File this under things we could've sworn happened already: Dell is updating its nine-month-old XPS 13 Ultrabook with third-generation Core (read: Ivy Bridge) processors. While the rest of the company's Win 8 lineup isn't shipping until October 26th now, the refreshed XPS 13 should already be live on Dell's site, with the same starting price of $1,000.
Update: A previous version of this article reported that the XPS 13 would be available with a touchscreen. In fact, it will still be offered with non-touch-enabled panels only.
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook gets updated with Ivy Bridge (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
It was just a few months ago that HP refreshed its Envy Phoenix h9 desktop tower with Ivy Bridge processors, and now it's gone back to the drawing board to re-tool the design itself. In its latest incarnation, it has an "armor-plated" design and toolless hard disk bays that can support up to three drives. HP says it also fine-tuned the cable dressing to improve airflow and cooling performance. As ever, the machine will be offered with third-generation Intel Core processors and your choice of NVIDIA or AMD graphics. Solid-state drives are also an option. Curious? You'll have to wait until the Windows 8 launch on October 28th to get one. An odd move, if you ask us, since the h9 isn't a Win 8-optimized system, and the changes here appear to be purely hardware-related.
HP retools its Envy Phoenix h9 desktop, says the new version will go on sale October 26th originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
The last time we reviewed the MacBook Air, we didn't have a whole lot to compare it to. Sure, there was the original Samsung Series 9, but it was more expensive, at $1,649, and ran off a standard-voltage processor, often at the expense of battery life. Companies like Lenovo and Toshiba already had deep experience making ultraportables, but those notebooks generally weren't as light, or as skinny, as the Air. A year ago, too, Ultrabooks, as we now know them were little more than a concept as far as the computer-buying public was concerned.
Today, there are 110-plus Windows-based Ultrabooks on the horizon, leaving consumers with an overwhelming smorgasbord of thin, shockingly powerful laptops. Apple, for its part, has stuck with the same Air design we liked so much the first time around, though it's refreshed the lineup with speedier Ivy Bridge processors and traded those USB 2.0 ports for 3.0. Additionally, the Air can now be configured with more RAM and roomier storage. Oh, and the 13-inch version now starts at $1,200, down from $1,300. (The 11-inch version still goes for $999 and up.)
That sounds promising, making an already-excellent laptop faster and less expensive. Still, with so many comparable products on the Windows side, we have to wonder, does Apple really continue to define the category or have other companies narrowed the gap? Let's find out.
Continue reading MacBook Air review (13-inch, mid 2012)
MacBook Air review (13-inch, mid 2012) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
It was only last week that Acer unveiled its first touchscreen Ultrabook, so you'd be forgiven if you forgot about the company's other pinch-thin laptop -- the one that was announced back in January at CES. That would be the Aspire S5, and now, five months later, it's finally going on sale. We just got word that it will hit shelves the last week of this month, with a starting price of $1,400. To recap (in case you've been overwhelmed by all the Ultrabooks on display lately), this is the one with the motorized, drop-down door hiding HDMI, USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt ports. If fourteen hundred bucks seems expensive, remember that these specs (a Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor and 256GB SSD) are actually pretty standard for the money. And, at 2.65 pounds, it's lighter than almost every other 13-inch Ultrabook we've seen. Still, at that price we'd expect something a little crisper than a 1366 x 768 display.
For what it's worth, too, the S5 is the first product to ship in the US with the company's free AcerCloud service baked in. In brief, you get unlimited storage for backing up your stuff, all of which you can access remotely using an Android app (Acer has said iOS and Windows Phone versions are on the way). As with other syncing services, your computer needs to be asleep, not powered-off, in order for you to retrieve your files, so avoid shutting down if you think you'll need to reach into your PC later.
In other news, Acer is refreshing its first-gen S3 Ultrabook with a new champagne color, and will now offer it with an Ivy Bridge Core i7 processor and 256GB hard drive. The starting price has dropped to $648 with a Sandy Bridge CPU, with the highest-end models fetching about $1,000. Look for these upgraded models sometime next week.
Acer Aspire S5 Ultrabook arriving this month for $1,400, S3 gets updated with Ivy Bridge and new color originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
We knew Series 9 laptops with Ivy Bridge weren't too far off when Samsung prematurely leaked the news on its own site. Well, if you've been patiently awaiting a refresh, your day has come: the company held a press event in New York City today where it showed off both the 13- and 15-inch models with Intel's third-generation Core processors in tow. Hardware-wise, there aren't many changes to what you saw on the earlier models, though Samsung added Bluetooth 4.0 support and shaved 0.1 inches off the silhouette.
Along with the Series 9, Samsung's Series 5 laptops are getting new Ivy Bridge innards. The only changes besides the processor upgrade are Bluetooth 4.0 support and a USB 3.0 socket. And the low-end Series 3 isn't getting overlooked entirely either: the company is upgrading the line to dual-core Sandy Bridge CPUs (previous models ran Pentium units).
But that's not all: on top of all those refreshes, the company has two new Series 5 machines. The Series 5 500 starts at $800 and offers a 14-inch 1366 x 768 display, 500GB of storage space and a third-gen Core i5 CPU. The 15.6-inch Series 5 costs $100 more and features a Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor along with a 750GB hard drive. Both models also include NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M graphics. Sammy says they will be up for order by mid-June.
Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
Continue reading Samsung refreshes Series 9, 5 and 3 laptops, unveils two new Series 5 systems
Samsung refreshes Series 9, 5 and 3 laptops, unveils two new Series 5 systems originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Samsung (Series 9), (Series 5), (Series 3) | Email this | Comments 
Toshiba's getting the most attention today for announcing two new laptops (including one with a bonkers 21:9 aspect ratio), but it's also getting some extra mileage out of its first Ultrabook, the Portege Z835. The company just announced it's refreshing the system with a Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor, and that it shall henceforth be known as the Portege Z935. Other than that, the chassis and other key specs are expected to remain the same. Look for it on shelves starting June 24th, and don't be surprised by a bump in price: it now starts at $900, up from $800 when it had Sandy Bridge.
Continue reading Toshiba updates Portege Z835 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge, renames it the Z935
Toshiba updates Portege Z835 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge, renames it the Z935 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
In case you didn't notice, Sony completely revamped its laptop lineup this morning. Unlike some of the other models on offer, the high-end Z series didn't get a redesign, but Sony at least took the opportunity to refresh it with new Ivy Bridge processors. Oh, and lower the starting price. The Z will no longer be bundled with the Power Media Dock, that external hub housing both a discrete GPU and optical drive. As such, the laptop will now start at $1,600, down from $2,000, while the dock will retail for an additional $400. Spec-wise, the Z still weighs a scant 2.6 pounds, but it's now constructed from carbon fiber and will be offered with a glossy finish. It will also be available with quad-core Ivy Bridge CPUs, though the starting model's processor is dual-core. Otherwise, it offers nearly the same specs as the model we reviewed last year, including a 1080p display and solid-state RAID drives. Look for the refresh sometime this month, and in the meantime we've included pics below to jog your memory on what this guy looks like.
Sony refreshes VAIO Z series with Ivy Bridge, price now starts at $1,600 without the docking station originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
In addition to all the other new laptops it announced today, Sony refreshed its mid-range S Series with a new look, and consolidated its two 13-inch models, the SA and SB lines, into one model, now called the VAIO S13. (There's also a more business-oriented version called the S13p, which we'll tell you about in just a moment). Thanks to a magnesium, aluminum and carbon fiber construction, it's fairly lightweight, at 3.8 pounds. Spec-wise, Sony went with Core i5 and i7 Ivy Bridge processors, though this time around, it's missing switchable graphics -- at least on the S13. That machine now has integrated graphics only, though the business-centric S13p will be offered with an NVIDIA GPU with up to 2GB of VRAM. The S13p also sets itself apart with features the IT guy might appreciate, including TPM, a fingerprint reader and a hard drive accelerometer.
Across the board, the S13 should last up to about seven hours on a charge, or 14 if you add an optional sheet battery. Also, the company will sell an external docking station with a built-in 500GB hard drive and built-in battery -- a first for Sony. We're told the dock will cost $189, and that you can use it even with the sheet battery attached to the laptop. The S13 and S13p will go on sale this month, starting at $900 and $1,200, respectively. Though the more consumer-friendly S13 will be available in black, silver white and pink, the buttoned-up S13p comes in a more staid palette: black, gold and "Gun Metal."
Continue reading Sony unveils VAIO S13 and S13p laptops with Ivy Bridge, prices start at $900
Sony unveils VAIO S13 and S13p laptops with Ivy Bridge, prices start at $900 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
First the rumor mill revealed ASUS had plans to refresh Ultrabooks with Ivy Bridge and 1080p IPS displays. Then the company confirmed the news itself when it brought some new Zenbook Prime laptops out for a demo and promised they'd go on sale in ASUS' native Taiwan. Now we've got some splendid news for our readers here in the US: those fresh ultraportables are making their way stateside too... eventually. ASUS just confirmed it's bringing four models to the states: the 11-inch UX21A, the 13-inch UX31A / UX32A and the UX32VD. What's the difference between the UX31A and the UX32A, you ask? It all comes down to storage: the UX32A uses hybrid hard drives, while the UX31A packs an SSD. Meanwhile, the UX32VD is nearly identical to the UX31A except that it packs an NVIDIA GT 620M GPU.
As rumored, the lineup includes Core i5 and i7 Ivy Bridge processors, with 1920 x 1080 IPS displays offered even on the 11-incher. (If you don't need that kind of pixel density, 1366 x 768 displays will be available as well.) Another thing they all have in common: ASUS has tweaked the touchpad and re-tooled the keyboard, making the pitch 12 percent deeper. Also, the keys are now backlit, for what that's worth.
Tentatively, ASUS is saying the 13-inch variations will start at $999 with Ivy Bridge (that lone $799 13-inch model comes with a Sandy Bridge CPU). Still no word on pricing for the smaller UX21A, though we know it will be offered in two flavors: one with Core i5 and a 128GB SSD, and one with Core i7 and an optional 256GB drive. Of course, ASUS is careful to warn that these prices are subject to change, though we're presuming they're at least in the same ballpark as what you'll ultimately pay. Additionally, ASUS isn't saying when, exactly, these models will be available, but it's obvious that Intel needs to formally unveil its remaining Ivy Bridge CPUs before these laptops can see the light of day. We'll hit you back with more details as we receive them, but in the meantime head over to our preview of the UX21A for hands-on photos, benchmark scores and detailed impressions.
ASUS bringing Zenbook Prime UX21A, UX31A, UX32A and UX32VD to the US, prices start at $799 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
