Laptops

Best Buy just announced their lowest priced laptop computer ever, the $249.99 Acer Extensa EX5230E-2177. Available starting today (November 11), this laptop features an Intel Celeron 900 processor, 2GB memory and a 160GB hard drive. It will be available both in-store and online.

If the $250 Acer laptop isn't your thing, with more than 30 laptops, 6 netbooks, 17 desktops and 4 all-in-ones available from brands such as Acer, Apple, Asus, Dell, Gateway, HP, Sony, Toshiba, and Lenovo, you are sure to find a computer to meet your needs.

Also, throughout the holiday season, six months of anti-virus protection will be free with the purchase of any laptop/desktop/netbook from Best Buy, and one year of Napster will be included free with any Dell computer purchase. Read more

Last March Dell introduced Adamo, the world's thinnest laptop PC at just a .65-inch thick. Now they have added an even thinner laptop to the line, the Adamo XPS. Measuring just four-tenths of an inch thin and weighing just over 3 pounds, this is one impressive laptop!

Featuring a 13.4-inch high-definition display, 4GB DDR3 800 memory, Intel Core 2 Duo (1.4Ghz) ultra-low voltage processor, and a 128GB SSD, it performs well too.

More features:

• When opened, the body of the Adamo XPS is raised so the keyboard is angled to enhance cooling.
• Capacitive latching device – one finger swipe opens the latch.
• Built-in location awareness to provide real time local maps to show people where they are.
• Replaceable battery, with optional higher-capacity battery available.
• Full size keyboard with aluminum keycaps; touchpad with gestures.
• Built-in 802.11n wireless.
• High Definition (720p) 13.4-inch WLED display.
• I/O: display port, 2xUSB 2.0, audio, Ethernet (via included dongle).
• Operating system: Windows 7 64-bit edition.

Dell expects the Adamo XPS to be available in time for the holidays. Prices start at $1799. More information is available at www.adamobydell.com.

Acer just announced a notebook PC with an 18.4-inch display, Intel Core i7 processor, Windows 7 Home Premium and theater quality sound and visuals, the new Aspire AS8940G-6865.

Perfect for multimedia enthusiasts, this PC features 4GB DDR3 dual-channel 1066MHz memory, NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M with 1GB dedicated DDR3 VRAM, a 500GB hard drive, 4X Blu-ray Disc/DVD SuperMulti Double-Layer Drive, Multi-in-1 digital media card reader, WiFi, integrated webcam, 5 USB 2.0 ports, 1 HDMI port, 1 eSATA port, and an 8-cell Li-Ion battery.Read more

The release of Windows 7 is on everyone's minds this week. Because of this, Best Buy and HP have teamed up to offer a new "PC Home Makeover" package.

Quite a deal, the package consists of a HP Slimline desktop, an LCD monitor, an HP laptop, HP mini netbook, and a Netgear Wireless-G router. In-home setup by Geek Squad is included as well…all for just $1199.

The HP Slimline s5212y features a dual-core 2.5GHz Intel Pentium E5200 CPU, GMA 3100 graphics, 3GB DDR2 800MHz RAM, 320GB 7200RPM HDD, DVD burner, six-in-one card reader, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. A keyboard and mouse, as well as an 18.5" 1366x768 display with integrated 2W speakers are also included. Read more

Just announced today is the new Acer Aspire 5738DG 3D notebook computer. I know what you're thinking…"What, another new laptop?" This one is different, however. With 3D viewing technology, watching movies and playing games will never be the same.

The Aspire 5738DG features the TriDef 3D solution, which includes a 3D screen, software and glasses for viewing content in 3D. Not only does it handle 3D content, but it also takes 2D content and replicates 3D. You can also switch from standard viewing to 3D with a simple mouse click. Another plus, a special graphics card isn't needed for viewing content in 3D. Read more

Apple on Tuesday announced that they have updated their iMac desktop computer line, MacBooks, as well as introducing the new multi-touch Magic Mouse. They also boosted the speed, doubled the memory and introduced a new server configuration of the Mac mini. Just in time for the holiday season (of course).

The new iMacs have larger screens, 21.5 inches and 27 inches, up from 20 and 24 inches. Featuring a new edge-to-edge glass design and aluminum enclosure, the new iMac line starts at $1,199. Other features include Intel Core 2 Duo processors (quad-core processors are also available), 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 memory and capacity up to 16GB across four SO-DIMM slots. They also include choice of NVIDIA GeForce or ATI Radeon HD graphics, built-in iSight video camera, mic and stereo speakers, built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and a new built-in SD card slot.Read more

Gateway just introduced the new EC Series notebook computer line. Available later this week, the laptops will come in two sizes – 15.6-inch and 11.6-inch ultraportable.

The 15.6-inch EC58 and EC54 start at 5.29 pounds, are an inch thin and feature an ultra-durable aluminum alloy design, Intel Core 2 Duo and Pentium Dual-Core processors, 802.11b/g Draft-N wireless, Dolby Sound Room audio enhancement and two built-in speakers. They run on Windows 7 Home Premium and have a Multi-Gesture Touchpad. The 15.6-inch EC Series also include a 6-cell Li-ion battery for up to eight hours of battery life, an integrated webcam and digital microphone. Read more

First introduced in the Korean market earlier this year, Samsung's LD220G and LD190N Lapfit monitors are now available in the United States. Not your typical monitor, these were designed to use as a secondary display for your netbook or laptop so you can view multiple web sites, documents etc. They also have a low profile, meaning the monitor sits at about the same height as your laptop display, so dragging and dropping files between monitors is seamless. Not to mention it helps with neck strain.

The 22-inch LD220G features 1920x1080 resolution, a dynamic contrast ratio of 20,000:1, 250cd/m2 brightness, 16:9 Aspect Ratio, 5ms response time, and connects via USB. The 19-inch LD190N has the same specs as the larger model, but connects via VGA and has 1360x768 resolution. Both monitors weigh less than 10 pounds and have an adjustable stand that can tilt from 10 to 40 degrees.

They are now available for $249.99 (LD220G) and $149.99 (LD190N).Read more

Toshiba has added two new laptops to its Satellite line, both with touch screens and loaded with Windows 7.

The new Satellite M505 Touch and Satellite U505 Touch models let you tap, drag-and-drop and scroll through files, Web pages and images and include Toshiba's new touch-ready productivity software called LifeSpace.

The Toshiba Satellite M505 Touch laptop features a 14.0-inch HD LED Backlit display, Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator, 4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM, 500GB HDD, DVD SuperMulti drive, Webcam and microphone, and 5-in-1 Memory Card Reader. It will be available on October 22, 2009 for $949.99. Read more

Acer has some big announcements today! They have expanded their Timeline Series with a new, smaller 11.6-inch model. Also, other new models in the Timeline Series now include dual-core processors for better performance and a longer battery life. But the news that really got my attention is their new Aspire AS5738PG. It is the company's first multi-touch screen notebook computer.

The multi-touch Aspire AS5738PG features an LED-backlit 16:9 widescreen HD display, 320GB hard drive, Intel Core 2 Duo processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 Graphics with 512MB Dedicated DDR3 VRAM graphics, Dolby Home Theater Audio Enhancement with built-in speakers and 5.1-channel surround sound. It also includes an integrated multi-in-one media reader, HDMI port, four USB 2.0 ports, integrated 802.11a/g/b/Draft-N wireless technology, Gigabit Ethernet and the Acer Crystal Eye webcam. The notebook comes loaded with Windows 7. It will be available on October 22, 2009 for $799.99. Read more