Smarthouse | ChannelNews| Digital Home     
 
 
 
News sections
Reviews


 
 
REVIEWS / IT HARDWARE

Review: Is Dell's XPS 13 The BEST Ultrabook?
Dell's Ultrabook has some interesting design cues, but is that enough to separate it from the Ultrabook pack?


Review: Apple's 27" iMac Delivers Svelte Computing That Refuses To Age
With the current Apple iMac approaching its first birthday, does it still prove desirable against the latest slew of Windows all-in-ones?


Review: Asus' 27" All In One Is Touch Savvy & Win 8 Ready, But Is It Any Good?
Asus is making a play in the 27 inch all-in-one category, serving customers with a tantelising mix of processing grunt, touch screen technology and the promise of Windows 8. But, has their ambition paid off?


HP’s Omni Brings Exuberant 27" Infotainment to the All-In-One PC
Will HP's Omni 27 be the first Windows all-in-one to beat Apple's iMac at its own game?


Review: Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 91z Is The Smartphone Of All-In-One PCs
Whether it’s business or pleasure, the 91z covers all the bases of sleek design with impressive performance at a competitive price point of $1,000 and up. With the right blend of optional extras, there’s a hidden value to be unlocked in this powerful All-In-One PC.


Review: Asus' Desirable ZenBook Is A Bother To Use
I previously called Asus' ZenBook "the most charismatic Ultrabook yet." Now, I explore its hardware and software to find out if its beauty stems beyond its skin.


Review: Should Apple Be Scared Of Samsung's Galaxy 10.1?
Samsung's infamous Galaxy Tab 10.1 will finally be hitting shop shelves just in time for Christmas. But after months of sitting on the sideline, does it still have enough performance to knock Apple's iPad off the top-spot?


Review: Wi-Fi Seagate GoFlex Is The Perfect Tablet Companion
Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Nokia - Seagate’s Wi-Fi wonder streams content onto three separate devices at once, but there are a few chinks in the armour.


Review: We Ran Over The ioSafe Rugged Portable With A Car – Is It Indestructible Storage?
It’s been touted as the most resilient piece of hardware since metal-coated sliced bread from its crowd-stopping appearance at CES with its waterproof, crush-resistant, shock-proof and chemical-safe build, so we decided to put it to the test. We beat it, dropped it – even ran it over with a car – but did it survive?


Review: Wacom Bamboo Brings The Tablet To PC With Apps, Multi-Touch & Pen Control
Wacom’s latest graphics tablet is a user- (and even kid-friendly), fun and functional device with enough value-add software to make you turn your PC into a tablet.


iReview iTwin: Scared Of Cloud Security? How About A Physical Alternative With High-Security & Simplicity?
UPDATED: The iTwin bypasses the virtual world of cloud services to turn your physical storage into its own networking solution.


Review: Is Kensington’s Orbit Trackball A Mouse Killer?
Kensington’s Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball is just one device in the long lineage of trackballs but houses a handful of added perks to make it a worthy opponent to the conventional mouse.


Review: Hitachi Touro Mobile Pro Blends The Cloud & Physical Storage With Top USB 3.0 Performance
We’re greeted with a skinny device that works hard while remaining user-friendly as a pro storage accessory while you’re on tour.


Review: nKliq Cooling Pad Transforms Your Netbook Into A Home Workstation
The nKliq netbook cooling station stands as more of a cosmetic touch to the home office set up for a netbook – a convenient placemat for your netbook while you aren’t out and about – than an essential computing tool. It’s not often that you need to cool an overworked mini-laptop, but this netbook-specific station throws in enough add-ons to make it a worthy buy.


Review: Is This Touch Sensitive nKliq Mouse A Mac Replica Or A Cheap Knockoff?
The Bluetooth 3.0, touch sensitive mouse from nKliq looks like an Apple Magic Mouse from afar but, like an oasis in the dessert, the mirage begins to fade as you get closer. So is it a cheap replica or a price-slashed bargain?


FIRST REVIEW: Why The Toshiba Tablet Is The Best Honeycomb Device Yet
The tablet market may have slumped 34% in the last quarter but it has not stopped vendors like Toshiba launching a new 10” Android AT100 Honeycomb tablet that offers a lot more than a hardware casing and a bog standard Google Honeycomb OS.


REVIEW: Acer Is Not An Apple & Its Iconia A500 Tablet Reveals Why
When JT Wang, Acer's chairman and temporary CEO stood up recently and said that he wanted the Taiwanese company to be “more like Apple” and that Acer was a serious competitor in the tablet market I decided to take a look at the new Acer A500 Iconia tablet to see how close the device came to the iPad 2.


BlackBerry PlayBook: Professional-Grade Tablet Contender Or Another Imitation?
It’s been a while since our first look of Research In Motion’s contender in the newly-sprouting tablet market, and since then we’ve get acquainted with the quaint device and feel out the kinks. In our hands we’ve held the Wi-Fi-only 16GB model.


REVIEW: Toshiba All In One PC Is Going To Be Hard To Beat
The recent announcement by Toshiba to launch a brand new all in one touch screen PC in Australia is not surprising, but what is surprising is the sheer quality and performance of the device, from the sleek speakers hidden under the device but exposed enough to deliver great sound, to the easy swivel screen to the simple but stylish finish.


Acer Iconia Tab W500: An Icon In The Making?
It has been panned by some, and lauded by others. But does the 10.1 inch Windows powered Iconia Tab W500 have what it takes to stand out from the increasingly crowded space that is the tablet market?


Review: Is The Asus Eee Pad Transformer A Netbook Killer On The Loose?
Is this the netbook killer that the tablet market has been predicting, or is the tablet frenzy much ado about nothing? The Android Honeycomb slider will soon be joined by a Window 7 powered Eee slate and Android slider, but let's take a first look at the Asus EeePad Transformer with dock in tow.


Review: HP Muscles In On Brother With A Heavyweight A3 Printer
HP is dipping its toe into the all-in-one printer market for larger prints, trying to jostle Brother from an area in which it previously had sole occupancy. So is the market large enough for a new entrant, and does HP's A3+ offering cut the mustard?


Review: Can Toshiba's Fusion Powered Netbook Punch Above Its Weight?
Toshiba looks to have turbo charged the graphics capability of its NB520 Netbook with AMD's new Fusion processors. Now with extended battery life and an HDMI output, how does it stack up against other budget netbooks?


Review: The Apple MacBook Pro Is Selling Like Hot Cakes But Is It Any Good?
Apple is fast gaining ground in the notebook market and the new MacBook Pro is already in big demand. A serious notebook, we take a look to see if it stacks up to its big sticker price.


Review: Top End Lenovo 17inch ThinkPad LED Backlit Display
Quality is always going to cost you, and while Lenovo's 17in ThinkPad W701 is not cheap, it does have some features that are well worth the extra money, including an RGB-LED backlit, 1,920 x 1,200 main display and secondary slide-out screen, integrated HueyPro colorimeter and built-in Wacom graphics tablet.


REVIEW: Samsung 9000 Notebook, How Does It Stack Up Against A Mac?
It's sleek, light and pretty impressive on the outside, but is the new Samsung 9000 series notebook a Mac Killer?


REVIEW: HP Mono Laser Jet
The market for multifunction printers in particular, mono models has become very competitive. We take a look at the new HP LaserJet ProM1536dnf to see just how well it stacks up.


iPad2 Handset Makes Making Telephone Calls Easy
Australian distributor Conexus is now selling Native Union’s Moshi Moshi line of phone handsets which have been described as one of the "coolest" of iPhone attach devices. The device which can be used with the new iPad 2 eliminates the dork look when holding an iPad up to your ear.


Review: New Lexmark S815 MFP Design Icon or Good Printer?
Laser printers are in big demand and as sizes shrink and functions grow, Lexmark has gone one step further with a printer that is very much a design statement for the desk. But the big question is does the S815 stack up as a good all round printer?


Review: Clickfree Wireless Backup For Storing Precious Files
If you have a lot of important files stored on a PC or notebook, then backing up is a must in order to keep them safe. However, despite the availability of backup software on portable hard drives, there are still a lot of people who don’t do it because it is ‘difficult’ and time consuming. Clickfree’s Wireless Backup simplifies data backup and is able to connect and automatically back up data wirelessly.


Review: $1400 Samsung Notebook A Great All-Rounder
The R590 is a powerful notebook aimed at users who want a 15-incher that delivers. We take a look at what this $1400 model brings to the table.


$899 Medion Notebook Packed With New Features
Medion has been delivering value notebooks for the longest time and it is no surprise that their new 15.6-inch notebook packs a lot of features for $899. If you are in the market for something portable, then go to your nearest Aldi store next week.


FIRST REVIEW: Worlds Fastest 35Mbps Wireless Modem
Does wireless broadband stack up, and if so where does Australia stand going forward as the politicians squabble over who should rule us and whether fibre or wireless is the future?


Clickfree Offers Backup Without The Fuss
If you want to keep backup files of your photos, videos, and other important files stored on multiple computers but have no idea how, then Clickfree’s new backup drive may be the perfect solution for you.


Review: Samsung N220 With Optus Mobile Broadband
The Samsung N220 is a netbook that is exclusively available to Optus users. Its built-in 3G quad-band module allows you connect to the Internet wirelessly, while its 6-cell battery provides enough juice to last half a day.


Acer 18.4-inch Notebook A Multimedia Monster
Forget about bringing the Acer 8943G anywhere, this 18.4-incher is designed to replace your desktop and provide you with a great personal home theatre experience anytime.


An HP Mini Netbook That Keeps On Going
The HP Mini 5102 is a netbook that comes with a 10-inch touchscreen, a long-lasting battery life, and features that can simplify some tasks. The only problem is that it takes a long time to set this netbook up.


Medion A Gutsy Solid $999 All In One PC Shows Up HP & Dell
Evolution not revolution is something that European companies are very good at and this shows through with the new Medion Akoya MD8870 all in one touch screen PC.


3G Wireless Router Shrinks In Size
The NetComm MyZone is a credit card-sized 3G router that allows up to 10 users to connect to the Internet wirelessly. It is thin, small, mobile, and can last for up to six hours.


AOC Monitor Provides Wide Viewing Angles
The AOC IF23 is aimed at professional graphic artists or enthusiasts who want a bright and crisp display that has wide viewing angles.


Lenovo X100e For Business Travellers
Aimed at business users, the Lenovo ThinkPad X100 is an ultraportable and affordable notebook that has more grunt than your average netbook.


Powerful Fujitsu Notebook Good For Home Office
The Fujitsu E780 is a solid notebook that can replace your desktop with its bright and crisp screen, good speaker output, and powerful specifications.


HP Notebook A Multimedia Powerhouse
The new HP Pavilion dv7 promises faster running programs, noteworthy graphics, quality audio, and even has enough hard drive space to store your music, videos, photos, and games. Just make sure you are prepared to lug a notebook that weighs 3.52kg.


Olin Wireless Charger Very Limited
Following our review on the new Uniden Power Pad last week, we were curious to see how the new Olin Wireless Charger For iPhone would compare.


$799 Medion PC Faster Than Ever Before
At SmartHouse we go through a lot of PC related gear. So when Intel recently introduced their new i3, i5, and i7 processors, I was intrigued as to how effective this technology would be on a simple desktop PC.


New Samsung LED Notebook Delivers
The Samsung R580 is a stylish notebook that uses the latest hardware, comes with a lot of support-based software, and will last for hours with its battery-saving features.


Lenovo ThinkPad Edge An Affordable Option
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge is aimed at business users who want a notebook that is portable, easy to use and affordable. For $999, this 13-incher offers good performance, various connectivity options, and has features that will help you preserve important data files.


Premium HP Notebook Quite Expensive
Users who want a Windows 7-based notebook that looks like an Apple Macbook should check out the Envy.


$799 Medion Notebook Perfect For The Home Office
Aldi and Medion have started 2010 with a bang as they launch a 17.3-inch notebook that is perfect for home offices. It can handle office applications without slowing down and can even entertain you with its large screen and loud speakers.


Crest Powerdock Charges Four Devices
If you play with your PSP while on the train, listen to your iPod in the office, and use your mobile to call your friends, then there is a possibility that you have to charge them all at the same time. Instead of plugging three chargers at the same time, why not use a single dock that can charge up to four devices at once?



 

Advertisment

LATEST REVIEWS
Review: Is Dell's XPS 13 The BEST Ultrabook?
Dell's Ultrabook has some interesting design cues, but is that enough to separate it from...
Nokia's Windows Phone: Can Two Wrongs Make A Right?
With Nokia and Microsoft’s stronghold on the mobile market slipping, can the Lumia prove two...
Yamaha's Portable iPhone Dock Punches Well Above Its Weight
Yamaha's portable iPhone dock oozes street cred, but does it dish out worthy sound

SMARTHOUSE NEWSLETTER
ADVERTISE
LATEST ISSUE
 

SMARTOFFICE 2012 | Legal | Disclaimer | Terms & Conditions

Level 1, 275 Alfred Street, North Sydney NSW 2060