Laptop

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

World's First Blu-Ray Notebook Computer

By Mike Hanlon

May 17, 2006 Sony yesterday showed off the first Blu-ray Disc enabled notebook computer - the VAIO AR which will be available next month. The Blu-ray drive will be available on the premium US$3,500 version of the AR, which has a17-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) widescreen display, uses Sony's XBRITE Hi-Color LCD technology and will play full 1080p HD resolution. In addition to supporting HD playback, the VAIO AR notebook is a multimedia powerhouse with the capability to record high-definition camcorder content to Blu-ray Discs. Now aspiring moviemakers can shoot, edit and burn their HD creation on a PC -- all in native 1080 resolution. Using an extensive suite of dedicated software applications, you can also edit high-definition footage and share it on Sony high-capacity BD-R and BD-RE Blu-ray Discs (up to 50 GB) or on traditional DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/+RW capitalizing on flexible storage, playback and recording. 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

Lenovo Thinkpad X60 and T60 double the horsepower

By Mike Hanlon

January 6, 2005 Lenovo today introduced two new ThinkPad models that bring a new level of performance and portability to the world’s most recognizable notebook brand. Incorporating a dual-core processor, the ThinkPad X60/X60s and ThinkPad T60 double the performance of previous ThinkPad models, enabling notebooks to operate multiple demanding business applications used previously only on desktops. Designed around Intel’s Napa chipset, the ThinkPad X60/X60s and ThinkPad T60 are thinner and lighter than previous X and T models, while drawing less power than those systems for extended battery life. Dual-core processors improve productivity and multitasking versus previous processors, allowing users to run multiple high-performance applications – such as medical or engineering software, virus scan or system backups – that might otherwise paralyze the PC. The company is also running an on-line survey of potential customers to assess whether to manufacture the new ThinkPads in black or Titanium - so far Titanium is winning. 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

Commercially branding laptop computers; marketing tool and anti-theft deterrent

By Mike Hanlon

September 13, 2005 If you've never thought of your laptop computer as a way to distinguish yourself, your company or organization from another, this article might help. Laptop Design USA has been launched to commercially brand laptops with companies and organizations' colors, logos and trademarks. More than 15 million laptops were sold in the U.S. each year, with laptop theft running at half a million units. Most countries mirror high laptop sales and extraordinary theft rates – by turning your computer into an ambassador for your company, you also create a significant theft deterrent. Read More

The Hummer Ruggedised LapTop - testosterone enhancement for geeks

By Mike Hanlon

September 1, 2005 The Hummer brand is one of the most potent on the planet. Burned deep into the global psyche by the televised wars of Eastern Europe, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq, the Hummer is instantly recognisable and indistinguishable from America’s military dominance. As a brand, it carries with it all the brand values of the battlefield and the most technologically dominant fighting force since the Romans – reliability and ruggedness, with a liberal splashing of distilled testosterone and topped off with “essence of Arnie” thanks to the screen tough guy’s sponsorship of the brand. Hummer’s Fragrance for Men

was one thing, but this time the brand extension has much more relevance. – the Hummer Ruggedised Computer. We’ve recently written about the Panasonic Toughbook’s role in an Everest ascent, and as more people take computers into hostile environments, ruggedised computers will become a robust and established market segment with Panasonic’s Toughbook and ruggedised computer specialist Itronix the lead players. Based on the GoBook VR-1 semi-rugged computer that will be released by Itronix later this month, the Hummer-branded VR-1 will be a "semi-rugged" notebook computer designed to be much tougher than the average laptop and capable of withstanding temperature extremes and hard knocks. Read More

Laptop harness holds any laptop in perfect position to entertain passengers in the rear seat

By Mike Hanlon

July 30, 2005 Now here's a fabulous idea - a harness that holds any laptop in a near perfect position to entertain children in the rear seat of ANY vehicle. If you have a laptop with a DVD player, buying one of these US$24.99 harnesses means you now have a back seat entertainment system. The CradleVue laptop computer travel harness suspends any laptop between the two front seats of nearly any vehicle, installs in about one minute and is fully adjustable to accommodate nearly any size or make of notebook computer in sport utility vehicles (SUVs), mini vans, cars, and trucks with integrated or adjustable headrests. The product is made of nylon webbing, tent-quality bungee-like shock cord, hook and loop fastening, and is sewn to rigid quality standards. Read More

Another carbon fibre ultra-lightweight laptop

By Mike Hanlon

June 20, 2005 The never-ending quest for lighter, more powerful notebooks appears to have a new trend, at least if you can call two carbon fibre notebooks a trend. A fortnight ago Acer showed its Ferrari 4000 Carbon Fiber notebook, now MPC has joined with its own high-powered notebook with carbon fibre lid. The sad part is that unlike the sleek and sexy Acer, which shows the carbon fibre weave, MPC has elected to paint theirs. Designed to offer an ultra-sleek notebook with exceptional performance in a lightweight form factor, the TransPort U1000 ultra-portable notebook computer weighs less than four pounds, an Intel Pentium M processor for high-performance mobile computing, and 12.1" display integrated into a carbon-fiber lid. At US$1,900, it's a lot of performance in an incredibly light package, but someone should tell them about the attractiveness of the carbon weave. Read More

Tulip E-Go Diamond – US$350,000 laptop

By Mike Hanlon

The Tulip E-Go Diamond notebook is inlaid with solid palladium white gold plates in which thousands (80 carats) of top-quality, brilliant cut diamonds have been pave set with surgical precision. The magnificent end result also incorporates a unique square cut ruby set in both Tulip logos and costs 283,000 Euros (US$355,000). Without the bling, the E-Go (short for easy going) computer is even more innovative, using overmolding to enable fabrics, leather, wood, and metals to be incorporated into interchangeable, lifestyle-oriented covers that enable the laptop “look” to be changed on a daily basis as a fashion accessory. The original idea arose to develop a product from the perspective of a woman that at first glance looks more like a fashion accessory than a notebook. The resulting product is an elegant handbag with numerous novel features. The enclosures have been designed and developed for six fabric and leather laptop versions, a foretaste of what will become available in October 2005. In addition to changeable/personalized covers, the product is also expected to feature complementary accessories such as design bags and mice. Read More

IBM and Sanyo Demonstrate Fuel Cell Prototype for ThinkPad Notebooks with 8 hour refill time

By Mike Hanlon

April 29, 2005 IBM and SANYO Electric have demonstrated a prototype micro direct methanol fuel cell system for IBM ThinkPad notebooks. Leveraging SANYO's latest advancements in fuel cells that increase the longevity of notebook batteries, IBM and SANYO jointly developed a basic design of a fuel cell power source. Based on the design, the companies developed a prototype fuel cell system that could supply up to 8 hours of power per cartridge on current and future ThinkPad models. The SANYO system does not require altering the standard ThinkPad notebook design. Read More

NEC Fuel cell laptop to go on sale this year

By Gizmag Team

October 29, 2004 Japanese electronics company NEC has shown the latest prototype of a laptop with built-in fuel cell, claiming the prototype has 10 hours life, extending the life of the traditional battery powered laptop by up to 50%.

Early versions of the NEC fuel cell laptop have been shown several times over the last two years, but this time the company intends to put a fuel cell laptop on the market in Japan before the end of 2004.

Whatsmore, NEC expects that the efficiency of the fuel cell can be boosted to increase "battery life" to more than 40 hours between refills by 2006. Read More

Holographic projection coming to laptops, PDAs and mobile phones

By Mike Hanlon

A new ground-breaking holographic 2D projection technology could result in a new generation of pocket-sized digital video projectors and miniature projection displays incorporated into other handheld devices. Digital video projectors produce large, high quality images are becoming increasingly popular as they grow cheaper with mass production, but the technology is limited in its miniaturisation, preventing projectors from being incorporated mobile device markets. Holographic projection of 2D (rather than 3D) images represents a compelling alternative to conventional image projection. Video projectors based on this holographic technology can be made very small so a projector could be integrated into a laptop, a PDA, or even a mobile phone. Read More

Oyster laptop docking station promotes better posture

By Mike Hanlon

Given the long hours we all spend slaving over a hot keyboard, a sound ergnomic posture is becoming an increasingly important consideration, so the oyster laptop docking station really caught our eye. While traditional docks connect the laptop to peripherals (i.e. desktop monitor), Oyster repositions the laptop perpendicular to the desk's surface retaining use of the LCD screen and accommodating a full-size keyboard. Read More

New Toshiba laptop runs DVD and TV without booting Windows

By Mike Hanlon

Toshiba's new Qosmio computer is a further convergence of portable personal computing and audio-visual capabilities, and for the first time in a PC offers access to the TV, TV recording and DVD functionality without having to boot the computer. The Qosmio series will be rolled out worldwide, with the three models in the initial Qosmio E10 series scheduled for launch in Japan on August 6. All three will feature 15-inch screens, and Toshiba will expand the line-up with 15.4-inch and 17-inch wide-screen versions by the end of 2004. Read More

Cooling pad boosts laptop efficiency

By Mike Hanlon

Antec's Notebook Cooler is designed to increase system performance and stability by drawing a steady flow of cool air across the bottom of the computer. Two 70mm fans are used in conjunction with a series of ventilation holes in the aluminium surface to facilitate the cooling process. Read More

Multimedia-ready laptop

By Mike Hanlon

Designed with a focus on personal entertainment instead of data processing, BenQ's Joybook 8000 becomes a digital communications "hub" via two Firewire ports, four USB ports and S-Video output. Read More