HP 13-inch lappy gets Intel-ized

One of our biggest issues with HP's Pavilion dv3z was its AMD processor, keeping it from beating out the performance of comparable 13- and 14-inch laptops with Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs. The 13.3-inch laptop was otherwise a good deal, highly configurable, and thanks to an extended-life battery, able to stay up and running for nearly five hours.
However, if you feel like the slightly slower performance of the AMD processors isn't worth the cost savings, HP now offers the Pavilion dv3t with six Intel Core Duo processors to pick from. The base model comes with a 2GHz T6400 processor and a starting price of $798.99.
Configured with a T6400 and closely matching the review specs we tested, the price comes out to $967.99, which is still a good deal for all that you get. It's just not as good as the $678.99 price of the AMD-based version running on a 2.3GHz Turion X2 Ultra Dual-Core ZM-84.

Intel, the Intel logo and Intel Atom are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
All products, platforms, dates, and figures specified are preliminary based on current expectations, and are subject to change without notice.

Here come Intel's Westmere chips

Intel has been talking a lot about Westmere chips lately. So, here's a quick look at Intel's first chips based on 32-nanometer technology.
Chief Executive Paul Otellini addressed Westmere during the company's first-quarter earnings conference call this week, saying the Westmere chip design will ship later this year, earlier than expected. "We have shipped thousands of Westmere samples to over 30 customers already," Otellini said in the conference call.
Intel's current lineup is made up of processors based on 45-nanometer technology. Generally, the smaller the geometries, the faster and more power efficient the chip. The move to 32-nanometer will put Intel ahead of rival Advanced Micro Devices, which isn't expected to transition to 32-nanometer chips until late in 2010.
The first installment of the Westmere family, the Clarkdale and Arrandale processors, is expected later this year, according to published Intel documentation. Clarkdale is a 32-nanometer desktop processor with built-in graphics--what Intel describes as a "multi-chip package with graphics integrated in (the) processor." Arrandale is a version--also with integrated graphics--for the mobile market, due later this year.

Intel Nehalem/Westmere chip lineup(Credit: Intel)
In 2010, a processor code-named Gulftown (see graphic) is slated to appear and will be Intel's first six-core desktop processor. The Westmere chip will plug into existing Intel motherboard designs.
Westmere will support Intel's Hyperthreading technology, which doubles the number of tasks that can be handled simultaneously.
In related news, Intel's Nehalem mobile "Clarksfield" (don't confuse with Clarkdale) and Nehalem desktop "Lynnfield" processors will come in the second half of the year, according to Intel.
Chinese-language technology Web site HKEPC says Clarksfield quad-core processors will have speeds of 1.6GHz, 1.73GHz, and 2.0GHz and range in price from $364 to $1,054.
Both Annandale (32-nanometer) and Clarksfield (45-nanometer) chips are targeted at the "thin-and-light" laptop market, according to Intel documentation.

Intel, the Intel logo and Intel Atom are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
All products, platforms, dates, and figures specified are preliminary based on current expectations, and are subject to change without notice.

Intel finds stolen laptops can be costly

A laptop's value is more than meets the eye. Intel says stolen laptops cost corporate owners more than $100,000 in some cases, in a study announced Wednesday.
The study on notebook security, commissioned by Intel and conducted by the Ponemon Institute, states that laptops lost or stolen in airports, taxis, and hotels around the world cost their corporate owners an average of $49,246 "reflecting the value of the enclosed data above the cost of the PC," Intel said.
Analyzing 138 instances of lost and stolen notebooks, the study based the $49,246 price tag on costs associated with replacement, detection, forensics, data breach, lost intellectual property, lost productivity, and legal, consulting and regulatory expenses, Intel said. Data breach alone represents 80 percent of the cost.
Who owns a missing notebook is important, Intel said. It is not the CEO's computer that is the most valued, but a director or manager, according to the study. A senior executive's notebook is valued at $28,449, while a director or manager's notebook is worth $60,781 and $61,040, respectively.
The average cost if the notebook is discovered missing the same day is $8,950, according to the study. After more than one week, this figure can reach as high as $115,849.
In addition to the obvious need for vigilance, countermeasures include encryption and data-deletion security services. The study found that data encryption makes the most significant difference in the average cost: a lost notebook with an encrypted hard-disk drive is valued at $37,443, compared with $56,165 for a nonencrypted version, the study says.
Intel Anti-Theft Technology is a "poison pill" solution programmed into the PC that can be triggered by internal detection mechanisms or by a remote server to lock a lost or stolen notebook, rendering it completely useless, according to Intel.

Intel, the Intel logo and Intel Atom are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
All products, platforms, dates, and figures specified are preliminary based on current expectations, and are subject to change without notice.