lgpOnTheMove

First Impressions - Microsoft Surface RT

In a first here at lgpOnTheMove, I felt it's now time to put Microsoft's Surface RT under a bit of detailed scrutiny. After all, Microsoft has never been a company famous for hardware, yet it's answer to the iPad and Android alternatives comes in the form of a very unique and, some may say, compelling product.

With the company trailing behind in the tablet market, both on the hardware and software front, can the Surface RT capture users with it's blend of Windows OS running on ARM and product design? Are the features of the Surface RT good enough to make it a viable work tool and netbook replacement, aside from content consumption? Read on as I explore these aspects and more.

It's no accident 11.6" notebooks (or netbooks depending on your viewpoint) have been improving greatly over the years. Since my first exposure to AMD's Nile effort in 2010, followed by Intel's response with ULV Sandy Bridge 15 months later, each newer iteration has afforded consumers improved CPU/GPU performance along with a longer stretch in battery life.

Introduced during 2012, Intel's ULV Ivy Bridge is currently the top-of-the-line solution for maximizing battery life with performance. While finding a consumer 11.6" notebook has been tough given the focus on ultrabooks and slates of recent, HP had no hesitation creating a business-class 11.6" notebook with this sought-after platform. Does the Elitebook 2170p manage to tick all the boxes? Let's take a look!

Professional writers and bloggers looking for a no-nonsense work tool need look no further than Microsoft's Surface RT. The ~~$499~~ $299 slate delivers a comparable typing experience to using Word on a notebook, yet does so at a size/weight that makes it more portable than even a svelte netbook.

The secret to the Surface RT slate's amazing capability lies not only in part to the Windows RT OS, but the slate's ability to pair and work with both keyboards and pointing devices. Full desktop browser support also means you can forgo those watered-down blogging apps, allowing native access to your site's content management system. Watch as I show how you can effortlessly create and publish a complete article with Blogger's web interface using the Surface RT paired with just the Type Cover keyboard attachment and my Logitech M570 wireless trackball.

OK - so I'm bad at keeping secrets! Regular readers here at lgpOnTheMove will know I've had my eye on HP's 11.6" ULV Ivy Bridge notebook ever since learning about it's release in the second half of 2012. The Elitebook 2170p caters to a very specific niche, namely the sub-13" enterprise notebook user.

While it's clear 10" netbooks are done for 2013, 11.6" form-factors continue to thrive this year alongside negating all the performance drawbacks of Intel's Atom. Feel free to take a closer look as I show you around this compact and very lightweight notebook, and make sure to check back next week for the full review.

As seems to be turning into a common jaunt for me now, I'm yet again beginning the new year in Las Vegas marching through the halls at CES. 2013 introduces yet more flashy devices and new technology for consumers to drool over, never mind the endless armada of accessory bling and sometimes questionable vaporware.

This year continues the slate attack, fueled primarily by Windows 8. But while MS was absent from the show this year, advances from companies such as Intel made certain that new devices would be on display for both notebook and slate aficionados alike. With the show winding down for another year and the 150,000-or-so attendees leaving sin city in the dust, I can again look back on the week's events.

For anybody who has ever visited or worked a convention, you will know that there are certain unwritten rules to follow in order to make your experience a success. Love or hate the job, conventions are now the prime stage for companies to show off their latest product announcements, give press attendees exclusive hands-on access, and present some excellent networking opportunities.

Navigating CES in Las Vegas is no different. With show number three now on my schedule, here are some essential tips and proven advice for folks thinking about heading out to the neon mirage in the Nevada desert this week.

It's that special time of the year again where lgpOnTheMove is sharing the Christmas spirit. I would like to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas and a safe, fun-filled happy holidays.

For those of you lucky enough to have a brand-new notebook sitting under the tree, I'm guessing your Christmas just got extra special.

Stay tuned for more great notebook news and reviews coming in 2013.

Tech Tips - doing the SSD upgrade

Solid State Drives (SSD's) have become perhaps the most significant component to enter the PC hardware market over the last 5 years. It's no denying their overwhelming appeal - they boost performance, use less power and suffer none of the drawbacks of mechanical disks. From $300 netbooks to $30,000 rackmount servers, SSD's are making a presence everywhere.

While expensive back in 2008, this year has seen an unprecedented fall in SSD prices to levels far below $1/GB, and in some cases approaching fifty cents per gigabyte. Notebook and netbook users long wishing to upgrade their factory hard drives can now make that jump and enjoy all the benefits of SSD's... without breaking the bank! Read on to see how I upgrade my HP 210 Mini netbook and install a Samsung 840 series SSD.