Fujitsu Siemens' LIFEBOOK Series Upgraded to Centrino 2

It's been over one month since Intel finally unveiled its latest generation notebook platform, the Centrino 2. Since then, several manufactures have announced their own Centrino 2 notebooks, some of which have already been benchmarked and tested. However, more notebooks based on the new platform are still to emerge, with Fujitsu-Siemens' latest release confirming just that.

The company has announced today that it has redesigned its exclusive business notebooks part of the LIFEBOOK E and S series. The new LIFEBOOK E8420, S7220 and S6420 are equipped with Intel's latest mobile platform, and offer improved performance levels in three different designs. Additionally, the company has also announced that it will add to all three models several other features, including optional high-speed UMTS/HSUPA, TPM module or integrated fingerprint sensor.

Other features include a stable magnesium cover, a spill-proof keyboard, and a ShockSensor to protect the hard disk from physical damage. The new LIFEBOOK series of laptops also features an EcoButton, which, when pressed, automatically powers down the notebook functions that the user does not require at a given moment, thus extending battery lifespan.

The LIFEBOOK E8420 is a 15.4-inch notebook that can be equipped with an optional NVIDIA graphics card to turn it into a high-performance portable computer system, designed for power users who are looking for a complete desktop replacement platform. This model can also be featured with a second 320GB hard disk, while the vast range of connection interfaces offers support for a large number of external devices.

The other two S-series LIFEBOOK notebooks have been designed for users looking for a highly portable computer system, packed with a relatively large number of features. The S6420 model sports a 13.3-inch display and weighs 1.7kg. The LIFEBOOK S7220 is equipped with a 14.1-inch display and weighs 2.2kg. It can support a second battery, thus allowing users to work on it for an entire day.

Regarding pricing, the LIFEBOOK S6420 and S7220 start at 1,990 and 1,669 Euros, respectively. The 15.4-inch model has a starting price tag set at 1,799 Euros plus VAT.

(news.softpedia.com)

Gaming Comes in a 14.1-Inch Form Factor

Today, Micro Star International (MSI) has announced the availability of a new 14.1-inch notebook, specifically designed to meet the requirements of today's gaming users. As expected, the new portable computer system is powered by Intel's recently released Intel Centrino 2 technology, which, combined with several other features, will offer impressive performance levels for some of the latest gaming applications.

The new GX400 is part of MSI's G-series of notebooks, which is meant to present users with some of the best gaming-capable, portable computer systems. Integrating Intel's latest Core 2 Duo processors and NVIDIA's recently released GeForce 9600M GT graphics card, the red colored GX400 is a highly capable, portable, gaming platform, ideal for all gamers out there.

The notebook is built on an Intel PM45+ICH9M chipset and can be equipped with a maximum of 4GB of DDR2 memory, running at 800MHz at most. The GeForce 9600M boasts 256MB of GDDR3 memory, and powers the notebook's 14.1-inch LCD monitor. The GX400 is also equipped with 4 stereo speakers and HD Audio for excellent in-game audio quality. As far as connectivity goes, MSI's GX400 has been featured with Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (optional), wireless 802.11 b/g/n, a Gigabit LAN port and modem.

Where storage is concerned, the notebook can be equipped with a SATA hard drive, with capacities ranging from 160GB to 500GB. In addition, users can also choose either a DVD or a Blu-ray optical drive. Equipped with a 6-cell battery, the notebook weighs in at 3.2 kg.

Other features include a Turbo Drive Engine Technology that can allow users to increase the CPU's clock rate with just one press of a button. This feature will only be available when the notebook is in AC mode. There's also an ECO Engine Power Management System, which brings a unique power saving function to the MSI notebook and that is available in five different modes: Gaming, Movie, Presentation, Office, and Turbo Battery mode.

At this point in time, the company has not revealed any details regarding pricing and availability. Stay tuned here for more.

(news.softpedia.com)

F6 Notebook Series - The New Fragrance from ASUS

Enjoy a breath of fresh air in the world of personal laptops and celebrate individuality with the ASUS F6 scented notebooks. The compact and stylish F6 engages the eyes with attractive motifs and for the first time, our sense of smell with infused scents*. Available in four captivating designs, these special edition notebooks not only look good, but are also expressions of the user’s taste and character!

Floral Blossom
In glorious pink, this design evokes the imagery of a summer party, leaving the somber feel of conventional laptop designs far behind with its cheerful, floral motif and a floral scent – the most attractive laptop for ladies!






Musky Black
Boasting a glossy black surface emblazoned with a colorful motif inspired by extreme sports and graffiti art, this model emanates power, daring, and energy with its playfulness and musky scent.








Morning Dew
Realized in a pastel green hue, this graphic motif is inspired by the love and respect for nature. Return to the embrace of Mother Nature for a crisp and refreshing awakening of the senses whenever you work on your notebook.







Aqua Ocean
The freedom afforded by a boundless expanse of sky and the energy of breaking waves are captured perfectly on the cover of this notebook. The matching invigorating aquatic scent will keep your days energized!







Performance You Can Rely On
In addition to the sleek design, the ASUS F6 is the ideal compact notebook for effective and reliable computing in daily work and play. Sift through photo albums, play audio files, surf the web and video conference with wireless networking and an integrated high resolution webcam. The F6 is further equipped with a fingerprint scanner that takes data access authorization and protection to a higher level with its biometric accuracy.

*The lifespan of fragrance depends on actual usage.

F6V Specifications
Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology
- Intel Core2 Duo Processor T9400/P8600/P8400
- Mobile Intel® PM45 Express Chipset
- Intel® WiFi Link 5100AGN Network Connection
Genuine Windows Vista®
- Genuine Ultimate
- Genuine Business
- Genuine Home Premium/Home basic
DDRII-667/800 DRAM support, up to 4GB
13.3” WXGA Color Shine LCD
ATI Mobility Radeon HD3470, external 256MB DDR2 VRAM
SATA 120/160/250/320GB
31.2 x 23.19 x 3.2-3.52cm

(asus.com)

New Notebooks for Gamers and Business Users – Courtesy of ASUS

ASUS is one of the leading manufacturers of motherboards, portable computing systems and more. As far as portable systems go, one of its most successful product lineups is, without a single doubt, the Eee PC family, which currently counts no less than 12 models. However, the Taiwanese manufacturer also boasts an impressive production line of fully-fledged notebook systems and, just recently, it has extended it, once with the introduction of a few more models for both the gaming and the business market segments.

As expected, all new notebooks have been designed to make use of Intel's latest mobile technology, the Centrino 2. This translates into higher performance, better battery lifetime and improved features. The newcomers include the G50V and G71V, designed for gaming, and the business-oriented B50A.

Some of the features of ASUS' new business notebook include a spill-resistant keyboard, built-in LED keyboard light, integrated fingerprint scanners, and TPM for secure login and encryption. According to the makers, the B50A offers an extended battery life of over five hours, by using the company's Power4 Gear eXtreme power management. Equipped with a 15.4-inch WXGA/WXGA+ display, the new B50A notebook offers impressive visual quality, with the help of the integrated Intel GMA X4500HD graphics solution. The notebook supports up to 4GB of DDR2 800MHz memory and can be equipped with a high-capacity 320GB SATA hard drive.

Part of the ASUS' Republic of Gamers product lineup, the new G71V and G50V ROG notebooks also boast Intel's Centrino 2 technology. As noted above, unlike the B50A, these two portable systems have been designed for gaming applications, offering users better performance levels and a number of impressive features. Both notebooks come with similar technical specifications, but some differences as well. First of all, the G71V features a 17-inch display, while the G50V notebook is equipped with a 15.4-inch or a 15.6-inch display. Furthermore, the G71V is the only to sport Intel's Quad Core QX9300 and Core 2 Duo Extreme X9100 processors.

Aside from that, the new gaming notebooks are equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GT graphics card and a maximum of 4GB of DDR2 memory. They also support dual hard drive configurations, which means storage can be taken to a maximum of 1 Terra by using two 500GB hard drives.

Unfortunately, details regarding pricing and availability have not been made public yet.

(news.softpedia.com)

Aspire One Prices Drop

Acer, with its Aspire One notebook, is one of ASUS' main competitors in the netbook market, a segment that is dominated by the presence of Intel's small-sized Atom processors. Because both Acer's and most of ASUS' netbooks are powered by the same 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, only a few differences set the two companies’ products apart.

Naturally, this has led to a fierce competition between the two, each of them striving to provide improved offers for their netbook systems. While ASUS decided to release several models of its 9-inch and 10-inch Eee PCs, Acer has gone instead for a financial enticement.

The company has announced that it will lower the prices for the Aspire One netbook lineup by as much a $50, thus making a 120GB hard drive-equipped Aspire One, with 1GB of RAM and a Windows XP operating system sell for $349. In the meanwhile, a model with a lower capacity, 8GB SSD and Linux will be priced at $329. It is yet uncertain whether the company has made the price adjustments in preparation for the upcoming "back-to-school" period, or whether it just remembered that netbooks were initially supposed to have low price tags. Whichever of the two might be the case here, the effort is laudable nevertheless.

The systems vendor also made another improvement to the Aspire One product, by releasing a 160GB hard drive and a 6-cell battery option. With better battery and overall more storage capacity, the upcoming Acer netbooks will probably also come with a higher price tag, set somewhere in the $399 area. This is roughly the same improvement that MSI made to its Wind netbook, as we already mentioned in one of our posts from yesterday.

In other related news, Intel has set a new sales target for its highly successful Atom processor. The leading chip maker estimates that a total of approximately 20 million Atom units will be sold before the end of 2008. The number includes the company's ex-Centrino models, as well as the single and dual-core Atoms.

(news.softpedia.com)

Exclusive ASUS N10 Photos Surface

Since yesterday brought us news about ASUS' upcoming, Atom-powered, fully fledged 10-inch notebook that won't be part of the company's
vast Eee PC lineup, today we already have the first pictures of the product, which have surfaced on the Internet. This could only indicate that the Taiwanese manufacturer is close to officially launch its first N-series notebook, the N10.

Given the precedent, it was somewhat expected that such pictures would eventually appear before the company had the chance to officially unveil the new, ultra-portable notebook computer. However, we have to give credit for that to the French website Blogeee, which is where the photos have been uploaded, as well as where a few more details on ASUS' upcoming N10 notebook are revealed. Thanks to all these, we can now make a general idea of what the company has in store for us with the release of its non-Eee PC Atom-powered ultra-portable notebook.

Judging by the photos, we can say with certainty that, had ASUS equipped one of its many Eee PCs with this high-class chassis, it would have most certainly drawn the attention of countless netbook fans. In all fairness, the N10 seems to be part of a whole new breed of notebook computers, built on the company's experience from the netbook lineup.

Although the new chassis is, naturally, what all users will notice at first, it is not the only new feature of ASUS' upcoming 10-inch notebook. For instance, unlike any other Eee PC, it will sport an Altec Lansing sound system, a feature that is clearly indicated by the company’s logo placed on top of the keyboard. The notebook comes with a built-in fingerprint sensor between the two mouse buttons, which enables users to benefit from improved security. Speaking of which, another feature just for this is a built-in Kensington lock.

Aside from the outstanding design features, the new notebook will also sport an ExpressCard, three USB 2.0, and one VGA ports, Ethernet and HDMI. Taking in consideration the notebook's technical and design features, we might be looking at a price tag set at €330 to €430, as suggested by the aforementioned French website.

(news.softpedia.com)

Get ready for action - Qosmio® X305

Wherever you go, bring nothing less than your A-game. Because the new Qosmio X305 notebooks now offer powerful NVIDIA® graphics systems with up to an amazing 1GB of discrete graphics memory to put your skill―and your very nerve―to the ultimate test. You heard us right. That’s up to one full 1GB!

Available at toshiba.com with price $1,549.99

ASUS Preps Atom-Powered 10.2-Inch Notebooks

As mentioned in a number of our previous articles, Taiwanese manufacturer ASUSTeK is expected to release a new lineup of Atom-powered portable computer systems that will not be part of the company's Eee PCs. The new lineup is meant to provide users with a highly portable computer system with enhanced computing features, compared to the small-sized, low power netbooks that have been recently launched.

According to famous industry sources cited by Digitimes, ASUS is preparing to launch a 10.2-inch notebook powered by an Intel Atom processor. The new N-series notebooks are expected to be launched in September and set an impressive impact on the netbook market, as they will provide a potential catalyst for medium-size panel demand. Unlike all the other Atom-powered portable computer systems in ASUS' portfolio, the new N-series isn't meant for entry-level consumers, but rather for the mid-range market users.

For the time being, there aren't enough details to outline a specific design, but cited sources indicated that the new notebook would be different from any other Eee PC. It will sport a 10.2-inch display that is claimed to be supplied by Chunghwa Picture Tubes, it will be priced at NT$15,000-20,000 (477 USD –637 USD) and will boast a high-capacity hard disk drive of up to 320GB. Furthermore, unlike the netbooks and nettops, the new Atom-powered notebook will be capable of running Windows Vista.

It is yet uncertain which Atom processor ASUS will decide to feature in its upcoming notebook, but given the fact that Intel is expected to release a new dual-core Atom 330 processor in September, we might be looking at the first Atom 330-powered computer system to be released. There are no details regarding any future launches of dual-core Atom-powered Eee PCs either, but ASUS is likely to extend its vast Eee family with the newly announced processors.

(news.softpedia.com)

Toshiba Has Two New Centrino 2 Notebooks

Almost one month ago, Intel was rolling out its next-generation mobile platform, the Centrino 2. Since the release date, a number of manufacturers have announced and even released their own Centrino 2-based notebooks, and amongst them is also Toshiba. The company has just recently introduced its summer collection for the notebook market, with two new models that come as part of the company's Tecra lineup, the A10 and M10, respectively.

What is most impressive about the new notebook systems is that they are relatively affordable, especially given the fact that they are featured with the latest in notebook computing technology.

The A10 model comes with a starting price tag of £499 (US$932), which will provide the user with the portability features of a 15-inch notebook equipped with one of the latest Core 2 Duo processors. It offers a maximum storage capacity of 120GB and 2GB of DDR2 memory, out of a maximum possible of 8GB. As it is based on Intel's latest notebook platform, the A10 is equipped with the Intel Mobile GMA 4500MHD graphics chip, which is meant to provide a high-quality Windows Vista experience.

The other, higher-priced new notebook, the M10, is equipped with a 14-inch display and is set at a starting price of £549 (US$1025), excluding VAT. It is also offered with a Windows Vista operating system and provides a total storage of 120GB. As a matter of fact, the M10 is rather similar to the 15-inch A10 notebook, as it is equipped with the same Intel Mobile GMA 4500MHD graphics chip and has 2GB of DDR2 memory. Compared with the A10, however, which has a starting weight of 2.80 kg, the M10 notebook is lighter, being listed with a starting weight of 2.44kg.

Aside from being equipped with the latest Intel Mobile technology, the two new Toshiba notebooks also present potential customers with a number of other features, which, certainly, can only sweeten the deal.

(news.softpedia.com)

MSI Announces New EX310 Notebook

Taiwanese manufacturer MSI recently announced the launch of the new EX310 notebook, packing a 13.3-inch LCD display that can provide a maximum resolution of 1280 by 800. The notebook comes to perfectly integrate in the company’s lineup, between the 10-inch Atom-powered Wind notebook and the 14.1-inch P400.

Unlike the MSI Wind netbook, the company's new EX310 notebook has been designed to provide higher computing power, but it comes with roughly similar portability features. Powered by a dual-core AMD Turion X2 processing unit, the EX310 combines an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 graphics card with a 13.3-inch LCD widescreen for a decent HD video playback. The graphics card has 256MB of RAM and can extend the notebook's HD capabilities through a built-in HDMI output. The notebook will also support an optional Blu-ray optical drive and TV tuner card.

Despite the small display, the notebook could occasionally be used as an entertainment center, as it is equipped with a Dolby Surround Sound support. The notebook's wireless connectivity options include support for 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, which can be used to connect to various wireless devices.

As far as storage goes, the EX310 is nothing like the Wind, since you will get storage capacity options ranging from 160GB to 320GB, just enough to accommodate a decent number of HD videos. Other features include an integrated 2.0 MP webcam and noise-canceling microphone for those long chatty nights. For security reasons, a fingerprint reader is also available with the standard configuration.

The notebook will be offered in red and blue color options and will run a Windows Vista operating system. Details regarding its pricing and availability are yet to emerge, but recent reports indicate that MSI has already launched the EX310 on the Taiwanese market, which can only mean that it should make its way on the North American market soon.

(news.softpedia.com)

Lenovo's 9-inch S10 Netbook Gets the Hands-On Treatment

Earlier this week, Lenovo finally unveiled its latest IdeaPad notebook, the S10, which will compete with ASUS's Eee PC on the netbook market. Despite the fact that Lenovo is yet to begin shipment, the company's product has already received a hands-on treatment and we can say for sure that we are looking at a very impressive netbook, especially considering its $399 price point.

Xavier from notebooks.com got the chance to have a quick look at the IdeaPad S10, while he was at a meeting with Lenovo in San Francicso. He video recorded his experience and uploaded the video on the above mentioned website.

The IdeaPad in the video features a 9-inch display and will only be marketed in Asia, branded as S9. This model is rumored to begin shipment along with the 10-inch version, sometime in October. The price tag of this smaller-sized netbook is still uncertain, but you should take into account that it provides pretty much the same design features as its 10-inch counterpart.

Unfortunately, Xavier did not have the chance to turn on and browse through the netbook's functions, so we can't provide you with any technical detail. Still, it's highly probably that it will feature the same 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor that equips the company's S10 model. It will also have two USB ports, Ethernet, webcam, 4-in-1 card reader and probably an ExpressCard. As with the S10, Lenovo will probably offer this 9-inch version with an option for Windows XP or Linux operating systems.

As we mentioned in a previous article, the S9 will probably be meant to compete with ASUS's Eee PC 900 and 901, while the S10 will go head-to-head with the 1000 and 1000H models. This will be an interesting competition to watch, as the netbook market is getting ever more crowded.

(news.softpedia.com)

IdeaPad S10 Announced

Just minutes after we showed you the video of Lenovo's upcoming netbook product, the systems vendor decided to put out the official details for the 10-inch model. The guys at PC Magazine were the first to get their hands on the technical specifications and press photos of the new IdeaPad S10, a 10-inch netbook meant to compete with ASUS' Eee PC 1000-series and MSI's Wind.

From what the specifications reveal, it looks like Lenovo just might provide us with the best netbook so far. Everything about it seems to have been designed in such a way as to have as a final result a success formula – one that will probably position Lenovo among the leading netbook vendors. However, before we get ahead of ourselves with speculations, here's a quick look at what the new IdeaPad S10 will bring to the table.


Playing the waiting game has allowed Lenovo the luxury of picking what it deems to be just the perfect size for such a device. Boasting a 10-inch LCD display, the S10 is equipped with the same 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor that is also featured by its competitors. As far as storage is concerned, Lenovo decided to go with a standard 5400 RPM hard drive that will offer users either 80GB or 160GB storage space. They will also get two USB ports, Ethernet, webcam, 4-in-1 card reader and even an ExpressCard. Up until this moment, the last feature has only been available on HP's 2133 Mini Note but things have definitely changed. Even more, it certainly looks like Lenovo's S10 is ready to provide us with a large number of features in the same 10-inch form factor as ASUS' Eee PC 1000-series.

The S10 will also pack 2GB of memory and will come equipped with an Intel 945 GSE Express chipset and the GMA 950 graphics. Customers will be able to opt for either the 3-cell battery or the 6-cell one, while also being offered the choice for an operating system. Users in the United States will be able to pick from two Windows XP-based models, which will go for either $399 or $499, and will start shipping in October. The difference between these two models is given by the total amount of storage space that users will get to benefit for.

A Linux version is also expected to make its debut but, according to PC Magazine, Linux-based S10 will be made available only overseas. Operating system aside, users will also get a choice between three chassis colors: black, white and red.

(news.softpedia.com)