alaTest Australia - Product Tests & Reviews

Latest reviews (in English) rss

Showing 1 - 25 of 50
Nokia N97 mini
AU

Nokia N97 mini smartphone

By Ross Catanzariti

Almost nine months after the launch of its highly anticipated but ultimately disappointing N97 smartphone, Nokia has seen fit to update its arsenal with a miniature version of its flagship consumer device: the Nokia N97 mini. Though the more compact ...

Smaller design is an improvement, solid keyboard, responsive UI, live widgets on home screen, Ovi Maps navigation

No innovative or groundbreaking improvements, no FM transmitter, poorly designed power button, resistive touch screen

The Nokia N97 mini has a smaller battery than the original N97, but the reduced screen size means you should get similar performance - Nokia quotes 240 minutes of talk time and 310 hours of standby time on a 3G network

March, 2010

Rating

70

alaSCORE 96

141 reviews

goodgearguide.com.au
HP Mini 110
AU

The HP Mini 210 (NB-210-1017TU_01) is a 10in netbook with plenty of style. It looks and feels different to the netbook it replaces -- the HP Mini 110 -- but it still performs like a netbook. It offers a very solid keyboard with isolated (island-style) ...

Long battery life, easily upgradeable, excellent keyboard, smooth and responsive touchpad

Space for 3G module but no option for it, gets noticeably warm, no 802.11n WiFi, only 1GB RAM

With its asking price of $599, the Mini 210 is almost unbeatable, but it could use some more features. In particular, we'd like 802.11n Wi-Fi, an integrated 3G modem, and a USB Sleep-and-Charge-style port would be very useful for travellers. But as ...

March, 2010

Rating

75

alaSCORE 92

179 reviews

goodgearguide.com.au
Toshiba  NB 300
AU

Toshiba NB300 netbook

By Elias Plastiras

Toshiba's NB300 is a 10in netbook with a slim frame, a long battery life and an advanced Sleep-and-Charge USB port. It's an almost perfect netbook for travellers thanks to these features, but even students and business users who are in the market for ...

USB Sleep-and-Charge port that works with iPhones, long battery life, big palm rest, comfortable to use, 802.11n Wi-Fi

Slow hard drive, hard drive compartment uses Torx screws, screen is glossy, conspicuous power light, only 1GB of RAM

Overall, the Toshiba NB300 is a little gem. Sure, it can be improved (and we hate the use of Torx screws for the hard drive compartment), but its build quality, user comfort and features make it one of the best little laptops on the market

March, 2010

Rating

90

alaSCORE 91

4 reviews

goodgearguide.com.au
Sony Cyber-SHOT DSC-TX7
AU

Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 is designed for people who want a slim compact camera that can be carried effortlessly in a pocket or purse. It's capable of shooting 1080p video in addition to capturing still photos, and it does away with control buttons; ...

Reasonably good performance in dim light, captures Full HD video, great panorama mode

Noticeable lens distortion, chromatic aberration, can be awkward to hold, noticeable colour bleeding

Despite some comfort issues with its design, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 is a capable of capturing vibrant colours and deep blacks, and its high ISO performance is not too bad either. It will suit travellers who want a hybrid camera with which to take ...

March, 2010

Rating

60

alaSCORE 89

5 reviews

goodgearguide.com.au
Canon EOS Rebel T2i / Canon EOS 550D
AU

: This 18 megapixel camera uses a CMOS sensor "almost" the same as the much more expensive Canon 7D. The body bulk and mass are less than the 7D and there is one Digic processor rather than two. The viewfinder is penta mirror not prism. However, for ...

: High ISO image quality is very good. We shot in an almost dark room at ISO 6400 without any high hopes and found the image perfectly acceptable. Noise reduction is not too aggressive and the high pixel density doesn't seem to have increased image ...

: We found a noticeable difference in image quality between jpeg and RAW files. This is not something to dislike, but it is a warning that it is worth the trouble of shooting RAW. The included RAW converter is excellent.

: The EOS 550D is an excellent way into the Canon system. It doesn't have the luxurious feel of the 7D, but then it costs $1300 less for the body. Our test unit came with the Canon 18-135mm lens which is not good enough for the camera. We would ...

March, 2010

No rating

alaSCORE 73

53 reviews

dpexpert.com.au
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
AU

The Xperia X10 mini pro will take up less space in your pant's pockets than the big daddy X10, but the addition of a full-QWERTY keyboard should attract texters to this pint-sized marvel.

March, 2010

No rating

alaSCORE 93

103 reviews

zdnet.com.au
Nokia N97
AU

Nokia N97 mini

By Joseph Hanlon

Strong physical design, Excellent hardware/connectivity, First-rate battery life ;

Series 60 OS feels seriously out-dated, Business productivity tools need attention ;

The N97 mini is better than the original, but not so when compared with smartphones from other manufacturers. Its S60 OS helps the mini feel like an old phone even before it hits the stores.

March, 2010

Rating

70

alaSCORE 96

1771 reviews

zdnet.com.au
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (DS)
AU

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is different to the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney games and should be considered a spin off. As with the Phoenix Wright sequels and the Apollo Justice game, you really need to have played the ...

March, 2010

Rating

80

alaSCORE 98

13 reviews

gamearena.com.au
Corel VIDEOSTUDIO PRO X3
AU

Corel VideoStudio Pro X3

By Cliff Joseph

We were wondering what would happen to VideoStudio Pro following the recent release of Corel's low-cost Digital Studio suite. But VideoStudio Pro is still going strong - in fact this new X3 version even comes bundled with a copy of the separate ...

Support for quad-core CPUs, GPU support, interface has been tidied up

Creating picture-in-picture effects could be more straightforward, a decent manual wouldn't go amiss

There's also a powerful new tool for creating picture-in-picture effects, although using this is a rather long-winded affair that requires a long list of options to be ticked and selected along the way, so Corel could make this process a bit more ...

March, 2010

Rating

80

alaSCORE 98

5 reviews

goodgearguide.com.au
Cyber-shot DSC-W380 - silver
AU

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W380 is a compact digital camera which is packed to the brim with features and many intelligent functions. Going by the specs alone, we are impressed and let's quickly check out how it fares against the competition.

Captures decent images, 720p video recording

Delay when zooming, shaking hands can easily lead to blurred photos

The 1280x720p videos captured were also average. Details were just sufficient but videos we captured with the DSC-WX1 had more details. Low light clips also showed certain amount of noise and they could have been sharper. Overall, the Sony Cyber-shot ...

March, 2010

Rating

80

alaSCORE 92

6 reviews

goodgearguide.com.au
Toshiba Portege M500
AU

Toshiba's Satellite M500 (PSMKCA-009007) is a 14in, fully featured notebook that's suitable for business and home users alike. It has a dual-core Core 2 Duo CPU, modern ports and slots and a surprisingly good speaker system for a notebook of its size. ...

500GB hard drive, solid performance, plenty of features

Feels heavy, too glossy, poor touchpad, only 3GB of RAM usable, short battery life

Overall, the Toshiba's Satellite M500 (PSMKCA-009007) feels more like a desktop replacement notebook than a laptop you can take to work or school everyday. We like its performance, the large hard drive, and the number of features you get, but we wish ...

March, 2010

Rating

70

alaSCORE 85

2 reviews

goodgearguide.com.au
Nokia N97
AU

Nokia N97 mini

By Staff Writer

Preferable to its bigger brother, the mini is a great all-rounder for those who like their smartphones to strike a balance between features and size

This isn't quite as severe as you might think. The touchscreen is still sizeable at 3.2in rather than 3.5in, the five-way joypad has been axed in favour of arrow keys and internal memory has been reduced from 32GB to 8GB (though you can boost this ...

March, 2010

Rating

83

alaSCORE 96

1771 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
Sony Ericsson C905
AU

Sony Ericsson C905

By Staff Writer

Minor quibbles can't stop the C905 being a cracking camera phone of the highest order

Sony Ericsson has also added a 'Smart Contrast' setting into the mix that automatically sharpens details lost in dark, contrast-heavy areas. It's more than just a gimmicky add-on and is highly effective in brightening gloomy snaps

March, 2010

Rating

100

alaSCORE 93

764 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus
AU

It's got a great sound, although we've qualms about that iPod positioning

Which of the latest streaming media devices suits your needs? We rate them and help you decide

March, 2010

Rating

83

alaSCORE 94

59 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
Harman Kardon Go + Play
AU

Harman Kardon Go + Play

By Staff Writer

A superior portable solution, with bass that can be heard across a Glastonbury field

It's a good-looking, well made and tactile device, the Go + Play, and it feels built to last. There's something very purposeful about the way the main body of the machine is almost entirely given over to loudspeakers (the HK features a pair of drivers ...

March, 2010

Rating

83

alaSCORE 94

286 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
Yamaha PDX-50
AU

Yamaha PDX-50

By Staff Writer

It's still a worthy product, but close rivals have gained the edge

Sonically, though, the Yamaha's exposed by leading rivals. It offers good scale, energy and drive. But a slightly detached bass and relatively flimsy treble are apparent alongside competitors such as B&W's Zeppelin Mini and the Bose SoundDock II

March, 2010

Rating

83

alaSCORE 98

18 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
Norton from Symantec Norton 360 2.0, Full Edition (PC)
AU

Symantec Norton 360 Version 4.0 is a suite of tools that combines the anti-malware and anti-phishing features of Norton Internet Security 2010 (NIS), with the PC tune-up tools of Norton Utilities.

Norton Insight, small footprint, improved system performance in some areas

Some users might be a bit intimidated by the number of features, can increase boot time

Finally, Symantec throws in 2GB of online storage with Symantec Norton 360 Version 4.0 from its newly launched Norton Online Backup service, which is available for the duration of the software's 12-month subscription life

March, 2010

Rating

90

alaSCORE 89

102 reviews

goodgearguide.com.au
Macally Tunepro
AU

Macally TunePro

By Staff Writer

Looks and sounds like it should cost much more – a powerful yet easy-listening dock

Which of the latest streaming media devices suits your needs? We rate them and help you decide

March, 2010

Rating

83

alaSCORE 90

19 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
Sony Ericsson Satio (Idou)
AU

Sony Ericsson Satio

By Staff Writer

It may be the best cameraphone on the market, but poor text input and no 3.5mm jack means the Satio misses out on five stars

If that sounds a bit gimmicky, Sony Erisson's tried-and-tested Best Pic technology returns to more practical ground. Turning it on takes a series of shots in rapid succession, so you're more likely to capture that illusive perfect picture

March, 2010

Rating

83

alaSCORE 95

430 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
JVC NX-PN7
AU

JVC NX-PN7

By Staff Writer

You can get comfortably better sounding iPod docks for this money – though without the showy extras

Which of the latest streaming media devices suits your needs? We rate them and help you decide

March, 2010

Rating

67

alaSCORE 90

39 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
Nokia X6
AU

Nokia X6

By Staff Writer

The improved touchscreen and social networking could see the X6 take up the reins as the dark horse in the Nokia music phone gang

If you're going to lay claim to the multimedia crown, you've got to have the brawn to back it up. The X6 has boosted its built-in storage capacity to a generous 16GB, making it a viable alternative to your iPod without having to faff around with ...

March, 2010

No rating

alaSCORE 95

71 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
Kicker IK 500
AU

Kicker iK500

By Staff Writer

Fun with a very large 'F', this could be just the thing for some buyers

That apart, though, we've no real complaints. Yes, there's much to admire here

March, 2010

Rating

83

alaSCORE 93

29 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
Razer Mako 2.1
AU

Razer Mako 2.1

By Staff Writer

A well-priced, entertaining system that'll be a great addition to a study or games room

The speakers are bi-amplified and downward firing, as is the subwoofer. The subwoofer hosts a set of RCA phono inputs and a 3.5mm line input and the complete system has a total power output of 300W

March, 2010

Rating

83

alaSCORE 91

13 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
Sony Ericsson Aino
AU

Sony Ericsson Aino

By Staff Writer

The far from convincing ‘remote play' and touch performance badly let down this otherwise capable multimedia slider

Unfortunately, like the Satio, the Aino's touch experience is frustrating. But our beef lies not with its touchscreen performance - the 3in capactive panel is responsive to taps - but with its limited functionality

March, 2010

Rating

67

alaSCORE 94

161 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
Logic3 i-Station Rotate
AU

Logic3 i-Station Rotate

By Staff Writer

Thumping bass and the nifty rotation function make this Logic 3 iPod dock rather appealing

Add the fully-functional remote and you can do a lot worse for the money

March, 2010

Rating

83

alaSCORE 93

5 reviews

pcauthority.com.au
1
2

Search results You may continue typing to narrow your search.

loading

loading

loading

loading...