Looking for the right ultraportable

[Cooper]

I like my Dell D420 very much. But what Im missing is 1080P playback capability and HDMI/DP output.
I am looking for HD capable 12" lappy, 1.5kg/3lbs to use it on the go and hook it to FullHD panel. What are my current options and what may come in near future ?

[Knight]

What might be your price range? Is having a CD/DVD/BR drive a must?

[Cooper]

Well Im not eager to spend alot of $ but I imagine such devices priced at $1.3k+
I would really need Bluetooth, microphone, wi-fi, stereo speakers, prefferably 2.5" format HDD/SSD for future upgrades. Everything else is irreleavant.

[Cooper]

No opinions ? :shrug:

[Papu]

wait for this beauty to come out
Dell Adamo (http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/dell-adamo-hands-on/)

[Cooper]

Glossy display :(

[Papu]

Glossy display :(

:( maybe a matte option will come out

[bot@xs]

ThinkPad SL Series SL300(27387EU) NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo P8400(2.26GHz) 13.3" Wide XGA 2GB Memory DDR2 667 160GB HDD 5400rpm Dual layer DVD Burner Intel GMA 4500MHD - Retail - $999.99 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834146474)

ASUS F6 Series F6V-A1 NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo P8600(2.40GHz) 13.3" Wide XGA 4GB Memory DDR2 800 320GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 - Retail - $1,149.99 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220387)

ThinkPad X Series X200(74542GU) NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo P8600(2.40GHz) 12.1" Wide XGA 2GB Memory DDR3 1066 160GB HDD 5400rpm Intel GMA 4500MHD - Retail - $1,199.99 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834146513)

Lenovo IdeaPad U330-7232U NoteBook Intel Core 2 Duo P7350(2.00GHz) 13.3" Wide XGA 3GB Memory 250GB HDD 5400rpm Dual layer DVD Burner ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 and Intel GMA 4500MHD - Retail - $1,199.99 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834146500)

few options besides dell

[Macadamia]

HP DV2 + Bluray Drive. Out in March.


$900 only. (Yes with the drive and Mobi Radeon)


$700 without BR drive, 780G still decodes 1080p.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/06/hps-12-1-inch-pavilion-dv2-dont-call-it-a-netbook/

[Charles Wirth]

Asus U6 series is worth checking out, review inbound.

[Cooper]

Well after doing some research on the streamers I found this little thing (http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=572&language=en)
Might as well keep the D420 and opt for this cheapo :D

[Frank M]

But what Im missing is 1080P playback capability and HDMI/DP output.
hook it to FullHD panel. What are my current options and what may come in near future ?

If you are only using it for 1080p and hooking it up to an HD-TV, then
a media center is what you are looking for (like the wd you linked: they
look like external 3.5" hdd enclosures, but have a SoC with integrated
HD-video decoder chip -- similar to the chips used in BR players.
Unfortunately a google search is not too useful as the term is too
generic; here is an article (http://prohardver.hu/teszt/hd_lejatszas/kinek_kell_a_hd.html) in my language (google translate is awful),
and at the end (http://prohardver.hu/teszt/hd_lejatszas/ertekeles.html) it has a very detailed xls summary (http://prohardver.hu/dl/rev/2008-06/2252/mmp_teszt_tablazat.xls), which is also in
Hungarian, but might give you an idea of what these are capable of.
You might also want to check this shop (http://www.multimediaplayers.eu/Default.aspx), also in Hungarian, but might
give you some ideas on brands to check.

They are only usable for media playback, though, no laptop functions.
Also, you'll need to do some research, as many of them are picky with
file formats and sometimes resolutions.

[[XC] leviathan18]

dell xps studio 13

[BranNutz]

I would wait it out, there will be some really exciting stuff coming out this year with the new Nvidia Ion Tegra chips and the new creative ZII chips. Handhelds will have full 1080p playback and the graphics power of a Geforce 9xxx and be around the 300-400 range. Look up those chips for some pretty exciting press releases of whats to come later this year.