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This week at Apple's online store, take advantage of a selection of refurbished iMacs starting as low as $979. The 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.5GHz Intel quad-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive has been reduced by $220 to $979. A $200 discount is offered on the refurbished 21.5-inch iMac from October 2012 with a 2.7GHz Intel quad-core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, now $1,099.
Samsung has updated its Chromebox with a second-generation 1.9GHz Intel Core i5 processor. Although not a newer ‘Ivy Bridge’ class CPU, the new chip is still a significant step up from the Intel Celeron processor found in the previous generation. Amazon has the new model listed at $422, although the device has yet to show on Samsung’s US website.
Panasonic on Friday revealed its latest Toughbook-series convertible notebook, the C2. It runs on Windows 8 Pro 64-bit and is powered by an 1.8GHz Intel Core i5-3427U vPro CPU and 4GB of RAM, which can be doubled. The 12.5-inch notebook is semi-rugged and promises to withstand drops from 30 inches without any ill effects. The computer is aimed for workers in the field, and thus offers a claimed 11-hour battery life.
At the Apple event, the iMac got its first refresh in three years. It will now get Intel's Ivy Bridge Core i5 and Core i7 processors. The edges of the computer are just 5mm thick, with the new computer 80 percent thinner than the earlier one. Apple had to use a new production method to fuse the display with the glass, eliminating the air gap. As before, the iMac will be available in a 21.5- and 27-inch screen size.
Acer revealed that its first Windows 8-powered tablet, the Iconia W700, will ship on October 26. The 11.6-inch tablet has 1920x1080 resolution and a IPS LCD touchscreen that allows up to 10 points of input. Pricing will start at $800 and top out at $1,000.
Mediawave has just introduced its latest product, the MW6110. It's dubbed as an Ultra Small Media Player by its maker, though its capabilities are more advanced than that description suggests. The device can accommodate Intel's Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 CPUs, as well as up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage space.
Motion Computing has introduced two new Windows-powered rugged tablets this week with the C5t and F5t. Either weighs about 3lbs and sports a 10.4-inch touchscreen display with 1024x768 resolution. The C5t is meant for work indoors, as only the F5t has an optional View Anywhere display for viewing in direct sunlight.
The portable PCs aren't cheap, with prices starting at $2,236. Three year warranties are included in the price tags, however.
NEC has introduced a new ultrabook PC, the LaVie Z. It gets a lithium-magnesium body that helps the 13.3-inch notebooks tip the scales at just 2.2lbs. Otherwise, specs aren't made available, but NEC is likely to infuse Intel's Ivy Bridge processors for ultrabooks once they become available.
Along with a number of other notebook debuts at an event in Shanghai, HP has unveiled the Spectre XT ultrabook. The high-style device spots a 13.3-inch, 720p, LED backlit screen and comes with Intel's Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM. The ultrabook weighs 3.07lbs and is just 14.5mm thick, while wrapped in an all-alloy body.
In addition to making official the Special Edition 15R leaked earlier, along with the smaller 14R, Dell on Tuesday also announced XPS 8500 and Vostro 470 desktop PC families. Both feature Intel's third-generation Core-series processors, dubbed Ivy Bridge. Meant for gamers, graphics professionals, or movie editors, the XPS 8500 desktops are offered with either a 3.1GHz Quad Core i5 3450 or 3.4GHz Quad Core i7 3770.
Alienware has officially revealed that it has updated its gaming notebook range with Intel's Ivy Bridge processors. This includes the M14x, M17x, and M18x, with the last one rumored to have received the update earlier. The leaked roadmap from earlier this year didn't mention the Ivy Bridge updates, however, though the new chips are finding their way into PCs from most other makers as well.
Maingear just took the wraps off an upcoming 11.6-inch notebook, the Pulse 11. According to Engadget, the small computer will be powered by the latest Ivy Bridge CPUs, with the standard model getting a Core i5 of unspecified clock speed. There is also support for up to 16GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GT650M GPU with 2GB of dedicated RAM is an option.
Japan's Mouse Computer has just unveiled its carbon fiber-bodied ultrabook, the LuvBook X, which looks very much like a MacBook Air competitor. It weighs just under 2.2lbs (less than a kilogram) and has an 11.6-inch, 1366x768 display. Processing power comes from one of two 1.6GHz Core i5 Ivy Bridge processors.
The previously leaked HP Envy 4 is now available for pre-order in China, with international availability expected to follow soon. The Envy 4 is the lowest-priced option in HP's Envy ultrabook line.
Epson has become the latest manufacturer to make computers based on Intel's Ivy Bridge chipset available to customers. On Tuesday, the manufacturer debuted a line of customizable, business-to-business oriented entry level desktops for the Japanese market.
PC maker Acer and sub-brand Gateway have revealed a couple of new PCs, the Predator AG3620 and the DX4860-UR14P, respectively. Both lines will offer Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processors. Acer will get the new chips first, however, starting with the 3.4GHz Core i7-3770.
Intel continued its Ivy Bridge deployment on Monday by providing extensive detail of the 13 processors that would make up the initial group. The line includes six quad Core i7 processors, including Intel's first truly moderate-power example. The 2.1GHz Core i7-3612QM uses 35W like Intel's usual dual-core notebook processors but still has up to eight program threads (using Hyperthreading), 6MB of cache, and up to a 3.1GHz Turbo Boost when streamlining itself to a single core.
Intel on Sunday formally launched its Ivy Bridge processor range. The 22-nanometer chips will, as hinted, start off with 13 quad-core processors in the Core i5 and i7 families, primarily focuses on desktops as well as mid-size and large notebooks. Lower-end Core i3 and i5 chips, as well as ultrabook-friendly low-voltage processors, are coming later in the Spring, Intel said.
A newly spotted partner listing (PDF) from Lenovo has shown off some upcoming models from the computer-maker. It includes new ThinkPad and IdeaPad models that weren't leaked earlier, including the ThinkPad T430s. This should be a replacement for the T420s and be a thin and light 14-inch notebook that doesn't quite meet the ultrabook criteria, unlike the T430u.
Gaming PC maker Digital Storm has released a new range called Marauder that fills the entry level of the market. Housed in a Corsair Vengeance C70 tower, the base, Level 1, $800 model gets a quad-core, 3.6GHz AMD FX-4100 processor and a 1GB Radeon HD 7750 for graphics, along with 8GB of 1,600MHz RAM. Next up is the $1,000 Level 2, which sports a 3.1GHz AMD FX-8120 CPU and a Radeon HD 7770 graphics card.
A Lenovo reseller channel update (PDF has inadvertently revealed the company's plans to ship systems based on Intel's Ivy Bridge platform in June. Systems based on Chief River, the mainboard chipset plaform for Ivy Bridge processors, will be on sale for resellers on June 5. These stores won't get their units until September, but it's possible that Lenovo itself will ship PCs to end users sooner.
At the Milan Design Week, ASUS priced and dated many of its upcoming portable products for the European market, Notebook Italia learned. The Padfone will ship late in May, or about a month later than in its home market of Taiwan. Its price at a telephone operator hasn't been revealed, but the Padfone Station that includes the 32GB handset and a docking tablet that's coming in June will cost 700 euros (about $914).
Intel PC Client general manager Kirk Skaugen used a keynote at the Beijing edition of the Intel Developer Forum to predict a heavy saturation of the ultrabook market. He saw ultrabook prices reaching down to $699 by the back-to-school period at the end of the summer, or down from the $899 and up more common today. About 75 models were in development for all of 2012, including some touchscreen models mostly intended for Windows 8.
Lenovo UK has provided firm pricing for its soon to be released crossover IdeaPad Yoga. The entry level Core i5 powered tablet/ultrabook will hit stores at £1,199 ($1,900 USD), while a higher-end Core i7 equipped version will be priced at £1,499 ($2,380 USD). When the company let us test the Yoga at CES back in January, the device carried a lone American starting price of $1,199.
Images of HP's new Intel Ivy Bridge-powered Pavilion notebooks have emerged. Notebook Italia has posted previews of the 15.6-inch dv6-7000 and 17.3-inch dv7-7000 computers. HP is expected to begin taking pre-orders for both devices in the US starting this Sunday, with shipment by the end of the month.
Frequent rumors of Intel's Ivy Bridge having a late April, staggered launch were supported by leaks later on Tuesday. A dozen processors would be on sale April 29, CPU-World heard, focusing mostly on desktop chips ranging from a quad 3.1GHz Core i5 to a 3.5GHz Core i7. Just three notebook chips would join the group, all of them quad Core i7 parts with regular 2.6GHz and 2.7GHz versions along with a 2.9GHz Extreme Edition.
Today at Apple's online store save on refurbished Mac minis, iMacs and more. On the low end of the pricing scale is the refurb. Mac mini with a 2.3GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, now $519 after a $80 price cut. A $340 price break is available on the 27-inch iMac with a 3.1GHz Intel quad-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, now only $1659.
Dell may be prepping an updated version of its mid-sized XPS 15 laptop. Dell-Lab has posted potential specs for the 15-inch XPS L521X. The blog has been fairly accurate in past Dell product information.
ASUS' ultrabook refreshes could include some of the first truly discounted, mainstream ultrabooks. New leaks stemming from the same source for The Verge had two 13.3-inch models, the UX32A and UX32Vd, coming in at under $800. Both would still get Intel's low voltage Ivy Bridge Core i3, i5, and i7 processors, but only sometime after they shipped; initial batches would use the outgoing Sandy Bridge generation, insiders said.
(Update: speed changes) ASUS' rumored major ultrabook upgrades were given their first real details through leaks on Monday. The Zenbook UX21A and UX31A models identified by The Verge would be direct replacements for the existing 11.6- and 13.3-inch UX21 and UX31, respectively, but with an option for a 1080p, IPS-based display on either model. Their conventional 1366x768 (UX21) and 1600x900 (UX31) displays would still come standard.
Gigabyte has introduced several new notebooks, including two 14-inch ultrabooks and a 15.6-inch gaming notebook. The ultrabooks include two variants, the U2442N with standard-voltage Core i5 or i7 processors, and the U2442V with ultra-low voltage Core i5 and i7 chips for improved battery life.
Intel committed one of its bigger gaffes in recent memory after it briefly posted a product list (PDF, since pulled) showing the Ivy Bridge processor lineup for launch. While there is the erroneous posting of a 3GHz low-voltage notebook chip, the listing shows both 17 desktop and 11 notebook chips that had been leaked earlier. About six desktop and at least one notebook chip are missing, although these are likely to be low-end Core i3 models arriving later.
A potentially major rumor has asserted that Apple was at one point investingating using AMD's Llano architecture mobile processors in the MacBook Air. The company had the kind of power and performance Apple wanted, Forbes heard, but had trouble producing chips in time for the 2011 update. As its former manufacturing wing and now partner GlobalFoundries was adapting to make the Fusion-based chips, where the graphics core is part of the processor itself, it was having trouble generating useful test yields.
Intel's claimed delay of Ivy Bridge processors may have been limited and contextualized in a rumor on Sunday. The company still planned to ship desktop and quad-core mobile processors on time, VR-Zone heard, and was mostly keeping the June delays to dual-core mobile processors. Supporting the earlier rumor, the new tips cast it as a move to clear unsold stock of current-generation Sandy Bridge processors, both for raw chips and for unsold (primarily Windows-based) PCs.
The 13- to 14-inch notebook screen size is currently one of the hottest areas of competition right now: it's where Apple, HP, and others start off their higher-end models. Dell has certainly been one of the most active in this space and has brought its high-end XPS line to that space through the 14z. We'll check in our Dell XPS 14z review whether the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the Sony VAIO S, or comparable rivals will feel the strain.
HP on Wednesday began selling its most direct competitor to the MacBook Air, the Envy 14 Spectre. The pseudo-ultrabook starts at a relatively steep $1,400 with a 14-inch, 1366x768 display, a 1.6GHz low-voltage Core i5, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB solid-state drive. Options can take it to a 1.8GHz Core i7 and a 256GB SSD.
Intel has released seven new processors. All are based on its current Sandy Bridge 32nm architecture. The new CPUs include three desktop quad Core i5 processors as well as dual- and single-core Celeron processors for both the desktop and mobile.
Panasonic today unveiled two 12.1-inch notebooks in its home country. The Let's Note SX1 and SX2 offer Intel Core i5 processors in a compact, ruggedized magnesium form factor with batteries that provide up to 16 hours of run-time. Panasonic is also offering the J10, a 10.1-inch laptop targeting business customers.
Sony in a post-CES update has tweaked several of its VAIO notebooks for the spring. The VAIO Z now has the option of 4G LTE access on Verizon, making it one of the first full-powered notebooks with the choice. The $1,950 ultraportable now comes in a Carbon Fiber Silver color and gets newer Core i5 and i7 processors from the late 2011 upgrade.
ASUS has quietly slipped out a new pro-oriented notebook in admist the more home-focused designs of CES. The 12.5-inch B23E has a relatively sleek magnesium alloy chassis. Although 1.1 inches thick and 3.4 pounds, it's intended as a true complete replacement with a DVD burner, up to 750GB of storage, and as much as 8GB of RAM.
Computer chipmaker Intel has just launched its Performance Tuning Protection Plan meant for users who want to overclock their unlocked Core i-series CPUs without worrying about the consequences if they go too far. The plan will replace a single processor if it fails when taken outside of Intel's specifications. This is in addition to Intel's standard three-year warranty, but does require owners to pay a separate fee.
We've at last had a first-hand look at the upcoming Dell XPS 13 on the CES show floor. The ultrabook on an initial glance bears more than a passing resemblance to the MacBook Air, down to the side port layouts and the single-piece, multi-touch trackpad; there's no question of who inspired the design. It remains something of its own beast, however, and the combination of aluminum (mostly on the lid) as well as a tightly constructed body give it a much more premium feel than we're used to from Dell.
HP at CES officially unveiled the recently leaked Envy 14 Spectre ultrabook, which was expected thanks to the multiple hints. The ultrabook reserved online now, and promises a 14-inch HD screen in a 13.3-inch sized body. Its screen is covered by Corning's Gorilla Glass, as is the top of the lid and the touchpad. This is a first in the industry. There are also Beats by Dr. Dre-certified speakers onboard, and the ultrabook weighs 3.79lbs. To go with the audio theme, users adjust volume through an aluminum analog dial. HP Wireless Audio lets users stream wireless music up to four external devices or a KleerNet-supporting device.
Lenovo will bring six desktop computers to CES this week, including four IdeaCentre all-in-ones from the B-series, the easily upgreadable H520s and the slim IdeaCentre K430. The IdeaCentre B540 uses a 23-inch frameless touchscreen with 1080p resolution and an integrated VESA mount that can be equipped with 3D capabilities. It can be equipped with NVIDIA's GeForce GT 650M graphics card with 2GB of RAM and DirectX 11 support.
Lenovo's lead-in to CES has included three new ThinkPad Edge models. Fronting the pack, the S430 has an 0.8-inch thickness bordering on ultrabooks but still keeps to regular notebooks: it uses Ivy Bridge-era Intel Core processors and is one of the first Windows PCs with Thunderbotl, giving it very high speed storage and displays on one cable.
Today's deals from DealNN include price breaks on MacBook Pros, headphones, and more. Apple's online store is offering discounts on a wide range of refurbished MacBook Pros, one of which is the refurb. 2.53GHz MacBook Pro with a 17-inch glossy widescreen display, 500GB hard drive, 4GB of RAM, and an Intel Core i5 processor. Currently featured at DealNN, this model has now dropped $380 in price and can be purchased for only $1319.
PC builder slips on Wednesday may have locked down release timing for Intel's Ivy Bridge roster. About 25 processors should be available on or near April 8, Digitimes said, 17 of which would be for desktops. The desktops would range from the Core i5-3450 through to the Core i7-3770 and would have a narrow initial price spread of between $184 to $332.
AMD's Australian and New Zealand regional head Brian Slattery in a discussion [reg. required] Monday said that AMD could have its own take on ultrabooks could arrive as soon as January, likely at CES. Calling them "ultrathins" in a likely attempt to avoid colliding with Intel's term, he explained to The Australian that processors for thin but fast computing would be ready soon. In opposition to Intel, however, AMD didn't have set guidelines and would let companies use larger screens as well as thicker and heavier systems if they felt it necessary.
Samsung in its home country has rolled out the Series 5 Ultra in what's considered a tenuous claim to the ultrabook title. While a 13-inch system at 0.6 inches thick and 3.1 pounds is largely inside of the official definitions, the 14-inch system at four pounds and 0.8 inches is outside of the class, even with an aluminum shell. In including the choice of an optical drive, they also fit more closely to the definition of a traditional notebook.
HP's Folio 13 ultrabook is now on sale, in more ways than one. What was due to cost $900 can be purchased for $850 at LogicBuy or just $703.50 with the NBK3573 coupon code, according to Liliputing. The notebook weighs 3.3lbs and is 0.7 inches thick while sporting a 13.3-inch, 1366x768 display.
