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Djembe · 03-24-2007, 12:54 AM

One of the newer features of Notebook Forums is the Review Guide, with which you can search through reviews of several different past and present computer models. Each review is written by an NBF member and sometimes a NBF editor and shows their actual experience with the computer, as opposed to just the promotional stuff from the manufacturer.

To start a notebook review, just click on the forum section of the vendor you are reviewing; if the vendor is not listed, please post it in the Other Notebook Reviews Section and notify the administration so that vendor section may be considered.

To write a:

Acer Reviews click here
Alienware Reviews click here
Apple Reviews click here
Asus Reviews click here
Compaq / HP / Voodoo Reviews click here
Dell Reviews click here
Fujitus Reviews click here
Gateway / Emachines Reviews click here
Hypersonic Reviews click here
Lenovo / IBM Reviews click here
Sager Reviews click here
Sony Reviews click here
Toshiba Reviews click here
All other Reviews click here

Those links will take you to the forum section where the reviews are held. If you click the Submit a Review button at the top of the forum, that will take you to a review form to fill out. Fill in the information you know, and don't worry if there's stuff you don't know- just skip it!

That will take you to a review form to fill out. Fill in the information you know, and don't worry if there's stuff you don't know- just skip it! To the right side of the review form there is the Store Rating section.

Under the System Ratings section, select the drop down and rate the six values on a scale 1-10; Build Quality, Battery Life, Port Placement, Screen Quality, Asthetics, and Performance.

To the right side of the review form there is the Store Rating section. Fill out where you purchased the notebook from, if they have a website type it here and you can also rate on a scale of 1-10 Purchase Price, Pre-sale Customer Service, How easy was it to order, Shipping, Post-sale customer service (at 6 months), Tech-Support and put any additional comments.

Below the review form on the same page is a standard post window. The default title for any review is "Laptop Review", so if you'd like your review called something else, replace "Laptop Review" with your chosen title.

Running Benchmarks

If you have purchased a gaming notebook or a very powerful notebook, it is common to run benchmarks to see how good your notebook performance. What are Benchmarks? Via Wiki:

Quote:

As computer architecture advanced, it became more and more difficult to compare the performance of various computer systems simply by looking at their specifications. Therefore, tests were developed that could be performed on different systems, allowing the results from these tests to be compared across different architectures. For example, while Intel Pentium 4 processors generally operate at a higher clock frequency than AMD Athlon XP processors, this does not necessarily translate to more computational power. In other words a 'slower' AMD processor, with regard to clock frequency, can perform as well on benchmark tests as an Intel processor operating at a higher frequency.

The following is a list of commonly used Synthetic Benchmarks that you can download for free to test your system:

Super Pi
PCMark05
3DMark06
3DMark05
PCMark04
3DMark03
3DMark2001
3DMark2000
HD Tune

Review Template

Under the title is a standard post box. It is best to copy and paste the following code into the window, and replace all the descriptions with your review.

HTML Code:

[b]Intro[/b]

Talk about your first impressions. Reasons for buying. 

[b]Specs:[/b]

Do you have a spec sheet?

[b]What's in the Box:[/b]

What was included with the system. List everything including the power block. 

[b]Design[/b]

What do you think of the aesthetics of the notebook?

[b]Screen:[/b]

How is the picture quality of the screen? Viewing angle? Level of brightness? Adjust the level of brightness from the lowest to the brightest. Talk about how it reacts in daylight/nightlight. Are there any dead pixels?

[b]Keyboard[/b]

Is the keyboard comfortable? Does it come with a keypad? Does it get hot? Are the function keys useful? What are the function keys? (list them starting with F1) 

 [b]Touchpad[/b]

Is the touchpad comfortable? Is it in a good location? Is there a scroll pad? 

[b]Features:[/b]
 
[b]Multimedia Keys[/b] 
 
Are there any multimedia keys? What are they functions? Are they useful? Practical? 
 
[b]LEDS [/b]

Are there any LED indicators? Where are they and what are their functions?
 
[b]Wifi [/b]– 
 
Is there onboard wifi? Is it easy to use? Does it get strong signals? 
 
[b]Speakers [/b]
 
Are there speakers built in? What is the quality? Is there a subwoofer? 
 
[b]Input and Output Ports[/b]
 
[b]Front[/b]: 
 
Talk about the number of ports on the fronts of the notebook, their functionality and their convenience. 
 
[b]Webcam Pictures[/b]
 
Is there a built in webcam? How are the quality of the pictures?
 
[b]Right Side[/b]:
 
Talk about the number of ports on the right side of the notebook, their functionality and their convenience. 
 
 
[b]Left Side[/b]:
 
Talk about the number of ports on the left side of the notebook, their functionality and their convenience. 
 
 
[b]Rear[/b]:
 
Talk about the number of ports on the rear of the notebook, their functionality and their convenience. 
 
 
[b]Bottom[/b]: 
 
Look at the bottom of the notebook. Is there anything abnormal? How many exhaust ports? Fans? Battery lock?
 
[b]Benchmarks[/b]

Insert Benchmark Scores and Pictures Here
Please read the benchmark section above to run common benchmarks. 

[b]Size and Weight[/b]
 
Talk about the weight. Easy to carry around? Comfortable? Estimate the weight. 
 
 
[b]Heat and Noise[/b]
 
Talk about the heat and noise. Good? Bad?
 
[b]Battery Life[/b]
 
How is the battery life while idling? Surfing the web? Watching videos? 
 
 
[b]Software[/b]

Is there any convenient software that ships with the notebook?
 
[b]Accessories[/b]
 
Are there any useful accessories that ship with the notebook?
 
 
[b]Pros[/b]: In list form, summarize the pros
[b]Cons:[/b] In list form, summarize the cons
 
[b]Conclusion[/b]: 
 
Write a short conclusion.

If you change your mind about some aspect of the review or need to update it, just edit the first post of the thread and choose "go advanced". That will bring up the entire review screen so you can adjust it as you wish.

Well, that's how to write a review. If you have any more questions or are having problems writing a review, feel free to send a private message to myself or any other moderator or administrator and we'll help you out.

Start writing those reviews! I look forward to reading them when you're done!

-Djembe

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