HP Mini 5102 review

There are netbooks and then there’s the HP Mini 5102. Or at least that’s always been our impression of the 10-inch business and education targeted laptop, since it isn’t every day that you see what’s supposed to be a secondary system with a 7,200rpm hard drive, durable aluminum chassis, spill resistant keyboard and capacitive touchscreen options. Or you know, a $415 starting price. The Mini 5102 doesn’t fall into the same class as those $299 netbooks — considering our review unit rings up at $668 and all — but does the extra dough really pay off in a noticeably better shrunken computing experience? We’ve been on a mission to find out just that over the last few days, so hit the break for our full review.

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HP Mini 5102 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo to launch new ThinkPads, probably on April 22

Those wily social media hounds over at Lenovo are at it again, this time teasing us with a crossword puzzle relating to a new “ThinkPad Series” of machines. Referencing our handy, and so far wholly accurate, leaked slide from February shows that the only Think-branded laptops not yet revealed are the midrange L series. Positioned to replace the aging R models, the L400 and L500 are expected to slot in as bulkier alternatives to the premier T-label ThinkPads. This puzzle tells us that whatever the new computers, they’ll be firmly focused on energy and resource efficiency, and for an extra bit of PR kick, they are likely to be announced on Earth Day 2010, which just happens to be this April 22nd. Let’s wait and see what Lenovo does to justify the name change and grab for green attention, eh?

Lenovo to launch new ThinkPads, probably on April 22 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 07:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS U30Jc-1A review


Core i3 laptops with no more than 2.5 hours of battery life… seen ’em. Intel ULV laptops that last for more than 5.5 hours… seen ’em. A Core i3 laptop with NVIDIA’s Optimus discrete graphics that boasts 9.5 hours of battery life? Well, now that sounds new, and that’s exactly what the 13.3-inch ASUS’s U30Jc promises to be – that perfect chocolate vanilla swirl of portability and performance. But like us, you’ve got to be thinking there’s got to be sacrifices here, right? We thought so too, but surprisingly enough they’re extremely minimal considering the $900 pricetag. You aren’t going to find out what they are up here — hit that read more link for our full review.

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ASUS U30Jc-1A review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple refreshes MacBook Pro family with Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors… at long last!

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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New MacBook Pros Feature Core i5 and i7 Processors [Apple]

The new MacBook Pros are here, and as expected, the 15 and 17-inch models are loaded with Intel’s Core i5 and i7 processors and new display options, but the 13-inch model stays behind with a Core2Duo and an unchanged price. More »

Dell Finds Success with Ubuntu?

This article was written on April 16, 2008 by CyberNet.

dell xps m1330 ubuntu It’s coming up on one year since Dell started selling computers that are preinstalled with Ubuntu Linux. Towards the end of last year some stats started rolling in saying that Dell had only sold 40,000 Ubuntu machines, which equates to about 220 units per day. That’s not too shabby considering the only form of advertising for the Dell Ubuntu machines is by word of mouth.

An estimated 1 in 500 machines that they sell are running Ubuntu, and it’s left some people wondering whether that would be good enough for Dell. Well, I think it is. In December 2007 they upgraded the version of Ubuntu that they ship with their machines so that it includes DVD-playback out-of-the-box. And then earlier this year they added the high-end XPS M1330 laptop to the Ubuntu lineup.

Really the only bad thing that I’ve heard about Dell offering the Ubuntu laptops is the pricing. Naturally you would expect them to be cheaper because it comes with an open source operating system, but that’s not always the case. When comparing stock configurations of the XPS M1330 you can save about $50 by choosing the Ubuntu-powered version versus the Windows one, but the price difference really starts to shine through in more advanced configurations. The Windows version has four different pre-configured models available, and most of them offer significant savings (up to $600 off) over customizing the stock model to a similar set of hardware. Those kind of savings are not available in the Ubuntu configurations.

I’m sure Dell could give the Ubuntu sales even more of a bump if they looked into methods of marketing it, but it seems as though Linux doesn’t fare well with the general consumer as we saw with Wal-Mart and the gPC. It’s got to be confusing for people who purchase the computers thinking that they can install all of their favorite Windows applications, but find out the hard way that it doesn’t work like that. Hopefully with Dell’s help Ubuntu can become a little more mainstream.

[via ComputerWorld]

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Lenovo ThinkPad W701, W701ds and dual-core X100e shipping to trackpoint lovers

Not getting a rest there, huh, Lenovo? On the heels of the availability of the IdeaPad S10-3s and C200, big L has also been prepping to box and send off some fresh ThinkPads. If the 17-inch, Wacom-equipped W701 and W701ds (dual screen) caught your eye when they were first introduced two months ago we hope you set aside a chunk of change — the Core i7 / NVIDIA Quadro FX 3800M rig rings up at $3,668.00. Add in that dual screen and you’re up to $4,343. On the completely opposite end of the spectrum, that X100e which we recently reviewed is available with a 1.6GHz AMD Turion Neo X2 Dual-Core CPU. We doubt that’ll do the sub-four hour battery life any good, but if power in a small package is what you’re after it’s definitely worth a click on the source link. As for that picture of the X100e with a floppy disk that really has nothing to do with the news, we just came across it on Lenovo’s blog and really liked it.

Lenovo ThinkPad W701, W701ds and dual-core X100e shipping to trackpoint lovers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alienware M11x getting NVIDIA Optimus and new Intel CPUs this summer?

Either someone at Alienware is reading our reviews or the engineers over there happen to be as smart as us. What was our top complaint about the M11x? The lack of NVIDIA Optimus to automatically switch between the IGP and the GT335M GPU to help save battery life, of course. Well, if Notebook Review forum commenter Darkhan, who apparently has some affiliation with Alienware, is to be believed the company is working on adding just that to an updated M11x. Said to be released in the June / July time frame, the refreshed 11.6-inch laptop will apparently also be getting some new Intel Core 2010 CPUs. It does seems a bit early to update a product that started shipping just a month ago, but we wouldn’t put it past those crazy gamers. Dell wouldn’t comment on the rumor, so the only thing we can promise at this time is that we’ll be keeping an ear to the ground on this one.

Updated:
Darkhan has updated the Notebook Review forum page saying that he isn’t an employee of Dell or Alienware and that he just hears rumors like everyone else. We still have a hunch that some sort of update is headed to the M11x, but to reemphasize it is all just wishful thinking at this point.

Alienware M11x getting NVIDIA Optimus and new Intel CPUs this summer? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP and Dell said to be investing less in 10-inch netbooks, looking to bigger and better things

The latest word from our favorite rumor rag DigiTimes suggests that HP and Dell are both curtailing investment in the 10-inch netbook market, with their sights now set on the chunkier 11.6-inch size class. Additionally, with profits from machines built on Intel’s Pine Trail platform appearing lower than expected, both are also said to be contemplating AMD’s alternatives, presumably in the shape of the Neo CPU and Radeon integrated graphics. HP is even claimed to be considering quitting the 10-inch space entirely, which wouldn’t be that unusual given the progressive obsolescence we’ve witnessed with the 7- and 9-inch predecessors of the current de facto netbook standard. Not to worry, though, Acer, ASUS and Samsung are still deeply involved, and the 10-inch mini laptop isn’t about to disappear on us anytime soon. What may happen, according to the source, is that we could see fewer smartbooks popping up as a result, which just means we’ll have to find some other way to sate those media consumption needs.

Update: Dell has responded to the original DigiTimes article and insists that “what is being reported has no basis in fact.” Perhaps it was just an April Fools joke after all.

HP and Dell said to be investing less in 10-inch netbooks, looking to bigger and better things originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X100e review

Ever since we first met Lenovo’s ThinkPad X100e at CES we’ve had it on a virtual pedestal as the perfect solution between a netbook and a larger 13- or 14-inch ULV ultraportable. That’s because in addition to carrying the renowned ThinkPad brand, its AMD Neo processor / ATI graphics combo promise more power than the typical Intel Atom N450-powered netbook, and with an 11.6-inch screen the chassis can accommodate a wider keyboard and touchpad. Sounds like the perfect mobile computer, right? Unfortunately, there are two things that hold the $549 X100e from being all we wanted it be. Thought we were going to give it up that easily? Pssh. Hit that read more link for the full review.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X100e review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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