Notebook maker packs hyperthreading punch

Notebook manufacturer WinBook has introduced a new laptop that uses Intel's hyperthreading technology.

The model, J4 300, is based on Intel's Pentium 4 processor. Hyperthreading is a feature in the Pentium 4 that lets a chip handle more functions at once, boosting application performance by up to 30 percent.

Although Intel formally released hyperthreading technology in 2002, PC makers started to use it in desktops earlier this year. Dell and IBM introduced hyperthreading in new machines released in May.

Hyperthreading, combined with other features in WinBook's new notebook, lets consumers "burn DVDs while doing video editing or play processor-intensive games while converting their CD collection to digital format," Dan Burns, president of WinBook, said in a statement Thursday. Users also can play music CDs while the system is turned off.

WinBook said it has incorporated into the machine its own "SpeedStep" technology, which reduces processor speed to save battery life.

The standard J4 300 model offers wireless technology Wi-Fi, a 3.06 GHz processor, a 15-inch display, a 60GB hard drive and a DVD-R/RW combination optical drive. The machine costs $1,999 and is available online and at Micro Center retail stores.