In the race to come up with the handiest mobile device possible, it’s said that tablet computers are currently ahead of laptops. Some tech pundits are even talking about a “tablet revolution”. This is not surprising as the new slates being released are sporting wider screens, faster processors, and more memory, while still maintaining high portability. According to market research firm IHS iSuppli however, laptops could make a strong comeback, and at the vanguard will be a new kind of device called ultrabooks.

There are portable personal computers that we know as laptops. Then there’s the ultraportable kind that usually refers to gadgets labeled as mini notebooks or netbooks. Ultrabooks are a relatively new concept that also falls under this latter category. It’s actually a trademarked name by Intel which introduced the idea in Computex 2011. The processor giant defines this new type of device as a notebook enhanced with all the advantages of a tablet PC. That means it will have a light and thin form factor, speedy boot up and restart, and the same type of user-interface.

To carry out such features, an ultrabook would be driven by one of Intel’s new line of CULV (Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage) processors. It will also have integrated graphics and flash-based solid state drives. Like tablets, it will do away with optical drives. The resulting package would be a device that is less than an inch thick, have around 5 hours of battery life, won’t quickly heat up, and perform just as quickly as other comparable Intel powered notebooks.

IHS iSuppli’s projections show that 43% of notebooks that will be released in 2015 will likely be based on the ultrabook design. This is a growth rate that starts at only 2% this year. Some of the current devices already available that have the ultrabook label are Acer Aspire 3951, Asus Zenbook UX21 and UX31, Lenovo IdeaPad U300S, and Toshiba Portege Z830. If those projections push through, you’re going to see a much longer list of ultrabooks in 2012 and the next few years after.

Source: twice

Ultrabooks – The Future of Laptops is a post from: Eee PC

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Gigabyte have released an 11 inch ULV netbook but, haven’t publicized it much, with some saying it was a “quiet release”. Perhaps the reason behind there not being much of announcement is due to the outdated specifications used on the netbook. The Gigabyte Q1105M comes with an Intel Pentium ULV processor and Intel GMA 4500 graphics. The choice of battery is also disappointing, with the Q1105M only coming with a 3 cell battery.

If that isn’t enough to put you off though, the rest of the specs seem quite standard. It comes with an 11.6 inch display and a 1366×768 resolution, 2GB of RAM and either a 250GB hard drive, or a 320GB hard drive. It also has the usual connectivity options of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 10/100 LAN. It also comes with a VGA camera, HDMI out and Windows 7 Home Premium.

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Following on from the LG T280 being introduced in Korea, it seems the T280 CULV will also be making it’s way to US soil. The T280 has been spotted on the FCC website, which includes internal photos of the netbook, a user manual and specs. The T280 is listed as having a 1.3 megapixel web camera, bluetooth, WiFi, optional 3G, 1-2GB of RAM, and 11.6 inch display and a 2.5 inch hard drive. Processor wise, it’ll be equipped with an Intel Pentium or Core Duo processor.

RAM will also be easy to upgrade but, the hard drive will be harder to get to to upgrade. Again, release info isn’t known or pricing. The FCC listing does however say, that the netbook will have different names for different regions, including TD280, TB280 and T28.

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One thing I like about netbooks is that is doesn’t have a DVD drive, something I don’t actually use that often in my main computer as well. It lets manufacturers create a sleeker design for this portable device and also makes it so much lighter to carry around.

Gateway, a subsidiary brand of Acer, went the other direction though and crammed in a DVD burner in its new EC14D notebook. By all the common standards, this isn’t a netbook but it’s an interesting play to grab those users who still need to create and use DVDs.

Gateway EC14D

• 11.6″ 1366 x 768 LCD screen
• 1.3GHz Intel Pentium SU4100 CULV with Intel GS45 chipset, GMA 4500MHD
• 4GB DDR2 RAM
• 320GB HDD
• 8x DVD burner
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• 802.11b/g/n WiFi, LAN
• 3 x USB, HDMI out, card reader, webcam
• 6-cell 5600mAh battery
• weight: 1.61kg

More pics in the link to Notebook Italia below.

source Notebook Italia via Engadget

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SSD upgrades are nice, and especially nice if you don’t need to crack open the case of your notebook/netbook and do it yourself. HP thought so too and released an SSD version of its DM1 notebook in Japan.

HP DM1

• 11.6″ 1366 x 768 screen
• 1.2GHz Intel Celeron CULV SU2300
• 3GB RAM (5GB Max)
• 80GB SSD
• 802.11b/g WiFi
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• 2 x USB, HDMI and VGA out, Ethernet, combo audio (mic + headphone) jack
• 5-in-1 card reader
• 6-cell battery (8 hours battery life)
• 1.5kg

The 80GB SSD replaces the 250GB HDD in the other model. There’s also a bump up to 3GB for the RAM. It retails for ¥74970 (US$834) and is available in Japan. The basic model is available in other places like Australia and the UK but not in the US, oddly enough, where HP is based.

source netbooked

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Li Ming over at Shanzai.com has an interesting take on what’s going to be the new trend this year. I previously decided that I’ll stick to my netbook for now. But it looks like CULVs will be coming in full force this new year. It will just be a matter of time before the price of these slightly-more-powerful-yet-more-energy-efficient notebooks will be at par with the netbooks we have right now.

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Read the rest of Ultrathin is in, some new thoughts (324 words)

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The Dell Inspiron 11z is an upgrade from the previous Atom offerings of Dell netbooks with its Intel CULV processor. Brad at liliputing had the chance to review a unit recently. As a refresher, here are the specs of the unit he had:

• 1.3GHz dual-core Pentium SU4100
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• 250GB HDD
• 2GB RAM
• 6-cell battery

From his comments, it looks like the unit is a slightly bigger brother of the 10v version. Everything is slightly bigger and the keyboard was larger as well, something different to what other makers like HP do when upgrading their netbooks in size. The HP 311 for example has the same keyboard size as the 10″ models. The Dell 11v also has a slight larger touchpad than its smaller sibling.

The include 6-cell battery isn’t flush to the base of the netbook that puts the keyboard at an incline which may or may not be to your taste. A 3-cell battery would provide a thinner profile if that floats your boat. Upgrades are more difficult to perform by the user with no easy access panel available at the bottom of the chassis.

As with the 10v’s touchpad, the buttons are integrated with the trackpad. I personally haven’t tried this particular type of touchpad but it would have worked better if they made it a bit bigger and not to the corners for easier clicking. Well, multitouch is supported so that’s something good about it.

With the comfortable size and longer battery life, this looks like a good netbook for the average mobile user who just needs a computer for work tasks and some occasional entertainment. You can check out Brad’s full review at the link below.

via liliputing

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Sony’s computers have been sort of the Apple of the PC market, with lavish and stylish designs at a premium price point. This new update is no different, with the previously phased out Vaio 11.1″ T series coming back with CULV processors.

The Sony Style site lists three CPU variants – a 1.2GHz dual-core Celeron SU2300, a 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo SU9400 and a 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo SU9600. All of them carry the GMA 4500MHD chipset and can either have 4GB or a whopping 8GB of RAM. Other configurations include choosing between any of the Windows 7 variants, up to 512GB SSD or 500GB HDD (or both, amazingly enough), upgrade to a Blu-ray DVD player or put in add-ons like a TV tuner or fingerprint scanner.

Another excellent feature is the battery life which can pump out at least 11 hours of usage up to a maximum of 17 hours. Yes, that’s 17 hours and you can actually fall asleep and this netbook would still be running.

Of course, don’t be surprised if your pocket weeps a bit when you grab one of these. The cheapest config goes for an amazing $1,405.

source Sony Style via netbooked

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Dell have released their first CULV system in Europe combining netbook design with laptop specs. The Dell Inspiron 11Z is available in the UK for £349. This includes the 11.6 inch display, Intel ULV processor, 160GB HDD and 2GB of RAM. The standard color is black but, like all Dell machines users can customize the netbook. The 11Z supports up to 500GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM. The color of the machine can also be customized for an extra £35. The added color options are red, blue, pink, purple, green or white.

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Second tier LCD makers were hoping that demand for 11.6 inch displays would be high, giving them a chance to compete with Samsung, LG Display and AU Optronics, who currently dominate the notebook and netbook panel market. They hoped that demand for 11-13 inch displays would propel them into the competition but it seems the demand for these size displays is actually dropping. Many netbook manufacturers appear to prefer the displays to be 10 inches or smaller. CULV notebooks were also to make use of these display sizes but, it appears many will actually be using displays of 13.3 to 15 inches. The shipment of 11-13 inch displays is expected to drop significantly.

via and via

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