Archive for December, 2007

Sony Electronics is going to refresh its VAIO TZ 11.1-inch ultraportable notebook series with the VAIO VGN-TZ298N/XC model, which brings several upgrades over the previous TZ laptops, according to leaked information.

The first of the upgrades is a greater data storage capacity. The Sony VAIO VGN-TZ298N/XC has a 64GB solid state drive paired with a 250GB hard drive, while the currently available VAIO TZ laptops ship with up to 48GB of SSD storage or with a 100GB HDD.

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Dell has started to sell its Inspiron and XPS notebooks through Best Buy’s stores and website, after the recently announced agreement between the PC maker and retailer.

Best Buy offers the 15.4-inch Inspiron 1521-JB and 1521-MB laptops powered by AMD’s processing technology, the 14.1-inch Intel-based 1420-JB, and the 13.3-inch Dell XPS M1330-AW. The notebooks are priced at $599.99, $899.99, $999.99, and $1,249.99 respectively, which are lower prices than those for the same configurations purchased through the Dell’s website.

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The Toshiba Satellite X205-SLI4, the company’s new 17-inch gaming laptop, features an Intel Core 2 Duo “Penryn” 45-nanometer processor and the “Santa Rosa Refresh” mobile platform, according to a product page on Ecost.com.

The newest 45nm Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 CPU with a 2.1GHz clock speed and 3MB of L2 cache is paired with two Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics cards in the Satellite X205-SLI4. These GPUs, which manage the notebook’s 17″ 1680×1050 display, operate in SLI mode and provide 512MB of dedicated GDDR3 video memory.

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Sony has prepared the VAIO AR7, FZ4, and SZ7 notebooks, featuring the Intel’s first 45-nanometer Core 2 Duo Mobile processors, codenamed “Penryn”, and the “Santa Rosa Refresh” mobile platform.

The leaked specifications of the 17-inch Sony VAIO VGN-AR730E/B, VGN-AR750E/B, and VGN-AR760U/B say these entertainment laptops will be available with the Intel Core 2 Duo “Penryn” T8100 CPU at 2.1GHz, while the top of the line VGN-AR790U/B features the T9300 at 2.5GHz. The systems come with 2GB or 4GB of RAM, and 320GB or 400GB hard drives, depending on model, as well as with Blu-Ray optical drives. Prices of the “Penryn”-based VAIO AR7 notebooks listed on Monstronix website range from $1,678 to $3,257.

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The first Lenovo ThinkPad R61 and T61 notebook models with Intel Core 2 Duo 45-nanometer processors, codenamed “Penryn“, and the “Santa Rosa Refresh” notebook platform are now available for purchase through the Alvio Inc.’s website.

The refreshed ThinkPad R61 laptops ship with the Core 2 Duo T8100 at 2.1GHz, while some of the ThinkPad T61 models now incorporate the T8100 or the T8300, which is clocked at 2.4GHz. These “Penryn” CPUs have an 800MHz front-side bus and 3MB of L2 cache and are claimed to provide better performance and power efficiency, when compared to their precursors - Core 2 Duo “Merom” 65nm chips.

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The HP Compaq 6820s 17-inch business notebook will be available soon with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile “Penryn” processor, according to product pages on the Hewlett-Packard’s website for the Canadian market.

Along with the Core 2 Duo T7000/T5000 series and Celeron processors, the laptop will be configurable with the Core 2 Duo T8100 CPU at 2.1GHz or T8300 at 2.4GHz. Both of these “Penryn” chips have a 800MHz front-side bus and 3MB of L2 cache.

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Stanford researchers have developed the new version of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, that could extend battery life in notebooks and other devices ten times.

“A laptop that now runs on battery for two hours could operate for 20 hours,” a NanoTechWire’s report says.

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Users of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq desktop and notebook PCs should run Software Update on these computers to patch flaws in the update service’s ActiveX control, according to a security warning issued by HP.

The bugs in the ActiveX control can be used to execute remote code or gain additional access rights, accordingly.

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Asustek has released this weekend the Asus U2 11.1-inch luxury notebook series, which is a successor of the U1 ultraportable.

The Asus U2 features the Intel Core Duo Processor ULV (ultra-low voltage) U7500 at 1.06GHz paired with the Intel GM965 Express Chipset, which incorporates the GMA X3100 integrated graphics. The laptop’s thin LED backlight 11.1″ display has a 1366×768 resolution and enables a lower power consumption, better luminance, and faster response time, when compared to standard CCFL backlight displays.

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Hewlett-Packard has released this week the 17-inch HP Pavilion dv9700t entertainment notebook, replacing the older dv9500t laptop.

The Pavilion dv9700t is based on the Intel “Santa Rosa” notebook platform and features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, ranging from the T5450 clocked at 1.67GHz to the T7500 at 2.2GHz. The graphics options include the Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS 256MB and the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS 512MB video cards. Unlike the dv9500t, the dv9700t is not available with the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100. The notebook supports up to 4GB of system memory and comes with up to 500GB of storage capacity using two 250GB 5,400rpm hard drives. Optical drive options include a DVD burner, HD DVD ROM, HD DVD-R writer, and a Blu-Ray ROM.

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Hewlett-Packard has unveiled this week the HP Pavilion dv6700t 15.4-inch entertainment notebook, replacing the dv6500t series.

The Intel “Santa Rosa” platform-based Pavilion dv6700t features a processor ranging from the Pentium Dual-Core Mobile T2330 clocked at 1.67GHz to the Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 at 2.2GHz. Graphics options include the integrated Intel GMA X3100 and the dedicated Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS 256MB video card. These GPUs manage the notebook’s 15.4″ 1280-by-800 pixel display. The dv6700t supports up to 4GB of system memory and comes with up to 250GB 5,400rpm hard drive. Optical drive options include a DVD burner, HD DVD ROM, and a Blu-Ray ROM.

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Hewlett-Packard has introduced this week the HP Pavilion dv2700t 14.1-inch laptop PC series, replacing the dv2500t notebook.

The Pavilion dv2700t features the Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 (1.67GHz), T7250 (2GHz), or T7500 (2.2GHz) processor, depending on customers choice. The GPU options include the integrated Intel GMA X3100 and the dedicated Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS 128MB video card, managing a 14.1″ 1280×800 display. The dv2700t is configurable with up to 4GB of DDR2 memory and comes with up to 250GB hard drive at 5,400rpm. Optical drive options include a DVD burner or a HD DVD ROM.

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Hewlett-Packard has updated its notebook lineup with the HP Pavilion dv6700z and dv9700z series, both powered by AMD’s dual core processors.

The 15.4-inch HP Pavilion dv6700z and the 17-inch dv9700z, which are the successors of the dv6500z and dv9500z series, feature an AMD Turion 64 X2 or Athlon 64 X2 processor, depending on customers choice. These notebooks ship with the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7150M graphics integrated into the nForce 630M chipset, or with the NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS 256MB dedicated video card.

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Acer America Corporation has announced the North American availability of the Extensa 4620 14.1-inch notebook PC series, designed for budget minded business users.

The available Acer Extensa 4620-6294 and 4620-4054 models are based on the Intel “Santa Rosa” notebook platform and feature the Acer Profile chassis found in TravelMate notebooks. Both laptops come with 1GB of system memory, a 120GB hard drive, a DVD burner, and the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, as well as with an 802.11b/g wireless module, Gigabit Ethernet connection, and a 56K modem. The display resolution in these laptops is 1280-by-800 pixels.

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Taiwanese Amtek has released the iTablet T221 Tablet PC, featuring a 12.1-inch display with support for active digitizer and touchscreen inputs.

The Amtek iTablet T221, which has no keyboard, is powered by an Intel Core Duo Ultra-Low Voltage (ULV) processor at 1,2Ghz, and sports up to 2GB of system memory and a 60GB hard drive. The tablet’s sun-light readable 1024-by-768 XGA display is managed by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, which is incorporated into the 945GM chipset.

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