ultrabook

Why a Retina Display on a MacBook could be a bad idea

One of the most persistent rumors about possible upcoming new Apple MacBook laptops (aside from a 15-inch MacBook Air or the end of the 17-inch MacBook Pro) is that they will include upgraded high-resolution Retina Displays, like those on the iPhone 4/4S and third-generation iPad.

But, would this fairly significant change be worth it? If Apple breaks from the laptop norm (for example, by upgrading the 15-inch MacBook Pro's 1,440x900-pixel display to a purported 2,560x1,600 pixels), I'd have concerns about battery life, system size and weight from a potentially larger battery, and even price, as higher-resolution panels cost $100 more by some estimates. And consumers could be confused if Apple breaks a long-standing tradition of how laptop screen sizes and screen resolutions relate.

The current high-end resolution for laptops is 1,920x1,080 pixels, which we sometimes refer to as full HD or 1080p -- that's the same as Blu-ray HD video. On a 17-inch desktop-replacement laptop, it's great, and it mostly works on a 15-incher as well. The handful of 13-inch laptops with 1,920x1,080-pixel screens I've seen are hard to read. For even higher resolutions, Apple would have to have a workaround for this. The most likely way a Retina MacBook would work would be using HiDPI. My colleagues Josh Lowensohn and Brooke Crothers explain:

If Apple bumps up the resolutions on these displays and keeps them the same size, it has to treat pixels differently using a a special mode called HiDPI. The feature understands that there are more pixels, but that the scale of the display is the same. Apple added the feature to its OS X 10.7 software last year, but it isn't readily available to users. Some third-party software, including the recently-updated Air Display app for iOS have unlocked it so that users can try it out on their third-generation iPad.

Most MacBooks are already outside of the laptop resolution mainstream, with 16:10 screens on everything except the 11-inch MacBook Air, which is the company's only 16:9 laptop. As these are some of the only 16:10 laptops left, some kind of change wouldn't be surprising.… Read more

Sony Vaio laptop Ivy Bridge upgrades spotted

Add Sony to the list of PC makers embracing Intel's third-generation Core i-series CPUs. According to CNET UK, the Vaio S series is getting updated CPUs, with the E moving into new screen sizes. The Vaio S currently only lists updated quad-core Ivy Bridge processors, as the dual-core versions have not been released by Intel yet.

The previous iteration of the S Series was designed to be slim and portable while still packing in enough power to tackle any task you could throw at it. The same principles are kept in this new refresh, but they've been upgraded … Read more

AMD launches second-generation APU processor series

Now that rival Intel has launched the first wave of its third-generation Core i-series processors (also known as Ivy Bridge), AMD is launching its own processor update. These new parts are the second generation of A-Series accelerated processing units, previously known by the code name Trinity.

Rather than CPU, or central processing unit, AMD these days uses the term APU, or accelerated processing unit, meaning that a CPU and discrete-level GPU are combined.

Named the A4, A6, A8, and A10, these new laptop processors claim to double the performance over the previous generation of AMD APU chips, and to offer … Read more

Sleekbooks: A slippery slope

I've been thinking about HP's announcement of its new ultrabooks and "sleekbooks" all day today, because I've had to explain the lineup of products to several people. The idea's simple, really: Intel processor-equipped thin laptops get to be called ultrabooks because that's Intel's marketing term, while non-Intel processors (aka, AMD) in a similar chassis have to be called something else. Like, say, Sleekbook.

However, it opens a big can of worms.… Read more

Ultrabooks no longer ultra-pricey

In today's show, Google takes us for a spin, ultrabooks are no longer ultra-pricey, and the iPad isn't just for humans anymore:

Hewlett-Packard announced several new thin and light laptops under the Envy brand. Some are officially called ultrabooks, equiped with Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processors, while less-expensive ones are called sleekbooks. But regardless of the different labels, it means high-quality thin and light laptops are moving into the $600 to $700 price range. (There's even a rumor that the MacBook Air -- the computer that kickstarted the ultrabook craze -- will drop its price to $… Read more

HP design exec: No, we did not copy Apple

Telling the head of industrial design at a major computer manufacturer that its machine looks a lot like someone else's is bound to elicit a defensive response, and that's exactly what happened with Hewlett-Packard in Shanghai today.

At an HP-led press event about industrial design there, Engadget reports that the company's vice president of industrial design, Stacy Wolff, was asked about similarities between HP's freshly-launched Envy Spectre XT Ultrabook (see CNET's first look here) and Apple's MacBook Air, and whether he was worried about HP getting sued by Apple as a result.

"I … Read more

HP's new laptop lineup: Will it be sexy enough?

Hewlett-Packard has launched a new armada of consumer and business laptops, ultrabooks, and "fauxtrabooks" along with a dose of new printers. The product launches are among the first since HP divided its units into two sides -- enterprise and consumer.

The wildcard for HP's new PCs is whether they have the designs and enough sex appeal to entice workers to tote them to their corporations.

Let's face it: We're entering a bring-your-own-device world. Companies just aren't into PC upgrades. For instance, I have a crappy Lenovo T61 with Windows XP from CBS. The thing … Read more

HP ultrabook prices sink, widening gap with MacBook Air

Best Buy has kicked Hewlett-Packard's Folio ultrabook down to a new low of $798. This is happening as HP announces new competitively priced ultrabooks and as rumors about a $799 MacBook Air swirl.

The HP Folio 13 (model 13-1035nr) is now priced at $797.77 at Best Buy. That includes a "Sandy Bridge" 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor; a 13.3-inch display, 4GB of memory, and a 128GB solid state drive. (More specs here.) … Read more

HP announces Envy ultrabooks, 'sleekbooks,' business-targeted EliteBook Folio

Intel's upcoming Ivy Bridge processors are causing a ripple effect in the lineups of laptops everywhere, and HP's freshly unveiled series of ultrabooks, "sleekbooks," and professional slim laptops reveals that thin's spreading beyond ultrabooks.

Of particular interest is the fact that HP's consumer line of ultrabooks is falling entirely into the Envy brand, which was previously exclusive to higher-priced laptops optimized for Beats Audio.

Call them fauxtrabooks, call them sleekbooks, call them ultrathins: these new 14- and 15-inch ultrabooks along with AMD-powered ultrabooklike laptops are bound to create some consumer confusion. But, based on limited time with these systems, they're also likely to make a lot of people happy: these thin laptops are actually impressively affordable. Let's hope it's a trend. … Read more