Sony Vaio E

Review by Katrina T. Rivere

Product Test No. 1065

Price: P59,999

Like most Sony notebooks, the VAIO E is a chic-looking laptop that you’d be proud to display at a coffee shop or the airport lounge. But at 14.6 x 9.8 x 1.2 inches and weighing a back-breaking 6 pounds, you’d probably want to leave the Sony VAIO E on your desk than lug it around.

The VAIO E comes with a 15.5-inch display with 1366 x 768 resolution (we reviewed the VPCEB25FG/W model). Images are sharp and colors are bright and vibrant, but because of the glossy surface of the screen, I have to adjust the tilt of the screen to avoid seeing my own reflection. That said, videos played came out sharp, smooth, and colorful—and with the pretty good set of built-in speakers, this VAIO would make for a fine, portable multimedia device.

The full-sized keyboard has chiclet-type keys that are spaced considerably apart from one another. Tactile feedback is good and there’s little room for accidentally hitting the wrong keys. Meanwhile, the touchpad is positioned left of center, directly beneath the space bar (the VAIO E comes with a numeric keypad). This could take some getting used to, but with frequent use, it’ll probably feel natural in no time.

GRINS

• zippy performance
• excellent keyboard
• large screen and good speakers are great for your personal multimedia needs

GRIMACES

• mediocre battery life
• hefty

THE LOWDOWN

A great mix of performance and style. Too bad you can’t always lug it around to show it off since it’s more at home on your desk than on your lap.

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Asus U53F Bamboo

Review by Mark Francis Go

Product Test No. 1071

Price: $999

Made with recyclable materials, zero paint or sprays, and with no electroplating, Asus’ U53F Bamboo notebook showcases the company’s commitment to caring for Mother Nature. This notebook is green not only for its sustainable design, but also for its environment-friendly features such as Asus’ exclusive Super Hybrid Engine, which results in lower power consumption and longer battery life.

The bamboo finish (in a dark shade of brown) on the lid and palm rest looks posh. The bamboo design extends to the touch pad, which is surprisingly smooth and responsive. At 2.6 kg, however, you’d probably want this notebook sitting your desk rather than having to haul it around.

GRINS

• good build quality
• power-saving and eco-friendly features
• great keyboard
• Blu-ray drive

GRIMACES

• bulky and heavy
• no full HD screen

THE LOWDOWN

An eco-friendly, good-looking notebook that performs well.

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GE X5

Review by Kimberly U. Go

Product Test No. 1072

Price: P10,495

When you’re in the market for a camera, GE is probably not top-of-mind. But when you see this attractively priced prosumer on the shelf, we won’t blame you if you do a double-take.

The GE X5 from the company’s Power Pro series boasts of a pretty powerful feature set—a 14.1MP resolution, 15x optical zoom, a 28mm wide angle lens, ISO settings up to 3200, and optical image stabilization—at half the price of competitors from other brands.

This P10,495 camera, which comes in white and black variants, is compact and easy to hold and use thanks to the nicely shaped grip and well-placed controls. At the back of the camera is a smallish 2.7-inch LCD. The X5 uses four AA batteries—handy but these add to the weight of the camera.

A dial on the top right of the X5 allows you to choose modes. Aside from the automatic, scene, and panorama modes, you can also pick from manual, ASCN, shutter priority, aperture priority, and program. The X5 also allows you to capture video at 30fps in 640 x 480 resolution.

GRINS

• 15x optical zoom
• sharp and well-exposed shots in good lighting conditions
• manual modes give you control over pictures
• affordable for a 14MP, 15x zoom camera

GRIMACES

• four AA batteries add to weight of camera
• VGA-resolution video only
• inconsistent performance in low light

THE LOWDOWN

This affordable yet powerful ultra-zoom camera is great for point-and-shoot users who want more control over their shots.

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Asus O!Play HDP-R1

Review by Nicole Batac

Product Test No. 1076

Price: P5,500

The Asus O!Play is an HD media player that supports popular video and audio formats, streams media from external drives and home networks, and has a user-friendly interface. Plus, it features Dolby Digital, DTS Digital Surround, and Dolby True HD. Popular image and subtitle formats can also be played on this media player. In short, it’s got everything that you can ask for from an HD media player.

Aside from streaming media from external drives and home networks, this player can also stream content from the ‘net, meaning you can play internet TV and radio, and access Flickr, Picasa, world weather, RSS feeds, etc. Additional channels are added periodically via firmware upgrade, which is readily available on Asus’ website.

There’s one USB port to connect external drives but with the presence of a combo USB 2.0/eSATA port, streaming huge HD files off external drives is a breeze.

GRINS

• plays popular video and audio formats
• access to online content
• presence of an eSATA port
• user-friendly interface
• good remote control works

GRIMACES

• remote buttons can be too sensitive at times
• bulky form

THE LOWDOWN

The O!Play is a feature-packed media player that will satisfy a couch potato’s needs.