Dell can’t get enough of the cellular wireless networks. Shortly after announcing the deal with Verizon, Dell is now cozying up with Cingular to market laptops with HSPDA cards.

HSPDA is like a WiFi internet connection, except the connection signal is carried through the cell phone carrier’s network.

The competition is heating up as to who will provide consumers with wireless laptop Internet access, and charging us accordingly. What ever happened to the Utopian dream of placing wireless routers on every block to give unlimited wireless access to everyone in the city? Oh wait, there’s not money in that business model.

Via: ITworld

MobileTracker is reporting that Dell will be manufacturing laptops with built-in wirlesss EVDO (wireless-area networking protocol) cards. EVDO is Verizon’s choice wireless network protocol. The company currently has sold over 600,000 EVDO wireless networking cards that enable Internet access through the Verizon network.

In May, Sony began marketing some Vaio laptops with built in EDGE networking (Cinglurar’s wireless protocol).

James Stoup at Apple Matters has an interesting piece on the possibility of laptop memory manufacturers going from the current spinning hard-drive model to a flash based one:

I fully expect the low end of Apple’s products to become flash based in the near future. I also expect Intel’s new, low power mobile chips (code named Yonah I believe) to arrive in the same time frame. And in two years I have a feeling that Jobs will announce an Intel-flash iBook that will be the thinest laptop ever made boasting the best battery life of any current machine.

James, I think you’re quite right. They said that the laptop could never overtake the desktop in computing power, but improvements in technology have dictated otherwise.

Others have noted that flash based memory has a maximum read/write-cycle limits — there is a maximum number of times that flash memory can read/write before it stops working. That’s a big problem to overcome. And when they do solve it, flash hard drives will be viable.

A new Survey put out by the Mobile PC Extended Battery Life Working Group (which also likes extending industry working group names) says that laptop users would pay up to 20% more for longer battery life.

Over 1,200 notebook users were polled in the US, Japan, Germany, and China.

According to the study, users said the average laptop runs only on batteries about 25 percent of the time. The study also found that 60 percent of standard users—and 75 percent of heavy users—say they recharge their notebooks every chance they get.

Via: [RedHerring]

Linux is coming… to a Dell laptop near you, that is. In partnership with Linux Publisher Mandriva, Dell has announced the linux pre-loaded laptop. The Dell Latitude 100L comes in around 759 euros ($940).

The machine is preloaded with Open Office. The use of open source applications in the 100L means a better deal for linux nuts who don’t want pre-loaded Microsoft applications that get quickly uninstalled for a more stable OS.

Price tag: 759 euros (~ $940)

The Fujitsu Lifebook P1500 is the industry’s smallest and lightest portable. 2.2 pounds, which is about half the weight of some of the lightest laptops on the market right now.

The 8.9″ screened portable runs on Windows XP Tablet edition. Cost: $1,529. Ultra-portable tablets are entering the average consumer price ranges, which probably means that the ultra-portable warrior is ready to challenge the desktop-replacement gamer in laptop functionality.

Via: [Engadget]

Intel is the dominent laptop chip maker. However, AMD is ready to challenge Intel with the AMD Turion 64 processor.

The Turion CPU is AMD’s answer for the wildly successful Pentium Centrino CPU. The company has focused on the desktop and server markets in the past, neglecting to compete with Intel in the notebook arena. Performance should rival the Intel Centrino chip. However, the Turion is a 64-bit chip (vs Centrino’s 32-bit) that should provide improved performance for future applications like Microsoft’s upcoming Windows iteration, Vista.

Rumors claim AMD is planning on launching a dual-core Turion mobile chip in 2006. But the company is keeping a tight seal on dual-core details.

For detailed tech specs, check out Tom’s Hardware Guide.

The Itronix Hummer Laptop is one rugged notebook. It’s water-resistant and can withstand the elements. The manufactuer specializes in making industrial-quality laptops for the military and government.

Specs:

• 1.86GHz Intel Pentium-M processor
• 12.1″ LCD
• 512 MB RAM
• DVD/CD-RW Drive
• Wireless Card (a/b/g)
• 80 GB “shock-proof” Harddrive
• Spill-resistant keyboard

Colors: Yellow, Silver, or Red.

Price Tag: $2,988

Website: HummerLaptops.com

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