Photo: Apple

Intel has long been the front runner in producing faster and more innovative technologies, and its processors are central to the production of faster, more efficient PCs. The company’s family of Core 2 Duo processors is well equipped to handle the needs of even the most demanding user.

These processors combine two independent processor cores which share memory into one physical package – effectively creating two processors in one. Each core can complete multiple tasks simultaneously, enabling what Intel calls parallel computing. This technology allows for processors which are twice as fast as their predecessors, and which occupy the same amount of space.

Practical applications

It’s obvious that computer processing needs have changed dramatically over the years. Desktop PCs, specifically in the business world, have surpassed the basic needs of word processing and data entry, and are now responsible for e-commerce, inventory management, telecommunications, and security. In the home, PCs need to be able to handle various processor-intensive applications and manage high volumes of multimedia, including high-resolution photos and videos and music.

Photo: Apple

Because the dual-core processor itself multitasks, it enables users to do the same more efficiently and easily. Core 2 Duo desktops offer more performance for handling all of these tasks, and, thanks to Intel’s Intelligent Power management technology, consume less energy while doing so. These processors enable more to be done in less time, an advantage both at home and in the office. Moreover, they allow desktops to run quieter and to generate less heat than ever before.

Intel’s technology allows manufacturers to release desktops that are powerful, compact and efficient. Core 2 Duo processors are the heart of many of the latest nettops, all-in-one systems, point-of-sale systems, network servers, and traditional desktops in all price ranges.

Photo: Toshiba

With stunning good looks and a powerful processor to back it up, the Portégé R600 from Toshiba is perfect for everyday use. It has a 12.1-inch LCD screen and is extremely light, weighing in at just over 1kg, plus it’s made from magnesium alloy making it durable and reliable during transportation. The R600 is ideal for the seasoned traveller and business person. It runs Windows XP but also offers the downgraded version if needed for work purposes.

Portable features

The Toshiba Portégé R600 boasts a matte transflective screen, which gives you the opportunity to use the notebook both inside and outside with the same bright quality. The R600 has a DVD SuperMulti drive, which plays DVDs, loads information and backs up data. The Solid State Drive takes 512GB of storage ideal for all your business files, and it’s also lightweight and uses less power, keeping your battery going for longer. The Portégé R600 has a built-in webcam for video conferencing and the HD audio format will help keep the sound clear, crisp and loud. The notebook comes with some needed extras like security, easy connectivity and a Health Monitor that keeps you updated on your computer’s battery life and virus threats. The customisation options let you change settings to suit your specific needs for smooth computing.

Powerful processor and graphics

Photo: momentimedia / Flickr

A 1.4Ghz Core 2 Duo SU9400 for supreme performance and extra battery life powers the Portégé R600. The notebook isn’t only for business purposes, though. The Intel GMA 4500MHD brings game graphics to the R600, and while they may not be strong enough for 3D gaming, they provide some awesome displays for some fun, relaxing gaming. It features wireless connectivity and the Bluetooth option lets you connect to other notebooks and Smartphones. The Toshiba Portégé R600 has three USB ports for unlimited file downloads and versatility.

Keeping things simple

The Toshiba notebook has a standard keyboard for familiar typing purposes and also features a fingerprint reader. The R600 has a 6-cell lithium ion battery that keeps it going, but it does add to the bulkiness of the body. The Portégé R600 offers a three year international warranty providing loads of travel time with a reliable, durable notebook.

Sony is a world leader in producing a wide range of laptops that are in great demand all over the world. These are fitted with a number of latest features which enhances the overall performance of the device. Sony Vaio VGN-NW20SF/P is a recently launched product and is in great demand all over the world as well. It is a product of the very famous Sony Vaio NW series which has already sold millions of laptops. This device is available in a stylish pink colour which gives it a trendy and attractive look.

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW20SF/P is fitted with an Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 processor which offers swift performance to the device. The clock speed of the laptop is around 2200 MHz. Furthermore, the Sony Vaio VGN-NW20SF/P is also fitted with 4096 MB of RAM which further enhances the functionality speed of the device. The hard disk memory of the laptop is around 320 GB which enables you to store all sorts of songs, videos and various other documents. It is also fitted with a 15.5 inch display which offers crystal clear pictures that will take your breath away. It is also fitted with a DVD writer which enables you to burn DVD’s as well.

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW20SF/P is installed with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system which further enhances the overall performance of the device. It is also fitted with a webcam which enables you to video chat without connecting any external device. It is one of the best laptops available in the market.

Sony Corp is manufacturing world class electronic products for a number of years so you can blindly rely on the product that it offers. The Sony Vaio VGN-NW21ZF/S is a very advanced notebook that is offered by the company and is in great demand all around the world. The device is available in a stylish white colour which gives it a sophisticated and stylish look. The NW series notebook is manufactured using cutting edge technology and is fitted with all latest features as well. The laptop can play all sorts of Blu ray disks also which further enhances the functionality of the device.

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW21ZF/S is installed with an Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 processor which ensures a hassle free performance for a number of years to come. The clock speed of the device is around 2,130 MHz and is also fitted with 4096 MB of RAM which provides swift performance. The hard disk memory of the device is a whopping 500 GB and is more than enough to store all sorts of files. The Sony Vaio VGN-NW21ZF/S laptop is fitted with a 15.5 inch large display which provides breathtaking pictures. The display provides a resolution of around 1366 X 768. The device is also fitted with ATI Mobility Radeon HD4570 graphics card which enables you to play PC games.

The Sony Vaio VGN-NW21ZF/S is also fitted with Bluetooth which enables you to connect it with various other Bluetooth enables devices. The device is also fitted with USB 2.0 ports which allow you connect various other devices as well.

With the Vaio VGN-CS31S/W, Sony has maintained its tradition of creating unique, attractive, high-quality and advanced technology products.  Like all the other products of Sony Corp, this particular one is also sure to be embraced by people from all walks of life.

The Sony Vaio VGN-CS31S/W features the Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 processor which is capable of delivering an incomparable system performance and enhanced energy efficiency. A huge memory capacity is provided by the 320 GB hard disk and the 4,096 MB RAM. Moreover, the maximum memory expansion capacity of the Sony Vaio VGN-CS31S/W is 8 GB. The notebook features a 14.1 inch display screen that has WXGA (1280×800) resolution. The graphics card incorporated into the Sony notebook is NVIDIA® GeForce® 9300M which provides powerful visual computing features. With this incredible graphics card, mainstream systems are taken to a new level of performance. The combination of best-in-class HD video and audio and the ability to run visually-intensive applications makes this graphics solution ideal for everyday computing needs and popular games.

The Sony Vaio VGN-CS31S/W comes with the VGA D-Sub (HD-15) video output and a 6in1 card reader. With the networking provided by the LAN 10/100, Modem, Wireless-LAN, you are able to stay connected almost in any corner of the globe. The facility of video chatting is allowed by the 1.3 megapixel webcam integrated into the notebook. The overall weight of the CS series notebook is 2.6 kg and the Lithium-Ion battery used in the notebook gives a battery life of 2.66 hours.

The iPower GX-M-900 is the latest addition to the family of Packard Bell notebooks. It has a 17’’ TFT display that supports a resolution of WUXGA 1920 X 1200. iPower GX-M-900 is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and its RAM has a memory of up to 4 GB. The running speed of the RAM is 2,130 MHz.

Styled very similar to many of the rivals, the notepad has a hard drive of 320 GB. The notepad comes equipped with a 1.3 megapixel webcam that is located at the screen bezel. Although, the Packard Bell ipower GX-M-900 is considered to be a high-end laptop, it does not possess the quad core processor like its powerful sibling Packard Bell iXtreme X667. Apart from this, its other specifications are of top quality. Adding to its attractive features is its 90 Key QWERTY keyboard and a Synaptics Touchpad for a pointing device.

This 4.2 kg Packard Bell notepad is Wi-Fi enabled but lacks a modem. Its audio features are provided by its integrated PCI slot and sound compatible Soundblaster. Its NVIDIA 9800 GTX graphics card enhance your gaming experience. Three 2.0 USB ports have been included in this laptop that allow you to connect more peripheral devices. For CD/DVD burning it has the Suite Roxio Creator 9 and the Internet plug-ins include Google Toolbar, Shockwave, Adobe Reader and Flash Player. Internet Explorer 7.0, Mozilla Firefox and Google Picasa are some of the other software that this notepad comes with. Packard Bell ipower GX-M-900 comes with a standard one year guarantee period.

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Coming from the house of Hewlett Packard any notebook is supposed to be decent looking, high performing, reliable and cost effective. HP HDX X16-1280 is just another of such laptops that to a great extent meets the expectations of the users.

HP has provided the HP HDX X16-1280 with Intel Core 2 Duo P8500 processor which runs on a clock speed of 2,000MHz which is quite promising and the actual performance is quite good too. The notebook comes preloaded with Windows Vista Home Premium which though is a good operating system yet requires more than the usual configurations especially in the context of physical memory. To ensure that users can have hassle free access the notebook has been provided with 4 GB of RAM.

In case you are a great fan of movies and music and want to keep them at a single place which you can carry along also then HP HDX X16-1280 is definitely for you. Its 400 GB hard drive offers you huge storage space for your favourites. What’s even better is its 16 inch screen that has Full HD display for giving you the best movie watching experience. Not just that with its high quality DVD writer you can burn customized collections of your movies and music too.

One of the most desirable features of any laptop is the connectivity options that it features. The HP Pavilion HDX notebook has most of the latest connectivity options including 4 USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth and IEEE Firewire links. Its HDMI output helps it stays ahead of others. With a competitive price, this is a worth buying notebook.

Ultra light and compact, Acer Aspire 4810T-943G Timeline is reasonably priced. It has a long battery life that runs for 8 hours. A sophisticated machine, it is big step in the concept of mobility, where drawing a balance between light weight and autonomy is vital. Belonging to the Aspire Timeline series, the notebook has a long battery life and has a unique way to render the system lighter and more efficient. It is also less harmful to the environment and more environment friendly.

You can turn on your Aspire Timeline in the morning and turn it off in the evening without having to charge it. Slim, smaller and lighter than a typical laptop, it is energy-efficient as it consumes 40% less power than most other laptops. Highly portable as a notebook, it has impressive specifications. Weighing a mere 1.9kg, the AS481OT is powered by Intel Core 2 Duo Processor SU9400. It features Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium as its operating system that provides a familiar working environment for the user. It also has a large 3GB memory that ensures your applications smoothly and a massive 320GB Hard Drive that provides ample storage space for all your documents, multimedia, downloads, music and software. The Acer Aspire 4810T-943 Timeline also features high-definition CineCrystal viewing by way of its 14 inch WXGA LED screen. It also boasts of Dolby Sound Room simulates 5.1-channel surround sound from the integrated stereo speakers. Equipped with a variety of connectivity options, such as HDMI port, 5-in-1 card reader and Bluetooth, the laptop offers many options for transferring and uploading data from compatible devices. It also features an integrated webcam and allows the user to communicate with colleagues, family and friends on the go.

Toshiba Satellite Pro A300-1S8 is a perfect laptop for users who want a well-balanced combination of style and performance. Encased in Toshiba’s trademark silver and black case, the laptop is well-equipped to deal with today’s modern and busy lifestyle. Designed to handle minor knocks with ease, it is a robust machine. Powered by the best-in-class, Intel Core 2 Duo T8600 Processor, the Toshiba laptop is an efficient gadget which allows the user to work on multiple programmes with ease. It has 4 GB RAM, which reduces load and is ever-ready to perform. Designed keeping in mind the needs of the future, the laptop from Japanese electronics giant Toshiba has a huge 320 GB hard drive. The hard drive is very spacious and can hold all your personal and work related files, videos, movies, photos and so on.

It is equipped with a DVD burner which can play and burn CDs and DVDs, whenever and wherever. Its 15.4″ TruBrite screen has a resolution of 1280×800 and it offers crisp, clear and vibrant photos and movies. With Windows Vista Business and XP Downgrade disk as its operating system, the laptop offers a familiar working environment to the user. It has DVD SM as its optical drive and ATI Mobility Radeon HD3470-256 MB to support its graphical applications. Equipped with Bluetooth and 1.3 mega pixel webcam, the Toshiba Satellite Pro A300-1S8 (PSAGDE-01J003EN) laptop is an efficient machine ideal for corporate use as well as small businesses. A dependable machine, it will be your constant companion and enhance your productivity.

Equipped with the fast and powerful Core 2 Duo T9600 processor, which is Centrino 2 with vPro technology and runs at a speed of 2.8 GHz, HP EliteBook 8730w is a wise buy. With 4GB RAM and 320GB of hard disk drive, it offers a generous amount of space to store all your files, photos, documents, music and media. The Hewlett Packard notebook has a DVD±RW (+R double layer) optical drive and Quadro FX 2700M, which makes this gadget extremely self-sufficient. Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet and WLAN are other useful features of this notebook. Designed to perform, the notebook has a sleek design and smart looks. Weighing 3.4kg, it is a perfect replacement for a desktop computer. Microsoft Windows Vista Business with XP Professional downgrade is the machine’s operating system which offers a familiar and intuitive environment for the user.

The notebook has a 17 inch TFT active matrix display screen which offers sharp and true-to-life images. The Dreamcolor RGB LED screen is this gadget’s unique selling point. A high-end screen that can compete with high-end desktop monitors, the matte screen is almost perfectly accurate. A well-balanced combination of price and performance, the laptop has a maximum battery life of 7.25 hours. Though not very light, the notebook is easily portable. A functional notebook in every sense, the laptop has a simple and elegant design. The Hewlett-Packard HP EliteBook 8730w (FU471ET-#ABU) has a good keyboard, track pad and a touch-based control strip between the screen and the keyboard. The long battery life is a plus point while its eSATA port allows high-performance external storage.