Asus planning big line-up for CES 2010

Asus will be showing off a number new of devices come next January’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. We will get the first glimpse of the company’s 1.66GHz Intel N450 Atom-powered netbooks, the 10-inch Eee PC T101 convertible tablet, as well as several smartbooks and ultra-thin devices.

It will also be showing its first entry into the e-book reader space with a 9-inch model along with several Google Android-powered smartphones (only the Acer Liquid has been announced right now). Asus’ 1.83GHz N470 Atom netbooks will not be presented until CeBIT 2010 in March.

Via Digitimes.

HTC considering netbook entry

Taiwanese based, HTC, may be known for its Windows Mobile and Android smartphones, but it looks like they are considering a move into the netbook segment. HTC’s CEO, Peter Chou, said that it is “carefully looking into that category and how it can be part of that”. However, it would only release a model that added “unique value” to current netbook offerings.

This wouldn’t be HTC’s first look in the mobile computing space. The company previously released the HTC Shift that had a 7-inch touchscreen, ran Windows Vista and weighed just 800g. It also featured a full QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, USB connectivity and even a fingerprint sensor.

Via Cnet Asia [via Fudzilla].

Sony Vaio P gets Windows 7 refresh in US

Sony is now selling its ultra-portable Vaio P with Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional in the United States. An option now also exists for a higher-specced configuration, which includes a 2GHz Atom and 256GB SDD, costing a whopping $1,900.

Other configurations include the base model (1.33GHz Atom, 2GB RAM, 80GB HDD) for $850, whilst another model with a 1.6GHz Atom and 64GB SSD will cost $1,000. These models will appear by the end of this month.

Checking the UK site, it appears that they may be offering something similar soon. The SonyStyle product page for the Vaio P only lists one model, but goes on to say that “this product is no longer available”.

Via Electronista.

Asus smartbook pushed back to Q2 2010?

It was only last week that Asus were talking about launching a smartbook device to hit shelves in the first quarter of next year. However, the Asus smartbook will now be delayed until the second quarter of 2010 according to Judy Wu, Asus market specialist.

No reasons were given for the delay and there is no confirmation whether we’ll even see the device hit UK shores. Asus says that the biggest market for these smartbook devices are in the emerging markets and Asia-Pacific region.

Wu’s definition of a smartbook is a device that has a 5-7-inch screen, although she wouldn’t define what processor would be included. The choice of operating system is still undecided, Wu says that “Android is an option”, although it will depend on product schedules as to which is used.

Via Reg Hardware.

Hackintosh netbook slaying premature

Well it looks like all the talk of Apple removing Intel Atom support from its upcoming Mac OS X 10.6.2 update has been premature. A blogger named Stell originally discovered the issue but has found that Intel Atom support has returned in the latest build (10C535).

This is, of course, no guarantee that we will definitely see Intel Atom support on final release, but it looks promising. Why the code was removed in the previous release is anyone’s guess. For now, all you Hackintosh netbook owners can rejoice that support is continued (for now).

Via Electronista.

Moblin v2.1 ‘project release’ for netbooks available to download

The project release for Moblin v2.1 is now available to download for Intel Atom-based netbooks (& nettops). The Linux Foundation must be working hard behind the scenes as it wasn’t that long ago that they delivered v2.0.

This new release brings a number of significant improvements including 3G and Bluetooth (device discovery and pairing) support, enhanced browser functionality, UI enhancements, integrated Moblin Garage (online application store) as well as a number of performance and stability improvements.

We’ve listed the full Moblin v2.1 feature summary from the press release after the break. You can download Moblin 2.1 here or check out a number of screenshots of the new release here. Read more

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

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