notebooks

As a person who owns a custom-built desktop, Mac Mini and a few laptops, I once found it hard to believe that anyone would actually believe that the death of the desktop computer would be coming around the corner. I've heard the argument set forth in other arenas and scoffed at the possibility of such a popular product being thrown away in favor or a more versatile machine. I was wrong.

The desktop is a dying breed -- it's as simple as that. I had this epiphany recently when I had to run down to my local CompUSA … Read more

You'd be forgiven for classifying Fujitsu's U810 notebook as a slightly clunky ultramobile PC.

After all, it weighs a pound and a half, has the Intel A110 processor used in Samsung's UMPC, and allows for fairly easy and accurate thumb typing. But you'd be wrong. Fujitsu prefers to call it a mini-notebook, mostly because it's essentially a scaled-down version of its other convertible notebooks.

It opens like a notebook, but has a rotating screen, which can be swiveled and locked down like Fujitsu's other Lifebook products. The U810 has a lot of features--biometric security, … Read more

Yes, you've seen this headline before. For the third month in a row, Toshiba customers are being urged to exchange potentially dangerous notebook batteries for the nonexploding kind.

This time around, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says 1,400 of the lithium-ion batteries containing Sony-made cells sold with Toshiba laptops pose a fire hazard. There have been three reports of models with those batteries overheating in other countries, but none of the incidents caused injury, according to the CPSC.

Users of Toshiba's Satellite A100, Satellite A105 and Tecra A7, it's your turn. If your notebook was made … Read more

Lenovo will offer a version of Linux on its ThinkPad notebooks beginning in the fourth quarter, the company announced Monday.

The Chinese PC maker has selected Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 from Novell as its first supported entry into the world of open source. Though ThinkPads have been certified to run Linux in the past, this is the first time Lenovo will support the hardware and operating system directly. Novell will be responsible for providing operating system updates to Lenovo's customers. ThinkPads with Suse Linux will be available to Lenovo's commercial customers and individuals.

The announcement coincides with … Read more

Sometimes sequels are better than the original.

Dell tried again to explain to its customers why the fancy new XPS M1330 notebook they ordered has been delayed. A follow-up to Tuesday's entry was posted to its official Direct2Dell blog Friday afternoon. Judging by the comments on Dell's posting earlier in the week, customers were, well, less than impressed by the company's first try at an explanation.

Dell gives considerably more information this time around. A big reason for the delays? Dust particles in the paint. Specifically, if you wanted your laptop slathered in Crimson Red or Pearl … Read more

When the X Prize Foundation announced that it was going to give an award to inventors who can get 100 miles a gallon and win a cross-country race, I thought "so what?"

Full-electric cars like the ones coming from Think and Tesla Motors top that, and so do the hydrogen vehicles that DaimlerChrysler says it will release in 2012 to 2105. Plug-in hybrids also get 100 miles per gallon.

You could even load up a Winnebago with a bunch of lithium-ion batteries and go for the victory. (Such a stunt could also mean dying in a fireball after … Read more

Though the wait for the Dell XPS M1330 notebook to ship appears to be over, the effect of the delay could last longer, thanks to Dell's own corporate blog.

If you're peeved over the tardy arrival of your tricked-out M1330, you're definitely not alone. Hundreds of postings to the Round Rock, Texas-based PC maker's Direct2Dell blog show that many customers aren't just impatient over a product delay--some say they feel mislead.

The Direct2Dell blog was introduced to communicate with customers and the media, and has thus far been a positive communication and public relations tool … Read more

This deal isn't necessarily practical unless you plan on swinging by Memory World in Singapore relatively soon, but the electronics seller is advertising an exclusive Acer Aspire notebook preloaded with Ubuntu for about $660 ($999 Singapore dollars). (Link courtesy of SingpaporeHardwareZone.com)

But even for those of us non-locals, it's definitely interesting. It makes us wonder if Acer might be considering Ubuntu as a preinstalled option for U.S. customers too. Company spokeswoman Alison Williams said, "For now, Acer America (U.S., Canada, etc.) has no plans for Ubuntu on our Aspire or TravelMate PC lines." … Read more

Valence Technology won't go it alone.

The company, which is angling to sell lithium ion battery markets to vehicle makers, has signed a licensing deal with Lishen Battery Stock Co. to help it gets its batteries quicker to market, said CEO Bob Kanode in a recent interview with News.com

Under the deal, Valence will sell its lithium powder to Lishen. Lishen in turn make battery cells out of the material and sell them back to Valence. Valence will then take the cells and make battery packs that it will sell for use in electric cars, military vehicles or … Read more