ultrathin
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Samsung Series 9 laptop priced at $1,649, makes our wallets gently weep
The feature-rich and utterly gorgeous Series 9 laptop from Samsung has just received its US pricing and unfortunately it's a bit of a whopper: $1,649. For that outlay, you'll be getting a 13.3-inch screen, an LED-backlit display with 400 nits of brightness, Intel Core i5-2537M dual-core processor running at 1.4GHz, 4GB of RAM, and one super-speedy 128GB SSD. It's an intriguing proposition, as both price and specs are decidedly high-end, but the decision as to which one wins out we'll leave up to you. Hit up Samsung's site below for a list of retailers -- the Series 9 is listed for pre-order at the moment, but we doubt it'll be long before delivery trucks start rolling out with ultrathin laptop boxes in tow. [Thanks, Dave]
Samsung 9 Series laptops to include 11.6-inch model? (Update: confirmed!)
Samsung managed to impress us back at CES with its ultrathin 9 Series laptop but, as far as we knew at the time, the company was only planning to produce a 13.3-inch version of it. If a listing from online retailer Provantange is any indication though, it looks like there could also be a 11.6-inch model in the pipeline. While there's no indication of a release date, the specs do seem to suggest that this is something more than a typo, as they include in a Core i3 processor instead of the i5 on the 13-incher, 2GB of RAM, a 64GB SSD, and the same 1,366 x 768 resolution as its larger counterpart but a lower 340 nits brightness. As you can see above, it also lists a price of just under $1,200, which would place it about $400 less than the 13.3-inch model. [Thanks, Vikram] Update: We have confirmed that Samsung will in fact launch this 11.6-inch version.
No more Adamo: Dell discontinues gorgeous but underpowered laptop
You had to know this day was coming. After aggressively discounting the Adamo 13 over the holidays and then again in the new year, Dell has finally given up on its eye-grabbing ultraportable and is instead focusing on getting you to buy its new gear. The Adamo's biggest hurdle to overcome has always been its wonky price-to-performance ratio, but we admit we're going to miss its ostentatiously thin design and high-minded aesthetics. You've got to hope Dell has something equally sharp-looking on its future roadmap, but don't despair if all you're after is an Adamo -- you should still be able to grab one for a bargain price at Dell's refurb outlet. [Thanks, Daniel]
Samsung's ultrathin 9 Series laptop coming in February
We didn't have a date for Samsung's 9 Series when it became official a couple of days ago, but now we do: it's coming next month. Sammy's press release makes sure to run us through all the bodacious specs of this 13.3-inch machine, including the LED-backlit display with 400 nits of brightness, 128GB SSD, 1.4GHz Core i5-2537M CPU, and MacBook Air-like proportions, before disclosing its arrival month as February 2011. The starting price is still a high and mighty $1,599, but then you do get a pretty stellar laptop for your cash money. Check out the full announcement after the break. [Thanks, Mario]
HP slashes Envy 13 price to $999 with $450 rebate
First it was the Adamo, now it's the Envy. HP has joined Dell in deeply discounting its aging 13-inch ultrathin, though unlike its Round Rock competitor, it hasn't bothered to give it any spec bumps. Consequently, even with this interest-building $450 rebate, the Envy 13 loses out to the Adamo 13 in a straight spec fight -- a 1.6GHz CPU, 3GB of DDR3 RAM and a 5400RPM hard drive are all either slower or smaller than Dell's offering -- but it does still have a pair of aces up its sleeve to get latecomers to part with their cash. Those include an external SuperMulti DVD rewriter and a discrete ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 GPU with 512MB of dedicated memory. Sure, it's not much, but then neither is the new price.
Dell's Adamo 13 ultraportable slips to $899, gets a spec bump
It's been awhile since we've heard any news from the Adamo camp, but for those looking to blow a bit of that Santa cash on something thin and light, the timing here couldn't possibly be better. Nearly 1.5 years after the 13-inch ultraportable was let loose -- for $1,999 and up, no less -- a new low-cost configuration has emerged at Dell's website. These days, $899 gets you a 0.65-inch thick machine, complete with a 13.4-inch WLED display (1366 x 768 resolution), 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo SL9600 processor, a 64-bit copy of Windows 7 Home Premium and 4GB of DDR3-800 memory. You'll also get a 128GB SSD, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a 40 WHr Lithium Polymer battery, and if you're down for spending a bit more, you can grab an internal mobile broadband module as well. Or, you know, you could wait and see what kind of treasures CES brings. Your call.
MacBook Air has its fully upgraded 11-inch version reviewed
Apple's new MacBook Airs aren't exactly performance kings -- if anything, they're performance laggards given the finely aged internals they have -- but there is some room for upgrading them should you wish for a little extra oomph. AnandTech cornered the maxed-out 11.6-inch variant, with a 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and 128GB of flash storage on board, and put it through the usual benchmark routine. In spite of costing a much meatier $1,399 than the $999 default config, the upgraded Air was deemed to be a worthwhile improvement as it delivered an average of 15 percent better performance at the cost of no more than seven percent of battery endurance. To our eyes, the biggest driver for these improved results was the jump from 2GB to 4GB of RAM, something all of us can bear in mind when contemplating our next laptop purchase.
Apple introduces 11.6-inch MacBook Air, available today for $999
Hoo boy, our tipster was spot on with this one, Apple's adding an 11.6-inch sibling to its newly redesigned 13.3-inch MacBook Air. It'll have a dual-core 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU (upgradeable to 1.6GHz on the more expensive model), 1366 x 768 resolution, and a $999 starting price for the 64GB SSD model, with the 128GB version setting you back $1,199. It carries over the aluminum unibody construction from the 13-incher, along with the same 2GB or 4GB DDR3 RAM options and NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics, but has to settle for a briefer 5-hour battery life. Full PR and Apple's first ad for this new hotness both await after the break.%Gallery-105542% Update: We've got our very first hands-on pictures with the new machine. Enjoy!
Apple's new MacBook Air (update: video)
Apple asked itself what would happen if an iPad and a MacBook Air "hooked up." Benefits from the iPad? "Instant on... great battery life, amazing standby time... solid state storage... and it's thinner and lighter." It's 0.68-inches thick at its thickest, 0.11-inches at its thinnest, and weighs 2.9 pounds (the old MacBook Air was 0.76-inches thick and weighed 3 pounds). Naturally, Apple is going unibody construction here, with one of those big new glass trackpads. They're also sticking with a 13.3-inch screen, running at a 1440 x 900 resolution (with an 11.6-inch "little brother" to boot). There's SSD storage, a 1.86GHz or 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo processor (the same ones available on existing MacBook Airs, apparently), GeForce 320m graphics, and 2GB of RAM standard. Apple says its new "more stringent" battery life tests offer 7 hours of "wireless web" and 30 days of "standby." Prices start at $1,299 for 128GB and $1,599 for 256GB of storage; they're available today. Be sure to check out our complete live coverage right here! %Gallery-105537%
AMD's Bobcat and Bulldozer, 2011 flagship CPU cores, detailed today
One of these days AMD is gonna have to stop talking about its Atom-killing Bobcat and Xeon-ending Bulldozer cores and finally release them. But, until that happy moment arrives in 2011 (fingers crossed), we'll have to content ourselves with more presentation slides. First up, the Bobcat core is AMD's long overdue play for the netbook/ultrathin market. Pitched as having 90 percent of the performance of current-gen, K8-based mainstream chips, AMD's new mobility core will require "less than half the area and a fraction of the power" of its predecessors. That sounds like just the recipe to make the company relevant in laptop purchasing decisions again, while a touted ability for the core to run on less than one watt of power (by lowering operating frequencies and voltages, and therefore performance) could see it appear in even smaller form factors, such as MIDs. The Bobcat's now all set to become the centerpiece of the Ontario APU -- AMD's first Fusion chip, ahead of Llano -- which will be ramping up production late this year, in time for an early 2011 arrival. The Bulldozer also has a future in the Fusion line, but it's earliest role will be as a standalone CPU product for servers and high-end consumer markets. The crafty thing about its architecture is that every one Bulldozer module will be counted as two cores. This is because AMD has split its internal processing pipelines into two (while sharing as many internal components as possible), resulting in a sort of multicore-within-the-core arrangement. The way the company puts it, it's multithreading done right. Interlagos is the codename of the first Opteron chips to sport this new core, showing up at some point next year in a 16-core arrangement (that's 8 Bulldozers, if you're keeping score at home) and promising 50 percent better performance than the current Magny-Cours flagship. Big words, AMD. Now let's see you stick to a schedule for once.%Gallery-100088%
Toshiba Satellite T200 Series makes its U.S. debut, starts at $470
We're no strangers to Toshiba's new T200 Series ultrathin laptops -- heck, we even spotted the slim portables lounging around at Computex a few weeks ago -- but Tosh is finally giving up the full specs, pricing and availability. The 11.6-inch T215 may look and feel like a netbook at 3.3 pounds, but it's got grown-up specs, including AMD Athlon II Neo single or dual-core processors, ATI integrated graphics, up to 320GB of storage space and 2GB of DDR3 RAM. The larger 13-inch T235 has similar AMD options, including Athon II Neo and Turion II Neo processors, but also works in Intel's Pentium dual-core CPUs. Though rather oddly, the 3.9-pound laptop won't be available with those new Core ULV processors like it is in the UK. Oh, and just to refresh your memory, the new laptops are available in black, red and white and have the same, sturdy chiclet keyboards as the Mini NB305. Both models will be available on June 20 and will start at $469.99. That price sounds mighty good to us, but we will reserve judgment until we get these in for a full review. Hit the break for the full PR and the gallery below for some hands-on shots. %Gallery-95138% %Gallery-95198%
Toshiba redesigns Satellite ultrathin laptops, we go hands-on
It's no secret that the Toshiba Mini NB305 is one of our favorite netbooks on the market, mostly because of its chiclet keyboard and wide touchpad. Thankfully for us, it looks like Toshiba is planning to spread the same design to its ultrathin Satellite lineup sometime soon. Shown above is what appears to be a minty fresh update to the Satellite M135 on the Computex show floor. The 13-inch laptop looked mighty attractive -- it's about an inch thick, and as mentioned has the same sturdy keyboard as the Mini NB305. We're not the biggest fans of the pattern etched into the metal palmrest, but on the plus side its touchpad has dedicated right and left buttons. We can't tell you much in the way of specs, but it was on display at the Intel booth with a Core i5-U520 processor and also hanging out at the AMD booth with one of those new Athlon II Neo CPUs. This thing is bound to be official sometime soon, but in the meantime check out the hands-on shots below and start saving up for what could be one of the best ultrathins headed to the market. %Gallery-94277%
Intel officially outs Core i3, i5 and i7 ULV processors for those ultra-thin laptops
We can't say this one is much of a surprise, but it sure is good to get the official details on Intel's latest ultra-low voltage Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. Just as we had heard, the new dual-core CPUs will be landing this June, and though they won't be replacing the current Celeron and Pentium ULVs on the market, they'll certainly provide a more powerful option for the "ultra-thin" category. All the new 32-nanometer Nehalam chips are said to provide 32 percent better performance than previous ULVs, but a 20 percent power reduction than standard-voltage Core 2010 CPUs. And just like those regular Core 2010 processors, these get the same Turbo Boost and Hyper-threading performance advantages. All the processors have TDPs of 17 watts which is what is enabling the 50 percent improvement in thermal performance. That's all the technical details Intel shared this morning, but it shouldn't be long before we up and testing the performance and battery life of these new chips in slim laptops from MSI, Lenovo and Acer. Until then, there's the full press release after the break. %Gallery-93588%
Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150 upgrades to Atom D510, keeps NVIDIA Ion, 1080p playback, and ultraslim look
The world might be all abuzz about Ion 2 already, but we reckon we can still make room for an NVIDIA Ion nettop that measures a malnourished 21mm in width and offers full 1080p video playback. The successor to Lenovo's IdeaCentre Q110, the Q150 is built around a pair of Intel Atom options -- the single-core D410 or dual-core D510, both running at 1.6GHz -- and will come with Windows 7 Home (Basic or Premium) preloaded, built-in WiFi, a quartet of USB 2.0 ports, and an HDMI output should you pick up the Ion option. The wireless Multimedia Remote with Keyboard is also optional, but Lenovo seems to rightly expect you to want one in order to match the stylishness of the machine. The starting price for this little beaut is listed at $249, with availability by the end of June, but expect to pay quite a bit more for the fully outfitted option above. One more intimate pic of the Q150 awaits after the break.
MacBook Air feeling the wind of change?
A tipster who apparently correctly predicted the recent MacBook Pro refresh has alerted Australian Macworld to a new SKU making its way through Apple's systems down under. According to said "well-placed" source, the MC516LL/A K87 BETTER BTR-USA code string identifies an incoming batch of all-new MacBook Air laptops. This makes all the sense in the world given the recent hubbub about Intel offering ULV versions of its 32nm Core 2010 processors and the Air's overdue need for an upgrade, but there is the proviso that this could also be referring to shipments of new 27-inch LCDs, to match the ones found on the latest iMac generation. Either way, we're looking at some unannounced hardware rapidly making its way to Australia. Hey, doesn't Apple make a habit of announcing new goodies on Tuesdays?
LG's ultraslim X300 launching in Asia, Middle East and South America this month (updated)
An 11.6-inch display fit within a thickness of 17.5mm. Sure, we're mixing up our measurement systems, but whichever way you slice it, the X300 is one extremely thin device. LG has now announced that availability in the Asian, Middle Eastern and South American markets will be forthcoming this month, though all we know on the topic of price is that it'll "vary country-by-country." With up to 2GB of RAM, integrated 3G, and a 128GB SSD option on tap, we'll even forgive the inclusion of a 2GHz Menlow CPU (Atom Z550) that places the X300 closer to Sony's VAIO X than the Core 2 Duo-driven MacBook Air that it aspires to be associated with. Check out our hands-on pics over here while we wait, hope and pray for a release on more familiar shores. Update: We've now come across LG's Korean pricing, which is set at 1,590,000 Won ($1,424). [Thanks, Sascha and juanvaldez]%Gallery-87662%
ASUS' ultra-thin RT-N56U router reflects on its CeBIT display
Frankly, it's not at all easy finding the new goodies at ASUS' CeBIT booth, but luckily we managed to catch word of this crazy spectacle of a router. Introducing, dear reader, the RT-N56U. It supports 802.11a/b/g/n, dual band support, 3G HSDPA USB dongles, printers and HDDs (via USB). Input methods include Two USB ports, four Gigabit LAN and one Gigabit WAN... no wait, this is impressive but inconsequential. It's just really, really thin -- and that's all that matters here, right? It's also quite reflective; just imagine trying to take a picture of a mirror behind a foggy window, and you'll understand our pain with product photography today. No details on price or release date. Video after the break. %Gallery-87371%
Acer developing 'ace in the hole' ultrathin, putting MacBook Air on notice
Acer was perhaps the biggest believer in Intel's Core 2 Duo ULV processors, with its Timeline range running almost exclusively on Intel's lower voltage parts, so it's no surprise to hear that the Taiwanese vendor is investing heavily again in Intel's 2010 ULV variants. We're talking Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs here, so performance should get a nice boost, but the best news is confirmation of something we'd heard earlier: the final product's profile will be an aggressively svelte 1.9cm (0.7 inches) in thickness, which will match the headline feature of Apple's MacBook Air. The plan is to launch "this year," and indications are that this hero machine will figure heavily in Acer's push to oust HP from the top spot in global laptop shipments. To say that we're looking forward to it might be an understatement.
MSI X-Slim X620 keeps its ULV processor and ATI graphics, adds an optical drive
Just a few days after revealing its X-Slim X420, MSI is back at it again with another Intel ULV-powered laptop -- but this time the redesigned 15.6-inch version of its X series has made room for an optical drive. As one might expect the 1.4-inch thick / 5-pound lappie is a bit heftier than before, though oddly it has the same selection of ports, including HDMI, two USBs, e-SATA, an SD card reader, along with a mic and headphone jacks. Other than that the Windows 7 Home Premium portable packs an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5430 GPU, and will support up to 4GB of RAM and 500GB of storage. No details on pricing or availability, but we'll be keeping our ears to the ground.
Averatec's Lookie is medium power in a small package
Right now it's Korea-only, but it's Averatec's Lookie laptop stuffs some decent power into its tiny chassis. Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 250GB HDD, Windows 7, HDMI port, and six hours of battery life. We're a little bit light on the other details, but we're assuming they fall in line with other thin-and-lights. At a touted 0.5 centimeters, this sucker's thin -- beat that, Adamo XPS -- and pretty light at 1.4kg (just over 3lbs). The catch to all this -- and of course there's bound to be one -- is the 799,000KRW price, which translates to about $711 locally.