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Packard Bell burrows affordable niche with EasyNote TE: 400 euros, 15.6 inches, AMD inside
While parent company Acer eyes deeper pockets and higher margins, Packard Bell is soldiering on with its EasyNote range of laptops for thrifty Europeans. Spotted by the friendly folk at Pocket-lint, the EasyNote TE has just reached stores and should scrape under the €400 (£300, $500) mark -- thanks partly to its avoidance of the premium Intel processor found in the EasyNote TV. Instead, the TE relies on AMD's updated E-Series processor (the slower 1.4GHz E1-1200 version, to be precise), which comes with capable Radeon HD 7310 onboard graphics and supports a USB 3.0 port (in addition to twin USB 2.0) and HDMI output. You'll also find a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 display, 750GB of storage and a "multi-in-1" card slot -- which means the only spec we're missing is the RAM. Who'll take a bet on 4GB?
Acer says it's 'moving away from the lower end' in Europe, leaving cheaper laptops to Packard Bell
This certainly doesn't come as a huge surprise given where Acer has been focusing its attention as of late, but it looks like the company is truly intent on shedding its image as a low-cost brand -- at least in Europe. Speaking with TechRadar, an Acer spokesperson said that "it can be a slightly conflicting message," referring to it also offering computers under its Packard Bell brand, and that "Acer is moving away from the lower end." In this case, Acer is defining low-end as under £400, or roughly $600, although it says there will be some crossover. The spokesperson further added that "Acer will become more premium," also noting that "we try to separate the two brands as far as possible, so the average consumer has no idea that the two brands are associated." What that means for Acer in North America (where the Packard Bell brand is long gone) remains to be seen, but we've reached out to the company for comment.
Packard Bell EasyNote LV, TV laptops bring Ivy Bridge to speed-hungry Europeans
Most laptops being updated to Intel's Ivy Bridge processors have come from international brands, so it may be some relief to European PC buyers that Acer's local Packard Bell badge has made the leap as well. The 15.6-inch EasyNote TV and 17.3-inch LV will each use the new 22-nanometer processors both to push performance that little bit farther as well as get a middling five hours of battery life. NVIDIA graphics in GeForce GT 620M and 630M flavors will spruce up the gaming side, however, and Packard Bell is delivering a 20 percent more responsive multi-touch trackpad, dedicated music / social keys and a bamboo-like lid pattern to add a little dose of style. The duo will surface in Europe during June at prices starting from €499 ($656). Acer has sometimes brought Packard Bell PCs to the US as roughly equivalent Gateway models and vice versa, so Americans shouldn't be surprised if they get counterpart laptops before long.
Packard Bell trims the fat on PB oneTwo all-in-one desktop PC line
Don't look now, UKers -- but you've got yet another option in the burgeoning world of all-in-one PCs. Thrilling, we know. Packard Bell has just issued the revamped PB oneTwo, an all-in-one PC line that may very well end up referred to as "PB 12" in your domicile. Nomenclature aside, this freshened up device is a full 65 percent slimmer than the one your mate purchased two years ago, giving you 65 percent more reason to brag about it once you've taken delivery. It's available in 21.5-inch and 23-inch flavors, with Intel's 2nd-generation Core i CPU family, NVIDIA or AMD graphics, a pair of 2.5-watt speakers, two USB 3.0 sockets (along with four of the slower USB 2.0 variety), an optional Blu-ray drive, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory and a 1,920 x 1,080 display on the both of 'em. You'll also get a 2 megapixel webcam, multi-format card reader, optional (seriously?) WiFi / Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet and a bundled keyboard and mouse. The PB oneTwo M (21.5-inch) and PB oneTwo L (23-inch) will ship later this month for £599 and £699, respectively, though there's no word on availability beyond the Queen's backyard.
NVIDIA makes GeForce GT 500M family official, introduces GTX 485M as its fastest mobile GPU
Yes, NVIDIA's naming scheme really is all over the place, but here's what you need to know: as of today, the fastest mobile GPU coming from Jen-Hsun Huang's team will be the GeForce GTX 485. That chip will be equipped with a 256-bit memory interface and GDDR5 RAM and succeed the GTX 480M as the king of the (relatively) mobile castle. Moving up in numbers, but not performance, the new GT 520M, 525M, 540M, 550M, and 555M represent very mild refreshes of their 400M series counterparts. We were initially unimpressed by NVIDIA's decision to keep things stagnant but for some more aggressive clock speeds at the same TDP envelopes, but a recent review of the earlier-launched GT 540M showed appreciable gains from its predecessor, so maybe these graphics gurus actually know what they're doing. We've gathered some imagery of early units sporting NVIDIA's new graphics hardware -- notably paired with Intel's Sandy Bridge CPUs -- in the galleries below, but we'll surely have more for you as we explore the halls of CES. After all, NVIDIA has an awesome 200 design wins combining its tech with Intel's latest, there should be plenty of previously unseen hardware for us to find. In the mean time, skip past the break to see a couple of benchmark runs showing off NVIDIA's new graphics processors. %Gallery-112252%%Gallery-112060%
Packard Bell Dot S4 netbook spied in Italy
Packard Bell's launched a refresh of its Dot line -- at least internationally -- with the 10.1-inch S4. The company's thinned it down considerably here, and stuffed an Intel Atom N450 Pine Trail CPU, GMA 3150 graphics, up to 2GB of RAM, and an up to 250GB hard drive. Other than that it's got 802.11b/g/n WiFi, an up to 6-cell battery, and comes with Windows 7 Home Starter edition pre-installed. There's another image below -- one that shows off the fashionable design elements a little better -- plus a quick demo video. No pricing information yet.
NVIDIA shows 16 new Optimus laptops at Computex, teases GTX 460M GPU
Just in case you were wondering where and when you might get a taste of the Optimus elixir, NVIDIA has handed us a detailed list of Computex debutants that will be taking the graphics switching technology with them to retail. A total of sixteen new Optimus machines are on show in Taipei, and although ASUS is still the biggest purveyor (with six SKUs, not counting previously announced products), Lenovo and Acer have also jumped on board, with the IdeaPad Y460 and a pair of Packard Bell EasyNotes, respectively. Notably, the FX700 above from MSI is marked as using an "unannounced" next-gen graphics chip, which we suspect might be the GTX 460M, a mobile GPU that NVIDIA is showing, but not talking about yet. Guess that'll be slotting in just below the recently unveiled GTX 480M. We've got pictorial evidence of the 460M's existence after the break, along with the full list of new Optimus-ized machines, which you can also scope out in the gallery below.%Gallery-94167%
Packard Bell Studio ST media playback drive invades Europe
It's not much more than a hard drive with HD media playback abilities, but the Packard Bell Studio ST certainly looks nice, doesn't it? It's Europe-only for now, but we're hoping parent company Acer brings over a US-branded version of this box, which holds up to a 2TB hard drive and can do 1080p out over HDMI with Dolby Digital. Codec support is described as "all main formats," which is a little shady, but we'll be forgiving if it's cheaper than the Western Digital WD TV Live HD. [Thanks, Matt]
Packard Bell Dot VR46 gets the endorsement of Valentino Rossi, nobody else
Wow. You know a product's reached its tipping point when the only way to freshen it up is to go ultra-glossy and get a celebrity to spill some inspired paint upon it. Valentino Rossi, for those of you who don't know, is a nine-time motorcycle racing champion, which means he's not suffering from impaired vision and therefore lacks a valid excuse for the abomination above. Internal specs aren't yet finalized, not that they really matter, though you'd be safe to look at Acer's current lineup and cherrypick a suitable set of components. If you've been a bad boy or girl today and feel the need to be punished, there are two more snappy snaps of the VR46 after the break. [Thanks, Sal]
Packard Bell said to be planning color e-reader for late next year, convertible tablet too
The huge popularity of netbooks caught most manufacturers by surprise, and some of those who joined the party late definitely missed out on the most bacony of hors d'œuvres. Now many are eager to sink their teeth into the next two "big things," e-readers and tablets, and according to Actualitte Packard Bell has one of each coming next year. First up will be an 11.6-inch convertible netbook arriving in February, probably a slightly re-styled version of the Acer 1820PT, which will apparently launch with a netbook-specific content distribution system to push music and movies to its tiny little hard drive. More interesting is word of a color e-reader said to come sometime later in the year. No other details are known, leaving us to wonder who will provide the screen. Samsung, Bridgestone, Plastic Logic, and PVI are all planning to launch color products next year, meaning PB will have plenty of options -- assuming it doesn't just slap a traditional LCD in there and call it a day. That'd be a shame.
Packard Bell debuts dot m/u 'netbook with the performance of a notebook'
Packard Bell sure has been keeping itself busy lately with some new laptops, desktops, and even the odd display, but it looks like it's not quite ready to stop this train just yet, and it's now also introduced its new dot m/u "netbook." According to Packard Bell, that is the "first netbook with the performance of a notebook," which could also mean that it's simply not a netbook at all depending on your point of view. Either way, the device is small and light (just over three pounds with an 11.6-inch screen), and a definite step up from your average Atom-based netbook in terms of performance, with it packing an unspecified Intel ULV processor, up to 4GB of RAM, a max 500GB hard drive, a multitouch trackpad, a 5-in1 memory card reader, and Windows 7 Home Premium for an OS. Of course, its £399 price tag (or about $650) is also an upgrade over your usual netbook, and you'll naturally have to wait for Windows 7 to ship before it does.
Packard Bell's Viseo 200T display gets multi-touchy-feely next month
We don't see too many multitouch displays for desktop systems in these parts, but if Packard Bell has its way that's likely to change tout de suite. Not only has the company just announced its oneTwo line of all-in-one PCs with touchscreen displays at CEDIA, but now its back with the Viseo 200T Touch Edition -- a 20-inch multitouch monitor featuring built-in stereo speakers, a 16:9 aspect ratio, 50,000:1 contrast ratio, 5ms response time, and VGA and DVI input. When this thing hits Merry Olde England in mid-October, you can expect to pay roughly £200 (about $330) to take advantage of all that Windows 7 multitouch magic. And, believe us, it is truly magical.
Packard Bell debuts oneTwo line of all-in-one PCs
It seems like a no-brainer, introducing small footprint, multitouch Windows machines to rooms usually off-limits to PCs. HP's certainly taking a stab at it, and now the "trendy lifestyle brand" (ugh) Packard Bell is going for the gold in Europe. First up, the oneTwo L sports a 23-inch (1600 x 900) display, an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 graphics, E-SATA, and optional Blu-ray drive and DVB TV tuner. For the more budget-conscious touchscreen fiend, the oneTwo M comes in with a 20-inch (1920 x 1080) display, Intel Core 2 Duo T6600, and ATI Mobility Radeon HD series 4500. Both will ship with Windows 7, up to 8GB RAM, PacBell's TouchGadgets (including TouchFriends social networking integration for Flickr and Facebook, TouchMusic media player, TouchMemo, and TouchMediaShare), a 5-in-1 memory card reader, and a webcam. You can expect to pay €999 ($1,452) for the former, or €599 ($872) for the latter. On sale October 22. Video after the break.
Packard Bell debuts 15.6-inch EasyNote Butterfly m laptop
Well, we didn't get a chance to check it out first hand at IFA, but Packard Bell did make a showing of its own at the show, and took the opportunity to debut this new EasyNote Butterfly m laptop. As you can see above, this new model one-ups the smaller 13.4-inch EasyNote ButterFly with a slightly sleeker design (and a shiny silver exterior), but it keeps things mostly in check inside, with it packing an unspecified low-voltage processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 graphics (which can be switched off to save power), a max 640GB hard drive, up to 4GB of RAM, and all the usual niceties like a multi-touch trackpad, Bluetooth 2.1, and 802.11n WiFi. Still no word on a release over here, but folks in Europe should be able to pick one up next month for a starting price of €599 (or just under $900).[Via Notebook Italia]
Packard Bell debuts updated ixtreme desktop PC
Packard Bell already rolled out its updated line of imedia desktop PCs earlier this month, and it's now done the same with its higher-end "ixtreme" desktop, which gets some upgraded specs and a sleek new look. While that exterior is certainly a step up for Packard Bell, it's not quite as eye-catching as the specs, which include your choice of Core i7, Core 2 Quad, or AMD Phenom II X4 processors, up to 12GB of DDR3 memory, a max 3TB of storage space, your choice of a few NVIDIA graphics options (including the 1GB GeForce GTS 250), an optional Blu-ray combo drive, and ten USB ports for anything that won't fit inside. No word on a release 'round here, of course, but folks in the UK will be able to pick this one up this month with a starting price of £599 (or just under $1,000).[Via Randomly Accessed, thanks Steve]
Packard Bell imedia lineup gets an Acer-inspired refresh
Packard Bell recently overhauled its logo in an effort to keep up with the times, but are its offerings up to the same task? The new imedia lineup immediately recalls the recently announced M-series desktops from Acer, and that's no accident. The innards are remarkably similar too, with the top models sporting Core 2 Quad or AMD Phenom II X4 processors, a 1.5GB GeForce GT230, HDMI out, Blu-Ray combo drive and a maximum of 8GB DDR3 memory and 1TB of storage. While none of the specs are on the blistering edge of innovation, there's plenty of power there and keen pricing could make them an attractive proposition. The entry-level Celeron-based units start at £299 ($490) in the UK.
Packard Bell intros Ion-based iMax mini nettop, non-Ion dot netbooks
Packard Bell hit a bit of a rough patch with its netbook business earlier this year, but things now seem to be getting back into full swing, with the company not only finally pushing those "dot s" and "dot m" netbooks out the door, but a new Ion-based nettop as well. As you can see above, however, it didn't exactly have too much work to do on the latter (dubbed the iMax mini), which is apparently nothing more than a rebadged Acer AspireRevo. Those similarities also expectedly extend right down to the specs, which include the Ion-complementing Atom N230 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, six USB ports, and an HDMI port. It will interestingly come bundled with a gamepad, however, along with an unfortunately higher £249 price tag (or about $400 US). The two dot netbooks, on the other hand, remain unchanged since we last saw 'em, and should be in UK shops by July with a matching starting price of £249.Read - Pocketlint, "Packard Bell iMax mini launches"Read - Pocketlint, "Packard Bell officially launches dot s and m netbooks"
Packard Bell rolls out 13.4-inch EasyNote Butterfly laptop
While Acer is keeping plenty of its latest and greatest laptops for itself, it's also keeping its Packard Bell subsidiary fairly well supplied with some gear to reshape and rebrand, with this new EasyNote Butterfly model only the latest to surface following a pair of new DOT netbooks. This one steps above netbook territory with a 13.4-inch LED-backlit display, however, along with an unspecified Intel Ultra Low Voltage processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD4330 graphics, your choice of an SSD or standard hard drive, a multitouch trackpad, optional 3G, and a promised eight hours of battery life. No word on a price just yet, but, as with the netbooks, this one will be reserved for the European market.[Thanks, Pat]
Packard Bell's new DOT S and DOT M netbooks for Europe
Acer-owned Packard Bell is taking Acer's latest and greatest netbooks and rebadging them for the European market. The 10.1-inch DOT S swipes most of its specs from the Acer Aspire One D250, while the DOT M (pictured) goes for the 11.6-inch Aspire One's guts. There do seem to be a few aesthetic differences, however, with a fancy textured palm rest, silver touches to the trackpads and a tweaked lid. The DOT S will be available this week for 299 Euros, while the DOT M hits at the end of this month for 399 Euros.
Packard Bell drops "dot" netbook in favor of new, unannounced model
Well, it looks like Packard Bell's "dot" netbook just didn't capture that trademark Packard Bell flavor the company was looking for, as it has now officially ditched the netbook in favor of a new, as yet unannounced model. As you may recall, the dot was essentially just an original Acer Aspire One in disguise, with it packing an 8.9-inch display, an Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and an optional 3G module, among other standard fare. Unfortunately, Packard Bell doesn't seem to be saying anything at all about the new model just yet, with it only going so far as to tell Pocket-lint that there will be "some changes made to the brand." [Via Electronista]