Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 i5-4200M with Nvidia GT745M - Review

The new Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 is equipped with a NVIDIA GT 745M which will be more than sufficient for modern games, a fast Haswell i5-4200 CPU and 6GB of RAM. While the desktop replacement is no longer a term for laptops, as many people only think of computers being laptops, the Z710 has a 17 inch screen and a full HD display.

With regards to performance, the benchmarks of the Z510 are a good indicator that this larger model will perform just as well.

The reviews of the Lenovo z710are scarce for the moment as it has just been made available.

A full size keyboard with number pad. (My photo isn't straight!)

 

 

Ports

USB

2 x USB 3.0
2 x USB 2.0

Video Port

1 x VGA

HDMI

1 x HDMI

Physical Specifications

Dimensions

16.3" x 10.6" x 1.24"

Weight

6.4 lbs.

 

ZORK for the PS4 ?!

Grabbing a book and immersing oneself into a story is just as common as it was 25 years ago. In fact, more people have the luxury to do so.

How would we find exploring the world of Zork today? Would the latest and greatest hardware make it anymore enjoyable?

The other day I picked up "Understanding Media" by Marshall McLuhan. Seeing the yellowed pages and how densely the words are printed, I had my doubts that I would be able to read it. The pages were pleasantly turned one by one nonetheless. Although I consider it a staple of 20th Century literature, for someone who never played the whole of Zelda, Super Mario Brothers or even tried Call of Duty, it would be ridiculous to consider that there are any "must play" games.

Why do single cup coffee makers (ie. Keurig or Tassimo) taste so disgusting ?

The machines have been out for a number of years now. I was initially disturbed by the amount of waste they generate. While it is agreeable to have a fresh cup of coffee to your liking, the awful taste doesn't make up for the personalized coffee drinking experience.

I am trying to convince myself that the bitter taste is from my consciousness. The plastic, paper and aluminum wasted from each serving constructs an image of landfills, incinerators burning dirty fuel, the inefficiency of the factory and the unpleasant factory workers making K-cups that just go to waste all construct the bad taste in my mouth, but no, the coffee just tastes bad.

Why I feel sad for those who get the latest and greatest

The other day, someone showed me his iPad. I have seen and used tablets before, however I know that they fall short of the utility of a desktop or notebook computer. Portability is nice, but the ergonomics of a touchscreen are lacking.

Computers haven't changed that much in the past 20 years. We use:

• e-mail;
• instant messaging or chat;
• write reports;
• read the news;
• search for articles (yes that was possible with Lynx);
• work with media such as compose music or edit videos;
• play music and videos;
• play games; 
• etc.

When we hear about the latest smartphone, or tablet, with the highest resolution, fastest processor or something else, there is in fact very little to be excited about. Most functions were possible with phones about 7 or 8 years old including a camera, voice recorder, synchronize contacts and e-mail. I look at my phone and find only a few apps that I installed. Most of them have never been used.