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• Consumer Electronics Show 2007

  Consumer Electronics Show 2007 One Laptop Per Child The green and white OLPC laptops were seen at the Marvell booth. Marvell makes the wireless chips for the project. Shuttle Goes Big With a Tower Computer - Slide Show Playstation 3 hard to find on CES show floor You Let Me Down, Bill - Keynote Analysis Eat this, Quad FX: Here's an 8-core desktop! Join our discussion on this topic More Articles January 11, 2007 HD DVD versus Blu-ray - The porn industry says HD DVD The $100 laptop in detail - Slideshow Microsoft says Crysis will be Vista's Halo January 10, 2007 Need to port VHS to DVD or casettes to MP3? Hands on with Vista: An OS X clone or the best Windows yet? Your cellphone can re-route you around traffic jams TI Has Its Cake and Eats It With DLP and LED Displays The Unusual Stuff TI Introduces Slim LED-Backlit DLP RPTV With 100,000:1 Contrast Ratio January 9, 2007 Warner announces HD DVD - Blu-ray combo disc The Edge handheld - Not so true wireless Internet Belkin connects one DVI monitor to two computers Harman Kardon announces GPS/PMP combo TomTom to offer portable GPS device to the automotive industry Dell wants more internet bandwidth Dell goes Green, introduces optional plant a tree purchase option Dell intros 3.2 GHz quad-core enthusiast PC Microsoft and Ford promise to sync your life CarMD finds the problem, then tells you what parts and labor should cost Aliph's Jawbone headset and Noise Shield sound too good to be true iRecord - Just another frivolous iPod add-on or a valuable accessory? Ritek showcasing writable HD DVD, Blu-ray discs Sony shows OLED TV prototypes Toshiba offering four embedded NAND flash solutions Eat This, Quad FX: Here's An 8-core Desktop! Shuttle Goes Big With a Tower Computer - Slide Show Westinghouse Shows Off The Quad HDTV January 8, 2007 Roadmaster shows programmable license plate frame Playstation 3 hard to find on CES show floor DirecTV to offer 100+ HD channels by the end of the year Windows Vista gets an updated fingerprint reader Microsoft intros fancy gaming keyboard Microsoft, Broadcom aim to lower cost of HD DVD players VoodooPC introduces new Envy gaming notebook iRobot unveils programmable robot Motorola aims to raise the level of personalization for mobile devices Motorola, Sprint-Nextel to bring Wimax to Chicago Intel rolls out new quad-core processor Core 2 Quad Q6600 MSN pairs up with Garmin to offer local data on GPS devices Yahoo launches Go for Mobile 2.0 on Motorola RAZR's Lensbabies bend SLR lenses EA Mobile comes of age, Tetris still addictive Making use of those cool new cell phone features: ShoZu Hitachi touts HDD/DVD hybrid camcorder and a $2500 50" LCD Webaroo promises free offline browsing Asus demoing UWB HDMI connection system D-Link puts draft 11n in new networked media player First horseman of apocalypse in Las Vegas Ruckus Wireless intros 'Video-Grade' USB wireless adapter OQO releases model 02 UMPC HD DVD slams Blu-ray, talks innovation Netgear and BitTorrent team up on high-definition content delivery PC users not hungry for terabyte drives ViewSonic highlights widescreen LCD monitors and iPod front projector Microsoft to showcase remote-controlled USB handsets and UMPCs You let me down, Bill - keynote analysis Bill Gates Unleashes Windows Home Server AMD unleashes second generation of Live! platform Sony plans next Blu-ray attack at HD DVD Sony hits one million shipped PS3s, hints at new features AOL Video to run on Sony's TVs January 7, 2007 Palm launches Treo 750 smartphone Samsung launches UMPC with flash hard drive JVC first to offer HD HDD videocam Battle of the 108"ers Philips AmBX to bring light, wind and good vibrations to gamers Philips goes ambi-extreme LG puts "aggressive" sticker on 71" plasma TV VoodooPC to show off AMD's Quad FX with 18 ft. screens Toshiba to offer 1080p HD DVD player for $600 Keep the bad guys away with full disk encryption Netgear refreshes Zetera-based NAS New HD media player from Netgear Netgear intros standalone Skype / PSTN DECT phone LG to roll out dual-format Blu-ray/HD DVD player in Q1 LG jumps into iPod accessory land with ultra-cool deck Nobint Falcon showcases 3D touch device - think a mouse, only better Even Duracell is in the iPod accessory market now A full keyboard for a normal sized phone Shure tries to be more consumer friendly with sane-priced quality earphones 3D gaming, surround sound, and waterproof accessories Linksys gets into the consumer NAS game Slideshow: Terabyte, hybrid HDD and beyond Want wireless Internet access at CES? Then pay $400 Growing pains at the Consumer Electronics Show First live demo of mobile Wimax January 6, 2007 LG more serious about 1080p MSI rings in second wave of AMD Live! entertainment PCs MSI to release second notebook with crystal inlays The battle for the digital home - analyst opinion January 5, 2007 A preview of what you can expect to see on the showfloor Toshiba to ship HD DVD writer in February Hitachi announces 1 TB hard drive Corel updates DVD Copy 5 with iPod, Vista support Proton to introduce two more full HDTVs BenQ to debut new DLP projectors Lacie announces $1150 Blu-ray burner January 4, 2007 Sandisk surprises with Flash hard drive announcement Hybrid hard drives promoted through industry alliance Logitech integrates computer speakers with iPod dock LG to unveil combo Blu-ray - HD DVD player MSI to showcase AMD Live! systems Samsung develops double-sided LCD A floating iPod sound system for your swimming pool Toshiba to show fuel cell-powered MP3 player Toshiba to debut external USB hard drive January 3, 2007 XM to go beyond radio with weather, video MSI to showcase medical notebook Lexar upgrades Jumpdrives for Windows Vista Westinghouse to show Quad HDTV January 2, 2007 Patriot to demonstrate 1302 MHz memory modules Fujitsu to demo H.264 IC for HD recording Showtime to launch video download service for Windows Vista Autonet announces Internet access for cars Vutec to show off Tri-Plex screen

• Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave (5 offers) Online shop Price Dell Home $69.99 Buydig.com $58.95 TigerDirect $76.99 OfficeMax $79.99 Amazon.com $61.44 See more products The VX Nano can be configured from Logitech's SetPoint control panel. You can change the left- and right-click around, and add alternate functions to the back and forward buttons, along with the left- and right-scroll. While this isn't as flexible as the Wave's, it's still useful - even if only to use a mouse as a temporary media player controller at a party. Logitech also provides tools for controlling how the VX Nano works with games, letting you set whether the game or SetPoint controls mouse acceleration. Logitech has fitted a scaled down version of the flywheel mouse wheel from the MX Revolution to the VX Nano. While not as heavy as that of the MX Revolution's, the wheel gives the same smooth scrolling action. SetPoint has added software settings to control how the wheel scrolls - whether it defaults to smooth scrolling, or to using the ratcheted slow scroll. We chose the third option, which lets you switch between the two by clicking the mouse wheel. The smooth scroll is as good as the MX Revolution, and is almost frictionless. You'll soon see the benefit when scrolling through a long Web page or a massive Excel spreadsheet. Battery life is good, with the mouse only requiring a single AAA battery (one is bundled with the package). There are two ways to see if a battery needs changing: SetPoint indicates the available charge and an estimated lifespan and an LED on the mouse shows when you need to replace it. Logitech suggests that battery life should be around six months. However, we've been using our test device for nearly two months now, and SetPoint is currently reporting 95% charge and 158 days of battery life. Logitech has started providing soft cases for its portable devices. The VX Nano comes with an attractive black padded case, which doubles as a polishing cloth - keeping the VX Nano's curves nice and shiny! It'll also keep the mouse from getting scratched when thrown in with the power supplies and other paraphernalia at the bottom of a laptop back pack.

• Style The U2E has "executive" written all over it. This ultraportable’s calling card is its leather skin, which gives it a very high-end, professional sheen—like an attaché case, billfold or luxury car interior. After seeing it, you won’t forget it, and after touching it, you’ll know that the leather does more for the computer than add a bit of glam. That’s because, while the leather is a bit stiff—at first it feels like nothing more than a nubbly plastic—it warms to the touch and makes your wrists (the leather extends to the wristpad) feel so much more comfortable than plastic or metal ever has. Leather also breathes, and it smells good too. Leather isn’t for everyone. The U2E also comes in a brown leather variety, which might appeal to more people, but in general, the leather gives the machine a more masculine look. To truly go ga-ga for the U2E’s style cues, you probably need the kind of ego that necessarily comes with high-paying, high-ranking executive roles (or the aspiration to get one of those jobs). Leather aside, the U2E also has other high-end touches, including gun-metal chrome hardware on the lip of the chassis and at the centimeter-round screen hinge. These bits of hardware are incredibly solid, making the U2E’s build quality feel the least flimsy of all the computers in this tiny-machine roundup. These chrome bits, however, are fingerprint magnets: after a while, the chrome started to look oxidized with the brownish tinge that finger oils can create. To keep the metal looking spiffy, you’ve got to detail these parts like a Mercedes-Benz. One other complaint about the screen hinge is that it doesn’t bend back quite far enough—only to about 130 degrees. But on the other hand, when you close the lid and then reopen it, you discover that there’s no latch. The lid simply stays shut and lifts open when needed—a classy, clean design. Ports Asus managed to include nearly every single port one could hope for on a machine of this size, with the exception of a Firewire port. Instead, Asus provides a Micro-DVI and a VGA port (double video output duty) on the left hand side of the machine. On the left side you’ve also got the power jack, a Wi-Fi on/off switch, a fan, two USB ports, an ExpressCard slot—the U2E doesn’t have a built-in Broadband chip so you’ll need an external device here if you want to go that route—and the headphone and microphone jacks. The headphone provides strong audio output. On the front of the chassis there’s a 4-in-1 SD card slot, as well as two panels of wheezy and thin speakers pushed over on the right-front side (you’ll want to use the headphone jack instead of listening to anything on them). On the right-hand side of the computer is the built-in DVD-RW drive—an impressive accomplishment for Asus, given this machine’s slim size. Past that is one more USB port, giving the Asus a total of three—more than any Apple MacBook, all of which are bigger than this unit—a gigabit Ethernet port, and a modem port as well. Size and Weight The back of the U2E features no ports, just a barely protruding battery. This ultraportable has less junk in the trunk than any other ultraportable in this roundup. There might as well not be a battery in there; it is the smallest one available for the U2E, and frankly, its performance stinks (see the Battery section below). But in exchange for that miniscule battery life, you get a much more svelte machine. It’s not the lightest in our bunch, but the U2E packs an optical drive and a 120 GB hard drive, and still manages to come in under 3 pounds (2.9 to be exact). The power brick adds another 0.68 pounds, bringing the travel weight to 3.6 pounds. In terms of size and shape, the U2E is smaller in dimensions (at 10.9” length x 7.6” width x 1.1” thickness) than any of the other ultraportables here with built-in optical drives. Packaging Ultimately, consumer electronics packaging doesn’t much matter—fancy packaging probably just drives up the price of a machine. But the U2E’s packaging goes beyond what is normally seen: it comes with a multi-tiered, well-designed box with satin pull-tabs for storage, a Logitech re-branded Bluetooth mouse, and a high-quality suede slip-case. You probably won’t want to throw any of this away. Style Score: 4.5 Usability Display With all the convenience that comes with a tiny ultraportable, also comes compromise, and the areas that most bother consumers are a smaller screen size and tiny keyboard. Three of our five ultraportable sport an 11.1” display; for some, this size, especially set to the full 1366x768 widescreen resolution, can cause some squinting. Eyesight and perhaps age may be factors here; for me, 11.1” doesn’t pose a problem, and the Asus LED backlit and glossy screen is extremely vibrant. We wish the screen hinge could bend back further for more viewing angle options, but when viewed head-on, the screen looks better than a full-sized laptop with a matte screen. The display is also sturdier than some of the other ultraportables’ screens, such as the Sony TZ. Like all the notebooks in this roundup, the U2E also has a low-resolution Webcam built into the top of the bezel. Keyboard Aside from netbooks like the Acer Aspire One, the Asus’s keyboard is one of the smallest put into an ultraportable—those of you with large or even average-sized hands will complain. I have small hands, and the U2E’s keyboard requires some economy of movement from me, but I don’t lose any accuracy while typing on it. This probably has more to do with the quality of the keyboard than its size. The keys have the traditional slanted-sides shape, even though they are small; visually, they sparkle, due to a metallic coating. They’re not slippery, but slightly grainy, which I like in a keyboard, since texture improves accuracy. The individual keys have a nice spring to them, but the keyboard as a whole does not bounce during typing—many small notebook keyboards sink quite a bit when even just one key is depressed. They keyboard is solid, even over the optical drive on the right-hand side. Trackpad and Buttons The trackpad on the U2E can’t compete with the keyboard in terms of quality; it is coated in some kind of brushed metal, which makes it feel striped. Texture on keys feels good, but texture on a trackpad, especially when inconsistent, is confusing. When running my index finger up and down this trackpad I felt lines, which occasionally made me feel like I had reached the top or bottom of the trackpad when I hadn’t. And even when I turned the trackpad sensitivity all the way up, the cursor still seemed to move slowly and cover little ground. My fingernail also got caught on the metal strip that separates the trackpad from the mouse buttons below. I would try to click the strip, thinking I had reached the button, but I wasn’t there. The buttons themselves are solid, once you actually reach them. They are small enough to depress fully from any part of the button, and they require a hearty click to activate them. I appreciate that last aspect—few unintended clicks here—though some folks might find that their fingers are working too hard for each click. The U2E’s keyboard chassis doesn’t include any multimedia buttons; all controls are operated by the blue function icons activated by the Fn key. Other than the power button, there is one other button on the chassis, on the left opposite side of the power button. This button features an icon of a little running man, and can be configured to operate various power management settings on the U2E. It’s not incredibly useful, and the lack of other hardware controls saves space on this already space-strapped machine. There is a very small fingerprint scanner on the right hand side of the keyboard chassis. Most consumers seem to eschew this type of security, but in many corporate settings it is de rigueur for protecting sensitive data. It also fits with the "executive" theme of this notebook. Noise, Heat, and Power The U2E makes virtually no noise when plugged in, but when running on battery, its fans get rather loud. Keep in mind, though, that the point of this ultraportable machine is to use it without wires. The noise level doesn’t appear to be tied to what applications the computer is running. The top of the computer stays cool, but the underside is always warm to the touch; again, when running without power, the bottom can get hot. Some of the heat and noise can be attributed to the U2E’s underpowered CPU (the weakest in this roundup), which strains occasionally, though almost never during basic Web browsing, word processing, or emailing. With such a low-power processor, this machine is bound to stay pretty cool to the touch most of the time. During basic computing tasks I never noticed an obvious sluggishness with the U2E, but don’t even bother asking this machine to play games with near-modern graphics, render photos or encode video. Even though our review unit has more RAM on board than any of the others in our roundup (3 GB), the extra gig didn’t seem to help. How bad could this machine have been with only 2 GB RAM? See the Performance section for more information about where the U2E may struggle. Usability Score: 4