Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Hands On Sony Vaio Z-Series: World's Smallest, Lightest Blu-ray Laptops [Sony Vaio Z-series]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/335604308/hands-on-sony-vaio-z+series-worlds-smallest-lightest-blu+ray-laptops

You'll notice Sony's heavy use of qualifiers in their small and light claims—it's because the new 13.1-inch Z-series powered by Centrino 2 is no Keira Knightley (or MacBook Air or X300). Blu-ray is actually optional. But the screen is where this thing shines: Its XBRITE-DuraView LCD is scratch-resistant with 100 percent color saturation, and you can get a crazy-high 1600x900 widescreen resolution.

Besides the smorgasbord of ports, you'll notice its MacBook-like keyboard, which has spread to the rest of the Vaio line, except the biz class (though Sony says they did it first, in 2003). It's also got G-Sensor shock protection in case you send it flying (or falling).

NEW SONY PC DELIVERS HIGH PERFORMANCE IN
ULTRA-PORTABLE PACKAGE

SAN DIEGO, July 15, 2008 Sony today took the wraps off a new line of sleek, powerful, lightweight PCs– the VAIO® Z Series notebooks.

Weighing just over 3 pounds, the VAIO Z model incorporates a vivid 13.1-inch widescreen display with Sony's own XBRITE-DuraView™ LCD technology for scratch-resistant durability and 100 percent color saturation.
Select models feature a high-resolution 1600 X 900 widescreen display, providing a 40 percent wider workspace than a standard display within the same "footprint" — so the view increases while the notebook's size does not. This makes it easier to view multiple documents or lengthy spreadsheets on a single screen.

A seamless sheet of brushed aluminum adorns the keyboard panel elegantly framing its individual keys. The spacing between the keys is precisely engineered to create a comfortable typing experience while helping to prevent mistakes.
"Today's ! mobile p rofessional demands not only portability from a notebook but that it meets their productivity needs as well," said Mike Abary, senior vice president of VAIO product marketing at Sony Electronics. "This new model is an amazing engineering feat packing the full functionality of a larger PC into an ultra-light form factor."

The unit is housed in a durable carbon-fiber casing to help endure the knocks, bumps and accidents common to frequent travel. It also incorporates G-Sensor™ Shock Protection technology to counteract sudden movements helping to prevent damage and data loss.

-more-
It is powered by new Intel® Centrino® 2 technology, the chipset designed for sizzling performance, unbelievable system responsiveness, and energy efficiency.

Road warriors will love its built-in 802.11n wireless LAN capabilities making it faster and easier to connect to compatible wireless networks with greater performance and range than ever before. For blazing-fast wireless access beyond networks and hotspots, the unit features optional built-in wireless Sprint® Mobile Broadband, the nation's largest wireless broadband network.

The Z model has an optional Blu-ray Disc (BD) optical drive for enjoying, creating and storing high-definition content. Enjoy BD movies in stunning clarity while on the road or utilize the HDMI output during meetings and make presentations come to life in full 1080 HD resolution. Compatible HDTV and HDMI cable required, sold separately.

It also includes a switch-on-the-fly hybrid graphics system, allowing you to set graphics performance instantly for striking presentations that "pop" or extend battery life— all without having to reboot.

The PC employs a biometric fingerprint sensor, a Trusted Platform Module compliant chip and proprietary hard disk drive password protection software to help protect data from unauthorized access.

Equipped with a trial version of the My Memory Center™ service, the PC lets you easily transfer valuabl! e data f rom your old computer to your new one via a password-protected online account. The unit comes pre-installed with Windows Vista® Business operating system. A Windows® XP Pro downgrade is also available for select models.
.
It is equipped with plenty of slots, ports and jacks, including a Memory Stick® media/SD card slot, three USB ports, i.LINK® IEEE-1394 port, microphone and headphone jack and a PC Card (type-II) slot making it easy to transfer files from external devices.

The PC is also available in a dual channel 128 GB solid state drive (SSD) model. Faster and more durable, the SSD unit provides a rapid boot-up and quicker access to applications than is typical of standard hard drives.
All models are Energy Star® 4.0 compliant, hold an EPEAT Silver ranking and incorporates eco-conscious features such as a mercury-free LED backlit LCD. Sony will even recycle your old PC (www.sony.com/recycle).

The standard VAIO Z notebook will start at about $1,800 while the SSD model will go for around $2,300. Both models will be available online at www.sony.com/pr/z. They will also be sold at Sony Style® stores and select retailers around the country starting in August.

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Hands On Lenovo X200: Tiny, Cheap, Means Business (But Forgot the Trackpad) [Lenovo X200]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/335705888/hands-on-lenovo-x200-tiny-cheap-means-business-but-forgot-the-trackpad

Lenovo officially announced its Centrino 2-based X200 ultraportable notebook today, confirming what we have known for a while now. Namely, that it's the smallest member of the X-family (12.1-inch screen, 0.8-inches thin) and very powerful. Powered by the new Centrino 2 platform, it's got a full arsenal of wireless communication interfaces (including WiMax, WWAN with GPS and Ultra-Wide Band for peripherals), yet it's a slight 2.9 pounds, a hair less than its older brother or perceived competitor. (No optical drive helps there.) And it starts at a much more affordable $1199. But where the hell is the trackpad?!

At first glance, it's fairly unremarkable. The bland case design is standard Lenovo fare, it's functional and super-solid. Base model's battery life is 3.1 hours, with the 6 cell and 9 cell batteries enabling 6.2 and 9.4 hours, respectively. Yeah, that's right, the X200 proudly forgoes a trackpad for the classic red navigation knob only, granting the keyboard a bit more space but possibly alienating users not raised on "the nip." Given the size, the weight isn't much of a surprise. Where the X200 excites, though, is under the hood. The specs run from respectable on the base model to downright impressive on the high end. Check below for a gallery and a full spec sheet.


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Monday, July 14, 2008

ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 gets previewed

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/335417740/

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AMD's ATI Radeon HD 4870 has been a bit of a mystery since word of the card first leaked out alongside the slightly lower-end Radeon HD 4850, but it looks like things are finally clearing up, with AMD itself first getting official about the card and the first hands-on previews of the card now turning up. As [H] Enthusiast reports, it looks like this one was well worth the wait, with it saying that its gameplay experiences with the card were "phenomenal." That includes being able to play Crysis at 1920x1200 with all in-game settings cranked to "high" -- a recipe for disaster on most cards, but apparently more than playable on the 4870 X2 (with some other suitably high end hardware to match, of course). What's more, the site says the card's performance could get even better by the time it's officially released, as its test card was using a beta firmware that still leaves some room for improvement. Until then, you can hit up the link below for all the current numbers.
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Lenovo's ThinkPad X200 is 0.8-inches thick, actually affordable

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/335686239/

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Gone are the days of selling off homes and loved ones to afford the latest and greatest in laptop tech, Lenovo's new (and well-rumored) ThinkPad X200 takes a cue from the X300's form factor -- though there's no disc drive to speak of -- weighing in at 2.95 pounds and measuring 0.8-inches thick. The screen has been shrunk down to 12.1-inches, and both SSD (64GB) and traditional hard drive options (up to 320GB) are on offer. The X200 runs up to a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, and up to 4GB of RAM, and will include wireless options galore, including UWB, WiMax and GPS. Oh, and that super-sexy asking price? $1,199. We like. It'll be out in August.
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Intel unleashes the Centrino 2 -- finally

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/335686238/

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Intel Centrino 2Just when we were about to forget about you, Centrino 2, here you come with your efficient bad self. Intel finally announced the new 802.11 Wi-Fi, integrated graphics-packing mobile platform after delays related to the wireless tech. Centrino 2 will come in two varieties: one for consumers and the vPro platform for the briefcase crew. The chipset can be configured for gamers, using a discrete graphics chip rather than the integrated set, if that's your thing. Of most import (or amusement) is Intel's HUGI (Hurry Up and Get Idle), which it say is the tech behind the Centrino 2's uber-efficiency -- faster speeds mean less time spent doing stuff, of course. It notes that the tech allows for an entire Blu-Ray disc to be played back for two hours on one battery charge. Finally, Intel promises a WiMax version this fall, so if you have the patience, you may want to wait for that barring further delays.
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