Onescom System

B1H-Wibrain

Korea produces some of the best high-tech gadgets in the world that—for many reasons—never reach American soil. Fortunately, Dynamism, a third-party gadget e-tailer that specializes in selling gadgets from overseas in the U.S., is currently selling a Korean Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) tablet called the Wibrain B1H. No, it’s not a Nintendo Wii accessory, and it has no connection to the Wii. Rather, it’s a handheld PC the size of a Sony PSP that runs a full-blown version of Windows XP Professional. Although the integrated split keyboard and $799 (direct) price tag work in its favor, the B1H enters a market flooded with better and more affordable UMPCs.

Wibrain

http://www.wibrain.com

• Type: General Purpose, Ultraportable, Value
• Operating System: MS Windows XP Home
• Processor Name: VIA C7-M
• Processor Speed: 1.2 GHz
• RAM: 1 GB
• Weight: 1.2 lb
• Screen Size: 4.8 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: VIA S3G Unichrome Pro
• Storage Capacity: 60 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11b
• Primary Optical Drive: External

8920G-Acer Aspire

Just when you thought Acer couldn’t come up with another beastly laptop, the Aspire 8920G “Gemstone Blue” series emerges to wow high-definition aficionados. The Aspire 9805WKHi—Acer’s first effort at a wow! laptop—had a glamorous 20-inch screen but weighed a backbreaking 17 pounds. The Aspire 8920G ($2,600 street) finds the sweet spot by putting an 18.4-inch widescreen on a system that, at 8.8 pounds, weighs as much as some 17-inch models, like the Dell Inspiron 1720, do. Though still bulky, it doesn’t seem like a nightmare to lug around. Altogether, the 8920G is a nice, albeit expensive, Blu-ray–equipped media center that delivers 1080p content.

Acer Inc.

http://www.acer.com

• Type: Gaming, Media
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate
• Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo T9500
• Processor Speed: 2.6 GHz
• RAM: 4 GB
• Weight: 9 lb
• Screen Size: 18.4 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 9650M GS
• Storage Capacity: 320 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11n
• Primary Optical Drive: DVD+/-RW DL with Blu-Ray

A305-S6845-Toshiba Satellite

If a mainstream laptop were uglier than a monkey’s armpit, it would fail in today’s market no matter how hard the manufactures drove down the price or how well it did on performance tests. With the public’s increased interest in attractive laptop designs and manufacturers scrambling to produce them, Toshiba needed to spice up its Satellite line. It has provided just the right touch with the Satellite A305-S6845. This laptop is out to dazzle consumers with its new “Fusion” design, a pattern consisting of a series of white lines embedded beneath a polished exterior. The new look is accompanied by some solid performance numbers, courtesy of Intel’s latest Penryn technology and a decent ATI gaming card. It costs only $1,249 (direct). This trio of offerings should be sweet music to shoppers’ ears.

Toshiba America Inc

http://www.toshiba.com

• Type: Gaming, General Purpose, Media
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
• Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo T8100
• Processor Speed: 2.1 GHz
• RAM: 3 GB
• Weight: 6 lb
• Screen Size: 15.4 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650
• Storage Capacity: 400 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11n
• Primary Optical Drive: Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW

EeePC 900-ASUS

Until the ASUS Eee PC 4G burst onto the scene, the UMPC (ultra-mobile PC) category was something of a joke—the target of numerous wisecracks from journalists and reviewers (including yours truly). Our derision was due to the UMPC’s inability to deliver on its promises: an affordable price and a functional platform. The 2-pound Eee PC 4G changed the way manufacturers approached profit margins and brought the promise of a sub-$500 system back into full swing. The ASUS EeePC 900 is the second iteration of this groundbreaking laptop. The system is available with both a Linux operating system and Windows XP Home at e-tailers like Newegg.com for the same price. Although there weren’t any drastic changes, the move to a bigger, 8.9-inch widescreen and the addition of 16GB worth of extended storage are welcome improvements. But is it worth the $550 (street) price tag? I think so.

AsusTek Computer Inc.

http://www.asus.com

• Type: General Purpose, Media, Ultraportable, Value
• Operating System: Xandros Linux
• Processor Name: Intel Celeron M 373
• Processor Speed: 900 MHz
• RAM: 1 GB
• Weight: 2.2 lb
• Screen Size: 8.9 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 GM
• Storage Capacity: 20 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11g
• Primary Optical Drive: External

M-152XL-Gateway

Gateway has developed a reputation for bundling state-of-the-art processing parts in relatively inexpensive laptops. The Gateway M-152XL, for instance, is a desktop replacement laptop that runs on Intel’s latest “Penryn” technology and includes an ATI graphics card for casual gamers—not bad when you combine this kind of raw horsepower with a $1,299 (direct) price tag. In a world filled with innovative laptop designs, however, Gateway doesn’t really break any new ground by offering this model in several colors.

Gateway Inc

http://www.gateway.com

• Type: General Purpose, Media
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
• Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo T8300
• Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
• RAM: 3 GB
• Weight: 6.2 lb
• Screen Size: 15.4 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600XT
• Storage Capacity: 160 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11n
• Primary Optical Drive: Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW

Ideapad Lenovo U110

After branching out into the consumer retail space with its new IdeaPad line, Lenovo is set to ship the littlest one of them all. Miniaturized to meet the needs of hard-core travelers, the IdeaPad U110 ($1,899 direct) weighs as little as 2.4 pounds (depending on configuration) and has an ensemble that screams multimedia. As you will see, it borrows next to nothing from its famed ThinkPad pedigree. And although Lenovo omitted an internal optical drive, the U110’s list of features and performance parts easily holds its own against the Apple MacBook Air, the Toshiba Portégé R500 (SSD), and even against its own acclaimed sibling, the Lenovo ThinkPad X300.

Lenovo

http://www.lenovo.com

• Type: Media, Ultraportable, Small Business
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
• Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo L7500
• Processor Speed: 1.6 GHz
• RAM: 2 GB
• Weight: 2.9 lb
• Screen Size: 11.1 inches
• Screen Size Type: widescreen
• Graphics Card: Intel GMA X3100
• Storage Capacity: 120 GB
• Networking Options: 802.11a/g
• Primary Optical Drive: External