Mobile broadband technology is the latest rage amongst business travelers and even computing enthusiasts who need the latest and greatest, and HPDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), a data service component of the WCDMA standard which offers downstream transmission bandwidth of up to 8 to 10 Mbps (or up to 20 Mbps for MIMO systems), although real-world data rates are lower. Now computer makers Asus and Hewlett-Packard want users to be able to take advantage of high speed wireless wherever in the world compatible networks may be available, via the Asus V2 or the HP nc6400 notebook computers.
The Asus V2s will offer Intel Core 2 Duo processors, a 14-inch WXGA LCD display powered by an ATI Radeon X1450 graphics controller with 256 MB of video memory, a 3 megapixel Webcam, support for up to 2 GB of RAM, and hard drives from 80 to 160 GB. Also on board: 3 USB 2.0 ports, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, gigabit Ethernet, DVI video out, a Trusted Platform Module, bootless media access, an optional fingerprint reader, and support for a docking station—all in a package weighing just over five pounds. The only thing missing? Pricing and availability information: Acer hasn’t said when it plans to make the V2’s available, or how much they’ll cost.
HP’s nc6400 see the company partnering with Cingular Wireless to offer what the companies claim is the first notebook PC in the U.S. to feature “built-in global broadband capabilities.” The nc6400 can connect to Cingular’s 3G data network via an integrated Cingular Wireless BroadbandConnect module, enabling users to connect to Cingular’s HMTS/HSDPA network, already deployed in 145 major metro areas in the United States. The companies also tout the technology’s potential to connect to UMTS and HSDPA networks in more than 115 countries around the world…although, of course, users may not be doing that through Cingular.
“The global capability that the Cingular and HP alliance provides to customers presents a considerable advantage to those who need access to important information, whether they are on the other side of town, across the country or halfway around the world,” said Laura Johnson, Cingular Wireless’s senior director of enterprise solutions, in a statement. “The nc6400 Notebook PC with integrated HSDPA-based technology is the latest, powerful example of how the collaborative efforts of our two companies have resulted in the introduction of a world-class product that will keep customers better connected, more productive and increasingly competitive in the marketplace.”
The nc6400 offers an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 14.1-inch widescreen display driven by an ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 controller with 512MB of video memory, Bluetooth and WiFi (a/g or b/g, apparently), support for up to 2 GB of RAM, 40 to 100 GB hard drives, 3 USB 2.0 ports, VGA and S-Video output, and support for Type I/II PC cards as well as Smart Card and SD card support. Total weight: 4.6 pounds; prices start at $1,599 when the nc6400s become available in late December. Cingular data plans start at $59.99 a month, with a 100 MB North American data plan running $109/month and a “global” plan offers 100 MB of usage in more than two dozen countries plus unlimited use in the United States for $139/month.
