thin-and-lights

Dell gets thin: Inspiron 11z debuts for only $399

While much was made of Dell killing off its Mini 12 Netbook recently, one question raised was: what might fill that 11-to-12-inch void in the future? That question is answered, in part, with today's announcement of the Dell Inspiron 11z, an 11.6-inch thin-and-light weighing only 3 pounds. How thin? At its thickest point: 1.02 inches, according to Dell's specs. This is Dell's first real entry into thin-and-light, a category that's been gaining momentum recently (the Acer Aspire Timeline 3810T, MSI X340, and Lenovo IdeaPad U350 to name a few).

Inside, there's no Atom processor, but instead a single-core 1.2 GHz Intel ULV Celeron 723. Equipped with a three-cell battery, Dell promises long battery life in a chassis that's "24 percent smaller than 14-inch laptops" (but this is an 11.6-inch laptop, so how is that fair?). Unfortunately, that "long battery life" equates to 3 hours in the press release, but we'll remain optimistic. The keyboard is 92 percent standard-size, close to a regular laptop experience (although sometimes we've found that small differences in ergonomics can be disorienting). Like a Netbook and most thin-and-lights, the 11z has no optical drive.

One of the best features is the price: Dell's Web site lists the Inspiron 11z as $399, the same cost as a Netbook.

So, you might ask, why get this over a Netbook? For one, it runs Windows Vista SP1 Home Premium--while Windows 7 is just around the corner, this OS qualifies for a free upgrade. And the 11z also breaks through the XP Netbook barrier of RAM/hard drive space, with 2GB and 250GB respectively. Other notable features include HDMI-out and a 1.3-megapixel Webcam. The Inspiron 11z comes in Obsidian black with silver tones.

Full specs below, as well as more product shots after the break.… Read more

Ion-packing Netbooks: Samsung N510 finally arrives next month

We feel like we've been waiting a long time for this, but Netbooks running Atom processors alongside Nvidia's Ion GPU are finally coming to the America...soon.

Reports from Liliputing.com claim that the Samsung N510, an 11.6-inch Netbook, is on its way next month. Included in the N510 will be HDMI out and an "ability to handle Blu-ray," though we're not sure how that will apply in a laptop without an optical drive. We're still waiting for the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 Ion version to arrive--we reviewed the non-Nvidia Atom version of the … Read more

Reviewed: Lenovo ThinkPad T400s thins down your executive briefcase considerably

Although Lenovo has been reinventing itself as of late with its IdeaPad and Netbook lines, it's still a company known for boxy, business-end ThinkPads. There's no shame there: the ThinkPad was revolutionary in its time, and the iconic (if plain) design defined the modern business laptop. It also put Lenovo on the map after taking the brand over from IBM.

Despite having similar looks to its predecessor, the new 14-inch T400s is markedly thinner and lighter than the original T400, creating a highly portable machine that still packs a full-powered Core 2 Duo processor under the hood, unlike … Read more

Samsung goes slim with X360, X460 laptops

When Samsung announced the X360 earlier this year, we were jealous. Here was a 2.8-pound laptop with a 13.3-inch display, 1.2 inches at its thickest, that we were sure we'd never see in the United States. But with Samsung's entry into the U.S. laptop market, we now have a chance to get our hands on this MacBook Air competitor.

Samsung is offering two fixed configurations of the X360: the $1,899 version has a 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U9300 processor and a 120GB hard drive, while the $2,499 version bumps it … Read more

Is that really a Toshiba Satellite?

Every once in a while, a technology company will develop a product outside of its traditional product line, just to meet consumer demands. (For an example, see Intel's Dual-Core Pentium chip.)

So it is with the new Toshiba Satellite E105, which, at least appearance-wise, sticks out among Satellites. The laptop's light color and flat edges make it look like an NR or CR series Sony Vaio. And its backlit keyboard certainly calls to mind the MacBook Pro. But Toshiba has added a few elements--such as a two-year warranty and 5.5-hour battery life--to make the Satellite E105 stand … Read more