This post was written by Maureen Jones
Dell has announced that the company will debut Adamo, the “world’s thinnest laptop” in February, according to reports. Code-named Adamo, the sleek laptop will go head-to-head with Apple’s MacBook Air. It is black and silver, similar to the XPS 13, but has a different overall design. Adamo is reportedly is going to be marketed as the “world’s thinnest laptop.” The laptop had been set for a fourth quarter 2008 release but is now expected to be unveiled in February.
Intel will show off its next-generation Classmate laptop, which includes a touch screen and new features that make it easier for students to use, next month. The new Convertible Classmate is a tablet PC, with a touch screen that swivels to make data input easier. Intel will show prototypes of the laptop at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to be held in Las Vegas between Jan. 8 and 11. Intel bills the Classmate as an educational laptop for kids in developing countries, but it will also be available in the general market.
Acer has launched its new Aspire one mini-laptop and has forecasted sales of up to7 million units this year and 15 to 20 million next year. The new-mini laptop will compete with a growing number of rivals in a market jump-started by the popularEee PC from Asustek Computer of Taiwan. Acer believes the Aspire one, which will cost between $399 and $499, can attract a new kind of PC buyer, primarily those who want a low-cost, convenient mobile device they can use to surf the Internet from anywhere.
Simmtronics Semiconductors Ltd. has ventured into the netbook segment with the announcement of the company’s first Netbook, based on Intel Atom mobile CPU. Simmtronics’ new compact and lightweight netbook is powered by the incredibly small, amazingly smart Intel Atom processor, which delivers the performance needed to enjoy popular activities like streaming videos or music, emailing, web surfing or instant messaging. Designed specifically for mobile computing needs, it provides the power of full-sized laptop, with the latest Intel Atom processor in a compact body with a 10.2-inch screen.
MSI today added just its second E-series notebook to its US lineup through the EX300. The 13.3-inch system focuses on external design first with a colored, glossy outer shell and a lightweight alloy-based chassis that comes at just 4.5 pounds even with a larger capacity eight-cell battery. The system is also comparatively thin and measures less than 1.2 inches at its thickest point. Just one trim level is available but is comparatively fast for the class. The system comes with a 25-watt 2GHz Core 2 Duo and is supplied with 4GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive.
Hewlett Packard Inc. has released its new Voodoo Envy 133 laptop that falls into the ultra-slim MacBook Air laptops’ category. The Voodoo Envy 133 laptop is as thick as 0.7 inches and weighs in at only 3.4 pounds. As expected from such a thin laptop, the Voodoo Envy 133 does not incorporate any CD or DVD drive. The 13.3 inch laptop features a multiple gesture touchpad that offers capabilities such as a circular gesture called chiral scroll and pinch options. Envy 133 is powered by Intel Centrino technology, due to which the small sized notebook can carry a wide range of functionality efficiently.
Acer plans to launch 10-inch Aspire One netbooks in February next year. As for its 8.9-inch netbooks currently available, the 3.5G module-based Aspire One netbooks being bundled with Taiwan Mobile (TWM) services is expected to reach a shipment volume of 9,000 units in the Taiwan market in the fourth quarter this year. In Taiwan, notebook average selling prices (ASPs) are expected to continue dropping through the end of this year, with an average decline of 10%. High-end and lowest-cost models will feel less price pressure, while models within the range of NT$30,000-40,000 (US$900-1200) will see the largest price drops.
Toshiba Corp. has introduced the first laptop computer, Qosmio G55, to use the computing-intensive Cell chip that was first designed for Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3 game console. Toshiba has announced that three new high-end laptops - the Qosmio G55, Qosmio X305 and Qosmio F55, designed for gaming and multimedia applications, would hit the market later this summer.
HCL Infosystems Ltd. launched the HCL “Leaptop Series 39”. Designed for Indian conditions, where the ambient temperatures are higher and the surface temperature of laptops tend to become uncomfortable, the HCL Leaptop Series 39 is designed to achieve a lower temperature differential of below 6 degrees on its palm rest surfaces. With excellent thermals and meeting the Energy star 4.0 compliance standard, the product starts at a price range of Rs. 39990/-. The HCL Leaptop Series 39 is based on Intel’s Centrino & Centrino2 Processor technology and comes in both Microsoft and Linux versions.
Dell Inc. has launched its Studio line that comes in seven colors and offers some impressive computing power inside. The laptops with the starting range of $799 use Intel Core 2 Duo processors and have up to 320 gigabytes of hard drive space. Optional Blu-ray or DVD recording drives ensure you can watch a movie under your beach umbrella, while built-in Wi-Fi, cellular broadband and Bluetooth keep things connected. The Studio line comes in two sizes with 15- and 17-inch screens and weighs about eight pounds.