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      Search PCMAG.COM NEWS PC Magazine: Product Guides > > Best Buy Announces 'Blue Label' Notebook PCs News and Analysis Related Links Related Topics news 10.8.2008 10.7.2008 10.7.2008 10.7.2008 10.7.2008 ultimate utility guide top sellers Compare Store Deals 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Best Buy Announces 'Blue Label' Notebook PCs 10.07.08 by has launched two new notebooks under its own, branded "Blue Label". The two new notebooks, from and , are being offered alongside other branded notebooks from other manufacturers, such as Dell and Gateway. Best Buy may also expand the "Blue Label" program into areas beyond laptops, although a Best Buy executive said he was not prepared to talk about future plans. Best Buy will introduce two new notebooks: the HP dv3510nr and the Toshiba e105-s140, according to Jason Bonfig, vice president of the computing division at Best Buy. Both will be priced identically at $1,199 as standard SKUs, he said. The HP and Toshiba laptops went on sale this week. For years, Best Buy has offered notebooks designed by major notebook manufacturers like Hewlett-Packard, and sold exclusively through Best Buy; the retailer also has a house brand, Insignia, for televisions. Today, almost 30 to 40 percent of the notebooks sold at Best Buy are designed for the retailer alone, Bonfig said. "What's different with this platform is that it has been completely developed from the ground up to meet customer needs," Bonfig said. Bonfig said that Best Buy had actually been involved with the design process, interjecting itself into a phase that usually is negotiated between the OEM and a contract manufacturer, which actually produces the product. The retailer has gathered a "tremendous amount of feedback" from consumers, either directly or via the "blue shirt" network of Best Buy employees. Moreover, Best Buy also seems open to suggestions; when told that PC Magazine readers would probably prefer a system restore disc rather than restore options via a system partition, Bonfig promised to "make a note" for future review. (Both of Best Buy's new notebooks use a system restore partition, however.) In the case of the HP notebook, for example, adding an additional 9- or 12-cell battery usually means an unsightly barrel or stand that houses the additional battery. With the new HP dv3510nr, however, the additional battery will sit flush against the chassis. Customers also asked for and received notebooks that were less than 5 pounds, less than 1.5 inches thick, with a backlit keyboard, and a standard two-year warranty. Customers who purchase either notebook also have a 30-day period of free Geek Squad Q&A assistance, Bonfig said. But the notebook does not come with free Geek Squad tech support  for example, a customer who wanted to know how to move files from an old laptop to the new purchase would be pointed to file-transfer wizards within Vista; if a customer wished to have Geek Squad actually handle the transfer, the customer will pay a service charge, he said. Best Buy salespeople are not commissioned, "and that's not changing anytime soon," Bonfig said. Blue Label notebooks will not be given preference over other brands, he said, and will simply be offered as another solution. The HP Pavilion dv3510nr is priced at $1,199, and includes a backlit keyboard, weighs 4.6 pounds, and is less than 1.41 inches thin. It includes a 13.3-inch WXGA LED-lit BrightView widescreen display. The notebook can operate up to four hours on a single charge. The Toshiba Satellite E105-S1402 is also priced at $1,199, with a keyboard "that is visible in low light". The notebook weighs 4.99 pounds, is 1.2 inches thin, and includes a 14.1-inch diagonal widescreen. However, the notebook can run 5.5 hours on a single charge. The "Blue Label" models may also help Best Buy's brand cachet, which has fared far better than its rival, Circuit City. Circuit City saw U.S. sales drop 10.6 percent to $2.24 billion, compared to the same period last year, which the company attributed to a worsened macroeconomic environment, competitive pressures and a weakened brand position. Best Buy, meanwhile, reported a 12 percent increase in revenue to $9.8 billion, including a 4.2 percent comparable store sales gain versus a year ago. Net income dipped slightly but was nevertheless profitable, at $202 million. The Blue Label may be extended to other categories, Best Buy said. "[Blue Label] shows Best Buy is listening to its customers," Bonfig said. "It's going to bring more customers to us, more often, more frequently, and it will bring growth to the category." Editor's Note: The story has been updated to note that both notebooks have begun selling, according to Best Buy. Add RSS feed to your feed reader so that you don't miss another headline! newsletters Get PCMag.com's FREE email newsletters delivered to your inbox. It's easy, just follow the steps. Want more? Check out our other newsletters . Manage your newsletter subscriptions . 1. Make your selections: Daily News Alert Inside PCMag.com PCMag.com Small Business Update PCMagCast Update Productwire: First Looks Update Security Watch Tech Saver Tip of the Day Utility Library Update What's New Now PCMag Announcements 2. Select email format: 3. Enter email address: | | Featured Offers FREE WHITE PAPER: All SQL Server databases, over time, experience "internal" fragmentation of its data. While there are several ways to defrag internal fragmentation, internal fragmentation is only part of the problem. You must also worry about "external" fragmentation. 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