News Bits: Asus Lambo VX2 Announced, MacBook 802.11n Capability for $5, MSI PR200

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Asus unveils Lamborghini VX2 notebooks

January 15^th - Asus today unveiled its next-generation Asus Lamborghini VX2 series notebook. It is based on Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology and Microsoft Windows Vista.

The VX2 is available in both Lamborghini yellow and black. Each notebook is made of aluminum-magnesium alloy and carbon fiber respectively. The inside of the notebook features a glossy widescreen display and leather palmrest, with yellow stitching, just like a Lamborghini automobile.

Read More (Asus Press Release)

Your Core 2 Duo MacBook has 802.11n -- if you pay Apple $5 to enable it

According to AppleInsider.com Apple has been quietly shipping Core 2 Duo MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks that have the ability to use the faster 802.11n pre-draft wireless standard. However, in order to activate it you''ll need to download a software enabler patch from Apple that''ll cost you $5. Unless, that is, if you buy an upcoming 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station for $179, which will activate the technology in a Core 2 Duo MacBook for you. If you go with a 3rd party solution 802.11n wireless router, you''ll be forced to pay $5 for the software patch download. Apparently this is all tied to a Sarbanes Oxley accounting rule that forbids Apple from giving away an unadvertised feature on an already sold product without somehow accounting for this. All very complicated, and unfortunate Apple didn''t just advertise it from the get go.

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MSI PR200 ultraportable with Intel 965 chipset introduced

Image courtesy of laptoping.com

January 15^th - MSI introduced their first ultraportable notebook based on the Intel 965 series chipset, the PR200. Powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, it features a glossy 12.1-inch widescreen display and weighs 3.96 lbs. Other specifications include 802.11a/b/g wireless LAN, Bluetooth built-in, DVD burner, 4-in-1 media reader, and an integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam.

Information on memory, hard drive, and graphics were not given, although considering that the notebook is based on the Intel 965GM chipset, the PR200 should have the Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3000. Availability and pricing information were not provided.

Read More (Laptoping.com)

New 2.6lb Fujitsu Loox T ultraportable launched

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Image courtesy of Akhibara News

Fujitsu introduced its latest Loox T70U series, which weighs a mere 1.18kg (2.6lbs) and has a battery runtime of up to 4.8 hours. The Loox T features a 1.2GHz Intel Core Solo U1400 CPU, 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and DVD burner for the high end T70 model. The lower-end T50 has reduced specifications in the form of an Intel Celeron M 443 processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 60GB hard drive. All T-series feature Windows Vista Home Premium, internal Bluetooth, and WiFi.

Read More (Akhibara News)

OLPC has no plans to sell XO to public

The non-profit OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) orgainzation has announced that they have no plans of selling the XO to the public, dispelling rumors that said otherwise. The OLPC will be officially launched in Libya, Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uruguay.

Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the OLPC, said in a statement:

“Contrary to recent reports, One Laptop per Child is not planning a consumer version of its current XO laptop, designed for the poorest and most remote children in the world. XO will be made available to governments in very large quantities to be given to all children free, as part of the education system. Many commercial ventures have been considered and proposed that may surface in 2008 or beyond, one of which is ‘buy 2 and get 1.’ In addition, OLPC is launching OLPC Foundation later this month, specifically to accommodate the huge goodwill and charity that has surfaced around the idea of a $100 laptop.”

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That MSI ultraportable sounds promising...but it really reminds me of the Asus W5F.

 

That MSI looks a lot like a Sager NP6260 I reviewed last year http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3298&review=Sager+NP6260 and the build quality was middling on it. To achieve that weight, corners have to be cut on material quality and thickness usually.

 

I kind of thought that too, other than the widescreen aspect of the MSI.

 

The new notebook offerings look great.

On the OLPC issue - I am so glad that they are NOT being released to the affluent public. Like I posted in the TPC forums, the 100$ notebooks are VERY low profit margins and are for charity, not for cheapo buyers in the USA and Europe who want to juice their penny.

 

You make it sound like trying to get good deals on hardware is a bad thing. Everyone would like to get more juice for their pennies. If they're losing money or something, and if some guy bought five for his own personal use instead of giving them to poor children, then yeah, I'd be offended. That's a completely different scenario though.

 

I actually like the idea of the "buy 2 get 1" strategy. I'd be interested in doing that as long as I knew a second laptop was actually going to be given away as advertised.

 

Sneaky, sneaky Apple. Kind of cool that everything is pre-installed and only takes a download to fix. They avoided alot of questions due to hype that way.

 

On the Apple $5 upgrade, I'm tempted to call shenanigans...

This is either a smokescreen or it sets a very disturbing precedent. It is not uncommon for a firmware/software update to add or activate new functionality, and we're expected to believe that now they can't do this without announcing the added functionality at the time of purchase?

I'm more tempted to believe that Apple has no desire to try and offer support for people trying to use draft n routers from other manufacturers.

 

I do agree, like the web browsing capabilities of the Sony PSP or Nintendo Wii that came after release.

Apple is getting bold and a bit pushy of late too, they can kind of afford to though.

 

I guess that could work, but I don't know how it generates revenue for OLPC to continue producing notebooks. Nevertheless, it evidently does if the plan was proposed by them.

I am not at all adverse to getting a good deal. Its just that this OLPC program is not a cash cow for the company. It's about the charity work and bringing something different to people who have nothing compared to you and me. If we bought these notebooks, it means one less item that was produced to be shipped out to people who need it. It also means that the parts needed are being funneled away from the goal. Its kind of like saying I have a dollar here to donate, but I will just put it in the bank and let it accrue interest, and in ten years or whatever, I will donate it.

 

Actually the Wii browser is in beta. Once it is officially released it will be charged for. And I believe Sony announced a browser with the PSP, but shipped it late. I don't know, it does irk me that they are charging, but then again how many notebooks have n built in? And would you be willing to pay $5 to turn it on in yours?

**EDIT** Another explanation could be that the card was specifically advertised as 802.11 a/b/g with no mention of N. All in all it does seem like a bit of a money grab, but $5 for N capabilities built in is not too bad.

 

I agree, $5 for draft N is cheaper than cheap, but it's still a low blow. All you're paying for is the ability to access technology you already have.

 

I wonder if Core Duo Macbook has got this capability

 

No, it only applies to the C2D models.