Aug 07

Lenovo IdeaPad U350 review roundup

Posted in: lenovo, review, roundup, Today's Chili, ultraportable
Lenovo IdeaPad U350 review roundup
If you have laptop needs but only a netbook-sized cavity in your carry-on, you need one of the growing number of notebooks that slot in between the eee-clones and pricey ultraportables. Lenovo’s IdeaPad U350 is the latest, a svelte, 13.3-inch machine with a funky rubberized back and sophisticated design. It’s been hitting test benches at various places and is getting good but not quite great reviews. Laptop Magazine loved the design and the $679 starting price, but found battery life (3.5 hours) to be disappointing. Computer Shopper was a bit more positive, knocking its performance but calling the system “feather-light” and its 1,366 x 768 screen “gorgeous.” Finally, StarkSilverCreek‘s review is the least flattering, including concerns about excessive heat and a system fan that hardly ever turned off. Overall it seems like a decent choice if you don’t mind a warm lap and can’t quite swing a T400s, but if you’re looking for alternatives perhaps you’d be interested in a Timeline 8000 or the like.

Read – Laptop Magazine
Read – Computer Shopper
Read – StarkSilverCreek

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Lenovo IdeaPad U350 review roundup originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 06

Kinpo VIA Nano-powered netbook rocks the 3G (but only in China)

Posted in: nano, netbook, Today's Chili, ultraportable

We’re starting to see more companies throw VIA Nano processors into the netbook mix as of late, and now it looks like Kinpo (last seen with an Android-sporting tablet) is getting in on the action with the N03. This guy has an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display, comes with either a 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz VIA Nano processor, and sports integrated TD-SCDMA 3G (the China-specific 3G standard), HSDPA/HSUPA, W-CDMA, and EVDO. Also on hand are WiFi, options for either SSD or HDD storage, up to 2GB memory, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, and your choice of either Windows XP or Vista Home Basic. The company is “boasting” a 3 hour battery life, which is a shame — with all that connectivity, this device is otherwise well suited for situations where plugging in isn’t really an option. No word on price or release date, but we’ll keep you posted. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via Gadget Mix]

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Kinpo VIA Nano-powered netbook rocks the 3G (but only in China) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 05

Averatec’s N3400 reviewed: looks good, performs well, dies early

Posted in: Today's Chili, ultraportable
Averatec's N3400 reviewed: looks good, performs well, dies early

Averatec probably isn’t the first name that pops into your head when you think of cleanly designed thin laptops, but if the $800 N3400 is any indication of things to come, that could change. Laptop had a chance to review the 13-inch machine and found its slim, aluminum body compares favorably to the MacBook Air — despite being nearly a full inch thick. The 1,280 x 800 glossy display was rated as “decent,” the dual-core 2.16GHz Intel T3400 processor paired with 3GB of RAM gave very good performance, but unplugged longevity was where it all went wrong. Just over three hours was the mark this machine achieved and, while the battery is replaceable, a screwdriver is required to do the deed, meaning it probably isn’t an operation you want to attempt whilst sitting in coach. So, if you need a powerful ultraportable that won’t break the bank, this looks to be it — so long as you aren’t planning any long trips.

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Averatec’s N3400 reviewed: looks good, performs well, dies early originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 30

Acer further bolsters Timeline lineup with new 8000 Series

Posted in: Today's Chili, ultraportable

It may seem like only yesterday (or a couple of months ago) that Acer was rolling out its very first Timeline laptops to much fanfare, but it’s now already turned things around and kicked out a whole new addition to the line-up: the 8000 series. Apparently aimed at both business users and average folk, this one will be available in 13.3-, 14- and 15.6-inch variations, and pack the usual Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Solo ULV processors, 4GB or 8GB of RAM, a 160GB or 500GB hard drive (or even an 80GB Intel X25-M SSD, for those looking to go all out), and either some basic Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics or a ATI’s 4330 dedicated GPU — not to mention some bonuses like a multitouch trackpad and optional 3G (at a later date, it seems). No word on pricing or availability just yet, but it seems safe to bet that at least the entry-level models will be sub-$1000, if the current Timelines are any indication.

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Acer further bolsters Timeline lineup with new 8000 Series originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 29

HP reportedly beginning production of new 10.1-inch, 11.6-inch netbooks / ultralights

Posted in: HP, netbook, Today's Chili, ultraportable

This is about as early and unofficial as it gets, but DigiTimes is reporting that HP has contracted Quanta to begin production of an apparently all new 11.6-inch netbook in August, and another new 10.1-inch before the end of the year, which SlashGear rightly speculates could well be CULV ultralights rather than standard “netbooks.” That’s further bolstered by the fact that HP has separately contracted Inventec to build a revision to its current 10.1-inch netbook at the end of September. It’s not all netbooks and ultralights for HP, however, as Quanta has also landed a deal to produce some new 15.6- and 17.3-inch laptops, while Compal will be handling HP’s new 13.3- and 14-inch enterprise notebooks.

[Via SlashGear]

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HP reportedly beginning production of new 10.1-inch, 11.6-inch netbooks / ultralights originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 27

Averatec debuts thin-and-light N3400 laptop

Posted in: ThinAndLight, Today's Chili, ultraportable

Averatec’s already rolled out not one but two all-in-one desktops this month, but it looks like it’s also found the time to churn out this fairly impressive looking thin-and-light laptop, which takes a few cues from the nettbook side of things and few from some pricier pastures. Weighing in at less than four pounds, the N3400 laptop packs the usual 13.3-inch screen, along with a slightly underwhelming Pentium Dual Core T3400 processor, plus 3GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and integrated Intel GMA X4500HD graphics — not to mention a bundled external DVD burner. As you might expect, this one also packs a price tag right between netbooks and some higher-end ultraportables, with it setting you back $799. Hit up the gallery below for a closer look.

Gallery: Averatec debuts thin-and-light N3400 laptop

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Averatec debuts thin-and-light N3400 laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 24

How would you change MSI’s X-Slim ultraportable line?

Posted in: Features, HowWouldYouChange, HWYC, msi, netbook, thin and light, ThinAndLight, Today's Chili, ultraportable

MSI’s seductive X-Slim lineup first dropped jaws back at CeBIT, and it’s been tempting PC addicts ever since hitting the market a few months back. Many have argued that the X-Slim family looks just a bit too much like that other ultraslim lappie over there, but we’d say these are distinct enough to walk their own path. Catering to a wide range of potential customers, MSI has actually issued quite a few of these machines, from the X320 to the X340 to the X600. If you’ve been fortunate enough to pick one of these up for yourself, how has the user experience been? Is it as much a looker in person as you thought it’d be? Are you satisfied with performance? Anything missing for the price? Go on and get heard, won’t you?

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How would you change MSI’s X-Slim ultraportable line? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 22

Dell Drops Adamo Price to MacBook Air Levels

Posted in: macbook air, Today's Chili, ultraportable

Dell’s ultra-light Adamo is getting a price drop, which should make a bit more competitive with Apples’s entry into the space, the MacBook Air. The low-end Adamo now costs $1,500–the same as the low-end Air.

The company has dropped the price of its high-end Adamo down to $2,230, which is still a bit pricier than the top-of-the-line Macbook Air, which runs $1,800–though for the record, that configuration of the Dell has 3G built-in and twice the RAM of the Apple at 4GB.

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Jul 20

HP’s ProBook 4310s ultraportable now on sale, starts at $799

Posted in: HP, now available, NowAvailable, on sale, OnSale, sale, Today's Chili, ultraportable

We got a chance to toy with HP’s latest “pro-level” ultraportable at the tail end of last month, and while it proved to be a bit chunky, the specs list is hard to argue with. Available now for those with at least $799 (plus applicable taxes), the ProBook 4310s can be ordered up with your choice of Core 2 Duo processor, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 160/250/320/500GB SATA II hard drive, optional Blu-ray drive, a 13.3-inch LED-backlit HD display (matte or glossy), an optional ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 GPU, three USB 2.0 sockets, HDMI / VGA outputs, an ExpressCard socket and even a Gobi mobile broadband module if you’d like. Now that you’re drooling at the thought of having one in your lap, good luck avoiding the read link for long.

[Thanks, Michael]

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HP’s ProBook 4310s ultraportable now on sale, starts at $799 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 19

AMD’s Neo to hit nettops, all-in-one PCs soon

Posted in: AMD, intel, laptop, netbook, nettop, notebook, thin and light, ThinAndLight, Today's Chili, ultraportable

AMD’s Neo ultra-portable platform was seen as something that just might rival Intel’s mighty Atom in the oversaturated netbook space when it debuted back in January, but up until now, the system has remained largely in the background. Indeed, it has only found its way into a select few machines, none of which have managed to gain any sort of traction beside the sea of Atom-based alternatives. Now, however, it seems as if the chips — which were originally engineered for ultraslim, thin-and-light laptops — may find themselves shoved into an array of nettops and all-in-one PCs. Here lately, a slew of underpowered SFF-type desktops and PC-in-a-monitor type units have found favor with bargain hunters, and Bob Grim, the outfit’s director of client marketing, isn’t looking to miss a golden opportunity. To quote:

“We’ve known all along that this type of technology would really work well in multiple platforms and multiple types of form factors. These CPUs perform better than the Atom processor, and the graphics are superior. These things… can play Blu-rays, they can play games.”

There’s still no word on who exactly plans on equipping their future machines with this here platform, but considering just how tired we are of Intel’s sluggish N270 and N280, we’ll take all the competition we can get.

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AMD’s Neo to hit nettops, all-in-one PCs soon originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Jul 2009 06:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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