quality, meanwhile, is a mixed bag, with colour accuracy not far behind the A-Listed ViewSonic VP2365wb, but a low contrast ratio of 238:1 gives a slightly washed out, tepid look. The built-in speakers are nothing special either.

The Acer�s main attraction is undoubtedly its software front-end but, when the software is this poor and the price this high, we can�t possibly recommend it, either as a standalone device or a PC monitor.

Author: Mike Jennings
PCPro

Creative ZiiO 10in review

Creative has not one but two tablet models available for purchase, and they're both dirt cheap. We reviewed the Creative ZiiO 7in a while back, and this larger model, with a 10in 1,024 x 600 screen, is almost as reasonable. It will set you back a mere �200 � a full �199 less than the cheapest iPad 2.

Despite the low price, the ZiiO doesn't look bad. It comes in a subtly sparkling matte-charcoal plastic case, with the ZiiO logo etched tastefully in the bottom right corner below the screen.

Inside, though, the ZiiO has clearly been built to a budget. The 1GHz Creative ZiiLabs ZMS-08 CPU is an old single-core design, and it's backed up by a mere 8GB of storage (though this can be supplemented thanks to a full-size SD card slot).

Such mediocre hardware yields predictably poor performance, with a generally laggy feel to menus and browsing operations. The ZiiO�s SunSpider score of 8,158ms isn't as quick as recent dual-core Honeycomb-based tablets, and its BBC desktop homepage load time of nine seconds is again slow. A score of 2,219 in the Android-specific Quadrant benchmark wasn�t bad, though, and the ZiiO proved perfectly capable of playing most current games smoothly.

The processor isn't the only place corners have been cut. There's no 3G option, and battery life is well below average, managing just 6hrs 53mins in our video loop test. The system software is behind the times too � a Creative-modified, but smartphone-oriented version of Android 2.2. There�s no access to the Android Market, and Creative's ZiiO Space service is no substitute.

The biggest disappointment, however, is the screen. Image quality leaves an awful lot to be desired, with viewing angles so poor you must take care to hold the tablet directly head-on � tip it even slightly away from the perpendicular and the image fades rapidly from view. It�s very drab too, reaching just 157cd/m2 at maximum brightness, while colours have a noticeably yellow cast to them.

Worse, the ZiiO's touch controls are implemented with cheap resistive technology. It responded poorly to our prods and pokes (the navigation and multimedia controls below the screen are particularly frustrating), and it doesn't support multitouch, so you can't pinch to zoom.

The ZiiIO�s one distinctive feature is support for Creative�s Bluetooth-based APT-X wireless audio codec, which connects to a variety of the firm's wireless headphones and speakers.

Overall, though, the ZiiO 10in is simply unpleasant to use, making it a poor choice despite the low price. If you�re looking for a bargain basement tablet, we�d recommend the Advent Vega instead, or Creative's own ZiiO 7in at a now very cheap �150.

Author: Jonathan Bray
PCPro

Gigabyte unveils S1080 tablet and M2432 Booktop

Gigabyte has unveiled two new devices at Computex 2011. The first is a new 10.1-inch tablet, the S1080 running Windows 7 on a platform packing a 1.66GHz dual-core Intel Atom N550 processor and 2GB of RAM. The second is the new M2432 Booktop with a bundled docking station that also packs a �desktop-class� GPU matched with 1GB of VRAM.

The Gigabyte S1080 Windows tablet is one of the most powerful Windows 7 tablets to arrive on the market. Its dual-core Atom and 2GB of RAM should give it decent performance for the current-generation of Windows 7 tablet devices. It is also equipped with a 320GB hard-drive, GMA 3150 graphics with a VGA output and WiFi b/g/n, along with Bluetooth 3.0. It also incorporates a front-facing 1.3-megapixel webcam. A high-speed USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, gigabit Ethernet and an audio socket, along with an SD card reader, provide connectivity. It weighs in at around 1.9 pounds.

The Gigabyte M2432 Booktop will ship with a Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost 2.0. Its 14-inch LED backlit display has a resolution of 1366 x 768. Onboard graphics is delivered by an integrated Intel HD 3000 GPU. Other hardware highlights include a USB 3.0 port as well as THX sound. The keyboard is a chiclet design and is matched with a multi-touch trackpad. It weighs in at around 4 pounds.

The Booktop will also ship with a bundled docking station, which integrates a separate NVIDIA GT 440 GPU with 1GB of DDR5 RAM. This allows the Booktop to be connected to up to two external monitors. The docking station includes six additional USB ports, an HDMI out, a D-Sub and DVI port.

Electronista

Viewsonic intros two new ViewPad tablets

Viewsonic has introduced two new tablets at Computex 2011. The Viewsonic ViewPad 10Pro will arrive with Windows 7 and Intel�s Oak Trail platform. The 10Pro will also have Android capability and is aimed at enterprise. The Viewsonic ViewPad 7x will be powered by a combination of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) and NVIDIA�s Tegra 2 platform and is aimed at the consumer segment.

The Viewsonic ViewPad 10Pro will be powered by Intel�s Atom Z760 1.5GHz processor paired with 1GB of RAM. It will ship with Windows 7 Professional and is capable of launching Android 2.2, but in virtualization mode only. This may limit the potential for the device to run Android apps smoothly, but it will make it useful for quick launching a web browser for example.

The ViewPad 10Pro also incorporates both 3G and Wi-Fi 802.11n. Its 32GB of RAM is expandable by microSD, as well as through USB. Its 3500mAh battery is rated for 4.5 hours of use when playing 1080p video showing marked power consumption improvements over the previous generation of Atom chips. It will run for up to 6 hours for lighter duties.

The Viewsonic ViewPad 7x�s 1024x600 7-inch LED display supports up to 10-point multi-touch input. It also packs an HSPA+ radio for 3.5G speeds and supports DLNA media sharing and SRW TruMedia. It weighs 380g and incorporates front and back cameras and is capable of video conferencing. When it ships, it will arrive with Android 3.0.1 (Honeycomb).

Electronista

Apple iMac 27in (2011) review

The launch of the new Apple MacBook Pro range a few months ago may have spoiled the surprise for the rest of Apple�s updates, but there�s no doubt most of us at PC Pro were far more excited to see Sandy Bridge make its way into Apple�s beautiful 27in iMac than in its laptops.

Sure enough, it�s now a suitably powerful beast to complement its glorious screen. The shift to Sandy Bridge brings a choice of new processors: the 27in iMac comes with either a 2.7GHz Core i5-2500S or a 3.1GHz Core i5-2400, with the latter upgradeable to a 3.4GHz Core i7-2600 if you�re feeling really flush.

Apple sent us the cheapest model for this review and, aided by 4GB of 1,333MHz DDR3 RAM and a fast 7,200rpm hard disk, the low-power Core i5 coped admirably with our real-world benchmarks. An overall score of 0.83 can�t compete with the latest blisteringly quick desktop PCs, but it trounces the previous fastest all-in-one we�ve tested by a good 10%. It�s a quad-core CPU, so it also coasted through the Multitasking segment with a solid score of 0.76.

The AMD graphics chip has seen an upgrade to the latest generation, inching the iMac closer to being a genuine entertainment machine as well as a do-it-all professional solution. The Radeon HD 6770 powered through our Low and Medium Crysis tests with ease, and managed a creditable 26fps at 1,920 x 1,080 and High settings.

It�s not quite powerful enough for real high-resolution gaming, though: if you want to play at the screen�s native 2,560 x 1,440, you�ll have to lower those settings to Medium, at which point it averaged a playable 32fps. Crysis aside, less demanding games should run at 1080p with few problems, and you may even be able to bump more mainstream games up to native resolution at their highest settings.

There�s still no Blu-ray option � we can understand it not coming as standard but it seems petty to exclude it from the upgrade path completely � but the iMac handled all our HD video smoothly. The FaceTime HD webcam also supports chat with other capable devices, although you�ll be limited by the resolution of the camera at the other end � don�t expect an iPhone user to look as good on your screen as you do on theirs.

As for that non-surprise, the iMac now comes equipped with Thunderbolt ports � one on the 21in models, two on the larger versions � in time for the first compatible RAID arrays to hit the shelves in the coming month or two. You�ll also be able to use the iMac as a second display for your MacBook Pro. It�s a nod to the future for now, but Apple looks to be putting its weight behind Thunderbolt over USB 3, at least for now.

The 27in IPS panel is as glorious as ever, with its 2,560 x 1,440 resolution rendering high-resolution images pin-sharp and displaying 1080p video with a panache that makes us yearn for that Blu-ray drive. It�s very reflective and it has a tendency to crush dark greys into black in images and videos, but that�s how it produces its fabulous contrast and vibrancy.

The rest is pretty much unchanged, with the excellent 17W speakers producing easily enough oomph for movie watching. The familiar Wireless Keyboard now comes with a choice at purchase of either the Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad, and you get OS X Snow Leopard pre-installed. Boot Camp works pretty much flawlessly now too, for dual-booting into Windows.

We still have a few issues with the iMac, though. With such a large, obstructive screen in front of you, the positioning of the USB ports on the rear makes no sense other than to satisfy Apple�s insistence on clean lines. And the top of the chassis gets exceedingly hot: using an IR thermometer, we measured the metal at 59�C during intensive tasks, which is the price you pay for the near-silent running.

Then there�s the price, but you know how that works by now. It costs precisely the same as the bottom-end 27in model last year, which is to say a 2.7GHz Core i5 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a Radeon HD 6770 is �1,399 inc VAT. The faster model is �1,649, and for once we reckon �250 for the step up to 3.1GHz and an HD 6970 looks fairly close to the correct retail pricing.

It goes without saying that the latest round of upgrades only make the 27in Apple iMac even more attractive. We�d prefer at least the option of a Blu-ray drive to go with the marvellous screen and speakers, and some USB ports within reach would prevent the occasional frustrating bout of desk-rearranging. But if you can afford it, it�s still the finest piece of all-in-one engineering on the market.

Author: David Bayon
PCPro

Alienware M11x R3 review

Alienware�s M11x has always been something of a marvel. The first product to transform the concept of gaming laptop from a contradiction-in-terms into genuinely portable reality, the M11x was, and still is, the only 2kg gaming laptop truly worthy of the name.

Now in its third generation, Alienware�s gaming pipsqueak looks the same as ever. The all-black chassis is still gorgeous, the Alien FX lighting beaming out from beneath the keyboard and spilling out of the grilles on either edge. At 2kg, it�s remains a good deal more portly than your average ultraportable, but the pay-off is bombproof build quality. The thick base is fiendishly stiff, and the lid feels stout and largely flex-free.

Beneath that understated exterior, Intel�s second-generation Core processors now take pride of place. There�s a choice between Intel�s 1.4GHz Core i5-2537M and, for a �150 premium, the 1.5GHz Core i7-2617M. Our review unit came with the Core i5 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 256GB SSD. And, while that price at the top of the page looks obscene, fear not. Dump the �530 SSD and the price drops to a far more reasonable �969.

The Intel Core processors have made a big impact. A small amount of overclocking is possible in the BIOS � no more than 3% of the CPU�s base clock � but it�s no longer an essential part of the M11x�s personality: with Turbo Boost 2 kicking into action, the Core i5-2537M in our review unit boosted right up to 2.3GHz when required.

That�s power enough to earn the little M11x R3 a reasonable 0.49 in our application benchmarks. Admittedly, that�s some way behind the score of our reference PC, which sports a 3.4GHz Core i7-2600K, but still quite fast enough for most purposes.

Shift your attention from spreadsheets to first-person shooters, though, and the M11x relishes the challenge. With Nvidia�s GeForce GT 540M alongside the new Sandy Bridge processor, the Alienware scythed through our Low quality Crysis test at a blistering average speed of 80fps. More notable is the M11x�s ability to almost handle Crysis at High quality. At the screen�s native resolution of 1,366 x 768, this gaming monster is capable of racking up an average frame rate of 25fps. Pushing average frame rates, which are more than 20% quicker than the last generation, the M11x R3 is a genuinely capable gaming platform.

Such performance would normally see most gaming laptops falter away from a mains socket, but even here the M11x R3 impresses. Nvidia�s GeForce GT 540M chipset launches forth where 3D grunt is required, and Nvidia�s Optimus graphics-switching technology allows Intel�s HD Graphics 3000 chipset to take the reins for power-efficient desktop duties.

With a huge 63wh battery concealed behind the removable metal panel on the Alienware�s underside, the Intel graphics allowed the M11x R3 to cling on for 11hrs 5mins in our light-use battery test. Gaming sees that figure tumble: with screen brightness at maximum, Wi-Fi off and the CPU and GPU running flat out, we managed to play through 1hr 15mins of Crysis. If gaming on battery power is high on the agenda then you�ll just have to drop the display brightness and reduce the detail settings.

If there�s one area where the M11x stubbornly hasn�t improved, it�s in the quality of its display. We�re not overly concerned by the 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution � anything higher would result in uncomfortably small pixels on an 11.6in display � but the image quality is mediocre. Narrow vertical viewing angles left us tilting the display back and forth, and the tiny sweet spot leaves even small head movements resulting in noticeable contrast shifts. Our subjective experience was backed up by some woeful figures: with a maximum brightness of 219cd/m2 and a contrast ratio of only 212:1, the M11x R3�s panel is decidedly below par.

The keyboard is better, though. The keys are finished in a silky, semi-rubberised finish, and each one depresses with a pleasingly crisp action, whether it�s for split-second gaming or typing out an email, it�s well on song.

Connectivity also hits the mark. Two USB 3 ports are positioned next to the twin headphone outputs on the right-hand edge, while FireWire, an SD/MMC, Memory Stick card reader and Gigabit Ethernet line up on the left, flanked by DisplayPort and HDMI 1.4. That�s pretty much all we could ask for in any ultraportable.

Our review unit also crammed in Bluetooth 3 plus single-band 802.11n wireless, and it�s possible to upgrade to a dual-band 802.11n radio for a �20 premium. In fact, the only omission is 3G. Although there�s a handy SIM slot next to the card reader, there�s currently no option on Dell�s site to specify mobile broadband as standard.

We�ll make no bones about it: the M11x R3 is a devilishly tempting purchase. Few laptops are capable of treading that line between portability and gaming power with such panache, and while the display is a disappointment, it isn�t enough to destroy its appeal. Junk the overpriced SSD and the Alienware M11x R3 is just under �1,000 of unadulterated gaming-friendly fun. If we had the money, we�d buy one.

Author: Sasha Muller
PCPro