The Good: Improved battery life; solid-state hard drive; multiple interface options.

The Bad: Nontactile keyboard; some navigation keys are hard to use; expensive.

The Bottom Line: The pocket-size Sony VAIO UX390 makes solid improvements over the first generation of UMPCs, but its target audience is unclear.

The Good: Beautiful design; bright, crisp display; complete set of AV controls, ports, and connections, including an HD DVD drive; long battery life; touch pad on/off button; excellent software.

The Bad: Display resolution could be higher; media controls provide audible feedback when pressed.

The Bottom Line: The HD-friendly, feature-laden HP Pavilion dv9000z offers a high-end entertainment experience without the high-end price tag of competitive models.

Asus will be launching five low-cost laptops, priced between $199 and $550, and sporting a 7″ screen.

No word on what resolutions the screens will support yet, as all that is known is that AU Optronics will be the flat panel supplier. Forgoing a traditional hard drive, Intel will license their Solid State Disk technology with capacities up to 40GB.

The CF-Y5 sits at the executive end of its Toughbook range, which if you’re actually a stubble-sporting, rugged type, is realistically nearer the bottom of any table of toughness. So you won’t be able to drop it down a crevice in the Antarctic and still expect to send an email.

But if you fancy yourself as one among the more extreme of the executive elite, you’ll be able to safely throw it on the back seat of your Ford Mondeo with careless abandon and still successfully send an email.

(read more)

Asus releases the “greenest” laptop ever created: the EcoBook- a true tree hugger’s dream.

The outside of the laptop is covered in bamboo, the palm rest is wood, and the guts are all plastic. There is no paint or coating or chemicals. (read more)

Ben Heckendorn over at Engadget has just posted pics and details about his second generation Xbox 360 laptop. Apparently this one is thinner and lighter and sports some essential upgrades. If you’re interested in (seriously) voiding your warranty then stay tuned to Engadget because he’s also working on an in-depth tutorial on how to build your own. Scary.

Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a unit of Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., has announced the new Satellite A205 notebook series with select models featuring Intel’s new Wireless Wi-Fi Link 4965AGN supporting draft 802.11n wireless connectivity, built-in Webcam and Labelflash technology.

Based on the new wireless LAN technology, the 802.11n specification delivers greater bandwidth and transfer speeds up to five times faster than the previous 802.11g standard, as well as being advantageous in a variety of network configurations at home and locations such as coffee shops, airports and hotels.

The Satellite A205 series also features a built-in Webcam in the notebook’s LCD bezel for participating in live video chats, as well as capturing quick and fun snapshots. (read more)

AMD’s restructuring is being accompanied by dramatic drops in the prices of its microprocessors, according to new official information released Monday.

In an update to its microprocessor pricing page, AMD announced high-end price cuts on the AMD Athlon 64 FX and Athlon 64 X2 microprocessors. The fastest Athlon 64 X2 processor, the 3.0-GHz 6000+, is now priced at $241, slightly more expensive than Intel’s midrange E6400, a 2.13-GHz chip that sells for $224. (read more)

AMD’s restructuring is being accompanied by dramatic drops in the prices of its microprocessors, according to new official information released Monday.

In an update to its microprocessor pricing page, AMD announced high-end price cuts on the AMD Athlon 64 FX and Athlon 64 X2 microprocessors. The fastest Athlon 64 X2 processor, the 3.0-GHz 6000+, is now priced at $241, slightly more expensive than Intel’s midrange E6400, a 2.13-GHz chip that sells for $224. (read more)

When you think of budget laptops in the sub $800 range, you generally think of a laptop where compromises are made. However, Toshiba has a new laptop in the sub $800 range that might surprise you.

The Toshiba Satellite A135-S4527 sports a 15.4-inch widescreen with a 120GB removable SATA hard drive and 1GB of RAM. The best part of all is that it will be powered by a dual-core Intel Pentium processor and run Windows Vista Home Premium. Don’t fret though, if you need to get some extra horsepower, or just need a little more storage, the A135 will be fully customizable direct from Toshiba. (read more)