MSI ANNOUNCES CR650 LAPTOP WITH AMD FUSION APU

MSI has made another addition to its Classic Series - the MSI CR650. The CR650 is also the company's first notebook with AMD's Fusion processor.

The MSI CR650 has a 15.6 inch display. It is powered by AMD's E-350 Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) which comes bundled with the Radeon HD 6310 graphics and UVD 3 HD video recorder. Other specifications include DDR3 RAM, up to 500GB of storage, a DVD burner and Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. The 15.6 inch LED backlit display has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.

The CR650 laptop also has a 720p webcam, stereo speakers, Gigabit LAN, HDMI, VGA outputs, 3 USB ports, a 4-in-1 media card reader and WiFi 802.11n. The notebook weighs around 5 pounds and has a new gradient color design.

No word on pricing or availability at the moment, but MSI is known for pricing its laptops aggressively.

UPDATED NETBOOK NAVIGATOR NAV9 TABLET NOW AVAILABLE

Netbook Navigator has launched an updated version of its Nav9 Windows tablet. The new model has the same 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixels display as its predecessor. It also has the same 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor. There are a few additional features too.

The old Nav had a multitouch resistive touchscreen display. The new model also has a resistive panel but it is a low-pressure display designed for better sensitivity. It also has an SD card slot and 3 USB ports. The original Nav9 tablet had 2 USB ports.

The new Nav9 is also available in an all-black case. The previous model was only available with the silver/chromed edges.

The Nav9 starts at $599. For that price you will get 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. Bear in mind that this price doesn't include an operating system. The lowest configuration with Windows 7 Home Premium is priced at $699.

ACER ASPIRE ONE 522 WITH AMD ZACATE PROCESSOR NOW SHIPPING IN THE US

The Acer Aspire One 522 has started shipping in the US. It is now available for purchase from Amazon for $330.

The Aspire One 522 has a dual core AMD C-50 Zacate processor and AMD Radeon HD 6250 graphics. It can handle 1080p HD video and modest gaming. Other specifications include 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive and WiFi 802.11b/g/n. The 10.1 inch display has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. It runs Windows 7 Starter Edition.

It looks like the Aspire One 522 is the first netbook to ship in the US with an AMD Zacate processor. The only other 10 inch netbook using the same processor is the Toshiba NB550D which isn't scheduled for launch in the US.

MSI WINDPAD 100W NOW AVAILABLE IN THE US FOR $710

MSI is yet to officially launch its Windpad 100W tablet in the US. Nevertheless, the machine is now available for purchase from Simply Electronics. The retailer sources its products from different parts of the world and very often offers products which aren't otherwise available in the US. Unfortunately that means you will end up paying a premium. The WindPad 100W, for instance, is selling for $709.95 in the US.

The MSI WindPad 100W has a 10.1 inch capacitive multitouch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. It is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor. Other specifications include 2GB of DDR2 memory, a 32GB SSD and a Windows 7 Home Premium.

The tablet has two cameras - one on the front and another on the back. It also has a G-sensor, ambient light sensor, an SD card reader, USB 2.0 port and an HDMI output. It measures about 0.7 inches and weighs about 1.8 pounds.

ASUS EEE SLATE EP121 WINDOWS TABLET NOW SHIPPING

The Asus Eee Slate EP121 is the first of the four tablets Asus introduced this year to go on sale. It has a 12.1 inch display and runs Windows 7. The Eee Slate EP121 has been up for pre-order at Amazon since January 5th. Now the retailer has the tablet in stock.

The Eee Slate EP121 has a capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It comes with a stylus for precise input. The tablet is powered by a dual core Intel i5-470UM processor. Other specifications include 2 to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 32GB / 64GB solid state disks and a 2 megapixel webcam. The supported connectivity options include WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0.

The Eee Slate EP121 also has 2 USB 2.0 ports, headphone and mic combo jack, a mini HDMI port and a flash card reader. It also comes with a Bluetooth keyboard. Asus says that the 32Whr battery will get up to 4.5 hours of runtime.

The 32GB model is now up for order at Amazon for $999. The 64GB model is priced at $1099.

THE LG G-SLATE TO GO INTERNATIONAL AS LG OPTIMUS PAD

LG is expected to show off its G-Slate Android tablet at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month. In the US, the LG G-Slate will be available on T-Mobile's HSPA+ network in March. Meanwhile,LG has announced that the tablet will be available internationally. The international version will be called LG Optimus Pad. It will have the same features as the T-Mobile LG G-Slate.

The LG G-Slate or Optimus Pad is powered by a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor. It has an 8.9 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels. Other specifications include 32GB of onboard storage, gyroscope and a 6400mAh battery. The tablet can handle 1080p HD video. It also has a 3D capable display, but it requires special glasses. Another remarkable feature is the stereoscopic camera on the rear side which can shoot videos in 3D. Aside from the 3D camera, the tablet has two other cameras. That means three cameras in all - two on the rear side and one on the front side.

The LG Optimus Pad runs Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb. No word on pricing at the moment.

DELL STREAK 7 ANDROID TABLET NOW SHIPPING

The Dell Streak 7 Android tablet has gone on sale. The 4G capable tablet can be purchased from T-Mobile for $199.99 with a 2 year mobile broadband service contract. Or you can pick up one from Dell. The SIM-free model runs $449.99.

The Dell Streak 7 has a 7 inch capacitive touchscreen Gorilla Glass display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. It is powered by a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. The tablet runs Android 2.2 operating system. Other specifications include 16GB of storage, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS and HSPA+ mobile broadband modem.

There are two cameras - a 1.3 megapixel camera on the front side and a 5 megapixel camera with auto focus and flash on the rear side. The tablet ships with a 2780mAh battery which reportedly gets only around 6 hours of runtime.

The Streak 7 was recently reviewed by a number of tech blogs. The reviews have at best been be lousy. Nevertheless, the tablet is reasonably priced and that might attract some buyers.

PIONEER INTRODUCED DREAMBOOK EPAD F10 TABLET COMPUTER

Australian computer maker Pioneer has introduced a new 10 inch Windows tablet. The Dreambook ePad F10 has a 1.5 GHz Intel Atom Z670 Oak Trail processor, integrated graphics and a 10.1 inch multitouch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.
Other specifications include up to 2GB of RAM, 16GB to 128GB of SSD, WiFi and optional 3G. The tablet also supports Intel's WiDi wireless display technology for wirelessly streaming video from the computer to an external monitor.

The Dreambook ePad F10 also has an HDMI port, a 1.3 megapixel camera, USB port, mic, headphone jacks, a SIM card slot and an SD card slot. The tablet will reportedly get up to 8 hours of battery life. The tablet will also be able to run Google Android operating system.

The Dreambook ePad F10 is priced at $499 Australian. That is the price for a model with 1GB of RAM, just 16GB of storage, no operating system and no camera.

SONY VAIO YB ULTRAPORTABLE WITH AMD ZACATE PROCESSOR NOW AVAILABLE IN THE US

The Sony Vaio YB ultraportable laptop has been available in Japan for a few weeks. It has now made its debut in the US.

The Sony Vaio YB has an 11.6 inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Its claim to fame is the dual core 1.6GHz AMD Zacate E-350 processor and Radeon 6310 graphics. The laptop is now up for pre-order at Sony Style for $599.99. That model has 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. Amazon is also taking pre-order for $549.99. That model has less RAM (2GB) and less storage (320GB) than the $600 model.

The Sony Vaio YB also has VGA, HDMI output, WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1. The laptop is available with pink and silver lids and sports an attractive design.

SAMSUNG LAUNCHES NF208 NETBOOK WITH NO OS

The Samsung NF208 looks exactly like the recently introduced Samsung NF210. Under the hood, however, the netbooks are somewhat different.

The NF208 has a dual core Intel Atom N550 processor and ships without an operating system. Laptops usually ship with an operating sytem pre-installed. It is not clear what Samsung is trying to prove by shipping a netbook with no OS. On the bright side, it lets install any operating system of your choice. And because the netbook has an x86 based processor, it can run any operating system.

The Samsung NF208 has a 1024 x 600 pixel display, 2GB of DDR3 memory and a 320GB hard drive. It comes standard with a 6-cell battery. The laptop is now available in many parts of the world, but not in the US.

MOTOROLA XOOM TO COST $800, MAY LAUNCH ON FEBRUARY 24TH

The Motorola Xoom will probably be the first Android tablet to launch with Android 3.0 aka Honeycomb operating system. Honeycomb is the version of Android specifically designed for tablets. The device has been getting a lot of attention ever since Motorola announced it.

While Motorola is yet to officially announce the pricing and launch details of the tablet, word is that it will launch at Best Buy of February 24th with a whooping price tag of $799.99.

At launch, it looks like there will be no WiFi only model. That means you will have to purchase a 3G model even if you don't want to use the tablet with Verizon Wireless. What is even more ridiculous is that according to the Best Buy ad you will have to pay for at least one month of Verizon service to unlock the WiFi functionality.

So what will you get for $800? Is Xoom worth the seemingly steep price tag? Well, the tablet does have interesting hardware. It has a dual core processor and a higher resolution display than the iPad. It also has a 3G modem, two cameras (at 2MP and 5MP) and HD video recording and playback capabilities. The iPad with 3G and 32GB of storage costs $729. In other words Xoom has better hardware than the iPad, but it costs only $70 more.

ATRIX 4G WILL COST $500 WITH THE LAPTOP DOCK

In a previous post we had mentioned why the Motorola Atrix 4G deserves a mention on this blog: it comes with an optional laptop docking station which effectively turns the phone into a laptop.

AT&T will start taking pre-orders for the Atrix 4G on February 13th. The smartphone alone will run $200 with a 2-year service contract. But if you also plan to purchase the Webtop laptop docking station, you will have to shell out a cool $500. In case, you don't buy the webtop at the same time as the phone, it will cost even more. If purchased separately the dock will run $499.99.

The Motorola Atrix 4G is powered by a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor. It has 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage space. It runs Android 2.2 operating system and will connect to AT&T's 4G HSPA+ mobile broadband service.

The Webtop docking station has an 11.6 inch display and a 36Whr battery. When you dock the phone it will power the laptop which runs a custom Linux based operating system and has a full Firefox web browser. While the phone is docked you can also make phone calls.

TOSHIBA RECALLS SELECT MODELS OF SANDY BRIDGE BASED LAPTOPS

Toshiba has recalled select laptops based on Intel's 2nd generation Sandy Bridge core series processors. The recall was issued after it was discovered that the included Intel 6 series 'Cougar Point' chipsets were faulty.

The affected notebooks include select models of Satellite A660 / A665, L655 and M645 series models. The Satellite E305-S1990 and select models of the Toshiba Portege R835 laptops, Qosmio X505 series systems, and the Qosmio X500-Q930 laptops have also been recalled.

Toshiba has requested customers who bought the faulty laptops to return the machine to the place of purchase for a full refund. The chipset flaw has affected laptops built by most major PC Makers including HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo and others. However, Toshiba is the first company to officially recall its products.

Meanwhile Dell has halted the sale of its Sandy Bridge based Alienware M17x R3 gaming laptop. The company has also postponed the release of its XPS 17 3D.

ELOCITY A10 ANDROID TABLET TO BE UP FOR PRE-ORDER FROM FEBRUARY 15TH

Online retailers such as Amazon, TigerDirect and J&R will start taking pre-orders for the eLocity A10 Android tablet starting on February 15th.


The eLocity A10 has a 10.1 inch HD display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It is powered by a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor. The tablet has 512MB of RAM, an HDMI output port, a microSD card slot, a USB 2.0 host port, 3-axis accelerometer, ambient light sensor and a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera. The supported connectivity options include Bluetooth 2.1 and WiFi 802.11b/g/n.The eLocity A10 doesn't have 3G. There is also a docking station port, but the company doesn't offer any ports at the moment.

The 4G model runs $399. 32GB ($599.99) and 64GB ($699.99) models are also available. The eLocity A10 runs Android 2.2 operating system. The company says that they will eventually offer an update to Android 3.0 aka Honeycomb. Still no word on a firm launch date.

DELL DISCONTINUES ITS ADAMO ULTRATHIN NOTEBOOK LINE

The Dell Adamo ultrathin notebook was introduced in 2009. Back then it was viewed as Dell's answer to Apple's MacBook Air. Both were ultrathin notebooks with 13 inch displays. And much like the Macbook Air, the Adamo had a ridiculously high price tag. It started at around $2000.

Over the years, Dell revised its pricing several times. The notebook also got thinner. And now word is that Dell is discontinuing its Adamo line altogether. According to a CNET report, Dell will introduce a new ultrathin notebook in about 6 months. That model will, however, not be an Adamo. It is more likely to wear the Inspiron, XPS or Alienware brand names.

While new Adamo laptops are no longer available from Dell's web store, you can still find good deals on refurbished Adamo models, with prices starting as low as $759.

HP UNVEILS ITS WEBOS TABLET CALLED TOUCHPAD

HP has officially introduced its first webOS tablet. The device is called HP TouchPad. The HP TouchPad has a 9.7 inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. It weighs 1.6 pounds. The tablet is due out this summer. At launch it will be WiFi only. 3G and 4G versions will eventually hit the market.

The HP Touchpad has a 1.3 megapixel camera, stereo speakers, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, 512MB of RAM and 16GB / 32GB of storage. It is powered by a 1.2GHz dual core processor. The tablet supports video calls. It also has a gyroscope, accelerometer, compass and a 6300mAh battery. It runs webOS 3.0 operating system.

The Touchpad is HP's answer to the iPad. It is essentially a larger Palm Pre with a higher resolution display. While the webOS is a nice smartphone operating system, it is far behind the iOS in the smartphone space. So it is not clear how this machine is going to take on the iPad.

Perhaps the biggest selling point of the tablet at the moment is its ability to integrate with a smartphone running webOS. So for example, if you have a webos phone and the Touchpad, you will be able to access the phone's data on the tablet and tablet's data on the phone. The TouchPad will also be able to do things like send and receive text messages

DELL TO LAUNCH 10 INCH WINDOWS AND ANDROID TABLETS LATER THIS YEAR

At a press event held today Dell announced plans to launch a couple of 10 inch tablets. One of these machines will be Windows based while the other will run Android operating system. Few details are available at the moment. The Windows tablet will reportedly be aimed at enterprise customers.

Even fewer details are available about the Android tablet at the moment. It too is expected to have a 10 inch display. It is not clear whether it will look like the Dell Streak 5 and Dell Streak 7 Android tablets.

Hopefully the 10 inch Android tablet will have a higher resolution display. The 5 inch Dell Streak and 7 inch Dell Streak 7 have 800 x 480 pixels display. In fact, the Streak 7's lower resolution display was heavily panned by most reviewers. No word on the processor or other specs at the moment. Both tablets are expected to available later this year.

MOTOROLA ATRIX 4G NOTEBOOK DOCK COULD RUN $150

This blog isn't about smartphones, still the Motorola Atrix 4G deserves a mention here. The Atrix 4G is a 4G capable smartphone with a dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. But what makes this machine special is the optional laptop accessory which Motorola calls a Webtop.

The Webtop is basically an 11.6 inch laptop. It is powered entirely by the smartphone. When you stick the Atrix 4G in a docking station in the rear of the Webtop it will power up the laptop which runs a custom Linux OS with a full version of the FireFox browser. The Webtop can access apps and data stored on your phone.

Although, Motorola is tight-lipped about the pricing of the Webtop, sources suggest that will cost about $150. The Atrix 4G will hit Best Buy stores first. It is also one of the first 4G phones coming to AT&T network in the US.

NOTION INK ADAM TABLET FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The Notion Ink Adam tablet has finally reached the hands of its owners and user reviews are pouring in.

The Adam has a dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor and an optional Pixel Qi transflective display. It runs a custom user interface called Eden on top of Android. The tablet can handle HD video. It also supports 3D graphics acceleration. Over all, it seems to be a great tablet, but some users have reported minor issues. Bear in mind that most of these seem to be software-related and may easily
get fixed by future software updates.

Here are the major issues users are reporting.

The display is glossy, not matte. Notion Ink does offer a matte screen protector, but many users are finding it hard to apply properly.

Some features of the Notion Ink's UI software are unintuitive. The tablet also seems a bit unresponsive at times when using the Notion Ink Eden software. Zooming in the Adam web browser is kind of jerky.

Most users have loved the Pixel Qi display, a few of them have reported issues with that as well.

On the bright side, the battery charges quickly. You can install third party apps on the tablet and choose your own keyboard software if you don't like the keyboard app.

DELL STREAK 7 COULD COST $299.99 WITH 2 YEAR CONTRACT, LG G-SLATE COMING IN MARCH

The rumors that the Dell Streak 7 Android tablet will launch on T-Mobile's network have been doing the rounds for a while. And now sources have unearthed pricing information too. It looks like the tablet will set you back $299.99 after rebate. That is when you sign up for a 2 year service contract.

The Dell Streak 7 is a 7 inch Android tablet. It has many features of the Dell Streak 5 inch tablet. It will be one of the first tablets to connect to T-Mobile's 4G HSPA+ network.

In other news, the LG-Slate will reportedly be available from T-Mobile on March 23rd. It will be T-Mobile's first tablet with Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system. It will also support 4G. There is still no knowing how much the G-Slate will cost. Meanwhile sources suggest that the LG G-Slate will be able to shoot 3D video. While there is no official confirmation on that some of the G-Slate documents available with FCC seems to show what appear to be two cameras on the back of the device. And that does lend some credence to those 3D rumors.