Nvidia ION platform benchmarked & reviewed

Nvidia’s ION platform is already making its way into a number of nettops and its inclusion in netbooks shouldn’t be that far off. ION takes an Intel Atom processor and partners it with a GeForce 9400M in place of the ageing 945 chipset. To show you how much of an improvement the ION platform is over current solutions, X-bit Labs have taken an engineering sample and given it a thorough testing.

They compare the ION platform to Intel’s 945 chipset across a number of different benchmarks including Windows Experience, PC Mark Vantage, 3DMark06, games, internet, power consumption and HD video playback. It’s interesting to see that whilst ION performs significantly better than the 945 chipset in 3D benchmarks, it’s still some way off the ability to play the latest games. X-bit’s view is that it cannot “be regarded even as an entry level gaming system”. The main issue is that the slow CPU acts as a bottleneck to the GPU (9400M). Read more

ARM CEO hints at possible Windows 7 support

We should start to see a number of ARM-powered netbooks hit retail as the year ends. As ARM chips are not x86 (unlike Intel Atom), it means currently they cannot support Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. More than likely we’ll see these ARM netbooks running on Linux-variants such as Google’s Android OS. However, ARM’s CEO is hinting that Windows 7 support may be on the cards at some point in the future.

ARM recently reported its first quarter results and during the analyst conference call, ARM’s CEO, Warren East, said “Microsoft will continue to play an important part in this [netbook] space. If there was Windows support for the ARM processor today clearly it would be a very different marketplace. Perhaps there will be support in future but that’s really for Microsoft to comment on and not for us to comment on, I’m afraid.” Read more

Netbook boom to end as economy recovers?

Netbooks have grown at an explosive pace since they were introduced to the market back in the middle of 2007. It has been one of the few segments in the computer world that continues to show strong growth in light of a global recession. A big part of a netbooks attraction has been its low cost and, whilst not as powerful as laptops, many find that they can do most day-to-day tasks on these diminutive devices.

However, according to iSuppli, growth in netbooks will inevitably decline as economic conditions improve. iSuppli forecasts that global shipment growth will be 39.6 percent in 2010, eventually falling to 13.1 percent by 2013. Despite the fall-off, these are still impressive numbers and it’s hard to see the big netbook vendors losing sleep over this. These estimates follow shipment growth of 2,424 percent in 2008 and forecast 2009 growth of 68.5 percent. Read more

XP on netbooks to be around for a year after Windows 7 ships

For those of you worried about the availability of Windows XP on netbooks, post the Windows 7 launch, then fear not. Microsoft will continue to offer Windows XP to netbook manufacturers for one year after Windows 7 starts to ship. Whichever way you look at it, Windows XP is the main operating system used in netbooks today. Over 90 percent of netbook shipments in US retail, during November to January, came with Windows XP according to NPD Group.

“OEMs that are using Windows XP on netbooks will have the ability to install Windows XP for one year — 12 months — after Windows 7 general availability,” said Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Windows product management group.

Windows plans to target netbooks with its Starter Edition of the Windows 7 operating system. This has been criticised by some, given its limited use in only allowing three applications to be open at one time. A release date for Windows 7 has not been confirmed so far, although recent rumours suggest that it may be as early as October this year.

Via ComputerWorld.

Palm Foleo to be revived as WebOS netbook?

We recently discussed how Palm’s WebOS operating system could be perfectly suited to netbooks. Well it seems that Palm may be sharing that opinion according to an analyst from Global Equities Research, who says that it is poised to introduce a netbook of its own.

The device would be based on the Foleo and will reportedly run its WebOS operating software. Palm’s Foleo device was originally announced in May 2007, before the netbook revolution started. It was a subnotebook device running on Linux intended as a companion device for PalmOS and Windows Mobile smartphones. Palm cancelled the Foleo in September 2007. Read more

Rumour: Apple lowering Mac prices to fend off netbooks

Apple is planning to cut prices on its iMac and MacBook lines “according to people who’ve proven extremely reliable in predicting Apple’s future business directions,” AppleInsider reports. The real juice from the report though is that the move isn’t a response to Microsoft’s recent advertising blitz, but more to combat the growth of netbooks.

Apple’s COO Tim Cook recently described the netbook in its current form as “junky”, the same sources for the report maintain that Apple has no plans to cater for the netbook market as it exists today.

This would be seen as interim solution until Apple is ready to introduce its own take of what a netbook should be. This is a project that is taking longer to complete than anticipated says the report. So it looks like we may be waiting a bit longer for that rumoured 10-inch Apple tablet.

Samsung N310 netbook now shipping in UK

Whilst the specifications of Samsung’s N310 netbook are average the same certainly can’t be said of its design. In a departure from normal netbook aesthetics, Samsung enlisted the help of leading designer Naoto Fukasawa to create something unique. He definitely came up trumps, creating a look that has split opinion down the middle as to whether one finds it attractive or not.

The Samsung N310 netbook comes with a textured rubber casing and with a large embossed Samsung logo on the lid. It also comes with a 93 percent chiclet keyboard and a frameless 10-inch LED backlit display.

A number of UK retailers now have the Samsung N310 in stock, ready to ship. Prices vary between £382.26 from CCL Online to the official RRP of £399.99 (Amazon, Dabs, Laptops Direct). It will be interesting to see how popular the N310 becomes. Personally, I think it could become a big seller for Samsung. Most netbooks out there look very similar, by creating something very different, it should have a sizeable market willing to pay a premium for its unique looks.

Via SammyNetbook.

Asus Eee PC Seashell 1008HA sees Taiwan launch, UK release imminent

Asus’ latest netbook, the elegant Eee PC ‘Seashell’ 1008HA has now officially launched in Taiwan. Asus released a press release which confirms that it plans to market the netbook under the ‘Seashell’ brand and also confirmed the full list of technical specifications.

According to The Register, the UK launch could be as early as next week. They believe that full UK pricing and availability details will emerge on Tuesday. A number of UK retailers already have the Seashell 1008HA for pre-order, but there is much discrepancy in pricing and launch dates. It was originally believed that pricing would be around the £360 mark, but current pre-orders range from £380 to £400. Some sites (Laptops Direct) put the release date as a week away whilst others (Amazon) list 1-2 months. Read more

NbC: Samsung N120 netbook unboxed

The Samsung N120 netbook dropped through our letterbox this morning and we thought we’d share our unboxing of Samsung’s latest netbook addition. We have a white N120 to put through its paces and initial impressions are certainly favourable.

As a quick recap, the Samsung N120 is one of the first netbooks to feature a full sized keyboard into a 10-inch netbook. Whilst this means you have a thick bezel around the screen, it doesn’t look too bad in the flesh. The speakers mounted either side of the screen go some way to making it less of an issue. Initial impressions on the keyboard itself are positive, it feels natural to type on and all of the buttons are in the right places. It’s not a chiclet keyboard, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less comfortable to type on.

I also like the matte effect on the chassis, it means the lid is not prone to fingerprints like some netbook models are. The other big selling point for the N120 is the 2.1 speaker system, we haven’t had a chance to test this yet, as the N120 is being charged as we speak. We will come back with a full review once we’ve put the Samsung N120 through some extensive testing. As always, if there are any questions you’d like answered, feel free to ask away in the comments section and we’ll do our best to answer them. Click through for the unboxing photos. Read more

Acer Aspire One 751 gets official, UK pricing confirmed

The Acer Aspire One 751 was officially announced for the UK market at a London event yesterday. The 11.6-inch Aspire One 751 will be priced from £349 when it launches in mid-May. This seems like a very reasonable price to us, especially for a netbook that has an 11.6-inch LED backlit screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.

The 751 will be powered by a 1.33GHz Z520 Intel Atom processor and the US15W (Poulsbo) chipset. It will come with 1GB of RAM, 160GB HDD, a multi-card reader and Dolby Pro Logic Sound. Wireless connectivity will come in the form of Wi-Fi (b/g), Bluetooth 2.0 as well as optional 3G support. It seems that you will also be able to choose between Windows XP and Windows Vista Basic for your operating system. Read more

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