Hasta La Gadget!

Apple’s new MacBook Airs aren’t exactly performance kings — if anything, they’re performance laggards given the finely aged internals they have — but there is some room for upgrading them should you wish for a little extra oomph. AnandTech cornered the maxed-out 11.6-inch variant, with a 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and 128GB of flash storage on board, and put it through the usual benchmark routine. In spite of costing a much meatier $1,399 than the $999 default config, the upgraded Air was deemed to be a worthwhile improvement as it delivered an average of 15 percent better performance at the cost of no more than seven percent of battery endurance. To our eyes, the biggest driver for these improved results was the jump from 2GB to 4GB of RAM, something all of us can bear in mind when contemplating our next laptop purchase.

MacBook Air has its fully upgraded 11-inch version reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 14:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Really, TSA? Are you honestly so stoked to disappoint? If you’ll recall, the American Transportation Security Administration got up close and personal with a first-generation MacBook Air after wrongly assuming it was an Apocalypse-bringer, and even after adjusting rules so that iPads, netbooks and other smaller electronics could fly through carry-on screening equipment without being unpacked, we’ve still heard of (and personally experienced) occasions where agents have demanded that tablet PCs be ran through naked. If there’s a lesson to learn here, it’s that the TSA is consistently inconsistent, and you’re probably better off putting everything you own in a separate grey bucket for the sake of covering your bases. The same applies to Apple’s new 11.6-inch MacBook Air, which is cleared to undergo TSA scanning while packed under the aforesaid amended rules. In theory, you shouldn’t have to remove it from your backpack as you struggle to reach your gate, but if we had to guess, we’d say you’ll be ask to take it out and re-run it if you try. But hey, you’re only being victimized and scrutinized in the name of security, so it’s all good. Trust us.

11.6-inch MacBook Air cleared to remain packed through security, but we’d remove it anyway originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Integrated 3G is so 2009. These days, your laptop just ain’t a mobile workhorse without a 4G module embedded under the hood, and Toshiba’s making sure it keeps with the times by launching a pair of WiMAX-capable Portégé R700 models. The 13.3-inch ultraportable is relaunching with an integrated DVD drive, WiMAX support, the latest Core 2010 CPUs, an ExpressCard slot, eSATA / USB combo port, 4GB of DDR3 memory, inbuilt webcam and a six-cell battery. The Portégé R700-S1332W in particular ships with a Core i7 CPU and 128GB SSD, while the Portégé R700-S1322W steps down to a Core i5 and a 320GB (7200RPM) hard drive. Both units are shipping now from Tosh’s preferred partners, with the high-end option going for $1,699 and the low(er)-end one selling for $1,349. It’s on you to activate a Clear plan, though.

Continue reading Toshiba’s 13.3-inch Portege R700 gets a pair of WiMAX models

Toshiba’s 13.3-inch Portege R700 gets a pair of WiMAX models originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, the word is that ultraportables – or 11- to 13-inch laptops – aren’t selling particularly well, but that hasn’t stopped Lenovo. In fact, the company’s had a particular obsession with 11.6-inch lappies over the last six months or so, but sadly each has massively disappointed. Adamantly claiming not to be a netbook, there was first the ThinkPad X100e, which we found to be great in terms of design and size, but seriously hurting (literally!) in thermals and endurance. Then there was the IdeaPad U160, which packed Core i7 CPU power, but had a rather dreadful three hours of battery life. But the third time’s got to be the charm, right? The ThinkPad Edge 11 has the same chassis as the other Edge laptops, which hold a special place in our heart, but is powered by an ultra-low voltage 1.33GHz Core i3 U380 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. It’s not too shabby for its $549 starting price (the AMD-powered version starts at $449), but has Lenovo learned from the past? Is this the 11-inch notbook (our new term for a machine that looks like a netbook, but is way more powerful) to rival the rest? Read on to find out in our full review.

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11 review

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11 review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It sure looks as if HP’s Pavilion dm3t is still rockin’ that godforsaken aluminum-sheet-of-a-trackpad, but if you’re a perennial mouse user, you may still appreciate the revised innards that have recently slid into one of HP’s most stylish ultraportables. The 13.3-incher is now available with Intel’s 1.2GHz Pentium U5400 or a 1.2GHz Core i3-330UM, both of which include integrated graphics alongside an HDMI and VGA output. You can also equip it with up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 640GB hard drive (or 160GB SSD, if you’re feeling froggy), a six-cell battery and a 1366 x 768 BrightView LCD. The baseline machine sits at $549.99, but you know you’ll be pushing it north of that once you spot the backlit keyboard option.

HP’s Pavilion dm3t gets a well-deserved refresh, now available with Core i3-330UM originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 06:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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