Lesanse NB CL213SW-TypeM, for those of us who don't want Vista!

Believe it or not, even in Japan, many customers are looking for computers running Windows XP, instead of the "Killer OS" Vista, don't ask me why, you already know the answer... anyway, PC-KOUBOU has put a couple new laptops on sale, such as the new Lesanse NB CL213SW-TypeM. With a weight of 1.88kg, it is equipped with XP Home, a T2300 Core 2 Duo CPU, 1GB RAM, SiS M617 and Chipset SiS 968, 100GB HDD and a DVD DL burner... displayed on a 12.1" (1280x800) monitor.

Of course, WiFi is supported. 635€ is the price!

Asus W5fe: Not Quite Ready for Prime Time

Asus' W5fe made a big splash at CES, mainly cause it was the first lappie to sport an external LCD for Vista's SideShow. Unfortunately, the laptop is going out with a whimper. The problem? SideShow itself. Although the controls are straightforward, the folks at Laptop think navigating through the interface is "clumsy." And when you finally get to play your tunes via SideShow with the laptop lid closed, sound is awful. The selection of downloadable gadgets is also limited, which is a shame considering this 4-pound ultraportable (and SideShow) had a lot of potential.

SoundGate Tablet Lets Musicians Geek Out

Designed by Nicolas Gonzalez Garrido, the SoundGate PC is a tablet/laptop hybrid made especially for musicians. It lets them record sessions, transcribe their music, and write out their next single. The tablet has a 10-inch touchscreen LCD and a flip-style QWERTY keyboard. A volume knob and jog dials are found inside and there's even a special stand that would let you prop the tablet in front of you for on-stage performances. At the moment, the SoundGate is only a concept, though design-wise, I could see this appealing to the non-music crowd.

MedTab—The Doc's Tablet PC

Emano Tec has developed a tablet PC that weighs less than a pound, has an eight to 12 hour battery life and can withstand a 3-foot drop onto concrete without damage. The MedTab folks believe this is better than a PDA because of the screen size. It allows medical practitioners to view and update electronic media records easier. Wait, so doctors can have awesome, eight-hour battery life and less than one-pound tablets and I can't? Discrimination!

Further Confirmation On Flash-Based Sub-notebook Has Apple Fanboys Wetting Their Pants

Following up on the Sub-Macbook rumor, American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu says now that Apple may introduce a new notebook based on Flash NAND chips «in the second half of the year». It's unclear if Apple will also finally introduce the personal teleporter with cold fusion engine in the same time frame, but that quote alone, coupled with Samsung announcing the first shipment of their hybrid NAND hard drive to OEMs, will probably fill Apple's fanboys' wet dreams for months to come. Myself included.

Apple `chip' laptop in works

Apple, maker of the iPod music players and Macintosh personal computers, may introduce a new notebook this year that will save data on flash memory chips instead of a hard drive, American Technology Research said.
"Our sources indicate that Apple would like to introduce the product in the second half to further capitalize on its strong MacBook growth," Shaw Wu, an analyst at American Technology Research, wrote in a report Wednesday.
Chips are smaller than hard drives, allowing electronics makers to design slimmer products. They also process data faster and consume less energy than hard drives.