Laptops & Desktops

November 25th, 2009

Black Friday deals push netbooks below $200

Posted by John Morris @ 8:14 am

Categories: Notebooks, PCs, Peripherals, and Software

Tags: Hard Drive, Netbook, N110, N120, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Microsoft Windows 7, Hardware, Operating Systems, Microsoft Windows, Software

When Asus announced the first netbook, the Eee PC, in mid-2007, it promised a price tag below $200. It has taken a little longer than expected to get there, but this coming Black Friday marks the first time that a variety of netbooks will be available for around $200 or less (not including the subsidized netbooks sold with two-year wireless data contracts). There have even been some rumors of $149 netbooks, but most of the deals I’ve seen to date range from $180 to a little more than $200. A few stores will also have budget laptops in this price range as well.

Best Buy has one of the most aggressive netbooks deals. It will be selling a Compaq Mini with a 10.1-inch (1024 by 600) display for $180. This model includes a 160GB hard drive and Windows XP Home. For $50 more, you can get the same netbook with a 250GB hard drive and Windows 7 Starter Edition. HP doesn’t really promote its Compaq-branded netbook, but it is virtually identical to the HP Mini 110, which starts at $300 with Windows XP and $360 with the larger hard drive and Windows 7 Starter Edition. Like most door-busters, the Compaq Mini is likely to sell out quickly, but Best Buy already sells a Gateway 10.1-inch netbook, the Gateway LT20, for $230. One advantage to this model is that it include a 6-cell battery, which will give you better battery life than the Compaq Mini’s 3-cell one. There’s one other big advantage to the Gateway deal–you don’t need to show up at Best Buy at 5AM Friday morning to get it.

Office Depot posted its complete list of Black Friday deals today. It is selling the Acer Aspire One D250, a 10.1-inch model with the usual specs (Atom N270, 1GB, 160GB hard drive) and Windows XP Home for $200. This model has been around for a long time, but it remains one of the most popular netbooks. For $100 more (after a $50 mail-in rebate) you can pick up a Compaq G60 laptop with a 15.6-inch display, 3GB of memory, a 250GB hard drive and Windows 7 Home Premium.

With no doors to open Friday at dawn, Amazon has been running different Black Friday specials all week. Some of its current deals include two Samsung netbooks, the N110 and N120, for $319. The N110 has a 10.1-inch display, Atom N270 processor, 1GB of memory, 160GB hard drive, Windows XP Home and a 6-cell battery. The N120 is nearly identical but has an upgraded 2.1-channel audio. Samsung isn’t a well-known netbook brand here in the U.S. but I’ve tested both of these models and they are well-designed with a large, comfortable keyboard. But the best netbook deal on Amazon.com may be the Asus Eee PC 1005HA, currently priced at $336.57. This 10.1-inch model, which uses the newer Atom N280 processor, has received excellent reviews for its long battery life and is include on many holiday gift guides this year–including mine. These are good prices but you can find these models at similar prices on other sites as well.

Like Office Depot, Target will offer the Acer Aspire One D250 for $200. But that price is only good for the blue model. Other colors start at $290, which is the usual price for the 10.1-inch netbook.

One big name missing from this list, Walmart, has not announced any Black Friday netbooks deals. They will, however, be selling a full mainstream laptop at a netbook price. The eMachines eME627 will be priced at $198 with a 15.6-inch display (1366 by 768), 1.6GHz AMD Athlon 64 TF-20, 2GB of memory, ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics, 160GB hard drive and Windows 7 Home Premium. Best Buy will match that with an HP Pavilion G60 with a 15.6-inch display with the same resolution, 2.2GHz Intel Celeron 900, 2GB of memory, Intel integrated graphics, 160GB hard drive and Windows 7 Home Premium for $197. Obviously these sub-$200 laptops are relatively under-powered, but with the larger displays, DVD drives and full version of Windows 7, they may be a better choice than a netbook for many users.

November 17th, 2009

New ultra-thin laptops ready to catch on?

Posted by John Morris @ 12:51 pm

Categories: Notebooks, PCs, Peripherals, and Software

Tags: Hard Drive, Dell Computer Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., Memory, Dell Adamo, Laptop Computer, Intel Corp., HP Envy, SL9400, Satellite T135

Ultra-thin laptops make a lot of sense. In contrast to netbooks, these are “real laptops” with sufficient performance to handle all but the most demanding tasks and (in most cases) slightly larger displays. Though they can start at about the same price as many mainstream 15-inch models, ultra-thin laptops are much more portable and the slim designs look great. All of this is why it is puzzling that this new category has gotten off to a slow start (while netbooks continue to grow). Now computer companies are hoping to jump-start things with new models.

Dell has just started taking orders on its distinctive Adamo XPS. Unlike low-cost ultra-thins, Adamo is Dell’s bid to establish a luxury brand. The first Adamo, which arrived just as the economy collapsed, fell flat. This time Dell is hoping a more novel design-which has already received intense coverage–will entice shoppers to spend more. The keyboard panel drops down from inside the display when you swipe a finger across the capacitive latch release. This elevates the keyboard, but more important it results in what Dell claims is the world’s thinnest laptop–it is 0.4 inches thick and weighs 3.2 pounds. The Adamo XPS starts at $1,799 with a 13.4-inch display, 1.40GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400, 4GB of memory and 128GB solid state. There are very few configuration options: you can add an external hard drive or optical drive, or select a larger (and heavier) battery that Dell claims is good for more than 5 hours.

The Adamo XPS won’t ship until December 22, and I haven’t seen any full reviews yet, but here are links to some hands-on coverage:

• CNET
• Computer Shopper
• PC Magazine
• Laptop Magazine

Because of its price, the Adamo XPS competes not with low-cost ultra-thins, but with other premium models that use similar low-voltage processors such as the Apple MacBook Air, HP Envy 13 and Lenovo ThinkPad X301. The HP Envy is bigger and heavier than the Adamo XPS–at 0.8 inches thick and 3.7 pounds–but it is still highly portable by laptop standards. It starts at $100 less with a 13.1-inch display, 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo SL9400, 3GB of memory, ATI Radeon HD 4330 graphics with 512MB and a 250GB hard drive. The SL9400 is a low-voltage processor, not an ultra low-voltage chip (it is rated at 17 watts, rather than 10 watts), but the Envy 13 still posted solid battery scores in most reviews.

HP Envy 13 reviews:

• CNET
• Computer Shopper
• PC Magazine
• Laptop Magazine
• PC World

Dell does have a low-cost ultra-thin laptop, though. The Inspiron 11z, an 11.6-inch model that is only about an inch thick and starts at $400 with a 1.30GHz Intel Celeron M 743, a single-core ULV processor. At that price and size, it is competing with netbooks as much as it is with other low-cost ultra-thins and mainstream laptops.

HP’s latest low-cost model is the Pavilion dm3 series. Based on a 13.3-inch display, this ultra-thin laptop is available with low-voltage processors from either AMD or Intel. The dm3z starts at $530 with a 1.60GHz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 dual-core processor, 2GB of memory, ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics and a 160GB hard drive. The dm3t currently starts at $600 with a 1.20GHz Intel Celeron SU2300 dual-core processor, 2GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive.

HP Pavilion dm3 reviews:

• Computer Shopper
• Laptop Magazine

Lenovo has two new ultra-thin models that use Intel’s ULV chips: the IdeaPad U150 with an 11.6-inch display and the IdeaPad U550 with a 15.4-inch display. The company already sells 13.3-inch (IdeaPad U350) and 14.0-inch (U450) ULV laptops as well, giving it a complete line of ultra-thins like Acer’s Aspire Timeline series and MSI’s X Series. All of the IdeaPads are an inch thick or less, and starting prices range $550 for the IdeaPad U450 to $680 for the Idea U550. The IdeaPad U150, a competitor to the Dell Inspiron 11z, starts at $649 with a 1.30GHz Intel Pentium SU4100 dual-core processor, 3GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive. The IdeaPad U350, which goes head-to-head with HP’s Pavilion dm3 series, starts at $599 with a 1.40GHz Core 2 Solo SU3500 single-core processor, 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive. With its larger display, the IdeaPad U550 is more like a mainstream laptop–complete with a built-in DVD drive–but it is thinner and lighter. It competes with larger ULV laptops such as the Acer Aspire 5810 Timeline and MSI X600.

Toshiba has been pumping out ultra-thins laptops such as the Portege R series for years, but these are higher-priced executive notebooks along the lines of the ThinkPad X301. The Satellite T100 series, by contrast, fits squarely in the low-cost ultra-thin camp. There are two models. The Satellite T115 in an 11.6-inch laptop starting at $450 with the 1.30GHz Intel Celeron M 743 single-core processor, 2GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive. That puts it somewhere between the Inspiron 11z, which is $50 less but has a smaller hard drive, and the IdeaPad U150, which costs more but has a faster processor and more memory. The Satellite T135 is a 13.3-inch models that competes with the Pavilion dm3 series, IdeaPad U330 and others. It starts at $600 with a 1.30GHz Pentium SU2700 single-core processor, 3GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive.

Toshiba Satellite T135 reviews:

• CNET
• Computer Shopper
• Laptop Magazine
• PC Magazine
• PC World

Setting aside the Adamo XPS and HP Envy 13, which carry relatively high price tags, these new ultra-thin models should appeal to anyone looking for a laptop at a mainstream price but in a much more portable package. Low cost ultra-thins could finally be ready to catch on.

November 12th, 2009

More rumors ahead of Intel Arrandale arrival

Posted by John Morris @ 2:37 pm

Categories: Desktops, Notebooks, PCs, Peripherals, and Software

Tags: Intel Corp., Chip, Westmere Processor, Processors, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Semiconductors, Hardware, Components, John Morris

[Update: DigiTimes is now reporting that there will be four Arrandale chips at launch: the Core i5-520M, Core i5-430M, Core i3-350M and Core i3-330M. Based on the Core i3 and Core i5, these seem more consistent with the mainstream audience that Intel is hoping to reach with these first 32nm mobile processors.]

As the end of 2009 approaches, more details about Intel’s first 32nm Westmere processors are beginning to trickle out. Intel hasn’t said exactly when it will announce the new chips, currently known as Arrandale for laptops and Clarkdale for desktops, but the Consumer Electronics Show in January seems a safe bet, and it could easily be sooner. Intel is already manufacturing these chips, and earlier today DigiTimes, a news organization based in Taiwan, reported that Intel will initially release three Arrandale processors in the first half of 2010: a 1.06GHz Core i5-520UM, 1.06GHz Core i7-620UM and 1.20GHz Core i7-640UM at prices ranging from $241 to $305.

The Westmere processors are notable not only because they will be the industry’s first 32nm processors, but also because they combine a CPU and a graphics processor in a single package. That’s not the same thing as AMD’s Fusion, which combines the two on the same physical silicon chip. Rather Intel is merging a 32nm CPU and a 45nm GPU into a single package. From the perspective of a system designer there’s probably little difference-either way you’re dealing with a single part, rather than a CPU connected to a separate northbridge with graphics over a front side bus. But ultimately a single piece of silicon is more elegant and less expensive to manufacture, as long as it doesn’t require big trade-offs in performance or power efficiency. AMD calls this an APU, or Accelerated Processing Unit, and yesterday they reiterated plans to ship the first ones–also manufactured at 32nm–in the first half of 2011. That means they are still at least a year behind Intel in terms of process technology. Intel also plans switch to a single-chip CPU-GPU, but the timing is unclear.

In the meantime, the first half of 2010 is shaping up to be very busy for Intel. At the low-end, Intel will release a new platform, Pine Trail, for netbooks and nettops. Some sites have reported that Intel will announce these new chips, including a single-core 1.66GHz Atom N450 for netbooks and a dual-core 1.66GHz Atom D510 for nettops, in late December. New netbooks using Pine Trail should show up at CES, and while the processor should be a bit faster, the big win here is likely to be graphics that can handle high-resolution video playback, which could take some of the wind out of the sails of Nvidia’s Ion. One step up from there, Intel will continue to push its ultra low-voltage (ULV) processors for thin-and-lights priced from $600 to $800 such as the HP Pavilion dm3t, Lenovo IdeaPad U350 and Toshiba Satellite T135. The 45nm Core 2 Duo processors will be around for a while, but over time the new dual-core Arrandale chips will move into mainstream laptops with 14- and 15-inch displays currently priced at around $550 and up. At the high-end, Intel has the Clarksfield quad-core Core i7 processors in desktop replacements such as the Acer Aspire AS8940G, Alienware m15x, Dell Studio 15 and Studio XPS 16, HP Pavilion dv6t and dv8t Quad Editions, Lenovo IdeaPad Y550P and Toshiba Qosmio X505.

The Arrandale and Clarkdale processors include many of the same features–HyperThreading, Turbo Boost-that have made the 45nm Nehalem processors impressive performers. So it’s no surprise that early test results, which Intel showed at Intel Developer Forum in September, look promising. The company also hinted that graphics in these new chips will be significantly better. If they deliver, expect to see some nice Arrandale-based mainstream laptops starting early next year.

November 11th, 2009

AMD updates roadmap, promises "supercomputer in your lap"

Posted by John Morris @ 1:32 pm

Categories: Desktops, Notebooks, PCs, Peripherals, and Software

Tags: Platform, Supercomputer, Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Notebooks, Processors, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Semiconductors, Components, John Morris

AMD’s annual analyst’s day, which is taking place today, is an opportunity to see how the company’s roadmaps for its laptop, desktop and server processors have changed over the past 12 months. This year looked to be especially interesting because AMD recently divorced the design of its products from the manufacturing, now performed by GlobalFoundries, raising questions about the company’s ability to deliver on time. AMD sought to put that to rest, stating (repeatedly) that its upcoming chips were ahead of schedule and providing some new details on exactly what these products will offer. (I did not attend this year’s analyst day, but AMD provided a live Webcast and the full presentations are available here.)

The most interesting stuff won’t arrive until 2011 because that is when AMD will finally introduce notebook and desktop chips that combine multiple CPU cores and graphics on the same physical slice of silicon. AMD refers to these as APUs (Accelerated Processor Units) but the strategy is also known as Fusion, and it’s been closely watched because it was part of the justification for the costly ATI acquisition three years ago. But AMD isn’t sitting around waiting for 2011. In the past year, the company completed the transition of its processors to 45nm, launched the industry’s first 40nm DirectX11 GPUs and introduced a six-core Opteron server processor. Next year AMD plans to release new enthusiast and mainstream laptop and desktop platforms, DX11 notebook GPUs and a 12-core Opteron. These are more evolutionary products than the APUs in 2011, but they should keep AMD competitive. In particular, AMD is promising next year’s laptop platforms will deliver at least a 25% improvement in both performance and battery life.

I’ve long argued that AMD’s notebook roadmap has been the company’s biggest weakness. Emilio Ghilardi, AMD’s Chief Sales Officer, seemed to confirm this when he said that, in his previous role at HP as an AMD customer, his number one question was AMD’s notebook lineup. AMD is attempting to address this by focusing on two key segments, mainstream and ultra-thin laptops (UTL), and on improving battery life. In the first half of 2010, AMD will release two new notebook platforms: Danube for mainstream laptops and Nile for UTLs. Danube will include dual- and quad-core Champlain CPUs and a chipset with DX10.1 integrated graphics that will also supports DX11 discrete GPUs. Nile will have a dual-core Geneva CPU and the same graphics. It will replace the Congo platform currently used in products such as the HP Pavilion dm3z. Both new processors will be manufactured using GlobalFoundries’ current 45nm processor on SOI (Silicon-on-Insulator) wafers.

In 2011, AMD will introduce its first APU, Llano, which will be part of the Sabine platform for mainstream laptops. Llano will include a quad-core CPU (using the existing Stars cores) and a DX11 GPU capable of “gigaflops-class” performance. Llano will be manufactured using 32nm SOI, which AMD executives said is already working on test chips and will be sampling–the term for giving key customers an early look–sometime next year. The Brazos platform, which will replace Nile, will have an Ontario APU based on a new CPU design known as Bobcat, as well as a DX11 GPU. Bobcat will be capable of operating at less than 1 watt with performance similar to today’s mainstream notebooks, AMD officials said. Interestingly AMD execs didn’t want to disclose the manufacturing process for Ontario, which at least leaves the door open to leapfrogging Intel and jumping to a 28nm technology–something AMD has been hinting at lately. To be clear, AMD officials didn’t say this, but like other semiconductor foundries, GlobalFoundries has both high-performance and low-power 28nm technology on its own roadmap, so it’s not hard to connect the dots here.

The desktop roadmap parallels the laptop one with two new platforms each year with the first APUs arriving in 2011. Next year AMD will replace its Dragon enthusiast platform with Leo, which is most notable for its Thuban CPU with up to six cores-basically a desktop version of the shipping Istanbul server chip. The mainstream platform, Dorado, will use AMD Athlon II processors with up to four cores and DX10.1 integrated graphics. Both will be manufactured using the current 45nm SOI technology.

In 2011, AMD will offer an enthusiast platform (Scorpius) with both quad and 8-core Zambezi processors based on a new design, known as Bulldozer. This is not part of an APU–it will use a standard chipset with “next-generation” ATI Radeon graphics. At the mainstream level, AMD will introduce the Llano APU with a quad-core processor as part of its Lynx platform. Both the Zambezi CPU and Llano APU will be manufactured using 32nm SOI technology.

AMD has been on a win streak with its Radeon 4800 series, and most recently Radeon 5000 series GPUs, and the company is hoping it can leverage its graphics expertise to better compete with Intel. With the CPU and GPU on a collision course, AMD execs also talked about “changing the cadence” of its future product releases to more closely match the 12-month GPU product development cycle, rather than AMD’s longer CPU schedule of anywhere from 16 to 24 months. If all of this works, Fusion could be the basis for some compelling products. Rick Bergman, the head of AMD’s Products Group, promised the technology would “literally deliver a supercomputer on your lap . . . with all-day battery performance.” That’s an ambitious plan, but it’s good to see AMD get some of its mojo back.

November 3rd, 2009

Acer adds Core i7 to its desktop replacement

Posted by John Morris @ 7:53 pm

Categories: Notebooks, PCs, Peripherals, and Software

Tags: Desktop, Hard Drive, Nvidia GeForce, NVidia Corp., Memory, Desktop Replacement, HP Pavilion, Acer Inc., Satellite, Blu-ray

Another laptop has been added to the Core i7-Windows 7 roster. Acer’s Aspire AS8940G is an update to the company’s desktop replacement with a massive 18.4-inch display. Like most desktop replacements, the Aspire AS8940G is barely portable, weighing in at nine pounds and measuring 17.4 by 11.8 by 1.7 inches. But that leaves room for high-end components. The Aspire AS8940G-6865 is $1,350 with a 1.60GHz Intel Core i7-720QM quad-core processor, 4GB of memory, Nvidia GeForce GTS 250M with 1GB, a 500GB hard drive and a Blu-ray player.

Not every PC maker pushes things as far as 18.4-inches. But there are several competitors. The HP Pavilion dv8t Quad Edition starts at $1,300 with the 1.60GHz Core i7-720QM, 3GB of memory, Nvidia GeForce GT 230M graphics with 1GB, a 250GB hard drive and a Blu-ray player.

Toshiba has two options. The Toshiba Satellite P500 is a lower-end model with both Intel- and AMD-based configurations. The Satellite P500-ST6822 is currently $721.65 with a 2.20GHz Core 2 Duo T6600, 2GB of memory, Intel integrated graphics, 320GB hard drive and DVD burner. The $749 Satellite P500D-ST5805 has an AMD Turion II M500, 4GB of memory, ATI Radeon 4100 integrated graphics, a 500GB hard drive and DVD burner. The Qosmio X505 starts at $1,450, putting it in direct competition with the Aspire AS8940G and Pavilion dv8t. This configuration (the X505-Q830) includes the Core i7-720QM, 4GB of memory, Nvidia GeForce GTS 250M graphics with 1GB, a 320GB hard drive and Blu-ray player.

Like the Satellite P500, Sony’s AW series sticks with a dual-core processor. The VAIO VGN-AW450F/H is $1,150 with a 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo P7450, 4GB of memory, Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT graphics with 512MB, a 320GB hard drive and a Blu-ray player. One big drawback to the Satellite P500, Qosmio X505 and Sony AW series is the 720p display resolution (1680×945); the Aspire AS8940G and Pavilion dv8t offer full 1080p (1920×1080) displays. Dell and Lenovo top out at 17 inches (though the ThinkPad W700ds also has a slide-out 10.6-inch display).

November 1st, 2009

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Laptop computers

Posted by John Morris @ 9:15 pm

Categories: Holiday Gift Guide, Notebooks, PCs, Peripherals, and Software

Tags: Processor, Hard Drive, Performance, Apple MacBook, Memory, Graphics, Laptop Computer, Netbook, Computer, Intel Corp.

This year the laptop list was a tough assignment for several reasons.

First, the emergence of a new class of ultra-thin laptops–spawned by lower-cost processors from Intel and AMD–has made things more complicated. Second, there’s a fresh crop of Windows 7 laptops, and very few of them have received full reviews. Finally, Intel is preparing to release its first 32nm processor families, Arrandale for laptops and Clarksdale for desktops, early next year, and this is likely to really shake things up.

The good news is that there’s more choice than ever at all prices ranges. The bad news is that it’s becoming very tough to choose. Here are some guidelines.

Not long ago, the laptop market was relatively straightforward. The so-called mainstream systems with 15-inch displays were the least expensive (and most commonplace) and everything smaller (thin-and-lights and ultraportables) and larger (desktop replacements) cost more–often a lot more. Today mainstream models with 15.6-inch displays still tend to be the cheapest (not counting netbooks). These will typically cost anywhere from $300 to $550, though you can easily spend more depending on the configuration. The difference is that smaller, and more portable, laptops are closing the price gap. Sure, you can still spend $2,000 or more on an “executive-class” ultraportable if you really want, but now there are many low-cost ultra-thin alternatives. These typically have displays ranging in size from 11.6 to 13.3 inches, and start at around $600. At the opposite extreme are desktop replacement laptops with 17.3-inch, or in some cases even 18.4-inch, displays. These are more expensive than mainstream systems, are typically toward entertainment or gaming applications, and are only marginally portable.

Some of the larger laptops are now offering quad-core processors, but most users will be better off with a fast dual-core processor combined with more memory. You may notice that many laptops come with a new type of system memory, DRR3, which is faster and uses less power than DDR2 memory. Most laptops use an Intel chipset with integrated graphics (Arrandale will actually put graphics processor in the same physical package with the CPU) and this has advantages in terms of battery life. But it can’t match either the integrated or discrete graphics from AMD or Nvidia in terms of performance. More computer makers are offering solid-state disks in lieu of standard hard drives, but this market has yet to materialize largely because NAND flash remains too costly, though performance has been an issue as well. Microsoft designed Windows 7 to take better advantages of SSDs, so as the price comes down, we may see some pick-up in 2011. But for now, you can ignore them.

Finally several PC makers have started dropping internal optical drives from some larger laptops with displays of 13, 14 or even 15-plus inches to make them thinner and lighter. This is largely a matter of personal preference, depending on how much you travel, and whether you are accustomed to downloading all of your applications and content. Many entertainment notebooks have optional Blu-ray players or burners.

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November 1st, 2009

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Netbook computers

Posted by John Morris @ 9:07 pm

Categories: Holiday Gift Guide, Notebooks, PCs, Peripherals, and Software

Tags: Microsoft Windows 7, Battery, Microsoft Windows, Netbook, Computer, Ion, Mini 311, NB205, Eee PC 1005HA, Samsung N120

The debate over whether netbooks are a real phenomenon or a passing fad is pretty much over. Whether you consider them a distinct category, or simply an inexpensive and under-powered subnotebook, the fact remains that some 25 million shoppers will choose netbooks this year. In other words, they are here to stay.

The exact definition of a netbook remains somewhat fluid though, and it has certainly evolved over the past year. Last year the market was shifting from 9-inch netbooks to models with 10.1-inch displays. Now this niche is split between 10.1-inch displays and 11.6-inch models, and there are even a handful of models (Lenovo IdeaPad S12, Samsung NC10) with the 12.1-inch displays commonly found on ultraportable laptops. Many of the 11.6-inch netbooks also support a higher resolution of 1366×768, which is useful since you can see more and scroll less (Sony is the only one that squeezes this higher resolution onto a10.1-inch display with its VAIO W series). To add to the confusion, many of the same PC makers have started shipping laptops with the same display sizes–11.6 or 12.1 inches–paired with Intel’s ultra low-voltage, or ULV, processors typically at prices of around $600 and up. The HP Pavilion dv2 also falls into this category, though it is based on an AMD Athlon Neo dual-core processor.

One thing that hasn’t changed much, though, is the basic specs. Nearly all netbooks have the same starting configuration–an Intel Atom N270 or N20 processor, 1GB of memory and a 160GB hard drive. Not surprisingly, the performance also tends to be the same, which is to say not very good, among netbooks. After dragging its feet for more than a year, in early 2010 Intel will reportedly release new netbook platform, known as Pine Trail, which should deliver better performance. In the meantime, Nvidia has attempted to fill the void with its Ion chipset, which gives netbooks (and nettops) the graphics mojo to play HD video. Three netbooks currently offer Ion: the HP Mini 311, Lenovo IdeaPad S12 and Samsung N510. Though there were some concerns about the price and battery life, early reviews have been quite good and it’s a nice option if you want a netbook with a little more oomph.

One of the clearest distinctions between netbooks and notebooks–the operating system–is also about to disappear. Windows 7 replaces both Vista on notebooks and Windows XP. A few netbooks will offer full versions of Windows 7, but many will stick with Windows 7 Starter edition. There are two drawbacks here. First, to entice customers to choose more expensive versions of Windows 7, the Starter edition has some limitations. You may have heard that Microsoft planned some onerous restrictions, most notably a limit o the number of applications you can run at one time. They’ve since dropped that plan and now the primary distinction is that you can’t change the wallpaper/theme, which simply seems arbitrary. Second, it is likely that netbooks with any version of Windows 7 will cost more because Microsoft is charging more. If you want to upgrade your Windows XP netbook, things are a bit more complicated. Microsoft will offer a version on a USB drive (since netbooks don’t have optical drives), but you’ll need to back up all of your applications, files and settings and then reinstall them on Windows 7. The bottom line: The vast majority will simply get Windows 7 on a new netbook, and it is a big improvement in terms of usability and features.

Despite all the changes, netbooks still aren’t for everyone. But as long as you know exactly what you are getting (or giving, since this is a holiday gift guide), a netbook is a good second PC, and even in a in some specific cases, a reasonable primary PC.

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November 1st, 2009

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Desktop computers

Posted by John Morris @ 9:04 pm

Categories: Desktops, Holiday Gift Guide, PCs, Peripherals, and Software

Tags: Hard Drive, Hewlett-Packard Co., Gateway Inc., PC, Memory, Apple iMac, Model, Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Series, Graphics

A lot has changed since I made a list of desktops and checked it twice last year.

Intel released its Core i5 and Core i7 processors, based on a new design known as Nehalem, which brought significant performance improvements to desktops (not to mention servers and workstations). AMD is still playing catch-up with its processors, but on the positive side it has had a string of hits in graphics including the Radeon HD 4000 series and now the HD 5000 series. Nvidia will release new graphics processors based on its Fermi architecture early next year, but for now AMD is delivering the best bang for the buck.

But the biggest change in the world of desktops is the release of Windows 7. The problems with Windows Vista were a bit overblown, but everyone was eager for a fresh start and Windows 7 makes desktops easier to use, more capable and even a bit faster under certain circumstances. With some desktops shipping with as much as 6GB of memory now, there’s no longer any reason to buy the 32-bit version of Windows, and nearly every new desktop comes with the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium, which will still run your 32-bit applications. Windows 7 also has support for multi-touch displays built-in, so you’ll notice many more desktops and laptops that include these features such as HP’s TouchSmart 600. I’ve tried some of these new Windows 7 multi-touch PCs, and they’re intriguing, but until someone comes up with killer apps for multi-touch on PCs, it will remain a niche.

One other new category you’ll notice on store shelves this year is the nettop. These look like small -form factor PCs, but they are actually the desktop’s answer to netbooks complete with Intel Atom processors. Some have slightly more powerful Nvidia graphics and they run Windows 7, rather than Windows XP, but don’t be fooled. Netbooks have their place, but I’m much more skeptical of nettops. The truth is there’s very little price difference between a nettop and a budget desktop, and the trade-off in terms of performance and features simply isn’t worth saving a few bucks.

As you’ll see from this year’s gift guide picks, there are plenty of better deals on desktops.

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October 27th, 2009

More laptops combine Core i7, Windows 7

Posted by John Morris @ 7:06 pm

Categories: Desktops, Notebooks, PCs, Peripherals, and Software

Tags: Hard Drive, Lenovo Group Ltd., Microsoft Windows, Graphics, Laptop Computer, IdeaPad Y550P, Studio XPS 16, Microsoft Windows 7, Processors, Notebooks

Lenovo is the latest to add the Core i7 processor to its laptop lineup. The IdeaPad Y550P is one of several consumer laptops and desktops for Windows 7 that Lenovo announced yesterday. Intel first introduced Core i7 mobile processors, based on its Nehalem microarchitecture, in late September, but they remain high-end chips with list prices ranging from $364 to more than $1,000. The vast majority of laptops still use Core 2 Duo processors, or AMD Athlon or Turion chips. The arrival of Windows 7, however, has unleashed a wave of new notebooks including more Core i7 models.

The IdeaPad Y550P is an entertainment laptop with a 15.6-inch display and Nvidia discrete graphics. Lenovo hasn’t announced the final specs but should start around $1,149 with the 1.60GHz Core i7-720QM. Lenovo announced two other new laptops, the U550, a thinner 15.6-inch mainstream model, and the 11.6-inch IdeaPad U150 ultraportable. Both use Core 2 Duo processors, and the U550 has switchable graphics (integrated and discrete). The U150 and U550 will starts at $585 and $650, respectively. Lenovo does not offer a quad-core processor on its ThinkPad business line with the exception of the 17-inch W700, a mobile workstation that offers Core 2 Quad processors, but not Core i7. Lenovo also unveiled three Windows 7 desktops–only two of which, the IdeaCentre B500 and K300, will be available in the U.S. The most interesting is the B500, an all-in-one with a 23-inch 1920×1080 display, Core 2 Duo E5400, 2GB of memory, Nvidia GeForce G210M graphics with 512M and 320GB hard drive. Final pricing hasn’t been set, but Lenovo’s release stated the B500 should start around $649. Last week, Lenovo announced Windows 7 updates for two laptops for small and medium-size businesses, the 14-inch ThinkPad SL410 and 15.6-inch SL510, but these are available only with Core 2 Duo processors.

HP is now offering Core i7 processors on several “Quad Edition” models including the 15.6-inch Pavilion dv6t, 17.3-inch dv7t and 18.4-inch dv8t. The lowest priced is the $999.99 dv6t with 1366×768 resolution display, 1.60GHz Core i7-720QM, 2GB of memory, Nvidia GeForce GT 230M graphics with 1GB and a 250GB hard drive. At the opposite extreme, HP’s premium Envy 15 is also equipped with a 15.6-inch display but with a higher resolution (1920×1080) and ATI Radeon HD 4830 graphics. It starts at $1,799.99 with the same Core i7-720QM processor, 6GB of memory, and a 500GB hard drive. The 1.73GHz Core i7-820QM adds $400 to the price. Unlike the Pavilion dv6t, the Envy 15 does not have an internal optical drive to cut down on the weight and thickness, though you can purchase an external DVD burner or a combo drive that can also play Blu-ray discs.

Acer does not yet offer a model with a Core i7 processor. Gateway, which is a division of Acer, announced an new EC series of laptops, including a 15.6-inch model, but all of the new models use a 1.30GHz Pentium SU4100 dual-core processor, one of Intel’s ULV chips designed for long battery life rather than high performance. That puts the $649.99 Gateway EC5409u more in direct competition with other thin 15.6-inch models such as Dell’s Inspiron 15z and Lenovo’s IdeaPad U550.

Dell has several models that now include the Core i7. The Studio 15 starts at $999.99 with a 15.6-inch display (720p), 1.60GHz Core i7-720QM, 4GB of memory, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphics with 512MB and 250GB hard drive. It competes directly with the Pavilion dv6t. The Studio XPS 16 is a higher-end model with a 1680×945 display, ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics with 1GB and a 500GB hard drive. It starts at $1,399 with the same Core i7 chip. Dell’s desktop replacement, the Studio 17, also has a Core i7 720QM starting at $1,099 (17.3-inch display, 4GB of memory, ATI Radeon HD 4650 with 1GB and a 250GB hard drive). Finally, the Alienware m15x, a gaming rig, is one of the few 15.6-inch laptops with the full menu of Core i7 processors including the 2.0GHz Core i7 920XM–the fastest mobile processor currently available.

Last week Apple announced an iMac refresh that included Core i7 and Core i5 processors on its 27-inch model, but the company does not yet offer a laptop with a Nehalem processor. There are rumors that a MacBook Pro refresh may be just around the corner, though perhaps with the upcoming Arrandale Core i3/Core i5 processors.

October 19th, 2009

Will Windows 7 have the right touch?

Posted by John Morris @ 2:07 pm

Categories: Desktops, Notebooks, PCs, Peripherals, and Software

Tags: John Morris

The touch interface has arrived on smartphones, thanks largely to the iPhone. But it hasn’t found much mainstream success on the PC despite years of trying. The imminent arrival of Windows 7, which has multi-touch support built-in, and a separate Touch Pack with sample apps and games, has rekindled interest in touch computing.

In the past few weeks, Acer, HP, Fujitsu, Lenovo and Toshiba have all announced new laptops and desktops with touchscreens and software optimized for Windows 7. Some of these are updates to systems that already offered more limited touch features; others are entirely new multi-touch models. A few are mainstream laptops, signaling that touch could be ready to break out of its convertible-tablet box and reach a wider audience. Since they are timed for the release of Windows 7 on October 22, only a handful of these new PCs have received full reviews, but here’s what to expect.

The Acer Aspire AS5738PG, the company’s first multi-touch laptop, is a mainstream laptop with a 15.6-inch multi-touch display (1,366×768). Unlike competitors, Acer isn’t offering its own touch interface or applications with the Aspire AS5738PG, Instead it is simply piggy-backing on Windows 7, which means you can use one or two fingers to launch and control applications, move and resize windows, zoom in and out when viewing photos or Web pages, browse through documents and media, and write notes. The $799.99 Aspire AS5738PG-6306 will include 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo T6600, 4GB or memory, ATI Radeon HD 4570 graphics with 512MB, a 320GB hard drive and a DVD drive.

• New Acer Laptops Add Multitouch [PC Magazine]

Fujitsu isn’t new to touch, and the company is sticking to the script with three convertible tablets for Windows 7, the LifeBook T4410 and T4310, and an updated LifeBook T5010. The T4410 and T4310 both have a 12.1-inch (1280×800) display, but with different specs, while the T5010 has a 13.3-inch display (1280×800). What distinguishes these models is a dual digitizer display, developed by Wacom, which works with both a stylus and as a capacitive multi-touch display. You can fold it flat to scribble notes or leave it open and use one or two fingers to control the system. That flexibility will definitely appeal to certain business users, but it comes at a steep price.

The dual digitizer version of the T5010, which is already available in the U.S. with a free upgrade to Windows 7, starts at $1,859 with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo P8400, 1GB of memory, an 80GB hard drive and DVD burner. At a minimum, I’d recommend upgrading to 2GB of memory and a 120GB drive, which brings the system price to just under $2,000. The LifeBook T4410 and T4310 are not yet available in the U.S., but since Fujitsu already offers a different 12.1-inch model here, the LifeBook T2020, odds are the Windows 7 versions will find their way here.

• Fujitsu LifeBook T5010 review [PC Magazine]

HP also has a new convertible tablet–along with two all-in-one desktops–but it is banking on multi-touch for consumers as well as business. HP’s TouchSmart all-in-ones have always included a special touch interface and a suite of consumer applications and games, but the Windows 7 versions, the 20-inch TouchSmart 300 and the 23-inch TouchSmart 600, add multi-touch support and a broader set of apps including touch-enabled versions of Twitter, Hulu, Netflix, and the Rhapsody and Pandora music services. The HP TouchSmart 300-1020, a retail model available starting November 1, is $899.99 with a 2.70GHz AMD Athlon II 235e dual-core processor, 4GB of memory, ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics, a 500GB hard drive and DVD burner. The HP TouchSmart 600-1050, also a retail model available on October 22, starts at $1,199.99 with a 2.10GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6500, 4GB of memory, Nvidia GeForce G200 integrated graphics, a 750GB hard drive and DVD burner. On HP’s site, the configure-to-order version of the TouchSmart 600 will start at $1,049.99.

The TouchSmart tx2z, previously a run-of-the-mill 12.1-inch (1280×800) tablet, now has the TouchSmart interface and nearly all of the same consumer apps except for RecipeBox. Like the LifeBook T5010 it works in both pen and multi-touch modes, but it uses N-trig’s DuoSense display technology. The TouchSmart tx2z, which will be available on October 22 with Windows 7 (you can order it now), starts at $799.99 with a 2.2GHz AMD Turion X2 RM-75 processor, 2GB of memory, ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics, a 250GB hard drive and a DVD burner. Outside the U.S., the Pavilion dv3, HP’s 13.3-inch consumer laptop, is also available with multi-touch.

In addition to these consumer models, HP announced a TouchSmart 9100 Business PC with a 23-inch display, which it is positioning as a “virtual sales assistant” for retail stores, and a multi-touch 42-inch LCD monitor, the HP LD4200tm, for digital signage. The TouchSmart 9100 starts at $1,299 and the HP LD4200tm will be $2,799. Both will be available in December.

• HP TouchSmart 600 review [CNET]
• Video Hands-on: HP TouchSmart tx2 Now Offers Touch Twitter, Hulu Apps [Laptop Magazine]
• HP TouchSmart 600-1055 review [PC Magazine]
• HP TouchSmart 600 review [PC World]

Lenovo decided not to wait around for Windows 7 and released its multi-touch systems, the ThinkPad X200 12.1-inch convertible tablet and the ThinkPad T400s 14.1-inch laptop, in September. Both models have capacitive multi-touch displays, but unlike the Fujitsu and HP tablets, neither ThinkPad’s display doubles as a digitizer for pen input. (The much-larger ThinkPad W700 workstation comes with a true Wacom digitizer in the palm-rest, however.) Like HP, Lenovo has its own touch interface, called SimpleTap, but it’s a bit more utilitarian. SimpleTap is basically a set of tiles that allows you to use finger gestures to adjust hardware settings including turning on or off the wireless radios, ThinkLight and microphone; viewing the Webcam; adjusting the volume or screen brightness; and locking the screen or putting the system to sleep. You can add custom tiles to launch particular apps or documents.

The ThinkPad X200 with the multi-touch display is currently available on Lenovo’s site for $1,689 with a 1.40GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400, 2GB of memory, Intel integrated graphics, a 160GB hard drive and 4-cell battery. Lenovo also offers an optional display on the ThinkPad X200 that is very bright (400 nits), and has an anti-reflective layer and a wider viewing angle. This “outdoor viewable” display is not available with multi-touch. The ThinkPad T400s starts at $1,999 with a 2.40GHz Intel Core2 Duo SP9400, 2GB of memory, Intel integrated graphics, a 120GB hard drive, DVD burner and 6-cell battery. The new SimpleTap software will be available for download later this week.

• Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet Multi-Touch review [Computer Shopper]
• Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet review [PC Magazine]

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had a chance to try out several of these new multi-touch applications. They’re nice extras, but I’m not convinced anyone has yet found the killer app to drive broad adoption of multi-touch computing. Still the multi-touch support in Windows 7, and the availability of touch displays on a wider variety of desktops and laptops–and at much lower prices–should do a lot to expose this technology to more users. One clear indication the technology is improving: The HP TouchSmart 600 has already picked up two Editors’ Choice awards (PC Magazine and Computer Shopper) and Lenovo’s ThinkPad X200 Multi-touch nabbed one (also PC Magazine).