HP Possibly Releasing Ultrabooks This Summer

While the details are scarce at this point, Taiwan-based part and component suppliers claim that HP will actually be the first to produce a mobile PC based on Intel's “ultrab concept, beating the Asus UX21 (seen right) to the market. The HP-branded ultrabooks will be manufactured by Foxconn and may even arrive sometime this summer.

According to unnamed sources, HP's upcoming ultra-slim notebooks will be packed with Intel's 1.7 GHz Core i7-2637M and 1.8 GHz Core i7-2677M dual-core processors. Windows 7 will also be the OS of choice. Other hardware and software specs were not provided.

During Computex 2011, Intel claimed that its tablet-like ultrabook design guidelines would dominate over 40-percent of the laptop market share within the next six to nine months. The form factor itself will supposedly be under 20-mm thick (0.8 inches) while the overall notebook will reside under the $1000 pricetag. The first wave of these super-slim notebooks will run on Intel's current Sandy Bridge processor platform, and then move to the Ivy Bridge platform next year.

“Many of the super-sleek devices today are quite pricey. The price points need to become more mainstream,” Intel marketing chief Tom Kilroy told CNET. “And as volume ramps, say by the end of 2012, we think as much as 40 percent of the volume will be in this ultra category. And as the volume picks up, the price points will come down. And we think by 2013 with ‘Haswell,' which is our system-on-a-chip implementation, you'll see ultrabooks in truly mainstream price points of $599.”

As numerous manufacturers have tried to follow Apple's success by releasing tablets of their own, the ultrabook concept seems to follow Apple's lead by mimicking its MacBook Air design. Intel is hoping that the new blueprint will help ward off the ever-growing tablet segment from the notebook sector by offering tablet-like experiences but with laptop-like performance.

So far HP has not responded to the reports. However, the HP-branded ultrabooks are supposedly already completed and currently shipping off to the company for distribution.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Fujitsu teases seven-inch Android 3.1 tablet for summer

Fujitsu’s tablet strategy for 2011 has been further crystalized with news that it plans to release a 7-inch Android 3.1 tablet this summer. It will sit alongside its LifeBook TH40/D Windows 7 hybrid, slider-tablet due to go on sale in Japan this June. While the 10.1-inch TH40/D is targeted at enterprise, the 7-inch Honeycomb tablet will be aimed at the consumer market.

According to Digitimes, Fujitsu has suggested that the 7-inch Honeycomb tablet will priced at the equivalent of between $347 and $694. The company plans to outsource the production of the tablet to unnamed Taiwan-based ODMs in order to keep the price competitive. While the price range is indicative of the tablet coming in a range of capacities, it’s low starting point could also suggest that it might have a carrier subsidized strategy in mind.

In further news, Fujitsu also indicated that its TH40/D will also be getting official stylus support and a 3.5G module when it launches in Taiwan. It did not indicate whether it planned to also bring stylus support to its 7-inch Android tablet.

Electronista

Toshiba delays Android 3.0 tablet to summer

The upcoming Toshiba Android 3.0 tablet introduced at CES and promised to ship in June has been delayed. Toshiba UK's business notebooks chief, Ken Chan, told RegHardware the 10-inch tablet will now arrive during the summer. Chan wouldn't give reasons why the tablet was delayed even when pressed, however.

"It'll be here at the very end of summer," Chan said.

The delay may be due to the recent parts supply shortages that have affected tablets that include the iPad 2, Motorola Xoom and Eee Pad Transformer, among others. A less likely reason is that Toshiba will put the next generation NVIDIA Tegra processor into the tablet and is awaiting its release.

The unnamed Toshiba tablet has hardware very similar to other Android 3.0 tablets, including a 1280x800 capacitive, a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, and a rear five-megapixel and front 0.2-megapixel camera. There will also be Wi-Fi, HDMI, USB and an SD memory card slot onboard.

Electronista