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LG P430 and P530 Blade laptops bedazzle with slim bezels, aluminum bodies, and Core i7
We heard of a bezel-hating LG Shuriken display sneaking its way onto Acer laptops recently, but the Korean company has wisely opted to debut that cutting-edge technology in its own portable computers first. The 14-inch P430 and 15.6-inch P530 mark the start of LG's new Blade series of laptops, which are the result of some obsessive slimming work at the LG labs -- display thickness is 4.5mm and 4.7mm, respectively, while the bezel on the 14-inch model is so narrow as to fit its screen within the dimensions of a traditional 13.3-inch laptop. Weight, at 1.94kg on the P430 and 2.2kg on P530, is also said to be on par with machines offering significantly smaller screens, but that's not at the sacrifice of construction materials as brushed aluminum is used to strengthen LG's new slimsters. A Core i7 CPU and GeForce GT520M GPU will provide the internal firepower, though the rest of the hardware specs are as yet unannounced. The P430 will launch in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America at the end of May, to be followed by the P530 in June. Full PR after the break. Update: LG has now listed the full specs sheets on its Newsroom website.
Acer said to be using LG Shuriken display in upcoming laptop -- less bezel, less thickness, more awesome
The zany guys and gals at DigiTimes have a saucy new rumor to start our week off with a bang. A newfangled LG display, dubbed Shuriken, is apparently being recruited in Acer's fight against irrelevance. The Taiwanese company will reputedly use it in an upcoming 14.1-inch laptop, but here's the kicker: the physical size of the laptop will be no bigger than that of a 13.3-inch model. That's because the Shuriken's panel will require less bezel (8mm instead of 12mm) and less thickness, slimming itself down to just 4mm. LG already has the 12.5-inch Xnote P210, which would seem to be employing similar technology, so it's not a stretch to believe the company's war on bezels has stepped up to the 14-inch size class. Acer is expected to launch this new laptop as early as next month, though the cost of the Shuriken displays is cited as the reason they haven't been taken up more widely yet, meaning the price of the eventual product will be almost as intriguing as its looks.
ASUS' bamboo-plated U43SD laptop graduates to Sandy Bridge, so does plain-jane U41SV
When we reviewed ASUS' first bamboo laptop, we raved about more than just its unconventional looks -- we were also impressed with its solid performance. So we're pleased, although not at all surprised, that ASUS is refreshing the line with Intel's latest Sandy Bridge processors. The U43SD doesn't appear to stray from its predecessor's industrial design (save for its bigger 14-inch screen), but it steps up to the latest Core i3 and Core i5 processors, along with NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M graphics with 1GB of video memory. You can also choose from 5,400RPM and 7,200RPM hard drive options and either a six- or eight-cell battery. While the company was at it, it also quietly unveiled another Sandy Bridge laptop, the U41SV, which offers the same configuration options as the U43SD -- and a plainer design. No word on pricing, and a cursory search turned up no availability. For now, though, you can have a gander at some official photos lifted from ASUS' own product pages. %Gallery-121602% %Gallery-121603% [Thanks, Jon and Danijel]
Alienware M18x and M14x first hands-on!
Now that Alienware's latest gaming notebooks have broken free from their classified captivity, perhaps you'd like to know how their form factors stack up? Well, we just so happen to have gotten our grubby paws on the extraterrestrials, and they're looking mighty fine. We'll warn you though, that the chart-topping M18x is a beast in more ways than one -- it may not be a literal 600-pound gorilla, but after one heft of its 16-pound frame we started wondering if luggables were back in vogue. While the M18x's factory-overclocked 4GHz processor and HDMI-input sorely tempted us, we were rather more taken with the Alienware M14x's svelte frame, which should prove quite tempting for those who dig its more petite profile. While it doesn't have the anodized aluminum shell of its big brother the M18x, its red matte plastic exterior has a high-quality feel to it, though we spotted an unsightly seam along the right edge of the prototype unit. It's also unfortunately got a super-glossy screen, but the Klipsch speakers impressed -- much more than a simple gimmick, they're plenty powerful for a 14-inch notebook and sounded fairly crisp. We briefly played Call of Duty: Black Ops on the M14x, and found the keys to have plenty of travel and provided a satisfying click with each press as we wandered Cuban streets, and the touchpad was quite responsive as well (though we didn't have a chance to test its multitouch capabilities). It's heavier than other laptops with similar screen real-estate, but it's still an totally totable PC -- and the heft is a welcome tradeoff in exchange for the added horsepower under the hood as compared to its Jenny Craig competition. %Gallery-121630% Sean Hollister contributed to this report.
ThinkPad Edge E420s now shipping for $699, E220s coming in April
Don't tell us you've forgotten about Lenovo's pair of new Edge machines! Sure, they've taken a while to get to market, perhaps having been inconvenienced by a little hiccup with Intel's Core 2011 chipsets, but the first of them is now well and truly on sale and the other is looking eager and ready to go too. The 14-inch E420s is up on Lenovo's web store, starting at $699 with a 2.1GHz Core i3-2310M CPU, while its 12.5-inch sibling, the E220s, is expected on the 8th of April, judging by the roadmap doc we've uncovered below. The E420s touts what Lenovo calls an Infinity Glass display, meaning simply edge-to-edge glass, alongside a fingerprint reader, a fetching new matte black lid, a HD webcam, 4GB of RAM and 250GB of HDD storage at a minimum, and a 48.8Wh battery. A 1366 x 768 resolution is your only option, unfortunately, though you can spruce up performance by quite a bit if you opt for the i5-2410M, which does 2.3GHz at default speeds or 2.9GHz when only one of its two cores is pushed to the limit ... or should that be to the Edge? [Thanks, Chris and Abdu]
Sony's new 14- and 17-inch VAIO E laptops invite you to taste the rainbow
Was Sony's last VAIO E laptop, the blue one with a pink keyboard, not garish enough for you? Maybe these new models will saturate your questionable color palette. The E series has gotten a bit smaller and also a bit bigger, adding 14- and 17-inch models to the lineup. The 14-inch, 1600 x 900 VPCEA1S1E models include Intel Core i3-330M processors at 2.13GHz, 4GB of DDR3 memory, 500GB disk drives, and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5145 graphics. The 17-inch, 1920 x 1080 VPCEC1S1E moves up to Core i5-430M processors at 2.26GHz, 1TB of storage, Radeon HD 5650 graphics, and replaces the smaller unit's DVD player with a Blu-ray drive. All offer 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, and HDMI output for your media entertainment. No word on price or availability, but we have confirmed you can get them in black if you're not feeling quite so colorful on a Monday. %Gallery-88703%
Acer launching thin, Calpella-based notebooks this summer?
The progression of ever-faster notebooks seems to have dwindled, but the quest for thinner and lighter goes on. Acer is said to be finding the balance between those two goals with its next suite of thin performers, starting with a range of mid- and high-end portables based on Intel's Calpella series of processors, the Nehalem spin-off that we haven't heard much about lately. Sizes are said to be 13-, 14-, and 15-inches, all will be manufactured by Wistron, and all said to be one inch thin at their thinnest point -- hopefully not much thicker elsewhere if they want to turn heads. These higher-performing machines will eventually phase out Acer's CULV offerings, which apparently have had unimpressive sales thanks to a perceived lack of performance by consumers. We can't imagine where they got that idea...
MSI slides out 14-inch Athlon Neo-equipped X410 laptop
MSI's X-Slim X400 made quite the splash alongside the X340 and X600 earlier this year, but now it's time for the slighted middle child to get an upgrade. Upstaging both of the aforementioned siblings, the refreshed X410 gets powered by AMD's Athlon Neo processor and also packs an ATI Radeon X1250 GPU, 14-inch LCD (1,366 x 768), up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 1.3 megapixel camera, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, optional Bluetooth, an HDMI port, an SD card reader and a 320GB or 500GB hard drive. There's also a pair of USB 2.0 sockets, a VGA output, external DVD writer (or Blu-ray drive, if you'd prefer) and a 4- or 8-cell battery to boot. Per usual, MSI isn't doling out pricing or release details just yet, but we're betting a pre-holiday ship date is practically a lock.[Via HotHardware]
Lenovo caves, lets you order 14-inch IdeaPad U450p laptop
Apparently the note sent in by the collective internet had its desired effect, as the machine we knew was sitting somewhere in a Lenovo R&D lab two weeks ago is now available to order. The IdeaPad U450p packs a 14-inch "anti-glare" display (1,366 x 768 resolution), your choice of Intel's 1.3GHz SU2700 or 1.4GHz SU3500 CPU, Windows Vista Home Premium, GMA X4500 integrated graphics, 3GB or 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 250GB or 320GB 5400RPM hard drive, six-cell Li-ion battery, WiFi and a bundled DVD writer with Ultrabase. Current shipping estimates show that machines ordered today won't arrive until mid-September, but those with ample amounts of patience (and at least $799 in marked US bills) can get in line right now.[Thanks, M. Hellenthal]
Lenovo slips out IdeaPad U450p, won't let you order one
Hey Lenovo, that's a pretty sweet landing page you've got there for this newfangled IdeaPad U450p. In fact, we're crushing pretty hard on that glossy 14-inch display, ultrathin frame and patterned lid. If you're really looking for candor, we'd even go so far as to say that the "energy-efficient ULV processor" and "integrated optical drive" have us all sorts of hot and bothered, but the inability to actually see a full build sheet or order a unit for ourselves is simply disheartening. Care to fix that? Thank you so much. -Signed: The Internet[Thanks, alsyl]
Samsung slaps "production-ready" label on 14.1- and 31-inch OLED TVs
Samsung's been kicking around its 14.1- and 31-inch OLED TVs since CES 2008, but it seems as if things are turning for the better at SID this week. In a press release outed today, Sammy told the world that it's exhibiting "production-ready" AMOLED TV sets, though the sizes are the same as the ones we've seen before. The 31-incher really has our attention, with it being the planet's first OLED with a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display, a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, a color gamut of over 100 percent NTSC and an 8.9 millimeter slim enclosure. So, when does "production-ready" morph into "in production?" Bueller?[Via OLED-Display]
Dell stays vivacious with Studio 14z, gets going at $649
Go 'head with your bad self, Dell! The colorful Studio line is expanding this fine morning, with the newest member rocking a slightly unorthodox 14-inch (LED) display size. Designed for hipster students and those at the top of the computing bell curve, this perfectly average portable offers up Core 2 Duo CPU options, 720 / 900p screen resolutions, integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, HDMI / DisplayPort outputs, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, dual headphone jacks, up to 500GB of HDD space, a 34mm ExpressCard slot, six-cell battery (an optional eight-cell will last over six hours), WiFi, optional Bluetooth and even an external Blu-ray drive if you're feeling frisky. Supposedly the machine will be available to order later today in the US and Canada, with prices starting at $649.
MSI readying 14-inch X-Slim X400 laptop
Ruh roh -- looks like MSI's about to pull an ASUS. While the introduction of a few good X-Slim laptops is find and dandy, we're already starting to lose count of 'em. Aside from the X320, X340 and X600, the outfit is apparently readying a 14-inch variant that will be tagged X400. The news was outed at a company event over in Japan this weekend, and while details outside of the diagonal screen size were short, we can probably expect it to hum along on a CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) chipset and be just as sexy as its more diminutive counterparts. If we were betting folks, we'd probably expect an official specifications sheet to hit just in time for Computex. Right, MSI?
Haier's new W61N 14-inch Merom offering is looking fit
You know, Haier's expertise isn't limited to networked air conditioners and ALP phones that we'll never see in the States. They also build laptops and lots of other things that we'll never see here either, and their new Core 2 Duo W61N is looking not-too-shabby. The 14-inch compact unit sports a 1.83GHz T5600 processor, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, integrated Intel 950 graphics with 128MB of shared memory, DVD/CD-RW combo drive and a 1280 x 768 resolution LCD. No word on price or availability, but we'll let those Korean kids deal with that, since that's where this is headed.
Daewoo Lucoms' Core Duo-powered Solo M410 notebook
We recently brought you the Solo M1 UMPC from Daewoo-spinoff Daewoo Lucoms, and now the company is back with another member of the Solo family, but this one is a regular old Core Duo-powered notebook. The 5-pound, 14-inch M410 sports a 1.83GHz T2400 processor, WXGA display, 512MB of DDR2 RAM (maxed out at 1GB), and an 80GB hard drive. Also on board are a DVD Super Multi Drive, 1.3 megapixel webcam, 4-in-1 card reader (which is a bit misleading -- it really has just 2 slots for SD / MMC and MemoryStick / MS Pro), an Intel wireless card supporting 802.11a/b/g, and as you'd expect, Intel integrated graphics. As far as ports go, you're getting four USB 2.0 jacks, and one each of FireWire, Ethernet, VGA, Parallel, and S-Video -- though obviously no DVI or HDMI. Pricing seems to range from 1,490,000 to 1,590,000 won ($1,543 to $1,646) depending on configuration, and as the currency indicates, this model will only be hanging out in Korea for the time being.
Alienware's Sentia m3200 business-minded laptop reviewed
"Business-minded" and "affordably-priced" are not two terms you think of when it comes to boutique gaming rig manufacturer Alienware, so when they announced the 12-inch Sentia m3200 notebook with integrated graphics and a sub-$1,500 price, we were eager to see how it performed. ArsTechnica has a, um, thorough look at this new ultraportable, and seem to come out generally impressed though not overly enthusiastic, as this model does have a few severe drawbacks. Overall, the system's 2.0GHz Pentium M fares decently for most non-cycle hungry tasks such as web browsing, basic multimedia, and Photoshop, but the built-in Intel graphics chip means that 3D CAD work or post-2004 games are pretty much out of the question. Also getting knocks were the ~3 hour battery life, limited vertical viewing angle on the LCD, and sub-par Media Center replacement, the bootless, Linux-based PowerCinema multimedia suite. Still, if you want a light notebook and won't be straying too far from a power outlet, the m3200 seems like a pretty good option, and is also one of the cheapest ways to sport that attention-getting, blazing-blue alien head for livening up stuffy board meetings.
