ASUS Primed to Release Sandy Bridge Laptops

ASUS is good and ready with Sandy Bridge being on desktops but it comes as no great surprise that the company would be trying to integrate Intel's latest technology into their mobile computing platforms as well. According to Notebook Italia, there seems to be some concrete evidence of four separate models of ASUS laptops getting the Sandy Bridge treatment, including a hefty gaming rig known as the G73SW.

According to information out now, the G73SW will be based on the Intel Quad Core processor with Huron River Sandy Bridge. The device will also have Intel Core i7-2630QM, 8GB of DDR3 RAM at 133MHz, a 17.3-inch LCD screen with 1920x1080 pixel resolution Full HD, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and USB 3.0 dual storage bays. Data storage can also be carried out by up to 2 hard drives. ASUS has decided to use two SATA 500GB 7200rpm signed Seagate Momentus XT series hybrid drives with a 4GB SSD.

Adding more to this already great device, ASUS is adding a Blu-ray drive and a dedicated graphics card in the form of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460m 1.5GB GDDR5 graphics card. The G73SW is available online for a price somewhere between $2,500 and $2,700. In addition to the G73SW news has also trickled out about the more compact G53SW.

This device is already available in some online shops and will come with an Intel Core i7-2630QM, 8GB of RAM, 1TB of data storage space on the hard disk, the GeForce GTX 460m graphics card, Blu-ray, webcam, microphone, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth and a 15.6-inch HD screen. Both of these devices run Windows 7 OS Home Premium 64bit and come with a carrying case, gaming mouse and guaranteed two year warranty. Alternately, you can get a lesser version of the G53SW which comes with 6GB of DDR3 RAM, 640GB of hard drive space and a DVD burner for around $1,700. Expect to see more details about these products at CES 2011.

Source: Engadget, Notebook Italia

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Wireless 1080p to Your TV with Asus WiCast

Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi) technology has been very mixed since it landed not too long ago. If you really break it down, there is a lot to sift through and a lot of things to consider. Things like latency, the limitations of 720p, being stuck with Intel HD graphics, purchasing the wireless box for your television and, what could possibly be the most important question, whether this is practical or not.

In regards to all of this, decision making has been split. Vivek seems to really like the system, whereas it seems a whole heck of a lot simpler to just buy an HDMI cable and plug it in. Even if you remove the factor of practicality, there are still a few very frustrating limitations. However, Asus seeks to lay those limitations to rest with the new WiCast setup they have just created.

Asus, acording to a recent press release, has promised almost invisible latency, full 1080p video and even compatibility with anything that has an HDMI port. Probably the biggest thing people will have to overcome when first using WiCast is the initial setup. There are a bunch of little pieces of hardware included in the box like two WiCast boxes, transmitter, receiver, two HDMI cables, two AC adapters and a single USB cable. Thankfully, there are not installation disks and the manual is pretty thin.

Both the transmitter and receiver have an AC adapter, HDMI and mini-USB ports. The receiver's mini-USB port is covered though it can be used to power the device. The receiver's USB is most likely going to be your preferred method of powering the transmitter. This means that the second AC adapter is not necessary but could also be used as an emergency backup or if all the USB ports on your laptop are occupied.

As far as installation goes that is pretty much it. Everything else is pretty self-explanatory and once you hook up your HDMI cables you can pretty much call it a day. This is one of the best things WiCast has over Intel's WiDi, no software to install and no hardware limitations outside of the HDMI port.

Getting the Asus WiCast to work is really quite easy. According to the manual, syncing the transmitter and receiver could take up to a minute but that all depends on how far away the two are from each other. The wireless monitor of your computer should appear as any traditional wired one should and switching audio over from your computer to WiCast is simple.

1080p works great with no latency and the audio sounds as good as anything. Range between the transmitter and receiver is said to be 33 feet though keeping it more than five to seven feet away isn't recommended if you are looking for the best quality. One cool feature is that the WICast is device agnostic which means you can use it with an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or any other type of HDMI-equipped hardware. The only problem is if you are running the WiCast off of your laptop's battery, then your laptop will take a significant hit in battery life.

Overall, the WiCast is a great value for anybody looking for a device like this, and at $200 you won't go broke trying to get one.

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MSI Introduces Two New Gaming Laptops

MSI has announced that it is adding two new models to its line of GX gaming laptops. The MSI GX740 and GX640 feature Intel Core i5 and support the latest DirectX11 gaming standard.

According to the company, these are the slimmest, lightest gaming laptops available. But as many point out, gaming laptops are usually pretty big and heavy, so that's not saying too much. Anyway, the GX640 weighs roughly six pounds and has a 15.4 inch screen. It measures about 14 x 10 x 1.5 inches. The GX740 is slightly bigger with a 17 inch display and weighs a little over 7 pounds. It measures around 15.5 x 11 x 1.5 inches.

In addition to the Core i5 processors, the laptops each come with an ATi Mobility Radeon 3D discrete graphics card, which, as mentioned, supports DirectX 11. The GX740 comes with the ATI Radeon HD 5870 card, while the GX640 comes with the HD5850 model. Both cards have 1GB of GDDR5 graphics memory. The cards are said to use less power, yet provide excellent visuals.

The laptops have several other exciting features. In addition to running Windows 7 Home Premium, both come with 4GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, a 2Mp webcam, a four-in-one card reader, SRS-certified Premium Sound speakers a digital 7.1 optical surround output feature, and a 640GB hard drive.

For sound performance, the GX740 incorporates five speakers into its design: two hi-fi 3D speakers above the keyboard, a woofer for deep bass in the computer's base, and two more hi-fi 3D speakers in the front. The GX6540 only has two speakers.

The laptops are also "green." They feature an ECO function button that allows you to switch between five different power levels, based on what type of task you are performing.

Both laptops will be available in the United Kingdom March. No word on how much they will cost in the United States.

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Durabook Puts the D in Durability

If you are looking for power in your mobility the the Durabook D15RP is a prime choice. Even though it’s packaging looks like you are receiving sneakers from Nike or KSwiss power, performance and security is included in the Durabook’s rugged design. Durabooks mean durable as in “Tonka Tuff,” but this isn’t just any toy. The D15RP comes designed with a magnesium case for top and bottom protection from drops, pings and dents and offers protection to the vital system components inside because the anti-shock mounting design that protects the LCD and Hard Drive from damage and data loss. What more could you ask for? How about spill resistance? That’s right! When I say the Durabook is “Tonka Tuff,” I’m not playing.

The Durabook D15RP features include: a 15.4” wide screen WXGA LCD with graphic resolution up to 1280X800on-screen graphics driven by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator GMA X3100 which supports up to 384MB of shared memory. The D15RP is also powered by the latest Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology maximum performance and power management.

If you are looking for something that is durable and powerful then the Durabook D15RP is your laptop. It is perfect for the on the go rough and tumble traveler who wants a laptop that can keep up.