Point of View’s ION netbook gets official – Mobii ION 230
July 20, 2009 at 6:01 pm
We first heard that Point of View (POV) was planning to release a 10.2-inch ION-powered netbook around a month back. It turns out that those rumours were spot on. Point of View has now officially announced the Mobii ION 230, its first ION-powered netbook.
As the name suggests, the netbook is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom 230 processor, normally found in nettops. This is paired with the Nvidia 9400M GPU which enables 1080p HD video and the ability to output content at this resolution from the netbooks HDMI port. Read more
Nvidia Chief confirms ION price: 3x more expensive than Atom
July 3, 2009 at 6:24 pm
There has been much speculation as to how much Nvidia’s ION platform costs netbook manufacturers. Now Nvidia’s Chief Executive, Jen-Hsun Huang, has unveiled the price via an interview with the French La Tribune newspaper. It appears that the ION platform (GeForce 9400M GPU + Atom CPU) is approximately three times more expensive when compared to Intel’s own platform.
“[The price of Nvidia Ion chip] is between $30 and $35. This is significant, but it is [needed] to have a good high definition video on the screen,” said Jen-Hsun Huang. Intel recently confirmed that it was charging more for the Atom processor than it does when combined with the Intel chipset. Read more
AMD looking to outgun ION via Radeon HD 4200
July 2, 2009 at 6:10 pm
AMD is planning to release a new integrated chipset codenamed RS880 targeting low-end systems such as netbooks according to The Inquirer. This chip will come with the ATi Radeon HD4200 graphics core that is 15 percent faster than anything on the market right now.
I assume this statistic also takes into account Nvidia’s 9400M/ION GPU. After all, it is Nvidia’s ION platform that AMD is targeting here. It also supports AMD’s Stream general-purpose computing technology and, by extension, would eventually support OpenCL. A first glimpse of these new chipset should emerge in August and it is set to include DX10.1. This would mean a launch ahead of the rumoured ION 2 chipset from Nvidia by the end of the year.
Nvidia ION 2 details surface
July 1, 2009 at 3:25 pm
The next iteration of the Nvidia ION chipset is believed to have double the amount of shaders seen in the current Geforce 9400M /MCP79/ION GPU according to Fudzilla. Nvidia ION has 16 shaders whilst ION 2 will have more than 32. The result will be much more powerful graphics on netbooks and nettops.
Nvidia are lying low on the exact details as they do no want to cannibalise sales of their ION platform, which has yet to ship in any netbook. A number of netbooks with the ION platform will release in H2 2009 including the Lenovo S12 ION as well as the rumoured Samsung N510. The ION 2 platform will launch at the end of this year according to the report.
Samsung N510 ION to hit US in Fall; N310 renamed Samsung Go
June 30, 2009 at 9:09 pm
The speculation surrounding Samsung’s first 11.6-inch ION-powered netbook continues to grow. Laptop Mag is reporting that the Samsung N510 will be heading to the United States in 2009 although the exact timing is unclear. A company representative says that it should appear during the “Q3 and Q4 time frame” which doesn’t narrow it down much.
The Samsung N510 will not replace the company’s 12.1-inch NC20 as it has been selling above expectations. It is currently exclusively on sale at Newegg, although other retailers are set to offer the model in the coming months.
The report also confirmed that the Samsung N310 will launch on 15th July 2009, but it has now been rebranded to Samsung Go. A strange decision, if true. The Samsung Go will come with a high capacity 8800mAh battery which is expected to last over 10 hours although it does not sit flush with the case. The Samsung Go will be priced at $479.
First picture of Samsung’s ION-powered N510 netbook snapped
June 29, 2009 at 7:28 pm
The first picture of Samsung’s ION-powered netbook, the 11.6-inch N510, has been unveiled over at Legit Reviews. There’s not much to go on, only a single picture has been revealed and it’s not the most high-resolution picture either. The picture was apparently leaked by an inside source. The source confirmed a price point of under €600 too.
What we are presented with is a black model with a bezel surrounding the display. It’s difficult to say for sure, but it seems as if the N510 has a glossy display. You can also see a discrete Nvidia logo to the right side of the Samsung logo. It also looks like it has a full-sized keyboard that looks very similar to that seen in the Samsung N120. The touchpad seems reasonable big and you have a single rocker mouse bar beneath this. We can only see the left side of the device, which appears to house a USB port, VGA, HDMI-out and another port which we can’t quite make out. Hopefully, we’ll have some more official details very soon.
Update: We have come across a second image of the Samsung N510, this time showing the right side of the 11.6-inch netbook. Check out both pics after the jump.
Read more
Samsung N510: ION-powered 11.6-inch netbook
June 27, 2009 at 11:17 am
Update: You can check out our unboxing video & pictures of the Samsung N510 netbook here.
We now have the full technical details of the rumoured ION-powered Samsung netbook. Samsung will be releasing the N510 (NP-N510-KA02UK) netbook, which will sport a high resolution (1366 x 768) 11.6-inch LED backlit display. It is expected to be launched in July for a price under €600.
The Samsung N510 will use the ION platform, pairing a 1.66GHz N280 Atom CPU with Nvidia’s 9400M GPU. It will also come with 1GB RAM, a 160GB HDD and XP Home. Other features include Wi-Fi (including draft-N), Bluetooth, Webcam, 3-in-1 card reader and a 6-cell Lithium Ion battery. Read more
Mobinova’s Tegra-powered N910 gets hands-on impressions
June 20, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Nvidia’s Tegra platform was really only brought into the limelight at the recent Computex show in Taiwan, despite being introduced last June. 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). Whilst Nvidia has done well in getting the ION brand out into people’s minds, it looks like Tegra is set to follow. With some high profile devices, like the Zune HD, sporting the Tegra platform, it’s expected to become even more popular.
Nvidia claims that the Tegra processor is the “world’s smallest and lowest power computer-on-a-chip”. The chip will be able to handle 1080p video and will come with a massive battery life. Nvidia claim that it can handle 10 hours of 1080p video playback on a single charge. Read more
Lenovo Ideapad S12 ION hands-on impressions
June 18, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Lenovo’s upcoming ION-powered Ideapad S12 netbook is one of our most anticipated netbooks. It’s still unclear whether or not the S12 ION will arrive in Europe, but either way, it is likely to be a landmark launch for Nvidia’s chipset.
PC Pro has managed to get a first look at the S12 ION and they were left were positive impressions. The Ideapad S12 ION partners a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU with the Nvidia 9400M GPU. This boosts its performance over the normal Intel integrated chipset used (945GSE). The results speak for themselves. Encoding a 1080p movie trailer took just four minutes with the S12 compared to an equivalent Atom netbook that took 15 minutes.
Specs-wise, the 12-inch (1280 x 800) S12 includes 2GB RAM, rather than the 1GB normally bundled with netbooks. It also has a 320GB HDD and the version that PC Pro played with also came with HSDPA. The case felt very sturdy with the palm rest showing no flex. The display was also not prone to bending. The keyboard was comfortable to use and the touchpad was responsive. Hopefully, we look forward to more benchmark results on the S12 ION soon.
Point of View’s ION-powered Mobii netbook outed
June 18, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Point of View has traditionally been known for its graphic cards. The Dutch based manufacturer also has a line-up of 10.2-inch Mobii netbooks. Now POV plans to add to that line-up with an ION-powered model according to Fudzilla.
In what may start to become a trend with netbooks, the Mobii ION 230 is powered by the single-core 1.6GHz Atom 230 processor, normally found in nettops. This follows the Japanese brand Dospara, with its 12-inch Prime Note Cresion NA that uses a dual-core 1.6GHz Atom 330 CPU. 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
Nvidia: ION outperforms Intel’s Pine Trail platform by 5-10x
June 17, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Whilst we are still yet to see official specifications of Intel’s next-generation Atom ‘Pineview’ processor and it’s platform dubbed ‘Pine Trail’, it has not stopped Nvidia from claiming that its ION platform will outperform Intel’s platform.
Nvidia ION pairs its 9400M GPU with an Intel Atom processor. As Intel’s Pineview processor moves its graphics to the processor, some analysts have commented that this could be bad news for Nvidia. However Dave Ragones, Nvidia product manager, disagrees. Read more
Lenovo Ideapad S12 ION to appear in Europe after all?
June 10, 2009 at 6:36 pm
We had previously reported that Lenovo’s Ideapad S12 will not see the ION version coming to Europe. However, it looks like Lenovo may have reversed that decision. Notebook Italia has had confirmation from Lenovo Italy that both the Atom and ION versions will be available at launch next month. The Atom version will start at €379, as we previously reported, but there is no price for the ION version for now. Let’s hope this arrives in the UK too, as it’s one of the models I’m most excited about.
In related news, for those wondering how ION performs on a Linux system, click over to phoronix who have a detailed performance test on an ION-powered ZaReason nettop.
In our last bit of ION news, JKKMobile got a chance to get hands-on with some ION-powered netbooks at Computex last week. He attempted to put Call of Duty IV through its paces, although he is not really a gamer so couldn’t give us an idea of resolution, settings, frame rate etc. However, from looking at the video you can tell it plays quite smoothly at what look like quite low settings. Check out the video below. Read more
Nvidia expands ION brand to non-Atom CPUs
June 10, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Nvidia realises that is onto a good thing with ION. Not only is it a cool name, it has also created some good brand awareness out of what is effectively a 9400M GPU tagged onto an Atom processor. As a result, it is allowing companies to use the ION brand, even if it is not paired with an Intel Atom CPU.
Nvidia confirmed that “MCP79, ION and Geforce 9400M are the same thing” to Fudzilla. It is therefore up to its customers whether it wants to mention the 9400M CPU or just the ION name. It is hoping that this may help to sell more products on platforms based on Intel Core 2 and CULV processors.
Nvidia ION to get 40nm refresh by year’s end
June 6, 2009 at 5:21 pm
The Nvidia ION platform is currently based on the 55nm manufacturing process. However, by the end of the year, Nvidia looks to move the GPU part to 40nm according to Fudzilla. This will, of course, put it in the same timeline as Intel’s next-gen Atom CPU, Pineview.
As things stand we don’t know what speeds the new Pineview processor will run at, although several rumours point to a dual-core chip which could make a big difference in netbook performance. The ION 2 is expected to release in the fourth quarter of this year, in –line with the rumoured dual core launch of Pineview and ahead of the single core Pineview launch in Q1 2010.
The benefits of ION 2 should be faster performance and a greater number of shaders with the same (or lower) power efficiency. Whilst Intel is moving from a three-chip to two-chip platform with Pine Trail, it is widely expected to support the ION/ION2 platform for future netbooks.
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