Hasta La Gadget!

If you’ve been waiting for Samsung to refresh last year’s Series 9 Ultrabook, don’t hold your breath; apart from a recent upgrade to 1080p resolution, it’s basically stayed the same. That doesn’t mean Samsung is taking a break from ultraportables, though: the company recently started shipping the Series 7 Ultra (now called the ATIV Book 7), which debuted at CES. Regardless of the name, the idea was always for it to be part of Samsung’s performance line, ranking right below the flagship Series 9 family. To that end, it ships for $1,060 with all the specs you’d expect to find in a mid- to high-end Ultrabook: a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD, a 13.3-inch, 1080p display and a stronger set of speakers than on the Series 9. Obviously, the fact that it’s launching with Ivy Bridge is one knock against it, but how does it stack up otherwise? Might it be a good deal if it ever gets a CPU refresh?

Filed under: Laptops, Samsung

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HP has a lot of laptops these days, and they all have their own unique look, but the company never really has had a signature style these past few years. However, they refreshed their line of desktops and laptops today for 2013, and while school just let out for the summer, it’s never to late to begin shopping for a college laptop for the fall.

One of the most notable new products arriving for the summer is the Envy 14 TouchSmart Ultrabook, which comes with a 14-inch display at 1366×768 by default, but can be immediately upgraded to a more feasible 1600×900. Furthermore, though, you’ll be able to upgrade to a whopping 3200×1800 resolution sometime this summer, all of which is touchscreen-equipped.

The laptop has a modest starting price of $699, but that won’t get you the high-resolution display sadly — you’ll most likely have to hand over more cash in order to enjoy the 3200×1800 resolution. There’s no word on what hardware the new laptop is running, but we’re guessing Intel’s new Haswell architecture is tucked neatly inside, waiting for an official unveil next month during Computex.

The New Envy 14 TouchSmart looks to take on Google’s Chromebook Pixel and Apple’s MacBook Pro Retina-equipped laptops. However, Samsung is also in the running, as they recently announced a laptop of their own that packs a 3200×1800 display. What we once thought was insanely high-res, is now playing catch-up with HP and Samsung. Who would’ve thought?

HP also showed off their other refreshed laptops, such as 15-inch and 17-inch variants of the Envy line, as well as new Pavilion 11-, 14-, 15-, and 17-inch laptops that include a mixture of Intel and AMD processors, as well as NVIDIA mobile graphics. Furthermore, the company added on five new desktops that pack Intel’s new Haswell chips. You can grab one for as low as $289 for the HP 110, although you’ll have to cough up more for a robust machine.

VIA: Engadget

HP Envy 14 TouchSmart Ultrabook packs a 3200×1800 display is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

ASUS will bring its new ultrabook, the Zenbook Infinity, to Computex 2013 the company has confirmed, a slimmer, lighter, and – so the company promises – more attractive update to its previous Zenbook models. The new Infinity version will trim its bulk by 14-percent, with thickness down to just 15.5mm, fusing Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on the lid to the aluminum frame.

That Gorilla Glass 3 also features around the keyboard, lending its extra toughness to the lower half of the notebook. Corning and ASUS claim it makes for an ultrabook which is near impossible to scuff or scratch, with the third-gen glass three times as scratch-resistant as its predecessor.

Unsurprisingly, ASUS isn’t giving out much in the way of hardware specifications beyond the design hints. The notebook is more than likely to use Intel’s next-gen Core processors, based on Haswell architecture, just as we’re expecting to see crop up in new MacBook models from Apple tipped for a WWDC 2013 reveal.

One other possibility, however, is that ASUS could offer a high-resolution display, at least as an option. The company has already begun to quietly list a Retina-besting notebook in Europe, running at a hefty 2880 x 1620, though it’s unclear if it has access to a similar-resolution screen suited to the more-ultrabook-likely 13.3-inch form-factor.

Such a high-resolution screen would demand a high-performance graphics chip, however, and it’s unclear if ASUS could fit a standalone GPU into the 15.5mm-thick form-factor. So, more questions than answers right now, but we’ll know more in a few weeks time.

ASUS Zenbook Infinity teased: 15.5mm thick with lashings of Gorilla Glass 3 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Meredith, who needs a new Ultrabook so she can go to law school. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m going to law school and I’ll need a new laptop. Since I’ll be commuting with a long train ride each way, I’m looking for a sub-$1000 device with Windows, a long battery life, SSD and it has to be lightweight. I don’t need anything too powerful as I’m not doing any gaming, but something that’ll work reliably for the next three years would be ideal for lecturers, web browsing and word processing. Is there a bargain to be had now, or should I wait for back-to-school Ultrabooks to come out? Thanks!”

In your humble narrator’s position, waiting a few months for a Haswell device, which promises significantly increased battery life might be a wise choice. However, if you’re not too fussed about a touchscreen device, then our laptop expert feels that Samsung’s Series 9 might be the way forward. Of course, this isn’t just a private enquiry, so let’s share this out with the wider community and see what they can come up with. It’s Ask Engadget, folks, you know the drill.

Filed under: Laptops

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NEC has just released their new business-oriented PC lineup (12 types, 28 models) today including a 34.9mm slim body 15.6 inch laptop PC “Versa Pro Type VX” with USB 3.0 built-in and a super light (875g, 14.9mm thin) laptop PC “VersaPro UltraLite Type VG”.

New lineup:
VersaPro UltraLiteType VG (Ultrabook) ¥261,000〜
VersaPro UltraLiteType VB (Mobile laptop) ¥193,000〜
VersaPro Type VH (Mobile laptop) ¥223,000〜
VersaPro Type VD (Laptop) ¥165,500〜
VersaPro Type VX (Laptop) ¥138,500〜
VersaPro Type VA (Laptop) ¥128,500〜
VersaPro Type VL (Laptop for SOHO or small/medium-sized business) Open price
VersaPro Type VF (Laptop for SOHO or small/medium-sized business) Open price

Mate Type ME (Slim Tower PC) ¥143,000〜
Mate Type MB (Slim Tower PC) ¥111,000〜
Mate Type MG (All-in-One PC) ¥191,000〜
Mate Type ML (Slim Tower PC for SOHO or small/medium-sized business) Open price