Apple tablet delayed till H2 2010?

It’s difficult to understand how something can be delayed when it hasn’t even been announced, but Digitimes is reporting that the oft-rumoured Apple tablet will now launch in the second half of 2010. It has been pushed back from a March launch schedule as it has switched components and now plans to launch two models; one with an OLED screen and another with a TFT LCD display.

The OLED panel will be supplied by LG Display according to the report and will be 9.7-inches in size. The TFT LCD model will come with a 10.6-inch display and will be manufactured by Foxconn, Quanta and Pegatron Technology.

Looking at current OLED 9.7-inch display prices of $500, you can estimate that the tablet will have a total whopping cost of around $1,500 to $1,700 (panel costs typically account for around 30 percent of the device’s total cost). However, as prices are dropping all of the time, Apple is expected that the cost of the OLED model will be in the region of $1,200-1,500 by the time of release. This will lead to a retail price of around $2,000. The 10.6-inch TFT model is expected to be priced between $800 and $1000.

Lenovo Thinkpad X100e details emerge: 11.6” AMD-powered ultra-thin

New details surrounding the rumoured Lenovo Thinkpad X100e have been leaked by German news site Chip.de. There is a whole host of new information including specifications and other marketing material. The leak suggests that the X100e will come with an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display and AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor.

This ultra-thin will support up to 4GB of RAM and comes with 160/250/320GB storage options. As you would expect for a ThinkPad, you’ll get Trackpoint navigation along with a multi-touch touchpad. Other features include Wi-Fi (b/g/n), optional 3G, three USB ports, 4-in-1 card reader and a 0.3MP webcam.

It will come with both 3-cell and 6-cell batteries, with the latter quoted to last for just over 5 hours. Unusually for a Thinkpad, it will also come in white and red colours and have a chiclet keyboard. No release date has been given, although the previous rumour suggested that this will launch at CES in January. It is expected to launch with prices starting from $449. We’ll keep you updated with further developments. Click through for some X100e slides. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1201N netbook officially announced

After months of speculation, Asus has officially announced the Eee PC 1201N netbook. This 12.1-inch netbook is powered by a dual-core 1.6GHz 330 Atom processor, Nvidia ION graphics and Windows 7 Home Premium. The 1201N will sell for $499 (in black and white) when it launches in the middle of December.

You won’t find any surprises in the specifications, which are the same that we’ve covered previously. You’ll get a 12.1-inch LED backlit display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Models will come with either 2GB or 3GB DDR2 RAM and a 250GB/320GB HDD. 500GB of free online storage for 12 months is also provided via ASUS WebStorage. Wireless connectivity is taken care by Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1. Other features include HDMI out, a 0.3MP webcam, card reader and three USB ports. Read more

A closer look at the litl OS [Video]

The litl webbook has been designed from the ground up, both in terms of hardware and software. The 12-inch screen can flip right over so that it can be used in ‘easel mode’. It uses a custom operating system that presents the interface as a stack of cards.

These cards are classified in three channels: Blue denotes the “permanent” cards and includes settings. White denotes the web cards, such as Mozilla whilst the black cards are channel headers and can be thought of as widgets (clock, weather etc).

Litl has released a video giving a closer look at the card view and also a look at the browser used. The browser is kept very simple and clean with the only buttons I could see for back/forward and Google search. You can check out the video after the break. Read more

Google planning Chrome OS event tomorrow

Whilst rumours suggested that we may be getting a Beta release of Google’s Chrome operating system this week, it looks like we may have to settle for some demos instead. TechCrunch is reporting that Google is holding a Chrome OS event at its Mountain View headquarters tomorrow morning (19th November) where it will give a “complete overview” of the new OS.

They plan to give some technical background information on the operating system as well showing off some demos. We’ll hopefully get some firm indication as to when it should launch (most likely next year). Whether we see an Alpha or Beta release this week too, remains to be seen.

Sony Vaio X dissected – engineering marvel

The super-skinny and luxurious Sony Vaio X has been taken apart to see just how Sony’s engineers pieced it together. The guys over at TechOn have a seven part hands-on and teardown that shows the skill involved in creating such a gorgeous piece of hardware.

The engineer who took it apart certainly appreciated the efforts Sony has taken to get the Vaio X into the market. He felt that it needed a close collaboration early on between designers, engineers and production plants. The cost of manufacturing such a device is double that for a normal notebook. Well it probably helps those who paid the massive premium for what is an underpowered device to sleep well at night.

Via Slashgear.

Netbook failure rate 20 percent higher than laptops

SquareTrade, a large independent warranty provider, has analysed the failure rates for over 30,000 laptops and netbooks covered by its warranty plans with some revealing insights. It found that just under a third of laptops will fail within three years and that netbooks are 20 percent more likely to fail.

Breaking down the results, SquareTrade found that 20.4 percent of laptop failures were due to hardware malfunctions and 10.4 percent were from accidental damage. Whilst one would expect netbooks to suffer a higher rate of accidental damage to their portability, apparently netbook hardware malfunctions were 20 percent higher than laptops. Read more

Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Beta released; GPU accelerated flash for ION netbooks

Adobe has released the pre-release of Flash Player 10.1 for PCs and netbooks (this is not the mobile release for Android, webOS, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile).

This version of Flash has created a lot of buzz, mainly down to the fact that it supports hardware decoding of H.264 video. This means that those of you with ION-powered netbooks will benefit from being able to play HD YouTube videos with ease. This new release also comes with multi-touch support.

You can download the pre-release right now from Adobe Labs. The supported GPUs for this release can be found in this PDF.

Via TechCrunch.

CrunchPad tablet still alive; to cost between $300 – $400

Mike Arrington’s CrunchPad tablet project is still underway and on schedule despite rumours to the contrary. Speaking on the Gillmor Gang video, he reaffirmed that the “CrunchPad is steamrolling” and that “costs keep coming down”. In terms of the price tag, Arrington expects the cost to sit somewhere between $300 and $400.

Interestingly, he expects the device to be supported by “soft revenue” from “sponsorships”. Further news is expected very soon according to Arrington, who hopefully will give further detail on how adverts will be implemented. This may involve preloaded links or adverts, however Arrington has promised that they will be used “without impacting the user experience”. You can check out the video after the break, with the CrunchPad action starting at around the 39 minute mark. Read more

Lenovo Pineview-powered 10-inch netbook hits FCC

Lenovo is set to launch a new 10.1-inch netbook based on the new Pineview Atom processor according to a new listing over at the FCC. The Ideapad netbook, codenamed FL5-B3, sports a 1.66GHz N450 Atom CPU, 2GB RAM and a 250GB HDD.

It is interesting to see the netbook armed with 2GB RAM, which likely means that it will come with Windows 7 Home Premium, given the licensing restrictions over Windows 7 Starter. The 10.1-inch display has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and 5,400RPM hard drive.

It uses a chiclet keyboard and, unusually, the touchpad has no buttons that I can make out. Apart from that, the design is mostly similar to existing Lenovo Ideapad netbooks. It does have glossy internals though, making this a fingerprint magnet. This model will probably make an appearance at next year’s CES trade show in January.

Via Wireless Goodness [via SlashGear].

HP Pavilion dm1 CULV ultra-thin gets video unboxing

HP’s 11.6-inch Pavilion dm1 CULV-based ultra-thin has seen its first unboxing video courtesy of Netbooked. Initial impressions suggests a build quality that sits somewhere between the Lenovo IdeaPad U150 and Acer Aspire 1410 ultra-thins.

The dm1 SKU that Netbooked unboxed has a 1.2GHz dual core SU2300 processor, GS45 chipset, GMA 4500MHD graphics and runs Windows 7 Home Premium. It comes with an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display, 250GB HDD, 2GB RAM, 5-in-1 card reader and two USB ports. The 6-cell battery should be good for around 8 hours.

The dm1 is available to pre-order in the UK from Amazon for £469.99. Check out the video after the jump. Read more

Google Chrome OS available to download next week

Google Chrome OS is expected to launch “within a week” according to TechCrunch. The operating system that will be targeted to netbooks, is expected to see an early version available to download compatible with a select number of netbooks.

Google has previously said that it is partnering with a number of companies including Acer, ASUS, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, and Toshiba. However, I would imagine that given the difficulty with driver support only a limited number of manufacturers/netbook models will be supported.

Google has done very well keeping leaks of its new operating system out of the public eye. Hopefully, there’s not too a long wait to see it in the flesh.

Netbooks with Windows XP only around until New Year?

Microsoft has publicly committed to offer Windows XP for a year after the Windows 7 launch. However, the reality for Windows XP netbooks could be quite different. You may even start to see them disappear from shelves shortly after the New Year according to The Register.

Don Paterson, director of netbook PCs in Microsoft’s Windows client group, said that: “We will continue to make Windows XP available for those devices [netbooks], but it doesn’t make sense to put marketing effort behind those devices. As much as we make Windows XP available for a year, we won’t see it last in the market that long. We will get through the holidays. My gut [feeling] is we will walk away from the holidays and see that it’s not worth keeping it in market.” Read more

Asus Eee PC 1201N hits US pre-order

Surely there must be some official news on the dual-core ION-powered Asus Eee PC 1201N soon. Just last week it appeared for pre-order in Italy and now it has hit pre-order in the US. Excaliber PC has the 12.1-inch netbook listed for $499 including free shipping. The model listed (1201N-PU17-BK) confirms what we’ve previously heard.

It has a dual-core 1.6GHz Atom 330 processor, ION graphics, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD & Windows 7 Home Premium. Other features include a 0.3MP webcam, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (b/g/n), HDMI and a 6-cell battery.

This certainly looks like the netbook that many have longed for, the only thing that may work against it is battery life. Asus UK said an official announcement on the 1201N was expected this week, but we’ve not heard anything so far.

Thanks Bob!

Qualcomm shows Lenovo smartbook to launch with AT&T

As expected, Qualcomm’s CEO, Paul Jacobs, revealed one of the first smartbooks expected to hit the market. The device was announced at a Qualcomm investor day in New York. Information on the new device is sparse, however what we do know is that the new smartbook will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset, manufactured by Lenovo and sold in the US through AT&T.

There is a crude image of the device lifted from the investor webcast that shows a red device with a homescreen split into six widgets. Jacobs said that the device was thinner than a Palm Pre and it certainly seems very thin. The device will also have full Flash 10.1 support and sport a high-resolution display. A formal launch is expected during CES in January 2010. Check out the first image of the device after the break. Read more

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