Pakistan IT » Laptops

ASUS: Eee Pad Transformer delays due to demand, not component shortages

Pakistan IT — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:42:03 +0000

We’re sure you heard the rumors when hanging out in your ASUS fanboy haunts, wearing your ASUS logo hats and medallions, talking your crazy ASUS lingo with your fellow ASUS scenesters. Or maybe you thought something was up when Amazon sold out immediately. Either way, there has been plenty of chatter in the gadgetsphere as of late about the Eee Pad Transformer. Why is it so hard to find? Are component shortages to blame? Quality control issues? We’ve heard plenty of speculation, and now ASUSTek spokesperson David Chang is weighing in on the matter. According to Netbook News, the company has seen overwhelming demand for the device, and is currently planning to put 100,000 units on the street in May, followed by an additional 200,000-plus in June. “If the demand continues to increase substantially,” said Chan, “then we will have to continue to ramp up production in order to fulfill our customers’ demand.” You know, that’s exactly what we would do if we were in that situation!

Netbook News

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 spotted in the wild

Pakistan IT — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:41:12 +0000

We’ve already seen it pictured and detailed, but Chinese website Mydrivers.com has now scored what appear to be the very first in-the-wild shots of Lenovo’s new super-slim ThinkPad X1. As you can see above and in a few more shots at the source link below, the laptop is indeed pretty thin — 21.5mm, or 0.85 inches thick, apparently — but Lenovo still found room to squeeze in a backlit keyboard (check it out after the break), not to mention the ThinkPad’s trademark pointing stick. Unfortunately, Lenovo has yet to officially say anything about it itself, so we still only have that rumored May 20th launch date to go on for the time being.

[Thanks, leungxd]

Cloned in China

Mydrivers.com

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RIM set to launch official keyboard accessory for PlayBook

Pakistan IT — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:20:41 +0000

The Blackberry PlayBook has been around for a while now. The tablet hasn’t received the most glowing reviews, but RIM is still plugging away on the device. A rumor surfaced not long ago that the PlayBook would get a 10-inch version in time for the holiday season that would bring a larger screen to the mix. You may have been surprised that the PlayBook didn’t launch with an official keyboard accessory considering that RIM is trying to position the PlayBook as a content creation tool.

Some pics of the official keyboard have surfaced including the one above that was taken by Mr. Blurrycam. The keyboard appears to have nicely spaced keys with the shift key being a bit smallish, but in the right place. The tip that the official keyboard is on the way came directly from RIM’s Bruce Winter, who is head of accessories at the firm. The rendered image of the keyboard with the tablet below came from some training materials.

The full details of the new keyboard are unknown right now. It has been said that the keyboard uses Bluetooth, which would make a lot of sense. The render and the prototype in the blurry pic lack a trackpad, but the product that comes to market will reportedly have a trackpad on the wrist rest right where we expect it. The keyboard is also said to work like a dock allowing the user to fold the works up and go when needed.

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BlackBerry PlayBook to be released on April 10th?

Behold a Multi-Touchscreen Tablet with Removable Hard Drives, a Smartphone, and a Tablet

Pakistan IT — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:18:33 +0000

While this post began as a simple presentation of the industrial design concept we’re about to take a look at, it transformed ever so slightly into a work that explores what the possibilities could be for touchscreen conglomerations such as this. The concept at hand is called the Bento Laptop Tablet Hybrid and it’s designed and rendered by Rene Woo-Ram Lee. This concept is sent to us by our good friends at Yanko Design, a site dedicated to such conceptual works. This design features a laptop with a 15″ OLED touchscreen, a 1TB SSD drive, a solar-powered lithium-ion battery, an 11″ tablet computer and a 4″ phone, all of these bits able to sit in shallow depressions in the base of the laptop and connect as one device.

The interface for the devices included in this project appear to be something like a mix between Android and BlackBerry OS, but given the state of the project (very very early in it’s conceptual stages,) it would be a farce to claim that it was either one or the other. What you’re dealing with here is a 15.4″ 16:10 OLED display having notebook in which several other components rest. The first and largest is an 11″ 21:9 OLED tablet (that’s long!), the second an extended solar powered Li-ion battery, next a 1TB SSD drive, and finally a 4″ 16:9 OLED display toting smartphone.

The entire device group, when closed, is only 15mm thick. While the notebook has none of its components plugged in, it acts only as a display. There are no batteries, storage, or processors built in. Once the additional four components of this device are docked, you’ve got a fully functional laptop which uses touchscreens for its keyboard and trackpad (or whatever else you need them to act as.) One of the more interesting conceptual uses for this setup to me is the Photoshop key changes – all your shortcuts at the press of a single button, displayed in the position of your keyboard.

How about a display showing notes while your tablet shows keys on a digital piano, your phone the metronome? How about your tablet working as a drawing pad while your laptop display shows additional options again, in Photoshop? Tabs in the tablet, full-screen web browser in the laptop display?

Then there’s the physical aspects of the tablet. It’s a 21:9 ratio 10-inch tablet – that’s never been seen outside the Kyocera Katsura (which, incidentally, we’re still very excited about.) The back of this tablet has a lot of rubber for superiority in grippage – excellent! There’s a kick-stand built in as well – finally! It also has the ability to work as a bluetooth wireless keyboard – of course!

Finally, from what I understand, the entire system will be upgradable as time goes on. Similar to what some businesses are calling “future proofing,” this device will be supported by its manufacturer, allowing for upgrades to each different bit as more powerful processors are able to fit into the same small package. Can you imagine such a technology? Seems sort of wonderful, perhaps impossible, but always fun to look at – lots of red and black for a great attack!

[via Yanko Design]

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Acer releases third-gen Aspire Timeline X laptops with Sandy Bridge, but only in Taiwan for now

Pakistan IT — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:34:31 +0000

If you’ve been waiting for Sandy Bridge to land on Acer’s Timeline X laptops, then today’s your day. Well, it depends, as these new machines are only available in Taiwan for the time being. Just a few hours ago, the lucky folks over at Engadget Chinese managed to get up close and personal with these bad boys: we have a couple of 13.3-inch 3830TGs (pictured after the break), a 14-inch 4830TG, and a 15.6-inch 5830TG (pictured above). With the exception of Core i3-2310M on one of the 3830TGs, these laptops all come with Core i5-2410M, NVIDIA GT540M (with 2GB DDR3 RAM), 640GB hard drive, 2GB DDR3 RAM, and USB 3.0 ports. As for multimedia, sitting below the 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit LCDs are Dolby Home Theater speakers by Kenwood, and additionally, the two larger models also pack a DVD Super Multi DL drive.

Compared to the previous-gen Timeline X range, the most notable difference here is the new chiclet keyboard brought over from the Ethos range, which should trap a lot less dirt thanks to the tighter gaps. You’ll see that the new Timeline X ID has gone for a more tranquil look — the touchpad no longer has a silver trim around it, and likewise, the edges around the body are no longer tapered. Also gone is the removable battery underneath, but given the impressive portability (4.12 pounds, 4.67 pounds, and 5.49 pounds, respectively), we won’t miss this feature too much. On the contrary, there’s now an extra mouse button, presumably for offering better left and right-clicking. So far so good, and if you’re digging these laptops as well, then they can be yours for between NT$32,900 (US$1,133) and NT39,900 (US$1,374). Head over to Engadget Chinese for the whole stash of hands-on photos.

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Toshiba’s Satellite L Series continues its world tour, adds 2D-to-3D conversion

Pakistan IT — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:18:24 +0000

Back at CES, Toshiba unveiled a batch of low-cost Satellite L Series laptops in the US, and now it’s taking its show on the road, with new models on tap for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. These include the 13.3-inch L730 and L735, the 15.6-inch L750 and L755, and, if you’re hankering for a desktop replacement, the hulking 17.3-inch L770 and L775. This latest spin on the L Series boasts 3D support, connecting to 3DTVs over HDMI and, in some cases, converting 2D content to 3D. As in the States, shoppers abroad can add up to 8GB of RAM, and will get their choice of Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors and various AMD CPUs, including triple- and quad-core options. Also look for multitouch trackpads, 5,400RPM hard drives as large as 750GB, 1.3 megapixel webcams, a mix of USB 3.0 and sleep-and-charge USB 2.0 ports, and a choice of integrated Intel HD graphics or a discrete NVIDIA GeForce 315M card with up to 1GB of video memory. No word yet on when they’ll go on sale or how much they’ll cost, but those curious for more can hit the source link for the full spill.

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Acer unveils svelte and spiffy Aspire Z5761 all-in-one, on sale in May

Pakistan IT — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:08:33 +0000

Yes, laptops and tablets are all the rage these days, but there’s still quite a few of us who enjoy the expansive screen real estate of their sedentary computing brethren. That’s why Acer’s unleashed a sleek and svelte new all-in-one dubbed the Aspire Z5761. This latest AIO keeps the same fabulous form factor of its cousin, the AZ3750, but sports a larger 23-inch Full HD display, your choice of Sandy Bridge Core i5-2400s, Core i5-2500s, or Core i7-2600s CPUs, up to a 1.5TB SATA II HDD, a Blu-ray or SuperMulti drive, NVIDIA GeForce GT440, GT435M, or GT420 graphics, and a hybrid TV-tuner card so it can do double duty as your boob tube should you be so inclined. Connectivity comes courtesy of gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, and eight USB 2.0 ports. In addition, the system’s preloaded with the company’s Clear.fi tech, so you can grab multimedia content residing on other Acer devices (assuming you have any) with the greatest of ease. Touching down for £799 ($1305 for those of us residing on the right side of the Atlantic), this desktop dandy is set to go on sale in early May — we know, we can’t wait either. Full scoop’s in the press release after the break.

New Acer Aspire Z5761:
A touch of style and performance

London, 6th April 2011 – Acer introduces the new Acer Aspire Z5761: combining great performance, excellent entertainment and stylish modern design, this all-in-one desktop heralds next generation computing.

Thanks to the screen with multi-touch functionality, the Aspire Z5761 not only offers a dynamic user experience, but also delivers one of the easiest ways of interacting with your PC and integrating all your multimedia contents. Starting point for this smarter way to access the PC and the web, the Acer TouchPortal provides a truly hands-on experience bringing together a full suite of touch enhanced applications and gadgets for fun and entertainment:

- TouchBrowser is a touch-friendly web browser designed for searching, retrieving and presenting information from the Internet.

- TouchCam features handy touch controls to add fun video effects while chatting online, or do theme-style recording and share with friends on YouTube™.

- TouchMusic, lets you browse, manage and play your favourite music.

- TouchPhoto integrates photo management with photo sharing capabilities and is designed to interact with both local images and online albums.

- TouchVideo includes video management and sharing features. It allows you to enjoy Blu-ray or DVD movies and home videos, as well as browse and share your videos to YouTube.

But the Acer TouchPortal is not the only way the Aspire Z5761 brings your digital life together. It also comes with Clear.fi, Acer’s new media sharing system based on the idea that it’s easier if all multimedia content is simply brought into a single system with a common interface. No matter where they are. Clear.fi is a cross-platform solution that works straight out of the box, automatically detecting the Clear.fi-enabled devices connected to the wireless home network, and then allowing all digital content stored on any of these to be shared seamlessly using the Clear.fi media interface.

Featuring a modern, minimalist design, the Aspire Z5761 easily fits into any décor, gracing any living or working space with a sophisticated look and feel. Sharp-cut geometric lines set off the combination of aluminum with matt and glossy black surfaces, creating a luxurious effect. Cool blue lighting placed above the integrated speakers lights up the keyboard. When not in use the keyboard can be nicely tucked away below the PC, enhancing the overall minimalist look as well as increasing the free area in front of the desktop. Inspired by modern art, the silver stand is designed with a window for organizing cables while keeping a simple, yet stylish design.

Performance-wise, this is an advanced PC, rich of cutting edge technologies engineered to convey an enhanced computing experience. Exploiting the 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processor family, that features Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, capable of increasing perfomance in response to the most demanding tasks such as editing multimedia files, or playing fast-paced games, this desktop can deliver optimal speed enabling smoother multitasking and ensuring maximised entertainment and productivity. What’s more it combines turbo-charged computing power with energy efficiency.

Top-quality visual and audio components make the most of your entertainment. With a spacious 58.4 cm (23″) Full HD 1080p 16:9 display, fast 5ms response and powerful graphics solutions, you will catch even the tiniest details of your favourite movies, games, pictures, and digital TV thanks to ultra-sharp and colorful imagery. Captivating and immersive audio is brought about by an integrated 5W stereo speaker system and professionally tuned Dolby® Home Theater® v4.

With a Blu-ray Disc™ optical drive (optional), multi-in-one card reader, and TV-tuner (optional) these models bring together all facets of your digital life, from movies to games, from TV to pictures: an all-in-one design also in terms of entertainment.

Full connectivity is ensured by the most advanced wireless and wired technologies: 802.11b/g/n network connection, Gigabit LAN and optional built-in Bluetooth® 2.1. The built-in microphone and high definition webcam will help you keep in touch with friends and family through video chats and conference.

In terms of storage, up to 1.5TB of capacity offers plenty of space for all your digital archives. Up to 8GB of DDR3 memory ensure seamless running of the most demanding application, while a total of eight USB port supplies handy connection to all your peripherals.

The Aspire Z5761 will be available in early May with prices starting from £799 including VAT.

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How would you change HP’s Fusion-powered Pavilion dm1z?

Pakistan IT — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 08:49:44 +0000

We know you — you’re that guy (or gal!) who simply can’t resist dipping your toes into whatever’s next, and in the case of AMD’s Fusion, you almost certainly went out and grabbed up an HP Pavilion dm1z as soon as it hit the market. Nah, we aren’t clairvoyant, just rational guessers. At any rate, now that you’ve had a solid two or three months with your Zacate-backed ultraportable, we’re eager to know how you’d change things if given the golden key. Are you satisfied with the build quality? How’s that heat? Feeling any jealousy for those who opted for Atom-based rigs? Are the keyboard and trackpad things you actually look forward to using? Go ahead and vent in comments below; it’s Friday, it’s your birthday, and HP’s got an awfully thick coat of skin.

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New Acer will be more like Apple, less like HP

Pakistan IT — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 08:43:23 +0000

The details behind the rift that saw Acer’s CEO Gianfranco Lanci (pictured) suddenly resign yesterday are now starting to emerge. Simply put, Acer’s board wants the Taiwanese company to be more like Apple and HTC, according to Bloomberg, raking in big profits on fat margins. Lanci’s approach, however, was to aggressively increase volumes and using its scale to negotiate cheaper prices from suppliers in a race to steal market share from Dell and HP. According to data compiled by Bloomberg, Acer’s profit margin in the last fiscal year was just 2.3 percent compared to Apple’s 21.5 percent. Daunting, to say the least.

With Lanci gone, JT Wang, Acer’s chairman and temporary CEO, plans to put more effort into expanding its smartphone and tablet business while broadening efforts around enterprise sales. For Wang, Lanci’s departure marks a break with the past, saying, “Recently the iPad [tablet computer] and other new form factors have had a very big impact on the PC market. We have to change our business strategy.” While PCs will still be core to the business, Wang said “we won’t be in a hurry to change to become the world number one.” Unfortunately for Acer, its brand is more closely associated with low-cost laptops than with the premium devices required to significantly expand its profit margins. We’d wish ‘em luck but we think Acer will be better served by an innovative CEO and focused R&D.

Bloomberg, Financial Times

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ThinkPad Edge E420s now shipping for $699, E220s coming in April

Pakistan IT — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:22:49 +0000

Don’t tell us you’ve forgotten about Lenovo’s pair of new Edge machines! Sure, they’ve taken a while to get to market, perhaps having been inconvenienced by a little hiccup with Intel’s Core 2011 chipsets, but the first of them is now well and truly on sale and the other is looking eager and ready to go too. The 14-inch E420s is up on Lenovo’s web store, starting at $699 with a 2.1GHz Core i3-2310M CPU, while its 12.5-inch sibling, the E220s, is expected on the 8th of April, judging by the roadmap doc we’ve uncovered below. The E420s touts what Lenovo calls an Infinity Glass display, meaning simply edge-to-edge glass, alongside a fingerprint reader, a fetching new matte black lid, a HD webcam, 4GB of RAM and 250GB of HDD storage at a minimum, and a 48.8Wh battery. A 1366 x 768 resolution is your only option, unfortunately, though you can spruce up performance by quite a bit if you opt for the i5-2410M, which does 2.3GHz at default speeds or 2.9GHz when only one of its two cores is pushed to the limit … or should that be to the Edge?

[Thanks, Chris and Abdu] Lenovo

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