Sony VAIO T11 & T13 Ultrabooks Officially Revealed

In its recent press release, Sony announced the official availability of its very first ultrabooks – the Sony VAIO T11 and the Sony VAIO T13. Both devices will be part of Sony’s Ultrabook VAIO T Series. The price and exact date of availability for these two new ultrabooks is yet to be revealed. But Sony did state that its VAIO T Series Ultrabooks will be put on sale sometime within this month. For now, let’s just dig for more details and preferably hope for the best as we are yet to decide if we are going to spend our precious savings on any of these two new devices.

When it comes to design, both ultrabooks will be showcased with aluminum and magnesium chassis and won’t go any heavier than 1.6 Kilograms. The Sony VAIO T11 will be flaunting its clear and bright 11.6 inch LED screen that will go alongside with its large, button free touchpad that can easily accommodate to your scrolling needs. You will be eventually be able to let your fingers roam on a spacious area as you initiate some gestures such as pinch to zoom, intuitive scroll, pivot and flick. The same goes for the Sony VAIO T13 with 13.3 inch LED screen.
Apart from the difference in screen sizes, the specs and features of these devices are quite the same. You will get a full-sized VGA port, HDMI and RJ45 that you can easily hook to monitors and projectors. Plus, you will get a reliable SD/MMC media slot that you can use to store your images and videos. Some of the notable features that you can get from the VAIO T11 and T13 are as follows: durable Ultrabook Lid with Rapid Wake + Eco for faster boot-up and energy efficient sleep mode, up to 90 days of deep sleep without running out of power, ultra-low Voltage Intel Core i3-2367M Processor, Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit SP1 Operating System, 4GB of DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM (Memory), Intel Graphics HD 3000, built-in ‘Exmor for PC’ HD web camera, Adobe Acrobat X Standard and up to 9 hours of battery life on SSD models. The average battery lifespan of the HDD models were not revealed. But at least, you have the option and it’s up to you if you would opt to access your data via SSD or hybrid HDD.
But that’s not all. The ultrabooks will also be packed with generous interfaces for easy connectivity. And if you are the type who cannot simply settle for a standard audio system, you will certainly be pleased to know that the VAIO T11 and T13 will both be equipped with Clear PhaseTM and xLOUDTM. Through these technologies, you will be able to make the most out of your audio experience. You can boost your device’s volume level without worrying about the quality of your sound as it will be free from distortion such as noise and any other types of unpleasant sounds. To match your sense of style, Sony has also made sure that you will get a carry case that you can use to store your Sony VAIO ultrabook and wireless mini mouse.

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Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p, M72e Desktops & ThinkVision LT2323z Display Announced

Lenovo just recently revealed its new products that would soon be offered in the global market, the ThinkCentre M92p and ThinkCentre M72e small desktops. While we know that Lenovo is actually performing well in the laptop market, it seems like it is going to conquer the desktop market with its portable computers. And to think that these tiny desktops would be running on Intel 3rd Generation Core Ivy Bridge processors, you can be sure that you will not be getting a second grade computer. Besides, Lenovo cannot also afford to put mediocre specs on its desktop flagships considering it is now easier to build powerful computers; it has to make its computers really attractive to be able to compete in a cutthroat market.

The Lenovo ThinkVision LT2323z monitor has also been revealed by the company to go with its ultra thin desktop computers. ThinkVision display is actually among the products that Lenovo takes pride of. If you think it is just a mere monitor like the ones you can see every day, you’re wrong because it is more complicated than you think it is.

Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p & M72e Specs

Let’s try to go over the specs of these computers and see if we will be satisfied with them. Anyway, the pricing and availability has not been revealed for these products but reports indicate that they would be hitting the market in June this year. So, we still have a month before we can see them in action.
Processor – Both of these computers will have Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5-3470T processing unit with 2 cores clocked at 1.8 GHz. This processor is known to be best for games and other heavy processes including video and photo editing and production.
RAM – Both models have 2 slots for RAMs, you can put in up to 16GB if you like to optimize its performance. For sure you know how important RAMs are to your computer; normally, we think that if we put more RAM into our machine, it will perform smoother and faster. That is just right.
Storage – You should be getting at least 320 GB of HDD when you buy one of these but you could put in up to 720 GB HDD if you like. Also, you can add up to 128 GB of SSD where you can install your OS and other system files.
OS – You can operate on either Windows XP or Windows 7. Or, you can set up a dual-boot if you want. Remember to use 64-bit OS so that you could maximize the specs. 32-bit OS would limit your computer’s RAM usage to 2 GB so even if you put it 16 GB, it would still be useless.
There is no specific date as to the release of these computers but our wait wouldn’t be too long now. Let’s try to see if these computers have what it takes to become your working buddy. Stay tuned as we will bring you the latest updates and news about these products.

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HP ENVY 5 New Ultrabooks Announced: Spectre XT,Ultrabook 14″ & 15.6″,Sleekbook 14″ & 15.6″

Five new HP ENVY series of ultrabooks have been announced by HP today growing the company’s previous entries to thin and light laptop market. The following are the models announced by HP today to be the next ultrabooks to bear the already popular name: ENVY Spectre XT, ENVY Ultrabook 14″ and 15.6″, and ENVY Sleekbook 14″ and 15.6″. While we love to think these ultrabooks are powerful as they really are, HP confirmed that its intention of releasing these laptops is to conquer the business market which is of course a possibility for laptops like these. So, let’s try to go over the specs of these units and see what could make us happy.

HP ENVY Spectre XT Specs

It surely belongs to the high-end market when you try to look into its specs. Likewise, the price also speaks this ultrabook has a lot of juice to offer for anyone. It’s design is more elegant than you could imagine; totally business-oriented with its shades of gray and gloss. It has a 13.3″ screen making it a bit portable and it is as thin as you could imagine.
It sports an Intel i3 Gen Core processor clocked at 1.8GHz with two cores and 4 threads. While it supports up to 16GB of RAM, it only comes with 4GB which is I believe enough to keep you going whatever you use it for. A 128GB of SSD also comes packed with these specs but you can always upgrade it to 256GB if you want as this device would allow it. Of course, for a high-end ultrabook that comes with great power, you can expect that other components used by HP for this computer are of high quality. If not, then the company shouldn’t have offered it for $999.

HP ENVY Ultrabook 14″ & 15.6″ Specs

Basically, the only difference you can easily spot between these computers is the size of their screens…well, of course the price. Aside from that, you really have to open it to know if there are other differences you can find. But as far as specs are concerned, you can expect the same. If you were to choose between these laptops, it would be a matter of practicality to choose one over the other. There is only $50 difference in the price and many would basically go for the one with bigger screen.
So, for $749 or $799, you will still get the third generation Intel Core processor, 500GB of HDD, 4GB of RAM and 32GB SSD which is also upgradable. Naturally, you can expect all the good things you can get from any laptops if you’re using this. But this time around, HP was keen enough to put in USB 3.0. Of course, to make use of the 4GB RAM, the operating system needs to be Windows 7 64-bit.

HP ENVY Sleekbook 14″ & 15.6″ Specs

Well, you already know how to spot the differences between these computers but this time, there is $100 difference. The 14″ is priced for $699 and the 15.6″ goes for $599. Well, you might be wondering by now why there is a wider gap in the prices of these two models and why the smaller one is more expensive than the bigger one. It is because aside from the size, they have different processors. More often, there is a big difference in the performance of the key component such as the CPU, the price would hugely vary. But between these two, there’s not much. Basically, you can expect a closer performance gap.
The 14 inches Sleekbook comes with the third generation Intel Core CPU while the 15.6 inches Sleekbook sports the second generation AMD processor. With this, you can tell which processor performs better. Both will have 4GB RAM and 1366 x 768 pixels resolution. And you will be amazed if I will tell you can work on these machines before you are required to recharge them. Their batteries are just powerful enough to provide you the power you needed when working longer hours.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook Announced

Lenovo is up to something really spectacular. It is trying to get the title of a manufacturer to ever release the lightest 14-inch ultrabook in the form of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon which has been announced today together with other powerful ThinkPad devices. Just so everyone knows, Lenovo is actually going for the high-end market so we can expect that ThinkPad X1 Carbon would be sporting Intel’s Ivy Bridge. But let’s try to look a bit closer into this ultrabook to see what the company has in store for us and what does it mean when it said it’d be releasing really powerful devices.

First, let’s try to see what made this ultrabook fairly powerful by looking into the properties of its processor (CPU). Lenovo hasn’t revealed much information yet only that it said ThinkPad X1 Carbon would be sporting the third generation Intel Core or the i3 core. So far, Intel’s Ivy Bridge CPUs are the most powerful ones that even Apple will use for its next geneation iMac and MacBook Pro. Lenovo however, didn’t go further into using even more advanced and powerful Ivy Bridge chips like i5 or i7 simply because for professional use, a dual-core CPU is enough to keep everything running. But for an ultrabook as thin and as light as ThinkPad X1 Carbon, we are even lucky to get i3.
While the amount of RAM to be used in this device hasn’t been revealed yet, we are inclined to believe it will sport at least 4 GB of RAM to optimize the its performance considering it will operate on Windows 7 64-bit. It is the most typical size of RAM for laptops like this but it could even go up to 8 GB and in this case it is not impossible. The least we can hope for is for this ultrabook to support even up to 16GB of random access memory. Basing on its design, Lenovo has apparently done a good job with sleeker innovations. One of which is the Carbon Fiber enclosure. You might have asked yourself why it’s called ThinkPad X1 Carbon, now you know why.

Lenovo chose to use carbon fiber instead of ordinary plastic because primarily it is very durable. If you’ve not known yet, carbon fiber is also used as coverings for racing cars because of its durability and being lightweight. That’s exactly what the designers of this ultrabook thought when deciding the best material to embrace the delicate yet powerful hardware inside. Besides, this material is glossy and couldn’t easily be bruised. But one of the features of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon ultrabook is its 14-inch display that works perfectly with Vibrant Hi-Resolution technology to provide more vivid, clearer and deeper display. Plus, you’ll be getting a fairly high resolution at 1600 x 900 pixels.

If you’ve noticed, Lenovo is more inclined to offering entertainment features and the same is true with this ultrabook; you will be enjoying the Dolby Home Theater v4 audio plus the ThinkPad Enhanced Experience 3.0 software to make everything about this device beautiful. And don’t be surprised if the front-facing camera could record HD videos of up to 720p @30fps featuring Face Tracking functionality because that’s just one of the many things you can get from Lenovo devices.

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Sony Vaio E Series 15.5 & 17.3 Ultrabooks Revealed

Today, Sony announced the newest additions to its Vaio line of laptops and ultrabooks, the Sony Vaio E Series 15 and Sony Vaio E Series 17. We’ve already learned that Sony is striving to bring as huge revenue as possible this year to cover up what it had lost in 2011. So, aside from being aggressive in releasing gaming consoles and high-end smart phones, the Japanese company has also engaged into a battle in the high-end laptop market competing all major laptop manufacturers that also want to dominate. Sony’s line of Vaio laptops has become popular and successful in the past 4 years that even until now, the brand has a good reputation. Perhaps this is the reason why Sony does not hesitate is setting loose all of the devices it believes to be able to perform better in the current market trend.

Both Sony Vaio E Series 15 and Vaio E Series 17 have almost the same specs and power. Just by looking at the model numbers (Vaio SVE1511W1E and Vaio SVE1711V1E) you will know almost immediately what the difference is; Sony often use the screen size as a part of the model number. Needless to say, the other is a bit wider or bigger than the other although both have the same power and capabilities and that’s what we are going to look into. But you should know that these are only two of the Vaio computers the company is planning to release this year.
Sony Vaio E Series 15 has a screen size of 15.5 inches while Vaio E Series 17 has 17.3 inches. Although both have the same 16:9 ratio, the previous gets 1366 x 768 pixels resolution while the latter gets 1600 x 900 pixels. And speaking of power and muscles, both of these devices will be getting Intel Core i5-2450M processor, it is a newly launched i5 variant with 2 cores and clocked at 2.5 GHz frequency. If you were thinking Vaio E Series would be getting quad-cores, you’re wrong because this model only has two and could run 4 thread at the same time. Nonetheless, laptops with this kind of CPU are more powerful than you think they are.
While these two E Series model use the same graphics processing unit (AMD Radeon HD 7650M), E Series 15 only gets 1GB VRAM while E Series 17 gets 2GB. So, when it comes to rendering heavy graphics, videos or games, the latter and the bigger one has a little edge over the smaller. Since both will be operating on Windows 7 64-bit with Service Pack 1, both are also given 6 GB of RAM each to put their performances to the maximum level.
Either of the two, you will get 750GB of hard disk drive. However, the smaller unit gets only DVD RW optical drive while the bigger one gets Blu-ray Disc combo player. I haven’t know about the release date and the pricing of these devices but based on Sony’s practices, it would always take a month or two after the official announcement before the devices will be released. We are inclined to believe it is targeting June as the perfect month to release these Sony Vaio E Series 15 and Vaio E Series 17.

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Sony Vaio S & Z Ultrabooks Announced Featuring Intel Ivy Bridge Processor

In an announcement today, Sony confirmed the rumors that the Sony Vaio S and Vaio Z will be sporting an Intel Ivy Bridge processor to be able to cope up with the cutting edge competition. The company also announced Sony Vaio E Series 15 and E Series 17 today as additions to its already popular Vaio brand. It seems like the company is cramming up to release as many laptop computers as possible during summer. Just in April and May, we have already been hearing a lot of rumors, speculations and confirmed reports that Sony will be bringing more products in the market this year and that includes gaming consoles, smart phones and laptops or ultrabooks.

Early this month, one of our writers here also reported about Sony Vaio T11 and T13 and how these computers would eventually take the lead. Aggressiveness is one of the things the company is showing to everyone right now and it means serious business as most of these Vaio line of ultrabooks and laptops come with Ivy Bridge processors. While there were no sufficient information as to what chipset Sony would be using for these devices, we already know it would be using Intel Core i7 processor.
Apparently, Sony is going for very thin but powerful laptops because in today’s world anyone is looking for smaller or thinner devices. For smart phones, pocket size handsets always have advantage than bulky ones. But for laptops, it would always be appealing to everyone if it is thin but comes with really powerful hardware with impressive specs. That’s what exactly Sony is trying to do just to acquire more attention than it already has.
As I was saying, both of these devices will be sporting the quad-core i7-3612QM and each will have 8GB RAM to make use of Windows 7 64-bit to its optimum level. Basically, these models will become the rivals of Apple’s MacBook Pro that also uses the same CU but with slightly different chipset. Nonetheless, the power these devices will offer would be more than what we think they can offer. If last year was the time for dual-core computers, this year is for quad-core.
We know exactly that manufacturers are competing on a very stiff market for both smart phones and computers. Having to use powerful and first-class processors is just one of the  many marketing tactics each one of them is using to attract more buyers and customers. While it is now becoming congested in the tech market, no one would actually benefit from it but the buyers and tech enthusiasts who are on the lookout for great new devices. This year, we will be seeing really powerful devices offered at fair prices.
There are no other information as to when the release dates of these devices would be or how much they would be marketed for. But I believe Sony will be going to release them in time for the summer; June could be the perfect month for great releases, although July could also be possible. But let’s just wait for further information from Sony.

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Acer Aspire M5 Ultrabooks Series Revealed

During the summer most of the major manufacturers have new devices to be announced or released and Acer is just one of them. In fact, it just made an announcement today about its upcoming Aspire M5 Ultrabooks which is expected to compete side-by-side with Sony’s Vaio laptops. The thing is, Acer has been known to releasing unique laptops and ultrabooks in the past and anyone can expect the same this year. In fact, the new series of Acer Aspire M5 Ultrabooks are designed in such a way that people would surely turn their heads to see. Putting up really cool and sleek designs is one of the best traits of Acer; it’s as if it’s designer always have idea on how to attract more buyers and customers.

There have already been plenty of ultrabooks released by Acer before and majority of them received approvals from meticulous reviewers for having really great designs but most especially for fairly high specs. Being one of the manufacturers that have already built solid reputation in the global market, Acer promised that there would be new models to be released every year and the most recent announcement is of course included in the plan. There hasn’t been any information as to when these devices would be released in the United States and the rest of the world. But Acer had always displayed prompt actions when it comes to bringing its devices to the market so we can expect that Acer Aspire M5 ultrabook series would be release real soon so as to keep the momentum of the hype built over those devices. There are actually four things Acer applied for these devices and they are as follows;
Performance. Every manufacturer couldn’t just neglect this factor because tech enthusiasts and majority of laptop buyers often look for the specs as well as the smoothness of every operation. While the official press release didn’t reveal the full specs of the new models, I believe Acer wouldn’t go cheap when it comes to the CPU. I think Aspire M5 series would sport quad-core processor either the i5 variant or the i7. This is going to be Acer’s entry into the high-end market this year and it is necessary to candy-coat these computers with good specs.
Convenience. If you have been a fan of Acer, you would notice the difference between using an Acer laptop and using others from different manufacturer. Everything in Acer laptops are designed to provide convenient services to the owners and users. The keyboards of these devices are often custom-designed with contours to make it easier to type. Also, the current design allows the users to lay the laptop straight on the table evident that Acer’s designs often go beyond what it expected of it.
Connectivity. Laptops should have everything needed to connect or make connection with other devices. You can connect to the internet both wired and wireless. These are given features, anyway. But then again, it’s good for everyone to know that Acer Aspire M5 Ultrabooks don’t lack anything.
Battery Life. Everybody knows all these laptops are nothing but a piece of junk if they don’t have battery. So Acer didn’t take any chances, instead it made sure its laptops could get as powerful battery as possible to ensure owners can use their laptops for fairly long time before being required to recharge. Only a few manufacturers actually think of giving their batteries a boost, fortunately Acer is not one of them.
As per the press release today, there are two Acer Aspire M5 ultrabooks that would soon be brought in the market; the 14 inches and 15 inches models. Basically, there is no other difference you can find between these computers but the size of the screen. So, either of the two you will get the same power and performance. Besides, an inch difference is not really noticeable considering we are talking about diagonal measurement here.

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Top 10 Cheapest Ultrabook For Students (2011-2012)

Ulrabook is a category that consists of higher-end subnotebooks that was defined by Intel. Most of these devices are also powered by Intel’s processors, the i5 and i7 processors as well as the upcoming Ivy Bridge processors that will hit the market in a few months time. Ultrabooks are designed to be lightweight and slim without compromising the performance and the battery life.
2012 will surely be a year for the ultrabooks and soon most people will be able to afford these pricey high-end subnotebooks as its prices are decreasing each year. Some reports even foresee that the ultrabooks of 2013 will only cost as low as $500. This year, we have been able to see a few brands that offer their ultrabook models less than $1000, though some are still has a hefty price less than $1500 which is mainly due to the expensive SSDs used by these devices.
Apple Macbook Air is the greatest competitor of the Ultrabook market and according to reports, Apple will soon be releasing a $799 Macbook Air that would really make a significant impact to the market and might even kill some brands. The price of the Apple Macbook Air starts at $999.00 for the 11 inch model with 1.6 GHz dual-core i5 processor, 2 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of SSD. The higher-end model of this ultrabook costs $1,599.00 which is powered by a 1.7 GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4 GB of installed RAM, and 256 GB of SSD.
Let us explore the cheapest ultrabooks that were released from 2011 to 2012, these are perfect for students due to its longer battery life, slim profile, and impressive performance. We came up with a list that is basically influenced by the price of the device and its performance as well.
1. Acer Aspire S3-951
One impressive aspect about the Acer Aspire S3-951 is its design build. The aluminum body makes the device sturdy, keeping the screen protected from slight bumps and it is not shaky like the Toshiba Protégé Z830. Its brushed aluminum finish also makes it resistant to fingerprints and other marks, which maintain the clean and shiny look of the Aspire S3-951. The base model costs $799.99 and is powered by a Core i5-2467M processor clocked at 1.6GHz complemented with a 4GB DDR3 RAM and a combination of 320 GB HDD + 20GB SSD. It will have an average thickness of 13.1mm and weighs 1.35 kg. The 13.3 inch Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook will have a battery life of 6 hours. A high-end model is also available at price of $1,199.99 and will come with a Core i7-2637M 1.7GHz processor and 256GB SSD with other specifications similar to the i5 model.

2.Toshiba Portege Z830
Toshiba Portege Z830 is the company’s first attempt to enter the ultrabook segment. This device has a 13.3” screen display and powered by Intel’s Core i3-2367M clocked at 1.4 GHz that is complemented by 4GB DDR3 RAM. It has an internal storage of 128 GB SSD and has a thickness of 16mm (0.6 inch) and weighs about 1.11kg (less than 2.5 pounds). What even makes it appealing is that you will get 8 hours of mobility and impressive performance at price of $899.99.

The Portege Z830 also boots ups fast and it has a good array of ports for a ultrabook. At the back, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, VGA, and Gigabit Ethernet port is located, a USB 3.0 is placed on the right and the card reader and audio connectors are on the left. So you are assured not to fall short of connectivity options while on the go.
3. Novatech nFinity 2367 Plus
The Novatech nFinity 2367 Plus is the first Ultrabook that is not released by established, global computer company. It is made by a British company who has been already in the industry for quite some time, though it has not been able to take on the global market yet. This Ultrabook might be its first attempt to have a global market entry.

It is powered by a Core i3-2637 1.4 GHz processor complemented by a 4GB RAM and will have an internal storage of 128GB via an SSD. The device will also come with a Windows 7 OS out-of-the-box. What makes the nFinity stand-out is its pricing, the low-end model costs only £534.98 or around $850 and its high-end model powered by an i7 processor will cost around $1200 which is the cheapest price for an i7-powered ultrabook so far.
4. Samsung Series 5 Ultra
The Samsung Series 5 Ultra does not offer the same premium feel as its higher-end sibling the Samsung Series 9 and it is not able to out-power its rivals with the likes of the Dell XPS 13, Aspire S3, and Asus Zenbook UX31. However, this device still offers a relatively good performance for an ultrabook. The 13 inch model is priced less than $900 with a 500GB HDD device and runs a core I5-2467M 1.6 GHz processor with 4GB DDR3 memory. Its models with the Solid State drive however are a bit pricey. The Samsung Series 5 ultra has a thickness of 17.6mm for the HHD model and 14 mm for SSD. It will weigh aroung 1.38 kg and has a battery life of 6 hours.

5. HP Folio 13
HP Folio 13 is HP’s thinnest and lightest ultrabook so far. This device boasts of its 9 hours battery life as well as its impressive performance with its Core i5-2467 1.6 GHz processor that is complemented with a 4GB DDR3 memory. It comes with a 128 GB SSD and has a thickness of 18mm and weighs around 1.49 kg. This 13.3” ultrabook was initially sold for $949.99, however, it is now sold for $899.99 on their website.
The Folio 13 has an SD card slot on the left along with the HDMI, USB 3.0, and Gigabit Ethernet jack while on the other side is a USB port and audio-out/microphone combo jack.

6. Dell XPS 13
Dell XPS 13 have gained much buzz after it was announced in the CES early this year, the company has revealed that the device will feature uncompromising performance, extended battery life and Intel’s Rapid Start and smart Connected Technology which was taken well by the eager consumers. The design and build of the XPS 13 is really impressive with a combination of Carbon Fiber composite and Aluminum chassis, the ultrabook feels solid and durable and adding to that is the 13.3 inch screen that is constructed edge-to-edge wherein the display seems to have no bezel at all, it also comes with a gorilla glass protection that even adds up to its durability. This impressive device sells for $999 and is powered by a 2nd generation i5-2467M 1.6 GHz processor with 4GB of installed RAM and 128 GB of internal storage through its SSD. The XPS 13 is really slim with an average thickness 12 mm and weighs about 1.36 kg. It offers increased mobility through its 8-hour battery life.

7. Lenovo IdeaPad U300s
The Lenovo IdeaPad U300s falls between the standards of a high-end device and an average model. Its design can somehow be considered timeless and premium. The body of the U300s is made similarly as the Macbook Air with a single aluminum sheet that blankets the lid, bottom, bezels, and interior of the device. However, the chassis of the ultrabook is susceptible to scratches and will require a sleeve to prevent objects from having direct contact with the device. The U300s lacks the backlit keyboard and SD card slot, though it has added several multi-gesture trackpad inputs that are somehow similar to the Macbook Air’s controls. This 13.3 inch ultrabook costs $999 for the Core i5-2467 1.6 GHz processor model and has 4 GB of installed RAM and 128 GB SSD. The U300s is 14.99mm thick and weighs 1.34 kg. Mobility is also greatly increased with its 8 hours of battery life.

8. Asus Zenbook UX31E
What makes the Asus Zenbook UX31E stand out from most its competitors is its incredible 3mm front and 9mm rear profile. Asus also uses an exclusive Super Hybrid Engine II which allows the device to power-up from standby in just 2 seconds. However, the very slim body of the UX31E limits the number of ports on the sides of the ultrabook which is a trade-off to its thin profile. The 13.3 inch core i5—2557 1.7 GHz processor model costs around $1,199.88, which is a bit pricey. The ultrabook comes with 4GB of RAM, 128 GB SSD, 17mm thick and weighs about 1.3 kg. The UX31E will also last for about 7 hour and can last for several on standby.
9. Asus Zenbook UX21E
The Asus Zenbook UX21E costs around $900 to $1000 and it offers a unibody aluminum casing that makes the ultrabook sturdy and solid. UX21 is part of the 1st generation of ultrabooks that was released last year and this particular device have dominated the market segment that time in terms of its design and performance, though things may not be that friendly in terms of prices. At its current price range, you can already buy a dell XPS 13 or any other ultrabooks that has larger displays and faster processors. The 11.6 inch UX21E is powered by a core i5-2467 processor clocked at 1.6 GHz and complemented with 4 GB of RAM. It is slim and lightweight with a thickness of 16.76mm and weighs for only 1.1kg, though battery time is not that impressive as it can only last for 5 hours which is quite low compared to other ultrabooks.

10. Lenovo IdeaPad U300e
The Lenovo IdeaPad U300e disappointed some consumers due to its retail price. It was expected to have a price around $800 but when it was released, it had a $959 price tag on the company’s website. This device is just on the edge of the requirements to be considered as an Ultrabook, the 13.3 inch IdeaPad U300e is powered by a Core i3-2367 1.4GHz processor and has an installed RAM of 2GB. The internal storage will be a combination of a 500 GB HDD plus a 32 GB SSD. The form factor is quite near the point of disqualification with a thickness of 18.3mm and a weight of 1.58 kg. Battery life is fine which can reach up to 8 hours.

Year 2012 will surely be a year of ultrabooks, especially with the release of some ultrabooks coinciding with the release of the latest Ivy Bridge processor of Intel. The following are among the 2nd generation of ultrabooks that wil be released this month or around Q3 of 2012, these will also sell less than $1000.

11. Toshiba Thinkpad T430u
Toshiba is set to release the ThinkPad T430u this Q3 of 2012 and will target the businesses that are looking for a portable, well-performing, and inexpensive ultrabook for its employees. This devices seems more like a full-fledged laptop rather than an ultrabook since it is the first in the class to have a dedicated GPU and it has 1 TB of HDD, not the usual SSDs that other ultrabooks are installed with. However, the expected price of $899 is quite appealing. The Toshiba ThinkPad T430u has a 14 inch screen and will be powered by a 2.2 GHz processor that is complemented by a 4GB RAM. It will have a 0.89 inch thickness, a weight of 4.36 pounds, and six hours of rates battery life.

12. Lenovo IdeaPad U310 and U410
The IdeaPad U310 and U410 is best fitted for students that are looking for a new ultrabook. These ultrabooks are expected to sell starting at a price of $699 and will have almost similar specifications as the U300s with the addition of another USB 3.0 port and a memory card slot which was lacking on the older models. However, the consumers will have to choose whether to have a 500 GB HDD or a limited 64 GB SSD. The 14 inch U410 will also have a dedicated GPU, Nvidia GeForce 610M card, which is similar in concept with the Toshiba ThinkPad T420u.

13. Gigabyte U2442N & U2442V
Gigabyte will be joining the ultrabook segment with its latest U2442N and U2442V models. Both devices were announced during the CeBIT 2012 and it was revealed that the ultrabooks will have a 14 inch screen and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT 640M graphics card with 2GB of Vram. Consumers will also be able to choose whether to have an SSD or up to 750 GB of HDD. Between the two models, the U2442N is the one that is designed to take on the performance challenges as it runs a standard voltage processor whether i5 or i7. On the other hand, the U2442V will be using the ULV or Ultra-Low Voltage versions of the Intel chips, though the battery life has not yet been announced for both models. The devices will have a thickness of 18.5 to 20.5 mm depending on the type of storage and weighs below 1.49 kg.

CONCLUSION
The list is arranged in terms of the price of the ultrabooks and is also determined by its perceived performance and if it is worth its value. So far, we think that the Acer Aspire S3-951 is the best choice for ultrabooks that cost $800 for now. Competition will be quite tough when the Lenovo IdeaPad u310 and u410 gets officially released in the US since it also bears almost the same specifications as the Aspire S3 and might even be cheaper.
For those consumers that willing to stash out $1000, the Dell XPS 13 is one of the best choices. It has a great design, sturdy, and performs really well. The device even has one of the best audio performance compared to other ultrabooks in the market.
Please feel free to leave comments on the list that we came up with. You may also want to provide additional feedbacks that might help readers in choosing the best inexpensive ultrabook for them. Watch out for more Top 10 Best devices!

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Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 Intel Core i7 PC Offered For $1849

Lenovo formally launches Lenovo IdeaCentre A720, an all-in-one PC to be marketed for $1,849 price upon release. Everybody knows how desperate this company is to at least, acquire a bigger chunk in the technology market. Consequently, it releases devices ranging from smartphones to tablets up to laptops and computers. Lenovo is taking the competition seriously and that is evident to the specs and the kinds of electronic devices the company is releasing. Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 has actually been made open to the public earlier this year during the CES 2012. Lenovo posted a guiding price of $1,299 but the most recent press release suggested a huge difference in the figures.

Lenovo is not just releasing this PC as a powerful computer, it also wants it to be the most stylish and elegant PC ever released. Imagine that the main unit measures just 24.5 millimeters in thickness and comes with a frameless 27-inch, 10-point multi-touch display. In other words, Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 is a well-engineered and well-designed desktop computer built for personal and enterprise use. While it operates on a Windows operating system, it poses as a good competitor for Apple’s iMac. In fact, it is the first Windows PC to come with very thin (or almost nothing) CPU. iMac literally comes with just a monitor keyboard and mouse as the necessary hardware are embedded on its display unit. As far as history is concerned, no PC model came so close to compete with Apple’s iMac when it comes to design and mobility until now.
Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 could be the best desktop computer so far. Such claim is supported by three authoritarian websites: PCMag.com which awarded Lenovo with Best Desktop for this model, PCWorld also gave the same recognition, and Computer Shopper dubbed it as Best All-In-One Desktop. Three heads are better than one and I think no one could actually agree such fact knowing there has never been a desktop PC as thin, as powerful and as stylish as Lenovo IdeaCenter A720.
IdeaCentre A720 will sport Intel’s Ivy Bridge system on chip (SOC). The new model Core i7-3610QM will be the one to take charge of all the processes inside that thin casing. Lenovo doesn’t want to go cheap on this product so an 8GB DDR3 RAM will work side-by-side the powerful CPU. Whatever this PC lacks in size is being compensated by its specs and features. Apparently, it is revolutionary and would surely change the way manufacturers build their desktop computers. It would also be the first model to feature touchscreen on a Windows OS platform.
If you think the only features Lenovo boasts about this product are the small-sized CPU with powerful processor, the large touchscreen display, and stylish and elegant design, then you’re wrong. There is more to this PC than those things. Lenovo wanted it to be an entertainment hub so it is packed with HD Video playback capability, Dolby Home Theater sound system, and Blu-ray Disc drive (optional). Do you think the price is worth all of these, I believe it is.

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Samsung Releases First Chromebox & New Series 5 Chromebook

Korean manufacturer Samsung Electronics and search titan Google are glad to announce that people would be seeing yet another models of Series 5 Chromebook and the industry first Chromebox. This is going to be another round for these devices to prove their worth in the tech market. While earlier generations of Chromebook didn’t achieve record-high sales projection, it wasn’t also that bad. Perhaps, people didn’t know that Google and Samsung have combined their potentials in a form of partnership to release a device to deliver new and unique experience. This time around, it seems that both companies are more than ready to sell these devices with Google’s newly-launched online store and Samsung’s renewed popularity.

Like the first generations of Chromebook, Samsung and Google emphasize on the speed and portability of these laptops. However, there’s no other way to offer a faster and smoother performance than to deploy Intel-based processors. Intel Core processors are the most preferred system on chip (SOC) today because aside from their proven stability and compatibility with other technologies, Intel has put everything in them to make them as powerful as the manufacturers would want them to be.  For us to be able to understand what Chromebook and Chromebox have in store for us, let’s try to look into their specs.
Series 5 Chromebook Specs 
For anyone who knows nothing about these devices, these are actually just typical laptops that use a fairly new system known as Chrome OS. So far, based on the feedback and reviews of the first Chromebooks, the OS is stable and perfectly compatible with the hardware as it is based on Linux. This is the fruit of Google’s Chromium OS project which started in 2009 and was made an open-source project to attract more developers; it has always been successful since its conception.
The Series 5 Chromebook will again be sporting Intel Core processor but contrary to what others were hoping for, the new models will still feature dual-core CPU. But this time around, Samsung will be putting a generous amount of random access memory of 4GB, that is actually more than enough for a Linux-based computer. And since one of the emphases of this device is portability, it will still get a 12.1-inch display with 1280 x 800 pixels resolution. Just like any other laptops in the market today, the new Series 5 Chromebooks will have the same functionality including all connectivity peripherals. Samsung Series 5 Chromebook is now available in the US and UK for $449.99.
Chromebox Specs 
For now, I find it hard to see the very purpose of a Chromebox. However, I admit that for any Chrome OS lovers, this portable device is good news. Chromebox uses the same processor as with the Series 5 Chromebook and it also has 4GB of RAM. As a unit, it does not come with a monitor but you can surely attach it to any screens you like provide they are capable of receiving DVI, HDMI or VGA data from the box. For maximum connectivity, Samsung put in 6 USB ports, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and all these for just $329.99. It is true that technology touches one’s heart differently and while I don’t like browser-only operating systems, millions of people can see the beauty of these devices.
We are yet to test the capacity of these devices and how they perform in real world. While we know that both have really good specs considering they are running on a cloud-based system. But still, we have to compare them with other devices that offer the same functionality are also offered on the same price range. This is the most common practice in the world of technology and only the devices and computers that offer unequalled performance can excel.

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Gigabyte X11 World’s Lightest Ultrabook Photo Leaked, Features Intel Ivy Bridge Processor

Gigabyte has already confirmed that its Gigabyte X11 Ultrabook has officially become the world’s lightest Ultrabook weighing only 975 grams despite the fact that it is also one of the most powerful laptops today. In stricter sense, Gigabyte X11 now belongs to the lineup of elite ultrabooks making its weight as the factor to be given respect. It’s amazing to know that a laptop that weighs less than a kilo is sporting one of Intel’s most powerful systems on chips (SoC). Perhaps, we can understand this device better if we try to look a little closer into its very core.

Hardware. Gigabyte didn’t actually reveal the real specs of this ultrabook but some sources who claimed being close to the production line said that X11 will sport Intel Core i5-3317U processor. This is a dual-core processor with clockspeed of up to 2.8GHz and minimum of 1.8GHz. This SOC was released in the 2nd quarter of this year and received fairly good feedback from tech enthusiasts especially from gamers who build their own gaming machines.
Gigabyte gives X11 4GB or random access memory (RAM) to be able to maximize the device’s full potential. It would also operate on a 64-bit Windows operating system. Amazingly, there is also 128GB solid state drive (SSD) which is often use to cater the space needed by the OS and other system files and applications for faster access.
Connectivity. Aside from the typical peripherals found in other laptops, Gigabyte X11 will also have USB ports and Bluetooth only that it is a step better as it makes use of USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 4.0 technologies. Wi-Fi is also available as well as Ethernet port for wired connection. Basically, as far as peripherals are concerned, this ultrabook has it all for convenience but aside from the previously mentioned USB and Bluetooth technologies, there is no other features you can get from this computer.
Casing. Among its features is the casing. While other manufacturers don’t really put some emphasis on the outside properties of their laptops, Gigabyte seems to be going beyond what everybody has expected as it has given this ultrabook a carbon fiber casing for protection and design. Carbon fiber is actually one of the most used materials for race cars because aside from being lightweight, it is also naturally glossy and durable. Having a carbon fiber casing explains why it is so light despite sporting powerful specs.
Price & Availability. Rumors suggest that Gigabyte X11 will be marketed between $999 and $1,299 but this price range wasn’t actually confirmed by the company. Also, people speculate that the release date should be in the third quarter but in truth, there hasn’t been information about it yet. While Gigabyte has already provided some initial information about this device, it also hasn’t formally announced this laptop. Perhaps, that’s what we are going to wait to be able to know the real specs, price and availability of this computer. For now, those are the only information we can share with you. Being the world’s lightest Ultrabook would surely help in the sales of this device.

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Acer Aspire One 756 Netbooks Launched: Available in Blue, Black, Red & Silver

Acer is about to release its new entry into the netbook market. Acer Aspire One 756 is a combination of thin and lightweight properties that makes it a perfect traveling companion so you can enjoy the fantastic entertainment or work anywhere with longer battery life. For about 1 inch thick, 1.40 kg in weight and a compact design(29.5 cm or 11.6 inches), Aspire One 756 is slim and light enough to take it with you at all times and do your homework when you need it. We’ve already seen how good Acer Aspire One netbook series are and releasing new models could just be the best thing to do for the company to keep its brand in the loop of manufacturers that never cease to release cool devices for their loyal patrons.

Aspire One 756 comes with a choice of Intel Celeron and Intel Pentium. The Intel Mobile HM70 Express chipset and Intel HD graphics with 128 MB dedicated memory system were the first options for an extraordinary combination of great performance, low power consumption, multitasking and fascinating visual effects with splendid colors and movements. Yes, all these are offered by the latest Aspire One series from Acer. While Acer hasn’t provided the list of full specs, sources claim that these things should be expected upon release. Aspire One 756 series would also sport 2GB of random access memory (RAM) but upgradeable up to 4GB if you wish to optimized the performance of the device.
Available in four colors – blue, black, red and silver – this netbook is so attractive that it would surely attract attention from anybody both male and female alike. The smooth surface makes it easy more glossy and elegant, while its rounded design brings a fresh personality to this series of netbooks. Just in case you haven’t noticed, Acer netbooks have characters and that’s what separates them from the typical netbooks available in the market today released by other manufacturers. And while Acer’s netbooks do not fit into “colorful” category, the manufacturer makes sure most of the time that people will have at least 3 colors to choose from but in this case, there are four.
The chicklet full QWERTY keyboard of Acer with large keys, improves writing while offering comfort and provides enhanced tactile feedback, so it requires less effort and helps improve productivity. For full connectivity, the Aspire One 756 is equipped with free Wi-Fi network, supporting Acer SignalUp technology, improved antenna for transmitting and receiving data, optional Bluetooth 4.0, as well as Fast Ethernet LAN. Basically, every peripheral you can find from other laptops, you can also find it here and it’s just a matter of how they are being positioned for convenience.
For now Acer didn’t provide the price as well as information for the availability Acer Aspire One 756 but since the company has already done the first step, it won’t be long now before we can see it in action. Other tech enthusiasts who have known Acer’s marketing strategies say that it would at least take one to two weeks before the company will release the device it announces. If it’s true then mid-June would be a perfect time to aspire one of these netbooks.

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LG X Note Z350 13.3″ Ultra Thin Laptop Announced, Initial Specs Revealed

LG recently announced its newest entry into the ultrabook market. The 13.3 inches ultra thin laptop, LG X Note Z350, will be the replacement for the Z330 model and would sport one of Intel’s Ivy Bridge system on chip (SOC). The Korean manufacturer boasts of its new device’s fast boot up time. According to the results of the official test conducted for the X Note Z350, the ultrabook can boot up for just nine seconds which is among the fastest boot time record. But that’s just a start because everybody knows laptops sporting Intel’s newest and most powerful processors can offer more than what one can ever imagine. To keep you more interested about this ultrabook, let’s try to tackle on its specs and what it can offer to us.

If Gigabyte X11 is the lightest ultrabook in the world, LG claims that its LG X Note Z350 is the thinnest at 14.7 millimeter only. It has a weight of just 1.2 kilograms, so it can also  be considered among the lightest ultrabooks ever built. With these statistics, you might start to ask what kind of hardware LG put in it and why is it so thin and light. As much as we could think it might sport mediocre hardware, it does not. There is no specific information as to what CPU model does this laptop brings along. However, sources close to the production line said that it will either be an i5 or an i7 processor. An i5 CPU is actually a dual-core and it is renowned to be the best fit for gaming and other usage while an i7 comes with 4 cores and is the newest model of Intel. While gamers find i5 the most suitable processor for their machines, graphic artists as well as video editors prefer i7 because of its hyper-threading capability.
There is no information about the GPU but as far as I know, Ivy Bridge processors have built-in graphic processors. LG however, boasts that X Note Z350 allow 3D gaming seamlessly. We can therefore conclude that there should be a specialized GPU to come with this ultrabook, the one that is capable of 3D imaging and offers really high resolution for better display. The specs mentioned above are pretty much to offer smooth and fast performance but LG adopted a handful of technology that would add up to the already faster boot times; Intel’s Rapid Start Tech will come into play in this ultrabook and that’s what made this laptop boot so fast at just 9 seconds.
There is no mention of the amount of random access memory (RAM) but as much as we are sure that this ultrabook will feature Windows 7 or Windows 8 64-bit, we are almost certain that LG will give this laptop at least 4 GB or RAM. If we are lucky enough, perhaps we would be getting 8 GB. And we have reason to believe that this device would surely support up to 16GB of RAM for optimum performance but that’s extra expenses.
So far, there is no information as to the price and availability of this device. But since it has already been announced officially, we can expect to see it in action later this month or earlier in July. But we should not expect that LG X Note Z350 would be offered below $800 as it might even reach up to $1400. Aside from releasing really powerful premium smart phones, LG is also planning to capture the ultrabook market as well as the appliance competition. Therefore, we can expect that in the following months, we will be seeing some new stuff from the manufacturer.

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Acer Aspire 7600U 27″ & 5600U 23″ All-In-One Windows 8 Desktops Revealed

Aside from Acer Aspire S7 series and Acer Iconia W series Windows 8 tablets, the company also revealed the Aspire U series all-in-one Windows 8 desktops. It is a topic overkill, you might say. But it is not because we are talking of different devices here. What we’ve overkilled in this blog is the Samsung Galaxy S3. Anyway, Acer actually announced a pair of devices for each category. The first duo we’ve reported here was for the ultrabook high-end market, the second was for the high-end tablet market and this one is for the high-end desktop category. Apparently, the Taiwanese company would want to dominate in the high-end parts of the high-earning technology categories today and we could say the company is just able.

Acer Aspire 7600U is a 27-inch desktop computer which all the necessary hardware were stuffed behind its full HD display. To make it like a fully functioning desktop you can add up a keyboard and a mouse, it would be better if you use the wireless peripherals to take advantage of its wireless data transfer capabilities. For this device, all-in-one means you can make this device an ultimate entertainment hub and a large tablet…and everything follows. With its capacitive touchscreen display, you can almost imitate what Tom Cruise did in Minority Report movie and considering it will be operating on Microsoft’s newest operating system—Windows 8—everything will look familiar for you.
There is no information about the processor, the RAM, internal memory, etc. but considering it will feature Windows 8 and stuffed with tons of features, we can expect that Acer will surely give this device what is due. The closest guess we can do about this device is that it will feature Intel’s i7 system on chip (SOC). Considering the fact that it is a desktop primarily, it is expected to have robust operation and thus hyper-threading is a necessity. While i5 can do such operation, i7 is the best there is with its 4 cores that could run 8 threads at a time. Perhaps, we will be seeing 8GB of RAM in this device and a really powerful graphics processor.
Moreover, Acer didn’t reveal much information about Aspire 5600U aside from the fact that it has 23-inch display and almost has the same primary features as the 7600U. Somewhere along the way, there should be a generous gap when it comes to the specs of these devices but it’s not enough for us to say that a smaller one is mediocre. Either of the two, you will still be getting the best that Acer can offer to its customers. You should also consider the fact that both of these large devices are given full HD displays and Dolby Digital Surround Sound system that would give us at least, 5.1 channel audio.
No further information was provided as to the release date and pricing of these devices but you know what to expect; with the features, sizes and designs of these device, you will never get one below $800. We are speculating that since it will showcase Microsoft’s Windows 8 OS, it will be released ahead of Win8′s official release to serve as pre-cursors. But one thing is for sure though; these devices would be released before the holidays.

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Maingear Pulse 11 High Performance Gaming Laptop Released, Price Starts At $999

In an official press release dated June 3rd, 2012 Maingear announced the release of its newest addition to the high performance custom computers. The Maingear Pulse 11 is actually a gaming laptop that boasts of its superb glasses-free 3D gaming capability which can never be found in any other portable computers in the market today. Being an 11.6-incher, it is apparent this gaming laptop was designed and built for portability. According to Maingear, Pulse 11 was built to “harness desktop-like power” so that gamers can play with the same intensity and gets the same quality even on the go.

Maingear meant business when it built this device; Pulse 11 got Intel’s Third Generation Ivy Bridge processor with 4 cores and 8 threads. The American gaming computer builder is best at what it does, so the people behind the creation of the powerful computers just know what to do to maximize the power of every hardware they put in a device. That’s what they did exactly on Pulse 11 as the portable gaming machine went beyond what is expected of it and offers performance considered best at its class.

With NVIDIA’s unique Optimus technology featuring the powerful 384 CUDA core GeForce GT 650 “Kepler’ GPU that can automatically turn on or off the discrete DX11, you can be sure you’re getting the best Maingear has to offer as far as display is concerned. The technology provided for Pulse 11 enable the laptop to offer rich 3D experience despite being ultraportable. Having one of these, you can play in your bedroom, in your car, or you can share it with your family using a large HDTV through the HDMI port which this laptop unsurprisingly possesses. Design-wise, gamers would also appreciate the physical features with black color and orange highlighting along the sidelines.

If video features are superbly done, Maingear made sure it does not falter on its audio. So the company made sure that Pulse II will come with built-in THX TruStudio Pro Sound-certified speakers that deliver a richer, clearer and almost real mobile sound stage. To recap what this gaming laptop offers, refer to the list of key features below:
Processor: 3rd Generation Intel® Core i7 and i5 processors, up to Intel® Core i7 3612QM (35W)
Video Card: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M with 2GB GDDR3/Intel® GMA HD GPU
Display: 11.6″ (16:9) HD (1366 x 768 pixels) LED-Backlit Display
Memory: Up to 16GB Dual Channel DDR3 – 1600Mhz
Audio: Built-in two speakers with THX TruStudio Pro Sound
Operating System: Genuine Windows® 7 Home, Professional or Ultimate 64-Bit
Hard Drive: Up to 1x 600GB SSD or 750GB 7200rpm SATA Hybrid Hard Drive
Battery: Removable Smart Lithium-Ion battery pack (6 cell)
With the abovementioned specs and features, you can almost guess what the price would be. Maingear offers this 3D gaming laptop starting at $999. If you have built your gaming machines, you would know that such price can be considered “cheap” when you are looking for a gaming PC that is future-proof and could run any game or anything that you would throw at it. That’s why if you can get one of these, consider yourself lucky.

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Lenovo IdeaPad U310 & U410 Ultrabooks Launched: Ivy Bridge system on chip (SOC)

Just today, It seems like the news about Intel’s Third Generation Ivy Bridge system on chip (SOC) begins to flood the web as Lenovo announces IdeaPad U310 and IdeaPad U410. The Chinese manufacturer had always been vying to capture a bigger chunk of revenue from the already congested market that’s why it always releases high-end devices albeit not as often as the major manufacturers which are currently dominating in the technology market. Lenovo’s U series of slates will sport the ever popular Intel iCore series, so by the time these devices will be released, they will be put on the same level as Gigabyte X11, LG X Note Z350, and Acer Aspire S7 series.

Lenovo IdeaPad U310 ultrabook is a 13.3-inch laptop that sports one of the most powerful SOC’s from Intel. While the company already made the announcement, there was no information as to what model the processor would be and let’s leave it as it is for now. Its display is somehow mediocre as it uses just the dated liquid crystal display (LCD) technology that allows it to have a resolution as high as 1366 x 768 pixels. I don’t know if you consider that good but for me it’s still mediocre and considering it would come with just 2GB of RAM, that adds to the evidence. However, Lenovo said that you can configure the RAM for up to 4 GB but that’s it, you cannot go any higher than that.

Let’s go to the big brother, Lenovo IdeaPad U410 has the same resolution as U310 at 1366 x 768 pixels. It’s not really surprising to get this quality considering Lenovo hasn’t really excelled when it comes to the technology being used for display. Anyway, there wasn’t also enough information as to the full specs of this laptop especially the processor. We were able to get hold of the spec of the graphics processor, though. U410 comes with Nvidia GeForce 610M GPU with dedicated VRAM amount of 1GB. Apparently this is built for better display and could even perform well as far as light gaming is concerned.
When it comes to revealing its devices, Lenovo seems to be so secretive not to reveal the processor it’s going to use just like when it announced ThinkPad X1 Carbon about three weeks ago. However, in the case of Lenovo IdeaCentre A720, we were lucky to have known that the company has given it a generous CPU with Intel’s i7 quad-core. The point is, if the company was able to reach the highest specs as far as processor is concerned, there is a greater possibility that both IdeaPad U310 and IdeaPad U410 will also be sporting the i7 Ivy Bridge SOC. But that’s actually just a speculation or more of a hope than a reality for now.
No price and fixed release date disclosed so far but many believe these models will see the sun this month. Lenovo is also starting to capture the smart phone market with its upcoming Intel-based K800. Seemingly, the company seems to be obsessed with the technology Intel is offering, thus pushing it to build more devices based on Intel’s architecture.

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Asus Taichi 13.3″ Windows 8 Notebook Features Core i7 Processor & Double Display

In addition to the already powerful lineup of Ivy Bridge device, Asus announced Taichi 13.3 inches Windows 8 tablet with not just one but two displays doubling what other tablets can offer. For this year, this is not the first device Asus looks forward to releasing with Microsoft’s newest operating system. In fact, we have reported a while ago Asus 810 11.6 inches Windows-based tablet which has also been announced yesterday. Apparently, the manufacturer is trying to be in the trend as far as new devices are concerned knowing that later this year, Microsoft’s Windows 8 OS will surely become a hit and Asus simply wants to be among the manufacturers which will offer it.

Hardware. I just want to reiterate that Asus Taichi will be sporting the most powerful Intel processor available in the market today and it is not going cheap on this model. The company could have chosen the cheaper Core i5 with a slight reduction to overall performance but it went for Core i7 with four cores and 8 threads. This goes to show that Asus will also be competing in the cutthroat high-end tablet market. The reason why the company chose the x86 architecture is to make sure that there will be no conflict with the operating system, although we also reported about Asus’ ARM-based Windows 8 tablet that goes by the name of Asus Tablet 600 utilizing Nvidia Tegra 3′s quad-core CPU.

Displays. As I said earlier, Asus Taichi will be sporting double-display which are equally capable. Just in case you are wondering, the two panels are put back-to-back so that by the time you close the lid, your notebook will automatically be converted into a fully functional tablet, albeit thicker than the typical models. Both panels will feature capacitive touchscreen full HD displays featuring 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. The inside panel which is supposed to be the display if the device is used as a regular notebook is a bit bigger at 13.3 inches which the one that serves as tablet’s display only has 11.6 inches. It could have been better if Asus loaned Samsung’s AMOLED technology however, there is no need for that as the company uses the latest Super IPS+ LCD technology.
Amazingly, these displays are independent of each other so it is potentially possible that two people can use the device simultaneously with different operations. There is no confirmation on this claim yet but to make things a bit more interesting, I believe, that’s the reason why Core i7 was used. This is to give way to different operations at the same time requiring hyper-threading capability which only Intel’s third generation i7 system on chip (SOC) can provide.
Furthermore, there is no other information about this notebook but it is believed to be one of the pre-cursors of Microsoft’s newest operating system. So, we can expect its release in the latter part of the second half of this year. As for the price, Asus hasn’t provided a figure leaving us to speculate even more. With a high-end device featuring the latest OS in the market plus the two full HD displays, it is safe to assume that this notebook will not be marketed below $800. It could even go as far as $1500 considering its specs, design and reputation.

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Samsung Series 5 Boost Multimedia Laptop Revealed, Features 1TB HDD & Ivy Bridge SOC

After the release of its newest smartphone flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Korean manufacturer is bracing up to release Samsung Series 5 Boost laptop which is believed to come with Intel’s third generation iCore series of processors known for being energy-savers. Samsung is also vying to release bigger laptops for ease of use and optimization of hardware; the bigger the size, the easier it is to put in powerful hardware and lesser tendency of overheating. There is no specific information released by the manufacturer pertaining to the full specs of this new series, although there are some reports giving us clues on what to expect.

Samsung Series 5 Boost

One thing is for sure, according to reports, Samsung Series 5 Boost will come in either 15 inches or 17 inches screen configurations both having 1600 x 900 pixels resolution. Knowing the fact that either Intel’s i5 or i7 processors come with built-in graphics processor, it is easier to assume that even if the Series 5 Boost will feature a separate GPU for maximum display performance, Intel’s new and improved integrated graphics will come into play when the laptop is in battery-saving mode. This will eventually help in conserving energy, and of course credits go to Nvidia’s switchable graphics card.
I guess with a powerful CPU and GPU on the play inside these devices, it would be logical to hope for a 4GB RAM considering the fact that they will surely operate on Microsoft’s Windows 8 when it’s released later this year. This is Samsung’s entry into the high-end laptops for this year so we can expect that we will be getting all the best. There is another thing that we are certain of, Samsung Series 5 Boost will come with JBL speakers paired with a sub-woofer that would leave us to think that despite the smaller dimension of its built-in speakers, we would be getting a better audio quality.
Samsung Series 5 Boost will get a 1TB hard disk drive (HDD) and it is also safer to assume there would be a solid state disk (SSD) that would be very beneficial for allocating space for the operating system as well as the other system files. While it is clear that the Korean manufacturer will not be competing in the thinnest or the lightest category, it made sure its new series of high-performance laptops have what it takes to be considered among the most capable laptop computers this year. For Samsung, it is always better to have a bigger and better laptop than to have the smallest, thinnest or lightest that don’t offer much convenience to owners.
The information about the price, availability or the release dates of this series hasn’t been revealed by the manufacturer yet. However, analysts believe that Samsung will be releasing these devices in the third quarter in preparation for the grand release of Windows 8. These devices will make sure the company’s brand will not be missing in action by the time the Windows 8-generated trend will come into play. But aside from Samsung Series 5 Boost, the company also revealed the specs of Samsung Series 3, Series 5 and Series 9.

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MSI Slider S20 Windows 8 Ultrabook Announced At Computex 2012

Computex happens once a year and it is during this time that major tech titans convene to showcase their own devices. This year, it seems like every manufacturer is trying to outdo each other by announcing their powerful entries and Taiwanese manufacturer MSI is up for the challenge. And just yesterday, the MSI Slider S20 Ultrabook which is expected to compete head-to-head with other Ultrabooks announced by other makers in the past couple of days. Apparently, Computex 2012 is greatly influenced by Microsoft and its upcoming operating system, the Windows 8 OS.

If you’ve been paying attention closely to every device being announced every day by each manufacturer, you will notice there is something in common majority of them–most of ultrabooks will come with Windows 8 pre-installed. We can therefore arrive at a conclusion that in the following months when these devices are released, the market will be flooded with notebooks and ultrabooks as well as tablets running on Windows 8. Basically, the companies that announced that their devices will sport the latest Windows OS are just making sure they will not be left behind by the trend when the time comes.
Anyway, let’s try to look at what MSI has in store for us. While there is no sufficient information provided as to the full specs of this device, MSI Slider S20 Ultrabook will come with Intel’s Eighth Generation Centrino Platform codenamed Chief River. In case you have not heard about this processor before, it is actually among the newest chips built by Intel with much improved performance but reduced energy consumption.
It may not be as fast as Core i3, i5 or i7 but it’s speed and performance are very satisfactory and taking into consideration that it is easy on the power, there is a lot of advantages waiting for owners of this ultrabook. Also, if you are wondering what architecture is in play inside this system on chip (SOC), It’s still running on Ivy Bridge micro architecture and thus, there’s a little difference between these SOC’s.
I keep on saying that since ultrabooks have almost the same specs and processors; manufacturers need to be as creative and innovative as they can be to be able to make their devices as attractive as possible to acquire attention they need. MSI used a different design while making use of Intel’s Letexo sliding style making MSI Slider S20 Ultrabook uniquely convertible which can be done by simple touch and slide system. You can of course expect the same array of connectivity with Wi-Fi, USB 3.0, 3G/4G connectivity, etc.
It sports an 11.6-inch display featuring a fairly glossy surface and capacitive touchscreen. That being said, you can expect that this device will come with fully functional QWERTY keyboard but you can also execute commands through touch. There is no information available as to the pricing and availability of this ultrabook but it will surely be released in the third quarter of this year together with other Ultrabooks announced at Computex 2012. It might play around the mid-level category where it is expected to excel.

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Fujitsu Lifebook U772/E Ultrabook Released in Japan: Core i5 With Ivy Bridge Features

Fujitsu is actually doing its best to jump into the ultrabook bandwagon and have a comfortable seat to be able to sell its devices. In a bid to attract more attention from tech enthusiasts, the company sported Intel’s Ivy Bridge with its Lifebook ultrabooks. Fujitsu sure knows that giving its ultrabooks different chipsets available in the market today would definitely turn people’s interest off wasting not just the investments but the opportunity to acquire great following. Popularity is one of the best commodities that manufacturers want to possess in the world of technology and so far, Apple is in the lead.

Fujitsu Lifebook U772/E Ultrabook comes with Intel’s 22nm model Core i5-3427U with 2 cores and clocked at 1.8 GHz. Apparently this processor is not as powerful as we think it is but the fact that it belongs to Intel’s Third Generation Ivy Bridge makes it as popular as the powerful chipsets Intel has built. But I want to reiterate that Fujitsu is actually going after the corporate market with this ultrabook so that explains why the company chose the processor with lower specs and clockspeed but economizes battery use.

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