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NEC busts out a Nissan X-Trail-themed laptop
NEC's Lavie laptops have never been the most exciting machines, and true to form, when the company decided to release one of those oh-so-hip carmaker branded versions, they turned not to Ferrari or Lamborghini, but to the Japanese Nissan X-Trail. Based on the 12.1-inch Lavie G Type J, the unit features custom panels in the same red paint as the X-Trail, a custom palmrest with X-Trail logo, a waterproof nylon case made from the same material as the X-Trail's seats, and membership in a special Nissan website, where you can apparently buy more X-Trail branded gear. Specs are pretty variable since the machine is primarily BTO, but a sample configuration lists out at ¥243,495 ($2113), which'll get you a U7500 Core 2 Duo, Vista Home Premium, and a dual-layer burner. Of course, it's doubtful that we'll ever see this bad boy Stateside, but something tells us there aren't that many of you clamoring to show your X-Trail pride anyways.[Via Akihabara News]
NEC rolls out LaVie laptops with "face pass"
It looks like NEC is keeping all its bases covered today, backing up those water-cooled desktops with a range of new laptops boasting some less-than-common specs of their own. Likely to attract the most attention in that regard is the laptops' "face pass" feature, which makes use of the integrated 2.0 megapixel camera to ensure that only you (or someone that looks an awfully lot like you) can access the laptop. Otherwise, the laptops boast a range of fairly standard specs, including your choice of Core 2 Duo processors on the top-end LaVie C model or your choice of Core 2 Duo or Celeron processors on the LaVie L model. Both models also pack 15.4-inch displays, with a Blu-ray drive reserved for the very top-end laptop. Look for the whole lot to hit Japan later this month, with prices ranging from ¥150,000 to ¥310,000 (or about $1,300 to $2,675).
NEC intros colorful new LaVie laptops
It looks like NEC has dialed things back somewhat after its experiment with 3D paint jobs, with its new L series LaVie laptops sporting some slightly more subdued color options. If you want one those new colors, however, it looks like you'll have to settle for the lower-end LL550KG model of the line, which comes loaded with a Sempron 3400+ (as opposed to a Turion 64 X2 TL-52) and drops the 1seg tuner of the higher end models. Otherwise, the various laptops appear to be identical, with them each boasting a 15.4-inch WXGA display, 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, a DVD burner, and slots for ExpressCards and FeliCa cards, in addition to the usual array of memory cards. Look for these to trickle out in Japan this month and next for between ¥160,000 and ¥175,000 (or roughly $1,400 to $1,530).[Via Akihabara News]
NEC spruces up LaVie laptops with 3D paint job
NEC's LaVie laptops haven't exactly been relying on their looks to get noticed, but the company seems to be trying to change that, recently introducing a new "3D" paint job option for those wanting to stand out in a crowd. According to The Register, the laptops make use of a special metallic paint which, "when surrounded by a magnetic field," magically displays a "hologram-style" pattern. Otherwise, the laptops appear to be thoroughly ordinary, boasting a 15.4-inch display and your choice of AMD Sempron or Turion 64 X2 processors. Not surprisingly, they're also only available in Japan, where they apparently start around the $860 mark.
NEC busts out four new LaVie laptops -- frumpiness abounds
Sorry NEC, but we're just totally not feeling this look. You weren't exactly winning design awards when we saw some of these last year, but now we just feel sorry for you. Granted, this new lineup of LaVie laptops from NEC falls squarely in the budget sphere, with a good many weakling Intel and AMD processors between them, but the top-of-the-line LaVie C (pictured) is no slouch. It sports up to a 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7200 processor, Blu-ray drive, Radeon X1600 graphics with 512MB of VRAM and HDMI out. The 15.4-inch screen comes in WXGA (1280 x 800 and WXGA+ (1440 x 900) flavors. Other members of the new lineup include the 12.1-inch LaVie J, with a 1.06GHz Core 2 Duo U7500 processor and XGA screen, the LaVie L "Advanced Type," which does the LaVie C form factor with lesser specs, and the LaVie L "Basic Type," which brings its own form factor and takes things about as basic as they get. No word on price or release date for any of these, but we're not so sure we care. The other models are pictured after the break.
NEC's 15.4-inch LaVie L laptop gets the blues
While there has been more than a few laptops that look pretty in pink, NEC is hoping to dish out a few blues with its latest in the LaVie lineup. The LaVie L LL550/HG sports a light blue coating on the lid that runs to the top of the keyboard, a 15.4-inch 1,280 x 800 resolution LCD, 1.8GHz AMD Sempron 3200+ processor, dual-layer DVD burner, 100GB hard drive, ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 graphics set, 1GB of RAM, and of course, Windows Vista Home Premium (and Office 2007) pre-installed. Additionally, you'll get 802.11a/b/g support, Ethernet, a flash card reader, and a dashing white keyboard that's sure to turn yellow before you even get it broke in good. Notably, the widescreen machine tips the scales at a heavier-than-expected 6.83-pounds, but those still digging the color scheme can pick this up now for ¥169,890 (or just under $1,400).[Via AkihabaraNews]
NEC unveils Vista-equipped VALUESTAR all-in-one / LaVie J laptop
No, we haven't heard any rumors of NEC merging with Fujitsu, but apparently both companies enjoyed busting out the ugly stick on their latest creations. Expanding its VALUESTAR lineup, the VW990/HG sports a relatively gorgeous 32-inch LCD HDTV with a WXGA resolution (or a 20-inch WSXGA+), but loses all hope of being attractive due to the gaudy PC flanking its bottom. While the firm has various spec'd models available, you'll find in them an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 2GB of RAM, NVIDIA's GeForce Go 7600, up to 800GB of hard drive space, a Blu-ray drive (read-only), four USB 2.0 ports, dual FireWire connectors, PCMCIA, flash card reader, gigabit Ethernet, 56k modem, VGA, audio in / out, and a hybrid digital / analog TV tuner to boot. On the laptop side, the 12-inch LaVie J (pictured after the jump) ultraportable packs an Intel Core Duo U2400 processor, up to 120GB of hard drive space, Intel's 945GMS Express integrated graphics set, up to 2GB of RAM, dual-layer DVD burner, a trio of USB 2.0 ports, 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, SD / SDHC slot, PCMCIA, audio in / out, VGA out, and if you're really going against the grain, you can pick this bad boy up in "Urban brown" as well. The clunker of a desktop should be available right alongside Vista's upcoming release for ¥360,000 ($2,989) to ¥500,000 ($4,150) depending on your configuration and LCD size, while the Vista-equipped laptop should land early next month for around ¥200,000 ($1,660).Read - NEC's VALUESTAR W/S lineupRead - NEC's LaViE J lineup
