Purchasing an Ultrabook

These days, manufacturers seem to be shoving ultrabooks down everyone’s throats. To make matters worse, they all have their own designs! Why can’t they just keep things simple?

Having plenty of choices is an advantage though. In a way, you can stand out from the crowd because you were able to look for an ultrabook in the farthest reaches of the universe.

So now what? With a huge number of choices, it’s still going to be a hard picking the right one. Are you going to sell old laptop? 

Thankfully, you can just consult this guide to make it easier for you.

Design

The first thing you should look for in an ultrabook is the design. It is Intel’s intention to create a kind of laptop that is portable yet powerful at the same time. In this part, we’ll focus on the design.

Look for an ultrabook that feels really great and is made with quality materials. Most ultrabooks come with plastic bodies, while some are aluminum. Others have a combination of both.

You’ll want to purchase an ultrabook that feels very tough so it can last a long time, preferably one made with metal. A great example is the Zenbook series by Asus, which uses great materials.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Another thing to consider here are the things you’ll be touching the most – the keyboard and touchpad. You’ll want to look for a keyboard that allows you to type comfortably and allows few mistakes. Also, keep in mind the overall response.

The same goes for the touchpad. Look for a laptop with a great touchpad that allows you to do all the things it is supposed to do very smoothly. Scrolling, zooming and other things should be smooth. Try to stay away from touchpads that have separate mouse buttons. Look for more modern designs.

Hardware

Generally, ultrabooks have Ivy Bridge processors as a standard, so stick with that. If you can find a laptop that offers an Ivy Bridge i7 processor, then you should go for it because it offers better performance in terms of speed and processing.

Keep in mind that RAM also affects multitasking and overall speed. You can open more programs with bigger RAM.

In terms of storage, ultrabooks are supposed to come with solid state drives. If you find an ultrabook with a hard disk drive as the only option, stay away, because it indicates a lower – priced ultrabook.

Other ultrabooks come with a hybrid drive. This means that there’s a small portion that acts as a solid state drive where the OS is installed and the other one is for the storage that’s significantly larger. While these options are great, look for a laptop with a real solid state drive, as it offers significantly better speeds than hybrid or hard disk drives.

Display

Lastly, you’ll want to look at the display. Most ultrabooks come in 11, 13, 14 and even 15 inch versions. Since ultrabooks are intended to be portable, it’s best to stick with 11 or 13 inches.

Check for color projection and viewing angles, as this will dictate how much you will enjoy looking at your laptop. After all, you’ll be staring at it for the duration of its life.

Conclusion

Selling your old laptop for cash to have a new ultrabook won’t be so hard now with these things considered. Go out there and have fun shopping!

Vizio’s First Laptop

When you think of Vizio, the first thing that comes to mind is HDTV’s. In fact, Vizio built their entire reputation making great HDTV’s and other home theater products, but you wouldn’t expect them to make laptops.

Well, you’re mistaken, because they’ve recently unveiled the Thin + Light, their first foray into the ultrabook world, and as a whole, the laptop world.

While the name won’t win them any awards, it will win them legions of new fans looking for a very engaging ultrabook that is luxurious and affordable.

For this review, we’ll take a look at their 14 – inch Thin + Light model with an Intel Core i7 processor.Will people actually sell their laptops for cash and buy this thing?

Looks

Just like their sleek looking HDTV’s, their laptop sports a very flat and elegant look. In fact, it’s looking more like a futuristic device than any of the other manufacturers out there. The all – metal build makes the laptop very durable and feel premium too.

The laptop weighs 3.4 pounds, making it very portable. It’s also 0.67 inches thin, making it very easy to hold and bring around. Rounding out the dimensions, this laptop is 13.3 inches wide and 9.2 inches long.

Display

Their knowledge in making HDTV’s serves the Thin + Light very well. It features a 14 – inch display with a wonderful screen resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels. This resolution is the same for all variations of the 14 – inch model, which is really great.

The screen resolution offers great balance between screen space and readability. Everything is in HD, but not to the point where you need a magnifying glass to read.

All in all, Vizio makes a great screen worthy of their name.

Hardware

The Thin + Light model adheres to the ultrabook conditions set by Intel, and you’ll find it makes for a great ultrabook experience.

This laptop has a third generation Intel Core i7 processor, making it very fast. Also, you get 4 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. This ensures that loading times, saving files and doing general tasks are all very fast.

Overall, the speed is amazing with this laptop. The only thing missing in this laptop is a dedicated graphics card.

Still, you’ll be able to play casual games without any problems. Just don’t expect to play Call of Duty with this laptop.

Other Features

In terms of ports, you only get a minimal selection.  You get two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port and a headphone jack. That’s all you have to work with. The reason for this is to keep the laptop thin and portable.

To connect to the Internet, you’ll have to rely on Wi-Fi. You can purchase a USB to Ethernet dongle though, to help you with buggy Wi-Fi connections.

Conclusion

Under heavy use, you get 5 hours of battery life, which is respectable for this laptop. You can go through a whole afternoon doing nothing but watching YouTube videos, and you won’t have to worry about the laptop dying on you.

Overall, this laptop is a great first try for Vizio.  It may have excluded some features, such as a backlit keyboard, but this laptop is great than to buy used laptop.

Image Source:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Vizio-s-first-notebooks-are-now-officially-available.76751.0.html

The Best Ultrabook Right Now

Many companies out there tout their ultrabooks as the best. Nice resolutions, fast performance and all that jazz. However, they usually come with a compromise. For example, some manufacturers market their laptops as ultrabooks, even though they have optical drives!

Other companies feature fast processors, but only integrated graphics. This turns off customers who love the ultrabook design, but are looking for more power in the graphics department.

Well, here comes one company that manages to design an elegant ultrabook and compete in the graphics department – Asus.

Well done, Asus. Not only do they have one of the most elegant and functional Android tablets available, they also have one of the best ultrabooks, the Zenbook UX32VD.

Design

Similar to other Zenbooks before, the UX32VD features a wedge design with a two tone color.

It features a unibody design made from an aluminum frame. The great thing about this laptop is that it conforms to the ultrabook rules set by Intel. This laptop is thin, light and fast.

It weighs just 3.3 pounds. In terms of thickness (or thinness, if you will), it’s just 0.2 inches at the front! At the back, it widens to 0.7 inches.

Display

Thanks to the dedicated GPU (more on that later), this laptop packs some incredible visuals. As you’d expect, resolution is higher than the ones offered by other ultrabooks. How high? How about full 1080p HD!

Yes, you’ve read that right. The 13.3 – inch screen on this laptop features 1920 x 1080 pixels packed into a non – reflective display. It’s very bright and crisp. You’ll be able to view HD content without any problems as well as other programs that need a higher resolution.

Hardware

To match a dedicated GPU, Asus installed an Intel Ivy Bridge i5 processor. The i5 processor is definitely one fast processor, adequate for gaming and other tasks.

However, you do get the option to go even faster with an i7 processor. If you can afford the i7 processor, then do so.

So what about the dedicated GPU? Well, it may not be the best in the world, but it’s better than nothing. You get an NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M, the weakest in the GeForce GT family of mobile GPUs.

While it may be the weakest, it certainly puts up nice visuals. You’ll be able to play non – taxing games in high settings. For demanding games though, you’ll still be able to play, but you need to tone down the resolution and settings.

Rounding out the package is 4 GB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive. This helps keeps the price down.

In terms of ports, you get an HDMI port, mini DisplayPort and three USB 3.0 ports. There’s also an SD card slot and a 2 MP webcam.

Conclusion

With an amazing design, killer keyboard and a five – hour battery life, the UX32VD is definitely one of the most impressive ultrabooks to date. If Asus can continue to improve their designs, they might even be able to install more powerful GPUs, leaving every other ultrabook in the dust.

If you have decided to sell your laptop and ask yourself “where can I sell my laptop", visit Cash4Laptops.com, They offer decent price for your old laptop and you can use the money to buy the Asus Zenbook UX32VD Laptop.

Image Source:
http://www.asus.com/Notebooks/Superior_Mobility/ASUS_ZENBOOK_UX32VD/

Apple Paves the Way for the Future

At last May BlackBerry World 2012 convention, I really thought that Research In Motion finally got itself back up on its feet, dusted itself off, and re-entered the smartphone game. They were banking on the BlackBerry 10 to be their saving grace, which according to RIM CEO, Thorsten Heins demanded bucket loads of blood, sweat, and tears just so it could reach full development as intended. The BB 10 definitely showed it, at that, impressing the attendees with its myriad functions that signaled RIM was ready to play ball again. The BB 10’s main selling point was the virtual keyboard, which really isn’t all that surprising coming from RIM, being that keyboards (albeit previously physical) have always been a Berry trademark. If anything, its evolution into being virtual told us that maybe RIM has finally learned from its mistakes, making consumers do a double take on trading BlackBerrys for iPhones.

Now, however, RIM is back at square one, with reports indicating that the company is looking at changing their business structure as a last resort. Specifically, the company is heavily pondering whether it should split itself, selling one half to other companies like Facebook, or even to rivals Apple and Google if it comes to that. Looks like consumers will be selling used BlackBerrys after all, and it’s all to get cash from their old electronics, thanks to Apple’s show at their recently concluded World Wide Developers Convention (WWDC) 2012.

Despite the palpable absence of the iPhone 5 at the WWDC, the iOS 6 presentation more than made up for that by showing the exciting direction Apple is taking portable gadget functionality. The iOS 6 showcased a lot of nifty features, and two of these features really stood out: The new Maps app and the vastly improved Siri.

Maps is basically Apple’s answer to Google Maps, upping the ante for navigation programs by implementing two key features to really make it as convenient as possible. The first one is the “turn-by-turn” function which makes the onscreen map turn according to the direction a user is facing. The second feature is the Flyover Mode, which is a rendering of a city in 3D in which a user can freely move the camera about, allowing him a better vantage point and a more detailed view of his desired destination.

As amazing as Maps sounds, things just don’t get any better than Siri. Already an impressive program even in her first incarnation with the iPhone 4S, Siri further expands her virtual assistant role by assimilating herself even more with the iGadgets’ myriad apps. Moreover, there are plans to integrate iDevice functionality with automobiles via Siri. Simply stated, Siri will be doing everything that a driver may need help with – like navigation assistance, email composition, or even just updating Facebook statuses – all without the driver ever having to take his eyes off the road. And of course, the driver can always just talk to Siri if he gets bored. Imagine a real-live K.I.T.T. (of Knight Rider fame); that’s how cool this tech will be if it comes to fruition.

Therein lies the difference between RIM and Apple: Whereas the former seems to be stuck with the concepts of yesteryear, the latter is continuously pushing the envelope and looking for more ways to make gadget functionality go beyond the gadgets’ physical boundaries. It is this attribute that makes me all the more determined to sell my BlackBerry back at Cash4Laptops.com and get the iPhone 5 once it comes out.

image credits: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/06/gadget-lab-wwdc-2012/

A Surprisingly Affordable Gaming Laptop - CyberPower Xplorer x7 – 81000 Review

So, you’ve decided to sell old laptop and you want to use a Gaming laptop instead. That’s great, gaming laptops are everywhere and they all come in different shapes and sizes. 

Even big brands like Samsung have made their own gaming laptop in the hopes of being crowned the king of gaming laptops.

However, there’s one thing they can’t beat – CyberPower. Why? They’ve just made one of the most affordable gaming laptops.

For just $1,399, the CyberPower Xplorer x7 – 81000 gives you 1080p, an NVDIA GTX 670M and a bunch of other amazing stuff. Sounds tempting? It definitely is.

Let’s take a look at this laptop closely and see if it’s worth the money.

Design

To become affordable, there is one thing that has to be compromised – the body. Most big brands charge premium prices for their laptops because they put a lot of work into the design of the laptop.

Other companies though, purchase casings and put their parts into it, eliminating the need for graphic artists and engineers working side by side to create a body unique to the company.

This is the case with CyberPower. They make use of the MSI GT70 0NC body. MSI is a big company that manufactures computer hardware, such as motherboards.

The overall look of the laptop resembles a stealth fighter plane, with square – ish corners that resemble hexagons. That being said, this laptop is quite bulky. It measures 2.1 inches thick! It’s also 16.5 inches long and 11.3 inches wide.

Display

As mentioned in the beginning of this article, you get a nice 17.3 – inch screen with 1080p HD.

To make it affordable, CyberPower doesn’t include matte coating. This makes the screen a standard glossy display, but for $1,399, you really can’t complain.

Hardware

For the price, you’ll be surprised at the stuff this laptop packs.

To begin, this laptop has a 2.3 GHz Ivy Bridge Intel i7 – 3610QM processor. This gives the laptop amazing benchmarks when it comes to speed and loading times.

Also, you get 8 GB of RAM, which is adequate for all of your needs. You won’t experience any slow down when you’re playing games while running other background tasks.

The GPU in this thing is also powerful. It has the NVIDIA GTX 675M, which is basically the second most powerful GPU of NVIDIA, right behind the newly released 680M. This gives the laptop some serious gaming capabilities. You can basically play games in their highest settings without any problems.

For storage, you only get one hard drive with 750 GB of space.

With ports, you get plenty. You get three USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port. There’s also HDMI, VGA and an eSATA/USB combo port, giving you a total of five USB ports. A DVD writer completes the package.

Conclusion

All of the hardware discussed in the previous section is the basic configuration of the laptop. At 1,400 bucks, you can say that this isn’t a bad deal at all.

With a customizable backlit keyboard and powerful performance, the Xplorer is one amazing laptop that manages to defy expectations of traditional gaming laptops.

If you are itching to sell laptop for cash to get a gaming laptop, the CyberPower Xplorer x7 – 81000 is really a good choice.

What’s Next for Research In Motion?

The news that Research In Motion is looking at last resort split-and-merger options has definitely gone beyond the grapevine. Rumors began circulating last month when it was reported that RIM hired bankers RBC and JP Morgan to help the company formulate alternative avenues to save it before it finally runs out of gas. This course of action, however, was initially put on the backburner, especially after RIM’s fortunes seemed to be turning around when they unveiled their BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system at the BlackBerry World 2012 convention in May. However, when Apple demoed the superior iOS 6 at last month’s World Wide Developers Convention 2012 – convincing even the most stalwart Berry fans to finally tradein BlackBerrys for iPhones – RIM’s merger plans immediately became an imperative.

It’s no secret that Research In Motion has had an extreme financial downturn as of late. Once the king of the smartphone hill, RIM has seen its market share dwindle increasingly since Apple entered the fray half a decade ago. RIM’s first quarter fiscal reports for this year indicate a loss of about $125 million, which is a stark contrast to the $934 million profit they posted in last year’s first quarter; and even that figure is a far cry from the numbers they were reaching pre-iPhone. As it stands, the company currently has a net worth of just $1.77 billion, which really isn’t saying much for a company of this stature. More and more consumers are driven to sell old BlackBerrys and switch to the competition’s smartphones as the years went by, deeming the company’s preemptive effort with the bankers a sound move for what it’s worth.

The most viable option that RIM sees for itself is in selling shares of their handset division; and if worst comes to worst, auctioning the whole division off entirely. The two frontrunners for this merger deal are Amazon and Facebook, with each company standing to gain something from the deal, as well as having certain impediments which could delay (or outright cancel) said deal.

Amazon is an online retailer of books, movies, music and games along with used electronics and it wants to have a smartphone release follow up on its Kindle Fire tablet, and the BlackBerry acquisition could give it the resources it needs. Interestingly enough, the company doesn’t have plans of selling BlackBerrys (or whatever it is Amazon want to call the smartphones) at a markup. Instead, it is looking to use BlackBerry as a channel for its mobile commerce venture. However, Amazon already has something like this arranged with Android; and although not the full-fledged company-owned channel that they want, the Android deal is currently working well for them, which could make them think twice about the BlackBerry acquisition.

As for Facebook, the company is actually looking to expand its business by going into the smartphone market, and acquiring BlackBerry could give it a much-needed head start. However, the company is also facing (no pun intended) financial woes of its own, making the merger deal a second priority for them at the moment.

However the merger deal may go down, it’s evident that Research In Motion needs to have something happen if they wish to be saved from total demise.

The Windows Phone Over BlackBerry OS

BlackBerry hasn’t been at the top lately. That’s mainly because of bad management decisions, such as the direction of the company, and the actual products they put out. In the end, the smartphone speaks for itself. If it doesn’t deliver a great experience, then it’s not going to be a hit.

Sadly, this is the case with BlackBerry. Right now, they’re posting consecutive loses every quarter compared to a few years before, when they were on the rise. You should probably sell your BlackBerry now and get cash from your used electronics because things are going to look a bit different from now on.

If you’ve decided on selling your BlackBerry, where do you turn to? The Android and iOS software look pretty similar. Here comes your savior – Windows. Yes, just like BlackBerry OS, Windows Phone is a unique OS different from the rest. If you want to look unique despite switching brands, then a Windows Phone is a good choice.

So what are its core features?

Refreshing User Interface

The latest version of Windows Phone, 7.5 Mango, features an interface that’s very refreshing to use. For example, you’re greeted by Live Tiles at the start screen. From there, you’ll be able to access apps, contacts and other stuff you wish to pin.

What makes the tiles ‘live’ is that information is constantly updated. For example, you can pin your email inbox into Live Tiles and you’ll see any unopened emails you have. The same goes for messages, Facebook notifications and other stuff.

As mentioned, you’ll be able to pin contacts for easy texting. Even links of websites can be pinned!

Bing

Microsoft’s Bing is more than a search engine – it makes your life easier! Bing is deeply integrated into the software. It has built in purposes, such as a barcode scanner.

With the barcode scanner, you’ll be able to quickly pull up information from the Internet about the product in question. You can also quickly search for restaurants and other events happening in your area. Of course, GPS is supported.

Aside from that, you get to the usual search features, which are integral to Windows.

Social Network Integration

Today’s culture demands that we have Facebook and Twitter and Mango provides exactly that.

Three social networks – Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are all integrated into the software. That means you’ll be able to update your status right from your phone, no downloading of apps needed!

What’s more, the contacts you have on your phone will also automatically update their profile whenever a Facebook friend of yours posts pictures.

Cool Apps

Windows Phone is home to plenty of cool apps that will surely get your attention. Aside from that, you have access to an abundance of games – something BlackBerry is sorely lacking.

Conclusion

Windows Phone is a very reliable alternative when it comes to OS. Since they’re experienced in creating an amazing user interface, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth with a Windows Phone.

You should try it out. In fact, many people have been praising Microsoft’s software.

Tips for Picking a Laptop for College

If you just graduated from high school and now you’re headed to the jungles of college, then you need something by your side that will be with you all the way – a laptop. In college, having a laptop is a godsend, because of all the things you can do with it.

Since you don’t have the time to go to computer shops and they’re pretty much all far away from campus, you need a laptop wherever you go.

In this list, there are several things to consider when picking a laptop.

Size

It’s important to consider the size of your laptop you’ll be purchasing. Will you buy a huge 17 – inch laptop or will you choose more mainstream models? There are several to choose from.

It’s important to consider how you will use the laptop. Will you bring it to the classroom, or just leave it in your dorm room? If you can afford to leave it in your dorm, then you can purchase a bigger one. They’re much better as entertainment machines due to better hardware.

Design

Of course, who would want to buy a laptop that looks like a tank with laser guns pointing out of it? Just like size, the overall design of the laptop is an important thing to consider.

There are many sleek – looking laptops for sale right now. Of course, mainstays such as the MacBook Pro are popular because they are easy to hold, and look really nice. Similar laptops such as the ones made by Samsung are also built from quality alloys making them elegant.

Overall, pick a laptop you want to be seen with. It is college after all.

Specs

When picking a laptop, it’s important to choose one with power, but not powerful enough that you have to rob a bank to pay for it.

Should you get a laptop with only integrated graphics or with a dedicated GPU? Look at your college major and your user habits. If your course is in graphic design, then you need a laptop with some graphical prowess. You don’t need fancy laptops – any laptop with a dedicated GPU will help.

There are other things to take note of when shopping for a laptop. Always be weary of other items like ports and other stuff like that. Also, take note of the processor.

All in all, try to find a laptop that has a balance between performance and price. If you can though, squeeze out some more money for performance so you don’t have to buy a laptop for a very long time.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Obviously, you’ll be using your laptop for every day of your life. It’s important that you feel comfortable, or else you’ll develop problems in your wrists. That’s a bad thing, especially if you’re into playing an instrument, or sports.

When trying out a laptop, type a few paragraphs before doing anything else. You should also check out the touchpad and see how it performs.

Conclusion

When picking a laptop, it’s important to consider these things. Of course, try to sell your computer for cash and look for a laptop that fits your expectations within the budget you have.

A Great HP Envy Laptop Review

The HP Envy series is ever expanding. You’ll find that it is comprised of ultrabooks and mainstream laptops that come in all designs. Some are premium in looks and performance, while some are budget minded.

For those with a thousand dollars to spend, you can buy the HP Envy 4 – 1043cl. It’s a great laptop that performs really well for its price. You also get a simple design and other goodies.

Let’s take a look at the laptop shall we?

Looks

With the HP Envy 4, you can’t get any simpler in terms of looks. You get a flat surface that is really simple and elegant. The black finish is adorned with a simple HP logo on the top right.

 

This laptop is 0.78 inches thick and measures 9.28 x 13.38 inches. It weighs 3.85 pounds, making this laptop fit in the ultrabook category. It’s very comfortable to hold and easy to carry around.

Overall, this is a nice laptop thanks to the nice design.

Display

This is a medium sized ultrabook. The laptop sports a 14 – inch display with a screen resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It certainly looks nice and really bright.

 

While it may not be full 1080p, you’ll still be able to enjoy 720p movies very nicely.

Audio

To compensate for the other lacking parts, such as 1080p, HP throws in Beats Audio. Found in all models of the Envy series, Beats Audio augments sound quality to really impressive levels.

You get stereo speakers and a subwoofer. Low end is rich and full. Not only do the speakers play hip – hop music nicely, but also rock music. You’ll feel the crunch of the guitars right in your face.

Of course, volume is still limited, so if you really want to fill a room with music, invest in big, external speakers.

Hardware

This laptop carries a third – generation Intel Core i5 processor. It gives great performance without becoming too expensive. This laptop is able to load very fast and perform demanding tasks.

You also get 6 GB of RAM and a 500 GB hard drive.

Sadly, this laptop doesn’t have a graphics card, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play games with it. While graphics is limited, you can still install multiplayer – centric games like Team Fortress 2 and still have a blast.

Other Features

Ports include one HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port. There’s also an Ethernet port in times of clunky Wi-Fi performance. HP also throws in Bluetooth 3.0 and even Wireless Display technology.

 

Wireless Display is a feature by Intel, allowing you to stream video to your HDTV. All you need is the proper adaptor to make it work.

There’s also plenty of preinstalled software, such as HP Games, Evernote, Skype and other stuff. You may find some useful or just bloatware.

Conclusion

Overall, this laptop is great for students and casual users looking for a great performing laptop without any problems at all.

Why not try to sell your laptop and experience this Envy 4.

With HP’s renowned quality products, the Envy 4 is a worthy addition to their lineup.