Other Mfrs

Panasonic ToughBook 30 vs GammaTech Durabook D15RP (Engadget)

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Engadget has posted a review/comparison of the current rugged Intel Centrino 2-based 13.3″ Panasonic ToughBook 30 versus the semi-rugged 15.4″ GammaTech Durabook D15RP. The ToughBook 30 isn’t exactly ultraportable – it weighs in at over 8 pounds, however it’s one of the most rugged/durable in … Read more

Netbook CPUs: ARM, AMD (Conesus/Yukon), Dual-Core Atom

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AMD There were several major CPU-related announcements for netbooks released over the past few days, along with some more information about dual-core Atoms and how they might potentially fare in netbooks.

ARM is going to use the ARMv7 architecture to make ARM Cortex-A8 and A9-based netbooks and MIDS. They are going to work with Canonical on an Ubuntu-based Linux distribution specifically for these systems. They are known for being able to handle some forms of high-definition video as well as long battery life in existing PDAs / smart phones. LAPTOP Magazine reports that they are interested in 8.9″ and 10.2″ netbooks. We’ll see more about this towards April of 2009 as the ARM Ubuntu distribution is released, as well as more information. (Press Release via LAPTOP Magazine

Next up, PC Pro has benchmarked the dual-core Atom 330, and even though it was on a desktop form factor, they made comparisons to single-core Atoms on netbooks (since some of the involved factors, including the chipset, were identical).

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Packard Bell dot Announced

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Speaking of re-badged netbooks/clones, we may have another one. Packard Bell, which was acquired by Acer earlier this year, is going to be releasing an 8.9″ netbook, the Packard Bell “dot”. It bears more than a passing resemblance to the Acer Aspire One. Now Packard … Read more

Sylvania g MAGNI (MSI U100)

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A “new” netbook from Sylvania is on the way. It’s the Sylvania g MAGNI, which, as LAPTOP Magazine reports, is a rebranded 10.2″ MSI Wind U100. LAPTOP Magazine interviewed Paul Goldenberg who is the Managing Partner of Digital Gadgets (they sell products using Sylvania’s brand) … Read more

Changes Coming to Voodoo?

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Voodoo Envy 133 With the recent launch of the ultraportable 13.3″ Vodoo Envy 133, a laptop many were looking at as a competitor to the Apple MacBook Air and Lenovo ThinkPad X300, it seemed like HP’s acquisition of VoodooPC was going well.

If you’ll recall, HP bought the boutique computer maker almost two years ago. Over the past few days, there have been quite a few rumors flying around that the end of VoodooPC was near (at least as we know it). HP has been aggressively pushing its brand, and Voodoo’s product lines had dwindled (although some saw the Envy as a major boost to the VoodooPC brand).

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