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PC and component maker Manli has apparently introduced a new model called the Manli M7 Series in Italy which packs a 12.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display and a 1.3GHz Intel Pentium SU4100 dual core CULV processor. I say apparently, because that’s what Notebook Italia is reporting, but according to the Manli web site, the M7 is a 10.1 inch netbook with a 1024 x 600 pixel display and an Atom N270 processor.
I’m not sure if this just a naming mixup, but I certainly hope that the notebook featured on Notebook Italia is real, because it looks like a nice little system. It measures just under an inch (25mm) thick and has a 6 cell, 6 hour battery. It will reportedly be available in February with a choice of Linux, Windows XP, or Windows 7.
The laptop has 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, and optional Bluetooth 2.1, 3G, and a digital TV tuner.
via Netbooked
These days, buying a decent plasma is often a lot more expensive than building your own media center. If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, a media center is basically a PC that’s focused solely on media playback. Check out our PDF guide on how to set up your own media center, written by Stefan Neagu.
For the past year or so, I’ve been using Windows 7 on my media center. It’s quick, smooth, and the new Windows Media Center makes it an incredible improvement over Vista. It also supports most PCI TV tuners. Lately, I came to realize the stupidity of all it. Television shows haven’t been accounting to much lately, and the Windows 7 price tag isn’t worth it if you’re only using it for music and movies.
Enna
Although Boxee seemed the more obvious choice, it loses the high ground if you lack a decent internet connection. Just when I was about to give up hope, I heard about Enna – an incredible open source Linux media center, developed by the GeeXboX team, and ready for its first public release.
Enna can be installed on top of your Linux distro (e.g. Ubuntu) as a standalone app. But if you don’t want to make “the switch”, you can just use the GeeXboX live CD. You can boot Enna straight from the disk, without installing any alternative operating systems. If you want, you can even keep your default Windows installation running underneath.
Movies and Music
Keep in mind that the Enna Linux media center is a very standard app. It packs the very basic features in a most enticing and graphical user interface. If you’re looking for a surplus of widgets and online connectivity, you’re probably looking for Boxee.
That said, if you’re a standard media freak, Enna should sate your initial hunger, especially for a first public release.
Enna is great for browsing media files on your hard disk – both video and audio. You can also use Enna to pop an old-fashioned DVD. Sadly, this first release does not yet support audio CDs. This feature is promised to be included in one of the other upcoming releases, together with podcast support and VDB TV tuner functionality.
Photographs and Books
Apart from video and music, you can also use the Enna Linux media center software for photo slideshows. Next time your mother-in-law celebrates another wrinkle, surprise her and the rest of the family with a stunning slideshow. I’m not much of a picture-person myself, but I love to use slideshows to decorate a room, and create a pleasant ambience.
This last feature came as a surprise to me. In the bookstore, you can grab your favorite books and comics from the web, and read them from the couch. Enna currently supports GoComics and OneManga for content synchronisation.
Obviously, you want be able to read Shakespeare on your media center, but you can flick through a few (web)comics when you’re bored. As the names suggest, you can access both western comic panels and Japanese manga. Download Enna Media Center here.
What do you think of Enna? Or do you prefer another media center? Tell us which and why in the comments section below!
Somewhere between a top of the line HDTV and a laptop comes this Sony all in one. They are leaders in this market because they're essentially bringing their two strongest products together into one super “desktop”. In this review I'm taking a look at Sony's VAIO VGC-LT29U 22″ PC/TV All-in-one. This wall mountable 22″ desktop is loaded and comes at a premium. I'm going to let you know just how capable it is and if it is worth all that cash. Let me start with a few of the basics.
Hardware:
Display: 22″ LCD XBrite
Tuner: ATI TV Wonder (both NTSC and ATSC tuner)
Processor: 2.50 GHz “Penryn” Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 processor
Storage Space: 1 TB hard drive
RAM: 4GB RAM (un-expandable)
Optical Drive: CD R/RW DVD R RW +/- with integrated Blu-Ray Burner and reader
Graphics Accelerator: Nvidia GeForce Go 8400 graphics
Operating System: Windows Home Vista Ultimate
In the Box: An IR remote, as well as a wireless mouse and keyboard.
This truly can do everything. If you're interested in an All in one desktop television then this is your machine. The 22″ display is clear and bright. It as good as any of Sony's Bravia televisions and the integrated tuner makes sure you'll have no trouble making those comparisons. It has plenty of hard drive space with a TB of storage. This is literally your high definition Blu-Ray player, digital video recorder, computer, and entertainment system all in one killer package.
It has a great video card, the only thing that is a little unfortunate is the Penryn, in my opinion it is a little slower than I would like to see, but does its job fine here. For the most part there really aren't too many criticisms of this Sony all in one.
Connectivity:
5 2.0 USB ports (for connecting to printers, digital cameras or MP3 players)
WiFi (connect wirelessly to your LAN)
1 FireWire (connect your digital camcorder)
ExpressCard
PCMCIA
1 standard audio out as well as optical audio out and 1 mic in
1 Modem input
1 Ethernet input
1 SD / Memory Card Slot
There obviously needs to be fewer connectivity options with this desktop thanks to the integrated monitor and mount ability. You don't really want to have a lot of wires hanging off what basically amounts to a sexy piece of art. The bottom line is I can't really imagine anyone that would be disappointed in this desktop. It is going to look great in any situation, in your rec room, in your kitchen, in your living room or bed room. It will do your office work, and it will play whatever game you toss at it, it's just going to do it all. The price reflects how loaded it really is. At a fairly firm $3200 unfortunately you'll need fairly deep pockets to bring the Sony VAIO VGC-LT29U home. However if you can afford it, you'll like it.