Acer Aspire Ultrabook Has a Familiar Air About It

This Acer ultrabook sure rings a bell...

I can't quite place it, but these leaked photos of Acer's upcoming Aspire 3951 are curiously familiar. The ultrabook, which weighs just 1.4kg and measures 13mm at its fattest point, should hit stores in October.

Even the features of this light-as-Air laptop give me a sense of déjà vu. It has a 13.3-inch screen, wakes from sleep in just 1.7 seconds and has a battery that will last for six hours when awake and 30 days when snoozing. The wedge-shaped case is made from aluminum, the keyboard is in the “sunken chiclet” style, the trackpad is huge, the drive can be specced as an SSD and there's no optical disk player.

If only I could remember what it reminds me of. It's on the tip of my tongue…

There are a few things in here that seem less familiar. The ports are around the back, making them tricky to reach (such a tiny machine is unlikely to be chained to a desk and permanently attached to peripherals), and it packs in an HDMI port as well as Dolby Home Theater sound.

According to SOHOA — the Vietnamese Web site which carries the leaked photos — the price will be between 16 and 20 million Dong, or $770 to $960. That sounds pretty good, but of course Acer won't sell anybody because, as Acer founder Stan Shih said last week, ultrabooks, along with tablets, are nothing more than a passing fad.

But the best part of this story is the complete hash that Google translate makes of the first comment on the original SOHOA post. I usually try to keep away from teasing machine translators, but this one is just too good:

Few bananas a little silver question, this little baby if you want to use the lamp is connected via any children?

MacBook Air rivals coming out from Acer [SOHOA via Engadget]
source: Gadget Lab

Upcoming Acer Aspire 3951 Ultra-Thin Laptop

Here's a look at another upcoming ultra-thin laptop from Acer, the Aspire 3951. Measuring only 13mm thick and weighing just 1.4kg, the system comes with an aluminum casing, a 13.3-inch display, a 2nd generation Core processor, up to 500GB hard drive or 160GB SSD, an HD webcam, a 2-in-1 card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, an HDMI port and a 6-hour battery. The Acer Aspire 3951 is expected to be released in October 2011 for a retail price between $768 and $960. [Sohoa]
source: TechFresh

Panasonic outs Toughbook S10 with Sandy Bridge, USB 3.0, and 12.5-hour battery life

If you were Panasonic and had already whittled a 12-inch laptop down to three pounds while keeping the optical drive intact, what would your next move be? If you guessed make it manilla envelope-thin, you'd be wrong. The outfit just announced the Toughbook S10, and while it looks awfully similar to the three-pound S9 it's replacing, it ushers in a series of welcome (and predictable) changes on the inside. This time around, it steps up to a Sandy Bridge Core i5-2520M processor, 4GB of RAM, USB 3.0, and a battery that promises up to 12.5 hours of juice -- the longest in its class, according to Panasonic. Other I/O options include HDMI and VGA output, a USB 2.0 socket, and support for SDXC cards. Like the last generation, it can withstand a 2.5-foot operating drop, has a spill-resistant keyboard and shock-mounted 320GB hard drive, and can take more than 220 pounds of pressure on its lid and base. As always, though, 12.1-inch laptops with a built-in DVD drive and enough magnesium alloy armor to survive a fall from the conveyor belt don't come cheap: this bad boy will set you back no less than $2,449 when it hits stores next month.

Press Release:
PANASONIC UNVEILS TOUGHBOOK® S10 12" PC – A MERE THREE POUNDS WITH DVD DRIVE

The next-generation device features an enhanced processor and 12.5 hour standard battery life – the longest in its class

Secaucus, NJ, August 10, 2011 – Panasonic Solutions Company, provider of collaboration, information-sharing and decision-support solutions for government and commercial enterprises, today announced the Panasonic Toughbook® S10. Powered by an Intel® Core™ i5-2520M vPro™ processor, the Toughbook S10 delivers up to 12.5 hours of standard battery life – the longest in its class – and weighs only 3.0 pounds. The notebook offers optional Gobi2000™ mobile broadband and other enhancements to increase performance and drive return on investment. This lightweight device is ideal for road warriors and other highly mobile workers in a variety of markets.

Additional Enhancements for Improved Performance

Panasonic has designed the Toughbook S10 for the most demanding mobile users, offering exceptional battery life, connectivity, security features and performance. The Toughbook S10 also supports both USB 3.0 and 2.0, analog (VGA) and digital (HDMI) video and the latest SD card standard (SDXC) to enable faster file transfer speeds and greater flexibility. A host of security features, including an optional fingerprint reader, are available to keep your data protected and secured while on the road.

"The vast majority of business notebooks lack the durability to survive a hectic travel schedule; however, the Toughbook S10 is designed to address the needs of business professionals with the integration of security and remote management capabilities, protection against drops and spills, and exceptional performance and battery life," said Kyp Walls, director of product management, Panasonic Solutions Company. "The Toughbook S10 provides road warriors a reliable and lightweight device that allows them to work virtually anywhere."

Business-rugged Durability

In order to withstand a highly mobile work environment, the Toughbook S10 is designed to survive drops, bumps and spills. Due to its magnesium alloy case and shock-mounted flex-connect hard drive, the device can handle up to a 30" drop to the base of the unit while operating. The Toughbook S10 also features a spill-resistant keyboard that can protect against spills up to six ounces (200 cc).

Embedded Wireless Connectivity

The Toughbook S10 offers a variety of embedded wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth® and optional Gobi2000™ 3G mobile broadband technology from Qualcomm, allowing workers to stay connected virtually all of the time.

Panasonic Toughbook S10: Select Features and Specifications

Genuine Windows 7® Professional (32-bit or 64-bit)

Intel® Core™ i5-2520M vPro™ Processor (2.5GHz)

Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz

Intel® Smart Cache 3MB

320GB 5400rpm shock-mounted flex-connect hard drive

4-8GB RAM

12.1" widescreen WXGA (1280 x 800) LCD display with LED backlighting

Anti-glare screen treatment

12.5 hours of battery life with standard battery (MobileMark 2007)

3.0 lbs.

DVD drive

HDMI and VGA video outputs

Magnesium alloy case

Business-rugged1 30" operating drop (to base only)

26 sides 12" drop (non-operating)

220 lb compression-resistant

Spill-resistant keyboard/touchpad (protects against 6 ounce spills)

Embedded Connectivity

Optional Gobi™2000 3G mobile broadband

Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6205 802.11a/b/g/n

Bluetooth® v2.1 + EDR (class 2)

Integrated Security Features

o Cable lock slot

o Trusted platform module (TPM) security chip v.1.2

o Computrace® theft protection agent in BIOS®

o Intel® Anti-Theft technology

o Optional fingerprint reader

11.1" (H) x 8.3" (W) x 0.9-1.5" (D)

Pricing and Availability

In the United States, the Toughbook S10 is expected to be available in September 2011 from authorized Panasonic resellers starting at an estimated street price of $2,449.

The Toughbook S10 is backed with a three-year limited warranty, parts and labor.

Images of the Toughbook S10 can be found on the brand's Flickr page, and a post discussing mobile computing needs for road warriors can be found on the brand's blog - Toughbloggers.com.

Follow the Toughbook Brand

The Panasonic Toughbook brand can be followed on various social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and via our blog on mobile technology, Toughbloggers.com.

For more information on the Toughbook S10 and other Toughbook mobile computers, go to www.toughbook.com.
source: Engadget

HP 2000z 15.6-inch Laptop With AMD Fusion

If you are searching for a new affordable laptop, then check out the HP 2000z 15.6-inch laptop. Powered by a 1.0GHz AMD Dual-Core C-50 APU, the laptop features a 2GB DDR3 memory, a 320GB hard drive, a DVD burner, a 15.6-inch (1366×768 pixels) widescreen LED display and an AMD Radeon HD 6250M discrete graphics. What's more, the HP 2000z also provides a webcam with an integrated microphone, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Altec Lansing speakers, 3 USB 2.0 ports, VGA, a 6-cell battery, and the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. The HP 2000z 15.6-inch laptop is priced at $349.99. [PCLaunches]
source: TechFresh

Apple like Acer uncovered in Vietnam

Images of the new rival to the Apple Air have been leaked on to the internet by the Vietnamese site Sohoa. The images of the new Acer Aspire 3951 show a 13.3inch slim line ultraportable notebook weighting approximately 1.4kg and will be roughly 13mm thick.

The Aspire 3951 will be powered by a Sandy Bridge Intel Core processor and a selection of different hard drives ranging from the standard 250GB or 500GB HDDs to the optional 160GB SSD. The new ultraportable will also feature a HDMI port, USB and a memory card reader. Bluetooth 4.0 and an HD ready webcam.

Sohoa expects the price of the new Acer Aspire 3951 to be in the region of $768 to $960 when it's released in October.
source: Akihabara News

This is the Acer Aspire 3951 Air-like Ultrabook

Images of Acer's answer to Apple's MacBook Air - the Acer Aspire 3951 sporting Intel's ultra-sleek ultrabook design - have found their way online. The shots were provided by Vietnamese site Sohoa, and reveal an extremely thin chassis that looks too brittle to be real. Still, that's the point of Intel's sexy ultrabook design: a hot, super-thin body packed with impressive hardware for under $1000 USD.

The Acer ultrabook is reportedly slated for October (seems to be a hot month for gadgets) and will sport a 13.3-inch screen, an aluminum chassis and an overall weight of less than 3.09 pounds. It will also supposedly measure just 0.51-inches thick - roughly the equivalent size of Apple's impressive MacBook Air 13-inch model. The images provided by Sohoa confirm that most of the device's ports are located on the rear just under the hinge.

Under the keyboard, the ultrabook will feature Intel's second-generation Core CPU, 250 GB or 500 GB of HDD, optional 160 GB of SSD storage, a memory card reader, HDMI output, USB ports, Bluetooth 4.0, an HD webcam and more. The device will jump out of sleep mode in 1.7 seconds and even have a standby time of 30 days. Actual runtime should be around 6 hours.

So far rumors are pointing to a pricetag ranging from $768 to $960 USD, depending on the configuration.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Fujitsu LIFEBOOK SH531 13.3-inch Notebook

Priced at starting point under EUR 500, the 13.3-inch LIFEBOOK SH531 is aimed as an ideal “back to school” notebook. The 33.8 cm (13.3-inch) notebook weighs 1.9 kg and features built-in Bluetooth, WLAN, an eSATA port and an ExpressCard slot for external UMTS. Intel® Wireless Display Technology even allows users to connect the notebook wirelessly to a display (requirement: Wireless Display adapter-enabled).
source: LAPTOPGRAM

Toshiba Introduces First Glasses-Free 3-D Notebook

The Toshiba Qosmio F755 will deliver 2-D or glasses-free 3-D content on a 15.6-inch display

One of the biggest obstacles to 3-D adoption in the home is the uncomfortable, eye-straining glasses that are required.

Now there is an alternative, at least in the laptop department.

Today Toshiba introduced the world's first glasses-free, 3-D notebook. The Qosmio F755 has an Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDA GeForce 540M graphics, as well as harmon/kardon speakers, a Blu-ray drive, and HDMI output. It can display content in either 2-D or 3-D.

To achieve a 3-D effect without glasses, the F755 uses an auto-stereoscopic display. This works by creating a double parallax image: Two images are projected simultaneously, and face-tracking technology (through the laptop's built-in webcam) customizes the image based on the viewer's position, delivering one image for the left eye, and one for the right.

This allows for a “broad viewing zone from which to view 3-D content,” according to the press release. But this may also mean two people won't be able to watch the screen in 3-D at the same time.

In another effort to make 3-D more compelling to consumers, yesterday Panasonic, Sony, and Samsung teamed up to announce their support of the "Full HD 3-D Glasses Initiative," which would mean one brand of glasses could be worn to view all of their 3-D TV models. But so far, mobile devices, like the glasses-free 3-D Nintendo 3DS seem to be enjoying marginally more success than larger-displayed counterparts.

Although a glasses-free 3-D notebook may fare better than glasses-requiring models, stats from a March 2011 survey by research firm ABI Research still show consumers aren't overly excited by the technology.

Forty percent of respondents said they have no interest in a 3D-ready TV, and only 8 percent said they are considering a 3-D TV purchase within the next six months. Approximately 1.76 percent of the total flat-panel TV shipments in 2010 were 3-D capable (that's 3.5 million sets).

“Most 3-D HDTV purchases are being driven by other features, specifically screen size, price, display technology, refresh rate, and Internet connectivity,” said Jason Blackwell, Practice Director of Digital Home for ABI Research. “In addition, many of the current 3D-ready models have been discounted significantly and/or additional incentives have been offered including a free Blu-ray player, free glasses, and even a free PlayStation 3. For the most part, consumers are not clamoring for 3-D-ready TVs and other 3-D devices.”

And the same seems to be true for notebook computers and other mobile devices.

“In our March 2011 survey, only 28 percent of people listed 3-D capability as an important factor in their purchase decision for a new notebook computer. Processor speed and memory came in as the most important factors with 88 percent choosing each of those,” Blackwell said. As for smartphones, 58 percent of respondents said they had zero interest in a 3-D capable smartphone.

The Qosmio F755 can be yours Aug. 16 for $1,700.
source: Gadget Lab

Report: Intel Prices Ultrabook BOM at $475 to $710

The brief word on the street was that ODMs/OEMs were having trouble making Ultrabooks (essentially laptops with a form like a MacBook Air) for under $1,000. Then a report popped up of Acer's offering that should creep in at $768 to $960, helping to put to rest the fears of a ballooned budget.

According to Digitimes, Intel has put together a reference design and bill of materials that range from $475 to $710. Mind you, that's the just the material cost, so the final product will definitely reflect further value-added cost on top.

The Taiwanese publication details that the 0.8-inch (21 mm) notebooks have a BOM of $475 to $650 and the 0.7-inch (18 mm) design has one $493 to $710.

It looks like a sub-$1000 Ultrabook will be real after all, though it still remains to be seen how much you will have to pay to get the configuration you desire.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Dell's Latitude XT3 goes up for pre-order, swivels your way September 22nd

Are you a fancy suit, known to occasionally dabble in the fine art of scribbling? Have a seat bud, because Dell's gone and put up a pre-order page for the touchscreen convertible that you've been waiting for: the Latitude XT3. When we last espied the drop-top in February, we came away mighty impressed with its spiffy 13.3-inch dual-digitizer display, which recognized the attached stylus in addition to three of our meaty digits. We also liked the inclusion of the Core i3 - upgradeable to an i5 or i7 - which packs a punch, unlike the miserly Core 2 Duo's found in its predecessors. The magnesium-reinforced piece of kit starts at $1,789, unless you have it your way and toss in the optional $49 backlit keyboard or spring for the $100 outdoor-viewing display. We'll take ours with both, and with a ship date of September 22nd, you've got plenty of time to get a customizin' at the source below.
source: Engadget

Acer Aspire One AOD257-13685 10.1-Inch Netbook For Only $234.99

Planning on replacing your old netbook with a new one? If you're, why don't you take a look at this Acer Aspire One AOD257-13685 which is currently on sale over at Amazon for only $234.99 (normal price $269.99). This mini laptop comes with a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 LED-backlit display, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N570 dual-core processor, an Intel GMA 3150 graphics card, a 1GB DDR3 RAM, a 250GB hard drive, a 0.3MP webcam, a card reader, WiFi, a 3-cell battery and runs on Windows 7 Starter OS.
source: TechFresh

Samsung Series 3 (350U2B) 12-inch Laptop For Just $735

The Samsung Series 3 (model 350U2B) laptop is currently available at Buy.com for only $735. The laptop is powered by a 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410M processor, an integrated Intel GMA HD 3000 graphics, a 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard disk drive. The Samsung 350U2B also has a 12.1-inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, a couple of USB ports, a VGA port, an Ethernet jack, a 6-cell battery, and the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit OS. [LaptopSpec]
source: TechFresh

HP Pavilion G4 14-Inch Laptop With AMD E-450

HP has unveiled an updated version of its Pavilion G4 laptop that comes equipped with an AMD E-450 APU processor. This new system is equipped with a 14-inch 1366 x 768 display, a 1.6GHz/1.65GHz AMD E-450 APU processor, an AMD Radeon HD 6470M graphics card (up to 1GB of dedicated memory), up to 8GB DDR3 RAM, up to 750GB hard drive, a 0.3MP webcam, a double-layer DVD drive, a multi-format card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth (optional), a USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port and a 6- or 9-cell battery. Pricing and availability are still unknown at the moment. [Softpedia]
source: TechFresh

ASUS K42F-VX312V 14-inch Laptop

ASUS Notebook Australia has started selling the ASUS K42F-VX312V laptop. Powered by a 2.13GHz Intel Core i3-330M dual-core processor, the laptop features a 14-inch (1366×768) LED display, a 2GB RAM, a 320GB HDD, a DVD writer, Wi-Fi 802.11n, webcam, and the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium OS. Measuring 380mm x 255mm x 34mm and weighing 2.62kg, the ASUS K42F-VX312V uses a 6-cell 4400mAh battery. Folks in Australia are able to purchase this laptop for AU$649 or around US$677.
source: TechFresh

Intel Ultrabooks to sell for under $1000, take a page from ASUS' design book?

Back at Computex, Intel whipped out its magic 8-ball to predict a "you may rely on it" 40 percent share for the upcoming Ultrabooks market. While we can neither confirm, nor deny the company's powers of retail clairvoyance, we can point you to a purported bill of materials that would usher its line in at a sub-$1000 price. The report from Digitimes doesn't lay out the specific assembly costs, but pegs the chipmaker's 18mm and 21mm thick laptops at $493 - $710 and $475 - $650, respectively. Intel is also reportedly meeting with manufacturers in Taipei next week to figure out a way to deliver on the budget-friendly goal, aimed at producing 11 - 13-inch models for the thinner entries and girthier 14 - 17-inch models. If you're wondering what sort of form factor the company's after, take a glance at ASUS' UX21 and UX31 ultrabooks - supposed reference designs for the svelte, Ivy Bridge-powered computers. We hope that's the only bit of strategy Intel cops, otherwise we're all in for a disappointingly priced ultraslim future.
source: Engadget

Dell's Latitude XT3 tablet PC gets a product page, spins around for your amusement

Well lookee here - it's the snazzy new Dell tablet PC that we first spotted way back in February. The Latitude XT3 finally has a product page to call its own, yet another hint that it will be swiveling its way into the hands and hearts of buyers in the near future - a notion further driven home by the convertible's recent cameo on the FCC. The 13.3-inch laptop sports an Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 processor, Windows 7, and works with a finger or stylus - remember those?
source: Engadget

ASUS K93SV 18.4-Inch Laptop With 2.5x3.5-Inch Hard Drive

ASUS has introduced their newest 18.4-inch laptop that supports for dual hard drives, with a master 3.5-inch HDD and second 2.5-inch HDD. Called the K93SV, the system is equipped with an 18.4-inch 1920 x 1080 LED-backlight display, an Intel Core i3/i5 dual-core or i7 quad-core processor, a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M graphics card, up to 16GB DDR3 RAM, a 0.3MP webcam, a DVD writer or Blu-ray Combo drive, a 3-in-1 card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 (optional), an HDMI port, a 6-cell battery and runs on Windows 7 OS. Pricing and availability are still unknown at the moment. [ASUS]
source: TechFresh