Acer launches two of the greenest laptops

If you are worried about polluting the environment with your laptop then you might be pleased to know that energy conscious computer firm Acer has just launched two new laptops which are possibly the Greenest laptops available on the market today. The two laptop models, which have been praised by Greenpeace and acknowledged for their environmentally friendly materials are both part of Acer’s Timeline series of laptops. They are the Acer Aspire 3811TZ and the Acer Aspire 3811TZG. Apparently both of these laptops are practically free of the toxic substances polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFR) apart from their power cables. These two substances are often used in the production of laptops as well as other products. As PC World reported, “PVC is a cheap, durable plastic used widely in electronics casings and cables that has been targeted by environmental groups for not being biodegradable as well as for leakage, including gases given off from some products.” They also reported that “BFRs are used in plastics and textiles to prevent them from catching fire, but in recent years some studies have found the chemicals accumulate in the environment and can be absorbed by some animals and passed on to their young. BFRs are used heavily in the electronics industry for fire prevention.” The Timeline laptops produced by Acer are slimmer and lighter than most laptops and run on Intel’s ULV (ultra low voltage) Core 2 Duo processors which also give a longer battery life. Acer maintains that their laptops reduce energy consumption and they help to protect the environment by reducing the number of poisons released into the environment. “The chemical characteristics of PVC and BFRs may generate toxic substances like dioxins and furans at products’ end-of-life, therefore, the reduction of PVC and BFRs in Acer products will help protect our environment from being poisoned by electronics goods,” Acer said. Acer originally said back in 2005 that they were intending to make all their products free of PVC and BFRs as well as phthalates by 2009 and that they were going to work with their suppliers and partners to reach this target. Taiwan based Acer is the second largest computer manufacturer in the world, the largest being Hewlett Packard and they sell laptop and desktop computers as well as other technology equipment for business and the home. [http://www.geekwithlaptop.com/]

Acer Aspire One 532h

Like other netbook makers, Acer is refreshing its line with the new Intel Atom N450 processor (Pine Trail), which promises similar performance but greater endurance. Also like its competitors, Acer has tweaked the design, adding a keyboard with the same style as its larger notebooks and trimming down the chassis. But most significantly, it’s also trimmed the price: though our review model came in at $349, the Aspire One 532h starts at $299, a hundred bucks less than competing brands. But does price trump all, even in the commodified netbook market? Design The 532h is a bit of a departure from Acer’s previous 10.1-inch netbooks, the Aspire One D150 and D250. In fact, it looks more like Acer’s 11.6-inch netbook, the Aspire One 751h. Instead of a solid color, the lid of the Onyx Blue 532h fades from a dark metallic blue to black. Other color options included Garnet Red and Silver Matrix. This treatment makes the netbook look much more refined. However, the glossy finish, which is also found beneath the keyboard, picks up fingerprints quickly. There’s now a lot less room at the top of the deck; the keyboard is shoved right up to the top, and the power button is crammed in by the left hinge. Like the Toshiba mini NB305-N410, Acer saw fit to change the design of the six-cell battery on the 532h. No longer does it jut out the back; it’s now tucked in underneath, shaving three quarters of an inch off the footprint. The area beneath the display and between the hinges has a sharp edge as opposed to the smoother curves of the D250. At 10.2 x 7.3 x 1.0 inches and 2.8 pounds, the 532h is about the same size, shape, and weight as most 10-inch netbooks. Heat After playing a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, the touchpad on the 532h registered 92 degrees Fahrenheit, the space between the G and H keys was 91 degrees, and the middle of the underside reached 97 degrees. While we don’t consider any this heat to be troublesome, the temperature of 110 degrees in the left front corner was a cause for concern. Keyboard and Touchpad Instead of a traditional keyboard as on its older netbooks, the 532h has Acer’s FineTip keyboard, which is completely flat on top, and has a slight space between each key. Also, it’s larger than when compared to older netbooks: whereas on the D250 there was approximately half an inch of space on either side of the keyboard, on the 532h there’s less than a quarter of an inch unused. While it looks identical to the layout on the 11.6-inch 751h, the 532’s keyboard is smaller and the keys have a shallow pitch to them, which made typing somewhat more difficult. We much prefer the keyboards on the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE-P and the Toshiba mini NB305, which have island-style layouts and more space between the keys. We’re also pleased to see that the touchpad on the 532h is much larger than on previous Acer netbooks. At 2.6 x 1.4 inches, it’s positively spacious compared to the previous generation—though still not as large as that on the Toshiba mini NB305. The multitouch-enabled touchpad is covered with a number of tiny dots that distinguish it from the glossy deck, making it practically friction-free. While we wish the metallic blue mouse button beneath was split into two, it’s sufficiently large and has a nice response. Rest is here

Intel Shows Off Push TV From A Laptop With WiDi at CES 2010

Intel showed us a demo that allows you to stream video and audio wirelessly from your laptop to a TV via WiFi that was pretty slick. This means that you no longer need to hassle with with HDMI cables or anything like that thanks to Intel's Wireless Display technology (WiDi). Intel's WiDi is built in to the laptop, so all you need is an off the shelf receiver. This demo used the Netgear Push2TV PVT1000 box ($99) to act as the link between the notebook and the HDTV. This method works great, but you won't be able to use WiDi to play copy protected content to your HDTV. Check out the video clip below to see WiDi sync up in real time. [http://www.legitreviews.com]

Lenovo Unveils Tablet Laptop Hybrid

The clamshell notebook and detachable multi-touch slate / tablet PC combo shares a power supply, but each runs on its own operating system. Lenovo on Wednesday introduced a hybrid laptop that's either a clamshell notebook or a multi-touch slate tablet, each with its own processor and operating system. The two-in-one design makes the IdeaPad U1 unique and more mobile than a standard laptop. Lenovo plans to showcase the device along with a variety of other PCs at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The IdeaPad U1 has an 11.6-inch display and weighs 3.8 pounds. When the display is attached to the body of the laptop, the unit operates like a typical notebook running Microsoft Windows 7. With a flip of a switch, however, the display detaches, and becomes a multi-touch tablet PC powered by an ARM processor and running a Linux-based operating system. The slate weighs 1.6 pounds. The two devices share the same battery power and 3G mobile broadband technology and are designed to have all data and documents in sync. For example, a user can surf the Web in laptop mode, switch to tablet mode, and continue from the same point without interruption, according to Lenovo. The tablet interface provides either landscape or portrait viewing, depending on the application in use. The screen can be divided into four or six sections, with each section running a separate application, such as email, a calendar, an RSS reader, a social networking Web site, video playback or document editing. Lenovo said the system can support more than five hours of 3G Web browsing. The hybrid comes with an integrated video camera, stereo speakers and microphone. The IdeaPad U1 is scheduled to be available June 1. The estimated retail price is $999. On Tuesday Lenovo introduced the Skylight smartbook, a clamshell device with a keyboard and 10-inch display. The thin gadget weighs less than two pounds and has a customer interface for quick access to Internet services and browsing. It also refreshed its line of laptop PCs for mobile pros, adding ultra-portable notebooks and introduced a series of energy efficient machines. [http://www.informationweek.com/]

Laptop, Desktop CPUs Arrive in January

Intel has officially launched its 32-nanometer CPUs, including 11 Arrandale chips for laptops, six Clarkdale chips for desktops, and seven new chipsets. It's official. Intel CEO Paul Otellini launched a volley of 32-nanometer cannonballs at AMD today with the official release of the company's latest dual- and quad-core Clarkdale (desktop) and dual-core Arrandale (laptop) CPUs. The launch--spanning 27 different chips and seven individual chipsets--marks the first time Intel has opted to stash a graphics processing unit alongside the CPU on consumer platforms. What does that mean? Smaller motherboard form factors, lower power consumption, and better cooling for the integrated chips. Expect to be able to get your hands these new CPUs as early as late January. The benefits the move brings to the living rooms of aspiring PC purchasers include advanced optimizations for HD playback and new supported features--picture-and-picture Blu-ray capabilities and dual-monitor support via HDMI or DisplayPort connections, to name a few. Unique to the Arrandale lineup is the ability to switch between integrated and discrete graphics on-the-fly. Although both Clarkdale and Arrandale processors feature lower power consumption than previous Intel CPUs, combination of speedy discrete graphics and a low power overhead improves laptop gaming performance while still keeping the best interests of the battery in mind. Intel has stuck with the Turbo functionality from its Lynnfield family of CPUs to deliver automatic overclocking for supported Clarkdale and Arrandale processors. That said, the Core i7 line of processors for both desktop and mobile still deliver Intel's best performance in terms of raw speeds. However, the more inexpensive Clarkdale and Arrandale CPUs should definitely do their part to help usher out the company's Core 2 processor family. And in some ways, Clarkdale and Arrandale chips even do a fair job of competing against the prices and performances of a few of their more multi-core, Core i7 cousins. Be sure to check out PC World's full analysis of the Clarkdale and Arrandale chips, including breakdowns of all the newly announced products and prices. [http://www.pcworld.com/]

HP Debuts New Laptops, Netbooks, Desktop PCs at CES

The overriding trends embodied in the new machines: more -- and vastly improved -- touch-screen access, the technology of which has improved greatly in the last year or two; improved power efficiencies, thanks largely to cooler-running Intel Core processors; better physical security for laptops/netbooks due to sturdier protective frames; and increased multimedia capabilities in most of the new machines. The overriding trends embodied in the new machines: more -- and vastly improved -- touch-screen access, the technology of which has improved greatly in the last year or two; improved power efficiencies, thanks largely to cooler-running Intel Core processors; better physical security for laptops/netbooks due to sturdier protective frames; and increased multimedia capabilities in most of the new machines. Touch-screen breakthroughs enable improved accuracy, higher sensitivity and faster response times to allow for more detailed use via digital pen or a finger. New multitouch displays also enable gestures such as zoom, scroll and rotate. Because users find themselves working at sporadic times of the day—and more and more often from home—these types of PCs are likely to be used in a number of situations, whether in an office, on the kitchen table, on an aircraft or in some remote location. Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP has been industrious in turning out new business and personal computers lately. Only a few months ago, on Sept. 10, 2009, the company debuted a series of Touch-screen machines preloaded with Windows 7. For the CES show, HP is touting a new TouchSmart notebook and several colorfully designed netbooks—including the company's first touch-enabled Mini—which are now the headlining devices. The touch-enabled TouchSmart tm2 is built into a sophisticated-looking aluminum case with an engraved illustration. Naturally, it is aimed at artistic-minded users. Input is enabled by finger, digital pen or keyboard. The 12.1-inch monitor twists up and over to become a tablet; it can also be used as a standard notebook. Intel Core 2 Duo processors and optional high multimedia performance ATI Mobility Radeon discrete graphics upgrades are available. The system becomes available Jan. 7, and pricing starts at $949. HP's first touch-enabled netbook, the Mini 5102 (photos were not made available), is aimed at students and mobile professionals. It features an all-metal case in black, red or blue and offers a range of features, including face recognition for easy log-on to Windows operating systems and password-protected Websites. The new HP Mini 210 and 2102 are companion PCs that feature long battery life (6 to 8 hours) that provide all-day computing, optional high-definition video playback, and optional global positioning system (GPS) and mobile broadband connectivity. HP is positioning its Compaq L2105 21.5-inch Widescreen Touch Monitor, also debuting at CES, as the company's first Windows 7-certified multitouch monitor. Touch inputs are recognized quickly, accurately and without drift. It features a 1,000:1 contrast ratio and resolutions up to 1,920 by 1,080. It is available now and priced at $299. HP calls its new Compaq 8000f Elite Business PC its most "environmentally friendly" business desktop. It sports a more efficient power supply (87 percent efficiency; most current PCs range in the 40 to 60 percent efficiency area) and is free of brominated flame retardants and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from the wall to the mouse. The Compaq 8000f Elite Business PC is Energy Star-certified and comes equipped with Intel Core 2 Duo processors, the Intel Q45 chip set and vPro, DDR3 memory and Windows 7 for starters. It becomes available Feb. 1, and pricing starts at $849. By: Chris Preimesberger [http://www.eweek.com]

Is the Netbook Over and Out?

Stuck between a rock and a hard place—the rock being the still-evolving smartphone, the hard place being the emerging tablet computer—the netbook computer would seem to be doomed. The netbook, which rose to great popularity only about a year ago, may, in fact, become the victim of the technology that helped create such a small computer. Ultra-thin machines now offer more power in much lighter packages, smartphones with increased Web functionality and more sophisticated processors will eclipse the netbook’s rather limited abilities, and the tablet computer is likely waiting in the wings from companies like Dell and Apple. In fact, Apple has booked the San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Centre on January 28 for a “major product announcement” without amplifying on details. Another crucial factor: the cost of netbooks are inching up, bringing their price points preciously close to that those of fully-functional notebooks. “It’s the Internet’s fault for making us much more multimedia savvy,” Stuart Miles, founder and editor of technology blog Pocket Lint, told the BBC. Uploading and editing photos or motion video requires more power than the basic netbook offers, he said. Going forward, many observers believe that machines—phones in particular—will be less generic, and more tailored for specific functions, such as access to social media. “It’s no surprise that your mobile has changed a lot in the last three years but your PC hasn’t,” Ian Drew, spokesman for chip designer Arm, told the BBC. The short-term “will be a lot of different machines for a lot of different people,” he said, Look for some clues to the PC future at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and on this blog. By STEPHEN WILLIAMS

Apple tablet set to be launched next month

Ex-Google (and Apple) exec claims rumours are true Apple is set to launch its much-hyped but still unconfirmed tablet device next month, and it will come with 3D graphics and a price tag below US$1000, according to former Google China president Kai-Fu Lee. "Most surprising: Apple predicts production of nearly 10 million [units] in the first year!" Lee said in a post on a Chinese microblog service that cited information from a source he described as a knowledgeable friend. The tablet will look like a large iPhone and come with a 10.1-inch multitouch touchscreen, a virtual keyboard and support for videoconferencing and e-books, the post said. The comments from Lee, who worked for Apple over a decade ago and left Google this year, add to a sea of rumours about a possible ultrathin Apple tablet combining e-reader and web-surfing functions. Speculation about the device has redoubled since a blog post by the Financial Times last week cited unnamed sources saying Apple is expected to make a major product announcement at an event in San Francisco on 26 January. Lee predicted in a later post that the new device will weigh less than half as much as a MacBook Air, though it was unclear whether the message was speculation or came from Lee's friend. Lee also cited speculation that Apple could team up with US network operators to lower the price of the tablet. Operators already widely use a similar model for mobile phones including the iPhone, in which the buyer gets a discounted device in exchange for signing a mobile service contract. [http://techworld.com]