MSI CR620
The MSI CR620 is surprisingly lightweight for a 15.6 laptop
and is of the same weight as the MSI X620 from the slimline series without
sacrificing on the ports and DVD drive. The keyboard features chiclet styled
keys for tactile typing and also manages to fit in a number pad to the form
factor. While the touchpad located on the center of the huge palm rest provides
plenty of space, it suffers from one drawback. While tracking is smooth, the
left and right button rocker is quite hard and will not be preferred by
everyone. There are ample number of ports available with the display ports and 2
USB located on the spine which strengthens its position as a desktop
replacement, so there are lesser chances of cable entanglement. The 15.6 screen
has a glossy finish which causes reflections but otherwise makes for
satisfactory movie viewing. Sound quality is superior and very apt for watching
movies or listening to music. Productivity applications perform smoothly without
any problems. A minor issue is the Windows 7 Home Basic installation which
should have been at least Home Premium.
ENTRY LEVEL |
Price Rs 31,800 |
Verdict: This features a great combination of price
& performance making it the winner of the Entry level segment.
Lenovo Thinkpad Edge 13
The Edge is a departure from the sober design of the
Thinkpad series having a striking glossy lid and plastic body with tapering
metallic lines completing the stylish look. The design is simple but appealing
and focused on the mainstream demographic of young executives. However, the
build quality suffers a bit due to the heavy use of plastic and weaker hinges
but it is still stronger than many other laptops in the market. The Thinkpad
series has always had the best keyboards but the unfamiliar placement of keys
and omitting of some keys thoroughly disappoints. The multitouch capabilities of
the touchpad are snappy and browsing is lag-free and touchpad key sensitivity
is just right if a little shallow. Display is suitable for work and web browsing
but the colors are a bit muted for watching movies even if HD content playback
is smooth. The lower power components help extend the battery life and less heat
is generated as a result. The USB+ ports can charge external components even
when the laptop is turned off but it requires the AC power to be turned on.
Price Rs. 28,200 |
Verdict: This is one of the best 13 inch laptops on
the market for users looking for a balance of both power and portability.
MSI CR420
The MSI CR420 is identical to the CR620 in terms of looks
with a few significant changes. The port placement has been changed and the
number of status led indicators on the bottom of the touchpad have been reduced
to 4 of the most essential ones. A dedicated media key for launching internet
explorer is present conveniently above the keyboard and a dial-up modem has been
integrated to the spine, both of which were missing in the CR620. The optical
drive has been retained while the number pad has been removed which is a good
move as the keys remain the same size. The RAM has been reduced to 2GB with the
rest of the configuration being identical to the CR620.
Price Rs 30,800 |
This affects the performance a little in applications
requiring more RAM like video encoding or image editing but works well for
productivity applications. HD videos playback very smoothly in native resolution
and sound is loud but clarity suffers.
Verdict: This loses out to the CR620 which provides
better value for money. It depends upon the user whether a desktop replacement
is needed or a sturdy portable laptop i.e the CR420.
MSI X430
The MSI X430 is an ultra slim form factor laptop based on
the AMD Neo MV-40 processor which is strikingly similar to the Macbook right
down from the all white body to the MSI logo on the center of the chasis. The
most interesting aspect is the textured finish encompassing the entire laptop
straight from the keyboard to the palmrest. However, the touchpad suffers
because of this and there is noticeable lag present. The specs are entirely
similar to the earlier netbooks but with two main differences — the 320gb
storage and the ATI Radeon 3200. But HD movie playback and graphic intensive
applications suffer because of the 1GB RAM and processor. Sound is a bit tinny
because of the strange speaker placement. Work is best confined to basic
applications and browsing. There are heating issues with the vents on the bottom
making it impossible to keep it on the lap defeating the purpose of the slim
form factor.
Price Rs 31,000 |
Verdict: Heating issues, bundling of Windows 7
Starter, etc is an indicative of the X430 being an oversized netbook and if
purchased, should be treated as such.
Acer Aspire 4820TG
The Timeline series has evolved from the power saving
laptops into mainstream performance laptops rebranded as the Timeline X series.
Acer has gone all out on the designing of the laptop with a brushed aluminum
finish on the lid and palmrest. The overall build could have been sturdier with
unwanted flexing present in certain areas. But it can be forgiven since the
4820TG is an all rounder beating some laptops in the higher segment as well. The
keyboard has nice flat keys providing satisfying feedback topped with a nice non
slippery finish. The touchpad is accurate and smooth but a tad oversensitive
when multi-touch is applied. The left and right click rocker is a bit too tiny.
The diminutive profile conceals astonishing power beneath it. Applications run
blazingly fast and most 3D applications including games can run on medium
settings with ease. The Aspire 4820TG also had the highest battery backup out of
all the laptops carrying on the Aspire tradition. It should be noted that
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit has been installed so keep in mind program
compatibility before buying.
MID RANGE |
Price Rs 42,799 |
Verdict: The Acer Aspire 4820TG rightly deserves
the Editors Choice Award and is highly recommended.
MSI X620
CULV in a 15.6 ultra slim form factor would perfectly
describe the MSI X620. Barring the larger size, it is physically identical to
the X350. MSI managed to fit in an optical drive along with many ports and a
discrete graphic card which is quite commendable. The accompanying multi-touch
touchpad is smooth and has good sensitivity. Even with the huge palm rest
provided, there is a dedicated touchpad lock present. A special feature is the
integrated 3D software which can be toggled from the media key situated above
the keyboard. It offers the options of zooming, auto-playback and editing
images. The viewing angle is superb and the HD content playback is flawless. In
fact, it is one of the very few slim laptops where gaming at medium details and
a stable framerate is possible. 3D boost and SRS premium sound help with
emulating surround sound for a 5.1 experience which works great but sometimes
muffles some of the sound randomly.
MID RANGE |
Price Rs 46,999 |
Verdict: The MSI X620 is a very interesting
machine that offers a good combination of power and portability and is
recommended for those in the market for such a machine.
Acer Travel Mate 4740
The Travel Mate 4740 has been designed from the ground up
to be a professional laptop also made evident by the Windows 7 Professional OS
installation. The matte finish sets it apart from all the other laptops in the
mid segment and wins hands down in terms of durability and ergonomics. The
Travel Mate has the best combination of keyboard and touchpad which together
give precise control and tactile feeling. Unfortunately, 3D performance suffers
due to the absence of a discrete graphic card which should have been included in
this price bracket. This limits the usability of the 4740 leaning towards less
graphic intensive applications which is where it excels. Performance with
productivity applications was smooth without any hang-ups, thanks to the i5
processor. Sound is muffled and the maximum volume is very disappointing
therefore any thoughts of watching movies or listening to music without
headphones should be banished.
MID RANGE |
Price Rs 45,250 |
Verdict: As a laptop in the business segment it
stands shoulder to shoulder with the thinkpad series and is a very strong
contender for the “all work and no play laptop.
Related Articles:
Ultra High-end and Gaming Laptops
HCL ME54
The ME54 has a casual look to it which is evident from the
dual shade glossy lid to the multipurpose touchpad. The laptop is very heavy for
a 14"form factor but is quite sturdy. In fact there is no flexing present in the
body at all. The full sized keyboard gives adequate tactile feedback but could
have done with better spacing. The touchpad has a player and few shortcuts
embedded in it which can be activated by pressing the top right area where mode
is written. This lights up the touchpad and gives easy access to a media player
along with quick hits to 2 programs which are completely customizable. But the
touchpad left and right rocker is quite hard and requires tremendous effort to
press. The accompanying fingerprint scanner covers the security aspect of the
laptop. The ME54's performance is good enough for basic application productivity
and unlike the ME40, it can play HD content smoothly and the screen is also
comparatively brighter. Sound is clear and clunky though it could have been
louder.
Price Rs. 40,490 |
Verdict: The ME54 is good combination of work and
fun but there are better laptops with more value for money in the market.
HP Pavilion DM3
The Pavilion DM3 is the brushed aluminum counterpart to the
all plastic MSI X series. It has a very appealing look and is one of the few in
the mid segment to use brushed metals so there is no worry about scratches on
the chasis since the build quality is really sturdy. The optical drive is
missing but HP has provided a USB powered DVD drive which shares the same look
as the laptop. The keyboard is tactile and comfortable to use. However, the
touchpad was unresponsive and often problematic while navigating. The screen was
not too reflective and is perfect for light gaming or HD content. Sound was
clear, crisp and distinct. The heat vent is located on the side and keeps the
laptop cool even after fairly heavy usage. The graphic switcher for saving power
is a bit jarring as the screen flickers a few times before making the change.
The performance of the DM3 is better than expected and can also be used to play
a few games on the side.
Price Rs. 44,990 |
Verdict: The DM3 has been created for the 24x7
traveler wanting a bit of everything in a notebook with the form factor and
weight of a netbook.
MSI X350
The MSI X350 is a CULV laptop which provides more power
than netbooks with the form factor of laptops at half the size. The fully black
body with sleek silver around the edges gives a really smart look to the laptop
that will fit into any environment. The chiclet shaped keyboard is the same
across most of the MSI range. The difference is in the touchpad which has a
really good feel but is not made for smooth movements and requires extra effort
to navigate. The side scrolling and multitouch suffers from oversensitivity and
navigation is too fast for comfort. Owing to the slim profile, there are only 2
USB ports present which might limit connectivity of peripherals. One glaring
problem faced with all the X series has been the bottom left corner of the
notebook which always became uncomfortably hot after some processor intensive
tasks and should be addressed by MSI. Performance-wise, the laptop will work
best for document related tasks or basic applications which are not graphic
processor intensive.
Price Rs 39,999 |
Verdict: The X350 can only be recommended if an
external mouse is used and graphic processor related tasks are limited to
watching HD content.
HCL ME40
The HCL ME40 specifically targets the enterprise users with
unique features like permanent file erase, application and port lockers,EC2 for
fast data recovery, file splitter for breaking down big files so that they can
be sent using email, file encryption, and a dedicated button for online support.
To open the laptop we need to depress the screen lock which firmly clicks in
place when locked.
The laptop flexes in many places even though the laptop is
quite bulky and heavy. The keyboard is quite uneven and typing is tedious.
In contrast, the touchpad is precise and the left and right
click have just the right amount of firmness. The 15.4 screen will not display
HD content well since it is not HD ready but other content plays smoothly.
The laptop is not meant for rapphics intensive work but
performs commendably in other departments.
Price Rs. 41,500 |
Verdict: The older Core2Duo series used makes the
laptop lose out on both performance and value. However, the extra software and
security features will appeal to enterprise users.
Dell Studio 1555
The Dell Studio 1555 features customizable lids offered in
a wide variety of colors and designs. The laptop is wedge shaped and indicative
of the hybrid design of an entertainment cum professional laptop. The
15.6"screen is bright and colors are vibrant but it requires careful
positioning to combat high reflectivity. The 16:9 aspect ratio makes movie
viewing a pleasure and the massive speakers located above the keyboard gives
outstanding sound output which was among the best in the shootout. The keys flex
a bit but otherwise give a nifty feedback. Instead of pressing the Fn button to
activate the multimedia functions, it is the opposite way around and Fn is
required to press the F1-F12 keys. The touchpad gets very hot running resource
intensive apps but provides accurate & responsive tracking and the keys are
stiff but work well. The performance is quite satisfactory even with an older
Core2Duo being present. The Ati Radeon 4570 makes light gaming and HD video
editing possible. Although we received an older model with an outdated price
quotation, the newer ones come equipped with the core i series and should be
cheaper.
Price Rs. 49,800 |
Verdict: The Studio 1555 is a well rounded laptop
that should fulfill the needs of most.