June 06, 2006, 8:53 AM PDT
Sketchy rumor: Acer's monster HD-DVD laptop?
Posted by: Justin Jaffe

IDG reports on Acer's plan to release a "laptop" with a 20.1-inch display, in the vein of the Dell XPS M2010, later this month in Asia. The unnamed Acer model will also come equipped with an HD-DVD drive, still a rare feature, and seen previously only on Toshiba's Qosmio G35-AV650.

The IDG article mentions that the new Acer laptop will be in the "high-end Aspire 8200 range" and projects an estimated price of $3,000--about $500 less than the XPS M2010's starting point. Acer doesn't sell an Aspire 8200 model that we know of; it's possible that the reporter confused it with the TravelMate 8200, which we reviewed back in January.

Other specs reported in the article: "twin 120GB hard-disk drives, Nvidia GeForce 7600 graphics, a TV tuner, and support for various audio technologies including Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect." The reported measurements of the Acer HD-DVD laptop would make it slightly smaller than the XPS M2010, though the two would fall in the same 18-to-20-pound weight class.

We're still waiting to hear back from our contact at Acer. We'll let you know...

Source: IDG: Computex: Acer to Launch HD DVD Laptop.

UPDATE: Confirmed. The new model will indeed be called the Aspire 8200, and will be available in July. (It will be a totally new model, not based on the existing TravelMate 8200 platform.) Pricing, though not finalized, should be "under $2,800." Get the straight dirt from Acer's own Website.

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May 17, 2006, 4:52 PM PDT
Hands-on: the Apple MacBook
Posted by: Justin Jaffe

Yesterday afternoon, our executive editor ran down to the Apple store on Market Street in San Francisco and nabbed one of the first MacBooks to be sold. (He also witnessed an alleged thief get gang-tackled by Apple's beefy security detail.) You can see the MacBook unpacking process in all of its pornographic detail in CNET News.com's slide show and on Engadget and Gizmodo.

I've been playing with the MacBook since then and have come to a preliminary verdict: Apple may have finally nailed it. The company has corrected a handful of the iBook's shortcomings, hit a totally reasonable price point (at least for the $1,099 baseline white model), and finally delivered a laptop with a 13.3-inch display, which I believe offers a better compromise between size and portability than any other screen size on the market. Although plenty of laptops out there start for many hundreds of dollars less than the MacBook, I believe that with the MacBook, the value gap between Apple laptops and the PC competition has narrowed significantly.

Read more first impressions of the Apple MacBook. And watch the video.

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May 16, 2006, 7:26 AM PDT
Apple sweetens the MacBook Pro (slightly)
Posted by: Justin Jaffe

With this morning's announcement of the "budget" MacBook, Apple felt compelled to spruce up the specs for the higher-end MacBook Pro models. The $1,999 base model now features a 2GHz Intel Core Duo processor (up from 1.83GHz), and for $2,499 you get a 2.16GHz processor (up from 2GHz). Also added to all MacBook Pro models, including the 17-inch model, is an optional "glossy" display that, according to the Apple site, makes "graphics, photos, and videos appear with richer color and deeper blacks--great for watching DVD movies." While Dell and HP typically charge more for glossy displays, Apple throws it in free of charge (aside from the small, one-time convenience fee of $1,999 or $2,499).

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May 15, 2006, 4:17 PM PDT
Can Sony save the UMPC?
Posted by: Justin Jaffe

Throwing its hat into--or at least nearby--the UMPC ring, Sony has announced the VAIO UX180P Micro PC. Taking some of the most innovative elements of the T-Mobile Sidekick and the OQO Model 01, the VAIO UX180P features a a 4.5-inch (diagonal) wide-screen display, which slides up to reveal a QWERTY keypad. We got a sneak preview of this thing a few weeks ago, and our early impression was that it's friggin' cool. But this is Sony, after all, and the VAIO UX180P is also friggin' expensive.

Weighing 1.2 pounds, the little rapscallion has a 1,024x600 native resolution and is equipped with components that will make a Treo user quiver. You get a low-voltage Intel Core Solo U1400 processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 30GB hard drive, as well as a full version of Windows XP Professional. Networking connections include 802.11a/b/g wireless, Bluetooth, and Cingular EDGE WWAN. Remarkably, for such a small device, the UX180P makes room for two cameras--a 1.3 megapixel one that faces out from the back and a 0.3 megapixel one that faces out from the front for Webcamming--as well as a biometric fingerprint scanner, headphone and mic jacks, a USB port, and a Memory Stick slot. It's an impressive lineup of specs that you could expect to find on any number of late-model laptops. And then there's the price...$1,799.

Ahem.

Leaving price aside for the moment, the fact that it has a built-in keyboard is critical, and it gives the VAIO UX180P a better shot at success than other early UMPC designs, including Sony's own VAIO U50. We found the keys to be spaced apart a bit far, but we didn't spend enough time with the VAIO UX180P to get a chance to get used to them. The device has a touch screen, which you can manipulate with your finger or the included stylus, as well as a stick pointer.

We watched some movie clips on the VAIO UX180P, which looked great on its 3.5-inch display, and we surfed around the Web a bit using the stylus to navigate. Sony told us that these systems are getting about 3.5 hours of battery life, less if you're watching a movie or surfing wirelessly, and they'll run up to 4.5 hours if you're being extremely gentle.

Enough about us, though, and our impressions. What do you think? Does the price make the Sony VAIO UX180P DOA.? Or is it the future of the UMPC?

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May 15, 2006, 3:59 PM PDT
Sony's portable HD studio: the VAIO AR190G
Posted by: Justin Jaffe

Laptops used to be the redheaded stepchildren of the computer industry, forced to wait for hand-me-down technology that appeared months earlier on their desktop brethren. Oh, how times have changed. The Sony VAIO AR190G, announced tonight at a Sony event in New York and due out in June, is the first computer we've laid hands on--laptop or desktop PC--to feature an optical drive that can not only read Blu-ray Disc (BD) media, but write and rewrite on it--as opposed to the Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV650, announced earlier this month, which can read HD-DVD media but not write on it.

Being marketed as a portable, end-to-end HD studio, the Sony VAIO AR190G offers a pretty compelling set of A/V features to back up the claim: in addition to the BD drive, a 17-inch wide-screen display (WUXGA), an HDMI output, and a FireWire connection, you get a 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo processor, a midrange Nvidia GeForce Go 7600GT GPU with 256MB of VRAM, a 200GB hard drive, and a TV tuner.

We've been playing with the VAIO AR190G for the past few days. Check out our early impressions in our First Take.

We also shot some photos of it, which you can see in our slide show.

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May 09, 2006, 9:16 AM PDT
HP gives Pavilion and Presario a makeover
Posted by: Justin Jaffe

In addition to a torrent of new and refreshed business laptops, HP has added two new models to its home and home-office lineup--the Presario V3000 and the Pavilion dv2000.

HP has upped the ante with the V3000's and the dv2000's processor options: you can configure each with an Intel Core Solo or Core Duo processor--or, when it debuts, AMD's dual-core processor. We're glad to see HP continuing to offer consumers a choice of processor, and we can't wait to get a version of each to pit head-to-head.

Having both undergone a significant redesign, the Presario V3000 and the Pavilion dv2000 look considerably different from their predecessors and much more similar to each other than previous Presarios and Pavilions. Gone are the familiar matte silver and black cases; instead you get "piano black" and gray, with subtle pin-striping or a "pattern inspired by a Japanese Zen garden." Both models feature a high-gloss finish that HP says is particularly scratch- resistant.

Looks aside, however, the both the Presario V3000 and the Pavilion dv2000 stick to the same basic script as previous HP home and home-office models. You get a strong set of components and most of the features that a basic home user will want, for a competitive price. And as before, the Pavilion is equipped with a few more multimedia features (Webcam, higher-end graphics cards) than the Presario.

The HP Compaq Presario V3000 starts at $999. Read our full review.

The HP Pavilion dv2000 starts at $1,150. We're still awaiting our test unit, but look for a full review soon.

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May 09, 2006, 8:15 AM PDT
HP unleashes a torrent of business laptops
Posted by: Justin Jaffe

HP pulled back the veil on six new laptops this morning, completing the total overhaul of its business lineup that began earlier this year with the highly rated nc8230 and nx9420. Of the six new models announced this morning, there is one totally new form factor (the nx7400), with the rest refreshes, to varying degrees, of existing designs. None of these new laptops mark a radical departure for HP--in fact, they look a lot like the old ones--but they do bring its business portfolio more up-to-date with competitors Dell and Lenovo.

Here's a quick rundown of what's new:

• HP Compaq nc2400: Revised version of earlier nc4200 model; weighs approximately 3 pounds; 12.1-inch wide screen; integrated optical drive; Intel Celeron M and Core Solo processors. Starting at $1,599. Read our full review.
• HP Compaq nx7400: New 15.4-inch wide-screen form factor. Starting at $749. Read our full review.
• HP Compaq nc6400: Refresh of existing thin-and-light form factor; incorporates Intel Core Duo processors, biometric security, and wireless WAN connectivity. Starting at $1,549. Read our full review.
• HP Compaq tc4400: Updates the existing tc4200 tablet form factor with Core Duo processors. Starting at $1,649.
• HP Compaq nc8400: 15.4-inch wide screen; Intel Core Duo processors; discrete ATI graphics. Starts at $1,599.
• HP Compaq nw8440/nw9440: Two mobile workstations based on existing form factors, updated with more powerful processors and graphics cards.

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May 09, 2006, 7:59 AM PDT
Toshiba brings HD-DVD to the Qosmio
Posted by: Justin Jaffe

Toshiba delivers the first laptop to feature an HD-DVD ROM drive with an updated version of the Qosmio G35-AV600 we honored with an Editors' Choice in March. The new model, called the Qosmio G35-AV650, also has a faster processor (the 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo T2500), greater hard drive capacity (2 x 100GB, 5,400rpm), and a higher-end graphics card (the Nvidia GeForce Go 7600). The move to the midrange GeForce Go 7600 could prove to be a key upgrade, as the original Qosmio G35-AV600, which included the entry-level GeForce Go 7300, embarrassed itself in our gaming tests.

Of course, to hear Toshiba tell it, the big story here is the Qosmio G35-A650's next-generation optical drive, which can play HD-DVDs, as well as play and burn all types of CDs and DVDs. To go along with the drive, Toshiba has included an HDMI output capable of delivering 1080i resolution, and a 1,920x1,200 (WUXGA) display that supports 1080p. Frankly, this is another critical improvement; I loved the Qosmio G35-AV600's superbright display but found the 1,440x900 resolution too low.

(Not sure what any of this means to you? Head over to CNET's HDTV World and learn the basics.)

Impulse shoppers, take note: there are currently only 8 HD-DVD titles available for purchase, though 5 more will be announced later today, with roughly 2 to 5 debuting per week from here on out. The goal is to reach 200 available titles by the end of 2006.

Priced at $2,999, the Qosmio G35-AV650 is available for preorder (right here) and is expected to hit retail shelves next week.

Read the News.com story.

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May 01, 2006, 1:41 PM PDT
Hands-on: the Samsung Q1 UMPC
Posted by: Justin Jaffe

• See our First Look video of the Samsung Q1.
  
  
• See the Samsung Q1 slide show.

Samsung unveiled its Q1 Ultra Mobile PC this morning at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Starting at $1,099, the Q1 features a 7-inch (diagonal) display, weighs about 1.7 pounds, and runs a modified version of Microsoft Windows XP Tablet. The device seeks to combine elements of a laptop, a tablet, a PDA, a PVP, an MP3 player, a GPS module, and a gaming handheld into a form factor that falls between that of a smart phone/Pocket PC and an ultraportable laptop.

When we first laid eyes on the UMPC form factor at the Intel Developer Forum back in March, we thought that the concept was sort of cool--it might make a nice entertainment device for passing the time on a cross-country flight or make a decent video player/GPS device for a long drive. Despite the fact that it could run a full version of Windows, however, we had our doubts about how useful it could really be, lacking a real, built-in keyboard--a fatal flaw (in the U.S. market, at least) for UMPC predecessors such as the Sony VAIO U750P (sold overseas as the considerably more successful VAIO U50).

As we saw this morning, Samsung and Microsoft have addressed the keyboard issue in two ways. First, with accessories: a compact USB keyboard is available (along with a Franklin Planner-esque portfolio to hold it all). Second, with Microsoft's TouchPack application, which features a virtual, radial keyboard that's split between the corners of the UMPC's display--a feature we've already seen similarly implemented on the Fujitsu LifeBook P1510. The dial keys, as Microsoft calls them, have a standard QWERTY layout and are arranged for thumb typing, similar to a Treo or BlackBerry. You can adjust the dial keys' opacity, change them from black to white (for use on dark backgrounds), and bring up an alternate layout that features keys for tools and shortcuts.

We've seen this before, though. With its onscreen keyboard, the VAIO U750P took a similar tack, and we remain skeptical: the cramped keyboards found on most ultraportable laptops, and even the tiny keypads on the Treo and the BlackBerry, are simply in a different league than the UMPC's virtual tablet keyboard.

Battery life is another Achilles' heel. It looks like you can expect approximately 3.5 hours of run time from the Q1's standard three-cell battery, and closer to 2 hours when running intensive tasks, such as video. That said, Samsung will also sell a six-cell battery and a power pack that it says will deliver 7 and 9 hours, respectively. Still, for a form factor that strikes a compromise between a laptop (average battery life of 3 hours) and a smart phone/Pocket PC (average battery life of 8 to 9 hours talk time, six to seven days standby), we expect a battery life that falls somewhere closer to the median.

Price remains an issue, too. Making matters tougher for the Samsung Q1 and other UMPCs are ultraportable laptops, such as the $1,400 Gateway NX100X, which cost just a few hundred dollars more and deliver a more traditional form factor in just a slightly heavier package. Though a Samsung exec said that the company is "very comfortable where the price is," we think it's still about $500 too high.

Other notable Q1 UMPC features and ruminations:

• Sling Media has developed a special version of its software for the UMPC so that you can stream live TV over a wireless network on it; the software will be available later in May.
• The UMPC's SRS stereo speakers sounded much louder and clearer than the Sony PSP's.
• We saw a quick demo of how you can connect the UMPC via Bluetooth to your cell phone's cellular network, which begs the question: When will we see built-in EDGE connectivity for the UMPC?
• Because it runs Windows XP, the UMPC can conceivably play any existing PC game title; though with its 512MB of RAM and 900MHz ultra-low-voltage processor, you'll be hard-pressed to play anything more hard-core than the included version of Sodoku.
• Samsung ships the Q1 with a homegrown A/V utility, called AVStation Now, which lets you play movies and MP3s and access other multimedia content without booting up the Windows OS; in contrast to the other Instant-On-style utilities found on entertainment laptops from HP, Dell, and others, Samsung's AVS is based on Windows XP, not Linux.

And here's a quick rundown of the Q1 UMPC's specs:

• Dimensions: (approximately) 9 inches wide, 5.5 inches deep, 1 inch thick
• Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Processor: Intel Celeron M ULV (900MHz)
• Chipset/graphics: 915GMS, Intel GMA900 (128MB)
• Memory: 512MB DDR2 RAM (400MHz), upgradable to 1GB
• Display: 7-inch (diagonal) touch screen LCD (800x480)
• Storage: 40GB hard drive
• Networking: Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0
• Connections: Two USB 2.0, one Type II CompactFlash slot, VGA output
• Price: $1,099

Samsung says the Q1 will be available for purchase online at BestBuy.com starting May 7, CDW soon after that, and in retail outlets later this summer.

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April 24, 2006, 8:07 AM PDT
Apple debuts 17-inch MacBook Pro
Posted by: Justin Jaffe

Apple has announced a 17-inch version of the MacBook Pro, with specs very similar to those of the 15.4-inch model. The $2,699 base configuration includes a 17-inch wide-screen display (with a 1,680x1,050 native resolution); a 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo processor; 1GB of DDR2 RAM (667MHz); a 100GB, 7,200rpm SATA hard drive; an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card; and an 8X DVD SuperDrive that reads and burns CDs and DVDs. Uprgading to 2GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive pushes the price to $3,099. The 17-inch model also offers a smattering of additional ports and connections, including three USB ports and a FireWire 800 port. Gone is the 17-inch PowerBook from Apple's lineup.

You can see a complete list of technical specs here.

Apple says units should be ready to ship in 7 to 10 days.

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