TheVerge reports that HP now takes pre-orders for Spectre 14 as planned, but not shipping it with 1600×900 Radiance display option.
As usual I updated the Ultrabook Knowledge Base to reflect changes in availability and screen options.
The basic model still costs $1,399 and gets you an Intel i5 CPU, 4GB of RAM and the now common 128GB SSD.
via The Verge
Toshiba went ahead itself and shown off the Satellite U840 at CES 2012 in January, without telling anyone what it is and what are they going to call it. It’s here. Well, not exactly here. Available in Australia and Singapore and presumably arrives to the United States in a few weeks.
To me it looks a bit chubby (3.81 lbs / 1.73 Kg) and there is no information regarding battery life to justify the weight. That said, it can very well become the go-to solution for mass-deployment in businesses. Assuming that the build-quality meets the high expectations.
Regardless, here is the tech spec sheet as the usual follow-up to the Ultrabook Knowledge Base, which I already updated with known details.
Processor
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
Basic model is hinted to come with i3 chips. No precise information available as to which exact model. Most probably i3-2367m (as it fits with its 17W power envelope).
Memory
8GB DDR3 1333MHz (8GB Max. due to Memory controller in CPU)
Storage
128GB SSD or 320GB HDD (5400RPM) + 16GB SSD
Battery
6-cell of unknown capacity.
Weight
from 3.81 lbs (1,730g)
Chassis
Brushed Aluminum
Ports and Connectivity
Audio jack, Microphone in, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, RJ-45 10/100 ethernet, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, SD memory card reader, HDMI Output, Bluetooth 3.0
Keyboard
Backlit island-style (chiclet).
Display
14.0″ 1366×768
Availability
First shown at CES 2012, available in Singapore and Australia, no word on US distribution.
Entry Point Price
est. around $1,000 . High-spec model is AUD$1,499 ~$1,600 (inc. GST)
Photo via softpedia.com. Thank you!
Lenovo U300e may seem like the value version of the very similar U300s. Which it basically is. Still, a cheap Ultrabook never goes to waste, especially in a market segment, where every dollar makes a difference. And in the sub-$1,000 ultraportable market segment it does.
This article covers known specifications of the U300e. For everything else Ultrabook related there is the Knowledge base.
Update 13/02/2012: Lenovo begins selling the U300e in Singapore, consequently releases more information about the model. Exact CPU models are now known (and they’re Sandy Bridge sadly), so is pricing, availability and chassis material. Claimed battery life shrunk to 7 hours from the previous 8 hours. Weight starts from 3.48 lbs (1,580g) with 4-cell battery instead of the estimated 3 lbs (1,350g).
Processor
Intel i3-2367M | 1.40 GHz (1.4) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 3,050
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
as per tech specs (PDF)
Memory
1GB/2GB 1066/1333 MHz DDR3 (Max. 4GB due to 1 available SO-DIMM slot)
Storage
500GB/750GB/1TB HDD (5,400/7,200rpm). 32/64 GB SSD optional
Battery
59 Wh, 4-Cell, ~7 hours
Weight
from 3.48 lbs (1,580g)
Chassis
Full aluminum-shell
Ports and Connectivity
Audio jack (audio out, mic input combo), wireless lan, RJ-45 gigabit ethernet, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, HDMI output, bluetooth antenna installed, PCI Express mini card slot (supports Intel 1030n card)
Keyboard
“it has the same [as the U300s] aluminum chassis, comfortable keyboard and sprawling trackpad,” engadget.com
Display
13.3″ 1366×768 (>220 nits, glossy)
Availability
Available in Singapore on 13th Feb 2012. Worldwide availability soon.
Entry Point Price
SG$ 1,299 (~US$ 1,030) until March, SG$ 1,499 (~US$1,190) normally (with i5. 500GB HDD and 4GB RAM)
i3 +2GB RAM + 500GB model expected to stay under $1,000
Photo from priceinfoworld.com. Thank You!
I firmly believe that Acer’s Aspire S5 can do some damage if the company doesn’t mess up too badly on the build quality. If the trench-work is where it’s supposed to be to compete with LG’s and Lenovo’s products, Acer’s S5 has the chance to become a unique player amongst Ultrabooks. Thinner than thin enough, faster than fast enough. And thunderbolt. Can’t stop loving that.
Anyway. Those of you, who are interested in technical details of the Acer Aspire S5, read on. Everyone else: I suggest you head over to the Ultrabook Knowledge Base for a wider view over the Ultrabook landscape. Specs below are not nearly final and will probably change. Let me know if you hear anything that’s not noted here.
Processor
Intel Ivy Bridge | 1.70 GHz | Unknown
Memory
4GB (8GB Max.)
Storage
Unknown – SSD
Battery
~8 hours
Weight
2.97 lbs (1,347g)
Chassis
Magnesium alloy
Ports and Connectivity
Audio jack, 802.11 wireless, 2x USB, HDMI, Thunderbolt
Keyboard
“[...] the S5 is much improved, with clickier keys and much more depth to the key wells. We’ve noticed an across-the-board improvement in key travel in several of the ultrabooks we’ve tried, which is a very welcome change.” arstechnica.com
Display
13.3″ 1366×768
Availability
Expected before Q2 2012
Entry Point Price
$1,199 est.
Photo belongs to the superb Cnet. Thank you.
LG Xnote Z330 is probably one of the most promising –and most expensive– Ultrabooks to hit the market before Q3 2012. I already covered it in the more comprehensive Ultrabook Knowledge Base. In this follow-up article you’ll find information about it in a more digestible format. If you’re looking for this particular model, that is.
If you’re more interested in how it lines up against other Ultrabooks, head over to the knowledge base above.
Processor
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
Intel i7-2637M | 1.70 GHz (2.8) | 2 Cores (HT) | 4 MB Cache | GB : ~5,500
Memory
4GB DDR3 (Max. Unknown)
Storage
128GB Sata-III or 256GB Sata-II
Battery
Around 6 hours
Weight
2.7 lbs (1,224g)
Chassis
Brushed metal
Ports and Connectivity
Audio jack, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, RJ-45 gigabit ethernet, USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, microSD memory card reader, HDMI output, Bluetooth 3.0
Keyboard
“The keyboard felt a little cheap if I’m honest and had the vertically squashed feel that the Toshiba Z830 has but there was good feedback.” ultrabooknews.com
Display
13.3″ 1366×768 (glossy) (with an exceptionally thin bezel around it)
Availability
Available in South Korea, no word on US distribution yet.
Entry Point Price
~$1,500
Photo from LGEPR. Thank You!
This article gets you up to speed on the tech specs of Dell XPS 13 Ultrabooks. It is a follow-up piece to the Ultrabook Knowledge Base. If you were looking for the XPS 13 specifically, this is the place you wanted to to be. Those of you who would rather compare Ultrabooks to one another, head over through the link above for more information.
As always, information below is correct to my best knowledge. If you suspect it isn’t, raid the comment section below.
Processor
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
Intel i7-2637M | 1.70 GHz (2.8) | 2 Cores (HT) | 4 MB Cache | GB : ~5,500
Memory
4GB (Max. Unknown)
Storage
128GB/256GB SSD
Battery
Almost 9 hours
Weight
from 2.99 lbs (1,356g)
Chassis
Carbon-fiber body, aluminum lid
Ports and Connectivity
Audio jack, 802.11 a/b/g/n + WiDi (Wireless Display), no Ethernet, miniDisplayport (adapter to HDMI included), no VGA, Bluetooth 3.0
Keyboard
“The keyboard is nicely spaced and the keys themselves have reasonable travel given the limits of the keytray.” slashgear.com
Display
13.3″ 1366×768 (gorilla glass)
Availability
Announced at CES 2012, early January, to be available in Q1 2012
Entry Point Price
$999
Picture belongs to intomobile.com . Thank you!
This article covers the tech specs of Samsung’s Series 5 530U 14″ Ultrabook. Because everyone loves tech specs. Even if you don’t, you’ll probably find this page useful in one way or another. If you don’t, chances are you want to start with the Ultrabook Knowledge Base, where I compared most Ultrabooks by spec. It’s like this article but the other way around.
As always, comment below if something seems incorrect or odd to you. Or if you’d add something. Or want to have a chat.
Processor
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
Memory
4GB DDR3 1333MHz (Max 8GB)
Storage
500GB HDD + 16GB SSD Cache or 1TB HDD + 16GB SSD Cache
Battery
45.3 Wh, 6.5 hours
Weight
4.05 lbs (1,837g)
Chassis
Most probably aluminum with fiber glass bottom.
Ports and Connectivity
Audio jack (audio out, mic input combo), 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless, Rj-45 ethernet connector, 1x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, SD/MMC memory card reader, HDMI output, VGA, Bluetooth 3.0 (+VGA, -1 USB 2.0, +1 USB 3.0 compared to 530U 13″)
Keyboard
“There’s room for a full-sized keyboard, which felt good to type on in the short time we had to try it out, and the trackpad is pleasingly large.” cnet.co.uk
“As is generally the case with Samsung laptops, the keyboard seems great,” techradar.com
Display
14.0″ 1366×768 (reduced glare, glossy, 300 nits, AMD 7550M Discrete GPU)
Availability
Available since mid-January 2012. UK stock patchy.
Entry Point Price
$979.99
This follow-up article to the Ultrabook Knowledge Base groups information by the model as opposed to the one comprehensive list of all Ultrabooks that is the Knowledge Base.
Data below is correct to my best knowledge, which means you should double check if accuracy is critical to you in any way. That said, I spent a good three days going over data sheets and reviews of Ultrabooks. So it should be pretty accurate. Comment below if it isn’t.
For the comparison chart of most Ultrabooks on the market, head over to the article linked above.
Processor
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
Memory
4GB DDR3 1333MHz (Max 8GB)
Storage
128GB/256GB SSD or 500GB HDD + 16GB SSD cache
Battery
45 Wh, 6 hours+
Weight
with SSD 3.06 lbs (1,390g), with HDD 3.15 lbs (1,430g)
Chassis
Aluminum with fiber glass bottom.
Ports and Connectivity
Audio jack (audio out, mic input combo), 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless, Rj-45 ethernet connector, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, SD/MMC memory card reader, HDMI output, VGA via dongle, Bluetooth 3.0
Keyboard
“There’s room for a full-sized keyboard, which felt good to type on in the short time we had to try it out, and the trackpad is pleasingly large.” cnet.co.uk
“As is generally the case with Samsung laptops, the keyboard seems great,” techradar.com
Display
13.3″ 1366×768 (reduced glare, glossy, 300 nits)
Availability
Available since mid-January 2012. UK stock still patchy.
Entry Point Price
$949
Picture is still property of UltrabookNews.com . Much appreciated!
CES 2012 and the participating companies brought us as many new ultrabooks and thin computers as anyone could ever wish for. What is that? You haven’t had enough? Well then, here’s Samsung and their Series 5. Let’s see what there is to know about it. Why? It just entered pre-order phase.
Samsung’s Series 5 Ultrabook fits right in with the latest batch of ultrabooks. Slim, light and comes with a healthy dose of Intel technology inside. For starters the 13″ model, which can now be pre-ordered on Amazon, is based on a Core i5 CPU. It’s clocked at 1.60 GHz, supports hyperthreading for two virtual cores on top of the two physical. 3MB cache should be enough not to choke multi-tasking performance. Due to the fact that this CPU supports 8GB DDR3 1066/1333 memory at most, Series 5 ultrabooks are inherently capped at the same amount.
Samsung decks the basic model with a spacious 4GB/1333MHz RAM, upgradeable to 8GB. Spacious for everyday tasks and I suspect you won’t use your ultra-thin for many non-everyday tasks.
It weighs 3.06 LBs (1.39Kg), should you buy yours with SSD. The HDD version is slightly heavier, weighing in at 3.15 LBs (1.43Kg). The SSD gets you 128 or 256GB of disk space. There is only one HDD option and that is the 500GB Sata II drive with 16GB of SSD cache.
Both 13 and 14″ utilize 1366×768 screens, the latter being 0.7″ bigger diagonally than the former.
There is no optical drive in the 13″ version, Samsung however managed to squeeze a DVD burner into the 14″ version.
HDMI covers your video-out needs, though there seems to be an option to hook the machine to standard VGA via a dongle. Other than the standard pair of USB 2.0 ports, the ultrabook offers one of the latest 3.0 standard as well. The 14″ gives two.
How long will the battery last you? Samsung claims to have achieved 6.5 hours on both the 13 and 14 inch 530U Series 5.
The most basic HDD, 4GB RAM option sets you back by $899.99
Fancy 128GB flash based storage instead? $1,099.99
As usual, my personal take under the line. I expect Samsung’s Ultrabook to do slightly better in the category than other competitors. My reasoning for this is that Apple is considered number one with its Air by many. Those who oppose purchasing anything Apple will most probably go to Samsung first following the recent clash of the two companies. Now, if you read any of my older posts (the Dell XPS 13 post for one) you might have noticed I’m not entirely thrilled by the current iteration of ultrabooks.
Simply put, Apple was first to break the ice and go all-out on making really thin yet powerful enough-laptops. They’ve had years of headway to perfect their product. The latest Macbook Air may fall short on a few parameters like the lack of USB 3.0 or the less forgiving entry-price. One front it doesn’t fail on: years of data and engineering experience Apple has gained from having manufactured millions of it. If the folks at Cupertino don’t miscount their steps, the more favourable position for them to be is to be the one copied.
If Samsung and other companies aim to up their sales figures on ultrabooks, they will need more customers than those who buy against Apple. A lot more. Superiority in specs might not be enough in a market segment, where customers are conditioned not to care about specs. Either way, competition is good for us consumers on the long run.
via Liliputing, Samsung.
Image from Ultrabook News, head over for the whole gallery!
