Toshiba has unveiled a new notebook in the Satellite line – the T115. The Satellite T115 is equipped with an 11.6 inch widescreen display. It is available in Nova Red and Nova Black.

Toshiba Satellite T115 specifications:
Display: 11.6-inch diagonal widescreen HD TruBrite LED Backlit display
Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium operating system
Processor: Intel Pentium processor SU4100 or Intel Celeron processor 7433
Memory: Upto 4GB of DDR3 RAM
Storage: 250GB 5400 rpm HDD

The T115 is a ‘green’ laptop. It features a mercury-free LED backlit display. It also meets the requirements of the EnergyStar 5.0 standard.

Features
The T115 has a full-sized keyboard. The touchpad supports multi-touch controls such as two-finger pinch, rotate, scroll and swipe.

Other features include 802.11b/g/n wireless and 10/100 Ethernet, one eSATA/USB combo port with USB sleep-and-charge and two USB ports, HDMI port, 5-in-1 memory card reader, built-in webcam, stereo speakers and microphone. Built-in Wireless N technology and Bluetooth are also available on select models.

Pricing and Availability
The Toshiba Satellite T115 starts at $449.99. It will be available from October 22.

Intel’s next-generation Atom processors, dubbed Pineview, will be released in the last quarter of this year. Netbooks running on these processors are expected to hit the stores during Q1 2010.

The Pineview processors are based on the Pine Trail two-chip platform. These processors have a CPU, GPU and memory controller on the same chip. They are also integrated with Intel’s Tiger Pint I/O. Moving from a 3 chip design to a 2 chip design will make the netbooks more power efficient and even enable fanless netbook designs. Another advantage of a 2 chip platform is that it helps in lowering the costs.

HP is the latest to join the Core i7 party. The PC maker has announced that its new Pavilion dv8 will run on the Core i7 – 720QM 1.6GHz processor.

The Pavilion dv8 is a multimedia notebook with some cool features. It has a large 18.4 inch display equipped with a full HD 1920x1080 resolution. For handling graphics there is a 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT230 discrete GPU. Up to 8GB of RAM can be installed on this notebook. The maximum storage capacity is 640GB. The connectivity options include Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 802.11n.

Ports and Slots
The dv8 has ample ports and slots which include Blu-ray, HDMI, integrated webcam, fingerprint reader, VGA, 4USB ports, a USB/eSATA port, a multicard reader, FireWire and ExpressCard slot.

Pricing and Availability
The machine will run on the Windows 7 Operating system. No information regarding pricing or availability has been announced as yet.

Dell has finally unveiled its much anticipated 16-inch Latitude Z600 laptop. The ultrathin device is claimed to be the world’s thinnest and lightest laptop with wireless charging capabilities. The Dell Latitude Z600 is aimed at businesses. It comes pre-loaded with Windows Vista SP1.

In looks and build quality the Latitude Z600 is comparable to Apple’s business notebooks, particularly the MacBook Air.

The notebook runs on Intel’s 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo (SU9400/SU9600) CULV processor. Up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM can be installed. The storage option is a 64GB Solid State Drive. The graphics is handled by Intel GMA 4500MHD. The machine weighs just 4.5 pounds with its 16-inch screen.

The Latitude Z600 comes with Dell’s Latitude ON feature, which is essentially an instant on Linux Kernel operating system customized by Dell for instant booting. There is also a dedicated Latitude ON button for booting the system up in seconds. Another cool feature of this notebook is its wireless charging capabilities.
The Latitude Z600 has its share of ports and slots which include eSATA, Ethernet port, display port and USB port. For wireless connectivity there is Wi-Fi with support for Draft N. Other features include a new FaceAware face recognition software. But despite this being a feature-rich notebook, Dell managed to pack only a four-cell battery inside.

Pricing and availability
The new Latitude Z600 is priced at $2000. It is now available for purchase in the US.

Toshiba has unveiled a new ultrathin laptop – The Satellite T135. It is equipped with a 13.3 inch HD TruBrite LED backlit display.

The notebook runs on the Windows 7 Operating system and can be configured with either an Intel Pentium SU4100 processor or an Intel Pentium SU2700 processor. Up to 8GB of RAM can be installed. The standard storage option is a 250GB hard disk drive (upgradable to 500GB) spinning at 5400 rpm. Other features include one eSATA/USB combo port and two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI port, built-in webcam, stereo speakers, microphone, 5-in-1 Memory Card Reader Slot, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, 10/100 Ethernet, and Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR.

The 6-cell battery is expected to deliver 9 hours of uptime.

Pricing and availability
The Satellite T135 has a starting price of $599.99. It is expected to hit the stores on October 27.

Asus plans to roll out two nettops for the UK market. Dubbed Eee Top ET2002T and ET2203T, the devices are expected to hit the UK market by the end of October. They will come pre-installed with Windows 7.

The ET2002T is powered by an Intel Atom dual-core 330 1.60GHz processor with Nvidia’s Ion platform. It is equipped with a 20-inch touchscreen display. Up to 4GB of RAM can be installed. The maximum storage capacity is 320GB. Other features include a DVD burner. Prices start at £559.

The ET2203T can be configured with a Core 2 Duo processor. It comes with a 21.6 inch larger touchscreen display. Other features include 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard disk and ATI Radeon HD 4570 512MB discrete GPU. Optional features include Blu-ray drive. Prices start at £819.

Other features common to both notebooks include Asus Top Media Centre App, gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi b/g/n and webcam.

Mobinnova’s 8.9 inch elan smartbook will be retailed for $299. The device was launched at Computex. A very attractive feature of this smartbook is that it is based on Nvidia’s Tegra platform which makes it capable of playing HD video. The machine weighs just 836g and measures 20.5 mm in thickness. The company claims that it will offer 5-10 hours of 720p HD video playback.

The elan smartbook is expected to be released in Asia by the end of this year. The biggest selling point of this device will definitely be its price. When it would reach the US and Europe is still unknown.

The Italian manufacturer AmazePC has made its foray into the ever expanding netbook market with its CyberBook N10. The best thing about this 10-inch device is indeed its affordable price point.

The CyberBook N10 is essentially a Do It Yourself netbook much like the OCZ Neutrino. It does come with some base specifications, but you are free to decide how much memory or storage you want to install. You can also choose the operating system you want to install. An advantage of this set up is that you only pay for the features you want. For example, many netbooks come pre-installed with 2GB of RAM and 160GB of storage, but 1GB RAM and 80GB storage should suffice for most people.

Dell’s 11.6 inch Inspiron 11z is now available in the UK. It is available in a number of configurations. The base configuration which starts at £349 includes a single-core Ultra Low Voltage 1.3GHZ Celeron 743 processor with 2GB of RAM. It runs on the Windows Vista Home Basic. The storage capacity is 160GB HDD.

Buyers who seek better performance can opt for a dual-core 1.3GHz ULV SU4100 processor and a larger HDD (250GB). This version runs on the Vista Home Premium and is being retailed for £399. For an additional £100, you will get 4GB RAM and a 320GB HDD. The standard battery option is a 3-cell 28 WHr Lithium Ion battery. A 6-cell battery option is also available.

The Motorola HT820 Bluetooth Stereo Headset promises to free you from a tangled wired workplace. It lets you do everything wirelessly – almost everything.

The HT820 Bluetooth headset has very ordinary looks, but some great features. The device has no wires coming out of it. The drivers have the big Motorola M emblazoned on them. The multi-media controls sit on top of either driver. The ear pieces are really big so you can’t go unnoticed in a crowd while wearing this headset. Other features include a 2.5 mm headphone jack into which you can put the supplied audio cable.

So what is the big deal?
The majority of Bluetooth headsets on the market are only capable of streaming phone calls, but this device from Motorola offers a lot more functionality. With an additional adapter (PC850) this device can stream music from your computer. It will also manage your calls for you. If a phone call comes while you are listening to the music, the HT820 will pause the music so you can attend the call.

Pros:
Nice deign
Easy to set up
Reasonably good audio quality

Cons:
Pricey
Bulky

You can now buy Archos 10 netbooks from one of the select 1000 Blockbuster stores. The retail chain has entered into a partnership with Archos for selling notebooks through its stores. Blockbuster is a store you visit for buying or renting a movie, but ironically the netbook they are selling doesn’t have a built-in optical drive.

So what is the business sense behind this move? Well, Archos netbooks may not have optical drives, but users can still access Blockbuster’s online rental, retail and download services through them. The Archos 10 netbook can be bought through Blockbuster stores for $299.99.

Asus will be the first company to give USB 3.0 support with its P6X58 motherboard. Motherboards supporting USB 3.0 are expected to become available by the end of 2009.

The new P6X58 motherboards will use 2 USB 3.0 super speed ports. They will also offer support for Intel’s Core i7 processors, six DDR3 slots, 3 PCI ExpressCard slots, and new SATA 3.0 ports which supports 6GB/sec transfer rate. The USB 3.0 standard will offer transfer rates of up to 4.8GB/second which is accomplished through extra data lines. Currently no USB 3.0 devices are available, so this port will not be usable at the moment.

Pricing and availability
No information regarding pricing or availability has been announced as yet.

The Toshiba Satellite P505 is a powerful multimedia notebook equipped with ATI Radeon HD 4650 discrete GPU and a gigantic 18.4" display. It offers dual drives for optimal performance and storage.

Toshiba Satellite P505-S8950 Specifications:
Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1)
Display: 18.4 inch 1680 x 945 HD+ TruBrite Display (Glossy)
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 with 1GB GDDR2
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 (2.53GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 3MB Cache)
Memory: 6GB DDR2-800 RAM
Storage: 64GB Toshiba SSD + 320GB 7200RPM Hitachi
Retail Price: $1,599

Build and Design
With its 18.4 inch display the P505 looks really gigantic. The machine weighs over 11lbs and isn’t very portable. The glossy black pinstripe finish on the exterior of the notebook lends it a classy look. Build quality is satisfactory, but the weight and width of the notebook does make it susceptible to some flex. The screen hinges also don’t appear really tight, but that is nothing surprising considering the heavy screen.

Each hard drive has its own individual bay. There are easy access panels to both hard drive bays and memory slots. So upgrading components wouldn’t be an issue.

Screen and Speakers
The display panel comes with a resolution of 1680x945. The panel itself is very good: colors are bright and vivid. But the glossy display makes reflections a huge problem when you work in a bright setting. Vertical viewing angles are average but horizontal viewing angles are satisfactory.

The P505 comes with a Harman/kardon sound system. The speaker performance is quite impressive. It is more than adequate for watching a movie or listening to music.

Keyboard and Touchpad
There is a full-size keyboard and keypad. There is also a 1 inch wide touch sensitive multimedia key section on this notebook. The keyboard has an easy-to-follow layout and is very comfortable to type on. The large touchpad is a Synaptics model, but its performance seemed lacking.


Ports and Features
Port selection is good. There are three USB ports, one eSATA/USB combo port, FireWire, VGA-out, LAN, HDMI, SD-Card slot and audio jacks. Other features include slot-Loading DVD SuperMulti, Intel 5100AGN, Bluetooth v2.1 Atheros AR8131 1GB Ethernet and built-in web camera.

Performance
Performance is quite snappy thanks to the Intel P8700processor, ATI Mobility HD 4650 GPU and Toshiba 64GB SSD. Boot times are minimal. Multimedia performance is good. It can easily handle 1080p HD video content. This is not a dedicated gaming notebook, but you can still play most games on this system.

Heat and Noise
The P505 has a large chassis which allows plenty of airflow that keeps the system cool. Noise levels are also within normal limits.

Battery Life
The P505 is equipped with a large 12-cell battery (6-cell option is also available) with a capacity of 100Wh. At around 4.5 hours, the battery life is quite good for a notebook of this size and capacity.

Conclusion
The 18.4 inch Toshiba Satellite P505 is an excellent desktop replacement laptop. It is good at handling most tasks. You can watch HD video and play most modern games. The touchpad performance isn’t very good, but that problem can be solved by using an external mouse.

Pros:
Amazing speaker system
Good battery life
Snappy performance

Cons:
Heavy
Average touchpad

The Asus UL30 is a thin and light 13.3 inch notebook powered by Intel’s Core 2 Duo Ultra Low Voltage processor. One of the great features of this notebook is its battery life.

The UL30 comes with a brushed aluminum lid. It is sturdy with good build quality.

ASUS UL30A-A1 Specifications:
Specifications: Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 (1.3GHz, 3MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB)
Operating system: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (w/ SP1)
Display: 13.3-inch glossy LED-backlit 16:9 display (1366x768)
Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
Memory: 4GB DDR3 800MHz RAM (2GB x 2)
Storage: 500GB Seagate 5400.6 HDD

Price as configured: $799

Build and Design
The Asus UL30A-A1 has sleek looks. The design will appeal to both the average consumer and the business professional alike.

Build quality is good: the notebook looks and feels pretty solid. The aluminum lid protects the display from any color distortion. The keyboard is equally strong: it shows no flex at all and the screen hinges hold the display firmly in its place. There are two panels on the bottom that provide access to the RAM and Hard drive.

Screen and Speakers
The 13.3 inch LED backlit WXGA display comes with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The display shows good color saturation and contrast. The backlighting is even. But viewing angles are still average.

Speaker performance is lack-lustre. Headphones are a must if you want to listen to music on this notebook.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard features a Chiclet-style. It is very comfortable to type on. The palmrest also appears to be perfectly sized. The touchpad is an ELAN model. It offers limited multi-touch capabilities which include two-finger scrolling. The touchpad works well showing no discernible lag.

Ports and Features
Port selection is satisfactory. There are three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and VGA out. There is also a spring-loaded flush-mount SD card slot. Other features include LAN and audio in/out, Atheros AR9285G/N WiFi and 10/100 Ethernet.

Performance
Asus ships the notebook with some bloatware. Just remove them and you will see remarkable improvement in the system performance. Boot and shutdown times are good. The system has no difficulty handling 720P or 1080P HD video. 3D gaming is still very much out of question. For everyday uses like word processing, internet surfing and streaming HD video, the UL30 has more than enough power under its hood.

Heat and Noise
Heat and noise levels are within normal limits.

Battery Life
The UL30 has a gigantic 84Wh 8-cell battery. At around 10 hours, the battery life is quite impressive, but it does fall short of Asus’ claims of 12 hours.

Conclusion
The Asus UL30A-A1 is a good 13 inch thin and light notebook delivering competent performance. It has an attractive design. An excellent choice for users who are looking for a lightweight machine with good battery life.

Pros:
Great battery life
Good build quality
Satisfactory performance
Good keyboard

Cons:
Poor viewing angles
The AC adapter tends to heat up

Asus has officially announced two notebooks – the M60J and the G60J - powered by Intel’s Core i7 processor.

The G60J is powered by a quad-core mobile processor with 4GB of DDR RAM and Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 260M GPU. Other features include 1GB of VRAM, a pair of 500GB 7200rpm hard drives, Blu-ray combo drive and Altec Lansing speakers. The notebook is available in two display sizes – 16 inch HD panel with 1366x768 pixels and 15.6 inch full HD with 1920x1200pixels. Prices start at $2,999.

The M60J is a multimedia notebook with touch controls. It uses the same quad-core mobile processor, 4GB of RAM, Blu-ray combo drive and 16 inch HD display. The graphics option on this notebook is a slightly slower GeForce GT240M and the pair of 500GB drives spin at 5400rpm. Other features include Altec Lancing speakers with Dolby 2 Home Theatre certification. Prices start at $2,599.

Availability
Both notebooks will be available next month. They will come pre-installed with 64-bit edition of Windows 7 Professional.

Sager has unveiled its 15-inch gaming notebook which could be a direct competitor to the Alienware M15x. The NP8690 is equipped with a mobile Intel Core i7 processor and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M graphics card. Its specifications are as follows:

Processor: Intel Core i7 (1.6 - 2.0GHz)
Display: 15.6 inch W/LED backlit display with 1600x900 or 1920x1080 pixels
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M w/ 1GB GDDR3
RAM: Up to 8GB DDR3-1333

Port Selection
There are 4 USB 2.0 ports, 1 HDMI output port, 1 DVI-I output port, 1 eSATA Port (VISTA only), FireWire, Headphone Jack, Microphone Jack, RJ-45 LAN (10/100/1000Mbps) and RJ-11 Modem. The machine weighs 7.38 lbs with battery.

Pricing & Availability
The Sager NP8690 is now available for pre-order. The notebook will start shipping in October. Prices start at $1,789.

Intel unveiled 3 of its Core i7 processors at the Intel Development Forum. The new chips are based on the recent Nehalem architecture. They are designed for use in laptops.

The three quad-core 45nm chips are the Core i7-720QM, the Core i7-820QM and the Intel Core i7 Extreme i7-920XM. While the 720QM has a clock speed of 1.6GHz with 6MB of cache, the 820QM clocks in at 1.73GHz and 8MB cache. The 920XM is the fastest among the three processors with a clock speed of 2.0GHz. It is designed for high performance gaming.

The chips possess Hyper-Threading capabilities and support DDR3 1333MHz memory. They also offer Intel Turbo Boost technology which is expected to improve the CPU clock speed.

Asus, Toshiba, Dell and HP are among the manufacturers expected to release laptops featuring Core i7 chips.

Toshiba has announced its Qosmis X500 gaming notebook. It is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor.
The Qosmis X500 has a large 18.4 inch full HD 1920x1080 TruBright display. The Core i7 2.80GHz Quad core processor is fast enough to deliver a stellar performance. It can play any game and decode HD media with minimal efforts. The graphics option is a Nvidia GeForce GTX 250MNV discrete GPU with 1GB memory.

Up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM can be installed on this laptop. The storage options are twin 500GB hard drives. Other features include Blu-ray player, Wi-Fi b/g/n, an HDMI port, three USB 2.0 ports, eSATA, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and Harmon Kardon stereo speakers.

Dell is one of the first notebook makers to announce products running on the Intel Core i7 quad core processors. Dell’s flagship device using this processor will be the Alienware M15x gaming laptop. Dell will also update its three other models – Studio 15, Studio 17 and Studio XPS 16 – with the Core i7.

Besides the change in the processor, the new Studio notebooks will also have better specifications. While the Studio 15 powered by Core i7 starts at $999, the Studio 17 Core i7 version carries a price tag of $1,099. The Core i7 version of the stylish Studio XPS 16 starts at $1249.

The Dell Mini 10v netbook is now available with the Ubuntu Moblin Remix Linux distribution. This edition runs on the Moblin Netbook Remix operating system.

The netbook comes with the usual customization options. It is currently available for sale on Dell.com, but Dell isn’t quite aiming at the consumers yet. Actually this is a ‘developer’ edition. The Mini 10v Ubuntu Moblin version brings together the interface and applications of Moblin 2.0 and the internals of Ubuntu 9.04. Other specifications of the netbook haven’t changed. It comes with the usual Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM and 160GB of hard drive.

In a bid to make netbooks thinner and cheaper manufacturers are increasingly removing the optical drive. Not having an optical drive on your PC means that you can’t watch DVD movies on it. A number of software tools are, nevertheless, available for ripping your DVDs onto the hard drive. The WinX DVD Ripper Platinum from Digiarty is one among them. It normally sells for $24.95, but is now available for free for a limited period of time.

The WinX Ripper with its clean interface is easy to use. The free version will work for life. You will also get minor updates for free.

Dell has updated its Studio 17 with the Core i7 processor. This version starts at $1,099.

The new Studio 17 has a JBL-branded 2.1 audio solution with SRS Premium Sound. It will have two 1.5 watt speakers in the palmrest and a 6-watt subwoofer in the base. The 17.3 inch HD display comes with 16:9 aspect ratio. The new Studio 17 supports dual hard drives. It is also the first among Studio notebooks to have a 1GB graphic solution. Other features include built-in webcam and slot loading CD/DVD writer. The keyboard is full-sized and comes with a separate keypad.

The machine is still lighter and thinner with its 9-cell battery than its predecessor.

Specifications
Processor: Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz (1333 FSB/6MB L3 Cache)
Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit)
Graphics: 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650
Memory: 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz
Storage: 250GB 7200RPM Hard Drive

Intel has unveiled its Larrabee graphics chip. This is Intel’s first discrete graphics card in several years. It is built to compete with Nvidia and ATI GPUs.

Larrabee is expected to become commercially available sometime next year. Initially it will be aimed at the gaming market. The chip was demonstrated on stage during Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco. The demonstration involved running the game ‘Enemy Territory: Quake Wars’. The research scientists associated with the chip claimed that ‘it allows a user to simulate the interaction of lights and action and make it more accurate’. Larrabee also takes fewer lines of code to render the images.

Larrabee uses the ray-tracing technique to render images. Most processors currently available in the market use vector processing technique which isn’t very good at rendering lifelike images.

Korean manufacturer Viliv known for its MIDs has built a netbook. It was shown off at the Intel Developer Forum. Dubbed S10 Blade, the device is convertible 10-inch touchscreen netbook. It is expected to provide up to 10 hours of battery life and will run on the Windows 7 operating system.

The resistive touchscreen doesn’t support multi-touch. It has a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The S10 will be powered by either a 1.33GHz or upcoming 2.0 GHz processor. Up to 1 GB of RAM can be installed. The storage option will be a 32 or 64 GB solid state drive running at 70MBps read rates. Optional features include 3G.

Pricing and availability
The Viliv S10 will be available by the end of this year. Prices start at $499.

Smartbooks powered by Nvidia’s Tegra platform are currently being built. These devices are expected to run on Google’s upcoming Chrome operating system.

The Tegra platform is different from the ION platform. While the ION platform pairs an Intel Atom processor with Nvidia 9400M GPU, the Tegra platform pairs an ARM-based processor with Nvidia GeForce GPU. The advantages of using the Tegra platform include a long battery life. Intel’s processors are notorious for being power hungry. The ARM processors, on the other hand, are very energy efficient. Nvidia also claims that smartbooks running on the Tegra platform will be capable of handling 1080p video, HD Flash, 3G and Wi-Fi.

Alienware has introduced its M15x 15-inch gaming laptop. The company claims that it is the fastest 15-inch gaming machine out there. The M15x is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor with GTX 260M GPU. It supports up to 8GB of RAM.

Specifications
The Alienware m15x comes with the following specifications:

Processor: Up to Intel Core i7 920XM (2.0GHz, 8MB cache)
Display: 15.6-inch LED display with a standard resolution of 1600x900 (1920x1080 optional)
Graphics: 512MB GeForce GT 240M standard, 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 260M optional
RAM: Up to 8GB DDR3-1333
Storage: Up to 500GB 7200RPM or 256GB Solid State Drive

Ports and features

There are 3 USB 2.0 ports (one of them a USB/eSATA combo port), slot loading optical drive, integrated Ethernet RJ-45, VGA, DisplayPort, 8-in-1 media card reader, ExpressCard Slot, audio in and microphone jack. Optional features include Blu-ray drive. The M15x is not a lightweight machine. It weighs over 9lbs with its 6-cell battery.

Pricing & Availability
The M15x is now available for purchase. Prices start at $1,499. It is available in three colors – Cosmic Black, Lunar Shadow and Nebula Red.

HP’s DreamScreen offers the functionality of a mobile phone, PC and TV. It isn’t very portable. Actually, the device is built for sitting on the counter.

The DreamScreen is similar to Joggler or the Open Peak mediaphone. It is powered by an ARM-based processor. The device is available in two screen sizes – a 10 inch screen or a 13 inch screen. Other features include 2GB of memory, a card reader and Wi-Fi. There is no keyboard.

HP has designed the product to be used by the whole family. Services provided include radio, music, TV, video, digital photo frame and entertainment. The DreamScreen doesn’t have a full web browser but it does have some widgets that allow instant access to applications like Facebook.
Prices start at $249.

The MSI Wind U110 ECO is a standard netbook offering an excellent battery life. It is powered by a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor with 1GB of RAM and integrated Intel GMA500 graphics. Currently it runs on the Windows XP platform, but may move to Windows 7 in late October. Other features include 3 USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth/WiFi/Ethernet, an integrated webcam and a multi-card reader.

The best thing about this machine is its battery life. The Wind U110 ECO has a 9-cell battery which is expected to give up to 15 hours of up time.

Pricing and Availability
Currently available at online retailers for $399

Haier has released a CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) Jian i7 notebook for the Chinese market. The device measures just 3.2cm in thickness and weighs 3lbs.

The Jian i7 is powered by Intel’s Core 2 Duo ultra low voltage SU7300 1.30GHz processor with 2GB of DDR3 RAM. It is equipped with a 13.4 inch LED display. The hard disk capacity is 320GB and the graphics option is Intel GMA X4500MHD integrated GPU. There is an HDMI port for transferring video to an external monitor. There are 3 USB 2.0 ports, Wi-Fi, Webcam, an e-SATA port and an SD card reader. Other features include touch sensitive media keys, stereo speakers, a cylindrical sink axle and textured trackpad. There is also the option of 3G card for high speed internet access.

Pricing and Availability
The notebook is priced at around $879. No information regarding availability has been announced as yet.

It has now been confirmed that the first Asus model to run on the Windows 7 platform will be Eee PC 1002n. We have been hearing about this device for sometime, but now its specs are clear too. Asus has not yet announced an official release date, but it is expected soon.

The Asus Eee PC 1002n isn’t your average netbook. It comes with 2GB of RAM and has better specifications than most netbooks. For instance, it has a 12-inch screen, Nvidia Ion based GPU and Windows 7 OS. The processor is the same old Intel Atom.

Intel is entering the smartphone and mobile internet device (MID) market with its Moorestown Atom chips. The Moorestown is a power efficient Atom processor variant due to be released by 2010. It is built for use in high-end smartphones, MIDs and tablets.

It is safe to state that Intel’s Atom chips are the standard processors for netbooks. But Intel has until now not been able to enter the smartphone or MID market, simply because its processors are too power hungry to become usable on these devices. Now Intel is hoping to change the situation with Moorestown.

Meanwhile Apple is also working on building chips for future iPhones, iPods and tablets. So will Intel have to compete with Apple in future? It is very much likely.

Netnotes are the latest entrants in the mobile computing market segment. In pricing and portability netnotes are comparable to netbooks, but in performance they offer the functionality of a full-size notebook.

Netnotes feature screen sizes from 10.2 inches to 12.1 inches. They are powered by VIA C7-M ultra low voltage processors or VIA nano processors. Most netnotes are capable of decoding 1080p video playback. Other features include SIM card support, optional 3G wireless and HDMI ports.

General specifications of the netnote category are as follows:

CPU: VIA C7-M ULV or VIA Nano
Chipset: VIA VX855 Media System processor
Display: 10.2 - 12.1 inches, up to 1366x768 internal or 1920x1440 external resolution
Graphics: VIA Chrome9 with up to 512MB shared memory
Memory: Up to 2GB DDR2-667/800, one So-DIMM

The Microsoft SideWinder X8 is the first wireless gaming mouse to come with Microsoft’s BlueTrack Technology which allows better tracking capabilities. It may not be as convenient as a compact Bluetooth mouse, but in performance it is simply the best.

Key features
The Microsoft SideWinder X8 mouse is much better than the previous SideWinder gaming mouse. It has better ergonomics and it is wireless. The mouse comes with a 2.4GHz Wireless connection with 500Hz USB reporting which allows lag-free gaming. Other features include a ‘Play and Charge’ which supports up to 30 hours of wireless gaming. There are 12 buttons, seven of which are programmable. On the flip side, it doesn’t have the customizable weights. It also lacks the ruggedness of its predecessors. Another problem with the mouse is its poor battery life. If you tend to play a lot of games, you will have to recharge it almost every other day.

Pricing and Availability
The SideWinder X8 is now available for purchase. Price: $99.95

Pros:
Better looks
On-the-fly DPI adjustment buttons
Magnetic charging cable that can be used easily

Cons:
Designed for right hand users
Lacks adjustable weights
Big and bulky USB receiver
Poor batter life

MSI, the Taiwanese maker of notebooks, has launched a new gaming notebook - the MSI GX723. It is based on a Core 2 Duo Intel processor. The GX723 is equipped with a 512MB GeForce GT 130M graphics chipset that is powerful enough to handle most modern games.

The notebook comes with a 17-inch display featuring 1680x1050 pixels and supports up to 4GB of RAM. It is 802.11n Wi-Fi enabled. The standard storage option is a 320GB hard disk drive which is upgradable to 500GB. Other features include a 2 MP camera, Blu-ray/DVD drive and five built-in speakers to further enhance the multimedia experience.

There is no information regarding pricing or availability.

Asus has rolled out a new line of thin and light laptops powered by Intel CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Volatage) processors. The series includes the 13 inch UL30A and 12 inch UL20A.

The Asus UL20A is the cheapest in the series. It is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor with 2GB of RAM. Other specifications include a 12.1 inch display with 1366x768 pixels and 250GB of hard disk drive. Right now the UL20A comes pre-installed with the Windows Vista Home Premium. Asus also provides a free upgrade coupon to Windows 7. Prices start at $599.

The Asus UL30A starts at $799. It has a 13.3 inch display. Up to 4GB of RAM can be installed. The standard storage option is a 500GB hard drive.

Bloggers have come across a new Asus Eee PC at a Chinese online retailer’s store. The new model is called Eee PC 1201n. It will be powered by the Nvidia Ion graphics.

There has always been a lot of hype surrounding the ION GPU from Nvidia. It is well known that netbooks coming with integrated Intel GPU aren’t very good at playing back 1080p HD Video, but the presence of the Nvidia ION is expected to improve the situation considerably.

In other specifications the Asus Eee PC 1201n will be similar to most other 12-inch laptops. For instance, it will come with an Intel N270 CPU, 2GB of RAM, and a 1,366x768 display.

No information regarding pricing or availability has been announced as yet.

RAmos, a Chinese firm known for making portable multimedia players, is expected to release an Android-based tablet soon. The device will be capable of playing 1080p HD video content.

RAmos is expected to make an official press release on September 25. The Ramos tablet will have an ARM based processor. It will be able to play back 1080p MKV (H.264/VC-1), AVI (XviD/DivX), and other video formats with 30-40Mbps bitrates. In looks it is similar to the Rockchip, another Android-based tablet, but the hardware may be different. The Rockchip uses the RK2808 chipset which can play only 720p videos. As the RAmos device is capable of playing 1080p HD video it is likely to have a different graphics chipset.

Dell is expected to release a high-end notebook PC, the Latitude Z, with wireless charging capabilities. The machine was recently unveiled at the FCC and has already attracted a lot of attention. It has even been compared to halo cars such as GM’s Corvette.

The Latitude Z is a performance-oriented notebook aimed at business executives. It may be released on October 25. Dell is yet to reveal the full specifications of the notebook, but it will have a 16-inch display and be powered by Intel processors.
The notebook won’t come cheap. It will be priced at significantly higher than $1,100. Dell also claims that it will have a stylish design.

The Asus UL30 is a CULV based notebook. It is thin and light, offers solid overall performance and comes at an affordable price. CULV based notebooks are known for offering better performance than netbooks; they are also cheaper than traditional ultraportables.

Specifications
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
RAM: up to 8GB
Storage: 500GB spinning at 5,400 rpm
Display: 13.3 inches

Build and Design
The machine weighs less than 1 inch in thickness and weighs 4 pounds. It is sleek and maintains a slim profile. Build quality is good; the design looks neat and elegant.

Keyboard and touchpad
The Asus UL30 has a full-size keyboard. The keys provide decent tactile feedback. You will be able to achieve your normal typing speed without much effort. The touchpad supports the two-finger scroll multitouch feature. It does not come with distinct left and right buttons, but that is unlikely to be an issue. Sensitivity is good, but buttons are a bit stiff.

Performance
The Asus UL30 has enough power inside its chassis to handle most tasks around the house. It is also good at multi-tasking. You can open more than 3 programs simultaneously. High-end gaming is still out of question.

Battery life
At around 10 hours, the battery life is pretty good for a machine of this size. Actually it lasts longer than most ultraportable notebooks in the market.

Ports and Slots
Port selection is satisfactory. There are 3 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, 5-in-1 card reader and 0.3 mp webcam. There is no optical drive.


Pros
Thin and light
Elegant design
Great battery life
Solid performance
Comfortable keyboard

Cons
Glossy display
Average graphics performance

AMD’s yet-to-be-launched ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5000 series graphic card details have leaked. The HD 5000 series GPUs are likely to be similar to their desktop versions.

Among the GPUs the best-performing will be the HD 5800 series which consists of 5870, 5850 and 5830. They come with 1,600 shader units. Every member of the HD 5800 series is expected to support CrossFireX. The HD 5700 series (5770, 5750 and 5730) will offer similar performance at a slightly low price. The HD 5600 and 5650 will be for the main stream and the HD 5400 series (5470, 5450 and 5430) for entry level.

The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5000 GPUs are expected to be released early next year.

Acer is planning to launch a 15.6 inch 3D notebook by the end of October 2009. It comes with built-in software which is capable of converting regular 2D movies into 3D. The notebook will also offer direct support to 3D movies. Acer jointly built it with Wistron.

Right now, the support for 3D is limited and users are required to wear stereoscopic glasses, but Acer is working on developing a model that doesn’t need glasses.

The notebook will come pre-installed with Windows 7. Acer is also working on developing its third-generation netbooks, which will more or less be like smartbooks with good network connectivity options.

X410, the latest addition to the MSI X-Slim series of notebooks, is based on the AMD Neo platform. It is an update to the previous X400.

The MSI X410 has a 14 inch LED backlit display with 1366x768 pixels. It comes with an ATI Radeon X1250 GPU which is part of the Neo Platform. The GPU is powerful enough to handle HD 1080i video content. Up to 2GB of RAM can be installed on this notebook. The standard storage option is a 320GB hard disk drive. It can be upgraded to 500GB.

Other features include 1.3MP Webcam, optional Bluetooth, Wi-Fi b/g/n, an SD card reader, HDMI port and gigabit Ethernet. 4 or 8 cell battery options are available. The notebook also features AMD’s PowerNow! technology which is expected to improve battery life.

Pricing and Availability
No information regarding pricing or availability has been announced as yet.

Toshiba has introduced a universal wireless USB docking station dubbed Dynadock. It will work with all Windows based computers. Unlike traditional docking stations, the Dynadock does not have to be attached to the laptop by a cable. Peripheral devices that require wireless access to the notebook (e.g. keyboards, mice, speakers, monitors etc.) can be connected to the dock.

The Dynadock comes with a wireless adapter. It has 6 USB ports and an integrated 7.1 surround sound card. It supports VGA and DVI monitors having up to 1680x1050 resolution. It is now available for $299.99.

Fujitsu has added a multi-touch screen to its popular LifeBook T5010 tablet PC. The new screen supports two finger gesture touch control. The multi-touch features will be available only after the release of Windows 7 in October.

The LifeBook T5010 has an LED-backlit 13.3 inch screen with dual digitizers. With its bi-directional hinge, it can be rotated in either direction. The tablet runs on Intel Core 2 Duo processors with integrated Intel graphics. Up to 4GB of DDR3-1066 RAM can be installed. Other features include a built-in WWAN and modular bay. Prices start at $1,759.

The new Lenovo ThinkPad T400s Touch is the first standard notebook to feature a touchscreen panel. It doesn’t come cheap: buyers have to shell out an additional $400 to buy the touchscreen version.

Specifications
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional
Display: 1440 x 900 WXGA+ with MultiTouch LED Backlit (Matte finish)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo SP9600 (2.53GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 6MB Cache)
Memory: 4GB DDR3 RAM (2GB x 2)
Storage: 128GB Toshiba SSD

Build and Design
The new ThinkPad T400s is slimmer and lighter than the original T400. Lenovo has coated the exterior of the notebook with a rubberized black paint. Build quality is excellent. The chassis shows absolutely no sign of flex at all.

The hard drive is now 1.8 inch instead of the 2.5 inch found on T400. Upgrading this notebook is really easy, as the chassis provides easy access panels to all user-replaceable components.

Screen and Speakers
The T400s Touch has more or less the same panel as the regular T400s with the only difference being the addition of a multi-touch surface. The touch surface allows you to manipulate screen objects without using a mouse or a touchpad. The display is OK, but it does have those minor flaws associated with all touch-screens. For instance touch-screens appear to be hazy, but the problem is not that apparent on T400s Touch.

The display itself is good. Colors are bright and vivid. Contrast is also good. Viewing angles are average. Lenovo has also added new software to take advantage of the multi-touch features. Speaker performance was far from being perfect, but this is a problem with most business notebooks.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard on this notebook looks and feels different from the keyboards on previous models. But the changes are mostly for the better. The T400s Touch has relatively larger ‘escape’ and ‘delete’ keys. The keyboard is comfortable to type on.

The touchpad is different too. The T400s Touch has a raised touchpad with a softer texture. It seems less sensitive than the touchpad on T400s.

Ports and Features
Port selection is good. There are 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 eSATA/USB combo port, VGA port, DisplayPort out, built-in web camera, Bluetooth, DVD+/-RW

Performance
Performance is quite satisfactory. Boot times and application load times are fast. The machine can handle most tasks. Despite this being a business notebook with no discrete GPUs, it can easily decode HD movies.

Battery Life
At about 6 hours, the battery life is quite good.

Conclusion
With T400s Lenovo has brought a Touch-screen interface to a standard notebook. The notebook performs reasonably well with its touch interface. The only problem is its prize. The T400s Touch starts at around $2000.

Pros:
First standard notebook to feature a multi-touch screen
Good battery life

Cons:
Pricey

Packard Dell claims that its 11.6 inch dot m/u netbook will offer the same performance as a notebook does. The dot m/u is larger than most netbooks; it is costlier too.

This netbook will have a power efficient Intel processor, instead of the Atom CPU common in netbooks. Up to 4GB of RAM can be installed. The maximum hard disk capacity is 500GB. Other features include multitouch trackpad, multicard reader and optional integrated 3G.

At just 3lbs, the dot m/u is ultraportable. It comes preinstalled with Windows 7 and will be available soon after the release of Windows 7.

The ASUS N61 is now available for purchase in the US. The notebook is currently available in two versions - one with an Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 2.2GHz processor and the other with a faster Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 2.53GHz. Both notebooks feature the SonicMaster technology which would considerably improve sound quality.

The maximum RAM that can be installed is 4GB. For gaming and graphics there is a 1 GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 220M. The hard disk capacity is 320GB. Optional upgrades that will be eventually available include HDDs of up to 500GB and a NVIDIA GeForce GT 240M GPU. The processor can also be upgraded to Intel Core 2 Quad CPU.

Other features include Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth, 3 USB ports, HDMI/VGA and eSATA, ExpressCard, a multi card reader and Blue-ray. Prices start at $799.

Viewsonic known for their LCD displays and projectors is the latest to enter the notebook market. The company has released a notebook (the VNB132) and a netbook (the VNB102). The devices are expected to be available in November.

The VNB102 comes with standard netbook specifications including a 1.6 GHz Atom N270 processor, 160GB hard disk and 1GB of RAM. It will have a 10.1 inch display featuring 1024x600 pixels. VNB102 will run on the Windows XP operating system. Other features include VGA, 3 USB ports, Ethernet and 3-in-1 card reader. Both 3-cell and 6-cell battery options are available. The 3-cell version is expected to give 3 to 4 hours of up time. It will be retailed for $349. The 6-cell version will have a price tag of $399 and should provide up to six hours of battery life.

The ViewBook Pro (or VNB132) is a 13 inch notebook powered by a low voltage Intel Core 2 SU7300 processor with 2GB of RAM. The estimated battery life is six to eight hours.

The 13.3 inch display features a resolution of 1280x800. The hard disk capacity is 320GB and the standard operating system is Windows 7. There are 2 USB ports, VGA, HDMI, Ethernet, 7-in-1 card reader, 8X DVD Supermulti drive and an ExpressCard/34 slot. Prices start at $899.

The HP Pavilion dm3 is the newest addition to the Pavilion family of notebooks. At $549, it has an accessible price point and some decent specs too.

The Pavilion dm3 can be configured with either an AMD or Intel processor. Discrete GPUs are available for gaming and processing HD video. The notebook has a 13.3 inch LED display. It also features the HD BrightView technology which makes the display viewable in bright settings.

The Pavilion dm3 is made of lightweight aluminum and weighs just 4.2 pounds. It measures less than 1 inch in thickness, thanks to the absence of an optical drive. HP claims that the device will offer up to 10 hours of battery life.

HP has announced a ProBook 5310m. This budget-priced notebook is aimed at small and medium businesses. The 13.3 inch 5310m comes with a metal chassis, but still measures less than 1 inch in thickness and weighs only 3.7 pounds.

The ProBook 5310m starts at $699. It can be configured with either a dual-core Intel SU2300 processor or a Core 2 Duo SP9300. HP claims that the notebook will offer up to 7 hours of uptime.

The standard storage option is a 320GB hard disk drive spinning at 7,200 rpm. You can also opt for a 128GB Solid State Drive. The display is LED backlit. Other features include multi-touch touchpad and 4 USB ports. Mobile professionals can configure the machine with integrated EV-DO or HSPA mobile broadband.

HP has included the InstantOn QuickLook OS with this notebook which allows a user to read emails while traveling. You can also write new messages which your computer will send as soon as you have an internet connection. With the QuickWeb feature you can start browsing the Net before fully booting up the computer.

The ProBook 5310m will start shipping in a few weeks.

Hercules, a company known for manufacturing video peripherals, has released a netbook – the eCafe EC – 1000E.

The eCafe comes with a 250GB hard disk which isn’t very common in netbooks. Another not-so-common feature is the selection of Windows 7 Starter Edition OS. The netbook will be powered by an Intel Atom N270 1.60GHz processor with 1GB of RAM. It has a 10.1 inch LCD display featuring 1024x600 pixels. Other features include Wi-Fi b/g/n, 10/100 Ethernet, card reader and 3 USB ports.

The eCafe sports an attractive design. The keyboard is chiclet styled. The battery option is a 4400mAh 6-cell battery. Buyers will also get 50 GB free online space for backing up data. Prices start at $399.

In size and design the new VIA SurfBoard family of NetNotes resemble netbooks, but in capability the machines are comparable to notebooks. Official Press Release claims that the SurfBoards are capable of decoding 1080 HD video.
The new laptops feature 10.2 and 12.1 inch displays. They will make use of the VIA VX855 media system processor and will be powered by either the VIA C7-M ULV or the VIA Nano CPU.
The SurfBoard netnotes can play video standards such as H.264, MPEG-2/4, VC-1 and WMV9. They offer long battery life and come with a lightweight design. Optional features include integrated 3G and HDMI.

HP has announced two new netbooks – the Mini 110 Studio Tord Boontje special edition and the ION-based Mini 311.

The Mini 110 special edition is an update to the original Mini 110 netbook. It features a new floral design by Studio Tord Boontje. The netbook comes with StarDock MyColors theme. Tord Bontje also designed 15 new wallpapers for this netbook.
Hardware hasn’t changed. The special edition has the same specifications as the original Mini 110. Prices start at $399.

The Mini 311 is HP’s first Ion-based netbook. It has an 11.6 inch WXGA LCD screen. It is powered by an Intel Atom N270 1.60 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM and 160 GB Hard disk. The keyboard is nearly full-sized. Other features include an HDMI port and Wi-Fi b/g. The standard operating system is Windows XP. Prices start at $399.

The soon-to-be launched HP Envy 13 is a premium notebook aimed at the consumer market. It measures just 0.8 inch in thickness and weighs 3.74 pounds.

The Envy 13 has slightly lower specifications than HP Voodoo PC Envy 13. It is powered by a low-voltage Intel Core 2 Duo Processor SL9400 clocking 1.86 GHz. There is a switchable ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 discrete GPU for good gaming and graphics performance.

Another striking feature of the notebook is its 13 inch ‘HP Radiance Display’ that delivers improved color quality and exceptional brightness. The speakers come with a ‘Beats Audio’ feature that would considerably improves the audio quality. HP claims that the ultra-high capacity battery on the notebook will offer up to 18 hours of uptime.

Other features include HP QuickWeb that gives quick access to internet, music, videos and photos in seconds.

Pricing and availability
HP Envy 13 is expected to be available soon after the release of Windows 7 in October. Prices will start at $1,699.

Users who prefer to place their laptop on their lap should find the Lapdesk N315 from Logitech helpful. The lapdesk N315 is made up of a comfortable thin material that is easy to clean. You can wash it just in case you spill something on it or it gets dirty. It is designed for laptops of the size 15.6 inch or smaller.

The lapdesk comes with a retractable mousepad which slides in and out of the base. Another useful feature is the anti-slip top on which you can securely place the laptop without having to worry about it slipping off the base.

An update to the previous G50 line of notebooks, the Asus G51VX is largely aimed at gamers. Prices start at $1049.

Specifications:
Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 (2GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Display: 15.6" TFT Widescreen display with LED backlighting (1366x768)
Memory: 4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz System Memory
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 260M 1GB GDDR3 Memory
Hard Disk Drive: 320GB 7200RPM SATA Seagate Momentus Hard Drive
Weight: 7.3 lbs

Build and Design
Build quality is satisfactory. The machine is strong in all the right places and looks and feels solid. Design is a bit understated. Just about every component of this laptop can be upgraded, but you cannot change the processor or GPU without voiding the one-year warranty.

Screen and Speakers
The G51VX has an LED backlit display with 1366x768 pixels. The screen is bright enough to become viewable in a bright office setting. Viewing angles are good, but color saturation is still very poor. The panel itself is mediocre. Speaker quality is average; the speaker placement doesn’t improve the situation either.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The chiclet-style keyboard comes with an adjustable backlight feature. The keyboard does show a decent amount of flex, but it is comfortable to type on. You will also get used to it in no time. The touchpad is good. It shows good sensitivity; the buttons also feel right.

Performance
The G51VX comes with a 2GHz Core 2 Duo processor. While this processor is good for getting most tasks done, it seems to have difficulty handling some new games. The 320GB Seagate hard disk spinning at 7200 rpm considerably improves the performance of this notebook.

Ports and Features
Port selection seems adequate but some users may find their placement a bit odd. There is a VGA port, 4 USB ports, FireWire port, eSATA port, HDMI port, ExpressCard 54 slot, Ethernet port, headphone jack, microphone jack, a DVD+/-RW optical drive and media reader. Other features include a 1.3 megapixel integrated webcam and WiFI 5100 (a/b/g/n).

Battery
It seems that the G51VX isn’t built to be off the mains. At about 2 hours, the battery life is pretty average. But this is hardly surprising given the power hungry graphics and 7200rpm hard disk.

Heat and Noise
The cooling system of this laptop is somewhat poorly designed. The machine tends to heat up during heavy gaming, so you can’t keep it on your lap for long. Fortunately the heat doesn’t radiate too badly off the top surface of the laptop. Heat problems can be solved to a great extent by buying a cooling pad.

Conclusion
The best thing about this gaming notebook is indeed its accessible price point which starts at $1049. Performance is strictly OK. The GeForce GTX 260M GPU can handle most modern games, but the processor performance seems lacking in some aspects. If you can live this, you must definitely consider buying G51VX.

Pros:
Faster GPU
7200rpm hard disk
Backlit keyboard
Good port selection

Cons:
Tends to heat up
Poor battery life
Average processor performance

HP has announced a new netbook in conjunction with fashion designer Vivienne Tam. The new netbook has its design inspired by a classic Chinese love story titled ‘Butterfly Lovers’. The lid of the netbook has big butterflies against a champagne background. The previous HP Vivienne Tam netbook had a red floral design.

The device dubbed HP Vivienne Tam digital clutch is targeted at women around the world. It is expected to be available in spring 2010. No information regarding its specifications or pricing is available as of now.

“To me, butterflies symbolize love, freedom, independence and transformation,” said Vivienne Tam adding, “When women around the globe carry HP’s digital clutch and wear my clothes, I want them to feel independent and free, like butterflies.”

The Samsung N510 is currently available in many parts of the world including Italy, Germany and Hong Kong. It will go on sale in the UK very shortly.

Samsung has already unveiled the official product page for the N510. The official specifications reveal that the UK version of N510 will have relatively better hardware. For instance, it will run on the faster N280 Atom and will have a 6-cell battery rated at 5900mAH.The N510 sold in other parts of the Europe has a relatively slower N270 Atom processor. The 6-cell battery on this version is rated at 5200mAH.

HP has officially announced the release of its Mini 311 (Compaq Mini 311 in Europe) ION powered netbook. The HP Mini 311 has an 11.6 inch display sporting a high resolution (1366x768). It will be powered by an Intel Atom 1.6GHz N270 processor. Other specifications include 1GB of RAM and 160GB of hard disk capacity.

The keyboard is nearly full-sized. The official HP press release confirms that the netbook will come with an entry level Nvidia ION LE. It will run on the Windows XP operating system. Other features include 5-in-1 card reader, three USB ports and audio jacks.

The Mini 311 will reach the US market on September 23 with a starting price of $399. HP will also release a version featuring the Windows 7 OS.

HP has recently released an Envy line of notebooks. The latest offering from the series - the HP Envy 15 – has a 1.6GHz Intel Core i7 720QM processor with 6MB of L2 cache. The hard disk spinning at 7200rpm has a maximum capacity of 320GB. The notebook comes preinstalled with 4GB of RAM, but it can be upgraded to 16GB. For handling the graphics and video, there is a 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4830GPU.

Other features include 3 USB 2.0 ports, multi-touch keyboard, 1 eSATA/USB combo port, HDMI, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The Envy 15 will run on Windows 7 Home Premium so it will be available until at least the arrival of Operating System in October. HP also plans to release an Envy 13 notebook.

HP already has a Voodoo Envy line of notebooks known for their high-end specifications. The new Envy line might end up being a relatively cheap alternative to the premier Voodoo notebooks.

AMD claims that its latest graphics hardware based on the DirectX 11 standard will make the graphics performance in Windows 7 better and smoother. The new graphics cards will be first used in desktop PCs, and are expected to be available for laptops early next year.

AMD has already unveiled discrete ATI GPUs with DirectX 11 capabilities. The desktop products will be released by the time Windows 7 arrives. The new graphics cards to feature the technology will be in the form of discrete GPUs. AMD expects to release integrated GPUs by 2011.

DirectX 11 is a set of programming interfaces supported by Windows 7. It will make images appear more realistic. The technology will also improve the performance of online and HD video playback.

Desktop replacement laptops are usually heavy and have large screens. Here is an indicative list of the top five power laptops of this kind.


1. Alienware M17X

Processor: 2.53-GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9300
Display: 17" Wide Screen Display
HDD: 320GB Hard Drive
Weight: 12.6Lbs
Price: around $3849

Verdict: Pricey but delivers snappy performance; few notebooks manage to beat M17x in gaming power.

2. Eurocom D901C Phantom-x

Processor: 3-GHz Intel Xeon X3370
Display: 17.1" Wide screen Display
HDD: 320GB Hard Drive
Weight: 12Lbs

Verdict: Plenty of power and versatility; Phantom-x can handle almost any task, but it lacks a good layout and design.


3. Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds

Processor: 2.53-GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9300
Display: 17" Wide screen Display
HDD: 400GB Hard Drive
Weight: 11Lbs

Verdict: The idea of a second screen is indeed good, but it hasn’t been properly thought out.

4. Micro Express N570

Processor: 2.53-GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9300
Display: 17" Wide screen Display
HDD: 320GB Hard Drive
Weight: 9.2Lbs.

Verdict: Good for gaming but lacks in other areas.

5. HP HDX 18

Processor: 2.8-GHz Core 2 Duo T9600
Display: 18.4" Wide screen display
HDD: 640GB
Weight: 9.1Lbs

Verdict: Better than your desktop PC