IvyBridge
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Motion outs F5t, C5t rugged tablet PCs with Ivy Bridge and optional SSD, pricing starts at $2,240
Okay, these might not be quite as elegant as, say, that 10-inch, high-res slate coming out of the famed Cupertino labs, but hey, folks working on construction sites (or doing other types of handy work) need to get some actual work done. Here's where Motion Computing comes in. The outfit's just taken the wraps off of its newest rugged tablet PCs, the F5t and C5t -- both of which can be loaded with a choice of an i3, i5 or i7 third-gen Intel CPU, also known as Ivy Bridge. What's more, the company's also letting users pick between a 64 or 128GB solid-state drive, which can then be paired alongside 2 or 4GB of RAM. As you can imagine, this ruggedized duo isn't exactly aimed at something like the Nexus 7 crowd, since the starting price point for the Windows 7 Pro couple starts off at around $2,240 ($2,236, to be exact) depending on configuration. Either way, you can give 'em both a better look after the break, thanks to a press shot gallery courtesy of their creator.%Gallery-162406%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review: the definitive Ultrabook for pros
More Info Lenovo ThinkPad X1 review Lenovo announces the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, a 14-inch Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge, optional 3G and a 1600 x 900 display Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook gets official: on sale August 21st for $1,399 and up The storied ThinkPad line has just turned 20 and, over all those years, the brand has established itself as something that (mostly) successfully straddles the line between boring corporate accessory and classy consumer choice. Stoic is an apt term for the machines and, through those two decades, they've only gotten better and better -- well, most of the time, anyway. Welcome, then, to what is the latest and, therefore, what should be the best: the $1,499 ThinkPad X1 Carbon. It's an evolution of last year's X1, thinner and lighter than that pre-Ultrabook despite having a larger display. The Carbon moniker here not only describes this machine's matte black exterior but also applies to the woven and resin-impregnated composite structure within, delivering a rare mix of light weight, svelte dimensions and durable construction. It's a wonder to behold but can it improve on the previous ThinkPad X1's shortcomings? There's only one way to find out. %Gallery-162336%
Acer launches 14-inch TravelMate P243 $700 business laptop in the US
Acer's finally offering up the TravelMate P243 here in the US, a business notebook designed for the harsh realities of corporate life. 4GB of DDR3 RAM loiter next to an Ivy Bridge Core i5 CPU and a 500GB HDD, packed beneath a spill-resistant keyboard that'll ensure that flyaway grande latte only ruins the front of your suit. You'll be staring into a 14-inch, 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit display with a built-in webcam, as well as a fingerprint reader and the company's ProShield security suite. You (or more likely, your IT buyer) can grab one of these for $700, while you can still grab last year's Sandy Bridge-powered P243 for $600.
Eurocom intros powerhouse Scorpius laptop, touts more video memory than most desktops
Eurocom has carved out a strange but soft spot in our hearts for its desktop replacement-level laptops -- the insistence on overkill hardware leaves even the vaguely ultraportable Monster packing the kind of power reserved for larger-screened (if also much thinner) counterparts. Nowhere is that too-much-is-never-enough attitude truer than in the just-launched, 17.3-inch Scorpius. While supporting up to 32GB of RAM isn't unique anymore, the Scorpius can optionally carry two of NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680M graphics chips with the full 4GB of video RAM per piece. That's more graphics memory than the total system memory of some entire PCs, folks. Eurocom can optionally slot in two of AMD's Radeon HD 7970M or step down to a single graphics core, and the usual bevy of processor and storage choices culminates in as much as a quad 2.9GHz Core i7 and four drives. The lowest price that will net a fully functioning Scorpius is $1,793, although we'll admit that it's very tempting to pick that dual 680M option and come out with a $2,857 bill -- not to mention some serious bragging rights with the gamer crowd.
Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook gets official: on sale August 21st for $1,399 and up
Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon has been a known entity since May, when the company gave us a look at the 14-inch, Ivy Bridge-packing Ultrabook. Up until now, though, the successor to the ThinkPad X1 remained somewhat shrouded in mystery, with no pricing or specific availability information to its name. But no more -- Lenovo's just raised the official curtain on the Carbon, announcing a pricing scheme of $1,399 and up and targeting an on-sale date of August 21st at Lenovo.com. The entry-level model will run a 1.7GHz Core i5-3317U CPU with 4GB, and it includes a 128GB SSD and Intel's HD integrated graphics. Like on the ThinkPad X1, 3G connectivity will be an optional feature. Head past the break for more info on the business-centric Ultrabook.%Gallery-161909%
Toshiba Satellite U845W review: an Ultrabook with a screen size all its own
More Info Toshiba outs Satellite U845W Ultrabook with 14.4-inch, 21:9 display (updated: $999 and up in the US) The Ultrabooks of Computex 2012 Toshiba bows out of netbooks in the US, sees Ultrabooks as the wave of the future Ultrabooks now come in countless shapes and sizes, and we've seen display quality vary just as much. Though 1,366 x 768 may still be the norm, 1,600 x 900 panels aren't unheard of in this ultraportable category. But what about a screen that bucks the 16:9 aspect ratio for an extra-wide 21:9? Toshiba is mixing things up with its new premium Satellite U845W Ultrabook ($1,000 and up), the first laptop to feature that odd aspect ratio. Styled in the fashion of movie theater screens, the U845W's 14.4-inch, 1,792 x 768 panel adds more horizontal pixels -- ostensibly to enhance the movie-watching experience. In theory, too, that setup should allow for more room to multitask with windows side by side. So how good of an idea is a 21:9 screen in practice? Join us as we put it to the test. %Gallery-161861%
Maingear introduces Vybe, a 15-inch notebook that's ready to go in 48 hours
Need a super-spec gaming notebook in a hurry? Maingear's new Vybe laptops should be right up your street. Once ordered, the pre-built units can leave the company's New Jersey HQ in under 48 hours, packed to the gills with all the options you'd expect from the company. The range is packing Ivy Bridge CPUs, Kepler-running GeForce 650M or 660M with 2GB RAM and a 1080p, LED-backlit matte (matte!) finish display. The four options available are laid out in a table after the break -- but rest that itchy mouse finger a moment more, as while the base "Good" and "Better" systems are available from today, you'll have to wait until August 17th if you're looking for the "Best" or "Ultimate," the latter setting you back $1,999.
MacBook Pro review (13-inch, mid-2012)
When the MacBook Pro with Retina display is in the game, Apple's "regular" Pros may seem a bit like also-rans. After all, why would you choose them when you could get a brilliant 15-inch 2,880 x 1,800 IPS panel and a Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor? Well, price, for one thing. While we walked away from our Retina MBP review mighty impressed, that model starts at $2,199. The latest crop of Pros, meanwhile, keep the same pricing scheme as last year's models ($1,199 and up), but step up to Intel's third-generation Ivy Bridge processors. We took the entry-level 13-incher for a spin to get a feel for how the dual-core Core i5 CPU, 4GB of RAM and Intel HD Graphics 4000 stack up to the competition. Read on to see how it fared. %Gallery-161394%
Dell Precision M4700, M6700 business laptops suit up (update)
Dell just put out its new hardcore business laptops onto its storefront. Both the Precision M4700 and M6700 come with Ivy Bridge CPUs and a wealth of build-to-order options including Red Hat Linux -- after all, this is Dell we're talking about here. The 15-inch M4700 is available for $1,049 (£999 in the UK) plus tax and shipping, while the 17-inch M6700 has a base price of $1,849 (£1,349 in the UK). [Thanks, Nick] Update: And now, with PR! In case you're not itchin' to dig into the details, let us hit the highlights for you. In addition to the six pound M4700 and 7.6 pound M6700, Round Rock also rolled out a new 17-inch Covet Edition laptop that sports a ruby red skin and an edge-to-edge 1920x1080 IPS display covered in Gorilla Glass 2. Speaking of screens, the less flashy Precision units also have the HD IPS display option, and all three PCs come with a nine-cell, 97Wh battery. As for storage, a wealth of spinning and solid state options are available, for a max of 2.8TB that can be configured in RAID 0, 1 or 5. Appetite whetted? There's more after the break, and you can head on over to the source link below to put in your order.
Biostar Hi-Fi Z77X gives audiophiles 7.1-channel analog sound, overpriced cables thankfully optional
There haven't been many choices in PC motherboards for audiophiles -- the 'real' kind that might see even a good dedicated sound card as slumming it. Biostar wants to fill that untapped niche with the Hi-Fi Z77X. Along with run-of-the-mill expansion for an Ivy Bridge- or Sandy Bridge-based desktop, the board's built-in 7.1-channel audio flaunts six 3.5mm analog jacks, an amp and the kind of exotic-sounding language that leads audio addicts to buy $2,000 cables they don't need. We're talking "metal-oxide film resistors" and "non-polarized electrolysis electric audio capacitors," here. Whether or not the changes have an appreciable impact on sound quality, listeners are ironically left out of S/PDIF audio, which exists only as a header on the board unless buyers spend a little more on parts. That said, if we assume the as yet unknown price isn't stereotypically high -- and that audiophiles don't mind a big, potentially noisy desktop as a home theater PC -- the Hi-Fi Z77x could be a treat for those who want to wring every nuance out of music and movie soundtracks.
LG's 27-inch V720 all-in-one PCs pop up on Flickr, IPS and optional Ivy Bridge in tow
LG has unveiled the V720, a new series of all-in-one PCs, featuring 27-inch IPS HD panels and an Intel Ivy Bridge processor option. The line consists of a high-end model with Intel's 3rd generation Core i5 and an IPS 1,920 x 1,080 3D panel, and a lesser model with a 2nd generation Core i3 and the same display sans 3D. Other specs include 750GB SATA3 hybrid or standard drives, up to 8GB DDR3 RAM, USB 3.0 and NVIDA's GT640M 1GB graphics. Photos show a white and silver looker with well concealed computer guts, but don't count on being able to pick up one of the minimalist units in the US -- LG normally keeps its PC offerings exclusively in Asia.
Giada's i53 mini-PC is book-sized, without all the paper cuts
We'd have gone with "smaller than a breadbox," but book-sized seems to work just as well, when describing Giada's new mini-PC. The i53 packs an Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor standard (i3 and and i7 versions are also available), 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive into its sub-one kilogram, bookshelf-ready form factor. The system supports USB 3.0 and HD video and comes with a colorful remote control, so you can boot it up from a distance. The i53 should sell for around $520. More info can be found in the press materials after the break.
Lenovo IdeaPad U310 review: a reasonably priced Ultrabook for the masses
More Info Lenovo IdeaPad U300s review Lenovo's IdeaPad U310 and U410 Ultrabooks start at an inexpensive $699, weigh a little more than the competition Lenovo U310 and U410 Ultrabooks now available worldwide starting at $749 For a while there, the march of Ultrabooks was comprised almost entirely of halo products: skinny, relatively expensive things designed to help Intel and its OEM partners make a good impression on the general laptop-buying public. But with 110-plus models in the pipeline, they can't all be expensive, right? By now, you may have noticed that Ultrabooks are starting to look a little less uniform: there have been larger ones, heavier ones, some with optical drives, some with discrete graphics. Next up: cheaper ones. Just in time for back-to-school shopping season, we're seeing a wave of more reasonably priced Ultrabooks, many of them with traditional spinning hard drives and slightly heavier frames. One of these is the Lenovo IdeaPad U310, a machine that brings Core i5, 4GB of RAM and hybrid storage for $799. Oh, and its design is pleasantly reminiscent of the IdeaPad U300s, a higher-end Ultrabook we reviewed late last year. No doubt, then, it'll be a tempting option for people who can't afford to spend $1,000-plus on a laptop. But is it worth it? Let's find out.%Gallery-160172%
Toshiba outs Tecra R940 and R950 for small business set, prices start at $600
Last month, Toshiba gave its Tecra line the Ivy Bridge treatment, outing the enterprise-focused R940 and R950 with fingerprint readers and the Smart Client Manager. Today it circled back to give smaller businesses something new, though the company confusingly chose the same naming scheme for its more budget-priced Tecra machines. Not to be confused with the corporate crowd's Tecra R940 and R950, these two models are available only through ToshibaDirect, and they forgo some of the higher-end business security features like the fingerprint reader to keep the price down. The 14-inch Tecra R940 starts at $600 and can be configured with a third-gen Intel CPU, optional AMD dedicated graphics and up to 16GB of RAM. The 15.6-inch Tecra R950 also goes for $600 and up, and both laptops can be configured with 320GB hard drives all the way up to 512GB SSDs. Check out the presser below, and you can hit up the product pages to check out the full configuration options.
Adobe acknowledges InDesign crash issues on new MacBooks
Adobe InDesign owners using a new MacBook Pro with an Intel Ivy Bridge processor are reporting problems with both the Creative Suite 5 and Creative Suite 6 version of the app. A growing thread on Adobe's website documents the problem which happens when performing routine tasks like deleting a page with content. The InDesign app reportedly locks up and displays a blank warning box before crashing. Adobe acknowledged the issue and says the only fix right now is to roll back OS X to a version before 10.7.4. Mac OS X version 10.7.4 was released in May to all Mac owners. Pre-Ivy Bridge customers affected by this glitch can restore their machines to factory software and ignore the 10.7.4 update. Customers who just bought a new MacBook Pro or MacBook Air may run into difficulty as their systems shipped with 10.7.4 installed. Adobe did not explain why the issue seems to effect Ivy Bridge Macs more than their Sandy Bridge counterparts. It's also not know whether this problem will be present in Mountain Lion, which should be released later this month. You can follow the Adobe thread to read more about the issue. Hopefully, Adobe will continue to address this problem and respond to user's concerns. [Via AppleInsider]
IDC and Gartner: PC market flattened out in Q2 while Apple, ASUS and Lenovo remain the stars
Microsoft's Steve Ballmer might be working overtime to keep Apple at bay, but the PC market that his company largely built is hurting, if you ask researchers at Gartner and IDC. Both estimate that shipments of traditional computers dropped by a tenth of a point in the second quarter of 2012 -- not a good sign when Intel's Ivy Bridge processors and a wave of Ultrabooks were supposed to usher in a PC renaissance. While the exact numbers vary, the two paint a partly familiar picture of the world stage: HP and Dell are taking a bruising, while ASUS and Lenovo are making huge leaps forward. Depending on who you ask, though, Acer is either kicking Dell down to fourth place or occupying that all too comfortable spot itself. The economy and tablets are once again blamed for making would-be PC upgraders jittery, although this time it may also be the wait for Windows 8 leading some to hold off. If there's a point of contention, it's the US figures. Gartner and IDC alike agree that Acer, Dell and HP all took a drubbing. The two analyst groups are at odds with each other when it comes to everyone else, though. Apple will have gained market share to as much as 12 percent, but either increased or shrank its shipments; it's Lenovo or Toshiba completing the top five outside of the usual suspects. Accordingly, take results with a grain of salt until all the PC builders have reported in. Nonetheless, if the groups have the same reasonable level of precision as they've had in the past, Microsoft may have to defer its ambitions for a little while longer.
Fujitsu unveils the Stylistic Q702 hybrid tablet and the LifeBook T902 convertible laptop
Back at Computex last month we saw dozens of Windows 8-ready Ultrabooks on display: sliding-ones, touchscreen ones, foldable ones. Curiously, though, there were virtually none aimed at businesses -- you know, one of Microsoft's key customer groups. Today, though, Fujitsu is unveiling not one, but two devices aimed at the corporate crowd: the Stylistic Q702 laptop/tablet hybrid and the LifeBook T902, a convertible laptop. Starting with the Q702, it's an 11.6-inch tablet that works with an optional keyboard dock and also supports pen input. Yes, that's a form factor we know all too well at this point, but this one at least manages to differentiate itself with business-friendly features like TPM, Intel Anti-Theft technology, Computrace support and built-in WWAN and LTE connectivity (so far, we know AT&T, Verizon and Sprint will be on board). Under the hood, it runs Ivy Bridge processors (Core i3 or i5) with 4GB of RAM and an SSD with up to 128GB of storage space. As you'd expect of an 11.6-inch Windows tablet, the resolution is 1,366 x 768, though Fujitsu also added Gorilla Glass coating and ratcheted the brightness up to 400 nits. On its own, the 1.88-pound tablet is rated for 4.5 hours of runtime (the dock adds an extra 5.5). Speaking of which, in addition to a built-in battery, the dock adds two USB 2.0 / 3.0 ports, Ethernet jack and VGA. Moving on, the LifeBook T902 replaces this guy with a higher-res 13-inch Gorilla Glass display (1,600 x 900 this time) and is powered by Ivy Bridge processors (i5 and i7 chips, to be precise). Inside that 4.1-pound body you can cram up to 16GB of RAM, along with optional WWAN or LTE radios. It's also home to a modular bay, which you can use to add a spare battery or hard drive, or maybe even an optical drive. Fujitsu rates the battery life at up to 11 hours, but that's assuming you go ahead and buy that second battery. Here, too, you'll find security features like TPM and Computrace support, but unlike the Q702 tablet it adds a fingerprint sensor and IT-friendly vPro chips. The Q702 and T902 will both ship with Windows 7, but are naturally upgradeable to Win8. Look for both to arrive sometime in the third quarter, with the Q702 hybrid starting at $1,099 and the T902 going for $1,899 and up. Full PR after the break, along with a press shot of the convertible.
HP unveils four new business and consumer all-in-ones with Ivy Bridge insides
HP announced a raft of new Ivy Bridge desktops back in April, but it had a few more all-in-ones up its sleeve. Today the company is unveiling a mix of business- and consumer-targeted machines: the Compaq Elite 8300, Compaq Pro 6300, Envy 23 and Pavilion 23. Let's tackle the business models first. Starting at $879, the 23-inch Compaq Elite 8300 is available with second- or third-gen Intel processors and integrated or discrete graphics options. A $929 configuration comes with a multitouch-enabled display. The Compaq Pro 6300, going for $799 and up, doesn't offer touch functionality, but it includes corporate-friendly security software via HP ProtectTools and, like the Elite 8300, can be configured with either Ivy Bridge or Sandy Bridge CPUs. The 6300 features a 21-inch LED-backlit display and an optional 2-megapixel webcam. The Compaq Elite 8300 will go on sale September 10th, while the 6300 will hit stores on September 3rd. On the home PC side of things, there's the $950 HP Envy 23, which sports a 23-inch 1080p screen and a free-standing design with edge-to-edge glass. Beats Audio is on board, and the model is available with Ivy Bridge or AMD trinity processors, up to 2TB of storage, an HDMI-in port, a Blu-ray drive and a TV tuner. Like the Envy 23, the $650 HP Pavilion 23 has a 23-inch 1080p panel and is configurable with up to a 2TB hard drive and either Intel (up to Core i5 Ivy Bridge) or AMD CPUs. Both models will go on sale August 5th. You know the drill: head past the break for the full press release and our hands-on photos.
Samsung Series 9 review (13-inch, mid-2012)
More Info Samsung unveils redesigned Series 9 laptops with 13- and 15-inch displays, starting at $1,399 Samsung Series 9 review (15-inch, mid-2012) Samsung refreshes Series 9, 5 and 3 laptops, unveils two new Series 5 systems Good things come in pairs, right? Earlier this year Samsung revamped its high-end Series 9 line with two new Ultrabooks: an impressively thin 15-inch model, along with a more portable 13-inch machine. So far this year, we've gotten a chance to review the larger version which remains one of our favorite ultraportables ever, thanks to its minimal design, fast performance, lovely display and long battery life. "So what?" you're thinking. "Why bother revisiting the miniature version?" For one, friends, Samsung only recently refreshed the Series 9 with third-generation Intel Core processors, and we were eager to make note of any performance gains. More importantly, though, the 13-inch Series 9 faces stiffer competition than its big brother. There truly isn't another big-screen notebook quite as thin or as light as the 15-inch Series 9; if those are the attributes that matter most, that's the laptop you're best off getting. But the smaller Series 9 finds itself fighting for space on retail shelves amidst high-end ultraportables like the MacBook Air, ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A, the HP Envy Spectre XT and, well, you get the idea. So how does this $1,300 system fare against such worthy opponents? Read on to find out.
Acer Aspire V3 review: an affordable, Kepler-packing laptop for back-to-school season
Back in March at CeBIT, Acer unveiled a slew of new laptops, among which the Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 Ultrabook was easily the most celebrated. But while slim designs and instant-on technology are shoo-ins for media attention, slightly thicker machines with revved-up internals and discrete graphics are champions of the "don't judge a book by its cover" philosophy. And besides, not everyone is willing to part with a DVD drive, much less spend $1,000-plus on their next PC. More Info Acer Aspire V3 notebook hands-on (video) Acer Aspire V3 coming to Japan for $1,100 with right processor, wrong ppi Acer announces Ultrabook-like Aspire V5 series, we go hands-on (video) Hence Acer's Aspire V3, which is available in sizes ranging from 14 to 17.3 inches (for the purposes of this review, we took a look at the middleweight 15.6-inch version). While it weighs a hefty 5.8 pounds and looks positively bloated next to 0.8-inch-thick laptops such as the M3, the V3 packs serious power in the form of NVIDIA Kepler graphics and a Core i7 Ivy Bridge CPU. And unlike many Ultrabooks trickling their way into the market, this guy is priced to compete, making it a viable choice for the back-to-school season. But is it the best mainstream notebook $850 can buy? Let's see.
