Round Rock, Texas-based Dell has just officially introduced the new Studio One 19 all-in-one personal computer system that comes with an optional touchscreen feature. The new machine is designed to provide an easy-to-use alternative to home computer systems and incorporates a unique and stylish design that enables it to be installed in almost every part of the user's home, including the living room or the kitchen.
Unlike some of those Atom-based all-in-one systems that were recently launched by companies such as ASUS or MSI, the new Dell Studio boasts a higher performance Core 2 Duo-based configuration.

“The new Studio One 19 is as nice to look at as it is functional,” said Alex Gruzen, senior vice president of Dell’s Consumer Products. “More and more people are making the kitchen the center of their entertainment and computingexperience and the Studio One 19 is the ideal system for that need. The Studio One 19 is about lifestyle and design and is very affordable for the family.”

According to Dell, the new Studio One 19 will provide a choice of an Intel Celeron, Dual-Core Celeron, Pentium Dual Core, Core 2 Duo, and Core 2 Quad Core processors. The system is also packed with a choice of NVIDIA's GeForce 9200 or 9400 integrated graphics solutions. Additional features include support for up to 4GB of memory, a 750GB hard disk drive, slot load optical drive, 7-in-1 media card reader, six USB ports, integrated wireless, web camera and Blu-ray Disc.

One of the main features of Dell's new all-in-one PC is the support it brings for multi-touch technologies, which will offer users fast and easy interaction with the system's features. Additionally, Dell will provide a facial recognition security option, enabled by the system's integrated webcamera.

The Studio One 19 will become available at dell.com for a starting price of $699, on March 23. In some Japanese retail outlets the new all-in-one device is already available.

The latest MSI VR430 incorporates a brand new aesthetic concept to the personal laptop computers. Featuring MSI exclusive ECO Engine, this power management function helps to extend the battery life while performing various tasks.

It sports a brilliant 14.1-inch LCD monitor (1280x800) that offers impressive details and vivid colors. The VR430 has a slim design and weighs at most 2.2kg is much more portable in the market, making it a suitable choice for business professionals on the move.

With built-in 1.3 mega pixel webcam and internal microphone, the VR430 allows you to engage in real-time sharing and live-video, suchas participating in video conferencing in order to enhance your work efficiency. Additionally, VR430 has a 4-in-1 card reader and 3 well distributed USB 2.0 ports, facilitates connection with various types of computer peripherals.

, has unveiled the R4870-MD1G and R4870-MD512 graphics cards. MSI designed these two cards to be perfect for gamers demanding performance, quality, and low-temperature operation by equipping them with an extra large fan, an extra cool cooling system, and extra long lifespan components. The entire card features best class solid capacitors and SSC (solid-state chokes) built-in to the design that helps to smoothly handle high-power levels and punch-out amazing performance. The solid design also helps to extend the cards total lifespan. Featuring all three - HDMI, DVI and D-Sub (VGA) - major display output, these two cards are sure to please those looking for big-screen LCD monitor or LCD TV display.
Extra large 9cm fan
The R4870-MD1G and R4870-MD512 both equip a surprisingly large 9cm fan which provides high heat dissipation with low noise. The majority of graphics cards use an 8cm fan, which, when running at around 3500~3800 rpm, can create 35 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air flow along with a rather loud noise. However, the R4870-MD1G and R4870-MD512's 9cm large fan runs about 1000 rpm less (~2800 rpm) and produces a whopping 56 CFM air flow. This difference is a 60% increase in efficiency, while, at the same time, creating a quieter environment becauseof the slower speed. The two cards also equip a copper base, big heatsink area and dual heatpipes design. Coupled with the enlarged fan, compared to reference design, this total cooling solution can lower the ATI 4870 card's average temperature down by 20°C! Who said the ATI Radeon HD 4870 is a heat monster? MSI is able to offer a cool and quiet model to this famous card using its unique cooling system design.

Extra long lifespan capacitors
High performance graphics cards consume a lot of power. No exception, the ATI Radeon HD 4870 cards use two PCI-Express (PCIe) power connectors for power. A power supply's stability and instability will have a direct impact on the total lifespan, stability and overclocking capabilities of a graphics card. The R4870-MD1G and R4870-MD512 equip the best class solid capacitors; the design ensures a 5000 hour lifespan under 105°C environment. This lifespan doubles for every 10 degrees below 105°C. Using this figure, the average gamer could play eight hours of games every day on the card for over 10 years! The solid capacitor design makes the R4870-MD1G and R4870-MD512 very long-lived graphics cards.

SSC (Solid State Choke)
The power module of R4870-MD1G and R4870-MD512 is equipped with the latest Solid State Choke (SSC) for more stable operation. The vast majority of chokes is made by wrapping coils around a metal stick and use an electro-magnetic flow to ensure a stable flow of electricity. However, these types of chokes have a drawback when high current is run through that can result in unpleasant noise because of unbalanced material density. This 'electrical mummer' can sometimes be even louder than the fan.

MSI has taken the lead by implementing a new SSC with form-in-one, even density across the choke. No separate components were attached, just a solid piece of iron, and SSC doesn't produce any unpleasant noise under high current. Additionally, this SSC choke is made to withstand the highest current, making the R4870-MD1G and R4870-MD512 ideal for overclocking. Solid State Chokes also helps reduce energy waste of manufacture and represents another effort of MSI to help protect the planet.

Native HDMI ports supporting Blu-ray
The R4870-MD1G and R4870-MD512 offer HDMI, DVI and D-Sub (VGA) ports. HDMI not only delivers breathtaking visuals, but also supports true, hi-def sound. Bundled with ATI Radeon HD 4870 that supports UVD 2.0 video decoder engine, these two cards are perfect for Blu-ray movies playback on any type of screen, and support the latest DirectX 10 games.

MSI International pays close attention to the components and cooling technology of its graphics cards. Building on MSI's continued breakthroughs in technological development, the R4870-MD1G and R4870-MD512 represent a new level for MSI's graphics cards' prowess. Even though the ATI Radeon HD 4870 GPU is known for being a hot-running, loud card, MSI was able to re-think its architecture and develop a cool and quiet solution. The R4870-MD1G and R4870-MD512 are sure to appeal gamers seeking powerful performing graphics.

MSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is pleased to announce the newest addition to its Gaming Notebook Series - GT627. The new GT627 is the first in the MSI Gaming Notebook series to feature the NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GS graphics processing unit (GPU). This revolutionary GPU delivers blazing-fast mobile gaming and supports NVIDIA CUDA technology enabling MSI customers to experience the wide range of CUDA-based applications-such as heart-stopping GPU-accelerated game physics and video conversion. The GeForce 9800M GS also saves power and increases computing efficiently by handling video decoding, allowing the CPU to focus on other tasks.
"We are excited to offer the NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GS GPU in the GT627 Gaming Notebooks," said Andy Tung, Vice President of Sales, MSI US. "This GPU will allow us optimize performance and deliver unparalleled graphics for gamers on-the-go."

"Whether viewing or editing photos, finding directions, playing a game,or watching a hi-def movie, the MSI GT627 with the NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GS GPU runs silky smooth, with amazing visuals," said Rene Haas, General Manager of the notebook business unit at NVIDIA. " With the GeForce 9800M GS handling the graphics, video and physics acceleration, MSI customers will be ready for the visual computing movement."

MSI has also equipped the GT627 with a spacious 15.4" WSXGA (1680x1050) LCD, 2W internal speakers, and weight cartridge laser mouse to enhance the mobile gaming experience. The GT627 also features MSI's proprietary Turbo Drive Engine, which can overclock the notebook's Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (Penryn, FSB 1066) by as much as 15% at the touch of a button when in AC mode. When on the go, users can conserve the GT627's battery by taking advantage of the MSI's Eco Engine technology to switch between five power settings to ensure efficient power consumption.

MSI housed the powerful GT627 in its stylish anodized brushed aluminum gaming case. This solid enclosure features stamped aluminum sheeting in both the LCD lid and palm rest for increased protection and durability. However, despite the reinforced casing and a 6-cell battery, the GT627 weighs just over six pounds making it one of the most portable gaming notebooks in its class. Additionally, MSI also included an 802.11 b/g/n wireless modem and a Blu-ray player to make it a true mobile entertainment center.

Sunnyvale, California-based AD has unleashed a new product as part of the company's range of ATI Mobility Radeon graphics solutions. Designed to boost the performance for portable computer systems, the chip maker has unveiled, at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, its latest Mobility Radeon HD 4000-series graphics chips, its next-generation series of notebook graphics processors. According to the company, the new solutions are capable of providing up to twice the performance capabilities of their predecessors, the HD 3000 series of mobile GPUs.

"We’re proud to highlight ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4870 as the first notebook GPU to support specially designed, ultra-high bandwidth GDDR5 graphics memory to unleash the full-throttle gaming experience normally reserved for the high-end desktop gaming rigs," said Rick Bergman, senior vice president and general manager of AMD, Graphics Products Group. "Now, notebooks equipped with one or a pair of these speedy graphics processors can take on just about any PC game and run them smoothly at their maximum option settings."

The new Mobility Radeon HD 4800-series graphics processors are the industry's first solutions that boast the GDDR5 memory technology, enabling twice as much memory bandwidth as the GDDR3 and GDDR4 standards. This significantly increases the performance capabilitiesof all the upcoming gaming laptops designed by leading PC makers. Meant for gaming, these new 55nm notebook GPUs are capable of providing up to 800 stream processors, compared to the 320 stream processors available for the HD 3800 series of graphics chips.In addition, the new Mobility Radeon HD 4000-series GPUs have been designed with energy efficiency in mind, providing a balance between optimal performance and reduced power consumption. According to AMD, its high-performance Mobility Radeon 4870 GPU is capable of providing a 60-percent increase in performance-per-watt, coming with technologies such as the ATI PowerPlay, ATI PowerXpress and ATI Switchable Graphics.

Systems running on the HD 4000-series graphics processors have already been designed by leading system makers, such as ASUS, MSI and others, with availability expected to begin as early as Q1 2009.

In many ways, the Acer Aspire One is like the little sibling of MSI’s Wind. Besides sporting the same Intel Atom N270 processor running at 1.6GHz, 1GB of RAM, and Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics, the two netbooks share a similar look and feel.

The difference is that the Acer has a slightly smaller form factor and an 8.9-inch screen, while the Wind’s screen is 10.1 inches. In our benchmarks, the similarities continued: The Aspire One performed nearly identically to the Wind in almost all of our tests, chugging through the Photoshop script in just 729 seconds, a second faster than the Wind. It also lasted a few minutes longer in the battery drain test—not surprising, given its smaller screen.

The One’s keyboard is the same size as the Wind’s, but thankfully it doesn’t employ the latter’s irritating reversal of the Ctrl and Function keys.

The touchpad feels like it’s covered with the same paint as the rest of the machine, which meant we couldn’t tell just by touch whether our fingers were on it. Acer also decided to put the mouse buttonson either side of the touchpad instead of below it, which makes pointing and clicking awkward.

One big advantage the Aspire One has over the Wind is its 120GB hard drive, which is 50 percent larger than the MSI machine’s drive. Also, the screen is glossy, while the Wind’s is matte. The choice between reflective and matte is largely a personal one, but we prefer the lesser of the two glares.

In a fair fight against the Asus Eee PC 901, the One clearly emerges as the victor. And, though it has flaws that the MSI Wind doesn’t share, the One has a significant advantage over even that model: It’s $150 cheaper, despite its much larger hard drive. In our opinion, that $150 buys it a bit of slack.

Check out our other NetBook reviews.

MSI recently announced their latest U115 Hybrid notebook PC which claims to be the first in the world to operate both SSD (solid-state drive) and HDD (hard disk drive)simultaneously, and combine all the features of SSD and HDD for your enjoyment.

Incorporating MSI proprietary Hybrid Storage Technology, the battery life of U115 Hybrid is extremely long in "ECO on" mode, according to the manufacturer.

The U115 Hybrid is equipped with 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 10-inch LCD display with LED backlight for superior quality images, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, 4-in-1 card reader and preloaded withWindows XP Home operating system.

It was way back in January 2008 that Taiwan's Micro-Star International announced its plans to adopt the EFI BIOS specification in its next generation of motherboards.

Today, those plans have finally materialised with the launch of MSI's first EFI-based BIOS for its P45 Platinum, P45 Diamond and P45D3 Platinum motherboards.

The all-new BIOS, dubbed MSI Click, makes use of the EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) specification - managed by the Unified EFI Forum - to bring an easy-to-use GUI with mouse support to the traditionally tired-looking BIOS. Shown below in early pre-beta form, it promiseseasy one-click access to all the usual BIOS features.
Although currently available on only three motherboard models, we'd expect MSI to roll out an EFI-based BIOS for additional boards in the near future.

The key benefits, as listed by MSI, are as follows:

* Supports graphical menus and features
* Supports mouse-controlled interface
* Supports pre-OS applications, file oriented (ex: System recovery, games, media player, Internet browser, etc.)
* Supports multi-language
* UEFI support for x64 versions of Windows Vista are included in Service Pack 1

Micro Star International has decided that its current range of portable computer systems doesn't fully reflect the company's capability of providing its customers with a wide range of choices in terms of high-quality notebook computers. Consequently, it has now introduced the VR603, a new 15.4-inch portable computer system – just ahead of this year's Christmas holidays.
According to the company, the VR603 has been designed as an alternative to current 15.4-inch notebooks on the market, providing a higher level of portability through a slim and lightweight design, which makes it so that it weighs 2.7 kg at most, battery included. Despite the relatively low profile of the system's exterior design, the Taiwanese manufacturer has still managed to equip it with several features that willallow users to play HD video content, connect to the Internet via a wireless connection, and even benefit from a long battery life.
The VR603 is designed to support Intel's Pentium Dual-Core or Celeron processor, as it builds on an Intel GL 40 and ICH9M chipset combo, which also provides the integrated GMA 4500M graphics solution. In addition, the notebook can be equipped with a maximum of 4GB of DDR2 memory and a high-capacity 320GB hard disk drive. Also, according to the company, the 15.4-inch widescreen display boasts an ACV (Amazing Crystal Vision) technology, which is meant to provide a high quality video experience at a maximum resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels.
Aside from the aforementioned specifications, users will also be able to take advantage of the notebook's built-in 1.3MP webcamera, microphone, speakers and internal card reader. Where connectivity is concerned, the VR603 is equipped with Gigabit LAN ports and an 802.11 b/g/n wireless LAN module, while Bluetooth support is optional.
No word on pricing and availability for the time being, but the company is expected to showcase a number of its portable computer systems at the CES show, in January next year.

MSI has introduced a measure of success with Wind and is all set to launch a whole bunch of Wind netbooks according to this report here. The models which are about to be introduced include Wind U115, U110 and U120H. All three are 10-inch netbooks based on Intel Atom processors and sport MSI’s facial recognition software Easyface.The U115, the flagship model based on Intel's next-generation Poulsbo chipset with Atom Z530 processor, offers 2GB DDR2 RAM, UMA Graphics, an SSD, 802.11a/b/g/n wireless, and Bluetooth. The U120H is however built on the older 1.6GHz Atom processor, has 1GB of system memory, UMA graphics, up to 160GB HDD, 2.0Mp webcam, Bluetooth, HSDPA, and 4in1 card reader. The U110 is similarly spec’d, except it sports a 250 GB HDD.

MSI seems to have beaten everyone else to the market with a new netbook product yet again. The U115 with its dual-core processor ability looks to be a highly intriguing product and we here at Tech2 can’t wait to get our hands on it.

With Fedora 10 finally entering the world earlier this week, we have performed benchmarks comparing the performance of Ubuntu 8.10 and Fedora 10. In our testing we used both the 32-bit and 64-bit builds of each distribution and then ran a series of automated tests through the Phoronix Test Suite.Our test system consisted of an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 clocked at 4.00GHz, an ASUS P5E64 WS Professional motherboard, MSI 9800GT 512MB graphics card, 2GB of OCZ DDR3-1333MHz RAM, and Western Digital WD1600JS-00MHB0 160GB SATA HDD. With each distribution we had manually installed the NVIDIA 180.08 driver and Phoronix Test Suite 1.4.2. Per our standard testing protocol, each distribution was left in its stock configuration (though as part of that, SELinux is disabled on Fedora). The final i686 and x86_64 builds of Ubuntu 8.10 and Fedora 10 were each tested.Ubuntu 8.10 ships with the Linux 2.6.27 kernel, X Server 1.5.2, GCC 4.3.2, and GNOME 2.24. Fedora 10 ships with the Linux 2.6.27.5 kernel, X Server 1.5.3, GCC 4.3.2, and GNOME 2.24. The tests we used to compare the Ubuntu and Fedora performance was Nexuiz, OpenArena, World of Padman, Lightsmark, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Tremulous, timed Gzip compression, LAME MP3 encoding, Ogg encoding, BYTE Unix Benchmark, SciMark 2, GnuPG, and OpenSSL.

Micro Star International has just announced its new Wind product aimed at competing with ASUS' desktop Eee Box, a nettop designed on the same platform as the highly successful Eee PC low-power, low-cost portable PC. Simply and predictably dubbed MSI Windbox, the new Intel Atom-powered computer system from MSI comes to complete the company's range of low cost, low-power and low-profile system lineup. Windbox provides some design modifications over its competitor, the Eee Box, as it is meant to be installed on the ESA mount on the back of a flat-panel monitor.

Intel's highly acclaimed Atom processor has succeeded in taking over a significant part of the PC market, as it has been featured in most of today's netbook systems designed by various PC makers worldwide. The CPU could rule the market if the new nettop systems turned as successful as all the netbook ones available.Although there were few to no rumors of a fresh product designed by MSI to compete with ASUS' Eee BOX, the Taiwanese company has managed to surprise everyone by presenting Windbox, which is slated to become available in the first quarter of 2009, with a price tag of $258.

On the specifications side, the new Windbox from MSI will be capable of providing the computing power of a 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom processor, which combined with 1GB or 2GB of RAM memory and either a 160GB or a 250GB hard drive, should deliver the basic computing experience. Additional details include a Wi-Fi b/g module and a Gigabit Ethernet network connection. Also, users will be able to benefit from the system's three USB 2.0 ports, VGA output and Windows XP Home operating system.

The entire system weighs just 500g and thanks to its VESA mounting, it will fit just nicely behind your VESA-compatible LCD displays.

Fudzilla has managed to get the very first pictures of MSI’s latest Netbook the "U120", which is a successor to their popular MSI Wind U10. The new laptop is expected to be similar to the U10 in its design and specifications. The update will feature either a 120GB hard drive or 20/40GB SSD, which will come at a later date. Furthermore the U120 will be adding in a 3.5G modem that will accept a SIM card.

MSI has enjoyed a lot of success with its original Netbook. Not only did they have the first mover advantage of being the first one to offer Intel’s Atom processor, but the new addition of an HSDPA modem along with other business features should see them find further success.

Just when you thought your portable computer system was cool, fashionable and, at the same time, offering you the level of computing performance you require, MSI goes and launches something like this, the new PX600 Prestige Collection. You will probably ask yourself what is so special about the new portable PC from MSI – so, how about a combination of fine, tender leather with a brushed aluminum texture? And, in addition to that, we should also mention the Centrino 2 platform upon which the new PX600 has been built.
Now, the technical specifications on this thing are definitely cool, but when you get right down to it, you are likely to choose this notebook because of its distinctive design features over its performance capability. That's because MSI has gone to great lengths to produce the new PX600 Prestige Collection notebooks series, so much so that it took no less than 2 months to produce it. According to MSI, the PX600 has been designed with real, handmade craftsmanship, combining the leather texture with the brushed aluminum thread featured on the touch pad area.
All in all, MSI's recently announced portable computer system will certainly allow its potential customers to distinguish themselves from other laptop users. Furthermore, aside from the unique design features, the PX600 has been developed to deliver the performance level achieved by most of today's notebook systems, all thanks to the use of the Centrino 2 platform.Performance-wise, you are looking at a 15.4-inch notebook that will be powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and that has 4GB of DDR2 800MHz memory, a 320GB SATA hard drive, DVD optical drive, 4-in-1 card reader, and an NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS graphics card with 256MB of DDR2 memory. In addition, the system also features 2 integrated speakers, a 2.0MP webcam, Gigabit LAN and wireless 802.11 a/g/n networking with optional Bluetooth 2.0.

No word on pricing just yet, but the system weighs in at 2.7kg, when equipped with a 6-cell battery. There's also an option for a 9-cell battery that will deliver an improved battery life, although it will also raise the system's overall weight.

November's shaping up to be a busy month, and it has nothing to do with Thanksgiving. On the desktop front, Intel's Core i7 platform is rumored to launch on November 17th, and in the mobile sector, MSI looks to launch its Wind U120 with built-in 3.5G before December rolls around, according to DigiTimes.

The new netbook will feature the usual assortment of components - Atom N270 processor clocked at 1.6GHz, 1GB of RAM, 120GB hard drive, and Windows XP - tucked underneath your choice of a white or black shell and will run about $550. MSI has been working with Taiwan-based telco Vibo Telecom to implement 3.5G functionality in the U120 and will look to do the same with local telecom providers in Europe.What you won't find on the new netbook is a touchscreen. Asus is rumored to be readying a touchscreen version of its Eee PC line, but MSI cites high costs as a prohibiting factor for its Wind. Bummer.

Despite the fact that it might not be the best selling netbook on the market, MSI's Wind could literally win a yet-to-be invented award, for the “The netbook with the most number of clones” category. As it turns out, the small-sized Wind is actually available worldwide in 23 differently branded versions, so it might just be that if you are buying a netbook with a brand name that you have never heard of before, you are actually buying a portable system based on the design of the MSI Wind.
There's even a Wikipedia entry dedicated to the MSI Wind, and it mentions 17 OEM versions of the Wind netbook, although a shorter while ago, the article indicated the existence of only 13 rebranded versions of the MSI Wind.
However, website cloudbook UMPC seems to have the most complete list of MSI Wind clones, including the locations where these versions are available. The list was recently updated from 18 models to 23 - which can only make one wonder how many of these rebranded MSI Wind netbooks we are going to count before the end of the year.The netbooks basically feature the same specification list as with the original MSI Wind U100, which is available worldwide, but they are differently branded, according to the country in which they are being sold. In certain cases, some of the rebranded MSI Wind netbooks are actually available in several countries. The list includes the Advent 4211, the Medion Akoya Mini, the Averatec Netbook and the Sylvania MAGNI, all of which have made the headlines on countless past occasions.
As mentioned above, these netbooks boast the same technical specifications as the original MSI Wind, which means that they are powered by an Intel Atom 1.6GHz N270 processor, 1GB of DDR2, a 80GB 2.5-inch SATA hard, integrated webcam, wireless 802.11 b/g and onboard LAN connectivity, and a choice of a 3-cell or a 6-cell battery. These netbooks are equipped with a 10-inch LCD with LED backlighting, and come with Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition OS.

Micro-Star International, a leading manufacturer of portable computer systems, motherboards and graphics cards, has announced today two new notebooks, powered by AMD's Turion processors. Either new portable system has been designed to meet the requirements of a different market segment. While the new GX711 was created with all those gaming enthusiasts out there in mind, the EX630 has been designed as a multimedia notebook.

The company's latest gaming offering, the GX711, is set to benefit from the computing power of AMD's Turion X2 Ultra dual-Core/Sempron mobile processors, and will be ready to provide a maximum of 4GB of DDR2 memory. Built on ATI's RX690 and SB600 chipset, this 17-inch notebook will deliver an impressive graphics quality, using a discrete ATI Radeon Mobility HD 3650 graphics card with 512MB of DDR2 memory. Aside from the discrete Radeon power, the new portable system will also provide its users with a maximum of 320GB of storage space and an optional Blu-Ray DVD.

Other features include support for Bluetooth 2.0, 4+1 subwoofer, 5-in-1 card reader, and a 6-cell battery. There's also an option for a larger 9-cell battery, which could prove to be the ideal choice for such portable gaming rig. The notebook measures 395 × 278 × 26.5-35 mm and weighs 3.2 kg, including battery. It can be offered with either a 6-cell or a 9-cell battery.The other newly released notebook from MSI boasts a 16-inch WXGA 16:9 LCD, and is powered by an AMD Turion X2 Ultra dual-core mobile CPU. Unlike the gaming-ready GX711, the new EX630 is built on NVIDIA's MCP77 MH chipset, and is equipped with a GeForce 9300M GS graphics card with 256MB of DDR2. This notebook can also deliver a maximum of 32GB of storage space and comes with support for an optional Blu-Ray optical drive.

The EX630 is also equipped with a 2.0 MP webcam and supports Bluetooth 2.0. It will be offered with either a 6-cell or a 9-cell battery option as well, and weighs 2.7kg, when equipped with the standard 6-cell battery.

No word on pricing just yet, but word in the industry has it that these notebooks should arrive in stores soon.source : softpedia.com

Those who haven't yet tried out a netbook—the new category of cheap ultraportable laptops that have quickly followed on the heels of the Asus Eee PC's runaway success—may not appreciate the appeal of one, but it doesn't take more than a few minutes using a model like the Acer Aspire One to surmise the reasons behind their popularity. Like others in the genre, the Aspire One is a featherweight (tipping the scales at just 2.2 pounds) that's perfect for throwing into a bag or backpack or typing away in bed. And like the original Eee PC and the new MSI Wind U100, it makes use of Linux to keep startup and shutdown times short, though like those others (and HP's 2133 Mini-Note PC), it will be offered in both Linux and Windows XP flavors. The Aspire One is currently offered in blue or white (our test unit came in white), and Acer says brown and black versions will be available later this year.HP has so far marketed the Mini-Note as an educational product, which means Acer is the first top-tier laptop manufacturer taking aim at this nascent consumer market (Lenovo has just announced its forthcoming entry, the IdeaPad S10, and rumors are swirling about Dell and Sony soon joining the netbook fray.) The Aspire One probably won't disappoint the target audience of students or users looking for an inexpensive, highly totable second system, though we found the Wind unit we tested to be a more compelling buy.

One reason is that the Windows XP-based Wind packs an 80GB hard drive, whereas the Aspire One we received has just 8GB of onboard storage. That storage does come in the form of a solid-state drive, which can boot faster than a hard drive and lacks moving parts that could get damaged if the laptop takes a tumble. But if you want to place a sizeable multimedia library on your netbook, this Aspire One configuration doesn't offer you a lot of room. (The Windows XP version, however, ups the ante on the Wind by coming with a 120GB hard drive.) Both versions of the Aspire One do offer a dedicated SD memory-card slot, as well as an additional multiformat memory-card slot (which also reads SD cards) and three USB ports, which you can use to attach external storage to the system.

The Wind's 10-inch screen is also slightly larger than the Aspire One's 8.9-inch display. Nonetheless, the glossy LED-backlit screen on the Acer has good viewing angles and is more than fine for everyday use, until it gets washed out in bright light; under those circumstances, the display also suffers from a moderate amount of glare. Speaker volume is decent, though audio lacks warmth since there's almost no bass output.

Like the Wind, the Aspire One uses Intel's new Atom low-power mobile processor, but because its Linux OS needs fairly meager system requirements to run, the Acer comes with just 512MB of memory. (The Windows XP configuration comes with 1GB of RAM, and Acer also offers a $449 Linux version with 1GB of memory.) It runs Linux, so we couldn't run any of our normal benchmarks, but we didn't experience any hiccups doing everyday tasks like word processing and Web browsing at the same time. Bootup time was indeed impressive, taking only 20 seconds to get to the main interface screen. It did take another 30 seconds, however, for the device to find and connect to our wireless network.

As you can imagine with a laptop that measures just 1.1x9.8x6.7 inches (HWD), the Aspire One's keyboard isn't full-size, but it is large enough to make touch-typing possible, though we suffered the occasional spelling mishap with the slightly cramped keys. More problematic was the touch pad, which gave us problems, even after turning down its sensitivity.

Acer has gone to great lengths to make sure that the Linux underpinnings have been gussied up enough for consumers used to a Windows-based GUI. The main interface (which can be reached at any time by clicking on the house-shaped icon at the bottom of the screen) is divided into four sections—Connect, Works, Fun, and Files—under which the Aspire One's apps are grouped. The home screen also features an Internet search bar to speed up jumping online even further.

Apps grouped under Connect include Browser (Mozilla's Firefox), Messenger (an instant-messaging client that supports AIM, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger), Mail (an e-mail app that supports IMAP4, Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange, POP3, and SMTP), an RSS reader, and direct links to Google Maps, Microsoft Hotmail, and Wikipedia. The free office suite OpenOffice.org makes up three of the programs in the Works quadrant, providing a word processor, spreadsheet program, and presentation software; Acer also provides calculator, calendar, contacts, and notes apps.

Under Fun, you'll find a media jukebox, photo and paint apps, a utility to make use of the Aspire One's built-in Webcam, and a number of games (including one identified as Tetris, but which is really a knockoff called LTris). Files houses icons that let you access your documents, music, photos, videos, downloads, and miscellaneous files.

In addition to its memory-card slots and USB ports, the Aspire One offers VGA out, an Ethernet port, and headphone and microphone jacks. It ships with a three-cell battery, but because it doesn't feature an optical drive, we couldn't formally test its stamina with our DVD-playback benchmark. In our everyday use, however, it lasted roughly 2 hours and 20 minutes per charge. That duration doesn't really jibe with the idea of the netbook as an ideal traveling companion—if you're looking for the Aspire One to stay juiced for a cross-country flight, you'll need to secure the optional six-cell battery for a pretty price.

With its availability in Best Buy and Circuit City stores, the Aspire One is going to be successful, especially since Acer has the jump on Lenovo and any other major laptop manufacturers that decide to join the netbook fray. That doesn't make the Aspire One—particularly this configuration, with its puny amount of onboard storage—the best choice in the category. It does have a more appealing price than the MSI Wind, however, and it largely succeeds in showcasing the (albeit limited) charms of the netbook, a laptop that can finally serve as a lifestyle accessory for the masses.

MSI has unveiled a special charity model of the Wind Netbook calling it the MSI Wind Netbook Love Edition.
The new release is designated to support a range of notebook donation programs around the world for children in rural and remote areas. The donated notebooks will help those children learn valuable computer skills and connect to world through the Internet.The MSI Wind Netbook is available in three colors - Angel White, Empire Black and Romantic Pink - while the "Love Edition" features tan, silver and gold hearts on a pure white chassis.

MSI Notebook is is also launching the "Love with the Wind" global charity program that will take the form of charity donations in Taiwan, China, Poland, Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Korea and India to give poor children a chance to learn how to use computers.

MSI has announced two new gaming notebooks - GX620 and GX720. These gaming notebooks are loaded with Intel Centrino 2 processors and Nvidia's GeForce graphics chip. Gamers will drool over the gaming notebooks, which bundles Intel's recently launched Centrino 2 technology based on Penryn 45nm chip and a Blu-ray player. Housed in a sleek alloy case with red accents, the notebooks feature quick launch touch sensors above the keyboard. These touch sensors active Turbo Engine Technology to overclock CPUs by 15 per cent. Also these sensors allow new ECO Engine Management to offer choice of five different operating modes (Gaming, Movie, Presentation, Office or Turbo Battery) for power consumption needs.
The GX620 features Intel Penryn Core 2 Duo P8600 with 2.4GHz clock speed, 15.4-inch WSXGA (1680x1050) display, 2.0 megapixel webcam, 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT with 3D, 320GB SATA hard drive, DDR2 4GB RAM, WLAN 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, Dolby 7.1 HDMI input and Blu-ray optical drive.

While GX720 features Intel Penryn Core 2 Duo P9500 with 2.53GHz clock speed, 17-inch WSXGA (1680x1050) display, 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT with 3D, 320GB SATA hard drive, DDR2 4GB RAM, WLAN 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, HDMI input and Blu-ray optical drive. In addition to that, the GX720 comes with 4+1subwoofer speakers.

Both GX620 and GX720 run Windows Vista Home edition and have 6-cell batteries. Gaming enthusiasts would have loved DDR3 memory with Intel Centrino 2 processor. Although DDR3 memory has long been available, DDR2 remains the OEM standard.