Laptops - Page 80

Anytime a new OS and a new notebook show up, you have our interest. When Google outted the Chrome Cr-48 notebook we wanted to know just how the thing works and the geeks over at Engadget have laid hands on the device to give us an idea. The machine looks a lot like the hoards of netbooks and ultraportable on the market and reminds me particularly of some of the newer Asus machines.

The Apple iPad is selling in droves and is taking a bunch of sales away from the computer market. The wild popularity of the tablet has meant that for a while it was very hard to find. Now that production has ramped up the iPad is easy to find in all sorts of locations. The tablet is selling very well and as Apple fans are apt to do, new rumors are already swirling about the next installment of the iPad dubbed the iPad 2.

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.