Hasta La Gadget!

It’s the priciest rig we’ve seen since we laid eyes on Alienware’s latest gaggle of machines back at TGS, and it’s not even from a company that you would generally take seriously in the gaming PC arena. But according to Computer Shopper, that small-man bias should be shelved, and fast. Maingear‘s newly unveiled SHIFT can be had for just over $2,000 if you stick with the basics, but CS managed to review a loaded-out $7,113 edition that produced “record-shattering performance.” The “uncompromising design” and build quality was also lauded, through the college-fund shattering price tag prevented it from notching a 10/10 rating. Feel free to tap the read link for the full skinny, but honestly, this thing simply did exactly what it should’ve done for the price; anything less than world-beating would’ve been a disgrace at seven large.

Filed under: Desktops

Maingear SHIFT reviewed: $7,000 can shatter a lot of records originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pentax’s K-x has been shipping in various corners of the globe (in various hues) for a hot minute now, but at long last the entry-level DSLR has found itself on the test bench. The good folks over at Tech Radar were able to take the $650 shooter for a spin, and with few exceptions, they absolutely adored it. Image quality was deemed fantastic, and without qualification, that’s easily the most important aspect of a camera. Critics also appreciated the build quality, rear LCD and ergonomics, though they did note that the 720p movie mode was “hit and miss.” They found it to be a good fit for novices and amateurs, and while they did feel that it was somewhat less comfortable to wield than Nikon’s D5000, they still maintained that it’ll be a great bargain when the street price falls just a bit. Tap the read link for the full skinny — but only if you feel compelled.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Pentax’s entry-level K-x DSLR receives glowing review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo’s ThinkPad SL510 is just one of many new lappies hitting the market with Windows 7 in tow, but unlike most of the consumer-oriented machines, this pup is aimed squarely at that fellow over there looking mighty uncomfortable in the suit. Their test version, which included a 2.53GHz CPU, 3GB of RAM, a 320GB HDD and a $1,024 price tag, was found to be a real champion in terms of performance. The machine itself starts at just $520, and while the upgrades here definitely had an impact, they were also pleased with the multitouch trackpad, overall typing experience and bundled business tools. The only knocks? The “bulky, staid design” and low screen resolution, but something tells us a few of you won’t see the former as a negative. Hit the read link for the full skinny.

Filed under: Laptops

Lenovo’s all-business ThinkPad SL510 gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The plasma may be a dying breed, but the ones that are left are undoubtedly some of the best the world has ever seen. Take Panasonic‘s 54-inch TC-P54Z1 for example, which wowed audiences (us included) when it was first unveiled way back at CES. The HD Guru recently had an opportunity to take this very screen into his abode for review, and after a labor-intensive (around “one hour”) setup process, the gazing was officially on. Panny’s engineers were able to slim the set down to an inch by requiring that a dedicated (wireless) set-top-box be used for tuning OTA channels and managing connections, and the result was nothing less than elegant. If you’re wondering what north of five large really buys in an HDTV these days, wonder no more — the set was deemed darn near perfect, with “outstanding” color, contrast and deep black levels. Potentially best of all, there were no motion artifacts to speak of, and anyone with a 120Hz / 240Hz set can testify to just how annoying those things are. Hit the read link for a detailed unboxing, setup and review, but don’t even bother if you’re looking for someone to talk you out of what you’re about to do.

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Panasonic’s 1-inch thick Z1 plasma reviewed: playing with perfection originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell’s “highly experimental” Mini 10v with Ubuntu Moblin Remix may not be ready for the mainstream just yet (though it is on sale to everyone who dares), but it’s more than ready for the enthusiasts over at ArsTechnica. After purchasing a $299 base unit, they proceeded to take a closer look at just how Moblin fared on a netbook — probably because the actual hardware specifications are the same as always. Reviewers noted that the UI they were graced with looked an awful lot like the shell they saw back in May, though this build was decidedly more stable and “complete.” That said, they still managed to uncover a few bugs, and they were indeed saddened to find that the integrated web browser was downright “weak.” All told, critics were impressed with the progress on Moblin, but they still proclaimed that it has a long ways to go before it’ll be “ready for regular users.” If you’ve been thinking about exiting your comfort zone and picking one of these up, you owe it to yourself to give that read link a tap.

Filed under: Laptops

Dell Mini 10v reviewed with Ubuntu Moblin Remix originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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