Laptops Arena

When the MacBook Air came out, I was sure nobody's going to clone it. Why? Well, just take a look at it, and you'll get your answer. Even now, trying to make a copy remains as successful as trying to build a B2 Spirit bomber in your back yard. Of course, nothing stops you from trying, but... better take a look at the image below!

Now, that's the best shot you can get with the new Chinese-made TESO shot at MacBook Air, because if you look at it from any other angle, then the original notebook from Apple will be as near it as a chicken is to a hawk. I hope you got the idea...

Anyway, there are a few things you should be aware of, because "the TESO Air" is a netbook using the Intel Atom platform, and considering the fact they'll launch it in China and try to keep the price as low as possible, the OS will be a Linux-based one.

Unfortunately, apart from some pictures, all there is to know about the TESO MacBook Air clone is the screen size - 12.1 inch. Other than that, silence...

At last, here's the question of the day - how much would you pay for this TESO MacBook Air-wannabe? My pick: $250.

I will be honest, as usual, so I'll confess one thing I should be ashamed of - until now, I never heard of Getac. Even worse, if this name ever passed before my eyes, I can't say I remember it. Considering the fact that one of my recent passions is to check out rugged laptops, I'll surely remember Getac, because the Getac V100 is a very interesting choice for those looking for a netbook to take in Sahara...

...and I have a solid reason to say that: a screen rated at 1,200 nits brightness, that's the reason! Think about the fact that most common notebooks have around 200 nits, and you get the idea...

Anyway, let's add some more juicy technical specifications to the equation, shall we?

- Processor: 1.2GHz (ULV) Intel Core 2 Duo Processor U7600
- Memory: 1GB DDR2 (expandable to 2GB)
- Storage: 120GB hard disk drive, removable, shock-mounted
- Display: 10.4-inch XGA (1024 x 768) TFT Touchscreen LCD with digitizer and 1,200 nits brightness
- Graphics: Intel 945GMS, 128MB shared memory
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC
- Expansion Slots: PCMCIA Type II x 2 or Type III x 1
- Memory Card Reader: SD card reader
- Smart Card Reader: Optional smart card reader (occupies one PCMCIA type-II slot)
- Communication: 10/100/1000 base-T ethernet, 56K ITU V.92 modem, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 a/b/g, Bluetooth (v2.0+EDR class 2), Optional GPS (either GPS or webcam), Optional EV-DO/GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/WCDMA/HSDPA
- Security: TPM 1.2, Kensington lock
- Battery: 11.1v 7800mAh
- Weight: 4.9 lbs. (2.2 kg) including battery
- Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 1.9 inches (285 x 222 x 49 mm)
- Evironmental Spec: Operating temp: 0°C to 55°C / 32°F to 131°F(Optional low temperature: -20°C / -4°F)
- Storage temp: -40°C to 70°C / -40°F to 158°F
- Humidity: 5% to 95% RH, non-condensing

The painful part of the entire story is the price - $3,550(MSRP). Well, you get what you pay for, after all, and since not everyone needs to take their tablet where no tablet has gone before...

Just to make things clear, I will conclude this article by saying that the V100 comes with a full magnesium alloy chassis, sealed ports and connectors, as well as a shock-protected removable hard drive, being resistant to vibration and drop-shock. For example, even the screen can handle a fist or the edge of a table, as you drop it, without taking any damage. So...still thinking that $3,550 is too much?

I don't know about you, but most touch screens I've crossed my path with so far weren't extremely sensitive. In fact, I managed to draw the conclusion that some of them simply didn't care about me, if I can put it this way. Well, I guess some touch screens could easily be used as "kick screens," but not for too long, anyway. The good news is that Mitsubishi managed to come up with something I would really like to experience one-on-one: the 3D touch screen!

While 3D motion tracking isn't such big news, doing it by using a single panel, that surely is! Just think about the fact that you have a 3D touch screen, and no extra cameras, sensors, or another "trick."

Even more, Mitsubishi's 3D touch screen seems to have a very high level of precision, being able to measure the distance to your finger in steps of about .08mm, up to a distance of 20mm, also guessing its approach speed. Considering its short range, Mitsubishi says this tech will be most useful for mobile devices, but I would also think about having such a 3D touch screen in netbooks.

Taking it all a few steps further, I think even full-fledged laptops could take advantage of a 3D touch screen. Could you imagine such a thing like virtual sculptures, where you're actually molding air with the help of such a 3D touch screen? :)

I don't know if you managed to see the Jericho TV series, but if you missed it...that's no big loss, after all. Anyway, I am not going to tell you anything about what's happening there, because what made me think about it today is Dell's latest laptop ruggedized to meet military standards and even go a bit beyond, the Latitude E6400 XFR. Just as a side note, there were also some iMacs in Jericho, but let's push it aside now and move to the Latitude XFR, shall we?

Oh, yeah, one more thing - in Jericho, there was a guy having a laptop like this one(could have been a Dell too, I can't remember) that was able to withstand an EMP. Now, that you know what made me link Jericho to the Latitude E6400 XFR, let's see the technical specs of this beast:

- 14.1-inch display with Direct View technology, optimized to make the screen easily viewable in direct sunlight, by increasing the backlighting and reducing reflectivity, thanks to a special coating.

- Intel Core 2 Duo processors, up to 8GB DDR2 RAM, a 64GB SSD option, a six-cell battery offering over five hours of autonomy, but these are nothing out of ordinary...

- able to withstand torrential rain at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, as well as temperatures between -20 and 140 degrees Farenheit

- protects against dust and liquid using PrimoSeal technology, which uses compression gaskets.

- can handle drops of four feet with the lid closed, and three feet with it open

- a lot of other goodies, like 802.11 WiFi Protected Access (WPA), Integrated Smart Card Reader, Trusted Platform Module 1.2 and integrated UPEKTM finger print reader, and so on

The price? Starting at $4,299, but if you really need to take your laptop where no computer has gone before...you may not have too many other choices! The Dell Latitude E6400 XFR has become available in the US, Canada, France, Spain United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, so if your budget and needs cry out for this beast, go take a look at the official page.

After staying away for almost a decade, Apple entered the mobile phones market and it all went pretty well. Considering the fact they only have one handset in that market, the iPhone, and a solid market share, it worked out more than just "well," but today we're not going to talk about the iPhone. I only mentioned it because it's about the same with the netbooks market...

...and now they are not going to stay away for too long, as it seems. While the image above was generated using a computer, the truth may not be too different. After all, the netbooks currently on the market aren't hunting for the best design trophy, because it's all about features and battery life vs price, at least as I see it.

Now, a report from the Chinese-language Commercial Times says "Wintek revealed that it is currently working with Apple to develop some new products, but it said it does not know what applications the new products are for. Wintek added that no shipment schedule has been worked out yet, but shipments are likely to begin in the second half of the year."

That's awesome! I know the real thing may prove to be completely different when and if arrives, but think about a touch screen netbook - is this someething awesome, or not?

According to the same article mentioned above, the Wintek-made panels will go to Quanta, who will be in charge of assembling the netbook, and the little laptop should arrive in Q3, this year. Anyway, no matter how interesting this sounds, I wouldn't postpone my netbook purchase for a later date just to get one from Apple - don't forget nothing is official yet, so we may not see an Apple netbook showing up anytime soon.