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Continue reading Panasonic outs Toughbook S10 with Sandy Bridge, USB 3.0, and 12.5-hour battery life

Panasonic outs Toughbook S10 with Sandy Bridge, USB 3.0, and 12.5-hour battery life originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When you head to Apple’s online store to configure your MacBook Air, you’ll find options to increase processor speed or SSD capacity — depending on the model you select, of course. There’s no mention of flash drive speed, however, though it’s now clear that not all SSDs are created equal at Apple — not only when it comes to capacity, but also performance. Jonathan over at TLD discovered a fairly significant discrepancy when benchmarking both MacBook Air models over the weekend. The 128GB Samsung SSD in his 11-inch Air was able to achieve 246 MB/s write and 264 MB/s read speeds. When he switched to the 13-inch model, however, speeds dropped to 156 MB/s and 208 MB/s, respectively, using that notebook’s 128GB Toshiba SSD. We compared speeds on two generations of 13-inch models, and confirmed Jonathan’s findings. During our tests, the 256GB Samsung drive in our older model achieved 214 MB/s write and 251 MB/s read speeds, while the 128GB Toshiba drive in the new MacBook Air scored 184 MB/s and 203 MB/s during write and read tests, respectively. Overall, you’re not likely to notice a significant difference during normal usage, though it’s certainly an interesting find, nonetheless.

[Thanks, Larry]

Continue reading PSA: Apple using slower SSDs in some MacBook Air models (video)

PSA: Apple using slower SSDs in some MacBook Air models (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s Series 3 laptops deliver more performance-per-dollar than the ultra-thin Series 9, at the expense of — well, ultra-thinness. That said, the 12.1-inch model hardly struck as megalithic when we went hands-on last month, and we’re keen to see it emerge from pre-order status. For those who can’t wait, or who prefer a bigger screen and keyboard, then a couple of larger siblings have just become available via third-party retailers at Amazon. There’s a 5.5-pound, 15.6-inch variant with an i3 processor, 4GB of DDR3 and a 500GB HDD going for $590. Alternatively, you can pick up a 14-incher for $60 more, with mainly the same specs but a slightly bigger 640GB HDD. As for us, we’re holding out for that elusive baby brother, for the sake of its superior i5 processor and our aging knees.

Samsung Series 3 laptops crop up on Amazon, 12.1-inch model still AWOL originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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They say Apple updates its products like clockwork, releasing something new at the same time in the same place every year. Not so with MacBook Airs anyway. The outfit’s gone and freshened up its 13-inch and 11-inch ultraportables — the second such update in nine months. Although the industrial design hasn’t changed much since the last generation, both models step up to Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors, Thunderbolt ports, backlit keyboards, and, of course, OS X Lion.

The 11.6-inch flavor starts at $999 with 64GB of solid-state storage, 2GB of memory and a 1.6GHz Core i5 processor. The higher-end of the two configurations costs $1,199, with the extra two hundred dollars doubling your RAM and storage. The 13-inch Air, meanwhile, starts at $1,299, with a 128GB SSD, 4GB of RAM, and a 1.7GHz Core i5 CPU. Step up to the $1,599 model and you’ll get a 256GB SSD instead. Regardless, you’re looking at Intel HD 3000 graphics across the board, along with FaceTime webcams, two USB ports (plus an SD slot on the 13-inch version), 802.11n WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.0. The two differ when it comes to resolution and battery life: the 11-incher has a 1366 x 768 panel and is rated for up to five hours of battery life, whereas the 13-inch model has a 1440 x 900 screen and promises up to seven hours of juice. As for that 1.8GHz Core i7 CPU, it’ll set you back an extra $100 on the 13-inch version, and $150 for the 11-inch version. Whichever size you choose, it’s only an option for the higher-end configuration. Hit the source link to peep the specs and buy one, if you’re so inclined.

Continue reading Apple refreshes MacBook Air with Sandy Bridge, Thunderbolt, and backlit keyboards

Apple refreshes MacBook Air with Sandy Bridge, Thunderbolt, and backlit keyboards originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We haven’t even seen an official announcement yet regarding Samsung’s Series 3 laptops and, already, one has popped up for pre-order at J&R. When we manhandled the 12.1-inch model at Digital Experience we were pretty impressed by the build quality, light weight, and the promise of a low price. Well, this wallet-friendly ultraportable is officially pegged at $750 with a reasonably powerful 2.3GHz Core i5, 4GB of RAM, and 500GB hard drive inside. The downtown Manhattan staple also happens to have one of those 11.6-inch Series 9s listed for $999. Sure, it only packs a 1.3GHz Core i3 and 2GB of RAM, but the 64GB SSD should compensate for some of its performance shortcomings. Besides, the price premium almost seems worth it when you feel the sub 2.4-pound weight and Duralumin body. The Series 9 should still be shipping in August, and we imagine the Series 3 will launch around the same time — right on schedule to catch the back to school scramble. More specs and the all important pre-order buttons can be found at the source links.

[Thanks, Jaydee]

Samsung Series 3 and new Series 9 available for pre-order at J&R originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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