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HP TouchSmart tm2 gains Core i5 CPU option, a whole new level of respect
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? Or when a rumor plays out perfectly? We're looking at a case of the latter here today, as HP's oh-so-lovable 12-inch TouchSmart tm2 is now available to order with a Core i5 processor. Just months after gaining Core i3 support, the convertible tablet can now be ordered with a 1.2GHz Core i5-430UM (capable of hitting 1.73GHz with Turbo Boost). Said CPU can be paired with integrated Intel graphics or with a discrete ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450, and 4GB of DDR3 RAM is standard on either configuration. Hit the links below to investigate further, but be sure to keep your plastic far, far away unless you're kosher with impulse buys of a rather significant caliber.
Getac tosses 1.2GHz Core i7 into ultra-rugged V100 convertible laptop, drops it from atop ugly tree
Getac's long-standing V100 has never been a thing of beauty, but you'd think it may get a little easier on the eyes over the years, wouldn't you? Regrettably, we're still left looking at a fairly industrial little machine, but at least the improved innards make it that much easier to focus on the Device Manager rather than, well... the device itself. Boasting a 10.4-inch sunlight viewable display, 320GB shock-mounted HDD and an 83-key waterproof backlit rubber keyboard, the revamped V100 is ready to chew through all sorts of computations while laying low from jungle cats and pools of quicksand. The 1.2GHz Core i7 within is the real standout, and it's joined by a multitouch-capable LCD, 2 megapixel webcam, SD card reader, inbuilt Bluetooth, optional 3G and a GPS system. There's no telling how much this five pounder will set you back, but we're guessing it'll run somewhere between "way up there" and "you've got to be kidding me."
Fujitsu Lifebook TH700 brings convertible tablet magic at a more affordable price
With a 2.26GHz Core i3-350M processor and a $1,149 asking price, the Fujitsu Lifebook TH700's no netvertible, to be sure, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a tablet with more bang for the buck. Near as we can tell, this svelte 12.1-inch convertible's built on the same chassis as the Lifebook T730 we saw last month, with half the RAM and a slower CPU but all those lovely goodies intact. That means for $700 less than its older brother, you're getting a pen-and-capacitive-touch dual digitizer on top of that LED-backlit display, fingerprint and ambient light sensors plus a removable dust filter -- not to mention the standard 320GB hard drive, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, DVD burner and HDMI port. With a $50 mail-in rebate presently available to celebrate its stealthy arrival, it sounds like a done deal to us -- assuming, of course, that no other corners were cut.
Panasonic Toughbook 19 gets Core i5 grunt to match its grizzled visage
Few notebooks are as respected as Panasonic's Toughbook line, and that's partly because they don't fade away like an old general, they just keep getting upgraded. The Toughbook 19, a 10.4-inch convertible tablet, is the latest to receive some augmentation, this time in the form of a 2GHz Intel Core i5-540UM processor. It's mounted in the same bomb-proof magnesium case that we know and love, enabling it to survive six-foot falls with ease. (Trust us, our ears are still ringing from the time we verified that pledge.) The new toughbook 19 is shipping to battlefields and bomb shelters right now starting at $3,399.
Acer launches 11.6-inch Aspire Timeline 1825PT netvertible
If you've suddenly found yourself torn between a tablet and netbook, Acer wants you to know you're not alone. It also wants you to know there are options, one of which would benefit said company's bottom line should you choose to accept. The new Aspire Timeline 1825PT is an 11.6-inch netvertible at heart, boasting a swivel-screen multitouch panel (1,366 x 768 resolution), up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 1.3GHz Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor, integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics, HDMI / VGA outputs, a 250GB or 320GB hard drive, integrated media card slot, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, a VGA webcam, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, gigabit Ethernet and a 6-cell battery that can reportedly last up to eight solid hours under ideal conditions (read: no chance). There's even a multitouch trackpad and gobs of bloatware to really cap things off, with color options including diamond black, sapphire blue and ruby red -- all of which sound seductively awesome. A 64-bit copy of Windows 7 Home Premium gets you going, but it'll take at least £599.99 ($886) to get one headed your way.
Acer Aspire 1825PTZ convertible tablet unboxed for your pleasure (video)
Another tablet has entered the fray, the Acer Aspire 1825PTZ convertible -- a little sub-notebook that sits just above a netbook in terms of specs, but isn't much larger than your average Eee. NewGadgets.de has managed to get its hands on one and was kind enough to hit the record button for that special moment of unboxing, sharing the joy as this 11.6-inch capacitive touchscreen'd model entered the world. Inside, the machine sports a 1.3GHz SU4100 Pentium processor, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB disk drive, 802.11b/g/n wireless along with Bluetooth, and a six-cell battery. Sadly the video after the break doesn't actually entail turning the thing on, but hopefully that'll be part of a big-budget sequel. We hear Michael Bay has signed on to direct.
ASUS Eee PC T101MT now shipping to the form factor indecisive
Still thinking long and hard about some of those iPad alternatives? Well, ASUS' 10-inch Eee PC T101MT is undoubtedly for those that can't make the call on netbook vs. tablet, and like clockwork the Atom N450-powered netvertible is creeping up on stateside order pages in search of $500 of your hard earned cash. Unfortunately, for that price you'll only be getting single touch input since its Windows 7 Starter OS lacks multitouch support, but our guess is that slightly more expensive SKUs with Win 7 Premium will start popping up soon. We'd certainly urge you to wait on our full review, but if you're too eager to put your fingers all over that capacitive resistive screen and chiclet keyboard, reach for your wallet and hit one of those source links.
MSI Wind U250 receives Energy Star leaked status
Well, here's a bit of a surprise. Not only have the folks behind the ever-present Energy Star label revealed the existence of a previously unheard of MSI Wind U250, but they've been kind enough to provide some details on the device as well. Apparently a convertible laptop (or some other form of notebook / tablet), the U250 will pack a dual-core, 2.6GHz processor of some sort, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a video card with 512MB of dedicated memory -- all for a list price of $600. Unfortunately, while Energy Star lists a release date of March 15th for the device (hence the appearance on its site, presumably), that has obviously come and gone without so much as a peep from MSI about this particular model.
ASUS Eee PC T101MT headed to US in April for $499
Well beginning of April, you sure do like tablets for $499, don't ya? While the Eee PC T101MT has been available to suave Europeans since February, ASUS has let out word that the 10-inch, multitouch tablet will start shipping in the US sometime in April for $499. Not a bad deal considering the Pine Trail-powered netvertible has been priced around 499 Euros overseas -- though we're unsure at this point of the final specs of the American T101MT and what version of Windows 7 it will boot. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for it at the usual etailers, but before you head out and buy one you may want to wait on our upcoming full review to see how this thing measures up to the other netvertibles out there.
Viliv S10 Blade gets reviewed, Best Buy now selling Viliv devices
The folks at UMPC Portal have already treated us to an unboxing of Viliv's new S10 Blade convertible netbook, but they're now back with a full review that gives a better picture of the device. On the whole, they seem to be fairly impressed with the device, noting its thin and sleek design, and its "silent, rugged operation." They were also pleasantly surprised by the battery life, which clocked in at an impressive 7.5hrs with WiFi on during general use. On the downside, the resistive multitouch screen wasn't quite as responsive as they would have liked, and there are a few other minor annoyances -- like the lack of a button to rotate the screen in tablet mode, no mic input or Ethernet port, and some fairly lackluster built-in speakers. In other Viliv news, it looks like none other than Best Buy has recently started carrying the company's devices (online, at least), although it doesn't yet have the S10 up for order.
ASUS T101MT gets the quick and dirty video review treatment
We've already witnessed ASUS' netvertible undergo some hands-on testing, but the units inspected up until now have all been pre-production devices. Well, finally a retail T101MT has made its way out to online scribes and we've got the first video review for your delectation. We're told that the machine is still pretty thick and a tiny bit too heavy to comfortably hold in one hand for long periods of time, but also that the previous touchscreen issues have been rectified -- it is now "responsive and precise." The general theme is that you shouldn't expect too much out of it, particularly since a 480p YouTube clip gobbled up 95% of the T101MT's CPU cycles and still provided only a choppy picture, but if your ambitions are sufficiently moderate, ASUS' latest could prove a versatile little machine. Video awaits after the break and a summary review can be found at the source. Update: The YouTube video played was a stop-motion animation running at 5fps and therefore shouldn't be considered representative of the T101MT's video performance. What should be taken as representative is the fact that it maxed out the CPU.
Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t review
Who says you have to pick between a netbook and the coming onslaught of standalone tablet devices? Okay maybe some (eh hem Apple), but Lenovo's trying to have it both ways with the IdeaPad U1 and the S10-3t. In clamshell mode the S10-3t looks like any old 10-inch netbook, but swivel around its capacitive mulitouch display and it turns into that slate device you've been dreaming of. That's not all: the S10-3t is one of the first netbooks (or netveritbles) that has the new Intel 1.83GHz Atom N470 processor. But can the S10-3t straddle both worlds and do it well? And perhaps more importantly, is it worth the premium $649 price tag? That's the question we've been asking ourselves for the last few days, so hit the break for some answers in our full review.%Gallery-87678%
Viliv S10 Blade tablet unboxed and multitouched (video)
Viliv's latest touchable objet d'gadget is the S10 Blade convertible tablet, a slim and sophisticated little thing that looks like it will elevate the company out of the ultraportable business and into the realm of things that take up a little bit more room in your messenger bag. Chippy over at UMPCPortal was granted access to a pre-production unit and has delivered this exhaustive unboxing and hands-on video, featuring no less than two minutes of multitouch scribbling. The device looks like it's a very good size, the form factor looks simple and solid and, with an MSRP starting at just $699, we're quite eager to see how it holds up in a full review. All in good time, readers. All in good time.
Panasonic slips Core i5 into 'world's lightest' 12.1-inch Toughbook C1 convertible tablet
We tell ya -- all this tablet talk sure has us feeling like it's 2003. You know, minus all that Y2K hangover stuff. Anywho, Panasonic has today outed what it's calling the planet's lightest 12.1-inch convertible tablet PC, with the Toughbook C1 offering the line's iconic rigidity while boasting 10 hours of battery life, an optional Gobi 2000 mobile broadband module and Intel's decidedly potent 2.4GHz Core i5-520 processor. All told, the device weighs just 3.2 pounds with a single battery (3.7 pounds with twins), and there's full support for digitizers and multitouch. Other specs include a shock-mounted, flex-connect 250GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, a WXGA (1,280 x 800) LED-backlit panel, a triple hinge design and the ability to survive a 30-inch plummet. It's available to (quite literally) smash iPads starting this June, though that $2,499 starting price may be somewhat off-putting to those without copious amounts of disposable income. %Gallery-86902%
ASUS Eee PC T101MT convertible gets handled twice (video)
What's better than one hands-on report to whet your appetite ahead of the release of a new gadget? Why, two of them, of course, and it's the convertible ASUS T101MT getting the stereo impressions. The machine has netbook specs (1.6GHz Atom N450 CPU, 2GB RAM, 320GB HDD, etc. etc.) combined with a 10.1-inch multitouch screen, which both of the sites giving early impressions rated poorly. Responsiveness is said to be less than stellar, and while one of these previewers was able to improve it with some extra calibration, precision near the top of the screen still sounds bad. Build quality looks good (for an Eee) and the form factor certainly looks nice, but we're losing a little faith in this entrant after watching the video below. Check it out for yourself and see what you think, but don't write it off just yet: these are still pre-production models and a little firmware magic could whip this tablet into shape before its release -- whenever that will be.
Toshiba Portege M780 marries Core i7 with tablet ergonomics, goes official
What would we ever do without our eagle-eyed readers? Bob has spotted the above M780 tablet PC from Toshiba (which we first heard of a couple of weeks ago) on the company's official site, though its product page has yet to be linked to from any of the home pages. So it's official, but sort of prematurely so. Browsing through the spec sheet, this update to the M750 seems to lack for nothing, as its maxed out variant (priced at $1,799) offers a 2.66GHz Core i7-620M, 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 7200RPM 320GB hard drive. Okay, you could stand to upgrade those integrated graphics perhaps, but it's a potent package nonetheless. It's also interesting to see these 12-inch convertible tablets maturing to the point of offering viable workstation performance, as the M780 is joined by Lenovo's ThinkPad X201T and Fujitsu's upcoming tablet in offering Intel's finest and fastest dual-core processor inside. [Thanks, Bob] Update: Toshiba has completed the ceremonies of officialdom now, with a full press release, which also notes the addition of a multitouch panel to the Satellite Pro U500.
Lenovo ThinkPad X201T convertible tablet hits the FCC, Australia
Well, we just saw a ThinkPad X201 Tablet turn up in a Lenovo roadmap earlier this week and, wouldn't you know it, something called the ThinkPad X201T has now also surfaced at the FCC. What's more, while the FCC isn't dishing out any details beyond the usual test reports, the convertible tablet has already turned up at Australian retailer TechBuy, which just so happens to have the complete specs for the device. Those include a 12.1-inch WXGA touchscreen, a Core i7-620LM processor, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, a fingerprint scanner, and an 8-cell battery, to name a few features. A 12-inch, Core i7-based convertible ThinkPad? Yeah, that should turn a few heads. Still no indication of a release over here, unfortunately, but TechBuy is apparently taking orders right now for the local equivalent of $3,230.
Toshiba Portege M780 highlights business laptop refresh to Core i-series CPUs
For some among us, the VAIO E series is the pinnacle of modern mobile computing design. Then there are other, saner individuals, who prefer the understated aesthetics of what are commonly termed business laptops. For that latter group, we have a whole glut of new Toshiba notebooks to look at, highlighted by the delectable looking Portege M780 above. Much in the vein of HP's 2730p, it's a 12.1-inch convertible tablet PC, with a spill-resistant keyboard and rugged features (tested to withstand drops from up to 1 meter), but its biggest attraction will still likely be the Core i5 heart thumping inside. Also undergoing upgrades are the Tecra A11 (already available in the US), M11 and S11, which will come with up to 8GB of RAM, 802.11n wireless, SSD options, and of course Intel Core i7 CPUs. Check them out after the break, and expect them to arrive in Europe, the Middle East and Africa this quarter, with the M780 close behind them with a Q2 2010 release.
Fujitsu gets official with LifeBook T900 tablet PC
The FCC spoiled the surprise on this one back in December, but Fujitsu has now finally gotten official with its new LifeBook T900 tablet PC, which is available with your choice of Core i5-520M, 540M, or Core i7-620M processors. Otherwise, you can expect the same 13.3-inch display found on the company's earlier T5010 tablet, along with a standard 2GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive, integrated Intel graphics, and a DVD burner -- not to mention some niceties like a fingerprint scanner, ambient light sensor, and even a user-cleanable dust filter. This one's shipping right now with prices starting at $1,889. [Thanks, Abhay]
HP EliteBook 2740p tablet due out this Spring?
HP announced quite the slew of EliteBooks and ProBooks at CES earlier this month, but it looks like it might still have a few more announcements to make in the near future. If this rather unassuming notice (on a high school website of all places) is to be believed, it seems that HP may be on track to release a new EliteBook 2740p tablet sometime in the Spring of this year. Unfortunately, there's nothing in the way of any actual details, but it does seem likely that the device is a long overdue followup to HP's 2730p tablet, and possibly a more business / education-minded version of the company's recently announced TouchSmart tm2 tablet.
