Mark November 8, 2009 (11/8) on your calendars, dear readers. That’s when HP is launching some particularly generous promos, covering laptops and desktops alike:
Save up to $315 instantly on the HP TouchSmart tx2z Series Customizable Notebook PC! – Savings Include: $200 instant rebate, FREE memory upgrade from 2GB to 3GB ($30 savings), FREE hard drive upgrade from 250GB to 320GB ($40 savings), and get FREE shipping ($29 savings). Ends 11/14
Save up to $275 instantly on the HP Pavilion dv6t Series Customizable Notebook PC! – Savings Include: $150 instant rebate, FREE memory upgrade from 2GB to 3GB ($30 savings), FREE hard …read more

HP Laptop and Desktop Promos

Based in the US? Here are some promos from HP:

Save up to $319 instantly on the NEW HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition Series Customizable Laptop PC!. Includes $200 instant rebate, FREE memory upgrade from 2GB to 3GB (-$30), FREE hard drive upgrade from 250GB to 320GB (-$40), and Save 50% on 4GB memory (-$20). From 10/25 to 10/28/2009.
Save up to $209 instantly on the HP Pavilion dm3t Series Customizable Laptop PC!. Includes $150 instant rebate, and FREE memory upgrade from 2GB to 3GB (-$30). From 10/25 to 10/28/2009.
Save up to $518 instantly on the NEW HP …read more

Today marks the start of a week-long promo from HP. The company has slashed prices of two desktops and two laptops apparently in an effort to move stock, through discounts that last until the 24th of this month:

HP Desktop Deals

Save up to $515 instantly on the NEW HP Pavilion Elite e9280t Series Customizable Desktop PC! – Savings Include: $300 instant rebate, FREE 750GB hard drive upgrade (-$50), FREE 15-month Norton Internet Security subscription (-$49), 35% off a 21.5-inch diagonal widescreen monitor (-$90), and get FREE shipping (-$29).
Save up to $415 instantly on the NEW HP Pavilion Slimline s5280t Series Customizable …read more

So, citing an example where $800 in repairs to her Macbook Pro cost her nothing, Apple Gazette’s Lia Espina (AKA the Gadgenista) shares the benefits of getting an Apple Care protection plan. She even shares a very useful tip that makes getting an Apple product and a corresponding Apple Care plan less expensive than it seems:
I hear newbie Mac Users argue that since they paid so much already for an Apple unit, paying for Apple Care is just way too much. But let me remind you that you don’t actually have to buy an Apple Care at the same time …read more

Straight from the PR peeps representing Durabook are specs on the maker’s D14RM model. The base configuration of this 14.1″ laptop starts at $1519. For that price, you get the following specs:

Intel® Pentium® Processor T4200 (1M Cache, 2.00 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)
2GB of RAM
14.1″ display with 1366 x 1768 resolution
320GB 5400 rpm hard drive
6-cell Lithium-Ion battery
802.11a/g/n capability (WiFi)
Windows Vista Home Basic

Surprisingly Bluetooth isn’t included in that package, as buyers are required to pay $50 more for this “extra”.

In any case, the D14RM adheres to the Military 810 F standard, which means it can shrug off drops, shocks, moisture, partly thanks …read more

With the Latitude Z, Dell claims to be the first with a laptop capable of charging without wires. Using what’s basically a larger version of the Palm Pre’s inductive charger, the Z draws power wirelessly when planted on a laptop stand that also double as the power transmitter. According to Dell, charging times should remain similar to the traditional wired setup. So let’s assume a 2-3 hour wait?

Another key feature of the Z is the use of secondary hardware to support a touch-sensitive-driven instant-on mode. Great news, especially since previous incarnations of Dell’s instant-on modes were basically misnomers, as their …read more

The first to make use of Intel’s recently launched mobile Core i7 chips (codenamed “Clarksfield”), the specs of the Alienware M15x indicate that the company’s marketing is right on target. No doubt maxing out the configuration will result in a $4000+ laptop. However, at the starting price of $1500, here’s what you get:

512MB NVIDIA GeForce GT 240M
Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz (2.8 GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
15.6-inch WideHD+ 1600 x 900 – WLED
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
3GB DDR3 – 1066MHz
250GB 5,400RPM
Internal Wireless Bluetooth 2.1+ Enhanced Data Rate
Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Ports:

IEEE 1394a (4-pin) port
Integrated Gigabit Ethernet …read more

Reddit features a comprehensive Windows XP, Vista, and 7 shortcut list, including some of the most useful ones. Here are my personal favorites (works only on Vista or Windows 7):

Middle click an app on dock – Open a new app instance
Middle click a thumbnail from dock – Close app instance/tab
Alt – bring up old-style file menus where they’ve been removed
Winkey + P – multi-display config quick-switch (press twice to switch)
Winkey + X – bring up laptop settings control panel
Winkey + T – dock keyboard mode (use arrow keys)
Winkey + (shift +) tab – Flip 3D task switcher
Winkey + left, …read more

Aesthetically-wise, there really isn’t any difference between Snow Leopard and Leopard, Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.5 respectively. And without spending enough time to go over all the promised new features and improvements (see the reviewer’s guide here), I can say Snow Leopard brings speed and responsiveness improvements out of the gate. At the very least, that new Quicktime feature allowing screencast creation on the fly is a really great addition. It, as a friend says, will probably kill most of Screenflow’s current market.

Another good impression Snow Leopard makes is the price of the upgrade, which for a single-user license …read more

Seems Lenovo wants to move its laptop stocks in the UK—and it seems they’ve dropped prices to attract buyers.

To be quite honest, the so-called “promos” for the IdeaPad U Series are a bit pathetic, so let’s not waste words on that.

Discounts for the ThinkPad X Series look more promising however, featuring price cuts as high as £377.20!

Lenovo doesn’t promise as much generosity with its supremely high-end W700 series—known for the W700ds, a 17″ gargantuan featuring a slide-out 10.6″ secondary screen. And W700 mobile workstations aren’t really known for their affordability. Still, the highest discount of £223.42 is still pretty significant.
Another …read more