The L4300-3D takes advantage of nVidia® 3D Vision™ technology, which is a combination of an advanced Graphics Processor Unit (GPU), specialized 3D glasses, software, and a certified display, in order to deliver an immersive stereoscopic 3D experience on your NEO notebook.

In order to better appreciate its cutting edge features, here is a rundown of the various technologies it uses:

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-740QM
Quad-Core, 6 MB Intel® Smart Cache, 1.73 GHz
Intel® Hyper-Threading (Up to 8 Threads)
Intel® Turbo Boost (Max Turbo Frequency of 2.93 GHz)

Memory: 4 GB DDR3 (2 x 2 GB module)
Dual Channel
Expandable up to 8 GB (2 x 4 GB module)

Display: 15.6” HD 3D Panel
16:9 Aspect Ratio
1366 x 768 Resolution
120 Hz Refresh Rate (Required for 3D)

GPU: nVidia® GeForce® GTX 285M
nVidia’s “Fastest Mobile GPU”
1 GB DDR3 Video RAM
nVidia PhysX and CUDA Technology

• 128 CUDA Cores
• 576 Gigaflops
• 1.5 GHz GPU Clock
• 38 billion/sec Texture Fill Rate

Microsoft® DirectX 10.1 Certified

ODD: BluRay Combo Drive
Read BluRay Discs
Read/Write DVD & CD Media

USB: USB 3.0
USB 3.0 is theoretically 10x faster than USB 2.0

Chipset: Mobile Intel PM55 Express
Wireless: Wireless 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Connectors: 1 x USB 3.0, 3 x USB 2.0, HDMI, eSATA, IEEE 1394a (Firewire), DVI-I out, S/PDIF out, RJ-45 (LAN)
Dimensions/Weight: 374 x 263.5 x 42 mm / ~3.3 Kg
Warranty: 1 year
Company: NEO Manufacturing and Services, Inc.
Website: http://www.neo.com.ph/

The NEO Elan L4300-3D is already available but in made-to-order basis only with 2 to 4 weeks lead time. It is highly configurable but the setup (above) costs Php99,990.

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With features like 500GB of ASUS WebStorage, ASUS GamePark, ASUS@Vibe, LocaleMe and Boingo, these ultra-thin and lightweight netbooks have everything to support a cloud computing lifestyle.

Other features include USB 3.0 ports for faster data transfers and USB-charging capabilities, Bluetooth 3.0, as well as a camera covers for additional privacy.

Eee PC 1018P—the Premium Netbook

At less than 1-inch thick, the Eee PC 1018 Series features a lightweight (1.1kg) aluminum chassis that gives a premium and sophisticated touch to suit the stylish and jet set.

Its tactile, patterned finish is available in Brushed Black and Etch White, and houses a chiclet keyboard and a large Multi-touch trackpad.

Eee PC 1015PE—the Seashell Revisited

The Eee PC 1015 Series features the power-saving ASUS-exclusive Super Hybrid Engine technology which gives it a 13.5-hour battery life*, making it ideal for travelers.

The 1015 Series’ streamlined shape is complemented by ergonomic features like a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display, chiclet keyboard, and touchpad with Palm-Proof technology. Available in an array of colors, it comes with matte, textured, or glossy finishes.

Eee PC 1016P—the Business Netbook

With its brushed aluminum chassis finished in Casual Black or Modern Silver, the Eee PC 1016 Series’ understated elegance makes it ideal for the business world.

The 1016 Series caters to the business professional’s needs, with a single hotkey that immediately sets it up to presentation mode. With the Syncables Desktop, the 1016 Series easily syncs up emails and calendars with other PCs and mobile devices to keep the user’s information up-to-date.

As of right now, there’s no word yet with the pricing and availability of these new netbooks except for the Eee PC 1016P which will arrive late August.

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The N220 Plus also has several display features that enhance its user’s visual experience. The new netbook’s 10.1” LED anti-reflective display fine tunes movies and images with the sharpest images and boldest colors, and there is no mirror effect under bright lights or in sunny weather. For added visual enhancements, the new N220 Plus offers an integrated Digital LiveCam for video-conferencing or live messaging.

The N220 Plus also comes with a range of tools for greater ease of use and securing your PC. Firstly, the Phoenix Hyperspace™ “Instant ON” capacity allows the devices to turn on and immediately go online without having to wait for Windows to boot. The “Smart Power Management” allows the netbook to conserve more battery power without user intervention. The AnyPC remote PC access application enables a secure one-click connection to a home or office PC, making it safe and easy to transfer and view files on the go. Phoenix FailSafe ® software provides useful tool for tracking your pc if it’s stolen. This powerful theft deterrence service lets you track the location of a lost or stolen netbook and encrypt, manage, retrieve or erase your vital data.

The Samsung N220 Plus incorporates Intel’s latest processor, the Intel® Atom™ N470, which is specifically designed to deliver amazing Internet experience using netbooks. Based on an entirely new micro-architecture, the Intel® Atom™ processor increases energy efficiency to extend battery life, while delivering enhanced mobile performance and increased system responsiveness.

Like other Samsung netbooks, the N220 Plus has been awarded the leading environmental and usability standard, TCO Certified and is ECO RoHS compliant. As well as being ergonomically designed for optimum ease and use of performance, Samsung netbooks are completely mercury free and consume significantly less power thanks to their LED backlit displays. Their ultra lightweight, robust and compact design also offers other ‘green’ advantages, as less energy is used in the manufacture and usage phase of their product life.

The Samsung N220 Plus is available in leading computer stores nationwide with a standard retail price of 24,900 pesos.

Samsung N220 Plus Specs

• Intel® Atom™ Processor N470 1.83 GHz
• Genuine Windows® 7 Starter
• 1 GB DDR2 memory
• 10.1” WSVGA (1024×600), non-gloss, LED backlit
• 250 GB HDD
• Intel GMA3150 integrated graphics
• Wifi, LAN, Bluetooth, 3 USB ports, 3-in-1 card reader
• Digital Live Cam
• 5900mah 6-cell battery
• 1.32 kg
• Colors: Green, Red
• SRP: Php24,900

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1. The Samsung N150 Plus netbook
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3. Samsung outs N150, N220 Netbooks

With a slim design and extensive quality assurance testing the N150 Plus is stylish and reliable. Add in a mark and scratch resistant Samsung durable casing to reduce the risk of any damage, and it all adds up to a great long term value. It features an integrated hinge with smooth movement and high quality connection, so everything blends effortlessly together even when the netbook is open.

The N150 Plus’ 10.1” anti-reflective LED display gives users fine-tuned images with the sharpest images and boldest colors, and there is no mirror effect under bright lights or in sunny weather. The energy efficient display works with the N150 Plus’ optimized processing performance and Samsung’s proprietary Enhanced Battery Life solution to deliver exceptional battery powered performance of up to 11 hours. For added visual enhancement, the N150 Plus offers an integrated Digital Live Cam for video conferencing or live messaging.

The N150 Plus also comes with a range of tools for greater ease of use and securing your PC. The AnyPC remote PC access application enables a secure one-click connection to a home or office PC, making it safe and easy to transfer and view files on the go. Phoenix FailSafe ® software provides useful tool for tracking your pc if it’s stolen. This powerful theft deterrence service lets you track the location of a lost or stolen netbook and encrypt, manage, retrieve or erase your vital data.

Using the integrated webcam with internal microphone and headphone-out connection also provides an easy and cost effective way to stay in touch with friends and family using video-conferencing, live messaging or VoIP telephony.

The Samsung N150 Plus incorporates Intel’s latest processor, the Intel® Atom™ N450, which is specifically designed to deliver amazing Internet experience using netbooks.

Like other Samsung netbooks, the N150 Plus has been awarded the leading environmental and usability standard, TCO Certified and is ECO RoHS compliant. As well as being ergonomically designed for optimum ease and use of performance, Samsung netbooks are completely mercury free and consume significantly less power thanks to their LED backlit displays. Their ultra lightweight, robust and compact design also offers other ‘green’ advantages, as less energy is used in the manufacture and usage phase of their product life.

The Samsung N150 Plus is available in leading computer stores nationwide, with a standard retail price of 21,900 pesos.

Samsung N150 Plus Specs

• Intel® Atom™ Processor N450 1.66GHz
• Genuine Windows® 7 Starter
• 1 GB DDR2 memory
• 10.1” WSVGA (1024×600), non-gloss, LED backlit
• 250 GB HDD
• Intel GMA3150 integrated graphics
• Wifi, LAN, Bluetooth, 3 USB ports, 3-in-1 card reader
• Digital Live Cam
• 4400mah 6-cell battery
• 1.24 kg
• Colors: Black, Red, Corby Red, Corby Yellow
• SRP: Php21,900

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Samsung new notebooks offer stunning display options. Their HD LED displays provide the sharpest images and boldest colors. Their proper 16:9 aspect ratio also means that the very latest HD movies and games can be enjoyed without skewing and distortion. In addition, every detail is brought to life with video playback through the advanced 3D graphics processing power of the latest NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics card.

To add to these powerful features Samsung’s latest notebooks include a range of useful tools. The AnyPC remote PC access application enables a secure one-click connection to a home or office PC, making it safe and easy to transfer and view files on the go. The unique Phoenix FailSafe ® software provides useful tool for tracking your pc if it’s stolen. This powerful theft deterrence service lets you track the location of a lost or stolen netbook and encrypt, manage, retrieve or erase your vital data. Plus, the R480 has the USB sleep-and-charge port, which allows portable devices to be charged even when the notebook is turned off.

Like other Samsung notebooks, the R440 and R480 notebooks have each been awarded the leading environmental and usability standard, TCO Certified and are ECO RoHS compliant. As well as being ergonomically designed for optimum ease and use of performance, Samsung notebooks are completely mercury free and consume significantly less power thanks to their LED backlit displays. Their ultra lightweight, robust and compact design also offers other ‘green’ advantages, as less energy is used in the manufacture and usage phase of their product life.

Samsung R440 Specs and Price

• Windows® 7 Home Basic (32 bit)
• Intel® Core™ i3 Processor 350M (2.26 GHz, 3 MB)
• 2GB DDR3 Memory
• 14.0″ LED HD (1366 x 768) 16:9 Glossy
• ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD5145 with 512MB DDR3 video memory
• 320 GB SATA HDD
• Built in Super Multi Drive
• 6 Cell Battery (4000 Mah up to 3.5 hours)
• 2.2kg
• Php39,900

Samsung R480 Specs and Price

• Windows® 7 Home Basic (32 bit)
• Intel® Core™ i3 Processor 350M (2.26 GHz, 3 MB)
• 2GB DDR3 Memory
• 14.0″ LED HD (1366 x 768) 16:9 Glossy
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 1GB DDR3 video memory
• 500 GB SATA HDD
• Built in Super Multi Drive
• 6 Cell Battery (4000 Mah up to 3.5 hours)
• 2.3kg
• Php44,900
• Php54,900 for the Core i5 and 4GB DDR Memory configuration

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1. The Samsung N220P 10-inch netbook
2. The Samsung N150 Plus netbook
3. Samsung outs N150, N220 Netbooks

Design

The GT660 is just huge and for a 16-inch notebook, it’s just heavy (7.7lbs) and is like a beast of a laptop. It may not be as cool-looking as an Alienware M17x but it’s got some design inspiration from the latter with all that chiseled corners. Even the lid cover reminded me of the Mazda 3′s hood.

Open up the lid and you’d be greeted with an extended keyboard that includes an alpha-numeric keypad on the right side. It’s a nice addition but if you’re a regular laptop-user, the orientation is confusing that you always tend to hit the wrong keys when typing. One needs some time to get used to the extra keys and learn to familiarize where the Enter button is.

The chiclet-type keys are appropriately sized with special color labels on the gaming keys (asdw) and the arrow keys.

And while it’s glossy black on the outside, it’s rough and textured in the inside — the palm rest has this honeycomb finish and the trackpad feels like sand-paper and is somewhat flushed to the left. The left and right click buttons are not separated but shaped accordingly to differentiate the two.

Display & Audio

The 16-inch display is bright and crisp with a maximum resolution of 1366×768 pixels (I was actually expecting it could be higher, somewhere in the 1600×1200 range, because of the large real estate). The glossy display is also prone to glare in the outdoors and against bright light sources.

Above the keyboard are light indicators with the power button in the center. On both sides are two huge stereo speakers powered by Dynaudio. The speakers are impressive, offering good sound volume to appreciate movie playback even at a distance. The audio quality is somewhere between good to great with a strong, deep bass and probably is the best laptop speakers I’ve tried so far.

Performance

The MSI GT660 is powered by Intel’s Core i7 720QM with 4 cores and 8 threads that runs at a base clock speed of 1.6GHz for each core but can boost up to 3.2GHz. This chip is among the most powerful processors to be fitted in a laptop. With 3 or 4 cores active, it can go to 2.26GHz; with 2 cores active, it can boost speeds to 3.06GHz and with only 1 core active, it tops at 3.2GHz.

Couple that with an nVidia GeForce GTX 285M with 1GB GDDR3 VRAM, 6GB of DDR3 memory and you get a beast of a gaming machine. The GT660 is also the very first notebook I’ve seen that sports two (2) hard disk drives — it has two 500GB HDD for a total of 1 terabyte (would be interesting if it can do Raid 0/1 here).

Windows Experience Index gives it a base score of 5.9 due to the HDD but the CPU got a sub-score of 7.0 and the graphics got a 6.9 sub-score.

Battery Life

As expected, battery life suffers from all the power requirements. Even with a high-capacity 9-cell (7800mAh) Li-Ion battery, the notebook only lasts just over 2 hours on a single full charge (as indicated by BatteryBar in the screenshot above).

As a desktop replacement and gaming rig, I reckon you’d always be plugging this notebook to a power outlet so battery life isn’t a big issue for a laptop in this category although I can appreciate MSI’s effort to put in a 9-cell battery here.

To make it more interesting, MSI retrofitted several red lights around the notebook to make it look meaner (front and side as well as the edges of the lid) but forgot to include a backlit keyboard.

Conclusion

The MSI GT660 has a premium price tag but the specs of this gaming rig is very impressive to somewhat justify that. It’s not your regular multimedia notebook and this kind of combination is hard to come by.

Local Price: Php109,990

Specs:

• Processor: Intel Core i7 Core i7 720QM (Quad Core @ 1.6GHz)
• OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic (64-bit)
• Display: 16″ WXGA (1366 x 768, Glare Type)
• Graphics:NVidia GeForce GTX 285M 1GB DDR3
• HDD: 2 x 500GB HDD (1TB total)
• RAM: 6GB DDR3 Dual-Channel
• Optical Drive: Super-Multi DVD+RW
• Ports: USB 2.0 x 3, VGA, HDMI, eSATA, SD Card Reader
• Wireless Connection: WiFi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1
• Battery: 7800mah 6-cell Li-Ion
• Weight: 7.7 lbs.

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The Acer Aspire One 721 runs on a single-core Athlon II Neo CPU running at 1.7GHz. Video graphics is powered by an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4225 with 336MB dedicated memory.

Display size is 11.6″ with a resolution of 1366×768 pxiels. Storage is provided by a 250GB Hitachi HDD with 2GB of single-channel DDR3 RAM.

The unit is really thin, light and similar to the form-factor of the earlier Aspire One 751 with a brushed metal finish on the palm rest and a textured lid cover.

There are 3 USB 2.0 ports and an HDMI port as well. The stock battery is a 6-cell 4400mAh Li-Ion (not the 5600mAh that’s on the AO751 and 1801tz). It’s got WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, a Gigabit LAN but no built-in Bluetooth.

The Acer Aspire One 751 comes pre-installed with 64-bit Windows 7 Home Basic and has a suggested retail price of Php24,900.

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SonicMaster gains from the expertise of both the audio professionals at the ASUS Golden Ear Team and the respected experience garnered by Bang & Olufsen ICEpower®. This notebook consists of larger speaker chambers and stronger amplifiers to render unmatched fidelity, in addition to extensive software equalization for wide range reproduction and full-liveness vocals, where previous notebooks settled for tinny output.

Aside from superior audio, the SonicMaster is no slouch when it comes to video. The 100% zero-dot-guaranteed LED screens that ship with the N Series make the most of ASUS Video Magic image enhancement. This unique tool upscales DVD playback up to full HD. It also supervises GPU computing for greater output during intense multitasking, and works together with ASUS Splendid HD to balance color, brightness and contrast for constant viewing pleasure.

The N61Jv is available in the Philippines for Php55,900.

Specs:

• Intel Core i5-430M (2.26GHz)
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• 16.0″ LED-backlit TFT LCD display (1366 x 768, 16:9)
• 4GB DDR
• NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 325M with 1GB DDR3
• 500GB SATA HDD
• 2-megapixel webcam
• Altec Lansing® Speakers with Sonic Master Technology
• 6-cell 4400maH Li-Ion battery
• Comes with Sleek Messenger Sling Carry Bag With Mobile Mouse
• SRP: Php55,900

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I’ve been playing with it for the past couple of weeks now and here’s my review of this laptop.

Design

The lid of the Aspire 4740 has a simple, glossy, dark blue coating. No textures or patterns but still looks classy. The palm rest on the inside however, has a bluish gray textured finish (see photos below).

The circular power button on the upper left portion emits a blue glow to add a bit of personality to this basic laptop.

The keyboard looks like that of their Timeline series and the layout is pretty standard which is good. The keys are evenly spaced and provides good tactile feedback. The Home, Pg Up, Pg Dn and End keys on the rightmost side also alternate as multimedia controls. I didn’t have any problems typing this review on this laptop.

On the right side are six very useful buttons. One quick-button where you can assign an application or a website. WiFi button that also blinks when you’re connected to a WLAN. A Bluetooth button. A one-key button to launch Acer Backup Manager. And finally, the most useful buttons, volume control.

The touchpad has a dedicated scroll area on the right which I like and it can also handle multi-touch gestures. The only drawback for me is the rocker which is slightly recessed and far from the edge making it hard to click with the side of your thumb. There’s also a button to toggle the touchpad on or off in case you’re going to do a lot of typing.

Display and Audio

The LED glossy display can do a maximum of 1366 x 768 resolution which is pretty standard for 14-inchers these days. Glare is expected in this type of display and viewing angles are a bit limited.

I also have to mention that there’s no indicator for brightness so you have to play it by sight if you’re going to adjust the brightness setting.

The top part of the keyboard is dedicated to the speaker which is powered by Dolby Home Theater with Virtual Surround Sound. It’s not that powerful really when left on its own but you will appreciate it once you put on a pair of headset. I highly recommend it especially when you’re watching movies with a lot of “oomph”.

The Crystal Eye webcam is optimized for low-light video chatting and you know what? It works! I compared it with my netbook’s standard cam and this one gives better results in a low-light setting.

Performance

This Acer Aspire 4740 comes with a 64-bit Windows 7 Home Basic OS and powered by an Intel Core i5 430M (2.26GHz) processor. Sad thing that the default RAM is only at 2GB. Upgrade to 4GB immediately to maximize the 64-bit OS. Anyway, here’s its Windows Experience Index:

Comparing it to the previously reviewed Core i5 laptop from Neo (B4105), the Aspire 4740’s processor seems to be well-used at a score of 6.7. Or maybe we have to attribute it to the 64-bit OS? Real-life usage won’t show much difference anyhow.

If you’re not familiar with the difference between a Core i3 and a Core i5 processor. It’s the Turbo Boost Technology which allows a Core i5 to automatically overclock a single core when needed and if other cores are not being used. Pretty useful really for applications that do not utilize multiple processing threads.

Facebook games and YouTube HD are being handled really well. One thing I noticed is the slow boot time. For a fresh laptop, it takes a minute and 10 seconds to launch an application. I’m not sure if it’s due to Windows 7 or the bunch of Acer crapwares that are installed by default but my 2 year-old netbook running on Windows XP boots faster.

Battery Life

Common problems with powerful laptops such as this is the toll it takes on the battery. The Aspire 4740’s 4400mah 6-cell battery doesn’t help that cause either.

Here’s what BatteryBar has to say about it:

It says that the battery can give you 3 hours and 48 minutes on a single charge. To try it out, I employed my primitive but effective way of testing a laptop’s battery life. WiFi always on, brightness at medium setting, browsing, playing Facebook games and watching YouTube vids, I was only able to get 2.5 hours out of it. You can probably squeeze 3 hours max on light to regular consumption.

Heat isn’t an issue with the Aspire 4740 which is nice for a Core i5. It gets warm but its very tolerable even when it’s plugged in and charging.

Conclusion

Well what can I say? It’s a very basic Core i5 laptop. I would want a more powerful battery on it and maybe a couple GB more RAM but it’s a decent choice for an everyday laptop. Do note that you can sprout bigger biceps lugging this 2.3kg baby around.

What I really like about it is the surround sound. I kid you not, you should really try it out with a pair of headsets. Oh and the low-light webcam is very nice as well if you often do video-chats with relatives.

The price is a little bit on the high-end for a basic Core i5 laptop. Villman priced it at Php40,900 but there should be better deals in other stores.

Local price: Php40,900

Specs:

• Processor: Intel® Core i5 430M Dual Core Processor (2.26 GHz)
• OS: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Basic (64-bit)
• Display: 14″ WXGA (1366 x 768, Glare Type)
• Graphics: Integrated Intel® GMA HD
• HDD: 320 GB HDD
• RAM: 2GB DDR3
• Optical Drive: Super-Multi DVD+RW
• Ports: USB 2.0 x 3, VGA, HDMI, SD/MS Card Reader
• Wireless Connection: WiFi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1
• Battery: 4400mah 6-cell Li-Ion
• Weight: 4.8 lbs.

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The laptop came in with this huge packaging. Even the battery pack too — at 7800mAh (8-cell?); and the charger looks like a heavy piece of brick.

The lid is shaped/designed to look like the hood of a car (Mazda 3 look-alike) with the logo of the MSI glowing/lighted when the laptop is powered on.

The MSI GT660 has the following specs:
16″ display screen @ 1366×768 pixels
Intel Core i7 720QM @ 1.60GHZ (4 cores, 8 threads)
NVidia GeForce GTX 285M 1GB DDR3
6GB DDR3 RAM (3 x 2GB Dual Channel)
2 x 500GB Seagate SATA (1TB total)
DVD+RW
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
2 x USB 2.0 ports
2 x USB 3.0 ports
1 x HDMI port
1 x eSATA port

The keyboard’s got chiclet-type keys with extra numeric keypad on the right side, a large textured (honeycomb) wristpad and two huge audio speakers powered by DynaAudio.

For perspective, I’ve placed the GT660 beside my 11.6″ ULV notebook here and you can see the difference between the screen real estate of the two units.

The suggested retail price of the MSI GT660 is Php109,995.

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