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HP Envy Sleekbook 6z review: an inexpensive thin-and-light with AMD innards
More Info HP unveils Envy Spectre XT Ultrabook, other thin-and-lights in various sizes HP takes EliteBook W-series on a trip to Ivy Bridge, throws in Z220 Xeon for good measure HP refreshes EliteBook line with five new models, Ivy Bridge and optional LTE HP has been fleshing out its Ultrabook lineup as of late, most recently adding the metal-clad Envy Spectre XT to the mix, but the company is also addressing the lower end of the market with its Sleekbook line, announced back in May. Confusingly, these thin-and-light systems look exactly the same as the new Envy-branded Ultrabooks, except that the Sleekbooks are less expensive -- namely because for one reason or another they don't meet Intel's Ultrabook guidelines. One such notebook, the Envy Sleekbook 6z, stands apart from the Ultrabook fold with an AMD Trinity APU -- a spec that helps keep the starting price nice and low at $600. That's not to say that all of HP's Sleekbooks ditch Intel processors, but given the choice between and AMD- and Intel-based model we quickly chose the former. After all, the 6z is the first Trinity-powered system we've had the chance to test, so we were naturally curious to see how it stacks up against recent Ivy Bridge machines -- and we imagine you are, too. So without any further ado, let's get to it.
Samsung teases Series 9 Ivy Bridge Ultrabook, leaves availability in the ether
Samsung's latest Series 9 Ultrabook is certainly a beautiful piece of engineering, but really, what's the fun in purchasing a new laptop with yesterday's internals? Fortunately, users won't need to make that compromise, as the company has now outed a refreshed version of the computer that's complete with Ivy Bridge internals. The move follows Samsung's recent reveal of the Series 7 Gamer laptop, but as you'd expect, components in the Series 9 are geared more toward efficiency than performance. At its heart, you'll find a dual-core 1.7GHz Core i5 3317U CPU (which has yet to be announced), Intel HD Graphics 4000 and the HM75 Express chipset. While its internal storage remains the same, with a 128GB SSD, its memory has received a pleasant bump up to 8GB. No word yet on pricing or availability, but for those who want to own the very latest, we invite you to stay tuned. [Thanks, Brooks]
15-inch Series 7 Chronos with Ivy Bridge surfaces on Samsung's Canadian site
When it rains it pours. Hot on the heels of announcing that 17-inch Series 7 Chronos laptop it teased back at CES, Samsung is doing the predictable sensible thing and refreshing the 15-inch version with an Ivy Bridge processor as well. So far, we see it listed on Samsung's Canadian site with a 1GB NVIDIA GT640M GPU and a quad-core Core i7-3615QM CPU (remember that Intel hasn't announced its dual-core variants yet). Curiously, though, we don't actually see it for sale online anywhere, it's unclear how much it costs and that Ivy Bridge configuration isn't even listed as an option on the company's US site. We've emailed Samsung for clarification, but in the meantime you may as well consider this a placeholder -- and will yourself to hold off a little longer before pulling the trigger on a mid-sized laptop. [Thanks, Hugo]
Samsung Series 9 review (15-inch, mid-2012)
More Info Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A) laptop review Samsung unveils redesigned Series 9 laptops with 13- and 15-inch displays, starting at $1,399 Spotted: the elusive 15-inch Samsung Series 9 Before there were Ultrabooks, there was the Samsung Series 9. When it arrived on the scene last year, measuring .64 inches thick, weighing 2.8 pounds and packing a blazing SSD, it seemed to offer Windows users the closest thing to a no-compromise experience -- provided, of course, they were willing to pony up the requisite $1,649. As it turns out, the Series 9 was great -- memorable, even -- but not without flaws. It lacked an SD slot, the trackpad was jumpy and the display resolution topped out at a humdrum 1366 x 768. A year later, Samsung is back with a second-generation laptop that promises to correct all of these shortcomings, and ushers in an even thinner, even lighter design. Make that two laptops: Sammy's selling a 15-inch Ultrabook, too. And truly, there's nothing quite like it: nothing quite this thin, with this large a screen. (Consider for a moment that it measures just .08 inches thicker than the new 13-inch Series 9, which is already thinner than most other Ultrabooks on the market.) As always, though, luxury doesn't come cheap. The 15-inch Series 9 will cost $1,500 when it ships at the end of this month (the 13-inch version is available for an also-pricey $1,400, though we haven't gotten to take that model for a spin yet.) Ultimately, then, are the Series 9's elegant aluminum design and 1600 x 900 matte display enough to justify the premium you'll pay over other Ultrabooks? And does the 15-inch version offer long enough battery life to match its larger size? Let's find out.
Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 review
When Acer's Aspire Timeline Ultra notebooks made their first appearance at CES, these 14- and 15-inch laptops seemed like little more than the successors to Acer's TimelineX series. Thin-and-light laptops, complete with optical drive and some likely reasonable prices. While there's no mistaking that DVD burner and mainstream screen size, we now know a few things we didn't then: the 15-inch version you see up there packs NVIDIA's next-gen Kepler graphics... and Acer's calling it an Ultrabook. Acer's branding that there Ultra M3 as an Ultrabook because it's less than 20mm (.8 inches) thin, but given that 15-inch display, numpad, optical drive and graphical horsepower, it's hard to think of this as anything other than a mainstream laptop. If you accept Acer's marketing scheme, though, this is the first so-called Ultrabook to ship with discrete graphics. (We're expecting to see more -- many more -- of these.) As of this writing, at least, we don't have a confirmed price, though Acer has said the pricing for the Ultra series should align with current TimelineX notebooks (which is to say, we're hardly expecting this to be a $1,500 machine.) Until we know for sure, it'll be hard to say how sweet of a deal this is, but that doesn't mean we can't talk about what it actually does. How does the performance stack up against regular 'ol 15-inch laptop? Does it pummel your garden-variety Ultrabooks like you'd expect it to? Join us past the break where we break down exactly what this 'tweener can do.
Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 brings an NVIDIA Kepler GPU to the ultrabook party
Acer unveiled several new Ultrabooks at CeBIT last week (we spent time with the V5 and V3) but its M3 may be the most special one of all. NVIDIA mentions it will not only be the first with a discrete GPU -- beating Lenovo's T430u to the punch -- but that the included GeForce GT640M is based on the long-awaited 28nm Kepler architecture. That should give it enough power to run the latest games while still remaining true to the ultrabook tag with a 20mm thick frame and (promised) 8 hours of battery life thanks to Optimus technology. The 15-inch Aspire Timeline M3 Ultra also breaks the mold by squeezing in a DVD drive for games you can't get from Steam, along with options for either a hybrid hard drive / SSD or SSD-only storage setup. Neither company has included a pricetag in their joyful announcements, but these no-compromise packages are expected to begin shipping later this month.
HP Envy 15 review (early 2012)
If there's one thing we took away from our jaunt at CES, it's this: consumers' appetites for mainstream laptops haven't waned all that much. Even in the Ultrabook category, Intel expects half of the models to go on sale this year will have 14- and 15-inch screens -- as strong an indicator as any that lots of folks aren't yet ready to give up their slightly larger screens, their discrete graphics, their (gasp!) optical drives. While HP recently announced its first Ultrabook for the consumer market, the Envy 14 Spectre, it's fully fleshed out its premium Envy series to include two additional models for people who crave more oomph.The Envy 15 is the medium-sized member of the crew, with a 15.6-inch screen and the same overhauled design you'll find across the Envy lineup. Delightfully, too, it marks the return of HP's eye-popping Radiance display, and also comes with a generous two-year warranty and full copies of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements. And with a starting price of $1,100, it sharply undercuts the 15-inch MacBook Pro, while taking direct aim at other high-end 15-inchers, like the Dell XPS 15z and Samsung Series 7 Chronos. So how does it stack up? Meet us after the break to find out.
Spotted: the elusive 15-inch Samsung Series 9
Though we got to spend several weeks poking around the redesigned, 13-inch Series 9 laptop, we never did get to handle the new 15-inch version. It's a matter of particular curiosity for us, not just because yours truly has a minor laptop obsession, but because we've never seen anything quite this thin with quite this expansive a display. So, we couldn't resist a little playtime when we stumbled upon it at Samsung's CES booth. Aside, from the industrial design, which you can learn about in detail here, we were impressed by how it almost manages to match the 13-inch version in thinness: 0.58 inches thick versus half an inch for its little brother. And because Sammy crammed a 15-inch display into a 14-inch chassis, it doesn't particularly look like a 15-inch laptop. What's more, at 3.3 pounds, it weighs as much as the HP Folio, an Ultrabook with a 13-inch display. Impressive, yes, but given that $1,500 price, it won't be an option for everyone, which is why it's especially paramount that that onslaught of 14- and 15-inch Ultrabooks doesn't include too many clunkers. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Samsung reveals 15- and 17-inch Series 5 laptops to arrive during 'back-to-school season'
Is it ever too early to trot out back-to-school laptops? Not if you're Samsung. Here at CES, hidden among the company's razor-thin Series 9 laptops and bright yellow gaming rig we found two mid-range laptops built for students, and other folks who just want something affordable and capable. What we have here are a pair of redesigned Series 5 notebooks, with 15.6- and 17.3-inch displays, respectively. And particularly given that they'll start at about $799 and max out around $1,199, they're looking pretty tempting. At this early stage, Samsung won't say much about likely specs, but so far, it seems that the specs could be quite generous. Take the display, for example. Both have the same matte, 300-nit display used in the new company's Ultrabooks, and the resolution is fixed at 1600 x 900 for the 15-incher, and 1080p for the larger model. At the high end, they'll both be available with a Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor, JBL speakers, a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M card with Optimus, an optional Blu-ray drive and up to 1TB in storage (2TB for the 17-inch version). Not too shabby for a mid-range laptop, especially if Samsung keeps its word and caps the price at $1,200. Plus, if we do say so, the keys are sturdy and pillowy, and the whole package isn't bad-looking either, though we'll let you, dear readers, be the judge. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
15" ultrathin Mac laptop rumored for early next year
When first we heard whispers of a lean & lithe Air-like 15" Mac laptop, it seemed possible that we'd see them in stores before the end of this year. That may not happen, but according to Digitimes' reports from the supplier chain, the first bits and pieces for such a machine may already be shipping to Apple in small quantities. The story suggests that the ultralight 15" portable (we still think it will be called a MacBook Pro, not an Air, but obviously it could go either way) would be ready for "mass shipment" in March of 2012. Plenty of current MacBook Pro owners who are longing for the portability of the Air but who still need the screen real estate of a larger form factor machine would probably trade some storage space and an optical drive for a speedy SSD and a lighter overall load. Since Apple's current MacBook Air models (now making up more than a quarter of all Mac laptop shipments) are already taking the wind out of the ultrabook order count, it wouldn't be surprising to see this hypothetical new machine launch with a lot of fanfare. The current MacBook Pro line was last refreshed on October 24, which would put a March reboot at the five-month mark; not so tight, especially considering that the October updates were not much more than a speed & spec bump. It's expected that the full-size MacBook Pro models will move to Intel's delayed Ivy Bridge architecture sometime next year. [via Mac Rumors]
Dell kills Alienware M15x, government denies it ever existed
This is sort of the gaming laptop version of a politician stepping down to spend more time with his family. We've confirmed with Alienware today that the M15x system is no longer available -- the company has opted to focus its efforts on the rest of its line of glowing extraterrestrial gaming laptops. After all, while the 15-inch form factor will no doubt be missed by some, devoted gamers should be able to find solace in the arms of, say, an M11x, M14x, M17x, or M18x. It may be gone from sight, but surely grainy teardown footage from a New Mexico bunker can't be far away. [Thanks, Zach]
15-inch MacBook Pros MIA on BestBuy.com, long-awaited refresh really, truly coming April 13th?
iPhone, iPhone, iPhone... wait, what's that? You're still pining for those refreshed, possibly Core i5- / i7-equipped MacBook Pros that have been long rumored? If a source close to Australian MacWorld has any merit, we'll finally be seeing updates to the laptop line -- Pro and Air, allegedly -- this Tuesday, April 13th. No word on what the new models would feature if true, but without an event all its own, the best we can expect is probably a spec boost. Best Buy seems to be adding some fuel to the fire, first by showing a proverbial mark of death in its database last month, and now by making the 15-inch model unavailable on BestBuy.com. Undoubtedly the retailer's waiting for a new shipment of potent portables, but the question remains, what will they run under the hood? [Thanks, Ryan] Update: UK retailer John Lewis is also showing its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air options as out of stock, though it suffers no such shortages with MacBooks. Draw your own conclusions [Thanks, Ben].
Rumor: Apple developing second tablet device, made from unicorn tears
Just when you thought Apple tablet rumors were dead -- because, you know, they kind of announced one already -- another has emerged like a zombie rising from its grave to feast upon the brains of gullible fanboys. You may want to grab your salt shakers and wash its grains down with a stiff shot of whiskey for this one though. TechCrunch (a company familiar with tablet devices *wink*) is reporting that Apple may be hard at work developing a second tablet device - this one more computer than consumer device, said to be bigger and badder than its recently announced sibling. TC's MG Seigler claims to have "heard" from second-hand sources (I didn't realize Goodwill sold rumors) that iPad Maxi will feature a more robust software stack with more in common to the desktop flavor of OSX rather than iPhone OS, and powered by Intel's Atom processor. Before the iPad was revealed last week, rumors circulated for a long time that Apple might be working on two different sizes for the screen of the device. Some had the device as small as 7″, others were saying it would go up to 10.6″. (The actual size of the iPad is 9.7″.) But the information we're hearing is that Apple is thinking much larger for another version of the product, maybe all the way up to the 15.4″ size that it currently uses for one version of the MacBook Pro. Aside from the fact that Apple is now rolling its own chips, and hence no longer requires Intel's power-sipping Atom processor, why on earth fragment and possibly cannibalize your product line with TWO competing products that essentially attack the same markets from two different points? It isn't in Apple's nature to throw pasta at walls in hopes something adheres. Did we learn nothing from Steve's mobile device chart last week? He clearly outlined where the company has positioned iPad: as a tweener, straddling the iPod and Mac segments -- serving a role that Netbooks have failed to fill. So where does this fella fit in? And pray tell, how would strapping OSX to Netbook hardware (ala Atom) make it comparable in terms of features and performance to a MacBook? This rumor does not compute. Believe it? Neither do I. I call shenanigans.
LG's transparent 15-inch AMOLED display is amazing, possibly useless
Look at that, just look at it will you. It's another in a latest trend that's bringing transparent displays to consumer electronics. However, this pup is in color and livin' large at 15-inches unlike those tiny transparent displays we've seen in handsets. Unfortunately, all we can do is look for the moment because the concept on show at FPD 2009 in Japan is accompanied by very little in the way of detail.
Eyes-on LG's 15-inch OLED TV makes us want to punch an LCD
What can we say -- it's a near final build of LG's 15-inch OLED TV that's set to go production in Korea before the baby New Year can suckle at the big one-oh. We could say it's beautiful, that even motion looked good pushing genuine blacks on this razor thin panel. But we wouldn't want to rub your noses in the fact that we're at IFA and you're not. Perhaps this will make you feel better: by the time it makes it Stateside in February or March it'll be carrying a price tag right around $2,500. Really, but it's Wireless TV-capable and that's gotta be worth something.Oh, and LG tells us that its 32- and 42-inch OLED panels are on schedule and due to be released sometime in 2010. Yes, 2010 contradicting what we've heard earlier. No word on price but it's going to be tres, tres expensive.
LG's 15-inch OLED TV on sale in Korea this November, overseas in 2010
LG bared the fruits of its OLED labor last week with a new set of photos of its gorgeous 15-inch screen, and now comes word from Reuters that it's gearing up to become consumer reality. The company will be showing off the model at next week's IFA trade show, and then expects to start selling it in Korea this November, followed by overseas sometime next year. Excited? You bet. Affordable? Price unknown, with Sony's two-year old 11-inch XEL-1 still retailing for $2,500 in the US -- and worse elsewhere -- you can expect to be sacrificing a pretty penny for small-screen bliss. LG also plans to show off a 40-inch OLED in the "not too distant future," but don't expect to be seeing that hit retail shelves for a good long time to come. [Via OLED-Info]
LG's 15-inch OLED screen is still drop dead gorgeous, likely priced to kill
Whooo. (Not Wooo.) Amazing how a few well framed PR shots can reignite gadget lust, just when it seems extinguished. Sure, LG's 15-inch OLED HDTV will probably follow the path of Sony's $2,500 11-inch XEL-1 to the land of ridiculously overpriced trinkets that few can or will purchase and eventually falls by the wayside when larger, cheaper options become available. Still, checking out that ultra bright screen in these photos has us checking our bank account for an extra few grand, refreshing the feeling last experienced when we checked it out in person at CES. The appearance of these on LG's Flickr stream would appear to support the summer mass production-December launch we've been promised, who else is wishing the 30-inch version wasn't delayed until 2012?
BenQ's Joybook R55 boasts 16ms response time
We're still digging out from under the avalanche of technology that was the 2006 Computex show, and in our efforts we stumbled across AVING's encounter with the latest BenQ Joybook we've been hearing about. The R55 sports a Core Duo processor, Bluetooth 2.0 and NVIDIA's 256MB GeForce Go 7400. What makes it noteworthy, though, is the 16ms response time (many laptops range in the '20s), which they claim is the "world's fastest" when it comes to 15.4-inch WXGA laptops. This R55 uses the UltraVivid technology, which includes a brightness-boosting Display Brilliance Enhancement Film to improve visibility and greatly reduce the dreaded LCD ghosting effect. We know it's still nowhere near the quickness of a faithful CRT, but that's no reason to frown little girl. It is, after all, called the Joybook.
