Core 2 Duo hasn’t been Intel’s cutting-edge processor for several years now, but if you search Amazon you can still find some inexpensive laptops that are using Core 2 Duos. You may find yourself looking at a Core 2 Duo laptop compared to a basic Core i3 laptop and wondering if the i3 is worth the extra cost.

Or perhaps you have an old Core 2 Duo laptop and were thinking of an upgrade, but you don’t want to waste your money if newer laptops aren’t that much quicker.

In either case, you need to know how the Core 2 Duo vs. Core i3 or Core i5 battle pans out. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying that the newer processor (the i3/i5) is faster – but how much faster? Well, let’s find out.

Processor Performance – High End Core 2 Duo vs. Core i5

Comparing an older processor with a new one is difficult. Operating systems, benchmarks and other hardware components change, which makes an apples-to-apples comparison impossible. However, we can gain a general idea by looking for laptop reviews that share benchmarks over the years.

For example, Anandtech recently reviewed the Dell XPS 14z with a Core i5-2430M processor. In 2009, they also reviewed a Dell Studio XPS 16 with a Core 2 Duo 8600 processor. Each was benchmarked with a few similar programs. Let’s look at the results.

As you can see, the Core i5 effectively doubles the performance of the Core 2 Duo across the board. Remember, current Core i5 processors are two generations beyond the last of the Core 2 Duos, so it’s not terribly surprising to see such large gaps in performance.

Processor Performance – Mid-Range Core 2 Duo vs. Core i3

Unfortunately, I’m not able to provide any graphs for this performance showdown.

Why? Because Core i3 laptops are almost never sent out for review. It’s an old trick – don’t send the press your least powerful product. Send them at least a mid-range option, if not they very best you have. That gives the best chance of a good impression.

This means we have to guess. There are two features that mobile Core i5 processors have that Core i3 processors don’t – Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading. Together, these enable an approximately 10% to 15% improvement in performance when comparing a Core i3 and i5 processor with similar base clock speeds.

Even if you knock 15% off the performance of the Core i5 above, it still handily beats the Core 2 Duo. And a mid-range Core 2 Duo would itself be clocked at about 2 GHz, which is 20% less than the P8600 used in the comparison above. What this means is that you can expect a new Core i3 system to be significantly quicker than a 3-year-old mid-range Core 2 Duo. In fact, the i3 will easily beat a high-end Core 2 Duo.

Graphics Performance

Though pure processor performance is what most people pay attention, graphics performance is also important. It used to be the case that graphics performance from an integrated graphics processor was very poor. In fact, for most of the PC’s history, integrated graphics components were placed on the motherboard. It’s only recently that the IGP has been made a part of the processor, sharing cache resources to allow for better performance.

Just how much better? Let’s take a look.

This information is taken from three sources. One is benchmark testing of an Acer Extensa laptop from 2007 equipped with the Radeon X1250 IGP. This laptop also had a AMD Turion 64 X2 processor running at 1.9 GHz. The other source is the HP dv6500t X3100, which was reviewed by Andantech. The final source is my own testing of the Dell Inspiron 14z with a Core i5 and Intel HD 3000 graphics.

Conclusion

The information we have available is clear. Modern laptop processors are better in terms of processor performance and graphics performance. If you were to purchase a new Core i5 laptop today, an upgraded from a mid-range or high-end Core 2 Duo, you would be able to notice a significant performance difference. Programs will load much more quickly, and you’ll be able to play most modern 3D games without a discrete graphics solution – still at low settings, mind you, but they will at least be playable.

On the other hand, the older Core 2 Duo was sufficient for basic productivity and web surfing then, so it should be sufficient for the same now. As mentioned, I recently tested an Acer Extensa laptop from 2007. Though this laptop was obviously old and worn, it still can provide mostly adequete performance for web browsing and document editing.

If you are considering an upgrade, consider your reasons. If you do not demand much from your laptop, you will still notice a difference, but it may mean your web browsing loading in 10 seconds instead of 20. Those who use more demanding software – like Photoshop, for example – are the users who will gain the most from upgrading.

Portable technology is taking over the global market. Advertisements on the Internet, TV, and other forms of media promote the best and newest hand-held gadgets such as cell phones, TV’s, and other mobile devices. One of those devices, the handheld tablet, is gaining popularity among consumers of various ages. These devices are capable of carrying out a multitude of tasks as well as providing meaningful entertainment to prospective buyers. Many tablets have 3G or 4G capabilities and can be used with satellite ISPs, such as http://internet.clear.com.

The growing age of technology targets a population that is constantly on the go, so there are more powerful handheld devices being released to consumers from various companies on a consistent basis. The tablet is just one of those releases, but it is an elite device that has allowed consumers to compute on the go. Not only can it carry out most, if not all, the functions a normal desktop computer can, but tablets are user friendly devices. The prices for tablets vary depending on several factors such as storage space, screen size, operating system, and computing power.

Sometimes one can wonder what this world would be like without the technology in it and if it is all necessary, but it is proven that technology such as handheld tablets improve our efficiency and make our lives easier. They also provide entertainment and can help us express ourselves and stay in touch with others, as well as watch movies, send emails, read the news, write reports, and so much more. Mobile technology such as tablets have definitely transformed the way we live our lives. Thinking globally, living with no limits, and constantly moving has become a way of life.

High-end mobile technology such as tablet computers allow us to do so much more than we could ever before. They do come with a steep price, but it is well worth it based on productivity, entertainment, and the miscellaneous other tasks they perform. Take part in mobile technology today, and grab yourself a handheld tablet!

Intel’s Core line of products, which debuted in 2009, is the current high-end option from Intel. If you buy any computer today there is an extremely good chance it will have a Core processor inside. In this article, we are going to examine the desktop versions of these products. In a later article I will explain the mobile versions found in laptops.

The Basics

The Intel Core line arrived to replace the Intel Core 2 products. Yea, it’s a bit confusing, I know – but Intel wanted to reset their branding, so they reverted back to just using “Core” and then adding a suffix of i3, i5 or i7. As you may have guessed, higher numbers are better – a Core i5 is supposed to be better than a Core i3.

Currently we are on the second generation of these processors. They use an architecture called “Sandy Bridge,” but don’t expect to see that name much when shopping, as it’s a code name used by Intel internally. Instead, look for processors with a model number that starts with 2, such as the Core i3-2100 or Core i5-2500. If the model number is only three digits long, then it is not a current generation Intel Core processor, and you probably should not buy it.

One of the new features found in second-gen Core processors is an integrated graphics solution (IGP) that is now a part of the processor itself. This is called Intel HD 2000 or 3000 graphics, and again, the higher number is better. The IGP can handle older 3D games, but not stunning new titles like Battlefield 3. Don’t worry, though – the IGP automatically disables if you install a video card.

Now, let’s delve into the Core i3 vs i5 vs i7 question.

Intel Core i3: Basic But Powerful

Intel’s Core i3 is the most basic processor Intel offers for desktops besides a handful of products that still use the Pentium brand name. All Core i3 processors are dual-cores, but they have hyper-threading, which virtually mimics a quad-core. This means that when you open Windows Task Manager and go to the Performance tab, you will see four threads in the processor performance graph.

Turbo Boost is not featured on the Core i3. The processor does not automatically overclock when conditions allow, so the clock speed you buy is what you get. No Core i3 processor is unlocked to allow for manual overclocking, either.

In the graphics department, you’ll find a combination of Intel HD 2000 and Intel HD 3000 graphics. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to tell which has which by reading the model name and number. You’ll simply have to refer to the Intel specification sheet.

In the Intel Core i3 vs i5 vs i7 debate, the i3 is clearly the least powerful. Don’t let you fool you, however –there’s still a lot of juice here. All basic tasks like web browsing and document editing will be cinch. This is also the perfect processor for a budget gaming PC. I use a Core i3-2100 in my own desktop, and when combined with my Radeon HD 5850, I have no problem playing the latest games like Skyrim and Battlefield 3 at High detail settings.

The best value in this line is usually the Core i3-2100, priced at 114.99. However, sometimes the slightly faster Core i3-2120 is put on sale. If it is only $5 or $10 more, go ahead and grab it.

Intel Core i5: The Most You Probably Need

Going with the Core i5 will provide you with four cores instead of two and also enables Turbo Boost. As a result, performance in certain applications (those that use all four quads effectively) is blazing fast. AMD’s processors can’t hope to compare in most situations, and the Core i3 also trails the i5 significantly in applications like Handbrake, a tool that rips and converts MPEG-4 files.

However, because of Turbo Boost, the i5 also usually defeats the i3 even when all cores are not being used. It’s simply a faster processor. This is in spite of the fact that the desktop version of the Core i5 lacks hyper-threading, which is enabled on the i3.

Like the Core i3, integrated graphics on the Core i5 can be either HD 2000 or HD 3000. You will have to refer to the Intel specification sheet to find out which version is equipped on a specific processor.

Overall, the i5 is an excellent processor that hits a price-performance sweet spot. Most reviewers consider the Core i5-2500K to be the best choice because it offers a high clock speed and supports overclocking. However, a budget-minded buyer might be better served by the Core i5-2300, which currently retails for just 184.99

Intel Core i7: The Bleeding Edge

If you’re looking for the faster processor that is available to consumers today, then the Core i7 line is your territory. These are the fastest x86 processors ever created, and they dominate the competition from AMD. Core i7 not only wins vs. Core i3 vs. i5. It wins vs. anything.

All Core i7 desktop processors have hyper-threading and Turbo Boost, and all of them except the Core i7-2600 have Intel HD 3000 graphics. However, the line is split between the Core i7 quad-cores and the six-core products.

The quad-cores, like the Core i7-2600K, represent the best that most people can afford. Though you’ll still probably pay over $300, you’re receiving a processor that can handle any task well without demolishing your bank account. No matter if you’re gamer, a professional photographer, or a data-cruncher, the Core i7-2600K is an excellent choice.

The six-core processors are much different. While all the other second-generation Core processors plug into a motherboard socket called LGA 1155, the six-core i7 uses a socket called LGA 2011. This can only be found on motherboards using the Intel X79 chipset. This, combined with high processor pricing, means that six-core i7 systems are only for people who absolutely need the fastest computer possible.

For most users, the Intel Core i7-2600K is the best value, at $315.

Which is best for you?

If you don’t do anything that’s demanding on your PC, a Core i3 is perfectly fine. It may be a dual-core in a world that’s beginning to embrace quads, but you know what? It often doesn’t matter. Most media players, web browsers, and even video games still are not properly optimized for quad-cores. Don’t get wrapped up in “more = better” hype. Modern dual cores are all that’s needed by the majority of buyers.

Hardcore gamers will probably want to go with a Core i5-2500K, however, because it can be overclocked to your pleasure. People who use demanding applications like Photoshop or Handbrake will also want to upgrade to the i5. Those extra cores do help when software is coded to use them.

Most people don’t need to consider the i7. It certainly isn’t the value option – yea, it’s faster than the i5 processors, but not by enough to justify a $100 price gap. The six-core i7 processors are even worse when it comes to bang-for-buck, so few people will need to buy them. If you’re the kind of professional who needs the fastest processor possible for you work, you probably don’t need me to tell you that a six-core i7 is the way to go.

Remember…

This article covers the desktop components only. It does not touch on the mobile hardware. I will be writing about that later in a separate article.

Recently, there’s been much ado about the flooding in Thailand in the tech world. Not because lots of people are dying and millions homeless, but because hard drive prices are rising.

About 40% of the world’s mechanical hard drive production capacity is located in Thailand, and since the land there has suddenly decided things really are better under the sea, most of it has ground to a halt.

No one can predict the exact impact this will have on production for the rest of 2011 because no one knows exactly when flood waters will recede, but it is looking more likely with each passing day that Thailand production will be crippled into early 2012. Even when the flood recedes, it will take some time to repair damaged facilities, a task that is going to be further hampered by the widespread local damage. Basic services like electricity, clean water and open roadways will be hard to come by.

According to Seagate’s latest SEC filing, the company believes total industry shipments for Q4 2011 will drop from an expected 180 million to 120 million or less. That means supply will be hampered by over 30%.

Hard drive prices have already risen – that’s a past event. The question many are now asking is what impact this will have on laptop prices rising over the next six months. ASUS has publically warned that current hard drive inventory is good only until the end of November. This statement probably does not mean that ASUS will have no more hard drives after that point, but it does mean that after November the company will have to pay higher prices for new drives.

This, in turn, will translate to higher prices for laptops. Again, the impact is hard to predict, and will largely depend on remaining supply. We’ve already seen the online retail consumer market take a huge hit, with some drives more than doubling in price. I believe this is due to huge HDD orders from the big vendors which have taken a lot of product out of the consumer market. There are some reports that even the large manufactures are now having trouble filling the orders they place – and have to do so at higher prices than before.

I think it is likely that a small increase in average pricing – about $20 – will take place. A hard drive is not a large part of the overall cost of building any computer, and that goes double for laptops, which often use cheap 500GB drives with low spindle speeds. However, the profit margins on laptops are not large. That’s the reason why HP’s now ousted CEO wanted to get rid of the company’s laptop division. In addition, small cost bumps add up over time. If the price of a 500GB hard drive went up by $10 for HP, and they build a million computers, you’re looking at 10 million dollars. And HP builds a lot more than a million computers, so that adds up to real money.

Although a small price increase like this would be notable for industry analysts, consumers probably wouldn’t much care. It’s even possible that a price increase like this could be compensated for in other ways. Manufacturers might keep prices the same, but slightly de-content laptops at a given price point to make up for the higher hard drive prices. We might see a computer that used to have a 2.3 GHz Core i5 drop down to a 2.1 GHz model without a price reduction, for example.

The worst case scenario is a situation where the supply has become so tight that manufacturers simply can’t find enough drives to put into the systems demanded. To compensate, more computers will be offered with solid state drives, but those are also more expensive than their mechanical counterparts. If a situation like this occurs, laptop prices could rise $50 or $100 on average.  Alternatively, we might see significant de-contenting – drops from Core i5 to i3 processors at the $600 price point could occur.

I am skeptical that this worst-case scenario will occur because there will be great incentive for companies to put production back online or increase production at the plants that still are operating. Still, it can’t be entirely discounted as possible.

My advice? If you were thinking of buying a laptop this holiday season, do it, and sooner rather than later. Although laptop prices may not rise, they certainly won’t go down. In addition, Intel’s new processor line is not expected until May/April 2011, so you won’t be missing out on any new technology that’s right on the verge of being unleashed.

According to recent data, Toshiba is the fifth largest notebook manufacturer in the world and growing. ASUS is nipping at Toshiba’s heels, while Toshiba in turn is losing a race to catch Lenovo, the Chinese brand which took over IBM’s personal computing business almost a decade ago.

From a marketing perspective, Toshiba has always struggled, particularly in North America. There’s little cohesive thought behind the brand’s image despite their prevalence in retailers like Best Buy. That doesn’t mean that Toshiba laptops review poorly, however, or that you shouldn’t buy one. Let’s have a look at what they offer.

Quality

In my experience as a laptop reviewer, Toshiba offers above average quality and does so consistently. Design is not the company’s strong suite and, as a result, many of their laptops are rather dull and boring. The Satellite line that has long dominated its mainstream consumer offerings is a real snooze. Yet it’s also a well built line, featuring a strong chassis and pleasurable keyboard. Recently, the Portege line has satisfied enthusiasts looking for an ultraportable, offering excellent battery life and durability. Toshiba netbooks are generally well reviewed, as well.

If there’s any weakness for the brand, I’d say it is their desktop replacements – large laptops with display sizes of 17 inches or more. My experience with these products has left me unimpressed. Many other companies that build laptops this large do so with style, but Toshiba’s large laptops seem to be the same as their small products, but up-sized a bit. That’s not to say they’re bad, but I’d direct most people to a Dell XPS rather than a 17-inch Satellite.

Value

Overall, Toshiba laptops are generally an excellent value and offer quicker hardware than most competitors at any given price point. The company’s laptops can often rival the pricing of value brands like Acer, but in my opinion the quality is better, which makes these laptops a more attractive package.

For example, Toshiba’s current Satellite line includes the Satellite L755-S5271, which has a second-gen Core i3 processor but costs only $499, making it one of only a handful of laptops to offer the latest Intel technology for less than $500. It’s hard to go wrong with a laptop such as that.

Reliability and Customer Service

All the information that I’ve read about reliability has been positive. Long-term reliability is outside the scope of a normal laptop review, but reliability ratings from companies like SquareTrade and Consumer Reports can point us in the right direction. All the information indicates that Toshiba products are significantly above average. That’s no guarantee that you won’t run in to an issue, but it is unlikely.

Customer service, on the other hand, is generally so-so. Laptop Magazine’s Brand and Tech Support round-ups have shown that while Toshiba customer service is readily available in most situations, questions aren’t always answered in a satisfactory manner, and the online web support could use some work. In terms of warranty, Toshiba’s products generally come with a 1-year limited warranty, although a few high-end products like the Portege are sometimes sold with 3 year extended warranty.

Conclusion

As I’ve said in my laptop brand guide, I think Toshiba is solid, and well deserving of consumer attention. Although the design could use some work, these products are otherwise functional, inexpensive, and reliable. They’re a good choice for anyone in need of a budget laptop that can be trusted, or someone looking for an excellent ultraportable.

The introduction of Fusion processors for desktops has come alongside a new processor socket, called FM1, and two new motherboard chipsets called A55 and A75. Of the two, only A75 is available thus far, and it’s likely the only one a consumer building his or her own PC would want in the first place. That’s because the A75 provides solid USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbps support, while the A55 doesn’t.

Fusion is an attractive HTPC option because of the high-quality graphics integrated in the chip, but the processor needs to be paired with a decent Micro-ATX motherboard. In this case, that’s not hard to find, because the majority of A75 motherboards make use of Micro-ATX instead of the full ATX form factor. Let’s have a look at three excellent solutions.

ASRock A75M-HVS

Simple, basic, cheap. Those aren’t exciting words, but sometimes they’re a better alternative than overpriced and complex – and besides, this is motherboards we’re talking about. They’re the pinnacle of sexy to begin with.

If you are building on a budget and don’t want or need many features, the ASRock A75M-HVS will suit you. Its main advantage is the price of $69.99, and its main feature is the fact that it will accept a Fusion processor and then turn on. Okay, that’s being a little harsh, but you won’t find super-advanced fan controls or sixty ways to overclock. What you will find is the basic features all A75 motherboards have including USB 3.0 support, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI and one of each type of PCI slot (Express x16, x1 and vanilla).

Gamers and advanced users should steer clear of this board, but those constructing a simple media center or a home/office PC for Mother Deariest should be happy with what this board offers.

Buy the ASRock A75M-HVS on Newegg.

Gigabyte A75M-UD2H

A step up from the ASRock, this board comes from Gigabyte, one of the most well respected and reliable brands in the motherboard market. Priced at $89.99, this Gigabyte board is a full $20 bucks more expensive than the ASRock, but it provides a few extra features for the extra dough.

This includes an additional PCI Express x16 slot, better audio in the form of a Realtek audio chip with support for 8 channels, support for up to 32GB of RAM, and a huge variety of connections including FireWire, eSATA 6Gbps and DisplayPort in addition to more mundane options like USB 3.0 and HDMI. There is also on-board FireWire for additional connectivity via a enclosure’s front FireWire port.

Builders wanting to construct a media center will be happy with this board’s reliability, but connectivity is the big story. This would be an excellent board for a small but powerful home/office workstation.

Buy the Gigabyte A75M-UD2H on Amazon.com.

ASUS F1A75-M Pro

Often, system builders construct a small system because it needs to be inexpensive. Smaller motherboards and enclosures tend to cost less, and since there’s no need for expensive add-on cards, they don’t lead to space constraints. Even an enthusiast may want to build a small, inexpensive, but powerful system, and the ASUS F1A75-M Pro is among the best platforms for doing that.

The F1A75-M Pro has all the expected chipset features as well as Realtek 8-channel audio, but it’s the custom features provided by ASUS that set it apart. This includes the best fan speed controls in the industry, the best UEFI BIOS in the industry, and a superb software overclocking utility. ASUS makes it really simple to extract the most out of a system built on this motherboard.

Connectivity is the only flaw – it’s decent, but there’s no DisplayPort, eSATA or FireWire. The Gigabyte is clearly the winner in that regard. This board is also a tad more expensive at $109.99. Not everyone will need those extra ports, however. The F1A75-M Pro’s fan speed and overclocking features makes it particularly appealing to gamers.

Buy the ASUS F1A75-M Pro from Amazon.com.

Well this is interesting.

I was just biking home from Safeway when my HTC Thunderbolt made a noise. I looked at it, and found that the 4G LTE logo was now active. When I arrived home (about 10 minutes later) I opened up Speedtest to see if this was for real. According to the app, I managed a download speed of about 28 Mbps and an upload speed of 9.5 Mbps.

As far as I can tell no official announcement has been made by Verizon regarding 4G LTE coverage in the Portland area. To be more precise, I live just outside of Tigard, which is on the southwest side of the city. I’m a good 10 miles from downtown as the crow flies.

This is not the first time I’ve had this occur. When I was downtown about two weeks ago, the 4G LTE turned on for approximately thirty seconds, then disappeared. It’s been about 20 minutes since it turned on for my Thunderbolt, however. So maybe this time it’s for real.

Do you know anything about 4G LTE being turned on here? Let me know in the comments.

It used to be that computers belonged on desks, and we needed to be rooted in one place in order to use them. However, with the spread of laptop usage and the growth of tablet and smart phone industries, we can now do just about anything we always could with a desktop computer with the added convenience of portability. In fact, about the only feature that portable devices seem to lack is printing capability; we can use laptops and tablets to type documents, play games, manage schedules, store information, and many other things. And now, thanks to companies like Clear and the general expansion of 4G service, we can also access the Internet remotely with our portable devices.

One way to gain Internet access through your wireless device is to simply do it through your cellular phone service provider, if they offer 4G service. However, there are also companies that exist solely to provide 4G service, which can also help you to connect to the wireless network. Essentially, you can purchase a package from these companies that allows you to pay a certain amount (depending on the level of service you want for your devices, and how long you want it) in exchange for a modem. Once you have the modem, it can be as simple as plugging it into your device, and you will have access to the entire Internet, wirelessly, without depending on your office network, or whatever network is present where you are. You will be able to browse the Internet, stream videos, send and receive email, and do everything else you like to do online with the same speed and clarity as if you were connected the old fashioned way, with an Ethernet cord at a desktop computer.

Finding the best 4G service is an important thing to consider with the rise of portable devices like laptops and smart tablets. These devices have become popular mostly because of the flexibility and convenience they allow people in their business and personal endeavors. With the right service, you can add expanded Internet access to the list of conveniences brought to you by your portable device. You will be able to get online just about anywhere, from your neighborhood coffee house to your school or office. This is not only a luxury, but almost a necessity in today’s world, when seemingly everything is run online, and moves more and more quickly by the day. Capitalize on the potential of your portable devices and look into finding the best wireless Internet service for you.

This article was brought to you by Clear Wireless

Tablets are becoming the Next Big Thing™. Okay I’m being a little sarcastic – I’m definitely one of the people who believes tablets aren’t going to replace PCs any time soon – but I also don’t know if tablet replacement of PCs matter. The fact is tablets are cool, and they have uses, so people will buy them.

Thing is, tablets are also expensive. Most of them run over $500, and some are far more than that. An iPad 2 with Wifi, 3G and 64GB of RAM is going to set your wallet back $829. Ouuucch!

For that dough, you’re going to expect your tablet to provide a few years of flawless operation. But is it actually capable of that, or are these super-thin computers lacking in durability?

Family Ties

There isn’t much information out yet about the reliability of tablets themselves. That is understandable, because tablets are new. Quality information about a device requires at least a year of solid data, and three to five years of data is preferable. Most tablets not called the iPad have only been on the market for a few months, so their long-term reliability is a mystery!

Actually, that’s not entirely true. Tablets are new, but their close cousins, smartphones, aren’t. Normally, making comparisons between two different categories of electronics would be foolhardy, but in this case I think the comparison is valid.

That’s because tablets and smartphones have similar design, have similar hardware, and are often built by the same companies that build smartphones. There is little room for deviation in the reliability between a smartphone and a tablet, so what we do know about smartphones can be used to inform our expectations.

Note: it can only inform us, not provide 100% accurate information. Still, an educated guess is better than nothing.

Expected Reliability – Looking Good

Smartphones are good company. According to a SquareTrade report from 2010, the average failure rate of smartphones within the first 12 months is only 3.9%. Obviously, the least failures are going to occur early in the device’s life, but this puts smartphones on track for enjoy reliability that is favorable when compared to other electronics.

A report from PC Magazine in 2009 is also promising. That report found that cell phone repair rates average around 10 to 12% for any given year. Since this report did not account only for cell phones that are 12 months old or newer, these numbers are good.

Manufacturer does have an impact on reliability, as it does with any device. The information available about smartphones indicates that Apple’s devices are the most reliable, with companies like Motorola and HTC close behind. RIM (Blackberry) seems to have the most problems.

Based on this information, it’s reasonable to believe tablets will also be reliable. The main difference could well be the display, which is much larger on tablets. Although it uses the same technology, the larger surface area provides more room for error – both on the part of manufacturers and users.

Durability – Not So Great

While smartphones will last, that’s only if they don’t succumb to accidental damage. Since they’re handheld devices they’re very prone to slipping and falling. That’s likely to prove true for tablets, which are also frequently held by hand in environments that offer little cushion for falling electronics.

The SquareTrade report provides a sobering look at durability. Anywhere between three to five times as many phones fell victim to accidents than feel victim to defects. The iPhone 3GS is a good example, as 2.3% of units sold require repair in their first 12 months, but 9.4% fell victim to accidental damage.

Arguably, tablets will be at even greater risk for accidental damage because of their large but fragile displays. Accidental damage will be the real killer of tablets.

Also, please note that in this case manufacturer is NOT a good indicator of future results. Blackberry does very well when it comes to accidental damage because most of its phones are robust, with lots of material and small displays. The Blackberry Playbook, and any other device from RIM with a large touchscreen, will probably be vulnerable to accidents.

Conclusion

So what can we take away from all this mumbo-jumbo?

First, tablets are likely to be reliable. Most won’t succumb to manufacturer defects, particularly within the first year. Problems are more likely later, of course, but it’s likely that tablets will be more reliable than your average gadget.

Durability is going to be the real concern. I suggest that you purchase a case with a display cover for your tablet. There’s simply too much fragile surface area on these devices, and even the most minor accidental could put one out of commission. Indeed, tablets are one of the few devices where you may be better off buying an accidental damage warranty INSTEAD OF an extended warranty against defects.

If you can keep your tablet in hand, you can feel confident about your purchase.

Displays don’t receive much love in the wonderful world of laptops. Most manufacturers do little more than slap on a coat of gloss and ship the display out the door, viewing angles and resolution be damned. If you’re lucky, a laptop that you’re looking at will have a high-resolution display available, but this does nothing for the sub-par color reproduction, poor viewing angles and black level troubles most laptop displays exhibit.

There are, however, a few displays that stand out from the crowd. One of them is Dell’s RGB LED, an option on high-end workstations and consumer laptops such as the Dell XPS line. This is supposedly the best displays offered on any laptop, but is it truly great, or another example of marketing hype gone beszerk?

Alphabet Soup

Before we tackle the merits of the display, let’s tackle what the display is – and what all those letters mean.

There are three sets of acronyms at play here. Those are RGB, LED, and LCD. You’re probably familiar with LCD already. It stands for liquid-crystal display, and it’s the basic technology behind virtually all modern flat-panel monitors and HDTVs besides plasmas.

Next up is LED, which you’ve probably encountered before but may not entirely understand. It stands for Light Emitting Diode, and is used in everything from computers to cars. In the case of Dell’s display, LEDs create the light that comes through the LCD, making the images produced visible. This is an advantage because the individual diodes can be turned on or off, which allows for more subtle use of light. By comparison, a standard display will have just a few very bright backlights, and while they can be dimmed, the level of control is minute compared to what can be accomplished with LEDs.

Finally, we have RGB. This simply stands for Red Green Blue. In a display that uses RGB LED technology, some of the LEDs do more than create plain white light. Instead they create light of a specific color. The colored LEDs can be precisely controlled to create accurate color reproduction and a wide color gamut even in very bright or dark images.

The Results

Now you know what that mumble-jumble of letters means, at least in technical terms. But does all of this really have a noticeable effect?

Yes, it most certainly does.

According to testing done by sources such as Anandtech, the RGB LED display on Dell laptops is capable of a color gamut up to 112% of the Adobe RGB standard. That means the display can produce more colors, which results in better color accuracy. By comparison, your average laptop has a color gamut of around 80% to 90%. This means that an image viewed on your average laptop can’t be produced with 100% accuracy because the laptop is incapable of displaying some colors.

The difference between the RGB LED LCD on a Dell laptop and your average display on a competitor’s laptop will be obvious when viewing movies, opening high-resolution pictures, and playing games. One of my favorite movies, for example, is The Dark Knight. This is a very gritty movie, with lots of dark scenes. It’s not much fun to watch on most laptops because the colors in the darker scenes all bleed together into a big mass of black and gray. On a RGB LED, however, the subtle differences in color are visible, making for a more enjoyable experience.

Should You Buy It?

Pinning down the availability of this unique display is difficult because it tends to come in and out of stock on various models. It is a popular display, but also one that is in limited supply, and this means it’s not always an option even on laptops that could potentially support it.

If it is available, however, it’s usually priced at between $100 and $200 extra. That’s not chump change, but it’s actually a reasonable price. If you use your laptop for image editing, or you simply play a lot of games and watch movies frequently, it will be a worthwhile investment.