Intel Launches Core i3/i5/i7 Chips for Ultra-Portable Laptops

Despite promises of a laptop with an all-day battery life coupled with an inexpensive price, Intel's ultra-low voltage processors, otherwise known as CULVs (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage), haven't exactly been living up to the hype. Part of the reason is that Intel hasn't updated their mobile line of processors with its new Core technology, instead their CULV line has simply been based on Core 2 Duo technology. That is until now.

The chipmaking giant Intel has released their new ulta-low voltage versions of its 32-nm “Nehalem” Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors. This means that Intel’s premiere mainstream processors have been slightly downsized so they can now be installed inside power-sensitive ultra-portable notebook computers. These new chips not only pack a significant performance punch, which Intel says is about 30% faster than their previous ultra-low-voltage offerings, but also use 15 percent less power in the process. The new chips will be identified from their larger counterparts by their part numbers which will end with the letters "um" (i.e. Intel Core i5-430um or Intel Core i7-640um).

“Consumers crave laptops that offer style and performance, and the new 2010 Intel Core Ultra-Low Voltage processors for ultra-thin laptops delivers both, in one sleek design,” said Intel PC Client Group VP and general manager Mooly Eden, in a statement. “Not only are laptops becoming ultra-portable, but with the new processors inside, users will see faster response times and less waiting.”

Like their bigger brethren, ULV versions of the Intel Core chips will feature Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading technologies enabling the processors to dynamically overclock themselves and devote resources to a single processor core. In addition, the new processors will have a thermal envelope of 17W, which is at least twice as energy efficient as their standard volt Core processors. However, Intel will not be converting its ultra-thin processor offerings completely over to the Core line. ULV versions of the Celeron and Pentium processors will continue to be available to manufacturers and will still be a mainstay among many laptops in the future.

It seems the direction that Intel wants to take its new chips is towards a strange middle ground between very affordable and highly portable, yet slower-performing netbooks and even full-size traditional laptops. The MacBook Air is an example of an ultra-thin laptop that offers powerful portability but is simply too expensive for the average consumer. On the other hand, there is the Toshiba T135 series of ultra-portable laptops which seem to attract far more interest than the Macbook Air for its more reasonable price tag despite being less powerful.

Then there are ultra-thin laptops which tout enhanced performance, such as dual-core Atoms, which offer negligible performance improvements for their cost. It appears that consumers are more interested in average and smaller sized laptops which deliver on affordability. Intel promises that systems will start appearing in June equipped with their new ULV processors, so we'll see soon enough just how they stack up. Already Intel says more than 40 designs based on the chips have been confirmed and are already in the works from makers such as Acer, Lenovo, Asus, and MSI.

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Make Your Computer Last Longer

The average computer lasts anywhere from two-five years. Eventually, your computer will tear up beyond repair or become so out-of-date that you can no longer use the latest software or accessories along with it, and you'll have to begin the dreaded, inevitable search for a replacement. Buying a new computer is a hassle if you don't know exactly what you're looking for and you aren't familiar with what's current. And of course, with today's economy and job market, you're probably cutting corners whenever possible. New computers can be expensive. Here are a few tips on how you can make your current computer last longer.

If your computer is older and it's running well, there's no need to get rid of it just yet. If you're using it for simple tasks such as word processing, surfing the internet, or manging pictures, age shouldn't be much of a factor. Routine maintenance will keep your computer running smoothly, save you money, and maybe even extend the life of your PC.

The temperature can have a big impact on your computer and cause a lot of damage. Computers generate a lot of heat and at one time had to be stored in climate-controlled rooms. You don't need to keep your living room or home office at a set temperature, but you do want to keep your PC from overheating. Make sure it's not left in direct sun too long and make sure it's properly ventilated.

You'll also want to keep your computer clean. Extra dust on or around your PC can trap heat and making your cooling fan work even harder. This can lead to lots of wear and tear, and eventually to your fan giving out all together. Be careful where you place the computer. Putting the machine on the floor can lead to lots of dirt and dust build-up. Also avoid any rooms with heavy dust build-up. Of course, no matter how careful you are, your computer is going to accumulate some dust, so you might want to blow it out with compressed air every so often.

Laptops are becoming extremely popular and generally don't last as long as desktops. You may leave your laptop plugged in all the time, but leaving it plugged in is bad for your battery. Apple even recommends users don't keep their laptops constantly plugged in and use the battery at times. A typical battery lasts 300-500 charge cycles, but if you find your battery struggling to stay charged, replacing it is a good idea and an inexpensive way to prevent yourself from having to buy a whole new computer.

Restarting your computer is another way to keep things flowing. Most people reboot when they hit trouble, hoping for a fresh start when the computer comes back on and this is actually a good idea. However, many people also leave their computer running 24/7. There's no set time as to how often you should reboot, but rebooting can give your computer a fresh start, speed things up, and serves as a small refresher to your PC.

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Looking for Computer / PC Rental information? Visit the www.rentacomputer.com PC Rental page for your short term business PC needs. Or see this link for a complete line of Personal Computer Rentals.

Desktops Gone in Three Years?

Everyone (except maybe my parents) know that desktops are becoming less popular. People are trading in their old computers for newer, more portable models or other devices that allow them to perform many of the same functions (browse the web, check email) on the go. But while speaking at the Digital Landscapes Conference, Google Vice President of Global Ad Operations, John Herlihy, made the shocking prediction that desktops would become obsolete in as little as three years. And he says laptops aren't far behind:

"In three years time, desktops will be irrelevant. In Japan, most research is done today on smart phones, not PCs. Mobile makes the world’s information universally accessible. Because there’s more information and because it will be hard to sift through it all, that’s why search will become more and more important. This will create new opportunities for new entrepreneurs to create new business models - ubiquity first, revenue later."

But not everyone sees it that way. People from other major tech companies say that while it's true that smartphones and other similar gadgets are becoming increasingly popular, that doesn't necessarily mean desktops, and especially laptops, are going anywhere. Experts believe people will continue to brace new mobile technology, as well as keeping their home computers for other tasks, allowing the two to compliment each other.

Have you ever tried to type on a mobile phone? No matter how fancy your keyboard is, after a while, your hand's going to cramp up and increasing the size of the mobile phone is impractical. In that case, you may as well be carrying around your laptop. Tasks such as creating large word processing documents on your cell phone is probably not going to become trendy anytime in the near future which would make things so much harder on students and working professionals. The same could be said for screen size and weight. Increasing those things would defeat the purpose of having a mobile phone.

Comfort's not the only reason. First of all, battery life is a major factor. Right now, increasing battery life would mean the same thing as increasing the comfort - more power would mean larger phones. And never mind other factors such as software design. Could you imagine gaming only on your phone?

Personally, I'm not an expert, but I think laptops sales will continue to soar. I also think desktops will be around for longer than three years. They may continue to decrease and in the long run, become obsolete, but I just can't picture anyone giving up their computers in favor of mobile phones.

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Looking for Computer / PC Rental information? Visit the www.rentacomputer.com PC Rental page for your short term business PC needs. Or see this link for a complete line of Personal Computer Rentals.

Desktops Gone in Three Years?

Everyone (except maybe my parents) know that desktops are becoming less popular. People are trading in their old computers for newer, more portable models or other devices that allow them to perform many of the same functions (browse the web, check email) on the go. But while speaking at the Digital Landscapes Conference, Google Vice President of Global Ad Operations, John Herlihy, made the shocking prediction that desktops would become obsolete in as little as three years. And he says laptops aren't far behind:

"In three years time, desktops will be irrelevant. In Japan, most research is done today on smart phones, not PCs. Mobile makes the world’s information universally accessible. Because there’s more information and because it will be hard to sift through it all, that’s why search will become more and more important. This will create new opportunities for new entrepreneurs to create new business models - ubiquity first, revenue later."

But not everyone sees it that way. People from other major tech companies say that while it's true that smartphones and other similar gadgets are becoming increasingly popular, that doesn't necessarily mean desktops, and especially laptops, are going anywhere. Experts believe people will continue to brace new mobile technology, as well as keeping their home computers for other tasks, allowing the two to compliment each other.

Have you ever tried to type on a mobile phone? No matter how fancy your keyboard is, after a while, your hand's going to cramp up and increasing the size of the mobile phone is impractical. In that case, you may as well be carrying around your laptop. Tasks such as creating large word processing documents on your cell phone is probably not going to become trendy anytime in the near future which would make things so much harder on students and working professionals. The same could be said for screen size and weight. Increasing those things would defeat the purpose of having a mobile phone.

Comfort's not the only reason. First of all, battery life is a major factor. Right now, increasing battery life would mean the same thing as increasing the comfort - more power would mean larger phones. And never mind other factors such as software design. Could you imagine gaming only on your phone?

Personally, I'm not an expert, but I think laptops sales will continue to soar. I also think desktops will be around for longer than three years. They may continue to decrease and in the long run, become obsolete, but I just can't picture anyone giving up their computers in favor of mobile phones.

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Looking for Computer / PC Rental information? Visit the www.rentacomputer.com PC Rental page for your short term business PC needs. Or see this link for a complete line of Personal Computer Rentals.

Desktops Gone in Three Years?

Everyone (except maybe my parents) know that desktops are becoming less popular. People are trading in their old computers for newer, more portable models or other devices that allow them to perform many of the same functions (browse the web, check email) on the go. But while speaking at the Digital Landscapes Conference, Google Vice President of Global Ad Operations, John Herlihy, made the shocking prediction that desktops would become obsolete in as little as three years. And he says laptops aren't far behind:

"In three years time, desktops will be irrelevant. In Japan, most research is done today on smart phones, not PCs. Mobile makes the world’s information universally accessible. Because there’s more information and because it will be hard to sift through it all, that’s why search will become more and more important. This will create new opportunities for new entrepreneurs to create new business models - ubiquity first, revenue later."

But not everyone sees it that way. People from other major tech companies say that while it's true that smartphones and other similar gadgets are becoming increasingly popular, that doesn't necessarily mean desktops, and especially laptops, are going anywhere. Experts believe people will continue to brace new mobile technology, as well as keeping their home computers for other tasks, allowing the two to compliment each other.

Have you ever tried to type on a mobile phone? No matter how fancy your keyboard is, after a while, your hand's going to cramp up and increasing the size of the mobile phone is impractical. In that case, you may as well be carrying around your laptop. Tasks such as creating large word processing documents on your cell phone is probably not going to become trendy anytime in the near future which would make things so much harder on students and working professionals. The same could be said for screen size and weight. Increasing those things would defeat the purpose of having a mobile phone.

Comfort's not the only reason. First of all, battery life is a major factor. Right now, increasing battery life would mean the same thing as increasing the comfort - more power would mean larger phones. And never mind other factors such as software design. Could you imagine gaming only on your phone?

Personally, I'm not an expert, but I think laptops sales will continue to soar. I also think desktops will be around for longer than three years. They may continue to decrease and in the long run, become obsolete, but I just can't picture anyone giving up their computers in favor of mobile phones.

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Looking for Computer / PC Rental information? Visit the www.rentacomputer.com PC Rental page for your short term business PC needs. Or see this link for a complete line of Personal Computer Rentals.

Computer Magazines - HP Mini 5102

by Cisco Cheng

The HP Mini 2140 started out as a very desirable business netbook, and it just kept getting better from there. A product of two years' worth of improvements, the HP Mini 5102 is a masterfully engineered netbook that small business users, government officials, and even school children could carry around with pride. Everything about it is as impressively executed as the previous Mini 5101, from the metallic frame, the world-class keyboard and mouse buttons, to the all-day battery life. This version comes with a variety of improvements, including a new Intel Atom processor (and platform), almost 11 hours of battery life (via the optional 6-cell battery, though) , and new options for a carrying handle and touch screen. Although the $400, HP "Smartbuy" configuration, with the 29Wh battery (4-cell), is a terrific buy, we suggest paying $25 more to upgrade to the 6-cell option.

Design
The 5102 carries on the tradition of surrounding the lid with metail trim. Others, like the Nokia Booklet 3G, upped the ante by being entirely made out of metals, but the 5102 is still one of the best looking netbooks on the market. The Toshiba mini NB205 pulls off a gorgeous look with plastics, as they are textured, available in different colors, and guard against smudges and finger prints. With the previous Mini 5101, a black version was the only color option; the 5102 offers two others: Red and Blue. On select units, HP will even let you custom-configure a carrying handle that's attached to the back—ideal for school children. At 2.8 pounds (with a 6-cell battery), it's roughly the same weight as the 5101 (2.9 lbs), the NB205 (2.9 lbs), and the Samsung N120 (2.9 lbs).

Not a whole lot has changed in its interior either. The 5102 standardizes on a 10-inch widescreen and the commonly used 1,024-by-600 resolution, although a 1,366-by-768 resolution is available as a pricey option. Higher resolutions come naturally in bigger netbooks such as the HP Mini 311 (1,366-by-768) and Lenovo IdeaPad S12 (1,280-by-800); netbooks with 10-inch screens usually default to a lower resolution.

The combination of the typing and navigating experiences on the Mini 5102 is still one of the best in the industry. Though it isn't full size (95%), the island-style keyboard is well made and can accommodate those with stubby fingers. It rivals the full size ones found in the Toshiba NB205 and Lenovo S12. The mouse buttons, meanwhile, are some of the softest and most click-friendly around.

Features
The Mini 5102 has one of the strongest feature sets in its class. The standard ones include a fast spinning (7200rpm), 160GB hard drive, three USB ports, Ethernet, media card reader, and VGA Out. Wireless cards include Bluetooth and 802.11n Wi-Fi on a standard configuration; HP is offering embedded 3G (through Qualcomm's Gobi) as an option. Other options, such as a higher capacity hard drive (250GB), SSDs, and a Broadcom HD decoder chip, were carried over from the 5101. The touch screen option, on the other hand, is the newest addition, which will let your fingers do the navigating. The only other netbook that will have this many options is the Dell Mini 10.

The 5102 comes with a wealth of software—almost too much in some cases. But the useful ones include Quicklook and Quickweb—pre-boot environments that sync with Microsoft Outlook and accesses a Web browser and wireless, respectively. HP is also throwing in Corel Home Office, so you don't necessarily have to purchase a Microsoft Office license, say, for your business. The 5102 also includes many of the HP "ProtectTools" that have made the Elitebook and ProBook business lines so well known. 

Performance
A new Intel processor and surrounding components usually imply faster speeds. But even though the 5102 graduates to the 1.67GHz, Intel Atom N450 processor and new GMA 3150 graphics, its performance on our benchmark tests don't bear that out. Compared with the HP 5101, the 5102 actually suffered in performance tests such as SYSMark 2007 Preview and Windows Media Encoder 9 (video encoding). Its SYSMark Overall score trailed the 5101 and Toshiba NB205 by three points, while video encoding tests fell behind by 14 seconds. Keep in mind, though, this unit tested with Windows 7 Starter, a more demanding OS, instead of Windows XP Home Edition. In the real world, regardless of operating systems, these speed differences are negligible.

Despite the lack of speed improvements, using Intel's new Atom platform did have a huge impact on one performance aspect—battery life. On MobileMark 2007, the 5102 scored almost 11 hours (10:52) with a 6-cell battery. Granted, this is a higher capacity (66Wh) 6-cell than the one previously used by the 5101 (55Wh), so credit should be given to the size of the battery, as well as a more energy efficient platform. Eleven hours of battery life easily bested the 5101 (7:20) and the NB205 (8:27). Unfortunately, the $400 configuration includes a 29Wh (4-cell) battery only, which netted 4 hours 5 minute score in MobileMark tests—a far cry from what was achieved with the 6-cell battery. I'd opt for upgrading to the 6-cell battery for $25 more.

HP is a colossal company, with many environmentally-conscious practices already in place. The 5102 is certified under Energy Star's 5.0 specifications and easily meets RoHS requirements. Because it has an excellent recycling program in place and eliminates hazardous materials from its parts by using components such as an LED screen, the 5102 also qualified for EPEAT Gold. Our own tests, using a P3 International Kill-A-Watt meter, revealed an energy reading of 11 Watts during idle state—3 Watts below Energy Star's threshold. Taking all of this into consideration, the 5102 easily earned our GreenTech seal of approval.

Despite a high cost premium over netbooks such as the Toshiba mini NB205 ($400) and Samsung N120 ($380), the HP Mini 5102 remains one of my top netbook recommendations (though the Toshiba mini NB205 is still king of the hill, so to speak). Its use of metals and what seems like unlimited add-on features are tops among netbook manufacturers. Though there weren't any improvements in raw horsepower, the 5102 receives a new 6-cell battery, which drained well past the 10-hour mark. Too bad, though, that many of the 5102's "optional" features, are costly add-ons. Still, it's worth spending the extra money on top of the $400 "SmartBuy" configuration. 

Computer Magazines - Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 13

by Cisco Cheng

Lenovo's ThinkPad series has clung to the same corporate look longer than any other in the business, but it could only go so long before customers get the impression that they're buying the same thing over and over again. So how do you redesign something that's considered blasphemy to redesign? Well, you take baby steps. Case in point: the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 13 ($899 direct). In terms of industrial design, the ThinkPad Edge 13 is a compelling makeover for a laptop that bears the sacred ThinkPad seal. It even dared to alter the prized keyboard while keeping its signature Trackpoint and mouse buttons. As a category, the Edge 13 is a CULV laptop, meaning it carries Intel's ultra low voltage processor and gets you at least 7 hours of battery life. It's a decent entry-level laptop for a small business.

Design
Aside from the black color and the familiar ThinkPad logo, the Edge 13 bears little resemblance to the ThinkPad X301. The lid is trimmed with silver and it's glossy, destined to be laden with finger prints and smudges. A matted black and a red version will be available as well, paring down the unsightly marks. Overall, though, the new design lacks the luxurious appeal of aluminum metals, which can be found in lightweight laptops like the HP ProBook 5310m and ASUS UL30A-A1.

At 3.9 pounds, the Edge 13 weighs about the same as the ASUS UL30A-A1 (3.9 lbs) and HP 5310m (3.8 lbs). The Acer Aspire Timeline AS3810T (3.6 lbs) and Dell Vostro V13 (3.6 lbs) are lighter and measure less than an inch thick (the Edge 13's dimensions are slightly thicker at 12.9-by-9-by-1.1 inches, HWD). A 13-inch widescreen is the common denominator among this group, and the one on the Edge 13 is generic at best in that its resolution tops out at 1,366-by-768—like the rest of them. Upgrading to a class-act like the Lenovo ThinkPad X301, on the other hand, bumps the maximum resolution to 1,440-by-900.

Features
The keyboard is perhaps the ThinkPad's most celebrated feature, and changing it would be considered sacrilegious to some. Apparently, that's exactly what Lenovo did with the Edge line, although the actual typing experience might surprise you. The Edge 13 adopts the island-style layout made popular by the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch, and used in consumer ultra-low voltage (CULV) CPU-equipped laptops like the Acer AS3810T and ASUS UL30A-1—and it's the best one yet.

The keys are isolated from one other, but they're large enough so that it doesn't feel like typing on little squares. Each key cap is curved and raised high enough so that the ThinkPad "feeling" is still there, once you get past the new look. The transition is made even easier by bringing over the original ThinkPad navigating experience. So, yes, the signature red pointing stick and soft mouse buttons are present, as well as the additional touchpad and another pair of mouse buttons.

The Edge 13's feature set isn't better or worse than any other CULV or small business laptop. Like its peers, it doesn't have an internal optical drive, which isn't necessarily a flaw. I'm a big proponent of getting of rid it in lightweight form factors. The Lenovo X301, if you choose to upgrade, has one built-in. The three USB ports, VGA, Ethernet, and multimedia card reader are all present. The HDMI-port lets users stream their presentations and videos to an external display that supports the format. It also has an option for WiMax through Intel, and embedded 3G, with Qualcomm's Gobi wireless.

Performance
The Edge 13 is one of the few laptops that are not launching with Intel's latest "Arrandale" platform, which will have processor names like Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3. Instead, it uses a previous generation CULV platform, complete with an Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 (1.3GHz), 4GB of RAM, and integrated graphics. These processors are slightly slower, but what you lose in speed, you'll gain back in battery efficiency. The UL30A-A1, Dell Vostro V13, and Acer Timeline AS3810T follow the same processor principles, as they use similar Ultra Low Voltage processors.

The Edge 13 fared the worst in PCMark Vantage, an overall performance benchmark test, scoring just 2,338 points. Its video encoding and Cinebench R10 scores were in line with that of the ASUS UL30A-A1, but trailed the Acer AS3810T by a significant margin. The ProBook 5310m, on the other hand, uses a standard voltage processor (Intel Core 2 Duo SP9300), so it took the middle ground, favoring both speed and battery life and therefore dominated in speed tests.

With CULV laptops, battery life is the biggest claim to fame. Although the Edge 13's 63WH (6-cell) scored almost 7 hours (6:58) in MobileMark 2007 tests, it came up well short against the ASUS UL30A-A1 (10:27) and ASUS A3810T (8:39). The Edge 13 did beat the 5310m (5:18), though, since it uses a more energy efficient processor and a bigger battery.

Since Lenovo's acquisition of the ThinkPad brand, it hasn't launched another line with the ThinkPad moniker until now. The ThinkPad Edge 13 lives up to its namesake's typing and navigating experience, though its shiny plastics aren't as classy as the metals found in the HP ProBook 5310m and the Asus UL30A-A1. And while 7 hours of battery life is commendable, other CULVs are scoring in the 8-10 hour range and selling for less. It's still a solid buy, though, if you can snag it for less than its listed price ($899). Otherwise, go with the HP 5310m or ASUS UL30A-A1.

Computer Magazines - Sony VAIO VPC-L117FX/B

Editors' Note: The Sony VAIO VPC-L117FX/B initial run of units has sold out. According to Sony, the system will be available once again in Feburary 2010.

by Joel Santo Domingo

Among the all in one all-in-one desktop PC, the Sony VAIO VPC-L117FX/B ($2,000 list) is certainly one of the best looking. It has the look of a 24-inch HDTV, an intentional design choice. Inside that sexy shell is the heart of a power user's PC: quad-core Intel processor, 6GB of memory, 1TB hard drive, Blu-ray burner, and a decent Nvidia graphics card. Placement in the kitchen, den, home office, and living room come to mind, but like its Sony VAIO all in one predecessors, it will even work in the most design critical room in the house: the bedroom.

Design
The VAIO VPC-L117FX/B looks like it could be a Sony Bravia HDTV. That is one of its greatest strengths, since it can blend in anywhere a smaller (20- to 36-inch) HDTV fits. It can even replace a TV in the bedroom, since it has a built-in Blu-ray drive, ATSC tuner, and HDMI-in ports. Viewing Blu-ray videos on the VAIO give you that "view through a window" effect that makes it seem like the action is happening on the other side of the display glass. We tested the system with films made before (Coming to America, The Warriors) and after the advent of CGI (Star Trek, Mission Impossible II). All of the films looked great. The picture is vivid, accurate, and noise-free. The HDMI-in port lets you connect a game system like a Sony Playstation 3 or a set-top box like the one from you cable TV company. The built-in tuner grabs over the air HDTV signals and displays them in Windows 7's built-in Media Center interface. There's a slot built into the base of the unit, so you can stow the wireless keyboard out of the way when you're not using it, and the keyboard and mouse can easily reach a bed or couch 10 to 15 feet away. The system is wall mountable with a kit you can buy separately.

The all-in-one comes with five USB ports, a FireWire/i.Link port, and that 24-inch 1,920 by 1,080 resolution screen (which is true 1080p HD). This is truly a power-users' system, and it better be one for $2,000. The system also comes with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and an IR remote control so you can work almost completely wireless.

Features
The system's touchscreen is responsive, though it takes a few seconds for your finger to learn exactly where to point to get the screen to recognize your commands. The HP TouchSmart systems are a little more forgiving with finger placement, but both the Sony and HP all in one PC's screens are multi-touch enabled and can use standard Windows 7 touch command functions like swipe, flick, pinch, and rotate. The system's quad-core processor makes the Sony VPC-L117FX/B just a little more responsive than the TouchSmart 600, but you're unlikely to notice the difference unless you have the two side by side. Aside from the usual Windows 7 apps, the VAIO VPC-L117FX/B comes with VAIO Media Gallery, a unified multimedia viewing interface that lets you quickly view all your music, photos, and videos on a variety of formats, including neat calendar-organized formats. This serves a range of users from the "messy but organized" types to the obsessive compulsives that have to have their photos organized by time stamps. Media Gallery allows you to group photos arbitrarily or via searchable criteria; then you can create a quick slideshow with a couple of touches, then export to VAIO Movie Story. VAIO Movie Story is a quick way to create well, if not edited, then concatenated home movie made of your pictures, clips from your digital camera, and clips from your cell phone. Movie Story can either use music you choose, or it will check the videos with an algorithm and automatically suggest or add music. You can then burn the resulting movie to DVD or Blu-ray disc, save the file in a variety of media formats (including MPEG-2, MP4, etc.), or export your file to a Sony Media device like a PSP or a Mylo. I'd like to see an integrated export to iTunes/iPod or better yet an export to Facebook or Youtube, but you could of course do that manually after you create a file.

The VAIO VPC-L117FX/B comes with Google's Chrome as its default browser, but like all Windows 7 PCs, it also comes with Internet Explorer 8. I found that touch navigation works better in IE8, since I couldn't scroll slowly in Chrome—it only recognized flick commands like page forward/back and page up/down. Scrolling up and down in IE8 using finger gestures was smooth and worked as expected. I'm sure Google will improve the interface over time, but for now IE8 is the better touch-enabled browser on the VAIO.

Aside from the useful software above, there's very little in the way of bloatware on the VAIO VPC-L117FX/B. There's a copy of Microsoft Works, which is useful. Then there's an installer for a 60-day trial of Microsoft Office, which is the right way to both satisfy Microsoft's agreements with Sony, and to avoid the dreaded "pre-installed Office" syndrome. Likewise, there's a link to Quicken's Website for offers on QuickBooks and Quicken, but you have to download and install them. Believe me, this is a good thing. You don't have to install Office or Quickbooks unless you want to, so there's nothing to clean up and therefore no stray .DLL files or leftover detritus to muck up your hard drive. If there's any drawback to the Sony VAIO Media software, it's that it's not as modular as HP's TouchSmart interface, with its widgets and iPod Touch-style apps. On the other hand, VAIO Media Gallery and Movie Story are some of the most intuitive and easiest to use pack-in multimedia apps outside of Apple's iLife (iMovie, iDVD, etc.).

Performance
Sony VAIO VPC-L117FX/B The VAIO VPC-L117FX/B's performance is very good, thanks to its Intel Core 2 Quad 8400S processor and Nvidia GeForce GT 240M graphics, though it's tied for the class leader in only one of our standard benchmark tests. The VAIO is speedy at the PhotoShop CS4 test with a class-leading 1 minute 39 seconds, tied with the Gateway One ZX6810-01. It's also only one second behind the Gateway FX6810-01 at the Windows Media Encoder test (43 seconds), which makes the VAIO VPC-L117FX/B an excellent choice for the multimedia enthusiast. It's other scores are competitive in the field of multimedia all in one desktops, including the dual-core powered Apple iMac 27-inch (Core 2 Duo), Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 (3011-4BU), and the Editor's Choice HP TouchSmart 600-1055 PC. The VAIO VPC-L117FX/B can be used for light gaming: it played World in Conflict at a smooth 39 frames per second (fps), but is a little too slow playing Crysis at our standard settings (30fps). If you push the quality levels and/or resolution down you can likely get a playable frame rate in Crysis. The GPU does help with programs like Microsoft's Virtual Earth and HD video playback from the web.

As a high-end all-in-one desktop PC, the Sony VAIO VPC-L117FX/B is a little pricey at about $2,000, but you can just about rationalize the added expense if you consider the system has one of the best quality screens in the business, Blu-ray burner (as opposed to just a player for the Lenovo A600 and HP TouchSmart 600), and its looks more like an HDTV than a PC, unlike the iMac, Gateway One, Lenovo IdeaCentre, and HP TouchSmart. That said, these other four are a lot less expensive, especially in the case of the Gateway One and Lenovo A600 (both $1,399 list). The Gateway One is the performance leader overall, with a speedy Solid State Drive (SSD) helping its quad-core processor take five wins out of the seven benchmark tests. However, the Editor's Choice winning HP TouchSmart 600-1055 has the most polished implementation of touch technology in Windows 7, along with the best bang for the buck ($1,599 list) out of all the multimedia all in ones. The Sony VAIO VPC-L117FX/B is a "better quality" choice if you're willing to spend the bucks, but you'd have to be a individual who's really hard to please to justify an almost $500 price premium.

Computer Magazines - Is the iPad enterprise-ready? Probably not, but I'll still buy one

The iPad will be at best no more enterprise-friendly than the iPhone, though VDI options could make it work for some shops

Before I say another word, let me first proclaim I am not an iPad hater. I am already on a list to buy one. I will be the first one on my block, in my city, maybe even my state to own one. But it is not coming with me to work, even if it does contain a version of iWork. The iPad is a great tool for mobile Web surfing (which is, let's face it, pitiful on a smartphone's small screen), a great way to show pictures, and a nice e-book reader. But it is not enterprise-ready!

At least that is what I'm told. But -- wait a minute -- has this thing been released yet? Are we saying it is impossible for Apple to add features between now and the release date (somewhere around the end of March, beginning of April)? Are we saying it isn't possible for vendors to develop more enterprise-ready apps?

[ Read Randall C. Kennedy's very reasonable approach to why a netbook trumps the iPad in "iPad, the netbook killer? I think not!" Then check out Galen Gruman's equally compelling argument "Apple's iPad will kill the iPhone -- and the mobile Web." ]

The iPad's native failings
It's very possible that some of the enterprise limitations may be hurdles that cannot be overcome until a later version of the iPad is released (as was the case with the original iPhone). Let's consider two failing points for enterprise usage for the iPad:

    * The iPad cannot multitask. The iPad simply cannot do more than one thing at a time. Again, I don't think Version 2 will have that issue, but until we see the next iteration, we can't be too sure. Personally, I thought this first version would have a camera, webcam, and more, so I'm surprised that Apple is releasing it knowing that it will endure more criticism than praise.
    * It's hard to control app delivery. Unless your business is a hodgepodge of technologies with people using whatever they want, the lack of app-installation controls through group policies or any other standard method for deploying apps just isn't going to work on the iPad. It's unclear whether Apple's iPhone Configuration Utility and its iTunes-based app-management capability will work with the iPad (Apple hasn't said), but even if they do, they're not suited for managing more than a few dozen local users.

Then there are the issues many IT shops have around the iPhone's limited support of Exchange ActiveSync policies, which presumably the iPad will also support. I say "presumably" because Apple's Web site never mentions Exchange e-mail in the context of the iPad, and a 451 Group analyst claims that Apple has stripped out the iPhone's Exchange, VPN, and configuration management capabilities from the iPad. The analyst, Chris Hazelton, tells InfoWorld that he made this statement because Apple's documentation did not mention these capabilities at all, and Apple has not responded to his requests to verify his assumption they had been removed from the iPad. (Apple did not respond to InfoWorld either when we asked for verification.)

The VDI possibility
Citrix Systems plans to deliver an iPad client that can run Windows 7 from the iPad, based on the same capability in its Citrix Receiver iPhone app. This would essentially turn your iPad into a thin client, perfect for VDI deployments of Windows 7. This thin-client approach eliminates issues around multitasking, application delivery, and security. Basically, it says to users, "Use whatever system you like, so long as you can RDP in." Logically, Citrix is working on its own version of this to work with Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp, but you can bet there will be other VDI offerings from other vendors.

One possible downside to the VDI approach is that the iPad is a touchscreen device, and its virtual keyboard and screen-based gestures may not work well through an RDP session. Also, while the iPad will support keyboards, I haven't seen a mouse connection in the mix just yet.

What is great about the VDI approach is that businesses are already considering VDI deployments and thinking about using their XP-era PCs as the terminals to Windows 7 RDP. How great would it be for a user to connect to Windows 7 from a desktop via VDI solution while at their desk, then walk into a conference room and grab the iPad to bring their Windows 7 session with them? The screen isn't huge, but it may be big enough. The iPad's 9.7-inch screen size is close to the typical netbook range of 10.1 to 11.6 inches, after all.

All the leading netbooks have an integrated webcam -- the iPad doesn't, but maybe Version 2 will, or someone will create a plug-in accessory. However, netbooks are at least a pound heavier the 1.5-pound iPad. Disk space becomes a moot point if you are using the iPad for personal use externally and as a VDI thin client internally.

Netbooks have the edge, but I'll get an iPad anyhow
Still -- and this doesn't happen often -- I'm going to side with my esteemed colleague Randall C. Kennedy on this one. He makes a great case for why the netbook is a better enterprise solution for a person who wants or needs mobility and requires something in between a laptop and a mobile phone.

Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to seeing what the new Windows 7 tablets bring to the discussion over the iPad, as well as seeing if iPad Version 2 comes to the table with a more enterprise-friendly offer, as Apple did with the iPhone.

Right now, I don't think the iPad is enterprise-ready. And I don't think Apple cares. For that matter, neither do I. I'm buying one -- even if I have to pack my laptop along when I take trips. With the iPad, it'll still easier to watch movies and read books on the plane.

Where do you stand? In your industry, do you see a positive use for the iPad from an enterprise perspective? Would using it as a thin client be a motivating factor to allow these in-house?

This article, "Is the iPad enterprise-ready? Probably not, but I'll still buy one," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Follow the latest developments in desktop virtualization, the iPad, and netbooks at InfoWorld.com.

Computer Magazines - FCC Worries That iPad Will Clog the Internet

by  Chloe Albanesius
Will Apple's new iPad tablet create network mayhem? Two Federal Communications Commission officials have some concerns, and are likening the possible logjam to traffic issues that confronted AOL in the 1990s.

"Apple's iPad announcement has set off a new round of reports of networks unburdened by a data flow they were not built to handle," Phil Bellaria, director of scenario planning for broadband, and John Leibovitz, deputy chief of the FCC's wireless telecom bureau, wrote in a Monday blog post. "These problems are reminiscent of the congestion dialup users experienced following AOL's 1996 decision to allow unlimited Internet use."

The increased use of smartphones, 3G netbooks, and in the coming months, the iPad "demonstrate that wireless broadband will be a hugely important part of the broadband ecosystem as we move ahead," they wrote.

AOL solved its problem by upgrading modems and servers, and wireless providers can do the same, but only if they have adequate spectrum, Bellaria and Leibovitz wrote.

The national broadband plan currently in the works at the FCC "will suggest ways of moving more spectrum into high value uses, such as broadband access, to help ensure that we don't get stuck in 1997 dialup-style congestion," they said.

"With the iPad pointing to even greater demand for mobile broadband on the horizon, we must ensure that network congestion doesn't choke off a service that consumers clearly find so appealing or frustrate mobile broadband's ability to keep us competitive in the global broadband economy," the duo concluded.

The stimulus package passed in early 2009 ordered the FCC to deliver a national broadband plan to Congress by February 2010. The commission was recently granted a two-month extension after the commission said it needed more time to sort through submitted comments and information gathered at public hearings.

11.6-inch Alienware M11x gaming notebook is available for pre-order

The site of Dell an opportunity to order an ultraportable gaming notebook Alienware M11x, choose a complete set. It was presented at CES 2010, and now available for sale. Deliveries will begin approximately a month later - on March 1. Alienware M11x - a 11.6-inch notebook on the basis of energy-efficient processors Intel Pentium SU4100 Core 2 Duo SU7300. The amount of memory in such a small device can be up to 8 GB. Drives are hard drives up to 500 GB or 256 GB SSD.

The advantage of Alienware M11x is the performance graphics adapter NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M. Wireless capabilities are a standard Wi-Fi and optional Bluetooth 2.1 and 3G (Gobi chipset with GPS). Also mentioned that the battery life of this gaming notebook is 6.5 hours, although not in the mode of continuous gameplay. This ultraporativny laptop could easily serve, for example, a complementary solution for hard-core gamers, which can take on the road. Cost Alienware M11x starts at $ 799.

Netbook Packard Bell dot s2 - 10 o'clock battery life

The new netbook dot s2 dopolnid line of Ultra-Mobile devices from Packard Bell. It combines a 10.1-inch display, 10 hours of battery life, style and portability. According to Packard Bell, dot s2 differs most wide screen among all offered on the market similar devices. dot s2 from Packard Bell can stay in touch through such features as a webcam and integrated microphone, Wi-Fi (802.11 b / g / n) and Bluetooth 2.1 or advanced features 3G and Bluetooth connectivity, depending on configuration.

Netbook is more compact than a conventional journal: a width of 258 mm and a height of 185 mm and a thickness of slightly less than an inch for convenience and carry, easy - the maximum weight of 1.25 kg with battery of 6 cells and 1.1 kg with battery on 3 cell. The new design allows you to fully put the battery in 6 cells at the bottom of the base, slightly raising body for easy text input.

Lithium-ion battery for 6-cell provides up to 10 hours of battery life combined with the new processor Intel Atom N450, which allows you to reduce power consumption while increasing performance. Packard Bell notes that the dot s2 suitable for editing photos and video, and offers more storage and file sharing: in particular, the hard drive up to 250 GB Card Reader "5-in-1" and the full version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 .

dot s2 with 10.1-inch wide-screen will appear in retail sales for the provisional price of 14,000 rubles from pre-OS Microsoft Windows 7 Starter or Microsoft Windows XP. Availability and specifications vary by country.

Miniature Laptop Packard Bell EasyNote Butterfly xs with built-in optical drive

Company Packard Bell has expanded its series of ultraportable laptop model EasyNote Butterfly xs, which, in her words, was specially created for the category of users who appreciate style and need a laptop and a full-featured laptop all day long.

The company notes that its stylish EasyNote Butterfly xs easy to carry and is ideal for fans of mobile entertainment: it has built-in optical drive, full-size keyboard with integrated numeric keypad and the battery is capable of supporting up to 8 hours of battery life.

In addition, this model is equipped with 11.6-inch display with high resolution (1366 x 768 pixels), HDMI port, built-in optical drive, webcam, network support, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), 3G, Bluetooth 2.1 and has more advanced graphics capabilities. This EasyNote Butterfly xs in a compact design and light weight (1.6 kg), which allows it to fit into any bag or backpack.

In addition to the above, there is also a place card reader, hard drives up to 640 GB of software packages (Nero 9 Essentials, full version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 and CyberLink PowerDVD), as well as multisensory panels, designed to provide additional convenience of scrolling, turning pages, zooming and turning the images. A hardware key Packard Bell XSync with USB interface to provide a simple way to synchronize EasyNote Butterfly xs with a desktop PC.

Notebook Packard Bell EasyNote Butterfly xs with the operating system Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium will appear in retail sales in the winter of this year on the approximate price of 18000 rubles. depending on the configuration.

Will Desktops Ever Make a Comeback?

Laptops are becoming increasingly popular. Personally, I haven't owned a desktop in five years and don't see myself ever going back to being desktop-only household. Nothing beats using my wireless laptop from anywhere in my home. If I'm cooking from a recipe I found online, I just put the computer on my kitchen counter. If I'm sick, tired or just being lazy, I can take the laptop to bed with me. And on nice spring days, I can work outside, on my porch, vs. being tied to my desk and stuck inside all day. Not to mention I can take my computer with me anywhere I go, whether it be a vacation or to a coffee shop with free Wi-Fi.

But it seems as though I'm not alone. Desktop sales are falling and laptop sales on the rise. Does that mean desktops are gone forever? Not according to a few people at AMD and Via.

Patrick Moorehead, a vice president at AMD, told the New York Times he sees the computers reemerging as "small form-factor desktop[s]." Via Vice President Richard Brown is also optimistic, asserting that desktops in the corporate world are not going away anytime soon.

But according to research firm IDC, desktop shipments will decline over the next few years. In the United States, in 2009 alone, desktop shipments were expected to drop 14.2%. In 2010, they will fall another 3.6% and 1.9% in 2011. However, international desktop shipment numbers look a little different. While shipments were expected to decline 12.9% in 2009, they are expected to gradually rise again in the following years: 0.1% in 2010, 1.6% in 2011, 2.0% in 2012 and 0.9% in 2013.

According to Brown, that worldwide increase can be attributed to Asia, "In China and elsewhere, those people have started to desire a real computer when they get home. They want a bigger screen and more power. The desktop offers that."

Even so, laptops and other portable computer shipments are expected to increase at unbelievable, double-digit rates over the next four years, due to the fact that users are becoming increasingly mobile. There's no question notebook computers will continue to dominate the market in the near future but as for the desktop, only time will tell what becomes of it.

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Children's Laptop OLPC XO 1.5 will work with Windows 7

A non-profit organization One Laptop per Child (OLPC) has announced plans to produce laptops for children. Its purpose is to provide 500 million children's mini-laptops, which can be used for educational purposes. This is especially important for developing countries. The first OLPC XO laptop already received 1.4 million children in 35 countries, and after him come out new models.

OLPC XO 1.5 - will be executed in the same design as the XO 1.0, just replace the AMD processor in a more productive VIA. In addition, the XO 1.5 will be 4 times greater volume of operational and flash memory. New children's laptop will be released in January 2010 and will cost about $ 200. Interestingly, he will work with both Linux and Windows. Preliminary data suggest that this will be a new version - Windows 7, moreover, some sources predict that the project in general deviate from the concept of Open Source.

OLPC XO 1.75 - a mini-laptop with a design almost like a predecessor, but with a rubberised surface of the shell. The device receives 8.9-inch touch screen and an ARM processor from Marvell. Its performance will be twice as much, and power consumption of only one quarter of the rate of previous models. OLPC XO 1.75 will be released in early 2011 and will cost only $ 150 or even less.

OLPC XO 3.0 - the device in the new design in the form of a thin flexible plastic sheet with the sensor surface. We already wrote about it in the news in some detail, there are already pictures of the concept XO 3.0. This model will be released in 2012 and will be even cheaper: it costs not to exceed $ 100.

Broadcom BCM70015 - a new version of Crystal HD graphics accelerator for netbooks

Well-known manufacturer of chips for mobile devices company Broadcom introduced an updated version of its Crystal HD graphics accelerator designed for use in netbooks and notebooks. This single-chip device called the BCM70015 is designed to solve one of the major challenges of mobile computers - poor job with graphics and video. Incidentally, note that the new chip came immediately after the announcement of its new Intel "nuclear" platform Pine Trail.

New Crystal HD Video accelerator from Broadcom is a multimedia co-processor, capable to cope with Full HD video playback as 1080p. However, from the information provided in the announcement, it is unclear exactly what the new chip is different from its predecessor. Probably, the new coprocessor Broadcom BCM70015 will be presented in two forms - in the form of an integrated solution built into the motherboard, as well as a separate PCIe card. The latter option can connect to virtually any laptop with an open slot.

Also reported that the new chip is Broadcom BCM70015 supports Windows Media Player 12, Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and other software media players. Besides, it can play Blu-ray content, as well as many video formats, including H.264/AVC, MPEG-2, VC-1, WMV9, MPEG-4, DivX, Xvid, and AVS.

DreamBook Light U11 - 11,6-inch laptop on the platform Intel CULV

The company Pioneer Computers Australia introduced the 11.6-inch notebook DreamBook Light U11, executed on the platform of Intel CULV. One of the features of the model is a large number of possible options: you can actually build a working model of a thin to full business notebook. Laptop screen has a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The buyer has the opportunity to choose among the dual-core processor SU2300, or SU4100, Core 2 Solo SU7300, or Core 2 Duo (SU9400 and SU9600). RAM expandable to 4 GB, optional installation of built-in communication module 3G.

Implementation of disk space Light U11 can be accomplished in two ways. This can be a solid-state drive capacity of up to 256 GB, and conventional hard drives up to 1 TB. Graphics chipset before Intel GS40 UMA, there are VGA and HDMI video outputs, modules, wireless Wi-Fi (802.11 b / g / n), and 1.3-megapixel webcam. Notebook is equipped with three ports, USB 2.0, multiformat card reader (supports memory card formats, SD / MMC / MS / MS Pro) and Ethernet port. Bluetooth module provides optional. Standard features include a 4-cell lithium-polymer battery with capacity 4600 mAh. Dimensions notebook are 289,7 x201, 5x26, 9 mm. Weight with battery is less than 1,4 kg.