By Darius Chang
14/09/2007
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050495,61999964,00.htm

What does your notebook say about you? If you are a serious person who thinks portables should behave like prim and proper notebooks, you might gravitate toward professional facades like Lenovo's ThinkPads or NEC's new lineup. On the other hand, for those who feel their laptops do not match their wardrobe, the latest HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario models may strike a heart-felt chord.

There are a total of four consumer machines to look forward to. The NEC P9110 may not be interesting, but it is still the Japanese maker's first try at the 17-inch entertainment system market. The new HP Pavilion dv2600, dv6500 and Compaq Presario B1200 sport a limited-edition HP Imprint designs which the US manufacturer hopes to make the user identify with their portables.

NEC has refreshed its business portables on the Santa Rosa platform. Three-year international coverage and Intel Turbo Memory are the norm here. The Versa S970 belongs to the portable series with a heft of 2.2kg and a 14-inch screen. The P570 and M370 are essential the same machine with different configurations; the former based on a discrete Nvidia GeForce 8400M chipset, while the latter hops onto the integrated Intel video solution.

All these models should be in Asia-Pacific stores before the month is over. Prices will be announced at a later date and will depend on the specific hardware configurations.

Introduction

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Consumer notebooks

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Business notebooks

Introduction

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Consumer notebooks

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Business notebooks

Consumer models

Model name	In a nutshell
NEC Versa P9110 Click for more details	Wow factor: Possibly the first 17.1-inch entree from NEC, the P9110 is a serious contender in the portable entertainment arena with its powerful graphics card and 5.1-inch speaker system. A pity it does not decide to come with an integrated TV tuner. Notable features: Core 2 Duo processor 17-inch widescreen display Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics Integrated optical drive Built-in Webcam Discrete numeric pad Four speakers with internal subwoofer Expected: End September 2007 Price: To be announced
Compaq Presario B1200 Click for more details	Wow factor: A performance 12-inch portable with a new HP Imprint Trace design, it now comes with touch-sensitive multi-media controls which first appeared in the entertainment Pavilion series. Notable features: Core 2 Duo processor 12-inch widescreen display Integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics integrated optical drive Built-in Webcam Touch-sensitive controls Spill-resistant keyboard 1.92kg with four-cell battery Expected: September 2007 Price: From US$1,099
HP Pavilion dv2600 Click for more details	Wow factor: HP's trademark entertainment model has just been given the HP Imprint Verve makeover. Notable features: Core 2 Duo processor 14.1-inch widescreen display Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS graphics with 64MB of discrete VRAM Integrated optical drive Built-in Webcam Fingerprint sensor Touch-sensitive controls Mini-remote control 2.41kg with six-cell battery Expected: September 2007 Price: From US$1,099
HP Pavilion dv6500 Click for more details	Wow factor: A larger version of the HP dv2600, the dv6500 offers similar multimedia capabilities with a 15.4-inch display and HP Imprint Influx design. Notable features: Core 2 Duo processor 15.4-inch widescreen display Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS graphics with 128MB of discrete VRAM Integrated optical drive Built-in Webcam Fingerprint sensor Touch-sensitive controls Mini-remote control 2.76kg with six-cell battery Expected: September 2007 Price: From US$1,049

Introduction

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Consumer notebooks

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Business notebooks

Business models

Model name	In a nutshell
NEC Versa S970 Click for more details	Wow factor: A portable business notebook with a relatively light heft and long battery life (up to 7 hours on extended battery). Notable features: Core 2 Duo processor 14-inch widescreen display Integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics Integrated optical drive Eco Mode Intel Turbo Memory Fingerprint sensor with TPM security chip 2.2kg Expected: End September 2007 Price: To be announced
NEC Versa P570 Click for more details	Wow factor: With its discrete Nvidia graphics card, corporate users who need the extra power, screen size and Webcam will likely opt for this Versa. Notable features: Core 2 Duo processor 15.4-inch widescreen display Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS graphics Integrated optical drive Built-in Webcam Discrete numeric pad Eco Mode Intel Turbo Memory Fingerprint sensor with TPM security chip 2.7kg Expected: End September 2007 Price: To be announced
NEC Versa M370 Click for more details	Wow factor: Based on the same design as the Versa P570, the M370 does away with the discrete graphics processor in favor of the more power-efficient integrated video solution. Notable features: 12-inch widescreen display Integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics Integrated optical drive Built-in Webcam Discrete numeric pad Eco Mode Intel Turbo Memory Fingerprint sensor with TPM security chip 2.7kg Expected: End September 2007 Price: To be announced