Dell is now offering their Inspiron E1405 with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile (Merom) processor at their store. According to Dell, their E1405 is currently the cheapest Core 2 Duo notebook in the market that can also be configured with Intel Core Duo Mobile (Yenoh) processor.

The E1405 sports a 14-inch screen and has a memory of up to 2GB, a SATA hard drive with 60-100GB capacity or 120GB PATA hard disc. Users can choose between Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, ATI MOBILITY RADEON X1300 with 128MB of video memory, RADEON X1400 with 256MB or NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300 with 256MB memory.

The E1405 also has the next generation WLAN 802.11n standard that has 5x the speed and twice the range of the 11g that most notebooks currently use. It also has Bluetooth and supports 802.11b and g wireless networks. Aside from the T5500 CPU, you also have the choice of having your E1405 configured with Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 (speed of 2GHz and 4MB cache), or T7400 (speed of 2.16GHz and 4MB cache) processor. The notebook's flexibility in its processor gives you the option of customizing your processor and not just settle for the one the laptop comes with.

Dell's E1405 comes with a T5500 processor, a CD/DVD burner, and a DVD combo drive and sells for $779.

A few days ago, HP revealed the iPAQ rx4000 Mobile Media Companion. While it certainly looked impressive, the public couldn't get much from HP regarding the rx4000's features and capabilities. HP decided to throw a force field around this baby after they took the wraps off, but just recently that force field has been breached.

According to reports, the rx4000 will use a 400MHz processor by Samsung. RAM is said to be at 64MB, and it will have 128MB of ROM. This upcoming handheld will also have a 2.8-inch screen with 240x320px QVGA resolution. The rx4000 will also have both Wi-Fi b/g and Bluetooth 2.0.

Now the biggest thing here is that there have been references to 1GB of ROM. It seems like HP will be releasing at least one version of the rx4000 which will offer this much internal storage. The rx4000 is a multimedia device after all, so 1GB of internal storage is good news.

The iPAQ rx4000 Mobile Media Companion is set to be introduced some time next month. Prices will start at $299. If you're interested in other HP products, check out this earlier QJ article.

Intel officially completes its comeback special leg this Monday. According to insiders, the world's largest semi-conductor company plans to launch finally the notebook version of Core 2 or what was formerly known as Merom. Notebook makers are expected to endorse new systems based on this said chip.

Intel's performance figures dramatically improved because of other Core architecture chips that are slower and more efficient. Older laptops that are now slowly being replaced encounter slow processor and overheating problems. Eventually, Intel envisions to have Merom supersede all Core Duo, the first dual-core notebook chip.

Core Duo 2 chips plug anyway into the same motherboards these prior chips use. More is expected of Intel as it announces more substantial renovation to its notebook products in March 2007.

A laptop for $100? This is a joke, right?

Nope, it's not. That's the target retail price of the Children's Machine 1 (or CM1) from US organization One Laptop per Child (OLPC). Amazing, innit?

Word has it that the computer will have a 400Mhz AMD Geode processor and an SD slot. It features a 7.5-inch, 1200×900-pixel, TFT screen and self-refreshing display with higher resolution (200 DPI) than 95% of the laptops on the market today. The CM1 can selectively suspend operation of its CPU, which makes possible further remarkable power savings. The laptop nominally consumes less than two watts — less than one tenth of what a standard laptop consumes — so little that CM1 can be recharged by human power. Hmm. Kinda like an old-school car, huh? We guess that when the OLPC guys say "Crank it up", they really mean it.

The CM1 will also have an integrated video and still camera, perfect for taking pictures of those smiley-faced kids who will finally be able to own a laptop thanks to the OLPC. And if they're looking to talk to their brethren (um, those who also benefitted from the project. we're not talking cult stuff here, ayt?), the CM1 will also be VoIP-enabled with a mic and speaker jacks.

Life expectancy for the CM1 is about 5 years according to OLPC. Those worrying that the $100 laptops will bring about an environmental disaster when their batteries run out permanently need not worry. According to the OLPC, "The CM1 is fully compliant with the European Union’s RoHS Directive. It contains no hazardous materials. Its NiMH batteries contain no toxic heavy metals."

Now why didn't things like this exist when we were kids?

One Laptop per Child is a non-profit organization set up to oversee the Children's Machine project and the construction of the CM1 "$100 laptop". OLPC aims to have test machines ready in November, to have pre-releases ready in February next year and to begin mass production of the CM1 in April.

Asus has yet again outsmarted themselves with the newly launched MyPal A639 GPS PDA, a handheld device that combines the features and utility of a satellite navigation device with the functions of your good old PDA.

As you can see from the picture, there's a swivel antenna that enables the device to be viewed in portrait or landscape format which means that your device will always be parallel to the sky. The options for connectivity are also quite impressive and extensive, having GPS, WLAN 802.11b and g, Bluetooth, and full sync capability with PCs.

As compared to the earlier released P525 (which has only 128MB of memory), the MyPal A639 comes with 1GB of flash memory, making it one of the few Windows Mobile 5.0 devices with the highest onboard storage capacity. If 1GB is not enough for you to store your maps and other data in, the SD expansion slot makes sure that you never run out of memory. This gadget also has a built-in microphone for the Voice Recorder, which you can use for your more important duties such as recording the tracks for your very own album aptly entitled "Songs in the Shower."

MyPal 639 is powered by an Intel Xscale 416MHz processor and the bundled software includes Windows Media Player Mobile, Pocket Outlook, Internet Explorer Mobile, Word Mobile, and Calendar.

As the market for ultra-portable computers continues to expand and manufacturers scramble to meet demand while also trying to keep consumers interested in their products, originality and uniqueness are sometimes lost and products start to blend into a sea of blandness.

Leave it to Korea to buck current trends and release an ultra-portable that is truly without peer. The HiPAD (or HiPDA I've seen it written both ways on the same site!) is a tablet PC, or at least it looks like one. At the heart of the machine is an AMD Geode LX-800 CPU; a processor that is a compromise between power and efficiency.

With an available Gigabyte for memory (256MB standard) the processor will not have memory bottlenecks to slow it down. The most unique thing about the HiPAD has got to be it's ability to run both Windows XP (tablet edition) and Windows CE. The touch screen allows you to take advantage of the best features included with XP tablet edition while still giving you the option to run "normal" PC software designed for Windows XP.

WiFI, DMB and HSDPA provide connectivity and media services for the device. PCMCIA and CF slots provide effective expansion capabilities to the little portable that hint at some interesting possibilities. With Windows CE underpinning the media player and PDA-like functionality and XP tablet edition taking care of the tasks that involve heavy lifting (or heavy processing), it's almost like having two devices in one.

There is also a camera and navigation software embedded within the device. This hybrid-like device has a 10.4 inch touch screen, is one inch thick and weighs 2.9 pounds. For those who care about looks, the HiPAD isn't at all bad looking either! It has a sleek, smart design that only hints at the amount of productivity it can help you to achieve.

There's no word on cost as of this post. The amount of features packed into this tiny portable make it attractive, but price is always an issue. Hopefully, we'll see a version of the HiPAD in the US. American consumers would go crazy for a device like this if it was marketed well. (hint!)

Here to finally splash some color onto the black and white dominated laptop world is Samsung Q40. Sashaying into the market with utterly feminine wiles - both in function and form - this ultra portable notebook is powered by an Intel 1.2 GHz Core Solo processor with 512 MB of RAM.

Ready to battle it out head on with its macho counterparts, this lady is armed with a 60 GBh hard drive, external DVD re-writer and Wireless connectivity. The 128 MB Intel Integrated graphics support its 12.1" Widescreen SuperClear Display.

Q40 has also been accessorized further with Bluetooth, 2 x USB and 1 x Firewire. And with its Lithium Ion battery, there is most certainly enough time for primping as it lasts for a good three hours.Windows XP Professional and Norton Anti Virus have also been thrown in to ensure that this hot chic is no bimbo.

Surprisingly weighing in at only 1.15kg (2.53 pounds),and is about just an inch thick, this newcomer surely will turn heads! If you're interested in this beauty, you better be ready to dish out $ 2460.

Sporting a top of the line ATI Radeon X1900 Crossfire graphics solution and equipped with a system wide intercooler that "silently cools the Core 2 Duo processor, ATI Crossfire graphics cards and motherboard chipset," the Omen i121 Extreme is no everyday PC.

 To be quite honest with you, I would submit to torture and allow myself to get molested in order to get my hands on one of these! I would sell my soul to the... well you get the picture. This thing is incredible! What's worse? The bloody Radeons come pre-overclocked and paired with a Gigabyte of discreet memory to share between them.


 All of this power is cooled by a silent system wide intercooler and an advance chamber airflow layout that "allows the system to operate at peak efficiency without draining excess power."

It's really just too much for me to take, to think of all the options available when customizing is enough to make me have a coronary!

The Core 2 Duo processor is said to be up to 40 percent more efficient than its predecessor the Core Duo; on top of that you have the Crossfire, the Radeon X1900's and an efficient cooling system backed up by a company with a reputation for delivering what they promise. One day, after I hit the lottery, I'm going to be calling Voodoo!

The Black Diamond concept was one of the most talked about designs (from Jaren Goh) for mobile phones because of its unusual and potential features. And it's darn stunning.

But Sony Ericsson won't be making this fantasy phone into reality as everyone had expected before; a company called VIPN will be making this phone. If this is to be taken seriously (they have pictures of the actual phone, people), the company is set to release the phone sometime next year.

The features of the Black Diamond phone are decent - Quad band with WiFi, an Intel 400Mhz processor running Windows Mobile 5, a 2-inch touch screen, a 128MB internal memory, and a 4-megapixel camera. Some of the materials used for this are Titane with Polycarbonate and (you guessed it!) diamonds.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), there will only be five numbered pieces in Limited Edition to be sold, each one costs a hefty $300,000. Yup, that much. Well, they did say realizing fantasies could be expensive.

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.