c-series

AMD updates Fusion E and C series processors

AMD's Fusion series of APU processors first grabbed our attention at the beginning of 2011 for their impressive showing in 11.6-inch ultraportable laptops like the HP Pavilion dm1z, offering great performance and battery life for a good price. The E and C-series APUs representing the entry-level and thin-and-light side of the laptop and desktop universe have been updated, with memory and graphics enhancements and a promised gain in resting battery life.

AMD claims 12 hours of resting battery life on a charge on the C-series APUs, and 10.5 hours on the new E-series. Of course, our battery … Read more

Sony announces a couple of neon-colored Vaio laptops

We briefly spotted this colorful concept piece at CES 2011, and now it's been officially named and announced by Sony. The new Vaio C series is an "exclusive one-of-a-kind design," and its Neon Orange or Neon Green shell, "collects and radiates light around the edges of the laptop, through the Vaio logo, and even around the touch pad emitting a beautiful glow," according to Sony.

Available in 14-inch (called the Vaio CA) and 15-inch (the Vaio CB) models, the Vaio C series will use Intel's second-gen Core i-series processors (also known as Sandy Bridge), and both Blu-ray and discreet AMD Radeon HD 6630 graphics are options. The line supports Intel's Wireless display technology for beaming HD video to any display with an HDMI input.

Besides the unusual design, these new models also have the custom software packages Sony is known for, including the Sony Imagination Studio Suite of multimedia apps and the handy Vaio Care support app. The Remote Keyboard function lets you use the laptop's keyboard to control a variety of other Sony devices, such as a PlayStation 3 game console or Sony Blu-ray player. … Read more

MSI throws Blu-ray, Core i3 in a laptop for $699

Introducing Intel Core i3 and i5 processors in a laptop is hardly surprising news anymore, but affordable notebook computing--well, that's another story. MSI tends to be on the bleeding edge of the cheap notebook spectrum, and the company's recent announcement of updated Classic laptops offers a few eye-openers. The entire line of C-Series 15.6-inch Core i3 and i5 laptops starts at $649, and there's even a config that includes Blu-ray and a Core i3 for $699; MSI claims the CR620-033US is $729, but Newegg does that price $30 better.

All MSI CR-620 models include Windows 7 … Read more

MSI's supercheap 16-inch laptop includes Blu-ray

The 2009 budget train continues, as MSI has just announced a back-to-school lineup of 16- and 17-inch additions to the Classic C Series notebook line, promising starting prices as low as $549. What's new and notable here is that the 17.3-inch models all have 1600x900 resolutions, which is a nice upgrade from the 1366x768 we're used to seeing on budget machines. Even more intriguingly, the 16-inch CR600-017 includes a Blu-ray/DVD drive for hi-def movie watching (but sadly and quizzically, only a 1366x768 resolution on that one). But this is the kicker: it only costs $649.

All … Read more