ultraportables
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Eee PC-like ultraportables - name that product category
It struck us the other day as we were going over some back posts that since the launch of the ASUS Eee PC (and the numerous products that have followed, from the MSI Wind to the HP Mini-Note), to the best of our knowledge we've all yet to have any normalized, agreed-upon name for these kinds of devices. Yes, they're technically "ultraportables" (which we usually define as being any relatively small laptop and under four pounds), but to say an Eee PC is in the same class as, say, the Lenovo X300, the VAIO TZ, or the MacBook Air would be kind of misleading.We've heard "low-cost ultraportable" and "laptop-lite" used to describe these kinds of machines, but it seems best to let you decide: leave your best suggestion for what we all should all call this emerging product category, and we'll put it up to vote next week. We'll officially be throwing "netbook" into the ring. (Intel may have initially coined the term, but that we don't think it should necessarily have to refer only to Intel-based products.)
Chilean MSI wind gets in-depth hands-on
If you needed evidence of the popularity of cheap ultraportables in foreign lands, the news leading up to the release of the MSI Wind should be a good indicator. Last month it was a Turkish video of the thing, now it's a detailed Chilean writeup of a pre-release model. We're relying on Google Translate to parse out the details here, but from what we can understand the article indicates the keyboard to be "sufficiently comfortable," the LED-backlit screen impressive, and the performance in XP to be quite good. This despite a glitch that left the Intel Atom processor gimped short of its 1600MHz maximum speed, which will surely (hopefully) rectified before the 10-inch model finds release here next month at $549 with XP and a 6-cell battery, or SuSE flavored (and smaller batteried) for just $399.
MSI Wind gets official pricing and availability for the US: $399
We already knew most of the details on the MSI Wind, but the Atom-based ultraportable just got official US pricing and availability today -- and just like we hoped, it got a little cheaper on the trip over. Although there'll be both 8.9-inch and 10-inch versions worldwide, we're only getting the 10-inch in both XP and Linux flavors, starting June 3rd. The SuSE version will feature that 1.6GHz Atom, 512MB of RAM, 80GB hard drive, and a 3-cell battery rated at 2.5 hours of use for $399, while the XP edition will come in at $549 with 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth, and a larger 6-cell battery good for 5.5 hours. There's also apparently going to be a $500 "base" XP edition, but details on that are pretty sparse at the moment. Looks like ASUS had better get that Atom-based Eee 900 out by June as planned if it wants to keep up, eh?
Switched On: Apple bets that to Air is human
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment. The MacBook Air is the third member of Apple's notebook line and weighs only three pounds while it barely penetrates the third dimension. Nonetheless, Apple is again banking that human factors -- particularly that bigger screens and keyboards are better -- will allow the blade-like profile of the world's thinnest notebook to slice into the traditionally slim market for ultra-portable notebooks.The Air was certainly the show-stealer at this year's Macworld keynote. While some Mac fans were hoping for a pocket-sized productivity product, the best hope for that in the near term are third-party solutions that can turn an iPhone or iPod touch into such a device. Furthermore, Apple remains one of the few major notebook companies to not offer a product with integrated 3G wireless connectivity. While most of these products have been aimed at business users, the premium positioning of the MacBook Air should have exceptional appeal to these potential customers. While the computer may fit in an interoffice envelope, the company clearly did not mail the effort in. As usual, Apple has asked much of its suppliers and some of its users in order to achieve stunning results. The Intel chip die package that powers the MacBook Air is 60 percent smaller than those used in other notebooks. For users, there are also compromises, including a bare minimum of ports that exclude wired Ethernet and FireWire. The latter has been a Mac hallmark since the days of the first iMac, but with camcorders now rapidly moving to USB and flash cards, the case for its inclusion where space is at a premium is not as strong as it once was.
Panasonic stuffs EV-DO Rev. A into W5 and T5 Toughbooks
While not the sexiest of laptops, Panasonic's ultraportables make up for that with a lot of heart and now even beefier wireless broadband options. Yeah, 3G options were already available on the W5 and T5 lappies, but now you can outfit these teensy things with that new EV-DO Rev. A stuff all the cool kids are talking about. Sprint is on tap for the service, and boasts average download speeds up to 800kbps. Both laptops will be available next month for $2,249, with the usual 12.1-inch LCDs and extensive battery life trimmings on the combo drive equipped W5 and Tablet PC T5.[Via Crave]
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]
Dialogue's FlyBook VM and V33i with HSDPA launching in Japan
We've had a lust affair with the Flybook line of ultra-portables ever since we spotted the V33i model last year. Today, Dialogue announced that they'll be offering the Flybook V33i (pictured) to Japan with the option for built-in WWAN for HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GPS connectivity. Oh never mind that Japan hasn't even launched their HSDPA service yet, this chicken has hatched and set to roll on July 4th for ¥268,800 (about $2,336). Just enough time for local carriers to meet their most aggressive launch targets. Oh, and remember that "airline friendly" Flybook VM we saw at Computex? Well, the little Core Duo, swing-arm pup will be turned out in Japan on June 20th for ¥216,000, or about $1,877 hard cash. VM action pics after the break.[Via Impress]Read -- Flybook VMRead -- Flybook V33i
Toshiba's 12.1-inch Tecra M6 Core Duo-powered laptop
'Tis the season for ultraportables, and now yet another Core Duo-powered model has hit the market, the 12.1-inch Toshiba Tecra M6. Also available with either Celeron or Core Solo processors, the M6 seems like a slimmed-down version of the 14.1-inch M5 we spotted earlier this year, as the $1,059 base configuration only gives you 256MB of RAM, no WiFi, a 40GB hard drive, and that pokey 1.6GHz Celeron M. It costs a little over $1,600 to put together a decent system, which includes a 1.83GHz T2400 Core Duo chip, 1GB of RAM (which also gets you a free Vista-ready logo!), 100GB HDD, 802.11a/b/g, and Bluetooth, but only integrated graphics and no DVD burner. Targeted more towards the light-traveling businessperson than the hardcore gamer, the M6 also sports such security-conscious features as a fingerprint reader, Trusted Platform Module, and a Security Assist Console, as well as hard drive protection, a spill resistant keyboard, and shock absorbing design for turbulent plane rides.[Via Core Duo News]
