Top Ultraportable Laptop - Dell XPS M1210

Looking for a light weight laptop, but has reasonable performance? The Dell XPS M1210 notebook will be perfect for work and play on the go. I have tried to configure one on Dell New Zealand website and want to share with you:

• CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7400 2.16GHz, 4MB Cache, 667 MHz FSB (will be good to go for the T7600 2.33GHz if you can afford the extra NZ$560.25)
  
• Operating System - Windows Vista Business
• Warranty - 1-year XPS Premier Service
• Display - 12.1" Wide Screen XGA display with TrueLife (1280x800) & 1.3MP Web Cam
• Memory - 2GB 667MHz DDR2 (will be good to have 4GB, but the extra NZ$994.50 will be too high)
• Audio Solution - Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED HD Audio Software
• Video Card - 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 TurboCache
• Hard Drive - 100GB SATA 7200RPM Performance Hard Drive
• Internal Optical Drive - Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Combination Drive with dual layer write capabilities
• Primary Battery - 9-cell 85Whr Lithium lon Primary Battery (NZ$189 for an extra 9-cell battery)
• Bluetooth Module - Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Module
• Wireless Network Solution - Dell 1505 Wireless-N Mini-Card
• Dell also offers a free 20" LCD monitor at the moment

By having the above, the total price is NZ$3,197.25. Not a bad price to have such a good and portable system.

Top Smartphone - RIM BlackBerry Curve 8300

The BlackBerry Curve 8300 is an impressive device for people seeking a smartphone with strong e-mail and multimedia features. It is also the smallest and lightest BlackBerry smartphone ever to come with a full QWERTY keyboard. Let's have a quick summary of its pros and cons:

Pros

• Most compact QWERTY BlackBerry yet
• Improved media player

Cons

• Productivity applications still thin
• No high speed or Wi-Fi support

Overall, I'll say it is a superior smartphone!

Top Budget Digital Camera - Canon PowerShot A460

Looking for a budget digital camera? I'd recommend the Canon PowerShot A460 which was announced January this year. Let's have a quite look of its features:

• Max. megapixels: 5 megapixels
  
• Optical Zoom: 4X (38mm-152mm)
• Media slot: SD Card
• Price: US$130 (NZ$175)

It offers controls such as exposure compensation, and has a super macro mode, though it's limited to ISO 400. Basically, you can get everything you want for that price. Unfortunately, we don't have it yet in New Zealand. We currently only have the A450 here which uses 3.2x optical zoom instead of 5x. The price for A450 is NZ$245 (yes, we don't have a good price here).

Top 10 Camcorders

1. Sony DCRDVD608E DVD Handycam

Sony's chunky, DVD-based DCRDVD608E (NZ$900) is the current Best Buy. It has a 2.5" LCD touch screen and is easy to operate with just one hand, plus 40x optical zoom and Super SteadyShot.

2. Canon DC51

Canon's DVD-based DC51 (NZ$1,600) gives you a viewfinder, a video light, and optical image stabilization.

3. JVC Everio GZ-MG155

The compact JVC Everio GZ-MG155 (US$600, NZ$785) was the top-performing hard drive camcorder. It provides a one-touch backup button, a 32X zoom, and extra controls on the LCD bezel. It's not available in New Zealand yet, the MG145 is sold for NZ$1,300 (we really don't have a good price here compared with U.S.).

4. Panasonic VDR-D310GN-S

Panasonic's VDR-D310GN-S (NZ$1,200) burns footage to DVD and has three CCD sensors. It offers optical image stabilization, a viewfinder, and support for DVD-RAM.

5. JVC Everio GZ-MG555

At US$900, the JVC Everio GZ-MG555 is expensive. It has dedicated buttons for DVD burning and copying files, as well as supplementary control buttons on its LCD bezel, but video quality was subpar. We don't have MG555 in New Zealand, but we do have the MG575 for NZ$1,800.

6. Panasonic SDR-H200

Panasonic's hard-disk drive SDR-H200 (US$720) offers optical image stabilization, but it doesn't have a viewfinder. Again, we don't have it in New Zealand, we have the H250 for NZ$1,500.

7. Sony DCRSR42 HDD Handycam - 30GB

The DCR-SR42 Handycam (NZ$1,300) comes with a powerful 40X zoom, an LCD touch screen, and offers long battery life, but it lacks a viewfinder.

8. Canon DC210

Canon's low-priced DC210 (NZ$800) offers a powerful 35X zoom, a viewfinder, and many controls, but lacks a USB port.

9. Hitachi DZHS300A

The hybrid Hitachi DZHS300A (US$570, NZ$750) lets you dub video from its 8GB hard drive to a mini-DVD disc without a PC. It uses a viewfinder and electronic image stabilization.

10. Panasonic VDR-D220GN-S

The Panasonic VDR-D210 (NZ$900) has a low price, and includes optical image stabilization.

I'm using a Sony miniDV Hanycam DCRHC30EL at the moment which I bought 3 years ago. Sony is still my favourite brand for video camera personally. If I pick one from the list for myself, I'll probably go for a hard drive model - like the Sony DCRSR42E. But for the first time buyer, the first Sony DCRDVD608E will be a great choice. If you're going to upgrade your existing camcorder, like me, I don't think it's a good time yet. I'll wait for a really good high-definition hard-drive model. The coming Sony HDRCX7EK will be interesting to watch, which is the World's Most Compact AVCHD Handycam, said by Sony. It records on Memory Stick.

Top Inkjet Multifunction Printers – Canon PIXMA MP960

Last time, we have introduced the Canon PIXMA MP600 All-in-One printer. Today, let’s have a look of the Canon PIXMA MP960. The MP960 is quite similar to the MP600, the main difference is the addition of film scanning capabilities. You can scan images up to 4800 x 4800 dpi.

The MP960 has all the functions of MP600 (refer to my last post about MP600). The other differences are the 7 individual ink system and the bigger 3.5-inch colour TFT screen.

Overall, if you’re a photographer who work with both film and digital cameras, the MP960 will be perfect for you. Otherwise, we may want to stay with MP600. But, the MP960 does look cooler than the MP600, doesn't it? Click the link for more information and pricing – Canon PIXMA MP960 All-in-One