NetbookShow

You knew they were coming, but today it’s time to choose — will you withstand the temptation of a tricked-out ThinkPad W520 workstation or T420s thin-and-light with Sandy Bridge  CPUs?

Yes, Lenovo’s rolling out the red eraserheads this month for Intel’s new chips as fast as it possibly can, with these latest two models hot on the heels of the ThinkPad T420 and T520 and ThinkPad Edge E420s. The $1,199 14-inch T420s distinguishes itself with slightly slimmer construction, a 1600 x 900 resolution and a 2.5GHz Core i5-2520M CPU in a package that weighs less than four pounds — strangely, there’s no Core i7 or discrete graphics here — while the $1,449 W520 workstation comes standard with a 2.7GHz Core i7-2620M chip and an NVIDIA Quadro 1000M GPU with Optimus graphics-switching tech. Of course, the W520 base configuration comes with only a 15.6-inch, 1366 x 768 screen, but don’t you fret — an additional cash infusion can get you a 1600 x 900 or even a full 1080p display to render your video with. Go ahead, spec them out to your heart’s content, while we wait for an even more groundbreaking rig to drop from the ThinkPad heavens.

Digital Storm introducing a new 15.5-inch notebook dubbed Digital Storm xm15.

Will be launched with a $999 starting price, the basic model will sport a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 pixel display and powered by a 2.4GHz Core i5 processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory and NVIDIA 1GB 425M discrete graphics. And if you got plenty of cash to burn, you can choose its top model which boasting a 2.67GHz Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 1920 x 1080 display. All models equipped with NVIDIA’s Optimus system, USB 3.0 port, eSATA ports, optical audio ports, HDMI out and VGA port.

Asustek has officially released the recently leaked ASUS-Lamborghini Eee PC VX6  12.1-inch ultraportable notebook, featuring a dual-core Atom CPU, switchable graphics, and a look co-designed by car maker Lamborghini.

The VX6 comes with the Intel Atom D525 1.83GHz dual-core CPU, aimed at use in small form factor desktop PCs, as well as with Nvidia Optimus switchable GPU technology that combines the Nvidia ION 2 dedicated GPU for more 3D gaming power and Intel’s integrated graphics for a longer battery life. The laptop also supports full HD 1080p video playback on an external display via HDMI and includes Bang & Olufsen Icepower for a rich audio experience.

The display has a 720p resolution.

Asustek’s stylish ultraportable has a black or white glossy exterior also features USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0 technologies, and the Express Gate instant-on OS besides Windows 7 Home Premium.

The ASUS-Lamborghini Eee PC VX6 is available in the UK for £499, which is around $800 USD. There’s no word on availability in other countries.

When the ASUS Eee PC 1015PN first turned up in online retail stores, we we’re promised Windows 7 Home Premium, then it shipped with Starter Edition and we started to realize that the Nvidia ION 2 on board is crippled with this particular Windows edition, requiring an upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium or better to enable Nvidia Optimus to dynamically switch between integrated graphics and the ION chip.

Well now, the Windows 7 Home Premium 1015PN models, with 2GB of RAM are back up on Amazon Germany although there are no shipping dates at the moment. Priced at 449 euros vs 399 euros for the lower end model.

There’s no denying that the ASUS Eee PC 1015PN with a dual core Atom N550 processor and Nvidia ION 2 graphics is one of the most exciting netbooks to come out in years and we’re all eager to see how it performs with the lower end 8-core ION chip as opposed to the 16-core version given to netbooks larger than 10-inch in size. Richard over at EeePC.it has just completed some benchmarks on the new netbook.

Conclusion? It handles any sort of HD media playback fine but gaming performance is almost halved with performance slotting in just above the ATI Radeon HD 4200 series on board the new Nile platform (single core models).

As we’ve heard before Nvidia Optimus is not enabled on Windows Starter although you can upgrade and enable it and switching between integrated and ION graphics requires a reboot.

Earlier this week we saw the ASUS Eee PC 1215N 12-inch ION 2 powerhouse netbook making the review rounds in the US but no one mentioned a release date, and no stores have it in stock except one – ExcaliberPC. Turns out, they now have the 1215N in stock, both in black and silver, priced at $499 with free shipping.

The specs listed – 12.1″ 1366 x 768 display, Intel Atom D525 processor (1.8GHz, dual core), Nvidia ION 2 graphics, Nvidia Optimus, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 250GB HDD, 0.3M webcam, 802.11n Wi-Fi, 6-cell 6 hour battery and Windows 7 Home Premium.

Now with the ASUS Eee PC 1215N selling in the US, it’s time for the high end equivalent – the ASUS Lamborghini VX6 – to make an appearance and it certainly has. It’s up for pre-order at the same place the 1215N is selling, ExcaliberPC.com. Sadly no word of a release date.

Both a black and white model are up for pre-order, priced at $699. For a machine that is basically a 1215N with a different chassis, this is expensive! $200 more than the 1215N although this model does have USB 3.0, Bluetooth 3.0, a better 1.3MP webcam, Bang & Olufsen speakers and a card reader that supports the new SDXC standard. Worth it?

Let’s take a look at the listed specs – 12.1″ 1366 x 768 display, Intel Atom D525 (1.8GHz) processor, Nvidia ION 2 graphics, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 250GB HDD, 1.3MP webcam, 2x USB 3.0 ports, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, HDMI, SDXC card reader, 6 hour 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium.

On the other hand, we have Blogeee  over in France checking out a white, prototype VX6 that is subject to change… The design in a few parts is rather interesting and it seems the battery is integrated in front of the battery as well as being at the front. Subwoofer? He confirms Bluetooth 3.0 and USB 3.0 but I did not see a mention of SDXC, so that one is unconfirmed.

When I initially did a hands on with the ASUS Eee 1015PN 10-inch netbook a couple of months ago at Computex 2010, I had confused it with the Eee PC 1015N. Both are identical and have next generation ION graphics with Nvidia Optimus however while the 1015N has a dual core Atom N550 processor while the 1015PN has a single core Atom processor. The dual core Atom N550, and the 1015N are both still a while away however the 1015PN is coming soon – it has been spotted up for pre-order in France with a price tag of 399 euros and a stocking period of within 30 days.

The ASUS Eee PC 1015PN has a 10.1″ 1024 x 600 display, Atom N475 processor, GMA 3150 graphics, next generation ION graphics (16-core, 512MB RAM), 1GB DDR3 RAM, 2.5″ 250GB HDD, 802.11b/g/n Wi-FI, 10/100 LAN, stereo speakers, mic, 0.3MP webcam, 6-cell battery (4,400 mAh or 5,200 mAh) and Windows 7 Starter + Express Gate OS.

For ports: 3x USB 2.0, audio jacks, VGA, HDMI and LAN. Weighs 1.38kg or 1.27kg.

The store listing and the fact that Blogeee has some official looking pictures means we should be seeing the Eee PC 1015PN very soon. No official word in other countries just yet.