Laptops - Page 47

The best part about the iPhone and the iPad is the huge number of apps for all different uses on the App Store. You can find things to make work better along with games and apps for just about anything else. We already know that Apple is planning an App Store for Mac users but when the announcement of the store was made, there was no indication given on how long it would take.

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According to AppleTell an inside source has told the publication that Apple is targeting December 13 for the launch of the Mac App Store. The source claims that Jobs and crew had told devs to have software ready to go as early as today, but that launch is not going to happen today is seems. Apple is still mum on an official launch date.

However, the sources say Steve Jobs is pushing hard for a launch before Christmas and Apple is said to be ahead of its schedule. The publication claims that Jobs had wanted the store live before now. There is no word on why that didn't happen. This is firmly in rumor land at this point so take it all with a grain of salt. I am sure Apple wants the store up in time for Christmas giving.

ASUS held a press conference in Taipei today to announce its latest notebook, the U36JC. I couldn't attend the event personally, but luckily for us, Nicole of Netbook News fame was on hand to shoot a hands-on video of this new super slim laptop for us.

Asus has unveiled a new laptop based on Intel's current Core 2010 platform. The chassis is built from aluminum-magnesium alloy lid and a "nanometer coating" on the palm rest that is meant to resist fingerprints and be easy to clean.

I think that more patent applications surface from Apple than any other company. Maybe it's that we only hear about the Apple ones, either way a cool new app has surfaced today that comes from Apple and shows some cool tech that we may be seeing on future Mac computers and notebooks. The patent app shows off a new version of the MagSafe cable, which is one of the coolest things about the MacBook line of notebooks in my opinion.

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The MagSafe cable is familiar to many of us with the design that pops free easily if it's pulled on to keep you from catching the cord and knocking the notebook off a desk. The patent app outlines a new version of the MagSafe connector that provides the juice the notebook needs along with servicing the function of a power cable as well.

The design has a single MagSafe connector that provides power and then runs to a box that has lots of connectivity like a docking station would offer. The line art shows the adapter having an Ethernet port, USB ports, optical ports, and DVI output. One image with the app also shows the MagSafe splitting into a fiber optic cable that would be perfect for Intel's Light Peak that Apple is thought to be launching first.

Itching for a new laptop? Well, Apple are looking to refresh the MacBook Pro line early next year and instead of a simple upgrade in specs we could see a complete redesign like the latest MacBook Air received.

The number of notebooks, AIOs, and desktop computers on the market that support 3D are growing all the time. The uptake of 3D in the company market is better than it is at home. Computer users don't mind wearing glasses to play 3D games most of the time while the average TV watcher in the living room might balk at wearing glasses for 3D. Acer has pulled out its first 3D notebook and is offering the machine in Japan.

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We have most of the specs of the machine and know that it will land on December 3 in Japan and cost 3D fans under 100,000 yen. For that much loot Japanese geeks will get a 15.6-inch notebook with a screen offering a 120Hz refresh rate good for 3D content using the NVIDIA 3D Vision system. The machine will ship with the active 3D glasses the NVIDIA system needs to enjoy the effects.

Graphics for the machine are handled by an NVIDA GeForce GT 425M and the processor is an Intel Core i5-460M unit at 2.53GHz. The machine has 4GB of RAM, 640GB HDD, and HDMI out along with Bluetooth, WiFi, and a 1.3MP webcam. The OS is Windows 7 Home Premium. The official model number for the notebook is AS5745DG-A54E/L.

Dell has been talking up its interesting convertible notebook called the Inspiron Duo for a while now. The machine isn't like your typical convertible netbook where the entire LCD rotates around for tablet mode on a hinge. The screen of the Duo is attached to a pivot in the middle for the frame allowing it to flip around as needed.

Lenovo has been making computers for a long time and after years of making sturdy looking machines that were little changed visually from when the IBM name was on the lid, the company has finally taken to making their machines look good over the last year or so. The latest new notebook from Lenovo is the new IdeaPad U260. The machine has quietly been added to the IdeaPad line and while we are short of the full specs at this time, we do have enough to know that the little ultraportable sounds good.

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The machine has a 12.5-inch matte finish HD resolution LCD. I loathe the glossy and glare prone screens most notebooks so the matte screen is a great feature for me and other folks that need to work in bright environments. The notebook lacks an optical drive, which is common in the ultraportable market today and it has no ExpressCard slot either. The machine will offer both ULV Intel Core i3 and i5 processors and has a 4-cell battery.

Other features of the little notebook include Bluetooth and WiFi. The machine has 4GB of RAM and a 320GB HDD. It will ship in either mocha brown or clementine orange colors. Outputs will also include VGA and HDMI outputs. The chassis of the machine is made from magnesium and considering the hardware inside and lacking official pricing, we will have to assume this will be an expensive machine.

MSI has pulled the wraps off a new notebook that uses tech to help extend the battery with dual GPUs inside. The tech is the same as what NVIDIA has been offering for a while with Optimus, but goes by MSIs own name in this iteration. MSI called the graphics switching tech GPU Boost technology. The tech allows the machine to change from a power sipping internal GPU to a discrete GPU for more power when needed.

Electronic paper screen are on the market in force with several different products being the same basic thing. We have ePaper and eInk for instance that are different flavors of the same tech that offers a black and white image on a screen that uses little power and lacks a backlight. These screens are very common today in devices like eReaders and you can find them on some watches even.

I think that 3D has been one of the most talked about (and perhaps over talked about) new technologies for the home theater and computer user this year. The thing that is so strange to me is that 3D on the computer is far from new. Gamers have had 3D drivers for years for gaming despite the huge influx of new 3D machines hitting the market this year. HP unveiled the cool Envy 17 3D notebook a while back and the machine is now shipping.

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If you want to get your hands on the thin and powerful Envy 17 3D notebook prices start at $1599.99 and the machines are shipping right now directly from HP. The base configuration gets you a Core i7-720QM CPU, HD 5850 graphics, 6GB of RAM, 500GB of storage, and a 17.3-inch 1080p 3D display. The 3D machine also ships with HP's active shutter 3D glasses for enjoying those 3D effects.

HP offers a number of options for the machine that will run the starting price up considerably. HP's recommended configuration will cost you $1849.99. Shipping on the machines is free and there are some other nice savings being offered for accessories like 50% off a 6 or 9-cell battery for the notebook, and $20 off LoJack for notebooks.

As with other Apple devices of late, the new MacBook Air has been taken down a dark alley, bashed across the head and taken advantage of - but, in a good way.

I'm not really the sort of geek to buy flashy colored computers or hardware. I prefer more of a stealth look for my gear. Some people like to have nice specs and some flash on the outside when it comes to buying a machine. Women often want a netbook that has lots of style and works well and Asus has a new netbook that comes in some colors that will appeal to the style conscious women out there shopping for a new netbook. I know my wife would like the colors of this new Eee netbook.

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The new machine is called the Asus Eee 1015PW and the machine is a hardware clone of the existing Asus 1015PEM. That's not a bad thing at all considering as far as netbook hardware goes, the rigs are great on the inside. They have dual core Atom N550 processor, the LED backlit screen has 1024 x 600 resolution, and the battery is good for up to ten hours of use per charge. The netbook comes in some crazy colors with names like Purple Rain, Gold Dust, and Angel Skin.

Other hardware features include up to 320GB of storage, 1GB of RAM, WiFi, and Bluetooth 3.0. Asus also offers the 500GB of online storage for those wanting to take advantage and the netbook has the ExpressGate fast booting tech inside. Pricing is unannounced at this point, but it should be in line with other netbooks. The lid of the 1015PW also gets a new design called wave.

For many years before Dell bought Voodoo, its gaming line of computers was the XPS series. After the purchase of Voodoo PC, Dell migrated the XPS line of notebooks and desktops towards machines that were more focused on media than pure gaming. Dell has unveiled a few new notebooks for the XPS family this week that include some thin and well equipped machines that are aimed directly at the thin and sexy HP Envy line of notebooks.

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Dell's new XPS notebooks include anodized and brushed aluminum finishes, backlit keyboards, and lots of media features. The new notebooks offer a variety of screen sizes with offerings in 14-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch categories. Even the base configuration of the notebooks has some nice hardware inside with Intel Core i5 460M CPUs, NVIDIA GeForce 420M GPUs with Optimus tech for power savings, and 500GB HDDs that spin at 7200 rpm.

The machines also have 4GB of RAM in the basic configurations. There are a number of options that will up the price and performance of the series though with things like a Core i7 840M CPU, better GPUs, and more RAM if you are so inclined. Other features include a 2MP webcam, USB 3.0, eSATA ports, HDMI 1.4a outputs, Intel Wireless Display, WiMax, Bluetooth 3.0, and internal TV tuners. The basic configuration for 14-inch version is $899, the 15-incher is $849 and the 17-incher is $949.

We've known it's coming for a while - and with the "back to the Mac" news of late, it's been quite obvious Apple would tease the Apple lovers worldwide, today has arrived.

If you use a MacBook or an Apple device like an iPod or the iPhone, you may be familiar with HyperMac. The company offers some nice accessories like charge cables and external batteries for the Apple devices that will keep them powered up for longer. Apple sued HyperMac a while back for taking original Apple cables and modifying them for use in HyperMac products.

One thing we can count on is that over the coming months there will be a ton of new tablets that hit the market with various hardware configurations, operating systems, and price points. Most users are seemingly waiting on Android tablets to hit the market, but there will be many that want Windows so they can use the Office software they are used to. A new Windows 7 tablet has surface from a company called bModo called the bModo12.

In Europe and other countries, the practice of subsidizing notebooks and netbooks in exchange for a contract on a new mobile broadband account has been going on for a long time. The practice isn't new in the US with many wireless providers now doing the same thing, though it took much longer to become normal in the US than it did in Europe. Verizon Wireless has announced a new addition to the subsidized notebook line called the HP Pavilion dm1-2010nr.

The iPad has bit into netbook sales significantly according to some analysts. The netbook market is still doing well though with robust sales. There are many netbooks to choose from on the market already today, and that number just keeps growing. Samsung has several notebooks and netbooks already and the company has announced the addition of a new netbook to its lineup called the NF301.

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The NF310 is a 10.1-inch netbook with a screen resolution of 1366 x 768 and LED backlighting. The netbook has an Intel Atom N550 dual-core CPU and runs Windows 7 Starter. Other features of the machine include 1GB of DDR3 RAM, 250GB of storage, and a 3W stereo speaker system. The battery promises over nine hours of run time per charge and the netbook has 802.11b/g/n networking.

The weight for the small netbook is 2.87 pounds. The machine has the Samsung Charge and Sleep USB ports so you can charge your USB gadgets while the netbook is powered off. It will come in silver and has a spill-resistant keyboard design along with a touchpad supporting gestures. The NF310 will hit stores this fall for $399.

Acer has one of the more popular lines of netbooks on the market with the Aspire one offerings. The company has a wide range of netbooks with different specifications and features inside to cater to the needs of different users. Tablets like the iPad may be talking away sales from netbooks, but there are still new offerings coming to market that consumers will like. Acer has a new machine today that has CPU options and nice features called the Aspire One AOD255 netbook.