The Yoga 11S essentially takes the small form factor of the Yoga 11 (which we reviewed), and blends it with the performance of the Yoga 13, offering faster hardware on the inside that makes it a bit speedier than the regular Yoga 11. And of course, it comes with the same 360-degree hinge action that lets you use the device as a tablet of sorts.

Lenovo’s website has the Yoga 11S packing a 1.4GHz Intel Core i3 processor with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB solid state drive for $800, while Best Buy has a bit of a better deal with a 1.5GHz Core i5 chip on the inside at the same price. You probably won’t notice too much of a difference, but if you’re all about specs, it seems the Best Buy deal is the better grab.

As for the display, the Yoga 11S has the same 11.6-inch HD IPS screen that the regular Yoga 11 has, along with 10-finger touch support. Best Buy will have the Yoga 11S available starting on June 23, while Lenovo’s website lists a ship date of “more than 4 weeks,” which will roughly get us to late June for possibly a tandem release with Best Buy.

We ended up getting our hands on with the Yoga 11S during CES 2013 back in January, and we also reviewed the regular Yoga 11. Indeed, there is a slight performance boost with the Yoga 11S, but the Yoga 11 is working with the nifty Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, which packs quite a punch for a convertible laptop like this.

VIA: Windows Experience Blog

SOURCE: Lenovo and Best Buy

The new chip features AMD’s new “Graphics Core Next” architecture, and it’s quite a big jump up from the company’s HD 8800M series. The 8970M features 1,280 stream processors, and a clock speed of 850MHz with a memory speed of 1.2GHz. The new chip should be able to handle pretty much any new game you throw at it on your laptop.

As for the first laptop to get the new 8970M, it’ll be the MSI GX70, which will come with an AMD A10 quad-core processor, Eyefinity support, Killer gaming network card, and will have a 17.3-inch display with a 1920×1080 resolution. However, we should be seeing more laptops with the new graphics chip later this year, possibly next month at Computex.

Of course, you’ll be paying a pretty penny for any machine that will run AMD’s latest graphics chip, with the GX70 most likely exceeding well over $1,000, but they also have slower 8000M series chips that the company unveiled in January, including the 8500M, 8600M, and the 8700M. Of course, the 8500M may not live up to AMD’s 8970M chip, but the 384 stream processors along with the 650MHz clock speed and 1,125MHz memory speed should keep you humming along with most games while on the go.

It’s the company’s first Haswell-based laptop, and other than the processor, the machine runs on 8GB of memory, a 1TB hard drive, and a 32GB solid state drive. The laptop also boasts a 15.6-inch IPS display with an impressive 1920×1980 resolution, which something we don’t see everyday on a lot of laptops.

Of course, there will be different configurations for the LaVie L, with the highest-tier model expected to cost just under $2,000. A wealthy amount of details isn’t quite available yet, as NEC probably knows to wait until Computex next month to fully detail the new notebook as well as the rest of their Haswell lineup, but we certainly can’t blame them for wanting to jump the gun and tease some impatient buyers.

Intel will be announcing its next-generation Core chips at Computex on June 3, at which point we should be seeing a huge slew of desktops, laptops, and hybrid tablets make their way to the market at that point. It’s certainly been a busy time for computer manufacturers, as it was reported that Intel started shipping Haswell chips to OEMs early last month.

We’ve actually already heard some details about Haswell’s graphics portion, which is codenamed Iris, which will bump up the company’s HD Graphics series to 4600 and 5000. These new graphics chips will see a boost in performance over Intel’s previous HD 4000 graphics, as well as battery life improvement. Performance and battery life are the two kickers with Intel’s new Haswell chips, so we should be seeing new laptops that not only contain better graphics performance, but also longer battery life, assuming that OEMs pack in a big enough battery to see an increase.

VIA: CNET

SOURCE: NEC

Acer claims that these new notebooks are 9% slimmer than previous-generation hardware, which doesn’t seem like a huge difference, but Acer seems to think that users will notice a change with these new machines. The new V series includes models all the way from 11.6-inchers to larger versions with 15.6-inch displays, all of which come with touchscreen and non-touchscreen variants.

Aspire V5 and V7 11.6-inch models:

You can also get the new V series with either an AMD dual- or quad-core processor, or an Intel Core chip with either two or four cores as well. Select models can also be equipped with NVIDIA GeForce GT 7000M series or AMD Radeon HD 8750 discrete graphics, which means you’ll be able to do a bit of gaming if you shell out the money for it.

Aspire V5 and V7 14-inch models:

As for availability, the V series laptops will be available toward the end of this month, with a starting price of $499. No word on retail locations that the laptops will be available at, but as with the other new products that Acer announced today, we’re guessing that Best Buy will be the exclusive retailer for the new machines.

Aspire V5 and V7 15.6-inch models:

This laptop sports a 15-inch display that sits on a hinge that allows the screen to be pushed up or back, as well as folding in out and down so that it lies nearly flat with the rest of the computer. The 15-inch display sports a 1080p resolution with your choice of an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor to keep things running smoothly.

Of course, the display is touch-friendly, so no matter how you twist the display, you’ll be able to swipe and tap your way around the device. The whole thing will weigh in at about 5.5 pounds, which is pretty hefty for a laptop hybrid, but what you’re getting is essentially a mix between an all-in-one desktop and a laptop.

As for availability, the Aspire R7 will be out on May 17 only at Best Buy for $999, with pre-orders beginning today. As for further specs, we’re looking at 6GB of RAM, 500GB of hard drive storage (with a 24GB solid date drive), and a bevy of ports and sockets that most users will take advantage of.

Intel’s Dadi Perlmutter, who is the company’s executive vice president and chief product officer, says that these $200 laptops will mostly be running Android, rather than the traditional Windows 8 operating system. The low-cost laptops would also be running Intel’s Atom series of processors, the same chips that were used in a lot of netbooks.

As to whether or not Windows 8-based laptops will reach the $200 price range, or even $300 for that matter, largely depends on Microsoft itself, says Intel. The cost of a laptop usually comes down to how Microsoft would want to price Windows 8, considering that a copy of the new operatings system retails in the triple-digit price point.

Furthermore, Perlmutter says that while Atom-based laptops could reach $200, notebooks running Intel’s faster Core series of processor could be priced as low as $399, with some higher-end Android laptops ringing in at the price as well. Does this spell the comeback of netbooks, or are we actually at a point where full-blown laptops will cost way less?

[via CNET]

First off, the KIRAbook doesn’t look too out of the ordinary. However, all three models will be rocking 8GB of RAM with a 256GB solid state drive. As for the processors, that’s where the three models differ. The highest-end KIRAbook will sport a dual-core Core i7-3537U ultra-low-voltage CPU clocked at 2 GHz, while the mid-tier model will have a dual-core Core i5-3337U clocked at 1.8 GHz.

Details of the processor on the lower-end model haven’t been revealed yet. As for the display, the KIRAbook will feature a 10-point touchscreen, while some models will just have a regular non-touchscreen display. The PPI on the screens clock in at 221, which is just short of the Retina MacBook Pro’s 227 PPI, as well as Google’s Chromebook Pixel, which has a 239 PPI display.

The KIRAbook will start at $1,599, and will go all the way up to $1,999 for the top-tier variant. Pre-orders will start on May 3, when we’ll most likely hear more info about the new laptop, as well as get a handful of photos to see what this puppy looks like. The KIRAbook will officially release on May 12 at places like Best Buy, Amazon, Microsoft, and of course, Toshiba.

The S500 is your typical laptop, although it sports a full number pad on the right-hand side, which is something you don’t see everyday with laptops (or at least 15-inch laptops). Of course, not everyone needs a numpad, but they sure do come in handy when you’re trying to crunch a bunch numbers together in a short amount of time.

The body of the S500 is made out of brushed aluminum, so it should be fairly sturdy for just about any occasion, whether you’re a college student or just a business road warrior. As far as ports go, you’ll be treated with the usual options, including HMDI and USB 3.0, as well as a VGA port for connecting to an older external monitor.

The VivoBook S500 is available now in the Microsoft Store, both online and at physical locations around the US. It’s priced at $699, which is a tad more than the $649 announcement price that was revealed back in October, but $699 is still respectable considering what you’re getting with the package.

The patent is titled “Wireless display for electronic devices,” and it’s pretty similar to what we’ve seen on laptops from other manufacturers, only Apple’s version would come with wireless inductive charging capabilities. Other than that, it looks to be traditional convertible laptop, complete with a detachable display that could also act as a tablet.

As for how the wireless charging would work, the display would use the hinges as a connector for the charging functionality, but we’re sure that other factors are involved. Plus, we’d have to believe that battery life and other technical issues could get in the way of something like this.

However, like many patents, this one may never be turned into a product that would release to the public, although anything’s possible of course. Apple has said themselves that touchscreen computers aren’t all that great, so unless they secretly changed their minds, we wouldn’t expect a laptop like this to make it to the public.

[via AppleInsider]

The LTE version costs $1,449, which is $150 more than the entry level variant at $1,299. Then again, it comes with twice the storage capacity, but that still only makes it a device with 64GB of storage. Then again, we could see some users upgrading to the 64GB model for the storage alone, with LTE being a nice perk that comes with the package.

Obviously, though, you’ll have to pay a monthly fee through Verizon if you want to use more than 100MB per month. According to GigaOM, $9.99 will get you an unlimited day pass. $20 per month will land you 1GB of data, $35 for 3GB, and $50 for 5GB. The free 100MB-per-month deal only lasts two years, so all LTE Pixel users will end up paying a monthly fee sooner or later.

Verizon customers can also add their new Chromebook Pixel to their existing Share Everything plan for only $10 per month. This allows Verizon customers to not have to pay more for data than what they’re already paying for. If you’re not familiar with the Pixel, it’s Google’s newest product and it sports a super high resolution 2560×1700 display, as well as an Intel Core i5 dual-core 1.8GHz processor and 4GB of RAM.

[via GigaOM]

The C710-2055 comes with an Intel Celeron 847 processor clocked at 1.1GHz with 4GB of RAM. There’s also a larger 320GB hard drive for storing various files, along with cloud storage that Chromebooks are known for. Acer claims that this new model will last six hours on a single charge, compared to four hours with the previous model.

Acer says that while the C7 is particularly aimed for educational uses, this new Chromebook is still a good choice for anyone needing a low-powered computer for everyday use. As for looks, the new model doesn’t seem to be all that much different from the C7 we reviewed late last year, but that’s not particularly surprising, since it’s mostly just a hardware bump anyway.

The new C710-2055 is priced at $279, which is a little steep compared to the $199 of the original C7, but you’ll also get better and faster internals if you need them, along with more storage space. The new model comes with a 11.6-inch display, and the whole unit weighs just over three pounds. The Chromebook is available now in the US at various retailers.

Hardware & Design

At first glance, the Aspire M Touch looks like your typical slab of aluminum gadgetry, which it is, but it’s really sleek. Both the lid and the palm rest are made from brushed metal, while the bottom is lined with plastic. It certainly looks like an expensive laptop, but the build quality from just holding it and grabbing onto it isn’t all that great. The lid caves in from very little pressure, as does the palm rest. It’s a little unnerving at first, but babying the laptop — as most people do — shouldn’t cause any problems.

The laptop comes with a great-looking 14-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1366×768, which is fairly odd for a computer screen, and we’re slightly disappointed that it didn’t come with a higher resolution, especially for a 14-incher. Viewing angles are average, but as with any typical LCD, colors start to get washed out if you’re not looking at it from the optimum, straight-on angle. The touchscreen is 10-point, meaning it’ll detect all ten fingers if need be, and we found responsiveness of the touchscreen to be fairly good.

Inside you’ll find an Intel Core i5 3317U dual-core processor clocked at 1.7GHz with 4GB of RAM. This particular model has a 20GB solid state drive along with a 500GB hard drive. The solid state drive allows for quick boot ups and launching your most-used apps, while the hard drive is there to store all of your bigger files, like photos, videos, music etc. As for graphics, there’s Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics, so you won’t be able to do any hardcore gaming other than the occasional casual title.

As for ports and different connectivity options around the outside edges of the laptop, there’s a small bevy of options, but the placement of the ports is rather odd. Most of the important ports are on the back, including the power port, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, ethernet, and the Kensington lock. On the left side there’s the lone DVD-RW drive, and on the right side there’s an SD card slot and a combined headphone and microphone jack. As for the power button, it’s placed on the front of the laptop near the status lights — an odd place for it considering that most laptops have the power button in one of the upper corners near the keyboard.

As for the capabilities of the keyboard and trackpad, I wasn’t too impressed by either, but it was definitely a better experience than other laptops I’ve messed around with. The keys have very little travel, making it awkward to type until you finally get used to it. However, the keyboard is backlit, which is perfect for typing into the wee hours of the night, but you can’t adjust the brightness of the LEDs — there’s just an on/off toggle. As for the trackpad, it’s simply just made of plastic, making it a bit more difficult to slide your fingers around on compared to the glass trackpads on MacBooks or even the new Chromebook Pixel. The trackpad is large, however, which is always a good thing to have, and it makes navigating much easier.

Software

The Aspire M Touch runs a full version of Windows 8 as usual, and there definitely is no shortage of bloatware on this bad boy. Acer includes a couple of their pieces of software, and the rest are mostly pre-installed apps that could prove useful to some users, but maybe not quite everyone. There’s Acer Explorer, which is an app that basically teaches you how to use the other apps on the computer, and then there’s Acer Cloud, which is the company’s own cloud storage service that shares files across multiple Acer devices. Lastly there’s Acer Crystal Eye, which is a companion app for the webcam, and it comes with a few features that you may find useful, such as different effects.

However, that’s only the Acer apps. The company pre-installed a ton of other apps on the computer, such as Evernote, Skitch, Kindle, eBay, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus, Skype, Spotify, and McAfee. All of these will probably be useful to you, since they’re popular apps, but Acer also pre-installed a few apps that you’ll probably end up never using, including 7digital, Britannica, iCookbook, ChaCha, TuneIn Radio, StumbleUpon, Social Jogger, newsXpresso, and WildTangent Games. Obviously, you can delete the apps you won’t be using, but your first bootup into Windows 8 on this machine won’t be a clean one.

Performance

The Aspire M Touch runs off of an Intel Core i5 3317U dual-core processor clocked at 1.7GHz with 4GB of RAM. This keeps the machine pedaling along nicely, and the solid state drive allows for fast bootup times and quick app switching. Running the M Touch through Geekbench, we ended up getting a score of just over 7,000, which isn’t anything fantastic, but it’s also not terrible. This laptop isn’t really meant for the true power user, but rather the everyday average consumer just wanting to stay connected. The integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics prove that this laptop won’t be able to handle any intense gaming, but those wanting to watch a movie won’t have any problems.

As for battery life, this is where we were pleasantly surprised. We were averaging around five hours of use, with the occasional six hour cycle if we purposely tried to stretch it. This may not seem that impressive, but with so many laptops today not even able to last four hours on a single charge, we have to give it up to Acer for being able to pull it off.

Wrap-Up

The Aspire M Touch is a sleek-looking laptop, and there’s no doubt about that. Some of the design elements are a bit wonky, though. For example, most of the important ports that you need to get to are all located on the back, save for the headphone/microphone jack and the SD card slot. It makes sense to have the power port and the HDMI port on the back, that way you have cables sticking out from the sides, but having all the USB ports located on the back of the laptop is just a plain nuisance. However despite the low travel of the keyboard keys and the plastic trackpad, using both actually wasn’t too bad; it was certainly a better experience than other Windows laptops that I’ve played with, so I can’t complain too much in that respect.

You can grab an Aspire M Touch for around $800, which might seem a bit on the pricey side, but it’s actually relatively lower than most other laptops like it. It’s certainly a machine that we’d recommend to anyone looking for something portable to get them by with their everyday computing needs, and we’d have a hard time believing that users weren’t having a good experience with the laptop.

This specific Chromebook looks to take on Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup, instead of just being an affordable option like past Chromebooks from HP, Acer, Dell, Samsung, etc. The Chromebook Pixel sports a 12.85-inch display with a staggering resolution of 2560×1700, making it a higher resolution than the Retina MacBook. Although, it has a 3:2 ratio, which is fairly odd in this day and age.

The Pixel comes with an Intel Core i5 dual-core 1.8GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and two SSD options: 32GB or 64GB. Of course, that’s not a lot of storage for all those media files you have, so Google is throwing in 1TB of Google Drive storage with a purchase of a Pixel, which will be free for three years.

You can pre-order the Pixel right this second on the Google Play store, and it’ll cost you a crazy $1,299, which is right on par for what you’ll pay for a MacBook Pro, but we’re certainly not used to seeing this kind of price for a Chromebook, since most of them have been price in the $200-$300 recently.

Hardware & Design

The 2570p is built to last, and it’s somewhat thick structure gives it some ruggedness so that it’ll withstand more than the usual beating. It has a magnesium alloy shell, which should tell you right away that this thing isn’t messing around. Plus, it’s extremely portable, even with it’s added thickness. It’s got a 12.5-inch display with a 1366×768 resolution. Certainly nothing magical in that case, but considering it’s only a 12.5-inch screen, an HD resolution is a welcomed surprise. The hinges connecting the display to the bottom portion of the laptop are made of aluminum, which means you could open and close the lid as much as you want and the hinges won’t weaken one bit, which is a big plus, especially since I’ve seen my fair share of hinges weaken over time.

However, while the palmrest and the top outer shell are made of magnesium alloy, the bottom of the laptop, as well as the screen bezel, is made of plastic. Granted, it’s a really durable plastic that’s a bit more sturdy than what you’d find on most other plastic-lined notebooks, but it’s a slight bummer that the entire laptop isn’t encased in the beautiful aluminum that we’re big fans of. Either way, the entire thing weighs about 4.6 pounds, which certainly isn’t bad at all and it makes it easy to stow away in a bag without having to use two hands. However, for a 12.5-inch laptop, 4.6 pounds definitely isn’t light, so don’t expect to be twirling it around in your hands, and while I was able to carry it around and pick it up with one hand, it definitely wasn’t a breeze to do so.

As far as hardware is concerned, the 2570p definitely isn’t messing around, but it’s also not a powerhouse machine. It sports an Intel Core i5 3210M dual-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz with 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive. This kind of performance will definitely allow you to open apps quickly and browse without a hiccup, and I’ll discuss the overall performance a bit later, but the 2570p only comes with Intel HD 4000 graphics, which will be able to play HD video depending on your player, but don’t expect to do much else graphics wise.

The keyboard is quite impressive. It’s a chiclet-style keyboard and the keys have a DuraFinish coating on them, making them resistant from long-term wear. It’s also spill-resistant, meaning that a small mug of coffee won’t do any damage, but it may leave a sticky mess. Of course, you won’t be able to dump a tall glass of liquid all over the surface, but it can withstand some minor spills if they do end up happening. The keyboard isn’t black-lit, which almost seems like a must nowadays, but the laptop does come with a retractable LED light where the webcam is. It’s not extremely bright, but it works in a pinch. To round out the keyboard, there’s a biometric fingerprint scanner on the right side of the palm rest, just in case you want added some security to your laptop — a subject that many companies are serious about.

As far as the touchpad goes, it’s extremely tiny. There’s not a lot of room to move around your finger to navigate windows and such, but there are several different options that you can choose from. First, the touchpad has top and bottom mouse buttons. Traditionally there only on the bottom of the touchpad on most laptops, but you now have the choice of having them on top, which I actually find more suitable. There’s also a mini joystick in the middle of the keyboard that you can use to navigate the mouse cursor. It takes some time to get used to and I wouldn’t say it’s any better than the touchpad, but it’s there if you want it.

As far as ports go, there’s quite a bevy of them. On the left side is the power jack, Ethernet port, optical drive, and then a smart card reader that may come in handy for a lot of business folks. On the right side, there’s an ExpressCard 34mm slot, SD card reader, dual headphone/microphone jack, DisplayPort jack, eSATA and USB 3.0 port (combined), and a docking connector towards the back. On the back of the laptop, there’s a VGA-out port, one extra USB 3.0 port and a USB 2.0 port. So in all, there’s three USB ports, which is certainly respectable, and along with all the other ports you get, we have to say there’s not a lot that HP left out. Businesses most likely won’t be disappointed by the 2570p offerings.

As far as the 2570p’s display, it’s just a normal LED screen, and there’s no IPS technology included, meaning that viewing angles are extremely limited. This probably won’t be a huge deal for most business users, but it’s at least something that’s worth keeping in mind. I personally didn’t have a problem with it since there was need to view the screen at an odd angle, but if you’re in a business meeting, for example, and need to quickly huddle around your laptop to show coworkers something, it may not be ideal.

Software

The EliteBook 2570p runs Windows 8, which from a business standpoint is a huge downside. Windows 8 has yet to prove to be a solid OS for business use. Personally, it’s an OS strictly meant for consumers, and it no way does it scream, “business.” Granted, when the laptop was first released, it came with Windows 7, but if you plan on buying any laptop anytime soon, it’ll have Windows 8 on it, no doubt. Luckily, if you buy the 2570p directly from HP, you can actually configure the laptop to include Windows 7, so not all hope is completely lost in this case.

As far as bloatware goes, there’s no shortage of it. It comes with the CyberLink Media Suite, which includes a photo organizer/manager, media player, video editor, and webcam software. There’s also an HP support app, HP Client Security (which uses the fingerprint scanner), and HP’s SoftPaq download manager. Other than that, the computer comes pre-installed with Evernote and PDF Complete, two apps that are proven business tools.

There’s definitely a lot more bloatware than what we’ve seen on past HP computers that we’ve reviewed, but for a business-oriented laptop, that’s not too surprising. My only huge complaint with the software is that it’s Windows 8. I’m not quite sure if PC manufacturers realize that Windows 7 is the business OS that we need to use, or if they’re only concerned about updating to the latest and greatest OS, no matter what. Maybe there are actually some business men and women out there that prefer Windows 8 for their business needs, but it seems that most companies aren’t jumping on the upgrade bandwagon just yet. Again, we’re glad that HP is still giving us the option to stick with Windows 7, but that won’t last forever.

Performance & Battery

As mentioned earlier, the 2570p comes with a dual-core 2.5GHz Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM, with integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics. Everyday use proved to be speedy, and while more-intensive apps tended to take a bit longer to load, other apps like Google Chrome, Mail, Calendar, etc. opened up swiftly. However, as expected, benchmarks weren’t anything to write home about, but they also weren’t bad by any means. The 2570p scored just under a 7,000 in Geekbench. Either way, the average user probably isn’t going notice a lot of hiccuping with everyday use. Plus, those business folks that’ll primarily use this type of laptop will mostly use it for documents, spreadsheets, and maybe some video conferencing, but video performance was excellent. Even viewing a 1080p YouTube video wasn’t a challenge for the laptop. It played it nearly flawlessly with little lag.

The really good news is that fan noise remains low most of the time. While streaming video would cause my MacBook to get really hot and force the fans to spin at max speed, the 2570p stayed calm the entire time, and I didn’t even notice the laptop getting too hot at any point. This was probably the most impressive facet of the performance of the laptop. I hate fan noise, and while you can still hear the fans running most of the time, they hardly ever get to the point where they start to sound like jet engines.

As for battery, you’re looking at anywhere from 4-6 hours, and this is from my own testing. Light browsing and document work doesn’t put a lot of strain on the battery, but doing more intensive tasks like video conferencing or watching movies will definitely see a hit on the battery. Of course, screen brightness plays a huge roll as well, and just lowering it down a bit added a good hour of extra battery time for me.

Wrap-Up

In the end, the EliteBook 2570p is a sturdy, well-built laptop that screams professionalism, and can prove itself out in the field. The Core i5 keeps the laptop humming along nicely, and while the integrated graphics aren’t anything too special, they prove that big things can come in small packages. As far as price, the 2570p starts at $949, which certainly isn’t cheap by any means, so what you’re paying for is ultimately the build quality of the laptop, along with all of the port options along the edges of the notebook. Sure, you could get a laptop with similar specs for slightly cheaper, but the 2570p will last you a long time, and needing a laptop that’s rugged will be well worth the investment that you put into it.

The video was originally uploaded to YouTube, but has since been taken down, and the company responsible for uploading the video, SlinkyMe, says that the video made its way to YouTube after its servers were compromised by hackers. Of course, we don’t know if that was actually the case, since it’s also possible that the video was just accidentally set to “public.”

The Google-designed Chromebook is supposedly called the Pixel, most likely named after the high-resolution display. It’s not said whether the device is both designed and manufactured by Google, or if they’re partnering with a manufacturer to put it together for them, similar to how the Nexus series of mobile devices operates.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that a Google-designed Chromebook has been made. The company released the CR-48 Chromebook, which only made its way to a handful of people and actually never went on sale. Of course, just like with the CR-48, the Pixel looks to be simply designed and takes a few queues from the MacBook, including the aluminum shell and the chiclet keyboard. We’ll be on standby if more details emerge of the Google Pixel.

[via Liliputing]

Granted, the Pavilion 14 is a little bit more expensive than what you’ll pay for other new Chromebooks, and while it doesn’t come with any hardware that’s crazy impressive, the overall design of HP’s Chromebook might be a big seller for some people. The 14-inch display has a 1366×768 resolution, and on the inside there’s an Intel Celeron 847 processor clocked at 1.1 GHz.

Other than that, there’s 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, which certainly isn’t a lot by any means, but users will get 100GB of Google Drive storage for free for the first two years. As far as ports go, there’s HDMI, three USB 2.0 ports, an SD card slot, and Ethernet. The laptop also weighs in at around four pounds, making it a bit chunkier than other models.

This marks HP‘s first go at a Google Chromebook, joining the likes of Samsung and Acer, who have more competitively-priced options at $249 and $199, respectively. If battery is a huge concern for you, HP’s Pavilion 14 comes in at four hours and 15 minutes, which isn’t too great for a Chromebook considering that Samsung has them beat, but either way, you can buy it now for $330.

The VivoBook S300 will be available with both premium and budget options, including a Core i7 Ivy Bridge CPU, as well as Celeron or Pentium chips. However, the S300 will pack in a traditional hard drive rather than a more-modern solid state drive. However, you will be treated with a 44Whr battery, a VGA port, two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, and HDMI.

In total, there will be six processor options to choose from, ranging from the Celeron 847 ULV to the most-expensive Core i7-3517U. The four other chips consist of a Pentium, two Core i3 CPUs, and a Core i5. All models will also feature 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, an SD card reader, 2GB to 4GB of graphics, and either a 320GB or 500GB hard drive. The 13.3-inch display will carry a resolution of 1366×768.

Sadly, no pricing or availability details were announced yet, but seeing how you can grab the 11.6-inch model for $499, and the 14-inch model for $699, we’d expect the price range for the 13.3-inch variant to be in the $600 range on average. If you’re looking for a mid-range laptop, the S300 might be the one for you.

[via MobileGeeks]

The Slider S20 is essentially a chunky tablet of sorts, but it converts fully into a laptop for those wanting a physical keyboard combination. The device sports a 16:9 1920×1080 full HD 10-point touchscreen display, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage. It also packs Intel’s 3rd-generation Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor and integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics.

The Slider S20 weighs 2.2 lbs. and is less than 1-inch thick, great for lightweight on-the-go computing. There’s a Jackson Peak Wireless adapter, ethernet, two USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth capability, mini HDMI-out connector, and an integrated 720p HD webcam. It also has a 2.5-inch drive bay for additional storage.

The Slider S20 is set to be available in Q1 2013 for an MSRP of $1,199, which is a far cry from what we heard back in June with a possible $800 price tag. Either way, we should be seeing the new convertible laptop gracing the display stand at MSI’s booth during CES 2013 before it officially releases to the public.

Samsung posted up a video today showing off the refreshed laptop, and aside from the animal robots that take up most of the video, the company gives us a quick peek as to what the new Series 7 Chronos can do graphics-wise. We also get a glimpse at the keyboard and the outer shell, which both feature a brushed aluminum look.

While the full spec sheet is still a mystery at this point, the most notable bump in performance is the improved graphics. Since the company’s 17-inch model already has a full HD 1920×1080 display and JBL speakers, these improvements could be coming to the 15-inch model, and other features like the RAMaccelerator and upgraded graphics are also coming to the 17-inch version.

In the end, we don’t know what Samsung has up its sleeve, but you can bet big that the company will unveil more during CES next week. We certainly wouldn’t mind an Ultrabook with HD 8870M graphics, but we’re curious as to what other hardware will lie underneath those keys.

[via SammyHub]

The laptop is being powered by an ARM Cortex A9 processor and will run Linux. The hardware that Huang is using is NDA-free and is as open as he can make it, with documents already online for curious minds to study. He’s expecting to finish testing the machine in the next few months, and may even launch a Kickstarter campaign if enough people are interested.

Huang started the design of the custom-built laptop back in June, and just last week he started playing around the first prototype motherboards, which were “hot off the SMT line.” Huang successfully got the laptop to boot into linux, and he’s currently “grinding through the validation” process of all the components.

One of Huang’s main goals for the project is to make the laptop as open as possible so that “others of sufficient skill and resources can also build” a custom laptop like his. Huang mentions that the hardware and its sub-components are picked so as to make the laptop the “most practically open hardware laptop” he could create. Users can download the datasheets for all the components for free.

Teachers can go to the Donors Choose website and request a Series 5 Chromebook for their classroom. The request will be posted on the website where anyone can make a donation to support the request. When teachers reach their funding goal, they’ll receive their Chromebooks from Lakeshore Learning, DonorsChoose.org’s exclusive fulfillment partner for the program.

The deadline to submit a request is December 21, so if you’re a teacher and are wanting to get in on this, there’s no better time than now to send in your request. You can request up to 30 Chromebooks. 30 is about the average size of a public-school classroom, so that would essentially be one Chromebook per student.

The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook is quite a capable machine. It has a 12.1-inch 16:10 LED display with a 1280×800 resolution. On the inside, it’s running a a 1.66GHz dual-core Intel Atom N570 processor with integrated graphics and 2GB of RAM. There’s also 16GB of flash storage, which certainly isn’t a lot, but it emphasizes the laptop’s web-only strategy.

The problem with the stolen laptop was that it wasn’t properly protected. The information was stored away behind a password, but just protecting vital information like that with a password never means that it’s 100% secure. Had the information on the laptop been encrypted, this whole mess could have been avoided, despite the fact that the laptop was stolen.

NetworkWorld reports that NASA is now requiring full disk encryption on its laptops. The organization wants this implemented on the “maximum possible number of laptops,” by the time November 21 rolls around next week, with each and every laptop NASA owns required to have encryption capabilities by December 21. Once we’re past that date – provided we all survive the apocalypse – no unencrypted computer will be allowed to leave NASA’s buildings.

So, at least NASA is doing something to prevent unprotected computers from falling into the wrong hands. That won’t be much consolation to the folks whose information might be floating around in the wild at the moment, but NASA is offering to pay for credit tracking and insurance in the event that their identity is stolen. Keep it tuned to SlashGear, as we’ll update you on this breach if any new information becomes available.

On top of the processor and graphics, the GX60 comes with 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 750GB hard drive, a Blu-ray optical drive, a 720p HD webcam, three USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI output, 2.1 speakers with THX TruStudio PRO sound, a 5-in-1 memory card reader, and topped off with a 64-bit version of Windows 8.

Previously announced specs that we already knew of include the full HD 1080p (1920×1080) resolution, Killer Gaming Network LAN, and a SteelSeries-designed keyboard. “MSI spared no bells and whistles in creating the GX60, packing it with cutting-edge components including the latest AMD processor,” says vice president of sales for MSI US Andy Tung. “MSI is committed to the gaming community and we believe that exceptional performance leads to unparalleled gaming experience.”

The AMD A10 chips are the chip maker’s newest and fastest accelerated processing units to date, and they offer great performance for builders on a budget. The company’s A10-5800K chip clocks in at 3.8GHz and comes with Radeon HD 7660D graphics for only $130. AMD’s cheapest APU chips offer even more a deal, with the A4-5300 clocking in at 3.4GHz with Radeon HD 7480D graphics for just $65.

The Toughbook CF-C2 is the company’s latest 12.5-inch convertible notebook, and it comes with Windows 8 Pro out of the box. Inside there’s a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5-3427U vPro processor, 4GB of RAM (expandable to 8GB), and a 500GB hard drive (as well as 128GB and 256GB SSD options). On the outside you’ll find a pair of USB 3.0 ports, as well as an LCD IPS display with a 720p webcam at the top.

The display offers five-point multitouch and a digitizer for stylus use. Connectivity options include 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and your choice of either 4G LTE or Gobi global 3G, but we can’t imagine anyone picking 3G over LTE, but unless of course LTE isn’t available in your area, in which case 3G is sadly your only option.

The Toughbook CF-C2 can withstand up to a 30-inch drop (approximately right below waist height), and can take up to six ounces of a beverage being spilled over its magnesium alloy body. The convertible tablet/laptop will start shipping in December, with the base model setting you back a steep $2,949.

Earlier today we posted about a ton of new Windows 8-equipped ASUS machines, including some new all-in-ones, tablets, and convertibles. However, it seemed that the company waited a bit so that could give their Zenbook lineup their own introduction. In any case, ASUS announced the 14-inch UX42VS, and the 15-inch UX52VS and U500VZ Ultrabooks.

The 14-inch UX42VS weighs just over four pounds and is only 6mm at its thinnest point. It features NVIDIA GT645M graphics and even has an optical drive for the occasional disc. The device will be offered with Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors, and can fit up to 6GB of RAM, as well as up to 1TB of hard drive storage.

The 15-inch UX525VS (pictured above) comes with either a Core i5 or i7 processor and up to a whopping 10GB of RAM, with the same graphics as the 14-inch model. The U500VZ comes with a Core i7 quad-core processor with 8GB of RAM, and a 1080p display with a beefier GT650M graphics card to go with it. Surprisingly, the 15-inch U500VZ weighs just 4.4 pounds and measures 6mm thick at its thinnest point.

All three will go on sale starting next month, but exact pricing is yet to be known. However, $699 is said to be the price point at the low end, and as much as $2,000 for the higher-tier models. In related news, ASUS still plans to equip its 11- and 13-inch Zenbook Prime Ultrabooks with touchscreens at some point, but details on availability and pricing on those aren’t yet known.

[via Engadget]

The first device ASUS announced today is the ET2300, which is a new all-in-one PC that has an 1080p IPS display capable of lying flat. It’s powered by either an Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 depending on your preference, and if you don’t want to roll with the integrated Intel graphics that come standard, you can opt for a NIVIDA GT 630M instead. It also comes with optional Thunderbolt connectivity, and when you go to purchase one, you can nab up to 8GB of RAM and up to 2TB of internal storage. Not too bad, but sadly, pricing and release information for the ET2300 isn’t available quite yet.

If you’re more of a laptop person, then you’ll be pleased to know that ASUS also announced a trio of new touch screen VivoBooks today. The VivoBook Q200 comes with an 11.6-inch display and can be yours for $499, which is significantly lower than a number of ultrabooks currently on the market. The VivoBook S400 brings the display size up to 14-inches, but also comes with a boost in price – this one comes in at $599. Finally, we have the 15-inch VivoBook S500 for $649, though it’s worth pointing out that you’ll be able to customize the innards of each VivoBook when it comes time to check out, meaning that you could end up paying more if you don’t want the Core i3 that comes standard in each.

Finally, we come to the pricing and release information for the TAICHI, the wild convertible that features a double-sided screen. The 11-inch TAICHI model, which comes equipped with a Core i5 and Intel integrated graphics, will begin shipping next month for $1,299, $1,499 (bumping the 128GB SSD up to 256GB), and $1,599, with that hefty price tag fetching a Core i7 instead of an i5. Those prices are a little high, but then again, what did you expect to pay for a laptop with two screens?

More information will undoubtedly be made available after the launch of Windows 8, and we’ll be waiting with bated breath so you don’t have to! Keep it tuned here to SlashGear for more details on these varied ASUS machines.

On Monday, we reported that it looks like Apple will be unveiling the 13-inch Retina version of the MacBook Pro on October 23rd next week, in addition to the iPad Mini. This comes after the delay Apple experienced in slowed production due to a rumored issue at Foxconn. The 13″ MacBook Pro with Retina was specifically listed as one of the devices affected.

In September, it was reported that the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina was being shipped by suppliers. Then, in October, it was said that the device was still on track for the year despite the delay. Earlier today it was tipped that the device will be priced at $1,699, which is $500 higher than the non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The images that appeared at Weiphone show the device as having a MagSafe 2 port, two Thunderbolt ports, two USB ports, an HDMI slot, and an SD card reader. The Retina display has a resolution of 2,560×1,600. The images also show 8GB of Elpida RAM, as well as a battery cell layout.

The base Series 5 Ultra Touch model starts at $809.99, and features a Core i3 processor (upgradable to an i5 for an extra $50), while both the i3 and i5 models have 4GB of RAM, a 1366×768 display, and a 500GB hard drive with 24 gigs of ExpressCache (high-speed SSD storage). It weighs in at 3.83 pounds, which is perhaps a tad hefty for an ultrabook. No word on battery life.

Other products included the rebranded Ativ Smart PC 500T ($749.99 with keyboard/$649.99 without keyboard) and 700T ($1,199.99), both of which are Windows 8 tablets. The 500T runs an Atom Z2760 processor, while the 700T runs a Core i5. The 500T features 2GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage space, while the 700T features 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space.

The laptops in the line include the Series 9 Premium Ultrabooks ($1,300 for the 13 inch model, $1,400 for the 15 inch model), the Series 7 15-inch notebook ($1,100), the Series 5 13.3-inch UltraTouch ($810 for the Core i3, $860 for the Core i5), and the Series 3 Notebook, which has a price range of $450 to $900 depending on configuration. Also announced were two All-in-One PCs, the Series 7 ($1,100 for the 23.6 inch model, $1,700 for the 27 inch model), and the 21.5 inch Series 5 at $800. Most of these devices will be available when Windows 8 is released on October 26th.

It’s no doubt that these new machines are, in fact, equipped with Windows 8 and aren’t just eligible for upgrades. Even the keyboards show the updated Windows 8 logo on the Windows key, as well as accompanying Windows 8 stickers on the edges. Also, just like with any OEM Windows PC in the past, it looks like these Windows 8 machines will see their fair share of bloatware.

All five PCs listed have 60-day trials to both Microsoft Office 2010 and Norton Internet Security Suite, as well as Nero 12 Essentials and CyberLink PowerDVD. They also have a handful of the manufacturer’s own offerings, such as respective Games apps, backup and recovery software, and cloud storage solutions.

All five machines are still listed on the HSN website as of this writing, but it appears that all the images are dead when you click on an individual computer. It turns out that Microsoft has confirmed these Windows 8 machines listed on HSN are unauthorized listings, and all Windows 8-based PCs won’t officially go on sale until October 26th. We’re curious to see if anyone who ended up ordering one of these machines on HSN will receive it before the official launch date, but our guess is that HSN will cancel all of its orders.

[via ZDNet]

IHS senior principal analyst for compute platforms Craig Stice says part of the reason for the hefty decline is that manufacturers are having a hard time getting people excited about ultrabooks, especially when smartphones and tablets are at the center of the public’s attention. Price plays a role too, with some ultrabooks sporting price tags that are far more than the average consumer is willing to spend.

There are a few glimmers of hope for the ultrabook, though. It’s important to remember that the holiday shopping season is right around the corner, which should bring in over half of the year’s ultrabook sales. IHS also expects 44 million ultrabooks to be shipped in 2013, which is a far cry from this year’s new prediction of 10.3 million, but still short of the company’s previous 2013 prediction of 66 million shipments. IHS lowering its predictions for 2013 isn’t exactly good, but 44 million is still a lot better than the expectations for this year.

Will ultrabooks receive a sales boost once Windows 8 arrives? That’s hard to say. On the one hand, we would expect a boost in ultrabook sales simply because people are excited for Winodws 8, but on the other, those consumers could just as easily pick up a less expensive tablet running Windows 8 or Windows RT. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens with the ultrabook market in the coming months and throughout next year, so stay tuned.

The WSJ write-up pegs Whitman with a desire to have the design of HP’s machines rival that of Apple‘s. “I don’t think we kept up with the innovation,” she said. “The whole market has moved to something that is more beautiful.” That part is definitely true – lately we’ve seen the market leaning toward some incredibly sleek-looking Ultrabooks, which go for excellent design and speed over raw power.

When Whitman took over in September 2011, HP’s laptops were all designed by different teams, meaning that there wasn’t any one common theme that immediately told consumers “this is an HP machine.” In the time since, HP has doubled the size of its PC team, and appointed HP PC executive Stacy Wolff to devise a look and feel that all HP machines could share. We’ve seen the fruits of that labor with HP’s latest line up of machines, which includes the Envy X2, the Spectre XT, and the Envy One. All of them are sleek looking products, and it’s easy to see that HP was taking some design cues from Apple when it sat down at the drawing board.

“Apple taught us that design really matters,” Whitman said, continuing by claiming that the company has “made a lot of progress” with its latest machines. Though HP has undeniably come up with a common look for its new products, it will undoubtedly have some stiff competition from the other Windows 8 manufacturers out there, who are all touting some impressive laptops and all-in-one PCs of their own. Have a look at our story timeline below for more on HP’s recent exploits.

The same Intel Core i7-3520M is still present in this new model, and it’s still clocked at 2.9 GHz. This time around, however, the amount of RAM in the 13-inch MacBook Pro has been boosted from 4GB to 8GB, which is more along the lines of what we would expect with the Core i7 present. Another interesting thing to note is that new benchmark shows Mac OS X 10.8.1 as the machine’s operating system. Apple is set to begin seeding that version of the OS to developers soon, but at the moment we don’t have a clear idea of when.

For the most part, however, the Geekbench results for this machine and the one that was spotted last month are very much the same. That’s reflected in the overall scores given to both – the results for this new model give a score of 7756, a mere 50 points below the model we saw last month. It would appear that Apple is planning a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, and it has locked down the specs it wants for the laptop.

Apple, for its part, has remained silent on the existence of this new MacBook. These new results reinforce the idea that it will be revealing the 13-inch laptop soon, however, so keep your fingers crossed. Perhaps we’ll get a reveal during that event Apple is planning for September 12? Keep it tuned right here to SlashGear for more information.

When we say that the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is super-thin, we mean it. The ultrabook comes in at just 18mm thick, and weighs around 3 pounds. That isn’t too shabby for an ultrabook that sports a 14-inch screen and an Intel Ivy Bridge processor. Lenovo is looking to go after tablet users with this iteration of the ThinkPad, and with those specs, it just might.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is intended to find a happy medium between size and power, just like a number of laptops the company puts out these days. As a nice little bonus, it’s made from carbon fiber (hence the name), so it should be able to take a few hits as well. That isn’t something you can often say about these light ultrabooks, and with 3G connectivity, Lenovo just got one step closer to releasing a laptop that can challenge the popularity of tablets.

Even better is the fact that Lenovo is planning to offer 3G service itself, so instead of going through a carrier, you can just get your 3G access right from the company. We wouldn’t be surprised to see many more people using the ThinkPad X1 Carbon’s 3G capabilities because of that, so if Lenovo plays its cards right, it could make quite a hefty chunk of change from 3G service. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is definitely one to pay attention to if you’re an ultrabook enthusiast, so keep an ear to SlashGear for more information about its fast-approaching release date!

Intel is also hoping to hit a very aggressive $699 price point for entry-level ultrabooks going forward in order to stave off competition from Apple’s MacBook Airs. There have been a couple of Sandy Bridge-based models that have briefly touched that price, but Intel is hoping for a wider range of ultrabooks to start hitting that specific number.

Standard ultrabooks are currently flooding from the market from a variety of manufacturers, but Intel hinted that around 40 ultrabooks with touch capabilities would see the light of day soon enough. Those models will launch around the fourth quarter, coinciding with the release of Windows 8 which places a new emphasis on touch operation.

Finally, the company once again hinted at its next-generation processor, Haswell. The processor will mark another jump in speed for Intel, but also bring with it reduced power requirements. Intel is pitching the 22nm processor as the first System on a Chip for the PC, claiming that it will use up to 20 times less power than Ivy Bridge. That low-power requirement will be especially important for ultrabooks, enabling true all day computing and bringing them closer to ARM-based tablets.

Despite inching toward number one, analysts are saying that the Lenovo’s fast growing market share has come at the expense of profit margins. The slump in market growth for personal computers combined with tougher competition in the tablet sector are a couple of the biggest challenges Lenovo is facing. PC shipments slowed down during this year’s second quarter in response to the wait for the release of Windows 8 scheduled to come out in October.

Lenovo should benefit from the increase in PC sales if Windows 8 encourages more demand, but an added drawback to the up and coming OS release is that it’s designed for both tablets and computers. Along with other Android vendors, still competition stemming from the Windows tablet market may cause some setbacks for Lenovo PC sales as well as its LePad tablets.

[via Reuters]

It’s on the large side at 11.6-inches, but features an LED backlit 1366×768 display and a Core i3 or i5 Ivy Bridge processor. 4GB of RAM comes as standard with the tablet, and you can configure the hard drive up to a 256GB SSD. Graphics are handled by the integrated Intel HD 4000 GPU, and there’s USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports as well as HDMI output and an SD card slot. Once you dock the tablet into the keyboard, you get an extra 4-cell battery as well as an Ethernet jack and VGA output.

The LifeBook T902, meanwhile, features a 13.3-inch 1600×900 display with Gorilla Glass. Inside is an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5 or Core i7 processor, and up to 16GB of RAM. The default hard drive is a 320GB offering, although you can configure up to a 256GB SSD. The laptop includes two USB 3.0 ports and a single USB 2.0 port, HDMI output, VGA, Ethernet, an SD card slot, and the option for 3G or 4G connectivity depending on the market. A 1080p webcam can also be configured, with battery rated for around 7 hours and 40 minutes.

The Stylistic Q702 and LifeBook T902 should both be available sometime in the third quarter, with the Q702 starting from $1,099 and the T902 at $1,899. Both will be running Windows 7 when they ship, but can be upgraded to Windows 8 without any issues.

First, the vanilla MacBook Pro uses regular screws compared to the proprietary screws on the Retina MacBook Pro, allowing users to get access to the internals with relative ease. The battery is the same rating and thickness as previous models, 77.5 Wh and 13.8mm respectively, while the SATA hard drive used in the regular MacBook Pro is almost three times as thick as the SSD used in the Retina model.

The regular MacBook Pro’s screen is deemed the most expensive part to repair even if it can’t match up to the quality of the Retina panel, although it should be an easy swap unlike the next-generation Pro. iFixit note that including a removable LCD in the Retina MacBook Pro would add less than a millimeter of thickness.

Finally, iFixit details how the removal of the optical drive from the Retina MacBook Pro unsurprisingly led to large weight savings. The company goes on to say that while most won’t miss the optical drive on the Retina model, once removed it can be used for an additional hard drive in the regular MacBook Pro giving customers added flexibility.

[via 9to5Mac]

Sony’s high-end line of laptops, the VAIO Z series, not only got upgraded with Ivy Bridge but also got a slight price reduction. Previously, the Z series had to be purchased with a separate Power Media Dock, which costs an additional $300. Now, you can get the Z series by itself at $1,599.99. It comes in two configurations of either i5-3210M or i7-3612M. Both models come with 1920 x 1080 displays, the same AMD 6650 GPU as before, and 128GB SSD.

The Sony VAIO S comes in 13.3-inch and 15.5-inch models, priced starting at $899.99 and $999.99, respectively. The series also offers a 13.3-inch premium version that starts at $1,119.99. Although similar in aesthetics to the Z series, this lineup still retains slot-loading optical drives and is hence a bit bulkier. The refreshed models now come with a i5-3210 processor with the option of either NVIDIA’s GT640M LE switchable graphics or Intel’s integrated HD Graphics 4000.

Sony’s mid-range VAIO E series is also getting Ivy Bridge chips, but only on their premium versions. The standard versions of the 14.4-inch and 15-inch VAIO E series start at $549.99 and $449.99, respectively, while the the 15-inch premium version with Ivy Bridge starts at $699.99. All models in this series also now have backlit keyboards, except for the 11-inch model.

Besides laptops, Sony has also upgraded its all-in-one desktop with the latest Ivy Bridge chips. Its VAIO L series all-in-one is priced starting at $1,299.99 and comes with a Core i5-3210M processor and integrated graphics. There are three configurations in this series, all featuring a 24-inch 1080p capacitive touch display, but the most expensive one of the three also supports glasses-free 3D at $1,999.99.

All of the updated models are available for pre-order now on Sony’s website. The orders are expected to begin shipping on June 5.

This will be the first time we see computers from Vizio, which like many PC makers today is taking inspiration from Apple’s aesthetic. It will be offering three mid-sized laptops with two being MacBook Air-like thin. It will also be offering 24-inch and 27-inch all-in-one PCs, all featuring a sleek aluminum and stainless steel look.

However, unlike other PC makers, Vizio hopes to stand out by offering its systems free from preloaded bloatware and providing US-based in-house customer support. The computers are set to launch later this month and will debut at Walmart, which is expected to start off carrying at least one of the all-in-one PCs and a notebook.

[via Gizmodo]

In the UK the 15-inch versions will be given the model numbers NP550P5C-A02UK and NP550P5C-S03UK. Both have identical 1366×768 screens, 8GB of memory, DVD-RW drives and 5200mAh 6-cell batteries. The more expensive S03UK is equipped with an NVIDIA GT 650M graphics card. The 15-inchers have an admirable thickness of 1.11 inches. The 17-inch NP550P7C-S02UK steps things up with a Core i7 3610QM processor, a 12.3-inch 1600×900 screen, a Blu-ray drive and the GT 650M to boot.

All three models feature JBL speakers with a Mac Bass Boost subwoofer, promising better sound that the usual tinny laptop fare. Expansion options weren’t mentioned, but a shot of the laptop’s side reveals two USB 3.0 ports and HDMI-out. Storage options include hard drives up to 2TB, though Samsung is being mum on which models will get which drives. Samsung plans to launch the Series 5 550 P models in the UK later this month, though they haven’t said a peep on price thus far. There’s no word on other markets.