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Thursday, December 22, 2016

Super Mario Run Review

December 22, 2016 0 Comments
Super Mario Run Review
super mario run
super mario run
super mario run
Available on iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch). Android support coming in 2017
Super Mario Run is exactly what you’d hope and expect it to be. Why anyone thought Nintendo wouldn’t be able to make the most iconic figure in video games work on mobile is a mystery – more often than not, Miyamoto and his team just get it.
This doesn’t mean that Super Mario Run is the greatest entry in the franchise to date. Nor does it mean you should expect the level of sheen that a home console version would offer. To do so is approaching this in completely the wrong fashion, because ultimately this is a mobile app. It’s meant to be enjoyed that way, too.
At its most basic all you’re ever really going to be doing is tapping the screen to make Mario jump as he automatically runs through numerous worlds. You can tell from a mile away that it was developed by Nintendo. It has that recognisable aesthetic, and all the usual additions are here; it's just that they've been stripped back to make it accessible for a more casual audience.
Instantly that will sound offensive to some – gaming’s poster boy being shilled out to the masses. That’s an argument you’re welcome to have, but it doesn’t stop Super Mario Run from being extremely fun. Although you’re only ever in control of jumping, the way the world around you reacts and evolves means it can be far more tricky than it sounds. Mario will hop over small objects, including enemies, automatically, but timing your leaps right is imperative to both do away with foes, fly over giant chasms and execute special moves, the latter of which gets you more coins.
mario
This is of the utmost importance, because coins fuel everything you do in Super Mario Run. While they’ve always been a staple of the franchise, now they not only determine how well you performed, but also act as the reason to replay levels and try to nab every coin you see. This includes special red coins which are even more devilishly placed, and black coins (which unlock after you’ve grabbed all the red ones and are even harder to obtain).
The point is that that’s three reasons to play through each level, which in turn triples your playtime. You’ll want to do that, too, to get your money’s worth, as you’ll probably have the basics done in about an hour.
Super Mario Run is so addictive, however, there’s a good chance you’d have wanted to replay it anyway. It progressively gets harder as you go on, and learning how to time your jumps to get the most out of an attempt is a skill within itself. You could call this an endless runner, and many have, but it’s much more in the vein of a platformer when all is said and done. The precision and care often needed isn’t so far away from Mario games of old.
There’s more to sink your teeth into as well, should the foundations start to wear thin. While it still follows the same basic structure, Toad Rally adds a competitive spin to proceedings. Using ‘Rally Tickets’ you’ve earned in the main game, you’re pitted against an opponent of your choice (and you can do this with friends by adding them into the game). The aim? To outshine your rival as you both race through a level.
This is achieved by timing your jumps right, not getting thumped by goombas, and looking out for the fabled ‘Coin Rush’, a power-up that allows you to increase the rate at which you’re gaining coinage. With each successful step, more toads will cheer you on, and whoever has proved themselves the most worthy by the end wins. Everything you’ve earned then gets shifted over to the creation hub.

super mario run
Seeming to mimic in-app purchases (without asking for any real money), the kingdom-building element of Super Mario Run literally exists so you can unlock more objects, houses, shops and other bits and pieces for a central play area using your toads and coins. This then lets you play special levels, decorate the world as you see fit, or opens up the option to use other characters such as Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad.
Rather than just a visual change, they alter the pace of the game as – like always – Luigi jumps higher thakn Mario, so you have to switch up your playing style. That straight away gives you another reason to go around again, and it’s clear Nintendo isn’t looking for this to be a throwaway experience.

VERDICT

The question, then, is if it’s worth £8 – which is no doubt a premium price for an iPhone title. The novelty of having Mario on Apple’s device is probably worth it alone, but it’s only fair to say you’re paying a little extra given whose name is attached to it. The mechanics aren’t too out of the realms of what we’ve seen before, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good. Because it is. And having Mario in it just makes it better still.
It’s no surprise that Nintendo didn’t skimp on Super Mario Run. It’s a Nintendo product and therefore a certain amount of quality is expected. There’s a novelty here, sure, and this isn’t a game-changer like the franchise has produced so many times in the past. It’s good, though. And sometimes that’s enough.
Super Mario Run is a great iPhone game that sticks to the expected formula but makes that formula extremely fun. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
super mario run
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Pokémon Go arrives for Apple Watch - and now playing counts as a workout

December 22, 2016 0 Comments
Pokémon Go arrives for Apple Watch - and now playing counts as a workout

Pokemon Go apple watch


Niantic has finally released Pokémon Go to the Apple Watch, months after the announcement and during a week when rumours swirled development had stalled.
The release, which allows Apple Watch owners to keep their iPhone’s stowed for certain tasks, arrives somewhat unexpectedly, before the end-of-year deadline set by the manufacturer.
The actual act of catching Pokémon will still need to be performed on a paired iPhone, but Apple Watch owners will still be able to accomplish plenty via their wrists.
Pokemon Go apple watch

Pokémon Go for Apple Watch will give wearers notifications about nearby critters, as well as when eggs hatch and medals are awarded.
Poké Trainers will also be notified when Pokéstops are nearby and can collect items without pulling out the smartphone version of the app.
Apple Watch owners will also be able to log each gaming session as a work out thanks to integration with the Apple Watch’s Activity app.
Pokémon Go can be downloaded for Apple Watch today.
Earlier this week it was revealed players had walked 4.5 billion miles since the app was launched.
We can imagine a few million more will be added to that tally today, now Apple Watch owners can jump aboard.
 ?Is Pokémon Go a massive waste of time
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Friday, October 7, 2016

Huawei MediaPad M2 Review

October 07, 2016 0 Comments
Huawei MediaPad M2 Review
MediaPad M2 10 11

PROS

  • Neat stylus (Premium model only)
  • Loud speakers
  • Good camera for a tablet

CONS

  • Custom software is not a perfect fit
  • Relatively low-res screen
  • Base model is an uninspired package

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KEY FEATURES

  • 10.2-inch 1920 x 1200 pixel IPS LCD screen
  • 16/64GB storage
  • 2/3GB RAM
  • HiSilicon Kirin 930 CPU
  • Android 5.1.1 with Emotion UI 3.1
  • 13-megapixel rear camera with flash
  • 5-megapixel selfie camera
  • Manufacturer: Huawei
  • Review Price: £249.00

WHAT IS THE HUAWEI MEDIAPAD M2 10?

The Huawei MediaPad M2 10 is a large widescreen tablet. You get no points for guessing this one, but it has a 10-inch screen. 10.1-inch to be exact.
Huawei's standard version of the tablet costs £250, significantly undercutting even the old iPad Air, but to get the most out of the MediaPad M2 you’ll want to consider upgrading to the £330 Premium edition. This version includes more storage, more RAM and a nifty pressure-sensitive stylus.
Hobbyist doodlers should consider the MediaPad M2 10 as a cheap alternative to something like the iPad Pro 9.7. However, there are some better options out there for the average tablet fan. 

MediaPad M2 10 11

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD M2 10 – DESIGN

There are two different MediaPad M2 designs. One has an 8-inch screen and, as we've mentioned, this one sports a 10-inch display. It's a pretty sizeable tablet, one that's been designed to be held landscape with two hands, rather than on its side with one. If you want something on which to read articles on your commute to work, say, then you'd be better opting for an iPad mini or a smaller Android tablet.
The MediaPad M2 10’s build is similar to that of several phones and the first MediaPad tablets. It has a metal rear, with a strip of plastic at the top that provides room for the antennas to breathe.
With a thickness of 7.3mm, weighing 492g and with fairly trim screen borders, the MediaPad M2 10 looks like a modern, if not all that interesting, tablet. It’s a little too heavy to use one-handed for any length of time, and in general I find widescreen tablets that bit more awkward than 4:3 models.
MediaPad M2 10 15
Having said all that, the standard version of the M2 is fairly affordable, and the £329 Premium version includes a whole bunch of extras. It has 64GB storage rather than 16GB, for example, although both versions have a metal microSD memory card tray much like the SIM slot of an iPhone or other high-end phone.
If you buy the Premium version then you'll also get a folio case and a screen protector as part of the package.
They aren’t exactly "premium" accessories, however – the case is very obviously fake leather and the screen protector is your usual film of plastic. However, each is tailored for this tablet. It seems unlikely too many third-party accessories will be.
Like the majority of cases of this kind, the folio’s cover folds in on itself to make a stand for the MediaPad M2 10.

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD M2 10 — STYLUS AND PREMIUM MODEL

The most interesting difference between the normal and Premium M2 10 model is the latter’s stylus. This is a metal, battery-powered device that can sense 2,048 pressure levels, matching a Wacom graphics tablet.
Like any stylus-equipped phone or tablet, the pen might end up unused if you don't have hobbies to suit, but it’s a decent addition for a budget tablet. The pen can be used to operate the MediaPad M2, replacing your finger, and built-in character recognition lets you hand-write text wherever you might use the keyboard.
MediaPad M2
While it may not end up being quicker than Swype-style typing, the software does a decent job of recognising most carefree scrawls. The MediaPad M2 also has a pre-installed Bamboo note app, which is the digital equivalent of a Post-it.
I half-expected the stylus not to work properly with the many third-party stylus-optimised apps, but it exceeded expectations. There are a number of excellent digital painting apps for Android currently available, buoyed by all the Note phones and tablets that Samsung has made over the years.
Pressure-sensitive stylus input works just great with apps such as Autodesk SketchBook Pro. The Huawei MediaPad M2 gets you a fairly natural, and fun, sketching experience – but predictably, it isn't quite as good as the iPad Pro’s Pencil.
MediaPad M2
First, while the nib has a little give to it, it’s made of hard plastic rather than a slightly softer material. Also apparent is a slight input lag, resulting in the sense your pen stroke trails the stylus. However, I’m not sure I’d have noticed this if I wasn’t looking for it, and didn’t have experience with the iPad Pro and numerous Galaxy styluses in the bank for comparison.
Lesser performance is excusable when the MediaPad M2 is around than half the price of the iPad Pro 9.7 with the Pencil too.
MediaPad M2 10 7
Both versions of the MediaPad M2 have a finger scanner that sits in the button below the screen. It’s quick and generally reliable, much like the finger scanners that Huawei builds into its more expensive phones. However, in use it feels nowhere near as convenient in a tablet such as this.
It seems much more like you’re going out of your way to use the scanner (even if it’s just 6in off-route), and since the pad isn't a button but an immovable touch sensor, you don’t get that immediate feedback telling you it’s activated. That will subside as you get used to the MediaPad M2, but if I were to continue using the tablet, I’d likely just switch off lockscreen security.

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD M2 10 – SCREEN

Tablets have blazed ahead of other mid-sized screen devices in terms of display quality. A £500 tablet will make a £500 laptop screen look like trash.
The Huawei MediaPad M2 10’s display is pretty conservative, though. It’s 10.1 inches across and uses an industry standard IPS LCD panel. Its viewing angles, colour and brightness are all fairly good.
MediaPad M2 10 19
However, it doesn’t have the ultra-high pixel density that's now almost expected in a non-budget tablet. Resolution is 1,200p, which at 10.1 inches results in a density of 224ppi.
This sort of resolution is perfectly fine, but it means you don’t get the pristine-looking text you’ll see in an iPad Air or an Samsung Galaxy Tab S2. Or even the MediaPad M2 8.0, which has the same resolution in a smaller display. Close-up, the pixels are noticeable here.
It’s a good screen, but you can now get better for similar money.

MediaPad M2 10 25

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD M2 10 – SOFTWARE

The Huawei MediaPad M2 10 runs Emotion UI 3.0 and Android 5.1. Neither is up-to-date: Android 6 Marshmallow and Emotion UI 4 are already out. Huawei doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to updating its lower-cost devices, either.
If you hate being out-of-date, stroll on. Aside from this, what you get is serviceable, but it has potential annoyances.
Like almost all Huawei Android devices, the MediaPad M2 10 doesn't have a normal apps menu. It has no space where all your apps are auto-arranged alphabetically, leaving your homescreen as a spot to just keep a few apps and widgets. All apps end up on a homescreen here, and there are no obvious changes or extra features to make more use of the extra screen space it has over a Huawei phone.
MediaPad M2 10 27
The one issue I have with a number of Huawei Android devices returns with this tablet too. It’s that you have to put a a fair amount of effort into curating your tablet to avoid it becoming a mess. Huawei added proper multitasking – where you have two apps on-screen at once – only in EMUI 4. The extra screen size here is wasted a little.
The software is a relatively basic take on Android. It works fine, though, and offers a level of customisation you don’t see in the Nexus 9, for axample.
EMUI uses themes, letting you reskin the MediaPad M2 10 completely with only a few screen taps. This is handy, as to start with there are some odd visual quirks to the tablet. The lockscreen is too busy, for example, but can be replaced.
MediaPad M2 10 33

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD M2 10 – PERFORMANCE

The Huawei MediaPad M2 10 has a solid upper-mid-range CPU, one you won’t find in non-Huawei devices. It’s called a Hisilicon 930, made by a Huawei subsidiary.
This is an eight-core chipset whose performance only sits below the top CPUs because its cores are the equivalent of a family saloon car engine, not one of a sports car. All eight are Cortex A53s. These are 64-bit cores, used in some of the very top-end phones and tablets as the everyday, lower-demand cores.
Four of the Cortex A53s are clocked at 2GHz, four at 1.5GHz, splitting the CPU into a familiar pair of teams.
MediaPad M2 10 3
The CPU is matched with a Mali-T628 MP4, an ageing but still-competent GPU that's a decent match for the 1080p screen resolution, even if it can’t touch the Adreno 330 used in top-end mobile devices of 2014, let alone the Adreno 530.
In Geekbench 3, the MediaPad M2 10 scores 3,562 points, which is expected given its mid-range spec and price well. 3D games run fine without obvious slow-down, and while the mid-tier GPU means you won’t always get access to the best graphics in games, you’re unlikely to be left out of the latest games for years. Mobile games tend to be fairly scalable.
General performance of the MediaPad M2 10 is very good. While the base Android Lollipop software is less zippy than Android Marshmallow, the laptop has enough power and RAM to minimise the difference. I’m using the version of the tablet with 3GB RAM; the non-Premium tablets have 2GB of RAM.

SUMMARY

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HUAWEI MEDIAPAD M2 10 – CAMERA

I'm not one who understands the concept of tablet photography. I can't say that street shooting with a tablet, let alone a large 10-inch one, is something that appeals. However, for those who don’t mind, the Huawei MediaPad M2 10 has an unusually good setup.
Its rear camera has a 13-megapixel sensor and f/2 lens, matching what Huawei used in the 2014 flagship Ascend P7 phone. Image quality is roughly comparable too, which is impressive in a tablet whose price starts at just £249.
MediaPad M2 10
Right down at pixel level it is possible to catch some of the graininess visible in most of Huawei’s phones, which is down to the processing style: low on noise reduction. But as soon as you start looking at the M2’s photos it becomes apparent that they’re a cut above normal tablet fare.
Solid dynamic range, decent detail and natural-looking colours make for shots that are worthy of a holiday scrapbook.
The camera is pretty fast to shoot, too, and while I’m not a huge fan of the camera app layout, the Auto mode is unusually smart. It seems to add dynamic range enhancement when needed, meaning most of the time you don’t really need to use other modes. In my opinion, Auto comes up with the goods 99% of the time.
Switching modes is my main (minor) issue with the camera. It's a little awkward. The app is otherwise easy to use.
There are limits to the Huawei MediaPad M2 10's camera, of course. While good for a tablet camera, it isn't stabilised, meaning low-light photos aren’t up to much.
Here are some photos I took with the camera:
MediaPad M2 7
This was an Auto mode shot, but there's clear HDR-style optimisation involved (bright grass alongside clear cloud contouring and no overexposure on a bright(ish), overcast day)
MediaPad M2 3
Once again, the dynamic range processing is impressive, bringing out dark detail even with an overcast daylight sky to deal with
MediaPad M2 5
While the pics aren't always as pretty as those of a high-end phone at pixel level, detail is good
MediaPad M2 9
The MediaPad's photos never look 100% clean, but it's only because of the very light-touch noise-reduction style. Check out the grain in the 1:1 crop section
The front camera has a 5-megapixel sensor, which is becoming the standard for selfie cams in mobile devices. Once again, clearly it's a decent-quality sensor, able to render 5-megapixels’ worth of detail in reasonable conditions. The quality of the images is a mite grainy, but it’s much better than them being totally soft.
Typical of a Huawei selfie camera, there’s a Beauty slider that lets you smooth out your slightly crinkly bits if you're feeling a little insecure.

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD M2 10 – BATTERY LIFE

To add to a good camera setup, the Huawei MediaPad M2 10 offers solid battery life too. A 6,600mAh cell lasts for 13 hours of video playback (using a 720p MP4 file), while an hour of Minecraft drained exactly 20% off the battery. This suggest that the tablet will last for around five hours of gaming, then.
This is a more than respectable result for a 10-inch tablet.
While I’d like to see a MediaPad M2 10 with a higher-resolution screen, it seems unlikely the tablet would last quite as long as a result. Huawei has picked its battles. It’s up to you to choose whether you like its choices.
MediaPad M2 10 9

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD M2 10 – SPEAKERS

The Huawei MediaPad M2 10’s speakers are the only items clearly stamped with another brand. Harman Kardon units, and there are four in total; two on the top edge and two on the bottom.
Note that they don’t simply pump out either side of the stereo feed. Two of the speakers are tuned for bass, the other two for treble. This is quite a smart idea, and a good way to avoid the distortion that can occur when a small driver is pushed to its limits.
MediaPad M2 10 23
Top volume and sound quality are both solid, although Apple’s iPads still offer slightly more natural sound. The MediaPad M2 is the sort of tablet through which you could happily listen to a podcast or some tunes while cooking. It has enough bulk to compete with some ambient noise, and goes louder than most tablets.
However, Huawei's SWS 2.0 threatens to mess up the overall effect. This digital signal processing modeaims to make the MediaPad M2’s sound much wider. It’s understandable, since the drivers fire up and down rather than out to the side. However, it spoils the tone, making it tonally unnaturally and, at times, harsh.
Keep it switched off, though, and – like the camera – it's a cut above most.
MediaPad M2 10 31

SHOULD YOU BUY THE HUAWEI MEDIAPAD M2 10?

The Huawei MediaPad M2 10 is an odd tablet, whose direction isn't entirely clear. It’s close to being a budget tablet, but even at £249 it’s a little too near in price to the iPad Air; the Premium version has to deal with the ultimately more impressiveSamsung Galaxy Tab S2.
While there isn't anything that's hugely wrong with the M2, unless you're after a doodling tab that’s significantly cheaper than an iPad Pro 9.7, it's unlikely to blow you away.
The MediaPad M2 does excel in some areas. Its camera is unusually good for a tablet, for example, matching the Moto G 3rd gen or a flagship phone of a couple of years ago for pure image quality. But would you appreciate that over a slightly more convenient device with a sharper screen?

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Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A40 Review

October 07, 2016 0 Comments
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A40 Review

Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-a40 19

PROS

  • Decent screen resolution
  • Affordable price

CONS

  • Contrast-sapping screen
  • Underpowered CPU/GPU
  • Polarising bling additions

KEY FEATURES

  • 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,200 pixel IPS LCD screen
  • 32GB storage
  • microSD slot
  • MediaTek MT8163 quad-core 1.5GHz CPU
  • 2GB DDR3 RAM
  • Android 6.0
  • Quad-driver speakers
  • Manufacturer: Acer
  • Review Price: £179.99

WHAT IS THE ACER ICONIA TAB 10 A3-A40?

The Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A40 is a low-cost Android tablet, but one that just includes a reasonable set of core specs for the money.
Most notable here is the 1,920 x 1,200 pixel screen, which helps to lift the A3-A40 out of the pixellated swamp in which most ultra-budget tablets still live. It’s only a pity the display is dated in other respects, and that the processor only just provides enough power to keep the tablet ticking over.
There aren’t many better 10-inch equivalents at £179, but there are better 8-inch tablets out there.

Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-a40 11

ACER ICONIA TAB 10 A3-A40 – DESIGN AND FEATURES

The Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A40 is a 10.1-inch widescreen tablet. Its design is more like that of the first Android tablets than the trendiest models we see today. It’s a tablet you'll use with two hands; it's a little too big and heavy to be used comfortably single-handedly.
Held between two palms, though, it feels right at home. It weighs 529g and is 8.9mm thick, and for all its surface-level bling, the Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A40 is a plastic-shelled tablet that doesn’t feel anywhere near as fancy as an iPad.
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-a40 15
Build quality feels decent enough at first, but again, it isn't close to what is on offer from Apple. Hand pressure can result in some flexing, turning the whole screen slightly greenish. Yikes.
The rubberised plastic rear of the device is lightly textured for extra grip, and the sides are plain plastic.
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-a40 7
There are parts of the Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A40's design that will raise eyebrows, for better or worse. Prime example: on the rear of the device is a chromed bronze plate that houses the camera; it also flips off to reveal the microSD slot and the micro-HDMI, which lets you hook the tablet up to a TV.
There’s 32GB storage included in the tablet, which may be ample for your needs. It’s Acer’s main act of generosity.
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-a40 9
The metal elements of the design appear on the front too. A stepped gradient along the speaker grilles and buttons at the centre of each side are of the same bronze shade. Acer has tried hard to steer clear of the A3-A40 looking like an anonymous black rectangle, but its design flourishes aren't entirely classy.
In fact, I'd describe it as the tablet decoration equivalent of cheap jewellery.

ACER ICONIA TAB 10 A3-A40 – SCREEN

The Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A40’s best feature is its display. A screen resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 is high enough to make images look reasonably sharp. It isn’t at the point of making the screen “Retina” grade – where you struggle to see any pixels at all – but it’s satisfyingly sharp.
Tab 10
Colours offer decent saturation and plenty of energy. The A3-A40 struggles with the very deepest reds, plus the colour character is slightly pastelly, but the effect is pleasant enough.
There is one big issue with the Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A40’s screen, however. Its recessed architecture is reflective and contrast-sapping, making the display panel itself appear grey rather than black. This is because the display isn’t fully laminated, where the touchscreen, display and top glass are bonded together in one layer. Having separate layers results in some light reflection, which in turn leads to that grey cast.
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-a40 5
See what we mean? The display, turned off, is quite grey rather than near-black
The brighter the room, the worse the Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A40 will look. The lack of an ambient light sensor also means that the A3-A40 doesn't feature an auto brightness setting; you need to alter the brightness manually. However, the omission on a tablet is nowhere near as annoying as it is on a phone.
The Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A40 does have a blue-light filter mode, though, which gives the screen a slightly orange tinge to help reduce eyestrain. It's handy if you're going to read on the tablet before bed.
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Saturday, September 24, 2016

Alienware X51 Review

September 24, 2016 0 Comments
Alienware X51 Review
Alienware X51

PROS

  • Good mid-range specifications
  • Suitable for 1080p gaming and VR (GTX 970 model)
  • Slimline desktop chassis design

CONS

  • Compact design increases heat and noise
  • Relatively expensive

KEY FEATURES

  • 6th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor
  • 2GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 or 4GB GTX 970
  • 16GB DDR4 memory
  • Opitonal Samsung PM951 256GB SSD
  • 1TB or 2TB hard disk
  • VR-ready (GTX 970 model)
  • Manufacturer: Alienware
  • Review Price: £1,000.00

WHAT IS THE ALIENWARE X51?

Alienware is one of the strongest global brands of gaming PCs, with a range that now stretches to multiple mobile and desktop form factors. While many gaming PCs come in giant towers, the X51 packs a top-of-the-line CPU and mid-range graphics into a desktop chassis that’s not much bigger than a current-generation console.
The X51 line has been around for a while – Trusted covered the previous version back in September 2014. This update is really more about introducing up-to-date technology and a spec boost than a radical design overhaul. Our original criticisms of the previous version focused on its specification, which wasn’t capable of gaming beyond 1080p resolution, lacked an SSD and lead to some toasty internal temperatures. Have these issues been resolved with new-generation hardware?

ALIENWARE X51 – DESIGN

The X51 is all about squeezing a capable gaming PC into a console-sized chassis. As with previous versions, its dimensions make it only slightly larger than a PS4 or Xbox One, with a width of 9mm and a height of 343mm (in vertical orientation).
If you’ve worked in an office at any point over the last decade, there’s a high probability you’ve used one of Dell’s slim corporate desktop systems, and the X51 borrows heavily from them. It has two sets of rubber feet for both vertical and horizontal placement. A glossy plastic cover runs around the side, featuring the iconic Alienware logo on the front that illuminates in blue, along with a plastic section at the top that’s illuminated with LEDs.
Alienware X51
The edges are curved at the front. The power switch sits on the right, its status indicated by a white LED. There are two front-mounted USB 3 ports and audio, but notably, the optical drive of last year’s model has been given the chop. This reflects the modern dominance of cloud services such as Steam and Origin for gaming.

ALIENWARE X51 – SPECIFICATIONS

Quad-core Intel Skylake processors are the new performance champions for PC gaming, if only by a disappointingly slim margin over the previous Core i7-4790K Devil’s Canyon chip. The X51 comes with a Core i7-6700K, but by default, it doesn’t run at its full 4.2GHz Turbo Frequency. Instead it’s limited to 3.9GHz, the lower clock speed is intended to keep down internal temperatures, which can be potentially problematic in small chassis gaming desktops.
The Alienware Command Centre software makes it easy to change this, however. With this R3 version of the X51 – there are four listed on Dell’s site – the CPU has an all-in-one liquid-cooling system that allows that clock frequency to be raised to 4.4GHz. This software also lets you fiddle with various settings – the Alienware FX mode, for example, which changes the colour of the LEDs on the top of the unit.
As with last year’s PC, Alienware has chosen a mid-range graphics card for the X51. The “Maxwell”-based Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 is a slight improvement over the Radeon R9 270 in the previous machine. It only has 2GB of GDDR5 memory, which isn’t a huge amount by today’s standards, but enough for solid 1080p performance. This card comes with 1,024 stream processors, 32 ROPS, 64 TMUs, a base clock of 1,127MHz and memory frequency of 1750MHz.
Alienware X51
It has 16GB of DDR4 memory, running at 2,133MHz. There’s also a 256GB Samsung PM951 PCI Express SSD, plugged directly into the motherboard’s M.2 slot. PCI Express SSDs come in all shapes and sizes, offering wildly different performance figures. Samsung’s 950 Pro is the current king by a long way, with read and write speeds of well over 1GB/sec; the enterprise-grade SM951 isn’t too far behind.
The PM951 isn’t quite as good, though. While it’s a PCI Express Gen 3.0 device including NVMe support, with quoted read speeds that are an impressive 1,000MB/sec, the 280MB/sec write speeds lag behind normal 2.5-inch SSDs. It’s inclusion is probably down to saving internal space from the small M.2 form factor, rather than the performance. But those read speeds are still very nice indeed.
Additionally, there’s a 2TB Seagate hard disk, an obvious essential for a large library of games or media.
Windows 10 Home comes as standard on all X51 configurations and Steam comes preinstalled as well. During testing, I was cursing Dell’s inclusion of the McAfee antivirus trial, which had expired and kept popping up during benchmark runs requesting I pay them money. Not a chance, matey.
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Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Acer Swift 7 Review

September 20, 2016 0 Comments
Acer Swift 7 Review
Acer Swift 7

  • Low-power Intel Core i 'Y' processors
  • Up to 8GB of RAM
  • 256GB SSD
  • Weight: 1.1kg
  • 9.8mm thick
  • 13.3-inch, Full HD IPS display
  • Manufacturer: Acer
  • Review Price: to be confirmed

HANDS-ON WITH ACER’S THINNEST-EVER LAPTOP

The Swift 7 sits right at the top of Acer’s new lineup, and according to the firm it is the first laptop in the world to measure in with a thickness of less than 1cm.
The Swift range also includes the 1, 3 and 5 models and is a move away from Acer's older Aspire branding.
Acer has trimmed just enough fat off the 13.3-inch Swift 7 to bring the thickness in at 9.98mm. It weighs 1.1kg, putting it in the same weight category as the HP Spectre, but just a little heavier than the 970g MacBook.
The Swift 7's all-aluminium design with grey and gold coating is eye-catching. In my opinion, it looks substantially better than the HP Spectre 13. The design tapers off towards the front, making the Swift 7 look even thinner than it is when viewed straight on.
Along the laptop's right edge there are three connectors: two USB Type-C 3.1 ports (one for charging and one for data) and a 3.5mm audio jack. It’s nice to see more than one USB Type-C connector, although it’s one fewer than the HP Spectre 13.
The touchpad is extremely wide, providing ample room to move your digits around. However, it does make it a little harder to activate Windows 10 gestures that require you to swipe onto the touchpad from the sides. The pad itself is Microsoft Precision Touchpad-certified, and throughout testing it proved responsive and reliable.Acer Swift 7 3
The Acer's keyboard is similarly excellent, with a lovely soft-touch, slightly rubberised coating that makes the keys both grippy and comfortable. There’s decent travel too, making this one of the best keyboards I've used on an ultra-thin laptop.
The Acer Swift 7 is powered by Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. However, these aren't in the same category as the Core i chips in the HP Spectre 13. Instead, they're the recently re-branded Core M chips that operate at a tiny 4.5W TDP.
This means, in Core i7-7Y75 guise, this dual-core laptop gets a base frequency of 1.3GHz and a maximum Turbo frequency of 3.6GHz. How long it will be able to sustain that Turbo figure remains to be seen; in fact, with its ultra-thin, fanless design it is likely to stick to its base clock speed more often than not.Acer Swift 7 4
A mix of specifications will be available, but the 256GB of SSD storage and 8GB of RAM configuration will likely be the most common option.
The screen is a 13.3-inch, Full HD IPS panel. It’s bright with punchy colours and high contrast, although it somewhat fails to to stand out against the bezel that surrounds it. Acer Swift 7
Battery life on paper is rated at nine hours, which is impressive. It's likely that you'll have to dim the display somewhat to reach this figure, but with such a low-power processor on board it probably won’t be hard to get a full day of battery life out of the Swift 7.
The success of this machine will likely hinge on its battery performance, so I’ll be looking at this closely when the final product launches.

OPENING IMPRESSIONS

With a launch price of €1,299 in Europe (around £1,326 inc VAT), presumably for a Core i7 model, this is an expensive machine. If this turns out to be an accurate specification and price, the Swift 7 will offer better value than the 12-inch MacBook but will be more expensive than the powerful HP Spectre 13.
Acer says the Swift 7 will launch in October, along with its Swift 5, 3 and 1 stablemates. If the price can be kept down, the Swift 7 could find itself as one of the better-value ultra-premium laptops around.
However, with several other manufacturers yet to reveal their hands, and the potential of Intel’s new Kaby Lake processors only just dawning, expect to see several rivals appearing soon.
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