Panasonic has announced a new Simi-rugged F8 Toughbook laptop which is the World’s lightest Semi-Rugged Laptop with 3G connectivity.
The 14.1" F8 laptop weighs only 3.7 pounds with its built-in carry handle and it is based on Centrino 2 platform.
The F8 Toughbook comes with spill-resistant keyboard and a tough durable magnesium alloy chassis resistant against drop and hit.
Panasonic has equipped the F8 Toughbook with Penryn Core 2 Duo Processor SP9300, 2.26 GHz (6MB L2 cache, 1066 MHz FSB), 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM up to 4GB memory, 160GB HDD, shock-mounted HDD, and Integrated DVD Multidrive.
The 14.1" WXGA antiglare display is a TFT active matrix color LCD with 1280 x 800 pixel resolution.
Regarding network connectivity, it provides everything that a regular traveler needs such as Wi-Fi Link 5100 802.11a/b/g/draft-n, WWAN (Gobi 3G) and Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR.
The laptop is secured by TPM Security Chip, v1.2 and it runs on Vista Business (with XP downgrade option).
Along the F8 Toughbook that will be available in the market in November onwards, 12-inch Toughbook W8 and tablet Toughbook T8 the upgrade models of W7 and T7 will hit the market, as well.
W8 and T8 are based on Centrino 2 platfrom. Each system is powered by Core 2 Duo Processor SU9300, 1.20 GHz (3MB L2 cache, 800 MHz FSB), 1GB DDR2 SDRAM standard, expandable to 4GB, 120GB HDD, shock-mounted and Integrated DVD Multidrive available only in W8.
Toughbook W8 features:
Display: 12.1-inch 1024 x 768 XGA antiglare TFT active matrix color LCD
Security: TPM Security Chip v1.2
Network: Intel Wi-Fi Link 5100 802.11a/b/g/draft-n; Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR
Optional integrated Gobi(TM) 3G global mobile Internet (EV-DO and HSPA); Wireless on-off switch (WWAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)
OS: Vista Business (with XP downgrade option)
Dimensions: 8.4 inches long x 10.7 inches wide x 1.4 inches/1.9 inches high (front/rear)
Weight: Approximately 3.3 lbs
Battery life: Approximately 7 hours
Toughbook T8 features:
Display: 12.1-inch 1024 x 768 XGA antiglare TFT active matrix color LCD with touch screen
Security: TPM Security Chip v1.2
Network: IntelWi-Fi Link 5100 802.11a/b/g/draft-n
OS:Vista Business (with XP downgrade option)
Dimensions: 8.4 inches long x 10.7 inches wide x 1.4 inches/1.9 inches high (front/rear)
Other: Ergonomic rubber hand strap; Display Image Rotation software
NetBooks or mini laptops can do all the light tasks easily for the users. Because, they are really useful. They are also cheap and extreme portable. Within one year, Netbooks or mini low-cost laptops have become very poplar and its market has become over-crowded in a short time. Regardless all the advantages they offer, there is one big disadvantage that is felt in all the current mini laptops and it is the lack of integrated WWAN or 3G connectivity. You always love to have fast access to internet everywhere you take your mini laptop.
Asus has felt this problem and has worked on it. Asus is again leading the market of low-cost laptops by offering 3.75G connectivity in its Eee PC laptops earlier than any other laptop makers.
“No longer bound to Internet hotspots, 3.75G (HSUPA)-equipped Eee PC users will be able to enjoy low latency mobile broadband Internet access at high downlink and uplink speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps and 2 Mbps, respectively, regardless of where they are—ensuring a seamless connected experience on the go. The Eee PC’s 7.5-hour battery life provides more than ample power to keep it up and running during extended outdoor excursions.”
3.75G will make its first appearance in Eee PC 901 netbooks released to market from October 2008 onward.
Eee PC 901 with 3.75G will provide various connectivity including 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3.75G (HSUPA) WWAN.
The system will come be available in black an white colors and will feature Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, 16 GB Solid State Drive (SSD) plus 20 GB free online Eee Storage; 6-cell Battery, as well as memory card reader(MMC/SD (SDHC)), and 1.3 M Pixel. It will run on Win XP.
As I have touched in last two years, Dell has more interactions with its aficionados and customers than other laptop makers. As the result of these interactions, Dell has made lots of innovations and released its successful laptop line up such as Vostro line up, XPS M1330 and M1530 and in the endits new Latitude E series.
Because of these interactions, Dell has decided to adopt mercury-free LED Backlights as the standard screens for its new laptops. First, Dell will transit two-thirds of its Latitude E-series laptops’ displays to LED backlight ones by Dec 15th. Next, Dell will include LED backlighting as a standard feature for 80% of its laptops by the end of 2009. And then, Dell will make it 100% by 2010.
By Dec. 15, two-thirds of Dell's Latitude E-series laptops will be shipped with mercury-free LED backlighting as a standard feature, including the Latitude E4200, E4300, E6400, E6400 ATG and E6500, as well as the Dell Precision M2400 and M4400 mobile workstations.
By the end of 2009, 80 percent of all of Dell's laptops, both new and existing models, will include the LED backlights. The transition to LED backlights will be completed by 2010, Dell said.
LED Backlights come with 3 important features:
- First of all, they are much more energy-saving screens than the typical standard displays are used in laptops, today.
- They extend the battery life. LED backlighting displays drain less power consumption. According to Dell, LED backlights help the consumers to have nearly double battery lifetime than when they use the typical displays.
- They use green technology, and by them, Dell can become carbon-neutral.
*One-Touch Privacy
Really, Dell has tried to offer a new laptop Latitude Line up by releasing E-series laptops. You can find many useful features such as One-Touch Privacy which will help the consumers to save their data on the monitors against prying eyes.
“The Latitude E6400 is available with an optional electronic privacy screen. This software-driven display creates a pixel-based pattern on the screen, reducing the side viewing angles of people seated next to the user. It has minimal impact on display brightness and is activated with a single touch key combination or through Dell’s ControlPoint software. Users don’t have to keep up with separate plastic screen inserts and can have a better viewing experience while keeping data on their screen more private. The option is $139 and available globally today.”
The mobile Internet Explorer Web browser you get on Windows Mobile smart phones is less than desirable. It usually directs you to a mobile Web site instead of the full-blown interactive ones that we access on our computers. Sure, Microsoft has announced support for Silverlight and Flash in a new version of mobile IE by the end of the year, but we’re in the heat of the summer and December still seems light years away. Fret not, there are other options.
If you grabbed the new iPhone, you may be impressed with its 3G data speeds. But is Safari better than other free smart phone Web browsers out on the market? We put the Apple Safari browser running on the 3G iPhone head to head with Opera 9.5.1 Beta and Skyfire Beta (free for Windows Mobile phone users), to see which browser is fastest, and which offers the richest browsing experience.
We used an AT&T Tilt for both Windows Mobile browsers, and put it head to head against the iPhone while both had full 3G signals. Read on to see a video of the race head to head, results from our Web site tests, and our thoughts on each browser.
Browser
NYT.com
ESPN.com
HULU.com
Netvibes.com
Flash
AJAX
Skyfire Beta
6 (sec)
8 (sec)
9 (sec)
4 (sec)
Yes
Yes
Opera 9.5.1 Beta
60 (sec)
59 (sec)
28 (sec)
44 (sec)
No
Yes
Safari
29 (sec)
28 (sec)
33 (sec)
54 (sec)
No
Yes
Skyfire Skyfire is, by far, the speediest of the bunch, and we love that it also supports Flash Web pages without a hitch. In fact, on ESPN.com it even loaded a Flash advertisement video on the side of the screen. We don’t like ads, but the fact that the page looked identical to the one on our computer display is quite impressive. When we loaded Hulu.com, we were able to start up an episode of The Colbert Report, but playback was far too slow for our tastes.
The browser supports Flash 9, Java, and QuickTime playback, too, but unfortunately it’s limited to a private Beta at this time. You can sign up by visiting Skyfire’s Web site and Skyfire will let you know when there is more room for beta testers.
Update: Skyfire loads an image of the Web site first, and then you must zoom in to access data on the page. However, we found that the zooming was efficient and that we were still able to access live data faster than on Opera 9.5.1 Beta and mobile Safari. We have not had any issue regarding the text entry troubles that some users have reported.
Check out our video below.
Opera 9.5.1 Opera Mobile 9.5.1 may not be the fastest browser of the bunch. In fact, it is the slowest, but it offers features that Skyfire doesn’t. One such feature is tabbed browsing, which the iPhone offers as well. Opera Mobile 9.5.1 lets you have a total of 3 tabs open while you’re surfing (the iPhone allows eight) and you can choose to open links in another tab directly from Web sites.
You can also easily pan and zoom around Web pages, and it supports AJAX Web sites, but unfortunately, not Flash 9 content. It also allows you to save pages and images so that you can load up the New York Times, save it, and view it later riding the subway underground without a signal.
Check out our video of Opera below.
Safari Safari is ideal for loading pages in landscape or horizontal view, and the iPhone’s accelerometer allows you to quickly switch between the two by simply switching the phone. But it’s perhaps best known for its pinch-zoom in and out feature, which makes zooming in on specific areas easy and fun.
The iPhone’s Safari browser supports AJAX, but not Flash 9, so you can’t play Flash games or view Hulu movies (and we don’t think Apple would like it if you could, either). The Safari browser performed well during our tests, but it wasn’t nearly as quick as Skyfire, which loaded most pages in under half the time it took the Safari browser to load them in.
Final Thoughts
If I had to choose a winning combination, it would be the Skyfire browser on an iPhone. Skyfire loads pages faster than anything we’ve ever come across, and it’s support for robust Web pages makes us feel like we took our computer’s browser and put it on a 3-inch screen. The biggest sacrifice is that the page is small, and you have to zoom a lot. We love Safari because the iPhone’s touch screen makes the zooming task efficient and easy, but it doesn’t support Flash 9 embedded media or Web sites and it loads every other site slower.
If you’re using a Windows Mobile phone, we highly recommend you get in on the Beta. Skyfire says a Symbian S60 v.3 version will be available later this year.
One out of three U.S. citizens has had their personal data exposed as a result of lost or stolen data. While data theft has somber implications for the individuals impacted, it also has dire consequences for the companies involved. Just ask Card Systems Solutions, which ceased doing business after a 2004 data breach exposed as many as 40 million credit card accounts.
To ward off data theft, use strong passwords to protect the BIOS. Watch closely as the computer boots up - just after the system performs its memory check, a message will display at the bottom of the screen telling you which key to press to enter the BIOS menu. From there, just follow the onscreen prompts. Mac users should password protect the firmware.
Encrypt sensitive data files or clear laptops and other mobile devices of confidential data before traveling. For encryption, try the open source TrueCrypt.
Also, beware the portslurping vampires - never, ever allow anyone's USB device to be hooked up to your computer, and never allow your USB devices to be hooked up to theirs.
Dell Precision M6400 WorkStation the flagship workstation form Dell is available at Dell’s website for purchase from today. The beast 17" Precision M6400 is a powerhouse laptop that comes with unique features to operate heavy applications for engineers and professional animators and graphics designers.
The system starts from $2,299 after $300 rebate and will start shipping out from October 22nd.
There are impressive features worthy to be highlighted:
-An optional Intel latest Core 2 Quad Extreme QX9300 (2.53GHz, 12M L2 Cache) processor and a super-fast 1067MHz FSB
- Up to 16GB of DDR3 memory capability
- Two dedicated hard drive bays the storage capacity can scale up to 1 Terabyte
- The display (UltraSharp Wide Screen WXGA+ ) is a LED back-lit with 1,920 x 1,200 pixels that is able to support 100% of the RGB color gamut (it is an optional facility)
-up to 1GB dedicated memory of NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700M Graphics card
- e-SATA port, 4USB, firewire, display port, docking, 8-in-1 card reader and having both ExpressCard 54; and PC Card
- Bluetooth 2.1, Ultra-wideband (UWB-US Only), WWAN, GPS, 802.11a/g/n WiFi,
- rich security using various tools such as Smart Card Reader and Contactless Smart Card Reader, Fingerprint Reader (optional), FIPS Fingerprint Reader (optional), TPM 1.2 (where available)
- 2 speakers, optional dual array microphones
- Optional 2MP camera
Unfortunately the system doesn’t have any option support for Blu-ray optical drive.
Precision M6400 is comparable with the rivals from other manufacturers such as upcoming HP 17-inch EliteBook 8730wm, and 17-in Lenovo ThinkPad W700.
-HP EliteBook 8730wm starts from $ 1,699.00. It is the only mobile workstation on the market to offer a 17-inch diagonal HP DreamColor Display, which offers over 16 million colors, a significant improvement to the 260,000 available colors on traditional notebook PCs.
The notebook also offers up to Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor X9100 (3.06 GHz, 6 MB L2 cache, 1066 MHz FSB) which is lower than the latest CPU offering in M6400, 8 GB of memory, up to 320 GB 7200 rpm SATA II HDD, Blu-ray optical drive, and up to NVIDIA3700M with card with up to 1 GB dedicated video memory, 6-in-1 media card reader, and HDMI port.
-ThinkPad W700 starts from $ $2,978. ThinkPad W700 will sport up to Intel Core 2 Extreme processor QX9300 (2.53GHz 1066MHz 12MBL2), up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, up dual hard drive bays configurable as RAID 0 or 1 (200 GB 7(200rpm) with Disk Encryption) with optional SSD and Blu-ray burner for option. This laptop will also incorporate advanced NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700 graphics card with a 1GB of on-board memory.
ThinkPad W700 seems more similar to Precision M6400.
Lenovo has started shipping its rock IdeaPad S10 mini laptop earlier than the date it announced a few past days for, not to keep its consumers more waiting.
Lenovo is shipping both White and black models. However, some folks have mentioned that the ship date of their mini laptops have been postponed after October.
The 10.2" IdeaPad S10 min laptop looks similar to Eee PC 1000h or MSI Wind PC but it has two big differences. For instance, all of them are powered by Atom CPU, SSD or HDD storage or they feature Wi-Fi. The differences include:
IdeaPad S10 provides much bigger storage than the other ones.
IdeaPad S10 is the only mini laptop or net book that features Express card slot.
Today, I was shocked to see an odd rumor has started spreading in Web and it seems to be an important allegation for, such a credible website Crave Cnet has covered this rumor, as well.
The rumor claims that HP is going to shut down its high potential- seceded voodoo Envy 133 just after starting on the shipping the laptop to the consumers. The rumor also claims that HP is going to dismiss some employees and cut some jobs.
Well, the second allegations acceptable as it has already happened to many companies like Dell because of mainly the global economy slow down. But, the first claim looks very odd.
So far I have covered several entries about the successful fashionable extreme ultra slim laptop HP Voodoo Envy 133.You know that HP has just initiated shipping this attractive laptop which I think is a serious rival for MacBook Air, Dell Latitude E4300 and ThinkPad X300.
I think HP could compete in the market of modern ultra portable laptops very easily by its Envy 133 and so far it has created lots of Buzzes in the market. The rumor does not seem to be convincing. But, if it were true, it would be very tragic to see that in the market, such a successful brand brought by the number one laptop maker, got closed and it would bring this concern that whether it spreads among other popular brands made by other leading laptop makers.
Today, the models and specs of Sony VAIO TT, the successor of VAIO TZ laptops were emerged by SonyStyle’s Vaio Advisor.
The models include VGN-TT190EIN (gold), VGN-TT190EIR (red), VGN-TT190NIB (black), and VGN-TT190UBX (premium carbon fiber black).
The VGN-TT190UBX is the flagship and power house of this laptop line up, it shows a real improvement compared to the current VAIO TZ laptops like VGN-TZ390 Premium featuring 1.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor , 1GB of RAM, 64GB SSD+ built-in DVD burner or 320GB HDD+ external DVD burner, Sprint Mobile Broadband Wireless WAN, 4.5 to 8.5 hours of standard battery life, Vista, 1" thin, and weight of 2.7 lbs, (2 USB 2.0; 1 FireWire; Headset and Mic jack; D-Sub; ExpressCard/34, SD/MMC/Memory Stick PRO and security tools).
Or even we can compare the upcoming VGN-TT190UBX with VGN-TZ398U/XC with the starting price of $3500 featuring 11.1" LCD XBRITE-HiColor display, Intel core 2 Duo U7700 processor (1.33GHz), 2GB RAM, hybrid 64GB solid state drive and 320GB hard drive, Sprint Mobile Broadband Wireless WAN, Bluetooth, external optical drive, and premium Carbon Fiber casing.
The VGN-TT190UBX comes with some highlight features including ample DDR3 RAM, Blu-Ray burner, HDMI port, WWAN, Bluetooth and latest Intel CPU and platform. However, I am not sure if the VAIO TT laptop will provide the fast eSATA port and FireWire ports. However, FireWire port is available on the current VAIO TZ laptops.
It is also not clear that whether VAIO TT laptops will deliver longer battery runtime than VAIO TZ.
Now let us have a look at the specs of VGN-TT190UBX:
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor SU9400 at 1.4GHz
Memory: 4GB of DDR3 RAM
Hard Drive: 250GB (128GBx2 RAID)/ solid state hard drive
Optical drive: (2x) Blu-Ray writer, reader / DVD writer, reader / CD writer, reader
Display: 11.1 inch LED screen with XBRITE-DuraView (1366×768)
Network: Bluetooth, 802.11a/b/g/n, Ethernet; EVDO available on selected models
OS:Vista Home Premium (VGN-TT190EIN/VGN-TT190EIR), or Vist Business (VGN-TT190NIB can also get XP Pro)
Weight: 2.87 pounds
When will these laptops be available in the market? Well, it is not clear yet, however I can assure you it will not hit the market until October 1st 2008. There are also no pictures of these forthcoming laptops available.
Sony VAIO- VGN TT laptop line up is a new laptop brand that apparently is going to take the place of VAIO TZ series.
According to the source, Sony is releasing more information about this new laptop line up tomorrow. However, from the FCC document it is found that VAIO TT,will come in three specific model including PCG-4Q1L, PCG-4Q3L, and PCG-4Q4L.
The VAIO TT series will have probably the same 11.1" display as the TZ. They will also have 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, and the PCG-4Q1L will provide EVDO (WWAN).
Sony TZ notebook series-the successor of VAIOTX are ultraportable laptops with 2.25 lbs of weight that come with LED backlit screen. Sony TZ laptops offer stylish design, high performance, durability, very good screen, long battery life and high security at once together.
Intel has officially begun shipping a 45nm dual-core Intel Dual Core Atom Processor known as Atom 330.
Atom 330 is designed specifically for nettops, which are affordable desktops purpose-built primarily for web surfing, email, and basic Internet usage.
The dual-core Atom 330 features a 1.6GHz processing core, 1MB of level 2 cache, an 8W TDP and support for DDR2 667MHz.
The new processor is available as an integrated package and has been validated with the Intel 945GC Express Chipset, featuring built-in Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 and Intel High Definition Audio.
Guru3D had its hands on the ECS Motherboard (ECS P45GC) packing with dual core Atom 330 (945GC express chipset.
One good thing of these mainboards including Atom 330 CPUs are budget ones and really affordable for everybody. They only cost about $75- $99 USD. Atom 330 is capable to run Vista fine but it shows better performance while running with windows XP OS.
The writer thinks that “two is always better than one.” He also thinks that “it's not at all high-end, but definitely interesting and fast enough as a low-level desktop or Net PC to browse the web listen to music or even watch a DVD.”
So, if you use your PC for normal PC use, by spending about $200 USD (you will require to add memory, PSU, HDD, chassis and etc to your PC) you will have a good performance nettop with an affordable price.
One problem with this mainboard comes with mere one Single-channel DDR2 memory slot that supports up to 2GB.
The writer has done several tests such as ZLib CPU test, Memory test, SiSoftware DhryStone CPU test and HD Tach 3.0.4.0 on three CPUS including Atom 330, Athlon X2 4850 and Phenom 9850 and compared the results.
ZLib CPU test measures combined CPU and memory subsystem performance. In this test the distance between Atom 330 and Athlon X2 4850 is not so much. While Atom 330 scores 16014 kb/sec, Athlon X2 4850 scores 28592 KB/sec. It is nice to see that Phenom 9850 scored (66232Kb/sec) much better than the last two ones.
Asus has announced its new laptop series for variety of tech-savvy users. Asus N-series laptops includes 10.2" non-Netbook N10, 12.1" N20 ultra portable laptop, 14.1" N80 midsize laptop and 15.4" N50 mainstream laptop.
N-series notebooks come with some impressive features worthy to be highlighted:
- Highly-efficient Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) which automatically allocates power, preserving battery life up to 35%
- The built-in Express Gate operating system that allows users to access their most commonly-used programs in 8 seconds (booting up in 8 sec)
- SmartLogon facial recognition system that recognizes users´ facial features and logs them on without requiring any manual key input.
- Boasting a streamlined exterior with shiny metal-like inlaid patterns inspired by modernist art-deco,
- Scratch-resistant panel
- Built-in Air Ionizer that not only helps clean the air around the user of allergens and germs, but also promotes air-flow and circulation (only available in N50 laptop)
- Based- on Centrino 2 (except N10)
- Each built for heavy usage
- Blu-ray Combo for option (except N10)
- Built-in Bluetooth for option
Asus N10 laptop: is a non-Netbook laptop with 10.2-in display (LED-backlit) that is able to delivers a multi-sensory experience with a NVIDIA GeForce 9300M graphics card and Atom CPU for on-the-go travelers.
The laptop is powered by DDR2 667 MHz up to 2,048 MB memory, 160 GB / 250 GB / 320 GB HDD hard drive, and External Super Multi Optical drive.
Regarding connectivity, the laptop can provide different options support for 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi or 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi and Built-in Bluetooth V2.0+EDR (optional). The laptop weighs 1.40 kg (with 3-cell battery and the 6-cell battery for option delivers nearly 6 hours) and runs on either XP Home or Vista. It offers 1.3MP webcam and HDMI port.
Laptop magazine has done a brief comparison between Eee PC 1000H and N10 in the terms of design and some features in a video.
Additionally, this laptop is available for pre-order at J&R with the price tag of $799.
Asus N50 laptop: It is the flagship of N-series notebook. This 15.4" mainstream laptop is made for multimedia use. It comes with a multimedia touchpad serves as a responsive point of control, and backlit buttons.
This laptop is also good for business use. It provides rich connectivity including Intel® Wi-Fi Link 5100/ Intel WiMAX/ Wi-Fi Link 5150, Built-in Bluetooth V2.1+EDR (optional) and 10/100/1000 Base T LAN.
The 15.4" WXGA VESA-like LED display is powered by NVIDIA GeForce 9 Series graphics card.
The system is powered by Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T9400/T5850/P8600/P7350, DDR2 800 MHz up to 4,096MB memory, 160 GB / 250 GB / 320 GB / 500 GB SATA HDD hard drive and DVD Super Multi Blu-ray DVD Combo optical drive.
The machine comes with more accurate 2.0MP Webcam. It weighs 2.95 kg (with 6-cell battery) and runs on Vista.
Asus N20 laptop: is a 12.1" (WXGA) ultra portable laptop based on Centrino 2. It is powered by Intel Core 2 Duo T9400/T5850/ P8600/P7350 Processor (with Intel GM45 Express Chipset), DDR2 MHz 800 up to 4,096 MB, 250 GB / 320 GB HDD hard drive, and DVD Super Multi Blu-ray DVD Combo optical drive.
Regarding connectivity, it features Intel Wi-Fi Link 5100, Built-in Bluetooth V2.0+EDR (optional) and 3G/3.5G Antenna support (in selected territories).
The laptop weighs 1.85 kg (with 3-cell battery) and runs on Vista.
The laptop features an Altec Lansing sound system, 1.3MP webcam, and a highly efficient eSATA hard disk drive housed in a dust and moisture-resistant enclosure and up to 12 hours battery runtime.
Asus N80 laptop: is a midsize laptop for business users. It is based on Centrino 2 platform. Its 14.1" WXGA Glare Type (LED backlit) / or 14.1" WXGA+ Glare Type display is powered by NVIDIA GeForce 9 Series graphics card with up to 1 GB of VRAM.
The system is powered by Intel Core 2 Duo T9400/P8600/P8400/P7350/T5800 Processor, up to 4GB DDR2 RAM, 160 GB / 200 GB / 250 GB / 320 GB HDD hard drive, and DVD Super Multi Blu-ray DVD Combo optical drive.
It weighs 2.69 kg (with 6-cell battery) and runs on Vista OS.
Pre-Photokina 2008: Carl Zeiss has launched a modernized version of its highly-regarded Distagon T* 2.8/21 super-wideangle lens. Promising exceptional sharpness across the frame coupled with extremely low chromatic aberration and excellent control of flare due to its T* coating, this manual focus-only lens also boasts a floating element design for excellent results across the entire distance range. It will be available in Canon, Nikon and Pentax mounts at the end of 2008.
Press Release:
OBERKOCHEN/Germany – September 16, 2008: The legendary Distagon T* 2.8/21 is now being introduced for SLR cameras with EF, F and K bayonets. Thanks to its excellent performance, this modernized version from the former Contax system sets new standards in this focal length class.
“The outstanding correction of chromatic aberration enables photos without color fringes even in high-contrast light conditions”, says Martin Klottig, Marketing Manager, Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Division. “Even at full aperture, the floating element design ensures optimum edge-to-edge image quality over the entire focusing range.
And even in difficult light conditions, the new Distagon provides excellent results thanks to its T* coating, optimum reflection reduction and exceptional chromatic correction.” The shortest possible distance setting of only 0.22 m makes the lens ideal for impressive perspectives. Typical applications include architectural, journalistic and landscape photography.
The Distagon 2.8/21 is available with an EF bayonet (ZE), F bayonet (ZF) and a K bayonet (ZK). It is suitable for both digital and analog full-format SLR cameras.
Delivery of the Distagon T* 2.8/21 is scheduled to begin by the end of this year with the ZF and ZK version. Its selling price is estimated at 1,399 euros (incl. 19% German VAT).
Pre-Photokina 2008: Canon's PowerShot range has a new flagship in the form of the much anticipated G10, successor to the G9. Key changes include a new 14.7 megapixel CCD sensor and, more usefully, a new 28-140mm wide zoom and increased screen resolution - plus a DIGIC IV processor. A new top panel layout adds a dedicated AE compensation dial and there's an improved grip, but overall externally the changes are subtle
Pre-Photokina 2008: Canon has launched the Digital IXUS 980 IS and Digital IXUS 870 IS, including the first IXUS with manual controls. The models, which will be known as the SD 990 IS and SD 880 IS in North America, replace the Digital IXUS 960 IS and 860 IS respectively. The 14.7MP IXUS 980 features a 36 - 133mm equiv optical zoom, 2.5” LCD and is the first IXUS to offer manual controls. The 10MP IXUS 870 IS features a 28-112mm equiv optical zoom and a larger 3.0” LCD. Both cameras use Canon’s new DIGIC 4 processor for faster image processing
There are a number of Netbooks or mini laptops available in the market today, but some of them only catch the attentions of tech-savvy users and generate good response. Compared to other famous and unknown laptop manufacturer, Dell launched its mini laptop late but all the important technology and laptop websites tried to review Inspiron Mini 9. Here, I have tried to collect the different views and opinions of 5 websites like NotebookReview, Cnet, PC Magazine, and PCWorld for, you will get better and more real idea about Inspiron Mini 9.
1- NotebookReview had its hands on a pre-production Inspiron Mini 9 (Linux version) with the price tag of $434. The system featured 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB SSD, 8.9" 1024 x 600 WSVGA glossy LED backlit display, Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Ethernet/LAN, VGA, 3USB ports, 4-in-1 Media card reader, 4-Cell 32Wh Li-ion battery (three hours and 38 minutes), 1.3 MP webcam, and Ubuntu 8.04 Linux with Custom Dell Interface (Includes Open Office).
The writer of the review thinks that Inspiron Mini 9 comes with the following good sides and bad sides:
(Pros)
-Low price subnotebook or Netbook
- Small and light and easy to use
- It is easy to upgrade with extra RAM, or Storage or inserting an extra wireless mini card.
- The chassis is solid and durable; especially magnesium alloy is used in one location in side the chassis.
-The glossy LED backlit display is nice and comes with rich colors and good contrast.
-Responsive Synaptics touchpad with smooth tracking. The touchpad buttons have no “click” sound while pressing
-No noisy cooling fan
- Dell-developed custom interface acts similar to Windows. Thus, using Ubuntu has become as easy as using Windows. The system is preloaded with many useful applications that all are necessary. However, If you try to install new applications, you will require knowing some open source anyway.
- 3 USB ports sound good
-impressive speakers
(Cons)
-Gets a little hot
- Glossy plastic lid is easily smeared by fingerprints
- The keyboard is more spacious than the keyboards used in 7-in and 8.9-in Eee PC laptops but it is still cramp.
- No F11 or F12 keys, other function keys in strange location (in the middle of the keyboard rather than the top row)
- The sound in highest volume gets distortion
- The screen has some reflections and glare
- 4-cell battery is nice, 6-cell battery would be better
Benchmark result:
-The boot time is 20 second that is nice.
-The 8GB SSD buffered read speed at 26.91MB/sec is faster than the 4GB SSD used in the Eee PC 4G performing at 21.78 MB/sec.
2- Cnet had its hands on a Windows Version of Mini 9 prcing at $514 and featuring 1.6 GHz Atom N270 Processor, 1GB of RAM, a 16GB solid-state hard drive, 8.9" display, Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset, modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Webcam.
The Cnet writer thinks that Inspiron Mini 9 is similar to Eee PC 901 and Acer Aspire One but with more customization options. Cnet considered it as a very good laptop and has given a rating of 7.3 out of 10.
(Pros)
-More configurable than other Netbooks in the market; It is a good example of a Netbook
- Good battery life;
- coming with standard set of connections like 3USB ports, VGA
-Bluetooth is a $20 option and mobile broadband coming soon
- Options running on XP or Linux OS
(Cons)
-Some awkward keyboard compromises;
-no SSD options larger than 16GB
- The glossy black finish is smeared by fingerprints easily
Benchmark result:
- iTunes performance test: Mini 9 was closely matched to Eee PC 901 and MSI Wind
- Video playback Battery drain test: enough battery runtime of 3 hours and 21 minutes
3- PC Magazinehad its hands on a Mini 9 with the price tag of $399.
The writer thinks that Dell mini doesn’t have any chance to overtake the Editor Choice “MSI Wind PC”:
Despite all the time Dell has had to develop a great product, the final result isn't quite enough to overtake the MSI Wind, our Editors' Choice in this category.
(Pros)
- Well-priced with eValue code
-The 8.9-inch display is bright and nice and some how it is similar to those of the ASUS 900 and the Acer Aspire One.
- It comes with better mouse buttons with less click sound than the other rivals mentioned in this review.
- The CPU 1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270 is a good choice. However, none of the mini laptops including Mini 9 can do multi-tasking operations with Atom CPU and 1GB of RAM.
- Mini 9 with 4-cell battery (32-WH) delivers longer battery runtime than Wind PC and Acer One with 24-WH batteries each.
(Cons)
- The keyboard is cramp. It is smaller than those of the MSI Wind and the HP Mini-Note
- Opting expensive SSD with short storage rather than bigger spinning hard disk with cheaper price especially compared to its peers like Wind PC and HP Mini-Note that provide 80GB HDD each.
- It doesn't have a built-in ExpressCard slot like the HP mini- note and the Lenovo IdeaPad S10
- The maximum RAM is only 1GB and there is no option for bigger RAM. Also, it doesn't offer an extended battery and large-enough storage options
Benchmark Result:
-Windows Media Encoder tests: Mini 9 scored 4-minute 58-second jus closely to Wind PC scoring 5minutes.
4-Laptop Magazine had its hands on Mini 9 with basic configuration (1.6GHz Atom CPU, 1 GB of RAM, and 4GB SSD, and 802.11a/g Wi-Fi) and running on Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron with custom Dell Interface and price tag of $399.
The mini 9 is bundled with 2GB of free online storage via Boxnet.com for the users who feel 4GB SSD is not enough for them.
(Pros)
- One of the smallest and lightest 8.9-inch mini laptops (lighter and smaller than Acer Aspire one and HP 2133 Mini-Note)
- Dell’s Ubuntu version makes it easier switching between different programs
- Simple, compact and sturdy design with Glossy finish. It feels more expensive than its price tag
- The glossy screen looks sharp from a variety of angles
- Loud speaker sound
- The keyboard is spill-resistant. The keys have good tactile feedback. The trackpad is solid and has a decent size.
- Good Wi-Fi
-Decent battery life: lasting 3 hours and 12 minutes with Wi-Fi on
-Configurable online
(Cons)
- It smudges with fingerprints easily
-Awkward keyboard and awkward placement of a few keys
-Solid state (SSD) storage only
- There is no ExpressCard slot
-Extended battery not yet available
- It gets hot
Benchmark Result:
- Boot time: 35 seconds that is 15 seconds slower than the Acer Aspire one with Linux
5-PC World had its hands on windows Version Mini 9 pricing at $474 featuring 1.6 GHz Atom N270 Processor, 1GB of RAM, and an 8GB solid-state drive and Bluetooth, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi.
The writer thinks that Dell Mini 9 reminds you the Studio line laptops. The mini 9 is a good basic machine to surf in internet, check e-mail and do some light computing works. The writer thinks this system is a nice option for kids and the users who looking for an on-the-go system.
Regarding comparison between Inspiron Mini 9 and Acer Aspire One the writer stated: “I would have a tough time choosing this over Acer's Aspire One, but Dell's first venture into the world of mini-notebooks has produced a worthy competitor.”
(Pros)
- It is a tiny Netbook
-The screen is sharp
-Dell's SupportCenter is a good facility found in Mini 9
-A free 2GB of storage with Box.Net for online file storage service.
-A solid mini-laptop
-Terrific design with a good price
(Cons)
-If you don't view the screen from precisely the right angle, the screen looks a little dim
- Except alphanumeric keys, very key is either in odd place or scrunched
- The speakers are not as good as the ones used in Asus's $650 Eee 1000H
- Short storage and no other alternative
- Lack of an additional SD slot to allow users to insert a second SD Card
Benchmark Result:
-Boot time with XP: 30 seconds
-Opening Microsoft Works 8 second
-Downloading a 77MB music in about 7 seconds
- Battery drain test: a four-cell battery ran for about 3 hours, 34 minutes which is much better than the three-cell battery of the MSI Wind.
Skyfire is, by far, the speediest of the bunch, and we love that it also supports Flash Web pages without a hitch. In fact, on ESPN.com it even loaded a Flash advertisement video on the side of the screen. We don’t like ads, but the fact that the page looked identical to the one on our computer display is quite impressive. When we loaded Hulu.com, we were able to start up an episode of The Colbert Report, but playback was far too slow for our tastes.
Pre-Photokina 2008: Carl Zeiss has launched a modernized version of its highly-regarded Distagon T* 2.8/21 super-wideangle lens. Promising exceptional sharpness across the frame coupled with extremely low chromatic aberration and excellent control of flare due to its T* coating, this manual focus-only lens also boasts a floating element design for excellent results across the entire distance range. It will be available in Canon, Nikon and Pentax mounts at the end of 2008.
