netbook

Apple's basic white MacBook also getting update?

We've heard a lot of talk about new versions of Apple's MacBook Air laptops and Mac Pro and Mac Mini desktops getting updated CPUs and ports sometime this month, but until now, nothing has been said about the still-popular white MacBook.

This morning, 9to5Mac claimed that one of the new Apple part numbers reported last week as being for a new Mac Pro desktop is in fact intended for a new version of the 13-inch white MacBook.

We have obtained some new information from our source, Mr. X, about Apple's next Macs. Now that we have this info, we have determined that part numbers for new Mac Pros are not yet available. Instead, these part numbers are actually for an upgraded white MacBook and new Mac Mini line.

… Read more

Gateway updates NV and ID laptop lines with new looks, updated CPUs

Far from being subsumed into the global Acer brand, Gateway continues to churn out new laptops, including a few fairly sharp-looking models. Today, Gateway has updated its NV and ID laptop lines with new looks and new features.

The thin Gateway ID47 manages to fit a 14-inch display into a chassis closer to the size of a 13-inch laptop. The minimalist, nearly monochrome design has a brushed-metal look to the flat lid, which Gateway calls "Brushed Platinum." An alternate design, called "Infinity Blue Liquid," is also available.

The ID47 has a large clickpad-style touch pad, a change from the previous generation, as well as edge-to-edge glass over the display and a USB 3.0 port that also offers a sleep-and-charge mode for powering accessories while the laptop is turned off or sleeping.

Under the hood, the biggest change is the addition of second-generation Intel Core i-series processors--pretty much a must-have for any new laptop halfway through 2011. Some versions of the ID will include discrete Nvidia graphics. … Read more

Toshiba's no-eyeglass Qosmio F750 3D laptop closer to release (in U.K., at least)

We covered Toshiba's 15-inch no-eyeglass 3D laptop prototype extensively at CES 2011. The hardware worked surprisingly well, using a Webcam to track the viewer's head movement and adjust the stereoscopic image accordingly, but we're still a bit surprised to see the final version so close to an official release.

Toshiba's U.K. arm is the first to announce the retail version, now called the Qosmio F750 3D. A press release says:

The Qosmio F750 3D's state-of-the-art lenticular screen displays 3D images without the need for glasses...An integrated Webcam intelligently tracks the user's eye movements, allowing the Qosmio F750 3D to adjust the 3D effect to match the eye position. The Qosmio F750 3D can also display 2D and 3D content simultaneously-- allowing users to browse the Internet, for example, in one window and have 3D content playing in another window.

Our colleagues at CNET UK got a chance to see the new Qosmio F750 3D in person, and offer the following hands-on report: … Read more

What's your top must-have feature update to Apple's MacBook Air?

The rumors swirling around an updated version of Apple's slim MacBook Air laptop are getting louder. Normally, Apple rumors are based more on wishful thinking than reasoned speculation, but with recent reports of current MacBook Air supplies running low, and the upcoming sometime-in-July release of the OSX Lion operating system update, we've moved the needle from "if" to "when."

In our recent roundup of MacBook Air rumors, we noted that nearly everyone thinks Intel second-generation Core i-series processors are coming (which would involve Apple skipping an entire generation of Intel CPUs), as well as the Thunderbolt high-speed data port currently found on MacBook Pro models.

Somewhat more fancifully, there have been back-and-forth claims about a black version of the Air--a rumor sometimes supported and debunked by the same source nearly simultaneously.

We've put together a list of the most likely MacBook Air upgrades, and couple of long shots (assuming we see an new version of the Air at all; the current model has only been available since October 2010). Click on your top must-have choice in the poll, and we'll see where readers think Apple should be focusing its attention.

[Update: Based on reader feedback in the comments section below, I'm adding a backlit keyboard to the poll choices.]… Read more

Acer's colorful, and oddly named, 'Aspire One Happy 2' Netbooks will make you hungry

The Netbook craze may be over, but Acer, the company behind some of the best-selling Netbooks of all time, has a colorful new model to show off. The awkwardly named Aspire One Happy 2 (we must have missed the memo on the Happy 1) has a single notable feature--a collection of eye-popping colors that Acer says, "bring a new sense of fun and style to the ultra-light, mobile PC experience."

The systems come in four food-influenced shades, called Banana Cream, Blueberry Shake, Papaya Milk, and Strawberry Yogurt. From the product images we've seen, the chosen color is … Read more

Sony Vaio Z 13-inch shows up in Europe

Following a few leaks, Sony's new high-end Vaio Z laptop has been announced by the European arm of the Sony Vaio group, a few weeks ahead of its expected American debut.

The 13.3-inch laptop is slim and light, under 17mm thick, but still manages to pack in a full-voltage Intel Core i7 processor (paired with an SSD hard drive). The screen has a 1,600x900-pixel resolution, which is higher than most 13-inch laptops.

But the real interesting part of the new Vaio Z is its docking station. The vertically mounted Power Media Dock not only includes an optical drive and a rarely seen Intel Light Peak port, but also a fully functioning AMD Radeon graphics card, which can be used by the laptop when connected to the dock. Sony, in its European press release, says: … Read more

Apple MacBook Air, Mac Pro, and Mac Mini rumor control

Hardly a week goes by without some widely disseminated rumor about an Apple product winding its way around the Internet. Typically it's about future versions of the iPhone or iPad, but with the impending release of Apple's OS X Lion operating system update, there's been a surge in rumors about the MacBook Air laptop, the small form factor Mac Mini, and even the full-size Mac Pro desktop.

As we've always cautioned, these rumors are usually based more on wishful thinking than on hard fact (although in recent years, supplier leaks have become an invaluable resource for … Read more

Acer needs to get its mojo back

The once-high-flying Acer has hit some turbulence.

Yesterday, Acer Chairman J.T. Wang told a meeting of shareholders that the company misjudged how many of its new Iconia Tab touch-screen tablets it can sell this year and reduced its projections by 60 percent.

Its PC shipments are not doing much better. The most recent PC market health report by IDC showed Acer's shipments down 16 percent in the last quarter, and down 15 percent the quarter before that. It's a major shift for the Taiwanese PC maker who, just four years ago, surprised many as it kept on … Read more

Sony intros new Vaio E series and C series laptops

Sony is updating its Vaio line with a pair of new laptops, the Vaio E and the Vaio C.

The C series comes in 14- and 15.5-inch models, in a variety of colors, including red and blue. There are Intel Core i3 and i5 CPUs, optional Blu-ray drives, and AMD Radeon graphics. The C series also features Intel's Wireless Display technology, which can beam the screen image to a nearby TV (a sold-separately adapter is required).

While the C series is a midsize-only laptop, the E series goes from midsize--14- and 15.5-inch screens--all the way to a massive 17.3-inch model. The smaller E series laptops comes in midnight blue, glacier white, charcoal black, and blush pink; the 17-inch desktop replacement comes in charcoal black and glacier white.

The E-series also includes Intel's Wireless Display technology, as well as a new feature called Remote Keyboard, which allows the laptop to directly interface with select Sony Bravia TVs or Blu-ray players, or even PlayStation 3 consoles. While most E-series laptops will include an Intel Core i3 or i5 processor, an AMD E-350 will also be available in select models. … Read more