Review of Lenovo ThinkPad X240 laptop

Advantages:

• Ridiculously long Lenovo ThinkPad X240 battery life with hot-swappable battery
• Excellent keyboard and touch screen
• Solid all-around performance
• Laundry list of extra feature

Disadvantages:

• No HDMI and only two USB ports
• Touch pad can miss clicks
• Low-res Webcam
• Only one memory slot (8GB max)

Messing with a winning formula is always a dicey proposition (just ask the New England Patriots), so in updating its popular ThinkPad X series ultraportable, Lenovo took a measured approach. The X240 ultrabook retains the essential goodness of its predecessors—solid build, business-friendly mobility and communications features, excellent X240 battery life—while layering in the latest component upgrades. Those enhancements include Intel's fourth-generation Core CPU, a fine touch screen to better navigate Windows 8, and an embedded battery that augments the removable battery and adds hot-swap capability in the process.
 

The ThinkPad  faithful might not embrace all of the changes, however. The familiar red TrackPoint stick is still there, but the mouse buttons have been replaced by a one-piece touch pad with buttons below each corner, which takes some getting used to. The addition of an internal battery meant the sacrifice of a memory slot.
  

 While the matte-black exterior won't win any design awards, on the inside the X240 is perhaps over-designed. It features an internal skeleton to protect components and has passed MIL-SPEC durability tests for hostile environments such as humidity, high and low temperature, sand and dust, and vibration.
The 12.5-inch screen means the machine can maintain a compact footprint of 12 inches by 8.2 inches. Its 0.8-inch thickness is reasonable, although noticeably less svelte than some razor-thin ultrabooks. The Lenovo ThinkPad X240 laptpop weighs a touch under 3 pounds in base trim, 3.2 pounds with the touch screen, and 3.6 pounds with the extended 6-cell battery. We actually prefer the ThinkPad with the larger battery (just a $5 option) installed, since it gives the system an ergonomic tilt on the desk and a comfortable handhold when carrying it around.

And speaking of batteries, one neat design trick is Lenovo's Power Bridge technology that employs an internal 3-cell battery to increase runtime and make the removable 3- and 6-cell units hot-swappable. Yes, you can detach one battery and attach a spare without shutting the machine down. This is a welcome departure from most other ultrabooks, which have sealed-in batteries and no way to extend runtime when a plug isn't handy.

Review of Dell Inspiron 13 7347

Dell has gathered quite a lot of experience with versatile consumer laptops ever since its exotic Dell XPS 1210. But Dell has also previously experimented with the design tested here in its XPS 11 with a smaller screen size.
This Inspiron 13 7347 can be used in four modes owing to its hinge that enables tilting the screen by 360 degrees. These modes allow use as a conventional laptop or a tablet due to the touchscreen, and two somewhat unusual intermediate steps that Dell dubs "Tent" and "Stand."

 Especially Lenovo's Yoga 2 Pro can be seen as the direct contender because it features the same design and an identical configuration. Users who can warm to a different tablet-laptop mix should look closer at Asus' Transformer Book T300LA. Its keyboard dock can be completely disconnected from the tablet. The just recently introduced Lenovo Yoga 3 based on Intel's Broadwell is also exciting in this context. It will, however, very likely play in another price league.

The Dell Inspiron 13 7347 does not look like a member of the less expensive consumer range, and that it does not come from the XPS line. It is allover silver and the brand logo or the keyboard's keys set black contrasts.

The surfaces are rubberized and feature a good grip. Dell does not specify the material, but we assume that plastic is used as supporters due to the dividers inside the base unit. The build is overall very good, and the gaps are narrow.

We naturally paid special attention to the hinges of the Inspiron. They are pulled tightly enough to prevent the display from wobbling too much. Dell does not show any weaknesses here, and the mentioned positions can thus be used well.

The weight of 1.65 kilograms makes the Inspiron unsuitable for holding in the hands for a longer time even in tablet mode. An odd feeling also develops on the lap because the keyboard's keys rest directly on the knees. The convertible is best used on a table or another level surface.

 

Connectivity

Dell does not install any surprises but does not omit anything essential either. However, buyers should be aware that neither a VGA nor Ethernet socket can be expected in this kind of device. There are two USB 3.0 ports on the left, one of which is powered even when the convertible is off. USB 2.0 is also installed in this laptop and finds a place on the right. HDMI and an SD-card reader are also available.

All interfaces are positioned quite far back on both sides. This will please users who want to connect a mouse.

Accessories

 

The only included accessory is the passive stylus that can be inserted into the laptop's right side. Dell also offers an active stylus that allegedly makes even more accurate inputs possible and that features two special buttons. However, it costs just below 50 Euros. 

Warranty

 

At the time of testing, we found contradictory statements about warranty on Dell's website. A one-year on-site warranty was mentioned in the product test, but it had to be added to the order for 70 Euros (~$89). This service can be extended for up to four years, but also for a steep surcharge of 250 Euros (~$319). Excluding this surcharge, the laptop would otherwise only be picked up and repaired in a workshop for twelve months.

Review of Asus N55SL-S1016V Notebook

The SL comes with a 500 GB hard drive and 8 GB of memory. Another major difference compared with the SF is the price. Whereas Asus price-tagged the Asus N55SF-S1124V at EUR 1100 ($1400), the SL is only EUR 900 ($1145). That is reason enough to take a closer look.

 

Connectivity

The SL sports two USB 3.0 ports, but omits FireWire, eSATA and ExpressCard. The subwoofer of Asus N55SL-S1016V Notebook is a small highlight. The ports are distributed on the notebook's left and right sides. Only the 4in1 card reader (MMC/ SD/ MS/ MS Pro) is on the front.

Communication

 

The SL packs an Atheros AR8151 PCIe Gb ethernet controller (10/100/1000MBit) and an Atheros AR9285 (bgn) wifi module. Bluetooth is included, but UMTS is not.

Scope of Delivery

 

The scope of delivery is bigger than usual. In addition to the laptop, the battery and the power adapter, you will also find the aforementioned subwoofer. Asus also includes a matching subwoofer bag and cable ties.

Keyboard

 

Asus still uses the wave keyboard. The keyboard's layout takes some getting used to and may need a lot of patience especially in the beginning. Instead of placing the escape key in the upper left corner, Asus integrates a key for switching between performance profiles here. This leads to frustrating keyboard errors where trying to bring up an in-game menu (usually with the Esc key) instead switches to a low performance profile and causes intense stuttering.

Touchpad

 

The adequately sized touchpad has a pleasant, rubber-coated surface and merges seamlessly into the SL's design. It is integrated so seamlessly that you can quickly slide off the touch-sensitive surface since there is no clear edge. Of course, multi-touch support is included.