May 15

ASUS Bamboo Collection laptops: now with Taiwanese pricing, more bamboo (update)

Posted in: ASUS, CoreI5, green, notebook, Notebooks, Today's Chili

ASUS has been attaching bamboo to its laptops for some time now, but it was only ever really for show — though the wood itself was certainly biodegradable, adding veneer isn’t exactly the greenest statement in the world. This year, however, the company’s Bamboo Collection will be completely slightly more recyclable. With Core i5-450M processors, they should be reasonably good performers as well, and NVIDIA Optimus switchable graphics technology gives them a factory-estimated (read: unlikely) 11 hours of battery life. The panda fodder cases will be found in Taiwan for around $40,000 NTD (approximately $1,300) next month, though US availability is yet to be announced. Check out the gigantic ASUS PDF for additional specs while you wait, and feel free to blow Ma Earth kisses all the while.

Update: Our friends at Engadget Chinese inform us the new U series laptops aren’t 100 percent recyclable after all; they still have a sizable plastic substrate underneath those thicker bamboo panels. It seems ASUS still hasn’t managed to shake its wooden façade. Get specs and first-hand pics from the event at our more coverage link.

ASUS Bamboo Collection laptops: now with Taiwanese pricing, more bamboo (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 May 2010 22:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBit-tech, DigiTimes  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
May 13

Ask Engadget: what’s the best 13-inch Core i5 / i7 Wintel ultraportable for running OS X?

Posted in: Apple, AskEngadget, CoreI5, laptop, Mac, mac os x, MacOsX, os x, OsX, Software, Today's Chili, Windows

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Dan Murphy [great name!], who needs to know which ultraportable on the market today is best equipped to roll both ways… if you know what we’re sayin’. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“Real simple: what’s the best Core i5 or Core i7 13-inch laptop (with discrete graphics) for running both Windows 7 and Mac OS X? I’m a video and photo guy who does marketing work for a university, and while I’ve been using a Dell M1330 to operate on both sides of the fence, I’m in dire need of a hardware upgrade. I’m not fussed by the Windows vs. Mac debate and use both on a daily basis, but I need as much power as possible in an ultraportable form factor in order to handle both of these operating systems (sorry, 13-inch MacBook Pro, but you aren’t cutting it). Here’s hoping your readers can help out!”

We’d sure the master Hackintoshers out there would love to help out, and we’re sure Apple will weep when realizing they’d have a sale if they would’ve crammed a Core i5 into their 13-inch MBP while refreshing the other guys last month. Go on, folks — let this guy in on your secrets in comments below.

Ask Engadget: what’s the best 13-inch Core i5 / i7 Wintel ultraportable for running OS X? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 23:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , , ,
May 13

Toshiba updates Satellite Pro line with Core i3 / i5, Athlon II-based models

Posted in: AMD, CoreI5, intel, satellite, Today's Chili, Toshiba
New laptop processors mean new laptops, and Toshiba has now joined the party with four new Satellite Pro models packing Intel’s latest Core i3 and i5 processors and AMD’s new dual-core Athlon II. Those include the 15.6-inch C650 / C650D, the 13.3-inch L630, the 15.6-inch L650 / L650D, and the 17.3-inch L670 / 670D, all of which are available with Intel Core i3 or Core i5 processors, while those with a “D” suffix pack an Athlon II. Otherwise, each boast either a 1,600 x 900 or 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit display, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5145 or integrated Intel GMA HD graphics, up to 8GB of RAM, an optional Blu-ray burner, and Toshiba’s own Media Controller software to let you stream content to other networked devices, among other standard fare. Still no indication of pricing or availability over here, but the whole lot should at least be available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa sometime in the second quarter of this year. Hit up the gallery below for a closer look at the complete, nearly identical-looking lineup.

Gallery: Toshiba updates Satellite Pro line with Core i3 / i5, Athlon II-based models

Continue reading Toshiba updates Satellite Pro line with Core i3 / i5, Athlon II-based models

Toshiba updates Satellite Pro line with Core i3 / i5, Athlon II-based models originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Akihabara News  |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
May 13

Lenovo’s 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 laptop goes on sale

Posted in: ati, CoreI5, CoreI7, laptop, lenovo, now available, NowAvailable, on sale, OnSale, radeon, Today's Chili

Slowly but surely, each of Lenovo’s CES introductions are popping up for sale. With nary a moment to spare, the 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 has finally surfaced at the company’s website, offering up Core i3, i5 and i7 options, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, ATI’s 1GB Mobility Radeon HD 5730 GPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and a 1,366 x 768 native resolution panel. Plenty of options are tweakable should you not find the base configurations suitable for your needs, but you’ll be hard pressed to secure one for under $949. Well, unless you’ve got the patience of Job.

Lenovo’s 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 laptop goes on sale originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Laptoping  |  sourceLenovo  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , ,
May 11

Panasonic Toughbook 31 packs Core i3, i5 processors, tough inside and out

Posted in: CoreI5, hands-on, Panasonic, rugged, Today's Chili

You know what we could always go for? A really good rugged laptop drop, and that’s exactly what we got tonight at the launch of the Toughbook 31. Panasonic not only flung its newest 13.1-inch fully-rugged portable off the stage, but also off the deck of the USS Intrepid. Oh, and you guessed it, Windows XP still booted after the 20-foot drop onto the pavement. While that may seem like all there is to the MIL-STD-810G certified, magnesium alloy laptop, it has got the internal strength to match. It will be available with Intel Core i3 / i5 processor options, a choice of 250GB or 160GB shock-mounted hard drives and ATI discrete graphics…did we mention it also has a touchscreen that’s viewable at wide angles, outdoors, and with night-vision goggles? We got to play around with the 8-pound system for a bit, and lived to tell that the thing is truly a beast of a machine. The ports can be sealed shut with a rubber coating — seriously, it took quite some effort to get to the HDMI port — and the screen can be locked with an aluminum latch when you want to carry it with the metal handle. But sadly, durability has it price — the Core i3 version starts at $3,799 and should be available immediately. Not willing to shell out that sort of cash just to throw your laptop out a window? At least you have the pictures and video below.

Gallery: Panasonic Toughbook 31 hands-on

Continue reading Panasonic Toughbook 31 packs Core i3, i5 processors, tough inside and out

Panasonic Toughbook 31 packs Core i3, i5 processors, tough inside and out originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 23:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
May 11

Samsung P580 business laptop hands-on

Posted in: CoreI5, Features, hands-on, HandsOn, laptop, notebook, NVIDIA, samsung, Today's Chili

Boy, Samsung’s been keeping us busy today — in addition to the Q330 and Q530, the company was also showing the P580 business laptop at the British Museum today. The particular unit we played with had a vibrant 15.6-inch 1,366 x 768 matte screen, although a higher resolution and greater viewing angle would’ve made it a prettier package. To our further disappointment, the keyboard was nowhere as good as the Q-series’ chiclet offering — we kept pressing neighboring keys by accident, and the spacebar’s right-hand side often failed to pick up our input. An isolated issue? Only time will tell — you guys might have better luck when this bad boy eventually arrives in the stores.

Gallery: Samsung P580 business laptop hands-on

Samsung P580 business laptop hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 21:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
May 11

Lenovo’s eco-friendly ThinkPad L Series arrives cheaper and faster than expected

Posted in: CoreI5, laptop, Laptops, lenovo, sale, thinkpad, Today's Chili

Lenovo may not have had its ThinkPad L Series laptops out in time for Earth Day, but the company’s found an arguably even better incentive to help you help them save the environment: a nice fat upgrade and a small sale to commemorate their new availability. While we were originally told the $649 ThinkPad L412 would house a lowly Celeron P4500 inside its post-consumer-content housing, it appears Lenovo has decided against using that chip entirely — cue applause — in favor of the 2.13GHz Core i3-330. What’s more, both the 14-inch L412 and 15.6-inch L512 also come with double the memory (2GB in total) and are presently on sale for just $599. Not bad for a slab of recycled plastic, sand and assorted metals, eh?

Lenovo’s eco-friendly ThinkPad L Series arrives cheaper and faster than expected originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 21:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Dealzon  |  sourceLenovo  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
May 11

Samsung announces P580 business notebook with Core i3 / i5 and matte screen

Posted in: CoreI5, laptop, notebook, NVIDIA, samsung, Today's Chili

Laptops with anti-glare screens are hard to come by these days, so it’s nice to see Samsung adding a new option for us all. What you’re looking at here is the P580 notebook, sporting a 15.6-inch 1,366 x 768 LED-lit screen and keyboard with numeric keypad. Underneath the hood you’ll find a Core i3 or i5 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M (1GB GDDR3) graphics, Trusted Platform Module security, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, and 2GB to 4GB of RAM. If you feel that the four chargeable USB 2.0 jacks (one of which is also eSATA) aren’t adequate, then there’s always the docking port that offers plenty more for your socket fetish. Not bad for a 2.5kg (5.51 pounds) package, and let’s hope this workhorse trots in before long with appropriately alluring pricing. Full PR after the break.

Gallery: Samsung launches P580 business notebook with Core i3 / i5 and non-gloss screen

Continue reading Samsung announces P580 business notebook with Core i3 / i5 and matte screen

Samsung announces P580 business notebook with Core i3 / i5 and matte screen originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
May 09

New Core i7, Core i5 mobile processors to debut in HP Envy?

Posted in: CoreI5, CoreI7, hewlett-packard, HewlettPackard, HP, intel, Today's Chili

Intel’s churning out the mobile chips like nobody’s business — no sooner does it admit the existence of Core i5 and Core i3 ULV CPUs, the chipmaker finds itself with more explaining to do. That’s because dedicated Hewlett-Packard fans just found references to three new standard-voltage Core 2010 chips in the service manuals for the new HP Envy 17 and Envy 15 gaming laptops. The i7-840QM appears to be Intel’s new top-of-the-line quad-core CPU, sporting a 1.86GHz clock that turbos up to 3.20GHz (or 3.20MHz, if you believe the above screencap) and 8MB of L3 cache; the i7-740QM is two steps down with 1.73GHz / 2.93 GHz clocks and a 6MB L3 cache; and the i5-450M appears to be indistinguishable from the existing i5-520M with 2.4GHz / 2.93 GHz clocks and 3MB of L3 to help it along. Given the megahertz typo above and the fact that none of these new processors appear anywhere else in the documentation, we wouldn’t be surprised if these specs weren’t rock-solid… but if they are, the new Envy may well live up to its name. Full PDF available below.

[Thanks, Reznov]

New Core i7, Core i5 mobile processors to debut in HP Envy? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 May 2010 18:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHP Fansite  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , ,
May 07

Toshiba building world’s lightest 13-inch laptop with fast charging SCiB battery?

Posted in: CoreI5, rumor, Today's Chili, Toshiba, ultraportable

Toshiba has a long history of making highly desirable ultraportables. Now, if today’s rumor pans out, it seem set to bust out another in the form of the world’s lightest (less than 1Kg with SSD) 13 incher. Besides sporting a 16:9 aspect ratio, USB 3.0 dock, and standard voltage CPU (a Core i5 is teased), this slim lappie features a 2nd SCiB (Super Charged ion Battery) power source that we’ve seen charging to 90% in just 10 minutes in prototypes from way back in 2008. No idea what “Blaze Mountain” cooling is… but we want it, assuming this is anything more than a prototype. Ah hell, we want it anyway. Check the illustration after the break.

Update: New details just came in: available in Core i3, i5, or i7-620 configurations with 4GB of memory, 500GB hard disk or optional 512GB SSD. And after talking to vozExpress, we have every reason to believe that Toshiba will be making this official in short order. New pic with Toshiba branding added after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba building world’s lightest 13-inch laptop with fast charging SCiB battery?

Toshiba building world’s lightest 13-inch laptop with fast charging SCiB battery? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 May 2010 06:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcevozExpress  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,