+ Last summer, I bought the second-tier white plastic MacBook (at the time, $1,299). The new 13-inch MacBook Pro (newly rebranded now that it’s design matches its 15- and 17-inch siblings) is the Mac I wish I had. Not only did Apple shave $100 off the price and refresh the specs; it also added a more colorful display and SD card slot, and its battery, now non-removable, promises up to 7 hours of battery life. Like the MacBooks released last fall, it has a sexy aluminum design and huge multi-touch trackpad, but this one also has the 17-inch MBP’s durable Unibody construction (that is to say, it’s made from a single, seamless piece of metal). Needless to say, I was excited to see the 13-inch MBP arrive at our office bright and early the morning after Schiller and Co.’s epic keynote. We’re in the process of benchmarking it and completely putting it through its paces, but for now, here are my first impressions. Same Design– Almost At first glance, the 13-inch MBP looks like last fall’s MacBook. Aluminum chassis? Check. Soft black island keyboard? Check. Large multi-touch gesture-enabled trackpad? Check. Edge-to-edge 13.3-inch display? You get the idea. Although the Unibody design makes the notebook more durable, it’s weight (4.5 pounds) and dimensions (12.8 x 8.9 x 1.0 inches) remain the same. Because the lid is so thin (or, perhaps, because we’ve lately spent a lot of time with ultra-thin laptops) we expected it to weigh less in the hands. That said, 4.5 pounds is totally reasonable for a 13-inch notebook, not to mention lighter than the white MacBook, which weighs 5 pounds, flat.
Other than the Unibody construction, the biggest design change is the addition of an SD card slot, an addition I’m happy about, but also loathe to praise Apple for too much, since they should have done it long ago.
The other ports, as before, include 2 USB 2.0 ports, a Mini DisplayPort, headphone and mic ports, an Ethernet jack, and a FireWire 800 port. You’ll have to upgrade to the 17-inch MBP ($2,499) to get 3 USB 2.0 ports and an ExpressCard slot. There’s also a slot-loading DVD burner and Apple’s excellent iSight webcam (complete with its Photo Booth application, which is built into Leopard).
Keyboard and Trackpad
As always, the island keyboard has a soft finish, and makes little sound while you type. While the keyboard on, say, the 17-inch MBP might be too large for some hands (and also too recessed) the 13-inch’s keyboard is comfortably placed. It’s also backlit with an ambient light sensor, which comes in handy in low-light environments.
The touchpad remains one giant button that doubles as both the trackpad and the touch button.It’s not the smoothest we’ve ever tested, but nevertheless the friction is still slight enough that it shouldn’t be a problem.
In the past, we’ve found the button to be a bit stiff, with a slight learning curve to match. By now, Apple’s gotten the design right: we were able to effortlessly press down on the button without thinking about the fact that there’s no dedicated touch button (never mind two).
The multi-touch gestures work smoothly. By pushing four of our fingers toward the top of the touchpad, we were able to fling windows toward the top of the screen, exposing a clean desktop. When we used two fingers to zoom in and out of pages in Safari 4 (fresh out of beta, and a new, Cover Flow-tastic addition to the Leopard OS), the onscreen response was very quick, and only slightly jerky.
Display and Audio
The 13.3-inch (1280 x 800) LED-backlit display, like the others in the refreshed MacBook Pro line, has a 60 percent increase in color gamut. In short, the screen sure is pretty. It’s bright, and the colors popped, while blacks appeared as rich shadows. By default the screen goes dim very quickly when unplugged; surely, that helps users achieve such long battery life (we haven’t tested that yet, but we’ll include our battery test scores in the full review).
Unfortunately, when we watched a bit of Mad Men, the glossy screen limited our viewing angles from both the sides, and from the front when we dipped the lid forward.
On the plus side, though, the speakers are plenty loud (we opted to keep the volume set to just three or four bars out of 16. As for the sound quality, it didn’t get distorted at high volumes, and it was far richer, and less tinny, than what we’re used to hearing from 13-inch notebooks.
Specs
Our $1,199 configuration has a 2.26-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and a 73-watt Lithium-polymer battery. We’ll include plenty of benchmark scores in our full review. Stay tuned.
An Early Verdict
I already know I love the aluminum 13-inch Mac. But with a more durable design, SD card slot, more vibrant display, faster innards, and– best of all– lower price, I’m sure I’ll love it even more. The real question mark right now is battery life. We don’t imagine it being poor or worse than its predecessor, but I’ll reserve full praise until I see just how long it lasts unplugged. For now, it looks like Apple’s produced another gem+ HP Updates Netbook Lineup with the Mini 110 and Mini 1101
+ Tis the season to update your netbooks, and joining Acer, ASUS, Lenovo, and Dell in releasing new models is HP. The company is updating its Mini lineup with the Mini 110 and Mini 1101. The Mini 110 with XP and Mini110 with Mi (Mobile Internet) are aimed at consumers, while HP is adding the Mini 1101 for business customers. The Mini 110 (pictured on the right and fully reviewed here) looks similar to the 1000 series but will be offered in two additional colors other than the standard black (White Swirl and Pink Chic). HP has also added an extra USB port (now totaling three) and a VGA port (as opposed to the adapter cable on the Mini 1000). Plus, the standard hard drive is now 160GB (5,400 rpm), compared to the painfully slow 4,200-rpm 80GB drive on thhe HP Mini 1000. Last but not least, the notebook vendor has included Syncables software, which allows you to easily sync contacts, photos, music and more files between the Mini and your primary PC. In July, HP will add a video hardware accelerator from Broadcom that will allow the Mini 110 to play back full high definition content (1080p). HP estimates that this option will cost $30, as will the option to upgrade to a 1366 x 768 (720p) display. The Mini 110 still sports a 10.1-inch 1024 x 576 display as the standard option, a stellar keyboard, and a trackpad with mouse buttons that horizontally straddle the pad. It also has the same 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor as its predecessor, and consumers will be able to configure the netbook with either Windows XP or HP’s Mi operating system based on Ubuntu Linux and a three-cell (standard) or six-cell ($40) battery. The black HP Mini 110 with XP and Mi are expected to be available in the U.S. on June 10 and will start at $279. The Pink Chic and White Swirl HP Mini 110 will be available at a later date.. HP is also releasing a Mini 1101 model, which is aimed at business users. The Mini 1101 starts at $329 and is expected to be available June 1It will have more business friendly software and hard drive options up to 250GB
+ Dell Demonstrates Android on Inspiron Mini 10v
+ It wasn’t too long ago that we were hearing rumors that Dell will sell a Google Android based netbook. The company isn’t confirming these rumors but they are showing off its new Inspiron Mini 10v running the Android operating system. In a two minute video Dell’s Doug Anson demos the Inspiron Mini 10 running Android but also Ubuntu’s Netbook remix. Oh and don’t forget the third 10 -incher in the shot running Dell’s tailored Ubuntu operating system. It is nice to see Dell trying out these different OSes on their systems and looking beyond Windows. Given that Ubuntu Linux Inspiron Mini 9s account for 1/3 of their sales, it looks like Dell is hoping to have the same success with Linux on the 10s.
+ Intel SSDs Get Another Price Cut
+ Intel has drastically lowered prices on several of its SSDs including the ones from mainstream X25-M series. The MLC-based X25-M Intel SSDs are available in 80GB & 160GB capacity for $320 & $630 respectively. The new pricing of X25-M reflect a $50 price drop on the 80GB model while the 160GB unit has been slashed by $100. Intel will also be rolling out more 1.8-inch SSDs in 80GB & 160GB capacities. Branded under X18-M series, these 1.8" SSDs will be primarily aimed at smaller laptops and the netbook market. Also scheduled in Intel's SSD product roadmap for 2009 are - 128GB SLC drive and a 320GB SSD (utilizing 34nm MLC NAND chips).
+ Toshiba Portege A605 Review
+ The Toshiba Portege A605 is a 12.1" ultra-portable notebook designed for business travelers who want something small and lightweight, but don’t want to make any compromises when it comes to features. The A600 series notebooks offer an on-board optical drive so users can enjoy movies or install applications on the road, eSATA to expand storage, and a power saving Intel Centrino 2 platform to squeeze out as much battery life as possible. In this review we find out how well the A605 stands up to the rigors of day-to-day use, and if it is worth purchasing this notebook over a netbook or other ultra-portable notebooks. Toshiba Portege A605-P210 Specifications:
- Processor: 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 (800MHz FSB, 3MB Cache)
- Graphics: Intel X4500 Integrated Graphics
- Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium with SP 1 (32-bit)
- Screen: 12.1" diagonal WXGA LED-Backlit Display (1280x800)
- Memory: 3GB PC6400 DDR2 (1GB onboard, 2GB in slot, 5GB Max)
- Storage: 320GB Hitachi SATA HDD (5400rpm)
- Optical Drive: LabelFlash SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
- Intel 5100AGN WLAN with Bluetooth 2.1 w/ EDR
- Power: 6-cell Li-Ion 5800mAh battery, 45W AC adapter
- Dimensions: 11.3" x 8.8" x 1.2"
- Weight: 3lbs 1.8oz (3lbs 11.9oz travel weight)
- Warranty: 1-year
- Price as configured: $1,399.99
Build quality is hit or miss depending on what part of the notebook you are looking at. The quality of the finish is excellent, with a thick layer of glossy black paint that appears to be scratch resistant. On the flip side, the plastic used to construct the notebook suffers from abnormal amounts of flex--a side effect of its lightweight construction. The palm rest and lower half of the case flex inward when you grip the notebook to carry it around, and even resting your palms on the palm rest makes them bend in slightly. The screen cover shows similar flex and when gripped firmly makes the display show signs of color distortion around the edges and center. The screen itself also has some issues in how it is mounted, showing a pressure spot in the bottom corner that "flashes" when the screen jiggles on your lap or desk surface.
Upgrading the components on the A605 is more difficult that the average notebook, with half of the RAM soldered to the motherboard and no access panel for the hard drive. While most business users probably won’t be modifying company issued hardware, regular users who buy this notebook might be upset.+ HP ProBook 4510s Review
+ The HP ProBook 4510s is the latest 15.6" business notebook designed to provide solid performance at a low price for small and medium businesses. If your company wants the HP Elitebook 8530p but doesn't have the budget to spend $1,350 per laptop, the ProBook 4510s might be a good alternative at a starting price of just $529. Is this budget-priced business notebook destined for success? Take a look at our full review to find out. Our pre-production review unit of the ProBook 4510s is configured as follows:
- Intel Core 2 Duo T6570 Processor (2.1GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB)
- Microsoft Genuine Windows Vista Business (with option for Windows XP downgrade)
- 15.6-inch LED-backlit anti-glare HD display (1366 x 768)
- Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
- 2GB DDR2 800MHz RAM
- 250GB 5400RPM HDD
- LightScribe DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
- WiFi (802.11a/b/g/draft-n), Ethernet, Modem, and Bluetooth Connectivity
- 8-Cell 63WHr Battery
- Limited 1-year standard parts and labor warranty
- Dimensions: 1.25" x 14.6" x 9.83"
- Weight: 5.8lbs
- Price as configured: $749
HP received much praise for the strong magnesium alloy chassis used in the EliteBook series of business notebooks. Unfortunately, in order to lower the cost and weight of the notebook the ProBook 4510s is constructed mostly of plastic. The base of the laptop flexes heavily under pressure, the palmrests likewise bow under the weight of your wrists, and the back of the screen lid is similarly prone to flex. The plastics used in the 4510s should hold up fine if the notebook is being used as an office desktop replacement, but the chassis might not survive multiple drops off a desk or the kind of abuse you expect from a mobile workforce. On the bright side, the new keyboard is pretty firm except for a very minor amount of flex around the directly above the optical drive (more on that later). The key point to remember in this section is that the ProBook 4510s looks pretty nice, but isn't as rugged as more expensive business notebooks.
The outer shell of the screen casing, like the rest of the notebook, is made of plastic. The lid is made of reflective glossy plastic with the HP and ProBook logos printed in silver. The laptop screen housing is a mixture of firm and flexible materials. The frame around the screen is solid enough to prevent me from twisting the screen when force is applied, but the back of the lid is flexible enough that I was able to create screen-wide ripples across the display when I pressed on the back of the screen.
The minimalistic design of the ProBook 4510s combines matte and glossy surfaces for a clean look without the flare of HP's consumer-oriented Pavilion line. Our review unit comes equipped with the "Noir" black finish but HP will also offer the notebook in "Merlot" red later this year.
Despite the plastic construction, the 4510s features hard drive shock protection in the form of HP 3D DriveGuard which will help to protect your hard drive in the event the laptop gets dropped or violently bumped. HP also includes HP ProtectTools with drive encryption, Device Access Manager, HP Spare Key (a program that helps employees access their computer in case they forget their password), HP Disk Sanitizer, File Sanitizer, and McAfee Security Solution for those small businesses that need reliability and ease of use but don't have the resources of a dedicated IT department.
That being said, we were a little confused by how difficult it is to make upgrades to the ProBook 4510s. While most notebooks have a removable panel on the bottom of the notebook to access the RAM, hard drive, and wireless card, HP designed the ProBook 4510s so that you have to remove 10 screws and the entire top half of the chassis (including separate speaker grill, keyboard, and touchpad area) in order to replace or upgrade components. As you can see in the image below, that is a lot of work for a small IT department or small business owner who just wants to upgrade the RAM or replace a hard drive. Granted, many businesses will never upgrade their notebooks and will simply use them as-is until they are replaced ... but the complexity of upgrades and repairs is something to keep in mind.
Screen and Speakers
The ProBook 4510s comes equipped with a 15.6" anti-glare display with a 16:9 widescreen ratio. At 1366 x 768 pixels, this 720p high-definition display is perfectly usable and features good color and contrast. We know many people are concerned about the transition from 16:10 to 16:9 ratio screens (because this means less vertical resolution) but the difference is so minor that the vast majority of notebook users will never have a problem.
Horizontal viewing angles are quite impressive and you only start to notice some color shift after you get 75 degrees off center. Vertical viewing angles are only average as the screen begins to wash out from above and colors begin to invert from below after about 45 degrees in either direction.
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Keyboard and Touchpad
The full-size keyboard on the 4510s is a completely new design for HP and provides fantastic spacing between keys for typing as well as a dedicated number pad (a major plus for businesses that use their computers for number crunching or data entry). Each key is relatively flat with a nice matte texture and the keys sit above a glossy black support frame. The support frame surrounding the keys is quite firm thanks to the design of the chassis which adds additional support for the keyboard. The only obvious area of flex in the keyboard is when you press on the number pad keys. Keep in mind, however, that we received a pre-production unit, and HP claims that the production units shipping to customers have even better support against flex.
The individual key presses are quiet without loud clicking sounds as you type. The depth of each key press is excellent, though some people may dislike the flat, chicklet-style keys. Overall the keyboard layout is extremely nice for a 15-inch laptop.
The touchpad is very responsive to my touch with a scroll zone on the right side that works exactly as it should. The touchpad texture is okay, but the low-cost material used is sure to develop wear over time and use. The plastic touchpad buttons are about the right size, but require a deep press in order to register a click. This wouldn't be a problem if the area directly beneath the touchpad buttons was indented to allow the side of your thumb to press the buttons all the way down. Unfortunately, when you try to press the touchpad buttons your thumb hits the bottom edge of the notebook and sometimes the buttons don't register a click. This would be a simple thing for HP to fix by replacing the palmrest and touchpad area with a new one that has an indented area beneath the touchpad buttons.
We would have also liked to see a dedicated touchpad disable button (like the ones HP uses on their consumer notebooks) so that you can disable the touchpad if you're using an external mouse.
Ports and Features
The 4510s features a good number of ports on all sides, so let us take a brief tour ...
Left side: Here we see the Kensington lock slot, GigE Ethernet, heat exhaust, VGA out, HDMI, an ExpressCard/34 slot, and two USB ports.
Right side: Two USB ports, modem (under a rubber flap), optical drive and power jack.
Rear side: The battery and hinges.
Front side: Media card reader, headphone out and microphone in jacks.
The bottom of the notebook is completely bare. As previously mentioned, there is no way to access the RAM, hard drive, or wireless card from the bottom of the notebook. The top half of the 4510s must be completely disassembled in order to make upgrades or repairs.
Performance and Benchmarks
Our pre-production ProBook 4510s came with the Intel T6570 processor, clocking in at 2.1GHz, and Intel integrated graphics. Discrete graphics will be available at a later date, but discrete graphics will obviously increase the cost of the notebook. A 250GB 5400 RPM hard drive was also included, which helped applications load without much lag. This notebook didn't really exceed our expectations in terms of performance, but the 4510s has more than enough power to handle Microsoft Office or even very basic video work.
The obvious bottleneck in terms of performance here is the use of Intel graphics, but considering the small and medium business buyers interested in this notebook don't care about the ability to play video games or edit HD video, this isn't a major concern.
With that said, let's jump into the performance benchmarks.
Despite the weak performance of the built-in speakers, they are well placed above the keyboard to direct sound up and toward the user.
The headphone jack on the 4510s works well with the two different brands of earphones I used during the test. No static or other noise was noticed through the jack besides imperfections in the audio source itself.+ Amazon.com Announces $489 Kindle DX
+ Moments ago here at Pace University in New York City, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled the company’s next version of its Kindle - the Kindle DX. The 9.7 -inch display is two times the size of the original Kindle and the device has a built-in accelerometer that allows you to view documents in a a landscape mode. The 3.3GB capacity Kindle DX will retail for $489. (To learn and see more, check out our hands-on.) It has built in 3G capabilities like the original Kindle and the Kindle 2 allowing for over the air downloads of books. And not just any books, we are now talking textbooks. An alternative to textbooks is what Amazon is aiming for with the DX. The device is targeted at students and Amazon has reached agreements with three of the leading textbook publishers: Pearson, Wiley and Cengage Learning. And five top universities including Princeton, Arizona State and Case Western have agreed to start pilot programs deploying the Kindle DX to their students. Additionally, Amazon is hoping the larger device can provide a modern electronic alternative to the newspaper. The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe will offer the Kindle DX in exchange for subscriptions, though only to those that cannot get home deleivery at first. “We knew an e-reader product would offer the same satisfying experience as the newspaper,” Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. Chairman of the New York Times said on stage. Whether cash-strapped students and the reading public are ready to spend nearly $500 on a e-reader remains an open question
+ Is Your PC Ready for Windows 7? This Tool Lets You Know
+ Microsoft has released the beta version of its Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, a free utility that tells you if your PC is ready to run Windows 7. It scans your computer, checking internal components, external peripherals, and programs, and alerts you to potential compatibility issues. It also offers upgrade suggestions, such as which drivers to replace, should you make the move to Windows 7. It's a good idea to run Upgrade Advisor, which takes only a few minutes, if you plan to install Windows 7 Release Candidate, which is also available as a free download. (The RC expires August 1, 2010.) After downloading and installing Upgrade Advisor, you'll see an opening screen that advises you to connect all of your external devices, such as hard drives, cameras, MP3 players, and so on:
I ran the Upgrade Advisor on a 2-year-old Gateway MX8734 notebook that with a 1.6GHz Intel Pentium T2060 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive. This system runs Vista sluggishly-no surprise given the 1 gig of memory-and based on initial reports from Redmond, I thought it might perform better with Windows 7. However, a recent PC World Test Center report says that may not be the case.
The compatibility check took about 6 minutes and found a few potential issues. While the Gateway's processor, memory, and hard drive met Windows 7's minimum requirements (I expected this), Upgrade Advisor recommended that I download the latest driver for the Realtek Wireless 802.11b/g USB 2.0 network adapter before installing Win 7. It didn't find potential conflicts with any installed programs.
Upgrade Advisor also pointed out that Windows 7 doesn't include Web filtering (Windows Mail and Parental Controls), and it included a link to Microsoft's Windows Live Essentials site, where you can download the free Family Safety utility.+ Nvidia Ion Netbooks Coming Next Month
+ Acer officially launched the first Nvidia Ion powered computer with its nettop AspireRevo last week, and like we have been hearing for months now, the Nvidia Ion netbooks are on the way. Pocket-Lint.com is reporting that a number of companies are preparing to announce Nvidia Ion powered netbooks in June and many of them will be available as soon as July. The site’s source was hesitant to reveal which companies would unveil Ion netbooks, but “confirmed that there will be some big announcements from ‘key’ players at Computex, the annual PC trade show in Taipei at the beginning of June.” Nvidia’s Ion graphics solution combines Intel’s Atom processor with GeForce 9400M graphics. We reviewed the Ion Reference Design and were impressed with its graphics performance and are drooling to finally see it hit netbooks
+ A ThinkPad Netbook? Sign Us Up!
+ Lenovo’s already delivered netbooks to the consumer and eduction markets, and now an exec says the company is considering making a ThinkPad-branded netbook for business customers, too. According to Matthew Kohut, Lenovo’s Worldwide Competitive Analyst, netbooks are just what businesses looking to save money during the recession need. He told APCMag: “Businesses are definitely asking about netbooks, they’re wanting them more and more. Business problems, whether the economy is good or not, remain the same: do more with less, be more efficient and all that. This ties in very nicely with netbooks.” Other notebook vendors have had the same idea. Dell recently announced the business-friendly Vostro A90 and Acer made the Aspire One Pro 531 official. Meanwhile, we’ve reviewed the HP Mini 2140 and the ASUS N10j-A2. The big question, aside from cost and whether or not we’ll ever see one is, what would a ThinkPad netbook look like, anyway? Will it have a red trackball in the center of the keyboard? Might it forgo a trackpad in favor of a more spacious keyboard, a la the X200? And to what extent will it leverage Lenovo’s ThinkVantage suite? Would you buy a ThinkPad-branded netbook? And what do you hope it includes? Tell us what you think in the comments.
+ Sharp’s Dual-Screen Netbook Priced at $999
+ Remember that funky dual-screen netbook from Sharp we showed you a few days ago? Turns out it’s coming to the U.S. via Dynamism. And at $999, it can be yours for almost the same price as three Aspire Ones. To recap, the PC-NJ70A has an LCD screen built into the palm rest that allows users to view programs and play games. Otherwise, its specs make it identical to almost every other netbook we’ve seen: a 1.6-GHz Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and a memory card reader. Early adopters, would you ever, under any circumstances, shell out a thousand bucks for a netbook? If so, what specs or features would it have to have? Also, are you insane? Sound off in the comments
+ PeeWee PC Pivot Tablet (or Intel’s Classmate Convertible) Available For Purchase
+ Intel may have released its Convertible Classmate PC back in January at CES and CTL might have been the first to market with it in the U.S., but PeeWee PC is also jumping on the educational netvertible bandwagon. Manufacturer of computer products and accessories for children PeeWee PC will be selling its Pivot Tablet Laptop for $599 starting this month. The netbook will look and feel just like the CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC we reviewed and liked so much. The rugged, spill and drop resistant netbook is aimed at children between the ages of 3 to 10 and features an Intel Atom processor, rotatable touch screen with a stylus and a free Walt Disney Windows XP Theme. See below for full specs and images of the Pivot Tablet. The PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop starts at $599.99 MSRP and is available now exclusively at www.peeweepc.com. PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop
- CPU: Intel Atom Processor N270 1.6GHz
- Chipset: Intel 945GSE Chipset
- Memory: 1GB Standard (Upgradeable to 2GB)
- Hard Drive: 60GB 1.8″ PATA HDD
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
- Measurements: 9.5 x 7.5 x 1.5 inches
- Weight: 3 pounds
- Battery: 6-Cell Ion Battery
- Warranty: Standard 3-Yr Limited Warranty + Lifetime Phone Support
+ Bring on the Multi-Touch Apps: N-Trig Releases Multi-Touch Development System for Win 7
+ What is one of the biggest problems with multi-touch laptops? The lack of applications that take advantage of the ability to use two fingers to manipulate the screen. However, N-Trig, the company behind the DuoSense touchscreen technology in most multi-touch laptops, including the Dell XT and the HP TouchSmart Tx2, is all over it. This morning, N-trig announced the availability of their DuoSense Development System, which will allow ISVs and application developers to get a head start on developing multi-touch Windows 7 applications. The $900 portable system allows developers to use the device to create applications instead of having to buy an expensive multi-touch laptop. The DuoSense development system sports a 12.1 inch screen and can be connected to any any PC via a USB
+ Lenovo Constant Connect Now Available
+ Back in February Lenovo and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion announced Constant Connect, a $150 ExpressCard accessory that helps sync your enterprise e-mail directly with your ThinkPad notebook.Today, it’s officially available from Lenovo. You might be wondering why you’d ever need e-mail sync on your notebook if you already have it on your BlackBerry. The point of Constant Connect is that you won’t need a separate Wi-F or broadband connection just to read and send e-mail from your ThinkPad. For example, you could be on a plane (without a Wi-Fi connection) and typing an e-mail on your notebook. You hit send on your notebook, and it will use Bluetooth to connect to your BlackBerry. When you land, you don’t have to open your notebook again; the BlackBerry will simply fire off the e-mail for you. Likewise, if you’re in an airport terminal without broadband or Wi-Fi, you can read and send e-mails on your computer thanks to the real-time e-mail delivery provided by Constant Connect. CIO.com says the product will work with any ThinkPad with Intel Montevina and any BlackBerry with OS version 4.2 or newer. It’s available from Lenovo’s Web site and through it’s distribution partners in the United States
+ First Review: HP’s Budget-Friendly, Stylish ProBook
+ Today, HP unveiled a new line of notebooks for small business users, starting at a recession-friendly $529. The ProBook has a stylish look (when’s the last time you saw a red business notebook?), comes in 15- and 17-inch screen sizes, and boasts many of the security features offered in the premium EliteBook series (oddly, a fingerprint reader isn’t one of them). How good is the performance and design? Check out our full review of the ProBook 4510s, which offers a 15.6-inch display, full size keyboard and numberpad, a 2.1-GHZ Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive, and DVD burner for $699. Read on for more details.
15.6-inch
The 4510s (Intel) and the 4515s (AMD, pictured at right) have 15.6-inch, LED-backlit, 16:9 displays, and are available with a Blu-ray-ROM drive. However, the 15.6-inch models do not have a Bluetooth option and instead are available with mobile broadband.
They are available with either integrated Intel graphics or discrete ATI graphics. The 15.6-inch models, like the 17-inch ones, have a full number pad on the keyboard. These will be available in Merlot and black.
17-inch
The 17-inch version, the 4710s, is only available with Intel processors and discrete ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 graphics with 512MB dedicated memory. It has a full number pad, as noted above, HDMI output, and a Bluetooth option. It is only available in black.
Availability
Availability for these notebooks will vary by region. HP has said, however, that the Merlot color option will become available in June