Intel Releases Ultrabook Guideline for Thinnest Ultrabook

Intel has exciting plans for Ultrabooks. With netbooks dying a slow death, Ultrabooks are expected to fill the gap. The company has already released its guidelines for the upcoming Ultrabooks. The thinnest Ultrabook (0.6 inch) will have no VGA port and won’t fit 2.5 inch drives. But it is super tiny and lightweight. Intel has less strict guidelines for less thin Ultrabooks. (more…)

Sprint Tries Subsidized Netbooks Again?

Subsidized netbooks were never a good idea. The idea of people signing up for a 2 year contract to get $200 discount on netbooks may have worked for some. But those days have passed. That is not keeping Sprint from trying this again. The company is already offering $199 IdeaPad S205s netbooks with 4G capability (WiMAX). The tablet has a 11.6 inch screen and a 1.33 GHz dual core Intel U5600 inside. You would also get 2 GB of DDR3 RAM and a 250 GB hard drive. We highly doubt these will be successful with this contract requirement.

[via Engadget]

The Intel Letexo: Ultrabook/Tablet Hybrid

We have seen plenty of netbook / tablet hybrids in the past. So it is not a surprise to hear that ultrabook/tablet hybrid devices may be in the works. In fact, Intel demonstrated a prototype at IDF 2012 held in Beijing. This device can be used as either a tablet or an ultrabook. The screen can be pushed forward and propped up against a built-in stand so you can use this as an all in one PC solution. The details on this device are sketchy but this will be running on Intel’s Ivy Bridge platform.

[via UberGizmo]

New VAIO 14P Can be Controlled with Gesture

Laptops of today are changing. With tablets becoming more popular, it is not a surprise that more companies are thinking about offering gesture-based controls on their laptops. The Sony VAIO E Series 14P is a cool laptop that has an Intel Core i3-2350M processor running at 2.3GHz. It also has 4GB of DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM memory and 500GB of 5400 RPM HDD storage. What’s nice about this laptop is the fact that users can flick through web pages, play music, and do other things by waving their hands in front of their webcam. (more…)

75 Ultrabook Designs On The Way

Ultrabooks are on the rise with netbooks on the way down. Intel has big plans for these tiny gadgets. According to the company, 75 Ultrabook models are already in development in various form factors. We are going to see plenty of hybrid Ultrabooks. According to Intel, Ultrabooks will reach a starting price of $699. (more…)

Turn your iPad into a MacBook Pro

MacBook Pros are quite expensive devices when you compare them against iPads. Your iPad may not be able to fully replace one of those expensive machines. At the same time, you can use the Notebook Case for iPad to use your tablet as a laptop. The case has built-in USB and mini-USB ports and communicates with your tablet using Bluetooth. This has a lithium-polymer battery too. It is available for $75 on Rakuten.

Source: Rakuten

ASUS PadFone To Launch in Mid-April

Remember PadFone? The device that can serve as your smartphone, tablet, and netbook? ASUS is finally bringing it to the market. The PadFone and its tablet shell and keyboard dock will be going on sale April 20th. The phone has a Snapdragon S4-powered 1.5GHz processor and will be priced around $610. The tablet set will set you back $850. With the keyboard add-ons you will have to spend close to $1000. We are not sure if this is worth the price but is exciting.

[via Engadget]

MSI U180 10.1-Inch Netbook Launched

We don’t see too many new netbook model these days. Believe or not, there are still a few companies that make them though. The MSI U180 netbook which is available in Japan, has a 10.1 inch display (1024 * 600 resolution). It has an Intel ATOM N2600 processor inside with 1 GB RAM and an Intel NM10 Express Chipset. The netbook also has a 320 GB hard drive, an SD card reader, and a web cam. It is available for around $380.

[via Tech Fresh]

Novero Solana convertible netbook passes the FCC

Credit: Engadget

Are you still into convertible netbooks? While we have quite understood the appeal of these devices, the Novero Solana is another one of those convertible devices you can get your teeth into if you want a tablet/netbook. It runs both Windows 7 and Android. You can flip the display over to turn it into a tablet PC. (more…)

Intel Steps Up Ultrabook Efforts

Intel is serious about Ultrabooks. We have known that for quite some time. The company may be too optimistic about the future of netbooks. But one has to give the company credit for putting its money where its mouth is. The company has launched a huge marketing campaign to get the word out about these tiny laptops. Hundreds of millions of dollars are expected to be allocated for this campaign.

Ultrabooks are currently targeting MacBook and MacBook Air. Considering that they run Windows and are cheaper than their Mac counterparts, they could become very popular in the future. That is if Apple does not revolutionize the thin laptop market once more.

[via CNET]