Okay, time to give you guys a sneak peak at some tech that you wish would hit North American shores. This one even has that much hyped "Santa Rosa" Core 2 Duo T7300 (2GHz) CPU. It even can handle Direct X 10.

The Qosmio F40W is a 15.4 inch laptop that has a 1,280 x 800 resolution, Intel's Core 2 Duo T7300 (2GHz) CPU, up to 4GB of RAM, 120GB of hard drive space, a dual-layer Label Flash-enabled DVD writer, built-in terrestrial digital TV tuner, and NVIDIA's new 128MB GeForce 8400M GS for DirectX 10.

It has four USB 2.0 ports, a 4-pin FireWire connector, ExpressCard slot, a multicard reader that handles SD, SDHC, MMC, xD, and MSPro, 802.11a/b/g, Ethernet, VGA / S-Video / HDMI outputs, S/PDIF audio output, and a Li-ion cell that Toshiba claims should last around 1.3-hours.

Given all those numbers this unit is obviously a media centric mobile computing/entertainment machine. Of course, that 1.3 hour cell may be a hindrance for those truly on the go, but hey, at least the laptop is graphically sweet.

As mentioned, there's still no word of an American release. Those in Japan should be able to purchase this notebook for around US$ 2,136.

Laptops are made specifically to offer portability to the user. Unfortunately, laptops are still fragile digital devices that are prone to picking up damage unless properly outfitted with, and secured, in a case during transport.

Adding to the conundrum is the ironic fact that portability is almost always hindered in direct proportion to the durability, thickness and protective properties of the case being used.

In other words, the more protective laptop carrying solutions usually come with the unwanted side effect of being heavy and cumbersome; while the light and easy to carry laptop cases are more portable, but offer little protection as a trade off.

The trick is to find a laptop case that is both strong enough to offer protection and also portable. Finding a case that fills both of these necessities is difficult enough; finding one that you can walk around with and not look like a tool is near impossible!

Since I am a student I decided to look for a more aesthetically pleasing solution than the common, rectangular, black, business-looking laptop cases. In the end I found the High Sierra Cove Island Laptop Computer Rucksack, which filled my needs and then some.

Made from 1680-denier ballistic nylon and leather, this rucksack provides durability and strength without sacrificing portability. It can accept over-sized laptops (up to and above 17 inches) in a dedicated compartment that is isolated from the remaining structure of the bag and padded and rubberized to keep out water.

There is a front pocket designed for storing small objects like CDs, cellphones and IPods and two side pockets that work well for storing power, Ethernet and USB cables. On the uppermost flap there is yet another zippered pocket that can be used for storage of miscellaneous extras.

The main storage space inside the bag is right in front of the dedicated laptop area. This part of the bag is not divided into separate sections; which leads to my only complaint about the layout of the bag. In my case, I end up wasting about a cubic foot of valuable space because the main part of the bag is not divided into usable sections.

Other than the minor issue with the main compartment being too large for me to use efficiently, this bag is definitely one that I am glad that I purchased. The quality of the material from which it is made, the attention to detail evident in its construction and the overall look and feel of this bag put it near the top of my list.

I feel that the High Sierra Cove Island Laptop Computer Rucksack successfully blurs the line between providing adequate protection for your laptop and maintaining the desired level of portability; it also provides the added bonus of actually being stylish. This is definitely not your Father's computer backpack!

NEC seems to be willing to stick it out to the competition as they have just released their new set Turion 64 X2 laptop goodies, which will be part of their LaVie line of laptops. To go right down to the nitty-gritty of these machines, they are equipped with 15.4-inch 1,280 x 800 displays, ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 integrated graphics, and dual-layer DVD burning across the board.

Of course there's also the usual Firewire, four USB 2.0 ports, a PC card slot, multi-card reader, gigabit Ethernet and 802.11a/b/g WiFi in NEC's latest producrs. They will come in two choices, if you have some dough to spare, you could get the LaVie L line which will cost you ¥210,000 or roughly $1,819 USD. It will have 100GB HDD, 768MB of RAM (2GB max) and WMCE '05, powered by an AirTV external TV tuner.

Too expensive? Then maybe you oughta consider the entry level LaVie G type L option, a build-type order affair that will cost you ¥125,000 or $1,082. These babies will be available in Japan starting August 11, no word on availability and sale date elsewhere.

If you think these features sounds good and the price tag ain't that high, then prepare for the downside of these contraptions. If you're the type who travels with your laptop, you might get a little disappointed with the Lavie laptops because their battery life willl only cover you for roughly 2 hours -- and for an almost 7-pound laptop, that might be quite a turnoff for you. But then again, you will be the best judge of that.

German computer-maker Medion is offering something good for the budget-conscious and cheapskates. The company is prepping the release of their laptop - The MIM 2220 - to British buyers. This thingamajig is a 1.7GHz Intel Pentium M 735A processor, which is far from top of the line or cream of the crop, but better than the Celeron you might expect to see in low-end laptops.

It will come with a 15.4 inch WXGA display, a dual layer DVD burner, 802.11g Wi-Fi, 256MB of DDR 2 SDRAM (which you can upgrade to 1GB), and a 40GB hard drive. Other highlights include a trio of USB ports, Firewire connector, 10/100Mbps Ethernet, TV-out and Windows XP Media Center Edition. That’s a long list of nice but so-so features, but this baby's saving grace is its price tag - the whole thing only costs about $730.

Aside from that when this one hits the shelves come August 1, it will have another feature which will help it stand out from the cheap laptops section. You can upload a picture of your choice to the Medion website and the photo will be printed onto the cover of your machine, so you get a completely unique and personalized machine. That feature costs an extra $80, though. But look on the bright side, if you're tired of using the MIM 2220, you can send it as a postcard or something.