The
World Cup
fever is among us and Toshiba. As the official IT sponsor for the
soccer event of the year, the company is launching a special-edition
Satellite A100
notebook to commemorate the event. As this model already has several
color options, this special edition differentiates itself with a gold
chassis. That's right. Now you can have a complete IT bling collection
with Motorola's
RAZR V3i D&G Special Gold Edition and this
gaudy portable.
One would expect the price of this
mobile to hit the
proverbial roof, considering that it's riding on the World Cup wave.
Not so. Surprisingly, the retail price is
The
specifications of the Satellite A100 2006 FIFA World Cup Limited
Edition Model are:
Click for larger image
When Apple came up with the black iPod
nano, we wondered when we would ever see a black beauty in its
notebook
series. Wonder no more as the latest 13.3-inch MacBook now comes in
the iconic white as well as a new black body.
There
are
three configurations to choose from, but only the high-end model
possesses the ebony body. The base model, priced at S$1,887.99 (US$1,242.10)
comes with an Intel Core Duo 1.83GHz processor, 60GB hard drive and a
DVD/CDRW combo drive. The midrange version has a faster 2.0GHz chip and
the optical storage is upgraded to a SuperDrive, at the cost of S$2,248 (US$1,478.95).
The black beauty ups the price to S$2,588 (US$1,702.63)
in return for a larger 80GB storage capacity.
At the
same time, the MacBook Pro has widened its display to a 17-inch LCD.
For S$4,788 (US$3,150),
you get the top-of-the-line 2.16GHz Core Duo processor, 120GB storage
space and SuperDrive.
Now we're talking.
Click here for Apple notebooks
With dimensions only slightly larger than
the PlayStation Portable, the Sony VAIO UX180P is its new
addition to the UMPC party.
Looking like a Star
Trek prop, the Sony VAIO UX180P has a distinctly high-tech appearance
with its sliding keypad and antenna. Joining the new category
of ultramobile PCs (UMPC), the VAIO UX180P weighs a mere 0.54kg but has
the processing power to run Windows XP Professional.
With
its 4.5-inch widescreen display and Intel Core Solo U1400 processor,
you also get 512MB of RAM and a 30GB harddrive. Connectivity features
include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and WWAN. Following 3G phone trends, this UMPC
incorporates a 1.3MP camera at the back and a 0.3MP one facing the
user. Even more impressive for its size is the fact that it also has a
USB port, Memory Stick slot and biometric fingerprint scanner.
We
feel that Sony may have a winner. With an integrated sliding keypad,
touchscreen and pointing stick, data entry and manipulation are greatly
simplified compared with purely touchscreen models. Handwriting
recognition, though greatly improved, is still not as speedy as using a
keyboard. At a starting price of US$1,799 (S$2,845.48) and up to 4.5
hours of battery life, this notebook is worth saving for.
Photo
Gallery
Seattle-based Retrofitted Designs has taken schtick to a new level. Its laptop cover stickers, playfully punned as LapSchticks, will spruce up the most boring laptop case, with a choice that ranges from flowers to retro pop art. It's your call, though, if you want to cover up your Apple iBook or Mac Pro, or even ASUS' very funky cowhide-leather S6F and Lamborghini portables. The good news is the stickers are made of special high-quality vinyl with removable pressure-sensitive adhesive, which means you won't get annoying goo if you decide to terminate your current LapSchtick. For those who want to take customization a step further, there's an option to personalize your own design with, say, your doggie's fur face or your sweetheart's mug. All for an extra charge, of course.
The
optical format war seems to be coming to a head, with competing
Blu-Ray and HD DVD going head-to-head to succeed the DVD as
the
next-generation optical storage standard. Though desktop optical drives
are already in production, the prohibitive cost of the new format is a
major obstacle.
But come May 27, notebook
enthusiasts can look
forward to the first notebook with an HD DVD optical drive. Toshiba's
flagship series will add a new member, the Qosmio
G30, at the
Mobile Netlifestyle in Singapore at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza. Besides
expecting a quality entertainment experience with this system, the G30
is notable for having an integrated HD DVD drive.
According
to Toshiba,
the drive is not only compatible with current DVDs and CDs, but HD DVD
disks will also be cheaper than its competitors as
the manufacturing process is similar to current DVD production. We
look forward to updating the Qosmio G30 review when the new HD DVD
units roll into the region.