Hasta La Gadget!

This transition from the last crop of Core 2 Duo chips (which Apple introduced in June of last year) to Intel’s Core 2010 chips has caused quite the unprecedented wait, but at last we’re staring down a fresh crop of MacBook Pros and all is right with the world. The 13-inchers are sticking with Core 2 Duo, but the 15.4-inch and 17-inch models are now Core i5 and Core i7 through and through. The higher end models are nabbing NVIDIA’s GeForce GT 330M graphics with something akin to Optimus switching (though Apple just calls it “automatic graphics switching technology,” and claims to be using its own tech), while the 13-incher get NVIDIA GeForce 320M scraps. Along with the faster 2.4GHz and 2.66GHz chips in the 13-inch, Apple claims to be able to squeeze 10 hours of battery life from the machine, but the real meat is in the Core i5 2.4GHz (520M), Core i5 2.53GHz (540M), and Core i7 2.66GHz (620M) processors in the larger models. The 330M graphics are twice as fast as the 13’s 320M, but thanks to the magic of Optimus, er, “automatic graphics switching,” which switches the GPU on and off on the fly based on the needs of the task at hand, Apple still thinks you’ll manage 8 to 9 hours of battery life on these big guys.

All machines come with 4GB of RAM, and while hard drives are standard (320GB and 500GB in the higher end), you’re free to add a 512GB SSD to your machine if you so choose, for a mere $1,300. Interestingly only the 15-incher is getting that top Core i7 chip, with the sole 17-inch model is consigned to the 2.53GHz Core i5 (though you can choose Core i7 in the build to order options). Prices range from $1,799 on the 15 (up from the last-gen’s $1,699 base price!) to $2,299 on the 17, with a $1,199 starting price on the 13. On the 15-inch you can pick between a 1440 x 900 “glossy” display, a 1680 x 1050 glossy display for $100 more, and an anti-glare hi-res display for another $50 on top of that (you 17-inch users are stuck with 1920 x 1200 and glossy). The biggest tweak outside of these beefy internals is “inertial scrolling” support for the trackpads, à la iPhone, though we’re not sure why this couldn’t have been added with just a software update. Everything’s up on the Apple Store right now for your perusal, with the bigger models shipping “within 24 hours” and a 2-4 day delay on the 13-inch.

Apple refreshes MacBook Pro family with Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors… at long last! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 08:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We spotted this suit-and-tie wearing pair sneaking through the FCC’s lairs a few weeks ago, and now we know the whens and wheres of buying one… in the UK, anyway. The Dell Latitude E6410 is currently listed with a base price of £749 ($1,128) and features a 14.1-inch display (WXGA and WXGA+ options), a Core i5 or Core i7 processor, Windows Vista or 7, a pair of DDR3 RAM slots, NVIDIA’s NVS 3100M (512MB) graphics, a variety of storage options, a Blu-ray or DVD drive, optional mobile broadband and all the expected ports around the edges. The E6510 steps up to a 15.6-inch panel (with a 1080p version selectable) and offers up a few extra CPU options, but otherwise it’s identical. There’s no word on when these kind fellows will make their way stateside, but if we were the betting type, we’d put our pounds and / or greenbacks on “real soon.”

Continue reading Dell Latitude E6410 and E6510 emerge overseas, Core i5 / i7 and all

Dell Latitude E6410 and E6510 emerge overseas, Core i5 / i7 and all originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer’s aspirational laptops have a new Ethos to them now, and it clearly has something to do with entertainment. The newly revealed 18.4-inch 8943G sports a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a true 5.1 surround sound setup, meaning that somewhere within its shell reside five miniature speakers and a sub. Processor options range all the way up to the quad-core Core i7-820QM, which offers 8MB of built-in cache and a 1.73GHz clock speed that cranks all the way to 3.06GHz when required. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 graphics and up to 1.28TB of storage (2x 640GB) complete the overkill recipe. The 5943G is basically a scaled down version, offering as it does 1366 x 768 resolution across a 15.6-inch display, a 2.1 internal speaker arrangement, and a merely adequate 640GB storage maximum. The rest of the specs are shared, including a 4,800mAh battery, which should perish quicker than you can say “desktop replacement.” Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

Acer launches Aspire Ethos line with swanky 5943G and 8943G models originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 05:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Creative professional. Hear that much? If that’s how this all-too-structured world views you, you just might be due a new rig — particularly if you’re thinking of stepping into 4K territory. Digital Storm is offering up a rather unique solution in its Davinci, which opts for a 3.33GHz Core i7-980X Extreme Edition (yeah, that new Intel chip) instead of a more traditional Xeon. You’ll still get an NVIDIA Quadro FX 1800 (768MB) GPU, 12GB of DDR3 memory, Windows 7 Processional and one of the nicer liquid cooling systems that we’ve seen, which may or may not be enough to sneak a little Crysis in between edits. Too bad the base price base rings up at $4,995, but look, that next indie film you’re producing is totally hitting it big.

Digital Storm’s Davinci workstation gets down with Core i7-980X, Quadro graphics originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel’s six-core, twelve-threaded Core i7-980X Extreme Edition has turned the hardcore gaming community on its head, and just about everyone is scrounging around in a (mostly futile) attempt to locate $999. For those in dire need of an entire system replacement, it seems that today’s the day to start looking. Shortly after we heard that this 32nm Gulftown chip would be landing with Alienware and Origin PC rigs, a veritable plethora of other outfits have shown up to make similar announcements. Digital Storm has popped an overclocked (4.4GHz) version into its Black|OPS machine (which conveniently starts at $5,642, while CyberPower is now offering the silicon in its Black Mamba, Black Pearl and Gamer Xtreme 3D machines. Maingear’s also sliding said CPU into its world-beating Shift “supercomputer,” and anyone shopping a high-end Velocity Micro system will also see the option. We suspect most every other PC maker in existence will be following suit soon, so if your prefab PC builder hasn’t yet jumped on the bandwagon, just hold tight. Real tight.

Intel’s Core i7-980X Extreme Edition hits a slew of new gaming desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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