Review: Samsung Galaxy Note 800 and Dell XPS 14
The Dell XPS 14 has a stocky build for an ultrabook. At 2.1 kg, it is
about 500 gm heavier than some of the lighter laptops. But this is a
14-inch machine and not a 13 incher and is still thin at 0.81 inch.
Large note
Samsung Galaxy Note 800
Samsung has introduced a digital pen interface for its 10.1-inch touch device and decided to call it Note 800 after its popular smartphone. Along with the extra screen space, the plastic-bodied Galaxy Note 800 also comes with a clever slot for storing the S Pen. The pen triggers a special menu featuring S Note, S Planner, Crayon Physics, PS Touch, Polaris Office and settings. The S Note has some utility features like formulae match, shape match and handwriting-to-text conversion, all of which work well. The handwriting-to-text feature is a bit slow as the software reads every line individually - while it performs the task, you cannot write more. The bright HD display is good for watching movies and playing games, well complemented by the speakers.
+ve: S Pen and related software Screen and sound
-ve: Plasticky build Price
-Nidhi Singal
Power Machine
Dell XPS 14
The Dell XPS 14 has a stocky build for an ultrabook. At 2.1 kg, it is about 500 gm heavier than some of the lighter laptops. But this is a 14-inch machine and not a 13 incher and is still thin at 0.81 inch. As its look suggest, this Ultrabook is also very powerful, thanks to the Intel Core i5-3317U processor (3M cache, up to 2.6 GHz). It can do a full start up in just 38 seconds; it wakes up from sleep in just three. The 14-inch HD+WLED display gives a crystal clear image all the time, but it is not Full HD and has a resolution of 1600x1200p. Despite the large screen and high processing power, plus heavy duty use, the battery lasts eight hours without a recharge. The sound quality is also very good with Waves MaxxAudio 4. Unlike others of its ilk, the XPS 14 has a host of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Wi-Di, Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connectivity, two USB 3.0 ports HDMI and even an RJ-45 port.
+ve: Design, built Performance
-ve: Weight Price
_Nandagopal Rajan
Samsung has introduced a digital pen interface for its 10.1-inch touch device and decided to call it Note 800 after its popular smartphone. Along with the extra screen space, the plastic-bodied Galaxy Note 800 also comes with a clever slot for storing the S Pen. The pen triggers a special menu featuring S Note, S Planner, Crayon Physics, PS Touch, Polaris Office and settings. The S Note has some utility features like formulae match, shape match and handwriting-to-text conversion, all of which work well. The handwriting-to-text feature is a bit slow as the software reads every line individually - while it performs the task, you cannot write more. The bright HD display is good for watching movies and playing games, well complemented by the speakers.
+ve: S Pen and related software Screen and sound
-ve: Plasticky build Price
-Nidhi Singal
Power Machine
The Dell XPS 14 has a stocky build for an ultrabook. At 2.1 kg, it is about 500 gm heavier than some of the lighter laptops. But this is a 14-inch machine and not a 13 incher and is still thin at 0.81 inch. As its look suggest, this Ultrabook is also very powerful, thanks to the Intel Core i5-3317U processor (3M cache, up to 2.6 GHz). It can do a full start up in just 38 seconds; it wakes up from sleep in just three. The 14-inch HD+WLED display gives a crystal clear image all the time, but it is not Full HD and has a resolution of 1600x1200p. Despite the large screen and high processing power, plus heavy duty use, the battery lasts eight hours without a recharge. The sound quality is also very good with Waves MaxxAudio 4. Unlike others of its ilk, the XPS 14 has a host of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Wi-Di, Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connectivity, two USB 3.0 ports HDMI and even an RJ-45 port.
+ve: Design, built Performance
-ve: Weight Price
_Nandagopal Rajan
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