6 hot-new Windows 7 laptops

PC makers are eyeing the Microsoft's latest operating system Windows 7 to lift hardware sales. From Sony to Lenovo, Acer to HP, PC makers are ready with a slew of Windows 7 laptops. Major Netbook vendors, including the pioneer Asus, too have jumped on the Windows 7 bandwagon. PC manufacturers are hoping that the new OS will give a new lease of life to the struggling laptop and PC market. Here are some of the hot new Windows 7 launches in the laptop space. Sony Vaio X Taking cue from Apple's lightest laptop MacBook Air, Sony has launched an ultra-slim Sony Vaio X laptop in India. The laptop weighs mere 655 grams and is about half an inch thin. The laptop sports a 11.1-inch LED Backlit display offering 1366x768 pixel resolution. Equipped with Intel Atom processor, the laptop comes pre-loaded with Windows 7 Professional (32-bit). Vaio X comes in two models VPCX113KG for Rs 64,990 and VPCX117LG for Rs 84,990. The base model, VPC113KG will pack 45nm process 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 'Silverthorne' processor. Vaio VPC117LG model includes 2GHz Intel Atom Z550 processor. Sony packs 2GB DDR2 RAM and 64GB SSD in VPCX113KG while the other model has 128GB SSD storage.

Lenovo ThinkPad laptops

Lenovo too has refreshed its PC and laptop line-up with new Windows 7 OS. The company has launched a series of Think and Idea brands of PC which will pack the latest OS. Targetted at business users, the 14-inch ThinkPad SL410 and 15.6-inch SL510, both pack Windows 7. Designed for small-to-medium businesses, the laptops offer higher-resolution webcams, clearer microphones, and a microphone mute button for voice and video conferencing. Both models pack Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Among other features, the laptops come with DVD drives, six-cell batteries, multi-touch trackpad, option for 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and Bluetooth connectivity.

Samsung N140 Netbook

Korean giant Samsung has launched an ultra-sleek Netbook N140 powered by newly launched Windows 7 OS in the Indian market. Targetting both home and enterprise users, Samsung N140 comes with a 10.1-inch LED Backlit display and a spillproof keyboard. The Netbook supports 11 hours with a 6 cell battery and has 250GB hard disc drive. In addition, the Netbook promises high multimedia experience and SRS effects that produce clear High Definition 3D sound. Weighing 1.27 kg, N140 packs an array of wireless communication technology and data-sharing capabilities. Other key features include three USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a 3-in-1 memory card reader. Priced at Rs 24,990, Samsung N140 comes with a 1 year warranty.

Toshiba's Notebook PCs

Toshiba has rolled out a series of laptop PCs -- Satellite, Portege, Tecra, NB200 -- pre-loaded with Microsoft's latest Windows 7 OS. Among key features, Toshiba's latest notebook PCs sport new designs, high definition (HD) CSV screens, LED display, multi-touch control panel, 3D HDD protection, Fingerprint recognition and face recognition using HD auto macro integrated wide angle web-camera. Sporting 13.3-inch wide HD screen, Portege M900-D3212 packs Nvidia graphics controller with 512MB video memory. The device comes pre-loaded with Windows 7 Home Basic OS. Satellite M500-D4311 comes in 14-inch wide LED backlit screen with backlit keyboard. The notebook PC packs Nvidia graphics controller, 512MB dedicated video memory and 1366x768 resolution in 16:9 aspect ratio. This one also packs Windows 7 Home Premium version.

BenQ Joybooks

BenQ too has launched two new light-weight Netbooks, Joybook S35 and Joybook S43, bundled with Windows 7 OS. The 13.3-inch BenQ Joybook S35 and the 14-inch Joybook S43 runs on Intel's ULV Pentium Dual Core SU4100 ULV processors Among key multimedia features, both Netbooks pack webcam, microphone, integrated speakers, a 2-channel TruSurround HD sound system with SRS Headphone 360, and a large-capacity HDD. BenQ S43 comes with an 8X DVD Super-Multi optical disc drive. As for battery, Joybooks S35 uses an 8-cell battery and provides up to 11 hours runtime. Joybook S43 uses a 6-cell battery supporting upto five hours. Available in blue and black colour with glossy finish, BenQ S35 comes for Rs 37,199, while S43 is priced at Rs 40,399.

Acer Aspire AS8940G-6865

PC maker Acer unveiled a 18.4-inch full HD widescreen LED backlit notebook PC called Acer Aspire AS8940G-6865 with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. The CineCrystal backlit display offers a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9 with 1920 X 1080 resolutions. Powered by Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz processor, the laptop packs 4GB RAM, a 500GB HDD, 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTS 250M GPU, Blu-ray drive and 5 integrated speakers for surround sound. Among other features, the notebook packs multi-in-1 digital media card reader, WiFi, Acer Crystal Eye Integrated Webcam, touch-capacitive media control interface, 5 USB 2.0 ports, 1 HDMI port, 1 eSATA port and 8-cell battery. Though the notebook is not yet launched in India, it is likely to hit the Indian market soon at a price tag of around Rs 63,000.