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HP refreshes its ProBook laptops for small businesses
HP's already outed a bunch of business laptops today, but so far they've all been aimed at the enterprise level -- machines an IT manager would deploy on the order of thousands. But while it was at it, the company also refreshed its ProBook lineup for small businesses, the sort of operations that likely don't have an IT department running the show. For those folks, there's the refreshed b- and s-series. Starting with the "b" lineup, it includes 14- and 15.6-inch models (the 6470b and 6570b), each of which have a magnesium-reinforced chassis with a coating designed to resist scratches and other signs of wear. Users can choose between integrated and discrete graphics, while the 14-inch version, at least, will be offered with Intel and AMD chips. (The 15-incher is Intel-only.) Other perks include Intel's vPro management technology, HP 3D DriveGuard and optional 3G / 4G connectivity. The Intel-based models will start at $769, while the AMD-based 6475b will go for $669 and up. Expect these to land on June 4th. Meanwhile, the s-series (pictured) is available in a wider range of sizes (13, 14, 15 and 17 inches), with a mix of Intel and AMD chips. The existing s-series has also gotten a redesign, with aluminum casing and a spill-resistant keyboard. These laptops, too, will arrive June 4th, though they're slated to start at a lower price of $589.
ASUS rolls out B series laptops with Boston-Power's Sonata batteries
Well, it looks like HP is no longer your only option to get Boston-Power's "game-changing" Sonata batteries -- ASUS has just announced that it will be offering the long-life lithium-ion batteries as standard equipment on its new B series laptops. Those come in both 14.1-inch and 15.6-inch versions -- the B43 and B53, respectively -- and are available with your choice of Core i5 or Core i7 processors, ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 or integrated Intel graphics, 2GB or 4GB of RAM, a standard 320GB hard drive, and ATI Eyefinity support to accommodate two additional displays. As for those Sonata batteries, while they won't last much longer in day-to-day use, they do promises to work at 80% of their capacity for three years, which is backed up by a three-year warranty. Look for the B53 to hit retailers immediately starting at $1,099, while the B43 is said to be coming "in the near future" for an unspecified price.
Sony's Walkman B-series zaps your tunes into submission
No, it doesn't have a big, beautiful OLED on the front, isn't running a trendy OS, and lacks any need for Morse code. It's a pretty standard USB-based MP3 player, with a few niceties. For one, it sports 18 hours of battery life, and three minutes of charging will keep you rocking for an hour and a half. For another, it'll do voice recording and tune FM. But, Sony's really talking up its ZAPPIN function, which helps you find music by playing five-second clips from the middle of tracks, a little like the scan mode your car's radio -- you know, the thing with dials and buttons that you plug your MP3 player into. We've seen this mode on Sony's screenless players in the past, where it makes sense, but we're not sure why anyone wouldn't just look down and use the LCD here. It's only three lines, but with 2GB of storage on tap there won't be that many tunes to scroll through. No price or availability have yet been set.[Via Akihabara News]
