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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%
Sony teases 'Freestyle Hybrid PC' tablet slider and next-gen ultra-portable laptop
We're not sure how this slipped past us at the Sony Android tablet event, but turns out the electronics giant also teased a couple of interesting VAIO laptops. First up is a "Freestyle Hybrid PC" that slides between tablet mode and laptop mode -- very much like the Samsung Sliding PC, but with a seemingly slimmer bottom-half sans trackpad (though we can just about spot a pointing stick on the keyboard). No word on specs, prices, or availability here, but you may recall our proven tipster mentioning a 9.4-inch screen and a $799 launch in the fall. Could this be it? We shall see. Also shown alongside is a swanky "Ultimate Mobile PC" -- pictured after the break -- with a hint of USB 3.0 and HDMI on a slim body, but again, there's not much else to go with this slide. Hey, at least we now know it's time to start saving up for these bad boys.
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]
Evolve Three's Maestro C tablet has a swiveling bezel stand and a screen-protecting keyboard (video)
Evolve Three's goal of creating the world's most versatile touchscreen tablets seems to be going swimmingly so far -- first the boutique Australian outfit introduced the triple-booting Maestro, and now it's got an Oak Trail slate on the way with some most intriguing hardware. You see, not only does this Maestro C have a 1.5GHz Intel Atom Z670 inside, 2GB of DDR2 RAM and most all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a netbook PC, it's also got a bezel that physically rotates -- turning into a chunky kickstand and exposing ports at the same time -- and a removable wireless keyboard that doubles as a hard-shell protector for the entire 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen. There's also a 32GB "high performance" SSD, optional 3G connectivity, a pair of stereo speakers and once again, three operating systems (Android 3.0, MeeGo and Windows 7) to choose from at startup. The only things keeping us from purchasing our customary two units is lingering worry that the other shoe has yet to drop... not to mention a starting price of $729, sans optional keyboard.
Dell Panerai convertible tablet leaks at FCC, could be part of Inspiron Duo family?
Since the very first day we saw the Dell Inspiron Duo's crazy swiveling hinge in action, we knew we wanted a laptop that swung that way -- but the Inspiron Duo itself turned out to be a sluggish netvertible with poor battery life. Well, it looks like Dell may be looking for a second chance, because a "Dell Panerai" just hit the FCC, which looks like might have sprung from the same minds who dreamt up the original's sexy frame. Believe it or not, we can thank Intel for revealing this Dell P12F and Canada for pointing out its convertible nature, because of a little-known test specifically designed for transforming tablets like these -- our northern neighbors require that hybrid laptop / tablet computers get checked for face-melting radioactivity if they have antennas built into the display, and that's just what happened to the dual-band Intel 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi radio inside this machine. Oh, and judging by our calculations (based on the size of that orange label), the unit could sport a 15-inch screen. Sweet.
HP EliteBook 2560p and 2760p specs leak out, show Core i7, USB 3.0 and DisplayPort additions
Let's get the hard facts out of the way first: HP has a pair of as-yet-unannounced laptops in the pipeline, to be dubbed the EliteBook 2560p and 2760p. That info comes straight from a PDF document hosted on HP's servers, and barring a spectacular change in the company's model numbering scheme, the new machines will be replacing the 12.1-inch 2540p and 2740p introduced around this time last year. In less concrete but still likely accurate news, the specs for these machines are expected to include low- and standard-voltage Intel Core i7 processors (of the 2011 variety), USB 3.0 and DisplayPort connectivity, and options for 1440 x 900 resolution on matte displays. The difference between the two EliteBooks is that the 27xx series has typically been a convertible tablet PC while its lesser-numbered sibling is usually a straight ultraportable. Can't be long to go until these ThinkPad X220 competitors get official. [Thanks, D]
China clones the sliding netvertible tablet PC
We'd forgive you for thinking you're looking at a smartphone in the picture above -- seeing how HTC and Nokia owners have enjoyed this form factor for years -- but that's actually a netbook up there, sporting a full five-row keyboard and a desktop operating system. Yes, what took Samsung and ASUS until CES 2011 to realize has been copied by Shenzhen in two months flat, and even if you'd thumb your nose at its vanilla configuration (10-inch 1024 x 600 screen, 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, 3700mAh lithium-ion battery) and optical touchpad next to the display, it's hard for a lover of all things gadgety not to appreciate that. Besides, the 1,600 yuan (about $244) price tag doesn't hurt any.
Porsche unveils fully-electric Boxster E, a drop-top EV we can get behind
They're just prototypes at this point and number only three, but the trio of Boxster E convertibles Porsche has produced could be a sign of very good things to come from the company. Of course there's the 918 RSR and 918 Spyder, but the former of those two is intended only for the track and the latter only for the incredibly wealthy. An EV Boxster could be attainable by the only moderately wealthy, though of course Porsche's giving no indication of price for these yet. Nor range, sadly, nor performance -- they're simply "rolling laboratories" that will provide data for future models to come. Sweet, sweet data.
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.
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer and Slider: another look
Remember those eccentric ASUS Android tablets at CES? Yeah, it's all a bit of a blur for us as well, but turns out both the Eee Pad Transformer and Slider prototypes just made it to the BETT (British Educational Training and Technology) Show in London this morning, so we decided to wander along to get our hands dirty again. Sadly, the Transformer had a bit of a rough ride from Vegas and remained dormant, but we were still able to admire its sturdy keyboard dock with great key press travel. And in case you've forgotten, said dock is also an external battery that doubles the juice up to 16 hours. UK shoppers will see this slate popping up in the stores around May or June for £379 ($597), and its docking kit for £100 ($158). We were more fortunate with the functioning Slider prototype, even though it had the same sliding issue we saw at CES. But fear not, as we were told that the engineers are already reworking the mechanism, and here's hoping that they'll do something about the flexing keyboard as well. As for software, we didn't have time to test everything, but we were surprised by the general snappiness of the current Froyo test build. And speaking of which, we're not too sure what the plan is with ASUS' Android roadmap -- even though we were told at CES that Honeycomb will be on these tablets at launch, the folks we met today said that they'll be shipped with Gingerbread instead; and even then, there's no time frame for the 3.0 upgrade just yet. Anyhow, this is less of a concern for the Slider given its July or August launch, but it'll cost you a hefty £429 ($676). Additionally, both tablets will see their 3G variants in the UK a quarter after their respective launches, but regardless, it's never too soon to start a petition for your carrier to spread the ASUS tablet fever. %Gallery-114020% %Gallery-114019%
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%
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.
Dell Inspiron Duo review
When Dell first demoed the Inspiron Duo and its vertically rotating screen on stage at IDF in September, our mouths nearly hit the floor. It looked like a plain old netbook until its 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen did a magical backflip and folded down over its keyboard to morph into a tablet. It was like nothing we'd ever seen before. And we actually figured it would be the sort of system that would stay locked up in Dell's labs, but when its specs were revealed -- a dual-core Atom N550 processor, 2GB of RAM, and Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator -- it became evident that the netbook / tablet hybrid was the real deal. Running Windows 7 Home Premium and Dell's new Stage interface, the $550 netvertible has the potential to successfully straddle both the netbook and tablet world. It also has a real shot at being the perfect device for those wavering between buying a netbook and a tablet. Indeed, the Duo is filled to the brim with potential, but what's the thing really like to use? We've spent the last few days with the Duo (and its Duo Audio Station) to find out, so hit the break for the official Engadget review! Editor's note: The review unit Dell sent us was a hardware production unit, but we were told the software was about 95 percent done. We will update this review with our impressions of the final unit when we receive it. This review was updated / edited on 12.8.2010 to include impressions of the final production level Inspiron Duo. %Gallery-108438%
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]
Dell Inspiron Duo finally official, can be yours the first week of December for $549
That's right, just as we had heard, Dell is finally putting an end to the Inspiron Duo's mysterious marketing videos and officially spinning its screen for the world to see! You won't be able to hit the order button on the totally unique 10.1-inch tablet / netbook hybrid today, but according to Dell, it should go up for pre-order sometime soon and start shipping out the first week of December. As for pricing, the base model will start at $549 (£449), and will pack a dual-core Intel Atom N550 processor, 2GB of RAM, a Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator, 250GB of storage, and Windows 7 Home Premium. Naturally, you'll be able to configure it with a larger hard drive, and adding that JBL speaker dock will bring the price up to $649 (no word on what it will cost on its own). We're guessing those are the details you've been waiting on, but undoubtedly you've got to be dying to know what we think of that crazy-looking laptop. Well, we've got you covered there too -- hit the break for our impressions and a brief hands-on video. %Gallery-107571%
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.
Panasonic launches Toughbook CF-C1 convertible laptop
Panasonic's outed a new Toughbook, the CF-C1. The convertible tablet / laptop boasts a resistive touchscreen which will register gloved presses, and comes with accidental damage warranties for extra coverage in non-traditional work environments. Specwise, the Toughbook's got a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 CPU, a host of hard drive options, plus 3G, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity. Other rugged / business features include a spillproof keyboard and security features for multiple users. The Windows 7 CF-C1 is available now in the UK for £1,709 (that's around $2,700). Full press release is below.
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.
