By Lim Yee Hung

Acer Aspire Timeline 3810T
$1,098 (usual: $1,498)
Booths 8105 and 8458

The 13.3-inch Aspire Timeline is Acer's rather belated answer to the MacBook Air. At 1.6kg light and just 24mm thin at its thinnest point, the Timeline - finished in brushed aluminium - boasts an outstanding eight-hour battery lifespan. That is thanks to its low-voltage processors, advanced power management and a high-capacity battery. Freebies worth up to $184.

Acer Aspire Blue 8935G
$3,498 (usual: $3,698)
Booths 8105 and 8458

The first desktop replacement notebook in Singapore to feature the latest Intel Core 2 Quad processor, the Aspire Blue 8935G is one powerful device. With leading edge Nvidia GeForce graphics technology and a built-in subwoofer, the notebook allows you to enjoy cinematic realism on its huge high-definition 18.4-inch LCD screen. It comes with a Blu-ray read-write drive so you can watch your favourite movies and burn your own Blu-ray discs on it. Freebies worth up to $603.

Toshiba Satellite M500
Show price not available (usual: $1,999)
Booth 8143

Its 14-inch highdefinition LED backlight display coupled with premium Harman Kardon stereo speakers makes for a great experience watching movies or playing games. Extras include a multi-touch pad that allows you to use finger gestures to navigate. For example, flicking your finger left makes the Web browser go back or pinch to zoom in. What is good is the eSata/USB combo port that enables users to charge an MP3 player, mobile phone or other devices while the laptop is switched off. Freebies worth over $600.

Toshiba Portege M900
Show price not available (usual: $1,799)
Booth 8143

Toshiba's latest 13.3-inch ultraportable marries design and performance: the 2.15-kg device, with a stylish textured chassis, uses the powerful ATI's Mobility Radeon HD4570 for its graphics processor. It has hard drive protection, facial recognition capability and an Eco-Utility button that saves power. Comes in brown, white, red and pink. Freebies worth over $600.

Lenovo IdeaPad U350
$1,199 (usual: $1,299)
Booth 8358

Its chassis, though solid, is less than 1-inch thick. It boasts Intel's latest ULV processor, which saves power and extends battery life, a 13.3-inch LED screen and an HDMI connector that allows users to watch videos in high definition on TV. Its Active Protection system protects data by temporarily stopping the hard drive if the laptop falls. Facial recognition, which uses a webcam to authenticate users based on their facial features, is an added safeguard. Free mouse, headset and cleaning kit worth $99. First 50 customers will get a mystery gift worth $199.

Fujitsu Lifebook L1010
$1,088 (usual: $1,688)
Booth 8241

Fujitsu's new 14.1-inch LCD widescreen laptop sports a fashionable, ergonomic chassis, while packing a powerful system under the hood. Equipped with a Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS graphics card with 256 VRAM and a SuperFine LCD screen, the laptop ranks high on graphics performance. Plus, its powerful 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor makes sure that there is no motion lag. You can also make use of the HDMI connector port to link the laptop to the TV for high-definition goodness. Fingerprint identification, an ECO button to prolong battery life and a built-in webcam make it a fine all-rounder. Freebies worth $319.

MacBook Pro
From $1,988
2nd floor ballroom 2 foyer, 3rd floor foyer and Booth 8108

Apple's new aluminium unibody MacBook Pro line includes 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch models, with a built-in battery for a longer battery life - up to seven hours for the 13- and 15-inch models. Each MacBook Pro includes an LED-backlit display with greater colour intensity, a Multi-Touch trackpad (to let the fingers do the manoeuvring), an illuminated keyboard (so you can work at night) and state-of-the art Nvidia graphics. Upgradeable with up to 8GB of RAM and up to a 500GB hard drive or up to a 256GB solid state drive. Freebies: a sleeve case, keyboard cover and cleaning kit come with any MacBook purchase.

Asus F6Ve laptop
$1,698 (usual: $1,698)
Booths 8310 and 6271

Asus has crammed in an Intel T9550 Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB RAM and an ATI Radeon Mobility 4570 graphics card into this 13.3-inch laptop, making it a compact powerhouse. The F6Ve has Windows Vista Business installed but you can choose to downgrade to XP for free at Comex. Freebies: An external hard drive, carry bag and optical mouse.

HP ProBook 4310s
$1,999 (usual: $2,299)
Booth 8428

Expect the latest nifty aids in the 13.3-inch HP ProBook 4310s Notebook PC. Things like the HP QuickLook 2 software that allows you to access whatever you need - e-mail, calendar, contacts or task information - in as little as 10 seconds, without having to wait for your system to power up. There is also the HP File Sanitizer, which uses an advanced algorithm to delete the files or folders that you want permanently purged for whatever reason, so that they cannot be retrieved even with advanced data recovery tools.

iMac (top picture)
From $1,948
2nd floor ballroom 2 foyer, 3rd floor foyer and Booth 8108

The iMac packs a high-performance computer into a sculpted, thin aluminium and glass design. Available in 20-inch and 24-inch widescreen models, expect advanced Nvidia graphics and up to 4GB of memory. It also comes with AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking capability, Bluetooth and a built-in iSight video camera. Five USB 2.0 ports, as well as FireWire 400 and 800 ports for faster connectivity, complete the package.

Acer Aspire M1800
$799 (usual: $999)
Booths 8105 and 8458

Targeted at the budget consumer, the Aspire M1800 desktop does its job and costs the same price as a netbook. Finished in glossy black, the M1800 comes with a 2.93GHz Intel Pentium processor, a large 320GB hard drive and embedded high-definition sound suited for a 7.1 speaker system. Free Norman security suite worth $55.

Acer Aspire X3810 Mini PC
$999 (usual: $1,299)
Booths 8105 and 8458

At just one-third the size of a traditional desktop PC, the sleek and compact Aspire X3810 fits anywhere in the home, yet packs in the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor technology, HDMI port and 5.1-channel surround sound to handle all your home computing and entertainment needs. Its keyboard and mouse are wireless, so you do not get cable mess behind the CPU. Free Norman security suite worth $55.

Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 All-in-One
$1,799 (usual: $1,899)
Booth 8358

One of the slimmest all-in-one desktop PCs around, the new IdeaCentre A600 measures only one inch at its slimmest point and features a 21.5-inch, hip-looking frameless screen. Entertainment enthusiasts will appreciate that this nettop has the 1,920 x 1,080 full HD resolution. Also comes with an integrated speaker system that includes a bass sub-woofer and Dolby Home Theatre savvy, with advanced audio features for better sound. Free printer worth $159.

ViewSonic VPC100 All-in-One PC
$799
Booth 6311

Better known for its LCD monitors, this is ViewSonic's entry into the all-in-one desktop space. The VPC100, finished in black glossy, trumps a 19-inch wide LCD display, a 1.3-megapixel webcam and an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor - enough to get the basic computing tasks done. It is generous with four USB ports and a four-in-one card reader. Freebies worth $159.

Sony Vaio W Netbook
$899
Booth 8210

The new Vaio W netbook measures just slightly over an inch thick and weighs 1.19kg (with the battery), with rounded edges for easy slipping into bags. It has an isolated keyboard, so the keys are far apart from each other, which minimises typing mistakes. Tech fashionistas will be glad to know that the netbook comes in three colours - pink, brown and white. Matching carrying pouches and mice sold separately. Comes with a free gift. Buy the netbook and you can get a Sony external DVD drive for $99 (usual: $129).

Acer Aspire one Slim
$799 (usual: $1,098)
Booths 8105 and 8458

The 11.6-inch Aspire one Slim blurs the distinction between laptops and netbooks even further. The 1.35kg netbook is just 1-inch thin but packs a full-sized keyboard, a high-definition 1,366 x 768 resolution screen, and promises eight hours of battery life on its six-cell battery. It turns on the style charm with an aerodynamic metal shape and comes in five shades - sapphire blue, white, black, red and pink.

MSI Wind U100 Plus
$629 (usual: $659)
Booth 6641

Yet another iteration of the popular MSI Wind U100 series, the 10-inch U100 Plus netbook comes with a 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor, Intel's GMA950 integrated graphics, 1GB RAM and 160GB of hard disk space. You can choose to double your memory and hard disk capacity for just $10 at Comex. Freebies include a carrying sleeve, optical mouse, anti-bacterial keyboard protector, a LCD display wiper and a $30 Digiskin voucher.

Prolink Glee TA-009 Netbook
$488 (usual: $699)
Booth 6393

Tipping the scales at 1.1kg, the TA-009 uses a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor and comes with 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. It is compatible for use with the Prolink PWH 2004 wireless 3.75G router (also sold at Comex), which delivers wireless connections that are faster than the current 3.5G standard. A built-in card reader, 1.3-megapixel webcam and microphone complete the kit. Comes in black, white and midnight blue. Freebies: protective sleeve and retractable mouse.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

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