All Laptops Feeds

Samsung OLED laptop prototype: latest developments

Gareth Beavis — 1210933200

Samsung SDI has unveiled a concept laptop using an active matrix OLED (AMOLED) with an advanced backplane driver, allowing for better driving of the high-resolution display.

Samsung’s prototype - developed for this year’s upcoming SID 2008 event in the US - has all the fancy gubbins: a touchscreen keyboard so light the screen needs a stand for balance, a technologically advanced monitor capable of super-high resolution and contrast.

But the technology behind the screen is what could make this announcement one of the most pivotal in the ‘OLEDs in laptops roadmap’.

Most OLEDs in use for mobile phones today use a technique called passive matrix driving, which uses a larger amount of power and has a lower refresh rate for movement - fine for smaller screens but tricky for laptops and TVs.

AMOLEDs have individual transistors throughout the display - allowing for more effective power consumption and more impressive graphics, but they cost more and are harder to fabricate without high failure rates.

Samsung’s WXGA (1280x768) also uses a more advanced manufacturing technique to create the TFT backplane for the screen - it may not seem important, but one of the biggest hurdles to OLED development is cost, so to develop a cheaper way of making them is a good thing.

All a silly con?

And after that, it gets a bit more technical, but again, very important in the future road map.

Silicon is used in the TFT backplane used to tell the pixels what to do, but can either:

Poly-silicon (poly-si) mostly used, effective but not really good enough at bigger sizes, especially in making the screens last long enough)

Amorphous silicon (a-si) good enough to provide 20 times the picture quality of poly-si, but unstable and expensive to use.

But Samsung has gone with a-si for the prototype, which might not seem exciting as they’ve done it before with other screens, but rumours are the technology is getting better all the time, especially as intensive development has begun in the OLED TV wars between the bigger companies.

It might be dull now, but could be the springboard for prettier, thinner displays in the future.

First look: Samsung's new R410 laptop

Dan Grabham — 1210921117

We’ve managed to get a glimpse of Samsung’s latest mainstream notebook – the R410. Wandering through a hall of Samsung’s wares at its HQ in South Korea, we were shown the R410 in action.

It’s not as lightweight as you might expect – 2.4KG for a 14.1-inch laptop remains a little on the heavy side – but cheaper notebooks contain heavier components. The lid retains Samsung’s glossy black branding, while the inside is silver.

Speaking of price, it’ll be £499 and you should be able to get your hands on one anytime now.

The specs on the model we saw were 2GB of RAM, an ATI Radeon Xpress 1250 graphics card, a 1.3-megapixel webcam. The 1,280 x 800 pixel display will almost certainly have a gloss coating for the UK. The R410 can also employ any chip from an Intel Celeron T1400 right up to an Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 – exact UK specifications to be confirmed.

While there’s an S-Video out and a 3-in-1 card slot, there’s no HDMI as on many of Samsung’s other notebooks – somewhat surprising, but there have to be some sacrifices to hit that sub-£500 price point. Interestingly though, it boasts Gigabit LAN.

We’ll be looking at one in the coming weeks, so keep ‘em peeled.

Dell tops out UK computer sales

Patrick Goss — 1210865880

Gartner has released its estimated computer sales figures for the quarter, suggesting a 11.2 per cent rise in laptop sales in the UK, but a 15 per cent decline in desktop purchases.

In figures published by the Guardian, Technology analysts Gartner believe that Dell’s deals with Dixons and Tesco brought a 200 per cent increase in consumer mobile PC shipments and put them ahead of rival Hewlett Packard.

Acer, Toshiba and Fujitsu-Siemens were also in the UK’s top five, with the likes of Asus and Sony languishing behind.

Laptops up, but desktops down

Laptop sales across Europe were up 14.1 per cent on the same period last year, with Germany the biggest country of growth on 17.4 per cent

“The UK market was driven by strong mobile PC sales, which accounted for more than 60 per cent of the total PC shipments and nearly 70 per cent of consumer PCs," said Gartner’s report.

“Mobile PCs saw volumes increasing nearly 40 per cent compared with the first quarter of 2007. The desktop market declined in both consumer and professional markets by more than 15 per cent year-on-year.”

Desktop's decline?

However, PC Format editor Adam Ifans believe that people are buying laptops in addition to owning a desktop - with the former becoming a cheap, portable and home friendly extra.

"Everyone's got a desktop," Ifans told TechRadar. "So people are buying laptops who already own a desktop PC.

"Laptops are cheap, light and therefore much more home friendly, and of course you can move them around with you."

Samsung: 'We're not pulling out of laptops'

Dan Grabham — 1210859081

“Samsung has no intention of closing its Notebook division in 2011.” That’s according to a statement the company has sent us following our story yesterday that the company could possibly pull out of the laptop market - if it fails to gain over three times its current share of the worldwide notebook market.

The story arose from a Samsung presentation attended by TechRadar at its HQ in Suwon City, South Korea. Samsung head of overseas sales Sukyong Hong gave the presentation and on his slides said the 2011 target was 11 million laptop sales – equating to 5.7 per cent market share.

The revelation arose from the line "minimum requirement to survive in the market" under the 11 million figure. When asked whether the required 11 million global sales in 2011 was possible for Samsung to achieve, head of overseas sales Sukyong Hong said "we should, that's our target."

Market saturation

“Following a story published yesterday regarding the long term strategy of the Samsung Electronics Notebook PC Division, Samsung would like to clarify its position,” said the statement sent to us a few minutes ago. “Samsung has no intention of closing its Notebook division in 2011. We do however expect the market to become increasingly saturated and therefore for there to be increased price competitiveness.”

“In light of this Samsung Electronics has set an ambitious but realistic goal of achieving 5.7 per cent market share by 2011 to sustain profitability. This level of market share should not be linked to survival within the marketplace but to ensuring sustainability for long term business growth.”

This point had already been clarified in yesterday’s briefing by Dinesh Chand, UK Product Manager for Samsung's Mobile PC division. "The market is going to become more saturated...it's the minimum level we need to sustain profitability," said Chand. "It's not about survival, it's about sustainability. We're talking about markets we've not yet entered."

The statement continued to talk about those markets. “This has been demonstrated in Samsung Electronics’ continued expansion into new markets, most recently entering Italy in August 2007 and Poland in March 2008. Samsung has an aggressive growth strategy for 2008."

Samsung could stop making laptops by 2011

Dan Grabham — 1210770141

Samsung could pull out of the laptop market if it fails to gain over three times its current share of the worldwide notebook market. The revelation came during a Samsung presentation to TechRadar at its HQ in Suwon City.

When asked whether the required 11 million global sales in 2011 was possible for Samsung to achieve, head of overseas sales Sukyong Hong said "we should, that's our target."

And indeed it ought - Hong cited examples of countries such as the Ukraine where there is plenty of potential growth, as well as the US where Samsung is yet to launch its range of laptops.

11 million sales equates to a 5.7 per cent of market share in 2011 based on Gartner figures. Samsung's global market share in laptops currently stands at 1.7 per cent.

We got the feeling Hong had made a bit of a booboo with his slides, which had the line "minimum requirement to survive in the market" under the 11 million figure.

Dinesh Chand, UK Product Manager for Samsung's Mobile PC division clarified the line. "The market is going to become more saturated...it's the minimum level we need to sustain profitability," said Chand. "It's not about survival, it's about sustainability. We're talking about markets we've not yet entered."

Samsung is targeting 3 million laptop sales in Europe this year - equating to 1.4 per cent in Europe.

Editor's choice: 5 laptops with 5 hours of battery life

Alex Bentley — 1210760602

While laptops are often looked at as being solely designed for portability, this can sometimes be far from the truth. With many laptops striving for performance to match larger desktop PCs, battery life can often take a backseat in the pursuit of raw power.

Thankfully, it’s still possible to find a great combination of performance and mobility. By using ultra-low voltage (ULV) processors, energy efficient screens and flash storage devices, it’s possible to reduce power consumption and get the best battery life without scrimping on performance or features.

Here's our pick of five laptops to consider if you want a reliable travel companion that won’t let you down when you most need it.

Apple MacBook 2.4GHz (5 hours)

Despite Apple marketing the MacBook Air as the ultimate travel laptop, it’s the original Apple MacBook that makes the best choice, thanks to its longer battery life and lower price.

Available in white or black, the slim and tough chassis weighs just 2.3kg, and easily slips into your hand luggage. Usability is outstanding, thanks to a great keyboard and Apple’s OS X and iLife software. Windows XP and Vista can even be installed if you need full access to Microsoft software.

The slim battery easily runs for at least five hours when out and about and, unlike the sealed design of the MacBook Air, a spare battery can be carried to double your mobility. For sheer style, performance and battery life, this is the Apple laptop to pick. Read our Apple MacBook review.

Dell Latitude D830 (6 hours)

While Dell’s Latitude D830 weighs a hefty 3kg, it’s a great business laptop for working on the move. Even when multi-tasking with high-performance applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, the battery effortlessly runs for at least six hours.

The keyboard is large and comfortable to use, whether at your desk or on your lap. Although the screen lacks colour and vibrancy, it’s both sharp and bright. Its non-reflective surface also provides optimum visibility when travelling.

A great selling point for home and business buyers is the warranty, which provides three-years of at-home repairs, guaranteed for the next business day. If you don’t mind the weight, this is a great laptop for travel. View the Dell Latitude D830 specs.

Lenovo ThinkPad X300 (5 hours)

Lenovo’s ThinkPad range was previously owned by IBM and are viewed by many as the best business laptops around. The ThinkPad X300 is slim and stylish, but the stark black design may not appeal to the more fashion conscious buyer. Weighing just 1.6kg, you barely notice the weight when travelling.

Despite its petite dimensions, however, it is also impressively sturdy and the compact battery runs for at least five hours during constant use. The large and comfortable keyboard is also one of the best we’ve used on any laptop, and can be lit at night by a tiny LED light built into the screen panel.

To improve security, you can also add a Solid State Drive to reduce the risk of data damage or loss. In short, this is quite possibly the ultimate business ultraportable. View the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 specs.

Sony VAIO VGN-TZ31VN/R (6 hours)

While many of the most portable laptops sacrifice features for mobility, the Sony VAIO VGN-TZ31VN/R successfully combines both. Its tiny 1.2kg chassis is easy to carry on even the longest journey, and is strong enough to take a great deal of punishment.

When working on the move, you can easily get at least six hours of use from the battery. The tiny keyboard can take some getting used to, but the keys are firmly fixed and responsive. The screen is bright and sharp, with excellent colour and contrast.

First-time buyers are also sure to appreciate the comprehensive software package, which includes tools for home office use and entry-level photo editing. Whether for business or home use, there are few better ultraportables. Read our Sony VAIO VGN-TZ31VN/R review.

Toshiba Portégé R500 (5 hours)

With its stylish silver design and ultra-thin chassis, Toshiba’s Portégé R500 has direct comparisons to the Apple MacBook Air. However, it weighs just 1.1kg, which matches the new breed of mini-laptops such as the Asus Eee PC.

The battery is large but unobtrusive and easily keeps you up and running for at least five hours. The screen isn’t as sharp or vibrant as we’d like, but its transflective technology provides great visibility in all conditions and environments. Both Windows XP and Vista are also included in the price, so you can choose your preferred operating system and switch when necessary.

The excellent three-year warranty also covers you for all repair and delivery costs if a fault arises, making this one of the most comprehensively featured ultraportable laptops on the market. Read our Toshiba Portege R500 review.

Got any tips you'd like to share about laptop battery life? Let us know in the comments below.

MSI Wind gets priced

Dan Grabham — 1210333001

Reseller Expansys has released pricing for one of the year’s hotly-awaited notebook launches, the MSI Wind. Now that cheap ultraportables are in vogue thanks to the Asus Eee PC, MSI’s Intel Atom-based marvel is sure to cause a bit of a stir alongside the VIA-based HP Mini-Note 2133.

The latter runs Vista Business, but MSI has stuck to XP and Linux for their 10-inch LED backlit ultraportable. You can preorder the 1.6GHz XP Home model with an 80GB hard drive, 1GB of memory and a webcam plus Wi-Fi for £350. Linux fans can get their version for £320. White, black and pink variants will be sold.

These models are expensive up against the older 4G Eee PC – especially the newer £250 XP variant, but compare more favourably to the EeePC 900, especially when you consider the newer generation processor. The EeePC 900 Win has a 12GB SSD and Windows XP installed, while the EeePC 900 vanilla version has Linux and a 20GB SSD.

Both are £329, so the choice of Windows bizarrely costs you storage space – unlike with the standard 2.5-inch drive-bearing Wind.

If you live in the US, you can get an export version of the Wind for $610 (via Expansys-usa). The Wind will also ship in an 8.9-inch version.

Desirable, portable Dell laptops? Yes, really…

Dan Grabham — 1210263654

Dell laptops are dull. If you’re after something relatively lightweight but feature-packed, you’re not likely to go for one. But some leaked pics and specs have emerged on Engadget – and we can’t wait to see the real deal.

The Inspiron 1535 and 1735 models appear to be debuting late this month and early next, so we’d bet they’ll be sporting the next-gen version of Centrino, codenamed Montevina. The 1435 will be with us later in the year it seems.

The platform will appear alongside Intel’s Atom line at Computex in Taipei at the beginning of June. Engadget says the line will boast Penryn-class Core 2 Duos up to the T5850 2.16GHz model, while 3G data is also available on board.

Dell seems to have followed the crowd with its wedge-shaped design just over 2cm at its thinnest. But that can’t be a bad thing – at least you get an optical disc drive.

Montevina is the fifth version of the Centrino platform and, in addition to a Penryn processor, boasts an Intel Mobile 45 Express chipset with GMA X4500 graphics as well as 802.11a/g/n Wi-Fi and WiMAX. Quite how many Montevina laptops will actually ship with WiMAX will be rather interesting indeed.

Should you buy an Asus Eee PC?

Dan Grabham — 1209052063

The new Asus Eee PC 900 has hit the shelves. But is it worthy of your cash? To help you make your mind up, we’ve got together two of our writers who vehemently disagree about the usefulness of the sub-notebook. So sit back and let the fireworks begin. Should you buy an Asus Eee PC?

"YES," says Dan Grabham, computing editor

You should buy an Asus Eee PC, no question. It’s the type of product that will be remembered in years to come, up there with the iMac and the BBC Micro as computers that perfectly suited their zeitgeist. The Eee is a machine in that category.

But we’re not just talking about the Eee here, we’re talking about a whole new range of notebooks boosted by the impending launch of Intel’s Atom platform. The key upshot of this launch is that these machines will experience even better battery life despite the diminutive size of the cells themselves.

These machines are ideal for use on the move, especially if you commute and know you’re only going to have a seat-back table to use. Atom will also take these little wonders into the realms of multimedia marvels. Yep, so an iPhone might be tidier - but you can’t work on it.

The sub-notebook then, is the ultimate multi-purpose gadget. Like it or not, you still can’t beat a full keyboard and proper screen for function. So many have tried to do better. Intel’s latest ad for its Mobile Internet Devices campaign brands them good for both entertainment and work, but how can something with no proper keyboard be good for work?

What’s more, there will be increased competition in the sector – and that’ll create a price war. The new XP-toting Eee PCs might not be cheap, and the VIA-powered HP Mini-Note and first Intel Atom-based machines such as MSI’s Wind won’t be either. But in a few months we’ll start to see prices tumble, and I’d expect to see £249 and even £199 becoming new battlegrounds for your cash.

So if you were thinking of going out to buy a laptop over the coming months, think carefully about what you need and consider waiting for a few months. Why buy a more expensive laptop with power you’ll never need? Unless you want to game or perform graphically-intensive tasks such as video-editing, the new raft of sub-notebooks will be exactly what you want.

"NO," says James Rivington, reviews editor

Sub-notebooks are small and fiddly. Typing on the Asus Eee PC 900 gives me agonising brain-ache because it’s just so awkward to use. And frankly, if my spindly digits find it hard to plot an accurate course to the return key, I can’t imagine how hard it is for people with fat fingers.

Trying to have IM conversations on the Eee PC is a right pain in the neck, too. And even though you do start to get the hang of it after a while, as soon as I go back to my main PC with full-sized keyboard it’s a blessed relief.

The screen is also too small. I’ve got pretty good eyesight and don’t require glasses. But looking at the screen on the Asus Eee PC 701 makes my optic nerves feel as though they’re being pinched by an army of a thousand tiny eye-crabs. Maybe I’m spoilt by the dual 22-inch monitors I’ve got plugged into my main PC, but that tiny screen has got to be a pain even for the most forgiving notebook users.

And of course, you may say that the Eee PC 900 has a larger screen than the original. But it’s also well over £100 more expensive. Asus has strayed way too far across no-man’s land and is at risk of blundering across the border into proper notebook territory.

You can get fully-featured Windows Vista notebooks for a little more than what the Eee PC 900 costs. Some people might need a second PC that they can fit in a small bag, and to them, the Eee PC is ideal. But for all others, it’s an impractical expense when you look at the market more closely.

The novelty factor is a dangerous thing. The Eee PC is a fashion item. The coolest gadget since the iPod. And while that’s great for Asus, it’s not great for end-users. Because it’s all too easy to get caught up in the hype.

And when the novelty value wears off (it always does), you’re left with an impotent and awkward little PC that can only perform the most basic of functions. Why would I want one of those? Portability isn’t enough of an excuse in my book.

10inch Eee on the cards

Patrick Goss — 1208852272

When is a sub-notebook not a sub-notebook? It’s a question you’d be entitled to ask after Asus talked of plans to put a 10inch screened Eee into production.

The new Asus Eee 900 sports an 8.9inch screen – significantly larger than the 7inch screen that launched the funky little laptop into the public conscience.

Bigger is better

But it appears that another inch and a bit could be on the table with CEO Jerry Shen suggesting that – even in the sub-notebook niche – bigger is better.

"The feedback we've received from users has been great. Many have asked us for bigger screens and better usability. That's what made us start developing the Eee PC 900," Shen told a news conference in Taipei. He went on to suggest that a 10inch Eee was arriving later in the year.

Shen insists that anything less than 12 inches is fair game for a sub-notebook, although the bargain basement price of the original Eee is already creeping up and a larger screen is likely to push that even further.