This week in laptops
Crave presents the week's laptop news, in digest form.
This week saw product announcements and rumors from several major players in the laptop market. Fujitsu hit a cheap-laptop threepeat with the launch of the $899 LifeBook S7211. Dell offered up the 14.1-inch Precision M2300 mobile workstation. Sony announced its latest Graphic Splash Limited Edition laptops, with four lid designs inspired by nature. The new systems are part of an overall strategy of personalization that seems to be working, as Sony reported this week that its higher-end laptops are top sellers. We couldn't help but notice that the Sony's Leopard-print design is called "Spotted Life"--perhaps to avoid any confusion with Apple's latest operating system.
Apple was also in the news this week as rumors of a Mac tablet heated up following a leak from a source within Asus. Ordinarily we'd think it bogus, but we do remember that Asus was the first to spill the beans on Apple's "13.3-inch Intel iBook" a month before MacBooks were officially unveiled in 2006. Meanwhile, CNET blogger Don Reisinger wondered whether a Mac will turn the tablet industry around.
In reviews this week, we felt lukewarm about the
Other news worth reading: OLPC laptops went into mass production this week, and both T-Mobile and Electronic Arts are pitching in freebies for OLPC owners; the rumor mill suggested that the headline-grabbing Asus Eee PC may inspire a similar line of low-cost desktops; Toshiba added HD DVD to its midsize laptops in Asia; and PC World offered a few tips if you're looking to replace your desktop with a laptop.
And finally, don't forget the CNET Holiday Gift Guide as you're making your holiday shopping lists; our laptop picks for this season are here.