Asus’ Snapdragon-powered Android Eee PC smartbook on ice
August 25, 2009 at 3:48 pm
The CEO of Asustek, Jerry Shen, does not see a market for smartbook devices right now and has frozen plans for its own Qualcomm Snapdragon Eee PC using Android. The device was first spotted during Computex in June, but Asus has never confirmed plans for mass production.
“Currently, I still don’t see a clear market for smartbooks,” said Shen during an investors conference in Taipei. The reason why an Asus smartbook has been put on the back-burner is due to limited engineering resources according to PC World. This is despite the fact that manufacturing could be outsourced to Pegatron, who has already shown a number of smartbooks. Despite this, a number of smartbooks from other manufacturers are expected by the end of the year. Let’s just hope it is as close to that $199 mark that has been muted for a while.
Via Engadget.
Humorous Smartbook promo video
August 20, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Qualcomm is looking to push the new category of smartbook devices when they launch later this year. Part of this push will be educating the market on exactly what a smartbook is, especially against the number of different devices out there including netbooks, ultra-thins, notebooks, laptops etc.
A new viral video has been released to help on this education process for the masses. It highlights the smartbooks all day computing & social networking benefits. Check it out for yourself after the jump. Read more
Sony Ericsson planning smartbook move?
August 10, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Whilst the speculation continues to swirl around one of the largest mobile manufacturers in the world, Nokia, entering the netbook/smartbook segment, we are hearing similar news regarding another mobile heavyweight. Sony Ericsson is considering developing its own smartbook according to a “reliable Taiwanese source” of Sascha Pallenberg from NetbookNews.com.
Apparently, Sony Ericsson is working on a new device that will hit the market soon. The exact ARM-based processor is not known at this stage, but they seem confident that it will indeed by a non-x86 chip. Any idea of form-factor is also not known. This could simply be a powerful smartphone sporting a high-end ARM chip, much like the Toshiba TG01 that has a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. We also know that Samsung is planning to incorporate Nvidia’s Tegra platform into a future mobile handset too, so this could simply be Sony Ericsson keeping up with the Joneses.
Inventec Rainbow / Mobinnova N910 Tegra smartbooks hands-on
August 7, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Computex 2009 saw the launch of a number of Nvidia Tegra-based smartbooks. The Tegra platform is different to ION in that it pairs an ARM-based processor with an Nvidia GeForce GPU (ION pairs an Intel Atom CPU with the Nvidia 9400M graphics). Nvidia has once again been doing the rounds in Taiwan to further promote its Tegra platform and did so via two smartbook devices.
The first, the Inventec Rainbow, was announced at Computex but we didn’t hear too much detailed information at the time. It has a 10.1-inch (1024 x 576) LED backlit display and is powered by the Tegra 600 platform (600MHz, ARM 11). It comes with 256MB RAM and just 256MB of flash memory. The Rainbow also has a choice of EVDO Rev.A or HSPA radios. Read more
MSI and ECS cautious over ARM smartbooks
August 5, 2009 at 6:21 pm
A big smartbook push is expected by a number of manufacturers towards the end of the year. This includes netbook heavyweights such as Asustek and Acer. However, another heavyweight in the industry, Micro-Star International (MSI) will not be following suit according to Digitimes.
The report says that both MSI and Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) will watch the launch round from the sidelines, to determine exactly what the market response will be for these new devices. ECS was planning on entering the smartbook segment, through orders from Chinese vendors. However, these orders were cancelled and now ECS will wait until early next year before making another move in this new area.
Snapdragon & Tegra smartbook push for Q4 2009
August 3, 2009 at 4:36 pm
A number of manufacturers are preparing ARM-based smartbooks based on Snapdragon and Tegra processors to launch during the fourth quarter according to Taiwanese industry sources. Smartbooks are expected from the likes of netbook heavyweights such as Asus and Acer along with Mobinnova, Inventec and ODMs such as Foxconn, Pegatron and Compal.
These units will launch at a similar time to new netbooks using Intel’s next-gen Pineview processors. However, the smartbooks are likely to be cheaper and smaller devices than netbooks. They are also more likely to be sold through contracts from telecom providers rather than on a standalone basis. Read more
Always Innovating Touch Book convertible netbook now shipping
August 2, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Always Innovating’s Touch Book device has now started to ship according to the official website. However, as the company has a large backlog of orders, the first shipments are being dedicated to fulfil these pre-orders.
“As an early-stage start-up, it will take us several weeks to fill every order. Nevertheless, we are increasing our production capability to ship pre-orders as quickly as possible,” read the statement on the website.
The Touch Book is a very unique device. It is basically an 8.9-inch tablet that comes with a sliding keyboard dock so that it can be used in a more traditional netbook form-factor. The tablet is also magnetic so that it can be mounted on a fridge and the unit also supports internal USB slots so no more dongle mess. It is based on an ARM processor (TI OMAP3530 CPU) and is therefore a fanless system with a battery life of between 10-15 hours.
Via Engadget.
Google Chrome OS coming to netbooks in 2010
July 8, 2009 at 11:53 am
The speculation surrounding a Google operating system has existed for many years. Finally, the rumours are no more, Google has officially announced the Google Chrome Operating System. As you can probably tell by the name, the OS is a natural extension of the Chrome browser. It is an “open source, lightweight” OS that will initially be targeted to netbooks for release in the second half of 2010.
Google says that the key attributes of the Chrome OS are “speed, simplicity and security”. The OS is based on Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. This means that much of the user experience takes place on the web (or cloud computing if you like). The Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 and ARM chips, so there should be no limitations on whether we see this OS on netbooks or smartbooks. Read more
Always Innovating Touch Book video demonstration
July 3, 2009 at 9:12 am
Always Innovating’s Touch Book device is due to start shipping to customers this month. Up until now, we have not been privy to any videos of the device in action. A video has now emerged that’s a few months old, from a conference called Demo. However, it does a good job of showing exactly what the Touch Book is and why it’s different to your average netbook.
The Touch Book is one of the first devices that is effectively a tablet with dockable keyboard. This means it can be used in a traditional netbook form-factor as well as a tablet. It is based on an ARM processor (TI OMAP3530 CPU) and is therefore a fanless system with a battery life of between 10-15 hours. Read more
Mobinnova élan smartbook gets hardware & software video tour
June 30, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Mobinnova announced its 8.9-inch élan smartbook using Nvidia’s Tegra platform back at Computex. The company claimed that the élan offers 5-10 hours of 720p HD video playback in a package weighing just 836g and measuring 20.5mm in thickness. Netbook News managed to spend some time with the smartbook and shot a couple of videos, one covering the hardware aspect and the other a software walkthrough.
The Mobinnova élan is a fanless device and as it uses an ARM-based chip, it has integrated Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. It also has a hinged port panel on the back side which should keep the dust out of the sockets. The user interface has been developed by Nvidia, although this is unlikely to ship on the final version. It has been supplied to partners who are then making changes to tailor it to their own offering. So far there are no official details on price or availability, although a 2009 release is expected. You can check out both videos after the break. Read more
Netbook shipments expected to increase five-fold by 2013
June 29, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Netbook shipments are expected to reach 59 million units in 2013, a near five-fold increase compared to the 12.5 million units shipped in 2008 according to research group Semico. In 2013, the near 60 million netbooks will account for nearly 22 percent of the total mobile PC market.
The report also says that there will be a much wider array of processors powering future netbooks, Intel currently accounts for 90 percent of netbooks. It expects VIA to become more prominent as well as ARM-based chips from the likes of Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Freescale. Read more
Nvidia-branded Tegra smartbook to launch by year-end
June 25, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Nvidia will launch its own Tegra-powered smartbook by the end of the year according to Pocket Lint. Whilst details are scant, the model is expected to launch around “Black Friday” and cost around the $200 mark. Black Friday is normally one of the busiest shopping periods of the year and is the time that Americans start their Christmas shopping.
The technical specifications have yet to be finalised. Nvidia is expecting mobile phone operators to offer the smartbook on a two-year contract for no upfront cost. This particular device is likely to be just one of a number of smartbooks to launch by the time the year is out.
Update: Nvidia has denied plans to sell its own branded smartbooks according to Wired.
Always Innovating’s Touch Book shipping in July
June 25, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Always Innovating’s unique Touch Book tablet has moved beyond the concept stage and has finally entered production. The 8.9-inch tablet has a sliding keyboard dock so that it can be used in a more traditional netbook form-factor. The company has also shown off photos of the very first unit.
The Touch Book is powered by a Texas Instruments OMAP3530 processor, 512MB RAM and 8GB flash storage. It also includes Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth and two external USB ports. As it is using a power efficient ARM processor, battery life is expected to last 10-15 hours.
The first shipment is expected to arrive in July 2009. Pre-orders for the Touch Book tablet cost $299, if you want the keyboard docking device then that will set you back another $100. For those in the UK and Europe that are interested in the device, Always Innovating is now accepting international orders following huge demand. However, just so that you’re aware, you’ll be stuck with a US keyboard and US plug.
Via Engadget.
Android on smartbooks is snappier than Windows 7 says Gartner
June 15, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Smartbook devices are set to become much more commonplace as we reach the end of the year. They run on ARM-based processors and as such feature integrated 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the chip itself. They differ from netbooks in that they are ‘always connected’ to the Internet and are meant to have battery lives lasting between 8 to 10 hours.
As they these chips are not x86, it means running Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 is not an option. What manufacturers will be able to choose from is a growing stable of netbook-centric Linux distributions (including Android) or Windows CE. Some Gartner analysts have given their own thoughts after checking out a number of smartbook devices running Google’s Android operating system at Computex. Read more
Acer to launch its third-generation netbook by Q3 2010
June 8, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Acer is currently working on its third-generation of netbooks, which will be released by the third quarter 2010 according to Digitimes. The interesting part of the report is that Campbell Kan, VP of Acer’s mobile computing business unit, says that these netbooks will feature “strong network connectivity and convenience” citing MIDs and smartbooks as an influence.
Smartbooks may start to steal the upper hand from netbooks given their ‘always connected’ status and long battery lives. Acer recognises this and it is possible that we may see this third-gen using an ARM-based processor.
The product roadmap and time line has me slightly confused. Our last related story, talked of a third-generation of Acer netbooks (featuring a touchscreen panel) would launch by the end of the year, with a fourth generation due in 2010. Hopefully, there will be a bit more clarity on this in due course.
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