VIA’s NetNote ‘reference design’ hands-on

The VIA NetNote is the company’s template design for future netbook designs. It incorporates a VIA Nano processor and VX855 IGP chipset that can decode full 1080p video. PCHome.net managed to get hold of the 12.1-inch prototype and stripped it down to give us an idea of what’s inside.

The NetNote has a few unique features including the ability to act as an external MP3 player that can even operate with the device powered down. The MP3 player even comes with its own remote! The NetNote also supports digital TV, although that would only be of use in certain global regions.

In terms of the hardware, the NetNote was found to have a comfortable keyboard and touchpad. The 5-hour battery life was also praised, especially considering its enhanced video capabilities. As you would expect of such a device, a HDMI-port is also included. As far as we are aware this design template has not been used in any devices outside Asia, although VIA may be planning to use it with its new processor line-up next year.

Via Shanzai.

Asus’ dual-core ION Eee PC 1201N netbook hits Italian pre-order

It looks like the monstrous Asus Eee PC 1201N netbook, armed with a dual-core CPU and ION chipset, may be hitting European retail pretty soon. The 12.1-inch netbook has just appeared on pre-order from an Italian retailer for €510. No release date was given but the specifications listed match what we’ve already heard.

The listing suggests the model will come with a 1.6GHz dual-core Atom 330 processor, 3GB RAM and a 320GB HDD. The display size is listed as 11.6-inches although we suspect this must be a typo, as the 1201 series is reported to come with a 12.1-inch (1366 x 768) display. Other features include Windows 7 Home Premium, 0.3MP webcam, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (b/g/n), HDMI and a 6-cell battery.

Via Netbook Italia.

Lenovo rubbishes Linux but confirms looking at Chrome OS

Lenovo has put the boot into Linux netbooks, saying that the introduction of Windows 7 makes the gap even wider than before. Howard Locker, director of Lenovo’s new technology department, also confirmed that they are looking into alternatives including Google’s Chrome OS.

Lenovo launched Linux netbooks targeting the education market back in October 2008, but canned them following poor sales. “Our S9 and S10 model netbooks had Linux loads, but they didn’t do well so we stopped selling them. People didn’t realize what they bought, and they returned them because they expected Windows and thought they were broken,” Locker said. Read more

Litl Webbook unveiled; available to order now

Just last week we came across a new device from startup, Litl, that passed through the FCC. The company has now drawn back the curtains and officially announced the Litl Webbook (it was codenamed Litl Easel in the FCC documents).

The reason why this device piques my interest is that this company has ambitiously created its own operating system as well as new hardware. It reminds me of Always Innovating’s TouchBook and it’s refreshing to see something new in this segment. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1001HA hits UK pre-order

Asus is set to launch a budget netbook in its Seashell range called the Eee PC 1001HA. The 1001HA has hit pre-order at Amazon UK for £199.99 and as you’d expect for that bargain price you get a very basic feature set.

The 1001HA has a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) display, 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor, 1GB RAM and 160GB HDD. It only comes with a 3-cell battery and features Windows XP rather than Windows 7. It also appears to have a textured lid.

Other features include Wi-Fi (b/g/n), 0.3MP webcam and three USB ports. No Bluetooth on this model. The 1001HA is available in black & white and is expected to ship “within 1 to 3 months” according to Amazon. Check out some pictures of the 1001HA after the break. Read more

Sony’s VAIO X gets video unboxing

The Sony Vaio X ultraportable may be out of reach of most consumers (including us), however that doesn’t stop us wanting to learn more about the device. Johannes from NewGadgets.de was lucky enough to get hold of the device and has promptly shot an unboxing video for us all to oogle over. Check out the 6-minute video after the jump. Read more

Celio Redfly gets Blackberry support

Right on schedule, Celio has released drivers that allows its Redfly ‘netbook’ (or smartphone terminal would be more apt) to work with Blackberry devices. The Redfly has an 8-inch screen, 8-inch keyboard and an 8-hour battery life, but no CPU and no operating system. It is used as a conduit for your smartphone to make it easier to browse or type on.

You won’t get support for every Blackberry out there, only the Bold 9000, Curve 8900 and Tour 9630 models are supported. The driver is available to download here for both C8N and C7 Redfly models.

Via Slashgear.

Acer unhappy with Intel CULV processor performance

It seems that Acer is not too happy with the performance of Intel’s CULV processors. The chips, mainly used in ultra-thin mini-notebooks ranging from 11.6-inches onwards, are not living up to the company’s expectations according to an earnings call last week.

Acer Chairman, JT Wang, said that whilst consumers are happy with the long battery life, the performance has been found wanting. To address this, Acer is expected to announce new ultra-thin devices in Q1 2010 that use new CULV (currently unannounced) processors. “This time we should be able to do it right,” Wang said.

Whilst it is vague in what Wang may have been referring to, it could be the new 32nm Westmere (Arrandale ) chips that combine a GPU and CPU into a single package. This design will keep consumption low and also provide a performance boost. The new chips are rumoured to have clock speeds similar to laptop CPUs but should benefit from hyper-threading.

Via PC World [via Fudzilla].

VIA Nano 3000 Series processors unveiled

VIA has announced a new line-up of processors in its Nano range aimed towards the ultra-thin and nettop segments. The VIA Nano 3000 Series promises “flawless playback of high bit-rate 1080p HD video” and also lower power consumption.

These x86 processors certainly seem to be feature-rich, with 64-bit support as well as virtualization technology and SSE3 for multimedia processing. The new Nano 3000 processors will be available in clock speeds ranging from 1.0GHz to 2.0GHz, whilst using around 20 percent less power than current Nano processors. Read more

Hackintosh Netbooks RIP? Apple rumoured to disable Intel Atom support

Reports are surfacing that Apple is planning to strike back at the Hackintosh netbook community, by disabling support of Intel Atom processors with the forthcoming Mac OS X 10.6.2 update.

Personally, I’m surprised it has taken the company this long to take action, especially for a company that guards its IP so vociferously. There is a large number of users that use their beloved netbooks with Mac OS X as a genuine alternative to Windows & Linux distros. Read more

New Lenovo netbook hits the FCC

What looks like a new Lenovo Ideapad netbook has been spotted on the FCC’s (Federal Communications Commission) website [PDF]. Very little is known about the device apart from the fact that it sports a 10.1-inch display. It will also feature Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G and a 3-in-1 card reader.

Judging by the technical diagrams the netbook, codenamed 0251, will only come with 1 USB port strangely along with a mini-HDMI port. It’s obviously very early days for this model, but we’ll bring you further developments if/when they happen. Check out enlarged technical images after the cut. Read more

Asus’ Eee PC T91MT multi-touch netbook hits US pre-order

The multi-touch version of the Eee PC T91 convertible netbook has been confirmed for a US launch after a pre-order appeared on Amazon.com. The white 8.9-inch Eee PC T91MT is listed on the site for $549.00, although no release date is given.

The specifications of the T91MT are similar to the T91, coming with a 1.33GHz Z520 Atom processor, 1GB RAM and an upgraded 32GB SSD. It also comes with Windows 7 Home Premium, which fully supports multi-touch features. Battery life should be good for 5 hours. There’s no sign of the T91MT making an appearance in the UK right now.

Via Liliputing.

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