Laptops Arena

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Good news for MacBook Air fans! (and for me) According to AppleInsider, the price for a brand new MacBook Air with Solid State Drive got cut off with $500. So as you can see in the picture prepared by the editors at AppleInsider, the price dropped from $3,098 to $2,598 in just a month.

If you haven’t noticed yet, the price for NAND Flash memories is getting lower and the 1.6GHz model with SSD drive is available now at $2,398, which is a significant difference compared to the initial cost. This happened after Apple reduced the price for the 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor to $200, and the drop off the 64GB SSD drive price to $599 from $999.



At this moment, the other version of the MacBook Air with Intel Core 2 Duo processor clocked at 1.6GHz, 2GB memory, 80GB PATA hard drive at4 4200 rpm, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, and Wi-Fi module, costs $1,799. The PATA hard drive, also known as Advanced Technology Attachment with Packet Interface, is the original ATA interface that connects hard disks, solid state disks and CD-ROM drives inside computers. PATA allows for parallel connectivity with cable lengths of up to 18 inches, but after SATA standard came out it conquered the market even if PATA was the most popular interface. Serial Advanced Technology Attachment allows for faster data transfers, supporting hot-swapping (replacing devices during operation), thinner cables for more efficient cooling, and improved data integrity checks.

It is not a disadvantage for the MacBook Air users, but the $2,598-model adds faster processing speeds, while both configurations sport a 13.3-inch glossy widescreen LED display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, optimized for best viewing in low light conditions, 2GB memory, and the Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared memory.

The world’s thinnest laptop measures 0.16 to 0.76 x 12.8 x 8.94 inches at a weight of 1.36 Kg.

Not only AMD announced their latest additions for the mobile computing industry, but Fujitsu-Siemens too, according to the latest press release. The ATI PowerXpress allows you to triple the performance of the graphics processor and extend the battery life with up to 1 hour.

Fujitsu-Siemens is the first to bring laptops powered by ATI PowerXpress which will allow users switch between ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 series discrete graphics processor and an integrated AMD M780G with ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics, this without the need to reboot. You’ll be able to configure ATI PowerXpress directly from the Catalyst Control Center.

"For our AMILO Xa notebooks with the AMD graphics technology of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3000 series we implemented the ATI PowerXPress feature," said Hartmut Woerrlein, Senior Director Product Management Consumer Mobile, Fujitsu Siemens Computers. "For the consumer it's a real advantage in their practical experience to switch between maximum graphic performance and maximum battery life, on the go and without restarting the whole system."

The new AMD notebook platform with the AMD Turion X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processors and ATI Radeon HD 3000 Series Graphics is meant to deliver outstanding HD image quality and 3D performance. The laptop manufacturers that have adopted this new platform include Acer, Asus, Clevo, Fujitsu, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, HP, MSI, NEC and Toshiba and the new notebook models are from the AMD Business Class, AMD GAME! and AMD LIVE!

"AMD is uniquely positioned to deliver balanced platform solutions that tightly couple computing and graphics capabilities for a visually rich user experience," declared Dirk Meyer, president and COO, AMD. "Our next-generation AMD notebook platform contains a host of interrelated innovations that together deliver enhanced business productivity and the ultimate in HD visual performance on the go."

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AMD Turion X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile processors come with the AMD Independent Dynamic Core Technology optimized memory controller, and the HyperTransport 3.0 with increased power efficiency.

"With the advent of Microsoft Windows Vista, its new graphics and multimedia features, as well as the applications that will be tailored to this operating system, discrete graphics have become a much more important part of the purchase decision," declared Bob O'Donnell, Program Vice President, IDC. "With the transition from desktops to laptops, consumers and business professionals are not only seeking the portability and connectivity provided by notebook PCs, they are also unwilling to compromise on the features and performance needed to drive the latest generation operating systems and applications. This next generation of notebooks must deliver the graphics and video capabilities to address this requirement."

Mike Rhodin, the General Manager of IBM Lotus software, talked about the future communication trends that will increase demand for unified communications, reshaping the way businesses and workers communicate and collaborate.

• The virtual workplace will become the rule. Desk phones and desktop computers will gradually disappear, replaced by mobile devices, including laptops. Social networking tools and virtual world meeting experiences will simulate the feeling on being there in-person.

• Instant messaging and other real-time collaboration tools will become the norm, bypassing e-mail.

• Companies will go beyond the initial uses of instant messaging and will integrate IM with business processes and line-of-business applications.

• Interoperability and open standards will tear down proprietary walls within business and public domains. Corporate demand for interoperability and maturing industry standards will force unified communications providers to embrace interoperability.

• Meetings will become increasingly ad hoc and instantaneous based on context and need. 3-D virtual world and gaming technologies will have a significant impact on online corporate meeting.

IDC, the global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets, helping IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make decisions on various purchases and business strategies, estimated that the communications market will reach $17 billion revenue in 2011, meaning 38% growth compared with the year 2007.

The Float Away notebook concept comes from the designer Young Hwan Kim and even though at a first glance it doesn’t seem to show anything new it does unveil a new useful characteristic that is not based on some innovative technology.



It is only a laptop concept at the moment but because of its intelligent design it deserves at least to be mentioned on our web site.
It is curious why the other laptop manufacturers have not thought in this yet.
Float Away brings a simple solution to the annoying and sometimes dangerous heat coming from underneath its housing.



The back end is a little bit elevated so that a lift bar can be integrated into it and so, the heat can be easily dissipated into the air maintaining the notebook cool permanently this way extending its life.