Give me a lever, I could lift you out of the earth…

Things have changed since then, as HP, Dell and other manufacturers have worked to give laptops targeted to business users a cooler, snazzier look.

That’s because, much like the Montblanc pen, the business notebook has become an expression of style in the corporate world, says Stacy Wolff, H-P’s director of notebook design.

“You go into a conference room and people used to set these gorgeous pens on the table,” he said. “Not unlike the smart phone, the PC has become that.”

To be sure, laptop makers have continued to focus on staple issues such as computing power, lighter weight and longer battery life and energy-efficiency. But cosmetic design elements typically found in consumer devices have also become critical, such as offering more color options other than black, grey or silver, and the use of metal casings to exude a classier feel.

Gartner analyst Leslie Fiering said the trend began about four years ago, adding, “In the last year, it’s really breaking loose and something that all the vendors are participating in.”

Just this week, H-P rolled out a new line of notebooks and tablets for business customers that come in such color options as “caviar” and “bordeaux.”

“Sort of brown and maroon,” analyst Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates said of the new HP machines. “They’re clearly aiming at a classy corporate image.”

Last September, Dell introduced new versions of its Latitude laptops targeted at so-called “impression makers” such as entrepreneurs, creative professionals and salespeople. These touted such elements as “lean tapered design,” “soft-touch black cherry finish” and a “silky-touch backlit keyboard.”

“Users, given the choice, between that big, really, ugly battleship and something that is slim and light and modern-looking, they are going to pick the latter,” Fiering said.

That’s because, unlike desktops, Kay said, notebooks are “more personal” than desktops. “You carry it with you,” he said. “People see it since it’s on your desk instead of under it.”

Generational differences
Wolff of H-P attributed the trend to the rise of a younger, more tech-savvy workforce who grew up using notebooks. “They’ve been a companion from high school, to college, to MBA,” he said. “It’s been part of them.”

Ken Musgrave, director of experience design at Dell, echoed this view, pointing to the rise of the Generation Y professionals, who “have always lived around digital technology, maybe had a cell phone when they were 12 and grew up with the Internet.”

“They’re saying, ‘Why do we have to be stuck with drab, boring technology in my work life, while in my home life I have the technology I want,”" he said.

For PC makers, cooler designs are also a way for them to stand out at a time when the insides of the machines have become, more or less, standardized. “What’s under the hood in enterprise PCs is becoming less and less differentiated,” Fiering said.

She also pointed to the Apple factor, she said. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company is not a major player in the corporate PC market, but Fiering said Apple’s “design language is just so compelling at a gut level.”

However, Kay noted that Apple also is in a position to charge more for the cost of producing better-designed machines because “part of its brand image is being in the higher price range.”

That’s not true for most notebook makers that compete in a highly price-sensitive, and steadily growing market. Worldwide professional mobile PC shipments have jumped roughly 20% from about 60.8 million in 2007, to 73.1 million in 2009, according to Gartner. H-P controlled about 20% of that market last year, followed by Acer and then Dell.

“If they add another hundred bucks to make it cooler, they may not be able to recover that money from their buyers,” Kay said. Then again, he added, “If, by better design, you can win on that basis, it never hurts to have a better-looking box.”

Still, there are lines that PC makers will probably not cross when it comes to business customers.

“The business world is not ready for pink notebooks,” Dell’s Musgrave said. “I’m not sure they ever will be.”

Global PC market leaders Hewlett-Packard, Dell has announced the two companies recently reported quarter, Hewlett-Packard expected to bear more performance is acceptable, exceeding Wall Street’s profit expectations for its two years. Dell may not be so lucky in the past eight quarters, with three-quarter did not reach the average analyst forecast.

Wall Street optimistic about PC sales

According to Hewlett-Packard in 2010 first-quarter results, the company net profit reached 2.32 billion U.S. dollars, up 25%; the total turnover of 31.2 billion U.S. dollars, earnings per share were 1.10 U.S. dollars, all the data exceeded the average analyst forecast . Dell’s performance but it falls short of its 2010 fiscal year net profit of 334 million U.S. dollars in the fourth quarter, down 4.8%.

Analysis of earnings of both companies can be found, Hewlett-Packard and Dell are the trade surplus up 11 times, even so, over the past one years, Dell shares rose 51%, higher than HP’s 38%. But there are analysts saying it does not take into account the cash position of the two companies will be more optimistic predictions, HP will have a 10-fold year on year trade surplus, Dell, there are 6 times.

JP Morgan Chase & Co. analyst Makemosi Markowitz noted that, in the field of business PC, Hewlett-Packard’s market share has more than Dell. He wrote in a research report, in the end of 2010 or early 2011, HP will become the corporate PC refresh cycle of the greater beneficiary, as the area is close to the server update cycle, Hewlett-Packard in the PC and server market, there will be more favorable performance.

PC demand is rising

PC giant Hewlett-Packard and Dell have said they expect more companies will replace the aging PC, but this will be a gradual process. The recent period, the company spending with the economic situation turns for the better rising, investors and then hope that PC manufacturers benefit from it, but the forecasts for these investors is no doubt served a cool their heads.

Benefited from increased consumer demand, Dell Latitude D410 battery,Latitude D420 battery and Hewlett-Packard posted strong earnings data, which also proves that the PC market, analysts made a rebound of view. However, in the PC market forecast of the forthcoming resumption of the sound, the two companies have proposed should be cautious. Most market analysts agree that the technology needs of enterprises rebound at any time.

Giant to accelerate into the Chinese market

Dell recently said that its Asian business growth continues to lead the company as a whole. Which  the Chinese market is expected to maintain double-digit growth. Steve Felice, president Dell’s services for SMEs, said  effective range of the Chinese Government has introduced measures to stimulate the economy, the Chinese market the company’s revenue this year is likely to continue to achieve double-digit growth. It is reported that Dell’s business in the Chinese market over the last quarter of just 81% growth. China is now after the United States  Dell’s second-largest market.

On the other hand, according to Hewlett-Packard reported a performance of emerging markets, HP’s outstanding performance in the key financial process, in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), Hewlett-Packard sales jumped 41%, in Europe, some regional performance has exceeded expectations. Company CEO Mark Hurd said that through technological innovation, the company gained from the hands of competitors, market share.

As the world’s first sales of technology, Hewlett-Packard because of its business diversification, breadth of market coverage, accurate cost control and stable financial performance of the highly conservative investors of all ages. The Dell is still a paradigm shift is more speculative, although the performance in the stock market last year, better than HP, Dell Inspiron E1505 battery,Inspiron E1705 battery, corporate PC sales are still over-reliance. In other words, Dell may be warmed up from the PC consumer market, riding the momentum. At present, HP has already shifted its focus to IT services business more profitable areas, which allows more flexibility in the hardware industry, while helping to improve the performance of the company’s overall profitability, which is exactly what Dell’s current direction.

Intel announced that is actively enter the Tablet PC market, its tablet PCs will use Intel’s low-power processors, including specifically designed for mobile phones as a new generation of Atom processor, code-named Moorestown chips Inspiron 1100 battery.

Previously, communications equipment and systems design company OpenPeak has designed a Tablet PC design, the program code-named Intel’s upcoming Moorestown processor Ling move. It is learned that this is named OpenTablet 7 Tablet PC has a multimedia and video communication with the touch screen, the whole even if only weight 1.15 lbs (about 0.52 kilograms).

Intel spokesman Susie Ramirez said that for the Tablet PC market for low-power, low-cost Atom processor is in terms of growing area. She also said: “But it is not just for the Atom processor in Intel’s product line to adapt to a variety of different types of flat-panel computer design.” But she did not disclose the specific model and details of the chip.

According to reports, had previously demonstrated the use of Moorestown chips some of the smart phone. In January of this year at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Intel CEO Paul Otellini on the display of the use of a Moorestown chips LG GW900 smartphone. Finnish telecom operator Aava Mobile are this week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona shows Moorestown chips with a new smart phone products Inspiron 1300 battery, Inspiron 1501 battery.

OpenPeak said it expects to use Intel chips OpenTablet Tablet PC shipments in the second half of this year. Intel has clearly announced that it will release Moorestown chips at the same time.

Market research firm Mercury Research principal analyst Dean McCarron said that in addition to Intel, the Internet most of the other mobile devices a wide range of promotional Atom processor, which is due to continued weakness in the global PC sales, Intel hope, such as tablet PCs and smart mobile phones and other new markets profitable growth. 1 year ago Intel had indicated that, to spend seven billion U.S. dollars in two years, converted factory, for the production of a new market for smaller, energy efficient chips.

Dean said that the tablet PCs and smart mobile phones require low power consumption processor, while the Atom family of processors who want to enter this market is very fit. X86 architecture-based Atom processors are widely used in notebook and desktop area, while the new product Moorestown chips may be the first breakthrough in the traditional notebooks and Internet access to this market and create new market miracle of low-power x86 chips.

Dean also said that Intel’s ultimate goal is not to rule the world, but the rule to rule the world x86, x86 will be extended to as many market segments Inspiron 1520 battery, Inspiron 1525 battery.

However, Intel has faced great challenges from the ARM. ARM processors are currently being used a lot of smart phones, and fast processors so that they extended to the field of tablet PCs. CES Conference in January of this year, many manufacturers using ARM processor on the display of the Tablet PC. Vendors such as Dell and Lenovo have already announced that it will release a Tablet PC based on ARM processors. Apple iPad tablet PC uses a previously considered is to use the ARM architecture, Apple’s A4 processor.

Dean said, ARM has been in the development of tablet PCs and smart mobile phones for low-power chips ahead of Intel products. Although Intel has been trying to reduce the energy consumption of Ling move, but the level still needs to catch up with ARM a few years time.

The absence of Apple’s Macworld Conference for the first time this year. The industry believes that this will make Apple’s Macworld become a gathering of fans. This year’s Macworld Conference will be held Thursday in San Francisco.

Macworld has been held for 25 years, this year is the first time, Apple does not participate in this event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs (Steve Jobs) will not be the same as in previous years, in his keynote address released new products.

Want to become Apple’s Macworld gathering of fans, the main display third-party software and accessories. Although Jobs is not present, but the famous American director Kevin Smith (Kevin Smith), and Mac computers, “preacher,” Guy Kawasaki (Guy Kawasaki) will appear in this year’s exhibition.

Kawasaki said: “If Apple did not attend, then such activity will not be much help.” However, he pointed out that there will be a lot of people to participate in this General Assembly, “because Mac computers and iPhone (mobile Internet) has a lot of loyal followers . ”

Steve Jobs Macworld keynote speech is usually the top priority. Creative Strategies analyst Di Muba Galindo (Tim Bajarin), said: “As the keynote speech of the spokesman, Steve Jobs is irreplaceable.” Jobs for the first time in 1997 at Macworld. Apple’s last appearance in last year’s Macworld, Steve Jobs did not attend due to health reasons.

Macworld Apple’s decision to withdraw so that the organizers of the General Assembly was surprised, but the organizers are still trying to make Apple’s otherwise participate in the exhibition, for example, show provides some of the latest iPad tablet PCs for show. However, Apple spokesman Natalie Kerris, said this year’s Macworld Apple will not play any role.

Earlier, the British chip designer ARM’s Warren East said that in the next few years, Internet this will account for 90% of the global PC market share. Recently, research firm Strategy Analytics data show that last year the global Internet for the 30.2 million shipments, accounting for laptop computer shipments by 20%.

Strategy Analytics data show that in 2009 the global Internet for the 30.2 million shipments. According to IDC, worldwide PC shipments last year to 294.2 million, while the portable computer is expected to 147,100,000 to 1.7652 million units.

This means that the Internet out of the laptop computer shipments accounted for 17% -20% volume from the ARM CEO Warren East is still a big gap between the expectations.

Eastbourne earlier this week said that in the next few years, Internet this will account for 90% of the global PC market share. Eastbourne, said: “The Internet will change the PC market, despite the Internet’s share of the current PC market share only 10%, but the next few years will reach 90%.”

Bit view: For ARM, the current Microsoft Windows system does not support their structure; while for ARM, the Internet, and intelligent this is definitely their entry into the PC field, even more non-phone products, smart terminal area. In this regard, which is nothing more than a few manufacturers, a contention between the two products.

Korean prosecutors indicted 18 individuals to participate in technology theft, the world’s major computer memory chip manufacturers have been involved in an industrial espionage case.

South Korean prosecutors on Thursday said the people involved, including the United States Allied Materials Corporation and its subsidiary in South Korea personnel. They were suspected to South Korea’s Samsung Electronics semiconductor technology leaked to the South Korean rival Hynix Semiconductor.

This case highlights the chip manufacturers and resellers, among other high-tech competition. These companies often sue each other for patent infringement. Samsung and Hynix is a leading global manufacturer of two DRAM chips.

The prosecutor in charge of the case, said Kim Yeong-cheol, South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against 18 individuals, however, 14 of which individuals there is no detention prior to trial. He said that the prosecutor also asked a question of Samsung’s original employees.

This technology is said to be the U.S. chip equipment maker Applied Materials Inc., a South Korean branch granted to the employees, then the technology available to Hynix.

Prosecutors said in a statement on Wednesday, Applied Materials South Korean branch through the installation and maintenance of Samsung’s chip-making equipment and installations used in Samsung’s “core technology.” And the arrest of accused persons have a Samsung employee, a Hynix employees, Applied Materials, former head of South Korea branch (he is now the U.S. vice president), and Applied Materials South Korean branch of an employee.

Prosecutors said there had not yet decided whether to extradite in the United States to work for Applied Materials Inc., a former Samsung employee. This man was alleged to have leaked to Samsung’s technical Applied Materials Korea branch.

Applied Materials said it is aware of the actions taken by South Korean prosecutors, and confirmed its vice president and branch of a South Korean employees were indicted and detained.

Samsung expressed concern about this case. Hynix expressed regret for this case.

News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch (Rupert Murdoch) recently said that there is no content support, such as Apple’s iPad device is an electronic shell.

Murdoch said that in the present era, the content is not only important, it is almost all consumer electronic devices to dominate. He said: “No content, tablet PCs and e-readers and other equipment there would be no appeal, no one would buy.”

Murdoch seems intent to imply that Apple iPad, said there is no content, it is entirely an empty shell. This is the content arm, not the battery.

Murdoch said last year that is scheduled for this year’s news site on the implementation of fees and charges.

Samsung Electronics in South Korea in the history of the first companies to get a “100 billion won in sales, operating profit of 10 billion won,” performance, becoming the world’s leading electronics laptop battery companies. But the British “Financial Times” reported on the 29th, said: “In the long term, Samsung Electronics, a lack of innovation will undermine the gains. Computer scientists have warned, said: “Samsung Electronics is now lower our guard, if the future is likely to face even greater crisis.”

Beat Siemens and Hewlett-Packard

Samsung Electronics 29, said total sales last year and operating income of 136.29 trillion won, respectively, and 10.92 billion won. Compared to 2008, sales and operating income increased 15% and 91%. At the end of the exchange rate of reference ($ 1 ₩ 1164.5) basis, sales of 117 billion U.S. dollars, exceeding the 2008 sales of the global electronics industry has two best Siemens Germany (sales last year of 109.8 billion U.S. dollars) and the U. S. Hewlett-Packard (HP, 1146 billion).

In addition, Samsung Electronics chip communications, digital media and the LCD screen as the four main areas, or at least realized 1.38 trillion to 4.13 trillion won in operating profit 6Y270,75UYF.

An executive from Samsung Electronics, said: “In the first quarter of this year because prices of high memory, marketing cost reduction and air-conditioning project in the high season, season and so on, and better performance than the previous quarter. Plans to start the second half of this year compared with the global competition was the first mass production of DRAM to 35 nanometers.

Some people worry about “looming crisis”

There are predictions that if Samsung guard down, they faced a crisis. British “Financial Times” On the day, said: “The success of Samsung has the speed and agility. However, the lack of innovation in the future May Harm profitability. “Samsung’s development is different from the respective player and iPhone (mobile Internet) and Sony and Apple phones since the introduction of color screen mobile market after the market leading products are dating, coverage of foreign media’s view of this situation, highlighting the weaknesses of Samsung.

Samsung Electronics in recent popular smart phones on the market are also disadvantaged. Samsung last year, the share of global handset market by 20.7%, but the third quarter of the market share of smartphones last year by 2.8%. In contrast, Apple’s iPhone accounted for a product on the world market share of smartphones by 17.0%. Finnish Nokia and RIM in Canada respectively, occupy the market share of the smartphone of 37.8% and 19.6%.

Samsung Electronics in sales depends largely on the chip, while operating income of the chip easily based on fluctuating market conditions, it is also regarded Samsung “Achilles heel”.

Information and Communication Policy Research Institute (KISDI) the responsibility of a researcher Kim Min-sik, said: “At present, equipment, Samsung, step by step improvement, this model has its limits. Even if he eventually becomes the first, if Apple, Google and other companies introducing innovative products new concept to change the course of competition in one fell swoop, we all have to start from scratch. ”

Different manufacturers Samsung and Apple

Such accusations, Samsung Electronics, said: “We recognize that, like the iPhone can not produce such high performance products, but Apple is to concentrate all efforts into a single product with the innovation of the company, while the Samsung’s most comprehensive e-business, the two can be compared. “Samsung Electronics has also said that the costs of our R & D accounted for 9% of turnover, the standards are not low.

Competing companies LG Electronics mobile phone unit, the level of operations, said: “From gas business, part of the attention of Samsung Electronics in the production” of manufacturing companies, while Google, Apple wins with creative activity. Compare apples to blame Samsung and other innovations result qualified technical staff will not be accused of invention. ”

Other experts pointed out: “If Apple and Google to change the model of mobile phone market, Samsung will soon be able to go beyond, but the chip market leader Samsung, Apple and Google absolutely impossible to catch up. “

Nokia’s stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter profit of substantial growth to investors by surprise. The company claimed that with Apple’s smart phone battle is to fight back.

Reported that Nokia’s share price soared by 10%. There are indications that the company in the growing smartphone market is being recouped. The well-known products Inspiron 1501 battery,Inspiron 1520 battery on the market, including Apple’s iPhone and the Canadian Research in Motion’s BlackBerry (BlackBerry).

Nokia said that in taking measures to adjust the product lineup, the company’s share of the smart phone market from 35% in the third quarter increased to 40% in the fourth quarter.

Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo (Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo) said that the recent introduction of smart phones (such as the flagship model N97 and N900) have proved to be successful, and promised to pay further efforts to increase this year’s market development efforts.
 

He acknowledged that 2009 was “interesting” year, which is characterized by decline in the mobile phone market, as well as Nokia’s struggling to adapt to rapidly changing market, the difficult restructuring of the occasion.

But he said the fourth-quarter results showed that the Group’s strategy has started to produce results. “We can head back in,” he told the British “Financial Times” said.

Nokia’s impressive performance to help, where to grab a little limelight from Apple. Wednesday Apple released the iPad tablet computers, smart phones this product intended to fill a vacancy between a laptop Inspiron 1521 battery,Inspiron 1525 battery,Inspiron 1526 battery.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs (Steve Jobs) said that the company from mobile devices (such as the iPhone and iPod) had earned more than the Nokia, which makes the two companies increasingly hostile struggle between the more exciting. Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo of Jobs shrugged off the suggestion, saying it was not true, based on overly broad definition of mobile devices based on the. “We are still by far the largest mobile companies,” he said.

Nokia’s fourth-quarter net profit rose nearly 65% to 948 million euros (about 1.325 billion U.S. dollars), easily exceeding Reuters (Reuters) expected by analysts surveyed 533 million euros. Nokia shares rose 9.9 percent to 9.91 euros.

Laptops based on the new mobile Intel Core i3 and i5 processors from Dell laptop battery and Acer continue to roll into retailers like Best Buy at sub-$700 prices. But don’t expect Apple to offer deals like this on its upcoming MacBook Pro.

The mobile i5 and i3 offer a significant step up in performance. Tech Web site AnandTech said the i5 processor delivers “the single largest performance improvement we’ve seen from a new mobile processor in years.”

And retailers have been quick to haul out systems based on the freshly-minted chips. This week, Best Buy is offering a Dell deal for $649. Typically, laptops PA3191U-1BAS built around new Intel mainstream mobile processors are priced well above $700.

The Best Buy Dell system–which follows an offer from Staples for a Dell Inspiron Core i5 17-inch laptop with Windows 7 for $649–has a 15.6-inch display and a Core i3 running at 2.13GHz. Like the Staples system, it goes for $649.

Dell Inspiron 15.6-inch laptop at Best Buy:
Operating system: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Processor: Intel Core i3 i3-330M processor (2.13GHz)

Graphics chip: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD

Memory: 4GB

Hard disk drive: 320GB hard drive

Optical drive: multiformat DVD+/-RW Drive

Display: 15.6-inch WLED high-definition widescreen

Weight: 5.3 pounds

Price: $649
Staples is also offering a 17-inch Acer (AS7740-5691) for $649 based on the Core i3-330M processor with specifications similar to the Dell system, including 4GB of memory, a 320GB hard disk drive, and Windows Home Premium 64-bit.

Apple PA3191U-1BRS is expected to follow suit with Core i5 MacBook Pros but don’t expect the company to deign to Dell or Acer price points. Any replacements for current aluminum Apple MacBook Pro systems will likely follow its current pricing scheme, which starts well above the $1,000 price mark.

And though the Core i3 and i5 processors offer improved Intel graphics silicon, Apple, during the last year, has decided to forgo Intel graphics chips in favor of more powerful processors from Nvidia and ATI. By comparison, the Dell and Acer systems above come with Intel graphics only.