This is the Razer Blade.

The first wave of available Razer Blade units has been sold out within 30 minutes, according to the company’s post on Facebook.

Razer didn’t reveal how many units they sold, but they said that the company is working hard to meet the demand and get the notebook back in stock by mid February.

The long anticipated and expensive ($2,799) gaming laptop was announced back in August and expected to arrive in Q4 last year, but it was delayed. The 0.88″ thin Razer Blade has a 17.3-inch full HD display accompanied by a smaller secondary multi-touch screen. Inside there are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M 2GB dedicated graphics and the Intel Core i7-2640M dual core CPU, which are mediocre components when compared to those in other gaming notebooks. However, Blade’s design is unique and it’s certainly the thinnest 17.3″ mobile gaming rig.

Via: Neowin

This is how design of the Asus N6 N46, N56, and N76 Series looks like.

Besides the gaming G5 series, Asustek had on the 2012 CES show the Asus N6 multimedia-oriented laptops on display.

As same as the G5, the N6 will be based on the 3rd-generation Intel Core Ivy Bridge processors. The notebooks will be offered with the Ivy Bridge Core i5 and i7, Nvidia GeForce 500-series GPUs (not 600-series?), and optional Blu-ray optical drives. They will be delivered in three screen sizes, like the current N5 with 14″ N45, 15.6″ N55, and 17.3″ N75. According to the naming scheme for the N series, their model names will be Asus N46, N56, and N76.

In the video below uploaded by the laptop maker, you can see one of these models. The laptop has a case made of aluminum on both base and lid, and the design is simpler, sleeker and more elegant than on the N5 series. Since it’s optimized for multimedia and casual gaming, it has a glossy display finish for richer colors. In addition, the sound system is developed by Bang & Olufsen. The keyboard is chiclet style, which is another difference when compared to the N5.

The N46 / N56 / N76 will arrive in late Q2 this year. Prices are currently unknown.

Source: Campus Life

ARM-optimized Windows 8 is expected to have a significant role on the tablet computer market, since it will enable Windows to run on cheap and power efficient chipsets such as Nvidia Tegra. The tablet market is currently dominated by Apple’s iOS and Google Android and Windows is currently used only on tablets with x86 Intel and AMD chips, which at this stage have much greater power consumption than ARM parts.

This is a Windows 8 Metro UI screenshot.

However, it’s not clear if current Windows software makers will widely support ARM platform, because in many cases it requires programs to be specially coded to run on ARM.

Maybe that will make Intel’s Medfield x86 smartphone and tablet platform, with hardware characteristics similar to those of ARM platforms, more competitive on the mobile computing market.

Source: CNet | Via: Liliputing

The CPU is a 32nm “Sandy Bridge” part with integrated Intel HD Graphics, 2MB of L2 cache, 64-bit support, and a power consumption of 35W.

Toshiba Satellite C655 Laptop with Intel Celeron B815

In PasMark’s database, we have found a benchmark result for the B815 with a score of 1,346 points, but we doubt that the result is accurate, since it’s lower than B800′s score of 1,509.

The B815 can be already found in some entry-level Toshiba and Acer systems, with prices of around $400.

Alongside the B815, Intel has launched the single core B720, as well as ultra-low voltage Celeron 867 dual-core and 797 parts, but laptops with these CPUs are not available yet on the market. The previous similar Intel chips are used very rarely.

The 17.3″ Asus G75 and 15.6″ Asus G55 were captured in two separate videos at 2012 CES. Both notebooks will come with the Intel Ivy Bridge processors, officially called 3rd Generation Intel Core, and Nvidia’s next-gen GeForce “Kepler” gaming-class GPUs. It’s not exactly known which GeForce video card models will be used in the G75 and G55. The current G-series Asus laptops don’t come with the top-of-the-line Nvidia GTX 580M, so there’s a possibility that the G75/G55 won’t include the most powerful GPU option from the upcoming GeForce lineup either. (Note: If we understood the translation of a ComputerBase.de article correctly, the laptops will come with the GeForce GTX 670M.)

Asus G75, G55 Laptop Design

The specifications sheets show that the 2012 mobile gaming rigs by Asus will include up to 1.5TB of traditional or hybrid HDD storage using dual-hard drive setups. There’s also a 256GB SSD option, as well as maximal 16GB of 1600MHz memory, and DVD burner, Blu-ray combo, and Blu-ray writer options. Display resolution choices include FHD and HD+, 1920×1080 and 1600×900 translated to pixels, and there’s a 3D screen option. Other specs include 5.1-channel sound support, and an HD webcam.

Design hasn’t changed much. It’s still inspired by stealth aircrafts and sports large dual vents on the back.

We’re not sure if weight of these laptops is a concern for gamers, but let’s say the G75 and G55 weigh 4.3 and 3.8 kilograms, respectively.

Of course, there’s no word on pricing at this time. Asus is expected to release the laptops in April.

In addition, Asus showcased at the CES some standard laptops, such as the new K and N series.

Via: Notebook Review Forums

The IdeaPad Y470p shares the same design and most of the specs with the standard Y470, but packs the AMD Radeon HD 7690M 1GB dedicated graphics instead of the Nvidia GeForce (up to the GT 550M 1GB). The Y470p offered via Lenovo.com is a non-customizable configuration with the Intel Core i7-2670QM quad-core processor, 8GB RAM, a 500GB HDD, DVD burner, Bluetooth, and Win 7 Home Premium OS. The display resolution is 1366×768.

This is the Lenovo IdeaPad Y470p.

According to Notebook Check’s laptop video card comparison, the Radeon 7690M is only slightly faster than the GeForce GT 550M. In another comparison, the Y470p with the coupon code WKLYDEALSY470P applied costs $799, whereas the Y470 with the GT550M and a Blu-ray combo instead of DVD writer is $849 after the WKLYDEALSY470 coupon.

Overall, no big news this time, but it’s nice to have another option available for those who don’t want to wait for the IdeaPad Y480 to hit the market. Additionally, it’s questionable if the Y480 will bring any significant improvement over the current Y470/Y470p series. So far we know that the Y480 will come with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M GPU, but it’s neither clear if it will be a much faster graphics option than the current GPU offerings nor if the laptop will ship with the next-gen Intel Ivy Bridge laptop processors.

Below is a promo video for the Y470p.

The AMD-based X130e is cheaper, with prices starting at $429. It comes with the AMD Fusion E-300 or E-450 APU, whereas the Intel-powered version starts at $549 and ships with the Core i3-2367M ULV processor. Both come with up to 8GB RAM, up to 500GB HDD or a 128GB SSD, Windows 7 Home Premium or Pro, and optional mobile broadband connection.

The estimated ship date for the laptop is 02/13/12. Although its designed for students, it’s also offered to businesses and consumers.

For more info you can visit the Lenovo store or check out our previous post about the X130e with video included.

The Daily says they have checked out a Windows 8-based Asus laptop prototype with an array of motion sensors built into notebook’s top bezel, while on the lower bezel there’s a set of what appears to be LEDs.

“In terms of functionality, there are hundreds of different ways that motion control could be leveraged in a portable. Gaming has the most obvious applications, but a Kinect-enabled laptop could also toggle between programs with the wave of a hand, or media controls could be tweaked with the wag of a finger. What’s more, motion-controlled portables could offer a new way for disabled individuals to interact with their devices,” The Daily reports.

At the Kinect for Windows launch at the 2012 CES, Microsoft said the device will be capable of recognizing movement gestures from distances of 50cm (suitable for laptop and desktop use), whereas the original gaming-only oriented Kinect for Xbox was capable of doing it only from larger distances.

By the way, Kinect for Windows device will go on sale starting next month, so you can purchase it and connect to your laptop. But, the problem is a lack of available software for utilizing Kinect’s capabilities.

Check out in the video below a presentation of some Kinect abilities when paired with a PC.

Nvidia

The ultrabook-use Nvidia graphics chips from their upcoming Kepler family will have low power consumption and thermal dissipation in order to meet requirements of thin laptop designs, but there are no specs or details available at the time of this writing.

AMD has already showcased technology which can be an answer to both Nvidia’s rumored GPUs and next-gen Intel ultrabook processors. It’s their Trinity A-series APUs for “very ultra-thin” designs, which will deliver a respectable 3D graphics power.

However, Samsung has already released a thin laptop or “ultrabook”, as they like to name it, with the current AMD Radeon HD 7000-series 7550M GPU. In addition, Lenovo’s upcoming ThinkPad T430u is also claimed to include optional dedicated Nvida GPU, but it’s not known if it will be Kepler.

Anyway, Intel HD integrated graphics will certainly not be the only GPU option in 2012 ultra-thin notebooks and/or ultrabooks.

This is the Open Pandora. (Click for the photo gallery)

The Open Pandora, a laptop-like handheld computer based on an OMAP processor and Linux OS will go into mass production next month, after four years of waiting, and is available for pre-order now.

Pandora’s design and features are based on suggestions and requests by open source comunity gathered on the gp32x forums. The device runs a modified version of Angstrom-Linux distro and is primarily oriented toward game emulations. It has a 4.3″ resistive-touch screen and game controls on the base, alongside the QWERTY keyboard.

Here are the Pandora specs:

• Texas Instruments OMAP3530 processor at 600MHz (officially)
• 256MB DDR-333 SDRAM
• 512MB NAND FLASH memory
• IVA2+ audio and video processor using TI’s DaVinci™ technology (430MHz C64x DSP)
• ARM® Cortex™-A8 superscalar microprocessor core
• PowerVR SGX530 (110MHz officially) OpenGL ES 2.0 compliant 3D hardware
• integrated Wifi 802.11b/g (up to 18dBm output)
• integrated Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (3Mbps) (Class 2, + 4dBm)
• 800×480 resolution LTPS LCD with resistive touch screen, 4.3″ widescreen, 16.7 million colors (300 cd/m2 brightness, 450:1 contrast ratio)
• Dual analog controllers
• Full gamepad controls plus shoulder buttons
• Dual SDHC card slots (up to 64GB of storage currently)
• headphone output up to 150mW/channel into 16 ohms, 99dB SNR (up to 24 bit/48KHz)
• TV output (composite and S-Video)
• Internal microphone plus ability to connect external microphone through headset
• Stereo line level inputs and outputs
• 43 button QWERTY and numeric keypad
• USB 2.0 OTG port (1.5/12/480Mbps) with capability to charge device
• USB 2.0 HOST port (480Mbps) capable of providing the full 500mA to attached devices (examples include USB memory, keyboard, mouse, 3G modem, GPS)
• up to two externally accessible UARTs and/or four PWM signals for hardware hacking, robot control, debugging, etc.
• un-brickable design with integrated boot loader for safe code experimentation
• Power and hold switch useful for “instant on” and key lockout to aid in media player applications on the go
• Runs on the Linux operating system (2.6.x)
• Dimensions: 140×83.4×27.5mm
• Weight: 335g (with 4000mAh battery)

The handheld costs 375 EUR (for international customers) or 445 EUR (for EU-Customers, incl. 19% VAT).

Via: UMPC Portal

This is the current (first generation) Alienware M14x.

There’s no a lot of details in his blog post, but here they are:

- The Alienware M14X R2 will feature something unusual for classic gaming notebooks. The graphics processor with 1GB or 2GB of dedicated video memory will be a part of the motherboard, so it wont be a classic discrete laptop video card. The M14x R2 will come with red or black chassis.

- Video card options in the M17X R4 will be the currently unreleased AMD Radeon 7970M, Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M, and the GeForce GTX 675M.

- There are no details for the M18X R2 other than its color options: red or black.

Eric doesn’t say anything about the next-gen Alienware M11x (R4?).

The previous generation models – the M14x, M17X R3, and M18x – have 14″, 17.3″ and 18.4″ displays respectively, as well as Intel’s “Sandy Bridge” dual- and quad-core processors and GPUs by AMD and Nvidia. Assuming that the new Alienware laptops will come with the Intel Ivy Bridge processors, we don’t believe that these mobile rigs will arrive before Ivy, hopefully in the Q2 2012.

This is the ASUS Eee PC R051BX 10.1" Netbook.

Asus has quietly released the Asus Eee PC R051BX, a budget 10.1″ netbook with an AMD processor and HDMI output.

The R051BX has the first generation AMD Fusion C-series C-50 1GHz dual-core processing unit with integrated Radeon graphics and full HD video decoder. The downsides of this laptop are RAM and battery. The memory size is 1GB and it’s solidered on the motherboard, so RAM on this netbook is not upgradeable. The battery is a 3-cell unit, without 6-cell option. The R051BX has only two USB ports, a webcam, and media card reader, besides HDMI.

The Asus Eee PC R051BX belongs to the older Seashell Eee PC series, instead of the new Flare, and has a glossy black finish, while the display is matte.

In Germany, the netbook costs EUR 259,00. It’s not available in the US and the question is if it will ever be, because not all Eee PC netbook models are aimed at the States-side market.

Source: nDevil | Via: Netbook News

The Samsung XE700T1A-A04 has a 11.6″ 1366×768 display with multi-touch and Wacom-powered pen input support. It includes the dual-core Intel i5-2467M 1.6GHz processor with Intel HD graphics, 4GB of RAM, a 128GB solid state drive, a 2MP front and 3MP rear camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, microSD, micro HDMI, and a USB port.

Overall, the XE700T1A-A04 is a fully-featured PC system and one of the best specced tablets on the market. Its original price at launch was $1,349 for a model with Windows 7 Home Premium. The Win Pro-based XE700T1A-A04 can not be found currently for less than $1,249 and that’s a price for the tablet without docking station.

HP Min 110-4100 (click to enlarge)

Hardware-wise, this Atom-powered 10.1-incher is obviously a netbook, but HP avoids to call it that way. The company says the 1104 is a “full-function notebook” instead. However, on the software side, the Mini exceeds standard netbooks, since it optionally comes with Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional, alongside netbook-use Win 7 Starter.

Other features include a 3- or 6-cell battery, 93% full-size spill-resistant chiclet keyboard, up to 320GB of hard disk storage, 1GB RAM expandable to 2GB, built-in VGA webcam, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and optional mobile broadband.

Judging from the images, the 1104 has the same chassis shape as the Mini 210, but it comes with a simple black finish.

According to the specs, the Mini 110-4100 is a basic netbook, which doesn’t have an HDMI port or USB 3.0. Instead, there are three USB 2.0 connectors and VGA port, besides a media card reader.

Regarding pricing, we have spotted a $399 configuration with 2GB RAM, a 320GB HDD, 6-cell battery (“up to 9 hours” run time), and Windows 7 Home Premium. Lower-end configurations will be apparently priced below that.

HP is also expected to release a consumer version of the 110-4100, as well as a Cedar Trail version of the Mini 210.

Via: Windows for Devices

Here’s what’s new:

Sony VAIO Z Early 2012 Refresh

- Expanded 2nd gen Intel Core i5 and i7 CPU choices, now with up to the i7-2640M.
- Added 4G LTE option, alongside the old 3G choice.
- Carbon Fiber Silver chassis choice added.

The latest options are available now and the laptop’s price starts at $1949.99

Sony VAIO S 13″ and 15″ Refresh

- New CPU choices, up to the i7-2640M.
- IPS display technology and full HD 1920×1080 resolution is now standard on the 15″ S-series models.

Both 13″ and 15″ with updated components will become available in early February, with prices starting at $799.99 and $979.99, respectively.

Sony VAIO E-Series Refresh

- New 2nd-gen Core processor options.

No info on availability of the new configs.

Sony VAIO C Refresh

- New pattern designs, including Kaleidoscope Pink and Geometric Black.

15.5″ and 14″ Series C VAIO laptops with the latest designs included start at $999.99 and $799.99 and are available now.

Source: Sony | Via: Gizmag

Acer Aspire One AO722 on AT&T

The netbook can be ordered for $40 with a 2-year contract including at least a 3GB data plan, which is currently $30 per month, while no commitment price is $450.

The product page on AT&T site is now live, but the 722 is already out of stock.

Via: Slashgear

Acronis True Image Personal 2010

With Acronis’ application, you can manually backup your selected files or an entire HDD partition, or schedule an automatic backup. Restore can be done partially or you can do it for the whole partition, even if your Windows installation won’t boot.

The free True Image Personal 2010 is only available through Eastern Standard Time 23:59, Friday January 20th 2012 to people in US and Canada. The promo page says the offer is for January 2011, but that’s obviously a typo.

The only thing we found weird about this offer is that there’s no info on the official Acronis website about the “Personal” version, so we can’t tell which Windows version it supports. However, we assume that any 2010 True Image supports Windows 7.

Via: CNet

We haven’t seen an announcement of an Intel-Celeron based laptop since mid-2008, but at 2012 CES, Samsung unveiled a Series 5 Chromebook with Intel’s bugdet processor.

The unnamed Celeron CPU in Samsung’s 2nd gen Chrome OS-based mini laptop replaces the Atom N570 chip used in the previous model. Celerons are traditionally more power hungry than Atom chips, but Netbook News reports that Samsung said the battery life will be comparable to the original Atom-powered Chromebook and that computing performance will be significantly increased.

Another change on the new Series 5 Chromebook is its design, which has a new matte lid finish instead of the old glossy one.

The laptop retained its old 12.1-inch screen size and 16GB of internal storage, as well as Wi-Fi and optional 3G connectivity.

It’s scheduled for release in Q2 with a price of $399 for the Wi-Fi model and $449 for the 3G version.

MSI GUS II External GPU Solution (by The Verge)

MSI has showcased at the 2012 CES Show the GUS II, an external graphics card enclosure prototype, which adds dedicated desktop-class GPU power to laptops with a Thunderbolt port.

Besides the current MacBook Pros, Thunderbolt high-speed I/O technology will be incorporated into Intel Ivy Bridge-based laptops. The GUS II will utilize it to connect these laptops to external Nvidia or ATI GPUs for extra graphics power. However, from the demonstration video below we can conclude that GUS II can indeed increase graphics performance, but it uses an external monitor instead of laptop’s.

There were external laptop GPU solutions in the past, such as the original MSI GUS and Asus XG, but they also required an external display and weren’t widely adopted. The only exception from that rule we have seen so far is the Power Media Dock for the Sony VAIO Z, which displays graphics on notebook’s screen.

Source: The Verge

Lenovo ThinkPad T430u

Please take this with a grain of salt, because we are not confident in reliability of the source, but we have to share with you what we found on a Vietnamese website – a listing for the Lenovo ThinkPad T430u Ultrabook with an Intel Ivy Bridge processor.

What’s interesting regarding the specifications listed on Vatgia.com is that the T430s is claimed to have the Intel Core i5-3320M 2.6GHz processor, which is supposed to be Intel’s next-gen standard voltage chip for non-Ultrabook laptops. Ultrabooks for 2012 are expected to have ultra-low voltage CPUs, like the current generation of these extremely-thin systems. Alongside the i5-3320M and other standard-voltage parts, the Ivy Bridge roadmap includes the Core i7-3667U and i5-3427U ULVs, which are expected to replace their ULV Sandy Bridge counterparts this year.

T430u specs with i5-3320M (click to enlarge)

If the specs are correct, the ThinkPad T430u appears to be a standard laptop with a 0.8″ thin profile. Besides the i5-3320M, the listed T430u model has a switchable Nvidia Optimus GPU solution (confirmed by Lenovo) with 1GB dedicated and on-CPU integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive (confirmed), 6-cell battery, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, Wi-Fi, and Gigabit LAN. Again, all mentioned components rather look like internals of a higher-end standard laptop without optical drive, than the first Ultrabooks with screen sizes of up to 13.3″, SDDs, and ULV chips. The screen resolution is 1366 x 768.

However, the T430u isn’t the only 14-inch laptop with dedicated graphics that is claimed to be an Ultrabook. Take the 14″ Samsung Series 5 for example, which additionally has a built-in DVD burner.

Call it a standard laptop or Ultrabook, the T430u will hit the market in Q3 2012 with a base price of $849.