Maindot Technology News

Engadget ask if the first Intel PowerBooks will be designed by a team of ex-Sony engineers:

Could be. A reliable source tells us that Apple has been “having trouble playing catch up with the learning curve for designing using the Intel platform” and that in order to have an Intel-based PowerBook out by next year they’ve been scrambling to recruit an engineering team with some experience building light and thin Intel-based laptops. And how are they going to do that? By poaching from Sony apparently, apparently they’ve hired a headhunting firm in Japan which has been trying to recruit as many current Sony VAIO and ex-Sony VAIO engineers as they can in order to have a team in place as soon as possible. Sounds a little crazy, but it wouldn’t be the first time that Apple’s turned to Sony for assistance — you might recall that they had Sony help them design the very first PowerBook way back in 1991.

One great laptop from Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD) id the Toshiba Satellite P25-S670 laptop. The Satellite P25 Boosts Home Entertainment and Personal Gaming Experiences with HDTV Component Output and Dolby Digital Surround Sound Capabilities. By combining the functionality of the latest consumer electronic devices and computing power, the Satellite P25-S670 provides consumers, families and video gaming enthusiasts with the right mix of TV, stereo and PC capabilities in one notebook.

Toshiba Satellite P25 Specifications
– Intel Pentium 4 processor with HT Technology, 3.20 GHz
– 17.0-inch diagonal Wide-screen XGA active matrix display
– NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5700 graphics processor, 128MB VRAM
– Internal TV Tuner
– TV (S-Video) and component (YPbPr) video out
– Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition
– 80GB(b) hard disk drive
– 512MB DDR SDRAM
– DVD Super multi-format drive
– Integrated Wi-Fi (802.11a/g) wireless connectivity(c)
– Integrated V.92/56K modem, 10/100 Ethernet
– Four USB 2.0 ports
– Secure Digital(TM) slot and i.Link(R) (IEEE 1394) port

“People want more functionality from their notebooks. Whether they are on the road watching a DVD or in the office developing a presentation, the notebook has to be able to take on any task,” said Taro Hiyama, vice president of marketing for the Digital Products Division of Toshiba America Information Systems when the new Toshiba Satellite P25 laptop was launched. “We developed the new Satellite P25-S670 to deliver the multimedia functionality and features that are ready to work hard and play hard, bringing the best of mobile computing and digital entertainment together.”

I think that the Toshiba Satellite P25-S670 launch date was 15 March 2004 (at CeBit).

Now let’s take a look at the reviews available for this laptop.

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You might say that the IBM ThinkPad X41 Tablet PC marks a new era, as the first ThinkPad laptop since Lenovo bought the IBM PC division. You might also say this is the first Lenovo ThinkPad : X41. Encompassing the same classic black styling and ThinkVantage technology as its predecessors, the X41 Tablet is an ultraportable corporate solution. It runs the Window XP Tablet PC Edition operating system, which supports digital pen input, handwriting recognition and speech input.

The IBM X41 Tablet is fitted with a 12-inch screen which swivels to turn it into a slate for writing. Lenovo has also squeezed a full-size keyboard into a chassis weighing only 1.6kg and measuring 30mm in thickness. The new laptop from Lenovo is powered by the latest Intel Pentium M processor and 915GM chipset with integrated graphics, and supports up to 1.5GB of DDR2 SDRAM. A motion sensor detects sudden movement to protect the hard drive if the machine is dropped, and 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi and a fingerprint reader are optional.

The ThinkPad X41 Tablet sales launch date is 15 July (UK). Performance features are loaded into the new Lenovo ThinkPad X41 Tablet notebooks. Designed as part of the industry-leading X40 Series, the ThinkPad X41 Tablet is Lenovo’s smallest and lightest 12” convertible tablet, for the ultimate mobility in a choice of versatile ultraportables.

Starting at only 1.61kg2., the Tablet also features up to 6.3 hours6 of battery life.

IBM ThinkPad X41 Reviews

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The 6.2 lbs tablet pc laptop features Intel Pentium M 1.73 GHz , 60 GB IDE , 14.1 in TFT active matrix , 1 Lithium ion battery. The Toshiba Tecra M4 Tablet PC is one of the newest Toshiba laptop models.

The Toshiba Tecra M4 tablet pc integrates the innovation of pen-based computing with the power and functionality synonymous with Toshiba Tecra notebook computers. The convertible design of the new Toshiba Tecra M4 laptop allows users to work with a traditional keyboard or rotate and fold the screen down for use as a Tablet PC with digital pen-based input and control. This provides users the convenience to send hand-written emails and make impromptu presentations while sitting, reclining or standing up, enabling new possibilities for productivity and multi-tasking in any location.

“The Toshiba Tecra M4 brings together Tecra notebook technology with the latest advances in Tablet PC functionality, offering business professionals a convertible Tablet PC designed to increase productivity while providing a high level of performance and investment protection,” said Taro Hiyama, vice president of marketing, Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems when the Toshiba Tecra M4 notebook was launch. “For Toshiba, the Tecra M4 represents another innovative offering in our 20-year history of delivering leading-edge mobile computing products for the business user.”

Toshiba Tecra M4 Specifications:

– Processor: Intel® Pentium® M Processor(2) 740 (1.73 GHz, 533MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache)
– Display: 14.1-inch diagonal TFT active-matrix LCD SXGA+ (1400 x 1050)
– Memory: 512MB (standard) DDR2 SDRAM, 533MHz memory (max 2GB)
– Hard Drive: 60GB (SATA/5400 rpm) HDD(4)
– Graphics Controller: Choice of NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6200 TE 64M or 6600 TE 128M graphics
– System Chipset: Mobile Intel® 915PM Express Chipset
– Optical Drive: Slim SelectBay® DVD SuperMulti Drive DVD+R (Double Layer)
– Wireless: Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200BG (802.11b/g) wireless
– Ports: 3 USB 2.0, RGB, Headphone, Mic-in, 240-pin docking connector, IEEE-1394, S-Video, RJ-45 LAN -port (10/100/1000 Ethernet), RJ-11, Fast Infrared, SD card slot
-Battery: 6-cell Lithium ion battery (4700 mAh) – up to 3 hours
– Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Tablet Edition 2005
– Dimensions: 12.9- x 11.4- x 1.45-inch (f/r)
– Weight: 6.2 lbs.(7)
– Warranty: Standard three-year limited warranty
– Base Price: $1999

There are already some good reviews of this Toshiba laptop, we will take them one by one.

Toshiba Tecra M4 Reviews

The Notebook Reviews features an Toshiba Tecra M4 Notebook Tablet PC review and writes:

“The Toshiba Tecra M4 is a very unique computer, it’s thin, fairly light, pretty powerful, and moderately priced. Tecra M4 basically falls into the category of thin and light desktop replacements. However what sets it apart from the competition is a turnable screen and a stylus. That’s right, the Toshiba Tecra M4 is also a Tablet PC which allows you to input notes and information through the stylus or even through speech with an integrated microphone array…”

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The new i730 is Samsung’s first PDA phone with EV-DO high-speed data, first with a QWERTY mini-keyboard, and first with built-in wi-fi. This Windows Mobile Pocket PC smartphone also features a 520 MHz processor, 128 MB of memory, and an SDIO card slot. Other features include Bluetooth, BlackBerry e-mail support, infrared, 3D stereo speakers, and speaker-independent voice dialing.

From the Samsung Press release: “The search is over for mobile professionals and gadget enthusiasts in need of a wireless device with reliable EV-DO high-speed connectivity, a familiar user interface and essential hardware features. Samsung’s SCH-i730 smartphone, featuring Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software, is available today…The Samsung i730 slider device combines form with functionality, allowing for a 65,000-color touch screen as well as a fully integrated QWERTY keyboard. The screen is ideal for easy viewing of Pocket Excel, Outlook, Power Point, PDF files and Internet Explorer Web pages, while the keyboard enables consumers to complete tasks such as easily typing e-mail messages, taking notes or working on documents via Pocket Word. ”

Now let’s take a look at the reviews for this new Samsung cell phone model.
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The sleek Toshiba Portégé® R200 is an ultra-thin, ultra-light notebook with all the features you need to stay productive on the go, including high-end security to protect your data. To provide professionals with extended use throughout the business day – while in meetings or traveling – the Portege R200 offers up to 10 hours of battery(b) life by coupling an optional high-capacity battery with the existing battery. The Portege R200 is also the thinnest and lightest Toshiba notebook to incorporate a 12.1-inch screen.

Toshiba Portege R200 Specifications:
Intel® Pentium® M Processor Ultra Low Voltage 753 [1.20GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 400MHz FSB]
Microsoft® Windows XP Professional
No Microsoft® Office software
512MB PC3200 400MHz DDR2 SDRAM (256MB fixed + 256MB in slot)
12.1″ Diagonal Polysilicon XGA Display (1024×768)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 w/up to 128MB of shared dynamic memory
60GB HDD (4200rpm)
Atheros® wireless LAN (802.11b/g) with SuperG™ technology
Li-Ion Battery (6-cell, 3800mAh)
Microsoft® Office® OneNote™ 2003, Microsoft® Works™, 2-USB (2.0) ports, SD media slot, 10/100/1000 LAN port, V.92/56K modem port, Fast Infrared port, Headphone jack, RGB Monitor port

“The introduction of the Portege R200 is a reflection of Toshiba’s continuing 20-year commitment to remain the leader in notebook design and innovation,” said Taro Hiyama, vice president of marketing, Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems when the new Toshiba Laptop model was launched.

Let’s see what CNET, Laptop Mag and PC Mag said about this Toshiba Portege laptop model.

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LifeDrive Mobile Manager features a huge 4 GB hard drive and supports both Bluetooth wireless and Wi-Fi wireless.

PalmOne Life Drive Reviews
There are a some good reviews of this great handheld. The most important are described below.
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Tapwave has discontinued its Zodiac handheld video game machine.

We are sorry to inform you that the Zodiac business was discontinued and service and support are no longer available as of July 25th 2005.

Resources that may still be helpful to you can be found at http://www.tapwave.com/resources and http://www.tapwave.com/support. This includes links to websites where you can find a variety of useful tips and information as well as purchase e-books, Audible books and magazines, Palm OS applications, Zodiac skins, and third party Tapwave Certified games.
We thank you for your past interest and support and apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused.

The Zodiac PDA was launched in 2003 and was based on Palm Operating System. The handheld attempted to combine the functionality of a PDA with a gaming machine integrating a digital music player, photo viewer and mobile eBook reader.

Acer recently introduced its high powered TravelMate C310, a convertible tablet PC with a 14.1-inch display. Unlike most tablet PCs, which are essentially designed for office applications, the C310 includes CPU, memory and graphics capabilities to support higher end 3D games, audio and video editing and CAD applications.

From Acer :

Acer’s fourth-generation tablet PC, the TravelMate C310 packs the latest Intel® Centrino mobile technology, DDR2 533MHz memory, state-of-the-art PCI Express bus architecture, and a host of other productivity-enhancing features into a 14.1″, two-spindle convertible tablet design — so professional users like you can stay ‘write’ on target

The TravelMate C310 tablet Pc laptop features a 14.1-inch swiveling XGA LCD (1024 x 768) that allows the computer to serve as a laptop or tablet PC. The display size matches those on convertible tablet PCs such as from Gateway and Toshiba. Like other Tablet PCs, the C310 runs under Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and supports pen based on-screen input as well as traditional keyboard and mouse input.

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The Wizard 100 and Wizard 110 smartphones from HTC are expected to be released. Some pictures of the HTC Wizard 100 / 110 have leaked on the internet. The HTC Wizard 110 will be a camera version whilst the Wizard 100 will have no camera. The smartphones run Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0, integrated QWERTY keyboard, bluetooth, WiFi and support EDGE. HTC Wizard 110 comes with a 1.3 megapixel camera. The HTC Wizard 100 will not have the camera module, great for those who can’t use camera phone at work.