Laptops: Performance First

Laptops have become a must-have item for business people. If you had to choose a laptop, what would your primary metric be? In the WorldManager.com survey, the top three were "strong performance", "brand" and "ultra-light and ultra-thin" (see bar chart). It is clear that high-performance laptops are favored by managers. This article will introduce you to several laptop products that win with performance.

Fast processing power

For business people, the saying "time is money" is no exaggeration. Many people have heard the story of Bill Gates not stooping down to pick up money, and when the time of stooping has to be factored into the cost, let alone a slow laptop wasting time.

Apple Power Book

At the beginning of the year, Apple Computer announced the fastest and most affordable new Power Book laptop to date for the business elite and creative crowd.

Say it's fast, but it's unequivocal: Inside the iconic aluminum alloy body, there is a PowerPC G4 processor clocked up to 1.67GHz, a faster hard drive and a faster 8X SuperDrive(tm) DVD burner. 512MB of RAM, faster graphics, integrated AirPort(r) 802.11g and Bluetooth 2.0 wireless networking capabilities enable data transfer capabilities that can be up to 3 times higher than standard, enabling faster connections to external devices. The computer also adds two original technologies that Apple has applied for a patent - a scrolling trackpad and a sudden motion sensor.

The scrolling trackpad is designed for viewing long-form web pages and large images, and can be used in any program or document. By simply touching the trackpad with two fingers at the same time, users can easily scroll up and down or drag the screen left and right. Unique sudden motion sensor technology protects the high-speed spinning hard drive if the laptop is accidentally dropped. And the new 15-inch and 17-inch PowerBooks are equipped with Apple's revolutionary backlit keyboard. The keyboard's built-in ambient light sensor can automatically adjust the brightness in low light, and its brightness is 10 times higher than the previous generation. Meet the needs of the elite group of people who use computers for a long time.

Each PowerBook G4 comes pre-installed with Mac OS X version 10.3 "Panther", which includes iChat AV desktop video conferencing system, Mail, Safari(tm) web browser, etc. FileVault with security standards and 128-bit encryption technology to keep user documents safe; Instant On, which wakes the computer from sleep in less than a second; and automatic switching between Ethernet, 802.11 wireless network, or modem to choose a network connection way of Automatic Networking et al.

IBM ThinkPad T43

Every ThinkPad product launch will attract the attention of the market. As the first laptop after its marriage with Lenovo, the ThinkPad T43 is full of mystery. To the relief of many "Xiaohei" fans, the ThinkPad T43 released in March did not have any product or market changes, still targeting high-end business groups, and claiming to be "IBM's fastest computing so far" high-performance computer.

The latest ThinkPad T43 notebook is equipped with Intel's new Pentium M mobile processor, 533MHz front-end main line, the system memory can support up to 2GB DDR2 533MHz, and the hard disk capacity is up to 80GB. It also has a PC Express card slot and a traditional PC card slot. To meet customers' requirements for graphics processing power, ThinkPad T43 is also equipped with ATI RADEON X300 or ATI Mobility FireGL V3200 graphics card models to choose from.

In addition, the ThinkPad T43 is equipped with various latest versions of ThinkVantage technologies, among which the Enhanced 2.0 Emergency and Recovery System with Antidote Delivery Manager stands out. Emergency and recovery systems can help with a variety of crisis situations, from simple system file backups to recovery of damaged or deleted files. Antidote helps IT departments keep ThinkPad laptops away from various viruses and network worms through timely and effective software upgrades on corporate computers. It also allows computers to quickly capture and install upgrades, such as operating system patches, or disconnect from the network. The emergency and recovery system also includes a pre-boot environment, which can complete the upgrade even if the computer operating system has been infected with viruses or paralyzed, so that IT management and maintenance work can be completed quickly and efficiently.

Mei Minling, Greater China Marketing Director of IBM's Personal Computing Division, once summarized this product: "ThinkPad T43 can provide more powerful security and control performance, reflecting our consistent commitment to quality, innovation and secure computing. "

Strong security defense

According to statistics, the average loss of each stolen laptop in Europe and the United States is $86,920, which is much higher than the value of a $2,000 laptop. Once the plans, codes, reports, etc. stored in the notebook computer become the prey of competitors, it will cause huge losses to notebook users. Therefore, product security has become a key research issue for many notebook manufacturers.

Dell Latitude D410

The biggest feature of the Dell Latitude series is the focus on system security. The new Latitude D-Series laptops incorporate two industry-standard security technologies: Smart Card Reader and Trusted Platform Module (TPM 1.1). Combining physical and cryptographic authentication, smart cards are said to be the most cost-effective two-factor authentication solution available today, ensuring that only authorized users can access systems and data. The TPM is integrated on the system hardware and can ensure system security from both platform authentication and local machine disk drive file encryption. It helps ensure that only authorized systems can access network resources and that files stored on a particular system will be "locked" on that system.

HP Compaq nc6230

HP's nc6230 also does a good job in security. First of all, its security keyhole and cord lock can fix the notebook in place when needed, so as to eliminate the hidden danger of easy theft; in addition, when starting the notebook, it is necessary to continuously enter the security password and hard disk password, hard disk password and Smart card A secure smart card must be entered and inserted correctly at the same time to gain access to the system. More critically, the system will also be locked without the correct smart card insertion, including all interfaces such as USB. Even attempts to export data by removing the hard disk and connecting other devices were unsuccessful.

Protect Tools is used in nc6230, which is a collection of multiple software and hardware technologies such as TPM security chip. Through TPM security chip technology, users can set up personal hidden data partitions on the hard disk. The hard drive is also still not visible.

In order to solve the security problem of wireless access, this product also uses CISCO wireless security certification, Wi-Fi certification, and supports advanced AES encryption algorithm. By accessing the network through such a terminal, users do not have to worry about malicious behaviors such as interception and modification of data during wireless transmission.

Lenovo Zhaoyang A600

The Zhaoyang A600 recently launched by Lenovo is the most high-end product in Lenovo's notebook product line in the first half of 2005, and is hailed by Lenovo as "a private jet for business people". It is reported that Lenovo hopes to quickly enhance the image of Zhaoyang products through this product and drive the sales of related products.

Security is one of the selling points of this product. Zhaoyang A600 constitutes triple protection from the hardware layer, logic layer and management layer. At the hardware layer, it adopts the hard disk protection system, and designs a complete protection mechanism for the hard disk in the notebook system, and designs buffer and energy-absorbing devices in six directions, which can protect the hard disk from damage caused by accidents such as shock, vibration, and drop; In the logic layer, it has built-in I disk of Lenovo's latest generation security protection solution. When the I disk is removed, the machine is in a locked state, and illegal users cannot obtain the information in it even if they get the hard disk. The I disk itself is also encrypted in multiple layers, so even if an illegal user gets the I disk, the password cannot be obtained. Relying on the unique design of the I disk, Lenovo's security solution has obtained the only security information product certification for notebook computers from the Ministry of Public Security so far.

On the basis of security encryption, A600 has also developed password butler and ice-blocking system solutions in terms of management security design. The password housekeeper mainly relieves the user from the trouble of forgetting the password; the freezing system can lock the system at any moment, just like the system is frozen quickly, and the subsequent operations become virtual operations, which will not destroy the data or the system. Users can open questionable emails, test new software or other operations that may damage the system after starting the frozen system. After the operation is over, start the system recovery on it. At the same time, it also supports customer file backup, file encryption, system backup and recovery and other functions.

Abundant entertainment functions

In traditional concepts, business notebooks pay more attention to stability and security performance, while home notebooks pay more attention to entertainment. However, with the increasing maturity of notebook technology, this boundary is becoming more and more blurred, and the entertainment functions of commercial notebooks are also enriched. Here is a brief introduction to three entertainment-rich laptops.

BenQ Joybook S52

Earlier this year, BenQ released the S52, a widescreen notebook computer using Intel's latest Sonoma mobile platform. Intel has said that the "Sonoma" mobile platform has twice the graphics performance of previous products and can better support video, audio and games. The combination of S52 and "Sonoma" makes it a product that focuses on mobile office and entertainment needs. As an important part of the Sonoma mobile platform, the new Dothan CPU at the core has a further increase in the maximum frequency and memory performance, and its integrated graphics chip is sufficient to handle 3D games, play DVDs and even higher-resolution videos. Supports high-quality audio such as Dolby Sound and 7.1 surround sound.

Moreover, the BenQ Joybook S52 uses a 13-inch wide-screen LCD panel, which is comparable to a 14-inch ordinary notebook, but has a 25% increase in viewing area, which can display more content in the same display area. The 200nits super bright screen increases the brightness by 33%. The 15:9 aspect ratio not only helps to browse multiple windows at the same time, or display more fields in the office document, but also provides a better visual sense when watching DVD movies. In addition, the S52 also has a built-in SRS sound processing chip, which allows users to experience a 360-degree surround effect through the front 1.5W stereo speakers.

In terms of software, among the software packages included with the S52, some software developed by BenQ with independent intellectual property rights include Qpresentation, Qcamera and Qpower. Among them, the new QPresentation can automatically detect and adjust the resolution to the best state when the widescreen notebook is connected to the projector, projecting a full-screen image with a display ratio of 4:3, and the presenter does not need to manually adjust it before the performance. And the new QCamera uses BenQ's unique GUI technology to make the whole program act like a virtual digital camera. It can be used with Web Cam to directly shoot and edit photos. It can also create various special effects through a variety of filters, or create photo stickers. and Dynamic Albums.

Fujitsu LifeBook S7011

As the first Fujitsu S-series LifeBook laptops with magnesium alloy black casing, the S7011 is equipped with a 14-inch ultra-bright dazzling screen, providing excellent movie viewing and rich media playback functions. With the built-in combo drive, it is convenient for business people to enjoy DVD movies while busy at work. In addition, for the security needs of fashionable business people, LifeBook S7011 is equipped with a new second-generation fingerprint identification system [AuthenTec's TruePrint (accurate fingerprint identification technology)] in addition to BIOS lock, hard disk lock and anti-theft lock slot, so as to Enables mobile professionals to achieve a balance of style and confidence at work and play.

Acer Aspire 9100

The newly launched Acer Aspire 9100 is called "luxury entertainment audio and video", and its focus is on the entertainment functions of digital media. Its exclusive Arcade key design allows users to instantly activate the on-screen menu through the Aspire Media Console control panel without turning on the phone, and click on the use modes such as video, music, video, album, recorder, etc.; 15.4-inch high-brightness Mirror widescreen LCD It has a 16:10 theater-style wide viewing angle, which is 25% brighter than the general 15-inch LCD; built-in ATI MOBILITY RADEON 600 graphics processing chip, equipped with 128MB high independent video memory, the display chip supports ATI POWERPLAY 5.0, Microsoft DirectX 9.0, PCI Express, and many other latest technologies, such as DualView, can provide more vivid display effect in 3D and multimedia image processing.

In addition, this computer is powered by 2nd generation Intel Centrino mobile computing technology with Intel Pentium M processor 1.4GHz or higher, Intel 855PM chipset and 802.11b wireless LAN connection with Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 technology, supports SpeedStep power-saving technology; and the DVD Dual Double Layer recording device it uses can record twice as much data as ordinary DVD recorders, and has a built-in three-in-one card reader, which is convenient for users to share data on digital cameras and other products. data.