Skytone Alpha 680 Android smartbook gets video review
September 11, 2009 at 10:48 am
We last heard of Skytone’s Alpha 860 smartbook back in May. Its main claim to fame was being the first Android netbook to be announced, despite somewhat anaemic specifications. The 7-inch (800 x 480) Alpha 680 is powered by an ARM 11 533MHz processor, 128MB RAM and 1GB of flash storage as standard. An optional upgrade to 256MB RAM and 4GB flash storage is possible. For those that want more, a SDHC slot is also supported.
Jason from Rockland got hold of a (garish) yellow Alpha 680 and shot some video impressions. Whilst the specifications may not be too grand, the form factor looks promising. It is a convertible netbook with touchscreen display and he demonstrated some touch features of Android. It does seem that it’s not entirely market ready right now, for example the accelerometer doesn’t seem to work. However, as a proof of concept it looks like something like this could take off with the right balance of hardware/price/design. Check out the video after the break. Read more
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.
Acer on track to launch Android netbook in Q3 after all?
July 29, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Acer is still on track to launch its dual-booting Android netbook in the third quarter of this year according to a company representative. This follows yesterday’s news that Acer was postponing the Android netbook following expected weak demand for the device.
The Aspire One netbook will come with Google’s Android operating system, but Acer is expected to hedge their bets by dual-booting the netbook with Windows XP. The netbook will be based on an existing model and come with a 10-inch display and Intel Atom processor. Acer is working with a Taiwanese company called Insyde Software, who specialise in Linux, to port the Android OS to the Aspire One netbook with Atom CPU.
Via PC World.
No new Asus/Acer netbooks for H209; Acer’s dual-boot Android netbook postponed
July 28, 2009 at 11:12 am
Two of the biggest netbook manufacturers, Asustek and Acer, will not be releasing any new netbook models in the second half of 2009 according to Digitimes. Both companies will instead concentrate on its CULV-based ultra-thin line-up during H209. The move by Intel to delay the launch of its Pine Trail platform (including Pineview processor) to Q1 2010 is one of the reasons both companies new netbook models have been pushed back.
This does not extend to models already announced, therefore Asus will still be launching its Eee PC T91 and T101 touchscreen netbooks. The report also suggests that an Asus Android model will launch in the second half. However, previous reports suggested we would not see an Asus Android netbook until Q1 2010 at the earliest. The Eee PC T101 is expected to launch after the launch of Windows 7 (October 22nd).
Acer will let its 10-inch Aspire One model fly the flag for Acer in H209 and it continues to reduce netbook marketing budgets and R&D spend in this area. Acer did announce an Android netbook that would dual-boot with Windows XP. The report says that the launch of this model has been postponed from its pencilled-in August launch date due to weak demand. There was no mention as to when it would likely launch instead.
Acer launching dual-boot Android/XP netbook in August?
July 13, 2009 at 10:58 am
Acer will launch a dual-boot netbook with both Android and Windows XP in August 2009 according to a report from Digitimes. We previously heard that this netbook would be released in the third quarter, so the timing does make sense if true.
Don’t expect the netbook to be cheaper than XP-only models, as licensing fees for XP still need to be paid. Acer has already said that if there is enough demand, it will launch an Android-only model, which would drop the price by around $25.
The move is likely to benefit ODMs Quanta and Compal Electronics, who are both expected to share in the manufacturing of this model. In related news, both Asus and MSI have reaffirmed plans to launch Android netbooks although not until 2010 according to the report.
Google Chrome OS screenshots leaked; partners named
July 9, 2009 at 11:08 am
Update: The screenshots were indeed faked. See here for more detail.
Following yesterday’s announcement of the Google Chrome Operating System that will initially hit netbooks next year, a few more bits of information are beginning to come through. This includes what look like the first images of the Chrome OS that have been leaked.
The leak comes from someone who has taken extreme measures to remain anonymous. He has hastily created a WordPress blog called ‘Chrome OS Leak’, with some initial impressions of the OS as well as a few blurry screenshots. He works for a company that supplies parts for Acer laptops and was given a demonstration of the Chrome OS by a Google Rep. Read more
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
Nvidia: Windows CE performs better than Android on smartbooks
June 18, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Google’s Android operating system has been getting all of the column inches and hype relating to an eventual transition to netbooks and smartbooks. However, Nvidia feels that Windows CE is the more mature platform, as things stand, for 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 certainly has high hopes for the Tegra platform, with its CEO Jen-Hsun Huang predicting that Tegra will benefit from higher margins than its existing products and could contribute as much as half of Nvidia’s revenues within a few years. Read more
Asus’ Android Eee PC needs more development time
June 17, 2009 at 4:34 pm
At the Computex show in Taiwan a few weeks back, an Asus Eee PC was snapped powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip and running Android. What was interesting is that this Eee PC was demonstrated on the Qualcomm stand and no similar demo was made by Asus. We now have word as to why that was.
Jonney Shih, Asus Chairman, said that Asus had originally planned to showcase an Android-based Eee PC at Computex, but their feeling was that it still needed more work. Asus felt that more development time was needed with Android to make the most out of the netbook experience. Read more
Google Android to support multi-touch gestures? [Video]
June 17, 2009 at 12:02 am
Whilst everyone is gearing up for multi-touch support on the upcoming Windows 7, a group of French developers didn’t want us to forget about Linux. They have shown off a proof of concept multi-touch demonstration which is running on the 2.6.30 Kernel.
The demo shows them using a number of multi-touch gestures, including desktop switching, water ripple effects and rotating and resizing windows. They claim that this is native Linux multi-touch support. It was developed by Mohamed-Ikbel Boulabiar, Stephane Chatty, and Sebastien Hamdani, from the Interactive Computing Lab at the ENAC (Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile) aeronautics academy in Toulouse, France. Read more
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
Kinpo demos 7-inch Android Thin Client Tablet
June 8, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Kinpo has shown off a 7-inch Android tablet powered by a Freescale i.MX51 processor. It’s unclear whether it is a prototype or bound for retail soon, but it’s quite a neat little device with the 7-inch screen probably the perfect size for a tablet device.
The touch panel has a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and seemed to react smoothly to touch commands. I’m unsure if it has an accelerometer, as the display didn’t flip when being turned around when watching a video. I’d be surprised if it didn’t have one, so this is more likely to be a bug. Check out a hands-on video from TechVideoBlog after the break. Read more
GNB’s GL-750 Android smartbook gets video hands-on
June 7, 2009 at 9:29 am
In what is probably our last story relating to this week’s Computex show in Taiwan, GNB unveiled a 7-inch smartbook running on Google Android. The GNB GL-750 was running a port of Android v1.5 powered by Freescale’s 533MHz ARM 11 iMX31 processor.
As the device only has a 7-inch screen, it was very small in the hand, weighing just 680g. The matte screen has a thick bezel surrounding it and runs at an 800 x 480 resolution. Storage is catered for by an 8GB SSD with RAM of 256MB. In terms of ports, it comes with three USB ports, a pair of audio jacks, Ethernet and a multi-card reader.
While the keyboard certainly is small, it does seem usable. The touchpad has mouse buttons on the left and right hand side of it. Given those specs, I imagine it won’t cost too much, although it’s likely to be bundled on a service contract through a mobile phone operator. Check out a hands-on video from NetbookNews after the break. Read more
Video: Mtube II reveals XP netbook/Android tablet hybrid
June 6, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Taiwan’s Institute for Information Industry (III) showed off a very intriguing device at Computex this week. In a form factor that reminded me of Always Innovating’s Touch Book, the Mtube II is a netbook that has a detachable keyboard, which means it can also be used as a tablet device. However, by taking this concept one step-further, the Mtube II runs two different operating systems – Windows XP in netbook mode and switching to Android when in tablet mode.
It seems that the device has two processors, the old 1.6GHz VIA C7-M CPU for netbook mode and a 533MHz Samsung ARM processor when running Android in tablet mode. Thankfully the model has a matte display, which should hopefully mean less fingerprint marks. The tablet connects to the netbook by VNC (remote control) so video performance probably won’t be up to scratch. Battery life in tablet mode is around two hours.
This model is only a prototype and a final retail version is unlikely to be out until next year and as you can imagine there’s no idea on price right now. We’re very much looking forward to seeing more devices sporting this form-factor in the future. Check out three videos of this device in action after the break. Read more
Moblin gets Linux distro backing & Android app support
June 5, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Moblin, the Intel-backed Linux operating system tailored for netbooks, has been growing in momentum over this past week at Computex Taipei. It has been pushing Moblin V2.0 along with the Linux Foundation, who took control of the project in April.
A number of operating system vendors (OSVs) have already committed to Moblin. This includes Linpus, who will offer its Moblin V2 Linpus Linux Lite in two versions, one with a Linpus UI and one with Intel’s UI. Canonical will release an “Ubuntu Moblin Remix”, whilst Novell demoed its SUSE edition of Moblin Version 2 on Acer and MSI hardware at Computex. Xandros also demonstrated its “Xandros Moblin 2 solution” on an Asus Eee PC in at Computex. Read more
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