MSI unveils ultra-thin X-Slim 320
MSI has unveiled the 13.4-inch X-Slim 320 (is that you, U300?), which at 1.98cm and about 2.87 pounds puts it just a teensy bit lighter and thicker than its Cupertino-born doppelganger, and comes with either a 4 or 8 cell battery that lasts up to 10 hours. The company provides no specs in its presser, but our cohorts at Engadget Chinese were at an MSI pre-CES event and report that we’re looking at a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor, 1366 x 768 resolution, up to 2GB DDR2 RAM, 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, 3.5G network card, three USB ports, an Ethernet port, VGA output, and an all-in-one card reader, and according to Crave it might be using the NVIDIA Ion platform. It’s coming second quarter of 2009 for about $800 — we’ll see it for ourselves later this week.
Read – MSI press release
Read – Crave report
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Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds now official: starts at $3,663
It’s sort of tough to say that Lenovo’s ThinkPad W700ds is not yet official, but if you’ve been scouring the intarwebz for a legitimate press release from the outfit, here’s your sign. The dual screen beast is at long last being confirmed by Lenovo, offering up workstation performance along with a 17-inch primary display and a 10-inch secondary slide-out panel. Details about exact configurations are scant, but we are told that prospective buyers will be able to equip theirs with high-end Intel CPUs, optional RAID HDD / SSD setups, NVIDIA Quadro FX graphics, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, dual-link DVI / Display Port / VGA support, a 7-in-1 card reader, five USB ports, WiFi, optional WiMAX, a smartcard reader and a dual thermal solution to keep it from melting your legs and / or desk. Reportedly, the machine will be available today starting at $3,663, but as of now, it’s still nowhere to be found on the firm’s US website.
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Lenovo debuts 3 new Y Series midrange laptops
Marks One Year Anniversary with New Collection of Trend-Setting Entertainment-Focused PCs
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – January 5, 2009: Lenovo today announced the latest additions to its Idea brand of personal computers for consumers. The new PCs push the envelope in the pursuit of thinner and more stylish designs, and combine these attributes with unique features like facial recognition and high-definition entertainment technologies to give consumers a computing experience like no other. There are four new IdeaPad laptops – the IdeaPad Y650, the thinnest and lightest 16-inch laptop in its class1, the Y550 and Y430 laptops with a similar family design to the Y650, and the thinnest all-in-one desktop PC, the IdeaCentre A600. With the explosive growth of social networking, Lenovo also continues to enhance its IdeaPad S10 netbook with new instant on capability, facial recognition and easy access to Lenovo’s social networking community.
“With the launch of our global consumer Idea brand a year ago, we’ve shown the world that PC technology can be powerful and beautiful,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president and president, Consumer Business Group, Lenovo. “This year, we will keep pushing the limits of good design, balancing form and function, as you’ll see exhibited in our super-thin, 16-inch laptop and all-in-one desktop. This unique blend of design and engineering sets us apart from competitors and gives consumers a new kind of entertainment and computing experience.”
IdeaPad Y650, Y550, Y450 Laptops
Lenovo’s latest IdeaPad Y Series laptops deliver powerful Hi-Definition entertainment in new sizes that are smaller, thinner and lighter than the previous generation to give more choices to consumers. The three Y Series laptops – the Y650, Y550, and Y450 – share the same modern soft black design featuring an interlocked hexagon pattern on the top cover along with a discrete copper accent around the perimeter of the laptop.
Lenovo delivers its first 16-inch widescreen laptop, the IdeaPad Y650, to the distinction of being the thinnest and lightest laptop in its class1. In fact, the laptop weighs even lighter than many 15-inch laptops, providing users with an additional inch of screen space without compromising on mobility. Making use of special materials like carbon fiber, as used in the aerospace and automotive industries, Lenovo has engineered the laptop down to a slender one-inch at its thinnest point with a weight of just 5.6 pounds.
The expanded Y Series add three new 16:9 screen sizes: the 16-inch Y650, the 15.6-inch Y550, and the 14-inch Y450 laptops. The new Y Series laptops are configurable with up to 500GB of hard drive storage space and up to 4GB of DDR3 memory.
Designed for HD and Multimedia
To provide an exceptional Hi-Definition entertainment and multimedia experience, the Y Series laptops are equipped with 16:9 format glossy widescreen panels, optional latest generation NVIDIA GFX graphics for gaming and smooth HD video playback and Dolby® Home Theater™ surround sound. The IdeaPad Y650 laptop also features JBL speakers for a rich, resonate sound.
The Y Series includes the new Lenovo OneKey™ Theater software to enhance the audio and visual experience. By pressing a button, OneKey Theater gives users an easy way to adjust the PC’s display and sound effect settings. Users can switch from normal mode to movie mode on the fly to optimize the picture when watching movies or playing games. The Y Series also includes Lenovo Desktop Navigator so users can toggle between shortcuts, files and other frequently used programs just by placing their finger along the touch-sensitive slide bar. For extra convenience, users can simply use the multi-touch touchpad below the keyboard and use their fingertips to enlarge or reduce image size. Additionally, an ambient light sensor on the IdeaPad Y650 laptop automatically adjusts screen brightness based on surrounding light conditions, helping to reduce eye strain.
Lenovo has added new levels of performance to its Y Series by equipping them with the latest Intel processors as well as DDR3 memory to help applications respond more quickly under multi-tasking conditions. Now users can burn DVDs in less time, compress and open large documents more easily and enjoy smoother, more realistic gaming. Y Series laptops have several wireless connectivity options including WiFi and optional Bluetooth.
For added convenience, Lenovo’s latest VeriFace™ facial recognition technology combines Windows log-in and file encryption for logging onto the PC and for password-protecting individual files.
The new Y Series also features Lenovo’s OneKey™ Rescue System to help users to recover their data and restore critical system files after system failures, viruses and other mishaps.
Pricing and Availability4
The new IdeaPad Y650, Y550, Y450 laptops and S10 netbook will be available beginning in March. Manufacturer suggested retail pricing (MSRP) for models starts at $1,199 for the IdeaPad Y650, $829 for the IdeaPad Y550 and Y450, and $349 for the IdeaPad S10 netbook. The IdeaCentre A600 all-in-one desktop will be available beginning in April with MSRP for models starting at $999.
About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.
1Thinnest and lightest in the 16-inch laptop screen class, including offerings from Acer, Sony, HP and Lenovo.
2Compared with competitor existing all-in-ones from Apple, HP, Dell and Sony.
3VOIP functionality requires VOIP software which is freely available for download from a wide range of 3rd party vendors
4Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.
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Rumor: New HP laptops coming soon
With CES just around the corner, it’s no surprise to hear whispers of a new lot of laptops from HP (or anyone else, for that matter). A smattering of from reports around the web have it that Hewlett-Packard is looking to debut a few new machines here in the near future, starting with the AMD-powered 13.3-inch Pavilion dv3z ($799.99), the 16-inch dv6t entertainment notebook ($679.99) and the 17-inch Pavilion G70 ($799.99). We’re also clued in on a Compaq Presario CQ60, which will tout a 15.4-inch panel, AMD CPU and not much else considering the $469.99 price tag. Finally, it looks as if the company could introduce a new “Mi” (for Mobile Internet, duh) Mini 1000 edition, which could ship as early as next week with a Linux-based OS and a $379.99 starting tag. Check the links below for all the details, and keep it locked right here for any updates from HP.
Read – HP Pavilion dv3z
Read – HP Pavilion dv6t
Read – HP Pavilion G70
Read – HP Mini 1000 Mi
Read – Compaq Presario CQ60
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Dell confirms shocking truth: Adamo to rival MacBook Air
In a confusing timeline of events that only Charlton Heston could love, Dell confirmed today that it already has touted its soon-to-be-unveiled “Adamo” as a rival to the MacBook Air in a blogvertisement that posed itself as a rumor that Adamo would do just that:
“Rumor has it that Dell is coming out with a computer called Adamo that will rival the MacBook Air. At press time, the company was keeping the product tightly under wraps, but PC users rejoice – word on the street is that something cool is coming your way.”
The adblog appeared on a “luxury internet magazine,” and was noticed by The New York Times Bits Blog, who bounced the copy off Dell, which confirmed it as an ad: “We did this to wake up the personal computing category and create some buzz.” This further confirms (or perhaps pre-confirms) what we’ve heard about Adamo, but we’re looking forward to the actual unveiling of this laptop and forming our own real, factual opinions on the thing. Read
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Dell Studio 14 is now available.. in Malaysia
Here’s a fun game that you can play at home: what comes between “Studio XPS 13” and “Studio 15“? If you guessed “Studio 14,” you can count just about as well as those Dell marketing types. Granted, granularity has always been sort of a thing with Dell, so we can’t really harsh on them too much for giving us more options — though this laptop has only popped up at Dell Malaysia so far, so perhaps we’ll be spared the distinction (unlikely). For 3,599 RM (that’s “Malaysian ringgits,” about $1,038 of our boringly “US dollars”) you can score a Core 2 Duo T8100 2.10GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, X3100 integrated graphics, 250GB HDD and a 14.1-inch LED-backlit 1280 x 800 display. Those magical media playback controls to the right of the keyboard? Those come free. Read
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Studio XPS 13 now on Dell’s website
Earlier this week Engadget showed you photos of the slick Dell Studio XPS 13, and now it’s popped up on the company’s website — sort of. It’s currently showing among its laptop lineup, but trying to get to the individual product page gives us an error screen. Starting price is $1,406, sandwiched just between the XPS M1330 and M1730. We think it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing the official launch soon. Read
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Dell Adamo ultrathin laptop rumors surface
According to the New York Times, Dell may have a little surprise on the way. Based on some wild trademark searches, a tiny bit of digging on the “internet” using a “search engine,” and the lack of eye contact from the company’s VP in charge of consumer sales (Michael Tatelman), there’s a MacBook Air rival beneath all this subterfuge. It seems that the brand name “Adamo” is registered to the computer-maker with a site to match, and somehow the fashion blog (!?) Uptownlife.net came up with this gem: “Rumor has it that Dell is coming out with a computer called Adamo that will rival the MacBook Air.” How they came up with that is anyone’s guess, but apparently the look on Tatelman’s face when asked about it was enough to convince at least one journalist that this is a done deal. Us? Well we’re going to wait and see, but we’re happy to work with Commander Adamo as soon as we see him. Read
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