Tag Archives: HP

Apr 25

HP Laptops Compared to Asus Laptops

Posted on by

This category based comparison will help you make a, decision you’ll be happy with before buying your next laptop.

A Tight Game

Asus and HP are among the largest competitors in the ever growing laptop market. Both of them have ups and downs when it comes to laptops. Comparing these two big companies must be based on specific features that affects need in buying a laptop. Therefore let’s compare Asus and HP laptops based on facts that help you to make a better decision before actually buying your laptop.

Price

When considering price, it seems that Asus laptops cost more than HP laptops. Generally the price difference is around 10%. Some HP users complain that HP uses low quality hardware for some of their products in order to lower the price tag. HP has the reputation of providing laptops with a lower price than a comparable Asus. If you are looking for the cheaper option, then you may want a HP laptop.

Comparing HP G71-340us with Asus P50IJ is quite reasonable because both laptops have similar features. Both have a Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz processor, 4GB DDR2 memory and DVD drive.The display of HP G71-340us is 17.3” and comes with a 320GB SATA hard drive. Asus P50IJ has a 15.6” display and hard drive is only 250GB.But the price of the Asus laptop is $549 while HP costs only $499. Here you can buy a cheaper laptop with more features from HP.

Performance

HP tends to produce more entertainment based laptops, so they offer more features with their laptops. Performance of laptops must be compared with two models of laptops. It’s useless to compare two brands based on their performance. Asus laptops have better cooling and they specially advertise "IceCool Design" for their laptops. HP has faster hard drives and DDR3 memory.

In a recent reliability survey, Asus laptops were selected as the best laptops and HP laptops were the worst from the selected brands. Only 15.6% of Asus laptops were malfunctioned after a 3 year service. After the same service period 25.6 % of HP laptops had malfunctioned.

Build and Hardware

Asus is an ODM or an Original Design Manufacturer. They make motherboards, chassis, etc. for big companies like Dell, Apple, etc. Then those companies add the other parts, rebrand it and sell. So you don’t need to worry about their build quality and hardware. There are lesser complaints against Asus about their quality of hardware. It seems that there are more unhappy customers because of malfunctioning and lack of quality in some of the HP laptops.

Customer service & Warranty

If you live in the U.S. then Asus support is probably better than any other related company. There are complaints against them in other regions (Australia). Many people who bought an Asus laptop are very happy with their service. Customer service of HP seems far behind when it is compared with Asus. Perhaps it is because they have outsourced their customer service to India and the Philippines.

Asus also has a much more user friendly website than HP. HP has many more options to choose from. They also offer laptop driver downloads directly from their website, unlike Asus. Both companies offer extended warranty packages for their customers. Asus offers one year accidental damage warranty for their customers.

Verdict

Both of them are giants in producing computers. Both of them are capable of providing high quality products. If you are looking for a low priced laptop, consider a HP laptop, knowing it may not last as long. If you are looking for a high quality product with smooth functioning for a considerable time period, many people select Asus over HP. Therefore from the game of "Asus vs. HP", Asus is more likely to win.

Related Links:

HP vs Dell laptops Laptop Reliability: Which Brands are the Most Reliable? Looks Like a Bargain? Are Asus Laptops Any Good?

http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/76135.aspx

Mar 10

HP Slate 500 Preview: Why You Won't Buy it ...

Posted on by

From the looks of the pictures, it’s shiny and sleek; and if a prototype of the HP Slate 500 tablet hadn’t been shown at CES before the iPad first debuted, you’d think they’d made it just to compete with the iPad.

But as it turns out, the HP Slate 500 is not intended to compete with the iPad … in fact, the two tablets are in two separate markets. So if you were thinking of getting an HP Slate 500 to use like an iPad, think again. It’s not going to do what you need it to, even though they look similar.

How can you tell? From the not-so-subtle hints on HP’s website and elsewhere.

“The ideal PC for professionals”

The biggest thing that makes the iPad the iPad is that it runs iOS, the simple, multitouch interface popularized by Apple’s iPhone. iOS apps are simple to use, take up the whole screen, and are completely finger-driven. Plus, they run inside security “sandboxes” that keep them from infecting the iPad with a virus. Most other tablets, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, run Android, and most of this applies to Android tablets as well.

The HP Slate 500 does not run Android or iOS. According to HP’s website, “The HP Slate 500 is the ideal PC for professionals who don’t usually work at a traditional desk, yet need to stay productive in a secure, familiar Windows® environment.”

In other words, the HP Slate 500 is going to be a PC … a computer that runs Windows. With apps that are complicated to use, a cluttered interface designed for mouse pointers, and problems with spyware and viruses. And as the CNet review noted, it’s not even going to have a custom touch interface … it’s just going to use Windows 7′s default tablet settings.

Probably not your cup of tea

As you can see from the above link to HP’s website, the HP Slate 500 is not listed as a “consumer” product, or a device marketed to individual buyers. Rather, it’s being sold to business users.

Why? Because a lot of businesses have expensive contracts with Microsoft, and with companies that support Microsoft products like Windows. Their technicians only know how to solve Windows problems, and they’ve already spent millions of dollars on it, training people to use Windows and buying “licenses” to software that runs on Windows.

Combine that with the conservative nature of the kinds of people who run most large businesses, and you can see why HP had to sell the HP Slate 500 running Windows instead of Android or HP WebOS. And why they used words like “secure” and “familiar” to describe the HP Slate 500.

The Upshot

If you’re a Windows enthusiast, the HP Slate 500 may be up your alley. At $799 USD it’s about as much as a fully-specced iPad, but with more RAM and an SD card slot. But then, if you’re a Windows enthusiast you already know the HP Slate 500′s specs, and you already know whether or not you want one. Just be careful about recommending it to your friends or family members, who may not be as technically inclined as you and who might have trouble dealing with Windows’ quirks. And if you’re not a fan of Windows, you may want to look into an iPad or an Android tablet, or even wait for the first HP WebOS tablet to come out.

Scroll down to leave a comment, if you like … and whatever device you end up using, I hope you have fun with it!

I m a tabletop gamer and technology enthusiast, who is passionate about social justice and open-source software.  View profile

Aug 25

Dell, HP say Windows 8 is trashing PC sales

Posted on by

To hear Dell and HP tell it, the slump in PC sales can be blamed in part on Windows 8, which won’t do much to improve the situation until sometime next year.

During conference calls this week to talk about their earnings both Dell and HP pointed to lousy PC sales as a problem. Dell actually came out and said Windows 8 anticipation had resellers drawing down PC inventory, but also acknowledged that any benefit the new operating system will have on sales would be delayed into next year.

RELATED: Lenovo not worried about Microsoft’s Surface tablet

MORE: Windows 8 tablet growth hinges on pricing: report

IDC backs them up. “Factors such as Windows 8 coupled with Ultrabooks could present a positive turn of events next year,” says Jay Chou, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, “but it also faces some initial hurdles; chief of which is that buyers must acclimate themselves to an operating system that is a dramatic departure from existing PC paradigms. the PC ecosystem faces some work to properly educate the market.”

HP doesn’t name Windows 8 by name, but talks about problems selling PCs because of people are holding off until they see what’s new later on. “[The] PC market remains weak, and channel inventory is high across the industry ahead of new product releases,” CEO Meg Whitman said in the company’s earning call, according to a transcript by Seeking Alpha. “Our PC revenue was down 10% year-over-year, driven by this weakness and an aggressive pricing from our competitors.”

HP may have a trick up its sleeve, though. Whitman says that this fall it will have “a new line of PCs and tablets with a focus on design,” perhaps to rival iPads and Microsoft’s Windows 8 Surface devices. the target market for the tablets is businesses, she says, which will compete directly with the Surface tablet that is based on x86 processors.

These design-focused devices will include some HP secret sauce, says said John Solomon, senior vice president of America sales for HP’s printing and personal systems division, in an interview with CRN. “We will be very focused on the commercial tablet opportunity, which is completely under penetrated. And, we have some unique intellectual property that we’re going to apply,” Solomon told CRN.

VMware embraces Windows 8

VMware is upgrading its desktop virtualization software to support Windows 8 virtual machines so the platform will be ready when Windows 8 launches in October.

VMware Workstation 9 does more than just run Windows 8 on a virtual machine, the company says; it supports specific new hardware features such as multi-touch.

So if a Windows 8 application designed to Microsoft’s touch-centric specifications (formerly Metro apps) is running on a virtual machine, the physical machine will be responsive to features that recognize finger movements such as swipes, pinches, drags, rotates and the like.

The virtual machine will also display these applications full-screen without borders as the apps are intended to appear on Windows 8 physical machines, VMware says.

Dell, HP say Windows 8 is trashing PC sales

Aug 08

Why Microsoft Had To Build The Surface Tablet

Posted on by

Acer CEO sent out a warning shot to Microsoft saying it should “think twice” about building its own tablet.

He warned that Microsoft was going to be making a huge mistake and it would damage the ecosystem.

We were on CNBC today to defend Microsoft’s decision to build its own tablet. the video is below.

It’s certainly a risky decision for Microsoft, but doing nothing is an even bigger risk.

The iPad represents the future of computing and Microsoft has no answer to the iPad yet.

It could sit back and trust that HP, Acer, Dell, etc. are going to step up to the plate and build something that can compete with the iPad, but that’s a huge risk. those companies failed to beat Apple in smartphones. There’s no reason to think they can beat Apple in tablets. In fact, HP tried to release a tablet before the iPad and it failed. It bought Palm, tried to release a tablet and failed again. Is that a company Microsoft can trust?

Further, many of Microsoft’s big PC partners have been trying to get out of the PC business because the margins are terrible.

The iPad is a high quality device. These companies can’t be trusted to make a high quality device that can compete on price.

While Microsoft will certainly irk some of its partners with the Surface, they should take it in stride.

First of all, this is Microsoft’s first attempt at hardware. if experienced hardware companies can’t beat what is essentially a hardware startup, they deserve to lose. second of all, it’s not like Microsoft is keeping Windows 8 to itself. the hardware partners can still get the software. and finally, Microsoft isn’t going wide with the release. It will only sell at Microsoft’s stores. That’s a small distribution channel.

Microsoft is arguably doing its PC partners a favor. if the Surface is a total flop, then the PC makers can try to figure out why. Or they can ignore Windows 8 for tablets, and just go with Android. if the Surface is a success, they can build on that and release their own tablets.

The only real mistake Microsoft can make is letting Apple take over the tablet market with out putting up a fight.

Why Microsoft Had To Build The Surface Tablet

Aug 06

Why does Google subsidize Nexus 7?

Posted on by

To understand why Google subsidized the Nexus 7, you have to first understand what makes the tablet market unique from all other forms of personal computing. All personal computing devices fall into three major categories: PC, cellphone, and tablet (with possibilities for more in the future such as “smartglasses”, which Google and others are developing).

The PC market is mature, there have been very few changes since the nineties; functionality has steadily improved and the only big change was the advent of the laptop, which changed the form, although, it didn’t change the two main players: Apple and Microsoft, with Microsoft’s hardware manufacturers also playing an important role. The players in the PC market have changed little (sure HP bought Compaq and IBM sold out to Lenovo). It would take a truly revolutionary product to change anything even though there have been attempts — the constant presence of Linux, and the recent (relatively) introduction of Chromebooks for example — none have have managed to have any impact.

Similarly the smartphone market, while not mature, and certainly not immune to change, has a stabilizing element in the form of wireless carriers. there is a constant tension between the carriers and handset manufacturers — the carriers and their affinity for bloatware and branding, trying to keep the phone about them, and the manufacturers trying to distinguish themselves from the bunch, and not give too much power to one carrier, while still remaining in their favor. An example of this is Samsung Galaxy S III, which has the same name on all carriers (not very common), but AT&T still managed to exclusively carry a “Garnet Red” Galaxy S3.

This competition among carriers creates a third dimension to selling a device, and has allowed Android to succeed even though it is flawed by nature (Don’t believe me? Just look at the state of OS updates), and is also why the iPhone does so well, because Apple doesn’t have to worry about manufacturers, only the carriers.

Tablets are Different

So while the PC market is dominated by the OS makers that maintain rigid control over their systems, and the smartphone market is — thanks to Android’s open source nature — controlled by manufacturer and carrier, the tablet market is controlled by the content providers.

The tablet market is dominated by Apple, due in some part to great advertising and marketing. Their lead-the-market strategy makes the iPad almost synonymous with tablet, and rightly so with 61 percent of US tablet users last year owning iPads, according to Pew. Kindle Fire is next with with 14 percent, followed by Samsung’s Galaxy Tab family (5 percent). Amazon’s table attained such remarkable market share with less than two months of sales for the entire year. Kindle Fire’s success motivated Google to move into the tablet market. Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt started dropping hints about the Nexus 7 back in January.

But the Question is, who does the Tablet Benefit?

The 8GB Nexus 7 sells for $199, and comes with a $25 credit to spend in the Google Play store, so at a cost to the consumer of $175, the Nexus 7 is the cheapest mainstream tablet available. Margins are thin. IHS iSuppli’s teardown puts Nexus 7′s bill of materials and manufacturing at $159.25, which excludes marketing costs. Android tablets have largely failed; the continued dominance of the iPad as well as the meteoric rise of the Kindle Fire show that Android tablets need something else to succeed, so Google came as near to the quality of the iPad, while still at the price of the Kindle Fire.

Google contracted Asus to build the Nexus 7, so the manufacturer is also a winner. Asus is a distant fifth in tablet market share, and they make the somewhat popular Eee Pad Transformer line, which runs “stock” Android (Google’s version).

So then, who does the Nexus 7 Hurt?

Amazon loses the most from the Nexus 7, and Apple to a lesser extent too. there may also be some animosity between the Android manufacturers and Google. The nexus 7 under-prices all other mainstream Android tablets, and Google can only do that because they sell the content. Very few Android tablets besides the Nexus 7 will be sold in the near future, but Google still will make a profit off of the ones that do, and this may rankle the manufacturer’s hides, some may even consider pulling an Amazon and forking Android, however unlikely that may be.

We wouldn’t want to forget about one other player in the tablet market, a newcomer, Microsoft. Randall C. Kennedy wrote an excellent article observing that Microsoft is manufacturing Surface because they won’t have to pay heavy licensing fees. Surface will come in a consumer version that runs Windows RT, and a business “Surface Pro” version that runs Windows 8 Pro they both have pretty much identical bodies, 10.6-inch screens cool covers, and a kickstand!

As I already said, a successful tablet requires content, and Microsoft’s content is almost exclusively software and games. Apple’s iTunes ecosystem led with music, and followed with video, apps, books and periodicals. Amazon’s Kindle/Android ecosystem led with books and periodicals, then followed with music, video, and apps. Google’s Play ecosystem led with apps and games, then followed with video, books, music and then finally periodicals. Microsoft does not yet have a Windows ecosystem to compete with all of that content. there is, however, Xbox Live.

So if Microsoft wants to succeed in the tablet space, they first need to have a great price. At an analyst-estimated price range of $300 to $400, Surface may be able to carve a niche between the iPad and the Kindle Fire, but with Google increasing the competition in the 7-inch range, it’s going to be all that much harder for Microsoft. secondly, Microsoft needs the rest of the content to come from somewhere.

The Nexus 7 is a great tablet at a really great price, and while there are many reasons Google would want to make a tablet with such a thin profit margin and compete with their hardware manufacturers, Google’s goal was to get their foot in the door of the tablet market, and we can be sure they succeeded in that.

Why does Google subsidize Nexus 7?

Aug 04

Samsung and ASUS tablet sales gaining on iPad

Posted on by

  • HP, Dell and Asus tipped as Windows 8 tablet launch partners
  • 10 best tablet PCs in the world today
  • Google to sell Asus and Samsung tablets?

The latest fiscal analysis from IDC reveals Apple had remarkable improvement in the number of iPads shipped from the same point last year, but Samsung and ASUS showed even stronger growth in the same time period.

Apple’s iPad shipments grew to 17 million during the second quarter, an impressive jump from the 9.2 million shipped during the same period in 2011.

Those 17 million iPads surpass Apple’s previous record of 15 million sold in one quarter, with those sales coming at the end of 2011.

However, not to be outdone, Samsung and ASUS both had much more growth year-to-year than their larger competitor.

Samsung may have only shipped some 2.4 million tablets, but that number was more than a 117 percent increase from the same fiscal period in 2011.

The same could be said for ASUS, which moved a little more than 855,000 units, yet managed to increase the amount of tablets they shipped during the new fiscal period by more than 115 percent.

Growth across the board

Overall, the total number of tablets shipped during the second quarter is estimated at 25 million, amounting to nearly 34 percent more than all companies moved combined during the first quarter of this year.

Year-to-year, those same 25 million total units show growth of more than 66 percent over 2011, when 15 million tablets were sold in the second quarter.

Four of the top five tablet makers saw incredible growth over 2011′s numbers, with Acer being the only company to see a decrease in units shipped.

Though the iPad still holds a seemingly impregnable 68.2 percent market share for tablets, the massive improvements of both Samsung and ASUS are hard to ignore.

Add in the upcoming addition of Windows 8 tablets to the market and it’ll be interesting to see if Apple can continue to outpace its competition so dramatically.

Via IDC

Samsung and ASUS tablet sales gaining on iPad

Aug 01

Windows RT launch partners revealed, other OEMs ...

Posted on by

Windows RT is a very different beast than Windows 8, and it all starts with those ARM internals. when Microsoft laid out the ground rules for manufacturers, it was clear that everything about the RT experience would be very tightly controlled. So tightly controlled, in fact, that Microsoft required chip makers to partner up with only one or two system builders.

Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments have apparently chosen their collaborators. Nvidia will be working with Asus (who already has a good amount of experience with convertible ARM devices) and Lenovo (the world’s second biggest PC maker). Texas Instruments selected Toshiba, still a major force in the PC market despite seeing shipments slide an estimated 20% last quarter.

Qualcomm’s choices were Samsung and HP. recently, it was reported that HP had decided to step back from Windows RT initially. The company still planned on delivering a Windows 8 tablet, but it was going to run an Intel processor — ensuring that customers would still be able to run legacy Windows apps. HP has left the door open to a future Windows RT device, but in the meantime Dell is reportedly looking at taking the open spot with Qualcomm.

Other manufacturers will have to wait until after the 2012 holiday rush. Microsoft will open the platform to additional manufacturers in January 2013, though they’ll still be looking to keep a tight grip on things. They’ll want to see devices that are just as compelling as the Surface and Surface Pro, after all, in order to attack the iPad from all sides.

More at Unwired View and China Economic Times

Windows RT launch partners revealed, other OEMs locked out until January 2013

Jul 18

Is HP Planning A Windows RT Tablet After All? ...

Posted on by

Last month, Hewlett-Packard declared that it has no immediate plans to launch an ARM-based tablet PC once Microsoft officially unveils Windows 8 later this year, opting instead to focus on Intel-based devices for the business market.

But could they be wavering?

This morning, DigiTimes reports that HP is planning a 10.1-inch tablet running Windows RT – the version of the new OS targeted at ARM-based devices – and using a processor from Texas Instruments. the story also says that Dell is planning a similar tablet using a Qualcomm processor. Both HP and Dell devices are supposed to ship in the fourth quarter, according to the story.

The story also says that Lenovo, Toshiba and Asustek also are working on Win RT-based tablets. Acer is reportedly working on Intel-based tablets, but not ARM-based models. Sony and Samsung, the story says, “are turning conservative” on developing Win RT tablets.

I’ve sent a message to HP requesting comment; will update if/when they respond.

Update: Here’s the response from HP.

“We don’t comment on rumors,” HP spokesperson Marelene Somsak says. “Our earlier statement stands.”

And this is the original statement:

 ”HP continues to look at using ARM processors in business and consumer products. however, our first Win 8 tablet will be on the x86 platform focused on the business market. the decision to go with x86 was influenced by input from our customers. the robust and established ecosystem of x86 applications provides the best customer experience at this time and in the immediate future.” 

Is HP Planning A Windows RT Tablet After All? (Updated)

Jul 16

Worldwide PC market slides in second quarter of ...

Posted on by

CBR Staff Writer Published 16 July 2012

HP remained the top vendor but Lenovo is catching fast

Worldwide PC shipments during the second quarter of 2012 fell 0.1% compared to the corresponding quarter a year ago, according to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker.

The fall in shipments was mainly due to disappointing sell-out of distribution channels during the first quarter and the limited demand from channels that are concerned about building inventory ahead of new product launches this autumn, IDC said.

The report also revealed that the PC buyers remained reluctant about purchasing PCs with looming tech transition to tablets such as Apple’s iPad and the economic situation across many parts of the world.

Ultrabooks have not pushed significant rise in volumes – in part due to arrival of Windows 8, which is expected later this year, but also due to pricing.

According to the report, the slump in demand across Europe and the US has also been felt in emerging markets, while Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) recorded flat year-on-year growth which is said to be worst performance in years.

The US market shrank by 10.6% as most vendors and their channel partners struggled with shrinking demand as a saturated market and lack of incentives are leading buyers to delay purchases of PCs for the time being.

Among the top-tier vendors, only Lenovo managed to maintain positive growth by driving its channel reach and being more aggressive against its established competitors.

With year on year growth of 6.1%, Lenovo’s growth however decelerated abruptly from the double-digit growth rates of previous quarters, further reflecting slow market conditions in the US.

Bottom-tier vendors captured marginal demand in local communities and in regional markets; however, they too struggled with a difficult economic environment affecting local public sector entities and small businesses.

IDC Personal Computing research director David Daoud said the US market suffered a double-digit contraction in the second quarter as market saturation and economic factors combine with anticipation of Windows 8 and other changes later in the year.

"in this context, consumers are delaying purchases, and vendors and retailers are slowing down their PC activities to clear existing inventories," Daoud said.

"The situation is exacerbated by consumer notebook saturation, a slowing replacement cycle in the commercial sector, and the big macro-economic and political events affecting confidence and spending."

Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region maintained positive growth driven by sell-in recovery in Western Europe and CEE in particular, and an easier year-on-year comparison.

Growth in Western Europe remained modest, impacted by slow consumer demand and caution from the channel ahead of the Windows 8 transition, but returned to healthier levels.

Growth in Japan remained positive despite slowing from the first quarter while growth in Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) saw growth drop slightly below zero, negating a key driver of global growth, the report revealed.

HP remained the top vendor with shipments of 13.4m although it saw shipments decline significantly across regions. Chinese PC maker Lenovo is rapidly closing in on HP and could overtake the Silicon Valley icon this quarter.

Worldwide PC market slides in second quarter of 2012: IDC

This Tablet PC Post was also found by:

    IDC 2013 PC slide
Jul 13

Samsung Galaxy Tab Models Don't Copy ...

Posted on by

Samsung has bagged itself another courtroom win over Apple after the High Court of England & Wales ruled that three of the Korean company’s Galaxy Tab models were “different” from Apple’s iPad products.

Eager to share the ruling, Samsung issued a full statement to Pocket-lint, detailing how the designs of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Galaxy Tab 8.9, and the Galaxy Tab 7 were original enough not to be confused with the iPad. the initial case centered on an arguement by Apple that they shared ’slightly rounded corners,’ ‘a flat transparent surface without any ornamentation,’ and ‘a thin profile.’

The High Court dismissed Apple’s arguments in emphatic fashion, citing around 50 examples of prior art that demonstrated the familiar tablet design from before 2004. some of the products include the now famous Knight Ridder tablet concept (from as far back as 1994) and HP’s TC1000 (made in 2003).

The court also sided with Samsung’s argument that its Galaxy Tab devices could be differentiated from the iPad using the naked eye. in this respect, the court noted differences in the “front surface design and in the thinness of the side profile” and “found the most vivid differences in the rear surface design.”

In short, the front, sides and back of Samsung’s Galaxy Tabs sufficiently differed from Apple’s iPad  as to not confuse consumers.

Samsung said: “Apple’s excessive legal claims based on such a generic design right can harm not only the industry’s innovation as a whole, but also unduly limit consumer choice.”

The Korean device maker is still fighting lawsuits all over the world but recently saw a ban on its Galaxy Nexus smartphone overturned in the US, allowing Google to resume sales of the device on its Google Play Store.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Models Don't Copy Apple's iPad, Says UK High Court

This Tablet PC Post was also found by:

    samsung tablet tc1000
    tablet computer ridder