Western Digital may have been quick to release a 5mm hard drive, but it doesn’t have a lock on the category: Seagate is entering the fray by shipping its own slim disk, the Laptop Ultrathin. Like its rival, the drive stuffs as much as 500GB of conventional, rotating storage into SSD-like dimensions ideal for Ultrabooks and some tablets. It even costs the same $89 as its WD counterpart, although we’re more likely to find the disk built into our next PC than pick one up as an upgrade. Both ASUS and Dell have chosen the Laptop Ultrathin for new models, and we suspect they won’t be alone.
While Acer is pushing forth several machines this week that take on the mantel of an entirely new design in and of themselves at Computex, the Acer Aspire S7 looks, on the surface, to be the same machine as it was earlier this year. Under the surface though is a reboot that means more than just accepting the 4th generation of Intel Core (Haswell) processors. Included in this reboot of the Aspire S7 is 2nd generation Acer TwinAir cooling, new electroluminescent (EL) backlit keyboard technology, and a new option for a display sharper than its already-1080p-wielding predecessor.
Though it seemed almost over-the-top seeing 1920 x 1080 resolution on this notebook earlier this year – see our Acer Aspire S7 review to see what we mean – this new iteration of the machine will have a 2560 x 1440 pixel option. That’s WQHD on a 13.3-inch display, using IPS LCD technology on what’s also the first display to be both WQHD and 10-finger touch for Acer.
This notebook – this Ultrabook, rather – works with an ever-so-slightly thicker body at 12.9mm (where the original was 12.5mm) and remains light enough to compete at 1.3kg. Both sides of the lid (the top and the display) are covered with Gorilla Glass 2 while the bottom bit is made with a single block of aluminum.
NOTE: Above and below you’re seeing the original Acer Aspire S7 – the reboot appears in the gallery below, and is essentially identical save its optional WQHD display.
Acer employs dual-array microphones with this machine with Acer’s own PurifiedVoice technology. This aims directly at making the computer understand, transmit, and record – where necessary – your voice for voice recognition (hello Google) and VOIP applications in as “crystal clear” a manner as Acer is able.
The display’s ability to pull back 180 degrees – flat, that is – allows for more multi-user capabilities as well. “Touch-and-show sharing” they call it, with a hotkey combination flipping the orientation of the display at will. Aside this machine’s 4th gen Intel Core processor is a RAID 0 solid state drive for silent operation and quick read/write times and wakeup from sleep.
Intel’s Haswell generation of Core processors work here to bring on Intel WiDi technology so that this machine can extend or mirror its display to a TV or otherwise big screen monitor wirelessly. Intel’s technology is also implemented here to improve battery life, coming in at 7 hours according to Acer, that ending up bringing a 33% improvement over the original.
At the moment Acer notes that this update to the Acer Aspire S7 will be available in the third quarter of 2013. Pricing and more specific release information will be appearing soon.
This week at Computex, Acer has revealed a set of notebooks and desktop machines that bring on 4th generation Intel Core (Haswell) processor technology along with upgraded features to their units. Here with the Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook line, a bit of an aesthetic change has been made to the industrial design of the machine. Deriving from the successful bits and pieces seen in the Acer Aspire S7, the Acer Aspire S3 now takes on a look that’s a bit more “today”.
Here at SlashGear we’ve done an Acer Aspire S3 review as it existed back in February of 2012, packed with its own Intel Core i7 processor. Back then it was nothing to joke about when it came to entertainment abilities and general comfort in use, but here in 2013, things have changed a bit.
The Aspire S3 now uses Windows 8 and employs touchscreen abilities, working with a dual-torque hinge like the S7 for flat-lying multi-user functionality. This device now employs a light-sensing keyboard with auto-adjusting backlit keys, an aluminum cover sprayed “Sparkling White” with a “mirror-polish” finish to evoke “the family design and visual purity of the S7′s gorilla glass cover”, and the operation area throughout the machine is made from anodized aluminum – smooth and tough, that is.
Inside the Acer Aspire S3 alongside a 4th generation Intel Core processor will be NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M graphics – architecture introduced in April of this year for what was up until this past week NVIDIA’s top-notch graphics processing offering for the laptop form factor.
The Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook will be available with a 7.2mm 1 TB hard disk for storage and will come standard with features like WiDi (Wireless Display) courtesy of Intel’s newest generation of processors. This machine’s 1080p Full HD display works with 170 degrees of viewability with IPS LCD technology and the whole system is able to wake from Sleep mode “in just 1 second” according to Acer with Acer Fast Resume, this and basic booting from complete shut down turning the display on when the display is opened. No more need for a power button!
This 17.8mm thin machine will be available in the third quarter of 2013, while final pricing and exact dates will be available sooner than later.
It was a year ago at Computex that Acer unveiled the Aspire S7, a skinny sliver of a thing that turned out to be one of our favorite Ultrabooks of 2012. Now, 12 months later, the company is unveiling… the Aspire S7. A much-improved S7, to be precise. Going into the second half of the year, there’s only to be a 13-inch version (the 11-incher’s been discontinued), and it has much the same industrial design, with a lightweight chassis and Gorilla Glass lid. The difference is that it will now be offered with a 2,560 x 1,440 screen, which will be standard in certain regions, like Europe. (Elsewhere, a 1080p IPS panel will continue to be the base option.) As you’d expect, Acer’s upgraded the S7 to Haswell CPUs (Core i3, i5 and i7), but it also squeezed in a bigger battery — 47Wh, up from 35Wh. Between that bigger cell and new chipset, Acer is rating the battery life at seven hours, which, if true, would correct one of the OG model’s biggest shortcomings. Rounding out the list, Acer moved the mics to the front, and also updated the cooling system with the promise of less fan noise.
Meanwhile, Acer thoroughly revamped the mid-range S3 Ultrabook so that it looks more like the S7. The main differences are that this has no Gorilla Glass on the lid, and the entire machine is noticeably heavier (1.67kg vs. 1.3). Part of the reason for that chunkier shape is that it will be offered with beefier components, including optional NVIDIA GT735M graphics and a 1TB hard drive (you can also get it with an SSD). Additionally, the S3 steps up to Haswell CPUs, along with a 1080p IPS touchscreen — the same kind that the S7 had when it first launched. Design-wise, as we said, it looks like the S7, particularly with the lid shut, and it’s now made from one piece of aluminum, instead of several. The keyboard looks different from the S7’s, though, and is also a bit clackier, for whatever reason. In Europe, at least, the Aspire S7-392 will start at €1,450, and the S3-392 will go from €999. Both will arrive in July. No word yet on US pricing. For a closer look, check out our hands-on photos and video, both embedded after the break.
Update: US pricing for the S7 will start at $1,400 and go up to $1,700, depending on the configuration.
Haswell is hardly a secret at this point: there’s been a steady drip-drip of demos and technical leaks since as far back as 2011, and just a month ago we brought you the low-down on its integrated graphics. But today, finally, we have official pricing for a number of variants, a concrete date for availability (this coming Tuesday, June 4th) and, perhaps most importantly, some detailed benchmark claims about what Haswell is capable of — particularly in its mobile form.
Sure, Intel already dominates in MacBooks, Ultrabooks (by definition) and in hybrids like Surface Pro, but the chip maker readily admits that the processors in those portable PCs were just cut-down desktop chips. Haswell is different, having been built from the ground up with Intel’s North Cape prototype and other mobile form factors in mind. As a loose-lipped executive recently let slip, we can look forward to a 50 percent increase in battery life in the coming wave of devices, with no loss of performance. Read on and we’ll discover how this is possible and what it could mean for the dream of all-day mobile computing.
Toshiba is releasing 2 models of the Windows 8 Ultrabook “dynabook V713″ (V713/28J and V713/27J). It features the ability to split the keyboard from the LCD panel as needed so that it can be used as either a PC or a tablet to match your purpose.
The handwriting input function using the included stylus is something that Toshiba says it has put a lot of effort into. They worked on “4 important elements of the feel of a good pen”: – smoothness – pen pressure equilibrium – display position of the tip of the pen – pen pressure responsiveness
The CPU is an Intel Core i5-3339Y processor that reduces the amount of heat generated and helps the battery run longer, and it features an 11.6 inch full HD LCD touch panel (1,920×1,080 dot). High-rigidity resin is used for the body to make it strong in the event of dropping.
Price is open price.
The specs are very similar for both models:
V713/28J OS: Windows 8 64bit CPU: Intel Core i5-3339Y Processor Memory: 4GB SSD: 128GB SSD Display: 11.6 inch full HD LCD touch panel (1,920×1,080 dot) Wireless connection: Wi-fi (IEEE802.11a/b/g/n), Intel wireless display, Bluetooth Weight: 870g (as a tablet), 1.47kg (as a PC)
V713/27J OS: Windows 8 64bit CPU: Intel Core i5-3339Y Processor Memory: 4GB SSD: 128GB SSD Display: 11.6 inch full HD LCD touch panel (1,920×1,080 dot) Wireless connection: Wi-fi (IEEE802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth Weight: 825g (as a tablet), 1.43kg (as a PC)
What is the meaning of such sorcery? Yet another line is being breached in the world of technology, as the Ultrabook is no longer an ordinary Ultrabook with the release of the Toshiba Portege Z10t. In fact, Toshiba’s latest release would clearly make this the first device that runs on the Windows 8 operating system from the company that was specially designed for business users. It is a versatile device by any means, where it is capable of functioning as an Ultrabook whenever the need arises, and if you find yourself in a situation where a tablet is more suitable to use, then the Toshiba Portege Z10t can also double up as that, too.
With the Toshiba Portege Z10t, you are able to switch form factors instantly between notebook and tablet in the simplest of actions – that is, to detach the screen. When detached you will find the tablet segment a wee bit larger than usual, especially when you are so used to the 7” tablet market – but those who are using hybrid Ultrabooks like the Dell XPS 12 and the Lenovo Yoga 13 would find it ideal, as the Toshiba Portege Z10t comes with an 11.6” diagonal, Full HD, IPS anti-glare touchscreen display that ought to offer a whole lot more screen real estate compared to the other tablets, without sacrificing on the ultra-responsive performance of a notebook.
Not only that, there is also a built-in digitizer that would increase the amount of functionality for folks who want to write and take notes on-screen. As for the detachable keyboard, it will come with a touchpad that we suspect will not see much action, since you would most probably play with the touchscreen display itself. Still, it boasts of Windows 8 gesture support and Accupoint, and is LED backlit and spill-resistant. You can choose from 128GB or 256GB SSD configurations, where these will be accompanied by 4GB RAM, is Intel Wireless Display Ready, has a SD memory card slot, USB 3.0 and Micro HDMI ports, and an audio combo jack in addition to the keyboard dock carrying full-size HDMI, RGB, LAN and USB 2.0 ports. Prices for the Portege Z10t start from $1,499 onwards.
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
We have recently spent some time working (and playing) with the HP Spectre XT TouchSmart notebook computer. Specifically, we have been using the 15-4010nr Ultrabook model. This is a Windows 8 machine and it happens to be sporting a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display and as implied by the TouchSmart in the name — this one is a touchscreen notebook. The notebook looks good, feels solid and has specs to match. Of course, on the flip side of that, the HP Spectre XT TouchSmart isn’t the lowest priced notebook on the market. The pricing starts at $1,399.99 and while we cannot say whether this notebook will be needed by all, we can share some opinions that will help you answer that question for yourself. With that, read on for our full HP Spectre XT TouchSmart 15-4010nr Ultrabook review.
Hardware
Before we get into the specs of the notebook, lets first talk bout the notebook itself. The TouchSmart looks really nice, albeit a bit similar to the HP Envy Spectre XT, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. HP has the TouchSmart decked out in an aluminum and brushed silver finish. The lid of the notebook has a shiny silver HP logo and there is also the “Hewlett Packard’ branding on the side. While the outside is pretty muted in terms of brands and logos, the inside has a little bit more going on. That is not to say HP went overboard, but there are two Beats Audio logos and two HP logos on the inside.
Otherwise, the notebook has what you want and need and it has all the items in places that seem to make sense. You have the standards such as the keyboard and trackpad, however the speakers, power button, air vents and all ports are nicely placed. And in the case of the ports, they are nicely laid out for easy access. Take for example, we found it a plus to have USB ports on both sides of the notebook.
The keyboard itself was nicely spaced and to be honest, rather comfortable to type on. The keyboard is also backlit. The same can be said about the trackpad (which happens to be glass) as it just worked nicely. The trackpad performed well for everything from scrolling to Windows 8 gestures and it even has an integrated left and right click option. Of course, while the trackpad can be used for gestures and scrolling — this particular notebook does ship with a touchscreen display.
In this case you will be getting a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Touching (pun intended) a bit on the display, while we are not fully convinced of the need for a touchscreen display on a notebook, it did manage to get quite a bit of use during our testing.
In fact, after using the HP Spectre TouchSmart for a while, we found ourselves reaching up to touch other notebook displays. Basically, this notebook proved comfortable and powerful enough for our everyday needs. In fact, the power was probably a bit overkill for our use case which consists mostly of web browsing, documents and some light image and video editing.
Looking at the notebook you will see the webcam sitting centered above the display. Specifically, the webcam is an HP TrueVision HD webcam with an integrated dual array microphone. Shifting to the sides of the notebook and you will find Ethernet, full-sized HDMI, Thunderbolt and pair of USB 3.0 ports on the left side with a full-sized SD card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, one USB 2.0 port, charging connector and a Kensington lock slot on the right hand side.
Software
Shifting over to the software and we start with a 64-bit edition of Windows 8. That of course is to say that you will see the now familiar array of tiles. In this respect there isn’t much in terms of surprise, the notebook has the usual array of shortcuts such as Games, Music, Video and Camera as well as Internet Explorer, Mail, Messaging, Calendar, SkyDrive and the Store. Plus, you will find some third party goodies including Netflix, Kindle, eBay and a few others.
Perhaps the nicer part here is the additional software that has been installed. HP ships the Spectre XT TouchSmart with the full versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premier Elements. Users will also be able to find help in the form of the HP Support Assistant app, which is a default tile.
Otherwise, there is a trial version of Microsoft Office. Norton Internet Security is also included, and free for the first two years. Basically, there is Windows 8 with the expected goodies as well as a few extra perks for those looking to do some image editing or movie creating.
Performance
In terms of the performance — the keyboard feel solid, the trackpad was smooth and the display is bright and crisp. There was also Beats Audio along with those previously mentioned four speakers. As far as the sound quality, while the sound certainly was not what you are going to get from a full set of desktop speakers, we would describe it as being above what we would consider good for a laptop.
System – Hewlett-Packard HP Spectre XT TouchSmart PC
Manufacturer
Hewlett Packard
Product Type
Notebook
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8 (64-bit)
Motherboard
Hewlett-Packard 1886
Processor
Intel Core i7-3517U
Processor ID
GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
Processor Frequency
2.39 GHz
Processors
1
Threads
4
Cores
2
L1 Instruction Cache
32.0 KB
L1 Data Cache
32.0 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
L3 Cache
4.00 MB
Memory
7.90 GB DDR3 SDRAM 799MHz
FSB
99.8 MHz
BIOS
Insyde F.04
Along with, the Spectre XT TouchSmart ran rather nice to use day to day. Our unit was equipped with a 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U processor, 8GB of RAM, a 500GB (5400RPM) hard drive and Intel HD Graphics 4000. Looking at those specs and we probably would have been more surprised had the notebook not run smoothly. Our usage included everything from streaming a movie from Netflix and some television with Hulu Plus, to watching a movie stored locally, to some music and audiobooks and of course, web browsing. Plenty of web browsing.
There was also a little bit of light video editing and plenty of image editing. Battery life on the other hand felt lacking. We were able to get a few solid hours, but it seems to be short as compared to some of the other currently available notebooks.
Benchmark Score – Hewlett-Packard HP Spectre XT TouchSmart PC
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Windows x86 (64-bit) – Microsoft Windows 8 (64-bit)
Integer
Processor integer performance
6188
8357
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
11274
Memory
Memory performance
7591
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
7271
Wrap-Up
Aside from the HP Spectre XT TouchSmart’s battery life, the overall experience was rather pleasant and comfortable. Not only did the notebook perform well, but it did so looking really nice — both in terms of the exterior casing and the quality of the display. While we wouldn’t hesitate to offer a recommendation, we could see the price being an issue for some. That is not to say the Spectre XT TouchSmart isn’t worth what HP is asking, but just that there are plenty of less expensive options to choose from.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
