After months of teaser shots and cameo appearances, Dell has officially announced pricing and other details for the revamped Dell Adamo XPS laptop. Without setting a specific date, Dell says it expects to "begin taking orders and shipping the Adamo XPS in time for the holidays." The ultrathin luxury laptop starts at $1,799.
We had a chance to take a quick test drive with an Adamo XPS earlier this week, as well as capture some hands-on footage on a Flip handheld video camera.
Our initial impressions of the Adamo remain largely the same after getting to handle it at greater length. The system is ridiculously thin, especially for a 13-inch laptop. Unlike the 11-inch Sony Vaio X, which weighs next to nothing, the Adamo feels slightly heavier than it looks, even with an solid-state hard drive. Dell says the Adamo starts at 3.2 pounds, which is nearly twice the weight of the Vaio X.
The Adamo opens in an unusual way, with the lid shut tight until you swipe a finger on a heat-sensitive strip centered on the front edge. Then the lid lifts up, tilting the screen back and lifting the keyboard on its unusual inset hinge.
At least on the nonfinal version we played with, the lid opening action wasn't as smooth as we would have liked. When using one hand to lift the lid, at about the halfway point the front of keyboard tray itself started to lift off the table, requiring us to hold it down with our other hand.
Dell's new Adamo XPS has an unusual inset hinge.
(Credit: Dan Ackerman/CNET)When fully opened, the keyboard sits at maybe a 20-degree angle. It's an unusual setup, but one that provides a more ergonomic typing experience than the average flat laptop keyboard. We also liked the keyboard's metal keys and the reasonably large touchpad.
The system's components seem to be located behind the screen, as the ports (two USB, a headphone jack, power connection, and mini DisplayPort) are on the side edges of the lid. The screen itself is a 13.4-inch LED, with a 1,366x768 resolution. The Adamo's lid has a larger footprint than the lower half, and when closed, the keyboard essentially fits inside the inset lid.
With a 128GB solid-state drive and a 1.4GHz Intel ULV processor, we have high hopes for the system's battery life, which Dell claims is up to 2.5 hours with the default battery and a bit more than 5 hours with an optional extended battery (which we haven't seen in person yet.)
While the new Adamo has a much more radically unique design than the original MacBook-like Adamo, the high starting price means it's still likely to be relegated to coffee shop curio status, along with other luxury laptops such as Sony's Vaio X and HP's Envy 13. Not that there's anything wrong with that; high-end concept-car-like products like these invariably trickle their technology developments to mainstream systems down the road.
We're waiting for a final shipping version of the Adamo XPS to arrive, at which time we'll run it though our standard battery of benchmark tests.
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Check your processor: the much better dual-core T135-S1310.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)I had a hard time coming up with a title to this post: Intel processors are confusing? Dual-core ultra-low-voltage processors make a difference? How about, what a difference a config makes? All could apply to the Toshiba Satellite T135, a Windows 7 thin-and-light that we've reviewed two configurations of here at CNET. Although similar in design and shape, the small shift from an SU2700 to an SU4100 Intel Pentium processor in the slightly more expensive Satellite T135-S1310 makes a world of difference. Here's why it's worth a look.
First of all, the Intel Pentium SU4100 in the T135-S1310 is a dual-core processor. The SU2700 in the previously reviewed laptop, the T135-S1300, isn't. You wouldn't know the difference from the "Pentium Inside" sticker below the keyboard, but the dual-core T135-S1310 is far better at multitasking, and also gave a significant boost in dedicated media tests like our iTunes benchmark. For all intents and purposes, it behaves much like an ultra-low-voltage Core 2 Duo processor.
What do you get in the T135-S1310? For just $100 more than the S1300, the S1310 includes an extra 80GB of hard drive space, an extra gig of RAM at a faster speed, Bluetooth, and the far better SU4100 processor. Throw in $10 for a red or white paint job, or stay at $699 for the black config. Either way, with the mere change of a number, the Toshiba T135-S1310 has suddenly become a highly recommended budget thin-and-light with Windows 7 Home Premium preinstalled and excellent battery life. Just make sure you get this model, and not the very similar-looking (and similar-named) Toshiba T135-S1300.
We still don't like the keyboard very much, though.
Toshiba Satellite T135-S1300: single-core CPU inside.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)We have a bit of a beef with a trend that's currently happening in full-size (by that we mean 13-inch and above) thin-and-light laptops, the machines that as of late have shaved thickness at the expense of optical drives and often processor power. While the battery life on thin-and-lights generally exceeds expectations, the compromise that's often been used is incorporating a single-core ultra-low-voltage processor, which provides marginally better performance than the Atom processor on any Netbook.
Unfortunately, thin-and-lights are more expensive than Netbooks--often by several hundred dollars at the least--and other than increased screen size, they run the risk of not showing much extra value when going single-core. Even worse, it's hard for consumers to tell when their thin-and-light has a single-core or dual-core CPU inside. Thin-and-light laptops may look similar, but they're not all made the same. It's a deceptive world out there, especially since many thin-and-lights trade performance for a stylishly thin chassis, all while marketing a mainstream look that suggests performance equal to other notebooks.
The $599 Toshiba T135-S1300 is part of Toshiba's new T100 line of optical-drive-free thin-and-lights, losing thickness in exchange for a portable design competitive with products such as the Asus UL30A-A1 and the Acer Timeline 3810T. It's set to debut on October 22, when Windows 7 launches its way onto retail shelves and into PCs everywhere.
Unfortunately, while the design tries hard, it simply doesn't provide the power that its Windows 7-running, HDMI-port-toting countenance suggests. This is not a multimedia machine on a budget: rather, it's a slim but underpowered single-core 13.3-inch laptop.
That's not to say we aren't excited about Toshiba's long-term decision to slim down its laptops and enter the world of thin-and-lights, and in other configurations, the T100 series could provide better value. But right now, we were left a little in the cold.
Read the rest of our review of the Toshiba Satellite T135-S1300.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Whether CULV thin-and-light laptops will ever fully find a spot between the Netbook world and the full-featured laptop world, they are most definitely a category that's growing every day. Dropping an optical drive and throwing a low-voltage processor alongside a long-lasting battery is the trend of 2009, although the low-voltage laptops we've seen so far have often sacrificed either build quality, performance, or value-for-dollar.
It's relieving to say, therefore, that the 13-inch Asus UL30A-A1 is a thin-and-light that we'd gladly carry around in our bag for a long time to come. With a sturdy frame, a decently-performing new Core 2 Duo CULV processor as opposed to the disappointing single-core Core 2 Solo CULVs we've seen, and really good battery life, it's close to a complete package for a sub-$1,000 laptop that doesn't resort to an Atom processor.
While we've seen similar-looking products here before, including the Lenovo IdeaPad U350 and the MSI X340, we liked the overall performance on the UL30A-A1 better.
And as far as its closest competitor goes, the Acer Aspire Timeline 3810T, the Asus UL30A-A1 had equal or better performance, better battery life, and costs $100 less than the 3810T did at launch. This is a thin-and-light that does everything we had hoped thin-and-lights would do, and it costs nowhere near what a MacBook Air or a Dell Adamo does.
Asus is the latest PC maker to hit the market with its own line of thin, light laptops.
The Taiwanese company revealed its new family of notebooks at a news conference in Taipei on Monday. The ASUS UnLimited, or UL, laptops measure less than 24.5 millimeters (one inch) thick and weigh anywhere from 3.3 to 4.6 pounds, depending on the model.
Asus boasts that the laptops can deliver up to 12 hours of life on a single battery charge. Users can switch video mode from the dedicated NVIDIA graphics card to the integrated graphics to save battery life. The Power4Gear feature also lets people choose different power profiles and even turn off certain devices to conserve energy.
To further boost battery life, some of the models can hold an eight-cell battery versus the smaller six-cell. But the more robust battery also adds weight to the laptop.
"We hope to make this the new standard in notebook computers, thin and light with long battery life," said Asus CEO Jerry Shen at the news conference.
Asus' Web page promoting the UL family shows seven different models, from the 12.1-inch UL20A to the 15.6-inch UL50VG. As a contrast, the UL20A comes without an optical drive and can hold up to 4GB of memory, while the UL50Vg includes a DVD Super Multi drive for reading and writing to CDs and DVDs and can handle up to 8GB of RAM.
Retail prices for the Taiwanese market announced at the news conference ranged from $980 for the UL20A and $1,043 for the 13.3-inch UL30A to $1,074 for the 14.1-inch UL80VT, and $1,105 for the UL50Vg. Actual prices will depend on the configuration, as users can choose the Windows version, processor speed, hard disk size, and amount of memory.
Asus said the new UnLimited lineup will hit the stores on September 22.
Asus is just the latest PC maker to follow in the footsteps of Apple's MacBook Air by offering consumers thin, light notebooks with long-lasting batteries.
Last week Samsung announced its new ultrathin X3 notebook with claims of a nine-hour battery.
Around the same time, Dell tantalized users with a glimpse of its upcoming Adamo laptop, only 9.99 millimeters (0.4 inches) thick, while Sony announced a new Vaio X series, also less than half an inch thick and weighing 1.5 pounds.
Asus' new displays are stylish, if nothing else.
(Credit: Asus)If Asus is to be believed, its new line of ultraslim monitors, called the Designo MS Series, was inspired by the binary state. Viewing the monitor from the sides leads credence to this, as it looks like a number "1" standing next to smaller "0." Actually, it looks more like an "o" than a zero, but I think I get the point.
The monitor's profile measures a purported short 0.64 inches, which is only slightly thicker than the LED-based Samsung XL2370. Asus' Ergo-Fit Technology allows a user to adjust the tilt of the monitor supposedly with just one finger. Hmmm, now I'm at least intrigued to see how this little feature actually works.
The screen is designed to sit at the user's eye level--unless, of course, the user has an extremely long or short torso--and by acting as a second screen, Asus says the monitors perfectly complement a laptop computer. I think Samsung would have a little something to say about how "perfectly" they do so, though.
Asus will be offering the monitor in the following sizes: 20-inch, 21.5-inch, 22-inch, 23-inch, and 23.6-inch. The monitors range from 16:9 to 16:10 aspect ratios and from 1,680x1,050 to 1,900x1,080 resolutions. Take a look here for tons more details on connections options and other specs.
Unfortunately, there's no word just yet on when these waify monitors will be arriving Stateside.
Thin, light, nicely designed: the IdeaPad U350.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)While it's hard for us to put design over performance when looking at a laptop, products such as the Lenovo IdeaPad U350 make it a little easier. As another entry to the growing field of affordable CULV thin-and-lights, the compact and really great-looking U350 is Lenovo's MacBook in terms of design. Lighter than it is thin, the Pentium U2700 processor-packing machine is clad in minimal silver and black and aims to keep a stylish low profile. And while the U2700 processor is both low power and low performance by Core 2 Duo standards, this thin-and-light is perfectly capable of running Windows Vista and mainstream applications.
At a starting price of $629 ($749 for our configuration), the U350 is less affordable than a 12-inch Netbook like the Lenovo IdeaPad S12, while it is not as expensive as some professional-grade thin-and-lights such as the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s. And in that sense, it's a success.
While we'd like to see this same design with a more powerful processor and better battery, it's another valid alternative to the MSI X340 and Acer Timeline 3810T for those looking for a lightweight laptop but who don't require an optical drive or significant graphics.
The Inspiron 11z: Dell's affordable thin-and-light (or, Netbook Plus?)
(Credit: Dell)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
Is Ion finally almost here?
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 IdeaPad S12, and found that we really missed the idea of an added graphical boost to what was otherwise a standard Netbook affair.
On the other hand, those Nvidia processors better hurry up--CULV thin-and-lights are spreading with costs in nearly the same range, and new Intel Atom processors with greater power are coming out sometime in the next year. While beefing up the graphics and HD capabilities of a Netbook is a fine idea--especially since the Ion in theory should have the power of a GeForce 9400M (the graphics in the 13-inch MacBook Pro)--the price and release date need to be right in order for this to not get lost in the shuffle. Price is reported to be $599, which is roughly a hundred-dollar upgrade from the highest-end Netbooks we've encountered. This also puts it square against the lower tier of budget mainstream laptops. $599 also gets you a Core 2 Duo Gateway NV5807u, albeit without the same level of graphics.
Our biggest questions at this point: will Ion Netbooks be more competitively priced? Will the Ion significantly drain battery life compared to existing Netbooks and thin-and-lights? And just how good are they as gaming machines? Stay tuned.
So, sound off: for the cost, would you rather have a graphically-boosted Netbook, a thin-and-light, or a budget laptop with a better core processor?
(Source: Liliputing via Engadget)
The T400s: it may not look exciting, but it sure feels nice to use.
(Credit: Lenovo)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 the ultrathin X301, which uses an ultralow-voltage (ULV) version.
Lenovo claims that the T400s can withstand a truck running over it (or so the company has advertised in some viral videos). While we haven't run over our test unit, we can say that it feels great in a backpack, is thinner than it looks, and if it weren't for its lack of discrete graphics, it could be one of the best all-around mainstream laptops we've encountered.
One major drawback, though, is price; starting at $1,599, it's about twice the price of other ThinkPads, and makes MacBooks seem like budget laptops by comparison: the $1,199 13-inch MacBook Pro has superior graphics and a few more ports for a lot less. Of course, the T400s does include Lenovo's suite of business and security-minded software and hardware--which is a must for many business buyers (and often rules out consumer-level laptops from consideration).
