Available for pre-order through J&R, the Samsung Series 5 will have its pricing start at $899.99 for the 13.3-inch model and $949.99 for the 14-inch model. If you want to have an optical drive, you’ll need to opt for the larger version, but the 13-incher gets an extra USB 3.0 port.

The other specs are mostly the same. You get a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M dual core processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 500GB hard drive backed with 16GB of solid state memory, integrated graphics, webcam, Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi, HDMI-out, multi-card slot, gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, and a 1366×768 display. If the MacBook Air is the most important gadget of 2011, will one of these ultrabooks prove to be pretty darn important for 2012? Time will tell.

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We won’t know any time soon whether it’s true, but the rumour mill has already conjured up the newest edition to the MacBook lineup: MacBook Pros in MacBook Air bodies.

MacRumors.com says it received a tip-off that a MacBook Air-style notebook with a 15” screen is in advanced testing stages in the Apple labs, though their not sure whether it will be called an Air or a Pro. TUAW took the rumour a step further, claiming the 15” Air is being tested alongside a 17” model, too. But how would they be able to shave the inches off of a computer as powerful as the Pro? SSD hard drives and the removal of optical drives, maybe?   “While we don’t know for a fact, we expect that any future ‘ultra thin’ laptop from Apple will also dispense with a built-in optical drive,” writes MacRumors. “As evidenced by its recent release of the optical drive-less Mac mini, Apple has no problem leaving physical media behind.”

Apple was also the first to move away from floppy discs – which makes sense. As a company that manufactures both the hardware and the software driving it, there are less variables than for companies who depend on third parties for their operating systems. With the Mac App store up and running, underscored by the 1 million downloads of Lion OS X in 24 hours, Apple seems safe to assume optical discs are fading from necessity to accessory.  What’s more, the new MacBook Airs’ and Mac Minis’ lack of disc drives don’t seem to be attracting all that much negative attention.

But one question does remain: Is the Air, Mini, and presumably this next-gen Pro mean Apple is weaning its customers off of optical drives entirely? If so, will this reach the next generation of iMacs, too?  Personally, I wouldn’t be too bothered. But I know there are people out there who wouldn’t agree.  What do you think? Is your disc drive an essential part of your day-to-day computing? The speed of SSD and USB 3.0, online movie streaming really kills the need for a DVD-ROM.

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When was the last time that you really needed a DVD drive on your computer? What about a CD-ROM? Even Blu-ray Disc drives aren’t all that useful anymore, since we’re shoving everything onto USB flash drives and downloading things from the Internet. So, Fujitsu is making better use of that space.

The new Lifebook S761/C and S771/C notebooks give you the option of ripping out the optical drive and replacing it with an integrated pico projector. This sounds infinitely more useful, particularly for traveling execs who need to make sales presentations on the go.

The smaller of the two is the Fujitsu Lifebook S771/C with its 12.1-inch (1280×800) display. Power comes by way of your choice of either a Core i3-2310M or Core i5-2520M processor, backed with 1GB of RAM (really?!) and 160GB hard drive.

The Lifebook S761/C is the larger of the two, but it’s still a very compact notebook PC with a 13.3-inch (1366×768) display. You can go really low with a Celeron B810 processor, but you’re probably better off with either the i3-3210M or i5-2520M chip. As with the S771/C, you only get a gig of RAM and a small-ish 160GB hard drive.

As with so many other Fujitsu products, I’m going to assume that you get some business-grade build quality but at a business-grade price. Find them in Akihabara or somewhere else in Japan in a couple of months.

[Akihabara News]

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2011/04/fujitsu-lifebook-s761c-p711c/

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Gateway EC14D01h Ultraportable Notebook

Usually, you have to make a very important decision when it comes to buying netbooks and notebooks. If you opt for a standard-size laptop, you usually gain extra weight and reduced portability. If you go for something smaller, like a netbook or ultraportable, you usually end up without an optical drive. That’s changing.

To address the need for portability and an optical drive, we are now looking at the new entries in the Gateway EC Series. The ultraportable notebook PC is unique in that while it only has an 11.6-inch display, it also has an integrated DVD drive.

It’s rare to see an optical drive in a laptop of this size, because many users in that market value the lighter weight that the lack of an optical drive affords. However, there are people who still want to watch DVD movies and burn backup discs on the go.

Even though there is the 8x Super Multi dual-layer DVD drive in there, the Gateway EC14D01h only tips the scales at a mere 3.55 pounds. Other highlights include an Intel Pentium SU4100 ULV processor, Windows 7 Home Premium, Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics, 4GB DDR2-667 RAM, 320GB HDD, webcam, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, HDMI, multi-gesture touchpad, and a standard 6-cell (5600 mAh) battery.

Expect the Gateway EC14D01h to ship later this month with a suggested retail price of $579.99 (CAD).

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