Chrome OS netbook by Acer soon?
Feb 27, 2010 Netbooks
We all remember that when Google announced their own operating system, the Chrome OS last year, many notebooks and netbooks manufacturers did not hesitate to claim that they would use the Chrome OS in their devices. Meanwhile, Acer came forward to say that they would be releasing a netbook with the Chrome OS sometime in 2010, which is next year. Acer already has devices with the Android/Windows 7 operating system but these two operating systems are not the same. The differences are mainly apparent in terms of power consumption and hardware platforms between the Chrome OS and Android/Windows 7 OS.
Things are still unclear as of now; we are just waiting for an official confirmation from either Acer or Google. As far as we know, Google plans to release its Chrome OS sometime later this year. Acer will be the first company to launch a Chrome OS based netbook if the rumors are true. Google products are certainly on consumers’ favorite list and we ourselves can’t wait for the first Chrome OS device to come out.
Apple iPad uses PowerVR SGX Graphics Hardware
Feb 25, 2010 Netbooks
Apple has confirmed the news that their much-awaited iPad will use the PowerVR SGX Graphics Hardware. Though it doesn’t come as a surprise to us, we were still not clear as it was just a rumor before when the information was leaked. This is the same graphics chip that is used in Apple’s other devices notably the iPhone and the iPod Touch. The rumor has been confirmed by Apple’s latest iPad SDK Beta 3 documentation but it is still unclear on exactly which chip it will be using.
The document stated that the iPad’s OpenGL ES is alike to the one found on iPhone OS devices. It has also been said that the iPad is a PowerVR SGX device and it supports the same basic capabilities as other SGX devices. What will be different on the iPad from the other Apple’s devices are the processor, memory architecture, and screen dimensions. The excitement just keeps getting higher and higher by waiting for the launch of this device.
Viliv S10 Blade now available for pre-order
Feb 25, 2010 Netbooks
For those who have been eagerly awaiting this netbook can now happily make their orders for it. The Viliv S10 Blade is available in multiple configurations and as many already know, this device is a touchscreen netbook. There are seven SKUs of this device that consumers can choose from and it is a Windows-based tablet. Consumers, who can’t afford the Apple iPad, can at least afford this one and the Viliv S10 Blade is not that bad as well.
Now let’s talk about the device and which one you can purchase. As mentioned above, the Viliv S10 Blade is available in multiple configurations. There’s the version where it comes with Windows XP, a 60GB hard drive and a 1.6GHz Atom processor. Then there are the others that feature Windows 7 as their operating system. There’s the 1.6Ghz Intel Atom Z530 CPU version or the Intel 2.0Ghz Atom Z550 CPU version, it’s your pick. The rest are the usual features of a netbook such as 1GB of RAM, WiFi b/g and Bluetooth and optional 3G modems. There are also two USB 2.0 ports, a USB slave port, TV and VGA out. Even though, these devices are already available for pre-order, there are no prices listed for them.
Asus Eee Pad is the new slate tablet PC device
Feb 24, 2010 Netbooks
Rumor has it that the Asus is creating its own slate tablet PC device, the Asus Eee Pad. It was mistaken to be the same type of device as the Asus Eee Reader/Asus Eee Book but turns out the Eee Pad is totally different.
The news has been confirmed by Asus’s Vice President Eric Chen and he stated that the Eee Pad will use an ARM CPU. It will also feature the Nvidia Tegra 2 graphics accelerator chip. He went on to say that this tablet PC will be able to play video including movies and other videos. We are hoping that includes high-def and Blu-ray video files. This device will also feature 3G Connectivity. We heard a rumor that the Asus Eee Pad will have a multi-touchscreen display and it has also been said that it will compete with Apple’s iPad. We all know that Asus literally invented netbooks but them manufacturing a slate tablet PC device will sure be something to watch out for.
Acer Aspire One 532G features Ion 2 GPU
Feb 19, 2010 Netbooks
The new netbook from Acer, the Aspire One 532G uses NVIDIA’s Ion 2. This discovery was made at the MWC where Acer was busy showcasing its new Android smartphones. This netbook will be Acer’s first Full HD compliant netbook and with it featuring the Ion 2 GPU means that the Aspire One 532G supports 1080p output via HDMI. With NVIDIA’s latest Optimus technology, the Ion 2 GPU balances rightly the graphics and power against battery life.
The netbook also features an Intel 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, GMA 3150 graphics, 2GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive. There’s also a nice 720p-capable 10.1-inch LED-backlit display. Wifi and an optional 3G are also present on the Aspire One 532G. Not forgetting the small AC adaptor, the netbook can last for about 10 hours. Apparently the AC adaptor can save a third of the recharging time plus it’s light and easy to carry around. The netbook will be released by mid-year 2010 and apparently will work on Windows 7 Home Premium.
Pine Trail finally debuts in Asus Eee PC 1005PE
Feb 18, 2010 Netbooks
The new Atom platform has finally made an appearance in Asus’ netbook, the Eee PC 1005PE. The 66GHz N450 Pineview processor consists of only two chips unlike the Atom platform which had three instead. One of Pine Trail’s chip consists of the CPU, memory controller and GPU while the rest of it are in the NM10 Express chipset that is codenamed Tiger Point.
Pine Trail will be beneficial to the device as it tends to cut costs in the production and the best of all, the whole system will spend less energy than before. This was proven right to the dot when a couple of tech experts tested the device themselves in regards to the energy used and the performance-level achieved. The performance level proved that there wasn’t much difference between this one and the old Atom N280 as both are clocked at 1.66 GHz which we found disappointing as we expected some changes in this area. There’s certainly a difference when it comes to graphics which showed great improvement than the old graphics core. The 1.66GHz N450 Pineview processor in the Asus Eee PC 1005PE is available at the price of £290. All in all, this device proves to be a huge improvement from Asus’ previous releases.
Netbooks at the Mobile World Congress show
Feb 17, 2010 Netbooks
Netbooks are sure rising up fast, based on their sales that is. Most people are opting to buy netbooks as opposed to laptops and it is said that the netbooks’ sales would surely double up this year compared to last year. Anyways, netbooks manufacturers are busy showcasing their devices at the MWC. HP started off with its Compaq Airlife 100 netbook and Samsung too wowed viewers with its coming release, the world’s first LTE netbook. The HP Compaq Airlife 100 has had a few testers at MWC who noted that this HP netbook is brilliant, small and light, and a definitely powerful netbook. Though, it is also said to be working slow and lagging on its Android OS.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s LTE netbook which looks like a bit similar to its N150, features a 10.1-in display with 1024 x 600 resolution and it also comes with Atom CPU, 1GB RAM and 160GH HDD. There’s 3G connectivity which is said to be at 7.2Mbit/sec. This netbook lasts for about 8.5 hours on its battery.
Competition is definitely heavy between these two netbook manufacturers and we will only know who will come out first in the race by the end of the year.
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ASUS T101MT is now official
Feb 16, 2010 Netbooks
We were all awaiting the official announcement of the Asus T101MT after reading about it from some leaked FCC documents almost two months back. Now that it’s been made official on Asus’ site, no need to poke around anymore and let’s get straight to what this new netbook has to offer. Well, for starters, this convertible device works on a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 (Pine Trail technology) processor and it will feature a nice 10.1-inch LED-backlit multi-input touchscreen that comes with a resolution of 1024 × 600 pixels. As far as memory capacity is concerned, it offers a sweet 2GB of RAM and up to 320GB of storage space. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 (with EDR) connectivity are also included in the device. There’s a small webcam located on top of the display of 0.3-megapixel. It also has a built-in multi-card reader for up to 32GB of extra storage (if needed). We now know that it weighs 2.9lbs and this device also comes with a VGA port, three USB slows and one for Ethernet connections, a headphone and microphone ports. The Asus T101MT will have a lifetime of about 6.5 hours.
It will be available with Windows 7 (Starter, Home Basic or Premium) as its operating system and with 500GB of cloud storage from ASUS WebStorage for a whole year which will be given as a gift to its customers. That’s all that was made relevant, no word yet on the release date or pricing.
HP Android offered by Telefonica
Feb 15, 2010 Netbooks
HP’s new netbook, the Compaq AirLife 100 will be made available by Telefonica later on this year in the selected countries only. The device will feature a 1-inch diagonal screen and a full keyboard. There’s also enough memory space on this netbook with the capacity being 16 GB solid state internal storage plus HP provides a SD card slot to go with it, to add more memory if needed. The most exclusive features would be the Android operating system and customized touch interface. From the 1-inch diagonal screen, users can feel the new ‘tabbed’ touch browser experience with just a simple mechanism for zooming web pages. Among HP’s customized interface, there are also a touch-optimized media suite and shortcut menu. It works on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon QSD8250 chipset platform which makes this netbook perform even better.
As of now, we know that other features include 3G access, Wi-Fi connectivity, VGA webcam, up to 12 hours of battery life in active, GPS capabilities and preinstalled NDrive navigation software.
Eee PC 1005PE-H coming soon
Feb 8, 2010 Netbooks
Coming straight from FNAC where they have added a new netbook to their list, from Asus, the Eee PC 1005PE-H. It’s the upgraded model of Asus’ previous Eee PC 1005PE which also comes from its predecessor, the Asus Eee PC 1005. Asus, the brand, needs no introduction. They are credited to be the first company to launch netbooks and since then, they have managed to successfully launch many netbooks under their wing. This new netbook will feature a 10.1 inch display that comes with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. It also comes with the new Pine Trail CPU. It will work on Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. It also comes with slightly bigger memory capacity with a 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. As for now, we know that the price for this netbook will be 349 Euros. It will hopefully be available to be purchased by the end of February.
