Lenovo Ideapad S12 ION review roundup

Whilst the 12.1-inch Lenovo Ideapad S12 has been around for many months, the ION version was only recently released. Lenovo waited for the launch of Windows 7 before release, which some feel took some of the steam out of its early momentum. Especially as the S12 was the first announced ION netbook, however in the end the HP Mini 311 and Samsung’s N510 launched ahead of it (at least in Europe).

A couple of sites have reviewed the Lenovo S12 ION. Laptop Mag found the graphics performance to be good and the S12 offered a spacious keyboard, bright colourful display and loud speakers. However, it was let down by poor battery life and felt that the HP Mini 311 offered better value for money, as it is both cheaper and lasts for two hours longer. The S12 ION lasted for three hours and forty-five minutes in terms of battery. Read more

New Samsung netbook line-up to launch in January 2010

The Netbook World Summit was being held today in Paris and some interesting tidbits of information have been gleaned from Samsung Notebook Product Manager, Jaewoo Seo. He says that a completely new range of Samsung netbooks will be revealed in January 2010 based on the Intel Pine Trail platform.

This is hardly surprising news as we already know that most of the big manufacturers are planning on showcasing their Pineview-powered netbooks at CES 2010 in early January. However, we did learn that these models are expected to incorporate a much thinner design whilst having even longer battery lives. Samsung already delivers some of the longest netbook battery lives so this is great news. Also, at least one netbook with a touchscreen display is expected. Read more

JooJoo tablet hands-on video roundup

The JooJoo web tablet (formerly known as the CrunchPad) was christened its new name just yesterday, but with no accompanying media. However, it looks like Fusion Garage’s Chandra Rathakrishnan has been doing the rounds, as video hands-on impressions from both Cnet and Engadget have surfaced.

The JooJoo uses a number of multi-touch gestures including two finger swipes to move backwards/forwards. Cnet feels that the virtual keyboard is “poorly positioned”, although you can always use a Bluetooth/USB keyboard (kind of defeats the purpose though). Cnet were impressed with the 12.1-inch (1366 x 768) capacitive display, describing it as “pleasing to hold” and “gorgeous”. However, the $499 price point is likely to be a sticking point for many saying that it’s great “if you have money to burn.”

The hardware has a dedicated GPU powerful enough to run 1080p YouTube content. Engadget managed to experience this first-hand, describing the 1080p Avatar trailer as “crisp and lag-free.” Performance will be dependent on wireless bandwidth though. Engadget’s main gripe was that the “touch sensitivity is pretty bad” with the keyboard being “painful” to use. A pretty big problem for a tablet. Check out both hands-on videos below.

Update: Gizmodo and Wired have also posted their hands-on impressions. Read more

Lenovo prepping Thinkpad Mini 10 & Mini 11 netbooks?

Okay, there’s not much to go on here, but a recent FCC filing from Realtek Semiconductor has mentioned two unheard of devices when conducting wireless SAR (specific absorption rate) testing. The Thinkpad Mini 10 and Thinkpad Mini 11 are cited as ‘host’ devices along with the already outed Thinkpad X100e.

The Thinkpad X100e is an AMD-powered 11.6-inch ultra-thin. Could the Thinkpad Mini 10 and Mini 11 be Lenovo’s Atom-based Thinkpad solution? I would imagine that the former would come with a 10.1” display and the latter with an 11.6” screen, but there’s limited information here. They may not be netbooks at all but codenames for wirelesss adaptors as suggested by Wireless Goodness. Either way, if anything more tangible comes from this we’ll keep you posted. Click through for a screengrab of the evidence. Read more

Gateway EC1805U: CULV-powered 11.6-inch ultra-thin

The 11.6-inch Gateway EC1805U ultra-thin looks very similar in specs to the Acer Aspire 1410, this wouldn’t exactly be a surprise given that Gateway is a subsidiary of Acer. It comes with a 1.4GHz Intel Core2 Solo SU3500 processor, 2GB DDR2 RAM, a 250GB HDD and Windows Vista Home Premium.

Other features include a webcam, card reader, Dolby Sound, Wi-Fi, three USB ports, HDMI-out, a multi-gesture touchpad and 6-cell battery with 7 hours of reported battery life. The EC1805U is selling for $449 on Amazon.com and starts shipping on December 9th.

Via NetbookTech [via Liliputing].

CrunchPad tablet morphs into the $499 JooJoo

Following on from the very public falling out between TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington and hardware partners Fusion Garage, the CrunchPad now has a new name. The 12.1-inch tablet will now be known as the JooJoo. Fusion Garage’s founder, Chandra Rathakrishnan, also went on the record to say that the device was already being worked on before Arrington approached them. He also claims that there was no contract between them.

The specs are mostly what we already know, it has a 12.1” capacitive touchscreen display and includes a 4GB SSD. It boots straight into the browser and runs a UNIX-based operating system. It includes Wi-Fi but no sim-slot for 3G. Battery life is quoted to last for around 5 hours. Pre-orders start from December 11th and will cost $499. Initial deliveries will begin in 8-10 weeks. Demos of the JooJoo are expected later this week.

First Pixel Qi displays target multi-touch tablets; DIY kits promised

The production of Pixel Qi’s 3Qi Hybrid Display is starting shortly and will ramp up over the first quarter of 2010. The company also confirmed that the first displays will hit “specialized tablet devices with multi-touch.”

The driving force behind the project, Mary Lou Jepsen, did not give any hints as to which manufacturers she is working with but expects further announcements at CES 2010 in early January. Interestingly, for those budding modders out there, Pixel Qi also confirmed that it plans to make its displays available through a DIY kit.

The 3-in-1 display can not only switch between an efficient black-and-white mode and a high resolution colour screen, but also to an e-paper mode suitable for reading in direct sunlight.

Acer planning Nvidia ION 2 netbooks?

Acer is one of the few netbook manufacturers that currently does not have an Nvidia ION-powered netbook on the market. All the other big names in the market (Asus, HP, Lenovo, Samsung) have released models or are about to. Whilst, Acer has several ION-powered nettops it seems to have ignored the netbook market for one reason or another.

However, Acer could be waiting for the next-generation ION 2 chipset to appear before sticking it in Acer netbooks. Digitimes is reporting that Acer has placed orders for the ION 2 chipset, which is designed to support Intel’s upcoming Pineview processors. Read more

PsiXpda Pocket PC unveiled with 5-inch touchscreen & 3G

New startup PsiXpda has launched a new pocket computer/UMPC device that harks back to the old PDAs of yesteryear. However, this is a refresh bought up to date with today’s technologies and comes with a feature-rich spec sheet.

It comes with a 5-inch (800 x 480) touchscreen display and powered by a 1.1GHz Z510 Intel Atom processor. You’ll also get 1GB RAM, a high-speed 16GB SSD and Windows XP. This is a miniature netbook if ever there was one.

It comes with a wide array of connectivity options including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (b/g) and even an unlocked 3G modem pre-installed. You’ll also find a 64-key backlit keyboard and the display’s bezel houses the mouse buttons. The PsiXpda also includes a full-sized USB and mini USB port for wide peripheral support as well as a webcam.

The user replaceable 1850mAh battery should last between two to four hours depending on usage. The only realy blemish is an included 2.5mm socket, rather than a more standard 3.5mm one. It is set to launch in the UK for around the £500 mark, not a bad price given that 3G is included. Click through for the full specifications. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1201N hits Amazon US pre-order

Asus’ dual-core ION-wielding Eee PC 1201N netbook has hit pre-order on Amazon.com for $499.99. It is available in both black (1201N-PU17-BK) and silver (1201N-PU17-SL) colours and has a release date penned in for 15th January 2010. This is a month later than was expected in the US.

No UK pre-orders have popped up so far, but that US launch date is in line with what Asus has previously told us was penned in for the UK market. Hopefully, not too long to wait for a belated Christmas present to yourself. Click here for the lowdown on specs.

Via Engadget.

Intel Pineview netbooks to launch on 11th January 2010?

Netbooks launching with the next-generation Atom Pineview processors are set to launch on 11th January 2010 according to Digitimes. Manufacturers such as Acer, Asus, Lenovo and MSI are complying with Intel’s embargo, prohibiting any release until after 10th January.

The initial netbooks using the Pine Trail platform will launch using the 1.66Ghz N450 Atom Pineview processor, whilst the 1.83GHz N470 processor is set to hit the market in March. Pineview netbooks are expected to run on three main platforms: Windows 7 Starter , Moblin and Windows XP with Windows 7 expected to the most popular but also most costly.

Manufacturers are cautious on the launch of these new netbooks, worrying that they may not take off as expected. This could end up leaving an inventory stockpile as was seen in early 2009.

Samsung N130 reviewed – poor sibling

Laptop Mag has followed yesterday’s Samsung N140 netbook review with a look at its budget brother, the Samsung N130. The Samsung N130 has an official price point of $349, but can be found cheaper and offers the same keyboard, touchpad and matte display as the N140.

However, that’s where the positive comparisons end. The N130 comes with the weaker 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU and 4000 mAh 6-cell battery. The N140 came with a 1.66GHz N28 Atom and 5200mAh capacity battery. It is also only equipped with a mono speaker to further differentiate it from the N140 that comes with stereo SRS audio.

The Samsung N130 lasted for four hours and forty-four minutes, this is nearly two hours less than the N140, a significant difference. Laptop Mag suggests spending a bit extra and going for something with a bit more oomph. You can read their full review here.

Dell demos Chromium OS on the Mini 9, Mini 10v & Latitude 2100 netbooks [Video]

Dell’s Doug Anson has given his impressions of Google’s Chromium OS as well as demonstrating it in action on a number of Dell netbooks including the Mini 9, Mini 10v and Latitude 2100. With the latter, he even times how long it takes to boot to the login screen (15 seconds). It looks very quick and that’s just using a standard 250GB hard-disk drive rather than SSD.

His impressions so far are mixed. On the one hand it feels nimble and fast and uses new web technologies, but on the other hand, it is only really useful when connected to a strong fast network. Without a continuous network connection it’s pretty redundant.

If you want to try it out for yourself, the image has been recut and now comes in a 302MB download (rather than several GB). You can download it here, where you’ll find both the image and ReadMe text instruction files. I have also included Doug’s installation instructions after the break along with the video. Read more

Fujitsu LifeBook UH900: 5.6” multi-touch handheld PC

Fujitsu has announced the Lifebook UH900, a 5.6-inch UMPC that sports a multi-touch display and Windows 7 compatibility. It is powered by a 1.6GHz Z530 Atom processor and includes features such as a webcam and stereo mic. It comes with the full range of wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) including 3.5G.

The Lifebook UH900 has a small form-factor, measuring 20.4cm x 10.65cm x 2.38cm and weighs a super-light 500g. Just how legible that tiny 5.6-inch display is likely to be key. The display has WXGA resolution and goes up to 300nits brightness. The company claims that the UH900 supports flash animation and full-width web pages. As well as two finger touch output the LifeBook UH900 also comes bundled with a pen. Read more

Samsung N140 reviewed – battery life not class leading

The 10-inch Samsung N140 netbook is the latest incarnation of the best-selling NC10 model. Laptop Mag has published its review of the N140 and it seems to have done the NC10 proud in most respects. However, it is let down by battery life, at least when compared to the competition.

The Samsung N140 lasted for six hours and thirty-two minutes on its 6-cell 5200mAh battery, higher than the average of 5h:21m. Whilst this is certainly respectable, competing models are now starting to deliver significantly higher battery lives. Even the company’s older N110 netbook offered an extra hour of battery life, although it is using a higher capacity 5900mAh battery.

Other (minor) negative points include a glossy lid that is a fingerprint magnet, the touchpad buttons are narrow in use and SD cards stick out from the slot. Apart from that however, the Samsung N140 wins points for its class-leading keyboard, bright matte display, large touchpad, SRS audio, Windows 7, fast CPU and value price point at $399. Click here to check out the full review.

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