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Panasonic ToughBook C1 gets upgraded with faster processor, better battery life
It may not look any different from the outside, but Panasonic has made some not insignificant upgrades to its rugged, 12.1-inch ToughBook C1 convertible tablet. That starts off with a new Intel Core i5-2520M vPro processor (2.5GHz, Turbo Boost-able to 3.2GHz), along with a standard 320GB 7,200 rpm hard drive (up from 250GB before), and some improved battery life -- Panasonic says you can expect twelve hours from a pair of hot-swappable batteries, or six hours with one. It also says its various improvements contribute to a start-up time that's 30 percent faster than the previous model, although that will obviously vary in real world use. Somewhat unfortunately, the convertible's base price tag has also seen a slight upgrade -- it'll now start at $2,599 instead of $2,499 when the new model rolls out next month
Panasonic Toughbook 19 scores upgraded internals to match its mighty shell
If it ain't broke, don't fix it -- words Panasonic has clearly taken to heart with the Toughbook 19. It's time for the rugged, 10-inch convertible tablet to get its annual refresh and not much has changed visibly. Instead, the company gave its internals a boost with some Sandy Bridge goodness and slapped a new TransflectivePlus screen in this military-grade machine for computing in direct sunlight. Impressively, the Core i5 found inside is not of the ULV variety, it's a standard voltage 2520m powering this completely sealed, fanless design. Additionally, the Toughbook 19 now comes standard with 4GB of RAM and has a pair of SSD options for added durability. You'll be able to pick one up, and use it as a frisbee, in September starting at $3,349. While you wait, feel free to check out the PR after the break.
Fujitsu's LifeBook T901 tablet PC now on sale in the US, starting at $1899
That machine looming large at the top of this page is Fujitsu's LifeBook T901 tablet PC and it's now for sale in the US of A. Powered by an Intel Core i5-2520M processor, the T901 features a 13.3-inch, 1280 x 768 LCD that supports NVIDIA's Optimus graphics. The display also rocks an active digitizer, though you'll have to pay an additional $100 for the dual digitizer that enables five-finger capacitive multitouch. For those in need of some extra life, there's a modular bay that allows you to swap in a second battery or hard drive, along with an integrated fingerprint sensor that'll keep your kids away from your precious TPS reports. Prices start at $1899, so hit the source link if you're interested in adding an yet another tactile dimension to your digital existence. [Thanks, Charles]
Fujitsu's TH40/D convertible tablet slides into Japan, packs Atom Z670 and Windows 7
A slide-out tablet running on Windows 7, you say? Not to be confused with the Samsung Sliding PC, what we have here is the Fujitsu LifeBook TH40/D that's just been announced for the Japanese market. Inside this 2.4-pound convertible laptop you'll find a 1.5GHz Oak Trail Atom Z670, 1GB of non-expandable DDR2 RAM, a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 touchscreen, a 120GB 4200rpm hard drive, and a battery life of around 6 hours. Other tidbits include 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, a couple of USB 2.0 ports, HDMI-out, an SD card slot, and a teeny optical trackpad placed next to the short space bar. Can't say we're digging some of the limitations on this TH40/D, but if you still want one, then be ready to fork out about ¥80,000 ($990) at the end of June.
HP intros the ProBook 5330m, EliteBook 2560p, and EliteBook 2760p tablet
After announcing a trio of consumer laptops, you didn't think HP had forgotten about its business line, did you? The company also trotted out three lightweight models for the corporate set, including the 12.1-inch EliteBook 2760p convertible tablet, which has been rearing its head around the FCC as of late. Although it's an update to the current-generation 2740p, it sticks with its tried-and-true metal design. But -- surprise, surprise -- it steps up to Sandy Bridge Core i5 and Core i7 CPU options, promises 5.5 hours of battery life with the standard six-cell, and will be one of several models compatible with HP's newly minted (optional) prepaid data service, DataPass. Is this the Windows 7 tablet you've been looking for? It's on sale now starting at $1,500 -- stylus included. Next up is the EliteBook 2560p laptop, an update to the 12.1-inch 2540p. This one, too, has a tough aluminum-and-magnesium-alloy build, but it gets the good ol' Sandy Bridge treatment and also shifts to a 12.5-inch display -- a screen size that's rarely stretched to 16:9 proportions. And, HP claims it's the only laptop of its size with a built-in optical drive, if sacrificing optical discs isn't a compromise you're willing to make. Look for it on May 23 with a starting price of $1,100. Lastly, there's the ProBook 5330m, a 13.3-incher that's trying hard to win over Generation Y-types just dipping their toes into the workforce... and who will call in sick if their work machines aren't trendy, or something. In addition to a dual-tone aluminum chassis, it plays cool with a backlit keyboard, Sandy Bridge Core i3 and i5 CPU options, and Beats Audio -- a first for an HP business system. On the inside, meanwhile, it offers TPM circuitry and optional Intel vPro processors -- perks for the IT managers likely to buy these in bulk. These are on sale now, starting at $800. %Gallery-123019% %Gallery-123013% %Gallery-123014%
HP EliteBook 2760p tours the FCC, shows up online starting at $1,499
HP isn't really trying to keep its 12.1-inch EliteBook 2760p convertible tablet a secret these days, but honestly it might not matter even if the company tried -- the ever-reliable FCC made plenty of pictures and documentation available in a filing by Sierra Wireless. That's the company that supplies the Qualcomm Gobi3000 dual-mode GSM / CDMA cellular radio in this tablet, you see, which should be an attractive option for business travelers -- though we don't see any mention of it in the first three Elitebook 2760p models confirmed on HP's website. What's that, you say? Confirmation? Yes, indeed, as HP is already listing three versions starting at $1,499, with the base model nabbing you a 2.3Ghz Core i5-2410M, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi and a 320GB hard drive. FCC pics below, and lots more details at our source links. %Gallery-123069%
HP EliteBook 2560p laptop, 2760p convertible tablet surface in more leaked docs
We're not quite sure what it is with companies and their loose PDFs these days, but another pair of documents have now surfaced on HP's servers, which provide the complete specs and our first real look at the company's previously leaked EliteBook 2560p and 2760p. Perhaps most notably, we now for sure that the latter is indeed a convertible tablet as we had suspected, including a swiveling 12.1-inch matte display, along with your choice of Sandy Bridge Core i5 or i7 processors, up to a 320GB hard drive or 160GB SSD, a maximum 16GB of RAM, and the usual integrated Intel HD3000 graphics (no other option, unfortunately). The EliteBook 2560p, on the other hand, packs an ever so slightly larger 12.5-inch display, and some mostly similar specs across the board -- the biggest exception being up to a 750GB hard drive thanks to its 2.5-inch storage bay (versus 1.8-inch on the 2760p. Still no prices for either of them, although we've got to assume that HP will be making these completely official fairly soon. [Thanks, Reznov]
Lenovo ThinkPad X220 and X220T now shipping, starting at $849
Laptop makers seem to enjoy making our lives difficult by sneaking "buy now" labels onto their latest products and Lenovo has kept up that tradition by making its 12.5-inch ThinkPad X220 available without telling anyone. It's now ready to purchase at the company's online store, starting at $849 with a Core i3-2310M processor, and its convertible tablet sibling, the X220T, is also eager to be snatched up, though its starting price is $1,249 with the same CPU on board. Eight business days will be required for delivery to reach you, but we'd wait a whole lot longer than that for the gorgeous IPS display and extreme battery life on offer. Sadly, you can't upgrade beyond the 1366 x 768 resolution nor away from the Intel HD Graphics 3000 "option," but then we hear that PowerPoint presentations should be blindingly fast on these machines anyhow. Hit the source links to see just how high you can raise the price by maxing out the rest of the specs. [Thanks, Dave]
Panasonic chains Toughbook to a snowmobile, shows signs of life post-torture (video)
We've never questioned the rigidity of Panasonic's Toughbook line -- after all, we've been shown just how rugged these things are time and time again -- but a new video from the company is just too clever to pass over. Sure, it hardly makes any clearer what's already clear, but just in case you were still having doubts, Panny's Toughbook line is mighty tough. As in, tough enough to survive being towed behind a snowmobile in bitterly cold conditions. Unfortunately, the company only shows the screen lighting up after the ride's done, so there's still the possibility that the keyboard is totally shot -- but hey, props for being alive at all, right? Have a look yourself in the video above. [Thanks, Tsuyoshi]
How would you change Dell's Inspiron Duo?
We aren't ones to knock a company for throwing convention to the wind, and frankly, we were downright excited to see how Dell's Inspiron Duo would revolutionize our mobile lives. During our own review, we found the design to be top-notch and the build quality to be world-class, but the sluggish performance, annoying software overlay and lackluster UI didn't exactly earn it any brownie points. Enough about us, though -- this is your time to shine. If you bit the bullet and picked one of these multifaceted laptops up, we're interested in hearing how you'd change things. Would you ditch the swiveling LCD? Would you prefer a dual-boot setup as found on the ViewPad 10? How's the hardware standing up over time? Would you have rather seen AMD's Fusion platform take the place of Intel's Atom? Speak out in comments below, won't you?
Dell Latitude XT3 convertible tablet, hands-on (video)
Dell unveiled a mighty business laptop lineup this morning, but only a few stood out -- like this Dell Latitude XT3 convertible tablet PC with a quad dual-core Intel Sandy Bridge processor inside. Yes, it seems Dell's decided to forgo the incredible battery life of its predecessor for potent performance instead, with this particular unit packing a 2.5GHz Core i5-2520M CPU and 2GB of RAM underneath that swiveling 13-inch display. While the prototype XT3's screen seemed a little washed-out and viewing angles left something to be desired, we have to admire its matte dual-digitizer display, which takes multitouch input from at least three fingers simultaneously and also recognizes a pop-out stylus pen (the former responsive enough to navigate Windows 7 by touch alone, and the latter beyond our can't-draw-a-straight-stick-figure ability to easily test). That sunlight-readable screen isn't just for traveling artists, though, as Dell was quick to inform us that the XT3 is the company's attempt to make a convertible tablet that corporate IT will accept as one of its own, thanks to the same magnesium frame and universal docking port as the rest of the new Latitude lineup. We can't lie: we'd be pretty excited about the potential for awesome here, if we had any notion of release dates or price. Find some pictures below, and mosey past the break for a hands-on video. %Gallery-115994% Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
ThinkPad X220t images surface, look exactly as you'd imagine
Are you a rabid ThinkPad fan? Does the sight of black plastic and a red nub in the center of the keyboard drive you into a frenzied gadget lust? You've seen the X201 (and even its sad, Atom-powered KIRF) so how about a peek at its presumed followup? According to 51nb.com, the self-described "gate to the professional notebook users," the ThinkPad X220t rocks a DisplayPort interface, VGA port, two USB 2.0 ports (although they could be upgraded to USB 3.0 as this thing gets ready for prime time), an SD card reader, capacitive touchscreen and stylus. And like its predecessor, it will flip 'round into slate mode. You know, for when you're in that sort of a mood. But pictures speak louder than words -- even pictures that have had the background cut out and rendered drop shadows thrown in for good measure. See for yourself after the break.
Fujitsu unleashes four LifeBooks with new Intel processors, AH572 promises 3D viewing and recording
The Intel Core 2011 laptops just don't stop rolling in here at CES, and today Fujitsu is jumping on the Sandy Bridge train with four new LifeBook laptops. We'll start with the most intriguing of 'em all -- the 15.6-inch AH572, which not only boasts 3D viewing with included polarized glasses but can record 3D video through its dual integrated cameras. For $999, there's no doubt that the 3D features sound pretty awesome and we're planning to go hands-on with that all later tonight, but let's not forget about the rest of the impressive package -- it packs a Core i5-2410M processor, Intel's WiDi 2.0, and supports up to 6GB of RAM. Not enough power for ya? Chin up, Fujitsu's got the 17.3-inch NH751 too, which boasts an quad-core Core i7-2630QM processor, NVIDIA's fresh 500M graphics, and a Blu-ray drive for $1,200. In true Fujitsu spirit, there's also a convertible tablet; the 13.3-inch T901 is powered by Intel's latest Core i5 and i7 processors and is the first tablet to include NVIDIA's Optimus graphics. Like most of Fujitsu's other tablets, it has a multitouch display with an active digitizer for taking notes as well as a modular bay for swapping in a second battery or hard drive. This one will retail for about $1,900 and won't be available until this spring. Last but not least is the 12.1-inch P771, which is all about packing power into a smaller chassis. The black glossy system is powered by Intel's latest Core i7 processors, has a USB 3.0 port as well as a dual-layer DVD drive. There's no word on pricing on the last of the four, but if you're dying for a few more details on the LifeBook quadruplets head on down below for the full press release. %Gallery-112290%
GammaTech stuffs Core i5 into rugged, rigid D12C convertible laptop
She ain't pretty -- far from it, actually -- but she'll definitely get the job done in uncertain conditions. GammaTech's latest convertible laptop has just been revealed, with the D12C bringing along a 12.1-inch LED-backlit WXGA touchscreen, a Core i5-540UM processor, up to 8GB of memory, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, WiFi, optional Bluetooth / smart card reader and an integrated carry handle. The actual exterior is built much like a tank, meeting stringent MIL-STD-810G requirements surrounding drop and shock resistance. There's also a spill resistant design that sheds water around the keyboard, touchpad, speakers and wireless and power switches, and every last port is fully dust resistant. You'll also find a 2.5-inch slot suitable for your choice of HDD or SSD, and unless you specify otherwise, you'll be getting a fresh copy of Windows 7. Mum's the word on pricing, but as these things tend to go, we're guessing you'll be paying a stiff premium for the rigidity.
Shenzhen netvertible flips its lid, apes Dell Inspiron Duo with days to spare
If you thought the Inspiron Duo would be the only netvertible to have a slick spinning screen, think again -- with less than three months since Dell's design debuted and ten days till it ships, that trap-door design's been copied by the gadget giants of Shenzhen. This time around, it's not an obvious KIRF, but it's also not a terribly powerful little PC -- where Dell at least attempted to push the envelope with a dual-core Atom N550 processor, 2GB of RAM and a Broadcom Crystal HD chip, here we're looking at a bargain-basement netbook with all the usual suspects (Atom N450, 1GB RAM, 120GB HDD, Intel GMA 3150) and what looks like a tiny optical trackpad. At least it's got a capacitive screen! No word on when or how much you can expect to pay if flipping bezels are your thing.
Apple patent teases convertible laptop / tablet
Have you seen any of those rumors over the years about Apple making a tablet/laptop combo for the masses? Well, it seems that at least part of the rumor has gone and gotten itself a patent. Calling it a "convertible MacBook-to-iPad-like device," Patently Apple reports that the patent could be for a MacBook-type device that would convert to something like an iPad in horizontal mode. As a laptop, the screen would be propped open at an angle with a virtual keyboard below it; as a tablet, the screen would slide down on top of the keyboard, enabling multi-touch control directly on the screen itself. I could see this being a really popular product, specifically among business users and the traveling sect, as it would give them the ability to have both a tablet and a laptop all in one. I would buy one tomorrow if I could -- it would be great to have with me through all the traveling I will be doing over the holidays. Sure, iPad docks with built-in keyboards are a great accessory, but unfortunately, they still can't do everything that I need my MacBook for. Dell and others have their own version of a hybrid tablet/laptop computer available right now. But Apple doesn't -- and I am sure it wants in on that market. With reports about iOS 4.2 making the iPad a productivity rival for the MacBook Air, and the possibility that the new MacBook Air could be eating into iPad sales, a combination of the two could be a home run for many customers.
Dell Inspiron Duo and speaker dock up for pre-order at Microsoft Store now, no clue when they'll ship out
The Dell-Microsoft symbiotic relationship continues where it left off with the Venue Pro, as another highly desirable piece of hardware has been made available at a Microsoft Store ahead of Dell: the transforming Inspiron Duo and its JBL-powered speaker dock. That's actually in your favor this time, however, as you won't have to trek across the countryside to one of Microsoft's seven brick-and-mortar stores, but rather grab the $549 convertible at Microsoft's website, and you can even get $50 off the audio station's typical $99 price. That said, these are most definitely pre-orders we're dealing with here and there's no expected shipping date on the site, so it's hard to tell if you're actually securing yourself the first spot in that "first week of December" line. They won't charge you until it ships, though, so if you're not willing to wait for our full review to see if that slick spinning screen is up to snuff, now is probably the time. [Thanks, Joe]
Gigabyte's Booktop T1125 convertible tablet also converts into a desktop, ships soon
Convertible tablets are a hardly a rarity, but while their non-convertible cousins may be getting all the press lately how many of those can morph into a mighty desktop? Okay, the T1125 isn't exactly mighty with its Core i5 or i3 ULV processors, but its sideways dock does let it turn into a respectable desktop, still leaving that 11.6-inch touchscreen available for use. USB 3.0 ports are on-offer for your high-speed peripherals, Optimus tech to boost battery life, and THX-certified dual-channel speakers will let you properly shatter Grandpa's teeth on the go. The T1125 is set to ship sometime later this month for $1,299, fingerprints not included. For now, however, check out a thorough hands-on from our pals at Netbook News -- it's just past the break.
Fujitsu announces LifeBook T580 with four-finger multitouch
We haven't spotted this one at IFA yet, but Fujitsu has taken advantage of the show to announce its new LifeBook T580, which it's going so far as to call "slate-beating." That apparently comes from the fact that it's not only a convertible tablet PC, but one with four-finger multitouch. Unfortunately, that's done on a 10.1-inch resistive touchscreen (complete with a stylus that can be tucked away), but the rest of the specs aren't too shabby, and include up to a Core i5 processor, optional 3G and GPS, a promised eight hours of battery life, and plenty of business-minded security measures -- all in a three-pound package. No word on pricing just yet, but you can expect this one to roll out in late November. Head on past the break for the complete press release, along with a quick demo of its multitouch capabilities. Update: We're not sure why Fujitsu isn't playing it up more, but it looks like the T580 actually uses a dual-input capacitive display with an N-trig digitizer.
How would you change the HP TouchSmart tm2t?
If you're looking for the quintessential tablet experience, but aren't so fond of giving up the small luxuries that come with owning a laptop, HP's TouchSmart tm2t was probably high on your list once it was introduced earlier in the year. Boasting a 12.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, a swivel option for converting it into a tablet and plenty of power for the Average Joe / Jane, it looks -- on paper, at least -- that this guy is the definition of 'striking a balance.' For those that plopped down the coin to bring one home, we're interested to hear how it has or has not lived up to your expectations. Is the note-taking experience up to snuff? How's that touch response? Would you want to have resistive instead? Bumped up the CPU a notch or two? Don't be shy down in comments below -- we need more oddballs like this in the world, and we need 'em to be done right.
