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Spotted at IDF: NEC's lightweight LaVie Z Ultrabook (hands-on video)
Remember NEC's LaVie Z Ultrabook we first heard about at Computex? It's a super light (875g / 1.93 lbs) and thin (15mm / 0.59-inch) magnesium alloy system running Windows 7 that's only available in Japan and we just spotted it here at IDF 2012 in San Francisco. Spec-wise you're looking at a 1.9GHz third-generation (Ivy Bridge) Core i7 CPU, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD with integrated Intel HD 4000 GPU driving a 13.3-inch 1600 x 900-pixel display. It features an SD card slot on the left side, audio, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI and power connectors on the right edge along with the obligatory webcam. We spent a few minutes using the LaVie Z and were quite impressed with how lightweight and well made it is. It feels like a premium Ultrabook yet still looks unique -- unlike the plethora of me-too designs the PC industry's been dumping on the market lately (yes, we're looking at you, HP). The screen is nice and bright with decent viewing angles. NEC's done a good job with the button-less trackpad which is properly responsive. Sadly the keyboard is a bit of a mixed bag -- the short travel and small surface area of the individual keys will be an issue for some. Want to know more? Check out the gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on video.%Gallery-164973%
NEC's LaVie Z Ultrabook has definitely lost weight: just 875 grams and priced from $1,600 in Japan
No one complained when we reported NEC's initial claimed weight of 999 grams (2.2 pounds) for its LaVie Z Ultrabook, but it turns out that statistic is brutally unfair. The 13.3-inch laptop actually tips the scales at just 875 grams (1.9 pounds) thanks to the magnesium lithium alloy used in its 0.59-inch chassis -- not bad when you consider that there are still 1.3kg netbooks wandering the planet. Of course, in line with Intel's official Ultrabook spec, you're getting a minimum Core i5-3317U processor (yes, that's Ivy Bridge) and 128GB SSD, plus USB 3.0, SDXC slot, HDMI out and a claimed battery life of 8.1 hours. There's no word on US pricing yet, but that base spec will set you back ¥130,000 ($1,600) in Japan, while the top model with Core i7-3517U and 256GB SSD will add another ¥30,000 ($375) to your bill.
NEC LaVie Touch Windows 7 tablet comes packed with DVD-sporting dock
If this nifty little bugger looks familiar, that's because it should. NEC's LaVie Touch sports the same design and specs as the VersaPro model we spotted back in May. The difference here is, it comes packed with a bevy of accessories, including a keyboard, mouse and a dock that happens to hold a DVD drive. Underneath the 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800, IPS touchscreen is a 1.5GHz Oak Trail CPU, 2GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD. Sure the pair of full USB ports, HDMI jack, WiFi, Bluetooth and SD reader are welcome, but it's that optical drive packing stand that really makes this a unique package. The NEC LaVie Touch should be landing in Japan next month for around $1,200 with the accessories. Sadly, there's no word of whether or not it'll ever find its way stateside.
NEC spits out LaVie L and S Series laptops, ValueStar W and N Series all-in-ones
Like your computers Japanese and fire engine red? You might want to have a gander at the quartet of PCs NEC just churned out, including twin LaVie notebooks and ValueStar all-in-ones. The laptops both have 15.6-inch displays, optional Blu-ray drives, and hard drives as large as 750GB, but the L series packs a TV tuner and maxes out at a Core i7 processor, while the S series' top CPU option is a Core i5-2410M. On the desktop side, the W series has a 23-inch screen, Core i7 processor, a 2TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M card, a TV tuner, and a Blu-ray drive with an optional 3D display. Moving on down the line, the N Series offers a 20-inch screen, Core i5 processor, and integrated Intel graphics, though it, too, will be offered with a 3D panel. No word on pricing or availability, but for now you can check out hands-on photos aplenty at the links below.
PLX USB Duet: your netbook is now a cumbersome iPad keyboard
We preface this post by saying we don't know how practical this really is, but PLX's idea of using a netbook's keyboard to type on the iPad is definitely an intriguing one. How does it all work? Well, it relies on the company's USB Duet technology, but the setup isn't exactly what we'd call streamlined. You'll need a netbook like the Fujitsu MH380 or NEC LaVie Light with the built-in PLX chipset / mini-USB port, an iPad with the camera connection kit, and of course the applicable USB Duet software. Regardless, the demo we saw today at the Netbook Summit worked fairly well. When all was said and done, we laid the iPad on top of the netbook's screen and we were able to use the keyboard to type in Safari and in Notes faster than when we were pecking on the virtual keyboard. Additionally, PLX says the same USB feature enables you to use the netbook's speakers as well as transfer files from the iPad to the laptop without iTunes (we should note here that USB duet also allows you to hook up a netbook to other laptops to transfer files, etc.). Truth is, we could debate the value of this iPad hook-up for quite a few hours, but instead we'll just direct you to the video and press release after the break, and then let you duke it out for yourselves in the comments. %Gallery-93616%
