ThinkPad SL300 - Details

Along with details about the ThinkPad X200, it would appear that Lenovo is also intent on launching a cheaper, more consumer-oriented 13.3-inch ThinkPad that would represent a new line sort of - it’s the low-end version of the ThinkPad X200 series, but it won’t be competing with the ThinkPad X300 which is a premium/high-end 13.3-inch laptop and which targets a different audience than the X200 series.

Details about the ThinkPad SL300:
- Low-end version of the ThinkPad X200 Series
- 13.3-inch Widescreen
- Intel Core 2 Duo
- Optional Blu-ray optical drive
- Two graphics options - Intel GMA or NVIDIA GeForce 9300 (similar to what some Dell models carry)
- Possible integrated GPS module

Read:
- ThinkPad.cn (Chinese)
- ThinkPad.cn (Translated into English)

Via: Forums.ThinkPads.com

Notes on the Dell E4200 and E4300

I want to take a brief moment and mention a few things that stood out to me about the Dell Latitude E4200 and E4300.

It’s easy to get lost in the specs, but here are some things that jumped out:
- Display Port - replaces HDMI for Dell, new technology (Wikipedia link). It’s another way of connecting your computer to either a computer display or a newer HDTV. It’s got both audio and video running through the single 10.8Gbits connection, and can run through a cable that’s up to around 9 feet (3M) long. It’ll support display resolutions up to 2560×1600. Dell has in fact released two displays that use Display Port -the 30-inch Dell 3008WFP and 24-inch 2408WFP. It is backwards compatible with DVI and HDMI (and even VGA if you have the right adapter). In theory it could lead to slimmer/cheaper displays because of the architecture.

- Blu-ray option on E4300 - not much to be said, now that BR has one, I expect we’ll see more and more of these as optional optical drives.

- Weight is incredible - the E4300 competes with MacBook Air and Lenovo ThinkPad X300 - it’s lighter than the 12″ widescreen Latitude D430 it’s replacing. The E4200 at 2.2 pounds is pretty amazing as well.

- Ultra-Wideband, Bluetooth 2.1, and GPS options and ditching internal modems - it’s interesting, and it’ll send a sign to other laptop makers that UWB will become a standard option, and that modems will slowly fall by the wayside (and given how small USB modems are, it’s not surprising).

- Battery slices for both - should really increase the battery life quite a bit. I’d like to see more ultraportable notebook makers offer battery slices (basically a big battery that attaches to the bottom of the notebook).

- Memory - Guess what, the E4200 goes up to a maximum of 5GB DDR3 memory, and the E4300 goes up to 8GB of DDR3 memory. Don’t ask me what I’d do with 8GB of memory. I guess if you do a lot of system administration, it might be extremely nice to have that memory, plus the new Intel platform in which to run virtual machines.

Kudos to Engadget for releasing all of this information.

Leaked: Dell Latitude E E4300

In addition to the a fore-mentioned Dell Latitude E4200, Engadget also posted the specifications of another laptop in the Latitude E series, Dell Latitude E4300. Unlike the 12.1″ E4200, this one comes with a 13.3″ LED-backlit widescreen display.

It’s also considered a sequel to the Dell Latitude D430. You saying “it’s a 13.3″, the Latitude D430 was a 12″1″, and yes, you would be correct. However, the E4300 weighs less than the D430. Unlike the E4200 which runs an Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) CPU, the E4300 will be running a full-speed/standard-voltage Intel Montevina CPU.

Some of the updates over the D430:
Read more

Added: ASUS A9J

We’ve just added the ASUS F9J to the site. It was announced earlier this year, and is just starting to become widely available. It can be found starting at anywhere from $1250 USD on up to $1500 (check ASUS’ site for retailers for current pricing).

It has a 12.1-inch widescreen display, and has a large number of processors to choose from, from Intel Celeron Ms up to the Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 (2.33GHz, 4MB L2). It maxes out at 2GB of memory. One of the more unique things about the ASUS F9J is the graphics chipset: it has a NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300 with 128MB of dedicated memory. A lot of laptops in this class tend to have the integrated/default graphics chipsets (Intel GMA950, etc. for Intel-based laptops, etc.). This has led ASUSTek to tout this as a gaming, HD video playing ultraportable.

Speaking of HD, going by their website, at some point they will probably be offering BD (Blu-Ray DVD) and HD-DVD as possible optical options.

It weighs in at around 4.2 pounds which is slightly heavier than many in this class, however it does have an internal optical drive, and more importantly, it has the dedicated NVIDIA chipset which can add to the cooling requirements. ASUStek claims that with the 6-cell battery, a four hour battery life is possible.

Some other features:
- 1.3MP Camera that swivels 240° (can face you or the person in front of you)
- Hardware switch: WLAN/Bluetooth on/off
- Hardware switch: Power4Gear (Power saving settings)
- Regular and Glare Screens

Review: ASUS U1F / U1 (PC Magazine)

We are playing catch up and starting to add more laptops to the site. One of those we haven’t added util now is one that is starting to get a lot of attention, the ASUS U1F (maybe referred to as ASUS U1 depending on location). It’s a very sleek looking ultraportable laptop, selling for around $2200 USD (see ASUS.com for pricing in your location).

It has an 11.1-inch widescreen display (1366×768) that is LED-backlit, and partially because of that, it is less than an inch thick (as thin as 0.7 inches). Along with the LED-backlit display Intel Core Duo U2400 (Ultra Low Voltage) CPU and lack of an internal optical drive help keep the weight down to under 2.5 pounds. An external Blu-Ray optical drive makes it one of the first ultraportables to offer that option (granted, it’s not internal, but it’s a tradeoff).

It has some nice features:
- Magnesum Alloy and Carbon Fiber for the cover/case to protect it
- “Piano Black” lid and Matte Black leather around keyboard (cowhide)
- Hardware Wi-Fi switch
- ASUS PowerGear 4 switch - hardware switch for adjusting power/usage (either performance or battery life)
- A cloth wipe is included for cleaning the display/case

PC Magazine reviewed it earlier this month, saying:

In the next few months, you’ll be seeing more and more PC makers implementing LED backlights into their laptops. The ASUS U1F is one of the first of what’s sure to be many ultraportables packing LED technology, and that and most of its other features earn it a clear thumbs-up. Still, you may find yourself missing that optical drive.