DELL UNVEILS ITS VOSTRO V13 THIN AND LIGHT NOTEBOOK

The Dell Vostro V13 is a thin and light notebook aimed at businesses. It has a 13.3 inch antigloss display and a professional-looking design.

The Vostro V13 has an aluminum chassis. The notebook weighs around 3.5 pounds. And at just 0.65 inches, the Vostro V13 is thinner than most netbooks. It is expected to have an Intel Core 2 CULV processor and 4GB of RAM. The connectivity options are Ethernet, WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth. Other features include an integrated card reader. Dell claims that the battery will last for up to 4.75 hours.

The base version with Ubuntu Linux carries a price tag of $450. If you want Windows 7, you will have to shell out $600.

SEAGATE UNVEILS SUPER THIN HARD DRIVE

Thin notebooks are made of thin components. Seagate has unveiled a new hard drive measuring just 7 millimeter in thickness. Called Momentus Thin, this hard drive is 2.5 millimeter thinner than Seagate’s existing hard drives.

Seagate will showcase the new drive at CES in January. It will be available in 160GB and 250GB capacities. Both drives will spin at 5400 rpm speeds and have 8MB of cache. Because of its thin profile the Momentus Thin hard drive will be ideal for use in netbooks. It may also be a viable alternative to SSDs.

KINGSTON UNVEILS DATATRAVELER LOCKER + USB FLASH DRIVE

USB Flash storage drives have become very cheap in recent years. In fact, you don’t have much difficulty getting a 32GB USB flash drive for $60 or less. But price isn’t an indicator of the usefulness of the drive. Because flash drives aren’t necessarily created equal. Some drives are faster than others. Some even come with password-protected file encryption feature.

Now Kingston has unveiled a new line of DataTraveler Locker + USB flash drives with 256-bit AES hardware encryption. The encryption software makes it impossible to access data on the drives without a password. And if you enter the wrong password 10 times the flash drive will automatically get reformatted. So if you lose your flash drive accidentally you will not have to worry about your data reaching the wrong hands. But be sure to remember your password. The drives are compatible with Windows, Linux and OS X. They are available in 4GB to 32GB capacities. Prices start at $36.

QUANTA UNVEILS SNAPDRAGON POWERED SMARTBOOK

Plenty of non-Intel devices have started hitting the market. Lenovo has announced its plans to release a Snapdragon powered smartbook. Now Quanta has unveiled another smartbook. This machine too will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor. It will run on Google’s Android OS.

Only the prototype is ready at the moment. The demo video released by Quanta shows a mini laptop with 3 USB 2.0 ports, a mini-HDMI connector, a microSD reader and a combination of microphone and headphone jacks.

In terms of thickness the machine is comparable to Sony’s Vaio X. But just not expect it to have similar guts.

DELL UNVEILS PRECISION M6500 NOTEBOOK

Dell has unveiled its newest business notebook – the 17 inch M6500. It is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor. Up to 16GB of RAM and three hard drives (RAID 0/1/5) can be installed.

The Dell Precision M6500 is fairly customizable. Users can choose from several workstation graphics cards such as ATI FirePro M7740 and Nvidia Quadro FX 2800M/3800M.
The 17 inch RGB LED backlit display features 1920 x 1200 pixels resolution. The regular M6500 has a chassis built of anodized aluminum. It costs around $2,749 and is expected to start shipping from December 22. The top-end M6500 Covet edition has an orange aluminum chassis. It will cost around $4,219.

FUJITSU UNVEILS LIFEBOOK P3110 MINI-LAPTOP

Fujitsu has unveiled a mini-laptop with an Intel CULV processor. The Fujitsu LifeBook P3110, as it would be called, has an 11.6 inch display with 1366x768 pixels. The device can be configured with an Intel Core 2 Duo Su7300, Intel Pentium SU4100 or Intel Celeron 743 processor. These processors are part of the Intel CULV line which offers better performance than Atom processors common in netbooks. CULV processors are also power efficient and considerably improves the battery life. The LifeBook P3110 is available with Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate editions.

Up to 4GB of RAM can be installed. The maximum storage capacity is 500GB. Connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth and UMTS modem options. The expected battery life is 6 hours. The machine will weigh about 3.3 pounds with the battery.

Pricing and Availability
No information regarding pricing or availability has been announced as yet.

HALERON UNVEILS LOW-COST MIO SMARTBOOK

Haleron has added a cheap smartbook to its mini-laptop line. The Mio Smartbook as it is called is a low power device with a 7 inch display. Its specifications aren’t better than those of smartphones.

The Mio Smartbook is powered by a 266MHz ARM-based processor from VIA. It supports up to 256MB of memory. The device comes with 1GB of flash storage space which can be expanded to 4GB. There are 3 USB ports, and an SD card slot for additional storage.
The Mio Smartbook runs on Windows CE 6.0. The expected battery life is upto 6 hours. The smartbook is available in red, pink, silver, green and black. It weighs about 1.5pounds. Other features include WiFi 802.11b/g and Ethernet. There is also an optional 3G USB modem for connectivity purposes.

Pricing and Availability
If you place an order for 3 or more units, you should be able to get it for $189 per unit. The product page on Haleron’s official website gives the impression that the laptop could run Windows XP, Linux and Android. While Linux and Android may be viable options, it can’t run Windows XP simply because it has an ARM-based processor.

AT&T UNVEILS USBCONNECT LIGHTNING FOR ACCESSING ITS WIRELESS NETWORK

US wireless carrier AT&T has unveiled a new USB connection service with which you can access its wireless network. The USBConnect Lightning as it is called is capable of running at speeds as high as 7.2Mbps.

The USBConnect Lightning has a swiveling USB connector. It is capable of fitting into even the smaller port configurations. The service can be purchased for free with a contract on November 22nd. AT&T plans to roll out this service in a number of major cities across the US by the end of this year.

TOSHIBA UNVEILS SATELLITE PRO L450 AND L550 NOTEBOOKS

Toshiba has introduced two laptops aimed at businesses. The Satellite Pro L450 and L550 are expected to deliver decent performance at an affordable price.

The Satellite Pro L450 has a 15.6 inch display. It can be configured with either an Intel Core 2 Duo T5870 processor with 3GB of DDR2 RAM or an Intel Core 2 Duo T6670 processor with 4GB of RAM. The hard disk capacity is 320GB. Prices start at $629.
The L550 has a 17.3 inch display. It is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo T6670 processor with 4GB of DDR2RAM and a 320GB hard disk drive.

Graphics is handled by Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics. As these notebooks are aimed at businesses, there are no discrete graphics cards. Both machines run Windows XP SP3. The L550 is also available with Windows 7 Professional. Prices start at $999.

TRANSCEND UNVEILS 1.5TB EXTERNAL HARD DISK DRIVE

Transcend has unveiled a 1.5TB StoreJet 35T external hard disk drive. It has more than enough space to store the whole of your music and videos. The StoreJet 35T also comes with some useful backup software.

Backing up your data is pretty easy with the one-touch backup button. And just in case you find the 1.5TB storage space insufficient, there is a StoreJet Elite software for 256-bit AES file and folder encryption and compression. Transcend claims that the drive is ‘eco friendly’ and power efficient as it automatically reaches a power saving sleep mode after 10 minutes of inactivity. The file transfer speeds may range from 33MB/s to 42MB/s when using the TurboHDD transfer mode.

No information regarding pricing or availability has been announced as yet.

IMATION UNVEILS 2.5 INCH SATA SSD UPGRADE KITS

Imation has unveiled several upgrade kits for those users who want to upgrade the SATA hard disk drives in their netbook to faster solid state drives. The new kits come with 64 or 128GB SSDs. There is also an external USB enclosure into which you can place your existing hard disk drive just in case you don’t feel like throwing it away.

The kits are, however, overpriced. The 64GB SSD now retails for $211.99 at Buy.com and the 128GB kit will make you lighter by $359.99. That means this drive costs as much as a low-cost netbook. So if you find these drives too costly for your taste, you should look elsewhere. And fortunately for you, you will not have much difficulty finding 64GB SSDs selling for $150 or less. But they won’t carry the Imation trade mark.

ACER UNVEILS CONVERTIBLE ASPIRE 1420P TABLET

Acer has unveiled a convertible tablet called Aspire 1420P. It has a flexible multi-touch display and runs on an Intel CULV processor.

The Aspire 1420P is based on the Intel GS45 chipset. It is powered by a Celeron processor. Up to 8 GB of DDR2 RAM can be installed. The storage option is a 320GB hard disk. The laptop has an 11.6 inch display with 1366x768 pixels and it supports 200-nits bright colors. The display is multi-touch enabled and accepts finger and pen input. For handling graphics, there is Intel GMA X4500MHD integrated chipset supporting HD video offloading. Other features include 3USB 2.0 ports, HDMI port, Gigabit Ethernet, WWAN 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi b/g/n and Kensington lock.

The machine weighs 3.80lbs and comes with Windows 7 Operating System. The 5600mAH 6-cell battery is expected to give up to 8 hours of battery life. The machine is available in three colors – Diamond Black, Sapphire Blue and Ruby Red.

No information regarding pricing or availability has been announced as yet.

LENOVO UNVEILS IDEAPAD Y550P, U150 AND U550 NOTEBOOKS

Lenovo has unveiled three new IdeaPad notebooks featuring Windows 7. The machines are dubbed Y550P, U150 and U550 and are presently available for customization on Lenovo’s website.

The Y550P has a 15.6 inch display. It is the first Lenovo laptop to be powered by the Core i7 processor. The machine is aimed at multimedia enthusiasts and is equipped with a discrete GPU from Nvidia. It will also feature ‘unique Lenovo tools’ such as SlideNav.

The U150 is a thin and light laptop with an 11.6 inch display. It measures just .53 inches in thickness and weighs under 3 lbs. The U150 will run on an Intel CULV Core 2 Duo processor with up to 8GB of RAM. The U550 is aimed at businesses. It has a 15.6 inch display and sports an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Other features include switchable graphics and VeriFace facial recognition software.

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ACER UNVEILS ASPIRE 5738DG 3D LAPTOP

Acer has unveiled a laptop supporting 3D vision. The Acer Aspire 5738DG, as it would be called, uses Nvidia’s 3D system hardware and glasses. And the included TriDef 3D screen has good refresh rate to make the 3D experience really smooth.

The 5738DG has a 15.6 inch display with 1366x768 native resolution. It is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 2.20GHz processor with up to 4GB of RAM. The standard storage option is a 320GB hard disk drive. There is a discrete graphics card in the form of an ATI Radeon HD 4750 with 512MB of dedicated memory. The machine will run on the Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit operating system. Other features include WiFi b/g/n, four USB 2.0 ports, multi-format card reader, webcam, Dolby optimized stereo speakers and a DVD burner.

The machine weighs 6.16lbs with the 6-cell battery. It is now available for purchase at the starting price of $799.99.

GATEWAY UNVEILS THREE NEW LAPTOPS - THE EC14, EC54 AND EC58

Gateway has announced three new laptops – the EC14, EC54 and EC58. The machines are highly portable and run on Windows 7 operating system.

All notebooks will have more or less the same hardware including a 1.3GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core SU4100 processor, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, a 320GB hard disk drive and Intel’s GMA 4500MHD graphics. Other features common to the notebooks include WiFi 802.11b/g/n draft-n, 3 USB ports, HDMI, integrated webcam and multicard reader. The trackpad supports multi-touch gestures. The machines are expected to give 6-8 hours of battery life.

The EC14 is the smallest model with its 11.6 inch display. It weighs around 3lbs. The other two models are equipped with 15.6 inch displays. The EC14 starts at $549.99 while the larger models cost around $649.99.

GIGABYTE UNVEILS NOTEBOOK WITH EXTERNAL GRAPHICS

Gigabyte has unveiled a notebook that allows the option of using an external graphics card through a docking station. The new M1305 notebook has a 13.3 inch display with 1366x768 pixels. It runs on Windows 7 and can be configured with Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium or Celeron ULV processors. The notebook has an integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD. But if you want better graphics performance you can use the Nvidia GeForce GT 220 GPU through the docking station.

Up to 4GB of RAM can be installed. The hard disk is available in 320 or 500GB capacities. Other notable features include eSATA/USB combo port. There is also an HDMI port for transferring video to an external monitor. The machine weighs 4 pounds with the six-cell 3800mAh battery. Gigabyte claims that it will offer up to 6.5 hours of runtime.

No information on pricing or availability has been announced as yet.

ACER UNVEILS ASPIRE 8940 18.4 INCH NOTEBOOK

Acer has unveiled its Aspire 8940 notebook with an 18.4 inch display. It is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor. The machine is equipped with a full 1080p screen resolution. Detailed specifications of the model are as follows:

Processor: Intel Core i7 Processor 720QM (1.60GHz, 6MB L3 Cache, 1333MHz FSB)
Display: 18.4" Full HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit Display with 1920x1080 pixels
Memory: 4GB DDR3 Dual-Channel 1066MHz Memory
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M with 1GB dedicated DDR3 VRAM
Storage: 500GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive

Other notable features include Blu-ray reader/DVD SuperMulti Double-Layer Drive, digital media card reader, WiFi Link 5100 802.11a/b/g Draft N and integrated webcam. There are 5 USB 2.0 ports, 1 HDMI port and 1 eSATA port. There is a Dolby Home Theatre and Acer CineSurround Sound System with 5 built-in speakers to enhance the multimedia experience.

The Aspire 8940 will run on the Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit operating system. It is expected to be available this holiday season for around $1349.99.

ACTIVE MEDIA UNVEILS AVIATOR 312 SSD

Active Media has released a USB 3.0 solid state drive – the Aviator 312. This device offers great read and write speeds and is one of the fastest drives available in the market.

The Aviator 312 is basically an external Solid State Drive. It is powered by the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology which allows it to be totally external. Active media claims that it is capable of attaining read speeds of up to 240MB/S and write speeds of up to 160MB/S.

On the flipside, the drives are pricey for their size. They are also only available in small capacities. A 16GB drive will cost $89, a 32GB $119, and a 64GB $209.

LENOVO UNVEILS 11.6 INCH U150 LAPTOP

Lenovo has unveiled its 11.6 inch Ideapad U150 at the CEATEC show in Japan. The device isn’t quite a netbook. It is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo Ultra Low Voltage SU4100 processor with 2GB of RAM and integrated Intel GMA X4500 graphics.

The Ideapad U150 has an attractive design with textures tattooed on its exterior. The laptop is thin and light. It measures just 13.5 mm in thickness and weighs around 1.35 kg.

Performance
Detailed specifications of the device are not yet known, but it is expected to deliver better performance than other similar sized PCs running on Intel Atom processors. And if Lenovo manages to price it right, the U150 could prove a winner.

KOHJINSHA UNVEILS NETBOOK WITH TWO SCREENS

Kohjinsha unveiled a unique netbook with two 10.1 inch LCD displays at CEATEC 09. The secondary display sits behind the primary display and can slide out to sit side-by-side with the primary display. The displays are available at either 1024 x 600 or 1366 x 768 pixels.

The device is powered by a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon NeoMv-40 processor and runs on the Windows 7 operating system. Up to 4GB of RAM can be installed. The storage capacity is 160GB. Other features include TV Tuner, fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth 2.1.

Kohjinsha has not yet announced any official release dates. Actually, this is only a prototype device and may remain just that. But if the concept does become a reality, don’t expect the device to offer good battery life.