Geek deals: Save a bit on the Alienware M18x gaming laptop by PKILLERH

With the release of Sandy Bridge, and subsequent delay, earlier this year, every laptop manufacturer has released refreshed or entirely new models featuring Intel’s latest chipset. Alienware’s M18x laptop is quite new, which is why it’s such a surprise to see a deal on it already. Don’t get too excited those, Alienware is just going to save you a few bucks on their new 18-inch flagship gaming rig… but every dollar counts, right?
If the black or red chassis with six different backlight colors fits your style, then the M18x is just the kind of beast necessary to satiate your portable gaming desires. The massive machine houses an 18.4-inch 1080p LCD, quad-core Sandy Bridge Core i7 processors, up to 32GB DDR3 RAM, up to dual NVIDIA or AMD graphics, dual hard drives, and a slot-loading DVD or Blu-ray drive.
If all of these goodies sound expensive, you would be right. The M18x starts at $1,999, but there is a little relief with a $75 coupon and a free shipping coupon. You can get out the door for $1,924 (excluding any applicable tax) with these coupons, as long as you order by May 18th.
Visit LogicBuy for the Alienware M18x

Back to Chips Print Geek deals: Alienware M11x Core i3 ULV gaming laptop for $699 by PKILLERH

Most gaming laptops are a bit of a misnomer, as you would not want to place such a computer in your lap and portability was a technical attribute, if not a practical one. Indeed, the more common 17-inch laptop had a chassis so large and heavy that it might well have just been a highly compact all-in-one desktop computer. In more recent years, with the proliferation of switchable graphics and transistor size shrinks, a small, portable gaming laptop has become a reality.
One such machine comes from no stranger to gaming machines: Alienware, now a subsidiary of Dell. Their M11x is a relatively tiny 11.6-inch that weighs just 4.39 lbs with a slightly chunky 1.29 inch thickness. On the inside of this small chassis you get a beefy Nvidia GeForce GT 335M 1GB graphics card, backed up by a Core i3 processor, capable of meeting most gaming desires on its 11.6-inch 720p display.
Connecting your external monitor is no problem thanks to both HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, and of course you get the trademark over-the-top Alienware design with accent lights and keyboard backlighting. The M11x also retains its portability with good battery life thanks to switchable graphics and a relatively large 64Whr 8-cell battery.
But what makes this beast the deal of the day is that this model starts at just $699, including those beastly Nvidia graphics and 4GB DDR3 RAM. If you’re itching for a more powerful processor, you can step up to the “r3″ model with Core i5 or Core i7 processors starting at $924. All of these deals are limited, so don’t wait too long on this one!
Visit LogicBuy for the Dell Alienware M11x Core i3 ULV deal

by PKILLERH

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ntel defines new Ultrabook category by PKILLERH

Intel has used Computex 2011 to launch a new category of computer called the Ultrabook that it hopes will dominate over the coming years.
Much like it has rethought its Atom processor roadmap to embrace mobile computing as well as hitting a 14nm process by 2014, Intel is now realigning its Core processor chips to allow for a whole new class of laptops.
The Ultrabook is, in a nutshell, a secure, performance laptop that comes in a “thin, light and elegant design”. In other words, it’s the performance you’d expect in a laptop, but with the aesthetics, weight, and size that better aligns with tablets (and most likely better competes with Apple’s premium laptop range). The best example of this so far has got to be Asus’ UX21, which Intel is already classing as an Ultrabook.
To be classed as an Ultrabook a machine will need to be running a Sandy Bridge Core processor, be no more than 20mm thick, and have a price point below $1,000. A number of these Ultrabook class computers are expected to land before the end of 2011 according to Intel. The good news is, Intel also plans to switch Ultrabooks over to the new Ivy Bridge processors early in 2012.
While an Ultrabook such as the UX21 may be desirable this year, the move to Ivy Bridge warrants waiting to buy. It will be Intel’s first 22nm Core processor that uses the Tri-Gate 3D transistor. 2012 Ultrabooks will also be the first to embrace Thunderbolt as well as USB 3.0 which Intel said it would support from next year.
So how confident is Intel that the Ultrabook platform will take off? During its announcement at Computex, Intel’s executive vice president Sean Maloney predicted that by the end of 2012 they would make up 40% of the consumer laptop market. If that’s the case, many of us will be carrying around some very light and pwoerful hardware next year.

Intel demos Keeley Lake swivel laptop by PKILLERH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P5QJrmL2G4&feature=player_embedded


Intel has used Computex 2011 to show off its proof-of-concept new Keeley Lake design.
Keeley Lake is essentially a laptop that converts to a tablet by incorporating a swivel display. That’s nothing new, but where Keeley Lake differs is in its use of the new Cedar Trail Atom processor.
Essentially, what Intel is offering manufacturers is the next-generation dual core Atom chip built on a 32nm process in a super-thin laptop design. The fact it converts to a tablet means it can potentially cross the gap to that market and be attractive to someone who wants both a netbook and a touchscreen tablet device.

In order to class as a Keeley Lake machine Intel has imposed a few must-haves. Just like the new Ultrabook category, the laptop can be no thicker than 20mm. It must also include a multi-touch capacitive display, and be “stylish” and “sleek” in its design. In other words, these machines have to be super thin and good looking.
The units on display at the Intel booth are not real products and will never come to market. However, Intel is hoping some of the big manufacturers will take a look and decide to develop their own Keeley Lake laptops.
Read more at Intel and Engadget
Matthew’s Opinion
Tablets are great for their portability and touch interface, but they aren’t perfect. If they were, we wouldn’t see keyboard accessories for them, or cases that double as a way to turn your tablet into a netbook.
I think there is definitely a market for Keeley Lake, but it has to allow for very thin laptops that remain easy and light to hold when in tablet mode. As they use an Atom chip, and with Intel’s restrictions on thickness, I’m pretty confident that’s both achievable and desirable for companies like Asus, HP, and Samsung to name but a few who may pick this design up.
We have netbooks and nettops today running Atom without a fan. With the move to 32nm there will be even less heat being dissipated meaning less cooling and the chance to go very thin. The new Ultrabook category is seen as the true MacBook Air competitor, but I don’t see why Keeley Lake couldn’t cater to that crowd too.
The one downside of Keeley Lake is manufacturers may see it as an opportunity to “go premium” and charge more than you would expect to pay for a netbook. That would be a mistake, and if anyone wants to compete with tablets they need to keep the price low for what is essentially a swivelling netbook.
The good news is, it may be very easy for manufacturers to keep the price down. Intel is expected to cut the price of Cedar Trail Atoms by as much as 50% meaning a Keeley Lake device can easily compete with current netbook pricing.
 Intel has used Computex 2011 to show off its proof-of-concept new Keeley Lake design.
Keeley Lake is essentially a laptop that converts to a tablet by incorporating a swivel display. That’s nothing new, but where Keeley Lake differs is in its use of the new Cedar Trail Atom processor.
Essentially, what Intel is offering manufacturers is the next-generation dual core Atom chip built on a 32nm process in a super-thin laptop design. The fact it converts to a tablet means it can potentially cross the gap to that market and be attractive to someone who wants both a netbook and a touchscreen tablet device.

In order to class as a Keeley Lake machine Intel has imposed a few must-haves. Just like the new Ultrabook category, the laptop can be no thicker than 20mm. It must also include a multi-touch capacitive display, and be “stylish” and “sleek” in its design. In other words, these machines have to be super thin and good looking.
The units on display at the Intel booth are not real products and will never come to market. However, Intel is hoping some of the big manufacturers will take a look and decide to develop their own Keeley Lake laptops.
Read more at Intel and Engadget
Matthew’s Opinion
Tablets are great for their portability and touch interface, but they aren’t perfect. If they were, we wouldn’t see keyboard accessories for them, or cases that double as a way to turn your tablet into a netbook.
I think there is definitely a market for Keeley Lake, but it has to allow for very thin laptops that remain easy and light to hold when in tablet mode. As they use an Atom chip, and with Intel’s restrictions on thickness, I’m pretty confident that’s both achievable and desirable for companies like Asus, HP, and Samsung to name but a few who may pick this design up.
We have netbooks and nettops today running Atom without a fan. With the move to 32nm there will be even less heat being dissipated meaning less cooling and the chance to go very thin. The new Ultrabook category is seen as the true MacBook Air competitor, but I don’t see why Keeley Lake couldn’t cater to that crowd too.
The one downside of Keeley Lake is manufacturers may see it as an opportunity to “go premium” and charge more than you would expect to pay for a netbook. That would be a mistake, and if anyone wants to compete with tablets they need to keep the price low for what is essentially a swivelling netbook.
The good news is, it may be very easy for manufacturers to keep the price down. Intel is expected to cut the price of Cedar Trail Atoms by as much as 50% meaning a Keeley Lake device can easily compete with current netbook pricing.

The Cr-48 Chrome OS laptop still has one easter egg left to find by PKILLERH

When Google launched the Cr-48 Chrome laptop 6 months ago it shipped with a number of Easter Eggs on board. There was even one in the YouTube marketing video introducing Chrome OS. It turned out to be a MENSA puzzle on a blackboard that netted the first person to figure it out a Cr-48.
Since then we’ve found out you can induce a browser crash with a flag setting, and that Google hid a developer mode on the laptop inside the battery chassis. Even the packaging that the Cr-48 came in was an Easter Egg of sorts.

For the completists out there who own a Cr-48 I have some bad news. Bill Richardson, a member of Google’s technical staff, logged into Google Groups today and informed everyone there is still one Cr-48 easter egg left. That’s right, 6 months of searching still hasn’t found all the hidden gems.
The only clue he’s given as to what it could be is in the name, stating “Cr-48. That should tell you something right there.”
It’s driving a few people up the wall trying to find out what this easter egg is, and with the only clue being the name it could take a while. “CR-48 is the unstable isotope of Chromium” has been one of the main things Cr-48 owners have been thinking about, but that could be completely the wrong track.
If you onw a Cr-48 get your thinking cap on, there’s kudos to be won here, and many a virtual back pat from fellow owners.

Kogan is offering first ever Chrome OS laptop in Australia by PKILLERH

The first company to launch a Chrome OS laptop is probably one you’ve never heard of. Kogan, which operates in Australia, is taking orders for a 12″ Chrome OS laptop that will ship on June 7.
The machine is called the Agora 12″ Ultra Portable Laptop. It runs an Intel Celeron 1.3GHz ULV processor and 1GB DDR2 RAM. Storage takes the form of a 30GB SSD, and graphics are handled by an integrated Intel GS40 chipset.
The display is actually an 11.6″ WXGA LED screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768. You also get a 1.3 megapixel webcam, 802.11B/G/N, 3-in-1 card reader, 3 USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth, and both VGA and HDMI out.

Not only does it carry a decent set of features, Kogan claim the Agora will boot in 4.5 seconds. The battery life is a rather poor 3.5 hours, though, suggesting it has a small battery rather than being a power hungry device.
The Agora is listed as $349 Australian dollars plus postage, which is roughly US$371. But shipping one of these from Australia is sure to make the price sky rocket. You’re better off waiting for Acer and Samsung to release their Chrome OS machines instead.
via V3
Matthew’s Opinion
It’s easy to argue that the Cr-48 was the first ever Chrome OS laptop, but that wasn’t offered to consumers. The Agora is, even if those consumers are limited to Australia, and therefore Kogan has every right to advertise it as such.
The Agora looks like a decent netbook rather than laptop spec, but that battery life really lets it down. All Chrome OS laptops need to have long battery life as it’s a key feature for mobile users. We hope this is a bad decision by Kogan’s part through poor battery choice rather than a common theme we will see on Samsung and Acer Chrome OS hardware too.