Sony pulled the wraps off a new notebook computer called the VPCEA290X Signature Edition. The machine has an interesting pattern on the top of the lid and the palm rest that is embossed not simply printed. The machine is available in gold, black and pink colors.

CPU options in the machine include a 2.26GHz Core i3-350M, i5-520M, or an i5-540M. Windows 7 Premium or Pro versions are the OS choices. Sony calls that fancy pattern on the lid and palm rest I mentioned Arabesque. You can order the machine with a black or pink keyboard skin for an extra $20.

Storage options include a 320GB HDD at 5400 rpm standard and go up to a 500GB 7200rpm drive. You can get up to 8GB of RAM with 4GB standard. The machine ships with Office 2010 Starter edition and Blu-ray is an option. The notebook has a 14-inch screen and uses ATI graphics.

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Toshiba has announced that it is adding new notebook models to its line of Dynabook machines. One of the more interesting of the two is the Qosmio V65 set to launch soon. The notebook has a 15.6-inch screen that is LED backlit.

Other features include a Core i5-450M CPU running at 2.4GHz and a 500GB HDD. The machine has a Blu-ray player and uses a SpursEngine digital TV turner with 32 or 64-bit Windows OS.

The Blu-ray player can record and play Blu-ray media. The notebook also features 4GB of RAM. Toshiba claims that the machine’s SpursEngine is the world’s fastest for dubbing material to the Blu-ray player. Pricing is unknown at this time.

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One of the things that many folks who work exclusively from notebooks want is a notebook riser to put the screen at a more comfortable level. Many of these same folks also like to listen to music while they work and end up adding external speakers to their notebook as well.

SMK-Link (PDF) has announced a new Notebook USB Audio Station that will allow the user to raise the screen and get better sound in one device. The Notebook USB audio station raised the screen of the notebook 26-degrees for eye level viewing and needs only a USB port to connect the integrated speakers.

The dock also has a three port powered USB hub for connecting a mouse and keyboard letting the device work like a dock. The speakers have 8-watts of power and the device sells for $59.99. The Notebook USB Audio Station is available now at Apple retail stores.

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I once owned a Compaq desktop computer that I custom configured back in the day. This was all before HP gobbled them up. Today Compaq is a name we rarely talk about anymore. A new notebook that the company is offering is interesting not for the performance it offers, but for the price of the machine.

The notebook is the Compaq Presario CQ62Z and in its most basic configuration the 15.6-inch notebook carries a price tag more like a netbook than a notebook at $379.99. Sure, you can get the price up to nearly twice that mark. However, if a bargain machine with a standard notebook size screen is what you want you can get it here.

The base configuration uses an AMD V-Series V120 CPU running at 2.2GHz. Optional CPUs range from Athlon II parts up to 3-core Phenom II parts. RAM runs from 2GB to 4GB with storage options in 5400 and 7200 RPM from 250GB to 500GB. Graphics are from ATI with base machines getting HD 4250. The screen is LED backlit with a 1366 x 768 resolution and power comes from a 6-cell battery. That’s not such bad hardware for the starting price.

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I have found myself becoming more and more interested in using the iPad rather than my notebook or a netbook for general computer use when I am away from my desktop. The thing will do everything my notebooks will do except Flash video, which I rarely miss. Retrevo has conducted a survey on iPad sales and how many buyers would have previously purchased a netbook with some impressive results.

According to the survey – which polled more than 1000 individuals across a range of gender, age, and income – a whopping 30% of those interested in a netbook waited until the iPad launched and ended up buying the iPad rather than a netbook. Another 30% of those surveyed ended up buying a netbook without waiting for the iPad, and 40% waited for the iPad, but bought a netbook.

That means out of the users the survey polled, a full 30% of those in the market for a netbook waited for the iPad and ended up buying the iPad. Those still considering an iPad or a netbook are leaning overwhelmingly to the iPad by 78%. The survey also looked at the number of users deciding between a laptop and a netbook and 65% of the folks surveyed are leaning towards a notebook.

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I am not a big fan of working from laptops when I can help it. I don’t like to look down at the screen; I want the screen to be eye level with me. When I do travel and have to work on a laptop I like to take a laptop stand with me to raise the screen a bit. The problem is that fitting most laptop stands into a laptop bag is difficult.

AViiQ has announced a new laptop stand called the Portable laptop Stand that is only ¼” thick when you fold it down. The stand raises the screen 12-degrees to reduce stress on the neck and the wrists when typing. The angle of the stand lets air get under the notebook as well helping to cool powerful systems that tend to run hot.

The stand is made from a material called Hylite. Hylite is a composite material that is made from aluminum sheets bonded to a polypropylene core. The aluminum is then milled off leaving a flexible material that is very portable. You can pick the stand up now for $79.99.

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We mentioned last week that the Amazon Kindle App for Android devices is due to land this summer. That will allow lots more users to access the Kindle bookstore. Asus has announced that it will be including the Kindle app on several of its computers.

The Kindle App will be pre-installed right out of the box on Eee netbooks including the 1005PE and the UL30A-X5K and UL30VT-X1K ultrathin notebooks. The app will let the user read any of the titles from the Kindle bookstore right on the notebook or netbook.

We have talked about the Kindle app for PCs before. It lets the user read the book on the computer and on the Kindle eReader and can synchronize the readers place and book marks between the two devices. Bestseller titles start at $9.99.

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We mentioned yesterday that the cheapest MacBook received an update with new processors and graphics. The machine received a new 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo CPU and new GeForce 320M graphics. One feature that we didn’t notice at the time that the update added has to do with outputting audio and video.

The newly updated MacBook now gets the ability to send both audio and video out through the Mini DisplayPort on the left side of the rig. That means that using the myriad of expensive adapters Apple offers or supported aftermarket adapters you can send audio and video out to your HDMI TV.

The iMac and MacBook Pro models have supported this feature for a while now. Now that the lowly MacBook has received an update, it has joined the crowd. MacRumors reports that right now there is no document pointing out which aftermarket adapters won’t support the new feature, but that is expected to surface soon.

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Over the last few years, MSI has become a much bigger part of the notebook landscape here in America. This is largely due to the company’s very successful netbook line that debuted years ago. MSI is announcing a new notebook today called the CX623 that is aimed at fans of multimedia.

The new notebook has a 15.6-inch screen and sports a powerful NVIDIA GeForce 310M graphics card with 1GB of DDR3 VRAM. The outside of the machine has the MSI color film print coating with a crosshatch design that offers style. The keyboard is the chicklet design popular on many machines today.

The heart of the machine is an Intel Core i5 CPU that promises to sip power giving the machine 15% longer battery life than previous notebook generations. MSI also uses its ECO mode to boost battery life. Other features include a pair of memory slots for DDR3 RAM, up to 500GB of storage, and a memory card reader. Power comes from a 6-cell battery and the machine has HDMI and VGA out. The notebook measures 247.5 x 374 x 35mm and weighs less than 2.5KG.

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Asus has announced its plans for notebooks for the second half of the year. The notebook maker plans to launch new notebooks in the U-Bamboo and NX/N/U series reports DigiTimes. The U-Bamboo notebooks will have chassis that are made from bamboo wood.

Those U-Bamboo machines are reportedly set for a launch in the middle of June. The rigs will come in 13.3-inch, 14.1-inch, and 15.6-inch models. The CPUs in the line will include Core i5-450M processor along with NVIDIA GeForce 310M graphics and USB 3.0 ports.

In addition to those machines, Asus will also be pulling the wraps off a new NX90JQ notebook with Sonic Master Audio built in conjunction with Bang and Olufsen. This machine is set for a July launch and will use an Intel Core i7-720QM processor with GeForce 334M graphics, 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB HDD.

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