The alaTest Blog

Barely more than a year ago, tablets were little more than overpriced Netbooks without keyboards, and there were plenty of arguments against buying a tablet, favoring laptops and Ultrabooks. Those tides are starting to change, and there are now quite a few compelling arguments in favor of tablets. So if you’re in the market for a new tablet, what are your best options? Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to gaming, one can choose from a variety of platforms like gaming consoles, desktops and laptops. While each of these offers unique advantages, gaming laptops have emerged in a big way in the past few years. There are several reasons behind their success, versatility being the most prominent one. A laptop is almost a basic necessity these days and if you can combine that with your gaming needs, it’s a win-win situation for you. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, we gave you a list of some essential home appliances for a fresh college grad. Following a somewhat similar course, we are going to focus on must-have gadgets for college students. In the good old days, an average college student could survive with a few books and some stationary. Things have come a long way since then. Now, the medium of education has gone largely digital as e-books and PDF’s have become standard educational sources. At the same time, newer forms of entertainment gadgets like gaming consoles and media players have become commonplace among college students. Read the rest of this entry »

This has most definitely been Google’s week. The internet giant, in association with Asus, unveiled its first ever tablet, the Google Nexus 7. This is only the first time that Google has forayed into the tablet niche and boy, has it delivered! The tablet’s been out only a few days and it has already created a huge stir in the markets. The Google Nexus 7 comes with the all new Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a 7 inch screen and a price tag of just $199. Read the rest of this entry »

Heading off to college is always a major step in one’s life, and one of the most common gifts for a soon-to-be college student is a new laptop. It’s one of those gifts than can stun and surprise, and it’s always met with excitement –it’s practical, too. With all of the choices out there, it can be tough to find the right one, but alaTest has some great recommendations for you. Read the rest of this entry »

Ultrabooks, or ultra-portable laptops, have been becoming increasingly popular lately. Their slim and lightweight design coupled with their superb battery life make them a very appealing buy for anyone looking for a new laptop, though they do have a few limitations. Surprisingly, out of the top 10 laptops reviewed on alaTest, 4 of them are ultrabooks. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have a desktop computer, you probably already know that it’s not much use without a monitor. It doesn’t matter if you’re gaming, working, web browsing, or just staring at the screen, a monitor is a bit of a necessity. So if you’re in the market for a new monitor as an upgrade, a secondary display, or a companion for a new desktop, here are the currently top-ranked monitors on alaTest. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve gone over last month’s data, and once again, the numbers are in! We don’t always do a “Trends” post every month simply because a month generally isn’t enough time for the trends to change, but that’s not the case this time. Digital cameras and smartphones are still popular; however, the top devices in each category have seen some major changes. It also seems that notebooks are starting to overtake HDTVs in popularity. Read the rest of this entry »