Dell Mini 10 with Broadcom Crystal HD Accelerator review

Michael Dell may not be a fan of netbooks, but you wouldn’t know that from the newest Mini 10. Joining the current Mini 10v, Dell’s completely overhauled the chassis and added Intel’s new Pine Trail processor. But that’s not all: come February the little laptop will be available with Broadcom’s Crystal HD accelerator, which promises full HD playback on a high-res 1366 x 768 display. But does the $425 package rid us of our tireless complaints that Atom can’t handle HD, and does it rival netbooks based on NVIDIA’s Ion platform? And perhaps more importantly, can we count on the Mini 10 to be a valuable member of the growing Pine Trail netbook fraternity when it comes to battery life and ergonomics? Read on to find out!

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Dell Mini 10 with Broadcom Crystal HD Accelerator review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Core i5 / i7 roundup: Panasonic fits Core i7 in netbook chassis, Dell and HP machines spotted at Staples

What we know as the astronomically expensive Toughbook laptops over here, the Japanese know as the wildly spendy Let’s Note machines over there. Their nomenclature is today getting upgraded by one, as the F9, N9, and S9 Let’s Notes make their debut housing a Core i5-520M processor. We like the F9’s 14.1-inch display and 1440 x 900 resolution best — those are pretty much ideal dimensions for a portable workhorse — but the real new hotness is the R9, which crams a Core i7-620UM into essentially the size of a netbook. 2GB of DDR3 RAM and 250GB storage drives are standard across the range, and the Japanese release is scheduled for February 17. In other news, a 17-inch Dell Inspiron with Core i5-430M guts is now up for sale on Staples for a measly $649, while a similarly specced HP dv4 can also be found for a Benjamin more. Hit those source links for more.

Core i5 / i7 roundup: Panasonic fits Core i7 in netbook chassis, Dell and HP machines spotted at Staples originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba seeks to prevent Wistron laptop imports to the US

Don’t you sometimes wish legal squabbles like this actually delivered on their promises? There’s pretty much no way that Toshiba’s patent claim with the US International Trade Commission will lead to a ban on Wistron imports — the company builds laptops for Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo and others, and will likely settle in cash long before any rulings against it — but it’s fun to imagine the mayhem that would result if such an eventuality were to materialize. A quick look at the rankings of global computer vendors shows that Toshiba is mostly trying to throw a banana skin in front of its direct competitors, claiming as it does that Wistron products infringe on its methodologies for touchpad production and file saving when the laptop loses power. The ITC, should it decide to investigate, will take up to 15 months on this matter, so no breath-holding is advised just yet, though if that settlement does eventuate it should be a pretty breathtaking number.

Toshiba seeks to prevent Wistron laptop imports to the US originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI X-Slim X620 keeps its ULV processor and ATI graphics, adds an optical drive

Just a few days after revealing its X-Slim X420, MSI is back at it again with another Intel ULV-powered laptop — but this time the redesigned 15.6-inch version of its X series has made room for an optical drive. As one might expect the 1.4-inch thick / 5-pound lappie is a bit heftier than before, though oddly it has the same selection of ports, including HDMI, two USBs, e-SATA, an SD card reader, along with a mic and headphone jacks. Other than that the Windows 7 Home Premium portable packs an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5430 GPU, and will support up to 4GB of RAM and 500GB of storage. No details on pricing or availability, but we’ll be keeping our ears to the ground.

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MSI X-Slim X620 keeps its ULV processor and ATI graphics, adds an optical drive originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI outs exceptionally exquisite X-Slim X420 laptop

MSI‘s just outed another in its X-Slim series laptops, this one dubbed the X420. The 14-inch, ultra thinny boasts a choice of Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 or SU4100 CPUs, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5430 graphics with up to 1GB of DDR3 VRAM, an up to 500GB SATA, and a choice of 4 or 8-cell batteries. Other features include Bluetooth and a 1.3 megapixel webcam, but the real conversation piece here is looks, in our opinion — we’re really digging the translucent, coffee brown profile of this Windows 7 thin and light. The MSI X-Slim X420 has a starting price of about $799 — hit the links for a full review, too!

MSI outs exceptionally exquisite X-Slim X420 laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer Aspire 3811TZ and 3811TZG get Greenpeace stamp of approval

So Acer’s new Aspire 3811TZ and Aspire 3811TZG may not be puke-green like Sony’s VAIO W Eco, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t some of the greenest — as in eco-friendly — laptops out there. Part of the company’s thin-and-light Timeline series, the two 13.3-inch laptops have been named by Greenpeace as being completely free of those bad-for-the-environment materials, including PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and BFR (brominated flame retardants). Powered by Intel ULV Core 2 Duo CPUs, they are more power-efficient than most and last longer on a charge. There doesn’t seem to be an official statement from Acer on availability and price on these models, but we assume like the rest of the Timeline bunch there will be models both north and south of a grand.

Acer Aspire 3811TZ and 3811TZG get Greenpeace stamp of approval originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba updates Qosmio and Dynabook laptops with Core i3, Core i5 CPUs

Not really a shocker as far as world events are concerned, but Toshiba‘s announced some new Qosimo and Dynabook series laptops for Japan. First, the 18.4-inch Qosmio G models (the G65 and 97L) will boast brand new 2.4GHz Core i5 processors, GeForce GT 330M graphics, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB HDD, and Blu-ray. Up next, the 16.-inch Dynabook TX will have the 2.13GHz Core i3 CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and Blu-ray. Both the Qosimo and Dynabook models will sport Windows 7 Home Premium, and are expected for release in August. Pricing is unavailable at this time, as are release details outside of Japan, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled.

Toshiba updates Qosmio and Dynabook laptops with Core i3, Core i5 CPUs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP brings out TouchSmart tm2 tablet, upgrades dv6t and dv7t with Core i5

And now, for the hopelessly devoted HP homeboy, we present a trio of lust items. The new hotness on the converitble tablet front — the TouchSmart tm2 — is ready for shipping in exchange for nearly $950, and will endow your life with a 12-inch capacitive multitouch display, a somewhat senescent SU7300 1.3GHz ULV processor, and 3GB of DDR3 memory. Should you dare to stray into higher price ranges, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4550 discrete graphics and an SU9600 CPU are also available. Alternatively, you can splash $929 on the 15.6-inch dv6t, which now comes with a 2.4GHz Core i5-520M as standard, as well as free upgrades to 3GB of RAM and 320GB in storage. Graphics options here range up to an NVIDIA GeForce GT 320M with 1GB of onboard memory. Finally, the dv7t matches its smaller sibling’s upgrades but asks for $999 for the base spec, which includes a 17.3-inch display with a 1600 x 900 resolution. So there you have it, something for pretty much everyone.

HP brings out TouchSmart tm2 tablet, upgrades dv6t and dv7t with Core i5 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP EliteBook 8440w lives up to its “workstation” title, says the reviewing masses

Since the royal unveiling of HP’s six new Elitebooks and ProBooks last week, the Elitebook 8440w (w standing for workstation) has been making the review rounds, and receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from the chaps at Notebook Review, LAPTOP and Computer Shopper. All were impressed by the Core i7-620M and NVIDIA Quadro FX 380M power that’s been crammed into the 14-inch chassis, but unsurprisingly that causes some warm underside temperatures. Other than that, the 8440w received high praise for its durable gunmetal-build and “exceedingly” comfortable keyboard, but the touchpad was noted as being too small. Actually, the guys over at Notebook Review even go as far to say that the laptop would be “absolutely perfect” if that pad and its buttons weren’t so squished. Now that’s quite a bold statement. All in all, the 8440w seems like a solid and very mobile workstation, but hit up the sources if you’re dying to know more about the $1,650 rig.

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HP EliteBook 8440w lives up to its “workstation” title, says the reviewing masses originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Mini NB305 review

If there’s been a Renaissance man in the world of first-gen netbooks it’d be the Toshiba Mini NB205. Its long battery life, comfortable keyboard and attractive and sturdy build distinguished it from the others, even when it made a late entrance to the little laptop market last year. Like most manufacturers, Tosh has gone and refreshed its knockout netbook with Intel’s Atom Pine Trail platform and slightly altered the design. But has the competition caught up to the $399 Mini NB305? Or does the Mini NB305 still hold a place in our hearts as the most versatile netbook out there? Find out after the break in our full review.

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Toshiba Mini NB305 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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