ultraportable
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Toshiba Portege R500 3G upgrade gets FCC approval
The Toshiba Portege R500, a 12.1-inch ultraportable that we've been telling you about has just gotten a new 3G add-on cleared for takeoff by our favorite government agency, the FCC. The Core 2 Duo-driven laptop, which just hit the market, has been given the a-ok on an HSDPA module, potentially making this a big deal for people who are in dire need of connectivity options (jet-setting suits, we're looking at you). In case you've forgotten, the ultralight, ultrathin laptop starts at a weight of 1.72 lbs, can utilize a 32GB or 64GB SSD drive, and also has 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth. The "world's thinnest" laptop is on sale right now starting at $1,999, but no word on when the 3G is coming, or how much it will cost.[Via PC Joint, thanks Stasys]
Hands-on with Sony's VAIO TZ superultraportable notebook
Obviously unaware that we're not exactly the classiest folks around (we were the only ones there wearing shorts and a T-shirt), Sony invited us to a decidedly swanky "product unveiling" at Rockefeller Plaza's 66th floor Top of the Rock observation deck, replete with such pricey fare as caviar, salmon canapes, crab salad, tuna tartare, and grilled shrimp, along with four varieties of champagne (from a 2000 Veuve Clicquot Reserve Rose to a 1996 Bollinger R.D., if you must know) to wash it all down with -- and as if that weren't enough booze, several bottles of well-aged scotch sat prominently atop a fully stocked bar. This whole luxury theme was meant to sway our coverage about reflect the high-end status of the company's 11.1-inch VAIO TZ, whose $2,200 minimum price tag gets you a waif of a Santa Rosa-based ultraportable featuring a carbon fiber exterior, 32GB SSD, WWAN in the form of EV-DO Rev. A, and a MacBook-style keyboard, among other goodies. Sorry to cut this short, but we're off to shower and shave with the pleasant smelling men's products that Sony stuffed in our gift bag (we gave everything else -- cigars, lip balm, four dollar bottled water, book on wine -- away to elevator operators and people on the subway), so this would probably be a good time to check out the gallery below. And, as a special, one-time only bonus, we've also included photos of the recently announced VAIO-branded LF-V30 LocationFree streamer, whose component jacks enable HD place-shifting, and with which the entire VAIO lineup will soon be compatible thanks to pre-loaded software... %Gallery-4973%
Asus U3 caught on film
Asus, a company that's pushing some pretty interesting and innovative products into the spotlight as of late, is stepping up to bat with another new entry, dubbed the U3. The 13.3-inch ultraportable rocks a Billy Joel-approved "piano black" exterior, with a smooth, sensual leather finish on the palm rests, making it stylistically quite distinctive. The U3 features the much-loved Santa Rosa chipset, and will likely utilize one of Intel's low voltage Core 2 Duo processors (the L7500, for instance), but that's just where the fun begins on this baby. The jam-packed specs include integrated GPS, HDMI and S-Video outs, eSATA, USB, and Firewire ports; SD and ExpressCard 54 slots; and an NVIDIA 8400M graphics chipset -- which can be switched off via hardware for power conservation. Asus reps say the system is due in September at a price point somewhere around $2,000.[Thanks, Coriolis]
Asus' diminutive Eee PC 701 gets previewed
We had a hunch that a once over just wasn't enough time with Asus' oh-so-intriguing Eee PC 701, so we're quite pleased that the folks over at NotebookReview were able to get a little alone time with the mini-laptop and give us some food for thought. As expected, this decently spec'd (for the price, of course) machine booted into an Asus-customized flavor of Linux "in about ten seconds flat," while the entire shutdown procedure took about half of that. Once inside, they seemed quite impressed with the amount of built-in applications and responsiveness, and noted that enough software was included to "definitely serve all of your basic needs." Of course, the understandably scrunched keyboard "took some getting used to," and although the display wasn't jaw-dropping, it served the purpose. Best of all, they were able to snag quite a few shots of the wee device, so be sure and give their writeup a look if you could potentially see this thing in your future.[Thanks, Patrick L.]
MacBook Pro 12-inch ultraportable rumor resurfaces
MacScoop is reporting that some "trusted sources" have intimated Apple is readying a new, ultraportable 12-inch laptop for its MacBook Pro line. The sources say that the new model -- which boasts a thickness of 0.6 or 0.7 inches, and will weigh less than 3 lbs -- will drop before the end of the year. Of course, MacScoop has been reporting on the "ultraportable" 12-inch Apple laptop since March of 2006, and we've heard this same rumor in one form or another over the past year, which should give anyone pause before they run screaming into their local Apple Store demanding to place a pre-order. However, the fact the this rumor persists does give the suggestion of some truth behind it, so if Apple suddenly makes the announcement, don't say we didn't warn you... repeatedly.[Via MacDailyNews]
NC Digitech's latest MegaBook: the 12.1-inch PR200-040KR
If the 17-inch behemoth that NC Digitech rolled out last month was a tad too large for your tastes, the ultraportable PR200-040KR may fit just fine. This 12.1-incher sports a black / silver motif, WXGA panel, Intel's T7300 Core 2 Duo processor and GMA X3100 integrated graphics, 2GB of RAM, 802.11a/b/g, a 1.3-megapixel webcam in the (far too thick) bezel, Ethernet, audio out, a number of USB ports, and HDMI for good measure. Best of all, this wee machine weighs in at just 3.97-pounds, and while the price doesn't seem to be readily available at the moment, it's entirely likely those outside of South Korea won't even have a chance to spend their allowance on it.
Haier V60 12.1-inch laptop, with screen-on-a-stick technology
It's hard to tell if these extendable-arm laptops will ever cross over into the real mainstream, but our choices certainly aren't dwindling. Haier's latest is a 12.1-inch ultraportable, the V60, which packs in a 1280 x 800 display, ULV Core 2 Duo processor, 945GMS chipset, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB HDD. At 1-inch thick, there's still room for a slim super-multi optical drive and ExpressCard slot, and the 1.3 megapixel webcam is always a nice touch. No word on price or availability, but at least we've got some confirmed Transformers functionality -- that G70 is just a poser.
Asus' LED-backlit U1F laptop gets reviewed
While not quite as fancy as Asus' more recent laptops, the U1F does manage to cram quite a few niceties into a rather stylish ultraportable frame. The critical folks over at PC Mag were able to give this here machine a proper break-in, and the results are lookin' just so-so for those already close to pulling the trigger. First and foremost, the LED-backlit 11.1-inch screen was deemed simply "magnificent," but it wasn't immune to glare from stray light sources in the surrounding area. Additionally, the keyboard was knocked for being (understandably) undersized, and the omission of an integrated optical drive made them none too pleased. All in all, reviewers spent a majority of the time nitpicking this poor lappie and comparing it to more superior machines already in the market, so we'd give this one some serious thought before letting that oh-so-seductive display rope you into a purchase you regret.
Dell gets official with Latitude D430, Precision M4300 laptops
At long last, Dell's ultraportable Latitude D430 is getting official, and just so it doesn't have to brave the new world alone, the Precision M4300 mobile workstation is tagging along. The 12-inch D430 will of course boast a widescreen WXGA display, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, Intel's GMA 950 integrated graphics, an Intel Core 2 Duo (or Solo) processor, an optional 32GB SSD, 802.11n WiFi, optional fingerprint reader, magnesium alloy casing, Strike Zone hard drive protection, and a slew of ports to boot. The beefier M4300 comes stocked with up to 2.4GHz of Intel Core 2 Duo power, a 15.4-inch display, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, NVIDIA's 512MB Quadro FX 360M graphics, up to 160GB of hard drive space, and 802.11n WiFi. Both units are available to configure as we speak, and while the 12-incher starts at $1,509 sans many luxuries, the M4300 rings up at $1,750 before you start bumping up the specs.
Dell Latitude D430 revealed, offers little more
Dell's business ultraportable, the Latitude D420, is getting a slight bump and a new model number soon, but those hoping for something a bit more cutting edge will have to look to other laptop manufacturers to get Santa Rosa happy. As spotted on the Dell Taiwan site, the upcoming D430 will be out July 2nd, and sport new Core 2 Duo U7600 and U1400 processors. There's also a new option for the Intel 4965 802.11n wireless card, and the SSD option is playing a bit more of a featured role this time around, but otherwise Dell is playing things pretty safe and leaving well enough alone with most of the chassis and internals. We'll see if that pays off for them soon enough.[Via laptoping.com]
Fujitsu's P7230: now in pink with Core Duo ULV
Fujitsu looks to be trying to get as much out of its P7230 ultraportable as possible, with the company now offering a bit more choice in the processor department, along with a new limited edition pink model for those tired of the standard un-colorful fare. Somewhat curiously, the most the pink model gets is a Core Duo U1400 Ultra Low Voltage processor, while the standard black model now tops out at a Core Duo U2500 ULV. Otherwise, the two boast mostly similar specs, including a 10.6-inch display, Intel 945GMS Express chipset, 1GB of RAM, and a max 80GB hard drive (though not more than 60GB on the pink model). Each also have the same $1,599 starting price, with the top-end U2500-based model running just over $2,000.[Thanks, Pete]
Compal showcases prototype UMPC running Windows CE
Although it's still proudly donning the proverbial prototype badge, a nifty machine from Compal was spotted at Computex running Windows CE 5.0 in favor of the battery-draining XP or Vista. Simply dubbed the UMD (Ultra Mobile Device), this ultraportable supposedly pulled double duty as a smartphone and even played nice with HSDPA. Internally, it featured a 532MHz Freescale i.MX31 processor, 512MB of NAND Flash memory, 256MB of DDR RAM, a 4.3-inch WVGA display, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, a slide out QWERTY keyboard, trackpad, hot keys, built-in speaker and microphone, a 1.3-megapixel CMOS camera, SIM card slot, and a miniSD slot to hold excess media. Additionally, it boasted USB connectivity, a headphone jack, a meager five-watt power consumption rating that enabled nearly five hours of battery life, and the obligatory media playing and Skype-friendly applications that you would expect on such a multifaceted device. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell whether Compal will come through on bringing this thing to market, but we're sure there's a niche that would be all over it should it eventually roll out.[Via Wired]
Kohjinsha's K600 gets an Intel A100 and DMB TV
There was a time (about 3 months) when these 7-inch ultraportables from Kohjinsha were all the rage in ultra-portable circles. Now however, we've got a $600 VIA NanoBook coming out in an endless stream of OEM offerings on top of that supposed $200 Eee PC from ASUS. Hell, even Samsung slapped a decent keyboard onto their Q1 Ultra UMPC for thumbing around. Still, Kohjinsha's back with a second generation K600 model which gets a big bump to Intel's new A100 processor for XP/Vista and adds T-DMB television while remaining true to its ???800,000 (about $859) price tag. Not bad. Read-on for more pics.
Toshiba's 12.1-inch Portege R500 is world's thinnest with disc drive
It's easy to jump to conclusions when you hear a spec like "2.4 pounds" -- things like no disc drive, minuscule screen and a complete lack of horsepower quickly spring to mind -- but Toshiba is really taking things next-gen with its new Portege R500. The new bestest buddy to Tosh's flagship R400 tablet, the R500 packs a first ever 7mm optical drive, 12.1-inch transflective (outdoor readable) LED-backlit screen, and does it all with a mere 0.77-inches of thickness, which Toshiba claims is the thinnest ever to include a disc drive, and that aforementioned 2.4 pound weight. The R500 isn't spec shy either, with a Core 2 duo U7600 1.2GHz processor, Intel GMA 950 graphics, up to 2GB of RAM, a 120GB HDD and a 1280 x 800 screen res. There's even a PCMCIA slot, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth and VGA out, just to make the other ultraportables look bad. To top it all off, Toshiba is boasting of the "world's longest" battery life for a 12.1-inch widescreen notebook, but doesn't have any hard numbers other than that. The laptop starts at $2,000 with XP Pro, or $2,150 with Vista Business, but the real fun starts later this year when Toshiba starts shipping 64GB SSD configurations, which once specced to a 3 cell battery and no optical drive will weigh a paltry 1.72 pounds.[Via Laptoping]
VIA intros NanoBook Ultra Mobile Device - $600 ultraportable laptop
Uh, Palm, the Foleo just got shown up. VIA just announced the NanoBook Ultra Mobile Device, a reference design for a new ultraportable laptop which just happens to be lighter and smaller than the Foleo -- and which will supposedly retail for just $600. The NanoBook runs on either Windows XP or Vista, weighs less than 850g (1.87 pounds), and sports a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor, up to 1GB of RAM, a 30GB hard drive, a 7-inch WVGA display, 802.11g WiFi, Bluetooth (they don't specify which kind), DVI-out, a slot next to the screen where you can pop in a GPS, VoIP, or WWAN module (the module in the pic above is some world clock thing), and up to five hours of battery life. Packard Bell has already signed on to use the reference design as the basis for the EasyNote XS, which is due out in Europe later this year; VIA tells us that at least one other OEM is on-board, but they weren't ready to announce who it was yet.
Lenovo's ThinkPad X61, X61s and X61 tablet PC get official
Hearing about Lenovo's ThinkPad X61 shouldn't come as a total surprise to anyone, but while leaked information always satisfies the pallet, official details on a few new machines in the X-series shouldn't hurt. The X61 tablet will sport your choice of a 1.4GHz L7300 or 1.6GHz L7500 Core 2 Duo CPU, a 12.1-inch XGA or SXGA+ display, up to 160GB of hard drive space, up to 4GB of RAM, an optional dual-layer DVD writer (UltraBase required), Intel's GMA X3100 graphics set, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, WWAN, a trio of USB 2.0 ports, up to eight-hours of claimed battery life from the eight-cell Li-ion, optional fingerprint scanner, an SD reader, and a PC Card slot with 34-millimeter ExpressCard adapter. The 12.1-inch X61s touts most of the same hardware as its tablet-based sibling albeit in a laptop form, while the X61 goes up to 2GHz with Intel's T7300. All of the aforementioned units should be ready to ship next month, and the ThinkPad X61, X61s, and X61 tablet PC will purportedly start at approximately $1,484, $1,474, and $1,779, respectively. More shots of Lenovo's latest after the break.
Mouse Computer unveils HDMI-equipped m-Book PR200S / PR200X
Joining the Santa Rosa party a bit after the fashionably late crowd is Japan's Mouse Computer, which is kicking out a duo of m-Book PR laptops with Windows Vista and HDMI outputs. The m-Book PR200S gets us started with a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 processor, a 12.1-inch WXGA display, 1GB of dual-channel DDR2 RAM, an 80GB SATA hard drive, dual-layer DVD writer, multicard reader, Intel's X3100 graphics set, 802.11a/b/g/n, 1.3-megapixel camera, fingerprint scanner, and a bevy of ports include VGA, HDMI, audio in / out, FireWire, gigabit Ethernet, a 56k modem, ExpressCard, and a trio of USB 2.0 connectors to boot. The m-Book PR200X mimics the its lesser-spec'd sibling in most ways, but does manage to up the RAM to 2GB, the hard drive to 120GB, and you get Vista Premium versus Home Edition. These ultraportables should be hitting the Japanese streets early next week, and while the PR200S will run you ¥149,940 ($1,235), the minor upgrades in the PR200X demand an additional ¥19,950 ($164).[Via Impress]
Apple working on 13-inch ultra-portable and uninspiring MacBook updates?
AppleInsider has the word on the updates to Apple's portable range, which have been missing out on all the Santa Rosa action that seemingly every other notebook range has been enjoying lately (this is getting to be a habit). If AI's sources are correct, then we're to expect some rather uninteresting updates to the MacBook range. The next refresh of the MacBooks will supposedly be particularly unimpressive, as AI says they'll be missing out on the Santa Rosa architecture and those LED backlights that SJ promised. For those updates you'll have to cash in for the MacBook Pros, which will be getting Core 2 Duo Santa Rosa CPUs up to 2.4GHz, and the LED backlights if the rumor proves right. In a resurrection of a rumor that seems to have been circulating since the PowerBook 2400 was discontinued in 1998, AI is also saying that an ultra-portable Apple laptop will come with on-board NAND flash for boosting application performance, a 13-inch LCD, and will be thinner and lighter than existing Apple laptops thanks to the absence of an optical drive. Like most cases of Apple rumors, it'll only exist when it's out. Until it does / doesn't, we'll continue to see this kind of speculation.
Sony's TZ ultraportable series gets official-er
Not that there isn't plenty of fresh laptop goodness to go around, but for some reason Sony's been a bit gun shy with its new ultraportable sexiness, the TZ11. And there's really nothing to be ashamed of, we already knew the the thing was a looker when we spotted some leaked catalog shots last week, and now that this new leak includes better pictures and every spec imaginable, it's pretty clear that Sony has a good thing going here. The biggest drawback is the lack of Santa Rosa under the hood, Sony's instead settling for a 1.06GHz U7500 processor, 802.11a/b/g WiFi and Intel GMA 950 graphics of the last generation. Still, at 2.62 pounds, with a built-in DVD super-multi drive and LED-backlit screen, it's hard to fault the laptop too terribly much. Peep the read link for some more pics and full specs, and stay tuned for a possible summer release.[Via SlashGear]
Averatec rolls out another: the 1579 11.1-inch ultraportable
If good things always come in threes, Averatec should probably stop while it's ahead, as the forthcoming 1579 ultraportable marks the third new lappy from the company in the past couple days. Following the 6700 and 2371, this 11.1-inch machine packs a 1.06GHz Intel Core Duo U2400 processor, WXGA resolution, 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g, and a flash card reader that plays nice with SD, MMC, MS, and MSPro. Additionally, users will find a VGA output, a number of USB 2.0 ports, and line in / out as well. Nothing too hard-hitting on this one, but those needing just the basics on a miniature machine can snap this one up for $1,275.99 starting May 11th.
