Dell Studio 17 (Multitouch): One Powerful Touch Laptop
The best part of having a media-center laptop is that you almost never have to worry about feature and performance limitations. Yeah, it’s deskbound and unlikely to see the inside of a backpack, but its size means you can cram in all the newest technologies, with few restrictions. The Studio17 has a mind-numbing list of current and new technologies, the most compelling of which is a 17.3-inch widescreen that sup-ports multitouch and an Intel quad-core processor that can bolt through any hard-core application.
At 8.6 pounds, the bland black Studio 17 is one of the heaviest 17-inch laptops out there. But the trade off is a 17.3-inch wide-screen that is not only bright and sharp, but also versatile. The touch screen responds beautifully to one- and two-finger (rotate,pinch,
zoom) commands and comes with a slew of touch software, including Dell’s Touch Zone and Microsoft’s Touch Pack for Windows 7 (a free download). You can configure the Studio 17 for a standard DVD burner or Blu-ray drive, and with ATI’s Eyefinity technology, you can use all three ports simultaneously in a three monitor setup.
Thanks to its Core i7 processor and 4GB of DDR3 memory, the Studio 17 showed superb performance on our benchmark tests. In video encoding tests, this system scored 49 seconds, which beat the dual-core equipped Gateway NV7915u (57 seconds) and Toshiba P505-S8010 (57 seconds). And in our Adobe Photoshop CS4 tests, the Studio 17 scored 26 seconds, edging out the Core i7 equipped Acer AS8940 and HP dv7-3180. So all in all, the highly configurable Studio 17 is a big, powerful system for serious multimedia makers. And its future proof components make it an easy pick.
PROS Quad-core processing. Interesting multitouch screen. Three video out options. Excellent battery life for a media center laptop. Configurable. Dual hard-drive support. Great gaming scores. Superb user experience. Over 200 designs to choose from.
CONS Very heavy for a 17-inch laptop.
Dell Studio 17 (Multitouch) Price $1,411
The best part of having a media-center laptop is that you almost never have to worry about feature and performance limitations. Yeah, it’s deskbound and unlikely to see the inside of a backpack, but its size means you can cram in all the newest technologies, with few restrictions. The Studio17 has a mind-numbing list of current and new technologies, the most compelling of which is a 17.3-inch widescreen that sup-ports multitouch and an Intel quad-core processor that can bolt through any hard-core application.
At 8.6 pounds, the bland black Studio 17 is one of the heaviest 17-inch laptops out there. But the trade off is a 17.3-inch wide-screen that is not only bright and sharp, but also versatile. The touch screen responds beautifully to one- and two-finger (rotate,pinch,zoom) commands and comes with a slew of touch software, including Dell’s Touch Zone and Microsoft’s Touch Pack for Windows 7 (a free download). You can configure the Studio 17 for a standard DVD burner or Blu-ray drive, and with ATI’s Eyefinity technology, you can use all three ports simultaneously in a three monitor setup.
Thanks to its Core i7 processor and 4GB of DDR3 memory, the Studio 17 showed superb performance on our benchmark tests. In video encoding tests, this system scored 49 seconds, which beat the dual-core equipped Gateway NV7915u (57 seconds) and Toshiba P505-S8010 (57 seconds). And in our Adobe Photoshop CS4 tests, the Studio 17 scored 26 seconds, edging out the Core i7 equipped Acer AS8940 and HP dv7-3180. So all in all, the highly configurable Studio 17 is a big, powerful system for serious multimedia makers. And its future proof components make it an easy pick.
PROS Quad-core processing. Interesting multitouch screen. Three video out options. Excellent battery life for a media center laptop. Configurable. Dual hard-drive support. Great gaming scores. Superb user experience. Over 200 designs to choose from.
CONS Very heavy for a 17-inch laptop.
Dell Studio 17 (Multitouch) Price $1,411
