Dell Inspiron 537s

The good: Extra expansion card slots; room for two hard drives.

The bad: Behind-the-times features; slow performance; too many better, faster systems available for just a few more dollars.

The bottom line: You might find a better deal from Dell if you configure an Inspiron 537s online, but this retail only model has little to recommend it. From slow performance to a weak feature-set, this budget slimtower is outclassed by too many other retail desktops.

Specifications: Processor: Intel Pentium E5200 (2.5 GHz) ; RAM installed: 4 GB DDR II SDRAM ; Hard drive: 640 GB Standard ; See full specs

Price range: $479.99

This retail version of Dell's Inspiron 537s is the most inexpensive PC in our back-to-school desktop round, but that doesn't let Dell off the hook for offering such underwhelming features. We don't expect the world for $480, but when your specs look outdated next to not only your current competition, but also systems from six months ago, we can't help feeling disappointed. We recommend you pass this system by. It's not worth your money.

The Inspiron 537 line debuted back in March, and if you configure one online you can select from multiple case colors as well as a much better array of features than this retail model. This unit comes in attractive-enough black. As a slimtower system, the Inspiron 537s also lends itself to a variety of different usage models. You can use it as either a vertical or horizontally-oriented desktop system, but its small profile also lets you put it in your living room or some other more visible location without it causing too much of an eyesore.

	Dell Inspiron 537s-002B	Gateway SX2800-01
Price	$480	$510
CPU	2.5GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200	2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200
Memory	4GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM	4GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Graphics	32MB Intel GMA X4500	32MB Intel GMA X4500
Hard drives	640GB, 7,200rpm	640GB, 7,200rpm
Optical drive	dual-layer DVD burner	dual-layer DVD burner
Operating system	Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit	Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit

We don't want to overwhelm our reviews with exhaustive features lists, but there's actually a much larger difference between the Inspiron 537s and its closest competition, the Gateway SX2800-01 aside from its price and the CPUs. You have only to look at our performance tests below to see how badly Dell lags behind not only the quad-core Gateway, but also its dual-core budget competition. While Dell's other components line up well enough against the Gateway, Dell skimped badly on the motherboard connections.

You get four USB 2.0 ports, a VGA video output, a modem, an Ethernet jack, a set of analog audio jacks, and a pair of mouse and keyboard inputs on the back of the Dell. That's it. Turn the Gateway around and you'll find all of those features, plus digital audio out, an eSATA external hard drive connection, and an HDMI video out. Throw in the Gateway's more compact size, and it's clear that Gateway has joined its brand-parent Acer, as well as Asus, in offering slim towers that live up to the full potential of their versatility. We realize Dell has Studio Hybrid units to move, but that doesn't excuse it from letting the 537s languish at retail.

Source : reviews.cnet.com

Asus Essentio CM5570-AP002

The good: HDMI port and Wi-Fi uncommon in midtowers in this price range; slight performance edge due to more recent integrated graphics chip.

The bad: Seemingly nonexistent online support.

The bottom line: The Asus Essentio CM5570-AP002 isn't an overly remarkable desktop, but it has a few extra features that help it stand out. Its Wi-Fi and HDMI video out port give it some unique capabilities, and the best part is that Asus still manages to keep the price down. It's hard not to like this system, even though we wish Asus had more comprehensive support.

Specifications: Processor: Intel Pentium E5300 (2.6 GHz) ; RAM installed: 6 GB DDR2 SDRAM ; Hard drive: 640 GB Standard ; See full specs

Price range: $499.99

Aside from the fact that it's a midtower system, the Asus Essentio CM5570-AP002 has much of the same charm that we found in a slim tower version from Asus last year. At a reasonable $510, the Asus offers living-room-friendly features like wireless networking and HDMI video output in a competent budget system. You might not necessarily want those features in a midtower, but you also don't have to sacrifice anything to get them. If you demand a slim tower with these kinds of features, Gateway's SX2800-01 offers a similarly priced alternative to the Asus midtower. For those who might want living-room-friendly features in a more upgradeable case, or who are simply in the market for an affordable, well-rounded PC, the Asus Essentio CM5570-AP002 is a great option.

Asus has previously ventured into the all-in-one and slim tower desktop arena's before, but this is the first midtower case we've seen from the Taiwanese vendor. Asus has dutifully followed the glossy black case trend common to the majority of recent Windows desktops with this Essentio. While it might not impress anyone on its looks alone, the design is perfectly serviceable, and it will fit into any environment.

	Asus Essentio CM5570-AP002	HP Pavilion p6110y
Price	$510	$520
CPU	2.6GHz Intel Pentium E5300	2.6GHz Intel Pentium E5300
Memory	6GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM	6GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Graphics	32MB (shared) Intel GMA X4500 (integrated)	128MB (shared) Intel GMA 3100 (integrated)
Hard drives	640GB 7,200rpm hard drive	640GB 7,200rpm hard drive
Optical drive	dual-layer DVD burner	dual-layer DVD burner
Operating system	Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit)	Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit)

We'll get right to comparing the Essentio with its competition, and HP's Pavilion p6110y makes a great head-to-head. We won't begrudge HP the $10 price difference, but it's interesting to note just how much these systems have in common. The only significant component variation lies in the motherboard/graphics chipset in each system. Asus has an Intel GMA X4500 chip, a more recent integrated graphics chip from Intel than the HP. The Asus' chip is technically DirectX 10 capable, but practically speaking, you won't be playing modern PC games on either desktop, at least without a post-purchase 3D card upgrade.

HD movie playback is also limited in that neither system can support Blu-ray content. Of course neither system comes with a Blu-ray drive, but if the Asus' HDMI output had you thinking about adding a Blu-ray drive post-purchase, you're out of luck.

Source : reviews.cnet.com

Gateway SX2800-01

The good: Sleek, compact design; best all-around performance among budget retail PCs; up-to-date motherboard outputs offer all kinds of connectivity options.

The bad: Memory slot access takes a few more steps than usual.

The bottom line: Gateway's SX2800-01 offers a strong combination of performance and features all wrapped up in a design that fully embraces the merits of a slim tower PC. We recommend this system to anyone looking for a fast, affordable desktop for the home office, the living room, or anywhere in between.

Specifications: Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 (2.33 GHz) ; RAM installed: 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM ; Hard drive: 640 GB Standard ; See full specs

Price range: $489.95 - $509.99

Thanks to a strong set of features for its $510 price tag, Gateway's SX2800-01 impressed us enough to earn an Editors' Choice award. This PC demonstrated the best all-around performance in its budget PC class, making it a strong system for general productivity. An HDMI video output also lets you take full advantage of Gateway's particularly compact slim tower design if you're looking for a cheap PC to double as a media server. The SX2800-01 strikes such an even balance in its price, performance, and features for its price that we'd recommend it to anyone looking for a versatile, low-cost home computer.

It's clear from the design of the SX2800-01 that Gateway takes the slim tower PC concept seriously. Coming in at 11.5 inches high, 4 inches wide, and 14.25 inches deep, the SX2800-01 is smaller in every dimension than both the Dell Inspiron 537s and HP's Pavilion Slimline systems.

With that smaller size comes fewer expansion ports in the Gateway, and it's also harder to access the internal memory. You could also argue that because it only sells fixed configurations, Gateway doesn't have to cater/upsell to online customers with customization like Dell and HP, and can sacrifice some expansion room for a more compact design, That lets the SX2800-01 appeal to anyone looking to generally save space, and especially those interested in bringing a PC into the living room.

For core components, the primary difference between the Gateway SX2800-01 and the similar Dell Inspiron 537s is the CPU. Dell's Pentium Dual Core chip has a slightly faster clock speed, but you can see on our performance results below that the Gateway's Core 2 Quad makes up for its lower clock speed with better workload distribution, and thus better performance than the Dell on almost every test. That performance edge alone might be enough to justify the Gateway's slightly higher price tag.

Beyond the individual specs and its faster performance, the Gateway surpasses the Dell just as convincingly by way of its more up-to-date motherboard connections. On the back panel of the Inspiron 537s you'll see four USB 2.0 ports, a VGA video output, analog audio outputs, and an Ethernet jack. The Gateway has all of those as well as an HDMI output, an extra USB 2.0 port, digital audio out, and also a pair of PS/2 ports for the mouse and keyboard. HP's Pavilion Slimline, also a $510 slim tower, is similarly outclassed by the Gateway's sheer array of inputs.

Source : reviews.cnet.com

Gateway SX2800-01

The good: Adds SD card slot and reacquires FireWire; lower starting price; same solid unibody construction and giant multitouch trackpad.

The bad: Nonremovable battery; no matte screen or discrete graphics options.

The bottom line: Previously known as the MacBook, Apple's basic 13-inch aluminum unibody laptop has been promoted to the "Pro" series, all while adding features and cutting the base price.

Specifications: Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.26 GHz) ; RAM installed: 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM ; Weight: 4.4 lbs ; See full specs

Price range: $1,159.00 - $1,199.99

Radically overhauled last year, Apple's MacBook line of laptops moved to aluminum construction, edge-to-edge glass over LED displays, and oversize multitouch trackpads (with the exception of the lone $999 white plastic model). The latest round of updates is more of a refinement than another revolution, but it adds some much-sought-after features, while lowering prices on many configurations.

Most notable, the 13-inch aluminum unibody MacBook has been promoted to join the MacBook Pro family. It's a move that makes sense, as the differences between the two lines were becoming increasingly blurred. To complete the transformation, the 13-inch Pro regains its missing FireWire port, making it even more useful for creative professionals on the go.

New to the Pro line is something we never thought we'd see on a MacBook: an SD card slot. Standard on the 13- and 15-inch Pro laptops, this corrects one of our main MacBook annoyances. We're also pleased to see the backlit keyboard--previously found in only the more expensive 13-inch versions--filter down to even the $1,149 base model (which is a nice discount from the previous $1,299 entry price).

Some have strong feelings about the nonremovable battery--similar to those already found on the MacBook Air and 17-inch Pro. It's a legitimate concern, but we think the promise of better battery life (Apple claims up to a 40 percent improvement), and three times as many recharge cycles as older batteries is just as important.

There are still a few items on our 13-inch wish list--matte screens, mobile broadband options, Blu-ray--but Apple has done an admirable job filling in some of the major missing pieces. By offering more features for less money, the 13-inch MacBook Pro remains one of the most universally useful laptops available.

Price as reviewed / Starting price	$1,199
Processor	2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory	2GB, 1066MHz DDR2
Hard drive	160GB 5,400rpm
Chipset	Nvidia MCP79
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce 9400M (integrated)
Operating System	OS X Leopard 10.5.7
Dimensions (WD)	12.8x8.9 inches
Height	0.95 inch
Screen size (diagonal)	13.3 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter	4.5/5.2 pounds
Category	Thin and light

The design and construction of the system remain largely the same as last year's model, with a solid block of aluminum carved down, rather than a thin outer shell that has had support struts added to it. It's both lighter and sturdier than the older plastic versions of the 13-inch MacBook.

The new Pro also retains the same oversize trackpad, where the entire surface depresses like a button--although a simple tapping (as on a PC laptop) will also work once you turn that option on in the settings menu. We've become accustomed to the two-, three-, and four-finger multitouch gestures, which let you hide all your apps by sweeping four fingers up on the pad, or bring up the application switcher by sweeping four fingers left or right. Once you get used to that, going back to a regular touch pad is difficult.

According to Apple, the new display offers a wider color gamut, and the screen certainly looks bright and colorful, but we wish the same matte-screen option offered on the 17-inch MacBook Pro was available across the line. The 13.3-inch wide-screen LCD offers a 1,280x800-pixel native resolution, which is standard for screens this size, but we'd love to see Apple try its hand at a 16:9 laptop display.

While the LED screen means a thinner lid and some battery life benefits, the edge-to-edge glass covering the entire display panel grabs stray light rays with ease, making the glossy screen hard to see in some lighting conditions.

	Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch)	Average for category [thin-and-light]
Video	Mini-DisplayPort	VGA, mini-HDMI, or Mini-DVI
Audio	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data	2 USB 2.0, Mini-FireWire 800, SD card reader	3 USB 2.0, Mini-FireWire, SD card reader
Expansion	None	ExpressCard/54
Networking	Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,	Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN
Optical drive	DVD burner	DVD burner

By bringing back the FireWire port (now FireWire 800) and adding an SD card slot, Apple has addressed most of our most pressing issues with the previous 13-inch model. Pro photographers will point out that they usually use CompactFlash cards, but the rest of us won't have to always remember to pack a USB card reader or cable to directly connect our cameras. Connecting to another video display, however, will require a sold-separately dongle for the Mini-DisplayPort video output.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro performed as expected in our benchmark tests, with the 2.26GHz GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU roughly on par with the 2.4GHz processor in the late-2008 version of the 13-inch MacBook. Trading up to the faster 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo available in the 15-inch MacBook Pro yields a marked improvement on paper, but for most anecdotal use--Web surfing, working on office documents, multimedia playback--any of the current MacBooks will be more than adequate. An even faster 3.08GHz CPU is available on the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the 13-inch model tops out at 2.53GHz.

We found the same Nvidia GeForce 9400 graphics as last time--a GPU that redefined the meaning of integrated graphics. The previous 13-inch MacBook gave us almost 60 frames per second in Quake IV (admittedly not the most hardware-intensive game) at 1,024x768-pixel resolution. Only the 15- and 17-inch versions offer the second, discrete GeForce 9600 GPU. But being able to play new games, even at lower resolutions, on this system is a major plus for nonhardcore gamers.

The new battery in the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros is nonremovable, but Apple claims the system can last up to 7 hours while surfing the Web, and about half that for DVD playback. To assuage concerns about the sealed battery, according to Apple, the new models are good for at least 1,000 full recharge cycles--which it estimate to be about five years of use. We were able to run the system for 5 hours and 42 minutes on our video playback battery drain test, which is about 40 minutes longer than the current 15-inch MacBook and more than an hour longer than the basic white MacBook--the only model Apple still offers with the older removable battery.

Unfortunately, we haven't seen any changes to the basics of Apple's warranty and support plans. New MacBooks still include a standard one-year, parts-and-labor warranty, but only 90 days of toll-free telephone support. This, along with the proprietary nature of Apple's products, makes purchasing an extended Apple Care warranty almost a necessity, but a necessity that will cost $249 for three total years of coverage for 13-inch systems and $349 for 15- and 17-inch models.

Source : reviews.cnet.com