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Samsung refreshing Series 7 Gamer with 3D display, AMD Radeon HD 7870M
If Samsung's first dedicated gaming laptop wasn't built to your liking, you're about to get another option -- the Series 7 Gamer is due for a refresh. The company's Samsung Tomorrow blog pegs the new build as the Series 7 Gamer Yellow 3D, which outshines the subtle design we praised in our review of the last model with -- you guessed it -- a bright yellow finish. Style aside, the new oversized notebook will swap out its current GPU for an AMD Radeon HD 7870M and, as the name implies, a 14.3-inch SuperBright (400 nit) 3D LED display. The new configuration will also split its twin drive bays between a 1TB HDD and a fast-booting 128GB SSD. There's no word yet on international availability, but folks in Sammy's homeland can pick up the rig on August 14th for 2.99 million Won, which rings up to about $2,643 here in the states. Check out the official announcement at the (translated) source link below.
Toshiba outs Qosmio X870 gaming laptop with 3D display, not-too-tacky design
What's this, then? Why, it's what appears to be a brand new, redesigned gaming laptop, courtesy of 'ol Toshiba. Though it hasn't been announced here in the US, UK-based site TechDigest is showing us the first photo of the Qosmio X870, which seems to have a rather reined-in design compared to previous Toshiba gaming machines we've seen (to the extent that a PC with red accents can ever be called staid). According to the site, its specs include a 17.3-inch, 1080p, 3D-capable display; the "latest" Intel processors; unspecified, next-gen NVIDIA GPUs with 3GB of video memory; and up to either 2TB in HDD storage or a (presumably smaller) hybrid SSD. Rounding out the list, the laptop is said to rock Bluetooth 4.0, four USB 3.0 sockets (including two with Toshiba's Sleep-and-Charge technology), HDMI, Harman Kardon speakers, an optional Blu-ray player and that all-important LAN port. Sounds good to us, though as of this writing we've yet to see a press release posted on any of Toshiba's regional or global sites. If TechDigest's report is on the money, though, this thing should land sometime in Q2, which means Tosh has a few months yet to clarify that minor pricing question.
HP redesigns its Envy laptops, announces the Envy 15, 17 and 17 3D (video)
Just last month, we off-handedly said that HP's Envy laptops were among the most shameless MacBook impersonations we've seen. Looks like we spoke too soon: the company just introduced a redesigned Envy 15, Envy 17 and Envy 17 3D, and we have to say: the resemblance in the interior is just uncanny. If you ask company reps, they'll tell you the old taupe design was too masculine (despite the divets arranged in a floral pattern!), and that the new aesthetic is more gender-neutral. Fair enough, we suppose, though we defy you to tell us that touchpad, silvery aluminum chassis and black, chiclet-style keyboard aren't familiar. To be fair, it's not a complete facsimile: HP also throw in a few design flourishes of its own, most of them Beats-inspired. Chief among them is a red-accented, analog volume dial on the right side of the keyboard deck, though the black lid and thin red strip around the keyboard also add some kick. All three laptops will be available December 7th, with the Envy 15, Envy 17 and Envy 17 3D starting at $1,100, $1,250 and $1,600, respectively. For now, though, we've got hands-on shots below, along with a rundown of the starting specs just past the break. %Gallery-137834%%Gallery-139310%
LG unveils A530 3D gaming laptop, tours the world to showcase its wares
LG is taking its Cinema 3D Gaming Festival on the road and delivering demos of it three-dimensional prowess to 20 different countries. To celebrate, the Korean company is unleashing a brand new laptop for those with itchy virtual trigger fingers. The LG A530 sports a 15-inch 3D, HD display with up to a 1920 x 1080 resolution, your choice of Core i3, i5, or i7 processors, an NVIDIA GeForce GT 555 GPU, up to 8GB of RAM and either an HD webcam or dual cameras for capturing 3D video. There's also one of those fancy hybrid hard drives with 4GB of solid state storage packed in to help bolster the performance of its 750GB worth of platters. The company was strangely mum on price, but the new notebook is expected to land in Europe, the Middle East and Africa this month -- American consumers will just have to wait. Check out the gallery below and the full PR after the break. %Gallery-131424%
Samsung RF712 gaming laptop promises ultra-bright 3D, an end to dimness (video)
Dell has already put 3D to good effect in its high-end Alienware models, but Samsung claims the screen on its new RF712 gaming laptop will have industry-leading brightness, helping it to overcome the dimming effect of wearing 3D glasses. The 17.3-inch screen will employ the same Super Bright Plus technology that stunned us in its Series 9 laptop, but this time at a higher Full HD resolution. The stated brightness is 400-nits -- as much as double what you might to expect to find in an average LCD and perhaps even enough for a LAN party outdoors in the sunshine (ok, maybe not). Other specs include a second generation quad-core Intel CPU, 2GB-worth of AMD HD6650M graphics, 750GB hard drive and USB 3.0. The RF712 will start selling in South Korea on May 2nd for ₩2.6million (about $2,400), but it could be a while before it hits international shores. Until then, we will be standing here wearing our active Bluetooth 3D glasses and looking out for a 400-nit speck on the horizon. You, on the other hand, can check out the RF712 on video after the break courtesy of Johnmichaels01.
Toshiba Qosmio T851 can do simultaneous 2D and glasses-free 3D, arriving in Japan this July
Glasses-free 3D on your laptop is now just a couple of brief months away. Toshiba has set loose details of its new 15.6-inch Qosmio T851, and this fella promises to not only dispense with the unstylish glasses, but to also give you 2D and 3D imagery at the same time. You'll be able to view content in differing dimensions in neighboring windows (as illustrated above), thanks to the familiar parallax technique -- sending a different image to each eye -- which is here aided by the integrated webcam to track the position of your face in order to deliver the most fittingly angled visuals. There's also integrated 2D to 3D conversion, powered by a dedicated SpursEngine image processor, with Face3D technology automatically recognizing faces and applies a "human depth template" to their features. Aside from Toshi's obsession with faces, there's a GeForce GT540M churning out the graphics, a Core i5-2410M processing processes, up to 8GB of RAM, and a BDXL-reading Blu-ray player. Shipping begins in July, just as soon as the kitchen sink has been fully attached.
Toshiba shows off glasses-free 3D Qosmio, says technology could hit laptops by the end of 2011
It's no secret that Toshiba's got a thing for glasses-free 3D displays and that it's been putting together 3D concept laptops based on the technology, but according to Toshiba's director of product marketing Phil Osako, the company could be ready to bring a 3D laptop sans spectacles to market by the end of the year. Sounds good to us, but it's a pretty ambitious claim, considering the demo unit Toshiba's bringing to CES, which we got to see a few weeks ago, is very rough around the edges. As you can see in the images below, it had a very large red, chiseled contraption strapped to its lid -- although, we do have to say it gives it a rather Iron Man-esq aesthetic. All that aside, the Qosmio laptop packs some pretty innovative 3D technologies -- not only does it have two parallax 3D LCD, but its webcam has a special eye-tracking feature that knows when you shift your position. The goal of that is to provide "dead-zone free stereoscopic 3D images" or better viewing angles, but we can't really say we experienced that -- while the 3D clips looked, well three-dee straight on, slightly tilting to the left or right threw off the effect and we were stuck watching some blurry content. Like we said, the concept is really just a concept at this point, but it will certainly be interesting to watch what Toshiba is able to improve and put out by the end of 2011. %Gallery-112320%
Acer announces new 3D monitor, AS5745DG 3D laptop availability
More 3D choices for your 3D lifestyle. Acer is launching a pair of products that'll give you another excuse to wear fancy active-shutter glasses at all times, starting with the HS244HQ, a 1080p monitor that measures 23.6-inches across, has the requisite 120Hz refresh rate and manages a 12,000,000:1 contrast ratio thanks to its LED backlighting. We're also learning more about the AS5745DG laptop, a "high cost-performance model" 15.6-inch laptop with NVIDIA GeForce GT425M graphics, 2.53GHz Intel Core i5-460M processor, 4GB of RAM, 640GB of storage, and a 120Hz display with a pair of 3D Vision glasses to match. It's a bit meatier than the company's 5738DG from last year, and rather pricier too, with an MSRP set to fall just under 100,000 yen -- about $1,200 when it ships next month. No word on the monitor's cost yet, but don't expect a bargain.
MSI reveals 15.6-inch, Core i5-equipped CX620 3D laptop
Need another use for those 3D glasses you were suckered into buying as an integral part of this year's Halloween costume? Look no further, bubs. MSI has just outed its latest 3D-friendly laptop, the CX620 3D. Outfitted with a Core i5 (or a Core i3, if you're looking to save a few bucks), this 15.6-incher also gets up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 GPU, HDMI / VGA outputs, 320/500/640GB hard drive, a DVD writer, two USB 2.0 sockets, an ExpressCard slot, 4-in-1 card reader and a pair of stereo speakers. You'll find Windows 7 Home Premium runnin' the show, while 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, gigabit Ethernet and a 1.3 megapixel webcam all make expected appearances. There's no telling how long the six-cell Li-ion will last once the deathmatch gets going, nor how much it'll cost when it lands sometime between now and who knows when. But hey, 3D!
MSI intros 15.6-inch FR600 3D laptop, complete with embarrassing eyewear
If there's a party, MSI's going. And if there's a bandwagon, MSI's onboard. It's with this knowledge firmly entrenched in our brains that we present the FR600 3D. If you'll recall, Intel actually tossed this name out awhile back when trumpeting its latest integrated graphics chipset, but now it's the proud papa's turn to make things official. This 15.6-incher is equipped with the expected 3D support, a Core i5 processor, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, HDMI / VGA outputs, a 320/500/640GB hard drive, DVD SuperMulti drive, two USB 2.0 sockets, a 4-in-1 card reader and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. You'll also get 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a gigabit Ethernet socket, inbuilt webcam and a six-cell Li-ion battery, not to mention a bundled set of 3D glasses to really get immersed in whatever it is you're doing. Per usual, the company's keeping quiet on the pricing and release front, but surely it'll be out by Christmastime. Surely.
Lenovo's 3D IdeaPad Y560d reviewed: for three-dee fanatics only
If you had any doubts that the 3D bandwagon was taking no prisoners in an attempt to fill up and overflow, look no further than Lenovo's 3D IdeaPad Y560d. Yeah, a 3D laptop from Lenovo. The folks over at Hot Hardware were able to spend a bit of quality time with this beast, but unlike many of Lenovo's machines, this one wasn't exactly an easy sell. In fact, they firmly stated that it's only a surefire recommendation to those who will be utilizing the 3D panel with great frequency, noting that the decision to toss a power-hungry Core i7 into an otherwise portable machine led to subpar battery life that would frustrate frequent travelers. Gaming performance was found to be satisfactory, though, and while the overall performance seemed fine, the 7200RPM hard drive in their test unit is apparently unavailable in the shipping unit (which holds a 5400RPM drive). At any rate, they did state that other units in the Y560 line would be better options for more well-rounded consumers, so unless you plan on living with a set of 3D glasses on, you're probably better off passing over this one. Hit the source for the full skinny.
LG's Xnote A510 3D laptop mocks your virility
Looking for a strategy to promote a 15-inch slab of drab plastic laptop? If you're LG then you slap in some 3D gimmickry and roll on the scantily clad product waif. LG's Xnote A510 comes packing a Full HD LED backlit 15.6-inch panel powered by your choice of a Core i7 840QM or 740QM quad core processors and 1GB of NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M graphics. It ships with polarized 3D glasses including clip-on 3D lenses for your existing specs. Don't worry if you can't find 3D content to view because LG's preloaded the A510 with TriDef 2D to 3D conversion software. You'll also find an HDMI 1.4 jack, Blu-ray optical disc drive, and fingerprint reader when this guy ships to Asia, South America, and the Middle East and Africa sometime in October.
3D Sony Vaio landing next year, we preview the prototype
See this computer here? Yeah, well Sony's going to launch a laptop next year that will most likely look nothing like this. Intrigued? We thought you would be. Sony announced today that it will be launching at least one laptop next year (probably a mini-series of 'em) with a 3D-capable 240Hz LCD. The laptop will be using a built-in IR blaster to sync with your regular Bravia shutter glasses, but it's unclear whether the price of a laptop will get you a free pair of the precious specs. The prototype we got to look at here has a 16-inch 16:9 display, housed in a current F series chassis, but all that is of course subject to change when the final model lands. We do have to say, in comparison to some of the other 3D laptops we've seen, Sony's tech comes off looking pretty good, but there's nothing here to convince us this is anything beyond a niche luxury for now -- although an ability to use this screen as a 3D display for our PS3 might help us change our mind (we asked, the answer is no). Expect to hear more about this mysterious beast at next year's CES. %Gallery-100924%
HP unleashes Envy 17 3D, HP Envy 14 Beats edition and specially-cooled Pavilion dm3
We know, it feels like it was just a few months ago that the new Envy 14 and 17 hit the market, but HP isn't quite finished tinkering with its aluminum laptops. First up is the new Envy 14 Beats edition, which just like the previous Envy 15 Beats has a totally different black and red design than the rest of the Envy line along with a pretty awesome red backlit keyboard. Apart from the different aesthetics and bundled Beats headphones, it's essentially the same as the regular Envy 14, although the $1249 starting price is for big fans of beats or Dr. Dre only. The Envy 17 gets the most interesting update, though: it'll be available sometimes this holiday season with a 17.3-inch 3D Ultra BrightView display and active shutter glasses. Powered by AMD's 3D technology, the Envy 17 will also support 3D Blu-ray discs, and by that we mean Avatar when it finally hits in November. We got a chance to check it out a few weeks ago and the 3D content looked pretty, well... three-dimensional. HP says the rig will be priced south of $2,000 and claims it's been working very hard on improving viewing angles. On the much-more-thin-and-light end of the spectrum, HP's also unveiling the improved Pavilion dm3. Starting at $549, the 13.3-inch dm3 will be available with Intel Core i3 and i5 processors and boasts HP's new CoolSense technology, which the company says combines hardware and software to keep the entire chassis cool. Beyond all that, the laptop is less than an inch thick and has been given a major makeover -- it has a very soft-to-the-touch lid and the same chiclet keyboard and ClickPad as the Pavilion dm4. We're planning to review a few of these, but until then head below to check out some hands-on shots and the full press release after the break. %Gallery-100738% %Gallery-100739%
Clevo W860CU 3D and ASUS G51JX-3D bring three-dee to US laptopers
NVIDIA teased us with the introduction of the 3D-ready G51JX back at Computex (you may remember it as one of the founding "3D PCs"), and now AVADirect is bringing that very machine to US soil. Said rig boasts a 15.6-inch display, Core i7-720QM processor, 6GB of DDR3 memory and a 1GB GeForce GTS 360M GPU. Better still, Clevo's W860CU offers an identically sized display, NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 285M (1GB), Core i5 or i7 CPU options and 8GB of DDR3 RAM. Both units ship with all the necessary 3D Vision components to get your 3D kick on right from the box, with the ASUS going for around $1,600 and the Clevo for $1,800. Humility is free with purchase, we're told.
MSI rumored to have TriDef 3D laptops on deck, no active shutters required
We've heard this song and dance before, but DigiTimes has it that MSI is on pace to shove out a 3D laptop this September. Before you open that jaw and feign a yawn, you should know that the company is purportedly not following convention by integrating NVIDIA's 3D Vision technology; instead, it'll rely on Dynamic Digital Depth's (DDD's) TriDef 3D software for transferring 2D images to 3D. This means that users will be able to use cheap-o polarized glasses rather than the more expensive (and battery draining) active shutter variety. Somehow or another, the whole thing is supposed to launch at under a grand, so we'll be poking around on the IFA show floor hoping that this one comes to fruition.
Lenovo's 3D IdeaPad Y560d laptop now available for multi-dimensionists
Television may be rotting the brain of existing generations, but it's highly likely that 3D will indeed be the downfall of mankind. Or Double Stuff Oreo cookies, one. Either way, the former is finally joining the latter in terms of availability, with Lenovo's first 3D lappie up for order on the outfit's webstore. $1,499 nets you the IdeaPad Y560d, equipped with a 1.6GHz Core i7-720QM CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730, 500GB hard drive (5,400rpm), a dual-layer DVD writer, 6-cell battery, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and copious amounts of bragging rights. Oh, and did we mention you'll need to pack along those 3D glasses in order to see the effect when soaring through your robust library of 3D games? We'll leave it to you -- we know you'll do the right thing.
Toshiba ships Core i7-equipped Satellite A665-3DV, but only to the 3D fanboys
Like it or not, we've got yet another 3D laptop headed your way. Presumably slotted into NVIDIA's newly created 3D PC lineup, Toshiba's Satellite A665-3DV is the outfit's very first 3D lappie, boasting a Core i7-740QM quad-core processor, Windows 7 Home Premium, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 640GB hard drive, NVIDIA's GeForce GTS 350M (1GB), a Blu-ray burner, LED backlit keyboard and 802.11n WiFi. There's also a built-in webcam and a trackpad that looks awfully off-center from here, but all of that pales in comparison to the almighty 1,366 x 768 native resolution spanning the 15.6-inch panel. You heard right -- there's a BD drive and support for 3D, but you can forget about enjoying either in Full HD. But hey, why else would you make use of that HDMI socket? Check it right this very moment for $1,599.99.
Lenovo jumps on the 3D laptop train with the IdeaPad Y560d
We're not sure there are any PC manufacturers without a 3D laptop in store at this point, but add Lenovo to the confirmed list! The 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560d poo poos NVIDIA's 3D Vision, and instead utilizes TriDef's 3D technology like Acer Aspire 5738DG. The solution, which combines a specially coated screen, software and special polarizing glasses, can convert 2D content to 3D content, but in our previous experience we've been less than impressed with the quality of the end result. And unlike Toshiba's Satellite A665, TriDef doesn't support 3D Blu-ray content. Yeah, so we're hesitant about all that three-dee stuff, but the rest of the machine looks mighty tempting. It'll be available with Intel Core i3 through Core i7 processors, an ATI Radeon HD5720 GPU, and up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM. It will also apparently have Lenovo's RapidDrive technology as an option, which marries a regular hard drive with an SSD for faster boot times. Just don't put on those 3D specs yet, the Y560d won't be available until the end of the month and will start at $1,200. Check out some of the press shots below and if you're still digging for some details the full press release is after the break. %Gallery-95438%
Toshiba Dynabook TX/98MBL is first to play Blu-ray 3D content
Ah industry firsts, a chance to grab the spotlight before the world grabs hold of your coattails. Toshiba's Dynabook TX/98MBL claims to be the industry's first laptop to play back 3D content in Blu-ray format when it ships at the end of July in Japan. The 15.6-inch laptop with LED backlit 120Hz panel (60Hz to each eye when viewed through active shutter glasses) pushing 1,366 x 768 pixels utilizes WinDVD BD to playback the Blu-ray 3D format with some help from NVIDIA's 3D Vision software and GeForce GTS 350M hardware with 1GB of dedicate video RAM. Inside you'll find a Core i7-740QM processor, 640GB of hard disk, up to 4GB of memory, a Blu-ray disc drive of course, and harman/kardon stereo speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio to help make the most out of 3D gaming. Price is not listed but it's expected to list for about ¥250,000 (about $2,700). What, you do want 3D on your 15-inch laptops don't you? Update: Toshiba wants you to know that it'll be called the Toshiba Satellite A665 in Europe, presumably because "TX/98MBL" can only be pronounced by the Japanese.
