Seagate announced that its new generation Momentus 7200.3 hard drive, the industry's first 2.5", 7200-rpm, 320GB HDD, now powers Dell XPS notebooks and will be available soon in select Alienware products. The Momentus 7200.3 SATA 3.0 HDD features doubled 16MB cache and a free-fall sensor technology, to help prevent drive damage and data loss upon impact if notebook is dropped. The hard drive is also lean on power consumption, allowing notebook users to work longer between battery charges, and are virtually inaudible thanks to Seagate's innovative SoftSonic fluid-dynamic bearing motors and QuietStep ramp load technology.

The Dell website has yet to be updated to reflect the new storage option, though it's not expected that any systems will come with the fast 320GB drive as standard. Dell's gaming division Alienware will also receive the option for select portables. Both updates are to come soon, says the announcement.

Acer announced the Aspire Gemstone Blue notebook series is now available in North America. Unveiled in March 2008, the Aspire Gemstone Blue range features the PC market's first 18.4" and 16" notebook form factors with true HD cinematic capabilities.

Powered by Intel Centrino Duo processor technology, the Aspire Gemstone Blue notebook series offers the latest dual-core processing capabilities. Targeted for home users seeking Full HD, 16:9 entertainment with centralized multimedia management, for gamers who want high-resolution support with superior display quality, and for creative professionals and SOHO users who require maximum multimedia resources and powerful communication, the Aspire Gemstone Blue notebook PC series is an excellent choice for everyone.

Both the Aspire 8920 and Aspire 6920 notebooks include the second generation Dolby Home Theater technology with powerful audio technologies - CineSurround, Tuba CineBass booster, and up to five integrated speakers for True5.1 sound output - the new standard for the notebook sound and the ideal choice for Full HD movies and gaming.

OCZ Technology Group unveiled their pioneering Do-It-Yourself gaming notebook program. Under this program, users ranging from hardware enthusiasts to mainstream gamers can partake in configuring and building their own gaming-grade mobile solution. The OCZ DIY program enables users to purchase an unconfigured notebook and ultimately customize the system to their needs with the help of guides and direct support.

OCZ's first DIY notebook solution delivers an optimal balance of gaming performance and portability. Featuring an Intel Core 2 Duo platform, the OCZ DIY notebook can accommodate the latest CPU technology including the all-new 45nm processors. In conjunction with this state-of-the art mobile processing power, the 15.4" DIY notebooks come equipped with NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT high performance graphics to provide a premium mobile gaming experience.

According to Engadget, Dell is going to refresh its consumer notebook series with the Inspiron 1435, 1535 and 1735.

The upcoming notebooks will feature new basic design, bringing elements of Dell's premium XPS lineup into reach of mainstream consumers. Engadget says all three notebooks start at around 1" thick and taper up to 1.5" thick and as same as current Inspirons, the 1435, 1535 and 1735 will feature various color options.

The report says all three also sport slot-loading drives, with a Blu-ray option, and processors ramp up to Core 2 Duo T5850 2.16GHz. 3G options are also available across the lineup, and just about anything else you might find useful in a mid-range notebook.

Apparently Inspiron 1435 isn't due until October, Inspiron 1735 is coming on 9th of June and Inspiron 1535 on the 26th of May.