Hasta La Gadget!

Here we’ve got the fruits of AMD’s new Neo platform: the Pavilion dv2 series of entertainment laptops. Starting at 3.8-pounds with a keyboard 8% short of full-sized, this 12.1-inch (1,280 x 800 pixels) ultra-portable features a 1.6GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 processor, up to 4GB of memory and 500GB of disk, optional 802.11n WiFi, and WWAN (Gobi) support. Now what if we told you that this 64-bit Vista Home Premium laptop (no need for the XP fallback here kids) measures less than an inch thick and can be configured with ATI Mobility Radeon HD3410 discrete graphics and an external Blu-ray player for $899 when it ships in March? More you say? Ok, there’s also Bluetooth, HDMI-out, an integrated webcam, and 3.5 to 4-hours of battery with prices set to start at $699. Isn’t CES wonderful?

Filed under: CES, Laptops

HP’s 12.1-inch Pavilion dv2 with Blu-ray — don’t call it a netbook originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Just when we thought HP had moved on, what with the Mini 1000 getting all the love these days, HP has returned to its original Mini-Note 2100 series of netbooks with the 2140. Supposedly aimed at businesses, the new netbook loses that sluggish VIA C7-M of its predecessors and replaces it with — you guessed it — a 1.6GHz Atom processor. There’s also a 80GB or 160GB hard drive onboard and a 10-inch screen available in 1366 x 768 and 1024 x 567 resolutions, plus that lovable ExpressCard / 54 slot hasn’t gone anywhere, but the machine remains otherwise mostly unchanged. Prices start at $499 for the base model, and OS choices include XP Home / Pro, SuSe Linux, FreeDOS and Windows Vista Home Basic / Premium. The laptop is certainly a nice step up over the Mini 1000, but we sure could use a bit more power under the hood. You know, for business.

[Thanks, Jarrett]

Read – HP updates Mini 2x netbooks with Atom, 10in LCD
Read – HP Mini 2140 official site

Filed under: Laptops

HP’s new Mini 2140 stuffs Atom, larger screen into original form factor originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The biggest names usually take the headlines at CES, but finding an up-and-coming gadget maker with interesting new products is what makes the show worthwhile.

By unveiling their own version of the Pico projector this week, Nextar is trying to be one those companies that catch our attention. With most of the Picos not fully living up to the hype thus far, we’re hoping they’ve come up with something good.

 Nextar’s Z10 LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) micro projector is pocketable like the other minis and has a resolution going up to 640 x 480 pixels. It’s supposed to be much brighter than the other minis and all images come out in a 4:3 aspect ratio.

According to Nextar, the projector will last up to 30,000 hours, has USB and Micro SD ports, and comes with a built-in speaker. It will also support several audio and video file types, in case you want to play some music. But with that tiny shell, we’re not expecting quality video at all — tinny audio seems more appropriate.

The 1 lb. Z10 will come with a separate, companion accessory the other Pico’s don’t have: a small 20" (diagonal) screen for insta-presentations. The screen is probably not a bad idea if you don’t already have a projection screen, but it seems unnecessary if you can find a clean white wall.

Nextar will also be coming out with two solar powered Bluetooth car speakers this week. The hands-free speakers connect to your cell phone and provide 10 hours of talk time at a full charge. According to the company, the dashboard-bound sets recharge while you’re driving, making it less likely to find yourself without juice.

The Z10 projector will be out in the Spring for $300, and the screen will be $40. The bluetooth speakers will run from $60 to $70. 

Rather than simply adding a new capacity option or throwing another adjective on the end (i.e. Ultra, Xtreme, Gnarly, etc.), SanDisk is actually launching something in the flash drive sector that’s worth paying attention to. The Ultra USB Backup is hailed as the planet’s first USB key with simple backup software activation at the touch of a button, and with capacities up to 64GB, we’d say this is a pretty decent option for keeping your digital paraphernalia backed up sans an external HDD. In related news, the outfit has redesigned the long-standing Cruzer to fall more in line with today’s trends, effectively stripping the retro pastel hues and adding in “iconic new design language developed by global innovation firm frog design.” The new bunch is expected in stores this April, with prices ranging from $24.99 to $99.99 for the Cruzer and $39.99 to $199.99 for the Ultra Backup. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading SanDisk showcases new Ultra Backup / Cruzer USB flash drives

Filed under: CES, Storage

SanDisk showcases new Ultra Backup / Cruzer USB flash drives originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

HP is marketing its latest netbook as ideal for business users — a rather peculiar move for a device in this category.

They’re called netbooks because they’re streamlined for surfing the internet and basic computing tasks — in other words, screwing around rather than getting actual work done. But HP is marketing its Mini 2140, to be introduced at CES 2009 this week, as an enterprise netbook.

Just what makes this netbook business-savvy? A keyboard that’s 92 percent of a standard, full-size keyboard, HP says. Secondly, a 10.1-inch LED display. Also, a longer-lasting, six-cell battery that HP claims will last about 8 hours. Finally, the sleek, silver case feels a lot classier than many other netbooks I’ve dealt with.

Those subtle differences aren’t mindblowing improvements from preceding netbooks. Like most netbooks, the Mini 2140 is powered by 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, and it carries a 160GB hard drive.

Nonethless, it’s clear why HP is marketing the Mini 2140 as a business netbook. We’re facing hard times, and businesses are going to look to cut costs on hardware for their employees. In fact, the typical lifespan of an office computer is three years, but 46 percent of businesses are postponing on purchasing their employees new computers, according to a Wall Street Journal story.

Is this the next direction for netbooks? Quite possibly. A decent netbook purchased in addition to an external display would be equal to or less than the cost of a desktop system — and employees would be able to carry their work with them.

We’ll provide plenty more on netbooks in our CES 2009 coverage in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for more.

See Also:

• Review: HP’s Mini Notebook is a Real Deal Eee PC Killer
• HP Mini 1000 Gets Official
• HP Mini 1000 Has a Secret 3G Modem

Product Demo [HP]

Photo: HP