Items tagged with Netbooks
New leaked slides from Intel have shed additional light on how the company's 2014 platforms will challenge ARM products in the netbook/nettop space. At present, the company's efforts in the segment are anchored by Cedar Trail, the 32nm dual-core platform that launched a year ago. To date, all of Intel's platform updates for Atom have focused on lowering power consumption and ramping SoC integration rather than focusing on performance -- but Bay Trail will change that. Bay Trail moves Atom to a quad-core, 22nm, out-of-order design. It significantly accelerates the CPU core with burst modes of up to 2.7GHz, and it'll be the first Atom to feature Intel's own graphics processor instead of a licensed...
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Intel has been working with its OEM partners to ensure that ultrabooks arrive below the Macbook Air's $999 price point, but DigiTimes reports that the company has drawn a line when it comes to CPU pricing. Faced with calls to cut the price of Ultrabook CPUs by 50 percent, Intel has instead given notice that it will offer 20 percent discounts to first-tier notebook vendors. Grumpy OEMs (presumably the ones who don't qualify for discounts) have pointed out that Intel's high CPU prices are the major cost behind a number of products, including those based on Oak Trail (an Oak Trail platform costs an estimated $95, compared to ~$20 for Nvidia's Tegra 2). The comparison isn't a particularly good...
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If you are in the market for an ultralight notebook with a gorgeous LED backlit LCD and don't want to spend more than $1,000, the Lenovo IdeaPad U260 should be on your short list. The U260's claim to fame is its 12.5-inch form-factor, making it larger than your average netbook--but at a mere 18mm thick and 3 lbs, it's almost as light as one. Lenovo claims the U260 is the first 12.5-inch ultralight machine on the market, and pricing starts at $899... Lenovo IdeaPad U260 Review: A Stylish Ultralight Notebook...
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If you are in the market for an ultralight notebook with a gorgeous LED backlit LCD and don't want to spend more than $1,000, the Lenovo IdeaPad U260 should be on your short list. The U260's claim to fame is its 12.5-inch form-factor, making it larger than your average netbook--but at a mere 18mm thick and 3 lbs, it's almost as light as one. Lenovo claims the U260 is the first 12.5-inch ultralight machine on the market, and pricing starts at $899. Click to enlarge. What you'll notice first about the notebook is that is just plain good looking. We found people staring at the Mocha brown unit we tested, and we received a compliment or two on how nice it looked. It also comes in a...
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The Chinese have been climbing up the supercomputing staircase for some years; the country's upgraded Tianhe-I system is currently in the lead out of the TOP500. Despite Tianhe-I's success, it may be the last supercomputer China builds using both Intel and NVIDIA parts. (The Tianhe-I originally used 2,560 Radeon 4870 X2 cards, these were later swapped out for NV Tesla M2050 boards.) According to Hu Wei, lead designer at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the country's next TOP500 contender (the Dawning will run mostly, if not entirely, on Chinese-designed microprocessors. Chinese developers have been working on their own CPU architecture for years; China has made no secret of the fact that it wants...
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MeeGo isn't dead yet, but it's barely breathing. Into this life-supported world, Fujitsu birthed its first MeeGo netbook ... and the world yawned. The world also hardly took notice of the MeeGo tablet that Intel is demonstrating at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Not that the new Fujitsu netbook deserved much fanfair. Fujitsu merely took its middle-of-the pack Windows 7 Lifebook MH330 netbook and added the option to run MeeGo on it. The MH330, be it a MeeGo or a Windows 7 version, uses a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 with 1GB of RAM, includes a 250GB hard drive and a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 LED-backlit screen. It has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a 5-in-1 card slot, Webcam ... like we said, yawn. The company...
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MeeGo 1.1 was released on Monday. This is the official call to device makers and developers to build us a new class of Linux-based Intel Atom and ARMv7 devices. Version 1.1 includes a user interface for smartphones and for netbooks but not for tablets. This didn't stop yet another round of rumors over a Nokia MeeGo tablet. The release of MeeGo 1.1 is nicely timed two weeks before the MeeGo Conference in Dublin, November 15-17. Version 1.1 includes a core operating system, the Netbook UX and an In-Vehcile Infotainment UX -- important because in July, The Linux Foundation announced that when MeeGo arrives, it would be used by the GENIVI Alliance as the "basis of its next reference release for In-Vehicle...
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While there's still no official word on which PC manufacturers will produce a Ubuntu touch netbook, the company released a sneak-peak video that shows it's new Netbook Edition Unity interface and gesture library in action. Ubuntu has so far certified a list of 27 laptops and 7 netbooks that work with its full-fledged recent 10.10 release, but has certified none yet for its Unity interface with a touch screen. However, one of those stamped-for-approval netbooks is Dell's Latitude 2100, which includes a touchscreen. The rumor is that the Dell Latitude 2100 does pretty well with Unity installed The demo sure looks like its being done on a Dell Latitude XT2 Tablet PC, perhaps another clue as to which...
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On Sunday, Canonical will release Ubuntu 10.10 in netbook, desktop and server editions. The netbook version will include support for touch through a new user interface, Unity. The Unity interface was designed from scratch for netbooks and has been available to developers and netbook OEMs since May. It eliminates lessor-used icons, rearranges the remaining ones and includes a new panel and application launcher that makes it easier to find preferred netbook apps like the browser. When it comes to touch, Unity can be used in combination with Canonical's "libutouch" gesture libraries, which lets users perform complex tasks with strings of specific gestures. As Canonical VP Steve George explained...
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In a blog post this week, Microsoft made sure to remind everyone that XP's deadline date is fast approaching, making specific mention of netbooks. Come October 22, 2010, "OEMs will no longer be able to pre-install Windows XP Home on new netbook PCs," no matter how much consumers may want it. So is another stay of execution coming? Don't bank on it, as should be pretty obvious by Microsoft posting the blog entry in the first place. And unlike when Vista was the only Windows alternative around, Windows 7 has been much better received. Citing NPD's Retail Tracking Service, Microsoft pointed out that by April 2010, some 81 percent of netbooks units sold at retail here in the states came with Windows...
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While netbooks have become more popular and helped set new pricing standards for portable computers, they're unlikely to replace laptops anytime soon, according to a new survey. The study was done by PriceGrabber.com, a division of Experian, which is perhaps best known for its credit reporting arm.One of the key findings was that even among netbook users, perhaps only a quarter consider a netbook to be an acceptable replacement for a laptop. Some other main points:Online consumers who owned a netbook in December 2008 increased from 10 percent to 15 percent in December 2009. And 11 percent plan to purchase one in 2010, though it's not clear if that was an additional 11 percent.65 percent...
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Today HP announced the details about a bevy of new products that are either available starting now or will be very soon. HP's fall product lineup consists of no less than four new laptops, two new netbooks, a new all-in-one desktop, two new business-class desktops, seven new displays, and two new additions to its MediaSmart media server line of NAS devices. HP ENVY 13A number of these newly-minted products are attention-getters for their looks and specs; but perhaps the most eye-catching of the bunch would have to be the new HP ENVY 13 laptop. The ENVY 13 uses an all-metal design, made from aluminum and magnesium. The laptop's design is very stylish and even includes a design pattern laser-etched...
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With the growing popularity of inexpensive netbooks and nettop PCs, the Linux operating system (often installed on the lowest-priced budget units) is reaching a wider audience--although nowhere close to giving Windows or the Mac OS a run for their money (albeit Mac OS X is based on a Unix kernel). Some pundits even argue that the Linux OS has finally matured enough to the point where everyday computer users can use it with little trouble. This might be arguable, but the often free or inexpensive nature of the different Linux distributions, as well as the plethora of free open-source Linux applications, makes the OS an appealing option to users on a budget. But what if you could "dumb down" the...
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In its annual 10-K filing dated July 30, Microsoft noted that its "Client" (OS sales) business segment faces competition from "variants of Unix, [which] are supplied by competitors such as Apple, Canonical, and Red Hat...The Linux operating system...has gained some acceptance, especially in emerging markets, as competitive pressures lead OEMs to reduce costs and new, lower-price PC form-factors gain adoption. Partners such as Hewlett-Packard and Intel have been actively working with alternative Linux-based operating systems."Now that might not seem like much of a much, but it's a paragraph that has the penguinista community buzzing. The same section of last year's 10-K, you see, reads as follows:...
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If you’ve been wanting to get your hands on a subsidized netbook, but would prefer Verizon Wireless over AT&T, you won’t have to wait any longer. Today, Verizon Wireless began offering the HP mini 1151NR for $199.99 with a 2-year mobile broadband agreement. The $199.99 price tag is after a $50 mail in rebate. We’ve known Verizon Wireless had plans to offer a subsidized netbook, but now the plans have become reality. In the mobile phone industry, it’s common for U.S. wireless carriers to sell mobile phones at a discounted price. In exchange for a discounted phone, users must sign a service agreement that typically ranges from one to two years. The idea of subsidizing netbooks in a similar...
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Just one day after announcing plans to subsidize netbooks, AT&T wised up to the fact that those netbooks and connections could be used to download movies and enjoy other bandwidth-intensive applications. To avoid bogging down their network, the company revised its data plan service terms to single out and prohibit “downloading movies using P2P file sharing services, customer initiated redirection of television or other video or audio signals via any technology from a fixed location to a mobile device, [and] web broadcasting….” The license agreement further prohibits tethering the device to PCs or other equipment. That’s a pretty strict set of rules. We have to wonder how diligent AT&T...
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AT&T is applying a cell phone-like pricing model to netbooks on a trial basis in Atlanta and Philadelphia. Through this offering, you can pick up a netbook for as little as $49.99. Of course, there’s a catch: You’ll need to sign up for one of AT&T’s Internet at Home and On the Go plans in order to get this special pricing offer. AT&T’s netbook offerings currently include the Acer Aspire One, Dell Inspiron Mini 9 or Mini 12, and LG Xenia. AT&T’s Internet at Home and On the Go plans include AT&T’s DataConnect and AT&T Fast Access DSL services. Plans start at $59.95 per month. Without the AT&T subsidy, the netbooks generally sell for between $450 and $600. AT&T didn’t...
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Cellphone operators around the globe have now been offering up WWAN-enabled netbooks for months now, and while AT&T has been doing so in the United States with HP's 2133 Mini-Note, Verizon Wireless is hoping to grab some of that excitement here soon. Essentially, carriers are selling netbooks for even less than retail; the catch is that you have to agree to stick to that bundled 3G data plan for a full two years. In other words, the netbook ends up costing you far more in the long run, but you do get a cash discount up front along with 24 months of mobile internet everywhere you (and your netbook) go. Now, we're being told that Verizon, now America's largest wireless carrier, is expected...
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AMD Delivers Groundbreaking Platform for Ultrathin Notebooks-- The AMD Platform for Ultrathin Notebooks Delivers Balanced PC Performance with True HD Entertainment1 in a Surprisingly Affordable, Amazingly Thin Notebook -- LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Jan. 6, 2009 -- AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the availability of the AMD platform for ultrathin notebooks, enabling exceedingly thin and light OEM designs with rich entertainment capabilities at an affordable price. Previously codenamed “Yukon,” the platform is based on the new AMD Athlon Neo processor, ATI Radeon X1250 integrated graphics and optional ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410 discrete graphics and brings true HD entertainment1 to a new category...
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iGo(R) Will Debut Seven Products at CES Including the First Green Laptop Charger Plus New Netbook Chargers iGo Powers Anything, Everywhere You Go SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- iGo, Inc. (Nasdaq: IGOI), a leading developer of multi-device chargers for laptop computers and mobile electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones, PDAs, digital cameras, MP3 players, etc.), and creator of the patented iGo(R) intelligent tip technology will debut seven products at CES including the first green laptop charger that virtually eliminates vampire power, as well as a line of new netbook chargers. iGo Laptop Charger with iGo Green™ Technology virtually eliminates vampire...
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NVIDIA is planning to take the plunge into the netbook market. NVIDIA contends that the current crop of netbooks lack enough video processing power, and hope to bring users a richer netbook experience. Rene Haas, NVIDIA's VP of World Wide Sales, said, "It's really about developing a platform which attaches to the Atom."NVIDIA's plan is to replace the legacy 3 chip design with a two chip combination of the Geforce 9400M and Atom. The Geforce 9400M, which is currently being used in Apple's Macbooks, will give netbooks a much needed performance boost for many applications, allowing them to offer much of the functionality of a full-sized PC. Haas believes that while the Atom...
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Some folks would argue that trying to use any of today's existing operating systems on a netbook or nettop PC is like trying to stick a Porsche engine into a Volkswagon Beetle. It can be done, but it's not really the best use of the engine or the car. These days, netbooks and nettops tend to come with either Windows XP or Linux installed on them. Low-powered systems might struggle with Windows; and even those units that have the necessary horsepower, typically can't utilize the full functionality of the OS and chew up precious hard drive space with the bloated OS. Linux installs can be streamlined to take up less hard drive space, but Linux is not the most user-friendly OS available--and the...
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