NOTEBOOK AND LAPTOP REVIEWS: 10/1/11

MSI GT780DX GAMING LAPTOP NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

MSI’s newest gaming laptop is now available for purchase. By MSI’s own claims, the GT780DX is the ‘ultimate weapon in battle’.

The MSI GT780DX has a 17 inch display, a 2.2GHz Intel Core i7 Quad-core processor, NVIDIA Geforce GTX 570M discrete graphics and 12GB (supports up to 32GB) of RAM. The display has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The storage option is a 750GB hard drive. Other specifications include 2 USB 3.0 ports, 3 USB 2.0 ports, a 720p HD webcam and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit operating system.

With the objective of making the laptop even more gamer-friendly MSI has incorporated several changes into the design of the keyboard. You can, for example, light up select keys (W, S, A, D and the control key on the left side) on the keyboard. MSI has also moved the Windows key from the left to the right to avoid any accidental clicks.

BUY TWO BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK TABLETS AND GET ONE FREE

RIM is trying every trick in the book to boost the sale of its PlayBook tablet. The company dropped the price of the tablet from $499 to $299 this summer. And now it has launched yet another promotion. Long story short, starting today you can get a PlayBook free if you buy two. Buyers will also be treated with a free accessory like a leather sleeve or HDMI cable. It is not exactly clear how many retailers are participating in the promotion though.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is a decent tablet with excellent multitasking capabilities. It has a 7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixels display and a 1GHz TI OMAP 4430 dual core processor. The tablet runs a QNX based operating system. While the hardware is state-of-art, the software is what makes the tablet a hard-sell. There aren’t many third party apps for the QNX OS at the moment. What’s more RIM launched the tablet without even bothering to equip it with the key BlackBerry features such as native contacts, calendar or email apps.

RIM, meanwhile, is soon expected to launch the PlayBook OS 2.0 update which will solve many of the software problems plaguing the tablet.

BEST BUY TO SELL HP TOUCHPAD FOR $150 WITH THE PURCHASE OF A PC

Best Buy will start selling 32GB HP TouchPad tablets for $149.99 on November 1st. To get that price you will need to buy an HP or Compaq laptop or desktop though.

The HP TouchPad launched a couple of months ago. It wasn't selling well until HP dropped the price to $99 this summer. In a matter of seconds the tablet started flying off the shelves. HP is no longer selling the tablet directly to customers because it is out of stock. Most other retailers too don't have the tablet in stock, but it looks like Best Buy still has a few units with it.

This deal isn't quite like the $99 deal which made the tablet wildly popular. It will only appeal to customers who are already in the market for a new computer.

The HP TouchPad has a 9.7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixels display and a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. While the tablet has decent hardware, it runs the webOS 3.0 operating system which doesn't have a lot of third party applications designed for it.

DELL INTRODUCES LATITUDE ST WINDOWS TABLET

Dell has officially introduced its 10 inch business tablet called Latitude ST. Dell is yet to unveil the official specs-sheet of the tablet, but according to an Italian website it will have a 1.5GHz Intel Atom Z670 single core processor, 2GB of RAM and a 10.1 inch LED display with 1280 x 800 pixels. The display is coated with Gorilla Glass.

The Latitude ST will be available with up to 128GB of SSD and a 4-cell, 30Whr battery. The supported connectivity options include WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and optional 3G and GPS.

The Dell Latitude ST is available with Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate operating system. The tablet has an optional docking station. It measures 0.6 inches in thickness and weighs 1.8 pounds.

The best thing about Latitude ST is its ability to run Windows apps which makes it more suitable for business customers. On the flip side, Windows isn’t quite suitable for touchscreen devices.

DELL XPS 14Z TO START SHIPPING IN THE US ON NOVEMBER 1ST

The 14 inch Dell XPS 14z will start shipping in the US on November 1st. The laptop measures just 0.9 inches in thickness and weighs 4.36 pounds when configured with a hard drive. It is available with a choice of Intel Core Sandy Bridge processors, up to 8GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M discrete graphics and a slot-loading DVD writer. That NVIDIA graphics support the Optimus automatic graphics switching technology and is capable of sending 3D content to an external monitor.

The Dell XPS 14z comes standard with an 8-cell battery pack which will reportedly get close to 7 hours of battery life.

An interesting feature of the 14z is that it can fit inside the chassis of a 13.3 inch laptop, thanks to its super thin bezel. The 14 inch panel has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.

The keyboard is spill-resistant. The laptop has also got a 1.3 megapixel webcam, HDMI output port, USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port and a 7-in-1 media card reader. The supported connectivity options are WiFi 802.11n, Gigabit LAN and Bluetooth.
The Dell XPS 14z has a starting price of $999.

APPLE REFRESHES MACBOOK PRO MODELS

Apple has refreshed its MacBook Pro lineup. The new laptops feature faster ‘Sandy Bridge processors’, better graphics and new storage options.

The 13.3 inch MacBook Pros are now available with up to 750GB of hard drive storage. The base configuration has a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 dual core processor while the top-of-the-line model sports a 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 dual core processor.

The 15 inch MacBook Pro models now sport Intel Core i7 processors with clock speeds of up to 2.4GHz. The graphics options are the AMD Radeon 6750M and Radeon HD 6770M discrete graphics. While the previous models had 7200 rpm 500GB hard drives, the new models sport higher capacity 750GB hard drives having the same clock speed.

The 17 inch MacBook Pro now sports a 2.4Ghz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and AMD Radeon HD 6770M discrete graphics.

Although Apple has upgraded the hardware, the new MacBook Pros have the same price tag as the previous models.

UNANNOUNCED MOTOROLA TABLET HITS FCC

Motorola is reportedly working on new 8 and 10 inch tablets. We have already seen leaked photos of these machines and now one of them has made an appearance at the FCC website. That means it is inching closer to its launch in the US.

Few details are available on the FCC website, but the tablet will reportedly have a 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and a 1280 x 800 pixels display. No word on the screen size. It will be available with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage.

The supported connectivity options include Bluetooth and WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n. It is not clear whether this tablet will have 3G or 4G mobile broadband. Chances are it will. Even if this model doesn't have 3G/4G one of its versions definitely will. No word on pricing or availability at the moment. The tablet doesn't have a proper name either.

DELL LATITUDE ST BUSINESS LAPTOP SPOTTED IN THE WILD

A new Dell tablet running Windows has been spotted in the wild. We first heard about the the Dell Latitude ST this summer. And now Dell has posted a video of the tablet on its Malaysian website.

The Latitude ST is aimed at enterprise users. Dell says that it will have an Intel Atom processor, Windows 7 operating system, USB ports, an HDMI ouput port, and an SD card slot. The display will support multitouch gestures. It will also offer support for stylus.

The tablet has an optional docking station and front and rear cameras. Because it is aimed at enterprise users, Dell has equipped it with many security features including support for device encryption.

According to leaked reports, the tablet will have a 1.5GHz Intel Atom Z670 processor and a 1366 x 768 pixels display. No word on pricing or availability at the moment.

VIEWSONIC VIEWPAD 7E TO LAUNCH THIS MONTH FOR $200

The 7 inch ViewSonic ViewPad 7e Android tablet will start shipping this month for $200.
At that price point it costs just as much as the Amazon Kindle.

The device is powered by a 1GHz processor. It has 4GB of storage. There is also a microSD card slot for expanding storage. The 7 inch display has a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels.

The ViewPad 7e runs Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. It doesn't have access to the Android Market. Instead it will come pre-loaded with the Amazon Appstore for Android. The tablet also comes with an SPB Shell 3D application launcher and a Swype keyboard app.

The ViewPad 7e has front and rear cameras. There is an HDMI output port for transferring video to an external monitor. The connectivity option is WiFi 802.11b/g/n. The tablet doesn't have 3G.

LAPTOPS WITH THE INTEL CELERON B800 HITS THE MARKET

The first notebooks sporting the Intel Celeron B800 notebooks have hit the market. PC makers like Acer, Gateway and Toshiba have all launched laptops with the just released low-end processor.

The 15.6 inch Acer Aspire AS5349-2481 with the B800 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive and HDMI output port retails for just $299. The Toshiba Satellite C655-S5335 sporting the same processor and 3GB of RAM runs $430.

The new Intel Celeron B800 is a 32nm processor based on Intel's latest 'Sandy Bridge' technology. It has a TDP of 35W and a cache of 2MB. This being a lower-end processor, it does not support advanced features like Hyperthreading or TurboBoost.

In benchmark tests the Celeron B800 scores nearly the same points as the older dual core Pentium P6100. Intel is also prepping to launch two other Celeron processors - 1.6GHz Celeron B810 and 1.9GHz B840 - in the coming months. However, we haven't come across any listing with these processors.

MACBOOK PRO UPDATE COMING IN NOVEMBER

Apple will reportedly launch a refreshed version of its MacBook Pro in November. The company was supposed to launch the update in September, but had to push it back probably because they wanted to focus on the launch of the iPhone 4S.

The refresehed MacBook Pros are expected to have the same looks. But under the hood, it will have a faster Intel Sandy Bridge processor. The new Intel Core i7 processors have higher clock speeds than the current generation of processors.

The new MacBook Pro will reportedly also support the Bluetooth 4.0 standard which consumes much less power than the existing Bluetooth 3.0 standard. The MacBook Air and Mac Mini already have Bluetooth 4.0.

Overall, it looks like this is going to be a minor update. Apple may refresh the laptop again in the first half of 2012 with the next gen Ivy Bridge processors.

LENOVO IDEAPAD U400 14 INCH LAPTOP NOW UP FOR ORDER

The 14 inch Lenovo Ideapad U400 thin and light laptop is now available for purchase in the US. The laptop has a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-2430M processor, ATI Radeon HD6470M discrete graphics and a slot-loading DVD burner. The IdeaPad U400 has an aluminum case. It measures 0.9 inches in thickness and weighs 4.4 pounds. The 14 inch display has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.

Lenovo says that the laptop will get around 4 hours of battery life and that is hardly surprising. It has a standard voltage Core i5 processor which isn't very power efficient.

Other specifications include 1.3 MP webcam, WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth, 1 USB 3.0 and 2 USB 2.0 ports. There is an HDMI output port for transferring video to an external monitor. The laptop also supports Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi) technology. However, to use that feature, you will need a separately sold WiDi receiver.

Two models of this laptop are currently available from Amazon. The model with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive runs $850. The second model with 6GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive runs $950.

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB 7.0 PLUS UP FOR PRE-ORDER FOR $400

Samsung will start taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus on October 23rd. The tablet will start shipping in the US on November 13th.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus has a 1.2GHz dual core processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. Models with more storage should also be available. The tablet runs Google Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system.

The tablet weighs about 0.75 pounds and measures 0.4 inches in thickness. It has a 4000mAh battery. It has got two cameras - one on the front side and the other on the rear side. Other specifications include WiFi and Bluetooth.

The model with 16GB of storage will run $399.99. No official word on the availability of that rumored 32GB model, but it will reportedly run $499.99.

CLOSER LOOK AT THE VELOCITY MICRO T408 AND T410

Velocity Micro has added two new tablets to its lineup. The company is already known for its line of low cost Android tablets. The new models are called Velocity Micro T408 and T410. They are better than the previous models and sport capacitive multitouch displays and Samsung 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processors.

Here is a closer look at both models.

The Velocity Micro Cruz T408 has an 8 inch 800 x 600 pixels capacitive touchscreen display. It has got 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, accelerometer, microSD card slots and front-facing cameras. It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system.

The 10 inch T410 has a larger 10 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display. Other specifications are nearly the same the same as that of the smaller model. Neither model has access to the Android Market. Instead they ship with the Amazon Appstore. The Amazon Appstore doesn’t have a huge collection of apps at the moment. Nonetheless, it does have a few things to like about it. For instance it lets you purchase an app once and then download it on any device you have.

The Cruz T408 and T410 have Volume and power buttons. There are no physical buttons for home, menu or back functions.

The Velocity Micro Cruz T408 is priced at $199.99 while the Cruz T410 runs $299.99. Sure, they don’t have the fastest processor or high resolution displays, but they are pretty good for reading eBooks, surfing the web or playing games.

ALL MAJOR BRANDS WILL OFFER ULTRABOOKS: SAYS INTEL

Major PC makers like Acer, Asus, Lenovo and Toshiba have already launched ultrathin notebooks with Intel's latest processors. Intel calls these machines ultrabooks. They have premium features. And although Intel insists that ultrabooks should cost less than $1000, only the entry level models have that price point. But competition may drive the prices further down.

Anyway Intel says that in the near future 'all the major brands' will start offering ultrabooks. That includes HP and Dell. Neither have announced any ultrabooks so far, but they should in the immediate future.

At the moment, Dell doesn't have any ultraportable notebook with 11 - 13 inch displays. HP, however, offers an 11.6 inch laptop called Pavilion DM1 with an AMD E-350 processor. That machine, however, can't be called an ultrabook. For one thing, it doesn't have an Intel processor. It is also a bit thicker and heavier by ultrabook standards.

That said, it is still too early to predict whether ultrabooks are the future of laptops. Sure, these machines have impressive hardware, but they cost thrice as much as a typical netbook.

MSI A6400-042US 15.6 INCH LAPTOP NOW SHIPPING FOR $650

MSI has launched a budget-friendly mainstream laptop. The 15.6 inch MSI A6400-042US has decent hardware. It is powered by a 2.30GHz Intel Core i5 2410M dual core processor with integrated Intel HD graphics. The laptop has 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive and a DVD burner.

The 15.6 inch glossy display has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Other notable features include a pair of USB 3.0 ports and a Chiclet style keyboard.

The MSI A6400-042US runs Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. The notebook has got both VGA and HDMI output ports for transferring video to an external monitor. There is a 1.3 MP webcam for making video calls. Other specifications include 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 stereo speakers and a media card reader.

The MSI A6400-042US is now available from Newegg for $649.99.

ASUS EEE PAD TRANSFORMER WITH 3G COMING

A 3G capable version of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Android tablet is coming soon. It will reportedly hit the streets in November or December.

The WiFi-only versions of the tablet have been available since early this year. The 3G model just happens to have a full-sized SIM card slot on the side of the tablet that also houses the volume rocker. The rest of the specifications are the same.

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer is one of the best selling Android tablets on the market. It has a 10 inch, 1280 x 800 pixels display, 1GB of RAM and a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor. Two models are currently available – one with 16GB of storage and another with 32GB of storage. One of the interesting features of the tablet is its detachable keyboard dock. The dock also has an independent battery. When hooked to the tablet, it will convert the tablet into a laptop besides nearly doubling the battery life.

In Europe the 3G model will cost 100 Euros extra. No word on pricing in the US.
Meanwhile, Asus has already started working on the second generation of the Eee Pad Transformer.

SONY VAIO SE NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FOR $1000 AND UP

The Sony VAIO SE is now available for purchase. The 15.5 inch laptop starts at $1,000.

The mid-range laptop has decent specs. It is available with your choice of an Intel Core i5-2430M or Intel Core i7-2640M processor. The graphics options are the AMD Radeon HD 6470M or HD 6630M. The VAIO SE also has up to 8GB of RAM, up to 750GB of storage, a DVD burner or Blu-ray combo drive.

Other features include integrated webcam, 1 USB 3.0 and 2 USB 2.0 ports, fingerprint reader and Dolby Home Theatre Audio. The supported connectivity options are WiFi, Gigabit LAN and Bluetooth. There is an HDMI output port for transferring video to an external monitor.

The 15.5 inch LED backlit anti-glare display has full HD resolution. Sony says that the 4400mAh battery will get up to 6 hours of runtime. If you need more runtime, you can add an external sheet battery which will extend the battery life to a maximum of 12 hours.

ARCHOS ARNOVA 8 G2 ANDROID TABLET COMING SOON FOR $199

It looks like Archos is planning to launch yet another tablet in its Arnova lineup. The company recently launched two new Arnova tablets – the Arnova 7 G2 and the Arnova 10 G2. The new model will reportedly have an 8 inch display. As you can probably imagine, it will be called Arnova 8 G2.

Retailer J&R has already uploaded a product page for the tablet. No shipping date is available as yet, but the listing says that the tablet will soon start shipping for $199.99. The tablet had showed up at the FCC website a couple of months ago.

Like its 7 inch and 10 inch siblings, the Arnova 8 G2 features a 1GHz processor, 4GB of storage, an accelerometer and WiFi. It runs Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. The 8 inch display has a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels. The tablet is unlikely to have access to the Google Android Market. Instead, it will ship with a third party app store called Appslib.

PANASONIC LAUNCHES BUSINESS TABLETS IN JAPAN

Panasonic has already launched a couple of Android tablets, but none of these machines are available outside of Japan. And now the company has launched a new line of business tablets. These machines, too, are unlikely to be available outside of Japan anytime soon.

The new Panasonic BizPad JT-580VT has a 7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixels display while the BizPad JT-581VT has a larger 10.1 inch, 1280 x 800 pixels screen. Both models are semi-rugged so they should be able to withstand minor drops as well as heat, water and dust.

Both tablets have 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor. The supported connectivity options include Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, optional 3G and NFC.

The 7 inch model will be available in Japan in December. The 10 inch should follow in January.

ASUS LAMBORGHINI VX6 GETS ATOM D2700 CEDAR TRAIL PROCESSOR

The Lamborghini inspired Asus VX6 has been upgraded with a 2.13GHz Intel Atom D2700 Cedar Trail processor. The 12.1 inch notebook has been around for a while. It originally shipped with a 1.8GHz Intel Atom D525 dual core processor. Although that is a decent processor, it is not very fast by notebook standards.

The new Atom D2700 is a desktop-class processor. Still, it is an Atom processor, so don’t expect blazing fast performance. On the bright side, it should get decent battery life.

Aside from the new processor, the VX6 now also has an AMD Radeon 6470M graphics and 4GB of DDR3 memory. That Radeon graphics should give the notebook an edge over its competition.

No word on the pricing or availability of the new model yet.

SONY VAIO YB NOTEBOOK UPDATED WITH AMD E-450 APU

The Sony Vaio YB notebook has been updated with the 1.65GHz AMD E-450 dual core processor and Radeon HD 6310 graphics.

Sony launched the VAIO YB early this year. Back then it sported a 1.6GHz AMD E-350 processor and Radeon HD 6250 graphics. The new AMD E-450 is only slightly faster than the E-350, so don’t expect any dramatic improvement in performance.

The Sony VAIO YB has an 11.6 inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It has 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB, 5400 rpm hard drive and runs Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit operating system. The notebook measures 1.25 inches in thickness and weighs 3.2 pounds. Other specifications include 3 USB ports, a VGA port, HDMI output port, headphone and mic jacks and a flash card reader.

The new Sony VAIO YB is now available from Newegg for $480.

ASUS ZENBOOKS - AN OVERVIEW

Asus UX21E-DH52
This model has an 11.6, 1366 x 768 pixels display. It is powered by an Intel Core i5-2467M processor. Other specifications include 128GB SSD and a 35Whr battery which will reportedly get up to 5 hours of runtime. The laptop measures 0.67 inches in thickness and weighs 2.43 pounds. The Asus UX21E-DH52 runs $999.

Asus UX21E-DH71
This is the second model in the 11.6 inch series. It too has a 1366 x 768 pixels display. Other specifications include Intel Core i7-2677M processor, 128GB SSD and a 35 Whr battery. The Asus UX21E-DH71 runs $1199.

Asus UX31E-DH52
This model has a 13.3 inch, 1600 x 900 pixels display. It will be powered by an Intel Core i5-2557M processor. Other specifications include 128GB SSD and 50Whr battery. The laptop measures 0.71 inches in thickness and weighs 2.86 pounds. It runs $1099.

Asus UX31E-DH53
This model too has a 13.3 inch, 1600 x 900 pixels display. Other specifications include Intel Core i5-2557M processor, 256GB SSD and 50Whr battery. It is priced at $1349.

Asus UX31E-DH72
This is the third model in the 13.3 inch series. It has an Intel Core i7-2677M processor, a 256GB SSD and a 50Whr battery. It is the costliest of the five Zenbooks and run $1449.
All models are expected to start shipping on October 12th.

ASUS INTRODUCES ZENBOOKS

Asus is introducing a new line of thin and light laptops called Zenbooks. The Asus Zenbooks will be available in two screen sizes. There will be two models with 11.6 inch displays and three models with 13.3 inch displays.

The Zenbooks are based on the Intel ultrabook platform. By Intel’s own definition an ultrabook is a laptop computer that weighs less than 3 pounds, measures less than 0.8 inches in thickness and costs less than $1000. These machines will have Intel’s latest processors. While Intel wants these laptops to cost less than $1000, many PC makers have already made it clear that building a laptop with these specifications and that price point is nearly impossible.

All of Asus Zenbooks have solid state drives, 4GB of RAM, WiFi 802.11b/g/n connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0 and 0.3 megapixel webcams. They also have Intel GMA 3000 HD graphics, USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, microHDMI output port, mini VGA port and Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit operating system.

Asus says that the Zenbooks take less than 2 seconds to resume from sleep.

VELOCITY MICRO CRUZ T408 NOW AVAILABLE FOR JUST $200

The Velocity Micro Cruz T408 tablet has joined the growing brigade of sub $200 Android tablets. The tablet launched last month with a price tag of $240. Now it is available for as little as $200.

The Cruz T408 has an 8 inch, 800 x 600 pixels capacitive touchscreen display. It is powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and runs Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. Other specifications include 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and WiFi 802.11b/g/n. There is also a microSD card slot for expanding storage.

The Cruz T408 doesn’t have access to the Android Market. Instead it ships with the Amazon app store for Android. The tablet has also got a front-facing camera for video conferencing.
The Cruz T408 isn’t the only tablet from Velocity Micro. The company has also launched a 10 inch tablet that costs $299.99.

VIEWSONIC LAUNCHES VIEWPAD 10E ANDROID TABLET

ViewSonic has introduced yet another Android tablet. The budget-friendly ViewSonic ViewPad 10e has a 10 inch display. As the name may suggest, the ViewPad 10e is a larger version of the 7 inch ViewPad 7e.

Both models have a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and run Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. While the 7e has a 7 inch display, the 10e has a larger 9.7 inch IPS display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels.

Other specifications include 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, a 1.3 megapixel camera, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, and Bluetooth 3.0. There is a microSD card slot for expanding storage. The tablet can handle 720p HD video playback.

The ViewPad 10e has also got a mini HDMI port, a micro USB port and an audio jack. The tablet reportedly has a 5400 mAh battery. It measures 0.36 inches in thickness and weighs 1.4 pounds. The ViewPad 10e doesn’t have access to the Android Market, but it may support third party app stores like Amazon Appstore.

LENOVO IDEAPAD A1 VS AMAZON KINDLE FIRE

The sub $200 Android tablets are not a rarity. There are plenty of them on the market. But up until now these machines were built by unknown Chinese device makers. Now the situation is different. Two big name companies have announced Android tablets with a $200 price tag.
Both Lenovo IdeaPad A1 and Amazon Kindle Fire have 7 inch displays. So which tablet is better? Here is a quick comparison of the specifications of the two models.

The Kindle Fire, the first ever tablet from Amazon, has a dual core processor and a multitouch IPS display. The IdeaPad A1, on the other hand, has a single core ARM Cortex A8 processor and a standard multi-touch display. Both tablets have got the same screen resolution (1024 x 600) and run Google Android 2.3 operating system.

While the IdeaPad A1 has full access to Google Android Market, the Kindle Fire comes with Amazon’s Android apps store. As for other specifications, the Kindle Fire comes standard with 8GB of storage. The IdeaPad A1 has got just 2GB of storage. On the bright side, it has a microSD card slot for expanding storage. The feature is not available with Amazon’s tablet. The Lenovo tablet has also got two cameras; the Kindle Fire has none.

Verdict
While the Kindle Fire has a faster processor and a better display, it lacks many features found in the Lenovo tablet. It, for instance, doesn’t have Bluetooth, GPS, microSD card slot or cameras.

LENOVO LAUNCHES IDEAPAD A1 SUB $200 ANDROID TABLET

Lenovo is the latest big name company to launch a sub $200 Android tablet. The Lenovo IdeaPad A1 has a $199 price tag. It will reportedly start shipping on October 27th.
The IdeaPad A1 has a 7 inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The screen can recognize two-finger multi-touch. The tablet is powered by a single core ARM Cortex A8 processor. It runs Google Android 2.3 operating system. Other specifications include WiFi and Bluetooth.

The IdeaPad A1 has got two cameras – a 5 megapixel camera on the rear side and a 2 megapixel camera on the front side. The tablet has also got a built-in GPS receiver which is useable even when it is not connected to the internet.

The $199 model has 2GB of storage. It is only available in black. The model with 16GB of storage runs $249. This model is also available in white, blue, pink and black. There a microSD card slot for expanding storage. The tablet has also got a mini USB port.

The IdeaPad A1 measures 0.47 inches in thickness and weighs less than a pound. The tablet will reportedly get up to 7 hours of runtime. The Lenovo tablet has access to the Android Market.

DELL XPS 14Z LEAKS

The Dell XPS 14z has leaked on the Dell US website. The 14 inch laptop is expected to hit the US shores sometime soon.

The Dell XPS 14z L412z is an ultraportable notebook measuring just 0.9 inches in thickness. It weighs 4.36 pounds when configured with an HDD. It is powered by Intel’s second generation Core series processors. Other specifications include up to 8GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce discrete graphics with Optimus technology and a slot-loading DVD writer. That NVIDIA graphics is capable of sending 3D video content to an external monitor.
The notebook comes standard with an 8-cell battery and will reportedly get over 6 hours of battery life.

Although the Dell 14z has a 14 inch display it has a thin bezel so that it can fit inside the chassis of a 13.3 inch laptop. The 14 inch LED backlit display has a brightness of 200-nit and a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.

The Dell XPS 14z also has a 1.3 megapixel webcam, WiFi 802.11n, Gigabit LAN, Bluetooth and regular array of ports. Optional features include support for Intel Wireless Display technology.

No word on pricing or availability at the moment.

PANDIGITAL LAUNCHES 8 INCH SUPERNOVA TABLET

Pandigital has launched a new budget-friendly tablet. The Pandigital SuperNova has an 8 inch display and a $229 price tag.

The SuperNova has a 1GHz Samsung S5PV210 processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. The 8 inch capacitive multitouch display has a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels. The tablet runs the dated Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. Other specifications include WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, micro-HDMI and microSD card slots.

The tablet doesn’t have access to the Google Android Market. Instead it ships with the GetJar app store. It also comes pre-loaded with the Barnes & Noble eBook app.

Although the SuperNova has decent specifications, Pandigital may have difficulty selling it considering the fact that the many big name companies are now selling their tablets for $200.
The Pandigital SuperNova will start shipping soon.

SAMSUNG SLATE 7 WINDOWS 7 TABLET UP FOR PRE-ORDER

The 11.6 inch Samsung Slate 7 Windows 7 tablet is now up for pre-order. The 11.6 inch enterprise class tablet has a 400-nit bright display and wide viewing angles. It supports both multi-touch and pen input.

The Samsung Slate 7 is aimed at businesses. It doesn’t have a physical keyboard, but you can add one via Bluetooth, thanks to the keyboard dock. That said, the tablet doesn’t come standard with the dock: it is separately sold.

The Samsung Slate 7 can deliver the performance of a laptop, thanks to the powerful Intel Core i5 2467M dual core processor. A Core i3 processor option is also available. The tablet comes standard with 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of solid state drive. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. Other specifications include front (2MP) and rear (3MP) facing cameras, full-sized USB port, mini HDMI output port, Gigabit LAN, WiFi, Bluetooth and a microSD card slot.

Samsung says that the tablet will get up to 7 hours of battery life, but that doesn’t seem all that plausible.

The Samsung Slate 7 is heavier and thicker than a typical tablet. It weighs 1.89 pounds and measures 12.9mm in thickness. But that is hardly surprising because the tablet has a full performance CPU and a larger display.

Pricing and availability
There is no word on availability at the moment. Samsung had earlier said that the tablet would have a starting price of $1,099, but the model that Amazon is taking pre-order for runs $1,349.

BEST BUY NOW SELLING THE LENOVO B575-1450A7U NOTEBOOK FOR $300

The 15.6 inch Lenovo B575-1450A7U notebook is now available from Best Buy for just $300. The notebook has an AMD E-series E-350 processor which comes bundled with the Radeon HD 6310 graphics. Other specifications include 4GB of RAM, a 250GB of hard drive and Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.

The Lenovo B575 also has a DVD burner, a 0.3 megapixel web camera, HDMI, 4 USB ports, WiFi and a 6-in-1 media card reader. The 15.6 inch display has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.
The AMD E-350 is a 1.6GHz dual core processor. It is not as fast as the recently launched E-450. Nonetheless, it has got enough power to handle everyday computing jobs. It can also handle 1080p HD video playback, thanks to the powerful Radeon graphics.

The Lenovo B575-1450A7U is aimed at businesses and as such it comes with security features such as a fingerprint reader. It also sports a simple, minimalistic design with a matte black lid and sharp edges.

TOSHIBA UNVEILS REGZA AT700 AND AT3S0 ANDROID TABLETS

Toshiba launched two new tablets yesterday. While the Toshiba Regza AT700 has a 10 inch display, the Regza AT3S0 has a smaller 7 inch display. Actually we have heard about these tablets before, but these model numbers weren’t available then.

The Regza AT700 appears to be a rebranded version of the Toshiba AT200, while the smaller AT3S0 seems to be the same machine as the Toshiba Thrive 7. Both tablets run Google Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system. Interestingly both the smaller and the larger model have the same screen resolution – 1280 x 800 pixels.

The Toshiba Regza AT700 is the thinnest 10 inch tablet out there: It measures just 7.7mm in thickness. The tablet weighs 1.23 pounds. It has a 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4430 dual core processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, micro USB, micro HDMI and micro SD card ports. The tablet also has got front and rear facing cameras.

The 7 incher has a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor, 1GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Other specifications are the same as the larger model. Both tablets are expected to launch in Japan in December.

ASUS EEE PC 1025CE CEDAR TRAIL CPU HITS FCC

A new Asus netbook has hit the FCC. The Asus Eee PC 1025CE isn’t all that different from the 1025C which made an appearance at the FCC website last week. Both models have the same case design, same keyboard and 10 inch displays. There are some differences too.

The Eee PC 1025CE is likely to be the pricier of the two. It has got 2 USB 2.0 and 1 USB 3.0 ports. The 1025C, on the other hand, has three USB 2.0 ports. While the 1025C is WiFi-only, the 1025CE will have both Bluetooth and 4G WiMax. It also has a matte display which makes it somewhat readable in direct sunlight. The 1025C, on the other hand, has a glossy display.

There is no word on the processor, memory or storage, but both laptops are expected to ship with Intel Atom Cedar Trail processors. Perhaps the lower-end model will have an Intel Atom N2600 processor while the other uses the faster N2800 processor.

No word on pricing or availability at the moment.

ACER ASPIRE ONE 722 GETS AMD C-60 APU

The Acer Aspire One 722 has got a specs bump. While the original model was more of a netbook, this recent upgrade makes it an ultraportable.

The 11.6 inch laptop now features the new AMD C-60 dual core Fusion processor, up to 4GB of RAM and up to 500GB of hard drive space. The original model had 1GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive.

Two models are currently available from Best Buy - one with 2GB of RAM / 320GB hard drive and another with 4GB of RAM / a 500GB hard drive. Both models run Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.

The AMD C-60 is faster than the AMD C-50. It also supports the Turbo Mode which allows the CPU to run between the standard 1GHz and maximal 1.33GHz. The AMD C-60 also comes bundled with the integrated Radeon graphics which supports 1080p HD video playback.
The Acer Aspire One AO722 has a starting price of $345.

ULTRABOOKS UP FOR PRE-ORDER

Those ultrathin notebooks called Ultrabooks are all set to hit the market next week. Several retailers have already started taking pre-orders for some of them.

One of these models, the Lenovo Ultabook U300s will have a starting price of $1,177.45. Retailer Provantage is taking pre-order for this model and it has an Intel Core i5-2467 processor and 128GB of SSD. Higher-end models have Intel Core i7-2677M processor, 256GB SSD and price tags lower than $1,600.

Acer’s Aspire S3 3951 will have a lower starting price of $899.99. This model, too, has an Intel Core i5-2467 processor. No word on other specs at the moment.

There is still no word on the pricing of Asus UX21, UX31 and Toshiba Portege Z380. But word is that Toshiba’s first Ultrabook will start at below $1,000.

SAMSUNG LAUNCHES GALAXY TAB 7.0 PLUS ANDROID TABLET

Samsung has unveiled a new 7 inch tablet. The new Samsung Galaxy 7.0 Plus isn't all that different from the original 7 inch Galaxy Tab the company introduced in the year 2010.

Both models have 7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixels displays and cameras on the front and back side.
The new model is thinner and lighter than the original model. It measures 0.4 inches in thickness and weighs 0.76 pounds. The original model measured 0.5 inches in thickness and weighed 0.84 pounds.

It has a faster 1.2GHz dual core processor. The original model had a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird single core processor. The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus runs Samsung's TouchWiz user interface on top of Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system. The supported connectivity options include WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, 1GB of RAM, up to 32GB of storage and a microSD card slot for expansion.

It can handle 1080p HD video playback and supports a range of codecs. The tablet can also record 720p HD video.

The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus will be available in white or a gray metallic panel. There is no word on pricing at the moment, but the tablet reportedly has an HSPA+ modem.

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD TABLET COMING TO T-MOBILE

The Huawei Mediapad, the 7 inch Android tablet which the company introduced this summer, is now available from T-Mobile.

The T-Mobile version of the tablet isn't much different from the MediaPad. It has a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual core processor and Android 3.2 operating system. It has a 7 inch, 1280 x 800 pixels IPS display, 16GB of storage and a 4100mAh battery. The T-Mobile version is 4G capable.

The MediaPad measures 0.41 inches in thickness and weighs 0.86 pounds. It supports GPS, 1080p HD video playback and HDMI output. The tablet could be available for $200 for customers who sign up for a service contract. This price isn't finalized yet.

AMAZON KINDLE FIRE TABLET LAUNCHED

Amazon has finally launched its long-rumored tablet. The Amazon Kindle Fire tablet will retail for just $199. It has a dual core processor, a 7 inch 1024 x 600 pixels IPS display and runs a customized version of the Google Android operating system. With such a low price tag and decent specs, it is going to offer stiff competition to the likes of iPads, Galaxy Tabs and other tablets from known and unknown companies.

Amazon is yet to reveal the full specifications of the tablet, but it reportedly has 8GB of built-in storage, WiFi, a micro USB card slot, standard audio connector and stereo speakers.

Amazon says that the tablet will last for 8 hours on a single charge while reading ebooks. It should get 7.5 hours of video playback. Keep in mind that to get this kind of battery life, you will need to turn the WiFi off all the time.

The tablet has some multi-tasking capabilities. Amazon says that the Kindle Fire will be able to stream music while browsing the web or read books while downloading video.
Interestingly instead of the standard Android Market Place, the Kindle Fire comes loaded with Amazon’s App store. Other features include the brand new Silk web browser, Adobe Flash support, and a custom email client which aggregates emails from Yahoo, Gmail and other accounts and open them in a single inbox.

The Amazon Kindle Fire will be available on November 15th. It is now up for pre-order from Amazon.

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