Touchscreen Mobile Phones for Christmas – Blackberry Storm and Samsung Pixon

admin    8615     Blackberry, Christmas, Mobile, Phones, Pixon, Samsung, Storm, Touchscreen

Touchscreen Mobile Phones for Christmas – Blackberry Storm and Samsung Pixon

Touchscreen mobile phones sell like hotcakes nowadays, thanks to the iPhone. Love it or hate it, it gave other manufacturers a kick up the backside to produce touchscreen mobile phones that could top it. And now, there are two new contenders: the Samsung Pixon and the phenomenal Blackberry Storm.

Samsung Pixon – the touchscreen mobile phone with 8 massive megapixels

What happens if you take a sleek touchscreen interface, and weld it into a mobile phone that has one of the best cameras known to man? You get the Samsung Pixon, a handset that may very possibly dominate the world of camera-equipped mobile phones this Christmas! The touchscreen interface no the Samsung Pixon is truly a joy to use, and easily measures up to more famous mobile phones (oh ok, the iPhone). But aside from the amazing usability is the long list of features in the Samsung Pixon. The 8 megapixel camera is obviously the star of the show here, as it’s more powerful than most other mobile phones on the market, and features things like face/smile/blink detection, and image stabiliser, to make the Samsung Pixon a properly powerful snapper. Other key features include GPS, fast HSDPA internet and tons of multimedia options.

Blackberry Storm – Causing a storm in the world of mobile phones

For a while, there were rumours of touchscreen Blackberry mobile phones being made. And the rumours came true. But, you see, this isn’t just any mobile phone. The fact is this: the new touchscreen Blackberry Storm is one of the single most innovative and best mobile phones ever made! Ok, it may have taken some design cues from the iPhone (although, in my opinion, the Blackberry Storm is better looking), but it builds on the iPhone experience by being the first device EVER in the world of mobile phones to have a movable, ‘clicky’ screen. In other words, when you press on the screen of the Blackberry Storm, it moves into the phone ever so slightly, and feels exactly like you’re pressing a physical key. That makes the Blackberry Storm’s onscreen keyboard the best I’ve ever, ever come across, and believe me on this: it’s absolutely brilliant to use! In terms of features, the Blackberry Storm gives you a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA internet, GPS (de rigueur for mobile phones these days) and fantastic media playback. Oh, and the amazing Blackberry email service, let’s not forget that… But it’s that screen that’s really going to wow you on the Blackberry Storm, over and over again!

Samsung Pixon vs Blackberry Storm – which should you ask Santa for this year?

So, when you get right down to it, which of these amazing touchscreen mobile phones should you go for? Should you go for the Samsung Pixon, or the Blackberry Storm? The key question you need to ask yourself is what you want it for. If you want an awesome camera, pretty much unequalled in the world of mobile phones, then the one for you is the Samsung Pixon. But for everything else, the Blackberry Storm is the winner. Especially with that screen, which is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen on any mobile phones ever. And I’ve seen a few, in my time! Put simply, whilst the Samsung Pixon may have the better camera, the Blackberry Storm absolutely canes it in every other way!

Related Blackberry Articles

Online Advertising India: Get Ahead of Offline Competition

admin    Web Marketing     Advertising, Ahead, Competition, India, Offline, Online

Online Advertising India: Get Ahead of Offline Competition

Internet has been noticed as a feasible medium now. The rise in awareness, about the feasibility of this medium has also been identified by the advertisers. This is one of the reasons behind advertisers heading towards Internet advertising. The scenario of online advertising India would cater to all groups of organizations and their brands.

With effective growth in Indian Internet user base, online advertising is on the minds of smart advertisers. The feasibility of this advertising medium is responsible for achieving this response from the advertisers. Now, when it comes to user response, then 46 million users is a sizeable number that forms the target market for online advertising India. On top of that, there were over 41,000 advertisers that targeted Indian users in 2006 (IAMAI).

The data suggests that there is a lucrative market out there. The users of this medium access it from offices, at home and cyber cafes too. They indulge in variety of activities like social media interactions, sourcing information, researching, study, analysis, work etc. In addition to it, the advertisers have been utilizing the strength of banner network India for achieving cutting edge promotions. Such a network is formed with the collaboration of advertisers, agencies and publishers, which organizes the flow of banners across online ad spaces.

The online advertising India is not at all limited to just the network but it also offers a whole range of advertising and marketing solutions. The advertisers are now inclined towards the dotcom part of advertising. This is clear from the fact that around 291 brands India had an ad spend of over Rs.10 lacs (IAMAI). No doubt that the users and their trends of surfing are proving attractive for the advertisers.

Moreover, the Internet advertising agencies offer targeted delivery of ads. The delivery of ads is done with the use of technologies like central ad server. Also, the targeting has a few parameters that enable the agency to distinguish the target audience for the advertisers. It can be based on location, connection type, browser type, day/time, IP tracking, user data etc. All this and lot more contributes to online advertising India but it is just about, how efficiently it would be taken in use by both the leading brands and the SMEa (Small and Medium Enterprises).

Related Online Advertising Articles

You Got the Touch – Nokia 5800 and Nokia N97

admin    8615     5800, Nokia, Touch

You Got the Touch – Nokia 5800 and Nokia N97

Anyone who likes touchscreen phones should be excited; the biggest name in the game has announced not one, but TWO mobile phones: the svelte Nokia 5800 and the unbelievably mind-blowing Nokia N97.

Off to a bad start – Nokia’s early attempts at a touchscreen phone

Many people are under the incorrect impression that the Nokia 5800 is the first touchscreen phone to wear the Nokia label. It isn’t. Quite the opposite, in fact, there have been several touch-based phones to wear the Nokia brand. Starting at the 7700, the world has seen a few Nokia mobile phones that are controlled by you prodding and poking the screen. They all had reasonably big (for their time) screens, but but unfortunately, they shared something else: they were irredeemably awful. Only one of those mobile phones, the 6708, showed a modicum potential, but that was made solely to be sold in China, and thus, it wasn’t meant for us in these sceptred isles. The mobile phones WE got were, and I use this phrase with much feeling, total, and complete toss.

However, those unpleasant recollections have all been removed by the debut of a pair of new Nokia mobile phones, both of which have touch-sensitive displays, and both of which are so much more alluring…

Nokia 5800 – if music be the food of love…

First on the roster is a brand new entrant into Nokia’s Xpress line of music mobile phones, the mouth-watering Nokia 5800. This phone is quite obviously designed for music and video; you can tell by the dedicated XpressMedia button that opens a list of shortcuts to music, videos, the web, and so on. Oh, and the Nokia 5800 has a 3.2 inch touchscreen, to let you muck about with those different media files. Essentially, the Nokia 5800 was designed to be a little handheld jukebox and movie player, and as music handsets go, this is just about the prettiest. The Nokia 5800 has also got a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA data access and sat-nav, making it a wonderful all-rounder, as well as a superb media player. Oh, and it’s got a strap to fasten on an imitation guitar plectrum. That’s pretty cool, that.

However, the Nokia 5800 is very definitely a mid-range handset; it’s not, nor will it ever be, a full-fat top-ender. That position falls to another handset…

Nokia N97 – the single best phone EVER made?

With the Nokia 5800 all set to deliver touch-based mobile phones to the mid-range market, that opens up a massive gap at the very top-endof the product range; well, there IS a touchscreen mobile phone on its way to fill that gap: the utterly awesome Nokia N97. This takes the same Symbian S60 Touch operating system and packages it inside the body of a proper, full-on smartphone. So it has a massive, 3.5 inch screen, a kick out QWERTY keyboard, and the camera’s been upgraded to 5 megapixels. The Nokia N97 is, as should be glaringly obvious, destined to be the new flagship Nseries mobile phone, and it really is as powerful as the rumours had us believe, with HSDPA, sat-nav, digital compass, and integrated Flash, meaning you have an internet experience that tops any other mobile phones! Put simply the Nokia N97 is simple incredible. It easily outdoes other mobile phones and while the Nokia 5800 aims to take over the mid-range, I’m predicting that the Nokia N97 will completely DESTROY the competition next year!

Is the iPad the future of computing?

admin    8615     Computing, Future, Ipad

Is the iPad the future of computing?

We got our hands on a 64GB iPad and decided to compare it to a current-model netbook – after all, these two devices are different ways of approaching the same market.

APPLE A1080 laptop battery

First, the price. There’s no doubt that the iPad is more expensive. Our perfectly capable Asus netbook cost us around £250; the iPad £599. That’s a bit of a blow – you could get a very decent laptop for that price, or two netbooks, although we grant you that you can get the basic iPad for just over £400.

Apple A1078 Laptop Battery

Battery life comes next. Our netbook claims around 11 hours’ use – and we can confirm that it’s not far off the mark. On a flight to New York, we used the netbook immediately after wheels up and until descent – for word processing. After around 6 hours continual use, there was almost 4 hours battery life left. Stunning. And the iPad? Well, it comes in at slightly less than that, but not much. Call it a draw.

Apple A1079 laptop battery

When it comes to weight, the iPad wins, being much lighter than the netbook. But things are not so straightforward – our in-flight test with the netbook also required that we carry e-books and music, so we had to add an iPod and a Kindle to the weight, and the whole package was getting on to be as heavy as a laptop. The iPad is just one device – but it can do the lot. OK, it’s not as good a book reader as the Kindle (because of the bright screen) but it’s capable. Hands-down winner, the iPad.

In use, things get a little more interesting (and less straightforward). The netbook was running Windows 7 and of course the iPad was running Apple’s iOS. Windows 7 gave us great application compatibility with Windows applications, but it proved to be a clunky workmate on a small machine. Despite having 1GB of RAM, it was slow to start, though mostly fine once it got rolling. The nature of the netbook and the basic version of Windows 7 Starter meant no Aero graphics, so you do feel like you’re getting a second rate experience. The iPad, in contrast, was always rapid – and we mean that. Not just quick, but rapid. With an OS that’s built from the ground up to be used on the hoof, and with your fingers, it’s surprisingly productive for most things.

But there’s a conceptual difference between the iPad and a netbook that’s not immediately obvious. The iPad is great for consuming media, it can be less good for creating it. It’s designed as a machine for use on the go, so it does less by design – and does things in a significantly different way. With the iPad, we used apps to create mind-maps, user interface mockups, presentations and so on – and it was great. But when it came to typing thousands of words, the netbook, with its real keyboard, was the winner. You can touch type on the netbook at close to your usual speed, but not on the iPad – in fact, not anything like it, unless you pair it with a Bluetooth keyboard or use the rather wobbly keyboard dock. But we’d still say the overall winner is the iPad – unless you need to write a lot. The OS is designed to be used on a mobile device, Windows is not. You can use the iPad OS comfortably at arm’s length, with the netbook you’re always, always squinting at the screen.

So, if you are writing vast amounts, take the netbook right? Well, possibly not if you also want to listen to music or read. Then, it might be better to compromise, take a Bluetooth keyboard and sacrifice a few words per minute for weight and flexibility.

(Now, before you e-mail us, we do know that you can read books on the netbook, using the Kindle application. You can also – just about – watch a film. But in both cases, a netbook is a very poor vehicle for doing these, whereas an iPad does them very well indeed. Films are stunning on the iPad’s screen.)

The iPad is also interesting in other ways. Computers have long been too complex for many mere mortals. The notion of a computer that works as simply as a (say) fridge or kettle has never been viable. Even one as simple as a VCR has been impossible. But the iPad is that device. It’s always on. There are few buttons. Little to learn. When you install an app, you don’t have to answer any questions that you might not understand; you don’t even have to know where the app is going to be installed. In fact, you never get sight of anything like a file system. That whole layer of complexity that IT professionals take for granted (and let’s face it can use with much greater ease than your Gran) simply isn’t there. Now that is how a mass-market computer should work.

There are flaws to the iPad. Famously, there’s no support for Flash, for instance. Steve Jobs may insist we don’t need it and that he knows best by not providing it, but we say ‘nonsense’. If we want Flash, we should have it – even if we accept that it saps the battery and can crash the browser. We’re grown-ups, we can make that decision ourselves. You also can’t print from it, although some apps that will enable printing are around the corner. It’s also difficult to use as your only machine – although you can buy direct from the Apple store for apps, music and so on. Syncing via iTunes is fine if you have one device, but if you also have an iPhone, it’s a fag to keep connecting each to sync things up – for goodness’ sake, it’s 2010 – go wireless!

We also had the iPad refuse to work when it had been left in the sun for too long – the black surround and glass screen is a real heat magnet. When we powered on, we got a ‘need to cool down, too hot to use’ error. But fair enough, it was a daft thing to do.

But with two million iPads sold within a few weeks, the product is a runaway success – one that no one, ever, has been able to create with any other tablet. The Google tablet, which is not far from release, will almost certainly be much cheaper – and Android 2 is pretty capable, if not quite as slick as iOS. We expect this type of device to become mainstream pretty rapidly. We also do think that it points the way to the future of computing – or at least certain types of computing. Less hassle, maintenance and knowhow really does mean a machine that almost anyone can pick up and use right away.

Social Media Marketing Strategies

admin    Social Media Marketing     marketing, Media, Social, Strategies

Social Media Marketing Strategies

Social media involvement can help you keep customers, find and develop new ones, and manage your business reputation among other benefits. SMM as a new addition to your traditional marketing method is not at all similar to buying the latest fashion accessory.

One of the latest techniques for driving targeted traffic to your website is using what are called social media. Social media are websites and applications that specialize in sharing and discussing information among other interested people.

The most effective social media marketing strategy is to advertise yourself by offering value, sharing the good and bad with your followers. When you build your business around you, your name and create a following of people interactive media marketing will work.

Social Media refers to activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. The internet is perfect for this as the various ways you communicate online today have gone far beyond emailing or having a website.

For the most traffic, social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and LinkedIn may be good starters sites, but don’t forget the appeal of article distribution either. EzineArticles publishes hundreds of articles every day under just about any category you can think of. At the bottom of each article is what is called a “Resource Box,” where links to a product or website can be clicked for easy access.

Delicious allows you to save and organize your bookmarks and share them with other Delicious users. Much like Digg adding your own content to Delicious is the best way to start spreading the word about your sites content and hope other people pick up on it as well.

Social media marketing strategies have the potential to make a company’s products and services go viral if businesses are able to grasp the effectiveness of establishing a brand and a brand reputation online. Social media marketing strategies are a great method of branding who and what  a business is and helping that business build relationships.

Another fact of social media strategy will include a number special methods and tools. Only Bookmarking is not enough, and it ties in very well with other social networking sites like Face book or MySpace. Method of pay per click campaign can take your product in front of more customers faster, and could be crucial to the process of branding.

Dental social media marketing provides many benefits including helping to build stronger relationships with patients. This will then mean that there is a better chance of getting repeat business and after the relationships grow stronger between dentist and their patients it would mean being able to build a sound social network.

The communities of social media are what attract users. Compelling communities that flourish attract more people and make sites worth visiting. For example, as the community on Facebook grew and attracted people from all walks of life, people were slowly drawn away from Myspace and moved over to Facebook.

LinkedIn is used to further marketing efforts as well. Companies can develop individual groups on LinkedIn and attract thousands of members, which convert well to prospects. The group serves as a place on LinkedIn for members to network and discuss relevant industry topics.

Find More Social Media Marketing Articles

Water Utilities in Poland – Market Reserach Report on Aarkstore Enterprise

admin    Web Marketing     Aarkstore, Enterprise, Market, Poland, Report, Reserach, Utilities, Water

Water Utilities in Poland – Market Reserach Report on Aarkstore Enterprise

Water Utilities in Poland industry profile is an essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the Water Utilities industry. It includes detailed data on market size and segmentation, plus textual and graphical analysis of the key trends and competitive landscape, leading companies and demographic information.

Scope

* Contains an executive summary and data on value, volume and/or segmentation

* Provides textual analysis of the industry’s recent performance and future prospects

* Incorporates in-depth five forces competitive environment analysis and scorecards

* Includes a five-year forecast of the industry

* The leading companies are profiled with supporting key financial metrics

* Supported by the key macroeconomic and demographic data affecting the market

Highlights

* Detailed information is included on market size, measured by value and/or volume

* Five forces scorecards provide an accessible yet in depth view of the market’s competitive landscape

Why you should buy this report

* Spot future trends and developments

* Inform your business decisions

* Add weight to presentations and marketing materials

* Save time carrying out entry-level research

Market Definition

The water utilities industry consists of all water that is collected, treated and distributed to agricultural, industrial, and residential end-users. The industry is valued using average annual end-user prices alongside consumption volumes. All currency conversions used in the creation of this report have been calculated using constant 2008 annual average exchange rates.

For the purpose of this report Europe is deemed to comprise of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

Table of Contents :

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
CHAPTER 1 Market Overview 7
1.1 Market Definition 7
1.2 Research Highlights 7
1.3 Market Analysis 8
CHAPTER 2 Market Value 9
CHAPTER 3 Market Volume 10
CHAPTER 4 Market Segmentation I 11
CHAPTER 5 Market Segmentation II 12
CHAPTER 6 Five Forces Analysis 13
6.1 Summary 13
6.2 Buyer Power 15
6.3 Supplier Power 16
6.4 New Entrants 17
6.5 Substitutes 19
6.6 Rivalry 20
CHAPTER 7 Leading Companies 21
7.1 Miejskie Przedsiebiorstwo Wodociagow I Kanalizacji in Lublin 21
7.2 Gornoslaskie Przedsiebiorstwo Wodociagow S.A. 22
7.3 Miejskie Przedsiebiorstwo Wodociagow I Kanalizacji in Krakow 23
CHAPTER 8 Market Forecasts 24
8.1 Market Value Forecast 24
8.2 Market Volume Forecast 25
CHAPTER 9 Macroeconomic Indicators 26
CHAPTER 10 Appendix 28
10.1 Methodology 28
10.2 Industry Associations 29
10.3 Related Datamonitor Research 29

For more information, please visit :

http://www.aarkstore.com/reports/Water-Utilities-in-Poland-31270.html

Android, Catch the Wave of the Future!

admin    8615     Android, Catch, Future, Wave

Android, Catch the Wave of the Future!

Android isn’t just for cellphones anymore. Which means that there will come a day when Android is more important than the iPhone, more important than Windows, and more important than any one device.

Android is an open source operating system created by Google for primary use on smartphones, and is currently in use on many cellphones such as the Motorola Droid, the HTC Droid Eris, the HTC Hero, the HTC Desire, the MyTouch 3G Slide, and the Dell Streak.

Recently there’s been a developer release of the Android operating system for use on the x86 archictecture, which will eventually allow Android to be ported to tablets, netbooks and even onto laptops and desktops, as well as onto many other devices, such as set-top boxes, video game systems, home control systems and other things not even thought of yet.

Android is written in Java on a modified version of the Linux kernel. Because of its open architecture, it’s easy for developers to build applications to run on the Android operating system. Unlike the Apple closed architecture, with its draconian gatekeepers, anyone capable of coding can write an application to run on Android. And if Google’s rules are followed, that application will be made available to all Android users.

What that means to you is that if you want your cellphone to do something it doesn’t currently do, and there isn’t an Android application that does it, you have the ability to contract with a developer to have an application built that will allow your cellphone to do exactly what you want, though there are also developer groups who, if the idea is a great one, may take your project on in exchange for the ability to put their name on it and offer servicing and customization of that application, which is the way open source works. The sky is the limit!

As of this writing there are approximately two Android phones activated per second. Because Android is offered on so many great phones, with many new ones to be launched soon, it won’t be long before Android phones hold a greater market share than any other operating system on any other phone, including the iPhone, especially since the Android 2.2 Froyo release supports Adobe Flash, a sticking point with the iPhone and other cellphones. Android 2.2 Froyo is right now being rolled out to the Nexus One, and will soon be available for most other Android phones.

Curso Entrenamiento Branding Personal Y Presencia En Internet.

admin    Twitter Marketing     Branding, Curso, Entrenamiento, Internet, personal, Presencia

Curso Entrenamiento Branding Personal Y Presencia En Internet.
Aprende Como Proyectar Tu Negocio En Internet Desarrollando Tu Marca Personal Y Lograr Posicionarte Como Lider De Tu Temática. Altas Comisiones Y Todos El Material De Promocion. Visita Http://www.creatumarcaonline.com/afiliados.
Curso Entrenamiento Branding Personal Y Presencia En Internet.

The Job Seeker’s Guide To Social Media.
80% Of Employers Will Look You Up Online. Is Your LinkedIn Profile The Best 1st Impression? This Video Training Program Takes The Job Seeker Through 5 Vital Steps For Mastering The Online Job Search, Over 5 Hrs Of Training & Resources For Finding A Job.
The Job Seeker’s Guide To Social Media.

Water Utilities in Russia – Market Reserach Report on Aarkstore Enterprise

admin    Web Marketing     Aarkstore, Enterprise, Market, Report, Reserach, Russia, Utilities, Water

Water Utilities in Russia – Market Reserach Report on Aarkstore Enterprise

Water Utilities in Russia industry profile is an essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the Water Utilities industry. It includes detailed data on market size and segmentation, plus textual and graphical analysis of the key trends and competitive landscape, leading companies and demographic information.

Scope

* Contains an executive summary and data on value, volume and/or segmentation

* Provides textual analysis of the industry’s recent performance and future prospects

* Incorporates in-depth five forces competitive environment analysis and scorecards

* Includes a five-year forecast of the industry

* The leading companies are profiled with supporting key financial metrics

* Supported by the key macroeconomic and demographic data affecting the market

Highlights

* Detailed information is included on market size, measured by value and/or volume

* Five forces scorecards provide an accessible yet in depth view of the market’s competitive landscape

Why you should buy this report

* Spot future trends and developments

* Inform your business decisions

* Add weight to presentations and marketing materials

* Save time carrying out entry-level research

Market Definition

The water utilities industry consists of all water that is collected, treated and distributed to agricultural, industrial, and residential end-users. The industry is valued using average annual end-user prices alongside consumption volumes. All currency conversions used in the creation of this report have been calculated using constant 2008 annual average exchange rates.

For the purpose of this report Europe is deemed to comprise of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

Table of Contents :

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
CHAPTER 1 Market Overview 7
1.1 Market Definition 7
1.2 Research Highlights 7
1.3 Market Analysis 8
CHAPTER 2 Market Value 9
CHAPTER 3 Market Volume 10
CHAPTER 4 Market Segmentation I 11
CHAPTER 5 Market Segmentation II 12
CHAPTER 6 Five Forces Analysis 13
6.1 Summary 13
6.2 Buyer Power 15
6.3 Supplier Power 16
6.4 New Entrants 17
6.5 Substitutes 18
6.6 Rivalry 19
CHAPTER 7 Leading Companies 20
7.1 Mosvodokanal 20
7.2 Gorvodokanal Novosibirska, SUE 21
7.3 Kostroma Vodokanal 22
CHAPTER 8 Market Forecasts 23
8.1 Market Value Forecast 23
8.2 Market Volume Forecast 24
CHAPTER 9 Macroeconomic Indicators 25
CHAPTER 10 Appendix 27
10.1 Methodology 27
10.2 Industry Associations 28
10.3 Related Datamonitor Research 28

For more information, please visit :

http://www.aarkstore.com/reports/Water-Utilities-in-Russia-31271.html

More Demographics Articles

Asus Ul50Vf Review

admin    8615     Asus, Review, Ul50Vf

Asus Ul50Vf Review

The new ASUS sony vgp-bps8 UL50Vf is an update to the popular 15-inch UL50Vt and offers the all-new Nvidia Optimus switchable graphics. Why are we reviewing this modest update? Because Optimus is honestly the first switchable graphics solution that works like it should.

Our ASUS UL50Vf has the following specifications:

15-inch 720p (1366×768) display with LED backlighting
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 Ultra Low Voltage processor (1.3GHz/3MB L2/800MHz FSB) overclocked to 1.73GHz/1066MHz FSB
Switchable graphics: Nvidia GeForce G210M w/ 512MB GDDR3 dedicated and Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated with Nvidia Optimus
4GB DDR3-1066 RAM
320GB 5400RPM hard drive
802.11n wireless
DVD Super Multi drive
Two-year warranty w/ one year accidental damage coverage
8-cell Li-ion battery 84Wh (5800mAh)
Weight: 5.3 lbs
Dimensions: 15.4” x 10.4” x 1.1”
MSRP: 9.99

Build and Design
The ASUS UL50Vf features a design that is identical UL50Vt and similar to the 14-inch UL80Vt. This is a classic clamshell design with smooth lines and rounded edges. The drop point hinges give the notebook an almost aerodynamic look and the plastic construction keeps this 15-inch notebook reasonably light weight. A height of only 1.1 inches it is certainly a thin machine, and the inward chiseled sides make it look even thinner. The UL50Vf, like the rest of the UL series, has an all-plastic construction with the exception of the aluminum-backed lid. All visible plastic surfaces are glossy which means dust and fingerprints show up easily. If you like to keep your notebook looking new you’ll need to keep a microfiber cloth handy for constant cleaning.

The brushed aluminum lid is the most classy design element on this notebook and gives this otherwise all-plastic notebook a touch of durability. Once open, the island-style (Chiclet-style) keyboard helps to make this visually boring notebook a little more appealing. The palmrests are large enough to give you a comfortable resting place while typing and the flush-mount touchpad is likewise nice and large.

Unfortunately, those glossy plastics that give the UL50Vf a modern look and keep weight low also make the notebook chassis too weak and flexible. We were able to visibly twist the notebook (both open and closed) with modest pressure, meaning this notebook might be vulnerable to damage inside a backpack with heavy books. This high amount of flex indicates that the notebook’s internal frame is not strong enough to overcome the weakness in the external plastics.

In addition, the plastic screen bezel below the screen is flimsy enough that we can pull it away from the screen with little effort. In short, while the plastics themselves offer reasonable build quality, the lack of a strong internal frame and poor fit of some plastics make the UL50Vf feel less durable than most 15-inch notebooks.

The bottom of the UL50Vf offers users the ability to quickly access the RAM and hard drive bay for easy upgrades at home. We like the fact that ASUS uses a single access panel so owners don’t have to remove multiple covers from the bottom of the notebook if they want to upgrade the RAM and hard drive at the same time. However, the use of four screws seems like overkill and makes upgrades a little more time consuming than needed.

Screen and Speakers
The UL50Vf has a 15-inch display with LED backlighting, a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a 1366×768 resolution. Its glossy coating makes images look clearer at the expense of glare/reflections under bright sunlight or indoor lights. The display has plenty of brightness but the contrast is low, making pictures look slightly washed out if you set the brightness to maximum. Horizontal viewing angles are adequate enough for sharing movies with a friend on a plane, but vertical viewing angles are limited and you’ll need to be tilt the screen just right to get an accurate picture. The biggest problem we have with this display is the unacceptably low resolution of 1366×768. A 15-inch notebook with a 16:9 screen ratio should have a minimum screen resolution of 1600×900 pixels. Most 11-inch notebooks now offer 1366×768 resolution so it’s just plain sad to see such a low resolution on a 15-inch screen.

The stereo speakers on the UL50Vf offer little in terms of range or bass. Volume levels are not loud enough at the maximum setting and the sound is very tinny. The downward-firing speakers also mean that audio will sound muffled when using this notebook as a “laptop” since the sound is directed at your lap or crotch. The headphone jack is fortunately static-free and the best way to get audio out of the notebook.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The UL50Vf has a Chiclet/island style keyboard with a dedicated number pad for those who still use number pads for quick data entry. While the island-style keys have more space between them than a traditional keyboard layout this particular keyboard suffers from flex.The keyboard flexs under firm typing pressure on the right side above the optical drive. This is unfortunate because the area of flex is right where the dedicated number pad is located and you’re likely to notice the flex while typing numbers. The keys are also noisier than we prefer … producing a “click clack” sound while typing.

The ELAN touchpad is also below average with limited driver functionality and few setting options to improve cursor movement. Its glossy surface is difficult to track on and the single-piece button is somewhat noisy and difficult to press with shallow feedback. You will have to apply pressure at the far left and right edges of the touchpad button to get clicks to register.

Ports and Features
The UL50Vf has a reasonable number of ports just like the UL50Vt.You get three USB ports and HDMI out for connecting your laptop to your HDTV and a VGA port for connecting to a projector or external monitor. The notebook also has a Kensington Lock slot and built-in Bluetooth. All picture descriptions are left to right.

Performance and Benchmarks
The UL50Vf continues the trend in ASUS notebooks to overclock the Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) Core 2 Duo processor from 1.3GHz to 1.73GHz, giving it a nice performance boost over the stock speed CULV processors. Combined with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a nice 320GB hard drive, the UL50Vf is perfectly capable of handling everyday tasks like Microsoft Office or Photoshop and can even handle more intensive video editing applications and games thanks to the Nvidia graphics card.

The Nvidia GeForce G210M is a mainstream graphics card and, as such, it can’t play games like Crysis very well. We did test the system with Left 4 Dead and World In Conflict and the G210M handled both those games at native screen resolution and medium detail settings with perfectly playable frame rates (25+ frames per second). Although the ASUS UL50Vf clearly isn’t intended to be a gaming notebook, the 16 shader units and 64-bit memory interface of the Nvidia G210M should be enough for casual gaming.

The big headline with the UL50Vf is that it is the first notebook on the market to offer Nvidia Optimus … Nvidia’s newest switchable graphics solution. For average consumers, all you need to know is that Optimus is the first switchable graphics solution that works the way switchable graphics should. In short, you don’t do anything. Optimus automatically detects when a piece of software needs to run on the dedicated GPU and turns on the Nvidia dedicated graphics. When you aren’t running software that needs dedicated graphics the Nvidia GPU automatically shuts off and the Intel integrated graphics do all the work.

Bottom line, you get better performance when you need it and better battery life when you’re just browsing the web or running Microsoft Office. Older switchable graphics solutions from Nvidia and ATI rely on manual switching: You either have to reboot your notebook or you have to manually tell the notebook to switch between integrated graphics and dedicated graphics. As a result, most people with switchable graphics either leave their notebooks in IGP or GPU mode all the time and don’t bother to switch back and forth. Optimus is the first switchable graphics solution that does all the work for you so you don’t have to think about it.

If you are a “power user” and like to control when your system is using the graphics card you can right click any application and manually tell the notebook to use the Intel IGP or the Nvidia GPU. There is a minor delay of a second or two when launching an application while Optimus determines the correct graphics solution and either continues using the Intel IGP or switches to the Nvidia GPU, but it won’t be noticed by most users and may be corrected in an Nvidia driver update. Honestly, we’re so thrilled with Nvidia’s Optimus that we hope all notebooks with switchable graphics work like this before the end of the year.Sony VGP-BPS9/S

With all that said, here are the synthetic performance benchmarks for those who want to see how the UL50Vf compares to other notebooks. All benchmarks were run with the processor overclocked to 1.73GHz.