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ACER: Display Retina sui notebook del 2013
Acer è sicuramente una delle aziende con il più ampio bacino di utenza, soprattutto per quanto riguarda il segmento notebook mainstream dove ha pochi rivali in fatto di prezzi aggressivi. La crisi del mercato PC, e la scelta di molti competitor di proporre sempre più prodotti di fascia high-end per contrastare soprattutto il MacBook Pro, sembra aver “spinto” l’azienda a considerare l’opzione Retina Display sui propri notebook.
Ancora non si conoscono molti dettagli, soprattutto sui modelli cosiddetti “High-End” che potrebbero beneficiare di tale trattamento. L’idea seppur da verificare per l’impatto dei prezzi sui Notebook, potrebbe comunque non essere un male e offrire agli utenti display ad alte risoluzioni come quelli dei prodotti Apple. Per il momento si parla di pannelli con risoluzione 2880 x 1620 pixel, molto vicino quindi ai 2880 x 1800 pixel del MacBook Pro 15″ e i 2560 1600 schermo del modello da 13.3″. L’azienda ha inoltre sottolineato l’intenzione di non scartare questa ipotesi anche sui PC AIO e sui monitor di prossima generazione.
13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display reportedly seen with 2,560 x 1,600 LCD, dual Thunderbolt ports
We hope you didn’t want Apple’s little event next week to be a complete surprise. After promises of extra details for a prior leak, a WeiPhone forum goer has returned with photos of what’s supposed to be the active screen and ports of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display that might be on stage come October 23rd. If this is what we get alongside the similarly unofficial miniature iPad, we’ll take it. The possible leak shows a 2,560 x 1,600 LCD (four times higher in resolution than the existing MacBook Pro) and, importantly, no sacrifices in expansion versus the 15-inch Retina model — there’s still the dual Thunderbolt ports and HDMI video that shipped with this system’s bigger brother. Vital details like the performance and price are left out, so there’s a few cards left off Apple’s table, but the images hint at what could be a tempting balance between the 15-inch MacBook Pro’s grunt and the MacBook Air’s grace.
Dell svela i prezzi dei nuovi XPS 12, XPS One 27 e Inspiron One 23
A poco più di una settimana dalla kermesse Microsoft di New York che aprirà le porte a Windows 8 e tutti i dispositivi correlati, ecco che anche Dell decide di venire allo scoperto e svelare alcuni dei prezzi ufficiali tra cui quello dei nuovi XPS 12, XPS One 27 e Inspiron One 23.
Il primo (foto in apertura) non è altro che un ibrido che abbiamo già potuto vedere in occasione dell’IFA di Berlino 2012 e apprezzarne l’idea originale e la scelta dei materiali, un terminale che dalla comune ‘posizione notebook’ può essere facilmente ribaltato e trasformarsi in un tablet touch screen con risoluzione full HD. Nessun compromesso neanche sotto l’aspetto hardware con una potente piattaforma Intel Ivy Bridge a disposizione. Costo con Windows 8 a bordo pari a 999€.
Hands-on with Google’s $249, ARM-based Chromebook (update: video)
Google really impressed us in San Francisco here today with its 11.6-inch ARM-based Samsung Chromebook. The $249 laptop is 0.8-inches (20mm) thin and weight only 2.43 pounds (1.1kg). It features a 11.6-inch 1366 x 768-pixel matte display, a full-size keyboard, a button-less trackpad and a 30Wh battery for 6.5+ hours of operation. Specs include a fanless dual-core A15-based Samsung Exynos 5 Dual (5250) SoC, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in flash storage, WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth. There’s a full-size SD card reader and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack (with mic support) on the left, plus the power input, HDMI output, USB 2.0 port, USB 3.0 connector and SIM slot (currently unused) in back.
First impressions? This is a solid machine — build quality and materials are fantastic for the price. It’s also pleasantly thin and light, a boon for people who are used to carrying a laptop around every day. We’re happy with the display which is bright and crisp. Viewing angles could use some improvement, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a better laptop screen at this price. The keyboard and trackpad feel great (we’re coming from an 11-inch Core i7 MacBook Air), and two-finger scrolling works like a charm. Performance is somewhere between the original Atom-based Chromebooks and the current Celeron-equipped Series-5 model. The system didn’t have any issues playing back 1080p content in YouTube, but we didn’t get a chance try Hulu or NetFlix.
Ultimately, this is a phenomenal device for the price. If you’re used to working in the cloud, you’re basically getting 80 percent of the entry-level MacBook Air experience for a quarter of the price. Factor in the Google Now integration and 100GB of free Google Drive storage for two years and this latest Chromebook is a winner. Check out the gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on video.
Google launches 11.6-inch ARM-based Samsung Chromebook: $249, ultrathin, 6.5-hour battery, 1080p video
Google just launched the latest iteration of its Chrome OS-based laptop here in San Francisco — the $249 (or £229, for those in the UK) 11.6-inch Samsung Chromebook. It’s ARM-based (fanless), 0.8-inches thick, weighs only 2.43 pounds, runs 6.5+ hours on battery, boots in under 10 seconds and supports 1080p video playback. Pre-orders start today at Amazon and PC World, and the laptop includes Google Now integration using Google Drive as a transport and comes with 100GB of free storage for two years. It will be available for sale on the Play Store and featured prominently at retailers like Best Buy, and naturally, we’re expecting this one to make a bigger splash than prior models based on the bargain bin price alone.
Under the hood, there’s a dual-core A15-based Samsung Exynos 5 Dual (5250) SoC, 2GB RAM, 16GB of built-in flash storage, WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth, all of which should act to give this Chromebook a lot more oomph compared to slower, earlier models. Other specs include a 1366 x 768 native screen resolution, a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 socket, combo headphone / mic jack, an SD card slot and a “full-size Chrome keyboard.” Hit up the links below for the nitty-gritty, or hop on past the break for a promo vid.
CyberPowerPC Debuts Fang Taipan Gaming Notebook
Cyberpower Inc., a global manufacturer of custom gaming computers, today announced its Fang Taipan, the most customizable gaming laptop with twin NVIDIA GPUS, 3rd Generation Intel Core Processors and enough memory and add-ons to make the most demanding games and applications sizzle.
The CyberpowerPC Fang Taipan is a laptop beast that wields a lethal dose of power. It can accommodate two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680Ms in SLI model; a full range of Intel Core i7 CPUs including the fastest i7-3940XM (3.0GHz) Extreme Edition Ivy Bridge Mobile Processor; and features up to 32 GBs of dual-channel DDR3 memory for gaming at unparalleled speeds. According to CyberpowerPC, this triple-threat marks the absolute pinnacle of mobile computing power.
The Fang Taipan refines HD gaming with its full HD 17.3-inch 16:9 LED-backlit 1080p display combined with its Onkyo sound system with a built-in subwoofer for a sublime gaming experience.
Other standard features include built-in 9-in-1 card reader; 2 megapixel digital video camera; one changeable 12.7mm (H) DVD (BR-RW Combo drive or Blu-ray/DVD (BR-RW) combo drive, SATA interface, two detachable 2.5″ 9.5mm(H) SATA hard disk drives with hardware RAID 0/1 support and a full size illuminated keyboard that can change colors on the fly.
Vizio preps for Windows 8: all-in-one PCs get touchscreens, notebooks get ‘enhanced’ touchpads
As is all the rage right now, Vizio is upgrading its lineup to support Windows 8′s more touch-centric UI. The company’s 24-inch and 27-inch all-in-one PCs will receive touch panels, resulting in a price bump to $998 for the base 24-incher with Ivy Bridge and Kepler internals, 1920 x 1080 display and 500GB hard drive. Meanwhile, Vizio’s Ultrabooks — both the 14-inch and 15.6-inch models — and its heftier 15.6-inch Full HD notebook will all get “enhanced multi-gesture touchpads” that will allow exactly the same swipes, taps and pinches as a touchscreen. These laptops will start at $849 for the smaller Ultrabook and $1,129 for the notebook. Expect the whole lot to arrive as part of the late October crush.
Samsung’s dual-display Windows 8 laptop and other prototypes, hands-on
See that? It’s not your daddy’s flip hybrid tablet — it’s the new dual-display laptop prototype from the fine people at Samsung. The body of the notebook is certainly in the vein of a MacBook Air or ultrabook, with slim metal slides that taper off into a point. The palm rests, meanwhile, are a brushed metal, with black chiclet-style keys above. On the bezel above the screen is a camera.
The magic, however, doesn’t happen until you close the thing, turning on a display on the hood. Yep, it’s yet another attempt to capitalize on Windows 8′s dual-nature. Inside, you’ve got a fully functioning laptop and outside you’ve a touchscreen tablet that, yes, utilizes everyone’s favorite proprietary stylus, the S-pen, and there’s also a rear facing camera on the outside. Perhaps it’s all that functionality packed inside, but this prototype is certainly heavier than your standard ultrabook, and unlike most systems, a lot of that weight is located in the display — we’re sure there’s a fair amount of internals located up there.
This being a prototype, the Samsung rep we spoke with had no clue on what such a device might cost or when it might come to market — or even if this thing will ever see the light of day, so don’t get your dual-hopes up just yet. The hybrid was sitting right next to the 2,560 x 1,440 Series 9 prototype we recently scoped out and in front of a wall of concepts that explore the brave new world of elastic form factors to their fullest. Check out a video and some notes on the other devices after the jump.
Chrome OS update revamps app list and Google Drive saves, allows relentessly adorable wallpapers
Aw, wouldn’t you look at the cute little… wait. Right, there’s a Chrome OS update. At its heart, the upgrade to Google’s cloud-based platform introduces a streamlined app list that both occupies less space and carries an internet-wide search box. It’s also possible to save files directly to Google Drive, and audio can now play through either HDMI or USB. Don’t lie to yourself, however: the real reason you’ll rush to update your Chromebook today is newly added support for custom wallpapers, which guarantees all-day, everyday viewing of your most favorite dog in the whole wide world. Or at least, a nice change of pace from Google’s run-of-the-mill backdrops. Isn’t it so sweet?
NEC’s LaVie Z Ultrabook has definitely lost weight: just 875 grams and priced from $1,600 in Japan
No one complained when we reported NEC’s initial claimed weight of 999 grams (2.2 pounds) for its LaVie Z Ultrabook, but it turns out that statistic is brutally unfair. The 13.3-inch laptop actually tips the scales at just 875 grams (1.9 pounds) thanks to the magnesium lithium alloy used in its 0.59-inch chassis — not bad when you consider that there are still 1.3kg netbooks wandering the planet. Of course, in line with Intel’s official Ultrabook spec, you’re getting a minimum Core i5-3317U processor (yes, that’s Ivy Bridge) and 128GB SSD, plus USB 3.0, SDXC slot, HDMI out and a claimed battery life of 8.1 hours. There’s no word on US pricing yet, but that base spec will set you back ¥130,000 ($1,600) in Japan, while the top model with Core i7-3517U and 256GB SSD will add another ¥30,000 ($375) to your bill.
Sony Offers Free PS3 or PS Vita with Notebook Purchase
If you’re a student or teacher looking to get ready for next year that needs a new laptop, Sony has a deal for you. Sony is offering students and faculty members a free PS3 or PS Vita with the purchase of certain laptops starting at $746.89. If you don’t need either of those game consoles, you can get a discount on other PlayStation gear.
That discount would be $200 off your choice of other PlayStation gear, which I would assume to be accessories. The notebook that you can get in the special deal includes the new Sony VAIO T ultrabook. That thin machine offers decent performance with a 1.7 GHz Core i5 processor.
If an ultrabook is not for you, Sony also has other computers including offerings with 13.3-inch and 15.5-inch screens in the S range. Those machines sell for $775.99 and $824.49 respectively.
via The Verge
The 2012 MacBook Air vs. the 2011 model: what’s changed?
No, we didn’t get the Retina Macbook Air many of us may have been hoping for, but the Apple ultra-portable did get a significant Ivy Bridge boost, including a pair of USB 3.0 ports. There’s also an option to double the flash storage capacity with a 512GB SSD, along with adding up to 8 gigs of 1600MHz DDR3L RAM and Apple’s new MagSafe 2 connector on the 13-inch Air. Base model pricing remains the same for the 11-incher, at $999 for the bare-bones configuration, while the larger Air will be available starting at $1199 — a $100 drop over its predecessor. All of the new Airs will ship beginning today, but that doesn’t mean it’s upgrade time for you. Click on past the break for our side-by-side comparison and a closer look at what’s new.
HP updates Envy 15, 17 and 17 3D to Ivy Bridge, game and media fans rejoice
HP has been very eager to take the Envy line in an Ultrabook direction, leaving performance hounds a bit wanting. Much to their (and our) relief, the full-fat Envy 15, Envy 17, and Envy 17 3D have all made the leap to Intel’s latest round of Ivy Bridge processors. Along with the 2.3GHz to 2.7GHz quad Core i7 chips we all know and love, the Envy 15 and regular 17 can get a dual 2.5GHz Core i5 to keep the price slightly closer to Earth. All of them ship with an equally upgraded AMD Radeon HD 7850M to give games that extra jolt of energy, and you won’t find one with less than 6GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive. Should you like the Envy’s current formula and just wish it had that much more oomph, you can pay a post-discount $1,100, $1,250 or $1,530 to bring one to your door.
Vizio PCs officially launch in June, home theaters look on with envy
The FCC gave us a clue that Vizio’s first-ever PCs would be shipping soon, and the company is now spilling a few beans more directly. Although the official statement is still short on many of the details we’ve been hoping to know, Vizio is promising that the line will launch before June is up. As a refresher, the normally home theater-focused company is planning to go all-out despite being the new kid on the block, going with a trio of mid-size laptops as well as two sizes of all-in-one desktops that rely on Magic Trackpad-like input to draw attention. Mum’s the word on whether or not the 10-inch tablet will be part of the June arrivals, although there’s unconfirmed talk that Walmart will carry at least some of the lineup and trigger some jealousy in the 2012 Vizio TVs across the aisle.
I nuovi Notebook ASUS serie N disponibili in Italia
ASUS annuncia la disponibilità per il mercato italiano dei nuovi Notebook serie N, dispositivi che coniugano design curato, materiali selezionati e una sezione audio che può soddisfare gli utenti più esigenti. La gamma di notebook multimediali ASUS serie N di arricchisce con i modelli N56 e N76, rispettivamente da 15” e da 17”, che si distinguono per un look particolarmente elegante, totalmente rinnovato e già vincitore del prestigioso premio per il design reddot 2012.
HP refreshes its Pavilion laptops ahead of back-to-school season, intros six new models
You may have noticed that HP unleashed a torrent of laptops today, but at the heart of it all, even more crucial than those Ultrabooks and business laptops, are the notebooks Hewlett-Packard plans to sell to college kids during the all-important back-to-school season. This go-round, the company’s redesigned both its mainstream Pavilion dv series, as well as its entry-level “g” laptops, though the range of sizes (14 to 17 inches) is pretty predictable. In addition, the outfit also introduced the Pavilion m6, a slim 15-incher that isn’t technically an Ultrabook, but nonetheless joins a growing group of thin-and-lights with unexpectedly large screens. Throughout, as you’d expect, HP’s refreshed its laptops on the inside too — namely, with newer Intel and AMD chips, along with fresher GPUs. We’ve got a full break-down of specs, prices, design notes and availability details after the break, though we’ve also got photos and the full press release below if you’ve got some important study session to hurry to.
- Pavilion dv series. Starting with HP’s redesigned line of mainstream Pavilion dv laptops, these models have a more pared-down look, with recessed keyboards, soft-touch accents and some subtle chrome trim ringing the touchpad. (The Beats Audio branding, of course, hasn’t gone anywhere.) In addition to those Ivy Bridge CPUs, these will be offered with optional discrete graphics from NVIDIA. We’re also told the two larger models will make use of HP’s CoolSense technology, but for whatever reason the dv4 won’t. All three are hitting shelves June 20th, with the dv7 starting at $800 and and the dv4 and dv6 priced at $550 and up.
- Pavilion m6. Though HP isn’t using the word “Ultrabook” to classify the m6, it’s clear this guy is meant to compete with other affordable, 15-inch thin-and-lights, such as Acer’s Timeline Ultra series. For this particular number, HP went with an aluminum-clad design, featuring Beats, along with a subwoofer and optional backlit keyboard. On the inside, you’ll have your choice of Intel and AMD chips, and because this is a full-fledged laptop and all, it will be offered with discrete graphics, too. Pricing for the m6 hasn’t been announced yet; all we know is that it will go on sale sometime this summer.
- G series. And the parade of reserved-looking laptops continue. Though the g series has long been HP’s entry-level line, it’s fine-tuned this latest batch by erring on the side of simplicity. This time around, look for a recesessed “bowl” keyboard, beveled edges and a glossy finish whose fine pattern seems promising for masking fingerprints. The g6 and g7 will both be available on July 25th, starting at $450 and $500, respectively.
Samsung outs new Series 5 550P notebook in the UK, Ivy Bridge and numeric keypad onboard
We saw a lot of things back at CES, and from the PC makers, it was mainly new Ultrabooks. Samsung, however, did present a pair of “regular” notebooks, and it looks like they’re just about to stretch their legs in the UK. The Series 5 550P is available in 15- and 17-inch varieties, sporting 1366 x 768 and 1600 x 900 displays respectively. Calling the shots will be quad-core Ivy Bridge Core i7 chips supported by 8GB of RAM. Graphics are dished up by a 2GB GeForce GT 650M, and there’s a Blu-ray optical drive plus capacity for up to 2TB of storage. Like the Series 7, sound is handled by integrated JBL speakers complete with “Max Bass Boost” subwoofer — crikey! Lower specification models will also be available (swapping the Blu-ray for DVD, and using shared graphics) when they hit UK stores this month.
Samsung Series 7 CHRONOS 17 Notebook Announced
Samsung has added a new notebook to its range with the launched of the new Samsung Series 7 CHRONOS 17, the notebook features the latest Intel Core i7 quad core processors plus a 17 inch full HD display.
The 17 inch display comes with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and graphics is provided by an NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 2GB GPU, and it features Samsung’s ‘FastStart’ which will apparently let you use the device in just two seconds.
It also comes with a Quick Booth feature, which will boot up the notebook from cold in 19 sec0nds, battery life is up to 8 hours on a single charge and it comes with 8GB of RAM and a `TB SATA II hard drive.
Samsung have yet to announced any pricing details on the new Samsung Series 7 CHRONOS 17 notebook, you can find out more information over at Samsung.
NVIDIA: there’s nothing ‘Ultra’ about Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks unless you add Kepler
This is a vaguely awkward message for NVIDIA to be putting out. On one hand, the company is best buddies with Intel and is hoping to see its next-gen GPUs bundled with a large portion of the Ivy Bridge notebooks that will ship this year. But to reach that target, it must risk irking Chipzilla by emphasizing the limitations of Ivy Bridge’s integrated graphics. That’s exactly what happened at a recent presentation, when NVIDIA told us there’ll be “nothing Ultra” about the performance of a regular Ivy Bridge Ultrabook because the integrated HD 4000 graphics will only handle around 43 percent of current games. By contrast, if you add in a GeForce GT 640M you’ll find that 100 percent of current games are playable with frame rates over 30fps and high detail settings, including Battlefield 3, Batman: Arkham City, Crysis 2 and many others. If you leave the lightweight Ultrabook spec behind and combine Ivy Bridge with a GT 670M GPU then you can go even higher — as we just discovered in our review of the MSI’s GT70 gaming laptop. Fortunately, Intel was pretty magnanimous about HD 4000 when it briefed us, and readily accepted that enthusiasts will still want discrete graphics, so we don’t imagine the slide above will cause too many hurt feelings.
Sony VAIO E Series 14P gets Ivy Bridge processor nudge, improved display
While they may not be the Sony ultrabooks we’re still all itching to see, the company’s E Series 14P laptops have reappeared with some Ivy Bridge bones. According to Sony Australia, the previously Intel Core i3 processor has been bulked up to a third-generation 2.1GHz Core i7-3612QM, capable of 3.1GHz with Turbo Boost. That’s not the only difference, with the 14-inch display boosted to 1600 x 900 and a new choice between AMD’S Radeon HD 7670M or Intel’s HD Graphics 4000 to provide the graphical horse power in the updated hardware. The aluminum-splashed laptops, priced at $1,500 AUD (around $1,608 USD), will still house Sony’s Gesture Control functions. This should allow you to navigate around websites and media playback with some arm flailing — provided you’re using Microsoft perennials like Internet Explorer 9 and Windows Media Player. These updated specs are tinged with some (minor) bad news; it looks like the pink iteration won’t be getting the same improvements seen on the black and white models. Regardless, monochrome fans can hit up the source for all the new details.
