NVIDIA Shows off Ion at CES
January 13, 2009
NVIDIA was showing off a demo model of the upcoming NVIDIA Ion platform, based around Intel’s Atom CPU. PC Perspective and HotHardware both have videos of the Ion platform, and you can get an idea of just how small it was, and how cool-running it is.
Given that this was a non-portable demo, they had the 1.6GHz dual-core Atom 330 installed (although a dual-core Atom and the Ion should eventually make their way into netbooks later this year). The Ion platform contains NVIDIA’s GeForce 9400M GPU for graphics processing.
Assuming the price is able to be kept low when netbooks based around this platform launch, we should be able to get 1080p and all of the bells and whistles that come with Windows 7, as well Vista if you decide to go that around (although by the time the Ion launches, Windows 7 should be available).
Read:
- PC Perspective
- HotHardware
via Engadget
Sony VAIO P - Reviewed, In-Depth Hands On (Varied)
January 11, 2009
As CES 2009 comes to a close, quite a few people are getting a chance to take a close look at the new 8″ Sony VAIP P with its extra-high resolution display (1600×768)
LAPTOP Magazine got their hands on a pre-production model and have reviewed it, giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars, with the main drawback being the performance versus the price. The model reviewed has an Intel Atom Z530 (1.33GHz), but there are 1.86GHz VAIO P’s in the pipeline, and they mention that many people will probably want to check out the public beta of Windows 7 which should offer better performance.
jkOnTheRun has posted an 11-minute long video and hands-on of the VAIO P. Kevin Tofel mentioned that it feels lighter than the 1.4 pounds it’s listed at (when usually it’s the other way around), and that it’s a “well designed device”. Even though it’s only 8″ and yet has a high-resolution, he found the display to be quite readable. High-definition version.
Engadget got their chance to take a look at it, and they were impressed with the design as well, calling it “just stunning”, and were also impressed at how readable and clear the display was, and mentioning that there are zoom in/out function keys in case you need to examine something in detail.
Engadget also discussed Windows 7 on the VAIO P, and posted a couple of videos. It booted faster and was a lot more responsive (especially in browsing the web). No Aero though.
Intel to Produce CPU for Thin and Light Laptops
January 11, 2009
According to CNET sources, Intel will be rolling out a new CPU later this year, targeted towards cheaper laptops that are just above netbooks in specifications, pricing, and size, but below some of the more expensive high-end thin and light laptops (such as the 12.1″ Toshiba R600 or Sony’s VAIO VGN TT series).
The new CPUs are not meant to compete with Intel’s Atom platform or NVIDIA’s Ion platform, but instead targets the AMD Athlon Neo.
They are looking at the market for ultraportables who fall into the $700 - $900 price range.
It won’t be based on the Atom CPU either, it’ll be based on the existing Intel Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) CPUs that power devices like the Toshiba R600 and Sony TT series mentioned above. It doesn’t look like it’ll be a replacement for the current SU9300 and SU9400 CPUs. It will be in the 22mm range, size-wise.
Read: CNET News
Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Hands-On (Engadget)
January 10, 2009
Yesterday’s announcement of the 10″ Dell Inspiron Mini 10 left a lot of people wondering, including myself.
Would the 10 relegate the Function-keys to an alternet row, like the 8.9″ Inspiron Mini 9?
What’s the resolution, given that Dell was touting an “Edge-to-Edge” 16:9 720p display?
Just what will be optional - are the TV tunner and built-in GPS going to be a part of every Mini 10, or will they be paid options?
Some of these questions have been answered - Engadget has posted a gallery showing the the Inspiron Mini 10 gets a dedicated Function-key row back, that was missing with the Inspiron Mini 9. They also discussed the Mini 10’s multi-touch trackpad. The buttons are located in the corners, and besides the usuals (zooming/scrolling), you can put three fingers on the touchpad and it brings up a launcher aplication. They’ve also posted a gallery that compares the Mini 10 size-wise to the Mini 9, the 12″ Inspiron Mini 12, and the 13.3″ Apple MacBook Air.
Read: - Engadget
Dell Announces Inspiron Mini 10, Mentions Adamo
January 9, 2009
At a press event today, Dell unveiled the Inspiron Mini 10, a slightly larger version of the Inspirin Mini 9. It’s got a 10″ display with a 16:9 aspect ration, and Dell claims it can play 720P HD video - whether this means the display is 1280×720 (or 1366x???) is unknown. Update: I would err on the side of caution and say it will probably do 1280×720.
The Inspiron Mini 10 has some interesting features, in addition to the 16:9 display:
- “Edge-to-Edge” Keyboard
- Built-in TV Tuner
- Mobile Broadband (maybe optional)
- Built-in GPS
- Multi-touch and gesture touchpad (gestures for home screen, scrolls, favorites)
Also included in the presentation, the Dell 3G Inspiron Mini 9, which represents a partnership between Dell and AT&T to include 3G mobile broadband connectivity in the Inspirin Mini 9.
The Dell presentation put an emphasis on how important they believe touch-enabled devices (either touchpads or touchscreens) will become, even before Windows 7 is in wide release, and that Windows 7 will eventually help with that.
As far as the Dell Adamo, Dell wouldn’t say much at this time. Engadget mentions that it’s really thin and light, and that it will be the new luxury franchise/flagship in the Dell laptop lineup.
Read: Engadget
MSI Wind U120H with Touchscreen
January 9, 2009
LAPTOP Magazine had a hands-on at CES with a touchscreen version of the upcoming 10″ Intel Atom-powered MSI Wind U120H. The U120H is based on the U120 and has mobile broadband options.
It’s important to note that MSI has no formal plans at this point to produce a touchscreen Wind - this was apparently a modified U120H to be used as a proof-of-concept.
In this instance, it wasn’t even a “convertible” netbook (converting between a Tablet PC form factor and a convetional/notebook form factor), similar to the 8.9″ Eee PC T91 Touch or the Eee PC T101H.
LAPTOP Magazine has posted a full video walk-through of using Windows XP on the touchscreen version of the U120H.
Read: LAPTOP Magazine
Asus S121 - Details
January 8, 2009
Although we already had some details of the 12.1″ Asus S121 (think high-end netbook), Asustek has officially announced and displayed the Atom-powered device at CES 2009 (technically at a pre-CES event, tied to CES).
The S121 is similar to the 10.2″ Asus Eee PC S101, with one very huge (and expensive) difference: It comes with a 512GB Solid State Drive (SSD). That’s right, a 512GB SSD. In addition, Asustek claims a 20% performance boost, and 2x faster data transfer rate over other SSDs - whether that means this is an SLC drive or some MLC SSD drive remains to be seen. Given the larger size of the S121, a 512GB MLC SSD drive is certainly feasible. The SSD helps with the claimed battery life of up to 8 hours (along with the Intel Atom Z520 and the ASUS Super Hybrid Engine).
Dimensions:
Width: 11.7 inches / 297.2 mm
Depth: 8.3 inches / 210.8 mm
Height: 0.9 - 1 inches / 22.9 - 25.4 mm
Weight: 3 pounds / 1.4 kg
Even though it shares much in common with the Eee PC line, Asustek has made it clear that they consider it a notebook, by dropping the Eee PC moniker, and by the 512GB SSD (which surely will drive the price well over $1000 USD).
Read: liliputing
Asus Eee PC T91 and T101H Hands-On (LAPTOP Mag, liliputing)
January 8, 2009
Asustek continues to demonstrate their new touchscreen convertible netbooks at CES 2009, the 8.9″ Eee PC T91 and the 10″ Eee PC T101H. I mentioned yesterday that it’s been a long time coming - we first heard about them going back to May of last year. They are convertible in the sense that you can change the form factor from a conventional laptop/notebook to a Tablet PC with the display being the only input device.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get very many details on the T101H. It does have a brand new keyboard, that was described as feeling like the Apple MacBook keyboard, with spacing between the keys. The trackpad was also wider. Size wise, it was described as being similar to the Eee PC 1002HA. liliputing mentioned that the shift key was located to the left of the up key.
LAPTOP Magazine was shown an N20 with a multi-touch display (and they’ve included a video at the link below). It is just a proof-of-concept at this point, so don’t get your hopes up anytime soon, but it’s good to know that Asustek is looking into multi-touch displays.
Read:
- LAPTOP Magazine
- liliputing
