Laptops

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GoBook - the quarter-sized rugged laptop

June 21, 2007 Rugged laptops with wireless connectivity are well suited to a lot of professions, from industrial and military to environmental and emergency services. As such, they've been gaining in popularity, with Panasonic's Toughbook, Sahara's Tufftab and even a Hummer laptop muscling into the market. General Dynamics now takes the rugged, go-anywhere laptop one step further, by reducing it to a quarter of the size with its GoBook MR-1, which meets the toughest standards for humidity, temperature, vibration, dust, rain and drop-resistance. Read More

Panasonic semi-rugged Desktop Replacement Toughbook with embedded 3G wireless

By Mike Hanlon

June 5, 2007 In an important product announcement, Panasonic has extended its Toughbook mobile computer range to include a semi-rugged, wireless-ready desktop replacement notebook, the Toughbook 52. Built on the new Santa Rosa chipset from Intel, the Toughbook 52 offers all the processing power of a desktop replacement notebook in a form factor engineered from the ground up for mobility and making sure your window to the world remains in pristine order thanks to embedded 3G access. The 15.4 inch widescreen laptop can withstand drops of up to 2.5 feet on all six sides, has a spill-resistant keyboard, six hours of battery life and a removable hard drive which can handle a drop of three feet. The MIL-SPEC-certified notebook incorporates magnesium alloy cases, flexible internal connectors and shock-mounted hard drives and LCDs. Read More

SanDisk 64 Gigabyte Solid State Drive for Notebook Pcs

By Mike Hanlon

June 5, 2007 Gartner projects global consumption of Solid State Drives in consumer and business notebooks to leap from about 4 million units in 2007 to 32 million units in 2008 – SSDs are a technology whose time has come. SSDs we’ve seen until now have been a bit small to replace hard drives, but SanDisk, the folks who gave us the technology in the first place, appear to be reaching the “sweet spot” of memory storage for laptop computers, with the introduction of a 64-gigabyte (GB)1 SSD aimed at both enterprise users and early adopter consumers such as gamers and gizmagers. The little wonder will deliver 2 million hours mean time between failures (MTBF) – that’s approximately six times more than notebook hard disks. With no moving parts, SSDs are much less likely to fail when dropped, they start working almost immediately, offer 100 times faster data access speeds than a conventional hard disk drive and use roughly half the power, significantly extending battery life. Sold yet? Read More

The world’s thinnest notebook - a new trend?

By Mike Hanlon

May 25, 2007 Businessweek is reporting on a new laptop from Intel which is less than 0.7 inches thick – that’s just a quarter of an inch thicker than the Motorola Razr mobile phone (pictured alongside it in profile) and as such, easily qualifies as the world’s thinnest mobile phone. The radical laptop weighs just 2.25 pounds, and always-on Internet connectivity via various wireless technologies. Intel hasn't announced an official release date but people familiar with the matter say a PC maker will announce plans to start manufacturing the machine later this year. Read More

Clip-on converter turns any laptop into a tablet PC

By Loz Blain

May 15, 2007 Adding a cheap, simple and portable new dimension to your laptop, clever Korean company Navisis is preparing to launch its "Laptop Tablet" unit, which clips onto the side of your laptop's LCD screen and gives you the ability to write directly onto your screen with a stylus. Read More

First Impressions: Lenovo's new 14 inch T61 and R61 Thinkpads

By Mike Hanlon

May 9, 2007 Several days ago Dave Weinstein had the chance to sit down with several members of Lenovo's product marketing team and take a look at two of the company’s new laptops – the new 14" T61 and R61 Thinkpads. Both units are based upon the newest Intel Santa Rosa technology that's being launched today. While we did get to see a sneak peak of some of what's coming up over the next few months, we did promise to focus on the two devices that are being released today. Dave’s first impressions … Read More

LapWorks Aluminum Desktop Stand for Laptops

By Mike Hanlon

April 4, 2007 For all the freedom and productivity offered by laptops, they remain one of the ergonomic disasters of our time, which is why LapWorks’ new Aluminum Desktop Stand is worth a look. It elevates PC and Mac notebook computers when working at a desk to improve screen viewing, improve typing ergonomics, and improve cooling by a claimed 23 percent. Read More

The first million dollar laptop

By Mike Hanlon

March 23, 2007 UK-based bespoke luxury goods creator Luvaglio has created the first million dollar laptop. That’s what the first of their luxury laptops will sell for. Full details of the laptop have not been released at this point, but it is known that it incorporates a 17" widescreen LED lit screen with a specially designed anti-reflective glare coating for clear and brighter image, 128GB of Solid State Disk space and a slot loading Blue-Ray drive. There is an integrated screen cleaning device and a very rare coloured diamond piece of jewellery that doubles up as the power button when placed into the laptop and also acts as security identification. Images here, video here. Read More

90 Watt-hour Universal Battery adds 8 hours of Notebook runtime

By Mike Hanlon

January 9, 2007 American Power Conversion announced three Universal Notebook Batteries yesterday and the US$200 top-of-the-line, 90 watt-hour model is a ripper offering roughly eight hours of additional runtime in a slim footprint that can rest underneath a notebook computer. Two USB ports supply power over 5V to USB-powered mobile devices, providing additional opportunities to power and charge accessories, such as an iPod and BlackBerry. The Universal Notebook Battery 90 uses lithium polymer battery cells and has an LCD screen that provides real-time status information such as battery capacity, recharge time and battery load, as well as input and output voltage. More details on the batteries within the article – all three batteries will be available in the first quarter of 2007. Read More

The Safe-Clik-N-Grip Laptop Strap

By Mike Hanlon

January 8, 2007 It might seem like a bit of webbing and a few bits of plastic, but anyone who frequents the airport with their laptop will understand the benefits of this clever invention. The TSA requires laptop travellers to remove their laptops from their cases and put them in the official TSA bin in order to be scanned by the x-ray machine. The process itself, although necessary, is very inefficient and time consuming, and a laptop computer could very easily be dropped at many different points during the screening process. Frequent traveller Gary Peters saw enough airports with his laptop that he decided to make life easier and created a prototype which developed into … the Safe-Clik-N-Grip Laptop Strap. Simple, inexpensive … very very handy! Read More

The SideShow Notebook with auxiliary display

By Mike Hanlon

January 8, 2007 This looks like it might offer some significant advantages in the way we use our laptops when we’re on the move. ASUS today introduced a compact 12" wide notebook with an external 2.8" QVGA TFT LCD auxiliary display on the LCD cover with the new W5 series design dubbed SideShow. SideShow is an independent operating system that it can be switched on without booting up the whole system. With imbedded flash memory, users can save selected data (text, image and audio) to SideShow for later review. The external system is well synchronized with the main operating system and users can set for automatic outlook (emails, calendar and meeting appointments) update when the main system is powered on. Read More

Samsung plans to sell fuel cell for laptops this year

By Mike Hanlon

January 2, 2007 The major drawback of the laptop computer at this point in its short history is battery life and with battery technology the subject of massive global R&D, and the promise of fuel cell technology for laptops in the short to medium term, we are drawing ever closer to being able to survive off-the-grid indefinitely. Accordingly, it was heartening to see Samsung’s announcement last week that it intends to commercialise its fuel cell technology for laptops before the end of 2007. The announcement was in Korean, and some tech blogs (notably Playfuls, engadget and akihabaranews) have had a go at translating it, so if you want the original guff, maybe try it yourself with machine translation from Google, Babelfish or WorldLingo. The pictured Samsung is using a fuel cell dock which will apparently run a laptop for a month, though a smaller version is planned for commercialisation. Read More

Luxury Tulip Ego Laptop arrives in the U.S.

By Mike Hanlon

November 15, 2006 We’ve written previously about the EGO luxury laptop from Dutch company Tulip and its interchangeable skins and the good news is that the highly fashionable laptop which launched during Milan’s 2006 Fashion Week is now available on both sides of the Atlantic. The elegant design of the Tulip Ego laptop with its round shapes and fashionable, interchangeable skins is a milestone in computer design – at least for the PC – it’s not hard to imagine something like this from Apple. The Tulip Ego is easily carried either on the shoulder or by hand with its rounded chrome handle and with its interchangeable skin system, it doesn’t just come in designer fabrics, finishes and colors, the skins can be changed anytime, anywhere using a customized USB-stick cap that comes with the laptop. So you can mix and match to suit your dress, surroundings or mood. Retail pricing starts at US$5,000 and stretches into the six figure range for the diamond encrusted version. Read More

All laptop coolers are not created equal

By Mike Hanlon

November 6, 2006 As anyone who owns a current generation laptop knows, they generate a lot of heat, and that heat isn’t good for the laptop or your lap. This story actually began from a press release featuring the NotePal P1, Cooler Master’s lightweight portable note book cooler. Crafted from aluminum, the USB-powered Note Pal P1 (pictured bottom) has a no-skid surface with rubber rings on top, which holds your notebook in place, a compartment underneath for USB cable storage and air vents in the back to draw heat away from your laptop and it really looks the part - we were very taken with its fetching good looks. Then we did a bit of research and found that the boys at BigBruin had already run the NotePal through it’s paces, comparing it with the much older and not-nearly-as-stylish Hiyatek HY-CF-6157-01 Laptop Cooler (pictured top). The story begins there because the lads actually measured how well each did its job of cooling a Dell Inspiron and the “Hiyatek cooler could improve the temperature 8-12C as compared to no cooler, while the NotePal P1 would improve things 2-5C in the same areas.” Quite clearly, there’s much more to a laptop cooler than good looks and the Hiyatek also includes a four slot card reader and three port USB 2.0 hub, all while handling its primary role as a laptop cooler quite nicely. Read More

MacBook Pro goes Core 2 Duo

By Tim Hanlon

October 24, 2006 Apple has updated its entire range of MacBook Pro laptops, all of which are now powered by Intel's new Core 2 Duo line of dual-core CPU's. A choice of 2.16 or 2.33GHz CPU, up to three gigabytes of RAM, an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (capable of driving a 30" Apple display), and the ability to dual-boot Windows and OS X legally - all in a 1 inch thick case. With the grunt, compatibility, and portability offered here, it's clear why more professionals than ever are realising the futility of remaining subscribed to just one side of the platform wars, and buying their first Mac. Read More

Belkin's CushTop and PocketTop offer comfort when using your laptop anywhere

By Mike Hanlon

September 13, 2006 Using a laptop away from a desk can result in some pretty ugly scenes – there’s a reason you don’t see too many people curled up with a laptop. As usual, if there’s a company likely to apply a bit of lateral thought to improving the situation, it’s Belkin. The company’s new CushTop and PocketTop enable you to use your laptop comfortably while on your couch, bed or floor. The US$40 CushTop acts as a cushion, providing padded comfort between your laptop and your lap. The US$50 PocketTop acts as a case and mobile workstation, providing a built-in cooling pad and storage space for laptop accessories. Both will ship in North America in November, with launches in Asia, Europe and Australia to follow prior to Santa coming (apologies to all those who don’t believe in Santa). Read More

Field Tested: Lenovo updates the Z series ThinkPad with the Z61t, Z61m, and Z61p

By Mike Hanlon

September 10, 2006 Last November, we had a chance to test the new Z60t and Z60m Thinkpads. These devices were the first of Lenovo's 60 series products, and were the first to offer integrated EVDO service from Verizon in the US. They were also the first Thinkpads built to a new set of internal standards for docking station and power supplies that are compatible across the entire 60 generation of products. The Z60 was followed by the T60 and X60 Thinkpads in February, which added Intel's current generation of dual core processors, but unfortunately the Z60 was released too early to get these new gems, and an expected upgrade to the specs of the Z60 didn't materialize when we thought it would. The new Z61t and Z61m laptops refresh their Z60 forbearers, and the Z61p is a new wide screen workstation model based upon the Z61m chassis. Read More

Dell releases 20-Inch Widescreen Entertainment Laptop

By Mike Hanlon

June 1, 2006 One of the most intriguing products of the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show was Dell’s BIG SCREEN mobile concept which caused some interesting comment due to its expected weight. Yesterday, Dell unveiled its portable 20-inch widescreen entertainment PC, the XPS M2010. The system's multimedia features include a 20.1-inch, high-definition widescreen monitor, eight speakers plus a subwoofer, a detachable, full-sized Bluetooth wireless keyboard and gyroscope-enabled remote, a webcam and a slot-load DVD drive. The articulating hinges supporting the display double as a system handle when the system is closed. The XPS M2010 starts at US$3,500, and is available immediately and weighs in at 18.3 pounds. Read More

SLAPPA Velocity PRO Spyder Laptop Backpack

By Mike Hanlon

March 16, 2006 As computers reach ubiquity, which they inevitably will, it is equally as inevitable that we will find better ways to carry and protect them. Accordingly, we figure it’s giving Slappa a pat on the back for their latest creation, the Velocity PRO Spyder laptop backpack. Apart from looking good (and we recognise it won’t suit everyone’s style), the bag features a thick rubber exoskeleton with rainproof PRO Grade Scuba-prene offering reinforced storage protection for all of your digital gear. Read More

Field Tested: Lenovo refreshes T, X, and Z ThinkPads with their 60 series devices, and yes, we tested all of them!

By Dave Weinstein

March 15, 2006 Back in January, we reported on Lenovo's announcement of their T60 and X60 series ThinkPad notebooks. Since then, we've had a chance to test the new devices as well as the new Z60 widescreen models. Read More

First SLI Laptop announcement near

By Mike Hanlon

February 25, 2006 Gaming computer specialist Widow PC is set to announce the world’s first SLI-equipped gaming notebook in conjunction with nVidia, the developers of SLI. SLI takes advantage of the increased bandwidth of the bi-directional PCI Express bus architecture and uses multiple Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to deliver up to twice the graphical performance of a single GPU configuration for an unparalleled gaming experience. The new notebook is to be called the Sting 919 and will come with a19in fast-response display and two of the latest 7800 series GPUs. nVidia and Dell showed the first-ever Quad-SLI PC at CES this year. Taking its acclaimed SLI technology to the next level, NVIDIA introduced support for FOUR GPUs. A Quad-SLI PC will enable games to be run at 2560x1600 resolution with silky smooth frame rates. In addition, support for a new 32x antialiasing mode and 16x anisotropic filtering enables stunning visuals. Read More

Dell seeks opinion on the 20 inch laptop concept

By Mike Hanlon

January 14, 2006 During the first Gulf War, I had the misfortune to be travelling around Asia and Europe carrying the very first Apple Macintosh portable – indeed, it was more a luggable than a portable, and with check-ins routinely three to four hours before international flights at that time, and personal computers eyed with great suspicion, I grew to both love and hate the machine for the trouble it caused me as I schlepped it around. More than a decade later, seeing Dell’s XPS Mobile Concept gave me the same autonomous shudders a Vietnam veteran gets when he hears a helicopter. The XPS is BIG – some reports place it at up to 18 pounds. The really weird thing is – I want one! Read More

The 20 inch laptop cometh

By Mike Hanlon

January 7, 2006 LG.Philips used the CES to display what is undoubtedly the world’s largest laptop panel – a 20.1” SXGA TFT-LCD. Though the screen has yet to find a home, it’s only a matter of time as the laptop is one of the very few areas of computing that gets bigger and smaller as time goes by, as there are many people who value additional screen real estate as it promotes greater productivity. Read More

CES 2006: business-card sized, Bluetooth-enabled mouse that stores and recharges inside your laptop’s PC card slot

By Mike Hanlon

January 4, 2005 The MoGo is designed for road warriors who don’t like bulky, full-sized, mice, but also hate laptop trackpads and trackpoints. Now we all know that a mouse is a very personal thing, so this may not be a solution for everyone, but it’s a very good idea and one which is worthy of every road warrior’s attention. The mouse which fits snugly in your palm when you’re using a desktop often takes on quite different proportions and becomes a pain in the butt when you’re on the road, never seeming to fit nicely in your bag, and constantly getting tangled. So having a PCMCIA-card sized mouse that stores and recharges neatly inside your laptop computer’s PC card slot when it’s not being used is very useful on the road. For us, the Bluetooth-enabled functionality is a clincher. Whatsmore, the MoGo Mouse recharges in less than an hour so there are no batteries to be replaced. Read More

One laptop per child prototype shown

By Mike Hanlon

November 21, 2005 If education is the only sure-fire way to cure poverty, the world moved a step closer to solving many of its major problems this week when United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan unveiled a prototype hand-cranked US$100 laptop at the Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis. In what could turn out to be an event of major historical significance at some later date, the launch of the initiative complete with working prototypes could herald a new era of education for the world’s poor. The initiative was first announced by Nicholas Negroponte, MIT Media Lab chairman and co-founder, at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland in January 2005 and in late September when Negroponte showed the first prototype images and concept drawings to the world’s press. Negroponte and his group believe that education via the laptop, will help to alleviate many of the problems afflicting developing and chronically poor countries. Read More

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