Samsung, HP, Toshiba, Lenovo, Asus Show Off PCs for Fall

by Nicholas Kolakowski

HP’s higher-end Envy series now features 3D, powered by ultra-strength processors and graphics. The HP Envy 17 3D, seen here, includes an ATI Mobility Radeon HP 5850 graphics processor and the company’s Beat Audio technology, as well as Intel Dual and Quad Core processor options.

HP designed the Pavilion dm3’s hardware architecture and software to minimize heat. In addition to the hotter running components now placed under the keyboard, and larger side-vents, the HP Thermal Assistant software can automatically shift between performance and cooling modes.

HP is offering its products in a broad range of colors, likely with an eye toward appealing to as many demographics as possible.

The HP Envy 14 Beats Edition features a black-and-red design that stands out from the rest of HP’s line. The keyboard is backlit in red.

Over the past year, Lenovo has updated its laptop lines with more consumer-oriented features: sleek design, color choice, optimized access to Web widgets and the like.

Lenovo ThinkPads include a number of options designed to make them enterprise workhorses.

Asus’ N53Jf 15.6-inch notebook includes Nvidia GeForce GTX 425M graphics for DirectX 11 gaming and graphics-rendering and leverages an Intel Core processor, but its sound system—developed in conjunction with Bang and Olufsen—is considered the main selling point.

Asus’ Eee PC Lamborghini VX6 includes a 12.1-inch HD display, Intel Atom D525 dual-core processor, Nvidia Ion graphics for 1080p HD playback, and that shiny Lamborghini logo.

Asus’ U33JC-A1 13.3-inch laptop is designed to be eco-friendly, in large part substituting plastic for bamboo. For those who want a little bit of processor “oomph” with their green IT, the laptop also features an Intel Core i3 processor and Windows 7 Home Premium.

Asus claims the “Super Hybrid Engine” boosts CPU performance by 11 percent and a battery life of 10.5 hours. The U33JC-A1 also includes a 2.0-megapixel camera.

Sony is offering keyboard skins, for those who feel that black just doesn’t define them as an individual.

Samsung’s NF210 features a uniquely curved design. The company claims a 14-hour battery life.

The NF210 is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom 455 processor, and has a 10.1-inch 1024×600 display.

Samsung’s R540-11 laptop includes a 15.6-inch screen, Intel Core i5 processor and four hours of battery life. It weighs 5.5 pounds.

Samsung’s RF510 includes a 15.6-inch screen, quad-core processor and either a GT330M video card with 1GB of memory or a GT420M card with 2GB of memory—all of it designed expressly for multimedia and other power-intensive tasks.

The Toshiba mini NB305 offers battery life of eight hours, 10.1-inch screen size and a range of shell colors.

The Toshiba Satellite A665 3D comes equipped with multicore processors and optional 3D display.

The Toshiba Protege R705 features 8.5 hours of battery life along with a slim-and-light form-factor.

Nvidia has been showing off how its products’ use 3D technology.

An Acer laptop running on the Nvidia platform.

An inside view of Nvidia graphics cards in action.