LAPTOP Magazine: The Pulse of Mobile Technology » Notebooks / Accessories

Extreme Keyboarding for Extreme X-Men, Star Trek and Iron Man Fans

K. T. Bradford — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:10:18 +0000

Urban Collector has some new accessories up for pre-order that should make my nerdy heart go pitter-patter. After all, I’m a life-long Trek lover and Wolverine is one of my top 5 favorite X-Men. But I don’t know that I could deal with these themed keyboards because they’re just a bit overwhelming. I mean, look at this:

I’m not even sure I could type on that. Even though my fingers naturally know where each letter is, I’m sure I’d be easily distracted. Plus, the one of the Enterprise looks like it’s coming right for us! which is not conductive to getting work done. Perhaps they would make good gifts for science fiction or comic book writers.

Or maybe not.

Fans can also get matching mice if they’re so inclined. The keyboards (termed Keyscapers) cost $46, the mice cost $27.

Hat Tip: Chip Chick

HP EliteBook 2540p Reviewed: Speed and Strength Worth Paying For

Dana Wollman — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:50:45 +0000

HP strikes again with the EliteBook 2540p, a 12-inch ultraportable built for drops, spills, and getting work done fast. It’s practically ideal for well-heeled road warriors. (There are still some of you left, right?) In our full review, this ULV Core i7 notebook proved to be a speedster, and the six-cell battery lasts nearly 7 hours on a charge. We even got 45 frames per second on World of Warcraft. The built-in optical drive—a rarity on notebooks this small—is a plus, as is the bundled security and productivity software. If you can handle the price (not to mention a small hard drive), the 2540p is one of the best business-grade ultraportables you can buy. But be sure to read our full review to make sure this business system has everything you’re looking for.

T-Mobile Dell Mini 10 with webConnect spotted lurking

Marc Flores — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:27:52 +0000

If you want to commit two years of your life to a small, low-powered netbook for a hefty price, look no further. The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is coming to T-Mobile with webConnect – the first to take advantage of T-Mobile’s 3G network. If you’d like more details about the Inspiron Mini, check out our review and impressions of the netbook.

TmoNews says the gadget is set for a March 24th release at under $200. If you’ve been agonizing over a new, subsidized and 3G capable netbook, this is probably your best bet. So just hold out for a few more days.

Who Says The Pen Is Dead? Pogo and Dagi Stylus Duke It Out

K. T. Bradford — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:56:12 +0000

During the cold winter months (that we’re thankfully leaving behind) it can be hard for those of us who have capacitive touchscreen devices. Unless you have a set of fancy gloves, you have to expose your fingers to the frigid air in order to do anything with the iPhone or Droid or JooJoo you whip out of your pocket all the time. Okay, maybe that last one is a stretch. Still, a solution must be found.

You could go the meat stylus route as some in South Korea have, but that just seems… gross. Pogo came out with a stylus that worked for capacitive screens aimed at iPhone users a few months ago. While we like their offerings (full hands-on coming soon), these styli are best suited for pushing icons, scrolling screens, and getting at that tiny link text in the browser. What if you need something with a bit more precision for writing or drawing?

Dagi seems to have the answer, if the video below from HGGadgets is to be believed. Hector Gomez gave both products a try and found that the Dagi did writing in the journal better on the Lenovo Ideapad S10-3t than the Pogo. Looks like something we’ll have to try for ourselves!

In what situations would you need or use a capacitive stylus? Is it just for the freezing winter or would you welcome it for everyday use? What products and scenarios would you like us to test both styli?

Hat Tip: GottaBeMobile

MSI Introduces 12-inch Wind U230 “Netbooks” with AMD Inside

K. T. Bradford — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:31:41 +0000

MSI is about to start a new round of the “How Should We Define Netbooks?” debate with its new Wind U230 machines. The company is calling the 12-inch replacements for the Wind U210 netbooks, but they have awfully ultraportable-ish leanings.

To start, they have 12.1-inch screens — not unheard of for netbooks, but rarer than the more typical 10-inch LCD. Then there’s 2GB of RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium (instead of Starter), and, oh yeah, the dual-core processor inside. Not a dual-core Atom as we saw on the Eee PC 1201N, but an AMD chip coupled with an ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics card.

I can hear fights breaking out already. “Netbook!” “Notebook!” “Dessert Topping!” “Floor Wax!”

These new Winds, whatever they are, come in two models: the U230-033 has an AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 CPU and a 250GB hard drive; the U230-040 has an AMD Athlon X2 L335 CPU and a 320GB drive. Otherwise, the two models are identical from their HD displays (16:9, 1366 x 768 WXGA), b/g/n wi-fi, 1.3MP webcam and 6-cell batteries. And, of course, HDMI out amongst the usual ports.

Lest this sound too exciting, there’s a fly in the ointment as concerns that battery: it’s rated for only 4 hours of life by MSI. I imagine that size display combined with the power-hungry AMD chip makes for an ultraportable that won’t want to stray too far from an outlet.

The MSI Wind U230-033 will set you back just $429 and the beefier Wind U230-040 ups the price to $479. They’re available now at Newegg.

Deal of the Day: $499 Dell Inspiron 14 Core i3 Laptop

Meghan J. McDonough — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:18:29 +0000

Today’s featured deal is a 14-inch Dell Inspiron 14 (1464) for the sweet price of $499 with this coupon from LogicBUY. This preconfigured system comes in Obsidian Black, but it’s also available in Ice Blue and Promise Pink for $40 more. This Intel Core i3 model of the Inspiron 14 is usually $654. Plus, the deal includes free shipping.

The full specs on the Dell Inspiron 14 (1464): Intel Core i3-330M processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 250GB 5400RPM hard drive, Windows 7 ($77.54) Home Premium 64-bit, 8X Dual Layer DVD+/-R drive, 802.11g wireless, 1.3MP webcam, and a 6-cell battery.

Dell Inspiron 14 (1464) 14-inch Core i3 laptop for $499 via LogicBuy.

Dell Studio 15z Reviewed: Just Another Core i5 With Wireless Display?

Avram Piltch — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:24:24 +0000

When we reviewed the Toshiba E205 a few weeks ago, we were really impressed with Intel’s Wireless Display (WiDi) technology and its ability to transmit 720p video and quality audio to a home theater across the room. And last week, when we reviewed the Sony VAIO S Series, we liked the way it combined a slim, attractive design with WiDi support. But now that we’ve reviewed the Dell Studio 15z ($949.99), our third notebook with WiDi, we’ve realized that not all of these systems are created equal.

Sure, the Dell Studio 15z has a powerful Core i5 CPU and it outputs 720p video flawlessly to your TV using WiDi, but is that enough to recommend it? At $949, it’s not cheap and, at 5.4-pounds with 15.6-inch screen, it’s not exactly portable either. With its integrated graphics chip, it’s no gaming phenom either.

The notebook does have a strong keyboard and loud, clear speakers, but is it worth the money? Read our full review of the Dell Studio 15z and decide for yourself.

New HP Slate Video Rubs Flash Support in Apple’s Face

Dana Wollman — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:00:15 +0000

I’m sensing a pattern here. After Steve Ballmer showed off a mysterious HP tablet during his CES keynote, HP released more details in late January, on the eve of the Apple iPad’s debut. Today, as the world re-watches the first iPad commercial, which aired during last night’s Oscars, HP is again showing off the Slate, this time running Adobe Flash.

In a five-minute promotion video, helmed by Adobe and HP, the Slate is on display, playing videos from sites such as MTV and running AIR apps, such as a New York Times app, complete with crossword puzzles.

While the Flash playback is smooth and useful, making it a not-so-subtle argument against the forthcoming iPad, the onscreen keyboard looks cramped compared to the iPad’s, and doesn’t take advantage of the entire width of the screen. The good news is that HP seems to have been tweaked the Windows 7 ($77.54) UI a bit to include touch-friendly shortcuts to apps.

Intrigued? Check out Adobe and HP’s walk-through video, along with a short HP promo reminiscent of Apple’s ad.

Samsung R780 Hands On: A Real Bargain (if you can find it)

Mike Prospero — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:46:31 +0000

Last night, we had the chance to get another look at Samsung’s new R80 series of notebooks, available exclusively through Best Buy. All three models–the R480, R580, and R780–feature Samsung’s Crystal Wave design, a classy red pattern that, unfortunately, picks up fingerprints. Still, these notebooks (which come in 14, 15, and 17 inches) run Intel’s new Core i3 and i5 processors. Moreover, Samsung added some nice touches, such as small blue LEDs at each corner of the touchpad.

Although it lacks a Blu-ray drive like its siblings, the R780 may represent the best deal: Although Samsung lists its MSRP at $929.99, Best Buy is selling it (online only) for $799, which explains why it’s currently sold out, but we have it on good authority that they’re going to be restocking their inventory.

Hit the jump to see full specs and pricing of each system, as well as our hands-on video of all three.

Samsung R480 ($729.99)

CPU: 2.26GHz Intel Core i3-330M
Windows 7 Home Premium (64bit)
RAM/Expandable to: 4GB (DDR3)/8GB
Display Size/resolution: 14 inches/ 1366 x 768
Graphics: Intel GMA 4500MHD
Optical Drive: Blu-ray
Speakers: 3 W Stereo Speaker (1.5 W x 2)
Webcam: 0.3 MP
Ports: Three USB, HDMI, Ethernet, headphone, mic
Hard Drive: 500GB/5400 RPM
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n
Size: 13.5 x 9.4 x 1.2 inches
Weight: 5.1 pounds

Samsung R580 ($829.99)

CPU: 2.26GHz Intel Core i5-430
Windows 7 Home Premium (64bit)
RAM/Expandable to: 4GB (DDR3)/8GB
Display Size/resolution: 15.6 inches/ 1366 x 768
Graphics: nVIDIA GeForce 310M/512GB
Optical Drive: Blu-ray
Speakers: 3 W Stereo Speaker (1.5 W x 2)
Webcam: 1.3 MP
Ports: Four USB (one chargeable), HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, headphone, mic
Card Slots: 3-in-1 memory card slot, ExpressCard/34
Hard Drive: 500GB/ 5400 RPM
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n
Size: 16.2 x 10.7 x 1.3 to 1.6 inches
Weight: 5.7 lbs.

Samsung R780 ($799.99)

CPU: 2.26GHz Intel Core i5-430
Windows 7 Home Premium (64bit)
Memory/Expandable to: 4 GB (DDR3)/8GB
Display size/resolution: 17.3 inches/1600 x 900
Graphics: nVIDIA GeForce GT 330M/1GB memory
Optical Drive: Super Multi Dual Layer
Speakers: 4 W Stereo Speaker (2 W x 2)
Webcam: 1.3 MP
Ports: Three USB (one chargeable), eSATA/USB, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, headphone, mic
Hard Drive: 500GB/5400 RPM
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Size: 16.2 x 10.7 x 1.3 – 1.6 inches
Weight: 6.3 pounds

Reaching into eBags’ TLS Workstation Laptop Backpack

Evelyn Cheng — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:48:31 +0000

Although the eBags new backpacks looks like it would be right at home on campus, it has the features to please both students and business travelers alike. Appropriately named the TLS (Tough, Lightweight, Smart) Workstation Laptop Backpack, the bag has three main compartments and many interior pockets, enough to comfortably tote your laptop, as well as all your gear.

Your laptop, is securely encased in a padded compartment at the back of the backpack. Ebags claims that removing the extra padding at the bottom of this compartment can accommodate laptops as large as 17 inches, but none of the 17 inch laptops we tried, in would fit. In addition, eBag’s online application for checking the fit of your laptop was a bit inaccurate. Ultimately, the laptop must be less than 11 x 15.5 x 1.5 inches to fit inside the bag.

We were intrigued by the main compartment because of its removable hard case, padded shelf, and velcro book strap. If you ever need to carry those pesky cables and power cords around (why do we still have so many cables in a wireless world?), you can take the hard case with you. Although you can put other items such as art supplies in this pouch, its large size and cumbersome shape make me wonder if anyone ever would do so.

The padded shelf neatly divides the main compartment into two sections. You can secure your books below with the bookstrap and put your gloves on the shelf. But if you don’t appreciate any of this design you can collapse the shelf and flatten the book strap, converting the main compartment into one large storage area.

The inside face of the main compartment has several large storage pockets, but none were deep enough for a magazine or newspaper. In the front of the backpack you’ll find pen holders and several zippered pockets, along with a place for your smartphone or eBook reader and a chain for your keys.

An extra zippered pocket on the outside allows easy access to items such as a map or boarding pass, but the vertical zipper doesn’t guarantee that your travel documents won’t fall out. If you need a place to put your water bottle, one of the two large zippered side pockets has an additional elastic strap to keep the bottle in place.

On the back side, the straps are contoured and padded so you don’t strain yourself. The two adjustable sternum straps can be easily removed – if you slide them off at just the right angle.

Though its appearance is a little plain, the TLS Workstation comes in five colors (Blue Yonder, Sinful Red, Green Envy, Grey Matter, Pitch Black) and may be purchased directly from eBags for $99.99.