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Hanvon's multitouch tablet previewed, surfaces in China March 25th with 1080p playback
Though cheap Android craptablets were a commodity item at CeBIT 2010, that doesn't mean we didn't find the occasional diamond in the rough. Specifically, the Hanvon Touchpad BC10C, a sleek, multitouch Windows 7 device with specs firmly entrenched in high-end netbook territory. Thanks to our friend jkkmobile, we now know exactly what's powering this thing -- a comparatively juice-gulping 1.3GHz Celeron M ULV 743 CPU and GMA4500 graphics -- and that when it comes to the US and Europe, it'll cost a little more than we thought, hovering around $877. Mind you, that price bump might be worth it when you consider just how smoothly the 10-inch tablet performs (peep 1080p video and Microsoft Surface Globe demos after the break) but also know your YouTube surfing sessions will be limited by a simply sad 3.5 hours of battery life. For when "mobile" isn't an important word in your vocabulary... the BC10C launches in China March 25th.
Secrets of the Atom cracked, Wind PC revealed
Everyone wants a new generation ultra-portable pumping the Atom processor right? After all, it's Intel's latest and greatest Centrino proc. Not so fast... literally. Impress got their hands on an unofficially released MSI Wind PC (the mini-PC, not the low-cost laptop) and subjected the 1.33GHz Atom processor to a suite of standard tests. While the source is in machine-translated Japanese, that table comparing the Atom with Eee PC 900's Celeron and a typical ULV Core 2 Duo found in a wide range of full-sized, ultra-portable laptops speaks for itself. Keep in mind though that Intel's Atom is supposed to be less power hungry than its peers and CPU benchmarking is hardly the last word when it comes to determining real-world laptop performance -- read/writes to disk, memory, and other system nuances must also be considered. Nevertheless, based on this table and other mounting evidence, first and second generation Eee PC owners shouldn't feel any compulsion to rush out and upgrade to Atom on day 1.[Via Technophone and Notebook Italia]
Intel issues product discontinuance notice for seven Merom chips
Oh, Merom. It felt like just yesterday that we were shaking our heads in disappointment after reading lackluster reviews and wondering when you'd finally make an appearance in Apple's MacBook Pro. Thankfully, times change, and with Intel's mobile Penryn stealing all the limelight of late, we 'spose it's about time the Merom lineup cashed out its 401(k) and sailed off to Maui. According to a PCN (product change notification) from the chip maker, the Core 2 Duo T7200, T7600, T5500, T5600 and LV L7200 are being flagged for discontinuation along with the less potent Celeron M 520 and 530. Granted, the whole family will still be available to ship until sometime in 2009, but for us, it's on to bigger smaller and faster things. [Warning: PDF read link][Via TGDaily, image courtesy of Gutenberg]
HP releases no-frills HP 510 notebook
Not everyone is down with latest and greatest hardware -- or they just can't afford it -- and it's definitely not the dual-core-and-SLI crowd HP is targeting with its new HP 510 laptop. The 15-incher features just about what you'd expect from a $565 notebook computer, so specs like 'Celeron M.' 'integrated graphics,' and '1GB max RAM' should come as little surprise. You're still getting all the basics here, though, including a 60GB hard drive, b/g WiFi, a passable WXGA resolution and 512MB of RAM, and a DVD combo drive. Not one we'd show off to the ladies or anything, but it'll get the job done, and it's available immediately. [Via PC Launches]
SwitchBack ruggedized UMPC can rock multiple OSes simultaneously
While we're not buying Black Diamond Advanced Technology's claim that its SwitchBack UMPC (no relation to the Kyocera Switchback) is the world's first such ruggedized device -- either the P630 Spartan or Catcher holds that honor -- it is by far the most versatile. This three-pound jack-of-all-trades comes equipped with a 1.0GHz Celeron M processor that not only runs Windows XP or Linux, but Windows CE and Windows Mobile to boot -- and not just one at time, but simultaneously as well, meaning that you can effortlessly switch between Internet Explorer and Pocket Internet Explorer (even though you wouldn't really want to). Also packed into the magnesium and rubber housing are a 5.6-inch, WSVGA (1,024 x 600) display, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, 40GB removable hard drive, 1GB of 400MHz DDR2 RAM, and even a weird little QWERTY thumb board underneath the screen. Perhaps the best part of the SwitchBack, though, is its Handspring-like upgradability, meaning that separate back modules can be attached to endow it with added functionality such as GPS, fingerprint scanning, additional processing power, digital camera, and even a breathalyzer to make sure your fellow troops aren't too drunk to shoot straight. The initial units -- price unknown, meaning they probably cost a grip -- will ship sometime in Q4 as XP-only machines, with the multi-OS upgrade coming in Q2 2007, hopefully in time to help out our armed forces before they get involved in yet another major conflict.[Via PR Newswire]
Fujitsu drops a quartet of new notebooks
So Fujitsu's got four portable machines for us to peep today, but unlike the slew of Merom-powered notebooks we've been seeing, only one of these models rock that dual-core goodness. First off are two new members of the 15.4-inch Biblio NF family (pictured above), the NF60T with a 1.6GHz Turion 64 X2 CPU, and the 1.46GHz Celeron M 410-powered NF40T. The 60T rocks ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 graphics, 512MB of RAM (4GB max), and a 100GB HDD, while the 40T also gives you 512MB RAM (only expandable to to 2GB, though) and just 80GB of HDD capacity and integrated graphics; both machines, however, offer a full complement of connectivity options, with WiFi, FireWire, USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, PCMCIA, ExpressCard, and D-Sub standard. Next up is the Core Solo-equipped (1.20GHz U1400) FMV-Biblio LOOX Q, with a 12.1-inch WXGA LCD, integrated graphics, 30GB HDD (hey, it's really slim, at least), 512MB of RAM, and both WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0 radios. Finally we have the 8.9-inch LOOX P70T/V convertible tablet, which sports the exact same specs as the Q, but obviously replaces the XP Pro OS with Tablet PC Edition 2005. Look for the ¥185,000 ($1,581) NF60T and ¥150,000 ($1,282) NF40T to drop on September 2nd, the ¥260,000 ($2,222) LOOX Q to be available on the 15th, and the ¥250,000 ($2,136) P70T/V to hit shelves on September 28th -- all initially in Japan, of course.Read- Biblio NFRead- LOOX Q and P
Toshiba releases business-minded Tecra A8 laptop
Toshiba has gone a bit "lappy happy" this week, announcing yet another 15.4-inch machine to join the two new notebooks and nine new configurations of current models that we spotted earlier. This time around, the company is targeting corporate IT buyers looking for durability on the cheap, playing up the new Tecra A8's suite of EasyGuard technology -- which features the same hard drive and keyboard protection, biometric security, and one-touch presentation button found in the consumer-level LifeSmart package. As far as specs go, you can choose from among a number of setups sporting either Celeron M or Core Duo processors, 512MB or 1GB of RAM, between 60GB and 100GB worth of storage, CD/DVD combo drive or DVD SuperMulti drive, and 802.11b/g WiFi from Atheros or 802.11a/b/g from Intel. Available immediately, these models range from $700 for the Celeron M config to $1,349 for a rig packing a T2400 CPU and that dual-layer burner.[Via Mobile Tech Review]
Toshiba adds new M105, A105, and P105 notebook configurations
Toshiba's got more notebooks in store for us today than just the R25 convertible and U205 ultra-portable we spotted earlier; nine more in fact, as the 14.1-inch M105, 15.4-inch A105, and 17-inch P105 Satellites have all been upgraded with three new configurations each. Focused on multimedia and gaming, the new P105 configs (pictured) -- the $1,199 S6024, $1,499 S6084, and $1,999 S9312 -- offer several compelling features, highlighted by Core Duo processors throughout the line, a nVidia GeForce Go 7900 GS graphics chip in the S6084, and an external USB tuner in the Windows Media Center Edition-powered S9312. The A105 also gets three fancy new looks, all featuring 5,400RPM hard drives, 533MHz DDR2 RAM, and integrated graphics: the $700 S2141 (1.46GHz Celeron M, 512MB of RAM, 80GB HDD), $999 S4074 (1.6GHz Core Duo T2050, 512MB RAM, 120GB storage, dual-layer DVD burner, Media Center Edition 2005), and $1,349 S4134 (same as the S4074 except for a 1.66GHz T2400 and 2GB of RAM). Rounding out the upgrades are S1021, S3041, and S3064 versions of the M105, which sport either Celeron M, Core Solo, or Core Duo processors, between 512MB and 1GB of RAM, 80GB or 120GB hard drives, and either a combo drive or DVD burner -- and are priced between $650 and $1,199. All nine new models are available immediately either directly from Toshiba or from your friendly neighborhood PC retailer.Read- P105Read- A105Read- M105
Lenovo's Z-series ThinkPads to get Core Duo options in the Z61t and Z61m
If you've been bugging your corporate IT department for a new laptop, try to hold off a few more days before making the final push, because Lenovo is set to upgrade its Z-series line of ThinkPad notebooks with dual-core processor options on Tuesday. Both the 14.1-inch Z60t and 15.4-inch Z60m will be bumped to the Z61t and Z61m, respectively, and offer three varieties of Core Duo procs (maxing out at the 2.0GHz T2500) or two flavors each of the Core Solo or Celeron M chips. All the other specs on both models seem to remain unchanged: you still get WXGA widescreen displays (at the minimum), integrated graphics (along with the option of upgrading to ATI Radeon cards in the m), 256MB of RAM to start, your choice of hard drive capacities and speeds, all three 802.11 standards, optional Bluetooth, and of course, the option of built-in EV-DO which have made the Z-series so popular. No word yet on exact pricing for these new models, but you can expect them to start around the same price points as the Z60 models did when they were first released.
Samsung Q1 UMPC to go on sale May 7th for $1,100
At a San Francisco press briefing and product demonstration that hopefully went better than its disastrous Korean counterpart last month, executives from Samsung, Microsoft, and Intel jointly announced pricing and availability details for the official U.S. release of the Q1 UMPC. Starting on May 7th, early-adopters will be able to pick up a Q1 -- along with all the high-profit-margin accessories -- at Best Buy's e-tail location for $1,100, with an in-store rollout planned for "later this summer." As you're probably already aware, the Q1, along with models from Asus, Founder, and TabletKiosk, is among the first generation of so-called Ultra Mobile PCs designed to enhance your on-the-go lifestyle, and sports a 7-inch touchscreen, Celeron M ULV processor, 40GB hard drive, 512MB RAM, 802.11b/g, and Bluetooth 2.0.
