Hi All,

Have a look on these .
“
Nearly two-dozen different laptop models sold by HP ship with software plagued with multiple zero-day vulnerabilities, security researchers said Wednesday.

The bugs are in an ActiveX control included with the HP Info Center software preinstalled on both HP- and Compaq-branded laptops running Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003 and Vista, Symantec said in a note to clients of its DeepSight threat network. Info Center is a part of HP’s Quick Launch Buttons application, which gives users one-click access to information and configuration details on the portables.

“One of its ActiveX controls deployed by default by the vendor has three insecure methods that allow a malicious person to target the HP notebook machines for a remote code execution- and remote registry manipulation-based attacks,” said a researcher using the alias “porkythepig” in posts to both milw0rm.com and the Bugtraq security mailing list.

The posts spelled out the vulnerabilities and included proof-of-concept exploit code.

Symantec recommended that users set the “kill bit” on the ActiveX control until HP produces a patch; that process, however, requires editing the Windows registry, a daunting chore for most. A less effective defense would be to disable Active Scripting in Internet Explorer, Symantec added in the note, since “the primary way to exploit this vulnerability is via a malicious Web page.”

Although porkythepig claimed that the defective ActiveX control has shipped with “almost every HP laptop model for [the past] few years,” he claimed that 23 different notebooks had been confirmed as running the flawed control. The list included the HP 510 and 530; the Compaq 2710, 2510, 6120, 6220, 6230, 6325, 6510, 6715, 6910, 7300, 8220, 8230, 8440, 8510, 8710 and 9440; and the NC, NW and NX series notebooks.

The hacker also took a shot at HP in the messages on milw0rm.com and Bugtraq. “I think the company so deeply involved in security software patents war should take a bigger care about the users’ security than taking profits from the rights to the invention of the circle,” said porkythepig. “After all, what are the security software patents worth if it is the user who has the final word about their own software security?”

It was unclear what “patents war” porkythepig referred to, but HP recently settled with Web application security vendor Cenzic to cross-license multiple patents that had been at the heart of two lawsuits filed by SPI Dynamics, a security testing tools developer acquired by HP in June. The settlement was announced by the two companies Oct 1, and the lawsuits were immediately dropped.

HP wasn’t available for comment on the ActiveX bugs disclosed by porkythepig.

Computerworld (US online) “

There is a spec sheet (http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/latit/en/latit_xt_specsheet.pdf).

Some deets in there is that you can have a Core Solo or a Core Duo. If it is the Solo for the starting price of $2400, I’m not sure what Dell is thinking.

Still no ordering of the device yet, though, just the picture and some data.

Woadan

The touchscreen on the Latitude XT is a type called “capacitive” which is a different technology than the “resistive” touchscreens of Pocket PCs and similar handheld devices. The Latitude’s screen is completely solid with no flexible “membrane” on top that can be easily scratched.

A decent description of touchscreen technology can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen

So Dell is probably pricing in line with the (admittedly) limited market that currently exists.

Also, @ borax99, don’t overlook the market penetration that Dell has. I know many enterprises use Dell exclusively. My boss from my last job wanted a tablet, but Dell didn’t make one and our company made you go through hoops and leaps and other anatomically impossible (or very difficult) contortions just to buy out of contract. I would not be surprised if she ends up getting a Dell XT.

@tyrgfe: The Sahara I listed above weighs “1.62 kg (3.57 lbs.) with Battery Pack Installed”. (From their web page.) It sounds like TK and Dell may be using the same manufacturer.

I think the conclusion we can make on the price is that having both touchscreen and active digitizer add significantly to the price. The touchscreen only Sahara retails for $100 less.

HP doesn’t offer a duo screen tablet. The active digitizer is all there is. So their price reflects that.

Woadan

besides i did see that, but the quote alone goes to show that EnG isnt even sure. but for arguments sake lets say that was right. this monster is going to be in the 4.5lbs range just to get decent battery life, well over 5lbs to get the ext battery. stuff in all that tech & completely ruin it with the weight. the single most important factor of a vertical device, whatta joke. if it’s to heavy to use in slate for extended periods of time & your forced to use it in laptop, might as well buy a laptop instead.

HP’s offering is much better.

The price is absolutely insane. Who’s the corporate geek that’s going to recommend a Dell, over a cheaper ThinkPad? Someone who’ll be looking for a new job pretty quick, methinks. They have no market at that price, they just need to wakeup.

@ ujnyhbtgvrf: next time, try reading the linked articles.
engadget: “3.57 pounds (presumably without battery)”

where the hell is the exact weight listed? i keep seeing alot of “sub 4lb”, which means pretty much nothing. it could easily be like “3.9lbs without battery”, ive seen it before!

the fact that Dell isnt releasing the exact specs to the press pretty much guarantees this thing is a fatty (weight wise). who wants to use a 4lbs vertical device?

@ Kevin: The Everex that will sell for $400 will _not_ have a touch screen. How much are you willing to bet that most people will end up spending $400 for their Everex?

@ sixftunda: The HP2710P has a touch screen. It has, to be specific, an active digitizer, meaning you have to use the included pen with the tablet PC. Or did you mean you wouldn’t want one on the Everex if you bought one?

WOadan

I have been using my 2710p pretty heavily in the last week and I don’t think I would want a touchscreen especially if the screen would be similar to a ppc screen. I would be too worried about scratching it. When I am at work and using it in tablet mode I am constant laying papers on it to sign. Does anyone know how the screen feels on this one?

Woadan, I’m in general agreement with you: the device classes are very different. However I did read last night that there will be a version of the Everex with a touchscreen.

@ Mike: The Everex is comparable to the Eee that Kevin has been spending time with of late. Neither of them are even close to the Dell Tablet.

Not to say you can’t decide on the former over the latter, but in terms of what they will do, you can’t compare. The Everex and the Eee aren’t even touch screens–they’re simply mini notebooks running a slimmed down version of Linux. The XT is in competition with the HP 2710P, the Toshiba Portege M700, and it appears Dell also thinks the Motion LE1700 by their price.

Also, the Linux on the Everx is gOS. The same one they used in the gPC. It stands for good OS, and does not appear to be related to Google in any way.

See http://www.thinkgos.com/index.html.

Woadan

absolutely NOTHING about this machine warrants a $2500 starting price. i mean get real, it isnt even spec’d that well to begin with.

Forget Dell. It won’t have a touchscreen, but Everex’s Nanobook is now the Cloudbook and will come roaring in next month at just $400 with a 30GB HD! I think that kills the EeePC for me.

http://www.electronicsinfoline.com/New/Laptop_and_Tablet_PC/everex_nanobook_becomes_the_cloudbook_gets_gos.shtml

Yeah, they say GoogleOS (whatevah), but you just know people will shoehorn XP onto it!

From http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cdetland.to?seg=HHO&poid=405951&coid=-34917&fgpn=PPM70U-01R01D: “When the rules change, you can too with the performance and versatility of the Portégé® M700 Tablet PC with a 12.1-inch diagonal widescreen LED Backlit Display* with digital pen support, touch capability and anti-glare display for indoor/outdoor viewing.”

I may have to rethink my decision to go with the HP 2710P.

Woadan

Well now we know how Dell thought they could afford to run those Toshiba R400’s through the table saw…

Either Dell is paying way too much for that muli-touch sensor, or expecting us to pay way too much for it…