Fujitsu has announced a new notebook that converts into a tablet called the Lifebook T580. The new tablet machine has a 10.1-inch screen and gets a pair of USB ports, SD card reader, SmartCard reader, a webcam, and outputs for VGA and HDMI.
The machine weighs in at 1.4kg and the screen rotates allowing the tablet to be used like a netbook as well. The screen is LED backlit and the machine has an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust screen brightness depending on the environment to save battery power.
Other features include optional embedded 3G/UMTS combined with GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth. The machine is sized like a netbook but gets an Intel Core processor rather than the lower power Atom. Pricing will vary by region says Fujitsu with availability set for November around the world.
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Toshiba has issued a recall on its T series line of notebook computers in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada. The recall is voluntary and covers the Satellite T135, T135D, Satellite Pro T130 machines.
In all the recall covers about 41,000 notebooks that were sold globally. The reason for the recall is that the computers can overheat at the connection to the AC adapter and pose a burn hazard to users. Toshiba states that so far 129 reports of the computers overheating and deforming in the plastic area around the AC adapter including two minor burn injuries that didn’t require medical attention and two reports of minor property damage.
The notebooks were sold globally direct from Toshiba and via other retailers between August 2009 and august 2010 for $600 to $800. To fix the issue Toshiba says consumers need to download a new BIOS that will detect when the machine is overheating and disable the external power and display a message to the user. Machines that get the error message will be repaired free according to Toshiba.
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Samsung’s SF and NF series notebooks and netbooks are those odd breed of gadgets that simply don’t look their best in press shots. We checked out the curvy, wavy laptops after Samsung’s press event; check out our first-impressions after the cut.
The netbooks have a reasonably premium feel, with decent travel to the chiclet keyboard. Unusually, because of the curved side wall, there’s a ridge that borders the two sides of the ‘board; we didn’t exactly find it a great hinderance during typing, but sometimes we did hit against it. The 10.1-inch screen is reasonable though not the brightest or most color-saturated we’ve seen.
As for the SF Series notebooks, they unsurprisingly have a far more expensive feel to them, with the matte black chiclet keys contrasting nicely with the brushed aluminum of the palm rest. The largest model has a separate numeric keypad, and key feel is good. In contrast, the black plastic screen surround looks a little cheap, and the glossy plastic of the lid – although solid and flex-free – doesn’t look as high quality as, say, the numerous all-metal notebooks the SF Series will go up against.
Still, they’re distinctive, and how often can you say that about a new notebook or netbook? Samsung expect them to launch in the next few weeks, priced from $379 for the NF netbooks and from $749 for the Core i3 SF series.
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