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Lion will drop support for earliest Intel Macs
In the past two releases of Mac OS X, we've seen the baseline support for legacy machines hiked a notch higher each time; for Leopard, eliminating slower G4s from the working list, and for Snow Leopard dropping PowerPC support entirely in favor of the newer Intel models. Now, with the developer preview of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion in the wild, the next frontier for obsolescence is set -- the new OS drops official support for Core Duo and Core Solo-based Intel Macs as well. We have heard from some testers that they've successfully installed and booted Lion on the older unsupported machines, but your mileage may vary. Update: Our correspondents were confused about the requirements, and in fact were using supported machines. Why the shift? Apple's not saying yet, but the machines based on these 32-bit Intel CPUs may not have the horsepower or addressable memory space to support Lion, or Apple may be pushing towards a full 64-bit OS and kernel (which might cause some issues for hardware drivers and peripherals). In any event, if you've got a first-generation Intel Mac that's more than four and a half years old, you may be staying with 10.6 Snow Leopard (or Leopard or Tiger, for that matter, if you haven't updated). Machines with the newer 64-bit Core 2 Duo and later chips are almost all good to go with the new cat in town, with one exception in this preview release; "late 2006" iMacs with Core 2 Duos are not yet supported. Keep in mind that the exact system requirements and supported models may change between now and the official release of 10.7 sometime this summer. [hat tip to ZDnet]
Intel adds chips, cuts prices, kills lines
Making room for all that new speed can be difficult... just ask Intel. The chipmaker has been doing some reshuffling as of late, leaving some space in its lineup for the new Penryn CPUs we're all foaming at the mouth over. First off, Intel has added the mobile-based Core 2 Extreme X7900, plus the desktop-destined, 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo T7800 and 2GHz T7250. The company has also announced its first Core 2 Solo processors, the 1.2GHz U2200 and the 1.06GHz U2100, as well as a few new Celeron M chips, in the form of the 2GHz 550 and the 1.72GHz 530. Other odds and ends showed up, like the new ULV Celeron M 523, and the dual core, 2GHz Pentium E2180. The company also cut prices on a number of existing processors by up to 40-percent, which will either make you really happy, or really sad (depending on whether or not you bought anything). Additionally, Intel announced end-of-life news for a whole batch of CPUs, including all of the Core Solo and Duo chips, with ordering availability expected to end sometime around the 31st of December. Hit the links for all the detailed nastiness.[Thanks, Jorge]Read -- Intel chops mobile CPU prices, intros Core 2 Solo lineRead -- Intel cans first-gen Core chips
Fujitsu drops a quartet of new notebooks
So Fujitsu's got four portable machines for us to peep today, but unlike the slew of Merom-powered notebooks we've been seeing, only one of these models rock that dual-core goodness. First off are two new members of the 15.4-inch Biblio NF family (pictured above), the NF60T with a 1.6GHz Turion 64 X2 CPU, and the 1.46GHz Celeron M 410-powered NF40T. The 60T rocks ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 graphics, 512MB of RAM (4GB max), and a 100GB HDD, while the 40T also gives you 512MB RAM (only expandable to to 2GB, though) and just 80GB of HDD capacity and integrated graphics; both machines, however, offer a full complement of connectivity options, with WiFi, FireWire, USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, PCMCIA, ExpressCard, and D-Sub standard. Next up is the Core Solo-equipped (1.20GHz U1400) FMV-Biblio LOOX Q, with a 12.1-inch WXGA LCD, integrated graphics, 30GB HDD (hey, it's really slim, at least), 512MB of RAM, and both WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0 radios. Finally we have the 8.9-inch LOOX P70T/V convertible tablet, which sports the exact same specs as the Q, but obviously replaces the XP Pro OS with Tablet PC Edition 2005. Look for the ¥185,000 ($1,581) NF60T and ¥150,000 ($1,282) NF40T to drop on September 2nd, the ¥260,000 ($2,222) LOOX Q to be available on the 15th, and the ¥250,000 ($2,136) P70T/V to hit shelves on September 28th -- all initially in Japan, of course.Read- Biblio NFRead- LOOX Q and P
Samsung's ultraportable Q40 is pretty in pink
Proving once again that people seem to be willing to overpay for underpowered gadgets that could possibly be seen as "fashionable," Samsung has released a new £1,300 ($2,460) notebook whose main (read: only) selling point is its bright pink exterior. At this price point we'd expect to see words like "Core Duo" and "GeForce" on the spec sheet, but the new 12.1-inch Q40 only manages to throw down a disappointing 1.2GHz ULV Core Solo processor, just 512MB of RAM, a scant 60GB hard drive capacity, and those integrated Intel graphics which will only please gamers who are into Minesweeper and Sudoku. Still, you are getting a built-in DVD burner and Windows XP Professional as the operating system, so this lappy isn't a total lost cause. Although the shiny Q40 is available exclusively at PC World, we have a feeling that you'll soon be seeing it in the hands of celebutantes worldwide, and perhaps even being given away as a door prize on a future episode of My Super Sweet 16.[Via Shiny Shiny]
Toshiba adds new M105, A105, and P105 notebook configurations
Toshiba's got more notebooks in store for us today than just the R25 convertible and U205 ultra-portable we spotted earlier; nine more in fact, as the 14.1-inch M105, 15.4-inch A105, and 17-inch P105 Satellites have all been upgraded with three new configurations each. Focused on multimedia and gaming, the new P105 configs (pictured) -- the $1,199 S6024, $1,499 S6084, and $1,999 S9312 -- offer several compelling features, highlighted by Core Duo processors throughout the line, a nVidia GeForce Go 7900 GS graphics chip in the S6084, and an external USB tuner in the Windows Media Center Edition-powered S9312. The A105 also gets three fancy new looks, all featuring 5,400RPM hard drives, 533MHz DDR2 RAM, and integrated graphics: the $700 S2141 (1.46GHz Celeron M, 512MB of RAM, 80GB HDD), $999 S4074 (1.6GHz Core Duo T2050, 512MB RAM, 120GB storage, dual-layer DVD burner, Media Center Edition 2005), and $1,349 S4134 (same as the S4074 except for a 1.66GHz T2400 and 2GB of RAM). Rounding out the upgrades are S1021, S3041, and S3064 versions of the M105, which sport either Celeron M, Core Solo, or Core Duo processors, between 512MB and 1GB of RAM, 80GB or 120GB hard drives, and either a combo drive or DVD burner -- and are priced between $650 and $1,199. All nine new models are available immediately either directly from Toshiba or from your friendly neighborhood PC retailer.Read- P105Read- A105Read- M105
Sony's Vaio UX90 gets 16GB flash drive and mobile TV
So you thought Sony's VAIO U with Core Solo was pretty hot, right, but that hefty chub and feedback-free keyboard were keeping you on the fence? We understand. Well, how would you feel if Sony aced the hard disk in favor of a silent running 16GB solid-state flash drive which bumps battery life by 13%, drops the weight by 29g to 492g, massively accelerates app launches, and should cut XP's resume and boot times by half? No, not doing it for ya? Then how about some hot OneSeg mobile digital television squeezed in for some on-the-go entertainment? Well Sony did just that today with the introduction of their Vaio UX90. Still, you'll have to be ready to pop for the ¥209,800 (about $1,800) when these drop July 3rd in Japan. But if you lived in Nippon, you might just bite, eh? Thought so.[Via Impress]
Sony's Vaio TX3 lineup launched
Sony just revealed the details on their TX3 lineup of ultraportable, wide-screen Vaios. The TX72 finally brings these hotties into Core Duo Solo land by dropping the 1.2GHz U1400 CPU into that fine chassis. The TX72 also features a OneSeg digital TV tuner with iEPG programming guide for scheduling Japanese TeeVee recordings to that 80GB disk. Other than that, she still sports that same great 11.1-inch widescreen LCD with LED backlighting, now up to 10 hours off battery with the Core Solo at the wheel (7 if configured with 1.06GHz Celeron M), dual-layer DVD burner, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, and Bluetooth in a sleek 1-inch wedge still weighing less than 3-pounds. Expect to see 'em around Japan later this month for ¥229,800 nicely spec'd or about $2000 of the green stuff. Click-on to see 'er dressed-up in blue.
Lenovo's Z-series ThinkPads to get Core Duo options in the Z61t and Z61m
If you've been bugging your corporate IT department for a new laptop, try to hold off a few more days before making the final push, because Lenovo is set to upgrade its Z-series line of ThinkPad notebooks with dual-core processor options on Tuesday. Both the 14.1-inch Z60t and 15.4-inch Z60m will be bumped to the Z61t and Z61m, respectively, and offer three varieties of Core Duo procs (maxing out at the 2.0GHz T2500) or two flavors each of the Core Solo or Celeron M chips. All the other specs on both models seem to remain unchanged: you still get WXGA widescreen displays (at the minimum), integrated graphics (along with the option of upgrading to ATI Radeon cards in the m), 256MB of RAM to start, your choice of hard drive capacities and speeds, all three 802.11 standards, optional Bluetooth, and of course, the option of built-in EV-DO which have made the Z-series so popular. No word yet on exact pricing for these new models, but you can expect them to start around the same price points as the Z60 models did when they were first released.
HP's Compaq nc2400 ultraportable notebook reviewed
You may have missed that Compaq nc2400 ultraportable business laptop among the slew of notebooks we reported on yesterday, but according to Laptop magazine, those on a budget looking to travel light should probably give the 3.6-pound (with battery) model from HP a second look. You can't really expect stellar performance or a satisfying gaming experience from an ultraportable that starts at only $1,600, and benchmarking indicates that even with the fastest available Core Solo processor (the 1.2GHz U1400), this model may falter when attempting any serious multitasking. On the plus side, battery life seems to be very good, clocking in at almost six hours with the standard six-cell battery and about nine with an optional nice-cell model. You also get a combination DVD reader / CD burner, fingerprint scanner, and built-in accelerometer to lock the drive heads in the event of a fall, but unfortunately no trackpad (just the nub) or extras like 3G and Bluetooth connectivity (WiFi is still present of course). All-in-all, if you don't mind the relatively pokey processor and integrated graphics, and are fairly adept at navigating a computer using just the pointing nub, then the nc2400 seems like a pretty good way to shave some pounds from your travel gear.
Five new Compaq business laptops from HP
Because we know that you can never get tired of reading laptop specs, we have five more HP models to drop on you, including the waif-like 12-inch nc2400 (pictured) which weighs in at a mere 2.8-pounds. All five of these Compaq-branded notebooks are targeted at business users, and all but the 15.4-inch (WXGA or WXSGA+) nx7400 series -- which can also be equipped with a Celeron M -- sport one of several Core Duo or Solo flavors. Graphics here range from integrated (the 12.1-inch nc4400) to ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 (14.1-inch, WXGA or WXGA+ nc6400) to an ATI Mobility FireGL V5200 card available in certain configurations of the15.4-inch nw8440 series. All these machines offer WiFi and a minimum of 512MB RAM and a 40GB HDD out of the box, with some models sporting extras like a fingerprint reader, 7200RPM hard drive, and LightScribe dual-layer DVD burner. No prices are known for the nc2400 or the nc4400, which are coming on May 22nd, but the other models are available immediately with prices starting at $1,549 for the nc6400, $740 for the nx7400, and $1,599 for the nc8400 series.Read- nc2400Read- nc4400Read- nc6400Read- nx7400Read- nc8440
Sony adds Core Solo, Celeron options to SZ notebooks
Sony has just announced several new configurations for its SZ series of VAIO notebooks, the VGN-SZ91 and -SZ81, which add Intel Core Solo and Celeron processor options to the Core Duo procs already available. Both 13.3-inch models sport 1,280 x 800 WXGA displays, but the SZ91 incorporates a thinner LCD that lobs off a few millimeters of thickness compared to the SZ81. Battery life is also slightly better on the SZ91, with a claimed 7-hours of juice in Pentium-equipped models, which is about an hour more than the SZ81 supposedly can muster using the same processor. Other than these relatively minor differences, the features on both laptops are basically the same, with integrated graphics (GeForce Go 7400 available for extra), from 512MB to 2GB of RAM, 802.11a/b/g, PCMCIA/ExpressCard slots, and options for Bluetooth 2.0, FeliCa support, and a fingerprint reader. Sony will drop both models on the 13th of this month, with the SZ81 starting at $1,343 and the SZ91 at $1,486.
Gateway's E-100M / NX100X with ULV Core Solo chip ships
Remember Gateway's new hotness late last month, the E-100M / NX100X? Well, now they're shipping those things, if you're interested. Intel's also finally admitting to the new 1.2GHz U1400 Core Solo chip the Gateways are running (which they announced alongside their new 1.06GHz U1300 Core Solo in Beijing today). Both their new chips are Core Solo equivalents of the Pentium M ULV series, sipping a paltry 5.5w -- still more than the 5 or so watts consumed by 1.1GHz Pentium M ULV chips now, though.[Via MobileWhack and CNET]
Core solo Mac mini upgraded to core duo
Check this out. Xtreme Systems forum user Fugger bought an Intel Mac mini core solo and upgraded it to a core duo on his own using an Intel Yonah 2.16 Core Duo. He writes:"Once the motherboard is out, flip it over and locate the plastic tabs that hold down the CPU bracket. Squeeze them and it will pop off. I highly suggest using one hand to hold heat sink level as it can and will flop to one side with possible damage to core edges. The same goes for reassembly. You will also see a small connector for a thermal diode attached to the underside of the heat sink once you have it loose, remove the clip if you want to remove it completely."Pictures were up at the time of my sitting down to write this (11:30PM EST March 5), but have since disappeared. Hopefully he'll put them back up.
