notebook

mobile
February 3, 2012
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Sales of smartphones, tablets and notebooks expected to grow 25.7% annually through 2015

By on February 3, 2012 at 7:15 AM.

Sales of smartphones, tablets and notebooks expected to grow 25.7% annually through 2015

NPD In-Stat recently issued a report in which the firm said it expects smartphones, tablets and notebooks — which are all included in its “mobile magnet platforms” category — to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of of 25.7% through 2015. The company also said it expects the overall mobile market to grow 8.7%. ”The technology driver of all these smart devices is the mobile technology, because it represents the largest and fastest growing segment of the entire electronics market,” Jim McGregor, Chief Technology Strategist for NPD said. “The innovation of the mobile market is being driven by four key factors: richer content, network access for communications and content, increased bandwidth to enable this access, and new technologies. These four factors form a self-sustaining circle of innovation that feeds from and enables each factor.” The market research firm also expects that smartphones to grow from under 20% of all phones  sold in 2010 to 43% of all handsets sold by 2015. NPD’s full press release follows after the break. More →

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Business
January 30, 2012
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Canalys: Apple blazes past HP to dominate global PC market in Q4

By on January 30, 2012 at 5:45 PM.

Canalys: Apple blazes past HP to dominate global PC market in Q4

Apple pulled ahead of HP in the fourth quarter to become the largest player in the client PC market, a new report suggested Monday. The Cupertino-based company shipped more than 15 million iPads and 5 million Mac computers last quarter, and those figures represented 17% of all PCs shipped around the world during the fourth quarter. The report, which comes from market research firm Canalys, said PC shipments grew 16% annually to reach 120 million during the quarter, and the firm’s categorization of “PC” includes desktops, notebooks, netbooks and tablets in its figures. Tablets drove PC growth, however, and Canalys said the market would have declined by 0.4% without taking tablets into consideration. Read on for more. More →

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Rumor
January 27, 2012
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Microsoft and Asus may be working on Kinect-enabled Windows 8 laptops

By on January 27, 2012 at 8:00 PM.

Microsoft and Asus may be working on Kinect-enabled Windows 8 laptops

Asus is reportedly working on Windows 8 laptops that are equipped with Microsoft’s Kinect technology. The Daily recently reported that it was able to “check out” two different prototype laptops that “appeared” to be made by Asus. The Kinect sensor was built into the area where a notebook’s camera would typically reside, and The Daily also noted a set of LEDs below the screen. Microsoft reportedly confirmed that the notebooks were Kinect-enabled prototypes. As The Daily points out, a Kinect-enabled notebook could allow a user to interact with Windows 8 or play games using motion controls, much like Xbox 360 Kinect users are able to do now. It is unclear when, or even if, the notebooks will ever be released. More →

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General
January 18, 2012
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AMD to undercut Intel with cheaper ultrabooks

By on January 18, 2012 at 2:00 AM.

AMD to undercut Intel with cheaper ultrabooks

AMD is reportedly planning to undercut Intel by offering cheaper ultrabook components later this year. The notebooks are expected to cost between $700 and $999, which is a good deal cheaper than the $999-$1,200 price tag that many ultrabooks carry now. DigiTimes notes that AMD’s technology will not add any new innovative functions but will instead be focused on delivering consumers thin and light devices at a much more wallet-friendly price. The first round of AMD-powered ultrabooks is expected to hit the market in June. More →

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General
January 4, 2012
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HP teases upcoming Spectre ultrabook in short clip [video]

By on January 4, 2012 at 2:45 AM.

HP teases upcoming Spectre ultrabook in short clip [video]

HP recently circulated a short video of a new ultra-thin notebook that is purportedly its upcoming HP Envy Spectre ultrabook. While there aren’t any specs discussed in the video, we’re definitely impressed by what appears to be a very sleek design. HP’s first ultrabook, the Folio 13, was unveiled in November and it offers the latest Intel Core processors, a 128GB SSD and more for a relatively affordable $900 price point. The Consumer Electronics Show is just around the corner so hopefully we’ll hear a bit more about the Spectre next week. The clip follows after the break. More →

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General
December 29, 2011
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Intel may unveil new 22nm Ivy Bridge processors on April 8th

By on December 29, 2011 at 12:05 AM.

Intel may unveil new 22nm Ivy Bridge processors on April 8th

Intel could be preparing to unveil most of its next-generation 22nm Ivy Bridge processors ”on or around” April 8th according to a recent rumor. The company is set to introduce 25 different models in total, DigiTimes reported, including 17 chips designed for use in desktop PCs and eight for notebooks and ultrabooks. Intel will announce the following desktop processors in April according to the report: the Core i7-3770K, 3770, 3770S, 3770T as well as the Core i5-3570, 3550 and 3450. The desktop processors will reportedly range in price from $184 to $332. The following notebook CPUs will also be announced: Core i7-3920Qm ($1,096), 3820QM ($568) and the 3720QM ($378). Intel is allegedly working on the Core i5-3520M, 3360M, 3320M for notebooks and the Core i7-3667U and Core i5-3427U for ultrabooks, but those processors may not be announced at the same time; the company is expected to unveil several other models for both notebooks and desktops in May. Intel has said its Ivy Bridge chips will offer a 37% performance increase over its 32nm chips.

More →

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General
November 16, 2011
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HP unveils its first Ultrabook, the $900 Folio 13

By on November 16, 2011 at 9:05 PM.

HP unveils its first Ultrabook, the $900 Folio 13

HP unveiled its first Ultrabook on Wednesday, the Folio 13. The laptop packs a 13.3-inch display, 9 hours of battery life, a 128GB SSD, USB 3.0, an Ethernet jack, an HP TrueVision HD webcam, and Windows 7 in a small 3.3-pound unit that measures just 18mm thick. The notebook, no doubt created to compete with Apple’s MacBook Air, will be targeted at business users and can be outfitted with one of Intel’s latest Core processors, although specific chip speeds were not identified by HP. The Folio 13 will make its debut on December 7th for $899.99. HP also announced several new ENVY notebooks, including the HP ENVY 15, the ENVY 17 and the ENVY 17 3D, and two new Pavilion dm4 models, including a special Beats Edition with a black and red design and a signature Beats logo on the lid. The full press release from HP follows after the break. More →

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Retail
October 31, 2011
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Best Buy offering $150 32GB TouchPad with HP notebook purchase

By on October 31, 2011 at 9:25 PM.

Best Buy offering $150 32GB TouchPad with HP notebook purchase

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again. Best Buy announced on Monday that customers who purchase an HP or Compaq laptop, desktop or all-in-one computer can opt to purchase an HP TouchPad tablet for an additional $149. The deal, which gives a small breath of life to a tablet that has already been killed-off by HP, kicks off on November 1st. Interested buyers can also purchase the TouchPad for $599.99, the tablet’s initial launch price, without buying an HP computer. As a quick refresher, the TouchPad offers a 9.7-inch XGA display, 32GB of storage, a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and support for 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and NFC. Read on for the full press release from Best Buy. More →

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General
July 28, 2011
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Acer founder comments on former CEO’s move to Samsung

By on July 28, 2011 at 1:30 AM.

Acer founder comments on former CEO’s move to Samsung

On Tuesday, reports surfaced that Acer’s former chief executive officer Gianfranco Lanci has accepted a job at Samsung where he will lead the Korean company’s notebook business. Acer founder Stan Shih spoke with reporters during the ADOC 2.0 technology conference in Taipei on Wednesday and discussed the issue. While the move has yet to be confirmed by Samsung or Acer, Shih noted that it is common for executives to move between firms, especially for better gigs, and that the press should not be surprised. The calm remarks are a bit surprising as there is speculation that Lanci’s move could be a blow to Acer’s laptop business. Acer is currently the world’s No. 4 laptop manufacturer, trailed by Samsung in the No. 7 spot. More →

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Computers
July 27, 2011
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Thoughts on Apple’s new MacBook Air (mid-2011)

By on July 27, 2011 at 1:33 PM.

Thoughts on Apple’s new MacBook Air (mid-2011)

I’ve been using Apple’s mid-2011 MacBook Air for almost a week now and even though it’s physically the same unit that it replaced (for the most part) on the exterior, this is an entirely different beast. For starters, Apple’s second-generation MacBook Air improved greatly on the first model by offering up a redesigned case complete with two built-in USB ports, an SD card reader and SSD hard drives as the only available options. The older Intel Core 2 Duo processors however, severely limited the computer. It was functional enough for me to replace a Core i7 MacBook Pro, but it was slow; normal tasks would bog the system down, and the computer would heat up at the drop of a dime. All this has changed with the latest MacBook Air, however. Read on for my thoughts.

More →

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General
July 25, 2011
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Samsung taps ex-Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci to boost notebook biz

By on July 25, 2011 at 7:40 PM.

Samsung taps ex-Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci to boost notebook biz

Acer’s former chief executive Gianfranco Lanci may join Samsung to assist with building the Korean firm’s notebook business, DigiTimes reported on Monday. Gianfranco Lanci resigned from Acer in March of this year after the company hit a rough patch. Rumor has it Lanci’s attractive management expertise in European sales channels attracted both Dell and Samsung as suitors. DigiTimes said Lanci signed a one-year non-compete agreement with Acer when he left his executive role, however Samsung will reportedly work to negotiate that agreement if Lanci joins the company. Neither Acer nor Samsung have confirmed Lanci’s potential move. More →

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Computers
July 11, 2011
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HP will be first to market with new Intel-powered ‘Ultrabook’ notebooks

By on July 11, 2011 at 9:04 PM.

HP will be first to market with new Intel-powered ‘Ultrabook’ notebooks

During the Computex trade show in May, Intel laid out its vision for new “Ultrabook” notebooks that will blend the performance of today’s laptops with a tablet-like experience in a thin and light product. While the company originally said that ASUS’ UX21 notebook would be the first such device when it launches in time for this year’s holiday season, a new report from DigiTimes suggests that HP will beat ASUS to the market. Reportedly, the computer manufacturer will use Foxconn Electronics for the production of at least two Ultrabooks, which will run on Intel’s 1.8GHz Core i7-2677M and the 1.7GHz Core i7-2637M platforms. Rumor has it that Foxconn has already started to ship the Ultrabooks to HP, but it’s unclear when the devices will launch. More →

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Computers
July 1, 2011
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Apple to surpass HP as top notebook vendor in 2012

By on July 1, 2011 at 6:11 PM.

Apple to surpass HP as top notebook vendor in 2012

Apple will surpass HP has the world’s largest notebook vendor in 2012, according to DigiTimes. There’s one catch, though: that statement is only valid if tablet PC sales are included in the overall “notebooks shipped” figure. Here’s how it could work: tablet PC shipments are on track to top 60 million units this year, and Apple has a 60% grip on that market thanks to an expected 40 million iPad shipments this year. Analysts think that 80 million tablet PCs will ship next year, and they project Apple will move 60 million iPads alone — a 40% share of the market. DigiTimes also said that the Cupertino-based firm could ship 15 million MacBooks next year, for a total of 75 million “notebooks and tablets” shipped. HP, on the other hand, is on track to ship 45-50 million notebooks this year. DigiTimes did not address HP’s new TouchPad tablet, the company’s 7-inch webOS tablet rumored to be waiting in the wings, or the possibility of the company creating and shipping tablets running Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system. More →

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