Acer debuts green, biodegradable notebooks

Acer is getting greener, at least according to Greenpeace.

The computer maker unveiled two new notebooks on Friday that have already received kudos from the international environmental group. The Acer Aspire 3811TZ and Aspire 3811TZG are designed to be energy efficient, recyclable, and biodegradable, thereby winning high marks from Greenpeace, which rates PCs and other electronics for their environmental friendliness.

As part of its green initiatives, Acer said it built the two new Aspires to be free of PVCs (polyvinyl chloride) and BFRs (brominated flame retardants).

PVC is a cheap but durable plastic that has been criticized by Greenpeace for not being biodegradable and for emitting toxic substances into the environment. BFRs are chemicals added to plastics to make them more flame resistance, but these have also been accused of leeching into the environment. Their use in products for babies and children has especially concerned many groups. With the exception of the power cables, all components for both Aspires are free of these toxins.

"The chemical characteristics of PVC and BFRs may generate toxic substances like dioxins and furans at products' end-of-life, therefore, the reduction of PVC and BFRs in Acer products will help protect our environment from being poisoned by electronics goods," Acer said in a statement.

The new Aspires are also designed to cut energy use--both models can save up to 40 percent of the energy consumption of traditional notebooks, providing more than 8 hours of battery life, said Acer. Further, the company designed the units to be easily recycled. With more modular parts than in traditional notebooks, users can also extend the life of the Apires by replacing certain components.

Part of Acer's Timeline series, the two notebooks are targeted as CULVs (consumer ultra-low voltage). These laptops are typically as small and light as Netbooks but deliver greater power and performance with more memory and the use of Intel's Core 2 Duo processor. (We're still working on getting specs and photos.)

Acer first promised in 2005 to eliminate PVCs and BFRs in all its products by 2009, a goal that the company has yet to achieve. Though Greenpeace has applauded the new Aspire models, the group still gave Acer only a grade of 4.5 out of 10 for environmental friendliness in a report published January 7. The company received a strong A for effort on trying to reduce toxic substances from its computers and monitors. But it scored poorly by Greenpeace for its limited recycling and disposal initiatives.

Toshiba Introduces Business Minded Satellite Pro L450, L550

The new laptops come in pre-built models. You will have two choices for the 15.6" L450, either coming with an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5870 and 3GB DDR2 RAM or with an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6670 and 4GB DDR2 RAM. Both models come with a 320GB HDD, Intel's GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics, and Windows XP SP3.The larger 17.3" L550 comes with just one model, featuring similar specs to the higher end L450 above - an Intel Core 2 Duo T6670, 4GB DDR2 RAM, 320GB HDD and Intel's GMA 4500MHD. However, this model comes with Windows 7 Professional as well.The L450 models can be had for $629 and $729, respectively. The L540 will cost $999.

Intel To Launch Three 32nm Core i5 and i7 CPUs In 1H10

The three new 32mm CPUs will be the 1.2GHz Core i7-640UM, the 1.06GHz Core i7-620UM, and the 1.06GHz Core i5-620UM. They will be selling in thousand-unit trays for $305, $278, and $241 respectively. The new chips will aim to keep the ultra-thin notebook price point at between $600-$800, while the target price point for netbooks will remain at $500

MSI Debuts 12.1

The MSI L2100-036US notebook will feature a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40, 2GB RAM, and a 250GB HDD. The graphics will be powered by an underwhelming ATI Radeon X1250.The resolution will be 1366 x 768, and you will have 802.11b/g/n, 3USB ports, a multi-card reader, audio in/out and both VGA and HDMI for connectivity. It tips the scales at 3.2lbs and is currently selling for $459.99 running Windows 7.

Malata Introduces Sleek Convertible Netbook R108T

The convertible R108T features a swiveling 10" 1024x600 touchscreen display, and comes packaged with the touch-friendly Windows 7. Beyond that, the specs are standard for the netbook genre - 1.6GHz Atom N270, 1GB DDR2 RAM and a 160GB HDD. There is a 1.3MP integrated webcam as well as 2 USB ports, VGA, and a card reader.Currently, Malata is only focused on China, but it seems possible this will make it to the US eventually. The current asking price appears to be $439, and if it retains that price it will certainly be a good value.

Smartfish Takes New Angle With Portable Mouse

The ErgoMotion Mouse contains, as far as buttons go, a pretty normal set. There are large right and left click buttons and a scroll wheel. The wireless laser mouse uses a small USB wireless dongle as well. But where the ErgoMotion sets itself apart is the fact that it is essentially a mouse on a raised platform, allowing the mouse to tilt and pivot in the direction you're trying to move it as you do. This supposedly results in a more natural motion for your arm and reduces the likelihood of a RSI (repetitive stress injury), though it is likely it would take some getting used to for those more accustomed to traditional mice.

Matala Releases R108T Convertible Netbook

The netbook includes an Intel Atom N270 1.60GHz processor along with 1GB DDR2 RAM and a 160GB Hard disk. The 10-inch rotating resistive touchscreen display comes with 1024x600 screen resolution. There is Wi-Fi b/g/n, Ethernet, 1.3MP webcam, multi-format card reader, audio ports and two USB 2.0 ports. The default OS is Windows 7. It's available in Ferrari Red, Piano Black, Coffee, Champagne and Gold colors.
The netbook comes with a 3,400mAh battery which should be good enough for more than three hours of runtime. It retails in US and Europe for $435