What kind of notebooks are they using, Dells? After all, the survey pointed to the cost of repairing a failed notebook while under warranty at $1,070, compared to around $1,525 when not under warranty.

It seems as though the costs mount up when one wants to keep a machine for 5 years, and this amount would actually cost more than purchasing a new notebook after the third year. What do you think? That’s just a cheap jibe – I myself am using a Dell, and in the entire three years I have used it, it has not failed on me even once (keeping fingers crossed). A study by J. No idea which brand(s) did they test to come up with such a conclusion. Gold Associates have come to a conclusion that ditching your notebook after an average of 3 years is much more cost-effective compared to extending the notebook’s lifespan by up to 5 years. Another two additional years in the lifecycle might actually require you to cough up another $1,050 on the assumption that your notebook fails at least once a year.

Asus has partnered with Intel to equip a number of its P-series notebooks with anti-theft technology which features an embedded security chip that enables users to remotely send a “poison pill” to the device so that the system can be completely disabled. Once the notebook is recovered, a local passphrase is entered to verify the authenticity of the owner or use a recovery token to restore functionality. Other safety measures include a finger-login option and an AI Secure Delete feature that makes sure all deleted information will not linger around in some remote areas of your hard drive. There is no word on pricing yet for the P-series of notebooks although they’re readily available.

Vmedia claims to offer a 2GB version of the disc in a year’s time thanks to two-layer technology. What is your prognosis of the Vmedia disc? Vmedia doesn’t think so, as they have just released tiny discs measuring 36mm x 36mm that are comparable to other mobile storage solutions where physical size is concerned, and each Vmedia disc can hold 1GB of data, which is enough for a standard definition movie with some room to spare. Do you think it will make it to the big leagues, or will it be a bad decision by Vmedia? Is optical media about to kick the bucket anytime soon?

6″, 16:9 aspect ratio for enjoyable mobile movie viewing, a 1″ thin chassis for an extra touch of class, Intel’s ULV processor, multitouch touchpads, HDMI and S/PDIF out as well as 8 hours of battery life – presumably running on a 6-cell battery.

3″ to 14. The initial specifications list look rather interesting, coming in comfortably large LED-backlit displays that range from 13. What makes the Aspire Timeline range all the more appealing is the presence of built-in WiMAX connectivity, DDR3 RAM and a price range that starts from $699 while maxing out at $899, making it attractively priced. Acer’s Aspire line is not limited to just netbooks but notebooks as well, with their latest Aspire Timeline notebooks being announced recently. 1″ and 15.

As for the 14″ range, you will find the UL80Ag and UL80V models sharing similar configurations as that of the UL50Ag/Vg. 4GHz Core 2 Solo, Intel GMA 4500 graphics and up to 4GB of RAM. 3GHz Core 2 Duo or 1. ASUS has clearly given itself to the Intel CULV processor cause by enlarging the UL series family with new notebooks which measure a relatively thin 1″ while boasting a lightweight aluminum chassis that makes it a whole lot easier on the shoulders to tote around. 6″ models will comprise of the UL50A, UL50Ag and UL50Vg, where they’re powered by a 1.

To lighten their burden with the amount of social networking and downloading they do, these notebooks will also include a full version of Microsoft Office Home & Student and 12-15 months of free anti-virus protection. The new Next Class series of notebooks will comprise of the $750 14″ Dell Studio 1440-022B, the $650 Toshiba Satellite M505-S4940, the $746 14. 1″ HP Pavilion dv4-1465dx and most pricey of them all, the $800 15. All of them will be powered by Intel’s Pentium or Core 2 Duo processor alongside 3GB or 4GB of RAM, with a a 320GB hard drive to round off the features. Best Buy sure knows how to take advantage of the situation by helping college students pick up the best their (parents’) dollars can afford by offering a range of new notebooks that pack enough punch to handle college assigments without breaking the bank. 5″ Sony VAIO VGN-NW125J/T.

6″ X520 and 11. The 14″ X420, 14. These new notebooks won’t be thicker than 1″, and they weigh a maximum of 4 pounds. 6″ X120 will feature a scratch-resistant UV coating alongside a delectable glossy finish, where the first two will have 6-cell batteries while the X120 comes with a 4-cell battery.

Well, best of luck to MSI – delaying the launch won’t do it much good either as you know how fast computers and their innards get obsolete. MSI has already finished testing their Yukon-based models but hasn’t decided on a launch date mainly because not many people are adopting the Yukon models as MSI would like to see. Word has it that MSI from Taiwan will roll out their new range of AMD Yukon-powered ultra-thin notebooks sometime this October, although there could be unforseen circumstances where the October release date will have to be pushed back until further notice.