Lenovo IdeaPad U300s now Available for Online Order

The Lenovo IdeaPad U300s 1080 model is the latest ultrabook to become available, it competes with the likes of the Toshiba Portege Z835, Acer Aspire S3, Asus ZenBook and of course Apple’s MacBook Air.  The specs on the IdeaPad U300s are as follows:

Screen: 13.3” HD glossy display, 1366 x 768 resolution, 200 nits brightnessProcessor: Intel Core i5-2467M 1.60GH or Intel Core i7-2677M 1.80GHzGraphics: Intel HD3000OS: Windows 7 Home PremiumGraphics: Intel HD3000Memory: 4GB RAMStorage: 256GB SSDCamera: Integrated 1.3MP web cameraBattery: 4-cell Li-Ion, up to 8 hourPorts: HDMI, 1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0Wireless: Intel 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0Weight: 2.9lbsDimensions: 12.8” x 8.5” x 0.59” (width x depth thickness)Detailed specs: Lenovo U300s Specs

The pricing starts at right now on Lenovo.com at a rather steep $1,499.   That’s certainly rich relative to the $699 you can get the Toshiba Portege Z835 at Best Buy this week.   Granted, the IdeaPad U300s does have higher end specs such as a faster Core i5 processor and larger 256GB SSD, but is it worth twice the cost?  Probably not.  The major shortcoming of the Lenovo U300s is that it does not have a backlit keyboard, meanwhile the Toshiba Z835 and MacBook Air do.  For a premium consumer notebook that stakes its claim on style, not having a backlit keyboard is almost unforgivable.  It’s like buying a Mercedes with manual locks, you just don’t expect to get “standard” features, you deserve all the bells and whistles paying this amount.  The U300s does at least offer a couple of different color options to add style.  You can choose either Clementine Orange or Graphite Grey, so either orange for those with a loud personality or grey for subtle style.

The competition among ultrabooks should heat up in 2012 and I’m guessing Lenovo will quickly figure out the U300s won’t sell at this $1,500 price so that will drop.  How can you make a case for spending twice as much on an ultrabook that’s only slightly better internally and has no backlit keyboard?  Also, Lenovo will also be releasing the ThinkPad X2 in 2012 on the business side so they’ll have some competition within their own ranks soon enough.  I predict sub $1,000 average pricing on ultrabooks at some point next year.

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New HP dm4t Beats Edition Laptop Available

HP today released a new dm4t Beats Edition laptop.  This is an enhancement to the existing Pavilion dm4t regular edition that was released earlier this year.  We’d love to give you a price on this new laptop, but the HP website right now has it featured in the Pavilion ultraportable lineup but no pricing is showing and if you click on the link to configure it the page is simply a 404.

Once HP gets its act together on their website we assume this is simply a dm4t with new clothes on and an enhanced speaker system.  The basic starting specs on the dm4t Beats Edition should go something like this:

Processor:  Intel Core i3-2330M Processor (2.2 GHz) Intel HD Graphics 3000 OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit   Memory: 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) Storgage: 640GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection Battery: 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery Up to 6.75 hours of battery life +++ Screen: 14.0? diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768) Optical Drive: SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support Web Cam: HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone Wireless: Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN with Wireless Display Support Dimensions: 13.42in (L) x 8.98in (W) x 0.98in (min H) / 1.27in (max H) Weight: 4.41lbs

Now, we hope that with the Beats enhanced edition you get a red backlit keyboard, on the regular dm4t there is no backlit keyboard.  Enhanced Beats Audio will of course be part of the package and the color finish will go from standard umber to an all black design with the Beats emblem on the lid.  Once we’re able to actually configure and buy this thing we’ll know more!

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Samsung NS310 Available in the UK

The Samsung NS310 was first seen way back in Jan. Those with a good memory will remember that this model is essentially an update to the old N310 Go Netbook.

If you are in the market for one of these, the good news is that they are filtering out into the shops!

I’ve spotted the NS310 in a snazzy blue colour over at John Lewis.

The NS310 is powered by a 1.5 GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core cpu and comes with the standard 1GB of DDR3 memory, 250GB disk, and a 10.1 inch screen. The backlit keyboard is also worth a mention, looks cool and handy in the dark!

This netbook comes with a 3 cell battery with a quoted battery life of “up to 5hrs”. If battery life is key for you then this a different model might be worth a look.

That said, the NS310 is clearly aimed at those that want a great looking and uniquely styled netbook. Just like it’s predecessor, this update appeals on looks.

The NS310 has also been spied over in Italy, but no news on US availability, please post in our forum or below if you spot it!

Specifications are subject to regional variation:

Processor: Intel Atom N550 dual coreRam: 1GB DDR3 PC3-5300Display: 10.1 “LED backlit, 1024x600px, 200nitsStorage: HDD 250 GB SATA 5,400 rpmVideo Card: Intel GMA 3150 IGP Chip Webcam: 0.3 MPNetworking: 10/100 Ethernet LAN, 802.11n WLAN, Bluetooth PANPorts: 3 x USB 2.0, VGA, RJ45Expansion: SD Memory Card Reader, MMCBattery: 3-cell 2300mAhDimensions: 2.53 x 27.5 x 18.75 cmWeight: 1.3 kg

Looking to buy one in the UK?  Check out John Lewis.

Further Reading:

Tagged as: Samsung Go