Hasta La Gadget!

AMD Fusion’s taken its sweet, sweet time getting here, but we’re hearing you’ll be able to get your hands on some Atom-beating netbook chips soon — for instance, in this Acer Aspire One 522, which will reportedly drive its oh-so-glossy 10.1-inch, 720p screen with a 1GHz AMD C-50 Ontario APU. In case you need a brief refresher, Ontario’s the chip rated at just nine watts, meaning we should expect some fairly decent battery life here, though possibly not the heroic performance of its 1.6GHz Zacate cousin. Aside from those specs, the Acer’s mostly your standard netbook — three USB ports, VGA-out, a webcam and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi — though it does have HDMI out, something you won’t find on the otherwise similar Aspire One D255. It’s hard to say what it’ll cost stateside, but a Thai e-tailer’s ringing up a version right now with 2GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive for 12,829 baht (about $425). Wonder if it runs Android?

Acer Aspire One 522 falls from the clouds, sporting dual-core 1GHz Ontario APU? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lookin’ to straddle the fence with your next laptop purchase? Or maybe you’re just lookin’ to conserve battery life when not picking off enemies in Counter-Strike. Either way, Digital Storm’s new xm15 (not to be confused with Alienware’s M15x) can satisfy the yearning, as the $999 base configuration comes equipped with a 2.4GHz Core i5-520M, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 320GB HDD and NVIDIA’s GT 425M (1GB). Naturally, Intel’s integrated graphics chipset is also included for less demanding times, and if you’re in need of a little more oomph, a $1,086 build jumps to a 2.53GHz Core i5-540M and a $1,367 model steps up to a 2.8GHz Core i7-640M. ‘Course, far nicer editions are available if you’re got the cash to customize, but we’ll leave all that between you and your wallet. And whoever fills your wallet.

Continue reading Digital Storm’s xm15 gaming laptop rolls with NVIDIA’s Optimus

Digital Storm’s xm15 gaming laptop rolls with NVIDIA’s Optimus originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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She ain’t pretty — far from it, actually — but she’ll definitely get the job done in uncertain conditions. GammaTech’s latest convertible laptop has just been revealed, with the D12C bringing along a 12.1-inch LED-backlit WXGA touchscreen, a Core i5-540UM processor, up to 8GB of memory, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, WiFi, optional Bluetooth / smart card reader and an integrated carry handle. The actual exterior is built much like a tank, meeting stringent MIL-STD-810G requirements surrounding drop and shock resistance. There’s also a spill resistant design that sheds water around the keyboard, touchpad, speakers and wireless and power switches, and every last port is fully dust resistant. You’ll also find a 2.5-inch slot suitable for your choice of HDD or SSD, and unless you specify otherwise, you’ll be getting a fresh copy of Windows 7. Mum’s the word on pricing, but as these things tend to go, we’re guessing you’ll be paying a stiff premium for the rigidity.

Continue reading GammaTech stuffs Core i5 into rugged, rigid D12C convertible laptop

GammaTech stuffs Core i5 into rugged, rigid D12C convertible laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 01:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Physical keyboards are old news, right? They will be come January 28, which is when Acer intends to make its dual-screen Iconia laptop available for public consumption. That’s the date we’ve received from the company’s official Spanish mouthpiece, accompanied by a lofty €1,499 ($1,987). Literal currency translations are as usual inadvisable, but that’s a hefty fee, however you want to think about it. Then again, the Iconia does come with two 14-inch multitouch LCDs, which last we checked weren’t the cheapest parts in the land, and also furnishes you with some decent grunt under the hood courtesy of a Core i5 CPU, up to 4GB of RAM, up to 750GB of storage, an optional 3G module, and — lest we forget — a USB 3.0 port. We’re sure it’ll end up as somebody’s perfect bowl of porridge.

Acer Iconia priced at €1,499, on sale in Spain on January 28 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 05:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, would you look at what showed up on our frigid doorstep this morning? That’s right, we are now the proud owners of Google’s first Chrome OS laptop — the Cr-48. Obviously, we ripped open the box and got right to handling the 12.1-inch, Atom-powered laptop. So, what does the thing feel like? How’s that keyboard? And more importantly, how’s Chrome OS looking? Stand by for our impressions, which we’ll be adding in depth over the day. First impression: this thing is different.

Mega update: We blew this thing out! There’s that video we already showed you, along with a way deeper dive into the hardware and the OS. It’s all after the break, and you’d be a fool to miss it.

Continue reading Google Cr-48 Chrome laptop preview (update: in-depth impressions!)

Google Cr-48 Chrome laptop preview (update: in-depth impressions!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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