Dell have quietly announced their first consumer touchscreen laptop, updating their Studio 17 lineup with four-finger multitouch displays. Priced from $899, the powerful 17-inchers include a suite of Dell’s own touch apps and naturally, Windows 7.

Featuring large 17.3-inch (1600 x 900) HD displays, the new Studio 17 line is powered by 2.1GHz T4300 to 2.8GHz T9600 Core 2 Duo processors with up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM and 1TB of 7200rpm HDD storage.

Also on offer is an Intel GMA 4500MHD GPU as standard (upgradable to a 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD4650 chipset), WiFi 802.11g, a DVD burner with a Blu-ray option and your choice of either 6 or 9 cell batteries.

The new Studio 17 Touch laptops are available to order now direct from Dell in two customizable configurations starting at $899 and $999. Shipping is expected to begin early December.

Sources:
Dell via Electronista

Apple’s MacBook today received a major update, adopting the unibody, monocoque-style casing used on the MacBook Pro and Air. The revamped 13.3-inch MacBook now features a new 1280 x 800 LED-backlit widescreen display, a spacious glass Multi-Touch trackpad and a 7-hour battery – the longest-lasting MacBook battery yet.

Unlike the aluminum unibodies before it, the latest MacBook is made from a new, glossy, polycarbonate material that is lighter, more durable and includes a unique non-skid bottom surface to prevent it from sliding about on surfaces.

Sporting a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, a 250GB HDD, 2GB RAM and a SuperDrive with double/dual layer support, the new MacBook also gets a Mini DisplayPort, Airport Extreme 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, Gigabit ethernet, 2 x USB ports, an audio in/out port and a built-in iSight camera.

Measuring a mere 1.08-inches thin and weighing just 4.7 pounds, the new unibody MacBook ships with OS X Snow Leopard and is available now at the Apple Store for $999.

Update:
MacMall are now offering the new Apple Unibody MacBook for $944 after mail-in rebate.

Press release

Apple Updates MacBook With LED-Backlit Display, Multi-Touch Trackpad & Built-in Seven-Hour Battery

CUPERTINO, California—October 20, 2009—Apple® today updated its popular MacBook® with a new, durable polycarbonate unibody design featuring a brilliant LED-backlit display, a glass Multi-Touch trackpad and Apple’s innovative built-in battery for up to seven hours of battery life. Inheriting technology and design features from the MacBook Pro line, the new MacBook is an ideal consumer notebook for students and new Mac® users, and is available for $999.

“The new MacBook includes many of the great features found on the innovative MacBook Pro, such as an LED-backlit display, glass Multi-Touch trackpad and built-in long-life battery,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With the only lineup of notebooks all featuring unibody enclosures, LED-backlit displays and long-life battery technology, there’s never been a better time to switch to a Mac.”

The new MacBook features a unibody, polycarbonate enclosure that makes it lighter and more durable. The new design includes a unique non-skid bottom surface and at just 4.7 pounds, the sleek MacBook slides easily into a backpack or briefcase. MacBook comes standard with a bright, LED-backlit display with the same wide-angle viewing technology used in the MacBook Pro line. The new MacBook has a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics.

The new MacBook includes Apple’s innovative built-in notebook battery for up to seven hours of wireless productivity on a single charge, and up to 1,000 recharges.* At nearly three times the lifespan of conventional notebook batteries, Apple’s built-in battery results in fewer depleted batteries and less waste. Depleted batteries can be replaced for $129, which includes installation and environmentally responsible disposal of your old battery.

The energy-efficient MacBook joins the industry’s greenest lineup of notebooks, with every Mac notebook achieving EPEAT Gold** status and meeting Energy Star 5.0 requirements. The entire Mac notebook line now comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Mac notebooks contain no brominated flame retardants, use internal cables and components that are PVC-free and are constructed of recyclable materials.

Every Mac comes with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife®, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto®, to easily organize and manage photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand® which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.

Pricing & Availability
The new MacBook is available immediately through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The new MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $999 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
250 GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive® with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight® video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in/out port, supporting optical digital out and analog in/out;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad;
built-in, 60WHr lithium polymer battery; and
60 Watt MagSafe® Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, or 320GB 5400 rpm, 500GB 5400 rpm hard drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

*A properly maintained MacBook battery is designed to retain 80 percent or more of its original capacity during a lifespan of up to 1,000 recharge cycles. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings. For more information visit www.apple.com/macbook/features.html.

**EPEAT is an independent organization that helps customers compare the environmental performance of notebooks and desktops. Products meeting all of the 23 required criteria and at least 75 percent of the optional criteria are recognized as EPEAT Gold products. The EPEAT program was conceived by the US EPA and is based on IEEE 1680 standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. For more information visit www.epeat.net.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

Sources:
Apple (Press Release) and Apple (MacBook Product Page)
Via: Engadget

I was lucky enough to get an in-person preview of HP’s gorgeous Envy 13 and Envy 15 thin-and-light laptops last month and now, along with the Envy 15 BEATS Edition, are finally available to order from the HP store.

The 13.1-inch Envy 13 and 15.6-inch Envy 15 with their MacBook-like styling are priced from $1,699.99 and $1,799.99 respectively, while HP’s red-on-black Envy 15 BEATS edition is going for $2,299.99. The BEATS edition includes two stereo outputs, studio-quality Beats By Dr. Dre cans and Traktor DJ software with state-of-the-art playback decks.

The three models all come with Windows 7 pre-installed and are ready to ship as soon as 7 officially arrives on the 21st/22nd (I’ll be at the London launch on Wednesday so stay tuned).

Source:
HP (Envy Series Product Page)

Sony yesterday announced their new VAIO X Series Notebooks which the company claims are the world’s lightest, thanks to a carbon-fiber body construction. The 1.6-pound featherweight notebook is a mere 0.2-pounds heavier than Sony’s diminutive VAIO P netbook and is ultra-thin too, measuring a tiny 0.55-inches thick across its entire length.

Fitted with 11.1-inch scratch-resistant widescreen LCDs and running on 2GHz Intel Atom processors, the VAIO X Series also includes Intel GMA500 graphics, 2GB RAM, a 64GB SSD and the upcoming Windows 7 as standard. Battery life is relatively low at just 3.5 hours, but every model comes equipped with a second extended battery (similar to HP’s Envy 13) that also doubles as a tilted base for easier typing and boosts operating time to a whopping 14 hours.

Equipped with built-in Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband and real-time GPS functionality for turn-by-turn maps without an internet connection, the VAIO X also includes Bluetooth, WiFi b/g/n, a built-in camera and microphone, an SD card slot and Memory Stick Pro reader (with MagicGate), 2 x USB ports, a headphone jack, VGA, gigabit ethernet and a multi-touch trackpad that recognizes pinch, flip and rotate commands.

The VAIO X Series measures a mere 10.95 x 0.55 x 7.29 inches and is available now from Sony on pre-order starting at $1,299.99. If gold is your thing, there is also a Limited Edition Signature Collection version that bumps your SSD capacity to 128GB and the price tag to $1,499.99. Both models begin shipping next month.

Press release

X MARKS THE SPOT: SONY DELIVERS WORLD’S LIGHTEST NOTEBOOK
New VAIO X Series Merges 3G Mobile Broadband and Long Battery Life for Anywhere Computing

NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2009 – Redefining the notebook category once again, Sony today took the wraps off the world’s lightest notebook— the VAIO® X Series.

Housed in a lightweight carbon-fiber chassis, the X Series weighs just1.6 pounds (with standard battery) and is just over a half-inch thin— roughly the width of a cell phone.

It features a 16:9 aspect ratio which means you get a wider workspace—all packed into a compact 11.1-inch (diagonal) footprint. And not only is the scratch-resistant LCD display durable, it also provides brilliant picture quality with 100 percent color saturation and improved brightness, thanks to its LED backlight technology.

The X Series is also supplied with both a standard and super-extended capacity battery, delivering extra-long battery life for day-long productivity—up to 3.5 hours for the standard battery and up to 14 hours for the super-extended capacity battery.

“It’s one thing to make a notebook thin but when you consider the fact that the X Series also boasts industry-leading battery life and wireless WAN— you now have a game changer— altering the way people use and think about their PC,” said Mike Abary, senior vice president of the VAIO business group at Sony.

The unit’s extremely thin profile alone is enough to turn heads but its real elegance is found in its subtle details. Grooved edging traces its perimeter while a seamless sheet of lightly brushed aluminum frames the keyboard and covers the palmrest.

Its uniquely configured keyboard is designed with spacing between the keys for a comfortable typing experience. And the keystroke is firm and solid creating a user-friendly touch and feel that makes finding the keys more intuitive.

The unit’s touchpad features a multi-touch functionality commonly associated with touch-enabled smartphones. This means that you can zoom in and out, flip through pictures, rotate items clockwise and counterclockwise, and scroll vertically and horizontally without ever touching your mouse.

The X Series integrates wireless 3G Mobile Broadband technology provided by Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband Built-In, Wi-Fi (802.11n), and Bluetooth® wireless technologies—so you will always be connected. For 3G Mobile Broadband technology, a separate Verizon service subscription is required.

The model also incorporates real-time GPS functionality, making it easy to find restaurants, hotels or special sites of interest. Destinations can be found by simply typing in an address or keyword and then following the turn-by-turn directions. It even includes estimated drive times to let you know how far you are from a destination (United States or Canada only). No Internet connection is required in the United States or Canada.

The X Series incorporates a solid state drive (SSD) used in place of the spinning hard disk drive found in most computers. This provides a rapid boot-up and quicker access to applications, while reducing the risk of hard drive damage—an ideal feature for those on-the-go who are in situations where sudden movements are common. It will come with Windows® 7 Home Premium operating system.

The VAIO X Series notebook will come in two colors, black and gold, and start at about $1,300. It is available for pre-orders today online at www.sonystyle.com/pr/x. It will also be sold at Sony Style® stores and select retailers around the country starting next month.

Sources:
Sony (Press Release) and Sony Style
Via: Electronista

I was invited to the HP Unwrapped media event yesterday, for an exclusive look at new products that will be released over the next few months in time for Christmas. The most notable of those not under NDA were arguably the new Envy 13 and Envy 15 laptops, which sport gorgeous styling that takes numerous (obvious) cues from Apple’s Unibody MacBook Pro notebooks.

Previously developed by the gaming PC company Voodoo (which HP acquired several years ago), the Envy sub-brand has received a complete styling makeover and as one rep informed me, is designed to be HP’s luxury line moving forward.

The new Envy 13 (previously Envy 133) and Envy 15 laptops both feature a metal alloy chassis made from magnesium which is then coated with aluminum – resulting in cases that are durable, lightweight and scratch-resistant.

As part of the styling revamp, both laptops now feature rather beautiful two-finger muti-touch glass trackpads, which I fortunately got to play with. The left and right click buttons are cleverly incorporated right into the pad itself and feature button surfaces that work as part of the trackpad – even multi-touch.

The Envy 13 and Envy 15 also come equipped with a Beats audio system, which was created in a partnership between HP and Beats by Dr. Dre for high-performance audio.

HP Envy 13

The Envy 13 boasts a super-bright 410 nit intensity 13.3 inch WXGA widescreen display which HP claims is the industry’s brightest.

Running on an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and including ATI Radeon HD 4330 graphics, the Envy 13 gets up to 7 hours of battery life – which can be extended to as much as 18 hours. This is achieved thanks to an optional Slim Fit Slice Battery that matches the width and depth of the laptop’s base and blends perfectly with the machine’s styling.

In order to weigh in at 3.74lbs (1.7kg) and measure just 0.8-inch (20.3mm) thick, the Envy 13 omits an internal optical drive but will apparently ship with an external drive in case you need it.

HP Envy 15

HP claims the Envy 15 is the thinnest and lightest consumer notebook in its class, coming in at 1-inch (25.4mm) thick and weighing 5.2-pounds (2.36kg). It is also HP’s fastest consumer notebook, running Intel’s new Core i7 proccessor with up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM and ATI Radeon HD 4830 graphics.

The Envy 15 features a choice of two 15.6-inch Brightview widescreen displays including a Full HD LED option and comes equipped with a Nightvison VGA webcam with an infrared LED for better results in low-light environments. It also has an optional Slim Fit Slice Battery, but unlike the Envy 13, will be a pretty necessary add on as it bumps your run-time from a paltry 2.5 hours up to a reasonable 7 hours.

The Envy 15 also gets an extra-special, laser-etched pattern on the lid and palm rest which will apparently be available in a number of designs. The pattern is not very clear in the press shots, so I’ve included some of my own snaps in the gallery below.

Both the Envy 13 and Envy 15 are fired up and ready to go with street prices starting at $1699 | £1199 and $1799 | £1499 respectively. Since they’ll both be running Microsoft’s latest Windows 7 OS however, we’ll have to wait until after the official Windows 7 launch on October 22 before they start shipping.

A special thanks to the reps from HP for the walkthrough, as well as the lovely Laura, Fiona and Danielle from Porter Novelli for the invite and hospitality.

Update:
The Envy 13 and Envy 15 are available now from the HP Store starting at $1,699.99 and $1,799.99 respectively.

Press release

HP Redefines the Premium Notebook PC with ENVY

Precision-crafted, high-performance notebooks are bright, thin, deliver superb experience

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 15, 2009

HP today redefines the premium notebook PC experience with the introduction of the HP ENVY sub-brand, which offers customers precision-crafted, high-performance models featuring HP Metal Etching and concierge service and support.

The new HP ENVY 13 boasts the brightest display in its class, and the HP ENVY 15 is the company’s fastest consumer notebook PC ever.

“HP ENVY includes the latest in materials and technology inside and out and pushes the technological and performance boundaries of what can be done in sleek, powerful and lightweight notebook PCs,” said Ted Clark, senior vice president and general manager, Notebook Global Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Discerning consumers will get a premium experience and performance.”

With HP ENVY, the focus is on designing an entire premium experience to satisfy the most demanding customers – from the products to the packaging to the service and support.

Breakthrough HP Metal Etching on the lid and palmrest of the ENVY 15, and on the palmrest of the ENVY 13, subtly signals luxury. The combination of materials provides exceptional mobility and a compelling metal look and feel, while using energy-responsible manufacturing methods.

The HP ENVY line – building upon the Voodoo ENVY legacy – includes leading-edge components optimized to yield power and performance. To offer consumers the best audio experience available on a notebook PC, HP partnered with Beats by Dr. Dre to develop a unique, high-performance audio software solution. Available exclusively on the HP Envy, Beats Audio offers users playing music or audio through headphones or external speakers the optimal sound experience – the way the artist intended it.

The lightweight heavyweight: ENVY 13

The ENVY 13 balances style and substance. Carefully crafted details inside and out will satisfy the cravings of demanding mobile customers.

The HP Radiance display is twice as bright as other notebook displays in its class – 410 nit (a measurement of display brightness) – and provides an exceptional movie and photo experience, even in high ambient light conditions. With 82 percent color gamut (versus standard 45-60 percent), photos appear richer with amazing color depth. Additionally, with fast 8-millisecond response time, customers can view movies with TV-like performance.

The ENVY 13’s strong performance is delivered in a small frame – less than an inch thin and weighing 3.74 pounds.(1) The exterior’s aluminum and magnesium construction provides durability in a sleek design. An etched-metal palmrest further sets the PC apart from others, and a VGA webcam(3) optimized for low light also is included.

HP placed the same focus on design into its optional Slim Fit Extended-Life Notebook Battery. Taking the form of a “slice,” it preserves the sleek look of the ENVY 13 while giving users up to 18 hours of battery life with the extended-life battery.(2) The standard battery is user-replaceable.

ATI Switchable Graphics technology dynamically switches between ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 discrete graphics and the Intel® integrated graphics processor for either high-powered graphics processing or low power consumption for long battery life without booting the notebook. The Intel Core 2 Duo processor provides the power of dual processor cores while delivering extended battery life when the notebook is unplugged.

Designed with the most demanding mobile user in mind, the ENVY 13 notebook’s premium AC adapter is small and light. It draws minimal power, has built-in surge protection and includes a rubberized strap that keeps the cables organized and the adapter from slipping off a slick surface. An optional HP USB Ethernet Adapter also is available.

The performance powerhouse: ENVY 15

This lean, mean, dream machine is HP’s fastest consumer notebook. The full metal case features a sleek, subtly crafted, laser-etched metal design on the lid that is repeated on the palmrest. The magnesium alloy casing provides lightweight durability in a 1-inch thin, 5.18-pound package.(1)

Customers have maximum speed and mobility with the future Intel Core i7 processor(4) and up to 16 gigabytes (GB) of DDR3 1,066-MHz system memory in four SODIMM memory slots. Versatile storage options include the ability to add two solid-state drives in a RAID-0 configuration to improve the overall speed of the ENVY 15 while providing excellent disk performance. Creative users will appreciate the ENVY 15 notebook’s performance and full versions of Corel® Paint Shop Pro® Photo X2 and Corel VideoStudio® Pro X2 for creating photo and video content.

Power users and gamers can take advantage of premium graphics performance via ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4830 graphics with 1 GB of dedicated video memory for visually intense applications, DirectX® 10.1 games and high-definition video playback.

A choice of two 15.6-inch HP Brightview high-resolution LED backlit displays, including the Full High Definition LED HP Ultra BrightView Widescreen Display with up to 300-nits brightness, provides a superb display experience for a notebook in this class. A Nightvision VGA webcam that is optimized for low-light or zero-light conditions is standard on the HP ENVY 15, incorporating an infrared LED that assists the webcam(3) by providing the necessary illumination in dark environments.

The ENVY 15 has an optional Slim Fit Extended-Life Notebook Battery, giving users up to seven hours of battery life.(2)

Designing the ENVY experience

The HP ENVY line includes a 360-degree approach to product design – from the products to the packaging:

Building upon HP’s success with instant-on technology, HP QuickWeb allows customers to access key applications without booting the PC. In less than 30 seconds, users can access the Internet, music, videos and photos, and email.(3)
HP Clickpad integrates the buttons into the touchpad and allows for fluid movements, while also allowing users to disable the clickpad if desired.
The keyboard’s direct-action keys (versus typical function keys) allow users to quickly access often-used commands such as print and volume adjustment.
Minimal desktop clutter and trial software adds to notebooks’ simplicity.
An optional external optical drive complements the ENVY design and gives users the flexibility to carry the extra weight only when necessary. Two USB ports also transform the drive into a dock for additional capability.
The ENVY 13 and 15 are presented in streamlined paper carton boxes using minimal ink. Included in the packaging is a simplified setup poster and documentation contained within an SD card.
Concierge service and support

The ENVY experience extends to premium service and support via the award-winning HP Total Care program. This includes expert agents dedicated to addressing ENVY customers’ questions via phone, online chat and email as well as next-day shipping for hardware customer service.

Pricing and availability

The HP ENVY 13 and ENVY 15 are expected to be available in the United States on Oct. 18 with a starting price of $1,699 and $1,799, respectively.(5) Register for availability notification at www.hpdirect.com/go/newfromhp.

Additional information about HP ENVY will be available the morning of Sept. 15 at www.hp.com/go/ENVY.

About HP

HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.

(1) Weight will vary by configuration.

(2) Battery life will vary depending on the product’s model, configuration, loaded applications, features and power management settings. The maximum capacity of the battery will decrease with time and usage.

(3) Internet is required and sold separately.

(4) Dual/Quad/Triple Core is designed to improve performance of certain software products. Not all customers or software applications will necessarily benefit from use of this technology. 64-bit computing on Intel architecture requires a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, operating system, device drivers and applications enabled for Intel 64 architecture. Processors will not operate (including 32-bit operation) without an Intel 64 architecture-enabled BIOS. Performance will vary depending on hardware and software configurations. See www.intel.com/info/em64t for more information.

(5) Estimated U.S. street prices. Actual prices may vary.

Lenovo today announced new versions of their T400s laptop and X200 Tablet, which both now feature multi-touch capacitive touchscreens in preparation for the launch of Windows 7 and its touch-capable interface in October.

The new T400s includes a Core 2 Duo SP9400 2.4GHz processor with a base configuration of 2GB RAM, a 120GB 5400rpm hard drive and the ability to recognize up to four-fingered gestures on its 14.1-inch WXGA+ display.

Although the new X200 will only recognize a two-finger salute on its smaller 12.1-inch WXGA display, it does get an update with a faster-performing Core 2 Duo SU9400 1.4GHz chip plus 1GB RAM and a 160GB 5400rpm hard drive at its most basic spec. The X200 also has a new super-bright display option to improve visibility when used outdoors.

Equipped with Lenovo’s new SimpleTap control panel that offers easy fingertip access to system settings (video below), the multi-touch T400s and X200 are available right now and on sale from Lenovo starting at $1,999 and $1,654 respectively.

Press Release

Lenovo Adds Touch of Simplicity to New MultiTouch Screen ThinkPad PCs

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – September 15, 2009: Lenovo today is bringing business users a new way to work with multitouch screen technology[1] on the versatile and portable ThinkPad X200 Tablet PC and slim and powerful ThinkPad T400s laptop. Lenovo is also introducing SimpleTap, an application that brings simplicity to the multitouch screen experience.

“We see now as the right time for multitouch screens on PCs,” said Sam Dusi, vice president, worldwide ThinkPad product marketing, Lenovo. “With touch screens increasingly becoming part of more devices we use routinely and continued improvement of the technology including the integration of touch in the upcoming Windows 7 operating system, the environment for making touch part of our Tablet PC and ThinkPad T400s laptop experience couldn’t be better. We’ve also extended the touch experience with SimpleTap to make frequent hardware-based functions touch-enabled and simple.”

Lenovo also today announced a new defense against the sun for outdoor workers with a new super bright optional screen on the ThinkPad X200 Tablet.

Personalizing Productivity on the PC with Touch
Users can now interact with their ThinkPad PC in a more personal way with multitouch screen technology. Designed for highly mobile users, the optional multitouch screen ThinkPad X200 Tablet caters to individuals in fields such as sales, health care and education. Already supporting one finger touch, these users can now use two-finger touch to perform a variety of gestures, including pinching, zooming, tapping and flicking through documents, web pages and photos instead of using a mouse.

The high performance ThinkPad T400s laptop serves professionals in engineering and design. Now these users can manipulate four fingers on the ThinkPad T400s laptop’s optional multitouch screen to not only replace the mouse but transform the way they work. They can now use four fingers to manipulate objects, move images with two hands and even have another person touch the screen to collaborate simultaneously. As new multitouch applications are introduced, there will be new possibilities for using multitouch screen laptops.

Using advanced capacitive touch, the screens are sensitive and responsive to even the slightest touch of the finger. Lenovo also optimized the firmware to help compensate for slightly imprecise taps on the screen, such as when closing a window or navigating the Start menu, helping make navigation easier for Tablet users. To combat fingerprints, an anti-fingerprint coating helps keep smudges at bay and the screen clean. The multi-touch screens also allow users to enjoy ultra long battery life with up to nine hours on the ThinkPad X200 Tablet.[2]

With upcoming ThinkPad X200 Tablet models supporting the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system, these mobile users can also take advantage of improved predictive text over previous operating systems, improved handwriting recognition in more languages and formula input features for math and scientific equations.

More details on the ThinkPad T400s and X200 Tablet are available at www.lenovo.com.

Adding a “Touch” of Simplicity to Touch Screens
Touch screens are designed to make interaction with a PC natural and intuitive, however, often users must switch between touch screen gestures and pressing hardware buttons. Lenovo designed SimpleTap, a ThinkVantage Technology, to enable uninterrupted use of people’s touch screens by giving them access to hardware-based functions that may be more easily accessed via touch input. For Tablet users, that means staying in tablet mode longer while on-the-go, saving time and being more productive.

To use SimpleTap, simply double tap anywhere on the screen to launch the application. A clean and efficient grid of colorful and transparent square tiles, inspired by the classic 15 Puzzle, opens on top of the work beneath and allows users to choose several hardware-based functions including: turning on or off the wireless radio, ThinkLight and microphone, previewing the camera, enabling mute, adjusting the volume or screen brightness, locking the screen or putting the PC to sleep. To exit SimpleTap, just tap once anywhere on the screen to close the grid and continue working. As a quick access interface, SimpleTap allows users to get in, perform a function and get out quickly.

Designed to be highly customizable, individuals can create their own tiles to enhance their personal productivity. For example, a sales professional could create a tile that launches a sales presentation with just the tap of a finger. A health professional could similarly create a tile that pulls up a patient’s medical information instantaneously. Or a consumer could quickly access his or her favorite website. Users can arrange the tiles however they choose by dragging and grouping them together, and designed to be fun to use, the tiles can even be flicked around the screen.

Click here to see a video demonstration of SimpleTap and here to read more about the design and inspiration behind the application.

Brightening Tablet PC for Outdoor Light
To further extend tablet computing outdoors, users can now choose a super bright outdoor screen that displays images even in direct sunlight. For field engineers, sales professionals, students and others who work outside, outdoor viewability is critical. The new optional outdoor screen on the ThinkPad X200 Tablet offers excellent viewability with a bright 400 nit screen, low 1.2 percent reflectivity and wide viewing angle. Coated with a thin anti-reflective layer, the screen provides crisp and bright images that can easily be seen indoors or outdoors. Mobile workers can also stay productive with the Tablet’s all day battery life.

A photo of the ThinkPad X200 outdoor screen compared with a standard screen can be viewed here.

Pricing and Availability[3]
The ThinkPad T400s with the multitouch screen and the ThinkPad X200 Tablet with the multitouch screen and the outdoor screen will be available starting immediately through business partners and www.lenovo.com. Pricing starts at approximately $1,999 for the ThinkPad T400s with the multitouch screen and $1,654 and $1,704, respectively, for the ThinkPad X200 Tablet with the multitouch screen and outdoor screen. SimpleTap will be available for download after October 22.

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook.

About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.

[1]Multitouch does not support all applications.
[2]With an 8 cell battery. Battery life varies dependent upon user settings.
[3]Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice

Sources:
Lenovo (Press Release) | T400s | X200
Via: Electronista

MSI have announced that their new X600 X-Slim notebook is now available for sale, bringing to market a very attractive offering for people who need to work on-the-go. The Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) ultraportable sports a 15.6-inch 16:9 widescreen LCD and a six-cell battery for decent operating times when you’re out-and-about, yet measures less than an inch thick and weighs in at just 5.5 pounds.

Featuring an Intel 1.4GHz Core 2 SU3500 processor, an ATI HD 4330 GPU, a 320GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM, the X600 also includes Windows Vista Home Premium, a bundled external DVD drive, a 1366 x 768 resolution 1.3-megapixel webcam, 2 x USB ports, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, HDMI out, a memory card reader and in case you’re worried about how it will hold up – a three year warranty.

Available in either silver or black, measuring just 15.4″ x 10.04″ x 0.63-0.98″ and with an MSRP of $899.99 – this ultrathin offering sounds like a pretty sweet deal. It gets better though. Amazon.com currently have it in-stock and available now for $799.99.

If you’re after a small, decently-specced and affordable ultraportable, the X600 is definitely worth a look.

Sources:
MSI Mobile (Press Release) and Amazon.com
Via: Ubergizmo

Dell yesterday officially launched their eagerly awaited Adamo which they claim is now the world’s thinnest laptop, stealing the title from the MacBook Air. The elegantly styled notebook is made using the one-piece aluminum manufacturing process pioneered by Apple and features a beautiful wide-key, scalloped backlit keyboard.

Adamo (pronounced Ah-dom-o) is derived from the latin word which means “to fall in love” and seems an appropriate name given its gorgeous styling. The Adamo features a 13.4-inch high-definition edge-to-edge glass display and comes with Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi plus a built-in mobile broadband option.

Hardware includes a 1.2GHz/1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB/4GB 800MHz DDR3 RAM, a 128GB SSD, 3 x USB ports, Display Port, 1.3 megapixel camera and a battery that will get over 5 hours of run time.

The Adamo comes in two versions, Admire and Desire, both measuring 13.03″ (34cm) x 9.5″ (24.1cm) x 0.65″ (1.65cm) and are priced at $1,999 and $2,699 respectively. They are both available now on pre-order from Dell.com and will begin shipping worldwide on March 26.

Check out the video below to see this stunning laptop sadly subjected to some very clumsy marketing ineptitude. Look out for the unboxing from a plain brown cardboard box, plus I-can’t-believe-they-just-said-that moments such as “Ultra thin portable aphrodisiac” and “100% SSD.” I wonder if Dell’s attempt at becoming cool explains their fashionably late arrival to the party. Hope they haven’t missed the boat.

Sources:
Dell (Press Release) and Dell @ Flickr and Dell (Product Page)
Via: CoolestGadgets

The giant PC manufacturer Dell today announced a new rugged laptop called the Latitude E6400 XFR, which features Ballistic Armor that Dell claims doubles the impact protection of traditional magnesium alloy cases. The XFR is well sealed too, being able to withstand dust, salt fog and even direct blasts of pressurized water (video below).

The XFR meets the Department of Defense’s MIL-STD 810F dust, heat and vibration requirements, making it suitable for the battlefield, industrial use, or a good mistreating in day-to-day handling and transporting.

Dell’s little fighter comes armed with an Intel Core Duo processor, 256MB DDR2 NVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M graphics card, up to 120GB HDD or 128GB SSD plus a 14-inch transmissive display with DirectVue technology for good visibility even in direct sunlight. The display comes with a resistive-touchscreen option also.

The measurements, as you’d expect, are a little on the chunky side at 13.9″ (353mm) x 10.1″ (256mm) x 2.2″ (56mm) and all that armor adds some weight also, coming in at 8.5lbs (3.9kg). The Latitude E6400 XFR is available now direct from Dell US for $4299 or Dell UK for £2679.

Sources:
Dell via Register Hardware

Asus is showing off a “Community Designed PC” concept at CeBIT 2009, that incorporates two touchscreen panels in a “FlipBook” style design. The dual-panel notebook aims to offer a more flexible and intuitive working space by incorporating a virtual touchpad and keyboard, as well as gesture control and handwriting recognition.

The design would be ideal for use as a backlit e-book reader, which reminds me of the detachable dual-display reader we saw back in June. Pages could be turned using intuitive gestures (above) that more closely resemble traditional book reading – something sadly lacking on devices like Amazon’s Kindle.

Apart from this, Asus envisions its use as a laptop or a multimedia hub and notes that the displays could be combined, to allow for full widescreen entertainment on-the-go.

For other interesting community-based designs, be sure to check out WEPC.com, a joint effort between Asus and Intel. Once signed up you can submit feedback on designs of other users, or even submit your own.

Sources:
Asus (Press Release) via TechRadar