Asus ExpressGate 2.0 instant-on OS gets video demo

Asus’ ExpressGate instant-on operating system will be getting a replacement that was being shown off at CeBIT earlier this month. Notebook Italia has a video hands-on overview of ExpressGate 2.0 that is based on the SplashTop OS.

The interface has seen a complete overhaul and is a big improvement over the original. Hopefully it should be available to download soon from the Asus Support site. Check out the video after the jump. Read more

Archos 13 notebook packs dual-core Atom processor

We don’t normally cover devices greater than 12-inches here at NbC, but we’re making an exception for the Archos A13PS. It piqued our interest as it’s one of the very few notebooks of that size that will be powered by a dual-core D510 Atom processor.

Now I’m not entirely sure why Archos opted for the Atom solution here instead of looking at Intel ULV processors. The only thing I can think of is that maybe the company wanted good graphics and battery life and may be looking to include next-gen ION in the package. Other details are thin on the ground apart form the fact it will come with Windows 7 Home Premium and is likely to have a 13.3-inch display. Read more

Intel X25-V SSD: 40GB ‘budget’ drive for $130

Intel has formally announced its 2.5-inch X25-V series of solid state drives, despite the fact that they have been shipping from the likes of Newegg for some weeks now. The ‘V’ stands for value here, where the 40GB SSD will set you back for around $125 when bought in large unit quantities (Newegg has it for $129.99).

The X25-V uses 34nm MLC NAND flash memory and features TRIM support within Windows 7. It has a 1.2 million hours mean time before failure rating. The sustained write bandwidth is up 35MB/sec while sustained reads is a zippy 170MB/sec. These drives are aimed at netbooks, although whilst 40GB may be fine for a Windows XP installation, I do wonder whether the same can be said for a Windows 7 install.

Chrome OS smartbooks to be more expensive than Windows netbooks?

Google ‘s Chrome operating system is not expected to launch until the second half later this year. Many question marks over OS remain, however what we do know is that Chrome OS will be heavily cloud based and Google is likely to dictate hardware requirements for devices running it.

Whilst the requirements are under wraps for now, it is believed to include relatively high performance graphics, SSDs and accelerometers. This has led Bob O’Donnell, VP of clients and displays at International Data Corp, to say that Chrome OS smartbooks will be even more expensive than Microsoft Windows-based netbooks. “PC OEMs say the hardware requirements—still under NDA–will make the systems actually more expensive than a Windows device, yet they don’t have anywhere near the applications support,” O’Donnell said. Read more

Details of AMD’s Bobcat netbook processors emerge

AMD already outlined its plans to enter the netbook processor market during an analyst day last November. As a quick reminder, the company introduced two new processor cores codenamed Bulldozer and Bobcat for release in 2011. Bulldozer is designed for desktops & servers, whilst Bobcat is targeted at ultra-thin notebooks. However, netbooks will also be targeted for the first time within the Bobcat family.

We knew that Bobcat was being designed with power efficiency in mind and AMD’s chief marketing officer, Nigel Dessau, recently said that the netbook chip will run with a similar TDP to the Intel Atom (10W-15W) and “it will have a good processor integrated with graphics, so you won’t need the [Nvidia] Ion graphics to give it half-decent performance.” Read more

ARM expects 50 tablet devices due in 2010

The impending release of the Apple iPad tablet will cause a rush to market of similar devices says ARM. The company expects that it will see ARM-powered 50 tablet devices launching globally this year. Not surprising, considering that this years CES and CeBIT were swamped with tablet devices of one form or another.

This is set to continue at the Computex show in Taipei in June, with ARM renting more space than last year to show off various mobile devices including tablets, smartbooks and e-readers. “The first tablet devices will launch in the second quarter by [mobile network] carriers,” said Roy Chen, ARM’s worldwide mobile computing ODM manager. “You’ll see a lot more in the third quarter.” Read more

Intel planning dual-core Atom processor targeted for netbooks?

Intel may be working on a dual-core Atom processor specifically for netbooks according to French site PC Inpact. This would be a departure from the current situation where all netbook Atom chips are single core and select desktop Atom parts are dual-core, like the 1.66GHz Atom D510 Pine Trail processor.

The site says that these new dual-core chips will use the Atom N500 naming structure, although the exact model names are unknown right now (if they exist at all). This would be great news if true, although I wouldn’t hold your breath. Any such chip would surely potentially eat into Intel’s higher-margin ULV line-up. Read more

Jolicloud’s final ‘Robby’ release due in weeks; web apps switched to Chrome

Jolicloud has announced that its final ‘Robby’ build will be released to the public by the end of the month. It has also announced that it will be automatically switching its web application platform to Google Chrome from Mozilla Prism that it has been using currently.

The move is said to bring a faster browsing experience, more efficient use of memory, better performance on ARM smartbooks/tablets, HTML5 as well as Chrome extensions support. Despite the switch, Firefox will still be the default browser used. It claims that Firefox on Jolicloud is 10 percent faster than on other Linux distributions due to optimisations carried out. Read more

Gigabyte M1000N netbook comes with 10” HD display and next-gen ION

We have already heard that Gigabyte is launching a Pine Trail update to its Booktop M1022 netbook called the M1000. We are receiving word on the different models under the M1000 series, the flagship of which will be the M1000N that comes with a flush glass display with 1366 x 768 resolution.

This particular model will also come with next-generation ION graphics, most likely the 8-core version since it is a 10-inch netbook. As it is a Booktop model, it will include a docking station that has a HDMI port and DVD drive. It will also come with a 6-cell battery with a price point estimated at €450 – €500. Read more

Intel shows off new 10-inch convertible Classmate PC [Video]

Intel has announced a new Classmate PC with a convertible chassis design. The Intel Atom Pine Trail processor powers the new 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) Classmate, along with increased memory and storage to give it full PC functionality. It comes with a resistive touchscreen display.

The Classmate has several features including enhanced e-reading capabilities, a built-in rotational camera, Wi-Fi and an optional 6-cell battery will give the unit up to 8.5 hours of battery life. It supports several mainstream ebook formats including pdf and ePub. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1201PN ION netbook benched

The last time we saw some benchmark numbers for Nvidia’s next-gen ION, it seemed to suggest that the performance wasn’t up to the original. Following the official new ION announcement this morning, we now know that two ION versions are hitting netbooks. An 8-core version for 10-inch netbooks and 16-core version for 12-inch ones.

It is safe to say that the Asus Eee PC 1201PN will sport 16-core ION and Notebook Italia has managed to conduct a benchmark to give us an idea as to where performance sits. Using the 3DMark06 benchmark, they managed to record a score of 2,013. This compares to a score of around 1,580 3DMarks for the Asus Eee PC 1201N. Read more

Next generation Nvidia ION official: All you need to know

After months of speculation, Nvidia has finally released details on the next generation of Nvidia ION graphics. There have been various rumours up until now including whether the new ION is a chipset or discrete solution, performance leaks and talk of two ION solutions. As with any kind of leak, the reality is that some of these rumours have been spot on whilst others have been off the mark.

We are big fans of Nvidia’s original ION chipset, believing it makes a massive difference to a netbooks overall proposition. The ability to play flawless 1080p video, HD Flash as well as enabling casual gaming is a real game changer for those who demand a multimedia solution. In our view, next generation Nvidia ION builds on this further. Click through for full details on the new ION. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1016P/1018P netbooks pack N455/N475 DDR3 Pine Trail CPUs

We caught our first glimpse of the beautiful Asus Eee PC 1016P and 1018P aluminium netbooks last week, however little was known about the hardware underneath the hood. Luckily all has been revealed over at CeBIT and we now know that these new netbooks will be powered by the, as yet, unannounced N455 and N475 Pine Trail processors. As a quick reminder, the N455 & N475 CPUs are rumoured to support faster DDR3 memory.

The top model is the ultra-slim Eee PC 1018P that measures just 18mm in thickness and sports an aluminium chassis. It comes with a chiclet keyboard boasts a 10-hour battery life. It comes with 1GB RAM, and storage of 160GB/250GB. The Eee PC 1016P is similar but not as slim. Asus will also be selling ‘GO’ versions that are 3G enabled. Click through for specs and pictures of both models. Read more

Asus Eee PC 1201PN: 12.1-inch Pine Trail netbook with next-gen ION

It was only a matter of time, but Asus will launch a Pine Trail update to its popular dual-core ION Eee PC 1201N netbook. The Asus Eee PC 1201PN has been spotted at CeBIT but will not be a dual core machine, it will sport a 1.66GHz N450 Atom processor and come with next generation Nvidia ION graphics.

Design wise, the Eee PC 1201N looks exactly the same as all of the other Eee PC 1201 ranges from Asus (1201HA, 1201N, 1201T, 1201 and 1201NL). It is from the Seashell range and comes with a 12.1-inch (1366 x 768) display, chiclet keyboard and dimpled touchpad. Read more

Nvidia Optimus tech demoed on Acer Aspire One 532G ION netbook

The Acer Aspire One 532G is the world’s first 10-inch netbook to be armed with next generation Nvidia ION graphics. It was announced last week at the MWC show in Barcelona and we managed to get hands on with the device at a press event in London earlier this week.

The AAO 532G is expected to launch in late April/early May and will come in two configurations. The 1GB RAM/160GB HDD combo will cost £349, whilst a 2GB RAM/320GB HDD combo will cost £399. These prices are not set in stone and depending on exchange rates may end up costing another £30 more. However, Acer is keen not to price the higher end SKU above £400 if they can help it. Read more

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