Toshiba M700 Tablet PC and Concept UMPCs at CES

A few weeks back Toshiba announced the release of their newest Tablet PC, the Portege M700. This time I am bringing you some real pictures and hands-on information from the CES show floor.

Toshiba Portege M700 Tablet PC specs:

• Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz T7500 processor
• 160GB hard drive
• 1GB or 2GB RAM options
• 12.1" WXGA (1280x800) LED backlit LCD display with both touchscreen and digital pen/ink capabilities
• 802.11a/g/n, Gigabit Ethernet
• PC Card Slot
• IEEE 1394
• Integrated webcam
• Fingerprint reader
• 6-cell Lithium-Ion battery

The M700 definitely has a solid design and chassis. The LED backlight screen was amazing, it really looked more like a notebook then a tablet, by which I mean no graininess. The hinge has a unique design as well that locks into place making the tablet feel more like a notebook, there was no signs of flex, just like the R400.


The touchscreen was responsive and the pen was accurate. The extended battery slice gives the M700 all day computing power and adds a little height to the machine, which also puts the tablet on a little slant when typing. The Toshiba reps even told us that the starting price is going to be a little cheaper then planned, now around $1,500.

Overall, I think Toshiba has a winner on their hands. I can't wait to get my hands on this review unit and run some benchmarks. Don't worry, the team over at TabletPCReview.com hopes this will be very soon.

Apple MacBook Air Announced at MacWorld '08

As the rumors suggested, Apple today announced the ultraportable MacBook Air notebook. The MacBook Air is being dubbed the "world's thinnest notebook", and at 0.16" to 0.76" they aren't kidding!

The Apple MacBook Air has the following specs:

• 13.3" Widescreen LED Backlit (1280 x 800)
• Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz (4MB L2 cache, 800MHz frontside bus)
• 1.8" 80GB HD (same type in iPod) or 64GB SSD option
• Multi-touch trackpad
• 2GB RAM (667MHz DDR2 SDRAM)
• Intel X3100 graphics
• Magnetic latch
• 1 USB 2.0 port, Micro-DVI, Audio out (analog)
• 802.11n wireless
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• iSight camera built-in
• 37 watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
• No optical drive built-in, but SuperDrive accessory available for $99
• Dimensions: 12.8" wide, 8.94" deep, and 0.16" to 0.76" thin
• Weight: 3.0 lbs (1.36 kg)
• $1,799 price point

With only one USB port you're limited on what you can attach, but Apple obviously was space challenged with the notebook being so thin. At least you can use BlueTooth for wireless devices since that is built-in. The claimed battery life is 5 hours, no indication under what usage you get that though. The availability will be within the next couple of weeks, you can pre-order from Apple for $1,799 starting price.

More information can be found on the MacBook Air product page at Apple.com.

Lenovo ThinkPad T61 14.1-inch

Standard aspect ratio business notebooks are becoming more difficult to purchase these days from different manufacturers, but Lenovo has pulled through for another generation with the ThinkPad T61. The 14" 4:3 T61 is one of the last models of its kind on the market, and it is still every bit as durable and refined as the models before it.



The Lenovo T61 4:3 14.1" notebook is offered with a wide array of options, with processors spanning from the Intel T7100 to the T7800, ram up to 4GB, hard drive up to 200GB, Intel turbo memory, Intel Wireless-N, and either the 128MB nVidia NVS 140M or Intel X3100 graphics cards.

The following are the features of the 14" T61 being reviewed:

• Screen: 14.1-inch SXGA+ (1400 x 1050) TFT Display,150 NIT, 200:1 Contrast
• Processor: 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 (4MB L2 Cache,800MHz FSB)
• Hard Drive: 100GB hard drive (Hitatchi 7k100 7200RPM)
• Memory: 1GB x2 2GB Total (PC5300, 667 MHz, DDR2 SDRAM) 4GB max memory
• Optical Drive: DVD+-R Double layer / DVD+-RW Drive
• External Ports and Slots: Three USB 2.0, one ExpressCard slot, VGA, headphone / line-out, microphone-in, modem, 1Gb Ethernet
• Wireless: WiFi (Intel 4965AGN 802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.0 w/ EDR
• Graphics: nVidia NVS 140M (256MB)
• Operating System: Windows Vista Ultimate
• 9-cell Li-Ion battery (10.8V, 7.8AH)
• Dimensions: (WxDxH): 12.3" x 10.0/10.9" w/battery x 1.2-1.4"
• Weight: 4lbs 11.1oz, 5lbs 11.6oz w/9 cell battery (6lbs 10.3oz travel weight)

Performance and Benchmarks

The T61 was an excellent all around performer, without any lag or delay opening programs or switching between programs. Much of this can be attributed to the amount of ram and the 7200rm hard drive which was configured with this model. Even tasks such as light gaming were possible with its business grade nVidia NVS 140M, comparable to the consumer nVdia 8400 GT.


Listed below are the standard benchmarks we run on our laptops to make it easier to compare models head to head.


wPrime is a program that forces the processor to do recursive mathematical calculations, the advantage of this program is that it is multi-threaded and can use both processor cores at once, thereby giving more accurate benchmarking measurements than Super Pi.

Asus R1F Notebook to Tablet PC Convertible

The Asus R1F is a convertible notebook to Tablet PC machine that's powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. It has a 13.3" widescreen display and comes it at a reasonably priced $1,500. The portability and Tablet PC functionality makes it an interesting option for students.

Processor and System Performance Benchmarks

The R1F model I reviewed had the Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 (1.66GHz) processor. The R1F provides enhanced responsiveness to enjoy audio and video playback and recording, instant messaging and web-browsing simultaneously on your Tablet. In other words, the dual-core performance helps in general types of multi-tasking you'll do on a PC.

Display

The screen itself is nice and scratch resistant, as much as it can be. It is slightly grainy, but that is due to the extra layer on the screen and you'll get that with any other tablet. Don't expect the R1F to produce crisp flawless images, but like I said earlier, it is not made to be an entertainment center. However, the Asus Splendid technology that allows you to adjust screen colorization is great and really brings out the color, especially when watching movies. I set the brightness and color saturation as high and balanced as possible to offset the graininess and it works well. The graininess is more noticeable against white backgrounds compared to colored ones. Though a white screen does not appear as pure white (there's a slight greyishness), other colors do shine and the screen is backlit very well. Black colors on the screen appear sharp and if you stand away from the screen a little bit you won't even notice the graininess. My eyes are used to the screens display and I don't notice the graininess anymore, just the bright colors.

Apple MacBook Pro 15" with Intel Santa Rosa

Overview & Introduction


We'll be taking a look at Apple's MacBook Pro, to be specific the most recently updated model as of June 5th, 2007. The MacBook Pro line is aimed at the professional market, including those who do heavy amounts of video and photo editing. The MacBook Pro is best described as a mid-size desktop replacement, or performance laptop.

Before I go to far I should say this is not only my first laptop review, but also my first Mac computer. Thus, this review will be geared more toward people considering the MacBook Pro as an alternative option to a Windows based laptop, including some things that would seem trivial to the veteran Mac owner.

MacBook Pro machine specs as purchased

• Screen: 15.4" LED Backlit Screen @ 1440 x 900 Native Resolution
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 CPU at 2.2ghz (4MB Shared L2 Cache)
• Memory: 2GB DDR2 PC2-5300 667mhz RAM
• Hard Drive: 120GB HDD @ 5400RPM (Fujitsu)
• Graphics: Nvidia 8600M GT with 128MB VRAM GPU
• Optical Drive: Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVDRW/CD-RW)
• Wireless: Apple Airport Extreme Wireless B/G/N
• Built-in Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
• Mac OS X 10.4.9 (Tiger)
• Dimensions & Weight:
  14.1" x 9.6" x 1.0" (35.7cm x 24.3cm 2.59cm)
  5.4lbs (2.45kg)
• Cost: $1,999 USD ($1,799 with Education Discount
  

Toshiba Portege R400 Tablet PC

The Toshiba Portege R400 has been getting a lot of attention recently. The only problem is all the attention it is attracting isn't always positive. The R400 has an innovative design, but lacks some key features. Many users don't see why the Tablet is so expensive when it does not have an internal optical drive and only has two USB ports. Thankfully it does have some unique features though like the Windows SideShow display, Windows Vista Ultimate, an LED backlit screen and its unique and secure hinge, which make it stand out above lower priced Tablets.

The Toshiba Portege R400 specs as reviewed (tested price $3,079)

Display

The 12.1" screen on the R400 is LED backlit, so it looks more like a notebook screen instead of a grainy Tablet screen. The only problem with the screen is that it's glossy and therefore means you get a lot of reflection in bright light, especially when the screen is displaying dark colors. On the other hand, having the glossy screen ensures that the colors presented are bright and bold. Watching DVDs on the widescreen are great. I almost thought I was watching movies on my Toshiba television.

Processor and System Performance

Performance is lacking for such an expensive machine with base prices starting at $2,599. The 1.2GHz Intel Core Duo processor and 4200RPM 80GB hard drive don't do justice to the killer fast looks of this machine. While the Ultra Low Voltage 1.2GHz processor and integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics do ensure the system runs cool, it struggles to run Vista well. The 2GB of RAM certainly helps out with performance, but multi-tasking using several applications at once can really bog things down. It may have been wise to offer a regular clock speed processor, such as the HP tx1000 tablet offers, and not gone with something that seems more fit for a UMPC device in terms of speed. Simply a low voltage processor such as the Lenovo X60 Tablet uses would have been better than an Ultra Low Voltage processor.

Sony VAIO VGN-TZ18GN (Centrino Duo)

Ultra Chic and Slim

It's been a decade since Sony introduced its first ultra portable notebook, the VAIO 505 in Japan. Expensive, classy but undeniably handy, this tiny notebook measured less than an inch thick, seemed to weigh even less and most of all, had an irresistible charm that has become a key requirement of the VAIO design philosophy. While its price and niche genre probably restricted it to a small audience, the notebook has its share of fans (there's even an old web ring for VAIO 505 owners with tips and information) and now, ten years from that moment, Sony has sought to commemorate this milestone with a new take on the ultra slim notebook.

The end result is the new VAIO TZ series, designed by some members of the original development team that came up with the VAIO 505 and others who have been inspired by it. Their goal was like most product refreshes - keeping with the style and elegance of the original while updating it with the latest technology. For the top model, the VGN-TZ18GN, this includes a cutting edge solid state drive (SSD) using flash memory, an ultra low voltage Core 2 Duo processor from Intel and the latest Microsoft Windows Vista OS. Meanwhile, the latest advances in material sciences and LCD technologies mean that this VAIO comes with a light but sturdy carbon fiber chassis and a vibrant, bright display that puts others into the shade, literally.

So yes, maybe we seem to be hyperventilating a bit now. But, don't take our words for granted, check out the ultra thin notebooks below and tell us honestly you don't fancy them. We received both the TZ17GN and the TZ18GN from Sony for this article, but we will only be focusing on the premium VGN-TZ18GN here. Hence, the specifications for the table are based on the TZ18GN. However, there is virtually no difference on paper between the two except for the SSD on the TZ18GN instead of the usual SATA hard drive (and the price tag of course).

NoteBook ASUS Lamborghini VX2S

Enjoy revolutionary entertainment on the go - Intel® Centrino® Pro Mobile Technology in Models enables breakthrough mobile performance, new high-definition capabilities and improved battery life.

Product Information : Core 2 Duo T7700, 2GB DDR2, 250GB HDD, DVD±RW, 56K Modem, GbE NIC, WiFi, Bluetooth, VGA Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT 512MB, Camera, 15.4" WXGA, Win Vista Ultimate - FREE Asus Optical Mouse (Price : US$ 3,329)