Everex are due to launch a 10.2 inch Cloudbook notebook to compete with the Asus Eee PC 1000 series. This new Cloudbook will have the following specs

* 10.2 inch 1024 x 600 res display
* up to 2 GB of memory
* 1.3 Mp webcam
* 2 USB ports
* Express card slot
* 4 in 1 memory card reader
* WiFi b/g connectivity
* HSDPA & HSUPA WWAN connectivity
* 263 x 185 x 32 mm
* 1.2 kg

Unfortunately the price tag is unavailable as of yet but we would estimate that it would be in the US$600 to US$700 range to compete with the Asus Eee PC 1000.

Source: PC Advisor

Featured tags: cloudbook everex

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Not too much in the way of detail on these suckers yet, but Lenovo have unleashed a few tidbits on their latest notebook line, the ThinkPad SL. The range is aimed at individuals and small businesses that want a professional notebook with some home-user features. Here’s a few details on the ThinkPad SL range

* Online backup service
* Absolute Software’s LoJack theft-protection software
* Lenovo’s ThinkVantage hardware and software
* Active Protection System

Like we said, actuals specs are a bit thin on the ground at the moment, but they do have a price tag of US$700 to US$1200. Obviously we’ll wait until we see fuller specs before committing to an opinion on these suckers.

Featured tags: lenovo thinkpad sl

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Whilst not actually out there yet the M912 is being displayed on the Gigabyte website and a pretty nifty tablet cum UMPC it is too.

* Intel CPU 1.6GHz
* 1 GB SO-DIMM memory
* 8.9 inch WXGA 1280×768 res display with touch screen and 180 degree rotation
* 2.5 inch 9.5mm SATA HDD with 120, 160 or 250 GB options
* External optical drive via USB
* 3 USB 2.0 ports
* Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity
* 1.3 Mp camera
* 802.11b/g wireless connectivity
* 4 hour battery life
* 235 x 180 x 42 mm
* 1.2 kg

Nothing definite but it looks as if the consumer will have the option of XP or Linux as an OS for this sucker. Unfortunately the price tag is just as vague but suggestions are that it will be around the US$600 mark, which doesn’t make it cheap, but if you’re looking for a swivel-screen UMPC, the M912 could be just the unit for you.

Source: Gigabyte

Featured tags: gigabyte m912 umpc

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Whilst Hitachi’s latest CinemaStar HDD offerings, the 2.5 inch C5K320 and 3.5 inch 5K500, are primarily for use in DVRs they can of course be slotted into existing PCs and laptops. According to Hitachi the 5K500’s main feature is

Cool, quiet, power-efficient storage for digital video applications

which the 5K500 achieves using Hitachi’s CoolSpin motor design.

CoolSpin technology is a low-power motor design that requires less power to spin up the drive than most 3.5-inch hard drives

As well as CoolSpin the 5K500 offers the following bells and whistles

* 3.5 inch form factor
* 500 GB storage
* SATA 3Gbps interface
* 3.2 W idle power
* 4 data heads and 2 data disks
* 8 MB buffer
* 929 Mbps media transfer rate
* 101.6 x 147 x 26.1 mm

As for the C5K320, which comes in a handy range of capacities from 120 GB up to 320 GB, it sports Hitachi’s SmoothStream technology

supports the ATA-7 streaming command set, and SCT provides time-limited error recovery and thermal monitoring capabilities. CinemaStar C5K320 is offered with silent-seek acoustics for ultra-quiet operation.

Here are the rest of the specs

* 1.5 Gbps SATA interface
* 120, 160, 250, 320 GB capacities
* 8 MB data buffer
* 5,400 rpm
* 729 Mbps media transfer rate
* 70 x 100 x 9.5 mm
* 102 g

Unfortunately no news on the price tag, but at least it’s good to see HDD manufacturers trying to enhance our media storage options. These suckers will be available in June.

Source: Hitachi

Featured tags: 2.5 inch HDD 3.5 inch HDD DVR hdd hitachi

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LaCie have just released a new Blu-Ray burner, the d2 which slaps down the zeroes and ones at 4x speeds via USB 2.0 and FireWire 400. The unit also boasts whisper quiet performance and a durable design just in case you want to, err, bash it occasionally. Here are a few more numbers on this puppy for you

* writing speeds - BD-R (single or dual layer) 4x; BD-RE (single or dual layer) 2x
* DVD±R 16x; DVD±RW 6x; DVD±R DL 4x
* CD-R 40x; CD-RW 32x
* 172.8 x 44.8 x 251.1 mm
* 1400 g
* talks nicely with Windows XP with the latest service pack, Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.4.8 or higher

The d2 will be shipped out with a US$690 price tag, not cheap, but now the fomat war is over there’s one less excuse not to take the plunge.

Source: LaCie

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What happens when you overclock a 3.2GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 to 4.0GHz? You get the re-vamped Alienware Area-51 ALX, that’s what. The backroom boys at Alienware have ramped up the ALX to a stunning 4.0 GHz of processing gaming speed. 4.0 GHz is described as the processor’s “maximum stable output” and just to prove how extreme 4.0 really is, the unit comes with a liquid-cooling system to prevent meltdown mid-gaming session. Needless to say its other specs are just as exciting

* choice of twin NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GPUs or an ATI CrossFireX configuration with dual ATI Radeon 3870 X2 cards
* up to 4GB of 1,600 MHz Corsair Dominator DDR3 memory
* two 500GB HDDs in RAID-0
* dual-layer DVD burner
* dual ethernet ports
* optional Blu-Ray burner

Now for the downside, the basic model with one video card, 1GB of RAM and obviously without Blu-Ray burner will set you back over US$5,500. Ouch! Of course tacking on a few more bells and whistles will sky-rocket that tag up over the US$7,000 mark and that’s before you start looking at monitors and speakers. Not for the financially faint-hearted. However we’re sure that the package matches its price tag in performance so once you’ve fragged your way through your first session, the dent in your wallet will just be a distant memory.

Anyone for a game of Pac-Man?

Featured tags: alienware area 51 alx gaming pc

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Want to stretch your 17 inch MacBook to the storage max? If so, MCE have the answer for you with their 1TB Internal Hard Drive Solution. This package consists of the OptiBay SATA 500GB Optical Bay Hard Drive and the MobileStor 500GB Internal SATA Hard Drive which respectively replace the internal SuperDrive and internal hard drive of your MacBook Pro. Conveniently there’s also two USB 2.0 external enclosures for the displaced hardware. Here’s a run down on the bits and pieces on offer

* 500GB standard internal hard drive, 500GB OptiBay hard drive
* Both spin at 5,400 rpm
* single volume, partitioned, or RAID array set up options
* USB 2.0 external enclosure for the original internal hard drive
* USB 2.0 external enclosure for the extracted SuperDrive compatible with iDVD, DVD Studio Pro, iTunes, iPhoto, and Finder Burning

The downside on this handy little MCE offer is the price tag rocking in at US$800. MCE also offer installation if you can send your MacBook to them starting at US$100. So this is only really an option if you are desperate for a 1TB’s worth of zeroes and ones on your MacBook.

Source: MCE

Featured tags: hdd laptop macbook mce

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