Explain Ec Io and RSCP on what channel are they measured on

 

Question:  Explain Ec/Io and RSCP; on what channel are they measured on?

 

Answer:  Ec/Io = energy of carrier over all noise. RSCP = Receive Signal Code Power. In FDD mode (what we normally deal with) they are measured on the CPICH (pilot). Bonus if they know that Io is the sum of all interference: thermal/bg noise + interferers + own cell and is wideband. Bonus if they understand that RSCP is actually measured AFTER despreading (i.e. narrowband)

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Q What are the reason of Handover reversion

Ans:
Reasons for the HO reversion are 
1) Co-Bsic and BCCH combinations are there in network so this type of problems occurs.
2)May be some issues in Target cells like Path imbalance.
3)Improper HO parameter settings.
4)Wrong Neighbour definition..
5) Interference  on the target cell
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Gold Covered Cellular Phone on Nokia 6700 Classic series

In the middle of the competition between mobile phone manufacturers to bring a wrapped mobile operating system Android, Nokia even cool with new projects that will bring luxury mobile phone design with gold-plated. Heres good news for you fans of luxury. The reason is, Nokia has officially announced a new mobile phone wrapped by a 18-carat gold and is also equipped with all-gold wallpaper.

Although this is not the latest series mobile phones Nokia output, but this is a new version of the Nokia 6700 Classic series. Your Nokia 6700 Classic Gold is also offering the features and specifications are the same as the Nokia 6700 Classic standard version. Only difference is the body design that looks more luxurious and elegant.

Nokia 6700 Classic Gold plan also would adopt a 5MP of camera, GPS with Nokia Maps, FM radio, HSDPA, 8GB microSD memory card and also interesting features such as existing on the Nokia 6700 Classic. But if you buy this gold-plated phone, you will immediately be given a bonus genuine leather gloves to protect the body from all kinds of collisions.

The results of the design of renowned designer Mark Delaney is expected to be landed on the market in the first quarter of 2010 with prices label around 550 dollars. But so far there has been no information on whether the Nokia 6700 Classic Gold will also come to Indonesia.
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Q What is handover Reversion

Ans:
1. HO COMMAND is received by the MS
2. HO ACCESS is sent to the target cell 
3. but no answer from the target cell.
After a while (timer expiry), the MS will try to go back to previous cell.
If reversion succesful, then there is a ho failure without drop
If reversion failed, then there is a ho failure with drop.
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What is the major difference in link budgets between UMTS and GSM TDMA

What is the major difference in link budgets between UMTS and GSM/TDMA?

 

In UMTS you generally have a link budget for each service (voice, data, video etc), in GSM you usually only use 1 for voice. Each service has a different Eb/No target. In UMTS you have to consider the target traffic load you will have and add a noise-rise margin, in GSM you may have a slight interference margin but not normally related to traffic. In UMTS some services (like voice) will show up as uplink limited but other services (like HSDPA, 384kbps service) will show as downlink limited. In UMTS you usually have to consider that all users use the same power from the BTS therefore the more number of users the lower the maximum power available per user (maximum power per connection) which is a starting point in the link budget.

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SE C902

Features
SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, Instant Messaging
WAP 2.0/HTML (NetFront), RSS reader
downloadable games
Swift Black, Luscious Red color
5 MP, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, image stabiliser, video (QVGA@30fps), flash; secondary videocall camera
8 illuminated camera touch keys, Java MIDP 2.0, FM radio with RDS, MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, TrackID music recognition, Picture editor/blogging, Organiser, Built-in handsfree, Voice memo/dial







Price
Rp. 2,300,000
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Q Why TSC must be equal to BCC

Ans:

Training Sequence Code, this optional parameter specifies the Training Sequence Code of the radio channel. The TSC is part of the Normal Bursts which are used for all channel types except RACH,SCH and FCCH. The TSC for the BCCH must correspond to the BCC (part of the BSIC sent on the SCH, so that the MS can derive the TSC of the BCCH from the SCH. This is necessary for the correct selection and decoding of the BCCH bursts, especially if within a limited geographical area a frequency is used several times. If no value is entered for the parameter TSC the BCC is automatically selected.
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In Release 99 how does the network manage the throughput on the Radio Interface for a user connection

This question is a little harder to ask, so you may need to work it differently a few times. Perhaps leading questions could be: What parameter/configuration does the network change on the air interface What you are trying to hear from the candidate is that the network assigns a radio bearer with a channelization code with a spreading factor that matches the requested service maximum bit rate.

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Benq Joybook R46

For work or entertainment, the Joybook is a smart choice.
Intelligently designed, it gives you the performance and features you need whether you want to be productive or playful. And with its sophisticated visuals and leather-textured casing, this is one stylish- looking laptop.
Spesification Joybook R46:
Intel® Pentium® dual-core processor T3400
Genuine Windows Vista® Business,
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium,
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic
DDRII-667 1GB and above (max to 4.0GB)
160/250/320 GB (5400RPM - SATA)
14.1" WXGA (1280x800)
WebCam Companion 2.0
Modem:Built-in 56K/V.92
LAN:Built-in 10/100/1000 Ethernet
Wireless LAN: Built-in 802.11b/g (WorldWide countries)
Bluetooth: Built-in Rev. 2.1/ EDR (option)
2.11Kg(without battery)*
1 year Overseas Regional Warranty(ORW)*
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12 1 Inch Notebook LCD Screen NEW RM300

12.1 Inch Notebook LCD Screen NEW -RM300



12.1 WXGA CrystalBrite Notebook LCD Screen for notebook laptop,

Size: 12.1 inches
Resolution: 1280*800 pixels
Aspect ratio: WXGA, Widescreen
Screen Type: TFT Active Matrix Matte
Backlight Type: 1 CCFL
Data connector: 20 pins

Item includes: LCD Panel without inverter or bracket.

fit: Acer Aspire Laptop, HP Compaq Presario Pavilion and
other Brand : Lenovo / Asus / MSI / Samsung


condition: brand new
Warranty: 3 months

# can delivered by cod or PosLaju. The package will be carefully packed.

======================================
contact: Mr Zul 0127319949
COD Area: Plentong, Masai, Pasir Gudang, Ulu Tiram, Johor Jaya, Taman Molek,
or other area of Johor Bahru [plus RM5], or
Segamat or Bandar Mas, Kota Tinggi Johor
Courier: by Pos Laju
Payment: Bank transfer or cash
Pos Laju Courier: + RM10

Dont forget to see my other ads.
======================================

Other services:
- Format or service laptop immediately at main area [free transportation], other area can considered.
- Free delivery at main area radius. other area can considered.
- accept faulty laptop or used laptop.
- Laptop CPU Cooling Fan Services.


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Dell Studio XPS 16


The Dell Studio XPS 16 is designed for those who want power, cutting-edge features, and style. If youre someone who likes to make a statement with your notebook, the metal and leather looks of the Studio XPS 16 will help you in that area too. Sleek design combined with a 1080p display and powerful components come together to make for an awesome notebook. But is the Studio XPS 16 compelling enough to make shoppers spend some extra cash during tough economic times? Lets take a closer look and find out.

Specifications:

our review unit of the Dell Studio XPS 16 features the following configuration:

  • Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz)
  • Memory: 4GB - 2DIMM DDR3
  • HDD: 320GB 7200rpm
  • Graphics: ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3670 (512MB)
  • Display: 16.0" 1080p Full HD RGBLED LCD with 2.0 MP Webcam
  • Optical Drive: 4X Blu-ray Disc Combo Drive (DVD/CD +/- RW +BD Read)
  • OS: Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64 bit)
  • Software: 15-month Trend Micro security subscription, Microsoft Works 9
  • Wireless: Intel Wireless 5100
  • Mediabay: 8-in-1 Media Card Reader
  • Battery: 6-cell and 9-cell batteries
  • Other: Facial Recognition Security; Dell Dock; Dell Video Chat; 2GB Data Safe Online
  • Dimensions: 0.95"-1.34" x 15.15" x 10.02" with 6-cell battery (H x W x D)
  • Weight: 6.53 lbs with 6-cell battery
  • Price as configured: $1,804 (Starting price: $1,199)
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Acer Aspire 3610 3620 Laptop Keyboard NEW RM120


Acer Aspire 3610 3620 Laptop Keyboard NEW -RM120




Specification:
Layout: US
Letter: English
Colour: Black
Remark: Ribbon cable included

Compatible models include:
series of Acer Aspire 1410, 1640, 1650, 1680, 1690, 3050, 3100, 3610, 3620, 3640, 3680, 3690, 5050, 5100, 5110, 5570, 5580, 5610, 9110, 9120

Condition: Brand NEW
Warranty: 3 months
tested working.

======================================
contact: Mr Zul 0127319949
COD Area: Plentong, Masai, Pasir Gudang, Ulu Tiram, Johor Jaya, Taman Molek,
or other area of Johor Bahru [plus RM5], or
Segamat or Bandar Mas, Kota Tinggi Johor
Courier: by Pos Laju
Payment: Bank transfer or cash
Pos Laju Courier: + RM10

Dont forget to see my other ads.
======================================

Other services:
- Format or service laptop immediately at main area [free transportation], other area can considered.
- Free delivery at main area radius. other area can considered.
- accept faulty, semi-faulty or used laptop.
- Laptop CPU Cooling Fan Services.
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HP Mini 2140


The low-cost ultraportable notebook or "netbook" market might have exploded in 2008, but HP plans to take the top spot in 2009 with the all new Mini 2140. This business-grade netbook features a 10.1-inch screen, a remarkably large keyboard, a high capacity hard drive, and plenty of impressive specs. Did HP learn from the mistakes of the past? Is the Mini 2140 this years ultimate road warrior machine? Keep reading to discover the answers.

Our pre-production HP Mini 2140 features the following specifications:

  • Operating System: Genuine Windows XP (Vista or SUSE Linux also available)
  • Processor: Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.60GHz (512 KB L2 cache, 533 MHz FSB)
  • Memory: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM, 800MHz, one SODIMM memory slot, supports up to 2GB
  • Internal Storage: 160GB 5400 rpm SATA HDD with HP 3D DriveGuard (also available with 160GB 7200 rpm SATA with HP 3D DriveGuard or 80GB Solid State Drive)
  • Display: 10.1-inch diagonal (1024 x 576)
  • Graphics: Intel GMA 950
  • Wireless: Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.0, HP Wireless Assistant
  • Expansion slots: (1) ExpressCard/54 slot, Secure Digital (SD) slot
  • Ports and connectors: (2) USB 2.0 ports, VGA, power connector, RJ-45/Ethernet (Gigabit), stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in, VGA webcam
  • Input device: 92% full-sized keyboard, touchpad with scroll zone
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1.05 (at front) x 10.3 x 6.5 inches
  • Weight: 2.4 lb with 3-cell battery and hard drive, 2.93 lb with 6-cell battery and hard drive (not including weight of AC adapter).
  • Power: 6-cell (55 WHr) or 3-cell (28 WHr) Lithium-Ion battery, 65W HP Smart AC Adapter with HP Fast Charge
  • Warranty: One-year standard parts and labor warranty, pick-up or carry-in, and toll-free 7 x 24 hardware technical phone support.

Pricing for the HP Mini 2140 starts from as little as $499 for the base configuration.

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Acer Aspire 4520 AMD RM650

Acer Aspire 4520 AMD 1.9ghz ram 1gb 2nd laptop for sale ~ RM650
Acer Aspire 4520 AMD 1.9ghz ram 1gb


- AMD Turion 64 X2 dual-core TL-58 @ 1.90ghz
- DDR2 1GB, HDD 80GB.
- NVIDIA GeForce 7000M 3D graphics with up to 752 MB
- 14.1" WXGA Acer CrystalBrite TFT LCD
- DVD/CD-Writer, Acer Crystal Eye Webcam, battery, charger.
- Without bag.
- windows xp (more faster for gaming)
- Dolby stereo speakers (not realy good, broken)

Outlook: not very bad
Battery: long 15 minutes
system and other hardware: still in good condition
Condition: Used.
Warranty: 2 weeks

# Change to good speaker: plus RM50
# Change to 2 hour battery: plus RM50
# Add acer laptop bag: plus RM50

contact: Mr Zul 0127319949
COD Area: Tmn Universiti Skudai Johor Bahru [main], or Segamat or Bandar Mas, Kota Tinggi Johor
Payment: Bank transfer or cash

Dont forget to see my other ads.





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VAIO SR VGN SR25G B

Switch your way of thinking
The new “Switch” function raises the bar for notebooks. Simply press a button and VAIO SR instantly changes the operating mode to match your environment.

Do more by doing less
VAIO SR does a lot, and the remarkable new “Switch” function lets you do it more efficiently. At the press of a key, “Switch” instantly changes the operating environment to match your usage requirements. Business, entertainment, personal — wherever or however you use your notebook, “Switch” is the smart answer to multiple computing needs.

One touch simplicity
“Switch” is simple. When you change environments, just press the MODE button to select the mode that matches your current needs. “Switch” also changes the wallpaper for each mode, allowing you to identify at a glance the one currently in use.

Five ways to improve efficiency
The secret to “Switch” lies in its five customisable hardware buttons and corresponding screen icons in each mode. These give you fast access to applications, web sites, files, AV controls and other frequently used items. It’s like having three unique sets of shortcuts ideally suited to how you use VAIO SR.

Three modes ready to go
“Switch” comes pre-configured with three modes ready for instant use — Business, Personal and Entertainment. Use them as is or customise for your own unique user experience.

Business Mode
• Turn on VAIO presentation support
• Use an external display
• Mute the sound
• Connect to VAIO Smart Network
• Access Windows Meeting Space

Entertainment Mode
• Open VAIO MusicBox
• Turn on Web Cam Companion
• Open VAIO Movie Story
• Open Click to Disc/Click to Disc Editor
• Open WinDVD for VAIO

Personal Mode
• Open Windows Media Player
• Play/Pause
• Rewind
• Fast Forward
• Eject

Make your modes fit
Configuring “Switch” is drag-and-drop simple. Just pull an icon or URL onto the desktop and it turns into a “Switch” icon, automatically associating itself with a hardware button. Other options, such as changing wallpaper properties, can be configured via the SETTING button.
Make “Switch” a part of your life and see how easy mobile computing can be.

SOURCE: http://www.sony.co.id
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Lenovo G455 G460 G470 Laptop LCD Screen NEW

Lenovo G455 G460 G470 Laptop LCD Screen NEW
Price: RM250

14.0 Inch HD LED Widescreen LCD Screen for notebook laptop,
14" HD LED backlight (16:9), Resolution: 1366 × 768

Example Fit model:

- Lenovo G455 G460 G470 V470 V470c B470 B470e B470g
- Other model of Acer, HP Compaq, Asus, Dell, BenQ, Lenovo, eMachines, MSI, Toshiba, Samsung and etc brand laptop.
condition: original brand new
Warranty: 3 months

Special price for more than 1 unit purchase.

# can delivered by cod or PosLaju. The package will be carefully packed.

==================================
contact: Mr Zul 0127319949
COD Area: Plentong, Masai, Pasir Gudang, Ulu Tiram,
------------ Johor Jaya, Taman Molek, Tebrau,
------------ or other area of Johor Bahru, or
------------ Segamat or Bandar Mas, Kota Tinggi Johor
Courier: by Pos Laju
Payment: Bank transfer or cash
Pos Laju Courier: + RM10

Dont forget to see my other ads.
==================================

Other services:
- Format or service laptop immediately at main area, other area can considered.
- Delivery at main area radius. other area can considered.
- Accept faulty, semi-faulty or used laptop.
- Laptop CPU Cooling Fan Services.


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Introduction to Google Adsense

Google AdSense matches ads to your sites content, and you earn money whenever your visitors click on them. Googles spider crawls webpages containing the adsense code, and delivers ads that are relevant to the site, audience and the specific content on the page.

Adsense works in conjunction with Google Adwords, selecting ads to display on your site from Adwords massive advertiser database. And since Google provides the ads, you dont have to worry about mantaining relationships wit individual advertisers.

Simple explanation - Google collects ad information from webmasters who want to advertise their sites. These advertisers bid on keywords and create text or image ads related to their purchased keywords. These ads are stored by Google. Now you sign up for adsense and add te adsense code to pages on your website. If te content on your page matches keywords purchased by any advertisers, those specific ads are displayed on your site pages by the ad sense code.

Detailed below is information on adding adsense to your site, and tips for optimizing performance of ads and maximizing revenue from Google Adsense.

Implementing Adsense

The full explanation for the above block diagram is available here. Just to be clear, the above diagram is not official, or verified to be correct. No one outside Google knows exactly how Gogles algorithm works. But it does give a clear picture of how Adsense and Adwords interact, to produce a superlative and unmatched contextual advertising network with a seamless and fully automated system, from accepting ads to displaying them, accepting money from advertisers and paying it out to publishers.

[google ads]

Lets get down to how to implement Google adsense on your website. Its a simple matter of signing up with adsense, specifying options such as link units, text and background color options and then copying the code and pasting it on your website templates, or if you are not using templates, on specific pages. This however, does not get the cash register go ka-ching, even if you have healthy traffic. The main reason is that Adsense is now so universally known, that just about everyone wo uses the internet knows that it is an advertisement, and the first reaction from visitors to your site is to ignore the adsense ads.

You need to do some trail and erroe and find out three or four combinations of ads and locations on your pages, where the ads work and you get more clicks. I say 3 or 4 combinations, beacuse once you have a successful combination of winning ads and locations, your visitors, over a period of time, say one month or two months, will start ignoring the ads. Then its time to change the ads and move to the next winning combination. Thats why you need at least 3 or 4 combinations of well designed ads, placed in locations which entice clicks. Google as comipled a helpful guide to optimize adsense ad performance, for specific kinds of pages, such as blogs, forums, etc. You can view the guide here. If you have multiple sites, you can use the same adsense code, or PIN, to place ads on all sites, and monitor and tweak the performance and earnings from each, by means of using channels and filters.

Summary

Generally speaking, Adsense will make you enough to pay your hosting charges, but not enough to help pay your mortgage. The cents keep coming everyday, and it slowly collects into dollars. If you want a lot of dollars from adsense, theres two simple things you can do. Increase your traffic, or start dozens of sites. Ad performance notwithstanding, if a 100 visitors make you $4, 1000 visitors will make you $40. Simple as that. And finally, Google will pay, only by check, and only when the amount reaches $100. Update : supermom_in_ny points out that Google also pays by direct deposit to your bank.

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Compaq Presario 2500 15 0 Inch LCD Screen RM100

Compaq Presario 2500 15.0 Inch LCD Screen -RM100



Specification:

Manufactory: AU
Size: 15.0 "
Resolution: 1024*768 pixels
Aspect ratio: Wide Angle LCD
Screen Type: TFT Active Matrix Matte
Backlight Type: 1 CCFL
Data connector: 30pinsManufactory: AU
Size: 15.0 inches
Resolution: 1024*768 pixels
Aspect ratio: Wide Angle LCD
Screen Type: TFT Active Matrix Matte
Backlight Type: 1 CCFL
Data connector: 30 pins

Item includes: LCD Panel without inverter or bracket.

Outlook: not very bad [good shape]
system and hardware: still in good condition
Condition: Used
Warranty: 1 month

# can delivered by cod or PosLaju. The package will be carefully packed.

======================================
contact: Mr Zul 0127319949
COD Area: Plentong, Masai, Pasir Gudang, Ulu Tiram, Johor Jaya, Taman Molek,
or other area of Johor Bahru [plus RM5], or
Segamat or Bandar Mas, Kota Tinggi Johor
Courier: by Pos Laju
Payment: Bank transfer or cash
Pos Laju Courier: + RM10

Dont forget to see my other ads.
======================================

Other services:
- Format or service laptop immediately at main area [free transportation], other area can considered.
- Free delivery at main area radius. other area can considered.
- accept faulty laptop or used laptop.
- Laptop CPU Cooling Fan Services.
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Acer Aspire 4410 4810 Laptop LCD Screen NEW






Acer Aspire 4410 4810 Laptop LCD Screen NEW
Price: RM280

14.0 Inch HD LED Widescreen Ultra Slim LCD Screen for notebook laptop,



BOTTOM RIGHT CONNECTOR LAPTOP LCD SCREEN
14" HD LED backlight (16:9), Resolution: 1366 × 768

Compatible Series Models:
- HD Acer CineCrystal LED LCD: Acer Aspire 4740 4740G
- Acer Aspire 4410 4810 Series: 4410 4410TZ 4410T 4810 4810T 4810TG 4810TZ 4810TZG
- Acer Aspire 4420 4820 Series: 4420 4420TZ 4420T 4820 4820G 4820T 4820TG 4820TZ 4820TZG
- Acer Aspire 4430 4830 Series: 4430 4430TZ 4430T 4830 4830G 4830T 4830TG 4830Z

Condition: Original Brand New
Warranty: 3 Months

Special price for more than 1 unit purchase.

# can delivered by cod or PosLaju. The package will be carefully packed.

=====================================
Contact: Mr Zul 0127319949
Leave SMS if call didnt reach.
[Cash]
COD Area: Plentong, Masai, Pasir Gudang, Sri Alam,
------------ Johor Jaya, Taman Molek, Tebrau, or
------------ other area of Johor Bahru [depend],
------------ Segamat or Bandar Mas, Kota Tinggi, Johor.
[Bank transfer]
Courier: by Pos Laju to all region in Malaysia.
Pos Laju Fee: + RM10

Dont forget to see my other ads.
=====================================

Other services:
- Format, service and repair laptop.
- Free delivery at main area radius. other area can considered.
- Accept faulty, semi-faulty or used laptop.
- Laptop CPU cooling fan services.

040413

 


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Acer Aspire 4520 AMD 1 9ghz ram 2gb untuk dijual

Acer Aspire 4520 AMD 1.9ghz ram 2gb untuk dijual
Price: RM800

Acer Aspire 4520 AMD 1.9ghz ram 2gb

- AMD Turion 64 X2 dual-core TL-58 @ 1.90ghz

- DDR2 2GB, HDD 120GB.
- NVIDIA GeForce 7000M 3D graphics with up to 752 MB
- 14.1" WXGA Acer CrystalBrite TFT LCD
- DVD-Writer, Acer Crystal Eye Webcam, battery, charger.
- windows xp (more faster for gaming)
- Dolby stereo speakers (much loud)

Outlook: not very bad
Battery: long 1 hour
system and hardware: still in good condition (never broken)
Warranty: 1 Month

contact: Mr Zul 0127319949
COD Area: Segamat or Tmn Universiti, Skudai or Bandar Mas, Kota Tinggi Johor
Payment: Bank transfer or cash

Dont forget to see my other ads.







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Dell Studio 15

Dell continues to try and update their notebook designs this year, and the new Dell Studio 15 is the latest consumer 15-inch notebook that highlights these new designs. Is it possible to take design elements from the 13.3" XPS M1330 and the 15.4" Dell XPS M1530 and make a budget notebook that keeps consumers happy? Take a look at our full review of the Studio 15 to find out for yourself.

We purchased our review unit of the Studio 15 from Staples where they offer set configurations of the Studio 15. Our budget configuration cost $799. Fully customized configurations are available at Dell.com.

As mentioned in our first look, we had hoped to conduct a full review of a custom-ordered Studio 15 machine with an orange colored lid. Unfortunately, the shipping date for our review unit was pushed back more than a month ... so we will complete our full review based on the pre-configured model available at Staples.

The specs of this particular Studio 15, the S1535-113P, are as follows:

  • Screen: glossy 15.4" WXGA 1280 x 800 display
  • Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 (2.00GHz, 667MHz FSB, 2MB Cache)
  • Memory: 3.00 GB RAM
  • Storage: 250GB HD (5400rpm)
  • Optical Drive: Slot loading DVD+/-RW
  • Wireless: 802.11b/g
  • Graphics: Integrated Intel X3100
  • Built-in 2.0MP web camera
  • Ruby Red color lid
  • Ports: 4 USB 2.0, HDMI connector, 15-pin VGA video connector, Ethernet 10/100/1000 LAN (RJ45), AC adapter connector, Audio jacks (1 line-in, 1-line out, 1 Mic-in), 4-pin IEEE 1394 port, 54 mm ExpressCard slot, Consumer IR
  • Battery: 6-cell 56WHr Li-Ion Battery
  • Dimensions: Width: 14.0" (355.6mm), Height: 1.0" (25.3mm) front / 1.3" (33mm) back, Depth: 10.3" (261.5mm)
  • Weight: Starting weight of 6.11 lbs


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Build and Design

While we were reasonably impressed with the dimensions of the Dell Studio 17 as a 17-inch notebook, the Studio 15 is a little heaver than other notebooks in its class. While the design of the notebook gives it the appearance that its rather thick, its actually close to the same thickness (or even thinner) than other 15-inch consumer notebooks.

The first time you look at the Studio 15 its as if Dell removed the metal palmrests from the XPS M1530, added a little bulk, and offered a few more ways to customize the look. The end result is an impressive looking desktop replacement. I use the term "desktop replacement" because most people in the market for a 15-inch notebook arent planning to haul their notebook everywhere and use it during regular airline travel. Well ... no one who cares about the person seated next to them is going to use this on a plane anyway.

While the Studio 15 isnt exactly a thin-and-light notebook designed for mobility, it does offer solid design and construction. As mentioned above, the Studio 15 takes several design elements from the latest XPS notebooks: the wedge-shaped profile, drop hinge, slot-loading optical drive, and touch-sensitive media buttons are all hallmarks of the XPS M1330 and M1530. That said, there are a few extras in the design of the Studio 15 that you wont see in the XPS line.


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The Studio 15 is available in your choice of seven colors: Plum Purple, Tangerine Orange, Flamingo Pink, Midnight Blue, Ruby Red, Spring Green or standard Jet Black. Our pre-configured unit came with the "Ruby Red" paint job and it looks absolutely flawless. The matte paint has an almost rubber-like texture similar to the paint used on last years Inspiron notebooks and, of course, the XPS notebooks. Dell also took the customization options one step further by offering an optional high gloss "Graphite Grey" color that comes in your choice of black, blue, pink, or red edge trim around the display back and sides.


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Another nice touch is the use of an imprinted design on the palmrest area (also on the display lid if you select the high gloss graphite grey color options). The design looks like a close-up view of a topographical map and is yet another way that the Studio notebooks stand out from the rest of the Dell lineup. On the other hand, if you see this design on the palmrests from a few feet away it looks like someone spilt a milk-based fluid on your notebook and let it dry under the sun.

In terms of overall chassis construction the Studio 15 is quite solid and suffers from virtually no flex or creaks when squeezed and twisted between your hands. The Studio 15 might not tolerate being thrown across the room, but it should survive a drop from your desk without significant damage.


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The one design element I have mixed feelings about is the bottom access panel. Rather than having the typical RAM cover, hard drive cover, and main panel on the bottom of the notebook, the Studio 15 (like the Studio 17) uses a single, massive panel that provides access to all of the notebook at once. This is extremely helpful for those people who want to make multiple modifications or service their notebook. However, removing seven screws and exposing the entire bottom of the notebook is a little intimidating for people who just want to upgrade their RAM.


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Screen

The Studio 15 widescreen display is not the LED variety available as an option on the XPS line, its just your regular CCFL style of display that uses a couple of traditional backlights to illuminate the screen. The screen is nice though, its very bright at around 200-nits. The glossy finish helps to make colors really pop and is especially nice for watching movies. The Studio 15 we have is just a regular 1280 x 800 XGA resolution, you can get higher resolution displays (1440 x 900 or 1920 x 1200) that will allow you to fit more content on the screen and enjoy movies in a higher-defintion format such as the optional Blu-ray drive.

The screen on our review unit looks beautiful from straight on. The horizontal viewing angles are likewise great. You wont have any trouble watching movies on this screen with a couple of your friends. Upper vertical viewing angles are good, but colors did begin to invert at lower viewing angles when the screen is tilted back.


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Keyboard, Touchpad and Media Controls

The keyboard on the Studio 15 is quite good with nice key travel and proper key size and spacing. The keyboard is reasonably firm with only a minor bit of flex near the center of the keyboard and directly above the optical drive. I personally felt that the key presses were a little louder than I like (I prefer quiet keys rather than keys that "clack" when typing).

That said, the Studio 15 is still quite nice to type on and wont cause many issues for students who need to type long papers for high school or college. There is also an option for a backlit keyboard in case you find yourself working in a dark classroom or lecture hall, but our budget configuration from Staples doesnt include the backlit keyboard option.


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The touchpad works well and the mouse buttons have excellent travel and cushion with extremely quiet clicks. The good news with the touchpad is that its responsive, has dedicated scroll areas and the glossy textured feel is extremely good.


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A series of touch-sensitive media buttons with white LED backlights are located above the keyboard similar to the buttons on the M1330 and M1530. One nice feature about the media buttons is that the LEDs only stay lit for a fraction of a second after being pressed, so they wont distract you by staying lit all the time.

Dell also includes a Media Center remote control that fits neatly into the ExpressCard slot on the side of the notebook. This is a great accessory for presentations or if you want to control a DVD from across the room.

Ports and Features

The port selection of the Studio 15 is reasonably good for a notebook of this size. Heres a quick rundown of what you get:


Front: IR port for remote control. (view large image)


Rear: No ports. (view large image)


Left: WiFi on/off, security lock slot, WiFi catcher/locator, HDMI, VGA, two USB, Ethernet, microphone jack, two headphone jacks, ExpressCard slot, 8-in-1 memory card reader. (view large image)


Right: Firewire, two USB ports, slot-loading optical drive, power jack, power button. (view large image)

The built-in HDMI is a very nice thing to have for those that want digital video output. Unfortunately, the combination of HDMI and integrated Intel X3100 graphics leaves much to be desired. In fact, the HDMI output from our Studio 15 lacks audio out (not uncommon on budget notebooks with HDMI, but sad to see when the new budget notebooks from HP and Lenovo carry audio and video over HDMI) and did not work at all with my HDMI-equipped 42" HDTV. The notebook also kept giving me error messages when I tried to connect my HDMI-equipped 22-inch desktop display.

While were on the topic of external displays, Im a little sad to see no lugs/screw posts for the VGA cable. While the lack of posts makes the VGA connection look "cleaner" it isnt convenient for people who regularly leave their notebook connected to an external monitor. I wouldnt be bothered by this if the Studio 15 featured a dedicated docking station port such as those used on the Latitude notebooks, but since there is no dedicated docking station connection there needs to be a way to secure a VGA cable.

With FireWire, four USB ports, a media card reader, two headphone jacks, microphone jack, ExpressCard slot and Ethernet port youre well equipped ports wise.

Some of our editorial staff are huge fans of slot-loading drives and while I think these drives look amazing, Im not entirely sold on the technology. Slot loading drives dont like small DVDs or CDs like those you sometimes receive with hardware drivers or in the mail. Another issue is that slot-loading drives tend to be a bit more noisy than traditional tray-type drives. While the drive in the Studio 15 is extremely quiet for a slot-loading drive it still makes more noise than a quiet tray-loading drive.

Speakers

The speaker quality was extremely good compared to most notebooks, but only "acceptable" compared to some 15-inch media notebooks with built-in subwoofers. If you arent an audiophile then youll probably find the built-in speakers to be more than adequate. Still, if you want deep, satisfying bass youll need dedicated speakers or a great pair of headphones.



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The speakers for the Studio 15 are located at the top of the keyboard area above the media buttons. Theres not much to write home about the speakers, they get loud enough with minimal distortion, but the sound doesnt have the impressive lows you get from dedicated subwoofers.

Performance and Benchmarks

At the end of the day the most important parts of a laptop are the internal components that do all the work. Our review unit came equipped with the Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 processor (2.0GHz) which offers reasonable performance in terms of number crunching and video encoding. The 3GB of system RAM is enough for satisfy Vista and still provide enough RAM for most needs. The 250GB Western Digital Scorpio Blue hard disk drive (HDD) in our review unit is a 5400rpm drive with good performance.

As mentioned above, the integrated Intel X3100 graphics left much to be desired. While integrated graphics generally help with battery life by drawing less power than dedicated graphics cards, the optional ATI Radeon HD 3450 dedicated graphics card would have been a much better choice. On that note, it would have been nice if Dell offered additional dedicated graphics options even beyond the ATI Radeon HD 3450, but I recognize that would position the Studio 15 to compete directly with the XPS M1530. The synthetic benchmarks listed below will give you some idea of how this system performs compared to other systems on the market.

WPrime 32M comparison results

WPrime is a benchmark similar to Super Pi in that it forces the processor to do intense mathematical calculations, but the difference is this application is multi-threaded and represents dual core processors better. Lower numbers indicate better performance.

All of the 3DMark06 scores for all of the systems listed above were run at 1280 x 800 or 1280 x 768 resolution. Clearly, this configuration of the Studio 15 suffers from the use of under-powered Intel X3100 integrated graphics.

HDTune results:


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Heat and Noise

The Studio 15 does a reasonable job keeping heat under control. The system fan and heatsinks in the Studio 15 do a great job managing heat when the system is under load ... as we discovered when we ran multiple benchmarks back to back. The fan moves a significant amount of hot air but the noise is reasonably low and isnt noticeable over background noise most of the time. While the Studio 15 will heat up when stressed, it never gets too hot to use as a "laptop."


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As mentioned previously, noise wasnt much of an issue with the Studio 15. The slot-loading optical drive made some noise when inserting or ejecting a disk but it was among the quietest slot-loading drives weve had in our office.

The hard drive was likewise quiet and it seems as if Dell has done a good job finding ways to minimize the noise coming from the hard drive.

Battery Life

The 6-cell lithium-ion battery provides reasonable battery life for the Studio 15. With Vistas power management running in "balanced" mode, screen brightness set to 50 percent and wireless on, the 6-cell battery delivered roughly 3 hours and 41 minutes of battery life.

If these numbers arent impressive enough for your needs then Dell also offers a 9-cell 85WHr Li-Ion battery for extended battery life. The only potential negative to the 9-cell battery is that the additional cells stick out from the bottom of the notebook which adds to the overall thickness of the Studio 15 and raises the notebook off the surface of your desk.

Conclusion

At the end of the day the Studio 15 is a solid offering in the 15-inch consumer notebook category. The build quality, range of customizable options, expandability, style, and price make this an excellent choice if youre in the market for a 15-inch notebook. Still, we would have liked to see more graphics card options than just the integrated Intel X3100 and dedicated ATI Radeon HD 3450.

Issues like lack of VGA cable screw posts, dedicated docking station connector, or lack of a simple RAM expansion cover are minor, and many experienced users may find the all-in-one access panel on the bottom of the notebook to be extremely helpful. The pre-configured model we tested suffered from weak integrated graphics that ruined an otherwise enjoyable experience, but configurations with dedicated graphics are available from Dell.com.

That said, we are a little upset over the delayed shipping of our original order from Dell.com and if other customers can expect a delay of a month or more then some back-to-school shoppers will be disappointed this year. Hopefully Dell can resolve these shipping delays.

Bottom line, if youre in the market for a 15-inch desktop replacement notebook with nice multi-media options then the Dell Studio 15 deserves serious consideration. Although the budget configuration we reviewed is far from being a multi-media powerhouse, it still makes an excellent laptop for average use.

Pros

  • Beautiful design
  • Solid selection of available configurations
  • Reasonable battery life
  • Nice keyboard, touchpad and media buttons
  • Great component layout makes for easy upgrades/repair
  • Good value for the price

Cons

  • No lugs/screw posts for VGA cable and no docking station connector
  • All-in-one access cover on the bottom of the notebook is either great or frustrating
  • HDMI with integrated Intel graphics ... bad move
  • No option for better graphics than ATI Radeon HD 3450 at this time

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