Filed under: Laptops

Continue reading Sony’s Vaio TT gets dissected, found to contain small components

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Filed under: Laptops

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It’s crazy to think, but October is merely days away. That also means that Breast Cancer Awareness month is just around the bend, and Sony’s being ultra proactive by announcing two new pink laptop bundles to support breast cancer research. First up is the Cosmopolitan Pink VAIO CR pack, which features a 14.1-inch LCD, 1.3-megapixel camera, Core 2 Duo CPU, Bluetooth, a built-in DVD burner and a matching case / mouse. If that’s a tad large and / or underpowered for your tastes, you can check the Glossy Pink VAIO SR, a 4-pound rig with a 13.3-inch LED backlit display, up to 320GB of HDD space and a “Switch” mode that gives users the ability to toggle between high performance and power saving modes on the fly. The two bundles start at $870 and $1,399, respectively, though you can CTO them both ’til your wallet cries uncle.

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Filed under: Laptops

It took a few days hours longer than expected, but Sony’s VAIO TT is here. And it’s sexy. This 11.1-inch beauty features a sub-1-inch thick, 2.87-pound chassis made from carbon-fiber, and Sony claims it’s the lightest notebook on the planet to pack Blu-ray capabilities. Arriving in a variety of configurations, the VAIO TT is available with an XBRITE-DuraView LCD, Intel’s Centrino 2 technology, an HDMI output, dual channel 256GB (128GB x 2) SSD setup with RAID, Sprint WWAN (EV-DO Rev. A) and Windows Vista running the show. The Fall-bound TT — which will arrive in premium carbon black, silk black, champagne gold and crimson red outfits — will start at around two large, with the Blu-ray model going for $2,700 and the SSD edition demanding $2,750. There’s no direct mention of a battery life figure, which scares us just a tad, but you can dig into the full release just after the break.

Continue reading Sony’s 11-inch VAIO TT: world’s lightest Blu-ray laptop

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Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

It didn’t take long for Lenovo’s two-faced ThinkPad X200t to hit the test bench after coming over to US soil, and the critics over at Laptop Mag have mostly positive things to say about it. For starters, the convertible tablet maintains the “security, durability, and performance” that we’ve come to expect from Lenovo. The keyboard was deemed “excellent,” the lightweight design was applauded, the display performed admirably and the performance was very satisfactory (or “snappy,” as it were). The biggest knocks on the machine were the omission of an optical drive and the below average battery life; testers only squeezed out around 6 hours, which was far less than the company’s claim of 10.3 hours. Still, at just north of two large, the X200 was seen as an excellent choice for those seeking a versatile business machine, particularly if you dig that stylus-on-screen action.

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Filed under: Laptops

It’s confusing, and sometimes we cry ourselves to sleep at night, but the new ASUS N10 is hardly a netbook, and has earned the right to shed that completely confusing Eee moniker to try and be something more. We got to handle the ultraportable today, and while it’s no match for the sexy produced by Lenovo or Sony on this front, it just “feels” like a real laptop… and there’s plenty else to love. The LED-backlit 10.2-inch screen is a stunner, even at the paltry 1024 x 600 resolution, and the keyboard is solid and quite usable — if a little shallow on the action. Otherwise you’re looking at just about every spec you could want in a laptop this size, including switchable discrete graphics (a restart is required), nearly 6 hours of battery off of a 6-cell, HDMI out, media card reader, insta-boot Express Gate, and that handy-dandy Atom N270 CPU. Best of all, ASUS is going to be way more aggressive with these prices than previously believed, at $599 for the N10E, which will sport integrated graphics only and a smaller hard drive, and $699 for the full-fledged N10J. They’re still working out which version of Windows Vista to ship with, but that J&R pre-order page (currently at $799) is indeed legit. No built-in 3G just yet.

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Filed under: Laptops

Lookie, lookie — Dell has placed its sparkling new Latitude E4200 and (slightly larger) E4300 on sale today, just as promised. The 12.1-incher gets going at just over two large, while the 13.3-inch sibling starts up at around $1,750. ‘Course, those figures can head far north if you start speccing ‘em out, so, um, why not hit the read links and start doing just that?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read - Latitude E4200 order page
Read - Latitude E4300 order page

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Filed under: Laptops

We all know the X300 was fairly widely praised, though that price tag was mighty prohibitive. Still, if you’ve got the coin to play around with ultrathin ultraportables, the X301 is a welcome upgrade. According to Laptop Mag, the Centrino 2 platform and built-in DisplayPort made an “already excellent machine even better.” Most of the basics from the X300 are still here, but critics couldn’t help but swoon over the new inclusions. Regrettably, the battery life was said to be an hour or two short for their liking, so it sounds as if you’ll want to factor in an extra pack if you’re the type who strays from power outlets. Hit the read link for the full rundown, just don’t expect anything out of the ordinary.

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Filed under: Laptops

Back in March it was the world’s first laptop with a 128GB SSD. Now the Dynabook SS RX1 makes the bump to the RX2 while grabbing the title to the world’s lightest 12.1-inch laptop. Or so says Toshiba. Fortunately, Tosh didn’t skimp on battery life (up to 12.5-hours when configured with an SSD) to achieve that 858-grams (1.89-pounds) weight. Shipping in late September, the SS RX2 features a semi-rugged frame, a 1.2GHz SU9300 ULV Core 2 Duo processor; up to 160GB of hard disk (or 128GB SSD); an LED backlit 12.1-inch 1,280 x 800 pixel display; up to 3GB of memory; Intel GS45 Express graphics chipset; 3x USB and 1x eSATA; 802.11a/b/g/n draft 2.0; integrated DVD super-multi drive; and built-in 3G data — a road warrior’s weapon of paradise.

[Via Impress]

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Filed under: Laptops

Fujitsu’s looking to keep its typically small and light P-series alive by dumping the wee P1630 into the FCC’s oh-so-capable hands. Based on the filed documentation, the unit will possess a 8.9-inch 1,280 x 768 resolution display, a 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor, Intel’s GMA X4500 graphics set, up to 2GB of RAM, a fingerprint reader, WiFi / Bluetooth, Ethernet and a smattering of ports including SD, VGA out, USB (x2) and PCMCIA. The 2.2-pound lappie doesn’t have any sort of official price or release date, but eager LifeBook fanatics can rest assured that it’s closer to commercial release today than it was yesterday. Er, before it hit the FCC. Never mind.

[Via jkkmobile]

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Filed under: Laptops

Fujitsu’s looking to keep its typically small and light P-series alive by dumping the wee P1630 into the FCC’s oh-so-capable hands. Based on the filed documentation, the unit will possess a 8.9-inch 1,280 x 768 resolution display, a 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor, Intel’s GMA X4500 graphics set, up to 2GB of RAM, a fingerprint reader, WiFi / Bluetooth, Ethernet and a smattering of ports including SD, VGA out, USB (x2) and PCMCIA. The 2.2-pound lappie doesn’t have any sort of official price or release date, but eager LifeBook fanatics can rest assured that it’s closer to commercial release today than it was yesterday. Er, before it hit the FCC. Never mind.

[Via jkkmobile]

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Filed under: Laptops

We’re not just staring down a boring press release of Samsung’s new X360, we actually got to fiddle around with it for a few minutes and came away fairly impressed. It has a build somewhere in-between the plastic-ish Voodoo Envy 133 and the rock-solid ThinkPad X300, though probably closer to the latter, and the sheen of Silver Nano Technology on the technology saves us from bacteria but adds a slightly cheap flavor to the keyboard. The isolated keys aren’t as deep as those found on Sony’s latest models, nor not quite as crisp as an Apple keyboard, but should make for a comfortable typing experience. The port layout seems reasonable, the LED-backlit screen bright and not-too-terribly-glossy, and the brushed metal finish on the back is surely a nice touch. We didn’t play much with the Korean OS, but Samsung claims the next-gen 128GB SSD offers a 25-50 percent boot time bump. Up against the MacBook Air the X360 is significantly thicker, but actually a tiny bit (3 ounces) lighter. We’ll leave it to you to decide the victor while we swap USB devices willy nilly in an attempt to finish this post.

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Filed under: Laptops

Newsflash, Samsung: your (previously rumored) new X360 laptop isn’t actually lighter than air. Also newsflash: it’s still pretty special. Samsung shouted a resounding “me too!” today with its new X360 13.3-inch ultraslim / ultralight / ultraportable laptop. Weighing in at 2.8 pounds and measuring as thin as 0.66-inches (1.2-inches on the fatter end), the laptop is based on a Centrino 2 ULV processor and is built to compete. 1GB of RAM is standard — there’s room for up to 4GB — and you can pick a 64GB or 128GB SSD, or opt for a 5400RPM 120GB HDD if you’re feeling boring. Graphics come from X4500 integrated graphics, and the screen runs at 1280 x 800. The best and worst news comes with the inputs and outputs; Samsung didn’t integrate an optical drive, but did find room for a 7-in-1 card reader, three USB ports, PCI ExpressCard/34, HDMI, VGA, LAN and a docking port. There’s naturally WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR and a 1.3 megapixel camera. Battery life is specced at 6 to 10 hours, but we’re guessing the upper end of that spectrum will add considerably to the weight. No word on price or availability, but as far as we know Samsung hasn’t gone backsies on its “no computers for those dirty Americans” policy, so it looks like we’re stuck with the other dozen or so similarly specced laptops out there.

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Filed under: Laptops

Newsflash, Samsung: your (previously rumored) new X360 laptop isn’t actually lighter than air. Also newsflash: it’s still pretty special. Samsung shouted a resounding “me too!” today with its new X360 13.3-inch ultraslim / ultralight / ultraportable laptop. Weighing in at 2.8 pounds and measuring as thin as 0.66-inches (1.2-inches on the fatter end), the laptop is based on a Centrino 2 ULV processor and is built to compete. 1GB of RAM is standard — there’s room for up to 4GB — and you can pick a 64GB or 128GB SSD, or opt for a 5400RPM 120GB HDD if you’re feeling boring. Graphics come from X4500 integrated graphics, and the screen runs at 1280 x 800. The best and worst news comes with the inputs and outputs; Samsung didn’t integrate an optical drive, but did find room for a 7-in-1 card reader, three USB ports, PCI ExpressCard/34, HDMI, VGA, LAN and a docking port. There’s naturally WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR and a 1.3 megapixel camera. Battery life is specced at 6 to 10 hours, but we’re guessing the upper end of that spectrum will add considerably to the weight. No word on price or availability, but as far as we know Samsung hasn’t gone backsies on its “no computers for those dirty Americans” policy, so it looks like we’re stuck with the other dozen or so similarly specced laptops out there.

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Filed under: Laptops

When Lenovo’s oh-so-nimble IdeaPad U110 crashed onto the scene in January, intrigue was high. After all, it came packing a lightweight frame, a couple of longevous batteries, a respectable price tag and a decent list of specifications. After spending some quality time with the ultraportable, we came away less than enthused, but that’s not the point here — we’re asking you, dear readers, to toss in your own two pennies and let us know how you would’ve done things differently on this here machine. Would you have stripped off a coat or two of that gloss? Shoved in a more potent processor? Pre-installed just a bit less bloatware? Wrack your brain and let us know, alright?

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Filed under: Ask Engadget, Laptops

This week’s episode of Ask Engadget (you know you can submit your own inquiry at ask at engadget dawt com, right?) poses a beautifully simple, albeit timely question about those bantam laptops that have taken over the world in recent months. What was once a niche market is now a blossoming sector, and the choices are indeed overwhelming.

“With so many netbooks now available, which is the best one out there? I’m mostly concerned with getting the best bang for my buck, so I’m not too interested in any of those higher-end units.”

For those of you who have bit the bullet on one netbook or another, what kind of taste has it left in your mouth? Would you recommend your current unit? Would you suggest looking elsewhere? Let the battle of the bite-sized lappies begin!

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Filed under: Laptops

There’s no denying it: Lenovo’s ultrathin X300 grabbed its fair share of attention earlier this year, due in large part to its estranged rivalry with the MacBook Air. Now that a few months have passed since the first wave of adopters welcomed the 13.3-inch ultraportable into their homes, we figured the time was right to ask you all how things have been coming along. Do you still feel like a proud papa when checking out those three USB ports? Is there really enough horsepower in there to churn through your pivot tables in a timely manner? Or are you longing for one of the many netbooks that have since demanded the limelight? We already know how the experts feel about it, but this one’s for you — how would you mold the X300 into the machine it should’ve been from the start?

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Filed under: Handhelds

Intel’s Moblin tech is getting some big love at Computex — first Canonical dropped the Ubuntu Netbook Remix on us, and now Xandros has announced plans to support the MID- and netbook-targeted system additions in future editions of its Linux distros. If that seems a little confusing, it’s because it is — Moblin was never supposed to be a standalone Linux OS, but rather a standardized Linux core stack designed to maximize the potential of Atom-based mobile devices. Of course, one of those mobile devices is a little machine called the Eee that just happens to run Xandros, so it looks like Eee owners should look forward to better battery life, faster booting, and “expanded Internet and media capabilities.” Now the real question: is that enough to get people to stay away from the recently-revived-again Windows XP?

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Filed under: Laptops

We were expecting to see ASUS’s 10-inch Eee PC 1000 make the scene tomorrow at Computex, but it looks like French site Blogeee.net scored some early pictures of the long-rumored Atom-based machine. No detailed specs yet, but hit up the read link for the rest of the glamour shots.

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Filed under: Laptops

You never really know what all will emerge from a simple interview, and thanks to a recent sit-down with Canonical chief executive Mark Shuttleworth, we now know that a build of Ubuntu tailored for ultraportables (or subnotes, as it were) is just around the bend. According to Mr. Shuttleworth, the aforesaid software will be announced “in the first week of June,” and it’ll be called the Netbook Remix. He also noted that the outfit is currently “working with Intel, which produces chips custom-made for this sector.” Sadly, it seems we’ll have to wait a week or so before finding out more, but those interested in reading the interview in full can certainly give the read link a visit.

[Image courtesy of TurboGadgets, thanks KC Kim]

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