Asus X555LA review

Specifications

Processor: Dual-core 1.9GHz Intel Core i3-4030U, RAM: 4GB,Size: 382x256x26mm, Weight: 2.3kg, Screen size: 15.6in,Screen resolution: 1,366x768,Graphics adaptor: Intel HD Graphics 4400, Total storage: 1TB hard disk

Sub-£400 laptops don't typically excel at specific tasks but are perfectly capable of basic web browsing, document editing and multimedia playback. The Asus X555LA is one such machine, with a reasonable set of specifications that should suit most everyday needs very nicely – exactly what you want from a laptop at this price.

Build quality is a mixed bag, which should come as no surprise to anyone that's used a budget Asus laptop in the last few years. The concentric circles surrounding the Asus badge on the lid is a nice touch, as is the lightly dotted texture on the silver keyboard tray, but it all feels distinctly cheap, with a lot of flex in the lid.

Input devices

There's a fair amount of flex from the keyboard tray too but, it's nowhere near as bad as some of the finger trampolines that could be found on some of Asus' older laptops. We actually found ourselves building up quite a bit of speed on the black Chiclet keys. We had no problems with missed keystrokes and were also pleasantly surprised by how quiet the keyboard is. The touchpad is reasonably responsive too, although Windows 8 gestures such as pinch-to-zoom are a bit clunky and don't feel particularly precise. This isn't exactly out of the ordinary for a budget laptop though. The touchpad makes a loud and hollow-sounding noise when you click it, which could be irritating if you're working in a quiet place such as a library.

Dell Inspiron 15 5000 (5558) review

Dell's Inspiron laptops has always been hard to beat in terms of pure value, thanks to their mid-range processors and modest dedicated graphics cards at reasonable prices. Last year's Dell Inspiron 5000 won a Best Buy award, thanks to its bargain price, great performance and decent battery life, so I was keen to have a look at this year's model.

Dell has gone back to the drawing board with this general-purpose laptop, keeping similarly powerful components but completely redesigning the chassis and installing a new screen. There are several Inspiron 15 5000-series models available; our review unit is the second-most powerful model, with an Intel Core i5 processor and dedicated graphics. A Core i7-powered version with dedicated graphics tops the range. There are two less powerful machines, with Core i5 and Core i3 variants, both without dedicated graphics.

In place of the 1,366x768 screen used on last year's model, the new Inspiron now has a 1,920x1,080 panel, which finally suits the high-spec components you'll find elsewhere on the laptop. Overall image quality is acceptable, although you shouldn't expect accurate colours from an sRGB coverage figure of just 58%. I'd much rather have a slightly-drab Full HD screen than a better but cramped 1,366x768 panel, though, although some buyers may disagree.

Goodbye Plasma TVs – It's been a Great Run

 recent interview at CES 2014 reveals the worst; plasma TVs are gone for good. Following, we analyze the reasons and hope to provide some insight as to why this tragedy happened.

It's a technology that we have enjoyed for 13 years.

"Panasonic has a hard time getting out of its own way."

Plasma TVs have obtained our top ranked picture quality ratings other than much more expensive new 4K or OLED TVs for the past 10 years in a row without exception. Granted, picture quality comparisons have gotten closer over the past couple years. Except for the very best LED TVs, Plasma Televisions have trounced LED and LCD TVs in black level, processing speed (Hz rate vs sub field drive on plasma), side angle viewing quality and contrast, and color saturation and rendition. Basically, all of the most important picture quality attributes. The one picture quality trait that is a bit less important is brightness/peak whites with LED TVs dominate in. This last trait does make a difference when viewing the TVs at the store, but not in your living room.

Indeed almost all of the “new” technologies coming from LCD and LED manufactures over the past 10 years have been to try to make up the vast divide in picture quality that separated plasma TVs from LCD technology base

For example, following is a write up of Panasonic's Demonstration room at CES 2014:

An all blacked out room demonstration of the “Studio Master Drive” feature showed what I was afraid of – Panasonic's plasma TVs of the past couple years are better than their new 4K LED TVs. The demonstration pitted the 2013 TC-P65ZT60 reference plasma against the new 2014 4K LED offering to show how the black levels and color saturation has improved in the 4K LED offerings. They also had a 4K LED from 2013 in the room for comparison.

While the new 4K offering beat last years 4K LED handily in both black saturation and color rendition (which showed light bleed in several areas of the screen), it did not beat the plasma. To my (very trained) eye, the TC-P65ZT60 beat the new 4K LED in black saturation, light bleed, color rendition and especially dark shadow detail. When I mentioned this to the Panasonic technician showing the display, he said, 'but it's getting closer.” OK, I'll give them that much...

Panasonic's 2014 4K LED TV offering just isn't up to snuff compared to plasma display technology, but it's certainly not unwatchable

But then let's think about this. We're taking a technology that is clearly better than LED and scrapping it and producing something close (the 4K LED) that will cost thousands more. Who loses in this scenario? You, the consumer.

Why did this happen. Why give up a great technology like Plasma:

#1) Money. Mass production has brought down the cost of the LCD panel (and LED backlighting) to a competitive level with Plasma TVs. So manufacturers of LED TVs see more potential $ signs there.

LG's 2014 OLED TVs are certainly showing off the excellence of the OLED display tech, but they don't come at the value plasma TVs did...yet

#2) Panasonic and Marketing. Panasonic has a hard time getting out of its own way. How else can you describe having the best picture technology with very reasonable prices and not being able to out sell your rivals who have inferior products. It all comes down to marketing. Samsung and LG do a much better job of hyping and marketing and are willing to take some “unorthodox” and possibly unethical marketing angles when they deem it necessary to get the upper hand.

Panasonic's marketing of plasma when LCD TVs (then Sharp) started making their way into the market in early 2000 was abysmal. LCDs were far inferior, but Panasonic did not quash the threat. They just never knew how to effective market at the store level or on the Internet.

As a result only professional reviewers and aficionados knew that plasma TVs maintained the best quality and price.

#3) Consumer Perception. This is again influenced my marketing efforts and on-floor sales people. A great example is power consumption. Does a plasma TV use more power. Yes, generally. How much more? Around a $1 a month for comparable 55” models. Is that enough to make you purchase an inferior product?

#4) Consumer Perception. Yes, a repeat of CP. This time it's the brightness of the TVs when you walk in the store. That super “Dynamic Store Mode” of the LED TVs has the consumer fooled. Never mind that it will look terrible in a medium light room in your house and give you a headache as well. It looks so much brighter on the wall at the store than the plasma.

A properly calibrated ST60 boasts an amazing picture and was a terrific value for the price

#5) Competition. Again the battle between Panasonic and Pioneer was lost to Samsung and LG. Samsung and LG continued to produce plasma TVs even at a loss, and would not give up a technology monopoly to Panasonic for fear that they would begin successfully marketing the technology as better. All the while, Samsung and LG have been dominating the LED space.

#6) Weight. It may sound trivial but it's not. Even though Panasonic has been able to make plasma TV thin in depth, they are still heavy and require a metal backing. This makes a big difference as sizes of TVs have gotten bigger, but ultimately this just relates to shipping costs even at the 50” size. It costs much less to ship the LED/LCD (to the US or other destinations) so there is more profit in it.

#7) Size. As LED TVs have outstripped plasma TVs in size finally, there is an advantage to LED TVs in the super large category. Prices are also reasonable for the super large LEDs and plasma TVs just cant keep up there. Demand for 60”, 70” and even 80” TVs is a trend that really hurt plasma TVs prospects over the last couple years.

Sharp has really been pushing the limits when it comes to large screen sizes. Now they are entering 4K territory

We received official word from Panasonic that they have already closed down the 3 billion dollar plasma panel factories. With Panasonic stepping out of plasma TV manufacturing, we anticipate Samsung and LG to do the same even though we have not received official comment from those companies. It seemed so obvious that we forgot to ask...

Samsung UN55J6300 vs. LG 55LF6300 vs. Vizio E55­C1 HDTV 1080p LED Shootout 2015/2016

It's always fun to compare different levels of TVs to find out how much the more expensive and lesser expensive HDTVs differ in quality and features. The 3 models listed in this article are sure to be some of the most popular models of 2015 and early 2016 as value model 1080p LED TVs. As far as feature sets, these 3 units have similar options with the Samsung and LG having slightly richer offerings at a bit higher price. We also have performed a 15 category 4K Shootout comparison if you are in the market for a 4K UHD TV. It also consists of 3 excellent value choices.

We've compiled a list of what we think are the most important differentiating factors in testing quality of these 2015/2016 LED HDTVs and performed the following shootout based on our findings through some very thorough investigation.

A shot of the Vizio E55-C1 showing good picture depth and contrast

Picture Quality

1) Black Levels/Contrast

1st Vizio E55­C1– We were surprised to find the best black levels and contrast in the Vizio E­series. Blacks are deep and rich, which of course causes colors to pop more, thus the significant importance of contrast in picture quality.

2nd Samsung 55J6300 – Also a very strong result in contrast and blacks.

3rd LG 55LF6300 3 – Due to its use of IPS panel, the LG sacrifices some black level and contrast for better side angle viewing.

2) Color Rendition Calibration/Uniformity

1st Samsung J6300 – Wins the color category only slightly over the vizio. All three TVs calibrated easily to D6500 from the Movie settings. And all three TVs had poor uniformity from the LED backlights. The Samsung has brighter LED backlighting than the other two.

2st Vizio E55­C1 – Colors also really pop from the Vizio E­series.

3rd LG 55LF6300 – Due to its lower contrast, colors do not pop as much and are more subdued. They are very accurate though.

3) Side Angle Viewing Quality (20 degrees off center)

1st LG 55LF6300 – Due to its use of IPS panel, side angle viewing is much better with less loss of contrast and color saturation at angles. Not only is the viewing angle wider without losing saturation, the loss of saturation is less.

2nd Vizio E55­C1 – The Vizio is better than average among LED TVs, most likely owing to its full array rather than edge lit backlighting.

3rd Samsung 55J6300 – A definite weak point of the Samsung LED is a significant loss of contrast and saturation off angle.

Light flow-through is a major strong point on the J6300

4) Upconverted Picture Quality from 480p and 480i Standard Definition

If you watch a lot of Netflix streaming or normal DVDs, this is still a very important category.

1st Samsung J6300 - This one performed the best in this category bringing the Tristan and Isolde DVD to life. The light throughput from the J6300 really makes the difference to create more color and contrast around and in images. This is a definite strength of the Samsung J6300.

2nd LG LF6300 - Also good solid upscaling and quality from the Triple XD picture engine.

3rd Vizio E55­C1 - The Vizio had a mediocre result when upscaling lower resolution signals. The picture quality with signals such as DVD, streaming video, and non­HD cable signals is not as crisp of defined as the other two.

FEATURES

5) Sound Quality

1st LG LF6300 - Clearly has the best sound quality of the three. Sound is richer, deeper with more bass and great clarity. Has better voice definition.

2nd Samsung J6300 - Better than it used to be. Does a good job at higher volumes, but voice and background noice separation are lacking.

3rd Vizio E55­C1 - The Vizio can really crank out the volume, but quality is lacking as distortion rises with volume.

3D Viewing Quality

None of the 3 TVs have 3D compatibility.

6) Best Wifi/ Internet Browsing

1st LG LF6300 ­ The LG LB7200 easily trumped in this area with the voice control assisting to quickly and accurately bring up almost anything we could think to say. A good test, "LCD TV Buying Guide" gave the voice command control no problems. I tried it twice just to make sure and it nailed it both times with the Bing browser pulling up the search results for our site perfectly. The Wifi connection was fine.

2nd Samsung J6300 – Slight delay initially on the Wifi. Does have a full web browser, but slower to utilize with standard remote.

3rd Vizio E­Series – Does not have a web browser. The Wifi connection is a bit weak initially at 40 feet.

7) Best Remote Control/ Menu System

1st LG LF6300 – The voice control and especially the point and click operation of the Magic Remote easily create a win for the LF6300. After a little getting used to, the Magic remotes point and click functionality is a speedy pleasure.

2nd Samsung J6300 – A versatile standard remote with clearly marked keys and easy operation.

3rd Vizio E­series – A standard remote with small keys, but easy menu and Smart TV system.

8) Appearance and Design Quality

The LG LF6300 has a heavy metal feeling charcoal black bezel, which looks and feels more expensive than the other two. All three have thin frames of about a half inch but Samsung's is better looking than Vizio's rounded off corners.

1st – LG 55LF6300

2nd – Samsung 55J6300

3rd – Vizio E­Series

9) Smart TV Options, Features, and Functionality

WebOS 2.0 makes it very easy to choose your apps without leaving what you are currently watching

1st LG 55LF6300 – The WebOS 2.0 by LG is fast, simple and pleasantly laid out and. It's also easy to customize your Smart TV page with your favorite Apps.

2nd Samsung UN55J6300 – Still really good and has one option the others do not in HBO Go.

3rd Vizio E55­C1 – The Vizio E­series is just trying to get the bases covered with the basic most popular Apps, which it does successfully.

10) Gaming Performance

1st Vizio E55­C1 ­ Surprising result from the Vizio which had easily the lowest input lag at 30ms in Game mode.

2nd Samsung UN55J6300 – The Game mode makes a huge difference in the input lag on the J6300. We measured input lag at 41ms for a good result.

3rd LG LF6300 ­ The LG registered to highest input lag at 65ms in Game mode.

Gran Turismo 5 displayed well on the Vizio E­series

11) Best Value

Our favorite category, Value requires lots of subjectivity and insights into all the various categories and how price enters into the equation. See the full review by clicking on the link for each model:

1st LG 55LF6300 – We've seen this TV as low as $799. It's the best deal at that price given the viewing angles, Magic Remote and excellent WebOS 2.0. Also, the aesthetic design appeal will be welcomed.

2nd Vizio E55­C1 – At $639 it's definitely got a compelling price for a 55" TV with adequate Smart TV options.

3rd Samsung UN55J6300 – Love the bright LED lights for a daytime room environment, as well as the good solid black levels. At $899 it's a bit behind when plugging the price in. Still a very good value choice.

Spectrum

T-Mobile plans on spending as much as $8 billion during the FCC's auction of 600MHz spectrum. This low-frequency spectrum will travel farther and penetrate buildings better than higher frequency airwaves. The nation's third largest carrier will use the spectrum it wins to expand its Extended Range LTE service, and to increase the capacity of its airwaves using carrier aggregation.

T-Mobile says that it will start using  so-called incentive auction spectrum by the end of next year. The spectrum is originating from television broadcasters who will no longer broadcast on those frequencies. Instead of waiting for the spectrum to be repackaged and auctioned, some of the broadcasters will sell the spectrum in advance. This is the incentive spectrum that T-Mobile hopes to be using in 2017.  

Once the incentive sales are over, the spectrum is packaged for mobile operators to bid on while the television broadcasters are moved elsewhere, That process could take 39 weeks according to the FCC. Still, T-Mobile hopes to employ some of the spectrum it wins even before the repacking plan is complete. The carrier would first look at using this spectrum in rural areas where moving over traffic to new airwaves will be easier to accomplish.

"We believe we'll be able to get the start of deployment and usage at the end 2017. Obviously the repacking debate is still in play. I think personally the dynamic will change once the auction is over, because you will have winners in the reverse auction -- that means broadcasters who want to get paid -- and then you'll have everyone else. And right now I think it's easy for all the broadcasters to stand together and talk about how difficult repacking is, but once the auction's over there's a bunch of people who want to get paid. And they don't get paid until the stuff gets repacked."- Peter Ewens, executive vice president of corporate strategy, T-Mobile

T-Mobile's CFO Braxton Carter notes that 80% of T-Mobile data travels on a 4G LTE pipeline. It seems like it was just yesterday when the carrier launched its 3G service. Carter also pointed out that 52% of T-Mobile's voice calls are VoLTE calls that are run over the carrier's LTE network.

While T-Mobile has been planning this for years, other U.S. carriers like AT&T and Verizon will also be bidding. Sprint is sitting this auction out. Other telecom firms like Comcast and Dish Network might also looking to  pick up some spectrum in the hopes of becoming a player in the industrie.

Deal: Cricket is currently selling Microsoft's Lumia 650 and Lumia 640 at discounted prices Deal: Cricket is currently selling Microsoft's Lumia 650 and Lumia 640 at discounted prices

If you're looking for a budget Windows 10 Mobile smartphone that can breeze through basic tasks without breaking the bank, Cricket Wireless currently has both the Microsoft Lumia 650 and the olderMicrosoft Lumia 640 available at promotional prices.

The Microsoft Lumia 650, the entry-level Windows 10 Mobile smartphone that Microsoft sells for a cent under $200, is now available from Cricket at $119.99. Since Cricket is a prepaid carrier, you won't be tied to a carrier agreement, although you won't be able to use the handset on other networks.

The Lumia 650 features hardware specs that include a 5-inch AMOLED panel running at 720 by 1280 pixels, an entry-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 chipset with a quad-core processor paired with 1GB of RAM, 16GB of microSD-expandable integrated storage, an LTE radio, an 8MP primary camera, and a 5MP secondary sensor on the front. All of this hardware is powered up by a 2000mAh battery.

Overall, the Microsoft Lumia 650 offers a solid build, a good display, as well as a decent camera. That's more than we can say about most other smartphones in its price range. However, as mentioned in our detailed Microsoft Lumia 650 review, the handset also comes with its fair share of drawbacks.

The Lumia 640, which was Microsoft's budget-minded Windows Phone 8.1 handset can be had from Cricket at just $29.99 for new activations, or at just $9.99 if you're switching from another carrier. 

The Lumia 640 comes with hardware specs such as a 5-inch display running at 720 by 1280 pixels, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset with a quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable internal storage, an 8MP primary camera, a 1MP selfie camera on the front and a 2500mAh battery. 

The Microsoft Lumia 640 can be updated to Windows 10 Mobile, or you can keep using the Windows Phone 8.1 OS, which is installed out of the box.

Overall, the specs of the Microsoft Lumia 640 are fairly unimpressive, but the handset makes for a great backup device. You can't really ask for more smartphone at a price of $29.99.

What do you guys think of Cricket's deals on the Lumia 640 and 650?

 Microsoft Lumia 650 Review

DESCRIPTION

The new iPad Pro is just as powerful as its 12.9-inch brother, but comes in a more compact form with a 9.7-inch True Tone display. In the camera department it has received an upgrade to a 12 megapixel unit with 4K and 1080p 240 fps video capture. Additionally there is a 5-megapixel FaceTime unit on the front. The iPad Pro 9.7-inch comes in four different colors (silver, Gold, Space Gray and Rose Gold) and three storage options (32GB, 128GB and 256GB) in either Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi plus LTE variant.