Which gaming console should you buy?


Which console to buy has becoming increasingly more complex? It's now not simply a case of picking the one with the top games or the next generation console/upgrade of the one you already have. The main consoles to choose from are the PSP3, Wii and the Xbox 360.

If you read my Wii review it describes this console as the most ground breaking when it was first released changing the course of gaming for years to come and spawned the newer controllers from its competitors. Since this original review Nintedo have improved its original Wii Remote, with the MotionPlus for an improved/increased accuracy. The Wii is great value if the type of games and controller appeal to you, a very good alternative to the other power-strong consoles.

If high grade graphics is what you're after, you should be looking at the Xbox 360 or the PS3. The PS3 specification boasts the best console graphically and is free to play online. The unit also doubles as a Blu-ray player and the PlayStation Move controller gives a wireless experience similar, if not better than the Wii MotionPlus.

The Xbox 360, on the other hand have a system called Xbox Live for online use, which does unfortunately come at a cost financially (but it is very reputable). The most interesting feature is its newest form of its controller, which is something a little different called 'Kinect', a controller less system that allows the users' body movements and speech to directly interact with games, like spinning a roulette wheel in a casino. A highly ambitious project leaving us in intense anticipation of its final results.

An in depth comparison can be seen in my console comparison review.

Wednesday, 5 January 2011

Samsung-N350

With its glossy an outer shell, the N350 is very similar to the netbook we reviewed Samsung's N230 a few months ago. They are both 10.1-inch models, but the big difference is that this new model has one of Intel's new dual-core Atom Processors marketing plan away from the inside.

Samsung has done a great job in making the N350 as portable as possible. Although it has the same width (264 mm) and depth (188 mm) which N230, it is a little fair thinner, in just 23 mm compared with N230 's 34 mm. 1 kg, it is also about 200 g lighter. The end result is a very compact and portable netbook. However, there is a good reason for its lightweight nature: a smaller than average battery. We will talk more about this in a moment.

The flip open the lid and you are greeted by 10.1-inch display. The screen has a netbook-standard resolution of 1024 x 768, but it differs from the majority, it lacks a glossy coating. While the glossy displays make movies and photos look more vibrant, attract the also reflections just as there is no tomorrow. This matte screen, on the other hand, keeps the reflections to a minimum and makes outdoor use possible. The view is further helped by being ridiculously light. When you use it in customizable lit environments, we found we had to put it down to half-brightness just to save our eyes.

LogMeIn Free: Access PCs & Macs from anywhere, anytime.
Easy, fast & free. Start today!

Powering N350 is Intel's Atom N550 processor. This is a running on 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU, and thanks to the support for Hyper-Threading, Windows sees it as a quad-core chip. However, as with all netbooks running Windows 7 starter, Samsung could only deliver processor with 1 GB of memory. N350 feels a little more active compared to single core netbooks, but it is not a massive leap in performance. We saw still these small-but-frustrating delays when you perform relatively simple tasks.

Graphics are handled by the integrated Intel GMA 3150 chipset. This has a clock speed just 200 MHz, and as with all netbooks that rely on the integrated graphics, it means N350 does not match the gaming.

Other specifications include a 250 GB hard drive which tick marks along at 5, 400 rpm, and integrated webcam. Is Also built in 802 .11n wireless, 10/100 LAN and Bluetooth. Samsung found, not surprisingly, the space in the budget to match, a 3 G module, so that mobile broadband requires the use of a separate USB dongle.

Samsung knows a thing or two when it comes to creating netbook keyboards, and whether the N350 is great to write on. Its chiclet-style design is comfortable and the keys have just the right amount of feedback. It also Feels solid with minimal bøjebevægelser, and there are no unpleasant clacking sounds when you type. Samsung had made good use of the space available, stretch your keyboard across almost the entire width of the chassis. Some of the keys to the right edge has been slightly reduced in size, but it is not a massive problem.

The trackpad has a good texture and is comfortable to use, but the two buttons located below are very thin and has a little too much travel. When you press them during testing, bashed we often our thumbs against the edge of the casing.

Samsung includes a three-cell battery with 2950mAh N350 classified with just 33Wh. During the intensive use of the monitor's brightness on full says and wireless turned on, we measured a draw flow of 11W. As expected, this resulted in the battery will be drained in three hours, which really is not so great. Wireless Switch off drop the brightness down to half-mast and stud of compute-intensive tasks, clear, and you should be able to achieve four, possibly even five hours.

We are certainly not against the netbooks with small batteries, and some people take, fortunately, a reduction in battery life, if it means a lighter and more portable netbook. However, a shorter than the average battery life should result in a lower than average price and it is not the case with the N350.

There is no denying N350, there is a handicraft netbook. It is small, light and great writing. High price and disappointing battery life, however, impede its overall appeal. Dual-core atom chip is one of the main reasons for the high price, but it is really not getting much of the performance boost from the. Samsung's N230 is ultimately a better offer. It has the same great design, dual-battery, and the performance of its single-core processor is not far from that of the dual-core model on this N350.

£ 349 Inc. VAT


View the original article here

No comments:

Post a Comment