PSA: Apple using slower SSDs in some MacBook Air models (video)

When you head to Apple’s online store to configure your MacBook Air, you’ll find options to increase processor speed or SSD capacity — depending on the model you select, of course. There’s no mention of flash drive speed, however, though it’s now clear that not all SSDs are created equal at Apple — not only when it comes to capacity, but also performance. Jonathan over at TLD discovered a fairly significant discrepancy when benchmarking both MacBook Air models over the weekend. The 128GB Samsung SSD in his 11-inch Air was able to achieve 246 MB/s write and 264 MB/s read speeds. When he switched to the 13-inch model, however, speeds dropped to 156 MB/s and 208 MB/s, respectively, using that notebook’s 128GB Toshiba SSD. We compared speeds on two generations of 13-inch models, and confirmed Jonathan’s findings. During our tests, the 256GB Samsung drive in our older model achieved 214 MB/s write and 251 MB/s read speeds, while the 128GB Toshiba drive in the new MacBook Air scored 184 MB/s and 203 MB/s during write and read tests, respectively. Overall, you’re not likely to notice a significant difference during normal usage, though it’s certainly an interesting find, nonetheless.

[Thanks, Larry]

Continue reading PSA: Apple using slower SSDs in some MacBook Air models (video)

PSA: Apple using slower SSDs in some MacBook Air models (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MacBook Air review (mid 2011)

There comes a time when that giant, corporate-issued laptop stops fitting into your lifestyle. When dragging around a Kensington roller case just won’t do. When you start to hear the siren lilt of something thinner, lighter, and maybe a bit more alluring. For years the MacBook Air has been that svelte temptress hollering your name, but it’s always been a bit too slow — all show and no go. It didn’t have the power and the longevity to make it a serious contender for your serious affections.

No more. With its latest refresh, Apple has taken what was once a manilla-clad curiosity and turned it into a legitimate machine, not just a sultry looker. Good thing, too, because the death of the plastic-clad MacBook means the Air is now Apple’s entry-level portable. Weary traveler looking for a laptop that will lighten your load and, it must be said, your wallet too? This might just be it.

Continue reading MacBook Air review (mid 2011)

MacBook Air review (mid 2011) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS UX21 to be priced at less than $1,000, says Commercial Times

The ASUS UX21, that 11.6-inch cake slicer that doubles up as an ultrathin laptop, is coming in September with a price tag of less than $1,000. That’s according to the Commercial Times, which cites supplier sources in identifying ASUS’ aggressive pricing strategy. Word is that the Taiwanese company is aiming to price the UX21 at 80 to 90 percent of the cost of Apple’s competing products, namely the MacBook Air family. Of course, with a second-gen Intel Core i5 (or i7) CPU inside it, ASUS’ new laptop has a significant spec advantage over Apple’s similarly aluminum-encased laptops, so we’d argue simply matching the MBA’s price will ensure the UX21 flies off store shelves. ASUS has a fine recent history of breaking through price barriers, as shown by the $200 Eee PC X101 that was announced alongside the UX21 at Computex, so if anyone was going to give us a 17mm-thick slab of up-to-date gorgeousness for less than $1,000, it probably had to be Jonney Shih’s crew.

ASUS UX21 to be priced at less than $1,000, says Commercial Times originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 03:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo’s IdeaPad U300S flaunts its trim frame at Computex

So-called Ultrabooks were all the rage at Computex 2011, and ASUS, LG and Compal weren’t the only ones to stake a claim — this Lenovo IdeaPad U300S is another contender in the ultra-thin, sub-$1,000 notebook game. Though we hear that Lenovo wasn’t disclosing exact specs or availability at the show, the company’s reportedly upgraded the slick IdeaPad U260 design with Sandy Bridge chips and a 13.3-inch screen, and put the already-trim unibody laptop on a diet to attain supermodel measurements. Here’s hoping the engineers also improved that three-hour battery life too, eh?

[Thanks, Sam]

Lenovo’s IdeaPad U300S flaunts its trim frame at Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNotebook Italia, nDevil  | Email this | Comments

ASUS preparing an ultraslim Eee PC ‘with a twist’ for Computex

ASUS’ week of merciless teasers continues today with a silhouette of what the company calls a “super-slim sensation [with] a twist.” It’s an Eee PC and there are no doubts about it being a netbook, but something about this evolutionary product won’t be quite the same as on its predecessors. Notebook Italia has dug up the above image, which looks like a match for ASUS’ shadow-obscured teaser and shows what may very well be the thinnest Eee PC we’ve yet seen. Last time ASUS was touting anything laptop-shaped that was quite so slim, it was the Neo smartbook prototype that never made it out of the labs, but this here cheese slicer looks very likely to be hitting the market shortly after Computex. Naturally, we’ll be in Taipei getting the lowdown for you, whatever happens.

ASUS preparing an ultraslim Eee PC ‘with a twist’ for Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 06:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNotebook Italia, ASUS (Facebook)  | Email this | Comments

Lenovo adds ThinkPad X1 to laptop comparison guide, outs IPS screen, USB 3.0, and optional SSD

If you’ve somehow not heard of the ThinkPad X1 yet, you join us at a good time. The well leaked laptop has shown up at an X Series comparison site, put together by Lenovo itself, where yet more specs have been made known. The 13.3-inch display is dubbed a SuperBright HD inifinity panel, which to you and us simply means it’s built using IPS technology. There’s also an integrated fingerprint reader, a buttonless touchpad, USB 3.0 connectivity, and a promised 10-hour battery life with a slice battery. Weighing in at 1.36kg (3lbs) and measuring about 16mm (0.625 inches) in thickness, it’s described as Lenovo’s thinnest ThinkPad yet. Last time we heard, we were told to expect it on May 17th, guess those webmasters are getting the show started a little early. One more glamor shot of the X1 can be found after the break.

[Thanks, Jesse]

Continue reading Lenovo adds ThinkPad X1 to laptop comparison guide, outs IPS screen, USB 3.0, and optional SSD

Lenovo adds ThinkPad X1 to laptop comparison guide, outs IPS screen, USB 3.0, and optional SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 02:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 coming May 17th, with Gorilla Glass screen and spill-proof keyboard (video)

Man, Lenovo isn’t even trying to keep the ThinkPad X1 under wraps anymore. The slinky new MacBook Air competitor has just slipped out in a video commercial on the company’s own YouTube channel, where it shows off a keyboard that’s both backlit and spill-resistant, and a Gorilla Glass screen that is apparently girlfriend-proof. See the video after the break and circle May 17th as your acquisition date if you’re after one — that’s when Lenovo promises the X1 will be arriving.

[Thanks, Jon]

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad X1 coming May 17th, with Gorilla Glass screen and spill-proof keyboard (video)

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 coming May 17th, with Gorilla Glass screen and spill-proof keyboard (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 10:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceLenovoVision (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 priced at £1,293 by Amazon, shipping May 20th

The leaks should’ve already told you most of everything you need to know about the Lenovo ThinkPad X1, but here’s some affirmation of perhaps the most relevant bit of info, the release date. Amazon has listed the ultraslim 13.3-inch laptop for pre-order, giving it the extremely specific price of £1,292.52 ($2,120) and a shipping date of May 20th. That’s a heftier price tag than you’ll find on Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air, however Lenovo will provide you with the latest generation of Intel processor — in the shape of the 2.5GHz Core i5-2520M — 4GB of RAM, 320GB of HDD storage, a backlit keyboard, and a promised eight hours of battery life. You don’t need us to tell you that there hasn’t yet been a laptop that’s combined the thinness, processing power and battery endurance on offer from the X1. We’ll be keen to check these mighty specs out for ourselves when it launches, but if you’re already convinced, hit up the source link to get your pre-order in.

[Thanks, Raj]

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad X1 priced at £1,293 by Amazon, shipping May 20th

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 priced at £1,293 by Amazon, shipping May 20th originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 May 2011 06:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 spotted in the wild

We’ve already seen it pictured and detailed, but Chinese website Mydrivers.com has now scored what appear to be the very first in-the-wild shots of Lenovo’s new super-slim ThinkPad X1. As you can see above and in a few more shots at the source link below, the laptop is indeed pretty thin — 21.5mm, or 0.85 inches thick, apparently — but Lenovo still found room to squeeze in a backlit keyboard (check it out after the break), not to mention the ThinkPad’s trademark pointing stick. Unfortunately, Lenovo has yet to officially say anything about it itself, so we still only have that rumored May 20th launch date to go on for the time being.

[Thanks, leungxd]

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad X1 spotted in the wild

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 spotted in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 May 2011 13:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Cloned in China  |  sourceMydrivers.com  | Email this | Comments

LG P430 and P530 Blade laptops bedazzle with slim bezels, aluminum bodies, and Core i7

We heard of a bezel-hating LG Shuriken display sneaking its way onto Acer laptops recently, but the Korean company has wisely opted to debut that cutting-edge technology in its own portable computers first. The 14-inch P430 and 15.6-inch P530 mark the start of LG’s new Blade series of laptops, which are the result of some obsessive slimming work at the LG labs — display thickness is 4.5mm and 4.7mm, respectively, while the bezel on the 14-inch model is so narrow as to fit its screen within the dimensions of a traditional 13.3-inch laptop. Weight, at 1.94kg on the P430 and 2.2kg on P530, is also said to be on par with machines offering significantly smaller screens, but that’s not at the sacrifice of construction materials as brushed aluminum is used to strengthen LG’s new slimsters. A Core i7 CPU and GeForce GT520M GPU will provide the internal firepower, though the rest of the hardware specs are as yet unannounced. The P430 will launch in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America at the end of May, to be followed by the P530 in June. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading LG P430 and P530 Blade laptops bedazzle with slim bezels, aluminum bodies, and Core i7

LG P430 and P530 Blade laptops bedazzle with slim bezels, aluminum bodies, and Core i7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 May 2011 00:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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