Archive for December, 2006

Dell has added the latest NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500M graphics solution to its Precision M90 mobile workstation. According to the NVIDIA’s press release, the Quadro FX 3500M with support for OpenGL and DirectX, offers “up to 512MB G-DDR3 memory, a 256-bit memory interface, up to 38.4GB/s memory bandwidth, and up to 2GB/s pixel read back”.

NVIDIA also says Quadro FX mobile solutions offer the same features found in NVIDIA workstation solutions for desktops, including exclusive features such as 12-bit sub-pixel precision, and full 32-bit floating point precision.

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NEC launched Shield Pro FC-N21S rugged tablet PC, featuring 12-inch touch-screen panel and Intel Core Solo Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) U1400 processor running at 1.2GHz. NEC “Shield Pro” FC-N21S is protected against ingress of dust at levels that would harm operation and against splashes of water from all directions. NEC also guarantees the Shield Pro tablet PC will be safe when dropped as long as drop is not more than three feet, the machine is switched off, and its lid folded down.

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Toshiba today announced MK1011GAH, a 100GB 1.8-inch hard drive. The company claims it is the largest capacity yet achieved in 1.8-inch HDD form factor.

Toshiba MK1011GAH, employs perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) technology and an improved error correction code, according to the report. Alongside capacity improvement, Toshiba has also improved power consumption to 0.003W/GB, the press release says.

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Flybook VM, a new ultraportable 12-inch widescreen laptop, is scheduled to arrive this winter. The new Flybook features an innovative telescoping neck that lets you perch the notebook’s display above the keyboard to achieve better viewing angle.

Flybook VM is powered by Intel Core Duo Low Voltage processor at 1.66GHz, and features 1 GB of DDR2 main memory, upgradeable to 2 GB DDR2, as same as 1.8-inch hard drive with 30GB, 60GB and 80GB capacities. It also has built in DVD burner.

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SiS today announced SiSM771, the Windows Vista ready laptop-use chipset for AMD-powered notebooks. SiSM771, the company’s first chipset embedded with Mirage 3 graphics core supports DirectX9.0 and it’s especially designed for AMD Turion 64 X2, Turion 64, Mobile Athlon 64, and Mobile Sempron platforms, the company says.

With HyperTransport technology, AMD platform which is combined with SiSM771 provides 8/16 bits data and 6.4GB/s bandwidth to connect chipset itself to AMD Turion 64 Series CPU. SiSM771 also supports the latest PCI Express x 16 configuration to provide up to 4GB/s single transmission bandwidth.

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Belkin Corporation and Wisair today announced the Belkin Cable-Free Hub, allowing users to place their notebook computer anywhere in a room while still maintaining wireless access to standard USB devices, such as printers, scanners, hard disk drives and MP3 players.

“Laptop users gain the freedom to roam wirelessly with their laptop around the room while still maintaining remote access to their USB devices,” the press release says.

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Dell Inspiron E1501 is a laptop with the same basic design and build as Dell’s popular 15.4-inch widescreen E1505 notebook. But, inside these laptops there is a big difference: unlike Intel-based E1505, the Inspiron E1501 is powered by AMD’s Sempron, Turion or Turion X2 processor and ATI graphics. The recent NotebookReview’s and Laptop Magazine’s reviews say the Dell Inspron E1505 is better choice, although E1501 is slightly cheaper.

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LG introduced e-Book, an ecological laptop concept that uses fuel cell batteries and features organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology. This concept notebook received a Red Dot Award nomination for “Best Concept Design” for 2006.

The batteries of the LG e-Book use natural gas, methanol, and other eco-friendly liquid fuels. The fuel is stored in a transparent cylindrical hinge.

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Intel has started to produce samples of a quad-core processor called Penryn that offers faster clock speeds and larger cache sizes, according to Rob Willoner, a company’s technology analyst. Based on the same microarchitecture as the Core 2 Duo CPU, Penryn is the first Intel processor to be made using a 45-nanometer process. The processor will be available in versions for laptops, desktops and servers.

Currently, most Intel chips are made using a 65-nanometer process. Also, AMD, which currently makes CPUs using 90 nanometer technology, is expected to release its first 65-nm processor soon.

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The massive laptop battery recalls, caused by Sony’s faulty Li-Ion cell units, haven’t put most business buyers and consumers off from buying laptop. But the recalls may push some buyers to switch brands, according to a new IDC’s study.

Some 85% of respondents said the widespread battery recalls won’t affect their future notebook purchasing decisions, according to a survey. But, 15% of both buyers said it will change their buying plans.

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