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DALLAS
— The standard desktop computer is about as popular as
swine flu these days, with all the major innovations
happening in the laptop and netbook segment.
As a
gamer, neophyte video editor and all-around fan of
getting the most bang for my buck, I find this situation
a bit depressing.
Nevertheless,
there is some cool innovation happening in portable
computers, and this week we're looking at two notable
mini machines: the Nokia Booklet 3G netbook, which I
liked, and the Acer Aspire 5738DG laptop with built-in
3-D display, which I ended up hating.
NOKIA
BOOKLET 3G
Netbook
sales are exploding, so netbook makers are doing
everything they can to expand this young product
category.
Traditionally,
netbooks were noted for both their diminutive size and
wallet-friendly price.
Nokia
, though, decided to focus on the size and sex appeal of
the Booklet 3G and let the price get a bit higher than
some people might want to spend.
The
Booklet 3G looks like a runaway from
Apple's School
for Industrial Design. It's a sleek aluminum beast with
a glossy top, 10.1-inch screen with an awesome 1280x720
resolution that meets the minimum standard for high
definition and a nicely designed keyboard that's broad
enough for touch typing.
The
Booklet 3G also comes with a built-in 3G wireless
Internet access card that connects to
AT&T's
network.
If you
sign a two-year data contract with
AT&T
(
$35
a month for a 200-megabyte monthly download limit, or
$60
for 5 gigabytes), then you can get the Booklet 3G from
Best Buy
for
$299
.
If you
forgo the two-year contract, the machine will cost you
$599
.
Those are
steep premiums for a netbook, especially one with a
fairly pokey Intel Atom Z530 processor running at just
1.6 gigahertz and just one gig of RAM.
The
result of that puny horsepower allotment is that the
Booklet 3G is equipped with
Microsoft's
bare bones Windows 7 Starter.
So you
sacrifice all the nifty eye candy that makes Windows 7
actually fun.
What's
more,
Intel
is bringing a significant upgrade to its netbook line of
processors early next year with its "Pineview"
line of chips.
I really
like the look and feel of the Booklet 3G. It's the most
stylish and comfortable netbook I've ever used.
If there
weren't such a substantial boost to mobile processors
coming in just a month or two, I'd go ahead and
recommend it.
But if
there's any chance of a Booklet 3G with a Pineview
processor in a few months, the buyer's remorse from
making a two-year pledge to this almost-but-not-
quite-perfect model would be unbearable.
Pros:
Slim, sturdy, sleek and comfortable to type on and look
at, the Booklet 3G is smartly crafted and pleasant to
use.
Cons: The
processor is a bit underpowered, and the Booklet 3G
pushes the limit of an acceptable price for a netbook.
Bottom
line: If you're netbook shopping, put this one on your
list. But better netbook processors are right around the
corner.
———
ACER
ASPIRE
If I'm
torn over recommending the Booklet 3G, the Acer Aspire
5738DG just makes me want to tear my eyes out.
Television
and computer makers have convinced themselves the future
of display is 3-D.
That
would be great, if they had found a way to dump the
stupid glasses.
But they
haven't.
That
means I spent an hour getting my head pinched by a pair
of cheap plastic specs just to review this low-grade
hunk of flotsam.
My review
unit had an Intel Core 2 Duo processor at 2.2 gigahertz,
4 gigs of RAM, a 15.6-inch display with 1366x768
resolution, an ATI 4570 video card and a 320-gig hard
drive.
Those are
middling specs, and the machine's reasonably priced at
$779
.
The 3-D
effect ranged from "Hey, that's kind of cool. But I
wonder what's on TV right now?" to "Seriously,
I'll even watch that stupid wedding dress bridezilla
show on TLC if I can stop staring at this laptop."
Basically,
the noninteractive 3-D demos bundled with the laptop are
the neat stuff: photos of flowers poking out of the
screen, computer animated videos of spaceships flying
around, and, er, that's it.
The
documentation says you can watch traditional 2-D DVDs
and the computer will convert them to 3-D on the fly,
but my DVD of "Batman Begins" revealed no
evidence of said conversion. However, donning the
glasses does basically cut the screen resolution in
half, making everything look blurry.
I was
also jazzed to install some games that support the 3-D
interface on the Aspire, so I cracked open "Call of
Duty 4: Modern Warfare."
With the
3-D enabled, the game ground to a nearly unplayable
halt, sound glitches popped up and a moderately
impressive 3-D effect was drowned out by a total lack of
fun.
When I
shed the goggles and turned off the 3-D, I was suddenly
mowing down terrorists like a champ again without
feeling like my head was going to burst like a grape
beneath a steamroller.
The fact
that my test machine was larded down with useless trial
software and obnoxious pop-up security alerts didn't
make me feel any better about the Aspire 5738DG.
But at
least the pop-ups weren't in 3-D.
I guess
that's something.Nokia Booklet 3G
Pros:
Decent hardware for the
$779
price. The 3-D effect is moderately entertaining in
spots.
Cons: The
required glasses are tiny and uncomfortable, the 3-D in
most games and 2-D movies is minimal, and the laptop is
crammed with obnoxious trial software.
Bottom
line: An interesting concept, but not ready for prime
time.
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