Seagate Officially Launches Hybrid Hard Drive

We knew Seagate was cooking up a hybrid hard drive that would combine an SSD and HDD under the same hood, but most of the information we had was based on speculation and leaked specs. Things are a bit more concrete now, as Seagate today officially unveiled what it claims is the "world's fastest hard drive for laptop computers."

It's called the Momentus XT and it comes in three capacities, including 250GB, 320GB, and 500GB. These hybrid drives will sport 4GB of fast SLC NAND solid state memory, a 7200RPM spindle speed, 32MB of drive-level cache, and SATA 3Gb/s with NCQ.

"We see the Momentus ® XT drive as a game changer, a product heralding a new generation of hard drives that combine SSD and HDD capabilities so that laptop users don’t have to make trade-offs on speed, cost or capacity," said Dave Mosley, Seagate executive vice president of Sales, Marketing and Product Line Management.

To squeeze the most performance out of its hybrid drive, Seagate has implemented what it calls Adaptive Memory technology. What this does is analyze patterns in how often certain digital data is used and then moves the most frequently used bits to the embedded solid state memory for faster access.

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HP Expands Worldwide Battery Recall

Battery packs shipped in HP notebook PC products manufactured between August 2007 and May 2008 may pose a potential safety hazard to customers, HP said on Wednesday. The batteries can overheat and pose a fire and/or burn hazard.

HP had already issued a worldwide voluntary recall for the potentially faulty batteries, and has now added several more to the list. Additional models include HP, HP Pavilion, HP Compaq, and Compaq Presario products, over 31 SKUs in all.

If you own one of the affected models, HP will send out a replacement battery pack at no cost. According to HP, less than 3 percent of the notebook PC products manufactured in the above time frame are included in the program.

Full list and validation instructions here.

Netbooks, Ultra-Thins Off to a Strong Start in 2010

If tablets are going to kill off the netbook market, they're going to have to kick things up a notch or three. According to market research firm iSuppli, netbooks posted double digit growth so far in 2010, the result of improved economic conditions around the world.

"Despite the worldwide recession last year, consumers were enthusiastic about notebooks, a trend that will persist in 2010 especially for the market's two fastest-growing segments-the netbook and the ultra-thin notebook," said Peter Lin, senior analyst for compute platforms at iSuppli.

Netbooks shipments are expect to surge to 34.5 million units in 2010, a 30 percent increase over one year ago, and by 2014, iSuppli forecasts netbook shipments in the neighborhood of 58.3 million. At the same time, ultra-thins are becoming extremely popular and will ship nearly 14.5 million units in 2010, equivalent to a 93 percent increase from the 7.5 million units shipped in 2009.

Netbooks, Ultra-Thins Off to a Strong Start in 2010

If tablets are going to kill off the netbook market, they're going to have to kick things up a notch or three. According to market research firm iSuppli, netbooks posted double digit growth so far in 2010, the result of improved economic conditions around the world.

"Despite the worldwide recession last year, consumers were enthusiastic about notebooks, a trend that will persist in 2010 especially for the market's two fastest-growing segments-the netbook and the ultra-thin notebook," said Peter Lin, senior analyst for compute platforms at iSuppli.

Netbooks shipments are expect to surge to 34.5 million units in 2010, a 30 percent increase over one year ago, and by 2014, iSuppli forecasts netbook shipments in the neighborhood of 58.3 million. At the same time, ultra-thins are becoming extremely popular and will ship nearly 14.5 million units in 2010, equivalent to a 93 percent increase from the 7.5 million units shipped in 2009.

Toshiba Implements Sony's TransferJet Technology into Notebooks

PIQOO | www.piqoo.blogspot.com

Starting sometime in the second half of this year, Toshiba says it will begin implementing Sony's TransferJet technology into its product lines.

If you've never heard of TransferJet, it's a close-proximity wireless transfer technology offering high-speed transfers of larger files from your handheld gadgets to other devices. The physical transmission layer comes rated at 560Mbps, while the maximum data throughput (think: real-world) is 375Mbps (you can read more about TransferJet here).

Toshiba didn't say exactly what products will be the first infused with TransferJet, nor what kind of pricing premium the technology would result in. The company did say, however, that TransferJet will probably be added to just a handful of models to begin with. And because it has already been demonstrated by Toshiba's UK laptop division, it's a safe bet that we'll likely see this appear on Toshiba's laptop line first.

Image Crdit: electricpig.co.uk

Asus G73 Gaming Laptop Available in the States

PIQOO | www.piqoo.blogspot.com

In the market for a gaming notebook? If so, Asus' G73 laptop might be the steal of the year, albeit it's still early. Nevertheless, we haven't been this stoked about an affordable gaming notebook since Gateway wowed us with its P7811-FX machine.

Those looking for battery life first and performance second need not apply. But if you're into desktop replacements, the G73's spec sheet will certainly oblige. Inside the 17.3-inch laptop sits an Intel Core i7 720QM quad-core processor, and that's just the beginning. You'll also find 8GB of DDR3 memory, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 graphics with a 1GB frame buffer, and a 500GB hard drive spinning at 7200RPM.

The G73 also boasts a 1920 x 1080 screen resolution, DVD burner, 4 USB ports, VGA and HDMI, an 8-in-1 card reader, 2.0MP, 8-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Ready for the best part? It's available now from Newegg $1,450.

Image Credit: Asus

Most Popular Laptops for January 2010

Each month we compile data for the number of times a particular notebook is viewed on this site's product pages to get an idea for what mainstream consumers are looking at and thinking about buying. While these laptops aren't necessarily the most popular in terms of sales, they are the most popular based on the number of times our visitors clicked on them.

In that sense, think of this list as the "most clickable laptops of the month" ... the notebooks that most of the people visiting this site are interested in learning about. Keep in mind that clicks directly on the "Most Viewed Laptops" list do not count toward the total in order to keep the list as fair as possible each month. The only clicks that count toward the monthly totals come from web searches like Google or from visitors who have clicked on a laptop after visiting our "Notebook Database" or inside our forums.

In the month of January we saw a ton of new notebooks enter our Top 10 list, including the Lenovo ThinkPad T400, Lenovo ThinkPad X200, Dell Studio 17, HP ProBook 4510s, and the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro. The biggest change this month is the Lenovo G550 which took the lead spot, bumping the Acer Aspire One to #2.

	1. Lenovo G550 (Previously #8) - The Lenovo G550 is an update to the Value Line G530 with the primary difference being the shift from a 16:10 to a 16:9 screen. Configurations include either Intel Pentium or Core 2 Duo processor and up to 4GB DDR3 installed memory. (55,506 unique views) View NotebookReview.com Review for Lenovo G550
	2. Acer Aspire One (Previously #1) - The Aspire One is the latest "netbook" from Acer, offering a convenient, compact design at a budget price. The Aspire One features an Intel Atom Processor, 8.9" WSVGA TFT LCD, and a choice of either Genuine Windows XP Home Edition or Linpus Linux Lite version. (37,844 unique views) View NotebookReview.com Review for Aspire One
	3. Dell Studio XPS 16 (Previously #4) - The Studio XPS 16 features premium design with genuine leather accents, anodized aluminum, edge-to-edge display and backlit keyboard, 16" ultrawide 16:9 aspect ratio with 1080p HD support & optional RGB-LED for brighter and more vivid colors, the latest Centrino 2 platform for blazing fast performance, amazing battery life and go anywhere wireless connectivity and premium ATI 512MB graphics delivers incredibly lifelike videos, movies and gaming. (31,888 unique views) View NotebookReview.com Review for Dell Studio XPS 16
	4. Lenovo ThinkPad T400 (Back in the Top 10) - The ThinkPad T400 features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 14.1" LED-backlight widescreen, up to 8GB of PC2-8500 and integrated Intel X4500 or ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470. (26,262 unique views) View NotebookReview.com Review for Lenovo ThinkPad T400
	5. Dell Studio 15 (Previously #7) - The Dell Studio 15 is a 15.4" screen multimedia laptop offered in multiple colors and configurations. The Studio 15 can be equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo and dedicated ATI graphics. It comes with a slot-loading DVD drive, backlit keyboard, sleek drop-hinge design, widescreen glossy display and touch sensitive buttons. Software wise the Dell Studio 15 includes a unique Apple Mac OS X launch dock. (25,816 unique views) View NotebookReview.com Review for Dell Studio 15
	6. Lenovo ThinkPad X200 (Back in the Top 10) - The Lenovo ThinkPad X200 is a 12.1" ultraportable featuring an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and up to 4GB of DDR3 Memory. (22,092 unique views) View NotebookReview.com Review for Lenovo ThinkPad X200
	7. Dell Studio 17 (New to the Top 10) - The Dell Studio 17 is a 17" screen multimedia laptop offered in multiple colors and configurations. The Studio 17 can be equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo and dedicated ATI graphics. It comes with a slot-loading DVD drive, backlit keyboard, sleek drop-hinge design, widescreen glossy display and touch sensitive buttons. Software wise the Dell Studio 17 includes a unique Apple Mac OS X launch dock. (19,866 unique views) View NotebookReview.com Review for Dell Studio 17
	8. HP ProBook 4510s (Back to the Top 10) - The HP ProBook 4510s offers a 15.6-inch diagonal 16:9 HD widescreen LED backlight display and optional HP Mobile Broadband connectivity with built-in Gobi technology or standard Wi-Fi certified and optional integrated Bluetooth wireless technology. Choose from integrated or dedicated graphics and 6 or 8-cell lithium ion battery. (19,607 unique views) View NotebookReview.com Review for HP ProBook 4510s
	9. Apple 13" MacBook Pro (Back in the Top 10) - This 13 inch notebook is the smallest of the Apple MacBook Pro family. It features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce graphics with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory, up to 8GB DDR3 system memory, and 160 or 250GB SATA hard drive. This system is also equipped with a FireWire 800 port, two USB 2.0 ports, and SD card slot. (17,856 unique views) View NotebookReview.com Review for Apple 13" MacBook Pro
	10. Toshiba Satellite L500/505 (Previously #2) - The Toshiba Satellite L500 and L505 share a 15.6 inch HD display. Configurations are available with either Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon X2 or AMD Turion X2 processor. Other features include DVD SuperMulti drive and up to a 320GB hard drive. (17,361 unique views) View NotebookReview.com Review for Toshiba Satellite L500/505

And here's the rest of 'em rounding out the top 20 most viewed and popular on NotebookReview.com for the month of January:

11. Dell Inspiron 11z - 15,722 unique views
12. Asus G51 - 13,314 unique views
13. Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 - 12,526 unique views
14. Asus UL30 - 12,027 unique views
15. Lenovo ThinkPad T500 - 11,292 unique views
16. Lenovo ThinkPad X200 - 10,955 unique views
17. Dell Studio XPS 13 - 10,154 unique views
18. HP ProBook 5310m - 8,565 unique views
19. Dell Inspiron 15 - 8,434 unique views
20. Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 - 8,382 unique views

Remember, to get advice on which notebook to buy don't just go with what's popular, visit our What Notebook Should I Buy forum to ask what everyone else thinks you should buy based on your needs. Check out how the current standings for this week's most popular notebooks looks.

Top 20 Threads for January

While we're on the subject of top 20, to give an idea of what the hot topics were in the forums last month, here's a list of the most viewed forum threads posted in January:

1. Official Sony VAIO F Series Owners lounge (poster eagle17, posted 1/7/2010, 222519 views, 2519 replies)
2. **Official Alienware M11x Owner's Lounge** (poster MAG, posted 1/19/2010, 84074 views, 1724 replies)
3. Alienware M11x Debut Discussion (poster tyh, posted 1/7/2010, 60869 views, 982 replies)
4. *OFFICIAL: HP Envy 15 2nd Gen Owners Lounge!* (poster wild05kid05, posted 1/14/2010, 56025 views, 1365 replies)
5. *OFFICIAL* "All Powerful" M17x-R2 Edition Owner's Lounge! (poster 5150Joker, posted 1/14/2010, 54983 views, 1451 replies)
6. Asus UL30JT (poster Hihi, posted 1/9/2010, 46385 views, 199 replies)
7. Sony CW i3/i5/i7 Official Owners Thread (poster riverman76, posted 1/11/2010, 44485 views, 992 replies)
8. Asus G51J BSoD thread - part 2 (poster thalanix, posted 1/10/2010, 31190 views, 569 replies)
9. A03 Bios bricked my M15x (poster MaDDoGG, posted 1/8/2010, 27066 views, 489 replies)
10. Official Sony S Series Owners Thread (poster dubbs, posted 1/13/2010, 26145 views, 257 replies)
11. M17x BIOS A03 Discussion Thread (poster DenverESullivan, posted 1/7/2010, 26001 views, 500 replies)
12. HP EliteBook 8440w Review (poster Jerry Jackson, posted 1/6/2010, 24129 views, 127 replies)
13. List everyone M17x-R2 ETA (poster AtolSammeek, posted 1/24/2010, 21137 views, 881 replies)
14. M17x Lighting fx themes! (poster Dslade, posted 1/11/2010, 14831 views, 218 replies)
15. Dell Unveils Powerful 11-inch Alienware M11x Gaming Laptop (poster J.R. Nelson, posted 1/7/2010, 14467 views, 106 replies)
16. It's offical, entire Alienware lineup gets refresh. (poster Falundir, posted 1/7/2010, 13376 views, 244 replies)
17. Lenovo Thinkpad T410 Owner's Lounge (poster TinyRK, posted 1/26/2010, 13300 views, 116 replies)
18. Asus UL80JT info (poster atlr, posted 1/11/2010, 12298 views, 70 replies)
19. T410: It's coming!! (poster hceuterpe, posted 1/15/2010, 11662 views, 92 replies)
20. Apple Event 27th of Jan - Tablet on its way ? (poster Underpantman, posted 1/18/2010, 11531 views, 443 replies)