Fujitsu LifeBook SH76 / E 13.3-Inch Notebook

The LifeBook SH76 / E is another upcoming 13.3-inch notebook from Fujitsu that packs a 13.3-inch 1366 x 768 LCD display, a 2.50GHz Intel Core i5-2520M processor, an Intel HM65 Express Chipset, a 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 128GB SSD, a webcam, a DVD Super Multi drive, a fingerprint sensor, an SD card slot, WiFi, WiMAX, a USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port and runs on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (SP1) OS. The LifeBook SH76 / E will start shipping from October 21st for around 180,000 Yen (about $2,342). [Fujitsu]

Toshiba Dynabook R631 Ultrabook

Toshiba is ready to release the Dynabook R631 ultrabook in the Japanese market. Measuring 15.9mm thick and weighing 1.12kg, the new ultrabook features a 13.3-inch LED-backlit HD display with a resolution of 1366×768 pixels, an Intel Core i5-2467M processor, an Intel HD 3000 graphics, a 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 128GB SSD, and the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium OS. The Dynabook R631 also supports several connectivity options such as WiMAX, 802.11bgn Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and HDMI. Toshiba will launch the Dynabook R631 later this month. [Toshiba]

Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook To Hit Italy On October 20th

Acer is planning on launching their first ultrabook ‘Aspire S3′ in Italy starting on October 20th. This ultra-thin and lightweight notebook will have a retail price of 799 Euro / about $1,066 (including VAT). Specs-wise, the Aspire S3 will feature a 13.3-inch 1366 x 768 LED-backlight display, a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M processor, a 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 320GB hard drive, a 1.3MP webcam, a multi-format card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, an HDMI port, a 3-cell battery and run on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. [Notebook Italia]

Acer Aspire AS5250-0639 15.6-inch Laptop

Acer has recently released a new 15.6-inch laptop that is powered by an AMD E-450 processor. Known as the Aspire AS5250-0639, this ultra-portable laptop features a 1.65GHz dual core E-450 processor, an integrated Radeon HD 6320 graphics with the UVD 1080p video decoder, a 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard disk drive. Powered by the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium OS, the Acer Aspire AS5250-0639 also has a LED display with a 1366x768 pixels resolution, a DVD burner, a webcam and an HDMI port. Its 6-cell battery offers up to 4.5-hour of operation time. The Acer Aspire AS5250-0639 retails for $419. [Product Page]

AMD sees little future in ultrabooks

In speaking with X-bit labs, John Taylor, the director of client product marketing and software at AMD, indicated that Intel's ultrabook initiative won't be an imminent success. Despite its high expectations, the rival company will likely have a hard time competing in a mobile market dominated by Apple's super-slim and super-powerful MacBook series.

“We have to wait and see when the actual thing comes to market and when Windows 8 comes to market and how does the final product [ultrabook hardware and Windows 8 software] look like as a $1000/€1000 type device,” he said. “And how will it compete against already successful Apple MacBook Air. [...] The $1000+/€1000+ PC market is completely dominated by Apple.”

He also pointed out that many of the promised features in the upcoming ultrabook form factor are based on Windows 8. Eventually those seemingly exclusive features will migrate beyond ultrabooks and into mainstream systems.

“Windows 8 brings a number of capabilities that Intel would seem to be collecting under the banner of ultrabook,” he added. “As well, there are a few things that they are doing with higher-end components that they are looking at that enable faster wake and sleep and this type of capabilities [in Windows 8].”

Obviously AMD isn't taking an ultrabook-like route to address the highly-responsive and highly-portable sub-$1000 laptop market. Instead, it's taking the silicon route.

“We have been on the market with our ultra-thin strategy for some time,” he said. “We have always believed there was a sweet spot in the market: the extreme sort of portability with beautiful aesthetic and very thin designs. [...] We have Llano silicon solution today that delivers as good or better battery life than Intel and better all around visual experience. [...] The Brazos platform [for low-cost systems] has been a runaway success for AMD.”

He wouldn't go into any specifics about the upcoming “Trinity” APU, only stating that it's a “step up” in x86 performance, graphics performance and in some areas around video.

“I don't want to get too specific about our 2012 roadmaps, but we have two different types of APUs that we can bring to that ultra-thin market as we move forward to their introduction next year,” he said.

Fujitsu Lifebook AH77/E and SH76/E hands-on

If you're familiar with Fujitsu's AH572 and S761/C laptops, then you'll certainly recognize the similarities on their Japanese cousins. On the left we have the beastly 15.6-inch AH77/E, which sports an Intel Core-i72670QM processor (2.20-3.10GHz), 750GB hard drive, 8GB RAM, Blu-ray drive and a handy circular scrolling pad. We dig the slanted keys and their color-accented sides (combinations include black on red, white on black and black on blue), and likewise with the removable dust trap near the heatsink on the bottom side, though the already-discounted price of ¥175,320 ($2,284) is rather steep for a machine lacking a dedicated graphics card - you get an Intel HD Graphics 3000 instead.

If you're looking for something lighter than the 2.9kg AH series, then consider the SH76/E: at 1.34kg, it's one of the lightest 13.3-inch laptops that come with an internal DVD drive. Specs include a Core i5-2520M chip (2.5GHz-3.2GHz), 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, the same circular scrolling pad, the same dust trap and an impressive 13.7-hour battery life. Like its international cousin, the SH76/E can also swap its optical drive for a pico projector or a weight-saver frame. With the exception of the flimsy and duller display compared to the AH model's, the SH's overall build quality was satisfactory. However, Fujitsu wants ¥161,820 ($2,110) for its latest portable laptop, so you might want to customize it with cheaper components on the company's Japanese website (choosing a 500GB HDD would save you about $980, for instance). Both models will be available in a week's time.

Toshiba Dynabook Satellite T571/W5TD 17.3-Inch Notebook

Toshiba hits back by bringing you their newest 17.3-inch notebook, the Dynabook Satellite T571/W5TD. Powered by a 2.20GHz Intel Core i7-2670QM processor, the system packs a 17.3-inch 1600 x 900 LED-backlight display, an Intel HM65 Express chipset, a GeForce GT 540M graphics card, a 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 640GB hard drive, a Blu-ray Disc drive, a 1.3MP webcam, a multi-card reader, WiFi, 1x USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port and runs on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. The Dynabook Satellite T571/W5TD will start shipping from October 21st for 167,800 Yen (about $2,188). [Toshiba]

ASUS K53U-DH21 15.6-inch AMD E-450 Laptop

The ASUS K53U-DH21 is a new 15.6-inch laptop that comes equipped with a 1.65GHz dual core E-450 processor with an integrated AMD Radeon HD 6320 graphics. The laptop has a crystal clear 1366 x 768 LED display, a 4GB of DDR3 SDRAM (upgradeable up to 8GB), a 500GB hard disk drive, a DVD writer, a webcam, HDMI, a 6-cell battery and the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium OS. The ASUS K53U-DH21 is priced at around $450. [Product Page via Laptoping]

ASUS Ultrabooks are actually Zenbooks?

ASUS has a big event next week in the Big Apple, where the super slim UX21 and UX31 will be revealed. Granted, the company said it'll be showing off "the real Ultrabook," on October 11th, but the eagle-eyed folks at Notebook Italia spied some evidence that the laptops in question will be called Zenbooks instead. Proof of the new moniker was found in the title of the information request form on the ASUS UX countdown site, but it was gone when we looked for ourselves. Guess we'll just have to wait and see whether the newest thin and light laptops are, indeed, PCs possessing inner peace.

Toshiba Dynabook Qosmio T851/D8DR Glasses-Free 3D Notebook

Toshiba has showed off their newest glasses-free 3D notebook called the Dynabook Qosmio T851/D8DR. Powered by a 2.80GHz Intel Core i7-2640M processor, the system is equipped with a 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD glasses-free 3D display, an Intel HM65 Express chipset, a GeForce GT 540M graphics card, an 8GB DDR3 RAM, a 750GB hard drive, a webcam, a Blu-ray drive, a CS digital TV tuner, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 + HS, 1x USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port and runs on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (SP1) OS. The Dynabook Qosmio T851 will hit the market in late October for 220,000 Yen (about $2,872). [Toshiba]

Dell Vostro 3555 15.6-inch AMD Laptop

LogicBuy has started offering the Vostro 3555 business laptop. Powered by the Microsoft Windows 7 OS, the laptop features a 15.6-inch (1366 x 768) anti-glare display, AMD Llano processors (dual-core E2-3000M - quad-core A8-3500M), an integrated graphics, up to 6GB RAM, up to 500GB HDD, and a choice of a DVD burner or a Blu-ray combo. This low-cost laptop also features a spill-resistant chiclet keyboard, an optional webcam, a fingerprint reader, a trio of USB 3.0 ports, an eSATA/USB 2.0 hybrid port, an HDMI output, and an Express card slot. The Vostro 3555 is currently available for just $409 each. [Product Page]

Mouse Computer MousePro NB500X 15.6-Inch Notebook

Here's a glance at another upcoming 15.6-inch notebook from Mouse Computer, the MousePro NB500X. The system will come with a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 LED-backlight display, a 2.20GHz Intel Core i7-2670QM processor, an Intel HD 3000 graphics card, an 8GB DDR3 RAM, a 500GB hard drive, a DVD Super Multi drive, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 + HS, 2x USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port and run on Windows 7 Professional 64-bit OS. The MousePro NB500X will start shipping from September 29th for 79,800 Yen (about $1,040). [Mouse Computer]

Dell XPS 14z Thin Laptop

Dell has recently released the new XPS 14z in the Chinese market. Weighing at only 4.4 lbs, this ultra-thin laptop features a choice of Intel Core i5-2430M or Core i7-2640M CPU with a 14-inch (1366×768) high-definition LED display, a 4GB of RAM and a 1GB nVidia Optimus graphics. Priced at 7,699 Yuan or around US$1,205, the Dell XPS 14z also supports a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port and an optical drive. [Geeky Gadgets]

Sony VAIO SE And SA Series Unveiled

Sony has recently introduced the new Sony VAIO SE and SA series. Both laptops feature a 2.40Ghz Intel Core i5-2430M processor with TurboBoost, a 1GB AMD Radeon Hybrid Graphics 6630M, a 4GB DDR3 RAM (upgradeable up to 8GB), the Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) technology, a DVD burner, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, USB 3.0, an HDMI out, a SD card slot, a VGA output, and a standard audio jack. The Sony VAIO SE has a full HD 15.5-inch display, a 500GB of HDD and up to 5.45-hour of battery life, while the VAIO SA offers a smaller 13.3-inch (1600x900) display, a 640GB of HDD and up to 7.15-hour of battery life. [Ubergizmo]

How would you change Samsung's Chromebook Series 5?

It's compact, it's cute and it's weird. But it might be your perfect netbook. Google's Chromebook family isn't apt to ever be an end-all solution - particularly for those that aren't married to the company's suite of web-based products - and we're pretty sure Samsung's taking notes on how to make the eventual followup to the Series 5 even better. Battery life was stellar, and the matte display was a joy to look at, but we still found plenty of quibbles. Are you one of the early adopters who picked one of these guys up? If given the chance, how would you tweak the design / software / whatever else? Go on and get crafty in comments below!

Toshiba NB505-N500BL 10.1-Inch Netbook For Only $229.99

Getting yourself a new netbook anytime soon to replace your old one? Why don't you take a look at this Toshiba NB505-N500BL. Available via BestBuy for only $229.99, this mini laptop is equipped with a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 LED-backlit display, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 processor, an Intel GMA 3150 graphics card, a 1GB DDR3 RAM, a 250GB hard drive, a built-in webcam, a media card reader, WiFi, a 6-cell battery and runs on Windows 7 Starter Edition OS. [Product Page]

ASUS Eee PC 1025C Netbook With Intel Cedar Trail Platform

The FCC has unveiled the ASUS Eee PC 1025C netbook with Intel's next-generation platform “Cedar Trail”. This netbook features a 32nm Intel Atom N-series processor, an Intel HD graphics, a 10-inch widescreen LCD display, up to 4GB RAM and an empty PCIe card slot. Additional specs include an HDMI output, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 3.0, Ethernet and a webcam. Its battery offers up to 14-hour of battery life. Too bad, there is no info on pricing or availability at this time. Stay tuned for more updates. [Liliputing]

Dell Inspiron N5050 15.6-Inch Notebook Introduced In Russia

A new 15.6-inch notebook from Dell has just been introduced in Russia. Called the Inspiron N5050, the system is packed with a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 display, a 2nd Generation Intel Core processor, an Intel integrated or ATI Radeon HD 6470 discrete graphics, up to 4GB RAM, up to 640GB hard drive, a 1.3MP webcam, a DVD writer, a card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, built-in 2W stereo speakers, an HDMI port and runs on Windows 7 Home OS. The Dell Inspiron N5050 will be priced at 17,000 Rubles (about $520). [Dell]