The Laptop review

Apple® today updated its MacBook Pro line of notebooks with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, memory up to 4GB, and high-speed graphics in a stunning, lightweight, aluminum enclosure that is just one-inch thin. The new MacBook Pro is available in 15-inch models with a new mercury-free, power-efficient LED-backlit display and a 17-inch model with an optional high-resolution display. All models include a built-in iSight® video camera for video conferencing on-the-go, Apple’s MagSafe® Power Adapter that safely disconnects when under strain, and built-in 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g.*

“With Intel Core 2 Duo performance, more memory and state-of-the-art graphics, this MacBook Pro is a portable powerhouse for creative and professional users,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Apple’s notebooks have always led the industry in innovation with features like built-in 802.11 and the MagSafe Power Adapter, and now the industry’s first 15-inch LED-backlit display is another step toward completely eliminating mercury from our displays.”

Every MacBook Pro model includes an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB of shared L2 cache, an 800 MHz frontside bus and 2GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory, running professional applications like Final Cut Pro® 6 and Logic® Pro 7 more than 50 percent faster than the original MacBook Pro with Core Duo. Delivering more realistic graphics for animation and gaming, every MacBook Pro now includes the state-of-the art NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT and is more than 50 percent faster than the original MacBook Pro with Core Duo.**

The MacBook Pro’s lightweight, aluminum enclosure is just one-inch thin and is available in three models: 2.2 GHz and 2.4 GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro models, and a 2.4 GHz 17-inch MacBook Pro model. The new 15-inch MacBook Pro models feature a brand-new, power-efficient LED-backlit display and are the first of Apple’s notebooks to transition to LED backlighting as part of the company’s effort to eliminate the use of mercury in its products. The 17-inch model now offers a new optional 1920-by-1200 high-resolution display, providing over 30 percent more screen real estate than the standard 1680-by-1050 display.

Designed for mobile professionals, the MacBook Pro includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go, Apple’s MagSafe Power Adapter that magnetically connects the power cord to the MacBook Pro and safely disconnects when under strain, and the latest generation of 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g. Every new MacBook Pro also includes built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), a FireWire® 800 and a FireWire 400 port, a backlit illuminated keyboard, an ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot for expansion solutions such as 3G wireless networking, and a DVI video output to connect up to a 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display.

The MacBook Pro comes with iLife® ‘06, the next generation of Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications featuring iPhoto®, iMovie® HD, iDVD®, GarageBand™ and iWeb™. The MacBook Pro also comes with the latest release of the world’s most advanced operating system, Mac OS® X version 10.4.9 Tiger, including Safari™, Mail, iCal®, iChat AV, Front Row and Photo Booth.

MacBook Pro

One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organization with the mission to help eradicate world poverty by providing every child access to knowledge and modern forms of education, even if that child lives in the most rural and primitive environment, today announced it has authorized mass production of the XO laptop, based on the release of the final Beta-4 (B4) engineering model. This triggers the supply chains of 800 parts that come together and rollout off the assembly line in October.

OLPC’s XO B4 laptops are among the most durable and innovative laptop computers ever designed. The machines are engineered to withstand the diverse and often harsh environmental conditions found in developing countries -- from the dust and heat of the Libyan desert to the daily downpours of the Brazilian rainforests. Additionally, unlike any other laptop on the market today, the XO features a sunlight-readable display and the ability to operate in areas without access to electricity.

“There is a lot of debate in technology circles about the cost of bringing laptop computers into the developing world,” said Walter Bender, OLPC president of software and content. “But the real debate shouldn’t be centered on cost – it should be about design. A computer designed for Western office environments simply won’t be able to withstand the conditions found in much of Africa, Asia and South America. Further, children engaged in learning have a different set of needs from a laptop than an office worker.”

The B4 laptops feature three innovations that are unlike any laptop being manufactured in the world today:

• Technologically revolutionary display is fully readable in bright sunlight. The display is among the highest quality of any laptop currently being produced regardless of cost and is so clear that it comes close to a paper-like reading experience for users. The B4 has a new hinge to allow for an increased tilt of the screen for an improved viewing angle.
  
• Rugged durability to withstand the most severe weather and environmental conditions. The enhanced B4 machines are more rugged: they can be used outdoors—where children tend to spend most of their time—in the rain, sitting in a puddle of water after a downpour, or in a cloud of dust. The case also features a Wi-Fi antenna design that not only gives the laptop superior Wi-Fi range, but also protects it from falls as high as five feet.
  
• Engineered to operate “off the grid.” The B4 computers can be powered by numerous alternative power sources, including a pull cord, a solar panel, or a solar-powered multi-battery charger at the school. The B4 machines use less than one watt of power when being used as an e-book and can operate for more than 12 hours on its battery.
  

The B4 machines are the result of a collaborative effort between OLPC, AMD, Brightstar, BT, Citigroup, Chi Mei Corporation, eBay, Google, Intel, Marvell, News Corporation, Nortel, Quanta Computer, Red Hat, SES Astra, Underwriters Laboratories, and the global Open Source community. The B4 machines feature the AMD Geode LX processor, improved keyboard and touch pad, many electrical and mechanical enhancements, and an individualized brightly colored XO logo on the back. Children will be able to select from a wide range of colors for the logo so they can readily identify their laptop in a crowded classroom.

“Since the inception of the XO laptop more than two years ago, AMD has been committed to helping the One Laptop per Child program succeed,” said Gustavo Arenas, Corporate Vice President, High-Growth Markets and Innovations, AMD. “We are proud to serve as a technology partner to such a noble and life-affecting project. The B4 machine paves the way for a final XO laptop that will change the lives of millions of children—a mission that compliments AMD’s own 50x15 Initiative, whose goal is to enable 50 percent of the world’s population with affordable, accessible Internet connectivity and computing capabilities by the year 2015.”

The B4 laptops will go through a final round of testing by developers, hardware experts, OLPC technical volunteers, and some of the pilot schools around the world already using the B2 machines.

Other technical enhancements to the B4 include a faster, lower-power AMD processor: the Geode LX-700, more memory: 256 MB replace the previous 128 mb of SDRAM and more Flash: 1 GB replacing 0.5GB.

One Laptop per Child (OLPC) is a non-profit organization created to design, manufacture, and distribute laptops that are sufficiently inexpensive to provide every child in the world access to knowledge and modern forms of education. The laptops will be sold to governments and issued to children by schools on a basis of one laptop per child. These machines will be rugged, Linux-based, and so energy efficient that hand-cranking alone will generate sufficient power for operation. Mesh networking will give many machines Internet access from one connection.

OLPC is based on constructionist theories of learning pioneered by Seymour Papert and later Alan Kay, as well as the principles expressed in Nicholas Negroponte's Being Digital. The corporate members are AMD, Brightstar, Chi Mei Corporation, eBay, Google, Intel, Marvell, News Corporation, Nortel, Quanta Computer, Red Hat and SES Astra.

Acer, the third largest PC vendor worldwide (source Gartner data, 1Q 2007), has introduced a new Professional notebook lines based on the latest Intel® Santa Rosa platform. The new TravelMate series are the flagships in the Acer notebook portfolio, representing the most powerful and reliable instruments for demanding business professionals and ultra-mobile users.

Travelmate laptops are the high end of Acer laptops, with high performance, good features and good battery life. For something cheaper laptop or a desktop replacement try the Aspire range, otherwise read on!

With its long history of bringing new technology to the market first, Acer has incorporated the new Centrino® PRO platform into several new notebook series due to be launched over the next two months. The new notebook families will take advantage of the superior processing capabilities of the new Centrino® PRO architecture, and will provide better performance and graphics, enhanced wireless connectivity and improved security.

Acer’s mission – breaking the barriers between people and technology – is brought to life through intense and consistent product research and design: all of the new Acer notebooks are based on an inspired new industrial design that introduces numerous smaller enhancements whose collective value is greater than the sum of its parts. Acer has worked hard on refining the details of its TravelMate line to deliver better ergonomics both on the outside – with the round treatment of edges and optimized port placement – and on the inside through a more comfortable keyboard shape, improved build quality and overall durability in addition to a host of personalized security features.

The TravelMate ProFile design features an advanced magnesium alloy cover that is 20 times stronger yet considerably lighter than plastic, adding stylish protection while minimizing weight for effortless mobility. This is good news considering how large and heavy the old Travelmate laptops are.

www.acer.co.uk Acer at Cheap Laptops

Created for people who always choose the best, the VAIO TZ-Series offers a potent fusion of portability and performance with exceptional design.

“This is where high technology meets the luxury market,” says Jun Koyama, Marketing Director for Sony VAIO of Europe (VOE). “We’ve used cutting-edge materials technology, the latest platform and the highest design values not just to meet but to exceed the expectations of our most demanding customers.”

Customer feedback from existing TX-Series owners1 is clear: 60% use their ultra-portables on the move. 74% say that a balance between size and weight is ‘very important’. Issues such as size, weight and durability are vital. This is why both the screen housing and the base of the chassis are constructed using carbon fibre re-enforcement technology more familiar in the world of Formula One racing. This ensures complete durability while keeping the weight down to a remarkable 1.19kg for absolute portability. To complete the picture, even the AC adaptor is miniaturised, occupying a volume of just 120cc and adding negligibly to the carrying weight.

Unsurprisingly, almost 70% of customers rate design as important, and it plays a central part in defining the VAIO TZ-Series’ appeal. The visually arresting ‘Full Flat’ design is a masterpiece of stylish minimalism which ensures that the VAIO TZ always gets noticed. Every detail is carefully considered, right down to the aesthetic of the keyboard, inspired by the submerged stones of a Japanese water garden.

An astonishingly small Motion Eye webcam is artfully concealed in the screen surround. When you consider that the lid is a mere 4mm thick – itself a remarkable feat of engineering – the miniaturisation of the camera is all the more impressive.

Unlike standard Wide XGA panels, the TZ-Series’ 11.1-inch WXGA (1366 x 768) screen has a true 16:9 aspect ratio which makes it ideal for watching films. The display offers the boosted contrast and vibrant colours that are the hallmarks of Sony X-black LCD technology, plus power-saving LED illumination that helps extend battery life. The next-generation panel also boasts exceptional colour accuracy of 72%. This means photos, personal video and films literally appear more lifelike and convincing compared to conventional displays. Such attention to screen quality is driven by the knowledge that people rightly regard it as important - 72% of customers said so.


Despite its highly compact, unusually slim case, the TZ-Series has a wealth of features. It’s powered by the very latest Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Ultra-Low Voltage CPU backed by 2GB DDR2 SDRAM and hard disk options go all the way up to 100GB – the largest available size for the tiny 1.8-inch drives required by the super-compact form factor. This precision use of space ensures that there’s even room for an integrated DVD±R/RW RAM optical drive featuring Double Layer (DL) technology for massive capacity.

After web browsing and email, customers reported that their second most popular activity is watching DVDs. With this in mind VAIO engineers added two special features to the TZ-Series. You can enjoy films and music easily any time thanks to Instant On, which lets you play DVDs and audio CDs without booting into Windows. A set of dedicated AV buttons provides the necessary play control.

Security is vital for peace of mind, so the TZ-Series employs an ironclad combination of fingerprint recognition and Trusted™ Platform Module (TPM) hardware encryption to keep your personal data absolutely safe. Should you accidentally drop the machine, Sony G-Sensor Hard Disk Shock Protection automatically parks the drive heads to prevent damage to the disk.

1 Figures quoted are from a sample of 5,000 VAIO TX-Series owners. The TX-Series ultra-portable is sufficiently similar to the TZ-Series to provide a good source of relevant customer opinion.

TZ-Series rundown:

• CPU: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo U7600 or U7500
  
• RAM: 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
  
• HDD: 100GB or 80GB
  
• Graphics: Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
  
• Optical: DVD+-RW/+-R DL/RAM
  
• Screen: 11.1-inch X-black LCD featuring 72% colour accuracy and LED illumination
  
• Security: Fingerprint recognition; TPM
  
• Special controls: Instant On; AV buttons
  
• Wireless: Intel® wireless LAN 802.11 a b g, Bluetooth
  
• Weight: 1.19kg
  
• Software: Adobe® Photoshop® Elements, Adobe® Premiere® Elements, Click to DVD®, WinDVD 8.0 for VAIO
  
• Case construction: Carbon fibre lid and base
  
• Operating system: Windows Vista™ Business