Hottest new laptops!

For long, laptops have been touted as the companion of upmarket mobile execs. However, the notion seems to be fast changing, largely due to their falling prices.

The constant slide in laptop prices has made the niche laptops go mass.

The laptop market today is flooded with sleeky design, ultra-portable laptops at affordable prices. Here's looking into some of the recent hottest launches which follow the trend.

Asus Eee PC 1000H and Eee PC 904H
Taiwan-based computer manufacturer, Asus, launched its second-generation Eee PC series in India.

The company, which partners Intel and Microsoft, rolled out Eee PC 1000H and Eee PC 904H.

Powered by Intel Atom processor, Eee PC 1000H features 10 inch screen display. The notebook boasts of battery life of up to five hours, Dolby Sound Room and built-in Bluetooth.

Targeted at users with basic computing needs, the laptop has a 1.3 megapixel webcam with wireless Internet connection. Asus Eee PC 904H features an 8.9 inch screen, 1024X600 resolution display and hybrid engine that supports battery life of up to 4.5 hours.

Both the notebooks come pre-installed with Windows XP, ASUS Super Hybrid Engine, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, Wi-Fi 802.11n and 80 GB SATA hard disk drive.

The ASUS Eee PC 904H and 1000H are available at a price of approximately Rs 26,990 and Rs 29,990 respectively.

Dell Studio range
Available in striking colour combinations, Dell Studio brand laptops come in 15-17 inch high-definition display models. There's also an mercury-free LED display option.

The sleek looking laptops come in six colour combinations -- plum purple, tangerine orange, flamingo pink, midnight blue, ruby red, spring green and standard jet black. A recent entry to the range is the high-gloss graphite grey colour that can be customised with contrasting black, blue, pink or red edge trim around the display back.

Other than their sleek looks, Dell Studio 15 and Studio 17 laptops feature built-in webcam, touch control buttons and slot load drives.

Other features include optional Blu-ray Disc drives, fingerprint reader and support for Dell video chat feature that enables four-way calling.

Studio 15 laptop is priced at Rs 46,800 and Studio 17 at Rs 52,800.

Intex series
Delhi-based Intex Technologies has rolled out a series of notebooks to woo audience across different segments.

The laptops models spanning across nine ranges -- Lifestyle Book, Gaming Book, Tablet Pad, Business book (three variants) and Education book (three variants) in the Indian market.

The notebooks support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled. Targeted at fashion lovers, Intex Lifestyle Book comes in several colours, including pink, black and white. Featuring a 12.1-inch TFT-LCD screen, the 1.8 Kg laptop has Intel Dual Core processor. It is priced at Rs 33,000.

For gaming enthusiasts there's Intex Gaming Book that promises high-end gaming experience. Powered by Intel Centrino, the notebook supports Nvidia Graphic power, SRS WOW speakers and in-built hybrid TV Tuner. It is priced at Rs 75,900.

For gizmo freaks, Intex Tablet Pad can be an option. With 12.1 inch TFT touch screen, it can rotate at 180 degrees. At 2.1 kg, the notebook retails at Rs 47,900.

For business users, Intex Business Book has high-end biz features. Available in screen sizes of 15.4 inch and 13.3 inch, the notebook comes with HDMI port for high-resolution output to HDTV.

Available in three variants, it also boasts of security features like finger print recognition and Kensington lock. The notebook is priced between Rs 32,900 and Rs 42,900.

Lastly to woo students, Intex has launched Education Book. Available in three variants, the notebook is priced between Rs 25,900 and Rs 29,900.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y710
Lenovo recently launched IdeaPad Y710, company's first notebook with a 17 inch monitor and a resolution of 1440 x 900. For graphic processor, Lenovo has used ATI Radeon Mobility HD 2600 with 512 MB memory.

Entertainment features include WLAN connectivity, Dolby Home Theatre system and an optional Blu-ray DVD reader.

The notebook comes with touch-sensitive controls and users can select between various multimedia options.

In addition, the notebook has a performance control switch with Turbo mode for maximum power, which includes CPU overclocking and Quiet mode for saving energy.

A few models of Lenovo IdeaPad Y710 comes with game zone functionality which includes enlarged directional buttons for game play, four user-customisable buttons and a secondary display showing system information such as CPU speed.

The notebook can support hard drive of up to 320GB with a speed of 5400rpm that also includes swap hard drive. The company for the first time has also introduced RAID function in the IdeaPad Y710.

Available in metallic finish, the notebook has a starting price of Rs 45,000.

BenQ S41 Joybook model
Taiwan-based BenQ launched S41 Joybook model in India. Featuring a 14.1 widescreen display, the laptop offers a quick response time of 16ms. Sporting Laminated Colour Metal (LCM) and POP art technologies, the laptop is equipped with Nvidia GeForce 8600M GS graphic chipset and up to 1GB of TurboCache support.

The notebook comes with built-in 1.3 megapixel QEye webcam, an internal microphone with noise suppression, echo cancellation functions and dual 1.5W speakers enhanced by SRS TruSurround XT technology.

The HDMI output allows transmission of HD digital video of up to 1080p resolution. For connectivity, it comes pre-equipped with integrated wireless WAN, 802.11a/b/g/n wireless LAN and built-in Bluetooth.

The Joybook retails at Rs 47,000.

Dell Inspiron 13
Dell refreshed its Inspiron series with the launch of Inspiron 13 laptop. Sporting a glossy pacific blue colour, the laptop has a 13-inch screen with a DVD drive and 8-in-1 media card reader.

Weighing 5 pounds, it has support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and built-in webcam in higher models.