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| PC World - 21 Jun (PC World)My tests of the Microsoft Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition have uncovered what appears to be the fastest browser for Copilot+ PCs, and the competition really isn’t that close.
One of the questions I’m interested in regarding Copilot+ PCs is simply how well they run conventional software: browsers, utility applications, you name it. It’s impossible to test every application, but a set of top web browsers is reasonable—after all, most of us spend a considerable chunk of time just simply browsing the web.
Which browsers did I test?
As part of my testing, I downloaded Google Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, Vivaldi, and Brave, in addition to Microsoft Edge. I spent a few minutes trying out a few multimedia-heavy sites, using extensions and passwords, and so on. These weren’t extensive tests, but they allowed me to see quickly what worked and what didn’t.
All of these browsers now have dedicated Arm versions, including Brave, which added an Arm64 version in February. (The new Arc browser does not, and the default version refused to download on the Surface Pro.) Opera allows you to download a dedicated Arm browser, but all of them also auto-detect your PC and supposedly feed you the right one. (I’m doubtful about Vivaldi.)
It’s important to note that I used the stable versions of these browsers delivered by the browsers’ websites, and I didn’t hunt down optimized beta software (if it even existed).
Which benchmark tests did I use?
I ran two benchmarks: Principled Technologies’ WebXPRT 4 (which uses a combination of HTML5, JavaScript, and WebAssembly to mimic common web tasks) and Speedometer 3 (which now tells you how fast your browser will respond while using it).
Both of these benchmarks will give us an idea of what Windows on Arm browser should be both fastest and most responsive. All tests were run while the tablet was plugged in.
I also couldn’t help but compare the new Surface Pro’s Edge performance with Edge’s performance on the Surface Pro 9 (5G), the Windows tablet that used the Microsoft SQ3 chip (based on the Qualcomm 8cx Gen 3). I expected the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip to be faster, but I wanted to see how much faster.
The benchmark test results
The winner? Unsurprisingly, it’s the browser from the company that’s been working most closely with the Arm development ecosystem: Microsoft Edge. But what is surprising is that it’s neck-and-neck with Mozilla Firefox! Here’s the evidence:
In this WebXPRT test, Mozilla Firefox is neck-and-neck with Microsoft Edge.
In this WebXPRT test, Mozilla Firefox is neck-and-neck with Microsoft Edge.Mark Hachman / IDG
In this WebXPRT test, Mozilla Firefox is neck-and-neck with Microsoft Edge.Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
In the Speedometer test, Edge’s lead was more pronounced—but it’s still fair to say that Firefox performed extremely well, enough that Firefox fans can rest assured that their preferred browser is close enough to the top. As for Vivaldi (and Arc)… well, we hope for better in the future.
I didn’t notice any glitches while using these browsers, except for one: Brave crashed when initially trying to import favorites/bookmarks from another browser.
Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
I could have used Basemark as a third test, but that pushes more heavily into WebGL and use of the tablet’s GPU. WebXPRT and Speedometer are probably good enough to evaluate the best Copilot+ PC browser, as far as everyday performance and responsiveness.
I know, you already have your preferred browser. But in a world where Microsoft and many other Copilot+ PC vendors want you to transition to Arm, everything is changing! Edge and Firefox are the best browsers for Copilot+ PCs… at least for now.
Laptops, Personal Software Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 20 Jun (PC World)It’s actually really simple! Here’s how to use Microsoft Word to check if a document might’ve been copied from the internet:
Load the document into Word and open the Review tab in the ribbon. On the far left side of the ribbon, you should see an Editor button. Clicking on that will open a sidebar with various editorial insights.
Scroll down to the section labeled Similarity, then click on the button labeled Check for similarity to online sources to initiate plagiarism checking. Word will switch on Bing and search the internet for similar texts. This search could take a while.
Once the plagiarism check is done, questionable parts of the text that match online sources will be highlighted in the document. Plus, an info window will show a link to the source of the original.
This feature is also useful for citing quotations. If the Editor finds similarities with online sources, you can click on Similarities reviewed to see a list of them. For each one, you can optionally insert a citation.
Further reading: Advanced Microsoft Word tricks you might’ve missed
Personal Software Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 19 Jun (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
ProsModest price for decent specsBright, clear, and colorful displayCute and funky designImpressive microphonesConsDoesn’t have good sustainNot as snazzy or speedy as competitionHinge can pinchOur VerdictThe Acer Aspire Vero 16 is pretty average in most areas, but at just about every turn it avoids being bad. This makes for a good all-around package that’s pleasant to use and rarely feels like a letdown. Its affordable price makes it a viable competitor even though some of its competition can offer considerable performance upgrades for those with a bit of flexibility to their budget.
Acer’s eco-conscious project with the Aspire Vero family continues into 2024 with the Aspire Vero 16 (AV16-51P-5641). This new model carries on the recycled-plastic design and funky detailing — colorful feet and mirrored R and E keys. At $749 for a model with a decent set of specs offers a compelling budget package. It’s not the most exciting system, but as a piece of utilitarian hardware, it gets the job done. Too bad there are others doing it better.
Looking for more options? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now.
Acer Aspire Vero 16 (2024): Specs and features
The Acer Aspire Vero 16 starts out with mid-range specs, avoiding the minimal memory and storage pitfall of cheap laptops. For $749, you get a 12-core Intel Core Ultra 5 125U (2 performance cores, 8 efficient cores, 2 low power efficient cores), 16GB of soldered memory, 512GB of storage, and a 1920×1200 display. Configuration options are limited with a storage bump to 1TB, touchscreen functionality, and a processor upgrade to Core Ultra 7 155U bumping the total to $900. Acer has mentioned a configuration with a 2560x1600p display, but at the time of testing, we couldn’t see one available.
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
Memory: 16GB LPDDR5X
Graphics/GPU: Intel Graphics
Display: 16-inch 1920×1200 IPS
Storage: 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD
Webcam: 1440p
Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C with Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alternate Mode, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, 1x Kensington lock slot
Networking: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Biometrics: Windows Hello fingerprint
Battery capacity: 53 watt-hours
Dimensions: 14.16 x 10.1 x 0.78 inches
Weight: 4.0 pounds
MSRP: $749 as-tested ($749 base)
Acer Aspire Vero 16 (2024): Design and build quality
Somehow, the Acer Aspire Vero 16 avoids feeling like Acer’s many cheap Aspire models. Despite having much the same shape as Acer’s other laptops, the Aspire Vero 16 pulls something off with its visible and tangible use of recycled materials. The mix of different colors plastics makes for a unique chassis that has loads more character than the bland, shiny plastic on other models. This design may differ from the other Aspire models, but it’s largely consistent with earlier Vero models, which Acer has been doing for several years now.
Something about the texture also just feels more comfortable, as well. It feels more like I’m resting my hands on a park bench than on a slab of plastic slowly heating up from the system humming away inside. The chassis flexes a bit under pressure, but not to a worrying degree. And Acer has the system built to a few Mil-Spec specifications, including drop and cold resistances.
Since the display has a 16:10 aspect ratio, the Acer Aspire Vero 16 also steers clear of dated-looking bezels. It’s still flanked by strips of plastic, but they’re not terribly chunky.
The laptop is fairly sizable, though not overly so for a 16-inch laptop, and it still just narrowly manages to squeeze into a laptop sleeve meant for 15-inch laptops. It’s also not overweight for a 16-inch laptop, weighing in at just a hair over four pounds.
The base of the laptop sits on a set of four rubber feet colored in a pastel blue that continues to make this a more fun-to-look-at system than most Aspire models. The hinge design has a flaw, though. If you open it while the laptop is on your laptop, it has a propensity to pinch hard. That’s an ouch. The front edge of the laptop would also have been better with a little more rounding. Venting on the bottom lets you see right through to the heatpipes and fans, but this proximity to the surface can make the base feel more than a little hot, especially if the laptop is charging.
All told, the Acer Aspire Vero 16 is an attractive laptop for what it’s offering. It could improve in a couple small ways, and it would be nice if the Acer Jumpstarts app didn’t plug ads into the notification panel, but its faults are minor for a $750 laptop.
Acer Aspire Vero 16 (2024): Keyboard, trackpad
IDG / Mark Knapp
IDG / Mark Knapp
IDG / Mark Knapp
On the one hand, the Acer Aspire Vero 16’s keyboard is a step up from others in the Aspire line, but on the other, it’s still held back by one of the same issues. The tactility is on point, with poppy keycaps that snap back quickly and have decent resistance and stability for quick typing. But they have the same convex keycaps that make typing on Acer systems such a pain for me, as my fingers always struggle to naturally find and maintain center on the keys.
As a result, I have to settle into a slower typing speed to avoid accuracy issues. Trying to type at a fast pace, I end up with tons of errors. Relaxing into a rhythm of around 100 words per minute, I find it easier to maintain accuracy, and this bore out in Monkeytype, where I hit 108 words per minute with 99 percent accuracy after a series of much worse results that came from trying to go faster.
The keyboard includes white backlighting that’s generally helpful in dark conditions and offers two different brightness levels. Oddly, especially for a laptop presenting itself as environmentally conscious, the laptop defaults to turning the keyboard backlights on every time it wakes up even if they were manually turned off.
Acer isn’t setting a high bar with its trackpad on the Aspire Vero 16, but it gets the job done. It’s reasonably large, though definitely could have been larger. It’s pleasingly smooth, and it has a satisfying click to it. Acer has squeezed a fingerprint scanner into the trackpad, taking up just a small slider of space in one corner. Impressively, it doesn’t really impair the functionality of the trackpad in the least. A swipe over it will track just the same as a swipe anywhere else on the trackpad, though it has a distinct feel that makes it less pleasant to swipe over.
While the hardware isn’t much of an issue, sometimes the system introduces some latency to the trackpad that can impede fluid navigation. It also has a knack for rejecting hardware clicks if two fingers are on it. As someone who often guides the cursor around with a middle finger and clicks with an index finger, this can be more than a little frustrating, but it may be a niche case for others.
Acer Aspire Vero 16 (2024): Display, audio
IDG / Mark Knapp
IDG / Mark Knapp
IDG / Mark Knapp
The display on the Acer Aspire Vero 16 is a surprising strong point. It’s very easy for laptop makers to skimp on the display, especially when it’s fitted into a more affordable machine like this. But Acer has stepped up. At 1920×1200 it’s not incredibly sharp for a 16-inch display, but it’s plenty for most uses. With a peak brightness of 374.2 nits from its anti-glare IPS panel, it proves easily visible in most conditions. Its somewhat thick bezels are even that much easier to ignore when considering the 1250:1 contrast ratio the screen achieves — a step up from the typical 1000:1 of IPS panels. Where Acer goes above and beyond is in the color.
The display reaches 86 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, which isn’t rivaling recent OLED displays, but is very respectable for just about any sub-$1,000 laptop. The color is accurate as well, measured at an average dE of 1.62 with no color exceeding a dE of 2.73. So whether you’re working on spreadsheets or web design, the display is up to the task.
The Acer Aspire Vero 16 doesn’t rock when it comes to the little down-firing speakers it has built in. They’re not very loud at all. But they do have a nice balance. Even when they’re cranked up, they don’t distort significantly, and they have a respectable amount of low-end, enough to give music and movies a little punch to the sound. Just about any pair of headphones or half-decent Bluetooth speaker will be better, but they’re certainly viable for solo listening in a quiet space.
Acer Aspire Vero 16 (2024): Webcam, microphone, biometrics
IDG / Mark Knapp
IDG / Mark Knapp
IDG / Mark Knapp
Acer opted for a slim fingerprint scanner that lives on the trackpad, and that wasn’t for the best. In addition to it impacting the feel of the trackpad, it’s just not the best scanner. I find it struggles to register my print more often than others I’ve tested (though most bumble the task to some degree). And one time the laptop seemed to get confused and not even register my fingerprint, just registering my finger as touching the trackpad.
The webcam is a sharp one, offering a 1440p resolution that provides clear detail in photos and video. That said, resolution is only one half of the battle. While the camera does manage to pull in a decent amount of light, it doesn’t always manage light intelligently, often vacillating between underexposure and overexposure, both of which look fairly bad. The field of view is also quite wide, which may be useful if you want to get multiple people in, but may require sitting extra close if you want to fill the screen in your video calls and recordings. For privacy, the camera has hardware shutter
The microphone system built around the camera is another story. It doesn’t capture my voice at a very high volume when sitting at arm’s length, but my voice is clear. Better still, the system eliminates background noise incredibly well. A box fan blowing on me from less than two feet away wasn’t picked up by the mic in the slightest, and background café noise coming through computer speakers was also eliminated. You’ll just want to be sure you sit close and speak up so you get a good volume out of the mic array.
Acer Aspire Vero 16 (2024): Connectivity
IDG / Mark Knapp
IDG / Mark Knapp
IDG / Mark Knapp
The Acer Aspire Vero 16 has a respectable array of ports for a budget-friendly laptop. It certainly could have done more with its size, like including an SD (or even microSD) card reader, but its inclusion of two USB-A 5Gbps ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a full-size HDMI port leaves little else to be desired for on-the-go connectivity and at-home docking options. A 3.5mm headset combo jack and Kensington lock slot round out the ports.
Wireless connectivity is also decent. The laptop features Wi-Fi 6E, so it’s ready for high-bandwidth applications and stable connectivity. Though I noted that it can take a few seconds to get connected to networks after the laptop wakes from sleep. The Bluetooth 5.3 connection proved stable during my testing as well.
Acer Aspire Vero 16 (2024): Performance
The Acer Aspire Vero 16 is kitted out for everyday performance. The Intel Core Ultra 5 125U isn’t a top-tier chip, nor is the onboard graphics anything to get too excited about. But for the typical computing demands of a student or office worker and for casual web browsing, it’s up to the task. That said, so are plenty of other systems.
The Acer Aspire Vero 16 shows respectable performance in PCMark 10, which runs it through a variety of different workloads. And while it keeps up pretty well in most tested tasks, like video conferencing and web browsing, it falls behind dramatically when it comes to digital content creation. This comes down to its weaker peak performance and lack in graphical might. This is the first hint at why Intel isn’t giving the graphics on deck here the “Arc” branding.
Single core performance of the Acer Aspire Vero 16 actually wasn’t terribly far behind the others here, only 10-15 percent behind its Core Ultra 7 155H brethren, but the sustained multi-core performance is where it was held back. It just can’t keep up with the more powerful chips here. And with Acer lagging behind in the bursty load of Cinebench R20, it’s little surprise to see it fall even further behind in the sustained load of Handbrake.
While Handbrake, in part, helps us see multi-core performance, it also helps us see a laptop’s ability to sustain performance. Cinebench R20 is a fast test, seeing the cores spin up, rip through a task, and then wind down. By contrast, Handbrake spins them up and slams them hard for the duration of the test. That sees heat build, and enough heat will force the processor to dial back its speeds, resulting in a longer time to complete the encoding.
When I tested the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 Gen 9, I saw that it was fairly successful at managing its thermals, and that explains how it manages to come out so far ahead of the Acer Aspire Vero 16 in the sustained load of our Handbrake test despite being nearly equals in Cinebench R20. This is more than a little disappointing for the Acer Aspire Vero 16, especially as it has two fans onboard to try keeping it cool.
3DMark’s graphics benchmarks highlight the weakness of the generic Intel Graphics onboard here. Just like we saw on the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 running the same chip, the performance is just not exceptional. Not only is the score lower overall, but we see the GPU-specific results sitting at about half of what’s on deck for the Intel Arc graphics. Different breeds of Intel’s graphics aren’t created equal. This graphical shortcoming manifests itself from time to time in everyday operation, too. Every now and then, it seems to have just had too much, and the whole screen will go black while it reboots itself.
Acer Aspire Vero 16 (2024): Battery life
Battery life is a strong point for the Acer Aspire Vero 16. It proved capable of running for over 12 hours in our video playback test, which is respectable for any laptop and quite impressive from one with just a 53Wh battery. With an anti-glare coating on the display, the Acer Aspire Vero 16 is also perfectly usable at the 250-nit brightness we use for our test, so it can reflect real-world battery life for video playback well.
Sadly, the Acer Aspire Vero 16’s merits are overshadowed by its competition, which simply knocked it out of the park when it came to their battery life. All four of these other laptops beat the Acer Aspire Vero 16 by an hour or more, with the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED and Dell Inspiron 14 Plus almost delivering an extra 5 hours, though they did have smaller screens and bigger batteries. That’s little excuse for the Acer Aspire Vero 16, though, which certainly should have had the space to fit more battery if its smaller rivals could.
Acer Aspire Vero 16 (2024): Conclusion
The Acer Aspire Vero 16 is a cute, eco-conscious laptop (if you ignore its soldered on memory). It offers a decent all-around package that leaves very little to complain about. It’s performance is up to snuff in everyday use, with only a few snags here and there when it’s overloaded with browser tabs. While nothing about it is remarkable, its average marks in just about every category are worthy of some praise for a machine coming in at $750.
There’s more performance and more exceptional designs available from quite a few other laptops coming in below $1,000, but the Acer Aspire Vero 16 is still the cheapest by a wide enough margin that anyone who can’t stretch their budget or stomach the smaller screens can rest assured the Acer Aspire Vero 16 isn’t a bad alternative. And it might just be a better option for the environment.
Laptops Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 19 Jun (PC World)An ordinary home network router with a Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 access point is usually enough for most homes with a modest living space and central internet serving phones, laptops, and other everyday devices.
But not all devices connected to the same wireless access point experience the same connection quality. In fact, the quality of one device’s Wi-Fi connection is mainly determined by its distance from the router and what obstacles sit in between.
The Wi-Fi router alone isn’t enough
If you want to serve Wi-Fi to a larger home or one with an unusually shaped living area with structural obstacles, you may find that a single access point isn’t good enough.
In this case, you may need several access points—ideally distributed throughout your home so that each device has a sufficiently good connection to at least one of these access points.
Multiple access points can be integrated into your home network in several ways: via Ethernet cable, via Wi-Fi repeater, or via Powerline Wi-Fi extenders. As a rule, they all use the same Wi-Fi access name (i.e., the SSID) with the same encryption (usually WPA2) and password.
More on this: Wi-Fi extenders vs. boosters vs. repeaters, explained
In this kind of setup, devices that are closer to Access Point 1 connect to Access Point 1, devices closer to Access Point 2 connect to Access Point 2, and so on. All devices end up with strong Wi-Fi connections.
At least, that’s the theory.
The problem with non-mesh access points
If your home wireless network doesn’t incorporate mesh networking, the connecting device (e.g., your phone) determines which access point it’s going to connect to.
This can result in an unbalanced distribution of devices across the various access points, which can impair the performance of individual device connections as well as that of the entire Wi-Fi network.
This also applies to the switching of mobile devices between different access points. The device itself lacks important information—such as the current utilization of a given access point—it would need to determine the optimal time to switch and where to switch to.
The result? Disruptive interruptions to connection quality, especially with real-time applications like streaming and video conferencing.
Plus, managing a wireless network with lots of independent access points is often cumbersome. For example, if you want to change the Wi-Fi network settings, you have to configure each access point separately—that’s time-consuming, inconvenient, and prone to errors.
The advantages of mesh networking
All of the above issues can be avoided—or at least greatly minimized—with a so-called wireless mesh network, in which two (or more) access points are smartly connected to each other as a mesh system.
These “mesh stations,” “mesh nodes,” or “mesh access points” can coordinate with each other and, for example, ensure a better distribution of Wi-Fi devices across the various mesh stations and the available Wi-Fi bands (i.e., 5GHz and 2.4GHz).
More on this: Mesh Wi-Fi vs. traditional routers, compared
The handing over of a device from one access point to another is generally much smoother between two mesh stations than between two non-mesh access points.
Why? Because the mesh network can provide the important details of the current Wi-Fi connectivity situation. (For this, connected devices should support the 802.11k and 802.11v Wi-Fi standards.)
In a mesh network, one mesh station always leads and controls the other mesh stations in the same network, acting as the so-called “mesh master.” This means you can manage the entire mesh network through the mesh master’s app or web menu.
The changes made here—such as the Wi-Fi name, encryption type, or guest access rules—are automatically transferred to all other mesh stations. This greatly simplifies home network Wi-Fi management.
Not all mesh devices are compatible
If you want to use more than one access point in your home network, you not only need to make sure that all devices are mesh-compatible, but also that they come from the same manufacturer.
This is because mesh network protocols haven’t been standardized yet, meaning that mesh stations from different manufacturers won’t know how to communicate with each other properly.
Right now, mesh-capable access points from different manufacturers behave similarly “unintelligently” with each other, reminiscent of a home network comprised of non-mesh access points.
Beyond that, you also have to consider how the individual mesh stations connect to each other and communicate. This inter-mesh-station communication is called “backhaul“, “backbone,” or “back channel.”
Let’s explore your four different options for backhaul setups.
Option 1: Backhaul via Wi-Fi
Depending on the mesh system, the backhaul can be done wirelessly via Wi-Fi, via Powerline through an outlet, or via Ethernet using LAN cables already laid out in the home. Some manufacturers even offer a combination of different backhaul options.
Most mesh systems are designed so that individual mesh stations connect to each other via Wi-Fi. This is most practical, allowing you to distribute your devices relatively freely around your home.
You just need to make sure that the Wi-Fi connections between individual mesh stations is sufficiently good. Convenient setup and control apps from respective manufacturers can help you optimize this.
Mesh stations with a Wi-Fi backhaul not only use their integrated access points to connect to Wi-Fi devices, but also to forward device data to the mesh master via the same access point.
The problem with this is that it can overload the mesh station, leading to noticeably poorer transmission performance to more distant mesh stations, especially in Wi-Fi 5 mesh systems with dual-band access points.
So-called tri-band mesh systems can provide relief here, as a separate radio module is reserved solely for transmitting backhaul. (If you’re looking for a dual-band solution, take a look at Wi-Fi 6 systems.)
More on this: Wi-Fi 5 vs. Wi-Fi 6 vs. Wi-Fi 6E, explained
Option 2: Backhaul via Ethernet LAN
If Wi-Fi isn’t working, many mesh systems can alternatively use an Ethernet connection for backhaul, provided that each individual mesh station has at least one LAN port and the mesh master has at least two ports. (One LAN port is reserved as a connection to the home network.)
Ethernet backhaul generally ensures better, more stable network connection performance, allowing the Wi-Fi of mesh stations to be used solely for client devices and not sharing that bandwidth with backhaul.
If network cables are already laid out throughout your home, it makes perfect sense to integrate mesh stations into the home network via Ethernet cables. Again, make sure that all mesh stations are equipped with at least one LAN port and the mesh master at least two.
Alternatively, conventional Wi-Fi-less network devices can also be integrated into the home network via LAN ports on mesh stations, by connecting them to said mesh stations via LAN cable.
Option 3: Backhaul via Powerline
This option is more of a special case: using powerline connections as backhaul for a mesh network. (Powerline adapters allow you to establish Ethernet connections through normal electrical outlets.)
The benefit of powerline networking is its flexibility, as there’s usually at least one power outlet available in every room. Just plug a powerline adapter into an outlet and you can use it for Ethernet.
And unlike in mesh networks that use Wi-Fi backhaul, powerline backhaul isn’t attenuated by walls or ceilings.
However, there are other factors that could impede transmission performance via powerline (e.g., the quality of electrical wiring, the lengths of power cables, or other active devices on the electrical circuit, which can temporarily reduce the maximum transmission rate).
Option 4: All backhaul types in one mesh
Newer routers, repeaters, and even powerline adapters now come with built-in mesh functionality.
If you have a mesh-capable router, you might be able to extend it with repeater and/or powerline Wi-Fi kits to create a smart mesh system. This would allow you to mix and match different backhaul types (i.e., Wi-Fi, Ethernet, powerline) as needed.
When expanding a mesh-capable router, make sure that the mesh connections between devices are actually activated.
A mesh system without a router
If you don’t want to use your router manufacturer’s mesh system, or if you have a non-mesh router that you want to keep using, you can disable its Wi-Fi function and replace it with an independent mesh system.
Most mesh systems on the market are equipped with an integrated router and can therefore be installed behind an existing modem or router. The mesh system’s router then automatically takes control of the mesh system as the mesh master.
In this case, you can usually also decide whether the mesh system works in a bridge mode behind the existing router and uses its router functions (i.e., DHCP, firewall, parental control).
The choice between router or bridge mode has no major influence on the important Wi-Fi mesh functions, such as the optimal distribution of devices across mesh stations and Wi-Fi bands, seamless handover between mesh stations, convenient management, etc.
However, many useful functions of a mesh system (such as parental controls, web filters, and prioritization of individual devices via Quality of Service) are only possible with an activated mesh router and unfortunately aren’t available in bridge mode.
A mesh network might be right for you
As mentioned before, most mesh systems can be conveniently set up using a mobile app or even just pressing a button. With a mobile app, you can usually also see if mesh stations connected via Wi-Fi backhaul are too far apart or too close together.
Otherwise, there are generally no major settings or adjustments that you need to make to fine-tune a mesh system.
If you’re having issues with Wi-Fi connection quality in your home, a mesh network could be the solution to your woes. The benefits are undeniable and it’s relatively simple to get started!
Further reading: The best mesh Wi-Fi routers for home
Networking Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 19 Jun (PC World)While computer monitors seem to be more or less the same once you get past the size and the ports, that’s not really true. Even the most common type, the humble LCD, has a lot of sub-types. And while the differences between them are subtle, they can vary greatly in how they perform and how you use them.
The simple idea of a monitor hasn’t changed a lot since we all moved from cathode ray tubes (CRT) — the big, old-fashioned gray boxes that some of you are too young to remember seeing in real life — to relatively tiny liquid crystal displays (LCD). LCDs have been around for decades, first being paired with simple computer displays way back in the 1970s.
The physics of how they work are fascinating, complex, and frankly too much to cover in an article you probably Googled just to figure out something on a spec sheet. I’m going do my best to bottom-line the most common variants, and why you should know and care about them. I’ll be linking to the relevant Wikipedia articles if you want to do some deep dives on the actual physics behind these displays.
There are three major types of LCD panels used in computer monitors, including the screens built into laptops. These are twisted nematic field effect (TN), in-plane switching (IPS), and vertical alignment (VA).
Further reading: The best monitors
TN monitors
Twisted nematic LCDs are the oldest type of LCD still in use, with technology iterated since the original digital watch designs decades ago. The name comes from the fact that the molecules of liquid crystal that become electrified are literally twisted by 90 degrees between two glass plates.
Light shines through the liquid crystals and polarization filters, activating the pixel on the screen. Red, blue, and green pixels are combined in a sub-pixel array, and combined at variable brightness to create the desired pixel color.
In a TN panel, the liquid crystal molecules are twisted by 90 degrees in their off state (left) between substrates.
In a TN panel, the liquid crystal molecules are twisted by 90 degrees in their off state (left) between substrates.
Wikimedia Commons
In a TN panel, the liquid crystal molecules are twisted by 90 degrees in their off state (left) between substrates.
Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons
As an older and simpler technology, TN panels are generally reserved for budget monitors these days. TN panels are some of the cheapest on the market (if you can even find them), with poorer color accuracy, lower brightness, and slower refresh rates than the alternatives. Most dramatically, TN panels have notably poor viewing angles — move to either side of a TN screen, and the color will begin to distort.
This budget Dell monitor uses a TN panel, but it’s smaller, slower, and darker than most alternatives.
This budget Dell monitor uses a TN panel, but it’s smaller, slower, and darker than most alternatives.
Dell
This budget Dell monitor uses a TN panel, but it’s smaller, slower, and darker than most alternatives.
Dell
Dell
TN panels aren’t bad, per se, and they’re definite improvements on using a CRT. They also have surprisingly fast response times (the time between when the electrical signals for the image are sent to the monitor and when the image is displayed). But unless you’re deliberately looking for a bargain with an older monitor, you really shouldn’t be considering it for a new purchase.
IPS monitors
IPS stands for in-plane switching, referring to the fact that the molecules of liquid crystal are aligned parallel to the glass on either side, even when powered on. Once again, the reasons for this (and why it’s better than the crystal being twisted) are extremely complex.
But the benefit for consumers is that IPS monitors have fantastic color reproduction, allowing at least some of them to be incredibly accurate to true-life color. Some high-quality IPS monitors can cover 100 percent of the Digital Camera Initiative color space (DCI-P3).
Dell’s Ultrasharp line usually uses IPS panels for high color accuracy.
Dell’s Ultrasharp line usually uses IPS panels for high color accuracy. Dell
Dell’s Ultrasharp line usually uses IPS panels for high color accuracy. Dell
Dell
That means that if you’re working with graphics that will appear on anything professional, including a website, photograph, television broadcast, or signage, you want an IPS-LCD monitor instead of any of the alternatives. Since I do a lot of work in Photoshop for this job, I use IPS-LCD monitors at my desk. With IPS and VA monitors side by side, I can spot the latter’s lack of white balance even at a glance.
Further reading: The best gaming monitors
Here’s a photo of a close-up color grid taken by a Reddit user showing the color and brightness of IPS versus VA and TN in a relative visualization. Colors are brighter and more consistent on IPS with better viewing angles, which should be clear no matter what screen you’re actually looking at right now.
Reddit user /u/RampageIV
Reddit user /u/RampageIV
Reddit user /u/RampageIV
The downsides to IPS screens are that they’re the most expensive LCDs to make, pricier than both TN and VA, and they’re not as fast as VA in terms of refresh rates (expressed in hertz, starting at 60hz). So IPS isn’t great for gaming or anything dealing with high-speed animations, at least most of the time. It also has relatively slow response times, meaning a relatively slow rate between clicking your mouse and seeing the result on the screen.
This response time is still extremely fast in relative human terms — 5 to 10 milliseconds for typical panels — but it’s far slower than other LCD panel types, which can make a big difference for gamers. There are exceptions to this — see below.
VA monitors
If you find a monitor for less than a couple of hundred dollars, odds are excellent that you’re looking at a VA screen. These vertical alignment panels (with liquid crystals perpendicularly aligned to the substrate) are inexpensive and bright, so they’re great for most basic uses.
VA panels are often used in budget and mid-range monitors.
VA panels are often used in budget and mid-range monitors.
Matt Smith/Foundry
VA panels are often used in budget and mid-range monitors.
Matt Smith/Foundry
Matt Smith/Foundry
In addition to being bright, they’re also fast, which makes them ideal for gamers who want high refresh rates (expressed in hertz, the number of times the screen redraws its image per second). 120Hz or 144Hz is far more common with a VA monitor, with up to 175Hz being fairly easy to find even at lower prices. This makes them especially good for gaming.
High-refresh VA panels are also popular for gaming monitors and laptops.
High-refresh VA panels are also popular for gaming monitors and laptops.MSI
High-refresh VA panels are also popular for gaming monitors and laptops.MSI
MSI
While better than TN panels in terms of both brightness and viewing angle, and far faster than IPS panels, VA panels still aren’t as good as IPS for color accuracy or consistency. That’s a relative degree, of course — for most applications the colors are fine, especially if you like high saturation. But VA panels generally aren’t good enough for professional photo editing or video production.
The best of both worlds — fast IPS
What if you need the color accuracy of an IPS monitor, but you still want to do some gaming with higher refresh rates? Well you can — if you’re willing to spend a little more. Over the last few years monitor manufacturers have improved the refresh rates of IPS monitors, making them on par with budget and mid-range VA monitors.
These “fast IPS” screens offer much higher refresh rates than standard IPS, and some are among the fastest on the market. They’re also available in large sizes popular with gamers. But you will be paying a premium for a high-quality, high-speed panel, and that speed probably won’t be as fast as a VA design in the same price range. Anyone who needs “esports”-caliber speed probably won’t be satisfied.
This Alienware monitor has an IPS panel with a 500Hz refresh rate…but it’s also $650 for a 25-inch display.
This Alienware monitor has an IPS panel with a 500Hz refresh rate…but it’s also $650 for a 25-inch display. Matt Smith
This Alienware monitor has an IPS panel with a 500Hz refresh rate…but it’s also $650 for a 25-inch display. Matt Smith
Matt Smith
For my uses — a desktop setup that needs constant photo work in the day and the occasional high-speed game at night — a fast IPS screen is ideal.
Other types of monitor panels
There are many variations of the tech above that get into finer technical degrees, but there are a few others you might want to know about too.
OLED
“Organic Light-Emitting Diode” panels are considered some of the best on the market at the moment — possibly the best for some applications. OLED screens are already widespread on phones and wearables, and they’re gaining traction in high-end TVs and tablets, too.
OLED panels are extremely vibrant and have great contrast, but come at a high price.
OLED panels are extremely vibrant and have great contrast, but come at a high price. Matthew Smith / Foundry
OLED panels are extremely vibrant and have great contrast, but come at a high price. Matthew Smith / Foundry
Matthew Smith / Foundry
OLEDs use a simpler structure than conventional LCDs, with a diode that emits light directly (instead of being backlit with a separate component) and doesn’t need a liquid crystal layer. The biggest advantage there is that when an OLED pixel is off, it’s completely off, with no backlight illuminating it even partially.
This gives OLED panels incredible contrast with “perfect” black levels, in addition to vibrant and accurate colors. They can also be made very speedy, with 240Hz being common.
So why not go with OLED all the way? Because despite being mechanically simple, large OLED displays are still very expensive, being produced in small numbers at monitor sizes. Prices are dropping, but at the time of writing an OLED monitor will still be double or triple the price of a similarly equipped LCD panel of any kind. Because of the sub-pixel layout on OLEDs, they’re also not great for reading text for extended periods of time.
Quantum Dot LEDs
This tech is sometimes shortened to QLED (not to be confused with OLED, though some companies might like you to!). Quantum dot screens are fundamentally similar to standard LCD panels, but they use incredibly tiny light-emitting particles as a backlight instead of the old cathode tubes or an array of LEDs.
This allows for much smaller lighting zones for an LCD panel, resulting in better contrast and brightness. The contrast of a high-quality quantum dot LED screen can get close to that of a “perfect” contrast OLED panel, but with more brightness and (sometimes) far lower cost.
MiniLED and MicroLED
Both of these technologies are essentially the same, with smaller and smaller light-emitting diodes replacing older and clunkier backlighting methods. Again, the advantage is that with a larger array of smaller LEDs being used to light up the picture, the brightness and contrast can be more finely and accurately controlled.
MiniLED and microLED panels use smaller, more closely-spaced backlights to create more precise zones of brightness and contrast.
MiniLED and microLED panels use smaller, more closely-spaced backlights to create more precise zones of brightness and contrast.
TCL
MiniLED and microLED panels use smaller, more closely-spaced backlights to create more precise zones of brightness and contrast.
TCL
TCL
MiniLED and MicroLED monitors are both variations of conventional LCD technology, offering a better picture while still not being quite as eye-popping as OLED. Again, you’ll generally find them at much lower prices.
eInk and ePaper
These monitors are extremely rare, expensive, and often only available in black and white. They’re also small compared to LCDs, and slow, with refresh rates at a fraction of even the slowest conventional screens.
So why would anyone want one? Because they’re easy on the eyes. And that’s not a euphemism, it’s literally true. With no backlight, and high contrast on a paper-like background, eInk and ePaper displays can let you read small text for hours in comfort. This is what makes eReaders like the Kindle so popular.
eInk and ePaper monitors are wonderful for reading, but not much else, and they’re extremely expensive.
eInk and ePaper monitors are wonderful for reading, but not much else, and they’re extremely expensive.
Boox
eInk and ePaper monitors are wonderful for reading, but not much else, and they’re extremely expensive.
Boox
Boox
Even the ones with an integrated light are front-lit (like really old phones or the original Game Boy), so the light is bouncing off the surface of the screen and isn’t shining directly into your eyes.
But at a price even higher than OLEDs, and with super-slow speeds that can make even browsing the web a bit of a chore, eInk displays are only useful if you’re reading text for hours at a time. They simply aren’t practical for a primary monitor in an all-around capacity.
Which monitor should you buy?
If all that stuff is making your head spin, or you don’t want to read any more spec sheets, you should check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best computer monitors. It’s constantly updated with the best and latest picks for gaming monitors, work monitors, monitors on a budget, ultrawide and large-format monitors, and more.
Monitors Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 19 Jun (PC World)My first impression of the Microsoft Surface Pro (2024) tablet was not a good one. As soon as I finished setting it up — bam! — it spontaneously and unexpectedly rebooted. And all I did was start playing around with the keyboard!
In fact, the one thing that I think consumers may hate about this new “Microsoft Surface Pro, 11th Edition” — and I never believed I would say this — is the new Surface Pro Flex Keyboard. Out of the box it was unresponsive, fidgety, and…underpowered? Yes, you need to charge it up, and that’s something that you’ll have to get used to.
Let’s back up a bit. When Microsoft botched its AI-powered Recall feature, pulling it from the initial launch of the Surface Pro (2024) / Surface Pro 11th Edition and the new Surface Laptop, that screwed up the entire review process for everyone. Microsoft removed any review embargoes, meaning that reviewers like myself are free to publish anything at any time. The problem is that there’s an inherent tension between the demand for a hot take (publish or perish!) and a measured review, which takes some time with the device.
I’m setting out to do both: tell you what’s right and wrong out of the gate, as well as sit down and play with the Surface Pro (2024) in more depth. Another reviewer will be handling the new Surface Laptop. And we’ll both also be trying to answer the questions you have as the reviews progress.
The first question: Yes, the Windows interface on the Surface Pro feels super quick and snappy. Whether it’s the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor (a 12-core X1-E80-100 is in the review model, along with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage) or just Windows itself, there’s basically zero lag out of the box.
Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition setup: Recall isn’t here yet
No, Recall isn’t included inside the new Surface Pro 11th Edition, as you might expect. Instead, the OOBE (Out of the Box Experience) is relatively straightforward, asking for your Microsoft account — and no, I didn’t try too hard to avoid the need for a Microsoft account and use a local account instead. Most of the workarounds to use a local account appear to be patched out, and there’s no obvious way to add a local account within the Windows 11 Home 24H2 version of Windows (26100.863) that ships with the Surface Pro (2024), either.
Windows 11 Recall will have to wait.
Windows 11 Recall will have to wait.Mark Hachman / IDG
Windows 11 Recall will have to wait.Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
Setting up the Surface Pro was pretty straightforward, though there’s a greater push to use the Windows Backup and Restore functions to basically transfer over an existing Windows installation. I set up the Surface Pro 11th Edition as a new PC. (It does come with a month of Microsoft’s Game Pass Ultimate, by the way.) Recall isn’t referred to by name; instead, the feature is listed as “Quickly find things you’ve seen on your PC” during the setup process. It did seem to take a bit longer than normal, probably about 20 minutes or so in all.
Though setting up the PC forced Windows to download needed updates, Microsoft recommended that reviewers visit Windows Update as well as the Microsoft Store app to update Windows and any needed Store apps. That’s not unusual, though any AI-powered updates, such as Paint’s Cocreator, didn’t appear until the updates were applied. The Store also updated several voice language packs, something I don’t recall seeing before, as well specific apps to help enable Super Resolution, for example.
Microsoft makes a huge push for you to use Edge, and uses this AI-driven theme generator as one hook.
Microsoft makes a huge push for you to use Edge, and uses this AI-driven theme generator as one hook.Mark Hachman / IDG
Microsoft makes a huge push for you to use Edge, and uses this AI-driven theme generator as one hook.Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
But it was between the completion of the initial setup and starting to play with the interface that things went south. First, the reboot — very rude! Second, the keyboard and touchpad simply stopped working. Granted, I had detached it just to see the connection. But having it stop working was inexcusable, and I had to reboot to get it to work again.
The keyboard’s firmware needs updating?!
Let’s be fair: Microsoft had also told me that I would need to go to the Surface app, find the keyboard tile, and then update the firmware. (Yep, firmware. For a keyboard.) I hadn’t done that, and neither will you. And, of course, the keyboard had to be first charged up…and it wasn’t. A quirk of the botched review cycle or a bad experience? I’m leaning toward the latter. That’s a black mark in my book. If a consumer is being asked to pay a Surface Pro Flex Keyboard street price of $350, maybe charge up the keyboard to a useful state and update the firmware? Let’s hope so. By the way, it takes five minutes to update the firmware, during which the keyboard won’t work.
I haven’t tested the Pro Flex keyboard’s real hook — it’s wireless! But after my early struggles, maybe I’ll keep it docked for now. It ships with the Surface Slim Pen 2, as a bundle, which is handy for apps like Paint’s Cocreator.
You can’t ignore the Surface app on the Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition.
You can’t ignore the Surface app on the Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition.Mark Hachman / IDG
You can’t ignore the Surface app on the Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition.Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
Let’s move past that. How does the Surface Pro (2024) / Surface Pro 11th Edition feel? Again, slick and fast. Apps load quickly, and my quick tour of the operating system really struggled to find any area where things felt slow. (This is not a comprehensive statement, remember, just a first impression. I’ll be trying numerous applications in the future to check.)
Microsoft didn’t specifically tell me that we have the OLED version of the Surface Pro (2024) 11th Edition for review, but the inky blacks of the desktop give it away. It does look fantastic, and I’m eager to dig into some Netflix content. My first snippet of Under Paris looked and sounded great, but ran a tiny bit choppy under Microsoft Edge. YouTube looks good so far.
Windows AI apps need an internet connection
Some of the new AI applications feel as interesting as they did when I tried them in Redmond. But they also feel glitchy. Cocreator worked great, until I disconnected it from the internet. I wanted to try to see if it used the NPU, but I couldn’t even click on the icons within the application. When I tried putting the tablet in airplane mode, again Cocreator simply wouldn’t work — the app was responsive, but there was no popup or warning that it wouldn’t work when it was disconnected from the internet.
Windows 11’s Photos update includes Restyle, which allows you to tweak the backgrounds of photos. It’s pretty minimalist here.
Windows 11’s Photos update includes Restyle, which allows you to tweak the backgrounds of photos. It’s pretty minimalist here.Mark Hachman / IDG
Windows 11’s Photos update includes Restyle, which allows you to tweak the backgrounds of photos. It’s pretty minimalist here.Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
Interestingly, there was a warning within Photos, which now has an AI component called Restyle. Restyle uses AI to replace the background of, say, a prom picture with a beach or castle. My efforts with a portrait of Richard Nixon didn’t achieve great results, though. I may have to play with it a bit more.
All in all, I’m not tremendously impressed, but my faults don’t lie with Qualcomm’s hardware. (This could change.) That feels fast and smooth. The Microsoft app and hardware experience, though, feels rushed. I’m sure Microsoft will push additional updates to smooth out the wrinkles, but my own first impressions aren’t especially positive.
Next up? I’ll be poking harder at how Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X Elite hardware performs while running various applications, and testing the performance more thoroughly.
Laptops, Windows Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | ITBrief - 19 Jun (ITBrief)![NZ Located](/pimages/nzsmall.gif) A global survey by Gigamon reveals a 20% rise in undetected cyber breaches, with only 25% of organisations able to respond in real time. Australia fares worse, with 42% of breaches detected through dark web leaks. Read...Newslink ©2024 to ITBrief | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 19 Jun (PC World)Creating and managing your own website may not be a huge problem for large companies. However, it is for people who are just starting a business, freelancers or smaller companies. Without in-depth know-how or the right tools, the process is quite time-consuming and complicated.
Squarespace offers a special all-in-one solution for this. The user-friendly platform not only helps you to create an appealing web design, but also assists you with administrative issues, such as the creation of customer invoices – all from a single source.
Small companies and freelancers can thus quickly and smoothly create their own functional website and concentrate directly on the essentials – the actual business.
Whether you work as a graphic designer, want to create your own online portfolio, or need a suitable platform as a consultant, with Squarespace you can present a wide range of services and also directly accept orders, arrange appointments and create invoices. This makes the platform the ideal choice for creating and managing your own website for your business.
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The topic of online courses is also exciting. Squarespace offers various ready-made templates for this, which you only need to customize slightly. You can divide your courses into several lessons and chapters.
You also determine the price structure yourself. It doesn’t matter whether you want to offer lifelong access to your content for a one-off fee or individual subscriptions. Squarespace even offers professional subscription plans where you don’t pay any transaction fees for the sale of content and memberships.
This allows you to use your own expertise to generate revenue with online courses, either with a complete focus on the courses or as an additional mainstay. Simply activate the registration after creating it, and off you go.
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Squarespace: everything from a single source
With Squarespace, you can quickly and easily create professional websites that are also aesthetically pleasing and functional. The wide range of services from website builders, to creating online courses, to complete e-commerce solutions – anything you desire for your personal website can be realized quickly and smoothly.
The range also includes search engine optimization (SEO) and email marketing tools to address your target groups precisely.
And the best thing is, you can save a lot right now. With our exclusive discount code PCWORLD10 , you can save a whopping 10% on Squarespace tools.
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| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 19 Jun (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
ProsWell designed, compactUnique screen-lock button and iconsKeeps itself coolAttractive priceCan power three displaysConsSubpar performanceThree 4K displays only work at 30HzDoesn’t pass much power to a laptopOur VerdictThe Baseus Spacemate 11-in-1 Docking Station includes some quirks you might just love, but its subpar performance hurts its chances.
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The Baseus Spacemate 11-in-1 Docking Station (BS-OH137) doesn’t seem like the best idea: a generic USB-C docking station capable of three 4K displays isn’t really feasible on paper. In the real world it’s a more practical solution than you might think, but I still wouldn’t advise pushing this dock to its limits.
Put simply, the Basus Spacemate offers the possibility of connecting three 4K displays at 4K resolution, but only at 30Hz apiece. That’s not especially comfortable to work with for long periods, so it’s probably better to think of this dock as a more conventional USB-C dock capable of connecting to just two 4K displays, provided that you have the right hardware. A few interesting gimmicks — a lock-screen button, light-up port icons, and a sticky-pad stand — add some wrinkles.
This is another dock that use Display Stream Compression (DSC), a technology found in HDMI 2.1-capable devices like laptops with Nvidia GeForce 3000-series discrete GPUs but also modern hardware like Intel 13th-gen Core chips and above. It’s visually lossless, which means that you won’t notice the compression algorithms taking effect. If your laptop is DSC-enabled, you’ll be able to connect three 4K displays at 30Hz, or two at 60Hz; if you don’t have DSC, you’ll be able to connect two 4K displays at 30Hz or one at 60Hz.
This review informs our list of the best USB-C hubs and dongles.
Display issues aside, this docking station has some quirks.
The Baseus Spacemate 11-in-1 docking station, from the front. The sticker decal (on in this photo) indicates the indicator lights. A USB-C and USB-A port offer connectivity.
The Baseus Spacemate 11-in-1 docking station, from the front. The sticker decal (on in this photo) indicates the indicator lights. A USB-C and USB-A port offer connectivity.Mark Hachman / IDG
The Baseus Spacemate 11-in-1 docking station, from the front. The sticker decal (on in this photo) indicates the indicator lights. A USB-C and USB-A port offer connectivity.Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
Physically, this is a rather nice little dock; it stands 4.5 inches high, sitting square with about 2.5 inches on a side. It has a braided USB-C cord built in, which measures about 2.5 feet along. I think it’s a little too big to tuck into your backpack, but you might feel differently. This dock does not include a power brick, so your laptop’s charger can be plugged into an input port, accepting up to 100W.
Some docks come with a stand; the Baseus dock comes with a sticky bottom that’s exposed by peeling back a layer. But I don’t even think that it’s necessary, as the dock remains stable without it. Overall, this dock feels well made, and I never noticed any problems with the aluminum chassis warming under load.
Ports include a 10Gbps USB-A and USB-C port on the front of the dock; neither supports charging. On the rear, you have the choice of using either HDMI or DisplayPort 1.4 for your first connection, then HDMI and DisplayPort, for your second and third display connections. On the rear you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack, Gigabit Ethernet, and a pair of USB-A ports, very faintly labeled to identify one port at 480Mbps for a legacy mouse, and the other at 10Gbps.
When on, the top indicator light signals power and also locks your PC’s screen when tapped. The other icons signal which devices are connected.
When on, the top indicator light signals power and also locks your PC’s screen when tapped. The other icons signal which devices are connected.Mark Hachman / IDG
When on, the top indicator light signals power and also locks your PC’s screen when tapped. The other icons signal which devices are connected.Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
For some reason, Baseus thought that the dock needed a button to lock your screen. A bright icon on the top of the dock shows that the dock is plugged in. When tapped, it performs the same function as the Win+L shortcut does.
The dock also includes several LEDs on the front of the dock to indicate that you’ve plugged devices into various ports, such as a cable that’s connected to the dock’s HDMI and DisplayPort ports. Again, this seems like over-engineering, though Baseus says that the LEDs will indicate if a device is inserted incorrectly.
Amazon’s web page listing shows a small number of reviews, many dissatisfied with the product’s stability. On the first laptop I tried, I could only get the second display to connect at 1440p, rather than 4K60. But that wasn’t the case on the small cadre of other testing laptops I plugged in, though I had to set the displays to the proper resolutions. That’s expected, however. I didn’t see any dramatic graphics glitches or instability. I did see a bit of jerkiness while playing a 2D game, however.
The rear of the Baseus Spacemate 11-in-1 docking station offers a headphone jack, 1Gbps Ethernet, a pair of USB-A ports, a USB-C power input plug, and then the mix of DisplayPort and HDMI video connections.
The rear of the Baseus Spacemate 11-in-1 docking station offers a headphone jack, 1Gbps Ethernet, a pair of USB-A ports, a USB-C power input plug, and then the mix of DisplayPort and HDMI video connections.Mark Hachman / IDG
The rear of the Baseus Spacemate 11-in-1 docking station offers a headphone jack, 1Gbps Ethernet, a pair of USB-A ports, a USB-C power input plug, and then the mix of DisplayPort and HDMI video connections.Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
Baseus Spacemate 11-in-1 Docking Station performance
I tend to evaluate stability over the course of about two days, using the dock for everyday office work, after-hours play, as well as the more formalized performance testing. I’ll sometimes use the dock even longer than that, just to cement my impressions. Again, I didn’t see any of the stability issues some consumers complained about. While this dock will drive three displays, however, I typically used it in a two-display configuration for comfort’s sake.
Because this dock isn’t powered (and the ports aren’t designed for charging) I didn’t bother testing that aspect of the dock’s performance. The dock transferred only 72W of power maximum to my laptop, however, which is less than what I would expect. I’m not sure the dock’s indicator lights are sucking up that much power, but that would be the likely culprit. Your laptop may complain that it’s not receiving enough power.
The dock’s performance was much slower than expected, streaming excepted; there, the Baseus dock dropped just 3 out of just over 10,000 test frames. That’s excellent. But the dock’s storage performance was just 113.2MB/s, with a score of 737; a rival USB-C hub from Dockcase transferred data at 138.9MB/s, producing a score of 903. Transferring data via copying files was also about 20MB/s slower than some of its rivals.
Baseus definitely put some thought into the design of its compact little docking station, and I appreciate that. However, the added features do unfortunately feel superfluous, and the performance is subpar. I think there are better alternatives in our list of the best USB-C hubs and dongles.
Computer Accessories, Docks and Hubs Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 19 Jun (PC World)Cloud storage is cool and all, but what are you going to do when your internet is down? Or your account gets hacked? Or your cloud service shuts down and leaves you high and dry?
Relying on cloud storage is risky, which is why you should also have a physical drive—ideally one that’s portable, with tons of space, that you can take with you on the go as needed.
Well, one of our favorite options just fell to its best price ever: the 4TB version of Samsung’s T7 portable SSD is on sale for $300, a significant drop from its usual $480 (38% off).
The Samsung T7 is designed for creators, photographers, and anyone who has lots of media. With PCIe NVMe technology, this SSD has lightning-fast read/write speeds of up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s. It’s fast enough to record 4K 60fps videos directly to the drive.
With a massive 4TB capacity, the Samsung T7 can store everything from “fat” work files to 4K videos to game data for massive AAA games. The T7 allows you to organize all your important files on one compact device that fits easily in your pocket or bag.
And yes, it’s seriously compact. At just 3.3 inches long by 2.2 inches wide and 0.3 inches thick, with a feather weight of 2.5 ounces, this thing is almost invisible and you’ll forget you even have it on you.
Samsung’s T7 SSD is built out of solid aluminum, providing shock resistance and fall protection up to six feet. Whether you accidentally drop it or it gets tossed around inside a bag, you can trust the T7 to withstand those bumps along the way.
Portable SSDs with 4TB capacity don’t come cheap, but the Samsung T7 is one of the best and it’s absolutely worth it for $300. If you want to save some cash, the other capacity options are also on sale:
Samsung T7 (4TB) — $300 (was $480, 38% off)
Samsung T7 (2TB) — $170 (was $270, 37% off)
Samsung T7 (1TB) — $117 (was $160, 27% off)
This is a limited-time deal and it’s going to go fast, so don’t miss this chance to grab this top-tier portable SSD.
Save $180 on the 4TB Samsung T7 nowBuy it on Amazon
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