Sharp plans to launch palm-sized NetWalker

Sharp Japan announces the NetWalker PC-Z1 Smartbook in the land of the Rising Sun. The PC-Z1 joins the NetWalker line of smartbook line as one of the first model in the line-up to run the Ubuntu OS. It sports a 5-inch touchscreen display and packs the power of an ARM Cortex-A8-based Freescale i.MX515 800MHz processor, 512MB of memory and 4GB flash memory plus a microSDHC card slot to expand on the 4GB.

Features of the Sharp NetWalker PC-Z1 Smartbook includes QWERTY keyboard, integrated left and right mouse buttons, WiFi 802.11b/g connectivity and runs Ubuntu 9.04 ARM edition Linux OS.

The Sharp NetWalker PC-Z1 Smartbook is schedule for launch on September 25th and will be available in late October in the colors of White and Black.

The Sharp NetWalker is a palm-sized device that weighs around 409g. It features a battery that promises to provide a usage time of about 10 hours. The Sharp NetWalker is also known as the PC-Z1. This device allows users to send and receive e-mails and also create documents. It lets users download entertainment content like dictionaries, novella and comics.

Disney releases Netpal netbook

Kids need not wait to lay their hands on the netbook specially designed for them, Disney and Asus have finally released the Disney Netpal for children. The netbook is available in Magic Blue and Princess Pink version and can be pre-ordered from ToysRUs.

Both Asus and Disney have designed the Disney Netpal by keeping in mind the parental concerns and children’s requirements. Reportedly, the netbook offers ‘intuitive and fun applications’ along with ‘robust safety features’ which enable children to safely browse the web.

The Netpal is based on Eee PC that comes equipped with a 8.9-inch LCD display, a Wi-Fi connectivity, an Intel Atom processor, and a Microsoft Windows XP OS with a customized interface featuring themes such as Mickey Mouse, Cars, Toy Story and WALL-E. You can choose from a 16GB SSD or a 160GB hard drive, while color choices include pink with floral designs or blue with Mickey Mouse icons.

Netpal model is priced at $350 and should be available in July 2009.

Toshiba Dynabook NXW with SSD technology

Recently we heard that the Toshiba Satellite notebooks were upgraded, the Dynabooks are no behind. Toshiba Dynabook NSW now comes equipped with SSD technology.

The company had previously introduced the SSD in its SS RX2 series notebook. Dynabooks are the company’s light weight notebooks and the NSW is its latest addition. The notebook offers a 12.1-inch display reports Akihabara. The gadget is equipped with Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 and includes 128GB SSD.

The rapid change in technology holds an important place among the people. Toshiba is one of the well-known companies to bring rapid changes. In such a way, if you want to have a 12.1” notebook with 128GB SSD and you cannot afford the SS RX2 and its High-Speed SSD means you can go with NXW. The SS RX2 can feature the same Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400. It comes around 192800 yen (1430€).

Toshiba presents Artful Lineup of Notebook PCs

Toshiba Artful Notebook PCs Toshiba has unveiled its Artful lineup of notebook PCs. This lineup includes NB200 Notebook, Satellite M500, Portege M900, Satellite L500 and Satellite L510. Let’s take a look at each of them.

The NB200 Notebook bundles up 10.1-inch diagonal wide LED screen, full QWERTY keyboard, laptop-sized touchpad, Windows XP OS, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, two USB 2.0 port, USB port along with Sleep-and-Charge function, Wifi (802.11 b/g), 1.60GHz Intel Atom Processor N270 / 1.66GHz Intel Atom Processor N280, Intel 945GSE graphics chipset, 10/100 Ethernet interface and 3.5 hours of battery life.

The most stylish product of the range is NB200 Notebook. Its vibrant colors and textured design patterns make it a truly stylish mobile companion. This 10.1-inch diagonal wide LED screen mini notebook meets consumers' mobility needs and reflects their modern digital lifestyle and comes in two distinct designs—Cosmic Black Color with Fusion Stripes and Black Flat Keyboard and Satin Brown Color with a unique matt finish and compelling pleated textured cover design with a chrome hinge.

The full QWERTY keyboard and a generous laptop-sized touchpad make the typing and surfing comfortable and typo-free. A 3D-accelerometer monitoring system dynamically detects free falls, shocks or vibrations. It rapidly moves the HDD head from between the platters protecting valuable data stored on the high capacity (up to 160GB) HDD. Powered by the latest 1.60GHz Intel Atom™ Processor N270 / 1.66GHz Intel Atom™ Processor N280 with Intel 945GSE graphics chipset and comes preloaded with Windows XP Home.

Thanks to Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, Wifi (802.11 b/g), and 10/100 Ethernet interfaces, the NB200 easily connects with peripherals or Internet access points. It also comes with two USB 2.0 ports and a unique USB 2.0 port with Sleep-and-Charge function that enables users to charge portable electronics and mobile phones even when the unit is turned off.

HP launches Mini 5101 portable mini PC

HP raises the curtains off its new portable Mini PC dubbed Mini 5101, a combination of style, functionality and durability for professionals who need to travel frequently.

This PC sports soft-touch paint on the palm rest and the base. Its spill resistant comfortable keyboard is about 95 percent of a standard QWERTY keyboard. The open and spacious keyboard keys are a bit raised from the surface, thereby enabling greater ease and comfort while typing. The HP DuraKeys’ coating on the keys makes it fifty fold greater resistant to visible wear than the standard keyboards without it.

HP Mini PCs have no equal when it comes to industrial design, use of innovative materials and overall feature sets.

MSI GT729 gaming notebook with Turbo Drive Engine Technology

MSI brings in yet another gaming laptop dubbed GT729. This device uses the Turbo Drive Engine Technology which increases the speed of the CPU just with the touch of a button.

The laptop features a DDR3 system RAM that increases the system power to provide enhanced performance. The highlight of the laptop is the Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology that uses Intel Core2 Duo processor and Intel PM45 Express Chipset provides improved gaming performance.

The other specifications of the laptop include 17-inch LCD monitor, E- SATA support, high-definition multimedia interface, 2.0 megapixel webcam and optional DTV receiver.

iBUYPOWER Battalion 101 CZ-10 premium gaming notebook

iBUYPOWER has launched its new Battalion 101 CZ-10 premium gaming notebook. This gaming notebook bundles up 15.6 inch WXGA widescreen LCD display with 1366×768 resolution, ATI Radeon HD 4650 graphics card, DDR3 memory and Intel Montevina Core 2 Duo Mobile Dual-Core Processor.

Battalion 101 CZ-19 comes with accidental damage protection plan which helps incase of accidental spills and drops.

You definitely won't find this notebook lacking when it comes to graphical firepower, as it holds an ATI Radeon HD 4650 graphics card within, in addition to the following specifications :-

• Intel Montevina Core 2 Duo Mobile Dual-Core processor
• 15.6" WXGA widescreen LCD display at 1,366 x 768 resolution
• 4GB RAM
• 500GB hard drive
• USB and HDMI connectivity
• 3-in-1 memory card reader
• Fingerprint scanner
• 2-megapixel webcam

Interestingly enough, this is the first notebook from iBUYPOWER that comes with an accidental damage protection plan. Depending on the configuration, you can pick up the Battalion 101 CZ-10 Premium Gaming Notebook from $1,235 upwards.

Dell Studio XPS 16 Laptop to shine in Crimson Red

In all-too-familiar fashion, Dell's new Studio XPS laptops have snuck onto the company's store with nary a press release to keep them company.

You might be bored of looking at the same laptop color over and over again. Right?

Now a chance to refresh oneself and get rid of the jaded feeling is here with the new and lively color scheme that elegantly makes the notebook look stylish.

Engadget reports that Dell is now offering a “Crimson Red High Gloss Finish” option on the Studio XPS 16 notebook. The website has apparently laid their hands on the computing device from a tipster.

It seems that the informant is not a reliable source as the site also stated that they do not want to say that this is 100 percent legit without holding it in their hands.

iUnika announces solar-powered GYY Netbook

We have usually seen a solar-powered phone, but have you ever heard about a solar-powered netbook? Well, it’s true that we don’t see this very often.

Here’s a refreshing computing device from iUnika – a European technology company - that boasts off an environment-friendly approach. Called the GYY, this netbook actually gets powered by solar energy.

Slashgear states that it weighs only 700grams and has a 400MHz processor at its heart. The netbook is not only lightweight but energy efficient as well.

Source: Tech Gadgets

HCL LeapTop Z39 now Available in India

In the fringes of technological innovation, HCL has showed the first-of-its-kind computing device that not only promises to perform better and faster but also offers an entertainment package. Called the HCL Leaptop Z39, the power-packed laptop has hit the Indian market for all the segment of consumers.

At the heart of the machine is the latest Intel Centrino 2 processor (core 2 duo) and offers an 8GB RAM, 500 GB HDD and DVD Dual Layar Super multi drive. It features a 14.1-inch widescreen display, Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium OS, a 2.0 megapixel video camera with dual internal microphone, an integrated Bluetooth v2.0, a 4-in-1 card reader, Ethernet and built-in speaker system.

It also offers a battery life of up to 4 hours, RoHS support and the Energy Star 4.0 ‘Category A’ certification with an ability to consume below 1.7W of energy in sleep mode and less than 1W in stand-by mode.

With 14.1-inch wide screen, HCL Leaptop Z39 carries a price tag of Rs 59,990. Prospective buyers can grab the new HCL laptop from HCL DigiLife stores, premium Large Format Retail and other HCL retail outlets. According to executive vice president at HCL Infosystems, George Paul, the introduction of HCL Leaptop Z39 is part of company's 'design for India' product strategy.

Sharp unveils Mebius PC-NJ70A netbook with Optical Sensor LCD Pad.

Sharp takes notebook PC technology to a whole new level. For the first time ever, the company introduces an optical sensor LCD touchpad with this laptop. Handwritten input and direct-touch operation can be recognized by this LCD touchpad.

The 4 inch optical sensor LCD panel performs normal mouse operations and even recognizes multi-finger touch operations. This is used to rotate, enlarge or shrink items seen on the screen. No touch sensor or protective film is needed to cover this LCD pad. Its wide space gives users more room for movement.

The unique LCD touchpad can detect up to four fingers at one time and even retains its brightness. When an on-screen button is pressed, users gain access to shortcuts through the menu on the pad.

Intel Debuts White Box Netbook Design for China

Here’s good news for Chinese vendors from Intel.

Now, the small computer manufacturers can provide netbook package bundles in different configurations.

According to Digitimes, Intel has designed four different packages for white-box vendors in China to develop an array of products that can be targeted at different segments. All four packages feature the Intel Atom N270 CPU, an Intel 945GSE chipset, at least 512MB RAM, either an 8GB or a 16GB solid state drive and a Linux Operating system.

It is probably Intel’s own Moblin Linux distribution.

HP Pavilion dv2-1030 Entertainment Notebook PC Introduced in India

An exquisitely thin yet fully-loaded espresso black laptop is now available for users who are looking for a stylish yet feature-rich computing device.

HP has officially announced the availability of its latest entertainment notebook, called the Pavilion dv2-1030, in the Indian market.

Powered by a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor, it runs on Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium operating system and offers a dedicated Radeon HD 3410 GPU with HD support, 4096MB DDR2 SDRAM as well as 320GB (5400 rpm) hard drive.

Housed in a magnesium-aluminum alloy case, the Pavilion dv2-1030 laptop employs a 12.1-inch LED BrightView display with 1280×800 pixels of resolution, 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN, an external DVD burner and an integrated webcam.

Toshiba Satellite Pro S300-EZ2521 Notebook PC

Toshiba adds a new model, the S300-EZ2521, to its Satellite Pro S300 lineup.

Priced at $799.00, the Satellite Pro S300-EZ2521 is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 2.2GHz processor, 3GB RAM, a 250 hard drive and integrated Intel GMA 4500M video card.

Toshiba’s Satellite Pro S300-EZ2521 has a DVD SuperMulti burner and supports WiFi 802.11a/g/n, and Bluetooth. It has a 15.4-inch LCD display and a fingerprint scanner.
For more detail: Toshiba

Laptop: Buying tips!

The following features will help you decide which is the right one for you before buying a Laptop computer:

1. Although there are many factors that influence the performance of a computer, the most important one is its microprocessor, also known as its CPU (central processing unit). Currently, speeds range from 300MHz up to 800MHz or more. It's also important to consider the type of processor, for example, a 400MHz Intel Celeron microprocessor may be slower than a 400MHz Intel Pentium II microprocessor. For most common use, a 400MHz Pentium II is sufficient.

2. Memory is very important part. RAM is the computer's work space. More of it lets the computer work faster and lets you run more programs at the same time. Of course given the same processor, more memory will make the computer perform faster. Memory is measured in MB (megabytes). Notebooks usually come with atleast 32MB of memory to start. Almost all of them can be upgraded to hold more memory, up to 128MB or more. Never get a notebook with less than 64MB of memory.

3.Cache: Cache memory, is another form of work space for the processor. The larger the cache, the more likely it is that a specific action you want to perform is in the cache, and the faster the notebook will run as a whole. There are two forms of cache: internal cache (also called Level 1, L1, or CPU cache), and external cache (also called Level 2, L2, or secondary cache). Most notebooks have 16KB (16 kilobytes) or more of internal cache; 32KB or 64KB are large internal caches. More cache is always better.

4. The "hard disk" or "hard drive" is where the operating system, all other software programs, and all your own information get stored. Its size is measured in GB (gigabytes). Most notebooks have at least 1.6GB, and it can go up to 15GB or more.

5. The screen or display, or Liquid Crystal Display, or LCD, of a notebook, is an important element of the notebook. The size of the screen, the type, and the resolution, can all be important. The smaller screens (10"and less) can be great for traveling as they are very light.

6. Resolution measures the number of dots on the screen; a higher resolution means more dots. Every notebook screen supports at least a resolution of 640x480. Newer notebooks can also support higher resolutions, such as 800x600 (also called VGA) or 1024x768 (also called SuperVGA or SVGA).

7. Notebook batteries are either Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) or Nickel Metal Hydride (NIMH). Lithium batteries are lighter in weight, and have a longer life, than NIMH batteries, but they also cost more. However, if you expect to run your notebook off the battery a lot, the convenience of lithium will be worth the investment. Battery life is usually expressed as a wide range, because it is highly dependent on how you use your notebook. Remember that a battery, after lying on the shelf for some time, usually takes 2-4 full charges and discharges before it achieves its full potential again.

8. Notebook modems either come built into the notebook, or it's very common to have to add your own as an external option.The modem is the device that transmits data to and from your notebook so you can use email and the Internet. Modem speed is measured in KB (kilobits of data sent or received per second). Generally, the faster the modem speed - especially the first number - the better.

9. The CD-ROM drive reads compact disks (CDs) that store music, software, data etc. But it's a different story if you're into multi- media. If games, music, videos or movies are important, you'll need 32X, or higher speeds.

10.Ports lets the notebook connect to a wide variety of devices, such as digital cameras, speakers, external hard disks, scanners, printers, etc.


Make sure the weight, size and feel of the machine are right for you. You'll be carrying your laptop around a lot. Also, try out the keyboard and pointing device to make sure they're comfortable. Get what you need when you need it. There will always be something better, cheaper, and more feature- laden coming along always in the market.

Here are some models from the major brand laptops:

COMPAQ: Armada, Business Notebook, Evo, OmiBook, Pavillion, Presario
SONY: VAIO
DELL: Inspiron, Latitude, Precision, XPS
IBM: Thinkpad
TOSHIBA: Satellite, Satellite Pro, Dynabook, Portege, Qosmio, Tecra
APPLE: MacBook, iBook, PowerBook
ACER: Aspire, Travelmate, Extensa, Ferrari
HP: Pavilion, Armada, COMPAQ Presario