The Laptop review (Entries tagged as notebook)

HP laptop adds artistic flamboyancy at sensible cost

nospam@example.com (Robin) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:16:48 +0100

HP today unveiled a versatile notebook PC in June that is popping up in the shops aroung the UK. It featuring a unique and award-winning design that takes individual style and entertainment performance to new limits. Featuring the young Japanese designer Hisako Sakihama’s winning submission from the HP and MTV Engine Room Notebook Design Contest, the new HP Pavilion dv6 Artist Edition Notebook PC comes wrapped in an exceptional design inspired by the Okinawa sea and sky.

For tech-savvy youth looking to stand out from the crowd, this special edition notebook is the perfect stylish technology companion and also comes with a matching imprinted sleeve and mouse in the same one-of-a-kind Sea and Sky design.

Oozing creativity both inside and out, our dv6 Artist Edition Notebook has been created for youth by youth and underscores our commitment to providing PC innovation that delivers the performance and features this audience requires,” said Ben Perrins, HP's Consumer Business Development Manager, UK. “From its themed desktop, wallpaper and icons to the fun software and cool content, the new notebook delivers the tools to easily create, design and edit videos, photos and music.

HP Pavilion dv6-1200 Artist Edition

Based upon the HP Pavilion dv6 notebook platform, the mid-size dv6 HP Pavilion Artist Edition boasts a 15.6-inch HD 16:9 display with Flush Glass and delivers powerful visual performance and impressive features to match its sophisticated and elegant exterior. AMD Turion dual-core processor, high-resolution ATI video graphics, up to 6GB RAM (optional upgrade to 8GB) and up to 500 GB HDD provide all the power and storage you need to unleash your creativity, while built-in Bluetooth® keeps you wirelessly connected to all of your peripherals for a clutter-free, multimedia experience. In addition, an integrated webcam and dual digital microphones ensure high-quality connectivity for online social networking and communication.

Where cool design meets total enjoyment, the dv6 Artist Edition comes pre-loaded with HP MediaSmart software to amplify your all-in-one digital entertainment for playing creating and editing of recorded TV, photos, movies, music and more. In addition, the easy-to-use Corel software lets you expand your artistic expression and take care of your practical and creative needs, online and on-the-go with reliable quality; while your very own music studio is brought straight to your home with MAGIX Music Maker.

The unique design experience offered by the dv6 Artist Edition is further enhanced by its Sea- and Sky-themed Microsoft Vista® Desktop which features an animated clock and custom advisor dock with activity based icons.

The dv6 Artist Edition will be featured in an HP marketing campaign for European youth, Listen 2U. This campaign has a strong social networking element and blogger appeal, and includes games and video competitions to enable young people to win the dv6 Artist Edition among other prizes.

The HP Pavilion dv6-1200 Artist Edition will be available in the UK from August 2009 at a recommended street price of £699.

MacBook Pro and Air

nospam@example.com (Robin) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:18:02 +0000

Apple have launched the world's thinnest notebook, called the MacBook Air. It isn't a cheap laptop - but we thought you'd like to hear more.

MacBook Air UK

The MacBook Air has a fresh, brand new ultra compact thin design. Accoding to Apple, the Air is the thinnest notebook computer available, and indeed it's remarkably sleek. At its widest point, it's a hair over three-quarters of an inch (that's 1.94cm) and it's very light, weighing in at exactly 1.36kg.

The new model Macs are equipped with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, offer larger hard drives and ship with 2GB of memory as standard in most models. All MacBooks and MacBook Pros can now house up to 4GB of memory, making them ideal for the multimedia apps such as Photoshop and Cubase that have long made Macs the creative man's (and wo-man's) tool of choice.

A far cry from the modest little EEE PC we just brought up. But, if you need a powerful and reliable tool for multimedia on the road here's the lowdown.

MacBook Air

Light, small and super thin.
Base processor is a 1.6 Core 2 Duo.
2 Gb memory
80 Gb hard drive
5 hours batt
13 inch screen

£1,199

Needless to say at less than 2cm thick, the MacBook Air doesn't have a built in optical drive. Instead, you can use a remote optical drive which makes living without a built-in drive much easier than the traditional docking station alternatives (if you've had a docking station, you'll know what I mean).

Here comes the cheap bit. Education offers. Students and teachers can save up to 8% on Macs and up to 80% on Apple Software products!

HP digital delights under the tree for all ages

nospam@example.com (Robin) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:11:23 +0000

HP has unveiled its full range of notebook PCs for the Christmas season. From the ultra-mobile 12” notebook PC which fits in a handbag to the 20” full entertainment system dedicated to movie fans, HP notebook PCs are sure to top Christmas wish lists this year.

As quick and efficient as Santa’s sleigh, this new range incorporates all the latest communication technologies. These include built-in webcams and microphones, digital entertainment accessibility tools, such as HP QuickPlay to watch favourite movies and music or an integrated remote control with intuitive navigation buttons as well as the heightened performance of the latest Intel and AMD processors. Design aficionados and technology enthusiasts will find exactly what they want beneath the Christmas tree when they see the new elegant HP Imprint designs available on HP’s range of Special Edition notebook PCs.

“HP delivers that special something for Christmas with its stylish, sophisticated and powerful notebook PCs. Offering a complete product line-up and solutions for the teenager on-the-go to the digital entertainment buff, HP notebooks are sure to be the hit of the holiday season”

said Achim Kuttler, vice president and general manager, consumer products, HP Personal Systems Group (PSG), EMEA.

HP Notebook PCs include a range of security options and software to protect them from physical or virtual tampering. The in-built fingerprint sensor and utility give access to all locked programs with just the swipe of a finger.

For those who are making their Christmas wish lists, HP has an innovative new range of notebooks for the holidays:

Pocket-sized ultra-mobility with the 12” HP Pavilion tx1300 Entertainment Notebook PC

For the frequent traveller and style-conscious entertainment guru, the versatile HP Pavilion tx1300 Entertainment Notebook PC combines an eye-catching HP Imprint finish with a covetable, convertible touch-screen design. Weighing in at just 1.9 kg and featuring a 12.1” HP BrightView widescreen, this notebook is packed with digital entertainment features. The display folds flat into a slate for easier viewing of photo albums, while the touch-sensitive stylus make notes on the touchscreen display a breeze.
All grace and elegance with the 14” HP Pavilion dv2600 Entertainment Notebook PC

Featuring HP’s elegant, black high gloss Radiance Imprint pattern, or the limited issue Special Edition Verve Imprint in chocolate, the HP Pavilion dv2600 Entertainment Notebook PC is the ultimate must-have accessory for fashion conscious, techno-savvy sophisticates. Featuring a 14.1” HP BrightView widescreen display, this ultra-stylish notebook PC boasts IntelÒ CoreÒ 2 Duo processors and a 250GB hard drive which provide all the power and versatility needed to run programmes, watch movies or present the latest holiday pictures with finesse.

The Special Edition Verve Imprint notebook is accompanied by a matching wireless mouse and a slender russet slipcase to protect its stylish appearance. Possessing brains as well as beauty, the HP Pavilion dv2600 features high-quality stereo speakers, myriad of connectivity options and HP’s integrated low-light webcam.
The sure-fire pleaser in Santa’s gift bag: the 15” HP Pavilion dv6600 Notebook PC

The HP Pavilion dv6600 combines powerful entertainment features, solid work-related tools and designs that will please anyone looking for the perfect all-rounder notebook PC. It is available in HP’s striking Radiance Imprint pattern as well as a limited special edition Influx Imprint Design. Oozing urban design chic, the high quality ceramic white and silver Influx finish even extends to the matching mouse and accompanying white special edition headphones with integrated microphone.

Boasting a 15.4” HP BrightView widescreen display, a choice of the latest AMD or Intel processors with mobile technology, the midrange versatile HP Pavilion dv6600 is well designed for both work and play.
Ultimate performance with the 17” HP Pavilion Entertainment dv9600 Notebook PC

Wrapped in an elegant, black high gloss design with HP’s ultra-stylish Radiance Imprint finish, the HP Pavilion dv9600 Notebook PC is designed for those who demand nothing less than a powerhouse of advanced entertainment and outstanding desktop replacement performance. Its contemporary design features a 17” HP BrightView widescreen display and NVIDIA graphics controller to make gaming come alive, while SPDIF audio ports connect to home entertainment systems with ease. Demanding applications are handled easily thanks to a choice of the latest AMD or Intel processors with mobile technology.
Experience home cinema the HP way with the 20” HP Pavilion HDX 9100 Entertainment Notebook PC

Fusing advanced digital entertainment and multimedia technology with the power and performance of a desktop PC, the Pavilion HDX9100 is the perfect solution for entertainment enthusiasts. Featuring a high-gloss piano black finish, and with its unique new HP Imprint Dragon design, HP’s largest widescreen notebook PC has the fresh and contemporary look of the latest luxury consumer accessories.

Highlights include a multi-positional 20.1” HP Ultra BrightView widescreen display, Altec Lansing® speakers with HP Triple Bass Reflex Sub-Woofer and high performance Intel Core 2 Duo processors. The integrated HP Theatre Mode-enhanced HP Digital TV tuner, optional HD-DVD drive, and integrated multi-functional remote control provide a positively stunning multimedia experience. Smooth and enhanced communication is achieved thanks to an adjustable webcam with low-light image technology and two dual-array microphones.

HP Notebook accessories – the ultimate stocking stuffers

For digital enthusiasts who want to connect everything, the HP Notebook QuickDock allows instant access to all connected peripherals and the HP xb3000 Notebook Expansion Base elevates and angles HP notebooks to an optimum viewing position while maintaining all peripheral connections. Both the HP Noteboock QuickDock and the HP xb3000 Notebook expansion base provide component video, composite video and S-video ports to easily integrate HP notebooks into any home entertainment solution. The HP TV tuner transforms HP notebooks into a television and personal video recorder.

For those on the road over the holidays who want easy access to personal files like music, photos and movies, the HP Personal Media Drive storage solution offers up to 500GB of archiving space, and the Pocket Media Drive offers 160GB of additional storage in a slim-line portable form factor.

HP

OLPC cheap laptops go into mass production

nospam@example.com (Robin) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:17:30 +0100

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.

Cheap laptops for children

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.

Affordable power and portability from Acer

nospam@example.com (Robin) — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 10:10:24 +0100

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

New Sony VAIO TZ-Series moves (with) people

nospam@example.com (Robin) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:00:12 +0100

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.”

Vaio TZ : Coming soon

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.

Sexy laptops?

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

Acer Aspire L320 earns award at Computex Taipei 2007

nospam@example.com (Robin) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 08:59:36 +0100

The Acer Aspire L320 desktop PC has won the Best Choice of Computex Taipei 2007 Award, a competition which decides on Taiwan's best IT products in the overseas markets, and is one of the most important events at Computex each year.

At only 3 litres in volume, the Aspire L320 achieves the perfect balance between size, performance and cost. The Intel® Viiv™ technology and Intel® Core™2 Duo processor deliver faster processing of the latest home entertainment and multi-threaded applications, with up to 40% greater processing power and 40% less energy consumption than previous-generation CPUs fast yet cool and quiet performance.

Small stylish design
Up to 10 times smaller than a traditional tower PC, the Aspire L320's go-anywhere design gives you a full-featured PC system wherever it is needed in the home! This small form factor media center and PC can be placed both horizontally and vertically on the desktop for optimal space saving. A stylish silver/black color scheme and smooth contours, with cool-blue luminescent indicator lights set against a shiny metallic surface emit a high-tech feel, while adding a contemporary style to any environment.

Audio and graphics
The Aspire L320's whisper-quiet operation (only 26 dB idle) means users no longer have to suffer the distraction of a noisy PC in their work or living space! High-definition audio with 7.1-channel surround sound delivers super-clear acoustics for a theater-like entertainment experience at home.

Enhanced thermal solution
A breakthrough thermal solution achieves performance without sacrificing cost or compact design. By using a copper heatsink and heat pipe design with ultra-quiet fans, the Aspire L320 has an extremely efficient air flow system similar to a full-size desktop that maintains a low internal temperature, and also lowers total cost of ownership (TCO) by reducing power consumption. Furthermore, three air-flow passages allow for optimal ventilation.

The Best Choice Award features a total of 13 categories, the Aspire L320 was a winner in the "PC/Server systems, Notebook,Tablet PC" group. The Aspire L320 belongs to the Aspire L3-series family of desktop PCs, which was also awarded by Germany's prestigious design competition - the Red Dot.

www.acer.co.uk Acer laptops

All-New ASUS-Lamborghini VX2 Notebook Series Unveiled

nospam@example.com (Robin) — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:57:42 +0000

ASUSTeK has announced the next generation of the ASUS-Lamborghini notebook series – the VX2. Based on the latest Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology and Microsoft Windows Vista operation system, the handsome supernote offers brand new capabilities in security, performance, reliability, and manageability for a powerful computing experience.

Asus + Lamborghini !

Asus describte the laptop as having the "Total Lamborgnihi Experience" - whatever that means!

The VX2 is designed to give users not only the impression of the Lamborghini spirit but innovative materials and details are incorporated to make the notebook look, feel and run like a supercar. The sensational design starts with the signature colors of Lamborghini yellow and black with each one cast with aluminum-magnesium alloy and carbon fiber, respectively. The special mirror painting surface of the LCD cover not only gives the notebooks an automobile finish, but it also enhances toughness of the cover.

Upon opening the notebook, users are presented with glare-type LCD display, metallic keyboard and a leather bound palm rest area completed with yellow stitching just like that of a car interior – capturing the Lamborghini luxury in a new tactile way. Speakers placed on the sides of the keyboard deliver a distraction-free audio performance. Rounding up, the fan lid of the notebook located on the back adopts the wheel rim concept, giving the practical feature a touch of ingenious creativity.

“The birth of the new edition of the ASUS-Lamborghini notebook is no doubt the result of great efforts from both the design and computing technology sides,” said Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Lamborghini. “We are very pleased to say that the VX2 is a perfect translation of Lamborghini - in both body and spirit.”