Many people have become used to the free laptop deals that mobile broadband providers offer to those that take out certain mobile broadband services, and these deals have become popular amongst those that want to sign up to mobile broadband services and start using their service right away, as the package comes with everything that they need to get up and running with their mobile broadband service.

The laptops that come with these mobile broadband packages can vary based on the deal that you select and the provider that you go through, and some mobile broadband laptops will offer higher specifications than others. However, a recent report has suggested that there is to be an overhaul of the laptops that are offered with mobile broadband packages, with providers set to offer more advanced laptops.

Reports suggest that many laptops that form part of these deals will not come with 3G connectivity in addition to the 802 megahertz WiFi that is built into the systems. With the new 3G cards users will not have to use a USB dongle, and officials have said that this change shows that laptop manufacturers are confident about the future of mobile broadband.

If the upgrades to mobile broadband laptops go ahead these deals could become increasingly popular amongst mobile broadband users. However, consumers should continue to compare different deals and the laptops that come with the packages to get the best possible package and laptop for their needs.

Source – UK Compare Broadband

Recently the Samsung NC10 netbook has hit the UK market, and with its sleek design and many features has become a popular netbook model. It has now been revealed that one leading UK mobile communications giant and mobile broadband operator has become the first UK network provider to start offering this particular model of netbook with some of its mobile broadband contracts.

One of the many benefits of this particular netbook model is that is offers built in mobile broadband connectivity, which means that there is no need to use a dongle in order to get online whilst out and about. There are also a variety of other benefits, and this includes a built in webcam, and 10.2 inch screen, a 3 in 1 memory card reader, Microsoft Windows XP, 1 GB memory, and a standard size keyboard.

There are a couple of mobile broadband deals with which the Samsung NC10 netbook is available for free. You can get the netbook with a twenty four month contract priced at twenty five pounds a month, and this comes with 1GB of data. The netbook is also available with a twenty four month contract priced at thirty pounds a month, and this comes with 3GB of data.

Since no dongle is required for this netbook due to its built in mobile connection feature, consumers will find it particularly easy and convenient to get online whilst they are out and about, and weighing in at only 1.33kg the netbook is extremely lightweight and portable.

Source – www.rboffers.com

According to recent reports MSI has recently provided details about the launch of its Hybrid netbook, which is set to become available in the UK very soon. MSI has provided both a launch date and a price for its new Wind U115 Hybrid netbook, and the new model will offer consumers a range of benefits and features for a reasonable price.

Officials from MSI have announced that the Wind U115 Hybrid netbook will be made available in the UK from May of this year, so those waiting to get their hands on this model will not have to wait much longer. The price of the model in the UK will be £499, according to reports, so consumers will not have to pay over the odds in order to get one of these systems.

The Wind U115 Hybrid netbook offers a range of benefits and features, and one of the more notable benefits is its twelve hour battery life, which will be welcomed by many consumers. At ten inches the netbook offers a sleek and compact design, adding to its portability. It is also fitted with a dual storage system known as Hybrid Storage Technology. This involves the combination of a 160GB hard drive with an 8GB solid state drive.

There are also many other features that consumers will be able to benefit from with the Wind U115 Hybrid netbook, and this includes a four in one card reader, Windows XP, three USB ports, 1 GB of memory, Bluetooth, and Wifi. The netbook was first seen in January of this year, and was unveiled in Taiwan.

According to a recent report the computer manufacturing giant Asus has recently announced that this year will see the launch of a new model laptop that will compete against other high tech laptop models on the market in the UK. Asus is to launch the Fold/Unfold laptop, and this will compete against other models, such as the Apple Macbook Air and Dell’s Adamo.

The chief executive of Asus, Jerry Shen, has confirmed that the launch of the Fold/Unfold laptop in the UK will take place later this year. Although no exact date has been given Mr Shen stated in a recent interview that the launch of the Fold/Unfold laptop is likely to be around September of October of this year. The cost of the laptop will be lower than that of the Dell Adamo, according to reports, with a price tag that will be between £686 and £1030.

Mr Shen stated: “The Fold/Unfold laptop concept, we plan to try to implement that in the second half of 2009, so we will see mass production of that later this year. We were thinking of the category of the MacBook Air and we think that the Asus Fold/Unfold can create another category. Image-wise and everything, it is a PC in many ways like the MacBook Air – we seek to have a similar impact on the market.”

The laptop has been shown off at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and was previously known as the Origami. It is a lightweight system that boasts an untra slim design, and as the name suggests the laptop has the ability to fold into a very compact shape as well as unfolding to a totally flat position.

According to the mobile communications giant, Vodafone, around fifty percent of Brits that have access to a work laptop feel that it is okay to use the system for their own personal use, with half of Brits using work laptops to conduct their own personal activities that are not related to work in any way.

Many others that might not actually use their work laptop for personal activities have said that they feel that it is okay to do so. The survey showed that around sixty eight percent of Brits thought that this was okay to do, and it was also revealed that around sixty five percent of senior managers did not mind this practice and thought that it was quite acceptable.

However, officials have warned that it is important for companies to ensure that their laptops have the necessary security software installed, as many of those that use their work laptops now use their own mobile broadband connections or Wi-Fi, which could mean greater security risks unless adequate software is installed.

An official from Vodafone stated: “It is right that businesses need to keep a close eye on company assets such as netbooks, laptops and other mobile devices to prevent inappropriate, illegal or irresponsible use. However, we don’t want to get to a situation where attitudes change to such an extent that policies and procedures become so restrictive that employees actively circumvent them, or that the devices become so unfriendly that the benefits employees and businesses are obtaining from mobile working are severely reduced.”

There has been good new and bad news for laptop buffs and enthusiasts in the UK this week. Technology giant Dell has now announced the UK price on its new laptop system, that is to rival the MacBook Air, but the price tag means that unless you have been lucky enough to escape the effects of the credit crunch the likelihood is that you won’t be able to afford it.

The new Dell model has been called the Adamo, and industry officials have said that it boasts a sleek, glamorous design and a slimline build. In fact, Dell claims that this new model is now the world’s thinnest laptop. It measures just 0.65in at its thinnest point. The colouring of the laptop case can be either pearl or black.

Dell has also taken the packaging and display into account with the Adamo, and consumers will find that rather than the usual cardboard box packaging used on cheaper laptops this new model will come with far more elegant and tasteful packaging. However, all of this costs money, and it seems that this money has been added to the price of the system.

Although the laptop has been retailing at just under two thousand dollars in the United States, the price in the UK shows that consumers in this country could be paying around fifteen percent more for the same model. Many officials had expected the price tag to be around fifteen hundred pounds in the UK, but in fact Dell has announced that the Dell Adamo will actually retail at a whopping sixteen hundred and fifty pounds.

This week will see the launch of a new laptop model from technology giant Dell, and the new model that it is launching is supposed to be resistant to a myriad of incidents that would normally cause extensive damage to laptops, according to Dell officials.

Dell officials reckon that the new laptop, which is the Latitude E6400 XFR laptop, will be able to withstand all sorts of problems, and this includes high pressure water sprays, drops, and dust. They say that the laptop is a rugged one that is designed to US military specifications. It is being targeted towards military workers and first responders.

The company further claims that this new rugged laptop can work in temperatures from -20 degrees Fahrenheit to 145 degrees Fahrenheit , and that it can withstand heavy rainfall and winds of up to seventy miles per hour. The laptop is also able to work for around one hour at altitudes of fifteen thousand feet.

With regards to drops, the Latitude E6400 XFR laptop is apparently able to survive drops of around three feet when it is running and four feet when it is switched off. A report based on testing of the system stated that the protective plastic cover on the LCD screen only shattered after a fourth drop from a height of four feet.

Dell has said that the model that was tested had already been dropped many times before as it was a pre-production demo model, and also added that the laptop comes with a three year warranty, which means that a cracked screen would be replaced immediately within this time.

The laptop enjoys additional protection through the use of ballistic armour, which is a durable material that is used in things such as ballistic missiles and various other military applications. The laptop was launched this week, and is available in the U.S., Canada, France, Spain, the U.K., Germany and Italy.

Over recent months many people have become familiar with devices known as netbooks, which provide consumers with a cheaper alternative to the traditional laptop. These netbooks are available to purchase from retailers, and in many cases are also offered by mobile broadband operators as part of a bundle package.

However, some industry officials have recently claimed that users of netbooks could be at increased risk of security breaches compared to those using traditional laptops. The experts have claimed that lack of sophisticated technology with netbooks coupled with the no-frills design and technology that is used means that there is an increased risk of users experiencing security and other problems when online.

The report stated that the “no-frills nature, combined with low computing power and relative lack of sophistication could turn Netbook users into easy prey for hackers, analysts warn.” One industry expert said: “The Internet is full of dangers, regardless of what computer you are using. But keeping in mind that the Netbook is primarily used to surf the Internet, those dangers are possibly multiplied many-fold, especially if there is no anti-virus software installed in the machine.”

Another official said that the low prices attached to these netbooks “mean that Netbooks often lack such standard gear as firewalls and other anti-virus software typically found in other computers, leaving them highly vulnerable to attacks.” The report added: “Low computing power also means savvy Netbook users may shut down critical security programs to boost speed.”

Recently two major airports in the UK were involved in trials involving laptops, whereby passengers passing through the airports were allowed to leave their laptops in their bags rather then removing them when going through security, as per regulations set by the EU. The two airports involved in the laptop security trials, which lasted for eighteen months in total, were Heathrow Airport and Glasgow Airport.

The two airports were given permission by the EU to conduct the trials, and rather than have passengers waste time and go to the hassle of removing laptops from bags the airport used sophisticated scanners to view the inside of the bags as part of their security measures. However, the trial has now finished and the results will be looked at, but until then EU regulations will have to be followed and laptops will have to be removed from bags again.

One official stated: “Current EU law requires that all laptops be removed from bags at airport screening points. For the past 18 months the UK has been – with permission from the EU – carrying out a limited technology trial at two airports where laptops were permitted to remain in bags at screening points. The trial has now finished and the results will be evaluated. The UK was among the EU leaders to take the initiative to carry out these trials. We will continue to work with industry partners and the EU in order to evaluate any new technologies.”

BAA, which owns the two airports that took part in the trials, said: “Passengers carrying laptops as cabin baggage are now required to remove them from bags for security screening…Passengers are being informed of the requirement before arriving at security areas across the airports.”

In the current recession many businesses in a variety of sectors are closing their doors due to financial problems. However, laptop and computer giant Acer has recently announced that after an absence of seven years it is now relaunching the Gateway laptop and PC brand in the UK. The Gateway brand will be launched in the UK and across Europe, according to reports.

In the past the Gateway brand focussed on PCs and laptops for consumers, and this has also been its focus in the United States. However, the brand will now have a new focus, according to Acer officials, and will be aimed at providing technology for medium and large businesses in the UK and Europe.

Gateway product business manager, Kevin O’Donoghue, said: “Gateway pulled out in Europe but [it] has still kept a neutral brand perception, so it’s a brand that’s still recognised but not recognised negatively. What we’re developing is not just simply another brand… it’s a separate company with separate structure and different people focused on a narrow segment in Europe.”

He added: “The fact that Gateway stays in the States as a consumer [brand] does not impact the mid-market in Europe.” The brand will relaunch with a limited selection of products, and this will include three laptops and three desktop PCs. The launch is scheduled for the end of March according to the report. Two monitor models and several servers are also due to be launched via the Gateway brand later in the year.