News Bits: New Sony Laptops, Western Digital Increases HDD Capacities, New USB Soundcard

[Charles P. Jefferies]

Sony introduces NS, CS series notebooks

Sony introduced two new notebooks featuring Blu-ray optical drives, the NS and CS series. The NS is a mainstream 15.4-inch notebook starting at about $1,000 for models with Blu-ray, and about $650 for models without. Other features include a Core 2 Duo processor and three different color options - nightfall blue, silk white, and granite silver.

The CS series is similar to the NS except it has a 14.1-inch display. It has a "12-tone music analyzer that translates your music into a colorful LED light show that plays out beneath the palm rest of the PC." The model will start at about $920, and Blu-ray equipped models will go for about $1,070.

Sony Press Release
Via (Laptoping.com)

Creative introduces X-Fi USB soundcard

Creative today introduced X-Fi Go!, an external USB soundcard. It is a plug-and-play device, and all installation software is pre-loaded on its internal 1GB memory. It is available in Europe now for €49.99.

Full Story (HEXUS.net)
Creative Press Release (HEXUS.net)

Lenovo ends online sales of Linux-based products

Lenovo is ending online sales of Linux-based computers. Linux will still be available to business customers, but to ordinary customers, Windows is the only choice. Lenovo spokesman Ray Gorman said in a statement "Our commitment to Linux has not changed." He said Lenovo made the decision not to offer Linux online since the number of sales was not high enough.

Full Story (ComputerWorld.com)

1TB Western Digital 2.5-inch drives coming in 2010

Just as Western Digital announced their latest 500GB 2.5-inch hard drive, sources are saying the company, along with Seagate, will have 750GB drives next year, and 1TB drives by early 2010.

Full Story (ChannelRegister.co.uk)

Nvidia 9-series GPUs support hybrid graphics

Nvidia today announced that Sony, Fujitsu Siements, and BenQ have introduced notebooks with hybrid graphics - the ability to switch between integrated and dedicated video cards. All GeForce 9M series graphics cards support hybrid graphics, but it is up to the notebook manufacturers to allow support for the technology. The hybrid graphics feature is currently available in the following new notebook models:

• Sony VAIO Z series ultra-light laptops with GeForce 9300M GS GPUs
• Fujitsu Siemens Amilo XI 3650 entertainment laptops with GeForce 9600M GT GPUs
• BenQ Joybook S42 ultra-light laptops with GeForce 9600M GT GPUs

Users can switch between the integrated graphics provided by the Intel chipset and the Nvidia graphics. Using the integrated graphics allows longer battery life, while the use of the Nvidia video card allows for the best 3D performance.

Nvidia Press Release

Dell introduces notebooks with Qflix drives

Dell has teamed together with Sonic to make downloading and recording DVD movies easy with the first PC-based Qflix drives. Customers can search for a variety of Hollywood hits from CinemaNow, download them to their PC, transfer the files to devices in their home, and finally burn them to DVD discs.

The Qflix drive is available now in the US as a $120 option on most Inspiron, Studio, and XPS notebooks, as well as through Dell's Entertainment, Software, and Accessories online store. The bundle includes an external Qflix-enabled drive, two recordable Qflix DVD discs, Roxio Venue and CinemaNow software, and a USB cable.

 

[Rahul]

Its very strange for Sony to have given the CS and NS series Blu-Ray drive options considering they have 1280x800 screens and no HDMI out.

Hybrid graphics sure are nice, to be able to switch to integrated graphics when dedicated ones are not needed for increased battery life and less heat. Good to see others using this since Sony first did with their SZ series back in 2006.

[Apollo13]

Interesting portable soundcard concept. I doubt I'd be able to tell a difference though, other than that some grayed-out options would no longer be grayed out. But I can certainly see where it would be useful.

Somehow the 750 GB hard drives next year doesn't surprise me considering the rate they've been going the past year. They're doing quite well on the capacity front with 500 GB already. What I'd really like to see now, especially since they're nearing 1 TB at 5400 RPM and have 500 GB at 7200 RPM (or will quite soon), is some 10,000 RPM truly notebook drives - sure they say they can't do it but who would have said they'd have 500 GB notebook hard drives 5 years ago?

[vengance_01]

Its very strange for Sony to have given the CS and NS series Blu-Ray drive options considering they have 1280x800 screens and no HDMI out.

Hybrid graphics sure are nice, to be able to switch to integrated graphics when dedicated ones are not needed for increased battery life and less heat. Good to see others using this since Sony first did with their SZ series back in 2006.

Because consumers are stupid and the cost to add the drive is low. Its sad how companies take advantage of un-educated consumers.

[Charles P. Jefferies]

1280x800, in all honesty, is a horrid resolution for a 15.4-inch screen. With only 800 pixels of vertical space, you will be doing A LOT of scrolling. The vertical resolution is the most important, not the horizontal; scrolling is almost always vertical when it comes to the Internet.

It's also terrible for Office 2007 - many of the options in the ribbon toolbar are not even displayed.

I agree that it is very strange Sony would introduce what are supposedly multimedia notebooks with a non-HD resolution and no way of outputting HD to a device with the proper resolution.

[Lysander]

Thanks Lenovo, would have been nice to offer Linux sales here in Australia.

[yuio]

ooohhh 1TB + 1TB = 2.0TB in raid.... droool

[TheAtreidesHawk]

Its very strange for Sony to have given the CS and NS series Blu-Ray drive options considering they have 1280x800 screens and no HDMI out.

Hybrid graphics sure are nice, to be able to switch to integrated graphics when dedicated ones are not needed for increased battery life and less heat. Good to see others using this since Sony first did with their SZ series back in 2006.

Very odd indeed. They look nice but without the features you're talking about I feel like I'm overpaying.

[CeeNote]

ooohhh 1TB + 1TB = 2.0TB in raid.... droool

my thoughts exactly... even 1TB in a laptop= drool

Those cheap blu-ray equipped vaio's seem pretty good also but yeah lack of hdmi makes them a bit less appealing. Honestly though even 720p high-def looks great.

[cy007]

No dedicated graphics for the CS? Kind of dissapointing IMHO.