technicalupdates

Showing posts with label laptop. Show all posts

Feb 26, 2009

Buffalo introduces SHD-NSUM series SSDs with USB and SATA-II

Internal SSD drives generally aren't the most exciting devices out there, apart from the fact they're SSDs, but Buffalo's new SHD-NSUM series of drives look to bit a bit of an exception, with each packing a microUSB port for some data transfers in a pinch in addition to the standard SATA-II interface. Otherwise, the drives are expectedly pretty standard fare, with Buffalo promising that they're 30% faster than a standard hard drive, and offering them in the usual 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB capacities. No word on a 'release round here just yet, but those in Japan should be able to pick 'em up in March for between $120 and $390.

Samsung's laptop

Samsung has certainly carved out a curious niche for itself with its new LapFit display, which not only competes with regular LCD monitors, but laptop stands that accomplish the same basic goal for a fraction of the price. That said, the folks at TrustedReviews seem to think the display could still win its share of fans, especially considering its apparently low power consumption, and its more than reasonable sub-£100 price tag (or roughly $150). On the downside, however, it seems that the TN display is considerably lacking in terms of image quality, with it apparently displaying noticeable banding, poor grayscale performance, and a general lack of sharpness when it comes to text. The particular D190S model reviewed also just has a single VGA port, although the D190SU adds some DisplayLink over USB, and the LD190X tops things off with some wireless capabilities.

Feb 20, 2009

Lenovo 12-inch IdeaPad S20 Notebook

This one's nowhere near official just yet, but DigiTimes is reporting that Lenovo is set to expand its netbook line to include a 12-inch model in the form of the Atom-powered IdeaPad S20 (no doubt not too dissimilar to 10-inch S10 pictured above). While there's expectedly no word on complete details, DigiTimes does say that the netbookwould come equipped an Atom N280 processor and Intel's GN40 chipset, along with Windows XP, and cost about $586. It also says that since the 12-inch screen size falls outside of Intel's definition of a netbook, Lenovo would have to pay the full, non-preferential price for the Atom processor (about ten bucks more), although it's not clear if that's also been the case with something like the Dell Mini 12, which also pairs an Atom processor with a 12-inch screen.

Archos announces new Moorestown-based netbook, 9-inch tablet

We saw the rough'n'ready Archos 10 get reviewed mere days ago, and now the company's back with the Atom-powered Archos 10s, a new 20mm thin netbook with 3.5G functionality, 1GB memory, Windows XP Home and up to 160GB storage. Additionally, the company has designs on a 17mm-thin, 9-inch tablet based on Intel's Moorestown MID platform, to see the light of day sometime this year. This guy will include the Intel System Controller Hub chipset, up to 160GB storage, VOD and hi-def video playback, and digital TV reception. The Archos 10s should be available sometime in April, at a price to be announced.

Feb 3, 2009

Mac tidbits: 17-inch MacBook Pro shipping, new iMacs soon

Apple's new 17-inch MacBook Pro is shipping on schedule.(Credit: Apple) A couple of tidbits surfaced Friday related to Apple's current and future Mac lineup. First of all, the 17-inch MacBook Pro introduced at Macworld 2009 is now shipping, MacNN discovered. Apple is quoting a 7- to 10-day lead time for shipments from its online store, which means it won't arrive until February, but Apple had only promised to start shipping the notebook by the end of January. It doesn't seem to be available in Apple's retail stores yet; at least, it wasn't available at the downtown San Francisco store as of Friday. Secondly, AppleInsider reports that Apple resellers are being told to expect limited quantities of 24-inch iMacs in the coming weeks, which generally means that the current model is being phased out. There have been several signs that Apple is planning to tweak the iMac in the coming weeks, most recently via an analyst report suggesting Apple was weighing whether to use dual-core or quad-core processors in the new models.

Eurocom lays claim to Core i7-equipped Clevo D900F

Remember all those Clevo laptops revealed last month? While we're expecting more information at CeBIT 2009, those crazy Canadians at Eurocom have gone ahead and spilled the beans on the 17-inch D900F. As conjectured, the 11.9-pound behemoth's packing an equally-mighty Intel core i7 processor in 2.66, 2.93 and 3.2GHz varieties. It's also got three 500GB hard drives totaling 1.5TB of space, 8GB DDR3 RAM, an nvidia G280 GPU, and a Blu-ray burner. Launch date is May 1, although according to Notebook Reviews we shouldn't expect to get our hands on it until Q4 2009. No word on pricing, but we suspect this powerhouse is gonna burn a giant hole in our pockets from both the inside and out.

Jan 31, 2009

Toshiba Satellite Pro S300 notebooks

Toshiba have announced a bevy of new Satellite Pro laptops that, while perhaps not appealing to the gamers or the ultraportable crowd, would make sensible options for a dependable notebook. Four new machines are on offer, ranging from the entry-level Satellite Pro S300-EZ1511 at $529, complete with a Pentium T3400 CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 120GB 5,400rpm hard-drive, to the $699 Satellite Pro S300-EZ1514 with its Core 2 Duo T6570 processor, 2GB of RAM and 160GB hard-drive. All have a 15.4-inch TruBrite widescreen WXGA display.
In-between slot the Satellite Pro S300-EZ1512 and the Satellite Pro S300-EZ1513, at $579 and $649 respectively. The former has the same processor, RAM and storage as the entry-level S300, but upgrades the Intel GMA4500M graphics to GMA4500MHD; both have WiFi b/g, a combo eSATA/USB port and Sleep & Charge functionality, together with a DVD burner. Meanwhile the EZ1513 gets a Core 2 Duo T6400 processor, 1GB of memory, 160GB hard-drive and WiFi a/g/n. Only the top-spec model has a built-in webcam.
Okay, so none of them are going to set your life on fire with excitement, but if a two-year international warranty, sturdy build and the reassurance of the Toshiba brand mean something, there’s perhaps a new notebook for you here. All four are available now.
Press Release:
TOSHIBA Leading Innovation Technology Alert
PRODUCTS: Satellite Pro® S300-EZ1511, Satellite Pro S300-EZ1512,
Satellite Pro S300-EZ1513 , Satellite Pro S300-EZ1514
FROM: Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Digital Products Division
DATE: January 27, 2009
DESCRIPTION: The latest Toshiba Satellite Pro® S300 models are designed for business professionals looking for more laptop at a lower price and peace of mind. Engineered and manufactured by Toshiba, the Satellite Pro S300 family affords users a high level of quality and reliability. This business line incorporates essential business features, an industry-leading two-year limited warranty and Toshiba’s fourth-generation EasyGuard® Technology.
“The two-year warranty further differentiates our Satellite Pro® S300 business products from the rest in the industry and is now selling for a first-time price point of $529,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of Product Development & Marketing of Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.
Satellite Pro S300-EZ1511
Genuine Window Vista® Home Basic
Intel® Pentium® Processor T34001
1GB DDR2 SD RAM memory2
120GB 5400rpm SATA hard disc drive3
Fixed Optical Disk Drive - DVD-SuperMulti
15.4-inch diagonal TruBrite® widescreen WXGA display
Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M4
Atheros 802.11 b/g wireless LAN5
eSATA/USB Combo Sleep and Charge port6
Toshiba Standard Two-Year International Limited Warranty7
EasyGuard® Technology
Price $529
Satellite Pro S300-EZ1512
Genuine Window Vista® Business
Intel® Pentium® Processor T34001
1GB DDR2 SDRAM memory2
120GB 5400rpm SATA hard disc drive3
Fixed Optical Disk Drive, DVD-SuperMulti
15.4-inch diagonal TruBrite® widescreen WXGA display
Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD4
Atheros® 802.11 b/g wireless-LAN5
eSATA/USB Combo Sleep and Charge port6
Toshiba Standard Two-Year International Limited Warranty7
EasyGuard® Technology
Price $579
Satellite Pro S300-EZ1513
Genuine Window Vista® Business
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T64001
1GB DDR2 SDRAM memory2
160GB 5400rpm SATA hard disc drive3
Fixed Optical Disk Drive, DVD-SuperMulti
15.4-inch diagonal TruBrite® widescreen WXGA display
Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD4
Intel® WiFi® Link 5100AGN5 (802.11a/g/n)5
eSATA/USB Combo Sleep and Charge port6
Toshiba Standard Two-Year International Limited Warranty7
EasyGuard® Technology
Price $649
Satellite Pro S300-EZ1514
Genuine Window Vista® Business
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T65701
2GB DDR2 SDRAM memory2
160GB 5400rpm SATA hard disc drive3
Fixed Optical Disk Drive, DVD-SuperMulti
15.4-inch diagonal TruBrite® widescreen WXGA display
Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD4
Intel® WiFi® Link 5100AGN (802.11a/g/n)5
Built-in Webcam
eSATA/USB Combo Sleep and Charge port6
Toshiba Standard Two-Year International Limited Warranty7
EasyGuard® Technology
Price $699
AVAILABILITY:
Available January 27, 2009 through select Toshiba Preferred Partner Program resellers, e-tailers and directly at www.toshibadirect.com.
About Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. (TAIS):
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of four business units: Digital Products Division, Imaging Systems Division, Storage Device Division, and Telecommunication Systems Division. Together, these divisions provide mobile products and solutions, including industry leading portable computers; projectors; imaging products for the security, medical and manufacturing markets; storage products for automotive, computer and consumer electronics applications; and telephony equipment and associated applications.
TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of information products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, which is a global leader in high technology and integrated manufacturing of electrical and electronic components, products and systems, as well as major infrastructure systems. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 740 companies, with 198,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing US$76 billion. For more information on Toshiba’s leading innovations, visit the company’s Web site at www.toshiba.com.
© 2009 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. All product, service and company names are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Information including without limitation product prices, specifications, availability, content of services, and contact information is subject to change without notice.
[1] Processor. CPU performance may vary. See Processor Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com.
[2] Memory. Memory size may vary. See Memory Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com.
[3] Hard Disk Drive Capacity. Hard drive capacity may vary. 1 Gigabyte (GB) means 109 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10. See Hard Disk Drive Capacity Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com.
[4] Graphics. GPU performance may vary. See Graphics Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com.
[5] Wireless. May require purchase of additional software, external hardware or services. Transmission speeds may vary. See Wireless Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com.
[6] USB Sleep & Charge. The “USB Sleep & Charge function” may not work with certain external devices even if they are compliant with the USB specification. In those cases, turn the power of the computer ON to charge the device.
[7] Warranty. The terms and conditions of Toshiba’s standard limited warranty, and extended warranty and service upgrade plans are available at www.warranty.toshiba.com.
[8] Price. Reseller prices may vary. MSRP means “Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price.”

Jan 22, 2009

Toshiba Satellite A350: 720p-capable 16-inch notebook

Toshiba have announced a new 16-inch notebook that they claim is ideal for movie-lovers. The Toshiba Satellite A350 has a 720p HD capable screen with 1366 x 768 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio, together with speakers from Harmon Kardon, but sadly no Blu-ray drive, only a dual-layer DVD burner. Both Intel and AMD processors are available, with the cheapest model having a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 while the range tops out with a Core 2 Duo P7450 running at 2.13GHz.
4GB of DDR2 memory is standard (8GB maximum supported) and there’s a choice of 250GB or 350GB hard-drives. Graphics are either courtesy of the Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD chipset or the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650; WiFi is a/b/g/n across the board. There’s also a 1.3-megapixel webcam, and battery life ranging from 2hrs 15 on the integrated graphics models, to 1hr 55 on the ATI graphics models.
Ports include three USB 2.0, one dual USB/eSATA, VGA output, S/PDIF and a multiformat memory card reader. There’s also an ExpressCard slot. The Toshiba Satellite A350 range starts out at £529 ($732) and maxes out at £749 ($1,037).

Jan 20, 2009

ASUS announces new F70 and F50 range of media notebooks

ASUS has just announced the new F50 and F70 range of notebooks designed to bring users a range of multimedia features as well as extensive multitasking capabilities. The F50GX offers great graphics with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M G dedicated graphics chipset. The F70Sl offers users an astounding 1TB of storage space allowing users to do more on the go.
The F50GX runs Windows Vista with a build in 1.3-megapixel integrated webcam and Bluetooth support. For entertainment purposes you can choose between a 16-inch (1366 x 768) or 15.6-inch (1366 x 768) HD panel to watch great Blu-ray movies in HD. The F50Z has an AMD M780G with DDR2 800 up to 4GB of RAM and also includes a built-in Blu-ray player. The F70SL on the other hand has a SIS 671 DX + SiS 968 chipset running Windows Vista Home Basic or Premium. Unlike the previous models, the F70SL has a 17.3-inch HD+ (1600 x 900) LCD display with no Blu-ray player.
This new line of notebooks being offered by ASUS seem powerful enough to handle great movies on the go, but there is no mention as to what the battery life is like. There was also no information on suggestive pricing. Definitely geared to catch your attention, I sure can’t wait to get my hands on one of these notebooks.

Jan 19, 2009

Acer's 10-inch Aspire One 103 in photos

Acer's 10-inch Aspire One isn't exactly a secret, but we haven't seen straight-on pictures of it yet -- and glory be, it looks like the rumors of a revised trackpad button layout were true. Not only that, but it's a multitouch model, so you'll be ready for the Windows 7 party. Nothing spectacular other than that -- you're looking at a pretty standard 1.6GHz Atom, 1GB of RAM, optional 3G, SDHC card slot, and 3 USB ports. More pics at the read link.

Apple working on a 15-inch MacBook Air?

Sketchy rumor Sunday, people -- Chinese site Apple.pro is saying there's a 15-inch MacBook Air in the works. That would certainly be an interesting compromise between portability and screen real estate, especially since the Air's new NVIDIA-based internals are actually somewhat capable, but we wouldn't bank on big brother making an appearance just yet -- although Apple.pro was right on the money with leaked unibody MacBook pictures, it's also been way off in the past. Anyone else mildly intrigued by the idea of a thin'n'light with big screen? Comments await.

CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC reviewed: good enough for big people, too!

Just days after its arrival on the market, Laptop Magazine's had some in person time with the CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC. They found the little convertible tablet -- which has an 8.9-inch resistive touchscreen (with 1024 x 600 resolution) -- to be a more grown up version of its predecessor, heavier than other, similarly-sized netbooks, and they love the overall aesthetics of it. It falls a little short in a few categories: they found the 60GB hard drive to be "sluggish" and the keyboard to be "cramped," but overall, they're pretty into the Classmate, even going so far as to suggest that adults might just be covetous of the netbook. Hit the read link to check out the full review which, incidentally, is written entirely in crayon. (Note: totally kidding. We write in crayon, though. Sometimes).