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tech-battery · 3 years

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Samsung Odyssey G7 32-inch 1000R Curved Monitor Review: Extreme in Every Way

Samsung’s 32-inch Odyssey G7 is all about extremes, and that’s what makes it one of the best gaming monitors. The 32" Samsung Odyssey G7, the C32G75T, packs 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, DisplayHDR 600 and extended color into a 2K, VA panel with a 1000R curvature, the tightest curve we’ve seen yet. Most monitors at the top of the speed charts are 25-inch flat panels, but Samsung’s breaking the mold with the 32-inch G, going for $750-$800 as of writing. Samsung has truly pulled out all the stops here.

We’ve talked about what makes gaming monitors different from rank-and-file enterprise displays. More refresh rate, more resolution, more color, more features, more size -- the key word is more. Gamers no longer have to settle for 22 inches and 60 Hz when 27-inch 144 Hz panels are commonplace. And IT managers aren’t going to buy 34-inch ultrawide curved monitors for their office staff.

The most obvious extreme here is the Odyssey G7’s curvature. The radius is just 1,000mm, which is the most extreme curve we’ve seen to date. At first glance, one might question such a tiny radius with a 16:9 panel but when you see this 32-inch beauty in front of you, it makes perfect sense. There is a tremendous amount of screen area, and the extra height you get over a 34- or 35-inch 21:9 display is significant.

Speed is another extreme feature here. The Odyssey G7 tops out at a 240 Hz refresh rate, which makes it equal to many other monitors on paper. Color quality is also in the extreme category. Extended color is included to the tune of 85% DCI-P3 coverage. That by itself is not extreme but the C32G75T’s out of box accuracy certainly is, which we’ll show you shortly. It’s one of the few monitors we could not improve upon with calibration.

If you can’t have a full-array local-dimming (FALD) backlight, which helps make for the best HDR monitors, the next best way to render high contrast and effective HDR is with a VA panel and a dynamic contrast feature. The C32G75T has both of those in its core feature set. Native contrast is comfortably over 2,000:1, and Samsung includes a local dimming option in the on-screen display (OSD) that selectively modulates part of the edge array to increase contrast.

Assembly and Accessories of 32” Samsung Odyssey G7

You’ll need to get the Phillips-head screwdriver from your toolbox to assemble the 32-inch Samsung Odyssey G7.

First, attach the base to the upright with its captive bolt. Next, mate the panel with four more bolts. Then, a ring split in two pieces goes on the stand’s pivot point. It lights up when you turn the power on for a neat textured look. After you’ve made cable connections, a cover goes over the input panel, and you can hide the wires inside the upright for a super-clean look.

Bundled cables include USB and DisplayPort, and you get a large external power brick. If you want to use a monitor arm, a bolt-on adaptor comes in the box.

Product 360

Styling is game focused with two small LED lights at the front and a ring around the upright’s attachment point. Color and effect can be controlled from the OSD or you can turn it all off if you wish. The bezel is 9mm wide around the top and sides and just shy of one inch at the bottom. A tiny Samsung logo is the only other thing visible from the front. Reach up under that logo and you’ll find the OSD joystick which controls all monitor functions.

The styling continues around back with an array of smoothly flowing lines that accentuate the panels curvature. There isn’t a straight edge anywhere. The pivot ring appears to be in motion with its turbine-like texture. If you install the input cover and run your cables through the upright, the monitor presents a super-clean appearance.

The stand is substantial. There’s is a bit of wobble at the pivot point, but no more than one would expect from such a large panel. Adjustments include 4.7 inches of height, 15 degree swivel to either side, 9/13 degree tilt and a portrait mode. We’re not sure when one would use a 1000R curved monitor in portrait mode, but if you think of a reason, this is one of the only such screens that can do it.

The jack panel is a bit unusual in that it includes one HDMI 2.0 port but two DisplayPort 1.4 inputs. You also get USB 3.0; one upstream and two downstream ports. A 3.5mm audio jack accommodates headphones or powered speakers .There are no built-in speakers.

OSD Features of 32-inch Samsung Odyssey G7

Samsung has included its gaming-styled OSD in the 32-inch Odyssey G7. At the top, you can always see the Black Equalizer setting, response time (overdrive), refresh rate, Adaptive-Sync (G-Sync or FreeSync) status and low input lag setting. All options have six sub-menus.

Up first is Game, appropriately. Interestingly, when Adaptive-Sync is engaged in Windows, the overclock, overdrive, low input lag and aspect options are grayed out. No worries though. The refresh rate defaults to 240 Hz, overdrive is locked to its middle setting, where it works flawlessly, low input lag is turned on and the screen size maps each incoming pixel without overscan. If you’re having trouble seeing shadow detail, turn up the Black Equalizer. And Virtual Aim Point puts one of six different reticles on the screen, where you can move it about with the joystick.

The Picture menu has a nice set of image adjustments, which you won’t need if you choose the Custom or sRGB modes. Both are extremely accurate right out of the box. Just set brightness to taste, and you’re done. If you want to tweak though, there are nine total image presets, plus RGB sliders for color temp and three gamma options. The Black Level field sets the threshold for PC versus AV signals. DisplayPort properly defaults to PC level, but the HDMI input defaults to video, which means dynamic range is reduced. Change it from Low to Normal for sources connected via HDMI.

Samsung hides the local dimming and dynamic contrast options in the System menu. Setting Local Dimming to Auto means it will only be used for HDR signals. Turning it on leaves it engaged for all content. If you prefer, you can use Dynamic Brightness which modulates the entire backlight where local dimming selectively dims just parts of it. That is the better option and it works very well.

In this menu, you can also adjust headphone volume, set a power-off timer and control the lighting effects. You can also set the USB ports to remain active when the power’s off to charge devices.

Recommended Calibration Settings

The C32G75T comes set to its Custom picture mode, where all image controls are available. Despite our efforts, we could not improve upon the already excellent picture quality and accuracy. The only thing we changed was the sharpness slider, which needed to be reduced to 56 to remove a slight ringing effect. In HDR mode, you can adjust brightness; we maxed it and set Local Dimming to Auto for an excellent HDR image.

Gaming and Hands-on with 32-inch Samsung Odyssey G7

The C32G75T’s extreme curve is a real asset, not only for gaming, but for general use too. While a 21:9 or 32:9 screen will cover even more of a user’s peripheral vision, the height of a 32-inch monitor really draws you in while providing a more familiar shape for workday tasks. Documents can be placed center screen with utilities off to the sides. And you can see the full page in a word processor or 60 rows of a spreadsheet. These things are more difficult to accomplish on a 34-inch ultra-wide. Image distortion was never an issue.

We’ve always been fans of the 32-inch, 16:9 format. The C32G75T is just like that, only curved. You’d think a 1000mm radius would be extreme, and it is, but it doesn’t call as much attention to itself as the photos suggest. Working on documents was just as easy as if the screen were flat. At a 2 or 3-foot viewing distance, image distortion wasn’t noticeable.

In SDR mode, we were impressed with the C32G75T’s image both with and without the local dimming feature. When it’s off, the contrast ratio is still over 2,000:1, which puts it ahead of any IPS monitor. Engaged, it ups dynamic range to around 4,000:1 for a visible difference. To do this, set it to On rather than Auto. If you only want local dimming for HDR, set it to Auto. In either case, color is exemplary being both accurate and well saturated. The P3 gamut coverage is enough that you will see a significant improvement over an sRGB monitor.

Watching video is definitely more fun on a 16:9 screen like this. A cinemascope film (2.35:1) plays with narrow black bars on top and bottom. Playing the same thing on a 21:9 would put the bars on the sides. This will come down to user preference, but we like the extra height better than the extra width.

We found no fault with the 32” Odyssey G7’s gaming performance. Both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync Compatibility worked equally well, running at 240 Hz with HDR through the DisplayPort input. Frame rates in Tomb Raider hit 200 frames per second (fps) a few times with sustained speeds around 180 fps. Coupled with super-fast panel response, this made motion and input lag completely free of artifacts or distractions. Again, that extra height really drew us into the game. We couldn’t see the pixel structure, even when sitting 2 feet away. Samsung’s excellent contrast and accurately saturated color enhanced the image details, like textures.

Engaging HDR gave us a rare treat. Samsung’s ultra-curved monitor does HDR very well with effective selective dimming. We never saw the light level change in practice, but we definitely saw the extra dynamic range. Blacks were very deep but well-detailed, and highlights popped, thanks to the 600-nit peak brightness. Frame rates in Call of Duty: WWII only dropped a little from the additional HDR processing load. We saw sustained speeds around 160 fps with peaks in the 180s.

The 32-inch Odyssey G77 is primarily a gaming monitor, but after a few days, we found it to be more versatile than the average ultrawide screen. And its extreme curve only enhanced -- never detracted from -- the experience.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

In addition to the Odyssey G7, we have two other 32-inch VA displays in our database: the Gigabyte G32QC and Dell S3220DGF. Samsung also brings speedy operation with its 27-Inch CRG5 240 Hz monitor. We also threw in our two most recently reviewed speed demons, the 360 Hz Asus ROG Swift PG259QN and 280 Hz Asus TUF VG259QM.

Samsung rates the 32” Odyssey G7 as hitting 320 nits brightness for SDR signals, but our sample was comfortably over 380 nits. That much light from such a large screen is enough to illuminate a small room. Bigger screens don’t need to exceed 400 nits in SDR mode to provide enough output for a good picture.

The four VA panels have less than half the black level luminance of the two IPS monitors from Asus. The C32G75T has the highest black level of that four, but it’s still lower than any IPS or TN display can muster. Resulting contrast is a little low for a VA monitor, 2220.8:1. That figure rises to around 4,000:1 if you turn the local dimming on for SDR signals. There is no downside to this option, so we recommend using it.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Our calibrated black level and contrast measurements are taken with local dimming turned off to show the panel’s native response. The top three VA monitors still beat the Odyssey G7 by a smidge, but the Samsung still delivers a deep and dimensional image with saturated color and true blacks.

ANSI contrast is a respectable 1,921.4:1. Although other VA monitors can do better, this is not a deal-breaker. The 32” Odyssey G7 has many other virtues which make this a non-issue.

The Odyssey G7 defaults to its Custom picture mode, and that’s where it should stay for best results. Though all calibration controls are available, there is no need or benefit to adjustment. It has one of the most accurate default images we’ve come across.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Only a few professional monitors can match the accuracy of our review focus. It’s one of the best we’ve measured. Grayscale errors are completely invisible with only 10 and 20% reading higher than 1 Delta E (dE). Gamma is also visually perfect. The tiny aberration at 90% represents only 2 nits, which is almost nothing.

If you prefer the smaller sRGB color gamut for SDR gaming and video, Samsung provides a usable mode that includes near-perfect grayscale and gamma tracking. Its red is a little over-saturated, as you’ll see in the next section, but it is still very functional.

Comparisons

Though we were able to adjust the C32G75T’s Custom picture mode, we could not make the grayscale tracking any better. By default, it’s as close to perfect as we’ve seen. The sRGB mode’s 0.82dE value is also impressive. Gamma deviates from 2.2 by only 1.36% with a tight 0.05 range of values. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Measuring the Odyssey G7 against the P3 spec shows a little under-saturation of the green primary, but all other targets are spot-on. The average error of 1.45dE is extremely low for any monitor and especially impressive for a gaming display.

The sRGB mode is also nearly error-free, but the red primary is visibly over-saturated. You’ll notice slightly ruddier flesh tones and more brilliant sun and fire textures. There is a slight magenta hue error as well.

Comparisons

0.93dE represents the C32G75T’s native P3 color gamut. Our sRGB average error was just 1.80dE. You can see that Samsung takes accuracy seriously because our review subject was bested only by the Samsung 27” CRG5. Of course, all the monitors here put up impressive color numbers with accurate and vivid saturation of all hues.

We’ve tested a few monitors that surpass 90% coverage of P3, but our review focus covered a little more than the competition. The bottom three screens in our Color Gamut Volume chart above are sRGB-native screens, so their results are appropriate. In the Odyssey G7’s case, you’ll want to use a software profile when working with color-critical apps in the sRGB or P3 gamuts.

The question to ask about any HDR monitor is, “How well does it do HDR?” There are three categories, FALD, edge-lit with dynamic contrast and edge-lit without dynamic contrast. The 32” Odyssey G7 falls in the middle. It’s edge-lit but has a terrific selective dimming function that answers the aforementioned question with, “Very well, thank you!”

HDR Brightness and Contrast

The C32G75T tops its DisplayHDR 600 spec with over 618 nits peak brightness in HDR mode. We measured this using a window pattern. Full field rasters produced a peak of around 460 nits. This indicates the use of selective dimming, which is very effective in producing a convincing HDR effect. You can see how low the Samsung and Dell black levels are because they both use this feature. Resulting contrast is far greater than the rest, and it shows in the image. The Odyssey G7 does HDR justice.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

This monitor’s HDR prowess extends to its grayscale, luminance and color accuracy. There are no color adjustments available for HDR signals, but you can change brightness; we recommend maxing it. Grayscale tracking shows a barely visible greet tint above 65%. We could see it in test patterns but not in games or videos. The EOTF curve transitions a tad early and runs slightly dark above 65% brightness, but again, this is not visible in actual content.

Gamut accuracy is among the best we’ve seen from any monitor. The 32” Odyssey G7 easily keeps pace with reference-class and expensive professional monitors like the Acer ConceptD CP7271K or Asus ProArt PA32UCX. This level of accuracy goes a long way to justifying this monitor’s HDR capability. It’s one of the best we’ve seen.

Viewing Angles

VA is not the best choice of panel for off-axis viewing, but the Odyssey G7’s curvature means it’s unlikely to be shared. A single user sitting at a comfortable distance will see no issues. At 45 degrees, there is a slight purple tint and a 40% brightness reduction. You’ll see the same dimming when viewing the monitor from the top with a shift to green and red. In either case, detail remains visible at all brightness levels, but the image looks a little washed out.

Screen Uniformity

Considering the C32G75T’s extreme curve, one might expect some glow or bleed, but our sample showed none. We measured a small hot spot in the upper left corner, but that was all. No other color or tonal uniformity issues were visible.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Our comparison chart clearly shows the differences and benefit of different refresh rates. A 240 Hz screen like the C32G75T will draw a full frame in 5ms. 280 Hz lops off 1ms, and the 360 Hz PG259QN takes only 3ms to cover the screen. Any of these monitors will appear to have no motion blur, but a 5ms response time definitely looks better to the eye than 7ms.

The Odyssey G7 also delivers super-low input lag with a total time of 20ms. Interestingly, the 240 Hz CRG5 matched the 360 Hz Asus in this test, which measures the time from control input to full-frame render. The results presented above are impressive. In practice, any of the top four displays will satisfy gamers of all skill levels.

Most gaming monitor categories are well-stocked with choices. If you’re looking for a 27-inch flat panel, a 25-inch super-speed display or a 34-inch ultrawide, you can choose from dozens of different products at a wide range of prices. Truly unique displays are more rare, but Samsung has managed to create something we haven’t seen before. The 32-inch Samsung Odyssey G7 combines the best parts of all categories into a singularly functional, high-performance monitor.

If you’re looking for a large screen, the Odyssey G7’s 32-inch 16:9 panel will easily fill your view. Its 1000R curve and grand height immerses you in the gaming environment, and 1440p resolution brings plenty of detail and high frame rates. With 240 Hz refresh, blur is a non-issue. Flawless FreeSync and G-Sync operation, along with perfect overdrive means motion resolution stays smooth at all speeds.

A VA panel delivers good native contrast and makes effective use of local dimming, even though it relies on an edge backlight. Our HDR test measured over 17,000:1 contrast, putting the 32” Odyssey G7 in an elite group of monitors that render excellent HDR. With 85% DCI-P3 coverage, there is plenty of color to go around, along with deep blacks and bright highlights. And that color is extremely accurate. Calibration is completely unnecessary -- just turn it on and go.

Though Samsung lists the monitor for $800, we found it on the street for around $750. For what you get, that’s a decent price. With performance that nearly equals the fastest monitors we’ve tested and image accuracy that rivals premium professional monitors, the 32” Odyssey G7 is in a class by itself. It is indeed a product of extremes, but the most important fact is that it is an extremely good monitor in all respects.

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trungtechreview-blog · 5 years

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Apple iMac (2017) review

OUR VERDICT

The 2017 iMac is a fine update to Apple’s desktop computing platform, but suffers from a few nagging design quirks, as well as its own place amid rapidly-evolving desktop design trends. Still, for Mac fans in need of an upgrade, the 21.5-inch model presents surprisingly impressive value.

When the original iMac launched 20 years ago, Steve Jobs envisioned it as the Apple computer for everyone. He wanted to feature a playful, yet practical, unibody design – with no floppy disk or CD tray. Now, in 2019, the iMac is closer to Steve Jobs’ original vision than ever before.

It’s certainly not cheap, but the Apple iMac 2017 is one of the most value-oriented products in Apple’s stable, second only to the 2018 Mac Mini. The iMac is closer to Steve Jobs’ vision, as it does away with the unnecessary CD and mechanical hard drives.

Then, there’s the wireless keyboard and mouse, which effortlessly sync with the iMac. It’s the ideal of the all-in-one PC, which in and of itself makes the iMac one of the best PCs on the market, and worth your attention.

The Apple iMac doesn’t radically change the formula, but we’re not complaining. It takes 7th-generation Intel Kaby Lake desktop processors and adapts them into the traditional iMac form factor, to great effect. The pure simplicity of the iMac’s design speaks volumes, both about Apple and Intel’s formulaic upgrade structure. The iMac just works.

Price and availability

The iMac’s price starts at a mere $1,099 (£1,049, AU$1,599), which will include both the Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Keyboard in the box. That’s $178 (£178, AU$248) for just the accessories alone.

Of course, you’re getting a 21.5-inch iMac with a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display and Intel Iris Plus 640 graphics, which is integrated into the 7th-generation, dual-core 2.3GHZ Intel Core i5 processor, but it’s a commendable value all the same.

As you can see from the spec sheet, the iMac we were sent for review is a step up from the entry-level model in every regard, save for the hard drive, and for just another 200 bucks at $1,299 (£1,249, AU$1,899).

From there, you can configure the iMac with just about every component better than the last. Need discrete graphics to live out your creative aspirations? You can get a 21-inch iMac with up to AMD Radeon Pro 560 graphics. Or, if 32GB of RAM suits your fancy, you can demand that Apple install that too.

You can even bump the display up, and opt for an iMac 27-inch with virtually the same components as the iMac we reviewed here, but with Radeon Pro 570 graphics for $1,799 (£1,749, AU$2,699).

If that’s not enough, we’d have to recommend that you take a look at the iMac Pro, coming in at $4,999 (£4,899, AU$7,299), it’s an extravagant purchase for most people, but the prospect of up to 18 cores of raw power should be very enticing to the professional or power users out there.

The iMac’s price falls in line with other high-end all-in-one PCs out there, namely the iMac’s chief competitor in the original Surface Studio at $2,999 (£2,999, AU$4,699) – though it’s been replaced by the more expensive Surface Studio 2. You’ll be able to find cheaper all-in-one desktops out there, but they won’t be this well-built or include components as powerful as the iMac’s.

If you’re looking for an even more budget-friendly option, and you already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse lying around, you could also go with the Mac Mini at $799 (£799, AU$1,249) for comparable power to the entry-level iMac. But, it doesn’t include any of the accessories that the iMac boasts.

You’ll be able to find all of the 2017 iMacs through Apple’s website itself, or other retailers like Amazon.

Design

The iMac looks and feels pretty much the same as it has for the last few years. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as this brushed aluminum all-in-one is a pleasure to behold. However, after a few persisting design choices – not to mention its overall design in the face of new rivals – give us a bit of pause.

That iMac silhouette is still iconic, though – there’s a reason that it’s become a staple of offices, home and otherwise, in TV and films for years. The iMac’s simple yet elegant appearance manages to be both striking and avoids getting in the way while working.

Then, of course, there’s the seemingly impossible thinness of the iMac, considering exactly how much is packed into the display portion of the computer (i.e. literally everything).

However, the iMac is competing with Microsoft’s Surface Studio lineup, so we can’t ignore just how much thinner and more impressive the iMac could be if Apple just leveraged what it’s learned from developing Mac Mini computers toward crafting an iMac base that holds all the computer's guts and ports.

Looking at the Surface Studio in the TechRadar office and then back at the latest iMac, it’s frankly baffling that Apple didn't beat Microsoft to that punch years ago.

Despite this, Apple managed to cram all the ports you could ever want or need from an all-in-one computer into the back of this iMac, so kudos.

Further to the point, Apple’s pursuit of absolute thinness despite cramming all of the iMac’s innards behind the display has only led to suffering audio. A total of two stereo speakers rest within both sides of the iMac’s bottom-most edge and, while they deliver impressive volume, as a result the narrow chambers deliver highs and mids no better than your average Ultrabook can.

That’s not cool for a device that takes up as much space as an all-in-one does – no matter how impossibly thin it is.

But, we need to talk about the Magic Mouse 2 – it needs a revamp. It clicks and tracks amazingly, as you’d expect from the company that inspired everyone else to up their input game years ago. However, the fact that you can’t charge the mouse while using it, because of where the Lightning charging port is located, makes no sense.

Fortunately, the iMac’s included Magic Keyboard 2 is simply delightful to type on, and the days long battery life of both input devices are a major plus – considering that you have no other choice but to buy older wired models, if you’re not into wireless peripherals.

BENCHMARKS

Here’s how the 21.5-inch Apple iMac performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Cinebench CPU: 544 points; Graphics: 83 fps Geekbench 4 Single-Core: 4,647; Multi-Core: 13,363

Performance

Because macOS Mojave isn‘t compatible with the majority of normal benchmarks that we run at TechRadar, it’s hard to compare the Apple iMac against the Windows 10-based all-in-one PCs we’ve reviewed in a comprehensive way.

That said, it’s clear in the tests that this iMac benefits quite a bit from its 7th-generation (Kaby Lake) Intel Core i5 processor over the Surface Studio’s quickly-aging, 6th-generation chip.

For example, the Apple iMac shows stronger single-core performance over the Surface Studio as well as moderately higher multi-core performance in Geekbench. Still, the Surface Studio does have a stronger GPU with more memory, which shows in the numbers – the Microsoft all-in-one scores 20fps faster in Cinebench than the iMac, despite the older chip.

At any rate, we find the latest iMac to be a strong performer regardless. It handles our normal workloads of dozens of Google Chrome tabs and the Slack chat client – both RAM and processor-hungry apps – with ease, and could likely take on a bit more. While we did bear witness to the spinning beachball more times than we’d like from a newly-opened Mac, it didn’t appear frequently enough to the point of it outright being a detraction. (No matter how new your computer is, it’s not immune to the spinning wheel regardless of color or shape.)

Our biggest takeaway from using the latest iMac is its simply stunning display. Seriously, if you can swing it, spring for the mid-range 21.5-inch model, because that 4x jump in pixel density – and the better graphics tech behind it – is well worth it.

Photos look impressive on the iMac’s panel and are expertly colored, thanks to its P3 color gamut. That’s an important point, because that improved color reproduction affects all ends of the system, regardless of the resolution of the content you’re viewing. Even videos at 1080p look drastically improved thanks to P3. Sadly, this has made going back to our usual 1080p screens with RGB color a sobering experience.

Final verdict

The iMac 2017 is a fine update to Apple’s all-in-one computing platform. For the money, at least for the 21.5-inch model, you’re getting a beautiful machine that’s more than capable of handling every task you throw at it – from web browsing to photo editing.

That said, nothing exists (for long) in a vacuum. We can’t ignore that the iMac seems to have fallen behind the trends of modern all-in-one computers, namely those spearheaded by Microsoft’s Surface Studio. Plus, we’re not fans of the audio performance and, while the Magic Mouse 2 is a wonderful mouse to use, the fact that it can’t be used while charging is an oversight.

At any rate, those seeking a 4K-ready – or even 1080p – all-in-one that’s as powerful as it is aesthetic will find what they’re looking for in the iMac 2017. Despite a few minor issues and an arguably dated design, the average Mac fan (or would-be fan) will find plenty to love about yet another iconic Apple computer.

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colourmytech · 4 years

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While the previous generation Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 10.5-inch is more of an Apple iPad Air 10.5 alternative, we are glad to see that Samsung’s flagship tablets, the next generation Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ are catching up with Apple’s iPad Pro 11 and 12.9 line-up.

Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 plus: Two Sizes

Two Displays vs One to Match Apple’s iPad Pro Offerings

The evidence is in its size. The Tab S7 has an 11-inch LTPS LCD display much like the iPad Pro 11 and the Tab S7+ has a 12.4-inch Super AMOLED display. Both displays packs up to 276 ppi (pixels per inch) with the 12.4-inch having a slightly lower 266 ppi. Plus, both displays also feature rounded corners like the iPad Pros when the Tab S6 had square corners wrapped in narrow bezel and square edge metallic chassis.

It is worth noting that the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite that came out after the Tab S6 comes with a 10.4-inch display with rounded corners. But for cost cutting reason, it uses an LCD panel as oppose to Super AMOLED and is powered by Samsung’s own chip.

It does not stop there, both panels are capable of a high 120Hz response rate. This means instant reaction to motion and no stuttering or jittery effects compared to standard 60Hz display. Gamers will benefit from this when playing high motion games, allowing them to spot everything on the screen. Scrolling will feel smoother with the higher refresh rate and fast action films won’t feel out of place.

Comparing the Two Displays

Galaxy Tab S7 Galaxy Tab S7+ 11-inch 12.4-inch LTPS LCD Super AMOLED WQXGA 2560 x 1600 WQXGA+ 2800 x 1752 500nit Brightness HDR10+ High Dynamic Range 276 Pixel Per Inch 266 Pixel Per Inch DCI-P3 Colour range NTSC Colour range Low Blue Light Certification Eye Care Certification

Galaxy Tab S7 and S7 Plus with Book Cover Keyboard

Faster Processor, Fastest in a Galaxy Tab

But the displays are not the only area that the new generation tablet has improved upon. While previous Tab S6 launched in 2019 spots a Snapdragon 855 chip, these new generation tablets use the groundbreaking Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus mobile platform. This makes them the fastest Galaxy Tabs with 25% faster core performance, 36% faster graphics performance and 77% faster neural performance compared to Galaxy Tab S6.

Both tablets come with standard 6GB memory and 128GB storage. No other storage or memory options available as yet which makes it a no brainer when placing an order. The onboard microSD card slot allows for adding of additional storage should you need this. It is capable of taking memory cards up to 1TB. A must-have for those who capture lots of video and photos and wish to carry their music, TV shows and movie collection.

Gaming and Streaming

Together, the beautiful display and powerful processor makes this a go-to tablet for gaming and streaming movies and TV shows. To complete the who play everything experience, the tablet is equipped with quad speakers pumping out high-quality audio by AKG and support for Dolby Atmos. It is like having your own personal cinema with HDR10+ (High Dynamic Range) and NTSC colour range capable Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy Tab S7+. A true entertainment tablet.

Better Battery Life

Even with all that power, the tablets still manage iPad Pro beating 14 hours on the Tab S7 and 15 hours on the Tab S7+, respectively. Previous generation Tab S6 was already achieving 15 hours on a 10.5-inch form factor. Apple’s iPad Pro on the other hand only manages up to 10 hours of battery life. The Tab S7 has an 8000 mAh capacity battery while the Tab S7+ has a huge 10,090 mAh capacity battery. And, when you are running low, you will be glad to know that Fast Charging is supported but you will need a 45W Fast Charger. This is sold separately.

Dual Rear Camera Setup with Flash

The dual camera setup first featured on Galaxy Tab S6 with 13MP and 5MP sensors are back but this time, these cameras are accompanied by an LED flash on the Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+. The pair of cameras are wide (13MP/F2.2) and ultra wide (5MP/F2.2) which will be sufficient for all manner of photography on the tablet. The cameras are capable of 4K video capture at 30fps and supports mobile photography functions and features like Single Take, Night Mode, Night Hyperlapse, Front and Back Conversion Recording, Scene Optimiser and AR Doodle.

Dimensions and Weight

The Tab S7+ with its 12.4-inch display is slimmer at 5.7mm with an overall dimension of 185.0 x 285.0 x 5.7mm while the smaller Tab S7 with its 11-inch display is 6.3mm thin with an overall dimension of 165.3 x 253.8 x 6.3mm. For reference, iPad Pros measure 5.9mm thin.

Incredibly thin and light, even thinner than the iPad Pro 11 at 5.7mm but the Tab S7+ is a smidge thicker at 6.3mm. With premium anodised aluminium styling and micro-sand blasted finish for a soft buffed texture, it not only looks good but feels nice to touch.

In term of weight, the 12.4-inch model with WiFi weighs 575 grams while the smaller 11-inch model weighs 498 grams, with LTE model weighing 500 grams. Again, for reference, iPad Pro 11 weighs 471 grams (WiFi) and 473 grams (Cellular) while iPad Pro 12.9 weighs 641 grams (WiFi) and 643 grams (Cellular). This makes the Tab S7 heavier than its equivalent and Tab S7+ lighter than its equivalent.

Stylus Included

Even though the Tab S7 and Tab S7+ are already cheaper compared to iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9 with 128GB storage, they also come with S Pen included. Which, when compared to Apple Pencil Generation 2 that costs $129 is a huge saving. This on its own is a cost saving and continues to lower the total cost of ownership for the devices, making them much more appealing.

The included S Pen stylus has also received an update, with a promise of low latency, smoother and faster response. You are bound to notice very little lag, a push towards a natural writing and drawing experience. The S Pen air actions or gestures for quick remote control of the apps and navigation on the tablet. And, like the Apple Pencil 2, it will attach magnetically to the back of the tablet when done.

Also Inching Towards a Laptop

With the optional Book Cover Keyboard, sold separately, the new Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ are also gunning for the hybrid or detachable laptops. With the operating system offering PC-like interface, snap on the keyboard and you get your laptop replacement. The Book Cover Keyboard snaps onto the long edge of the tablet magnetically, coming into contact with the tablet directly, where it gets its power and transfer keystrokes and touchpad.

Book Cover Keyboard All Grown Up: bigger keys and larger touchpad

The optional keyboard has also grown in size, thanks to the increase in display sizes to 11-inch and 12.4-inch. This means the keys are 26% bigger and the key pitch, the space between the absolute center of two keys are also wider apart at 18.3mm. This makes for more ergonomic and comfortable typing. Furthermore, the integrated kickstand on the Book Cover Keyboard offers up to 165° of working angle using a free stop hinge.

Book Cover Keyboard Working Angles

In addition to that, the touchpad is now 42% or 63% larger depending on the keyboard you pick for your device, S7 or S7+ compared to Galaxy Tab S6. This makes multi-finger gestures easier on a more spacious touchpad. Also, on the top of the keyboard a function keys, all 16 of them supporting different intuitive shortcuts that are aligned with Samsung Windows PC and include both Android and Samsung DeX specific keys.

Galaxy Tab S7 Bigger Keys and TrackPad

Always On Connectivity Options

While both tablets are available with WiFi, you can choose cellular options too. Pick either 4G LTE or 5G mobile connectivity options based on the size of the tablet. The Galaxy Tab S7 comes with a 4G LTE cellular model. On the other hand, the Galaxy Tab S7+ comes with a 5G cellular option for always on connectivity. You will never be out of an Internet range. Something that Apple is still very much behind.

Galaxy Tab S7 plus supports 5G

Final Thoughts

What is missing is the onscreen optical fingerprint scanner located on the bottom middle section of the screen in portrait mode, for quick unlock. Also, the previous generation Tab S6 had a second configuration option with 8GB memory and 256GB storage and still support up to 1TB extra storage via SD card slot. Hopefully, more memory and storage options will become available post launch. Remember, the Galaxy Tab S7 Book Cover and Keyboard are sold separately so remember to budget for those if you wish for maximum versatility in using the tablet.

Elsewhere there is mention of Daily Board, a smart home dashboard that lets you manage and control smart appliances including the use of a scheduler and memo board. Like the Tab S6, the new generation tablet will also pair with your smartphone for calls and texts. With the LTE and 5G options, you also get Auto Hotspot, a one-touch tethering feature that turns your tablet instantly into a WiFi router for Internet connectivity. Samsung is also catching up with Apple’s AirDrop feature with their own Quick Share function to easily share files to nearby devices simultaneously.

Both Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ are available in black, silver or bronze. In each colour that it comes in, advanced dual colour anodising technique is used to ensure that the shades and hues endure. Making them robust to the daily grind while at the same time, stylish. It uses exquisite aluminum textures created by polycrystalline diamonds, with a micro-sand blasted finish soft to the touch.

App Screens Gallery

We leave you with an image gallery showcasing the different app screens.

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Annotate – Mark Up PDFs

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 & S7+ Catching Up With Apple iPad Pro 11 & 12.9 and more While the previous generation Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 10.5-inch is more of an Apple iPad Air 10.5…

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gadgetsrevv · 5 years

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Euro 2020 Qualifiers Betting Tips & Predictions

Italian job will resume

Armenia [13.0] v Italy [1.26]; The Draw [6.4] Kick off 17:00 Live on Sky Sports Football

Italy have won all of their qualifiers and should claim another victory, even though Armenia are doing relatively well in Group J (P4 W2 D0 L2).

A run of six consecutive clean sheets came to an end in the most recent outing for Italy against Bosnia-Herzegovina, which they won 2-1. Back them to get back to their miserly ways and win to nil at [1.83].

Liechtenstein can park bus against Bosnia

Bosnia [1.04] v Liechtenstein [70.0]; The Draw [23.0] Kick off 19:45 Live on Sky Sports Red Button

Bosnia-Herzegovina have lost their last two qualifiers, tasting defeat in away trips to first Finland and then Italy.

They are all but guaranteed to get back to winning ways against Liechtenstein, but it may not be a rout. Only Italy have really embarrassed Liechtenstein, so go for under 4.5 goals at [1.77].

Swedes will mash Faroes

Faroe Islands v Sweden Kick off 19:45 Live on Sky Sports Red Button

The Swedes have a reputation as a well-organised side that lack a cutting edge, but they have been surprisingly prolific in qualification, finding the net eight times in four matches.

All of their games have produced at least three goals, making the [1.83] available for a Sweden win and over 2.5 goals a decent bet against a Faroes side that have lost all four of their qualifiers.

Four in a row for Finland

Finland [2.22] v Greece [4.0]; The Draw [3.2] Kick off 19:45 Live on Sky Sports Red Button

Finland are occupying the second automatic qualification position in Group J, having won their last three qualifiers.

They look great value at [2.22] to win another match. The visitors Greece come into this match off the back of three straight defeats.

Denmark will beat Gibraltar, but not rock them

Gibraltar [110.0] v Denmark [1.03]; The Draw [32.0] Kick off 19:45 Live on Sky Sports Red Button

Denmark are unbeaten in Group D (P3 W1 D2) and this looks like the perfect opportunity to add another three points to their tally, on an evening when their two main rivals for qualification – Switzerland and Republic of Ireland – are playing each other.

Gibraltar have lost all three of their qualifiers, but have not been disgraced. No side has scored more than three goals against them and you can back under 3.5 goals at [2.6].

Israeli goal machine in action

Israel [1.84] v North Macedonia [5.3]; The Draw [3.45] Kick off 19:45 Live on Sky Sports Red Button

Israel have never qualified for the European Championships, yet are currently second in Group G (P4 W2 D1 L1).

Seven of their eight goals have been scored by the prolific Eran Zahavi, who is the top scorer in the qualification process so far. Zahavi is [2.9] to score the first goal.

Solid if unspectacular win for Norway

Norway [1.07] v Malta [70.0]; The Draw [15.5] Kick off 19:45 Live on Sky Sports Red Button

Norway have frustrated in Group F, having lost two-goal leads against both Sweden and Romania. They ended up drawing both games and are currently fourth.

A much needed victory against Malta looks assured, but it could be a fairly narrow one. Norway have failed to score four goals in any of their last 13 matches, with only three of those games producing over 3.5 goals. A Norway win and under 3.5 goals is priced at [1.83].

Spain to continue winning run

Romania [9.0] v Spain [1.45]; The Draw [4.7] Kick off 19:45 Live on Sky Sports Football

It’s the first match for Spain since Roberto Moreno was officially given the job as manager, following Luis Enrique’s decision to step down due to his daughter’s illness.

Moreno has been in charge of the last three of Spain’s four qualifiers as interim manager and maintained a 100% record. With Romania having scored in all four of their games, a Spain win and both teams to score could deliver at [3.5].

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#Uncategorized Euro 2020 Qualifiers Betting Tips & Predictions

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manojvarmaposts-blog · 5 years

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A Laptop Review Of HP Envy 13 For Windows 10 Laptops 2019

The Envy 13 in 2019 may look a little different, but HP has improved its already great notebook. Find out why it is one of the most valuable Windows 10 laptops in our full review.

Price At The Time

Price TBC

HP Envy 13 (2019) Comprehensive Review

For years, the HP Envy 13 has been one of the lowest cost alternatives to the MacBook. You can get an all-aluminum case, MacBook Pro-style features and even some low-level game tricks.

This version of 2019 adjusts some components without changing the original appeal, that is, low-cost laptops have the same visual impact as more expensive ones.

What is new? HP has switched to the new Nvidia MX250 GPU. Bad news : It makes almost no difference. The touchpad experience has been greatly improved in some respects, but its surface is now plastic rather than glass. Display quality has improved, color reproduction, brightness and contrast are much better.

We want to be more dynamic and the touchpad is downgraded and bruised. But you can still buy a laptop with a power of more than £1,750 for the MacBook Pro, which costs less than the cost of the £949 MacBook Air in 2017 - is now discontinued, but can still be purchased from John Lewis.

As always, the HP Envy 13 is great.

Price

Like the previous HP Envy 13, the 2019 version starts at £899. This will get 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and Intel Core i5 8th generation CPU. This is what most people need, and this is the specification we recommend to almost all potential HP Envy 13 buyers. With the Nvidia MX250 GPU, you get the right storage capacity, great value for money, and some additional benefits.

The next model is the Core i7 with a 512GB solid state drive, priced at £1,099 (aq0002na), but you can use 12GB of £12,249 (aq0003na) for higher memory, which is the model we tested here.

According to the current situation, we can only see these models directly from HP, but retailers such as should stock up as soon as possible. In the US, top-of-the-line models are available on Amazon for $1,399 or slightly lower than Newegg.

Envy 13 offers a 1-year parts and labor warranty, including a “delivery and return” service.

Check out our best laptop charts.

Design And Construction

HP did not redesign Envy 13 this year. This is a very angular aluminum notebook. Its keyboard keys are clear squares, and even the vents above the keyboard have serious geometric patterns.

This lack of change in pragmatism is part of Envy 13's broad appeal. This is a metal laptop that is built for computers that look and feel "good looking" but don't require you to pay for novel odds.

It's also very portable, even if it's not particularly slim or thin, it's worth yelling. The HP Envy 13 weighs 1.3 kg (1.27 kg according to our scale) and has a thickness of 14.9 mm. However, it is also quite narrow because the horizontal screen border is very thin.

Keyboard And Trackpad

Typing is another bright spot and a happy reason. HP did not fully consider the basic HP Envy 13 design.

The keys have a short and short action, and each key is a satisfactory clone rather than a messy click. You can call it an old-fashioned method, but we prefer it for ultra-shallow long typing.

Screen

On paper, the HP Envy 13's screen sounds like the last model. It measures 13.3 inches and comes with an IPS LCD Full HD panel.

From the first launch, we can see that this is a higher level screen than we saw in the 2018 version. The screen looks bold and rich, with previous versions having the "normal" color of mid-range laptops.

The same is true for our colorimeter. It tells you the true color and contrast performance of your monitor. HP Envy 13 accounts for 97.9% of sRGB, up from 78.7% last year. For laptops, 88.5% of Adobe RGB and 70.3% of DCI P3 have high coverage.

Specifications And Performance

Envy 13 in 2019 uses Intel's latest CPUs, which were previously used in the "half generation." HP sent us a high-end Core i7 version. It has a Core i7-8565U, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. We do not recommend recommending this version to many people, as entry-level models may be sufficient.

Connection And Audio

Its connection is very comprehensive. You will get two full-size USB 3.0 ports, one microSD slot (very rare these days) and one USB-C 3.1 slot. The power adapter is also self-contained, so it does not take up USB-C when charging.

Battery Life

For this generation, HP also seems to improve battery life. We found that the last Envy 13 lasted 9 hours between charges.

Verdict

In some ways, the HP Envy 13 is a very common update to the crowd of favorite laptops.

HP has not changed the design base. It's not even much more powerful than the last time, especially considering that both the CPU and GPU have been upgraded. You can blame Intel and Nvidia.

If you are looking for a laptop repair centre in the UK, then Laptoprepairer is the best place when you can get high quality repair with 12-month warranty.

For more details, visit Laptoprepairer.co.uk

#Laptop Repairer #Laptop Repairer UK #Laptop Repair Centre #HP Envy 13

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kelsusit · 7 years

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Apple iMac (2017)

Say what you will about the iMac, but none can deny its impact on the technology world. It’s a veritable icon, worthy of being the object of desire in films and TV on legacy and design alone – and the 2017 version of the iMac is no different.

With upgraded internals and a 4K screen employing an impressive color gamut, not to mention high-quality, comfortable input devices, the 2017 iMac is well worth your consideration if shopping for an all-in-one computer.

That said, discerning buyers and those up-to-date with current computing design trends may not have to work hard to poke a few holes in Apple’s longstanding – and, perhaps, long-in-the-tooth – desktop design ideology.

Price and availability

If there’s one thing we absolutely admire about the new 2017 iMac models, it’s their pricing – especially on the low-end.

Just $1,099 (£1,049, AU$1,599) to start gets you a totally gorgeous all-in-one computing device with a wireless mouse and keyboard included.

Of course, that’s the 21.5-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display model with an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 graphics chip integrated into the processor.

Regardless, that’s more than enough for the average user both at home and in the office.

As you can see from the spec sheet, the unit we were sent for review is basically a step up in every regard – save for the hard drive – from the entry-level model, and only for another 200 bucks at $1,299 (£1,249, AU$1,899).

From there, you can upgrade almost everything about the 21.5-inch iMac, from the graphics inside to the RAM capacity and even the hard drive type to Apple’s proprietary Fusion Drive.

Then, the 27-inch model starts at a much higher premium of $1,799 (£1,749, AU$2,699), offering 5K (5,120 x 2,880) displays and Fusion Drives across the board – not to mention far more powerful AMD Radeon Pro graphics than are available in the 21.5-inch models. These models cap out at a rough $2,299 (£2,249, AU$3,449) before further configuring.

These prices are rather competitive with most premium all-in-one PCs out there, namely the iMac’s newest high-end rival in the $2,999 (£2,999, AU$4,699) Surface Studio (especially the 27-incher). Naturally, you’ll find plenty of options cheaper than this, but chances are they won’t house as powerful components or as high-quality accessories.

You can pick up any of the 2017 iMac models now directly through Apple’s website or other online retailers, like Amazon.

Design

Not much, if anything, has changed about the iMac’s look and feel these past few years. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as this brushed aluminum all-in-one is simply sublime to behold. However, a few persisting design choices – not to mention its overall design in the face of new rivals – give us a bit of pause.

That said, there’s something still wholly iconic about the iMac silhouette that’s made it a staple of offices, home and otherwise, in movies and TV for years. Its simple yet elegant appearance manages to be both striking and avoid getting in the way while you’re working.

Then, of course, there’s the seemingly impossible thinness of the device, considering exactly how much is packed into the display portion of the computer (i.e. literally everything).

However, with Microsoft’s Surface Studio now on the block, it’s tough to ignore just how much thinner and more impressive the iMac could be if Apple just leveraged its learnings from developing Mac mini computers toward crafting a different kind of iMac base. You know, one that holds all of the computer’s guts and ports?

Looking at the Surface Studio in the TechRadar office and then back at the latest iMac, it’s frankly baffling that Apple didn't beat Microsoft to that punch years ago.

Despite this, Apple managed to cram all the ports you could ever want or need from an all-in-one computer into the back of this iMac, so kudos.

That’s not cool for a device that takes up as much space as an all-in-one does – no matter how impossibly thin it is.

Finally, that Magic Mouse 2 simply needs a revamp. It tracks and clicks amazingly, which is wholly unsurprising for the company that inspired everyone else to up their input game years ago. However, the fact that you can’t charge this mouse while using it, because of where the Lightning charging port is located, is simply bananas.

Luckily, the included keyboard is just a delight to type on, and the days-long battery life of both input devices are a major plus – considering that you have no other choice but to buy older wired models, if wireless isn’t your thing.

Performance

Since Apple’s macOS isn’t compatible with the majority of normal benchmarks that we run at TechRadar, it’s difficult to compare the iMac against the Windows 10-based all-in-one PCs we’ve reviewed in a comprehensive way.

That said, it’s clear in the tests that this iMac benefits quite a bit from its 7th-generation (Kaby Lake) Intel Core i5 processor over the Surface Studio’s quickly-aging, 6th-generation chip.

To wit, the iMac showed far stronger single-core performance over the Surface Studio as well as moderately better multi-core power in the Geekbench 4 benchmark. However, the fact that Microsoft’s all-in-one offers up twice as much graphics VRAM as the iMac shows in the numbers, with the former’s Cinebench results 20 frames per second (fps) faster than the latter’s, despite its older chip.

Photos look incredible on the panel and are expertly colored, thanks to its P3 color gamut. That’s an important point, because that improved color reproduction affects all ends of the system regardless of the resolution of the content you’re viewing. Even videos at 1080p look markedly better because of P3. Sadly, this has made going back to our normal 1080p screens with RGB color a sobering experience.

Final verdict

All in all, the 2017 iMac is a fine update to Apple’s all-in-one computing platform. For the money, at least for the 12.5-inch model, you’re getting a beautiful machine that’s more than capable of handling every task you throw at it – from web browsing to photo editing.

At any rate, those seeking a 4K-ready – or even a 1080p – all-in-one that’s as powerful as it is stylish will find what they’re looking for in the 2017 iMac. Despite a few bugbears and an arguably dated design, the average Mac fan (or would-be fan) will find plenty to love about yet another iconic Apple computer.

Apple iMac (2017)

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pagedesignpro-blog · 7 years

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New Post has been published on Pagedesignpro

New Post has been published on https://pagedesignpro.com/the-best-plugins-for-optimizing-wordpress-website-performance/

The Best Plugins for Optimizing WordPress Website Performance

1. W3 Total Cache

Cost: free Active installs: 1+ million

This plugin provides Easy Web Performance Optimization (WPO) using caching—caching of posts and pages to memory or disk, caching of feeds, search result pages, database objects and minified CSS and Javascript files. To get the most out of it, spend some time configuring it carefully.

W3 Total Cache can also work with your CDN (like Cloudflare or MaxCDN) to further improve load times.

W3 Total Cache improves the SEO and user experience of your site by increasing website performance, reducing download times via features like content delivery network (CDN) integration. Alternative caching plugins include WP Super Cache, Hyper Cache, WP Fastest Cache and Cache Enabler.

If you prefer to avoid using plugins, a good option for you would be to look for a hosting provider that will do the caching for you. Our partner SiteGround has a great caching tool, developed in-house, that can help you drastically boost your website speed.

2. WP-Optimize

Cost: free Active installs: 600,000+

This free plugin will optimize your WordPress database with the click of a button, or automatically with its built-in scheduler. Redundant information like spam comments, post revisions, and other trash items will be cleaned from your MySQL database, speeding up how quickly your site loads.

WP-Optimize is an effective tool for automatically cleaning your WordPress database so that it runs at maximum efficiency.

Alternative database optimization plugins include Optimize Database after Deleting Revisions, WP-Cleanup, WPOptimize, WP Database Cleaner and WP-DBManager.

3. Autoptimize

Cost: free Active installs: 300,000+

Poorly structured CSS and HTML will result in a slow site and lost traffic. This plugin scans and tweaks your site, “minifying” and removing redundant code.

To prevent compatibility conflicts, Autoptimize can ignore your other plugins. It can also force your plugins to run in a specific order. By experimenting with this, you might be able to drastically improve your loading times.

Autoptimize makes optimizing your site really easy. It concatenates all scripts and styles, minifies and compresses them, adds expires headers, caches them, and moves styles to the page head and can move scripts to the footer.

Alternative plugins that minify include WP Super Minify and Better WordPress Minify.

4. P3 (Plugin Performance Profiler)

Cost: free Active installs: 100,000+

Bad plugins can adversely affect the performance of your site. P3 will evaluate yours. It will identify the plugins that have the biggest impact on your site’s load time, and display them in a pie chart so you can easily see which tweaks will make the most difference.

This plugin creates a profile of your WordPress site’s plugins’ performance by measuring their impact on your site’s load time. Often times, WordPress sites load slowly because of poorly configured plugins or because there are so many of them. By using the P3 plugin, you can narrow down anything causing slowness on your site.

Alternative plugin-related plugins include Plugin Organizer.

5. WP Smush

Cost: free and premium from $19/month Active installs: 700,000+

This plugin compresses images by stripping metadata from JPEG files, optimizing JPEG compression, converting certain GIFs to indexed PNGs and stripping the unused colors from indexed images. You can set it up to automatically compress new images when they’re uploaded to your site.

WP Smush is fast and performs well. Files are compressed using dedicated servers, and it’s recommended by the site performance tool GTmetrix.com.

Resize, optimize and compress all of your images with the, incredibly powerful and 100% free WordPress image musher, brought to you by the superteam at WPMU DEV!

Alternative image compression plugins include EWWW Image Optimizer, Imagify, Kraken Image Optimizer, ShortPixel Image Optimizer and CW Image Optimizer.

6. Lazy Load

Cost: free Active installs: 90,000+

This plugin makes sure images are loaded only when they are visible above the fold. It doesn’t require configuration and works out of the box.

Lazy load images to improve page load times. Uses jQuery.sonar to only load an image when it’s visible in the viewport.

Alternative lazy load plugins include jQuery Image Lazy Load WP, BJ Lazy Load, Rocket Lazy Load, Unveil Lazy Load and Lazy Load for Videos.

7. Insanity

Cost: free Active installs: 100,000+

Rather than offering lossless compression, this free plugin automatically resizes images to a more “sane” resolution. It’s able to set a maximum width, height, and quality of images, and can convert BMP files to JPG.

Insanity automatically resizes huge image uploads down to a size that is more reasonable for display in the browser, yet still more than large enough for typical website use. The plugin is configurable with a max width, height, and quality.

8. WP HTTP Compression

Cost: free Active installs: 5,000+

This plugin compresses your pages in the gZip format (if the browser supports compressed pages). HTTP compression can reduce the size of your pages by 60-80%, allowing pages to load three or four times faster.

This plugin allows your WordPress blog to output pages compressed in gzip format if a browser supports compression.

You can also enable gZip compression from W3 Total Cache mentioned above, or in the settings of your web host’s control panel.

Build Your Own WordPress Test Lab

In this tutorial, we’ll go through how to get WordPress running on your own PC (running Windows) so you have your own personal WordPress installation to experiment with or learn from. Yes, you could experiment with WordPress on your live website but if you don’t have a web host or don’t want to play around with your live WordPress blog then this tutorial is for you.

Firstly we need to install your own personal web server to run WordPress. WordPress requires a web server, a MySQL database, and the PHP scripting language to run. Installing and configuring these in the past was hard work but there’s now an application called WAMP (Windows – Apache – MySQL – PHP) which installs and configures everything to get your own personal web server up and running.

Normally you’d pay a web host to host your website or blog and they’d provide the web server, database server, and scripting but we’re going to install our own personal web server so we can do anything we like in our own personal WordPress test lab at zero cost.

Visit the WAMP site and download the WAMP Server. Once the file has downloaded double-click it to install the WAMP software.

Once the install begins to accept the license agreement and all the default installation options and select to create a desktop icon at the end of the installation.

Once installed and running you’ll have a WAMP icon down in the system tray in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen (it looks like a semi-circle)click the WAMP icon down in the system tray and select phpMyAdmin – if the phpMyAdmin page displays then this tells us that the web server is running and the PHP script can connect to our MySQL database so you’re up and running.

We now have a functioning WAMP web & database server running on our PC. This server provides practically all the functionality that a paid hosting account offers but costs nothing and is for your personal use or use on an internal network if you’re teaching WordPress. It would be possible to use WAMP to host your live blog but we’d advise that it’s much better for your live blog to be hosted at a web hosting company rather than allowing people to connect to your own PC running WAMP as there are security, speed and availability issues in running your own publicly accessible web server.

We have our web server now all we need to do is install WordPress. If you haven’t already started WAMP start it by double-clicking the WAMP desktop icon. Open ‘My Computer’ or Windows Explorer and navigate to C:/WAMP/WWW and then create a new folder in the WWW folder called WordPress.

We then need to download WordPress so go to the WordPress website and download the latest version of WordPress. Once it’s downloaded extract/unzip the installation file and copy the contents of its ‘WordPress’ folder to c:/wamp/www/WordPress.

If you’ve downloaded WordPress and successfully copied the WordPress files into the correct folder you can open a browser and go to http://localhost/wordpress – you should see a WordPress page asking you to create a configuration file. So go ahead and click ‘create a configuration file’.

WordPress then asks for the database hostname, username, and password to connect to your MySQL server. WordPress is a dynamic content management system so anything you post in WordPress is stored in a MySQL database so when a visitor visits your blog or you edit a post WordPress dynamically pulls this information from the database displays it. In order to do this, we need to create a blank database with a username and password so WordPress can connect to it. WordPress will do all the hard work of populating this database with all the correct tables but we have to manually create the database and username and password before WordPress can do this.

Click the WAMP icon in the lower right-hand corner of your screen and select phpMyAdmin. phpMyAdmin should now load in your browser so than in the ‘create a new database’ box enter wordpress_db and click ‘create’.

Now we need to add a user to the database. In phpMyAdmin click the ‘Privileges’ tab then click ‘Add a new User’. In the ‘username’ box enter wordpress_user (or a username of your choice) and enter a password in the ‘password’ and ‘re-type’ boxes. Ensure that under ‘database for user’ the option ‘Grant all privileges on database “wordpress_db”‘ is selected and then click ‘Go’ down at the bottom right.

Now if we go back to the WordPress installation screen we can enter the database name, username and password we just created using phpMyAdmin. The database host should be localhost and we’ll leave the table prefix as wp_.

Now click ‘submit’ and WordPress should say that it can now communicate with the database. Click the ‘run the install’ button. We then can fill in the options for site title, username, and password – this username and password is the WordPress username and password that you’d like to use to administer your WordPress blog so you can make up your own username and password which can (and should!) be different from the database username and password we created earlier.

Click ‘install WordPress’ and WordPress should then say you’ve successfully installed it and if you click the login button and enter your WordPress username and password you’re up and running!

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tech-battery · 4 years

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Dell XPS 17 (9700) review: The 17-inch laptop is back, and it's spectacular

Dell's XPS lineup has been among the best for years, and the company has gradually refined whatever pain points it did have, such as when it used to put the webcam below the screen. But this year, the lineup underwent a major redesign, with Dell chopping down the bezels even more, something that I wouldn't have guessed was possible.

The firm has long touted how small the footprint is on its laptops, always saying that the XPS 15 fits in the footprint of a 13-inch laptop, and that the XPS 13 fits into the footprint of an 11-inch laptop. With the XPS 15 fitting into an even smaller footprint this year, there was room for something bigger.

Dell announced the new XPS 17 in May, and it's the first new XPS 17 in around a decade. If you read my review of the latest XPS 15, then there are pretty much two things to know. The screen is bigger, and it's more powerful with Nvidia RTX graphics. In fact, it's the first XPS laptop ever with RTX graphics.

Obviously, these specs are for the unit that Dell sent me. The base model starts at $1,399.99, although that one has integrated graphics, a Core i5-10300H, an FHD screen, and 8GB RAM.

Design

While the XPS 17 was introduced alongside the XPS 15 redesign in May, this design was actually first shown in January at CES with the XPS 13. This design consists of a 16:10 display, narrow bezels on all four sides, and no USB Type-C ports. Indeed, if you put the XPS 13, 15, and 17 next to each other, they look nearly identical except for being different sizes.

The Dell XPS 17 is indeed the 17-inch laptop that can fit into the footprint of a 15-inch laptop. The most important thing that that means to me is that it can fit into a regular-sized bag. That's not always the case with 17-inch laptops; in fact, it's pretty rare. It's a bit heavy at five and a half pounds, but that's the kind of laptop that this is. It's got a lot of power under the hood, and it also fits into a small footprint. That combination makes the XPS 17 unique.

The top-down view is the one thing that looks the same. The chassis is made out of aluminum, and the laptop comes in a silver color with a chrome-colored Dell logo stamped in the lid.

The sides are silver-colored as well. This was a big change with the redesign since the sides have more traditionally been black. I think this gives it a much cleaner look. But as I mentioned, there are no USB Type-C ports, even on the 17-incher.

Instead, there are four Thunderbolt 3 ports, two of which are on each side. The bad news is that they're not full Thunderbolt 3 ports, so if you're like me and you work from a Thunderbolt 3 dock that has two 4K monitors attached to it, you won't be able to use the full resolution. My workaround was to disconnect one of the monitors from the dock and connect it directly to the laptop. Still, it's disappointing, considering how premium and powerful this PC is.

The cool thing about having two Thunderbolt 3 ports on each side is that you can charge the PC from either side. I know that this sounds like a small thing, but it's really nice, and it's a rarity in laptops.

Also on the right side, you'll find an SD card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack. I'm kind of surprised that the SD card reader is there with everything else being cut, but I guess it's nice that it's there.

Display and audio

The screen on the Dell XPS 17 is a flat 17 inches, compared to 17.3 inches on a traditional 17-inch laptop. The reason for that is because this has a 16:10 display, and to be clear, being that it's measured diagonally, this display is larger than a 17.3-inch 16:9 screen. It comes in your choice of 3840x2400 or 1920x1200 resolutions. Dell sent me the former, and it is absolutely beautiful.

It comes in at 500-nit brightness, so it works great in bright sunlight, and indoors, I only found myself using it at about 25% brightness. It also has 100% Adobe RGB, 94% DCI-P3, and a 1600:1 contrast ratio.

The colors are also nearly perfect, and that actually goes for whatever angle you're viewing the display from. Dell promises a 178-degree viewing angle, and it delivers. You can look at this thing from any angle and not see any visible distortions.

Plus, it's big. I'm not always a fan when companies make taller screens like this because it means that it's also narrower. But at 17 inches, there's plenty of screen real estate for everything.

The company also has something called Dell Cinema, which includes CinemaColor, CinemaSound, and CinemaStream. CinemaColor includes HDR technologies and more, and there's actually an included app that lets you apply different display settings such as movie, evening, sports, and animation.

The bezels are small, but that doesn't mean Dell removed the webcam, or moved it. It's shrunken down to fit into that tiny top bezel, and there's an IR camera for facial recognition as well. You're not making any sacrifices in that department like you would have been in the old days.

CinemaSound has to do with the Waves MaxxAudio Pro speakers. There's an app for that too, but this one is called MaxxAudio Pro instead of CinemaSound. The XPS 17 has large speakers on either side of the keyboard, and they sound fantastic. The dead giveaway is that it has both woofers and tweeters, a rarity on laptops.

Indeed, this has four speakers, two of which are 2.5W and two of which are 1.5W. Obviously, they're used for different frequencies. If you're looking for sound quality and volume in a laptop, you definitely came to the right place.

Keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard found in the XPS 17 is the same as can be found in its other clamshell laptops. Dell does have a technology called MagLev that it uses in the XPS 13 2-in-1 and XPS 15 2-in-1, but perhaps surprisingly, the technology didn't make it into the smaller, redesigned clamshells.

Dell didn't add a numpad, which is a decision that I'm happy with. I'm not a fan of the numpad, and it's not even easy to ignore because it moves the regular keyboard to the left, leaving it off-centered. I'll take the quad-speaker setup instead.

Key depth is 1.3mm, which is pretty standard for a consumer laptop these days. It's quite comfortable to type on, and it's definitely one of the better keyboards in a consumer laptop. If we were talking about commercial laptops, that might be another story, but we're not talking about commercial laptops. I find that I make very few mistakes with this keyboard, something that I do appreciate after using some keyboards that I've had some issues with.

There's a power button in the keyboard, which doubles as a fingerprint sensor. Unfortunately, you do have to scan your fingerprint after the PC boots up, as opposed to how everyone else with a fingerprint sensor in the power button does it, scanning your finger before it boots up.

Dell considers this to be a security issue, assuming that you might walk away from your PC between when you press the button and when it boots up and someone might sit in front of it. I have a bit more faith in the user than Dell does, and I think you'd get to know your PC and whether or not you're safe to grab a cup of coffee while it's booting up.

My favorite feature of the XPS 15 is on the XPS 17, which is that the Precision trackpad is massive. Huge trackpads are something that Apple introduced on its MacBook Pro PCs a while back, and I've been waiting for a Windows OEM to follow suit. If the real estate on the keyboard deck is there, I say use it. The large, clickable trackpad feels great, and it makes drag-and-drop operations a breeze.

Performance and battery life

Both performance and battery life are excellent on the XPS 17. This thing is great for anything. I used it for things from gaming with Forza Horizon 4 and Halo: Reach to 4K video editing to general work. Sure, there was the occasional bump in the road, particularly when it came to gaming, but it absolutely handled anything that I threw at it.

After all, this thing has top-end hardware for its class. It has an Intel Core i7-10875H processor, which has eight cores, 16 threads, and a 45W TDP. It's the better Core i7 from the H-series, the other one being the hexa-core Core i7-10750H. It's only bested by the Core i9-10885H, which is available in the XPS 17.

For graphics, it comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q with 6GB GDDR6. With RTX graphics, it supports things like real-time ray tracing and deep learning super sampling (DLSS). RTX graphics was how I knew it would support some solid gaming. You can get it with integrated graphics if you don't want the power at all, or you can get it with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti.

Keep in mind that this is a creator laptop, not a gaming laptop. It uses a 130W charger, while most gaming laptops are closer to the 230W range, and it doesn't have the thermals for it. This is primarily a work machine, but I'm here to let you know that it does have the power to play as well.

Even more impressive is battery life. I often say that you have to choose between power and battery life, and with the UHD+ display, you can bet that this uses a lot of power. I used it with the power slider one notch above the battery saver, and with the screen at around 25% brightness. I can tell you that you can easily get six hours out of this, and in many cases, you can take it further than that. With general work, I was able to get up to eight hours.

Of course, the touchscreen model comes with a 97Whr battery. In other words, this has one of the biggest batteries that you'll find in any laptop (much larger and you can't take it on a plane). The non-touch model comes with a 56Whr battery.

For benchmarks, I used PCMark 8, PCMark 10, 3DMark, VRMark, Geekbench, and Cinebench.

If you're not the type to go through benchmark scores, all you need to know is that this is a powerful machine.

Conclusion

My biggest complaint about the Dell XPS 17 is that it doesn't have full Thunderbolt 3 ports, which would have been able to handle two 4K displays on a single port. If that bothers you too, just wait for the next one. Intel's next generation of CPUs is going to support Thunderbolt 4, which is really just the full Thunderbolt 3 that I'm describing. My other gripe is that there's no cellular model. I realize that it's something of a rare feature on more powerful laptops, probably because it uses battery, but I don't care. It's 2020 and I should be able to work from anywhere.

Let's be clear that this is an absolutely incredible laptop that's nearly perfect. It's an absolute pleasure to use, no matter what you're using it for. If you're playing games, it can do that. If you're streaming movies, it's got a killer HDR display and stunning speakers. If you want to edit video, it's got the power for that as well.

All of it comes in a beautiful chassis and yes, a small footprint. The fact that this thing has a 17-inch display and can fit in a regular bag is a feat of engineering. Honestly, the Dell XPS 17 is in a class all its own, and I can't think of anything like it. If you're looking for a laptop that can do everything, this is it.

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