Muffled by the cacophony of like a million netbooks and the wireless power that'll power our cyborg brains at the Intel Developer Forum was the low-key introduction of Intel's next-gen 45nm dual core chips for ultra-thin notebooks--i.e., the dwarven chips that made the MacBook Air possible. Now that everybody can snag them, expect a surge of similarly limber notebooks that can suck in their gut to fit into narrow pockets of ugly paper.

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HP is smartly following up the rugged EliteBook biz laptop we doted on a couple months ago with an even more portable version: 12 inches, just over 1.3kg, still Mil-Spec 810F against dust and hot zones. It uses Intel's latest Core 2 Duo ULV (same as X301 and probably MacBook Air refresh), and it's well, loaded. One of our favourite things about it is that it's got more storage options than any other notebook that size.

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HP's EliteBook 2730p is the tablet of the new business lineup, and it's actually ruggedised as well, meeting the MIL-STD 810F spec for dust, altitude and high temperature. Specs and features are mostly the same as the other EliteBooks too (Intel Core 2 Duo ULV, SSD option, HP business and security stuff like the biz card reader, encryption and DriveGuard). Except you know, it's a tablet, with options for a standard LED-backlit screen or Outdoor View and a jog dial.

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We liked the HP Touchsmart IQ506, the touch-controlled all-in-one PC, not just because it worked well (which it did), but because it was trying something different—not merely copying other products on the market. Now HP has revealed to the Wall Street Journal that they are aiming "to get touch-enabled notebook computers on the market within the next 18 months." Unfortunately, doing some quick calendar math in our heads, we realise that 18 months means 2010. And while we know we'll probably live to see the day, life is but "a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more." (HP didn't tell the WSJ that last part.) [WSJ via Electronista]

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Dell isn't the only laptop maker offering its customers help if they have laptops with certain Nvidia chips that are prone to overheating. HP has issued a list of laptops of its own that feature the chipset and states that it's been a known warranty issue since late last year. While not offering to swap for new laptops, HP has made it known that if your laptop meets certain criteria then you may be eligible for a free repair. This is good news for those of you with fried portables in your closet, so check out the list on HP's website to see if you're affected. [HP via Nanotech]

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Last Friday might've been the most important day of the year for Apple, but today's looking pretty shiny too: Gartner estimates that sales of 1.4 million Macs last quarter effectively make it the number three computer maker in the US, trailing only Dell and HP, thanks to a swoopy 38 percent growth in Mac sales.

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The configuration page for the Voodoo Envy went live today, showing the full pricing scheme for the 133 PC, which starts at US$2100 and goes as high as US$4000. The low end model features a 1.6 GHz Core 2 Duo processor and an 80 GB, 4200 RPM HDD. The high end model has a 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, Windows Vista Business Edition and a 64 GB SSD, bringing the total to US$3400. Another US$600 dollars can be spent on a variety custom finishes other than the standard black -- white costing US$500 and "flat black" US$600.

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Apparently some previous-gen Nvidia graphics cards that shipped in "significant quantities" of notebooks are defective, built and packaged with "weak" materials that are leading to them to overheat and fail at a "higher-than-normal" rate. Enough are bad that Nvidia is taking a US$150-US$200 million hit on its earnings for the quarter. Do you have one of these cards?

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The Gadget: The Touchsmart IQ506 is HPs second gen, touch-sensitive computer. In addition to its all-in-one design, built-in webcam, TV tuner and wireless keyboard and mouse, the selling point here is the custom touch interface created by Frog Designs.

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