New HP, Acer, Lenovo Laptops Stress Lightweight Design

by Michelle Maisto

HP describes its shiny, black Mini 1103 as a stylish and lightweight option for computing on the go. Theres WiFi, WLAN and Bluetooth connectivity, and the option for mobile broadband, with a service contract. Travelers can choose the 3- or 6-cell battery, and with the QuickWeb feature hop online even when the Mini is turned off.

The Mini 1103 pairs a 10.1-inch LED backlit WSVGA display with a touchpad and 93 percent keyboard. Theres a Webcam for conferencing, as well as HP Recovery Manager and Support Assistant software. Pricing begins at $299.

With the consumer-geared IdeaPad U260, Lenovo intensely focused on design. The laptop features a silhouette reportedly inspired by the rounded edges of a leather-bound journal, plus a glass touchpad, leather-patterned palm rest and magnesium-aluminum metal cover. Shoppers have a choice of Clementine or cocoa finishes.

The U260 features a 12.5-inch display, a touchpad with multitouch capabilities, a Web cam, and the option of a 320GB hard drive or 128GB of SSD flash-based storage. Ergonomics were taken into account in the keyboard design, and the Intel Core i7 processor is said to help extend battery life. It will arrive in December, starting at $899.

For business professionals, the Acer TravelMate 5542 offers AMD dual-core processing, ATI Radeon graphics, an up to 320GB hard drive and a 15.6-inch display. Theres a 1.3-megapixel camera and Acer Crystal Eye software for conferencing, plus Backup Manager and eRecovery Management software. Available now, pricing starts at $549.

Caption: While media tablets such as the Apple iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab arent intended to compete with mobile PCs, their introduction has nonetheless interrupted PC sales. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has said that the iPad-which was informed by its iPhone and PC know-how-influenced its most recent notebook design. The MacBook Air starts at $999. (Image courtesy of Apple)