Lenovo ThinkPad Z61m

‘In the year since Lenovo announced the first-ever wide-screen ThinkPad, the company has been keeping the Z series fresh by incorporating the latest components without drastically changing the laptops’ excellent design. With the midsize Z61m, for example, Lenovo has stocked the now-familiar wide case with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and the latest graphics card from ATI, all at a competitive price. So far, so good, but when it came to our performance benchmarks, the ThinkPad Z61m lagged behind the competition. For some, the ThinkPad Z61m’s excellent design and business-friendly feature set will offset its pokey performance; users looking for every last drop of speed, though, should consider the similarly priced (and identically configured) HP Compaq nc8430.’

Here are the specifications of the ThinkPad Z61m model under review:

• Model: Z61m 9450-39U
• CPU: Intel Core Duo 2.0GHz T2500
• Chipset: Intel 945PM Express
• Memory: 1GB DDR2 P5300 2 Slots, 0 Open
• Hard Drive: 100GB Fujitsu(MHV2100BH) SATA
• Screen: 15.4" WSXGA+ 1680x1050 Matte 200 Nits
• Modular Optical Drive: Matshita UJ-850 DVD+/-RW/-RAM
  o 8x DVD+/-R
  o 4x DVD+/-RW
  o 2.4x DVD+R DL
  o 5x DVD-RAM
  o 24x CD-R
  o 16x CD-RW
• Graphics Card: 128MB ATI x1400
• Networking: Intel Wireless 3945A/B/G, Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet, Modem and Verizion EV-DO Network Adapter
• Inputs: 86 Key Keyboard, Two Button Touchpad with Scroll Bar, PointStick with Separate UltraNav Buttons, Fingerprint Reader
• Buttons: Power, ThinkVantage, Power Up and Down, Mute, and WiFi/Bluetooth On/Off Switch.
• Other
  o Bluetooth
  o Webcam
  o ThinkLight
  o Security Lock
• Ports:
  o 3 USB 2.0 Ports - Two Left Side, One Rear
  o Four Pin Firewire Connector
  o Port Replicator/Dock
  o S-Video Out
  o VGA Out
  o 4-in-1 Card Reader
  o Line Out
  o Headphone
  o IR Port
• Slots:
  o 1 PC Card Slot Type II
  o 1 ExpressCard Slot 54
• Battery: Six Cell
• Dimensions:
  o Width - 14.1"
  o Depth - 10.3"
  o Height - 1.6"
• Weight: 6.7 Lbs.
• Operating System: Windows XP Pro
• Warranty: Three Year Warranty With One Year Battery

Sony VAIO NR

Sony unveiled VAIO NR 15.4-inch laptop series. It is “the lowest-priced notebook the company has ever introduced,” according to the Sony’s press release.

The Sony VAIO NR110, NR120, and NR140 notebook models, listed on the official website fo Sony company, are based on the Intel’s GL960 chipset, paired with a Pentium Dual Core processor. These systems come with 1GB of system memory, expandable to 2GB, and depending on model, hard drive with 120GB or 160GB of storage capacity.

The VAIO NR160 is equipped with the Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 CPU and the GM965 chipset. It has 1GB of RAM, supports up to 4GB of main memory, and features a 160GB HDD.

All of the new VAIO NR laptops incorporate the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, managing a 15.4″ widescreen 1280×800 display and will ship with a DVD burner. ALL the notebooks have wireless LAN, Ethernet LAN and modem connections, ExpressCard and Secure Digital card slots, four USB ports, a Firewire port, and also a VGA output.

Sony VAIO NR weights 6.2-pound, and according to the product specifications, battery has a life of up to 4.5 hours with a standard battery.

The fashionable NR laptop will be available in three colors:

wenge - a rich brown with copper accents;
silk - a bright white with a matte finish;
granite - a silver hue with natural tones.

It has rounded corners and beveled edges.

The NR110, NR120, and NR140 comes with Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, while the NR160 has Vista Business operating system preloaded.