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Fujitsu's 8.9-inch Lifebook P8240 Vista tablet: 32GB SSD at just 2.1-pounds
Damn, if you've gone tablet and thought Fujitsu's ultra-portable Lifebook T8140 was hot, then you'd best check their P8240 before opening your wallet. It's not the most powerful convertible in the world with a max configuration sporting a Core Solo U1400 proc and Intel GMA 950 graphics. What it lacks in power however, is more than made up for in portability: 8.9-inch, 1,280 x 768 LCD; up to 32GB SSD or 80GB disk; up to 9.1-hours on extended battery or 4.3-hours in a wee bit of kit weighing just 2.1-pounds. Windows Vista Business will cost ya ¥270,000 (about $2,188) out the gate. %Gallery-4395%[Via Small-Laptops, thanks D.C.]
Gateway E-295C / C-140 convertible tablet announced
Gateway's keeping on with the convertible tablets, now announcing its latest in the lineup: the E-295C / C-140. Options include: Core 2 Duo 1.8 - 2.4GHz options 14-inch WXGA (1280 x 768) display, 200 nit brightness Wacom digitzer / pen with 256 sensitivity levels (nice!) Intel GMA X3100 or ATI Mobility Radeon X2300 graphics Up to 4GB RAM, drive options up to 120GB Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 DVD±RW drive, SD / MS / xD media reader, 1394, three USB 2.0 ports, biometric scanner Prices start at $1100, plus there's another shot after the break to whet that whistle.
Fujitsu Lifebook T4220 convertible tablet goes on sale
Considering that Fujitsu's Lifebook T4220 convertible tablet PC just recently hit the FCC and managed to get reviewed a few weeks back, you may not have expected this beauty to be available to the masses just yet, but sure enough, your very own customized T4220 is currently awaiting you at the firm's webstore. Five basic configurations are listed, and while you're already aware of most of the hardware details, we'll just reiterate that you can pick up a T7100, T7300, or T7500 Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, up to 100GB in hard drive space, 802.11a/b/g/n, modular dual-layer DVD writer, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, gigabit Ethernet, and a 12.1-inch XGA display just to name the highlights. Selecting one of the standard configs will run you between $1,769 and $2,099, but as always, tossing in a few extra niceties here and there can ratchet those figures right on up.[Via Laptoping]
GETAC's ultra-rugged V100 convertible tablet PC
GETAC's latest rugged laptop does something that most other units simply can't, as it conveniently converts into a tablet while maintaining that beefy stature and war-tested agility. The V100 is fresh out of FCC boot camp, and judging by the documentation, it looks like it's been cleared for civilian handling. Inside the 11.2- x 8.7- x 1.9-inch enclosure sits a 1.2GHz ULV Intel Yonah U2500 Core Duo processor, up to 2GB of RAM, Intel's 945GMS integrated graphics set, a shock-mounted SATA hard drive, gigabit Ethernet, a 56k modem, WiFi, and of course, optional 3G, Bluetooth, and GPS connectivity. You also get your choice of a 10.4-inch XGA or 12.1-inch WXGA screen, a smorgasbord of ports, Windows XP, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, and a magnesium alloy case that shouldn't have any issues with vibrations, drops, shocks, or extreme temperatures. Unfortunately, there's no details concerning price or a planned release date, but we can't imagine a battlefield-ready convertible landing without some sort of premium.[Via MobileWhack]
Gateway's C120X convertible tablet PC gets reviewed
Gateway's C120X, which is curiously also dubbed the E-155C and S-7125C, didn't look like a half bad option for the convertible fans in the crowd from the start, and while the weight and less-than-enthralling LCD may turn some folks off, NotebookReview found it a "solid" tablet for the money. One noticeable perk was the stylish, professional design and the sturdy nature of the enclosure, but opening it up put a sudden damper on things when peering at the "grainy, washed-out" touchscreen. Reviewers did admire the Wacom-enabled stylus, the lack of heat and noise while in use, and "impressive" speakers, but a bevy of minor quibbles kept it from excellence. The biggest digs came from a loose screen hinge, keyboard flexing, and just "normal" battery life from a ULV-equipped machine. Essentially, this tablet looks to be a classic example of ho hum, as it offers no real standout features that can't be found elsewhere, and provides just enough quirks to turn off the picky consumer, but feel free to give the full scoop a read if you're still perched on the fence.
Gateway E-155C convertible tablet announced
Gateway's first tablet since the CX210 / M285-E, announced almost a year ago today, is here: the widescreen convertible E-155C. The laptop, same as we saw a couple weeks back, comes equipped with a 12.1-inch WXGA bidirectionally rotating display, Core 2 Duo ULV processor, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, fingerprint reader, media reader, 1394, drives up to 120GB, and DVD burner in a 4.5-pound 1.17-inch thick body. Of course, it will run Vista, and be priced to order from the cow people in, um, southern California. More pics below.%Gallery-2647%
Lenovo's ThinkPad X60 convertible goes Core 2 Duo
Admittedly, it feels a bit strange to praise a machine for getting a Core 2 Duo in April of 2007, but Lenovo's highly-regarded convertible has finally remedied the one gripe that nearly everyone seemed to have about it. While we've seen the C2D hit high-end lappies rather late in the game, we're fairly sure this one takes the cake for belatedness, but if you've been patiently anxiously awaiting for the overdue processor upgrade, your wait is finally over. Right now, you can order up an X60 Tablet PC with a 1.5GHz L7400V Core 2 Duo CPU, 12.1-inch SXGA+ display, 1GB to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, up to 120GB of hard drive space, Bluetooth, 802.11a/b/g/n, and an eight-cell Li-ion battery to boot. Of course, such "fresh" luxuries apparently don't come cheap, as a fairly well-spec'd machine will run you upwards of $2,000, and should arrive "within one to two weeks" from now.[Via Slashgear]UPDATE: Well you can officially color us confused, as it appears that the Core 2 Duo mention on Lenovo's official webstore is, um, bogus. According to "sources at Lenovo" cited by TabletPCTalk, "there are no Core 2 Duo ThinkPad X60s available as of this moment," but alas, we've no idea when this moment will end and the next will begin. Stay tuned.
Fujitsu's LifeBook P1610 reviewed
It's sexy, it's small, but is it any good? Laptop Mag took Fujitsu's LifeBook P1610 out on the town and they sure seem to think so. Despite the "cute" comments they received on the street, there's enough going on here to suit the demanding road warrior that wants to pack light. Notably impressive on this 8.9-inch screened unit is a "remarkably usable" keyboard, along with a quite impressive LCD, which might be a bit squint-inducing at 1280 x 768, but fended off ambient light quiet well. With a Core Solo processor, 1GB of RAM and an 80GB HDD the reviewer found performance to be quite good under Windows XP Professional, though Vista Business is also an option. The 3-cell battery musters a respectable 3.5 hours of battery, but a 6-cell battery doubles that time, and the 5 additional ounces aren't going to ruin your day when the laptop only weighs 2.2 pounds initially. There's no touchpad, and the stylus isn't of the fancy RF variety, but the pointing stick and included plastic stylus both worked quite well for input, and the convertible tablet switches quite nicely to tablet mode. Other perks include a PC card slot for adding 3G data, and a refreshingly small palm-sized power brick -- Fujitsu doesn't seem to have cut many corners. The main complaint of build quality is a weak latch that doesn't do much to secure the tablet in slate mode, but shouldn't be a deal breaker. As Laptop Mag warns, this form factor obviously isn't for everyone, but if it is you can't go far wrong with the P1610.
Toshiba's Portege R400 convertible goes on sale
If you somehow managed to skim through the CES mayhem and notice this gem, chances are it immediately landed on your wish list, and if you're looking for an ultralight, well-spec'd, EV-DO-equipped convertible tablet, here's your chance. The Portégé R400 was peeked, revealed, cuddled, and reviewed, but now the time has finally come for you to lay claim to your own. Hitting Toshiba's webstore for a (slightly steep) base price of $3,149, this unit packs an energy-efficient 1.2GHz Intel Core Duo U2500 processor, Vista Ultimate, 2GB of RAM, 12.1-inch LED-backlit LCD, XGA resolution, Intel's GMA950 integrated graphics set, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, fingerprint scanner, gigabit Ethernet port, built-in microphone / mono speaker, headphone out, six-cell Li-ion battery, PCMCIA, and a pair of USB 2.0 connectors. You'll also find a bevy of Microsoft and Toshiba software pre-installed, and while it only tips the scales at 3.79-pounds, you'll have to lug around an external optical drive if you need to spin any discs. But hey, at least you've got a tick to think things over, as it looks like even today's orders won't ship "for one to two weeks."
HP's widescreen TX1000 convertible tablet reviewed
If you're in the market for an ultralight, sexy, and multimedia-centric convertible laptop, it looks like the TX1000 might not be such a bad choice. According to LAPTOP Mag's review on the pre-production convertible tablet, HP's design team did a bang-up job here, and all the multimedia sweetness (like a dual-layer DVD burner, webcam, "great" speakers, and HP's Media Center) you'd expect in a Pavilion unit still appears even in the 12.1-inch frame. Also praised was the potent 1.8GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 processor, generous 2GB of RAM, and a rather spacious 160GB hard drive; opening and operating applications was noticeably quick, and the dedicated NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics card did wonders when playing back DVDs and rendering Vista's Aero interface. The biggest digs came (unfortunately) from the glossy touchscreen LCD, as reviewers noted that the screen felt "quite flimsy" when switched into tablet mode, but was assured by HP that finalized units wouldn't suffer the same issue. Additionally, fan noise was (understandably) louder than similar, less-spec'd units, the touchpad was "an acquired taste," it lacked a hover zone found on many other tablets, and the entire touchscreen was simply less responsive than expected. Overall, however, the machine seemed to do more impressing than disappointing, and if you're looking to use this more like a laptop and less like a tablet, this 4-star rated machine would probably suit you just fine.
Toshiba readying EV-DO-equipped Portege R400 convertible tablet
It looks like the surfacing of Vista / SideShow-centric remotes isn't the only news popping up in regard to Microsoft's forthcoming OS, as Toshiba is apparently readying a new convertible tablet for release. According to a blurb in the Windows Vista Partner Stories brochure, the Portege R400 is set to become the company's "signature" laptop, and breaks off the keyboard / design layout from the M400, not to mention its flagship feature: 3G. Designed specifically to function with Windows Vista niceties, the sexy machine sports a 12.1-inch "LED backlit" widescreen display, and is reportedly the "world's first PC that automatically synchronizes your information with Active Notifications." In a bid to make getting connected as easy as possible, Toshiba's ConfigFree setup supposedly makes managing your (Verizon) EV-DO, WiFi, Bluetooth, and gigabit Ethernet connections a breeze, but the real standout of the system is its claim to be the "world's first system with a wireless dock to connect to desktop peripherals," which should prove mighty handy if bandwidth doesn't prove too great a bottleneck. Nevertheless, the still-mysterious R400 should find itself a spec sheet and release date sometime soon, probably close to, say, January 30th?
HP set to launch tx1000 widescreen convertible tablet
Although HP's had the business-centric convertible tablet down pat for awhile now, it's mixing in a bit of that general consumer lovin' with the forthcoming tx1000. Taking design roots from the entertainment-based Pavilion laptops, this two-faced machine boasts a twistable touchscreen, built-in webcam, fingerprint reader, and a removable LightScribe-compatible DVD burner to boot. Other niceties include a 12.1-inch widescreen LCD, 5-in-1 flash card reader, Altec Lansing stereo speakers, dual headphone jacks, an HP mini remote control, WiFi, twin omni-directional microphones, and a lightweight shell. While we'd love to spill more exact specifications, the Windows Vista Partner Stories brochure put the brakes on the particulars before things got too frontal, but as with Toshiba's elusive R400, we expect this bad boy to show up alongside Vista's big release, if not sooner.
UMEC unveils identity-confused ELT408 UMPC
As much flak we've given UMPCs throughout the first generation, at least most of those devices know what they're all about: frustrating users with short battery life and lacking input options. Unfortunately, it's a bit more confusing with this upcoming ELT408 from UMEC, since it sports a convertible display that folds up for a traditional laptop look... without a keyboard underneath. We suppose it might be nice to offer users a sort of adjustable stand, and hopefully UMEC is making good use of the space for a battery and whatnot, but that doesn't mean they aren't crazy for slapping such an appendage onto what looks to be an otherwise interesting UMPC. Based on a undetermined 1GHz processor and 512MB of RAM, the ELT408 sports a traditional 7-inch LCD (at a untraditional supposed VGA resolution, but we're hoping that's a typo), a 40GB HDD, 1.3 megapixel camera, Ethernet and modem jacks, 802.11g WiFi, ExpressCard slot, 4-in-1 card reader, and, most surprisingly, two hole HDMI ports for use with your HDTV. Pretty dang odd, but we'll be keeping an eye out for this when it debuts at CES to find out of UMEC can pull it all together.[Via Carrypad]
Fujitsu unveils LifeBook P1610 and T4125 convertible tablets
Fujitsu is going ultra-portable and uber-portable with its new T4125 (right) and P1610 (left) Tablet PCs. Both LifeBooks feature convertible displays, allowing for usage in both laptop mode and tablet mode, but while the T4215 sports a decent-sized (for a tablet) 12.1-inch display, the P1610 gets by with a mere 8.9-inches of real estate. As for specs, the 1.4-inch thick P1610 gets along fine, with a 1.2GHz Core Solo U1400 processor, WXGA resolution display, 512MB of RAM, 30GB HDD, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g WiFi and a fingerprint sensor in the $1,649 base model. Unfortunately, the included 3-cell battery only manages 3.5 hours of battery, but you can spring for a 6-cell battery which promises 7 hours for $45 more. The T4215, which tapers from 1.4 to 1.1-inches thick, bumps the processor game to Core 2 Duo, ranging from 1.66GHz to 2GHz, adds a DVD/CD-RW combo drive and squeezes in a card reader, but the 12.1-inch display runs at a mere XGA resolution. The base configuration, with 512MB of RAM and a 40GB hard drive will run you $1,799. Both laptops look to be available now.Read - LifeBook P1610Read - LifeBook T4125
Details surface on Fujitsu's Core 2 Duo-powered LifeBook T4215
We're all about giving ya options, and we're certainly down with speedy upgrades, and Fujitsu is making sure both areas of greatness are covered in its newly-unveiled LifeBook. The T4215 takes over where the mediocre T4210 left off, but offers up a plethora of new hardware choices, and even promises a respectable battery life. The convertible will sport a trio of 12.1-inch LCD options, including XGA for indoor and / or outdoor use and SXGA+ for indoors, Intel's T5500/T5600/T7200/T7400 Core 2 Duo processors, "up to 120GB" hard drive, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g, and the obligatory inclusion of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. The device is slated to look like a long-lost twin of the prior model, but manages to trim 0.2 pounds from its arguably bulky frame; moreover, the 6-cell Li-ion cell promises "up to six hours" of life, but we'd be happy with just under four. While we aren't sure if this newest addition to the T-Series lineup will be available before the holiday rush, you can expect it to run you $1,799 (and way, way up) whenever it drops.
Toshiba reveals Tecra M7 dual core tablet
So apparently Toshiba has a Core Duo-powered update to the Tecra M4 convertible tablet waiting in the wings, and this one gives you a 100GB hard drive, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, and especially nice, a dual layer Super Multi drive that handles both flavors of recordable DVDs. Although we haven't yet seen any pics of the 14.1-inch, WXGA+ Tecra M7, info on Toshiba's European website seems to indicate that it will look similar to the M4 (pictured), but you're getting a lot more muscle on the inside with either 1.66GHz or 1.83GHz Core Duo chips. Rounding out the specs are nVidia Quadro NVS 110M graphics, a 6-in-1 memory card reader, four USB ports, PCMCIA slot, video out, FireWire, and both WLAN and Bluetooth wireless radios. It's not clear when this model will officially be released (pretty soon, we reckon), but we already have a good idea on pricing: it looks like you'll be able to get a nice configuration for around $1,600 or $1,700.[Thanks, Ethan]
Gateway's CX210 / M285-E tablet with Core Duo
It's been a little while since Gateway's widescreen CX200 Tablet PC has been on the scene, but Gateway's given it a spec bump and a badge nudge, bringing the CX210 / M285-E series (model based on where you buy it: home, or professional) up to date with Intel Core Duo processors. It also appears they've added standard Bluetooth and 802.11a (in addition to the already standard b/g), and an option for ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics, which should goose that $1399.99 base price a little.
