What Laptops and Tools Are Suited For Graphic Designers

   Not all laptops are tailor made for Graphic Designers. Users will find most of these features in gaming laptops. You can’t buy any laptop that has high specs and use it for Graphics. It should have the necessary tools that Graphic Designers need.  You can’t have a small sized laptop for this purpose.  The size is very important because you want to get all the details clearly and properly formed.

    Here Are Some Of the Features You Must Consider:

1. CPU - For Designers, they must get a better than average processor. An Intel i5 Or i7 would be just  be right or the fourth generation Haswell processors that are found on the Apple MacBook Pro 2014 model. Make sure to buy Quad-core processors. Make sure that it is an SSD.  SSD drives don’t have magnets. Magnets can erase your data.

2. GPU – The GPU’s are seen on top of the Graphics Card. Some of the Best GPU’s are the following: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970; NVDIA GeForce GTX 980; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980; NVIDIAGeForce GTX 750 Ti; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780.  GPU is a single-chip processor and is used for essentially for 3-D applications and creating images.

3. RAM – Random Access Memory is essential for having a good functioning computer. The more RAM the better. I recommend 8 – 16 GB of RAM. When you have more RAM , you can run more programs and this makes the job easier for Designers.

4. Video Cards – It is an expansion card that permits the computer to deliver information to a video display device.  Video cards need not be expensive but do not cut down on your RAM.

5. Screen Size – Your screen Size must be 15 – 17 inches. Do not compromise. You need more space to work with.

6. Compact – You must have a laptop that is convenient to carry around. Lighter is better.  When a laptop is light, it will have a longer battery life. If you are doing graphics work in your home or office, this  may not be much of a concern.

7. Color Quality – Graphic Designers must have good color quality and that is why it is better to use IPS display.

    The Apple MacBook Pro is a very good laptop to acquire, the version 2014 comes with an Intel Core i7 2.2 GHz( 4^th generation ) . It has a fast processor. This laptop comes with a 16GB DDR3L of RAM with a 256GB Hard Drive, Intel Iris Pro Graphics. It has an attractive looking display – IPS Retina Display, 2880 x 1880. It has wireless connectivity ( 802 11/a/b/g/n Wi-FI, Bluetooth 4.0 ).  The Operating System is OS X Mavericks. Battery can last for 8 hours. This will cost $2,000. Designers can also acquire the 2012 model that has 7 hours of battery life and it will cost $,1000.

    The Lenovo Y50 ( Model 59440654 with IPS Display ). This version is really good because it has an IPS Display and it cost just a bit over $1000. It comes with a CPU: Intel 17-4720HQ (2.6 GHz ). It has 1TB SATA Drive. The RAM is 16GB. The OS is Windows 8.1. You can upgrade it t Windows 10. It has 4GB of Graphics Card and it’s GPU is an NVIDIA GTX 960-M. The Hard Drive has 1TB SATA and this version has a 1920x1080pixels IPS. The average battery is 5 hours. This is what Lenovo says. This laptop also has a 720p HD webcam.  You can use this for chatting.  This laptop performs well when doing graphics intensive work.

    From Asus you have The ASUS ROG G75I-JL-DS71 which a gaming laptop that can be used for graphics design. It is a very powerful laptop.  This laptop comes with an Intel i7-4700HQ 2.6GHz CPU, 16GB of DDR3 RAM and it has a large 17.3 inch screen which is very appropriate for a Graphic Designer. It has 1024 GB of Hard Drive. It uses the NVIDIA GTX965 M 2GB GDDR5. The Display is an IPS FHD 1920x1080. For Connectivity purposes it has a 802.11ac Wi-Fi. The Average Battery life is 2 hours. The Operating System is Windows 8.1 upgradeable to Windows 10. This is a laptop that will surely give Graphic Designers a great performance. This can cost as much as $1,200.

  There are five Graphics Design Programs that are quite good: 1. Adobe Photoshop 2. InDesign  3. Corel Draw 4. Quark Express  5. Adobe Illustrator. Take your pick. This write-up is just a guide and I am not personally recommending any of these tools or Laptops.

What Kind Of Components Are Needed For A Business Computer

   Before buying a Business Computer, the buyer must have a basic knowledge of what is needed.  Business Computers are more personalized than basic computers that are found in homes. Whether you are buying a Desktop or Laptop, you need the right features for a Business Computer.  You will have to consider what kind of motherboard, Central Processing Unit, Memory ( RAM ) and other specifications for your hardware and software. Being more personalized makes it more costly than basic computers.   Price really does matter when you are acquiring a Desktop and laptop altogether. You may need your desktop for your office and your Business laptop when you are constantly on the move.

   Business computers are used for editing, showing videos for presentation and creating videos, viewing top of the line graphics. In other words business laptops and desktops are used for almost everything and this is why you need software applications like: Accounting, Back-up and Recovery, Blogging Tool, Calendar, Collaboration, Microsoft Office Suite, Customer Relationship Management, FileMaker Pro, E-Commerce Service, E-Mail Marketing, Instant Messaging, Invoicing, Mobile Access, Project Management, RemoteAccess/Syncing, Security Suite, Social Networking, Task Manager, VoIP and Virtual Private Network. These are some of the best Business Software tools that will fit in to a Business Computer.

   Business Computers also need multi-core processors. The reason for this is because it allows users to run several applications simultaneously.  Dual-core processors allow the user to do two different tasks at the same time. This gives the user a good experience.  A Quad-core allows the user to do four tasks at the same time. With a Quad-core Processor, the user can do heavy loaded graphics and intensive database tasks. Business people can do lot more heavy work using a Quad-core processor. For Memory purposes, it is better to have 500GB t0 1TB of Hard Drive space. This will be appropriate for a Business Computer. A hard drive that spins at a rate of 7200rpm or more will give the user a faster performing Computer.  If  the prospective user intends to buy a business laptop , it is better to acquire a laptop that comes with a Solid State Drive ( SSD ).  For Business laptops, I think an Optical drive is still applicable and it is better to have a DVD writer. You can install proprietary software to your computer. Sometimes the user may need to send files that have been kept on DVD disks to his/her clients.  Video cards are very essential for Business Computers and an integrated video card on Business Computers will work just fine. For networking purposes a 802.11n WI-FI card will do. This write-up is just a guide for people who want to buy a business computer and not a recommendation.

What Is SSD and HDD & How Do They Differ

  Solid State Drive or SSD is a non-volatile storage device that locks in continuous data using solid state flash memory. (NAND )  It isn’t your usual traditional hard drive. There are no moving parts that make it work. It has a wide arrangement of semiiconductor memory that has been systematized as a disk drive, using Integrated Circuits ( IC’s ). It is known as non-volatile because it retains your data when the computer is closed.  SSD uses a controller and it is known as the processor. The processor is ingrained in to the system and it is known as the brain of the computer. The processor determines the speed of the SSD. There are a lot of high speed processors out there. One example is the Intel I7 Quadcore 2.9 4.2 GHz turbo boost with 8MB of cache. There are so many like it in the market. AMD also has it’s own version of speedy processors. The connector used for the SSD is what we call  SATA ( Serial Advanced Technology Attachment ). It is a computer bus interface that connects  ATA hard drives, Solid State Drives and Optical drives  to the computer motherboard.

There are different qualities that define SSD's and HDD's

1.  Power/Battery: SSD-needs less power to oiperate ( 2-3 watts ). HDD- needs more power to 

     operate ( 6-7 watts ).

2.   Price: SSD- expensive $0.20//GB ( 1TB ). HDD-cheap $0.03/GB ( 4TB ).

3.  Capacity: SSD-maximum of 1TB for laptop; 4TB for Desktop. HDD  maximum2TB for laptop 

     and 10TB for desktop.

4.  Time For OS To Boot: SSD-10-13 seconds ( average ). HDD-30-40 seconds ( average ).

5.  Vibration: SSD-none. There are no moving parts. HDD-spinning parts can make computers 

     vibrate.

6.  Heat: SSD-less power with no moving parts produces little heat. HDD-does not heat up but the 

    amount is more than of the SSD because of the moving parts and more power to operate.

7.  File Copy and Write Speed: SSD-normally above 200MB/s up to 550MB/s. HDD-anywhere       

     within 50MB/s-120MB/s.

8.  Encryption: SSD-Full Disk Encrption ( FDE ). Some models support FDE. HDD-Full Disk 

     Encryption and some models support FDE.

9.  File Opening Speed: SSD-25% to 30% faster than HDD. HDD-slower than SSD.

10 Magnetism Effect: SSD-not affected by magnetism. HDD-magnets can wipe out data.

   Hard Disk Drive or HDD is a non-volatile computer storage device that is composed of magnetic disks or platters that continually spin around at high speed. This acts as a second storage with the random access memory ( RAM ) being the first storage. HDD is more popularly known as Hard Drive. It is also non-volatlile ( same as the SSD ). The HDD’s have been here for quite long a long time now. (  over 60 years  ). IBM was the first to use it in 1956.  It’s really a very old technology. It relies on magnetism locked  in your data on a platter that rotates. The faster the platter goes around, the faster the HDD’s performance will be. The normal laptop drives spins for about 5400 RPM

( Revolutions Per Minute ) up to 7200 RPM. If it is server based then it can reach up to 15,000 RPM. The advantage that it has is that it can store a lot of data. The price of the HDD is inexpensive when compared to the price of an SSD.

  When buying computers, users must know what they need.  You buy a laptop or desktop based on the things that you do. If you are in to business, there are laptops and desktops that are readily available for you.  This also holds true for those that have a creative mind. Do not buy because of instinct. Think before you decide.This write-up is just a guide.

What Is Malware and How You Can Keep Your Computer Protected

   Malware is a common name and it means malicious software. It does stop your computer from functioning normally. Malware is a broad term for unwelcome or invasive software such as adware, spyware, virus, worm, trojan, rootkit, backdoors, keyloggers, rogue security software, browser hijacker, and ransomware  plus many other more. I only mentioned eleven but there are more than these. 

1. Adware – Amongst all malware, this will cause minimal harm to your computer and this delivers to your computers unwanted advertisements. It can be rather annoying that your computer has pop-up ads. This happens when you are offered free versions of software.

2. Spyware - This is a kind of software that can look into the activities of the user. This can be used to track down what the user is doing. It can look in to your account information and other kinds of data.

3. Trojan – This is a contaminable form of malware. It is a master of disguises. I say this because, it can come in the form of a normal file or program. It will deceive the user to download the program without the user knowing that this is a malware. It can look in to your financial information and it can take-over your computer’s system’s resources. It does a lot of damage when it makes the user’s computer resources unavailable. Just imagine if this malware attacks computers that are all linked up together. This is a very harmful malware especially if you have a business organization.

4. Worm – It is a program that copies itself and eliminates data and files on the user’s computer. It can create havoc by gobbling up your files and programs until it is completely gone.

5. Rootkit – This is a malware that is so difficult to discover.  It Is hiding some place in the computer’s system. It gathers identity information from the user’s computer. While this is going on, the user does not know what is happening. Any Information can be stolen. Remember this malware is always hiding. Once this has been placed in the computer, the computer becomes susceptible to any malware that can infiltrate the computer’s system. The person who did this can take control of your computer or computers.  Just imagine if your computer is linked up to several computers. This can have an effect if you belong to a business organization and your computers are all linked up together. If you ask an expert  for advice, he may advice you to erase your whole hard drive and start from scratch.

6. Virus – This kind of malware is a contaminated program or code that affixes itself to a software and then it reproduces whenever the software is being used. Your computer can get contaminated when this software or files has been shared with you.

7. Backdoors -  it’s almost the same thing as trojans and worms. The difference is that it opens a backdoor onto a computer. This allows a network connection for malware and even hackers to get passage in to a computer. It leaves an open gateway for virus or spam to be sent to the computer.

8. Keylologgers – This type of malware records any typed document in your computer.  It can obtain or extract any typed in document on your PC, or laptops. This includes passwords, log- in names and other important information. This is sent back to the source of whoever made the keylogging program.

9. Rogue Security Software – This is a deceitful malware, because it gives you wrong information.  It seems to be reliable because it pretends to remove malware infection. What it actually does is turn off your anti-virus software.  It’s also a malware and leaves your computer defenseless.

10. Ransomware – If this pops up on your screen “ You have been locked out of your computer until you pay for your cybercrimes.”  This is what you call ransomware. It is a malware. This is not true at all. Your system has just been infected with this kind of malware. Even the demand that you pay this amount of cash is untrue.

11. Browser Hijacker – Beware when your homepage on your browser changes without you changing it. You might have been infected with this kind of malware. This harmful malware will alter your regular search activity. This means that the developer of this malware wants you to see what he wants. This is a way for him to earn money. Don’t continue doing this because the developer wants you to make money for him when you surf. It will open your computer to more infections.

   It is a must for all computers to install legitimate anti–malware and firewall software. Some well known anti-virus brands carry anti-malware protection. You just have to check them out. Anti-Malware software should be able to protect your computer from common malware such as worms, spyware, adware, viruses,and trojans.  It’s better to have both anti-malware software and firewall. By doing this all of your data present and incoming will be scanned and if any malware s detected, it will say so. You can remove the malware at once. Keep your system updated. Do not download from any site that you are unfamiliar with.  Even if you are a Mac user, my suggestion is to get an anti- malware or anti-virus. It is just more difficult to hack into a Mac.  It has Gatekeeper which is a malware checker but there has been some instances wherein malware gets in to your Mac without you knowing it.  It’s like having five fire doors. Two to three fire doors can breakdown, but the fourth fire door won’t.. It’s there but it just will not hit the heart and brain of your Mac. For your peace of mind, it’s better to be protected. You can search the web regarding malware security for Mac Computers. Some of these products like BitDefender, Intego MacDefender, Kapersky, and Malwarebytes can offer protection for your Mac Computer. There are other products out there that can give Mac users the protection they need. With that said, it’s better to be protected than unprotected.

Huawei MediaPad M3

    Tablets are in demand these days and this is because of it’s portability. This is probably why Huawei is challenging the big boys in this category. A 32GB will cost about $400. The 64GB option will cost $500. This 8.4 inch tablet is a smooth and fast little machine. It’s CPU delivers a strong punch. These are the following specifications: CPU – Huawei HiSilicon Kirin Octa-core processor ( 4 xA72 2.3GHz + 4 x A53 1.8 GHz ), OS- Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Emotion UI 4.1. Memory - 32 GB ( standard ); 64 GB ( highest ), 4GB of RAM. Display: Size- 8.4 inch, Type: IPS, Resolution: WQXGA ( 2560 x 1600 pixels ), 359 pixels per inch. Network - BTV-DLO9, GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS ( Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service ) ( 3G  ) Broadband 1/2/5/6/8/19, T-SCDMA Band 34/39, LTE-TDD Band 38/39/40/41 ( 100 MHz ), LTE-FDD Band 1/3/5/7/8/19/20/28. GPS: GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, and Beldou satellite navigations systems; Amap. Connectivity: WI-FI; IEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac  dual band. Sensors: Ambient light sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, Hall effect sensor, and fingerprint sensor. Cameras: Front camera 8MP, fixed focus ( non-adjustable ), Rear camera  8MP, auto-focus. MIC: Built-in- microphone. Speaker: Dual speakers. Ports: 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, microSD ( supporting cards up to 128GB ), 1 Micro USB port that supports s PC sync, charging and other operations, Nano-SIM card slot. Audio:  SWS 3.0 stereo and sound effect.  EMUI: Emotion UI 4.1.  Battery: Lithium Polymer 3.82 V,5100 mAh.

   The Huawei MediaPad M3 in a light gold colored aluminum frame that looks and feels impressive.   It looks quite similar to the HTC One M smartphone.Just look at the offset camera section that is located at the top of it’s subdued antennae lines and you will notice it’s resemblance  The front side is where you have the front 8-megapixel camera and a fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor can also be used as a multipurpose home key. On the right side you will see the volume rocker and it’s just over the power button. The top portion are where the speaker and 3.5mm audio jack are located. The bottom part also has a speaker, pinhole mic, microSD card slot and a microUSB input. There are no all-apps and back keys on this tablet. The home key works in 4 ways. It functions as a gesture and fingerprint sensor,  tap for back, tap and hold for home, and swipe for current apps. The user should acquire a protective case for this tablet. This is just in case the user drops the tablet. The display resolution  ( 2560 x 1600 ) on this tablet delivers accurate and good looking images. Colors are vivid, precise and the contrast is quite deep. There is an eye comfort mode that renders out blue light. I would not use this tablet outdoors on a sunny day because of it’s reflection. Huawei’s partnership with Harman Kardon was a good decision on their part. I say this, because the speakers on this tablet sounds good.

   This tablet performs quite well because of it’s processor and 4GB of RAM.  The Huawei MediaPad M3 can effortlessly handle the usual daily mobile tablet workload.. Just take care of this tablet and you will have a little machine that can last for a few years. Huawei has been known for it’s fingerprint sensors, it’s quick and reliable. The Android 6.0 and the EMUI are outdated. I really don’t mind, because this tablet is a good performer. For the price, this is acceptable. Just remember, this tablet does not support dual-band WI-FI. It will only connect to 2.4GHz network. The battery can last for a full day unless it is used intensively. If you use it to steam videos with the screen set to it’s utmost limit, then the battery can last for at least 7 hours. The Huawei MediaPad M3 has it's limitations and this is true for most tablets. For the price, performance and for daily usage, this is a good tablet to acquire.

                                                                      

iPad Mini 4

  The iPad Mini 4 looks it seems to duplicate the functions of the iPad Air 2 but it comes in a smaller version ( 7.9 inch display ). It has been upgraded with a better CPU, 2GB of RAM, laminated display and the body is slimmer than it’s predecessor the iPad Mini 3. This is a small media apparatus ,but it functions well. The price of this iPad starts at $400.00 for the unit that comes with WI-Fi. The starting price for the unit that carrie Wi-Fi and  cellular activity cost $530.00.. These are the following specifications: OS – iOS 9, Screen Size – 7.9 inches, Screen Resolution – 2048 x 1536 

( 326ppi ), Display – LED Multi-touch, CPU 64-Bit Apple A8, Coprocessor – M8 motion, Internal Storage –  16GB/64GB/128GB,  Rear Camera –8MP Isight camera ( autofocus, f/2. Aperture, Five-element lens,  Hybrid filter, Backside illumination, Improved face detection, Exposure control, Panorama up to 43MP, Burst mode, Tap to focus, Photo geotagging, Timer mode ), Front Camera 1.2 MP (  FaceTime  f/22 aperture, 720 HD video recording, Backside illumination, Auto HDR photos and videos, Improved face detection, Burst mode, Exposure control, Timer mode ) Bluetooth 4.2,  WI-FI802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; dual channel ( 2.4GHz and 5GHz ); HT80 with MIMO. It alco comes with an Assisted GPS and GLONASS, Sensors ( Touch ID, three axis gyroscope, Acceloremeter, Barometer, Ambient light sensor. There is a fingerprint touch ID. The height is 203.2 mm. The width is 134.8 mm. It has 1.6 mm of thickness..

   The iPad Mini 4 just looks like the iPad Mini 3.  Apple seems to not mind the design. They must have felt that there is no use to change the design. This mini iPad has sloping edges that shines. The sides  have a nice arch to it. It feels good to hold on your hands. It is slippery, so be careful when handling this machine. On the top of this mini machine you can spot on the right side a volume switch and a lock button. On the Bottom you will see speaker holes and a lightning charging port. One thing nice with this mini iPad is that you can place it inside your bag and slip it out. It is so easy to use in any place because of it’s portability.. It lacks in productivity because of it’s smaller screen and battery. Typing on it becomes a bit difficult because of it’s small because of it’s size. The 2,058 x 1,536  display on the iPad Mini 4 does not have True Tone Technology One additional feature to this mini iPad is that it is laminated. This is an improvement from the latter’s predecessor’s air gap that was in between the glass and display. You feel like you handled the pixels. It’s a nice experience. It has larger amount of gamuts  and a wider range of hues. It’s a really good looking display because the display looks real vivid. I would not use it under direct sunlight because usage becomes constrained. The iOS 9 has it’s pros and cons. It’s just a bit iffy for me. I can deal with it and it’s not much of a concern. With the OS 9’s highlight iPad’s feature, it offers a new type of multitasking and you can use the split screen feature. this means you can open two apps side by side. The apps here are much better than the one’s that are on Android. With the Night shift mode on this mini iPad, you’ll will enjoy reading on this machine, especially during night time. Both cameras take good pictures but I prefer using my smartphone when taking pictures.

      This little machine is built to perform. With it’s A8X processor and MB co-processor plus it’s 2GB of RAM gives this iPad the ability to do much better work than it’s predecessor. You can open more tabs with the iPad mini 4 than the mini 3. The iOS works spontaneously and fast. You can use it for gaming purposes and it does better at this than the iPad mini 3. Don’t expect this to do better than it’s bigger  brothers. Remember that this is in an iPad mini and not a regular iPad . You’ll surely like the iPad mini 4 for media, browsing, reading and emailing. This is a functionable iPad. The Battery will give the user 10 hours of Battery life. 

                                                                                  

Google Pixel C

   The Google Pixel C is an impressive looking tablet that will surely attract a lot of attention. Google is really well known for it’s browser.  Google did not do any trade-offs with this tablet. This is what makes it a well-balanced tablet. If there is any improvement that Google could consider upgrading is the OS. Here are the following specifications: ( 1. ) OS – Android 6.0 Marshmallow ( 2. ) CPU -  Nvidia Tegra X1, Quad-core 1.9 GHz  ( 3. ) GPU -256 core Maxwell GPU ( 4. ) RAM – 3GB LPDDR3 ( 4. ) SSD – 32GB or 64GB ( 5.) Cameras – 2MP front and 8MP rear ( 6. ) Battery – 9243mAh: USB Type-C charging ( 7. ) Audio – Stereo Speakers ; Quad noise cancelling; microphones; 3.5mm audio out ( 8.) Connection – WI-FI 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2 x 2; MIMO dual-band ( 9. ) Bluetooth 44.1 + HS ( 10. ) Sensors – Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Compass, Mail and Proximity ( 10. ) Keyboard – Optional Bluetooth wireless  ( 11. ) Measurements – 249 x 179 x 7 millimeters ( 12. ) Weight – 1.14 pounds. The price of this tablet is $600.00. If the user opts for a keyboard, then he or she will have to add an additional $150.00 to the price.You might find it on sale now since it has been introduced in 2015.

   The Google Pixel C as built an all metal structure. This tablet looks good, though it does not strike me as looking elegant. I personally like the way it was designed because of it’s subtle approach.  On the back anyone can spot a thin line of LEDs and it does bring out the colors of Google. This I like and it is really unique.  When the screen is working,  the google colors are lit. Give it two taps and it will tell the user, how much of battery life you have left. The power grilles can be seen on both sides of the top edges together with the power and volume buttons. The USB-C port is located on the bottom edge. The  Google Pixel C is a beautiful looking tablet. The combination of the tablet and keyboard is just perfect. The keyboard has a magnetic docking hinge that keeps the tablet in place. The keyboard has that pleasant feeling when you type on it. The Google Pixel C has a 2,560 x 1,800 display resolution and a pixel density of 308ppi. With this, the user can be assured that the text and images look superb and crisp. The color accuracy is pinpoint. This tablet has a touch screen display. You can’t do multitasking with this tablet and it’s because of the Android 6.0 Marshmallow Operating System. You can only open up one app at a time. I just hope that Google can fix this issue. The back and home onscreen buttons are located on the bottom left edge of the screen and the recents button is located on the bottom right.. the user will have to choose between a 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. There is no microSD card storage on this tablet. The 8MP camera gives the user fair enough looking pictures. The 2MP camera can be used for videos  and video calls. For selfies, I prefer using a smartphone.

  If the user wants performance, this is one of the fastest performing tablets in the market today. In the Geekbench 3 single core test it managed to score 1,347 points and on the multi-core test it was able to score 3,976 points. It is above the average.  It’s in the graphics test where the Google Pixel C stands out. On the GFXB Bench GL Manhattan onscreen test, this tablet had a score 1,744 points and on the GFXB Bench GL Manhattan test, this tablet scored 3,318 points. The scores on the Graphics test are great and this is all because of it’s GPU. The Andtoid Marshmallow 6.0 comes with Doze and this helps to extend the battery life. For normal usage, you can get 8 hours or a bit more of battery life.

Dell XPS 15

   The Dell XPS 15 is a very durable laptop.It has an impressive screen display and the deck of this laptop has an easy and comfortable touch to it. You can do a lot of difficult tasks with this machine because it comes with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics processing unit/ Intel HD Graphics 630.  It just means you can do a lot of graphics work, photoshop edting and a bit of gaming on this laptop. For this configuration you will have to shell out $2,075.00.  The entry level will cost $1,000.00. You may look out for some deals out there in the market. Here are the specifications of the high end level: The Central Processing Unit is a 2.8 GHz Intel-Core 17-7700 HQ and the Operating System is Windows 10. It has 16GB of RAM that can be upgraded to 32GB. This laptop has 512Gb ( PCIe ) and has a screen resolution of 3840 x 2160. The Graphics Card is an NVidia Ge Force GTX 1050 GPU 4GB/Intel HD Graphics 630. The video memory is 2GB, and the display size is 15.6 inches. Installed on this device is a 802ac WI-FI. ( Killer 1535 802.11ac 2 x 2 WI-FI model ) and a Bluetooth 4.1. The size of the touchpad is 4.1 x 3.1 inches. There are several ports on this machine; Headphone/Microphone, Kensington Lock, Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.0, HDMI-out. In total, there are 3 USB ports. The size of the laptop is 14.06 x 9.27 x  0.45-0.66 inches. It weighs 4.66 pounds.

    The Dell XPS 15 still retains it’s design from the past. This laptop features a silver aluminum lid and the Dell logo is  colored black. This laptop has a 4k infinity edge display. The bezels are not noticeable. it has a back-lit  keyboard ( reminiscent of an island ). The keyboard is encircled by a smooth and comfortable black colored deck. There is a battery indicator on the right side of the Dell XPS 15. Just push the button and five lights shines on. This will show the user how much time is left.  This reduced design has only a small amount of ports on either side. On the left side you’ll spot a USB. 3.0 port, HDMI output, thunderbolt 3 and a headphone/microphone dual jack. On the right side you can see a Kensington Lock slot, another USB 3.0 port and SD card reader. There is also an optional fingerprint reader for an additional amount of $25.00. The Display’s 4k screen looks very impressive and vivid. The screen renders bright images. The keyboard is has enough space. This is good because the user will commit less mistakes. The touchpad has the right measurements. It works superbly and it supports Windows 10 gestures. The audio on this laptop comes out loud enough and very clear.. This laptop is pre- loaded with Waves Maxx Audio Pro app.

   

   Using this high level end configuration, multitasking becomes so easy. You can open as much as 30 tabs in Chrome, stream watch a movie and this laptop won’t bog down. It is definitely a workhorse. The Dell XPS 15 is a performer. This laptop can be used for graphics design, business work and light gaming. I don’t use laptops for gaming but that’s just me. When you are playing games NVidia Ge Force GTX 1050 GPU goes to work and it falls back to the Intel HD Graphics 630 when you are not playing games. I do not like the placement of the webcam because you will have to adjust your position in order to have a good shot. I wish Dell would change the location of the webcam is at the bottom left hand corner of the screen . Next time, I hope Dell would place the webcam at the topmost center above the screen. I mean it’s just an awful place to put a webcam. Do not worry about the heat. This laptop remains cool under pressure. This laptop/ notebook’s battery will last you for at least 8 hours. The Dell XPS 15 is a very good laptop to acquire, if you do not mind the expensive price tag on this laptop/notebook. The MacBook Pro will cost much more, while the Asus ZenBook Pro UX501VW will cost less $400.00 

 

iPad Pro 9.7

   Apple has always made it’s tablets, smartphones and laptops different from the others out there in the market This is because it has it’s own operating system. The iPad Pro 9.7 has an iOS 9.3 Operating system .The manufacturer says it can be a substitute for your laptop. This tablet has very good features and it has upgraded some of it’s components. Even with the upgrades on this tablet, I personally cannot consider this a replacement for a laptop. The iPad Pro 9.7 has four stereo speakers that sound great. I wish the next time, they would include a keyboard with the price. Doing this would make it feel more like a laptop. What makes this tablet standout is the new True Tone display technology. This gives iPad Pro 9.7 a bigger amount of color gamut. This tablet is really a workhorse machine because of it’s power. The iPad Pro 9.7 with 32 GB SSD will cost $600 i If you a are going to purchase a keyboard, you’ll have to add an additonal $150.plus $100 for the Apple pencil.

     The iPad Pro 9.7 has a 240 x 168 x 6.1mm.measurement. It weighs 437 grams with WI-FI and 444 grams Wi-Fi plus cellular. This tablet has a lustrous aluminum frame, fast touch ID fingerprint scanning home button plus a 9.7 inch display. The lightning port is located beneath, the headphone jack and sleep/wake button are on the top and the volume rocker can be spotted on the right side. There are four colors now available: Silver, Gold, Space Grey and an exclusive Rose Gold color. There are 2 speakers on top and 2 beneath plus a smart connector. These are some of the changes Apple has made from the previous predecessor of the iPad Pro 9.7. This tablet has a 2048 x 1536 display resolution.  This is a very good display resolution. It has better glare reduction. It has pumped more brightness into it. The True Tone color adjustment is so useful .because it changes the color temperature to suit your environment. The antigalare and color temperature adjusting are new developments that make this iPad Pro 9.7 a better indoor and outdoor machine. On this tablet you have the latest A9X System processor chip that comes with an embedded motion co-processor, a 12- core Power VR series 7 graphics chip and is located near the 2 GB of RAM. This tablet can be an alternative for a laptop but not a laptop. You’ll have to spend more if you want to have a 128/256 GB placed inside this tablet. The price of the iPad Pro 9.7 with 128GB SSD is $700 plus. Acquiring The iPad Pro 9.7 with 32GB of SSD is sufficient.With the money you spend adding all of this RAM. it would be better off to buy a laptop. When using this table,t you can open many applications, watch videos and do multitasking. You will have no problem doing these things. There will be no slowdowns. The iOS 9.3 allows the user to do several things like split screen multitasking.

   The cameras on the iPad Pro 9.7 are better than their predecessors.. The 12-megapixel camera on the rear and the 5 megapixel on the front take really good pictures. These cameras are at par with some of the iPhone models. The rear camera can do 4k video recording. For taking pictures, this is one of the best tablets to use. The battery can last for at least eleven hours.

Asus ZenPad Z8

   The Asus Zenpad Z8 is a sturdy tablet that is quite light especially when you consider it’s 7.9 inch size. This tablet has colorful rich images and it’s useful for watching and streaming videos. It has it’s own weaknesses like the added bloatware. It does reflect when used outdoors especially on a sunny day. It does not open the apps as fast as you want. The cameras are not outstanding, just average. For the price of $250 dollars this is still a good tablet. To avail of this tablet, you would have to get in touch with Verizon. Here are the specifications of this tablet The processor is a 1.8 Qualcomm Snapdragon 650, 2GB of RAM, 16GB SSD and an eMMC SDT. The Display size of this tablet is 7.9 inches with a Display Resolution of 2048 x1536. The Graphics chip is a Qualcomm Adreno 510.  For connectivity purposes, It has Bluetooth and a 802.11a/b/g/n/ ac Wi-FI. The Asus ZenPad Z8 comes with an Android 6.01 Marshmallow. The Asus ZenPad Z8 has a rear 8MP camera and it has a 2.0MP front facing camera. .It has 1 USB Type-C port, 1 headphone port and 1 USB port. The Asus ZenPad Z8 has a micro SIM card reader and a microSD card reader expandable to 128GB. The size of this Tablet is 8.1 x 5.4. x 0.3 inches. It weighs 10.9 ounces.

     The design of this tablet is not it’s selling point but it’s not that bad too. Asus wanted a simple design for this tablet and maybe be it wanted to keep it low because of the price range it was intended for. It comes with an ordinary looking plastic frame that has a soft touch feeling and this tablet has a polycarbonate ring around the edges. On the corners you will notice slight curves. You will have a nice feeling when holding on to the tablet. On the front panel you’ll notice thick bezels and a Verizon logo beneath the display. This tablet is so light. Do not press hard on it because there is a tendency for it to flex. You can hold this tablet with one hand. It’s pleasure is derived from it’s 7.9 inch display and it’s 2048 x 1536 pixel. The colors are sharp when you stream videos.  The Asus ZenPad Z8 has speakers on it’s top and bottom that offers the listener superb sounds. It has 4 types of settings: movies, music, gaming, vocal and smart. This is because of Asus DTS powered Wiazrd utility.

   The Asus ZenPad Z8 has a very capable ZENUI launcher. It puts navigation animations on top of the Android Marshmallow 6.1. The reason for this is so that icons can visually rotate 90 degrees when you overturn the screen. There are many unnecessary bloatwares that need to be uninstalled because it could be irritating. On this tablet you have ZenMotion gestures that are automatically enabled by Asus. The processor and the RAM on this tablet will give you a fast performance. It has a touch screen that is responsive. The rear camera can capture good enough pictures but don’t expect it to be great. For video purposes the rear lens on the camera does not give out impressive videos. I would not also use this tablet for multitasking. The battery can last for at least for 9 hours. For the price and performance, this tablet is worth acquiring.

                                                                           

Oppo F3 Plus

   The Oppo F3 Plus was just launched several days ago. With it’s dual camera it  just simply proves that it wants to be the best Selfie smartphone in the market today. It looks like the iPhone 6S Plus. Sorry folks it’s not, it’s the Oppo F3 Plus “ Selfie Expert.” It’s the only smartphone who puts a lot of work on it’s front camera. Here are the specifications of the Oppo F3 Plus: ( 1 ) This smartphone comes with a Full HD IPS LCD Display ( 1920 x 1080 ) pixels.  ( 2 ) Corning Gorilla Glass 5.  ( 3 ) Quqlcomm Snapdragon 653 1.9 GHz-Octa-core processor ( MSM8976 Pro ).  (  4 ). For graphics purposes, this smartphone uses the Adreno 510. ( 5 ) The Oppo F3 Plus has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM of Memory. ( 6 ) It has 64GB of SSD that can be expanded to 256GB by using a microSD. ( 7 ) There are two front cameras, a 16MP f/2.0 normal + an 8MP 120- degree wide angle front cameras ( 8 )  A 16MP f/1  rear AF camera  with Dual-tone LED Flash, Dual PDAF and 4k video support. ( 9 ) This smartphone has 4G LTE, Dual SIM ( nano, hybrid ), Bluetooth 4.1, Dual-band WI-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS ( aGPS ), Gyroscope. ( 10 ) It comes with the OPPO ColorOS 3.0 – Android 6.0 Marshmallow ( 11 ) The Oppo F3 Plus uses a 4,000mAh Li-Ion battery ( non-removable )and it comes with VOOC fast charging.  ( 12 ) The measurements of this smartphone are 163 x80.8 x 7.35mm and weighs 185grams. The U.S. version has an AMOLED display. The Oppo F3 Plus cost $450

   The Oppo F3 Plus design looks like an imitation of the iPhone 6s especially when it comes to the rear portion of this smartphone. The front side of this smartphone is dominated by the display screen. There are a number of bezels surrounding it. There are two front cameras that are located on top of the smartphone. An earpiece and the front sensors can be found also on top. The camera that is located on the left side features a wide angle lens and on the right side you will spot another camera that has a narrow angle view. Beneath the display are the capacitive buttons and there is a fingerprint scanner that is right in the center. On the left side part of the smartphone ( phablet ) you will see the power/lock buttons plus the card tray that accommodates two nano SIIM cards . The second slot can be used for the microSD card ( used for expanding your storage ).. On the right you will spot the volume rocker. Aside from the volume rocker there’s nothing else located on the right side. The Oppo F3 Plus was constructed with metal ( aluminum ) unibody.  The corners of this smartphone have well rounded shapes. It has a nice feeling to it because it makes it is easy to hold on to the smartphone with your hand. This smartphone is ergonomically designed and it feels like you are holding on to an A1 class smartphone. There are no ports and buttons on the topside of the Oppo F3 Plus. On the base of this smartphone, the user can locate the 3.5mm headphone port, micro USB port and speakers. It does not come with a USB-C port. Since this smartphone cost a bit more than their competitors, I believe that adding a USB-C port is a no brainer. On the backside of this smartphone, the user can locate the rear camera that has a dual tone LED flash. It is on the top left corner of the phablet. OPPO used plastic bands for it’s antenna on bends and the lines are so slim.. The smartphone is quite big having a 6 inch display. Because of it’s size it is not that sharp but it does the job that ir was meant for. It fairs well even when you use it every single day. For protection purposes it uses the Gorilla 5 glass ( scratch resistant and it adds more durability ). The speakers sound good with profound quality.

   The Operating System is a Color OS 3.0 based on the Android 6.0 Marshmallow. There are google apps that have been installed on this smartphone. There are system apps and other application plus other tools. Facebook is also present in this smartphone. Pictures taken both from the front and rear cameras come out clear. Cameras have always been the main strength of OPPO. You can do 4k video recording with the rear camera installed here.. The Snapdradragon chipset used here is powerful on this smartphone because it can give the user a maximum speed of 1.9GHZ.  The graphics on the phone can handle some intensive games. Maybe it’s just me, I personally do not play games using a smartphone. On the Antutu Test, This smartphone achieved a score 92524. On the Geekbench 4 test, Oppo F3 Plus scored 1475 ( single core ), 4429 ( Multi-core ). In the PCMark test it scored 47156   ( work 2.0 ), 5861 ( work 1.0 ), 3881 ( storage ). In the 3D Mark Test, it scored  941 ( Sling Shot Extreme ). The battery can last for a full day. For a mid-range phone the scores are just fine. There are other smartphones out there who fared better in these tests but this phone was built to be the best Selfie Smartphone. I personally think that this smartphone has really good features but the smartphone sells above the mid-range price. With that said, if there are prospective buyers who like taking pictures then this smartphone is meant for them.