Filed under: Laptops

Toshiba’s never been one to really pump out laptops with oodles of sex appeal (a few Portégé machines notwithstanding), and its latest two are decidedly drab. Aimed squarely at business users, the 15.4-inch Satellite Pro S300 and the 14-inch Satellite Pro S300M (shown after the break) both include a 2-year warranty, support for docking, a business card reader, a USB Sleep-and-Charge / eSATA combo port and face recognition software. As for the S300, you can snag it with your choice of a Core 2 Duo CPU, up to 3GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB 5,400 RPM hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, WiFi / Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Intel’s GMA4500MHD graphics, a built-in webcam / microphone and a 9-cell battery pack; the S300M gives you pretty much the same options but with a smaller screen and chassis. Take your pick, as they’re both available to order right now starting at $899 / $829 in order of mention.

[Via Notebooks]

Continue reading Toshiba launches Satellite Pro S300 / S300M laptops

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Filed under: Gaming, Laptops

Details are slim at the moment, but one thing’s for sure: Dell customers affected (or not affected… yet) by those wonky NVIDIA GPUs will have their warranties extended by 12-months to compensate. The 1-year “limited warranty enhancement” will add coverage for this issue to everyone who recently purchased one of the 15 NVIDIA-equipped machines listed in the read link, and we’re told to expect further details about the whole ordeal in short order. Breathe easy, folks — you’ll be taken care of somehow or another.

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Filed under: Peripherals

Maybe it’s the ambiguity and possible masking of truth that just adds to the allure here, but whether it really lived or not, you now know what an Optimus Maximus looks like after an impromptu greeting with lukewarm java. Sir tema clearly states that the keyboard “survived” its first recorded coffee spill “thanks to the construction of the upper tray,” but judging by the looks of this thing… um, we’re not so sure. Oh, and he also mentions that spilling liquids on the ‘board is not only “stupid,” but it obviously voids any applicable warranties. Thanks for the memo.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

It’s no secret that gadget aficionados like ourselves have mounds of kit that was hot stuff in its heyday, but figuring out what to do with it once its prime has passed is still a mystery to some. ‘Course, the entrepreneurs in the crowd simply offer their previously loved wares up to the world via eBay (or similar), but for those lacking the time / motivation to do so, rest assured, companies are on the prowl to totally take advantage of you. TechForward and NEW are two firms that are looking to make a mint from entering the gadget buyback realm, and as you’d probably expect, the cash doled out to suckers individuals who bite on this is woefully less than market value — but then again, it’s ultra-convenient, shipping is free and it’s guaranteed, hassle-free money. Sounds like the pawn shop just got with the times, eh?

[Image courtesy of PlanoPawnShop]

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Filed under: Laptops

Ever noticed that “Warranty Void If Removed” label over the access door to the single SODIMM slot in your Eee PC? Apparently, Asus wants you to just ignore those four little words. In a warranty update posted to the firm’s website, it plainly states that “merely breaking or removing this kind of seal will not void the Asus Limited Warranty,” and while it recommends that customers use company-approved service facilities, it wants to ensure that buyers “are free to make appropriate hardware and software modifications and upgrades, regardless of whether the service is performed by an approved facility, a non-approved service provider, or by the customers themselves.” Going forward, it seems that Asus will be using a label that simply informs users that it won’t be held responsible for any damages that may occur as a result of any tinkering, but yes, you can indeed feel free to piddle around till your heart’s content knowing Asus still has your back.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

As former tech retail geeks in another life, we know better than anyone the kind of pressure salespeople at the big box retailers put on adding extended (often 3rd party) warranties on gadget purchases. Oh sure, it preys on uninformed customers’ fears that their expensive new toys will break down a exactly 91 days after purchase and they’ll be left in the lurch — but sometimes those warranties can actually come in handy. That is, if you can convince the warranty people to pony up, which is just a step below the frustration of dealing with most HMOs. So, what’s your take on extended warranties?

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Apple has obviously made some enemies over this whole bricked iPhone situation, and clearly not everyone wants to follow the straight-and-narrow when it comes to the company’s factory-limited and locked device. Now, at least one California resident named Timothy Smith has decided to bring the fight to the Cupertino monolith’s doorstep — and he showed up with lawyers. According to papers filed last week, the angry iPhone owner is suing Apple in hopes of barring the company from selling locked phones, and forcing the Mac-maker to provide warranty service for customers even if they’ve bricked their phones via third-party software. The suit claims that, “Apple forced plaintiff and the class members to pay substantially more for the iPhone and cell phone service than they would have paid in a competitive marketplace either for the iPhone or for AT&T’s cell phone service,” and that the company, “Acted in defiance and without sufficient consideration of consumers’ rights to unlock their iPhones because it knew that the probable result of its update would be to render unlocked iPhones inoperable.” The lawyers in the case have set up a website where owners can join in on the suit — so if you’re feeling slighted, maybe they can help.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones

Shortly after Apple released a brief statement yesterday regarding iPhone modifications and their impacts on warranties, the firm’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing has stepped up to clarify a few issues. In a recent interview, Phil Schiller was quoted as saying that the upcoming software update “has nothing to do with proactively disabling a phone that is unlocked or hacked.” Furthermore, he added that it was “unfortunate that some programs have caused damage to the iPhone software,” but he noted that “Apple could not be responsible for… those consequences.” All in all, it doesn’t sound like Apple is changing its stance, but it seems safe to say that Cupertino won’t be listening to any crying should subsequent updates render your hacked iPhone useless.

[Via AppleInsider]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!