Archive for the 'Laptops' Category

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Kohjinsha offers up colorful line of ML6 netbooks

Friday, March 27th, 2009

You could guess the specifications with your eyes closed -- a 1.6GHz Intel Atom, 1,024 x 600 resolution panel, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, WiFi, Windows XP and a battery good for around 4.7 hours -- but at least Kohjinsha busted out the paint gun on its ML6 netbook. The 8.9-inch Japanese rig is available in a whole slew of colors including black, white, gold, blue, pink and a few other hues that only Crayola experts could explain, and the inclusion of audio in / out sockets and an ExpressCard slot adds just a wee bit of personality. Of course, we're none too impressed with the ¥38,900 ($393) price tag, but we guess that's the premium you pay for such a wide variety of color options.

[Via Pocketables]

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Kohjinsha offers up colorful line of ML6 netbooks originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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8.9-inch Acer Aspire One said to have hard drive flaw, distaste for U2

Friday, March 27th, 2009

It looks like any 8.9-inch Aspire One owners out there may want to refrain from playing music full blast through the netbook's speakers for the time being, as some users have found that it can have the unfortunate side effect of completely trashing the hard drive. According to reports on the HardwareCult forum, the problem only affects Aspire One netbooks with standard hard drives, not SSDs, and it arises when the right speaker causes enough vibration and / or magnetic interference to throw the hard drive into a tizzy, leading to a whole host of errors and even some potential data loss. Apparently, the problem was first discovered when someone played U2's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" at maximum volume, which has since conveniently proven to be an effective tool for reproducing the problem -- not recommended, of course. No word if the new album has any effect.

[Thanks, Tigre]

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8.9-inch Acer Aspire One said to have hard drive flaw, distaste for U2 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS quietly reveals Atom N280-equipped Eee PC 1002H

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Till now, the only N280-packin' Eee PC of any stature was the amazingly long-lasting 1000HE. Thankfully for everyone who appreciates minute improvements in speed, ASUS has just pushed out another with the mildly quicker chip: the Eee PC 1002H. Not the 1002HA, mind you -- just the 1002H. Outside of the new CPU, however, most everything remains exactly the same from the 'HA' edition, including a 10-inch LED-backlit WSVGA display, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB hard drive, 1.3 megapixel webcam, inbuilt stereo speakers, a multicard reader, VGA out, three USB 2.0 sockets and audio in / out jacks. There's no mention of a price or release date, but it should arrive in Pearl White, Pink and Black whenever launch day comes.

[Via Eee PC-Blog]

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ASUS quietly reveals Atom N280-equipped Eee PC 1002H originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple announces WWDC 2009 dates; iPhone, Snow Leopard countdowns begin

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Here we go: Apple's just announced that its Worldwide Developers Conference will take place June 8-12 in San Francisco. If you'll recall, last year's WWDC was where a little gadget called the iPhone 3G made its appearance, and we'd say chances are good we'll see new hardware this year as well -- especially since there'd be no bigger way for Steve Jobs to make his planned June return to the company. Also on the list of expected attendees? Snow Leopard, possibly with a revised interface. It should be a big one -- you know we'll be digging for all the info we can get in the leadup, so keep it locked.

Update: Jobs said he'd be out until the "end of June," of course. Still, we've got a feeling he'd want to be involved in any iPhone hardware announcements. We'll see!

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Apple announces WWDC 2009 dates; iPhone, Snow Leopard countdowns begin originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maingear unloads BD / SSD-equipped mX-L 13.3-inch laptop

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Look out, world -- a relative no-name has just showed up with a new ultraportable, and it's darn tough to not pay attention with a specs sheet like this. The Maingear mX-L arrives with a 13.3-inch LED-backlit display (1,280 x 800), a Core 2 Duo CPU, GMA X4500HD graphics, 8GB of DDR2 RAM, 160GB Intel X25-M SSD (or a 500GB HDD for those without the cheddar), a dual-layer Blu-ray reader, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, VGA output, three USB 2.0 sockets and a custom etched top that's totally take-it-or-leave-it. The unit weighs in at 4.4 pounds and gets going at $1,099.99, but don't expect that measly four-cell Li-ion to last you through a whole transcontinental flight.

Gallery: Maingear unloads BD / SSD-equipped mX-L 13.3-inch laptop

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Maingear unloads BD / SSD-equipped mX-L 13.3-inch laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 Touch logo program detailed, Release Candidate “at the end of May”

Thursday, March 26th, 2009
In a bid to help consumers recognize PCs optimized for new Windows 7 multi-touch controls, Microsoft has started... (can you guess?)... a logo program. Not that those "Vista Capable" stickers were of much use. Just think, now our new convertible laptops will be graced with loads of crapware and stickers touting Designed for Window 7, Intel inside, nVIDIA graphics or similar, and now Windows Touch, too. Of course, Microsoft's slide-ruled hearts are in the right place: the Windows Touch logo is meant to identify machines featuring all the required improvements in hardware (such as accuracy, sample rate, and resolution of the display) to ensure that gestures are recognized and that users can successfully target common UI elements like "I'm over 18" boxes. The logo program also quantifies the requirements for drivers (hooray!) and applications (natch). Certified machines must pass a 43-step test that validates the core requirements under different conditions. Every device submitted for logo will be tested in-house by Microsoft. Hit the read link for the exhaustive detail straight from the unicorn's mouth.

P.S. The BBC's report on the new logo program says that Microsoft will kick out the Windows 7 release candidate for users "at the end of May," not April as previously rumored.

[Via BBC]

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Windows 7 Touch logo program detailed, Release Candidate "at the end of May" originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Snow Leopard soon to sport a new “marble” look?

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Apple's been saying all along that Snow Leopard would be more about under-the-hood performance and stability enhancements than huge feature changes, so take this with a grain of salt, but AppleInsider claims that a forthcoming 10.6 developer beta could potentially feature a new UI codenamed "marble." The new appearance is said to be darker and sleeker than the current Unified / Aqua look, and speculation is rampant that the new scrollbars in the current versions of iTunes and iPhoto offer a peek into the future, along with the well-circulated mockup of the new QuickTime X player seen above. We'll see if Apple breaks with its plan to focus solely on the internals soon enough -- but for right now, we're wondering what your biggest gripes with the current OS X interface are, because we certainly know ours. What do you want fixed? Sound off!

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Snow Leopard soon to sport a new "marble" look? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple firmware update aims to fix vertical line issues on 17-inch MBP

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Apple's latest firmware update for the recently shipped 17-inch MacBook Pro sure is light on details, but one thing's for sure: it reportedly nixes those weird vertical line issues that have plagued so many. Unfortunately, the "MacBook Pro Graphics Firmware Update 1.0" doesn't point out whether it was an overheating problem or a GeForce 9600M quirk that was wreaking havoc, but so long as it works, we guess it matters not. Hit up your Software Update when you get enough courage to suck down 770KB of problem-solving goodness.

[Via MacRumors]

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Apple firmware update aims to fix vertical line issues on 17-inch MBP originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung exec talks Windows 7 options on future netbooks

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

We've already heard that HP will likely be offering more than just the stripped-down Starter version of Windows 7 on its future laptops, and it now looks like Samsung could be set to do the same. According to TechRadar, Samsung's Head of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for the computing division, Kyu Uhm, says that the company would like to include higher-end versions of Windows 7 on its future netbooks, but that depends on how much it has to pay Microsoft in royalties. In related news, Samsung's European Product Manager Patrick Pavel also said that the launch of Windows 7 would likely spell the end of Linux as an option for its netbooks, although he says Samsung would still consider a Linux netbook if users demanded it, adding that Linux netbooks "made a certain community very happy."

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Samsung exec talks Windows 7 options on future netbooks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer’s custom Aspire One netbook: Heinous, exemplified

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

If the Acer Aspire One netbook above makes you feel uncomfortable, even angry, then you're probably not a Japanese school-girl. Hell, even if you are we hope you have the good sense not to paste stuffed animals, taffeta, and frills to your Atom-based netbook. That's what UMPCs are for.

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Acer's custom Aspire One netbook: Heinous, exemplified originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 03:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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