PC Koubou Lesance NB G5541/GT650M/SSD 15.6-Inch Notebook

 PC Koubou offers you their newest 15.6-inch notebook, the Lesance NB G5541/GT650M/SSD. The system features a 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD display, a 2.30GHz Intel Core i7-3610QM processor, an Intel HM76 Express Chipset, a GeForce GT 650M 1 graphics card, an 8GB DDR3 RAM, a 500GB hard drive, a 120GB SSD, a DVD Super Multi Drive, a card reader, WiFi and runs on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. The Lesance NB G5541/GT650M/SSD retails for 99,980 Yen (about $1,254). [Product Page]

Mouse Computer LBXC700S 11.6-Inch Ultrabook

Here's another newly released ultrabook from Mouse Computer, the LBXC700S. Priced at 99,800 Yen (about $1,259), this ultraportable system comes with a 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 LED-backlit display, an Intel Core i7-2657M processor, an Intel HD 3000 graphics, a 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 120GB SSD, a 1.3MP webcam, a microSD card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 + LE and runs on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. [Product Page]

ASUS Zenbook UX21E-DH52 11.6-inch Ultrabook Price Cut

Adorama has started offering the ASUS UX21E-DH52 11.6-inch ultrabook for just $849.99. For your info, the original price was $999.99, so you can save $150. The ultrabook comes jam packed with a 1.60GHz Intel Core i5-2467M processor, a 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 128GB solid state drive, USB 3.0, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. The ASUS Zenbook UX21E-DH52 runs on the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) operating system. [Adorama]

Toughbook goes Ivy Bridge with 10-inch magnesium CF-19

 One thing we haven't seen too much of from the ongoing Ivy Bridge onslaught, is rugged notebooks. Sure, there was that Durabook from last week, but not much else - and we all know the big name in indestructible laptops, is Panasonic's Toughbook line. Luckily, for those of you with jobs or hobbies that tend to involve dust storms and precipitous drops, the CF-19 is on the way with a 3.3GHz Core i5 under its 10.1-inch hood. The €2,950 (roughly, $3,727), convertible notebook has an optional touchscreen, 500GB hard drive, SSD options for the drop prone, as well as lone USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports. If you're a truly mobile warrior, there's even an HSPA+ upgrade available for the wireless card. Basically its the Toughbook 19 we've all grown to know and love, but with some nice Intel upgrades on the inside. The updated rugged lappy should start shipping in Europe this July, but we're still waiting on availability info for the US.

Panasonic Introduces Ivy Bridge-Updated Rugged Laptop

 
Intel's Ivy Bridge processors are invading the rugged notebooks as well. After Durabook unveils its Ivy Bridge-equipped U12Ci, it is now Panasonic's turn to beef up its Toughbook line with the latest and fastest among Intel's processors.

The Panasonic CF-19 convertible notebook features a 3.3GHz Core i5 processor, a 10.1-inch screen (which you can opt as a touchscreen upon purchase), 500GB hard drive (with SSD options), a and some USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports. There is even an HSPA+ upgrade available. And since this is ruggedly made, expect this device to withstand the harshest of elements and “accidental” drops.

It basically appears like the Toughbook 19 but with a bunch of Intel upgrades on the inside. The rugged laptop will start shipping in Europe this July with an MSRP of 2,950 euros (about US$3,727). No word yet on Stateside availability.

Pioneer Computers DreamBook Power W27CR 17.3-inch Notebook

Pioneer Computers Australia hits back with a new 17.3-inch notebook, the DreamBook Power W27CR. Specs-wise, the system sports a 17.3-inch 1600 x 900 or 1920 x 1080 display, a 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-3820QM quad-core processor, a GeForce GT 630M 1GB graphics card, up to 8GB RAM, a 1TB hard drive (hybrid drive with 500GB HDD or up to 240GB SSD), a Blu-ray drive, a 9-in-1 media card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, built-in stereo speakers and runs on Windows 7 OS. Price itself starts at $599. [Product Page]

ASUS ROG G74VW Gaming Notebook

ASUS has rolled out the ROG G74VW gaming notebook. It is actually the first consumer-oriented notebook to be fully compliant with the fifth-generation Wi-Fi standard (802.11ac). The laptop is powered by the Ivy Bridge Intel Core i7 processor, an nVidia GeForce graphics card, a pair of USB ports, up to 16GB RAM, dual RAID 0x1 hard drives and a built-in dual-fan cooling system. [Electronista]

THD N2-A is a KIRF MacBook Air that runs Ice Cream Sandwich for $149

It wouldn't be Computex without some KIRF Apple products. And what we have today isn't quite a MacBook Air. But it's amazingly close. The N2-A, as it's known in the OEM underground, is one of the most impressive MacBook Air lookalikes we've seen - and one of the cheapest. $74,500 will net you 500 of these lovely 13.3-inch bundles of almost-Mac goodness, which comes out to just $149 apiece. The THD (Thread Technology Co.)-made clamshell comes complete with an LED-backlit 1366 x 768 LCD, 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 1 gig of DDR3 RAM and 8 gigs of SSD storage. There's also built-in 802.11b/g/n WiFi (we're a bit devastated about the lack of 802.11ac), and the option to add a 3G dongle or Ethernet adapter via the pair of USB 2.0 ports. As you may have gathered from the image, there's a full-size QWERTY keyboard and a familiar, yet incredibly mediocre trackpad, along with a 2-cell 4200 mAh battery (rated to 8 hours), an SD card slot, a not-so-MagSafe 110-240-volt AC adapter, a headphone out, mic in and an HDMI port. In typical MacBook Air fashion, the N2-A is very thin and quite light (1.55 kilograms or 3.4 pounds) - it's not as svelte as a top-of-the-line ICS tablet, but it's manageable for sure. While it may look perfectly fine on camera, the device's build quality certainly isn't up to Apple's standards - but then again, it doesn't cost $1,000+. After a few busy trade show days, the trackpad was noticeably scratched up, with plenty of other blemishes around the silver case to boot, along with some warping here and there. The N2-A wasn't hideous by any stretch, even upon close inspection, but any Apple newbie would be able to recognize that this didn't come out of Cupertino, even before noticing the missing Apple logo and the added Windows key (it's there to support the nearly identical N2-C, which adds a dual-core Atom processor and Windows 7 support). ICS felt quite snappy, though without a touchscreen you're forced to use the unimpressive trackpad, which wasn't responsive enough for regular use. (You can always sacrifice portability and use a USB mouse instead.) Overall, the N2-A is a pretty slick device - not to mention quite a bit of fun. Don't expect to see this KIRF in any stores in the US - you'll need to order 500 units or more directly from THD to take advantage of that $149 price tag, though we may see the Android laptop make its way to the public through third-party channels, perhaps with a retail price of about $200.

Acer Aspire V5 notebooks get Ivy Bridge treatment, shipping by end of June for $630 and up

While many laptop makers held off on product refreshes - not to mention new notebook lines - till Intel's Ivy Bridge CPUs were ready, Acer went ahead and released its Aspire V5 series back in March. Still, that doesn't mean the company can't squeeze in some new models a few months later, and indeed it just trotted out two Ivy Bridge Aspire V5 notebooks. The 14-inch version measures 0.79 inches thick and weighs 4.6 pounds, while the 15-incher measures 0.83 inches and tips in at five pounds. Both laptops have optical drives and 500GB of storage, and like the V5s announced in March they feature Acer Instant Connect for finding and saving frequently used WiFi networks. Both machines have Intel HD Graphics 4000 and 500GB of storage space. You get your choice of Core i3 or Core i5 processors, with pricing starting at $630. Acer says the notebooks will be available by the end of June.

ASUS G75VW is world's first notebook to sport Broadcom 802.11ac WiFi,

In the back corner of ASUS' brightly lit Computex booth there's a simulated gamer's lair, complete with dim LED lighting, the sound of frequent gun fire and a small handful of nondescript gaming notebooks. The G75VW is one such device, but in addition to the Ivy Bridge Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GTX 670M and massive 17.3-inch LCD, this otherwise standard portable rig includes one very important distinction: it's the very first of its kind to pack 802.11ac WiFi. Approaching gigabit Ethernet speeds, this 5th-generation WiFi-equipped notebook supports up to 900Mbps of wireless throughput - though we certainly wouldn't expect to see such speeds smack in the middle of a tech trade show exhibition hall. Instead, the device performed within the 200-400Mbps range, only jumping beyond that upper limit for a second or two during our demo. You can't get 802.11ac without a properly equipped router, so we weren't surprised to see an ASUS RT-AC66U positioned an inch away from the lappy's rear. Computex may be an appropriate venue to launch the first 802.11ac-capable computer, but it's certainly not the best place to demo any flavor of wireless technology, so we look forward to putting the new spec through its paces in a slightly less saturated setting.