Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

The last time we mentioned Toshiba’s M400, it was rocking a lowly Core Solo processor and a 1,024 x 768 resolution LCD, but now Toshiba is upping the ante on the convertible by tossing in a Core 2 Duo chip along with HSDPA technology. Aside from receiving a 2GHz Intel T7200 CPU, the upgraded machine also sports a 12.1-inch SXGA+ display, 80GB SATA drive, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, dual-layer DVD burner, integrated stereo speakers, and the obligatory built-in UMTS / HSDPA SIM card slot for that 3G goodness we all know and love. Moreover, the Portege M400-3G touts a PCMCIA slot, 4-pin FireWire connector, S-Video / VGA outputs, 5-in-1 flash card reader, gigabit Ethernet, 56k modem, integrated WiFi / Bluetooth, and a trio of USB 2.0 ports to boot. It will reportedly also feature a “slice expansion battery” to prolong its life while computing out in the wild. While Toshiba hasn’t leaked any information on pricing, we do know that this svelte convertible will be hitting Middle Eastern shores in “Q1 2007,” but we sure hope Tosh brings the goods over to this side of the pond soon after.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

 

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

The same folks who brought us fire-proof plastic, air guitar clothing, and wireless air hockey apparently delivered a lot more of the WiFi technology we all utilize daily than was previously recognized. Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization has won a landmark case against Buffalo Technology, “under which it could receive royalties from every producer of WLAN products worldwide.” US patent 5487069 — which “encompasses elements of the 802.11a/g wireless technology that is now an industry standard” — was granted to the body back in 1996, and has subsequently been utilized in seemingly every piece of wireless kit ever since. Considering their recent victory, CSIRO’s pending cases against Intel, Dell, Microsoft, HP, and Netgear definitely have roots now, and if judges continue to rule in the Aussies’ favor, the big boys could be shelling out “hundreds of millions of dollars” in back pay to cover their wrongs. Ruh roh.

[Thanks, Phil]

 

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Laptops

If you’ve been holding off on picking up a mobile gaming machine, Asus has officially launched two gamer-focused designs that should pack the power those FPS freaks want need. The 15.4-inch G1 and 17-inch G2 sport common innards and unique styling cues, as the G1 rocks green outer LEDs while the G2 is complimented in red. Beneath the hood of these beasts is your choice of Intel’s T7600/T7400/T7200/T5600/T5500 Core 2 Duo processor, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, up to 160GB SATA hard drive, LightScribe-compatible dual-layer DVD burner, built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam, Bluetooth, and 802.11a/b/g. The G1 sports WXGA / WSXGA Color Shine LCD options and a 512MB NVIDIA GeForce Go7700 graphics set, while the G2 gets a WXGA display and the 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon X1700 card. You’ll also find a fair assortment of ports, including video output, an ExpressCard slot, a flash card reader, and a few USB 2.0 ports to boot; additionally, the outer casing is built to withstand the less-than-gentle travels a mobile LAN machine is bound to endure, and the customizable “OLED instant display” can presumably showcase battery life, performance statistics, or available updates on the fly. While concrete pricing hasn’t quite been nailed down yet, both notebooks will supposedly come with the pictured backpack and mouse combination, but we’re sure this fairly well-loaded laptop will demand a hefty premium when it hits the market.

[Via Electronista, thanks Jonathan]

 

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Portable Video

If you didn’t bite when Elgato released its pocket-friendly EyeTV Hybrid, you may be interested in its supercharged successor, the EyeTV Diversity. The USB 2.0 stick makes for easy travel, and this rendition sports dual attachable antennas and a DSP, “which uses information from both tuners to generate the best signal possible.” Designed to work with DTT / DVB-T signals, the device supports dual tuner functionality, PIP, scheduled recordings via the included EveTV 2 software, and a one-year subscription to the “tvtv” program guide. It touts seamless integration with Toast 7, and even provides easy converting for use on video-playing iPods. The company also notes that 1080i and 720p viewing / recording is possible on Macs housing “dual PowerPC G5 or Intel Core Duo” processors, and the dual-tuner USB stick can be picked up now on the other side of the pond for €149.95 ($191).

[Via digg]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops

Intel’s first quad-core processors still aren’t even shipping but that hasn’t stopped the company from showing off the next chip up its sleeve, unveiling the quad-core Xeon “Tigerton” on Friday. Set to ship in the second half of 2007 and intended for heavy-duty server use, this one sports the Xeon MP 7000 Series designation — MP standing for multiprocessor, naturally, meaning that you can use more than one of ‘em in your setup for some dual or quad quad-core action. Unfortunately, that appears to be all that Intel’s letting loose about the processor for the time being, though the company has reaffirmed that the previously announced “Clovertown” quad-core Xeon server processor will be shipping in November, as will the desktop-bound Core 2 Extreme QX6700.

 

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Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Oh Transmeta, we remember you when you were the darling of Silicon Valley — yes, the same company that attracted Linus Torvalds and the attention of Microsoft. But apparently Transmeta’s designs were so good that Intel copied them (specifically some relating to such nebulous IP holdings as “computer architecture” and “power efficiency”) without asking first, resulting in Transmeta filing suit against Intel. According to an account in the EE Times: “The complaint charges that Intel has infringed and is infringing Transmeta’s patents by making and selling a variety of microprocessor products, including at least Intel’s Pentium III, Pentium 4, Pentium M, Core and Core 2 product lines.” Given Intel’s recent success, it seems like a possible legal ploy to get at Intel’s coffers — especially considering the bouts with restructuring Transmeta’s had in the past couple years.

[Via Slashdot]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Filed under: Handhelds, Wireless

For all you internet junkies out there (and if you’re reading Engadget on a Friday night, we’re referring to you), you’ll be pleased to know that Intel’s newest chipset for next-gen UMPCs are getting some 3G love from Sierra Wireless. This dovetails nicely with the announcement yesterday that Intel’s Santa Rosa chipset would be also be getting some HSDPA action, but from cellphone giant Nokia. Intel also said that its newest ultra-mobile chip will be based on the Core 2 Duo, will only draw half as much power, and will measure just one quarter the size of the current chipset. Ok guys, we don’t mind you shrinking the devices, but for the love of Gordon Moore, please don’t make those screens any more squint-inducing.

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Desktops

If nailing down the specs to Intel’s Classmate PC wasn’t thrilling enough, and you were left neck deep in transistors after wading through all those CPU announcements, how about a taste of next year, only right now? DigiTimes has it that Intel’s roadmap (which has been surprisingly accurate thus far), already has plans for the next, next quad-core processor, dubbed Yorkfield. Slated to hit motherboards in Q3 2007, the Yorky builds on the forthcoming Kentsfield chip by operating in a “more efficient” manner. Whereas the Kentsfield rocks two separate L2 caches, shared separately by each pair of processors, the Yorkfield sports just a single L2 cache shared directly by each pair of chips, enabling more streamlined quad-core operation with less front side bus bandwidth. Manufactured on 45nm process technology, next year’s quad-core CPU will be paired with the impending Bearlake chipset family (which will support a 1333MHz FSB and a PCI Express 2.0 interface), and will target that oh-so-lucrative “high-end gaming” market when it drops.

[Via TGDaily]

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Desktops, Media PCs

While rumors were a swirlin’ in the days leading up to Apple’s “It’s Showtime” event, one thing we didn’t exactly forecast was a refresh in the Mac mini lineup. Nevertheless, Apple bumped its most minuscule Macs by tossing in Intel Core Duo processors, while leaving just about everything else (including price points) the same. In case you’ve been dreaming up a homegrown media center or recording studio, and need to know if the revamped mini would fit the bill, Macworld’s review crew has the scoop. Reviewers admired the inclusion of Core Duo chips in both high and low-end models, the built-in WiFi / Bluetooth, and the “admirable” Front Row performance. Aside from praising the small footprint (and the “impressive versatility” it allowed), they found the “10 to 15 percent” performance boost quite helpful in the typical media center related tasks, but (as expected) didn’t hesitate to slam the weak integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics set. Overall, the speedier new Mac earned a 4 out of 5 ranking, and was deemed an “excellent, fully-featured system” — so be sure and hit the read link for the complete critique on the this maxed-out mini.

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Desktops

If you’re still fence sitting on whether or not the 24-inch iMac would appropriately fill the gaping expanse on your desk, and the unboxing photos, impressive Core 2 Duo benchmarks, and promise of “upgradable graphics” haven’t convinced you just yet, maybe a full-fledged review will relieve the hemming and the hawing. PCMag has given Apple’s biggest all-in-one about as much praise as any glossy white device can handle, while finding little to harp negatively upon; reviewers were quick to espouse the machine’s prowess in nearly every aspect imaginable, calling it “a system that photo, video, music and even graphics enthusiasts could love.” More specifically, they admired the brightly lit LCD, “zippy” performance in OS X, better than expected gaming performance (in Windows XP, of course), and tight Front Row integration. The only notable digs were it’s sluggish 3D results in OS X (surprise, surprise) and the disappointing lack of a built-in flash card reader or TV tuner. Regardless, PCMag handed out a 4.5 out of 5 rating (along with an Editor’s Choice award), and proudly stated that returning their test unit would be tough — so if you still aren’t swayed, hit the read link for the full rundown.

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

If you thought the bevy of Merom-based laptops coming at you had finally stalled, well, maybe it has — but HP Compaq’s tc4000 tablet PC has arrived (albeit fashionably late) with spec-bumped innards that include an Intel Core Duo 1.83GHz T5600 processor. Aside from the Merom boost, this convertible also packs 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a 12.1-inch XGA display, 5,400RPM 80GB hard drive, 56k modem, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g, biometric fingerprint sensor, and a 6-cell battery. It comes fully prepared for that stylus abuse thanks to the included Windows XP Tablet Edition 2005, and sports the usual complement of ports: VGA out, S-Video out, microphone in, headphone jack, IR, and a trio of USB 2.0 connectors. If you’ve somehow held out on those Merom-powered laptops and just can’t resist the allure of taking notes on an LCD, the tc4400 is available now for $1,479.

[Via Laptoping]

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Desktops

It’s been barely a few days since Apple released the new Core 2 Duo iMacs, but already the benchmarks are coming out. As usual, Macworld is among the first to spar with the new hardware. The lab concluded that compared to the previous iMac Core Duo models, the new models hit a 10 percent improvement over previous models in Macworld Lab’s comprehensive Speedmark Test over the previous models. As he explains, part of the advantage is also likely to come via the doubling of the iMacs’ L2 Cache to 4MB, which is, of course, contained within the new processor. We feel for the thousands of people who’ve already bought their Core Duo iMacs — only to have been surpassed by a 10 percent increase. Really.

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Filed under: Laptops

So, now that you’re totally and completely freaking sick of hearing about the Core 2 Duo mobile (aka Merom) laptops that were launched today, perhaps it’ll interest you to find out exactly how well these machines perform compared to their original Core Duo counterparts? Well, without taking away too much of the reason to hit the PC Perspective benchmark bonanza that pitted the Core 2 Duo T7600 against the Core Duo T6700 — both today’s and yesterday’s 2.33GHz Intel Core chips — we can tell you that the performance was in all cases better, though not typically much more than marginally so. Under heavy load Core 2 Duo was only 2 to 6 degrees cooler (and even in some cases hotter) than the Core Duo, though in one test it did score an entire half hour more battery life. So what have we learned? Well, you can walk — don’t run — to pick up your Merom laptop, if at all. Us? We’ll be fine with our Core Duo (even our Pentium M) machines a while longer yet, thanks; somehow we don’t think that 2 or 3 degrees of heat shaved off the top is really going to finally help us conceive.

[Thanks, Mark W.]

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Filed under: Laptops

Mmmm, that tasty Samsung Q35 just went Core 2 Duo. And from the looks of things, that’s the only change you’re gonna see; same 12.1-inch widescreen display, 80GB SATA disk, up to 1GB memory, and integrated Intel graphics swaddled in a sleek, 4-pound ultra-porable. Still, while the new proc won’t be any more efficient with the juice than the Q35′s former Core Duo, that promised 20% boost in performance ain’t chicken feed. Most of all, kudos to you Sammy for not calling this the World’s Smallest Core 2 Duo laptop held by a prostrate, shoeless waif. Nice to see a bit of restraint on this one. Also announced is the less interesting 15.4-inch, R55 with that same 1.8GHz T5600 Core 2 Duo proc, disk, and RAM but with GeForce Go 7600 graphics for that extra bit of oomph. Stay tuned for the deluge of Core 2 Duo lappies to come dear readers.

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Filed under: Laptops

Well, it’s officially late August, meaning that the bit of buffer between Intel’s Core 2 Duo desktop and mobile launches should be over any day now. Word on the street is Monday’s locked and loaded for a barrage laptop releases with their latest powerhouse dual core mobile processor — the one some may still know as Merom — on board. (And thus, we ask for your forgiveness in advance when we have a slew of laptop write ups early next week.) In other words, if you were considering snatching up a laptop this weekend — PC or Mac — you’d probably be best off waiting until at least next weekend to do it; who knows what kinds of goodies we’ll see in a couple days, right?

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Filed under: Desktops, Home Entertainment, Media PCs

It was only a matter of time before we could stuff a shiny new Intel Core 2 Duo processor into an SFF box, and although its a little late to the party, Shuttle has unveiled the SD37P2 barebones case and labeled it the “world’s fastest SFF PC,” even though it doesn’t actually come with a CPU. Nevertheless, the relatively standard looking black case rocks the Intel 975x Express chipset supporting the Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Duo Extreme, Pentium Extreme, and Pentium D. With a FSB of 1,066MHz, support for 8GB of DDR2 RAM, and dual PCIe (x16) slots sporting ATI CrossFire technology , you could actually make a halfway decent gaming machine out of this. The obligatory built-in Gigabit Ethernet and 7.1 channel HD audio is included, and the design engineers gave you plenty of reasons to utilize all your off-the-wall USB-powered toys by tossing in 10 USB ports. The SilentX 400 watt PSU, dual FireWire connectors, and support for three internal hard drives rounds out the fairly solid offering — but as usual, Shuttle likes to throw a premium on their little boxes, and by slapping a €419 ($537) pricetag on this barebones kit, we’d probably suggest finding a less costly destination for your Core 2 Duo.

[Via RegHardware]

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Filed under: Laptops

What a difference an “E” makes. Chinese owners of Dell’s Inspiron 640m laptop are apparently furious over the fact that the company misleadingly equipped their new machines with Intel’s Core Duo T2300E processor instead of the T2300 chip that had been advertised, and are lining up to sue over the alleged defrauding, according to news site China Daily. Since the only real difference between the T2300 and T2300E is the former’s support for Intel’s Virtualization Technology, the average consumer probably wouldn’t even be affected by the cheaper processor, but customers are still understandably peeved that they’re not getting all the functionality they paid for. The discrepancy was first discovered in early June by a single owner, who by way of an online bulletin board, learned that hundreds of other unhappy customers were afflicted with the same problem. The owner filed suit against Dell in late July after having apparently been rebuffed in an attempt to get the CPU swapped out (“”I tried to negotiate with Dell and simply asked them to change the CPU, but they said there was no difference between the two and it was unnecessary to change,” claims the owner); now 19 more customers have joined together for their own class-action suit, with many more waiting in the wings, according to lawyers handling the cases. For its part, Dell claims the mix-up stems from a failure to update its Chinese marketing materials, and has issued affected customers both an apology and an offer to refund the full price of returned machines — but at this point, that doesn’t seem to be enough for many of the folks involved. It’s unfortunate that it took a big public stink for Dell to own up to its mistake and attempt a resolution, but as with the just-announced, historic battery recall, this incident proves just how powerful a determined group of individuals can be.

Read- Chinese lawsuits [Via Ars Technica]
Read- Dell’s response

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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Media PCs

Trailing only slightly behind the onslaught of Core 2 Duo machines we’ve seen recently, Okoro Media Systems is following suit by offering Intel’s latest processors in their home theater computers. Okoro has shown it likes to keep pace in the HTPC race, and by tossing the Core 2 Duo in three of their PCs, it hopes to take advantage of the extra speed and efficiency the chips offer. The OMS-TH540 will sport the Intel 1.8GHz E6300, while the OMS-TH550 gets the 2.13GHz E6400, and still holding tight to its “fastest HTPC available” claim, the OMS-GX300 rocks the Intel Core 2 Extreme 2.93GHz X6800. While it doesn’t look like they’ve removed any fans, the company states that the Core 2 Duo was chosen because of its efficient nature, allowing the creation of “high performance, ultra-quiet, and low power” entertainment systems. This new trio runs “up to 40 percent faster and quieter” than the previous generation of Okoros, and these fresh releases also rock “DTS Connect” technology, which provides 7.1 “HD audio,” HDCP compliant video playback, and ATSC recording capabilities. The revamped lineup — Core 2 Duo and all — is available immediately, but with prices starting at $2,095 and reaching way past our credit limit, the bleeding-edge technology comes at a painful premium.

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Filed under: Laptops

A few spicy tidbits have been showing up on Dell’s websites pointing to some Core 2 Duo releases sooner rather than later. Their UK website lists Core 2 Duo versions of their XPS M1210, M1710, M2010 and Inspiron e1705 and e1505 laptops, while the US support site mentions a BIOS update to allow current owners of those laptops to upgrade to Merom processors. So far there isn’t any official word from Dell on any such upgrades, and you’ll have to call up Dell in the UK to try and finagle those Core 2 Duo models, but it seems like Dell fans aren’t going to have to wait too long to get some of that next-gen Intel action.

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Filed under: Desktops

Alright, we’re going to clear this up right here: “quad processors” is different than dual dual-core processors. Despite the best efforts of Steve Jobs and his Reality Distortion Field. But with that said, we’re not complaining. Dual dual-core chips sure is plenty of juice to be getting on with, and Apple’s Xserve line sure manages a lot of power for its 1U rackmount design. The configurations mirror that of the Mac Pro, ranging up to dual 64-bit dual-core 3GHz Xeon “Woodcrest” chips. Apple added in redundant power with the space savings from losing those steamy G5 processors, and also made room for 2.24TB of storage. Configurations start at $2,999, range beyond the amount of cash we’ll see in our lifetime, and should be available in October.

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Filed under: Desktops

Dell’s giving that sweet Core 2 love to more than just the XPS 410 and XPS 700 desktops; even workstations are getting into the game. As part of the continuing onslaught of spec-bumped machines, the company announced that its Precision 390 tower is now available with four Core 2 Duo options (1.86GHz E6300, 2.13GHz E6400, 2.40GHz E6660, or 2.66GHz E6700) or even the blazing 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800, along with a seemingly-ancient 3.0GHz Pentium 4. The new rig can handle up to 8GB of DDR2 RAM, up to a 7,200RPM, 500GB hard drive, and comes with a number of graphics options from either nVIDIA (the Quadro series) or ATI (either a FireGL V7200 or V3400). If you act now, you can pick up a base configuration (which includes the E6300) for just $800, though going high-end will cost significantly more: a Core 2 Extreme–equipped setup more than doubles the price to $1,790.

[Thanks, Michael]

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Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

Perhaps the most notable things about the revamped Alienware Area-51 7500 are its new mood-lighting adjustable case and P2 chassis. The AlienFX case sports user-adjustable lighting in six different areas of its tool-less entry chassis, while the inside adds additional slots and inputs for the h@x0r in you – complete with AlienWare’s AlienIce cooling system. Specs-wise, the new 7500 (an apparent bump from the MJ-12 7500) packs a dual core Intel Core 2 Duo processor or 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800 (at the high end – default config is a Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz), nVIDIA graphics (options include both single and SLI configurations, with up to dual 512MB GeForce 7900 GTXs), and as much as 4GB of DDR2 SDRAM. The new machine starts at $1,799, but our configured uber-rig (with 30-inch LCD, mind you) got us over $6,800 within just a few radio button clicks. Do your credit card a favor and take it out to dinner before you lay this one on it.

[Thanks, David]

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We’ve had some Intel Core 2 Duo news today, starting with the bit about Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme shipping!

Then there’s our hands-on with a custom version of the Dell Precision Workstation 390. The machine was pumped so full of goods it was almost four times the price of the basic $1,050 configuration. The result? Fast and quiet.

Then there’s the latest Alienware Area-51 PC, which will run you $5,000. If you’re a little thriftier, there’s the $2,400 Dell XPS 410 with a Core 2 Duo E6600. – Jason Chen

The XPS 410, with Intel’s Core 2 Duo E6600 inside, is one speedy entertainment machine. Although not thrifty by any means at $2,405, this unit comes with a 20-inch widescreen LCD and lots of gamer and power-user components inside.

The GeForce7900 graphics card, dual TV Tuner, dual-port Firewire Card, and dual 320GB Serial ATA hard drives (configured in RAID0 or 1) gets you a boat-load of performance. Again, the two and a half grand price tag may put this out of range for bargain hunters, but for people who love the bleeding edge Core 2 Duo CPUs, Dell’s got a juicy unit with your name on it. – Jason Chen

Dell XPS 410 (Core 2 Duo E6600) [CNET]

Filed under: Desktops

If there's anything better than killing two birds with one stone it's killing four of them, and thanks to a pair of early looks from Cnet, we're able to cram two product announcements and their corresponding reviews into one tidy little post. Even though they were just unveiled today, the tech mega-site was already able to take Dell's XPS 410 (pictured, left) and HP's Pavilion d4600y (pictured, right) Core 2 Duo-powered desktops out for a spin, and both machines come across as very capable performers. The two rigs share the same 2.4GHz E6600 CPU and 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 RAM -- meaning that they throw down almost identical benchmark numbers, with the HP enjoying a slight but ultimately inconsequential edge -- but the Dell's nVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS graphics card with 512MB VRAM makes short work of the ATI Radeon X1600XT-sporting Pavilion in the all-important gaming department. Dual 320GB hard drives also put the XPS 410 on top when it comes to storage capacity (although the d4600y still offers a very reasonable dual 250GB HDD array), and both towers seem equally well-suited for multimedia applications with their on-board dual-tuner TV cards and plethora of connectivity options. In the end, each $2,000 system earned a Very Good score of exactly 7.2 from Cnet, with the Dell obviously getting the nod for gamers, while the cheap-looking but feature-filled HP sounds like a better choice for the all-around user who wants greater expandability. Luckily, the hot new dual-core processors in both PCs means that you'll be getting one of the fastest machines on the market, no matter which model you choose.

Read- Dell XPS 410
Read- HP Pavilion d4600y

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