Acer announced its latest compact desktop PC for business use today called the Veriton S461. The computer uses an Intel core 2 Duo CPU in a small form factor design. The PC features Acer LANScope to allow IT admins to get a blueprint of desktop hardware and software for centralized management.

Base level S461 PCs use an Intel Pentium dual-core E2200 CPU, 2GB DDR2 RAM upgradable to 8GB, 80GB SATA HDD, DVD burner, low-profile expansion slots, Gigabit LAN, and Windows XP or Vista Business. Graphics for the system is Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100. Pricing for the computer starts at $549.

Acer says that the small system measures 4” x 16.3” x 13.6”. An alternate configuration uses a Core 2 Duo E8400, 2GB DDR2, 80GB HDD and has all other features the same. Pricing on the alternate configuration is unknown.

Via Acer

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Shuttle announced its latest small form factor barebone system today called the Shuttle XPC Barebone SX48P2 Deluxe. The system features the Intel X48 chipset and the ability to run dual-core and quad-core CPUs.

The little PC comes with lots of features including built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a fingerprint reader, USB speed link function and dual heat pipe cooling systems. The X48 chipset supports 45nm CPUs including Extreme editions and has space for up to 8GB of DDR3 1600.

Onboard audio is 8-channel HD with Dolby Digital Live! And DTS connect. Expansion includes dual PCI-E 2.0 x 16 slots and a single mini-PCIe slot. Dual gigabit LAN ports are included along with 8 USB ports, 4 SATA and dual eSATA ports. The PSU is a 450 W unit and pricing for the barebone system is EUR 485 plus VAT.

Via Shuttle

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Dell has released the results of a new study that claims 12,000 laptops are lost in airports across the nation each week and that 70% of the lost notebooks are never reclaimed. The study was conducted by Dr. Larry Ponemon of the Ponemon Institute.

The study also says that 53% of people admit to carrying confidential business information and 65% of those people admit to not taking steps to protect the data in the event of loss. To help prevent the data from falling into the wrong hands Dell offers a service that can remotely delete data on lost notebooks.

"We've introduced new Dell ProSupport Mobility Services to help costumers protect their laptops and the data that resides on them. Offers included are things like laptop tracking and recovery and a remote data delete option so that if your laptop does go lost or missing we're able to reach out and remotely delete that sensitive data so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

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All-in-one computers are nice for some users. Systems like that get you a monitor and all the other components of a computer stuffed inside the same space a LCD typically takes up. Apple does pretty well with its iMac all-in-one line and today Averatec announced that it has a new All-in-One PC that is available.

The Averatec All-In-One PC has a 22-inch LCD with a 320GB HDD, slot loading optical drive, and has a built-in HDTV tuner. The computer runs on Windows Vista Home Premium and uses an Intel Core 2 duo CPU and graphics are via an NVIDIA GeForce 8400 discrete graphics card. The system has 2GB of RAM total.

"We know that our customers are looking for performance and style. The traditional workplace is evolving to Small Office, Home Office environments, not to mention increased acceptance of telecommuting. With that in mind, our new All-In-One platform is the solution to satisfy this growing need," commented Darren Lee, Director of Marketing at Averatec. "Our business partners and customers have given us great feedback. We are very excited to enter the market and confident that our All-In-One PC will have a positive impact for our brand." Lee further states, "Our All-In-One PC is the perfect platform for those looking for style and performance in a svelte space savings design. From its small footprint to the integrated remote control caddy, our All-In-One PC is a hands down winner and marks another milestone for Averatec."

Via Averatec

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The Intel Atom based Asus Eee PC 901 finally started to ship in the United States. NewEgg offers the Asus Eee PC 901 for $599.99 with Windows XP.

The Asus Eee PC 901 is available in Galaxy Black and Pearl White. The Windows XP model features 1GB of RAM and a 12GB SSD.

More details on NewEgg.

Amazon.com also offers the Asus Eee 901 but does not specify a shipping date yet.

Asus unveiled the new Atom based 8.9 inch screen Netbooks at the Computex 2008 in June.

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Asus unveiled the ASUS ARES CG6155 Desktop PC. The Ares competes with offerings from Alienware and also the Acer Aspire G Predator.

The Asus Ares case design is supposed to melt eastern and western cultures. To Asus the Ares CG6155 looks bullet proof - it looks ok, but not very different from other gaming rig makers.

Features of the ASUS ARES CG6155 include Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, Intel Core2 Extreme QX9650 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX280 3-Way SLI video card, Dual Channel DDR3 1333MHz up to 8G RAM, NVIDIA nForce 790i Ultra SLI chipset, up to 4TB HDD, Blu-ray Player, Dual Power PSU (2KW)
There is no pricing and shipping information available.

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3K Computers announced a new and tiny notebook computer called the RazorBook 400 Mini Notebook Ultra Mobile PC weighing under 2 pounds and featuring a 7-inch TFT LCD and full size keyboard. The machine seems destined to give the Asus Eee a run for its money with the price of the RazorBook 400 set at only $299.

3K says the little machine will boot up in under 8 seconds and use little power for a long battery life. The machine measures 8.25-inches L x 5.5-inches W x 1.25-inches D. The OS is Linux and features a full GUI for ease of use. The CPU in the system is a 400MHz unit and other features include a 10/100 Ethernet port, 4GB of flash storage and 3 USB ports. Wireless 802.11b/g is built-in and the machine supports mobile broadband use.

"The day has finally arrived and the 3K RazorBook 400 is now hitting the US market. We just lowered our MSRP to $299 as part of this exciting announcement. There has been a lot of comparison from bloggers to the Asus Eee PC due to its similar 7-inch LCD form factor. The 3K RazorBook 400 is a unique product that was designed as a low-cost ($299) portable Internet appliance, not to replace your home PC or Notebook computer," said Dan Jacobs, CEO, 3K Computers. The RazorBook 400 is available at most major online e-tailers for consumers. Resellers and Value-Added Resellers can purchase directly from Ingram Micro, the world's largest technology distributor.

Via RazorBook

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VIA pulled the wraps off its new OpenBook mini-notebook reference design today. The ultra mobile platform is powered by the VIA C7-M ULV processor and the new all-in-one VIA VX800 IGP chipset. The screen for the reference design is 8.9-inches and the device weighs a bit over 1KG.

A flexible internal interface allows the design to use a wide variety of broadband wireless connectivity options like WiMAX, HSPDA, and EV-DO. VIA says that it is also providing OEMs with CAD files for the exterior of the device to allow them to customize the external looks of the machine.

The machine is capable of playing MPEG-2/4, WMV9, VC1 and DiVX video formats. Connectivity options include three USB ports, a VGA port, audio in/out and a 4-in-1 card reader. A 2MP webcam is also built-in to the LCD bezel that features dual heads. Supported operating systems will include Vista, XP, and Linux. Power is from a 4-cell rechargeable battery and the machine has a max of 2GB of RAM with different SSD and hard drive options available.

Via VIA

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Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer gave a small Windows 7 preview at the Walt Mossberg's D6 conference.

The two Microsoft honchos demonstrated the multi-touch support of Windows 7. The video below shows the multi-touch feature in action on Dell notebook with N-trig DuoSense technology. I have just seen enough multi-touch now from Microsoft. Just release it and get over it.

For me it would be much more interesting if Windows 7 will give me responsive computing. I am sick of waiting for apps to boot, load and do stuff. I am sick of Outlook hanging my PC and slowing me down. I want an OS without bloated stuff and just streamlined execution power.

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Alienware announced today that it has updated its Area-51 ALX desktop and is re-launching the line. The new ALX desktop is now available with quad graphics and a CPU overclocked to 4GHz. The Intel QX9770 processor is normally clocked at 3.2GHz.

According to Alienware 4GHz is the maximum stable frequency for the processor and the CPU is liquid cooled by the ALX high-performance liquid cooling. Graphics options for the machine include NVIDIA quad SLI with a pair of 9800 GX2 video cards or ATI CrossFireX with Radeon HD 3870 X2 cards. The system has 4GB of Corsair Dominator DDR3 running at 1600MHz.

"The performance packed into the Area-51 ALX desktop is flat-out unheard-of," says Marc Diana, Product Marketing Manager for Alienware. "Alienware has always been committed to building only the fastest, most powerful systems available, and that's exactly what we've done with the new ALX."

Via Alienware

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Acer to enter the Alienware and Dell XPS turf with new Acer Aspire G Predator enthusiast desktop PC line.

The Acer Aspire G Predator G7700 is based on the NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI chipset and runs on an Intel Core 2 Extreme or Intel Core 2 Quad CPU.

The Case design of the Acer Predator is quite dramatic. The case features a mechanical front door on big hinges.

Other features of the Predator G7700 include Windows Vista, up to 8GB DDR2 RAM, up to 1TB SATA HDD, Blu-ray and SuperMulti burner, Multi-card reader, Dolby Home Theater audio, and 3-way SLI with three GeForce 9800GTX or 2-way SLI with two 9800GTX.
Pricing is not announced yet.
More details on the Acer Predator site. Via Digitimes.

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MSI officially announced the interesting MSI Wind Atom based 10" notebook.

The best news is that MSI will actually sell the MSI Wind for under $500 in June.

There will be a Novell Linux version and a Windows XP MSI Wind, similar to how the Asus Eee. I do not know why MSI chose Novell Linux, seems a bit odd.

Features of the MSI Wind include Intel 945GMS, ICH7-M chipset, 10 inch screen with 1024x600px resolution, UMA VGA card, 512MB RAM, 1GB (only XP), 80GB HDD, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (only XP version), 1.3MP camera, 2.5h battery life (Linux), 5.5h battery life (XP).
The Linux version of the Wind actually has a weaker configuration, which is strange. This would indicate that the Linux MSI Wind should be cheaper.

Measurements of the Wind are 10.23" x 7.08" x 0.748" ~ 1.24" and the weight is 2.3lbs (Linux) and 2.6lbs (XP, because of larger battery).
Via the MSI Mobile site.

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NEC introduces a new tablet notebook in its ShieldPRO rugged line.

The new NED ShieldPRO features an Intel Core 2 Duo U7500 CPU at 1.0Ghz and a LED-backlit 12.1 inch LCD with 750cd/m2 brightness.
Under a rugged notebook NEC understands IP55 compliance for dust and water resistance, surviving a 90 cm drop onto concrete, and withstanding temperatures of -20 to 50 Celsius.
The ShieldPRO of course runs a robust OS: Windows XP.
Other features include integrated GPS, 12 hour battery life and SD card slot.
The new NEC ShieldPRO FC-N22A notebooks will start shipping in June.
Via this NEC press-release (Japanese).

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Alienware unveiled its most powerful gaming laptop ever this week called the Area-51 m17x. The notebook uses Intel Core 2 Extreme processors and NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX graphics in SLI mode. The machine also has a 500GB HDD and can be optioned with up to 1.5TB of storage.
The notebook can be optioned with an integrated HDTV tuner built-in and has multiple graphics and CPU options available. The built-in sound system includes two speakers and a subwoofer. The battery is a 12-cell lithium ion. Screen size for the machine is 17-inch and the screen resolution is 1920 x 1200. The M17x starts at $2199 with a fully optioned rig going for over $6000.
"We pride ourselves in designing elite systems for consumers who absolutely refuse to settle for second best," said Frank Azor, Executive Vice-President for Alienware's Product and Marketing Groups. "The Area-51 m17x is, by far, the most aggressive, most powerful notebook computer Alienware has ever built."

Via Alienware.

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Asus introduced its latest Lamborghini ultraportable notebook today called the VX3. The notebook has a 12.1-inch WXGA LCD and runs on an Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 CPU. The machine has 4GB of DDR2 RAM and a built-in DVD burner.

Other features of the notebook include a pair of batteries with one 3-cell and one 9-cell. With the 3-cell battery the system weighs only 3.6-pounds and it measures 12” x 8.66” x 1.22”. The notebook also includes a HSDPA modem, Bluetooth, a finger print reader and it runs on Windows Vista. The machine comes in glossy black or yellow colors and retails for $3299.

Asus unveiled the new notebook at an event in Hollywood that had celebrities driving Lamborghini cars to a Lamborghini dealership in California or the unveiling of the notebook. The lid of the notebook features the Lamborghini logo and it has a leather palm rest.

Via Asus

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Yesterday our I4U UK edition already reported on the final specifications and prices of the new Asus Eee PC 900 in the UK. Now Asus also published an official global announcement with the final feature-set.

Asus highlights the 1.3MP camera and FingerGlide of the new Eee PC besides the new bigger 8.9 inch screen.
With FingerGlide Asus brings some Apple multi-touch functionality to the Asus Eee PC 900. For example, with just two finger movements on the touchpad, you will be able to zoom in and out of pictures (great for looking at image details), or scroll up and down for easier document viewing.

The Asus Eee PC 900 with Windows XP comes with 12GB SSD (4GB built-in and 8GB Flash) and the Linux version comes with 20GB SSD (4GB built-in and 12GB Flash).

Other features of the Asus Eee 900 include 8.9 inch screen with 1,024x600px, 1GB RAM, Intel UMA graphics card, Intel Mobile CPU, Wifi, 1.3MP camera 3 USB ports, VGA out, and SD/MMC slot.

The Asus Eee PC 900 weighs 990g and measures 225x170x20-34mm.

The Asus Eee PC 900 is supposed to ship in the next 2 weeks around the world. The UK release is supposed to be May 1st. The final U.S. release date and price is not yet known.

Asus also announces that they already shipped 1 million Eee PCs so far.
Via the Asus site.

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For the vast majority of computer users out there a quad-core processor and 4 GB of RAM are simply not needed. For many users the most a computer is used for is surfing the net, checking email and chatting with friends. Any computer can do that and what this sort of computer user needs is a cheap computer.

Cheap computers don’t get much cheaper than what you see with eMachines latest offerings. Two new models are now available for those looking for low cost desktops that come without a display. The T3646 retails for only $299.99 and features 1GB of RAM and an AMD Sempron LE-1250 processor. Storage for the machine is to a 160GB HDD and the system runs Windows Vista Home Basic. If the thought of running Vista with 1GB of RAM scares you, the T5254 is faster for only $399.99. This machine runs on an AMD Athlon dual-core, 2GB of RAM, 320GB HDD and runs on Vista Home Premium. Graphics for both computers are via NVIDIA 6100 integrated graphics.

Via eMachines.

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