ultraportable
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Lenovo's new ultraportable V100 notebook
We're using the term "ultraportable" a bit generously here, since the new V100 from Lenovo is a whole 1.25-inches thick, and weighs four pounds. Of course, this unit does include a disk drive -- as opposed to the lighter and thinner X60 ThinkPads from Lenovo -- along with a 5-in-1 card reader and optional 1.3 megapixel camera and fingerprint reader. The V100 will also be retailing for considerably less than those X60s, starting out at around $1000. Processors range from 1.66Ghz Intel Core Solo to the 2.0GHz Core Duo, the optical drive comes as a CD-RW/DVD combo unit or as a DVD burner, and hard drives range from 40GB to 100GB. The screen is a 12.1-inch affair, with a 1200 x 800 WXGA resolution. So yeah, you can walk out the door with brand spankin' new Lenovo sporting an Intel Core processor, but it looks like you'll have to select quite a few options to get this guy up to the level of even the $1099 MacBook.[Via MobileMag]
Toshiba's Satellite U200 ultra-portable
With Apple and Sony generating all the portable hubbub bub, let's take a moment to check-in on some of those other laptop manufactures. Toshiba, for instance, just dropped their new U200 series of ultra-portables into their Satellite range where quality and affordability are meant to merge. Starting at just 4.1-pounds and measuring-in at 1.4-inches thick, this 12.1-inch laptop maxes-out with a 2.16GHz Core Duo T2600 CPU, 4GB DDR2 RAM, 100GB of 7200 RPM SATA disk and still manages to slap in a pair of stereo speakers, 6-in-1 media adapter, fingerprint reader, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, and DVD dual-layer writer. All that goodness and yet they only offer measly Intel 950 graphics acceleration. Of course, if you can only muster the $929 starting price, your config will drop considerably to a Celeron M, 256MB RAM, 40GB disk, and CD-RW/DVD-ROM sans Bluetooth or WiFi. Yeah we were thinking the same, that entry-level $1,099 MacBook or $699 Dell D520 are both looking pretty sweet right about now. [Via CoreDuoInfo]
ASUS launches Core Duo-powered W7J ultraportable
Even though everyone and his/her mom are releasing Core Duo-powered ultraportables these days, there are very few that you can actually play decent games on because of the integrated graphics. Not so with the just-released 13.3-inch, 4.2-pound W7J from ASUS, a model we first spotted back in March -- and incorrectly called the W7V -- which features a nVidia GeForce Go 7400 graphics card sporting 256MB of RAM along with that T2600 processor running at 2.16GHz. Other nice touches which you don't always see on a lightweight notebook are a built-in dual-layer DVD burner, 1GB of RAM standard, 100GB HDD running at 5,400 RPM, and all three flavors of 802.11 plus Bluetooth 2.0. Oh yeah, and these models will start at less than $2.000 ($1,935, to be exact) -- um, where do we sign up?
LG's dual-core, super-slim 14-inch XNOTE T1 laptop
Here's another dual-core ultraportable to add to your drool-list (probably just due to its looks): LG's latest superslim XNOTE laptop, the 14.1-inch T1. Unfortunately you'll probably never see this piano black, 21.5-millimeter thick notebook over here in the States, which is a shame considering how many features they managed to cram into just a 4.2-pound package, most notably a dual-layer DVD burner, 5-in-1 media card reader, plus Bluetooth and 802.11a/b/g. Performance, though, is nothing to write home about, with the low end L2300 1.5GHz Centrino Duo processor, integrated graphics, and pokey 4200RPM 60GB or 80GB PATA drives probably making this model a non-starter for gamers or serious multitaskers. For simple web browsing, emailing, or DVD watching on-the-go, however, the 512MB to 2GB of RAM and optional 1,440 x 900 WXGA+ screen should prove more than adequate.[Via Core Duo News]
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.
ASUS W5F reviewed
That 12.1-inch ASUS W5F ultra-portable pulled an enthusiastic review over at PC Perspective. They ran a 1.66GHz T2300 Core Duo model packing 512MB of DDR2 RAM and a 5400rpm 100GB disk through the gauntlet of tests and found this "attention magnet" to make all contenders look "bulky and unrefined." They were stoked by their unit's performance and integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam, bundled Bluetooth mouse, and SPDIF output for full-on digital audio. They also noted the laptop's battery life compared to others in the class even though their W5F only eked-out about 3.5 of the 4-hours advertised under a "reasonable office load." The biggest knock came for the single SODIMM slot for RAM upgrades and that "Vista-ready" Intel GMA 950 graphics engine which means you won't be doing any serious fraggin' here. But hey, if that's your gig then you should be looking elsewhere anyway.
