At Fujitsu's recent launch event at Vivocity in Singapore, the Japanese PC maker also offered journalists sneak previews of two of its upcoming notebooks, the LifeBook T2010 and LifeBook N6460.
Click for larger images of the new Fujitsu laptops:
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Editors' note :More details of the latest Inspirons and XPS M1330 is available here. |
Like the Sony VAIO UX series, the PMG UMPC by Singapore's Tronic International has a slide-out keyboard and weighs in at under 1kg. So how does it compare with the VAIO?
Despite the VAIO's small keyboard, the PMG UMPC's input device looks even harder to get used to as the keys are split into two sections. Presumably, due to its wider 6.5-inch touchscreen compared with Sony's 4.5-inch display, this design allows the device to be used thumbboard-style. It may not have a fingerprint sensor, but optional features include GPS, a TV tuner and TPM security chip. Using a VIA processor running at 1GHz, we do not expect blazing performance though it should have no issue running Windows Vista Basic Edition and simple productivity tools. Other features include two USB ports, VGA-out, an SD card slot and a 0.3-megapixel camera for video chatting.
The battery life is rated for up to 5 hours, with a footprint of 190 x 120.8 x 28.3mm.
The PMG UMPC is expected to hit Southeast Asian markets including Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan and Malaysia some time in September. The basic configuration starts at US$1,200 (S$1,843.08).
More CommunicAsia coverage here
So what's the big deal about the flash-based harddisk used in the latest Sony VAIO VGN-UX38GN? Nothing at all, if you do not value faster performance, greater shock resistance and longer battery life.
The VAIO VGN-UX38GN is possibly the first notebook in Asia Pacific (outside Japan and Korea) to use flash storage technology. Similar to memory cards, flash drives have no moving parts, which make data access much faster than conventional magnetic platters. Moreover, this also means the unit is more resistant to damage due to vibrations and sudden shocks. Flash drives also consume less power, which gives the UX38GN an hour more of battery life than the cheaper VAIO VGN-UX37GN/L model with magnetic storage.
However, the downside is flash drives cost much more while offering a comparatively smaller capacity.
If a normal hard drive is fine and dandy for you, then the 40GB UX37GN is a grand cheaper at S$3,499 (US$2,519.44). However, a S$1,000 (US$720.05) premium for the 32GB UX38GN seems like a reasonable premium for greater performance and hardiness. We will be comparing both versions in the next two weeks. So stay tuned for the results.

| Editors' note : According to reports, the US$5,000 (S$7,691.50) ThinkPad reserve is a 12.1-inch portable based on the Santa Rosa platform with 2GB RAM and a 160GB harddisk. The three-year warranty offers support by instant messaging, phone or in person, and also promises a total system replacement in the event the system is destroyed. |
Electronista notes that the site implies a leather casing, speculating that it will likely include features using the latest Santa Rosa technology, but no details have been confirmed. (What's the deal with leather these days, anyway?) It will be interesting to see if the design reflects any wildlife inspiration.
Via CNET Crave