Notebook nightmare? Gone…
Photo: Rashed Sumon
Sumon's merely six-month-old notebook computer often gets alarmingly slower while working with several high-end software at the same time. He wanted to do some photo editing works and switched to some graphics designing projects he had saved earlier. But this simple switchover took him some precious few minutes before he could settle down to his designing jobs, and in the meantime, he could only click around his touch pad helplessly, wondering what went wrong. Sounds crazy? Sumon is not the only one who gets into such bizarre instants while running several applications on their PCs at the same time. Ultra portability in computing may have been achieved for long as the notebook PCs are getting ampler and tinier, but getting higher configuration within an affordable price range is still a distant cry for much of the more frugal computer lovers. Against this backdrop, Intel's Core i series microprocessors are gradually taking the centre stage in the latest array of laptop computers on the local market, which, the dealers say, could be 'the next big thing' in the hi-tech world, given their higher speed and the better ability to handle several functions simultaneously. "Surely, the Core i series is the hottest deal now," said Sajal Chowdhury, business manager of Computer Source, the authorised distributor of a number of global computer brands, including HP, Dell, Fujitsu and Apple. "Whether it is Core i3 or Core i5 or Core i7, you will find one of them in the bulk of the new arrivals among the latest laptop models now available on the market," he added. "Among other things, the i series processors offer a much better bus speed and cache, resulting in better performances for the latest laptops." For years, Core 2 Duo and Dual Core have been the other names for microprocessors on the laptop market. These provided more efficient decoding stages, execution units, caches, and buses while reducing power consumption. Despite that, Core 2 was also stripped off the hyper-threading technology that featured in its earlier edition of microprocessors like Pentium 4. However, the latest Core i series of Intel processors like core i3, core i5 and core i7 are bringing back the hyper-threading technology once again, meaning that doing multiple tasks at once on the computer would be much easier. "This is a significant advantage of using the i series configurations," said AHM Hasibul Alam of Flora Telecom, which provides desktop and laptop computers and other IT solutions to a number of big corporate houses including the telecom giants. "It gives you the freedom to work on several applications at the same time with much convenience and speed." His views were also backed by the overwhelming presence of core i3 and core i5 embedded laptop computers on the local market. Core i series notebooks have really taken over. Lately, market leader HP, for example, has introduced a range of brand new models including Compaq CQ41-208TU and HP Probook 4320s, almost all of which feature Core i3; HP Probook 4420s and HP Elitebook 8440p embody the Core i5 processor. The Dell ranges that feature the i3 and i5 Intel processors include Dell Inspiron 14R and 15R while many of the Studio versions of Dell also feature the even higher core i7. Similarly, realising the consumer demand, other big names like Acer and Asus are giving special focus to i3 and i5 embedded models, as a number of their latest arrivals feature either of the two versions of Intel processors. Examples of such Acer models are its Aspire 4745 and Aspire 5745, according to the distributor of Acer brand, Executive Technologies. At the same time, many of the latest ranges of Asus have adapted i series technology, although they are yet to be available for the low-end netbook computers. "It's true that a few Core 2 Duo models still exist on the market, but the sales of Core i3 and Core i5 embedded laptops have been high since their introduction in the local market four months back," said a retailer at the BCS Computer City of the capital. The actual sale is higher for Core i3 embedded laptops compared to other two Core i ranges, though Core i7 tops the Core list. However, they are expensive. "Usually, most customers prefer laptops of Tk 40,000 to Tk 50,000 price range, and most of the laptop models available within the range are embed Core i3," said Rafiqul Islam Lian of Planetcom, a retail shop on Elephant Road in Dhaka. "Most of the Core i5 laptops are within Tk 60,000 and Tk 80,000, while those above Tk 80,000 are usually of Core i7". "It all depends on how you use your PC," said Lian. "For a few simple first-round operations, Core i3 would be fine. But more advanced jobs like video editing, for example, will need Core i5," he said.
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