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Dell Studio XPS 13 and 16- what sets these new Laptops apart?

As I had earlier mentioned in my previous entry about Dell XPS 1330 and Dell XPS 1530 models, Dell has come up with its refreshed line up of XPS namely Dell Studio XPS 13 and Dell XPS 16, a cross between its studio and XPS line.Lets have a look what makes these newer models a compelling buy, if you are planning to upgrade your laptop.

Dell studio XPS 16 and Dell Studio XPS 13

Processors : 

The Studio XPS models use the centrino 2 architecture for both its models which promises less battery consumption and more processing power. Studio XPS line starts with Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 processor which has a FSB of 1066MHz a considerable improvement over the previous XPS models which mostly had 800MHZ (T5800,T6400,T8100,T8300 and T9300 processors). 

The lineup also includes Intel Core 2Duo 8700,T9600 for Dell Studio XPS 13 and   Core 2 Duo P8600,P8700,T9550 and T9800 processors for its Dell Studio XPS 16 models. All these processors are from Penryn family of processors (45nm) and all the x9***  processors have a 6MB L2 Cache.

[Note : Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 doesnot have native 64 bit computing ie EMT64,  but has better power usage with 25watts usage compared to 35watts for other processors mentioned above]

Memory :

I was waiting for this.. the RAM coming with Studio XPS lineup is DDR3 which are at 1066MHz making a huge improvement over the previous XPS 1330 and 1530 which had DDR2 RAM with 667MHz. And at a minimum both the Studio XPS models have 4GB RAM upgradable upto 8GB. DDR3 combined with penryn processors deliver markedly huge perfromance gain.

Graphics :

Studio XPS 16 comes with a  ATI Mobility RADEON® HD 3670 512  MB card and it delivers good HD performance in either 720p or 1080p Full HD (as configured, default is 720p). Studio XPS 13 also has a improvement with NVIDIA® GeForce® 9400M and 9500M as options.

Hard disk :

The default Hard disk 320GB at 7200RPM and still the price of the laptop is not very high compared to XPS 1330 and XPS 1530. The hard disk can be configured upto 500GB (5400 RPM)

Other improvements the look and feel has improved considerably and also the Full HD screen of Studio XPS 16 should be a great feautre for gaming and movie buffs. The inbuilt speakers have a huge improvement over the previous models and good enough for watching TV or Movie.

[For those who might be surprised about processor numbers Dell  upgraded the processor lineup two days ago leaving its early adaptors disappointed . Earlier it had Intel core 2 Duo T9400 and T9600 in place of T9550 and T9800]

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Intel core 2 duo T5800 vs T6400 Notebook processors comparision

Notebook Intel Core 2 Duo processors comparision T6400 vs T5800
Notebook Intel Core 2 Duo processors comparision T6400 vs T5800

Specs:

T6400 – 2 GHz 2MB L2 Cache , 800MHz FSB, 45nm (lower better), 35watts, Penryn Family of processors.

T5800 – 2 GHz 2MB L2 Cache , 800MHz FSB, 65nm(lower better) , 35watts, Merom Family of processors

And both the models support native 64 bit computing

Review:

T5800 was the popular model of Intel’s midrange laptops but it has got a upgrade with a new T6400 processor after the 2008 Christmas season. Almost all the major laptop brands have started sidelining their T5800 models in favour of T6400 with almost the same spec.

Many have asked me what is the difference between T5800 and T6400. Typically should be no major difference between the two, but if you have the choice and the price difference is less than or around 50$ always go for the newer model(T6400), the newer models have better architecture better support and your laptop might get a better resale value if you decide to sell.

The only difference in terms of specs is T6400 follows 45nm technology and belongs to the penryn family, whereas the T5800 follows the 65nm architecture.

CPU Benchmark (cpubenchmark.com) values of a very small sample of T6400 show a markedly high improvement over the T5800, im not sure if this is because of the overall higher configuration associated with current T6400 based laptops or maybe inaccurate performance measurement at cpu benchmark. I haven’t included the benchmark values as it could be misleading.

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TCS recalls its BRMs and All non billable staff from US

It  is confirmed that TATA Consultancy Services has called back all its BRMs (Business Relationship Managers) who are in charge of creating new business oppurtunities in US and other regions outside India. This position has become a liability to the company during the tough economic times. Though their pay is not very high, the benefits they enjoy is huge.

The same goes with Project Leader positions in Onsite locations, most of the PL positions in client locations are funded by TCS and hence TCS looks to move these positions back to India. Though the recall maynot cover every BRM/PL but it should cover most of them.

The status of other non billable positions like PMO, (Project Management Office team), HR and MATC is not known. But there will be lots of chaos in the onsite ranks of TCS in the coming weeks.

The cutoff date for this movement has been announced as first week o February. This was confirmed by a mail from CEO to middle management and upper management.