Awesome Laptops

It costs $500 extra, but HP’s ENVY 15 Beats laptop (available 10/22) may be just worth it: it sports a glossy piano black finish, Core i7, and Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Hi-Def headphones.

At 1.6 lbs and 0.5″ thick, Sony’s 11.1″ Vaio X is the world’s lightest notebook thanks to a carbon fiber case; it includes an extra 14 hr. battery and tops out with a 2GHz CPU and 2GB RAM.

Dell’s 16″ Latitude Z is their flagship business laptop with a 1600×900 screen and Core 2 Duo CPU, but measures just 0.57″ thick and 4.5 lbs; it also includes a wireless charging dock.

Timbuk2’s bike-friendly bags expand to netbooks with the T-Pack; built specifically for 10″ or under laptops, it features air mesh padding, a ballistic nylon and a power brick pocket.

Alienware’s M15x laptop gets seriously upgraded; it packs a 2.0GHz Core i7 920XM CPU, a 1GB GeForce GTX 260M, up to 8GB RAM, Blu-ray burner, FireWire and 3 USB ports.

The Giz has scored a first look at Microsoft’s Courier Concept; it’s basically two tablets (a booklet?) in one with dual 7″ multitouch/stylus screens, a 3 MP camera and single home button.

HP’s ENVY laptops rival the MacBook Air (0.8″ thin/up to 18 hours battery life for the ENVY 13), but are surprisingly powerful: the ENVY 15 tops out with Core i7 and 16 GB RAM.

Logitech further slims down its Lapdesk line with the Portable Lapdesk N315; designed to keep your legs cool, it’s completely flat with an anti-slip top and retractable mouse pad.

Due out in October/November, specs are still not finalized for Sony Vaio X but we do know the following: 1.5 lbs, 0.55″ thick (MacBook Air is 0.76″), 11.1″ screen, and optional 3G.

Nau’s Motil Commuter bag is a refined blend of sustainability and performance; it’s made with a 500 denier, water-repellent recycled polyester shell that’s able to haul a 17″ laptop.

Mitemite’s laptop case disguises your MacBook Pro as one of five Euro newspapers, making it less of a target for would-be thieves; it also features a zip and metal chain as a handle.

Incase’s Paul Rodriguez Skate Pack kills two birds with one stone: it’s both skate- and laptop-friendly with a reinforced notebook compartment, multiple gadget pockets and padded back.

Nokia makes the leap to laptops with the Booklet 3G, a 10.1″ netbook; it’s powered by Atom with 3G/HSPA, A-GPS, Ovi Maps, swappable SIM card, HDMI out, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Booq’s Boa Nerve is their take on the classic courier/messenger bag, with ballistic nylon shell, seatbelt shoulder straps, rubberized bottom, zipped compartments and 17″ laptop sleeve.

The DormVault protects up to a 17″ notebook by internally mounting itself to furniture; thieves will have to dismantle your bed or desk to get it off, as it weighs 9 lbs and is made of steel.

Designed for netbook and MP3 players, PowerTraveller’s minigorilla is a portable 9 oz. 9000 mAh battery with up to 6 hours of juice; included are 20 tips for netbooks plus an iPod adapter.

Ideal for laptop users in need of extra screen real estate, the Mimo 740 Touchscreen is a 7″ 800×480 display that weighs 1.3 lbs, rotates between portrait and landscape, and runs on USB.

Oakley’s Mallet Messenger Bag is a vintage take on their normally modern fare, with faux leather accents, a waxed cotton shell, large front slip pocket and detachable shoulder strap.

Blind Ear Music’s Wi-Fi Symphony is remarkable not just because it’s run wirelessly via a system of laptops; the composer is dynamically creating music using real musicians in real-time.

Maingear’s eX-L 18 laptop claims to be the world’s fastest, maxing out with a quad-core Intel X9300, 8 GB DDR3, dual GeForce GTX 280m’s, an 18.4″ LCD and custom laser etching.

Chrome’s Soyuz Bag hits the sweet spot for semi-athletic geeks: you’ll get a waterproof side-access laptop compartment, molded back panel with air mesh and four external cargo pockets.

QWSTION’s Office Bag looks like a normal laptop case, but can also be worn as a backpack; a neoprene-padded 17″ laptop compartment and five multi-use pockets seals the deal.

Nick and Beau Trincia have managed to combine a desk, a chair and a laptop case into one unit: the Openaire separates into a laptop desk and a plush chair when unfolded.