Rain Recording Offers LiveBook Laptop

(Click for a close-up)

For audio professionals looking for a high-performance laptop, Rain Recording offers the LiveBook mobile audio workstation. Due to its low power consumption components and quadruple-vented convection design, the LiveBook is built to handle the demands of audio recording and mixing, even in less-than-optimal environments. The LiveBook base model features a Pentium M processor with Centrino Technology, 1 Gig of RAM, 4 USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire port, and a CD-RW/DVD combo drive.

The LiveBook is designed to handle sustained levels of intense hard drive and CPU utilization of 90%. Rain President Bill Paschick explained: "The system demands of multi-track audio production far exceed those of typical office and graphics applications for which most generic laptops were designed. The risk of overheating is compounded by the inferior conditions of typical mobile environments. Particularly with audio production, system failure carries a very high cost. By using properly balanced, low power components and generous convection cooling, the LiveBook provides the best performance possible while making stability a priority."

The modularized component design offers generous airflow cooling through the LiveBook's four vents, and also makes field serviceability a straightforward process. LiveBook components such as the hard drive, memory, keyboard, and CPU are easily user-replaceable.

The internal hard drive boasts an 8 meg buffer-four times the amount of most generic laptops, and a more important factor than just spindle speed in preventing audio engine bottlenecks that cause dropouts, stops, or lock-ups according to the company. Other features include wireless b/g networking, and a built-in 5-in-1 media card drive. To increase hard drive versatility, Rain also offers the Storm Drive Pocket external drive, which provides the same LiveBook hard drive performance in a shock-mounted USB 2.0/FireWire enclosure.

LiveBook specifications:

• Intel Pentium M 1.6G (2M) 730J 533MHz with Centrino Technology
• Intel 915GM/PM + ICH6-M Chipset
• 1 Gig 533 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
• 15.4" Wide XGA TFT display; 1280 x 1024 resolution; 16.7 million colors
• Intel Graphics 915GM /PM integrated graphics memory controller
• AC '97 and High Definition Audio, 5.1 / 7.1 Channel Surround Sound, Two Stereo Speakers
• 60GB 5400 RPM 8MB buffer IDE hard disk
• Optical Drive 24X10X8X +24X Combo CD-RW+DVD
• Integrated Intel PRO 802.11b/g wireless
• Ethernet 10/100 Base T on-board
• 56K Soft Modem, V.90/92 support
• 5-in-1; supports SmartMedia, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, and Secure Digital and xD-Picture memory card formats
• PCMCIA 2.1; supports one Type II card
• Touch pad with four-way scroll function; two-click buttons and one scroll button
• 86/87/88 full-sized keyboard with 19 x 19 mm key caps, 2.5 mm travel; Microsoft Windows function keys; and palm rest
• I/O Ports: 1 - FireWireR(IEEE 1394), 1 - Microphone-in, 1 - Line-in, 1 - Headphone-out, 1 - VGA port/Mini D-sub 15-pin for external monitor, 4 - USB 2.0 Ports, 1 - S-Video Out, 1 - Parallel Port, 1 - RJ11 Modem Connector, 1 - RJ45 Ethernet Connector
• Lithium Ion, 8-cell, 2400mAh, 65Wh battery pack Approx. 4.5 hours; charging time 2.5 hours (power off), 3.0 hours (power on)
• Dimensions: 14.3 x 10.5 x 1.3 inches (W x H x D)
• Weight: 6.0 lbs.
• One year limited warranty

The LiveBook is now shipping with an MSRP of $2699.95.