I had joined HP on a press tour earlier this week where the company was showing off its business-class EliteBook notebooks, which is an elegant aluminum-clad enterprise notebook that boasts rugged features that are tested using military specs. During the company’s presentation on design, notebooks design head Stacy Wolff had given us some insight on where HP’s design is going amidst changes in the PC industry with touch computing, tablets, Windows 8, and ultrabooks.

To date, the world’s leading PC-maker, which says it shapes 2 PCs every second, has yet to announce an ultrabook unlike competitors such as Asus, Lenovo, and Toshiba to name a few. The ultrabook category was created by Intel as a means to offer Windows PC-makers a way to compete with Apple’s MacBook Air in an era where netbooks are shunned and tablets are favored. Anticipated pricing is expected to hover around $1,000 and these ultrabooks will utilize Intel’s performance low voltage Core processors.

However, according to Wolff, ultrabooks provided too many compromises for the end user and HP wants a premium experience that will give users strong performance, high reliability and durability, and good battery life. And in my experience examining ultrabooks at Intel’s IDF 2011 conference recently, I would have to side with HP’s Wolff as many of those machines–with a few exceptions–look unpolished with a few too many corners crossed–some of the models had keys with too shallow of travel distance leading to an uncomfortable typing experience and others had keyboards that flexed too much leaving me unsatisfied.

HP does want to head into the thin and light category, however, and the company is saying that it is experimenting with new materials and construction to make that happen so that the final experience won’t be compromised. For example, in the near future, HP will be looking at ceramics for use in its notebooks, which not only offers strength, but also a new way for heat to be dissipated.

In addition to ceramics, carbon fiber and metal film may also be used in future models to provide structural integrity to make machines stronger while reducing weight.

The company is also aware of the consumerization of IT or technology. With executives and many employees across many different companies now bringing their own laptops and PCs into the workplace, a lot of consumer features are now making its way into enterprise system. That means that consumers can now buy an enterprise system and enterprise users won’t be left with a stale designed notebook.

Additionally, with Windows 8 and the post-PC evolution, HP is considering how users interact with their systems. For example, the company found that for their all-in-ones (AIOs), touch was not optimized as it required the user to have to reach their arm across the table to touch the display, leading to arm fatigue if this usage paradigm was used for a long period of time. As a result, the company made the AIO systems with a kneeling hinge so that it could stand upright as a normal display, or lowered and angled more dramatically like an angled tablet on a table top for touchscreen use.

In addition to touch, HP is looking at the post-PC era with some foresight by examining technologies like displays and batteries. The company sees that users will be using their PCs more in different environments, like in bright sunlight, and that this will potentially affect battery life and charging so HP is looking at brighter outdoors-visible displays and longer life battery on future machines.

As news is swirling around HP’s change of direction with the personal systems group, it is refreshing to hear that HP is still sticking to its core values, that the company is listening to customer feedback as it designs notebooks and computers with optimal experiences.

Be sure to tune into Notebooks.com where I will cover the HP press tour in greater depth and talk about how HP tests its notebooks and computers before releasing them to the market!

HP Talks About Notebook Designs, Windows 8, Touch, Ultrabooks is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Notebooks.com.

Smartphone and Tablet News for the week of May 6th

• The Best Android Smartphones – Coming Summer 2011
  A look at the hottest Android smartphones coming this summer.
• The 5 Best Android Smartphones [May, 2011]
  The hottest Android smartphones available right now.
• How My iPad Made Me Hate Paper and Helped Me Save Over $15,000
  Kevin saves a load of money by using his iPad ad ditching paper.
• Kevin Saves the Dough by Going Paperless, I’m Not So Lucky
  Warner still has trouble going paperless, note for lack of trying though.
• RIM Demos Android Apps on BlackBerry PlayBook, Again (Video)
  RIM has posted another video of the tablet showing off its ability to run applications of the Android variety with more details.
• Verizon to Target Female Demographics with HTC Bliss Android Smartphone, Droidette?
  Verizon is rumored to be coming out with an Android phone geared towards women. With a glowing charm accessory.
• HTC EVO 3D Details, Review & Hands-On Video Roundup
  Everything you need to know about the HTC EVO 3D before it launches this summer.
• Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 Tablet PC Slate Launching Today
  Sumocat delivers his thoughts on the Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 slate Tablet PC.
• LG Revolution Details, Review & Hands-On Video Roundup
  What we know so far about the LG Revolution, likely the 3rd 4G LTE device to come to Verizon.
• RIM Announces BlackBerry 7, Says Current BlackBerry Phones Won’t Get It
  RIM also introduced its latest and greatest operating system, BlackBerry 7, which will launch on the new BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 aka BlackBerry Bold Touch at some point this year.
• RIM Announces BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 (BlackBerry Bold Touch)
  RIM introduced the BlackBerry Bold Touch at its BlackBerry World conference. The device, which had been expected for quite some time, will officially be known as the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and the BlackBerry Bold 9930
• Finger Nose Stylus for Stall Surfers Might Be Carrying Things a Bit Far
  A strap on nose stylus lets you stall surf and tub surf with ease.
• Prepaid Smartphone Showdown: Virgin Mobile, Metro PCS, Verizon, T-Mobile & More
  A look at the prepaid smartphone options from national carriers like Virgin Mobile, Verizon and T-Mobile as well as smaller carriers like US Cellular, Metro PCS and Boost Mobile

Smartphone and Accessory Reviews for May 2011

• Review: Sprint MiFi 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot (Video)
  Check out our thoughts on the Sprint MiFi 3G/4G hotspot.
• SugarSync Review: Back Up and Sync With Multiple Computers – Better Than Dropbox
  SugarSync stole Kevin away from Dropbox. Find out why he switched.
• Verizon Droid Charge Review (Video)
  The Droid Charge is the newest 4G LTE phone to land on Verizon, check out our review before the Charge arrives in store.
• BooqPad iPad 2 Folio Review: The iPad Case for Note Takers
  The BooqPad + Evernote makes for a great inking experience.
• Casio G’zOne Commando Rugged Android Smartphone Hands On and First Impressions (Video)
  The Casio G’zOne Commando is a rugged Android smartphone that looks intimidating, but loves a good soak.
• Droid Incredible 2 Hands On and First Impressions (Video)
  The Droid Incredible 2 is a slim but powerful 3G smartphone. Check out our first impressions.

Notebook News for the Week of May 6th

MacBook Air Running Windows 7

• Mac Owners Targeted with Fake Antivirus App
  Malware programmers are after Mac Owners with a new fake Antivirus app that tries to get your money and your credit card information.
• USB Modems Preferred 3 to 1 over Personal Hotspots. Why?
  Users prefer USB modems over mobile hotspots. We don’t know why either.
• Is the MacBook Air a Good Windows 7 Notebook?
  A look at how Windows 7 runs as a full time OS on teh MacBook Air. Also, how to set this up for yourself.
• Is Apple dumping Intel for ARM?
  Rumors point to Apple ditching Intel for ARM powered notebooks and desktops. Find out our take.
• Standing Desk Guide: Measurements, Examples and Benefits
  Everything you need to know to get started with a standup desk.
• Two Reasons the Mac OS X Lion Update Will Come On a Disc
  Two reasons why OS X Lion will come on a disk or drive when it arrives this summer.

Notebook Reviews for May 2011

• Samsung RV511 Review: Great Features on a $500 Notebook
  The feature packed RV511 earns high marks for value thanks to looks and a collection of features typical of higher priced notebooks.
• Acer Aspire 7552G-6436 Review [Video]
  Check out this Quad Core Desktop replacement. It’s not perfect, but it might be right for you.
• Ergotron WorkFit S Review: Standing Desk With Hinged Dual LCD Mount (Video)
  Review of our favorite Sit stand desk from Ergotron with a cool new hinged monitor mount.
• ASUS Eee PC 1215B with AMD Fusion Hands On (Video)
  Hands on video of the AMD Fusion powered ASUS Eee PC 1215B

How To Guides for May

• How To Make Windows 7 Look and Act Like Windows XP
  Make Windows 7 look and act like Windows XP if you can’t bear to change. Even if it is for the better.
• 9 Tips for Troubleshooting Internet Explorer 9
  How to handle common Internet Explorer 9 issues.

Weekly Wrapup: Notebook, Tablet and Smartphone News (May 6th) is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

“If you had your choice of two work devices that would make you most productive in your job, which two devices would you prefer to have?”

We spoke with Paul D’Arcy, Executive Director of Large Enterprise Marketing at Dell, to find out what the results of this survey mean and found out that just like the smartphone became a go to second device, the tablet is on the way to becoming a companion device as well. Rather than replacing notebooks and smartphones, D’arcy expects that it is, “More likely that three devices become the norm.”

As you can see in this survey of employees and decision makers, the tablet is still way down the list of must have items. There are numerous reasons that tablets haven’t invaded the workplace yet including security concerns, but D’arcy tells us that Dell expects to see tablets become a bigger part of the enterprise as more companies, “focus on giving people the right tools to be productive.”

The pressure to integrate tablets into the workplace is coming from employees who are looking to use their own tablets and is part of a greater trend of consumerization of the enterprise which started with smart phones and has recently influenced the design and features of some recent Business class notebooks like the Dell Latitude E Family and the HP ProBook which have placed a higher value on looking good; this based on customer feedback.

Unfortunately, the security barrier is still an issue for employee owned devices, especially tablets which have higher rates of theft, and if unmanaged can lead to data losses. Eventually Dell sees IT managers overcoming this issue with tools and systems, some already available, which will manage a multitude of employee owned devices.

Once the security hurdle is overcome, D’arcy expects to see a greater push from the new generation of college graduates, who have had the Internet their whole lives, to be a “strong voice for innovation.” These new workers are very likely to keep the notebook as their primary content creation tool, for now, and add a tablet as a third device that takes on a collection of tasks from the notebook and from the smartphone.

If you want to know more about these trends or this study, check out the full report, Tablets Become Nice-To-Have In The Enterprise, But Challenges Lie Ahead report from Dell.

Notebooks in High Demand, Tablets Poised to be 3rd Device is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The reason we at Notebooks are so interested in this device is because it looks like it will fit nicely into the consumer segment that wants an iPad-like tablet, but aslo wants to turn the iPad into a notebook with software and hardware accessories.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Side

The Eee Pad Transformer is a 10.1″ Nvidia Tegra 2 powered tablet that will retail for $399 with 16GB of storage, $100 less than the iPad 2. The Eee Pad Transformer itself will work as a slate tablet with apps, access to the Internet and multimedia power. Where the device stands apart, and why we think consumers will be drawn to it, is the optional $150 keyboard dock that adds a keyboard, mouse and an additional battery which should bring the battery life up to a combined 16 hours.

You can see a collection of Eee Pad Transformer videos which show you the hardware, software, speakers and pretty much everything the device can do in our Eee Pad Transformer Video Roundup to get a better idea of what the Eee Pad Transformer can do. You can see the Transformer hardware video overview embedded below.

Stay tuned for more details and coverage of the versatile and affordable Asus Eee Pad Transformer tablet and notebook. It looks like we may be seeing the first real competition for the iPad, and the device a sizable set of consumers is looking for.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer April U.S. Release and $399 Price Confirmed is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The Eee Pad Transformer is expected to launch soon, possibly at Best Buy in the U.S., for $399 for the 16GB WiFi only version and $150 for the dock which adds a keyboard and essentially double’s battery life.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Walkthrough Videos

Hardware Overview: How the Eee Pad Transformer Fits together and works.

Performance and Gaming: How the Tegra 2 processor handles gaming

GPS and Google Maps: A look at using Google Maps and GPS on the Eee Pad Transformer

Sound and Speakers: The SRS powered speakers sound like they deliver a loud and clear sound.

External Storage: Need more than the base 16GB? You can hook up a USB Drive or Hard drive to the Eee Pad Transformer.

Eee Pad Transformer Software Walkthrough: A look at the included software and tools on the Transformer tablet.

Angry Birds Demo: The all important Angry Birds test.

Eee Pad Transformer Camera Test: Showing off the front and rear cameras.

Android Market on the Eee Pad Transformer: A look at the Android Market on HoneyComb 3.0

HoneyComb Android 3.0 Video Overview: A look at the software powering the Eee Pad Transformer

Via NetbookNews

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Walkthrough Videos Arrive & Excite (video) is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

A recent FCC application was spotted for a Dell Panerai, which may suggest that Dell may be looking to expand its Inspiron Duo line in the convertible netbook market. While many have praised the original Inspiron Duo for its unique swiveling screen design in the convertible form factor netbook market, the device suffered from poor battery life and sluggish performance with its Atom processor.

Hopefully, with the Panerai, which may be a codename, the Dell netvertible will rectify the shortcomings of the original.

The original Inspiron Duo could either be used in tablet mode or in laptop mode with its convertible design. Rather than a swiveling hinge at the base of the screen and the chassis, Dell had moved the swivel mechanism to two points on the screen’s frame. That way, when closed in tablet mode, the sleek curves would still be maintained as it looks like the laptop is closed, but with the screen on the lid side.

Via: Engadget

Dell Panerai Hints at Second-Gen Inspiron Duo Netvertible is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Notebooks.com.

Notebook News For the Week of April 1st:

We kicked off World Backup Day with a collection of deals on services and storage that will help you keep your data safe without spending a fortune. You still have a few hours to enter to win a free 30GB SugarSync account by Tweeting the following.

I’m in to win a @SugarSync 30GB/year account from @Notebooks.com  Find out How & Check Out these Backup Deals -Notebooks.com/go/BackupDay

Dell Latitude E6320 Business Notebook

New Notebooks for March 2011:

• Dell Latitude E6320 Available for Purchase
• Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420s Now For Sale, Tempting Prices and Performance
• MSI CX640 and CR640 with Sandy Bridge and Fast Boot Times
• Lenovo ThinkPad W520 Mobile Workstation W/ Quadro Graphics Up For Sale
• Lenovo ThinkPad T420s Now Available for Purchase w/ Core i5 Sandy Bridge
• MSI GX680 Gaming Notebook Specs, Pics and Details
• MSI X370 to Challenge 9 Series, MacBook Air
• Dell Inspiron M5030 Spanish Laptop Launches w/ Spanish Keyboard (Video)

Notebook News:

• 11″ Showdown: Samsung Series 9 Compared to the MacBook Air
• MSI Resumes Shipping GT680R and GE620R Sandy Bridge Notebooks, Adds Addtl 1 Year Warranty
• Boxcar for Mac Launches, Simplifies and Centralizes Notifications
• EeePad Transformer Notebook/Tablet Coming To Best Buy for $400 (video)
• Lenovo S205 AMD Zacate Notebook Unboxing Video

Tablet and SmartPhone News for the Week of April 1st:

Kyocera Echo

• Verizon Casio Commando Shows Off Rugged Design
• HTC unveiling ‘what’s next’ on April 12th, is it the HTC Pyramid?
• Adobe Shows Off Photoshop for iPad
• Sprint Kyocera Echo and T-Mobile Nokia Astound Get Unboxed (Videos)
• Dell exec claims iPad too expensive for enterprise. Sounds familiar…
• Answering Some Questions on Digital Inking and the iPad
• Microsoft’s Craig Mundie Not Sure Tablets are Here To Stay
• Battery Life Comparison Between the iPad and iPad 2 Yields Some Interesting Results
• Verizon USB551l 4G LTE Modem Arrives March 31st
• Why All This Fretting Over Apple and No New Hardware at WWDC? It’s Not About Hardware Anymore
• LG Said To Be Working On Google Nexus Tablet

Notebook and Accessory Reviews:

• AT&T 3G MicroCell Review: Good Quality But Don’t Pay For It
• Breffo Spiderpodium Review: Versatile Phone Holder Attaches to Anything
• MyDitto Review: Affordable Network Attached Storage That’s Simple To Use
• Victorinox Slim Swiss Army Flash Drive Review (32GB)
• Speck SeeThru Case for MacBook Air Review
• Pad&Quill Cartella Case Review: Turns MacBook Air into MacBook with Class

Popular How To Articles for the Week of April 1st:

• How to Enable TRIM Support for SSDs in OS X 10.6.7 With a Click
• How To Edit Video from a Flip Camera on iPad 2
• How to Play Amazon Cloud Drive Music on iOS
• 10 Great Uses of Preview for Mac OS X
• How to Customize Wallpaper Themes in Windows 7

Weekly Wrap Up: Notebook, Tablet and Smart Phone News for April 1 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The trend is quite different from the Tablet PC era where slate designs were more rare than the convertible form factor, which often comprised of a screen rotating around a single hinge, to convert the Windows tablet from notebook mode to slate mode for inking.

With consumer-centric tablets, it seems that users are requiring keyboards less. Whether this is due to improvements in touchscreen technology or a shift in the user experience towards touch is unclear. Also, the price of external keyboards designed for tablets is also high, which may be another factor limiting adoption.

In Steve Jobs’ keynote announcing the MacBook Air, the Apple CEO says that the reason why Mac laptops don’t come with touchscreen is because using it would be an awkward experience as users would have to move their hands between the keyboard on the notebook and the display, which is further away than the more proximal touchpad.

Low iPad Keyboard Adoption Shows Consumers Don’t Want Tablets to Become Notebooks is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Notebooks.com.

We showed you the Nook Color in a “first look” just a few weeks ago. But now we wanted to let you see what it looks like when you install Android onto the device. There are two different ways to do this.

Rooting the Nook Color

Rooting the tablet is a fairly simple process. It involves installing a bootable image of Android 2.2 onto a micro-SD card. To do this you will need a computer and the ability to “burn” an image onto the card. The instructions for doing this can be found at the Nook Devs Wiki page.

Once the image has been burned to the card, the device can be routed either permanently or temporarily. The permanent version actually changes the image on the internal storage of the tablet. The temporary version is similar to booting a computer with a live CD. Live CDs run a version of an operating system like Linux from a CD or from a USB drive. It allows the user to test out the OS without changing the currently installed OS on the computer. In this case, it gives the user the best of both words – an unaltered Nook Color and a cheap Android tablet.

Results

In our test we used a system called auto-nooter which installed Android 2.2. We also tested Honeycomb, which is the version of Android 3.0 designed for tablets. The first method, installing permanently, gave us the best results. It runs smoother and has the most options at this point. Soon we hope that Honeycomb will be ready to run more smoothly. At this point it is functional but does not have the Android Marketplace as part of the burned image. And we could not find the Barnes and Noble book reading software that would work on that version of Android.

In the video below we demonstrate how well the device works with both versions. There are actually many different versions of Android modified to run on the device. Just search out the Nook Color forums at the XDA Developers Forum. Here is our video demo of what the Nook Color can do rooted both ways.

Conclusions

If you have been thinking about getting a Nook Color in order to have an inexpensive Android tablet, then the it is a viable option, with some qualifications. It is best if your needs are simple. If you only want to read books, surf the web, check e-mail and occasionally play some casual games and check your calendar, then the it is the perfect option. Think of it as the netbook of tablets. If your needs are little more advanced, then we recommend getting an iPad 2 or one of the more powerful Android tablets. Xavier Lanier has been testing the Motorola Xoom. And while it is a little expensive, it shows some promise. Otherwise wait a few days when the iPad 2 will likely be available.

Pros:

• Great for reading Amazon books
• Useful for simple tasks
• Easy to root for experienced computer users
• Can be run from the  micro-SD card
• Has a very nice screen
• Inexpensive compared to other Android tablets

Cons:

• A little slow compared to the iPad
• Honeycomb is not fully functional
• Beginning computer users will find this difficult
• Inserting and removing the micro-SD card is a challenge

Nook Color Rooted is a Nice Budget Android Tablet (Video) is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Why would users want fewer features? Well, cost is the primary factor. More users are getting smartphones which is already adding another monthly data fee and few of these users want yet another monthly connection fee for a tablet. This isn’t even taking the mobile hotspot feature into account, which has its own monthly fee.

In talking with many users who are contemplating their first tablet we continue to hear a demand for apps and the ability to surf the web and check email around the house and at a hotel or campground over WiFi.

While some users, like Kevin, will use a smaller tablet like the Galaxy Tab more like a phone. The average user we have talked to is looking for a laptop replacement and as such, don’t expect to have mobile broadband, nor do they want to pay for and sign another contract.

Even though I am a mobile power user the last thing I want is another monthly fee that is limited to one device. I would much rather use a MiFi that can connect my laptop, my iPad, my wife’s Nook Color or any other WiFi device than a single use connection.

How do you feel about 3G and 4G connections in your tablets? Does your opinion change if the tablet is smaller?

Do You Need a 3G or 4G Tablet? Or is WiFi Enough? is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.