Rock Pegasus 330
Pocket-lint has some details on a new series of notebooks from Rock which promises silent running at the push of a button. While this is not all that amazing for some machines, the Pegasus 330 line are multimedia notebooks.
Rock, a UK laptop firm, has launched the Pegasus 330, a portable entertainment notebook the promises silent running at the press of a button. The new Pegasus 330 notebook weighs 2.1kg, has a battery life of 3.5 hours, and uses the Intel Centrino technology with Core Duo processor.
Seems like a cool idea, but it will be interesting to see what they mean exactly by silent running, as it seems like they just mean being able to play videos and whatnot without fully booting up into Windows.
Laptop Theft and Data Loss
A writer on Infoworld strikes up his side of what he thinks of laptop theft and dataloss saying that it the answer is simple encryption of important data, thus making it more difficult to attain, and more likely that any theif will just format the hard drive thus losing the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of data that had been on the machine.
Okay, I’ll agree with this week’s column by Oliver Rist on not blaming the laptop for data theft (but please don’t tell him, he’s already got a big enough noggin). When it comes to sensitive mobile data access, policy is the key. Why should all of those employees have all of that sensitive data on a laptop anyway? Unless they really need it, and I’m sure if it comes down to brass tacks, they probably don’t.
Okay, if you’ve read my blog before you know what I’m going to say next - encryption! If sensitive data must be floating out there unsecured in hotel rooms, taxis, airports and outside restaurants, at least take the time to encrypt it. The inconvenience of having to put in a password to encrypt and decrypt the sensitive data will pay off in the long run.
Toshiba Unit Expects 25% Laptop Market Growth
Some interesting news from TMCnet, as it looks like Toshiba expects the laptop market to continue to grow, and not by only a few percent, but by twenty-five percent.
To increase sales, the company has designed different strategies for its distribution channels, which include resellers targeting the corporate segment, and retail chains.
“Within our strategy for the corporate segment we are now giving more support to our wholesalers with the hope this support trickles down to the resellers. We are strongly pushing sales this half with a sales contest and prize of tickets to the soccer World Cup in Germany,” he said.
It should be interesting to see what they say at the end of the year, especially since they are currently third in the market for laptops.
Panasonic Toughbook CF-74
Designtechnica is talking about the upcoming release of the Toughbook CF-74 from Panasonic.
The new Panasonic Toughbook CF-74 will have a starting price of $2,999 and should be available in April.
The Toughbook CF-74, said Panasonic, is built with a magnesium alloy case, integrated handle, spill-resistant keyboard, daylight-readable 13.3” screen and battery life of approximately seven hours. Features, depending upon the configuration, can include the Intel Core Duo Processor T2400, an 80GB shock-mounted hard drive, SDRAM (DDR2) expandable to 4GB, Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2, a DVD-ROM/CD-R/RW combo drive, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 Network Connection and finger print scanner.
The magnesium case, integrated handle and spill resistant keyboard is great. The seven hour battery life is even better. The 13.3 inch screen is a little small, but readable. The cost is just what kills it for me, as I don’t see how most people are going to be able to afford such a pricetag.
Gateway M255-E and NX260X Budget Notebooks
Two new machines from Gateway, the M255-E and the NX260X which will be for business users and home users respectively. Both come with Intel Core Duo processors and have 14.1 inch widscreen displays.
Connectivity options include WiFi (802.11g), and optional integrated Bluetooth.
“The Gateway M255-E builds on our popular M250 with a redesigned form factor and an ideal combination of features for professionals,” said Chad McDonald, director of notebook product marketing, Gateway. “Shared components and accessories like the port replicator, modular bay optical devices and batteries make the M255-E and the entire Gateway E-Series professional notebook line IT-friendly, since they are easy to deploy, maintain and service. Plus, the addition of a Smart Card reader for advanced security
takes the M255-E notebook to the top of the must-see list.”
The M255-E weighs 5.21 pounds and provides up to nine hours using an upgraded 12 cell battery. The M255-E is priced starting at $1,399.00 and the NX260X starts at $999 US.
Lenovo 3000 C100 Review
BIOS has a review of the Lenovo 3000 C100, Lenovo’s first self branded laptop since taking over IBM’s computer business. While it keeps the good battery life, and keyboard of the ThinkPad line, it is pretty average everywhere else.
The Lenovo 3000 product line features several new desktop and laptop models with the latest processor technologies in new chassis, but boy are they dull looking - even though IBM’s ThinkPads were aimed at the same market, they offered a unique sense of class and superior build quality which was the hallmark of business computing. Lenovo’s first laptop offering looks like any other generic far-Eastern box-shifting system.
Things like the ugly look that will not appeal to home or business users, an average build quality, and a low resolution screen are all big hits in the con side of the equation for these machines, and that is really sad, since you think they would have learned what is important to most users these days.
Gateway NX100X Review
Laptop Magazine reviews the Gateway NX100X, a small, lightweight machine with a 12 inch screen.
Occupying about the same desk space as a sheet of paper and less than an inch thick, the 3.2-pound Gateway NX100 is one sleek machine. It’s also inexpensive, at $1,624, though that includes only a three-cell battery and an external optical drive. Still, this more consumer-oriented model can get you started with an ultraportable now, and then you can add to it as your budget permits.
In the end they give the machine a three out of five on their rating scale. The three hours that it gets on a three cell battery is nice, but it would be nice if it included a six cell or nine cell battery as standard to really show off its ability to conserve power, as a nine cell battery, while adding a bit of bulk to the machine would have pushed it to nearly nine hours of time away from the power plugs.
Hands on With the Gateway NX100
Gizmodo has a really nice impromptu feeling article up that is a hands on review of the Gateway NX100, an ultralight notebook.
The best thing about the NX100 is its size. It’s just about 1 inch thick and weighs just about 3.5 pounds with a standard battery. Larger batteries are available, but they kind of destroy the aesthetic. The case is black—how much more black could it get?—and has a rubberized wrist rest. These are minor details that really stand out.
In the end he seems pleased with it, as it is very light, and nice looking. He wishes the battery life was better, but says that it can be remedied by grabbing larger batteries or getting a second one.
HP Compaq Presario V5000Z Review
Laptop Magazine looks at the HP Compaq Presario V5000Z and give the machine a three and a half out of five.
In the looks department, the 6.6-pound V5000Z reminds us of a late 1980s Volvo: durable, but blockish, lacking any sleek refinements you might see in a notebook from Sony or Apple. The case is thick at nearly two inches, but we had no trouble fitting it into the laptop bags that we tried. The V5000Z is silver on the sides and black on top; this dual-color scheme helps the machine stand out. All of the ports can be found either on the left or right sides, which include three USB 2.0 ports, a 6-in-1 memory card reader, and an expansion port to dock the notebook to an optional base.
As many of you know, I am not a fan of low endurance notebooks. I want a laptop to really perform on a battery, not be worrying about the next place I am going to plug my machine in. So the battery life of the V5000Z at two and a half hours with wireless off, is just rediculous to me, especially with companies advertising laptops that last upwards of seven hours on a charge.
Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch Review
Pocket-lint has a review of the Apple MacBook Pro 15 inch model up, and they like it, but did find a few flaws in the Apple design.
Finished in the lightweight aluminium chassis of previous G4 machines, the only difference is the inclusion of a 1.3MP iSight webcam above the screen. Weighing in at 2.5kg, it’s still a lightweight machine that is built to last and feels great in the hand but it’s no longer unique at this weight class, so we were expecting Apple to have shaved the weight a little.
More impressive are the little touches we’ve come to expect, such as the light-sensitive backlit keyboard and scrolling touchpad. Detecting ambient light levels, the keyboard adjusts the power of its back-lighting for ease of use in dark conditions.
In the end they give the MacBook Pro an eight out of ten, the two points taken off for having an average battery life and an average screen. From a company that strives to not be average, the MacBook and its Intel processor, just don’t “wow” people like the old Powerbook line did.
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