The alaTest Blog

When Netbooks first came out, their small size and excellent affordability made for a perfect niche in the laptop market space. Nettops tried to do the same thing, but in the desktop world, portability isn’t exactly important, and affordability is already achievable. You have to wonder: Just what are Nettops good for? Read the rest of this entry »

It’s an age old dispute – OK, not “age old,” but it’s been around for as long as home gaming platforms: Which does gaming better, console or PC? Considering the gaming market today, and how most games are cross-platform compatible (aka have versions for each console and the PC), it can be tough to choose a side. We’ll let the two duke it out in a few key categories and tally up the winner. Read the rest of this entry »

Buying a laptop can be a big decision. You want something that can stand the test of time, in both durability and performance. It’s easy to think you’ll have to spend over $1500 that won’t be outdated in just a couple years, but in fact, just $800 is more than enough for the typical user’s needs, and believe it or not, many $800 notebooks use a lot of the same components and technologies as the most expensive models. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 is halfway over, and it’s time for a quick status check, starting with the best PC games released this year. There have been some really spectacular titles so far this year that went well beyond expectations, as well as a few that fell short. Here’s a list of our current favorites: Read more on the Best PC Games of 2011

Whether you’re into high-end 3D gaming, or just want the best HD viewing experience, it’s important to have the right graphics card. They range from inexpensive integrated cards build right into your computer’s motherboard to dedicated cards for extreme gaming enthusiasts.

If you are thinking about upping your computer’s graphics performance, here’s a list of some of the best dedicated video cards for popular price points.

Read more on the Best Graphics Cards

Whether we like it or not, tablet computers are going to start dominating the mobile market this year. Our ever-growing thirst for data connectivity everywhere we go is quickly outpacing the capabilities of our Smartphones. We want bigger screens to watch our HD videos and browse the web, more powerful hardware for extra productivity, and the battery life to make it through the day. Tablets meet these demands, and that is why there will be nearly hundreds to choose from by the end of the year. But in case you don’t want to wait, there are tablets available today; however, can they hold up against the new tablets of tomorrow?
Read the rest of this entry »