Questions and Swapping the Bay Device of a Lenovo ThinkPad X300
March 4, 2008
Over on Lenovo’s Inside the Box blog, the Lenovo team has posted a video of just what is entailed on swapping devices in the ThinkPad X300 bay. As they point out, it’s not an ultrabay like in past IBM/Lenovo ThinkPads, and it’s not meant to have devices swapped in and out of all that often, but going by the video, it’s still fairly easy to do.
Going the older Ultrabay route would have meant adding thickness to the X300, something they say they don’t want to do. You could swap an optical drive for an extra battery, etc. (I would leave the extra battery in and just do the USB drive thing).;
They also answer several questions:
Why only 1.2GHz Ultra Low Volt Processors? Don’t forget, the magic that makes the ThinkPad X300 possible is a new chip package from Intel which has reduced height compared to other processors. It is only available in one processor speed at this time. And yes, we chose ULV processors for maximum battery life.
What size is the keyboard? This keyboard is a full T Series sized keyboard and not an X Series sized keyboard.
Does the ability to swap the optical drive out of the bay mean that I can use a hard disk drive in the bay for more storage? No. The bay itself is what I believe to be the industry’s first 7mm thick optical drive. Even if we did provide a caddy for a hard disk, mobile hard disks are too thick to physically fit.
Why no docking connector? I’m going to defer this one as I plan to write a larger post on docking in the near future. But a partial answer is that adding a docking connector would have added to thickness significantly.
Full article at LenovoBlogs.com
REI Boarding Bag - Perfect for 7″ and Under Laptops/UMPCs?
February 23, 2008
jkOnTheRun has a couple of pictures up from John Spinks about REI’s Boarding Bag. The pictures (click for bigger on jkOnTheRun) show a Samsung Q1 UMPC inside the boarding bag, but I can think of a few other devices that would fit perfectly in this, based on the specifications:
- Everex CloudBook
- Asus Eee PC
- HCL Infosystems MiLeap Y Series
- Fujitsu U810
Just about any 7″ or smaller laptop/tablet would probably fit in this.
You can purchase it at REI for $39.50 in either “Carbon” or “Mineral” colors.
Review: Lenovo ThinkPad/IdeaPad 90W Slim AC/DC Adapter
February 22, 2008
A few weeks ago, we mentioned Lenovo’s new slim AC/DC adapter. It’s a unique (and hopefully other notebook manufacturers will follow suit) adapter in that it had multiple tips for multiple devices (including cell phones, portable music devices, PDAs, etc.) as well as in some instances, being able to charge two devices at once. Because of the multiple tips, it could handle several different types of ThinkPads (see the support site for details). It could make use of a wall or airline outlet, or a car charger. It’s going to be selling for around $120 (model # of 41n8460). It should be shipping in the next two weeks or so.
Kevin over at Tablet PC Review has put together a review of this new AC/DC adapter. He mentions that while it will cost extra for some accessory tips, those tips will allow you to use your slim AC/DC adapter to charge devices such as Nokea phones, Palm Pilots, iPods, Blackberrys, as well as many other cell phone and device brands. For somebody who travels a lot, this would be a blessing.
One thing you don’t need to worry about is voltage/power, according to Kevin: The design of the Lenovo Slim Combo Adapter is such that it requires no adjustment besides swapping tips to work for a wide range of devices. You don’t need to worry about changing any voltage setting for each tip to work properly. This means very easy field use no matter what person is using it, and no manual required…….On the 767-400 flying out, as well as the 767-200 coming back we had a power plug on the front of our seats in coach. Having unlimited power for 9 hours of flight to kill time is one of the most splendid experiences you could imagine. I was able to play around doing something (even solitaire) on my notebook, instead of watching the TV shows playing in a massive loop on the flight’s TV. I also used the dual charging cable and the iPod tip to keep my iPod charged up, as I was using it to play movies during the flight.
Full review at TabletPCReview.com
Inside the MacBook Air, Plus invisibleSHIELD
February 6, 2008
Continuing with the trend of MacBook Air tear-downs, Anandtech has published a look inside of the MacBook Air. If you feel the need to see just what makes the MacBook Air tick, check it out.
Also, if you are looking to protect your MacBook Air, ZAGG has released an “invisibleSHIELD” for the MacBook Air. In the words of ZAGG, the invisibleShield is: ….the premier name in laptop scratch protection. Made from a urethane film originally used to protect the leading edges of military helicopter blades, the invisibleSHIELD™ is clear, durable, and virtually scratch-proof. The invisibleSHIELD™ is precision cut to fit your Apple MacBook Air, giving it perfectly transparent, lasting protection that other laptop skins can’t match. There are three options, ranging from $24.95 to $54.95. (via MacMinute).
Lenovo’s New Laptop AC/DC Adapter
February 5, 2008
In 3-4 weeks, Lenovo is set to start shipping a new, much slimmer, AC/DC adapter for its laptops. It will charge Lenovo’s laptops (such as the ThinkPad X61, 3000 V200 Series, the IdeaPad and probably the ThinkPad X300). In addition, it will charge cell phones, portable music devices, and PDAs through the use of an optional adapter kit with interchangeable tips (which also includes a car charger). It can even charge two devices at the same time. It’s priced at $119 and the model # is 41n8460.
Quote:
Lenovo today announced its new ThinkPad and IdeaPad 90W slim AC/DC combo adapter, the company’s first all-in-one adapter designed to charge other electronic devices such as most cell phones and PDAs; and many mobile music devices (using optional connector tips.) At about a half-inch thick and 33 percent smaller than Lenovo’s previous combo adapter, it’s roughly the size of a deck of playing cards – small enough to easily fit into a shirt pocket…..
Also available is an optional dual-charging cable allowing more than one device to be charged at the same time and optional power tips which enable users to customize the adapter to whatever devices need to be charged.
Model Name: 41N8460
Full Press Release (Lenovo.com)
Product Page (Shop.Lenovo.com)
Large photos at Flickr - Adapter
Another large photo at Flickr - Full kit
Asus Eee PC News, Review
February 4, 2008
Some information for Asus Eee PC owners and/or would-be owners:
Install gOS on EeePC in 10 Steps (CLUMPC)
If you are looking to install the Ubuntu Linux-based variant gOS on your Eee PC, CLUMP (Cheap Linux Ultramobile PCs) shows you how (you will need a USB optical drive).
Some new accessories for the Eee PC from Brando (via Engadget):
- Car Charger Cable - $18 US
- Travel Charger pack - $23 US
The fact that those are specifically for the Eee PC is a good sign of potentially more accessories to follow.
Finally, part two of an Asus Eee PC review from Notebook Review, where they reinforce the fact that you can’t beat the Eee PC for the size/value at this point in time: Back in October of 2007 we gave the Eee PC 4G the Editors Choice Award. Would we do the same today? Yes, without hesitation…..no other laptop on the market gives you this much computer in such a small package for such a low price … at least for now.
