If Acer's Aspire S5 were an episode of Friends, it'd be forever known as "The One with the Motorized Port Cover." Unfortunately, while it was cool to have a complex, Thunderbirds-esque mechanical loading sequence on the laptop, it did make using its USB ports a bit of a chore. Furthermore, lackluster build quality, a weak battery and some serious usability flaws means that it probably can't justify that sky-high price. That said, we figure plenty of you still went out and bought one, so tell us -- did your experience meet up to our review, and what, if Acer had asked, would you change?

Filed under: Laptops, Acer

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Samsung isn't normally spoken of in the same breath as Razer, Alienware or Clevo, which is why its 17-inch Series 7 Gamer was such a surprise. But could it run with the big boys? Surprisingly, yes. When we reviewed it, we were impressed by its performance and powerful display -- the only downside was its pitiful (and wholly expected) two-hour battery life. The question is, if you were beavering away in Samsung's laptop design department, what would you have done differently?

Filed under: Laptops, Samsung

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Back in the day, the spec list for Motorola's Atrix HD made for impressive reading. After all, the $99 handset shipped with a 720p display, Ice Cream Sandwich, 8-megapixel camera and AT&T LTE. While its real-world performance couldn't match our hopes, the low price more than compensated for our gripe that it couldn't hold its own against the Galaxy S III or One X. We're fairly sure plenty of you out there bought this handset, so it's to you we ask: what parts of this phone's design to you love, what parts do you loathe and what, if anything, would you change?

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

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Intel's Kirk Skaugen was relaxed about "me too" thin-and-light devices trailing behind Ultrabooks like Remoras. Perhaps it's because of our lukewarm reception of devices like HP's Envy Sleekbook 6z, which we found to be a little lumpen. While we liked its understated design, the sluggish AMD internals and flaky trackpad meant we weren't feeling particularly fondly on this piece of hardware. This is where you come in. Why not dream up a budget laptop that could hit the same price point but without the flaws -- the more imaginative, the better.

Filed under: Laptops, HP

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Fussy about boot times, carry-weight or weak battery life? Then you probably gave Lenovo's IdeaPad U310 a wide berth. The thing is, aside from those flaws, it was otherwise a very solid Ultrabook for those whose wallets couldn't stretch to a premium model. We want to know, did you buy one? If so, what did you think of it, and let's imagine you were dreaming up a budget Ultrabook -- what would you change?

Filed under: Laptops, Lenovo

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LG's Optimus Vu is a 5-inch smartphone with a stylus that was designed to go toe-to-toe with the Galaxy Note and win. Unfortunately, it was unfriendly in your hand, had a miserable stylus and, worst of all, ran Gingerbread on dated hardware. When we reviewed it, we gave it very short shrift indeed, but what about the few of you who disregarded our advice and bought one anyway? Have the last six months been a pleasure, or would you steer clear of this hardware? Let us know in the comments below.

Filed under: Cellphones, LG

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When we reviewed Lenovo's IdeaTab S2109, one quote sums up the essential frustration of this particular device. "There's no one huge, glaring reason to stay away; no, it's the combination of a middling CPU, unimpressive battery life and design quirks [...] that adds up to an experience that leaves us wanting more." So let's talk about why this device inspires so much apathy? If you bought it, what about it made it so unspectacular, and what do you think Lenovo could have done differently?

Filed under: Tablets, Lenovo

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Sony's VAIO T13 was a sub-$1000 Ultrabook with an eye on the education market. While we were impressed by the results, its low price meant that compromises had to be made -- especially in the keyboard department. In fact, we were saddened to see that it was packing shallow keys and weirdly wide spacing that made it uncomfortable to type on. But if you were one of those back-to-schoolers who bought one, what did you think of it and what would you have changed about it?

Filed under: Laptops, Sony

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The Nintendo 3DS XL improved on the original in a wide variety of ways, including better ergonomics and playability. The chunkier body and bigger screen was key in helping to coax the console out of the shadow of its predecessor, and we were full of praise when we reviewed it. But the experience of living with a device is so different from reviewing it, that we'd like to ask you what, if Nintendo was asking, would you have changed?

Filed under: Gaming

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Last summer, Verizon users who wanted an LTE-capable flagship had a stark choice: Samsung's Galaxy S III, or the Droid Incredible 4G LTE. When we reviewed the latter handset, we found it comfortable in the hand, with a pretty display, but lamented the fact that the carrier insisted upon its own variant, rather than sticking with the beloved One X. But did those Big Red-enforced tweaks ruin this handset for you? Here's the moment to share your experiences with this device, tell us what you loved, loathed and, if someone was listening, what would you change?

Update: Perhaps we had Motorola on the brain, but of course the Droid Incredible 4G LTE is made by HTC. Thanks to everyone who pointed it out!

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC, Verizon

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It's not that many devices that we ever really go to bat for, but Samsung's Series 9 Ultrabook has a small place in our heart. When we reviewed the mid-2012 refresh, we could only find a few problems -- the flaky trackpad, the limited storage options and the fact it was a bit on the pricey side. We've known for a while that Samsung's product engineers scour your comments for useful suggestions, so if you bought one of these, why not share your experiences with 'em?

Filed under: Laptops, Samsung

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When we placed LG's Optimus L7 into the palm of our reviewer, they found the handset to be stylish, with a cracking display, excellent battery life and a (then) up-to-date version of Android. Sadly, the party ended after that -- with sluggish internals that can't cope with the company's UI tweaks, weak touchscreen and a lackluster camera. But we're fairly sure our review didn't dissuade all of you from buying one of these, so to those people we ask the following: what, if you were Mr. and Mrs. LG, would you have done differently?

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG

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Gaming laptops are tricky beasts to review, since you're naturally sacrificing those normally cherished qualities (battery life, portability) for pure performance. When your humble narrator reviewed Maingear's Pulse 11, we found that its hulking insides were only let down by a slightly awkward keyboard and a weak trackpad. In fact, as an eleven-inch premium gaming machine, we were staggered, and as long as you bring along some peripherals, we had no reservations about recommending one. Then again, we didn't live with one of these for the better part of six months. As such, we need to turn to our readers and ask, if you own one of these, what do you love, what do you loathe and most importantly, what would you change?

Filed under: Gaming

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Dell's XPS 14, like the 13-incher that preceded it, presented us with an ice-cool design that showed the company's artists had worked overtime on getting the small things right. That said, it was a little sluggish in the performance stakes, and while it didn't set our socks on fire, it was at least a solid purchase. Welcome to How Would You Change, where we delve into the gadgets that were loosed upon the world six months ago and determine what you loved, loathed and what you'd have done differently.

Filed under: Dell

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Google's Nexus 7 has a rather colorful life story. It started out as the ASUS MeMO ME370T, until a sharp-eyed Google executive decided that it was ripe for a Mountain View makeover. When Andy Rubin and friends were done, it had Android 4.1, whip-smart internals and, best of all, it cost under $200. As such, it's perfect, right? Well, that's what we want to know. We've been toting these units around since last summer, and that means it's high time we asked you what you loved, hated, and more importantly -- what would you change?

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS, Google

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Nokia's 808 PureView. It's a Symbian phone... but it's got a magical camera. It's a Symbian phone... but... that lens! You can imagine the wrangling when people were deciding if they wanted to buy one of these last summer. On one hand, it was running a Zombie operating system with weak internals. On the other, it had a camera sensor that took truly beautiful images. So, for the merry few of you who purchased this handset, what was it like to use on a daily basis? Normally, we'd ask you to chime in with suggestion on how you'd change it, but let's be honest. If Nokia slapped this 41-megapixel sensor on a Lumia 920, we'd have difficulty looking at anything else.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia

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ASUS' Transformer Pad Infinity's awkwardly timed announcement sent a fair few Transformer Prime buyers into fits of apoplexy -- after all, it was just a few weeks after the Prime went on sale. Fortunately, the company didn't release the Infinity for some time, but was it worth the wait? Our reviewer felt that its delayed journey to the market meant everyone else had a chance to get beyond it, meaning that the discounted Transformer Prime was enough for anyone who didn't mind the odd GPS brownout. But what about if you bought one? Do you feel the same way? Settle down on the sofa and play armchair gadget designer for a moment, and tell us what you would change.

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS

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When we handed Acer's Iconia Tab to our tame tablet reviewer, they were bewildered by its 1,920 x 1,200 display. While it may have been easy to use, quick and lovely to look at, it was also a bit on the hefty side, with its meager battery not helping. So then, six months down the line, we're asking you to sound off about what you liked and loathed about this device, because we're fairly sure the Acers of this world are listening.

Filed under: Tablets, Acer

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Last year, we asked you to examine Samsung's Galaxy Player 4.0, and your comments clustered around three trends -- better audio, better build and any OS that wasn't called Gingerbread. The Galaxy Player 4.2, therefore, offers audio that just isn't loud enough, a skinned version of Gingerbread and the sense that it was thrown together from leftover smartphone parts. As our reviewer judged, it's not a bad piece of kit, but one that was honed into being utterly mediocre. If you bought one, then it's time to play amateur PMP designer and tell us if you agree with our staff audiophile. What did you love, what did you hate and most importantly, what would you change?

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Samsung

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Toshiba's Excite 7.7 was an Android tablet designed to go head-to-head with Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7. When we were handed one to review, we fell in love with its 1,280 x 800 Super AMOLED Plus display, a 1.3GHz Tegra 3 chipset and a battery life of over 10 hours. It failed, however, as so many do, with its poor cameras, choppy audio performance and a top-heavy launch price that would put off many buyers. But now, time has passed, the price has fallen and plenty of you might have made the investment. So it's to you that we ask, how's it going? Why not tell us what, if someone asked you, would you change?

Filed under: Tablets

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A step too far? Perhaps. By iterating its Windows Phone range so much, it's difficult to see why one low-end Lumia is better than the other. The principal nitpick of Nokia's Lumia 610, is that its dwarfed by the similarly-priced yet better-specced 710. But does it do the job as an ultra-budget handset? Well, this is your opportunity to tell us, you never know, maybe some of the folks from Finland are reading what you say, too.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia

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Remember when people decried the MacBook Air as a dumb idea when it first launched? Well, given the amount of Ultrabooks that are now floating around the world, we bet they've not shared that opinion publicly too often. The most recent vintage of the unit gained USB 3.0 ports, Ivy Bridge chips and, well, not the one thing that would have made the unit unbeatable -- a retina-class display. No, instead that feature was reserved for a different line, letting rivals like the Zenbook Prime beat it in the resolution stakes. But aside from that notable (and for Apple, lucrative) omission, how have you found these machines? Tell us what you've loved, hated and, most importantly, what would you change?

Filed under: Laptops, Apple

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Orange's £200 ($308) San Diego was one of the first Intel-powered Android devices to hit the market. Despite its budget price, it packed a Medfield-based 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU that the company promised would deliver more performance and battery life than its pricier rivals. It almost achieved it too, with benchmarks that stood equal to the Galaxy S III and more than 24-hours of standby life. The problem, was that our reviewer couldn't find a compelling reason to buy one of these over a last-gen Android flagship -- but was that the case for you? If you bought one, how has the ownership experience been, so tell us what did you love, what did you hate and what would you change?

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Intel

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Many will bristle at the implication, but as the MacBook Air inspired the Ultrabook, mainstream laptops will likely seek to ape the Retina Display MacBook Pro, sorry, MacBook Pro with Retina Display. The clunky name aside, it seems that the next generation of devices will ditch disc drives and Ethernet ports in favor of pixel-dense displays and reduced weight. But did Jonathan Ive's trash can get too full? If you've been using one, do you still ache for those phantom limbs, or is it peaceful on that side of the river? Folks, for the last time this year, we're inviting you to share your thoughts and feelings on how you'd change the MacBook Pro with Retina Display, and from all of us, have a Happy New Year.

Filed under: Laptops, Apple

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While Sony undergoes its transformation under Kaz Hirai, there's a suspicion that many of its divisions have just been treading water. Take the Xperia Ion, for instance. The company's AT&T LTE flagship shipped in June, yet still carried the dead weight of Gingerbread as the albatross around its neck. Sony's engineering prowess produced sleek hardware, a cracking display, good camera and it was priced at $99 -- but was that a draw with a two-year-old operating system and 2011-era internals? Probably not. But if you were in the minority who bought one of these, what do you think? If you were sure Sony's engineering gurus were reading your every word, what would you tell them to do differently next time?

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony

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