Who says that customizing your laptop case hurts its resale value? According to this PC Magazine piece:

'Tis the season for giving, and Sony's doing its part. The company is auctioning off celebrity-styled VAIOs on eBay. Jessica Alba, Elijah Wood, Wilmer Valderrama, Mark Ruffalo and couple du jour, Nicole Richie and DJ AM, each designed their own cool and unique version of the already colorful Sony VAIO FJ series laptops. Some celebs, like Alba, went all out; others, like Ruffalo, went with a theme. Each is a one-of-a-kind.

This is the sort of thing that would be really silly if the proceeds didn't go to charity. Thing is, Alba's laptop (left) really does look pretty cool. Check out the full slideshow here.

For computer games like Doom 3 ($19.82), The Sims II: Nightlife ($29.82), and NBA Live 06 ($39.82), it's nice to have a PC made specifically for gaming with great graphics and performance.

PC Magazine has rounded up three gaming PCs with top-of-the-line components. Shown here is the Voodoo Omen a-121 ($6,023-$6,911)--a Media Center Edition PC with one terabyte of drive space, a USB tuner for TV recording, and 3.0GHz of power.

The other two gaming PCs? You'll have to read the reviews to find out.

The Panasonic ToughBook W4 Laptop is one tough cookie alright. It's perfect if you're a frequent business traveler and need a system that is both durable and light. The W4 weighs just 2.8 lbs and its exterior is made of magnesium alloy to give it that "tough" look. Where's the red cape though?

It features a 40GB hard drive, a wireless card that supports both 802.11a and 802.11g, and a battery life of about five hours. Not too shabby for something so light!

The W4 is available for purchase now, and here's a collection of retailers offering it within the $2,051-$2599 price range.

If you're curious on how the W4 lives up to other laptops like it, such as the Sony VAIO VGN-TX670P and the Lenovo/IBM Thinkpad X41, read PC Magazine's review.

PC companies have been touting large laptops as "desktop replacements" for several years now, but these systems have almost always offered substantial compromises in the name of mobility. The gap is finally closing. The Intel Pentium M and AMD Turion processors aren't quite as speedy as their desktop brethren, but the CPU performance gap is narrower than ever. Laptop hard drives are hitting 100GB and even 120GB, with 7200RPM rotational speeds for high-end drives.

Read the full review on ExtremeTech.com

Searching for Wi-Fi connections can be as difficult as finding Waldo. PC Magazine tested Wi-Fi finders from Linksys, Trendnet, and Zyxel. All three are ultracompact and are USB 2.0 based with built-in rechargable batteries.

Here are some features of each from their product Web sites.

Linksys WUSBF54G, Wireless-G USB Network Adapter with Wi-Fi Finder ($78.87 Buy.com):

    *Detects Wireless-G and Wireless-B signals

    *Easy to read display shows network name, channel, signal strength, and security on/off
    *Wireless connection protected by up to 128-bit WEP or WPA encryption

TEW-429UB 54Mbps 802.11g Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter with HotSpot Detector ($49.99 Shop.com):

    *Detects IEEE 802.11b, and 802.11g HotSpots
    *LCD displays SSID, Channel, Security Enable/Disable and Signal
    *Supports Custom Search by Signal Strength, SSID or Encryption
    *Compatible with Windows 98SE/ME2000/XP (SP1/SP2)/2003 Server
    *Range of 35~100 meters indoor, 100~300 meters outdoor

ZyAIR AG-225H Wi-Fi Finder & USB Adapter ($79.99 Amazon.com)

    *64/128-bit WEP Encryption, WPA and WPA2 Security
    *Weight: 35g
    *Microsoft Windows XP/2000 compatible
    *Detects IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g
    *High contrast LCD screen shows SSID, encryption requirements, signal strength, band used, and channels used.

Read about each Wi-Fi finders' performance here from PC Magazine.

Sony's promise to stop loading rootkit software on our desktops is welcome enough, if a bit late. Still, the battles are not nearly over. As J. Alex Halderman points out on his blog, the company has another DRM tool that it plans to continue distributing. According to Halderman:

Like XCP, recent versions of MediaMax engage in spyware-style behavior. They install software without meaningful consent or notification, they include either no means of uninstalling the software or an uninstaller that claims to remove the entire program but doesn’t, and they transmit information about user activities to SunnComm despite statements to the contrary in the end user license agreement and on SunnComm’s web site.

For more of details check out Freedom To Tinker.

The revelations concerning Sony's loading rootkit spyware onto its music customers' machines has sparked a call for a boycott of Sony products. I am all for that and would love to participate, except I stopped buying Sony gear a long time ago. As have many of you. I haven't bought any music lately. but if I do I'll make sure it isn't Sony BMG.

Sony used to be a manufacturer of great consumer electronics products. In recent years, Sony has become an also-ran. Sometimes this happened because the company has forgotten customers in attempts to protect the intellectual property of its entertainment businesses. More often, Sony has simply not created products that customers want to buy. The Sony magic is gone and won't be returning.

So, as much as I'd like to boycott a company that loaded malicious code onto its customers machines, I am simply unable to purchase any fewer Sony products than I am already not purchasing.

I am, however, thrilled to see a company that has a well-deserved bad reputation having its behavior finally come home to roost. Sony has mishandled this episode in about every way possible and even though they've promised to "temporarily" stop shipping rootkits on music CDs, many such discs remain in stores and the company has done little to help customers whose hard drives it has already infected. Meanwhile, criminal exploits have been developed to take advantage of the backdoor Sony has opened onto its customers' systems.

Sony needs to make a preemptive offer to settle the legal problems that are developing, make arrangements to fix the systems it has infected, and display some senior executives' heads on platters. Figuratively, of course. [:D]

Sony also needs to look deep into its corporate soul to discover and remove the roots of its anti-consumer behavior. Another screw-up like this and there will be even fewer customers around to stage the next Sony boycott. In the meantime, if you want to hurt Sony, give someone an Xbox 360 for Christmas.

There are two types of people in the world. Those that think that multiple displays are a useless waste of desk space and those of us that know better. I use a ThinkPad T41 (Check Prices) as my primary system with a 17-inch Viewsonic LCD right along side. I use both displays. This lets me keep iTunes and Outlook running on one display and use the other as my primary workspace. I love having dual displays, but three would be better.

That is where the Matrox DualHead2Go ($169 list) comes in. This external box, announced just yesterday, will add multiple monitor support to laptops and PC that don't have multiple VGA or DVI outputs. One laptop can drive up to three displays. PC Mag is going to do a full review soon. Until then, you can get more details here and check out some picture of the device here.

Las Vegas, Nevada -- In a nutshell, the Ford Mobile Office is an in-truck mobile computer in a Ford F-250 truck. The target market is contractors who need to be on location at construction sites, but also check email and be "in touch" electronically.

The PC is made by Stargate Mobile, and sports a Transmeta Crusoe 1GHz Processor which makes me think it could it be slow. Stargate and Microsoft told us that the next edition will have an AMD processor. It also has 4GB of flash memory, PCMCIA slot (that you can use for CDMA of EVDO card), and it's hooked into the power supply of the vehicle.

The Stargate rep wanted to show us just how tough the PC really is. So we made him drop it three to four times, pretending our camera didn't work (see our Ford Mobile Office slideshow on TechnoRide for a photo of this). This is the final drop. And hey, it still worked. Outside of the dock, the PC will run for at least three hours, according to Stargate.

So, now if you have a PC, you also need a printer, right?  Microsoft and Stargate propose to put a USB hub in the center console so that you can hook up a printer (also in the slideshow). Close the console cover, and you could never tell a printer was underneath.

The Mobile Office will be offered as an upgrade to the 2006 F-250 truck for $3000.

Dell released the latest addition to its premium XPS line today. The XPS M140 ($1,747 direct) is designed for super simple media handling. It ships standard with a 2.13 GHz Pentium M, 1GB of RAM, and Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. The system performs well, but as a portable media center it comes up a little short. There is no TV tuner card included so you can't use it as a PVR out of the box, but you can buy one separately. And without discrete graphics, serious gamers are going to find it a little underpowered.

Still, as a high-end laptop the XPS M140 is surprisingly good value for a premium product. Just make sure you use the E-Value code (1111-M140PC) to get the bargain price. For more details, check out PC Mag's full review.

What's the best CPU for your needs—within your budget? It's not about raw performance, but rather price/performance ratios. ExtremeTech tested 23 mainstream desktop CPUs from AMD and Intel to find out which gets you the best bang for the buck.

It's been some time since I've paid close attention to my CPU choice, but Loyd Case has created a useful scorecard that relates to all classes of users, not just gamers. It is an extremely comprehensive--and sometimes surprising--report.

Trying to juggle my bags when I'm traveling is the last thing I want to be doing (and worrying) about. After cramming in my clothes, important documents, toiletries, and some Quaker Chewy granola bars for the ride, there never seems to be enough room for a laptop.

Here's a list of several ultraportable laptops and tablet pcs that take a load off my travels (not to mention my commute).

Although my Sony VAIO laptop didn't make the cut (sigh), it's still a helpful roundup of lightweight notebooks, like the Lenovo/IBM ThinkPad X41 Tablet shown here.

A few weeks back, I casually mentioned to Patrick Norton (defined on wikipedia, interestingly enough), the host of Digital Life TV, that I thought the OQO Model 01+ (also here on Engadget) looked slick.  He laughed.  And, then challenged me to use the Model 01+ exclusively, ditching my laptop, for the period of one week.  Never being one to turn down a challenge, I accepted, packed up my ThinkPad x40, and docked the O1+ with my 19 inch monitor and full-size keyboard. 

The first day, I soared through my email, edited a story, and surfed the web (do we ever do real work here at GearLog?).  On the second day, which turned out to be a Saturday, I again surfed the web casually and wrote/read some mail.  "Ha ha," I thought, "that blasted Norton was wrong.  I can use it for a week.  No problem."  On Sunday, all went well again -- though, I was just surfing a few online newspapers.

Come Monday morning, I called Patrick and, having been laughed at the week before, I laughed back.  And then...  Monday struck.  I was swamped in email, had to write an article on a tight deadline, and needed to Photoshop a few digital photos for a product review.  No matter how hard it tried, the Model 01+'s little Transmeta Crusoe processor just couldn't keep up.  I cursed it continually as the deadlines crept closer, but deep in my heart I knew the truth.  The Model 01+ is an extremely powerful portable, but when it's docked at my desk, it's truly an underpowered laptop.  (And for close to $2000, shouldn't it be much more?) 

Tune in to Digital Life TV tonight (Tuesday, 10/25/2005), live at 9pm eastern, to see my review of the OQO Model 01+, and probably see Patrick get the last laugh.  If you miss it, it'll be at DL.TV available for progressive download tomorrow morning.  (They bill me as PC Magazine, as I also work there.)

So, umm.... Patrick, did you write that bio in wikipedia yourself?  (Cheap shot?)

     Tech Filter just made me aware of the disappointing news about Netflix. Apparently, Netflix had in the works a download rental service, bypassing traditional mail methods for sending out DVDs. This could have been a great idea, since mail these days is so old school with modern technology around, and other services, like MovieLink, have yet to really make downloadable movies work.

     Hollywood studios have thus terminated Nexflix's project due to licensing agreements. Having this service would have made sense, considering they are called Netflix. There's still hope yet though. We'll keep you informed.

Sure, now that I already have a Sony VAIO laptop, they come in these cool, bright colors: Raspberry Red, Jade Green, Pearl White, Sky Blue, and Onyx Black--all available with Sony's newest line: the F series ($1,599 direct).

It doesn't just stop at colors either. These machines weigh 5.1 pounds and come with a 14.1-inch XBrite widescreen which is great for photo editing and watching movies on the go.

You'll also find a built-in webcam (another feature I wish I had on mine), an extra-large hard drive, and a dual-layer DVD burner.

For more information, read the review and check out the slideshow of the F series.

I'm glad that Lenovo hasn't forgotten about multimedia lovers like me. The company's new Z-series ThinkPad laptop, the Z60t ($2,300), comes in a fresh look with its sturdier keyboard, a 14-inch or 15-inch widescreen display, a scratch-resistant titanium cover (for just $25 extra) and a lightweight design.

The built-in EV-DO broadband wireless is a nice feature too, especially since EV-DO has expanded to more than 50 cities nationwide.

Find out how it tested before you buy it.

Gearlog Radio

The Chairman of MIT's famous Media Lab, Nicholas Negroponte, wants to balance out the digital playing field of the world by providing children in developing countries with an affordable computer, and a mobile one at that.  This $100 laptop, which is only in the design phase currently, will boast a 500 MHz processor, 1 GB of memory, a $35 dual-mode LCD display, and can be powered by a wind-up lever (note the crank on the right side of the laptop in the photo).  Preliminary schedules have the laptop shipping at the end of 2006, at the earliest.

It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "cranking for midterms."

Sure Dell's new high-end systems, like the XPS M170, come with the latest components and stylish brushed metal exteriors, but if you read all the way to the bottom of The New York Times' coverage you see the real meaning of a "premium" system:

"Buyers of the XPS laptops will be connected with a customer service representative within five minutes of calling, about half the time that regular Dell customers wait."

Now that could be worth paying for.

Dell may have made its name with value pricing, but now the company is changing tacks and offering a line of premium PCs. The gambit is an attempt to pad margins that were always slim, by luring users into paying more for the newly-christened XPS brand.  One Dell manager said the XPS brand will be to Dell just like Lexus is to Toyota. Apple charges extra for its products, but there is a lot of proprietary technology there. The closest comparison we see is Sony, whose VAIO line of notebooks command higher prices, largely because of the Sony brand and some attractive styling. Then again, Sony is one of the most valued brands on earth, and XPS still sounds a little like a shirt-size.

Of course, if you want to make decisions on more than just brand name, check out PC Magazine's hands-on reviews of the new XPS M170 notebook and XPS 400 desktop. Both the systems got great scores, and PC Magazine editors aren't impressed by simple flashiness.

San Francisco-based OQO is out today with an update to its Model 01 "pocketable computer." The Model 01+ ($1,899 direct) has a larger hard drive and more memory than the Model 01 but is otherwise similar. Both boxes--if you can call a computer that measures less than 5" x 3.5" x 1" a "box"--are the same size with the earlier model selling for $400 less. Both include a 1GHz. processor, a small built-in keyboard, and other cool design features.

Though small, this is a fairly tricked-out computer, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, Firewire, and docking ports. The 5-inch wide screen has a fixed 800 x 480 resolution. OQO says this is the only computer a user needs, but I see it more as a transportable than a handheld or a notebook.

The built-in keyboard is very small, though usable in a pinch or by people with small fingers. My guess is it would be hard to write a long Word document because of font size vs. screen size and keyboard size issues. Get enough text on the screen and it becomes hard to read; make the text large enough and you don't get enough on the screen.

Fortunately, both a docking cable and dock are available. These allow the Lilliputian computer to be attached to normal size keyboards, mice, and screens. A user could have one of these at home and at the office and then carry the computer back-and-forth. Or carry the computer and the docking cable and connect wherever you wander. If you can live with the tiny screen, you could use a full-sized Wi-Fi keyboard and mouse.

You do pay a heavy premium for what amounts to a slow machine in a tiny package. I am not sure who needs one of these, but as a lust object the OQO nearly pins the meter.

Today, I'm posting the first two Gearlog Radio programs. You'll note, from the dates on the programs, that this has taken longer than I'd have liked, mostly because I've never had to post audio before and this whole RSS thing still has me asking questions.

Plan is to produce, roughly weekly but not always on the same day, a 15-minute discussion with an industry leader on topics related to the hardware I write about. The programs will be available by RSS subscription, but will also be promoted on the Gearlog home page and available for listening just by clicking on a link.

Use this link (and your RSS reader) to subscribe to the weekly programs:

 (Yes, in my perfect world the little button would read "feed")

Or click on these links to hear the programs without subscribing (or messing with your RSS reader):

David Coursey's Gearlog Podcast
September 16, 2005

Discussed:

• Industry analyst Rob Enderle explains what all the fuss over 64-bit and multi-core processors is about. About 15 minutes,

David Coursey's Gearlog Podcast
September 8, 2005

Discussed:

Washington Times technology columnist Mark Kellner and I discuss the iPod nano, whether the Mac or Windows is better for recording televisions, and the sale of PalmSource. About 15 minutes.

Sony's new bundle of joy, the VAIO VGN-TX670P ($2,199), is bound to get a lot of oohs and aahs. Like its predecessor, the VAIO VGN-T350P, this laptop integrates Cingular's EDGE 3G WAN radio. It weighs just 2.7 pounds and carries a unique 11.1-inch XBrite widescreen.

Not only does it come with a built-in DVD drive (a rare find on such a thin and lightweight machine), the TX670P includes an instant audiovisual feature: With the press of the A/V mode button (under the screen), you can play your CD/DVDs and instantly browse photos from your memory cards without booting into the OS. This conserves battery life and offers a quicker way to access all your multimedia files.

Besides all these neat features, how well does it perform? Find out in the full review and benchmark test results.

By Jim Louderback

Athens, Greece – At its Global Press Conference here Saturday, Acer rolled out a brand new tablet PC with an innovative pop-up hinge.  In addition, the company showed off a new 37” LCD TV with integrated digital media adapter that is destined for the US market later this year or early next year.

Unlike many other tablet computers, which use a rotating screen to convert from traditional notebook to tablet, the new TravelMate C200’s LCD screen slides up off of the keyboard to convert from a tablet to a traditional notebook.  The sliding LCD panel allows for a quick conversion, and feels more sturdy than the rotating screen design.

The C200 (left) is built on the new Sonoma platform from Intel, and includes a Pentium M processor, and the new 915PM/GM Express chipset.  It includes biometric security via a built in thumbprint reader, and features a 12.1” LCD screen.  The keyboard includes an integrated pointing stick, but no trackpad.  The C200 should be available in the US by the end of the year.  Pricing was not yet available.

Acer also rolled out a brand new 37” LCD TV with a built in digital media adapter.  The AT3705W-MGW will have a resolution of 1920x1080, which promises true 1080i TV performance.   The company promises a 12 millisecond response, a contrast ratio of 800:1 and a 550 nits brightness level on the TV as well.  The integrated “Media Gateway” lets the TV connect wirelessly to a PC, to stream music, movies and photos from that computer to the TV.  In addition, the Media Gateway lets users surf the internet as well – using the PC as a gateway.

Although Acer does not currently sell televisions in the US, US Marketing Director Richard Black said that will change either by the end of 2005 or 2006.  Acer currently sells LCD TVs in Canada – which is often a testing ground for products headed to the US.

TVs aren’t the only new product lines from Acer destined for the US market.  “We’re seriously considering what we want to do next year” in PCs, said Acer’s Worldwide President Gianfranco Lanci.   What comes after desktops?   “When we see a strong foundation (in PCs and Notebooks), then servers”, he promised.  On the PDA side, Lanci left the door open, saying “we might consider them in the US”, as well.

The upcoming US LCD TV launch is just the beginning of a major push towards delivering convergence devices to the US too.    Acer currently offers stand alone digital media adapters and media center PCs.  Those could be available in the US soon as well.

Acer sees the US overall as a major source of growth for the next few years.  “In two to three years we will be one of the top three notebook vendors”, Giancarlo promised, “by the end of this year we’ll be between five and six (in the US).”  The company expects to do about a billion dollars of revenue in the US in 2005, three times what it did in 2004.  Next year Acer expects the US to provide 20% of worldwide, up from around 11% this year. 

Earlier this week, I described the wonders of the HP Pavilion dv4000 (left), PC Magazine's top-rated mid-range notebook. Today, HP announced it will update both the Pavilion dv4000 and Compaq Presario V4000 series notebooks to include ATI Mobility Radeon X700 mobile discrete graphics. The updated models are supposed to appear later this month.

The new graphics option--note that HP says this is optional--:"complements additional features designed to deliver an exceptional digital entertainment experience" the HP news release gushed. Here's what's included:

• HP QuickPlay lets consumers watch DVDs or listen to music in seconds without starting Microsoft Windows.
• HP’s 15.4-inch widescreen display with optional BrightView technology provides an 18 percent larger picture when viewing the same DVD movie as a standard 15.0-inch screen – plus it enables high-definition content playback.
• HP’s LightScribe technology – available with HP’s optional DVD±R/RW drive with Double Layer support – lets consumers create silkscreen-quality, laser-etched labels on CDs and DVDs.

Again, note the frequent use of the word "option" in describing these goodies.

Availability, pricing, service and support Configure-to-order models of the HP Pavilion dv4000 and Compaq Presario V4000 are expected to be available Sept. 28 from HP via www.hpshoopping.com. The starting price is expected to be $799 and climbs rapidly skyward, though the unit PC Magazine tested retailed for $1,499 "nicely equipped" as they say in the car ads. 

Pre-configured retail models of the notebooks are expected to be available later this month from retail outlets nationwide. Estimated U.S. retail pricing for the HP Pavilion dv4000 starts at $799, while configurations including the ATI X700 graphics solution start at $949. Estimated U.S. retail pricing for the Compaq Presario V4000 starts at $749 with V4000T configurations that include the ATI X700 graphics solution start at $899.

This detailed pricing info, from the HP news release, points out the importance of not just ordering a model number but of also making sure you get the options you want, as well.

If you haven't taken a look at Windows Media Center Edition hardware recently, now is a good time to get caught up. Media Centers are now available in form factors suited for desktop, home entertainment center, and mobile users. The hardware has matured considerably since its introduction three years ago, though still needs some improvement.

PC Magazine has recently reviewed the top machines in each of the three major form factors:

The Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513 ($2,600) is the best multimedia laptop they've seen, especially when it comes to integrating AV features. No other system comes close.

HP's z555 Digital Entertainment Center ($1,999 without monitor) enters the world of HDTV. The HDTV tuner is a nice extra feature, adding to the value of this already-excellent Media Center PC. But, the tuner only works with over-the-air HDTV and the PC is prone to crashing if left on for extended periods.

As a content creation and multimedia PC, the Sony VAIO VGC-RA842 ($1,695) is hard to beat. It will let you enjoy your digital media in all its forms. This machine features wireless keyboard and mouse, a crisp 20-inch display, dual-core processor, but only a single tuner.

I'm posting these today to help holiday shoppers. If you're thinking about buying a "family" PC this holiday season, these are the machines to consider if you want a Media Center. Of the three, I'm most interested in the HP, because I like its dual tuners and HDTV features, even if it's not satellite or digital cable compatible. I'd also like to have a Media Center that would fit with the rest of my home entertainment equipment, though $2,000 seems stiff for a machine still lacking some important features. Add a DirecTV tuner (two, actually) and I'd be happy. Provided an XM tuner were also in the package. And...

I don't know any brand of laptops that has won the loyal following that the IBM/Lenovo ThinkPads enjoy. These are and always have been very nice portable computers. The new Z60 models (from $799, barely equipped) are likely to continue that legacy. According to a very nice review from PC Magazine:

"Lenovo follows Sony's lead, including integrated WAN in both notebooks. While Sony's VAIO VGN-T350P uses Cingular's EDGE wireless network, Lenovo has instead chosen Verizon's EV-DO. EVDO is much faster, offering speeds more like that of broadband. EVDO service is currently available in 54 metro areas across the U.S., typically blanketing major cities and their suburbs. Cingular's EDGE network, on the other hand, offers more extensive nationwide coverage."

Cost of the Verizon service is $79.99 for data-only customers or $59.99 if you have an existing voice plan.

One more treat: Lenovo says it has improved the ThinkPad's already excellent keyboard.

HP's Pavilion dv4000 has displaced the Toshiba Satellite M55-S325 in the midrange notebook category and garnered a fresh Editors' Choice from PC Magazine. This $1,499 machine is a great choice if you like multimedia with your laptop. But, at more than 6 pounds and with less-than-average battery life this is also a machine for people who don't travel very much. Or leave their laptop actually in their laps for a prolonged period.

Outfitted with the fastest Pentium M on the market and a dedicated ATI Mobility Radeon X700 graphics processor, the system offers great gaming performance and even with its large size is easier to haul around that a desktop.

Great features, excellent performance, and an affordable price. It will be interesting to see how Toshiba responds.

Talk show host Dave Graveline put me onto what may be the very first notebook computer that lacks a hard drive--but still has ample storage space. The Atom Chip SG220-2 replaces the hard drive with solid-state storage. It debuted at CES back in January, but still hasn't shipped. The company's web site, one of these curiously Asian affairs that lacks any real contact information and makes the company look fairly bogus (Graveline vouches for these folks) says the unit will sell for as much as $15,000 when it ships!

Our editors at ExtremeTech have just written about the SG220 and place it somewhere between rumor and hoax.

I am showing you this not because I think you'll buy one or even because it's probably real (I have no idea whether this will ever ship), but because over time we should expect solid-state storage to replace hard drives in many applications. It will be a price and specs war, to be sure, but I've heard people from both Intel and Microsoft include solid-state storage (or silicon hard drives) on their lists of technologies to watch. So noted.

Forget what you think you know about Tablet PCs. Although the slate tablets have failed to find their niche, convertible notebooks offer everything a plain old laptop does--plus it offers pen-input and lets you flip the screen around for presentations. Gateway announced its new CX200 convertible tablet ($1,905 direct) today to take advantage of this potential.

Loaded with the fastest Pentium M (770) processor currently available, 1GB of RAM, and the ATI Mobility Radeon X600 graphics chipset, the CX200 is a well-stocked notebook all by itself. Add in the tablet functionality and you have a device that is worth carrying.

To find out how it stacks up against other convertible notebooks, read PC Magazine's full review of the Gateway CX200.

If you're unfamilar with MPC Notebooks, that's because they're better known in the government and education sectors. But with this latest ultraportable, MPC just might become a household name.

The TransPort U1000 ($2,026 direct as tested) raises the bar with notebooks, weighing just 3.4 pounds it has a built-in optical drive, excellent performance, and outstanding extended battery life. When PC Magazine tested the notebook, it surpassed many other models by lasting a whopping 7 hours and 2 minutes. That's a full working day of battery life!

Although it's not as stylish as other ultraportables, this powerhouse machine is still worth a look.

Find out more in PC Magazine's full review.

Sony has announced the launch of its first corporate line of notebooks: the Sony VAIO BX Series. Targeted at mobile professionals, the new line will incorporate built-in TPM (Trusted Platform module) and biometrics to protect valuable passwords and top secret files. To top it off, the company will also offer the option for a built-in 0.3-megapixel camera for video conferencing.

Although the new VAIO notebooks are not as attractive as the consumer-oriented models, tech titans will appreciate their distinctive features.

Get the full scoop on PCMag.com.

The Toshiba Satellite R15-S822 ($1,549 direct) is not your typical tablet PC. Convertible tablets usually have 12-inch screens and small, lightweight frames. Not so with the R15-S822. This convertible has a 14-inch screen and weighs 6.1 pounds. It's meant to be someone's primary notebook first, and a tablet second—and there's nothing wrong with that.

The Satellite R15 looks a lot like the Toshiba Portégé M205-S809 convertible tablet—only bigger. The swivel screen has a 1,024-by-768 resolution and is large enough to handle spreadsheets comfortably. The screen is bright, making for an enjoyable movie-watching experience. The IBM ThinkPad X41 Tablet ($1,899), PC Magazine's Editors' Choice for tablets, is 3.5 pounds and a pleasure to carry. The R15-S822, at 6.1 pounds, is more likely to be on your lap or on your desk than in your arms.

In tablet mode, the writing experience is pretty good, and we appreciated the added screen space when writing longhand. Using OneNote 2003 and surfing the Web with the digitizer pen was also a breeze. Another advantage of having the larger screen and, in turn, a larger frame is better heat distribution. Heat is always a concern with tablets, but we hardly felt any warmth under the base.

Discover more features of the Toshiba Tablet PC in PC Magazine's Review.

What if they built a brand new class of computer, but no one cared?  That’s pretty much what's happening with Tablet PCs built around Microsoft’s special version of Windows. The products keep getting better and better, but the adoption rate is stuck in neutral.   Fujitsu just released a kick-butt tablet PC – this one an ultralight 2.2 pounder.  They loved it over at PCMag.com, but even great products probably won't result in stellar sales.