With Blu-ray emerging as the winner of the HD wars, other electronics manufacturers are beginning to crawl out of their bunkers now that hostilities has ceased and throwing in their support for Blu-ray without guilt or fear anymore. Take for example Dell , which as announced that it will be selling an improved Inspiron 1525 that also has the option to be fitted with a Blu-ray drive. The great thing is that it can be purchased for as little as $879.

If you are wondering about the low price point, the reason for it would be the immediate savings that Dell has attached to the laptop, which has been favorably reviewed by gadget critics. Be forearmed with the right information when purchasing this baby, though. Dell said that consumers should get the version with the Intel 1.83 Ghz Core 2 Duo T5550 processor inside. It looks like this kind of juice is needed in order to provide the ncessary CPU power to ensure that Blu-ray discs play flawlessly. Apparently, the Intel X3100 integrated graphics chip is just not enough to provide the necessary power.

Other accessories that are included in the bundle are a travel power adaptor, travel remote control, and Creative noise-isolation earphones.

In a previous entry, I wrote about rumors of ASUS possibly releasing the second generation EEE with a bigger screen but possibly the same processor. It was a bit underwhelming so I decided that I would pass up this generation altogether since I’m still happy with my first gen EEE.

But confirmation about the new EEE has left me excited once again. The company has released news that the second generation EEE will indeed sport an 8.9 inch screen, but the clincher here is that it is going to be a touchscreen. This opens up a whole new level of interactivity and maneuverability. It’s a big plus especially for me since I have never really gotten the knack of using a touch pad. With a touch screen navigation will be extremely easy.

The new units, which could be released by May or June could also have a built-in GPS. Additional changes include ramped up RAM of 1GB and storage capacity from 8 to 12GB. The second gen EEE could possibly reach the 500-dollar level, still enticingly affordable. No word on the processor though so I guess it would still remain as the one unchanged component here.

Bringing my lappies with me can sometimes be a horrible experience. My trusty Acer’s laptop bag is quite bulky and heavy, which contributes to the total weight that I have to lug around with me. My ASUS EEE may be easier to carry in a bag but I hate that it just gets all jiggled up in my messenger bag or backpack because there are no internal restraints. There are also a lack of pockets for my other gadgets, like my Nokia E61i, my iPod, my Nintendo DS, as well as various documents and papers.

So it was with great excitement when I saw the Logitech KINETIX backpack. The ergonomic looking bag looks quite hip with its black and orange contrasting colors. It’s slightly curved back frame means that air will flow at the back, which effectively prevents the sweaty back stains that all backpack users experience. The great thing here is that the sturdy frame has many pockets and compartments that are easily accessible. The laptop compartment can fit up to a 15.4 inch notebook, which is quite awesome.

The Logitech KINETIX may be THE backpack to use for lappie users. I’ll definitely have this on my buy list this year.

I’ve been a big believer of ultraportables. My Asus EEE and I been practically joined at the hip from the day I bought it. It really bridged this gap between using a desktop and using a full featured notebook and it has significantly increased my productivity.

There are those people, however, who have thrown in their support for e-book readers. These gadgets are limited in their usability and is practically a one-trick pony but it has created its own niche in the competitive gadgets sector. Even the much-criticized Kindle reader from Amazon is selling like hotcakes, so much so that Jeff Bezos has issued an apology for the company’s inability to address the demand for their first electronic product.

According to Bezos, there is a six-week wait for those who order Kindle and shipping is being done on a first come, first served basis. Bezos said that Amazon is doing its best to increase the manufacturing capacity of the product, which I am pretty sure they are groping around in the dark right now for solutions, this being their first commercial product.

For those who want their e-books, I would enthusiastically recommend an ultraportable instead. But for e-book fans, I guess the Kindle is indeed the right choice despite the steep $399 price tag.

A couple of weeks ago Microsoft finally released Windows Vista Service Pack 1, the first official update to the new OS that was introduced just over a year ago. As timelines go, SP1 for Vista has been released relatively fast. I think it’s so much more faster than when SP1 for Windows XP was released.

Service Pack 1 contains many updates that seeks to enhance compatibility, security and performance. Users should not expect anything as drastic as the XP SP1, which also contained a number of interface improvements as well as the inclusion of additional features that clearly spelled a difference and showcased the addition of a new service pack.

According to Microsoft, Vista SP1 will bring a speed boost along with a swifter large file copying as well as increased connectivity success with networked PCs. Better Bitlocker encryption is also promised as well as desktop search that a user can configure.

I’d love to hear how Vista SP1 is performing on your laptops.