Intel Cedar Trail graphics twice as fast as Pine Trail?

Intel’s 2011 Atom chipset platform called Cedar Trail will have twice the graphics performance compared to the upcoming Intel Atom Pine Trail chipset according to Fudzilla. The actual processor part (codenamed Cedarview) will be based on a 32mn fabrication process, compared to the 45nm Intel Pineview CPUs.

Intel Pineview will have a GPU performance that matches what we already have in the market, whilst Cedarview will be twice as good when measured by 3DMark06. Of course, even twice as good is still not good enough. Given that most N270/N280 Atom-based netbooks achieve a 3DMark06 score around 100, twice is that is still useless for most 3D software. However, Cedarview will benefit from the ability to play 1080p video content. Intel Pine Trail is set to launch on January 3rd 2010, with Cedar Trail expected in late 2011.

New Samsung netbook line-up to launch in January 2010

The Netbook World Summit was being held today in Paris and some interesting tidbits of information have been gleaned from Samsung Notebook Product Manager, Jaewoo Seo. He says that a completely new range of Samsung netbooks will be revealed in January 2010 based on the Intel Pine Trail platform.

This is hardly surprising news as we already know that most of the big manufacturers are planning on showcasing their Pineview-powered netbooks at CES 2010 in early January. However, we did learn that these models are expected to incorporate a much thinner design whilst having even longer battery lives. Samsung already delivers some of the longest netbook battery lives so this is great news. Also, at least one netbook with a touchscreen display is expected. Read more

Acer planning Nvidia ION 2 netbooks?

Acer is one of the few netbook manufacturers that currently does not have an Nvidia ION-powered netbook on the market. All the other big names in the market (Asus, HP, Lenovo, Samsung) have released models or are about to. Whilst, Acer has several ION-powered nettops it seems to have ignored the netbook market for one reason or another.

However, Acer could be waiting for the next-generation ION 2 chipset to appear before sticking it in Acer netbooks. Digitimes is reporting that Acer has placed orders for the ION 2 chipset, which is designed to support Intel’s upcoming Pineview processors. Read more

Intel Pineview netbooks to launch on 11th January 2010?

Netbooks launching with the next-generation Atom Pineview processors are set to launch on 11th January 2010 according to Digitimes. Manufacturers such as Acer, Asus, Lenovo and MSI are complying with Intel’s embargo, prohibiting any release until after 10th January.

The initial netbooks using the Pine Trail platform will launch using the 1.66Ghz N450 Atom Pineview processor, whilst the 1.83GHz N470 processor is set to hit the market in March. Pineview netbooks are expected to run on three main platforms: Windows 7 Starter , Moblin and Windows XP with Windows 7 expected to the most popular but also most costly.

Manufacturers are cautious on the launch of these new netbooks, worrying that they may not take off as expected. This could end up leaving an inventory stockpile as was seen in early 2009.

Asus Eee PC 1008P-KR Pineview netbook in pictures

We already know that Asus is set to launch Intel Pineview-powered netbooks under the Eee PC 1008P and 1005P model names. From what we understand, these are just the Pineview (hence the ‘P’ in the model name) Atom versions of the 1008HA and 1005HA netbooks respectively. We now have pictures of one of the 1008P versions due to hit the market called the ASUS Eee PC Seashell 2 1008P-KR netbook.

The ‘KR’ part stands for renowned designer Karim Rashid, who has created this designer netbook. Judging by the pictures, it has been designed to resemble a clutch bag with its rippled exterior. Apart from the shell, the 1008P-KR appears to be very similar to its predecessor. It has the same ‘seashell’ shape and comes with flaps that cover its ports. Read more

Vendors to push higher margin 12-inch netbooks in 2010

The definition of a netbook has changed somewhat since the first 7-inch Eee PC appeared just over two years ago. There has been a gradual trend upwards in display sizes, with 10-inch netbooks being the common standard. However, with 11.6-inch and 12.1-inch models released in the second half of this year, this segment is expected to get a big push from manufacturers in 2010 according to Digitimes.

This doesn’t mean 10-inch netbooks will disappear, however manufacturers will position them as entry-level devices to compete against the emergence of ARM-based smartbooks. Models with touchscreen displays will be displayed towards the mid-range market, whilst the 12-inch models are expected to drive profits. Read more

Fujitsu Lifebook MH380 Pineview netbook hits FCC

Fujitsu looks set to release a 10.1-inch netbook with the upcoming Intel Pineview processor. The MH380 / M380 LifeBook models have appeared going via the FCC and there is little known about the models at this stage.

What we do know is that it will come with a 10.1-inch high-resolution (1366 x 768) display, 1.66GHz N450 Atom processor, Atheros Wi-Fi (Draft-N) and an Ethernet port. The schematics show that it will have easy access to upgrade components and a removable battery. As we approach CES, I suspect we will see plenty more Pineview-powered models coming through the FCC.

Via Netbook Reviews.

Intel’s Cedar Trail will be 32nm; supports DDR3 memory & HD video

Initial details on Intel’s successor to the Pine Trail chipset emerged yesterday. Whilst Pine Trail (and its processor codenamed Pineview) has not even hit netbooks yet, we found out that the next chipset will be named Cedar Trail. The next-gen Atom processor part will aptly be named Cedarview, following on the naming convention used with Pine Trail.

Fudzilla has some further information regarding Cedar Trail and confirms that it will use a 32nm fabrication process. The Cedarview processor part is likely to launch in 2011. It will include a new memory controller and will support single-channel DDR3 memory.

The Cedar Trail chipset will also support both HD video content and DirectX 10.1 graphics. This new graphics core will support LVDS, eDP, HDMI and DisplayPort that the forthcoming Pineview processor lacks. It will also include Blu-ray and twin-display support. We’ll bring you further details on the Cedar Trail chipset and Cedarview processors as we get them.

Intel Pine Trail successor ‘Cedar Trail’ to hit netbooks in 2011?

We haven’t even seen Intel’s next-generation Atom ‘Pine Trail’ platform hit the streets yet, but Fudzilla is already reporting on its successor. The next-next-generation platform is codenamed Cedar Trail according to its sources (continuing the woodland theme) and will launch at some point in 2011.

There’s little other detail, but I would suspect that this platform would see Atom move to a 32nm fab process to make the chipset even more energy efficient. Whether we will see a significant increase in clock speeds remains to be seen. Intel is expected to launch its Pineview processors for netbooks and nettops at the CES show in January.

Lenovo Pineview-powered 10-inch netbook hits FCC

Lenovo is set to launch a new 10.1-inch netbook based on the new Pineview Atom processor according to a new listing over at the FCC. The Ideapad netbook, codenamed FL5-B3, sports a 1.66GHz N450 Atom CPU, 2GB RAM and a 250GB HDD.

It is interesting to see the netbook armed with 2GB RAM, which likely means that it will come with Windows 7 Home Premium, given the licensing restrictions over Windows 7 Starter. The 10.1-inch display has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and 5,400RPM hard drive.

It uses a chiclet keyboard and, unusually, the touchpad has no buttons that I can make out. Apart from that, the design is mostly similar to existing Lenovo Ideapad netbooks. It does have glossy internals though, making this a fingerprint magnet. This model will probably make an appearance at next year’s CES trade show in January.

Via Wireless Goodness [via SlashGear].

Intel plans “fast transition” to next-gen Pine Trail platform

Intel will be moving quickly to its next-generation Atom platform for netbooks & nettops, dubbed Pine Trail according to sources at X-bit labs. They managed to get hold of a document that says: “Intel is planning for a fast transition to Pine Trail. To generate excitement for the platform ahead of launch, Intel is planning a press release in late December publicly disclosing the details of the platform.”

Further details on the Pine Trail platform (and Pineview processors) are expected on 21st December. Manufacturers are expected to have products using the new chips, including the 1.66GHz N450 Atom, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2009) from 4th January.

The new Pineview processors are built around a two-chip platform. The Pineview processor features a CPU, GPU and memory controller on a single die. Combining this with Intel’s Tiger Pint I/O is what makes up the Pine Trail platform. The benefits of moving from 3 chips to 2 chips are power efficiency, lower costs that enable more fanless netbook designs. The specs and price-points of the various chips are as we have seen before; check them out after the break. Read more

Nvidia ION 2 set to launch by end of year?

We are only now just starting to see Nvidia’s ION chipset hitting netbooks and the general consensus appears to be that it was well worth the wait (despite a hit to battery life). However, Fudzilla is reporting that ION 2 is scheduled to launch before the year is out and will deliver twice the graphical power of its predecessor.

I’d take the news with a pinch of salt as Nvidia would no want to cannibalize sales so soon after ION’s launch. Personally, I’d be surprised if we saw ION 2 netbooks before Q2 2010. The interesting part is that we are expected to see switchable graphics next year that will allow you to disable the Nvidia GPU to preserve the battery when not needed. That could be a real killer feature for netbooks going forward, marring an uncompromised computing experience with strong battery life.

In other news, Fudzilla is also reporting that netbooks based on 1.66GHz Atom Pineview processors will see their Intel suggested retail price drop from $299 to $249-$299. Whether this translates to cheaper netbooks for the end-consumer remains to be seen.

Intel’s 1.86GHz N470 Atom CPU expected in March 2010

Up until now, the 1.66GHz N450 Atom processor has been the only Pineview processor for netbooks that has been leaked. Many of you were disappointed that Intel didn’t up the clock speeds on the next-generation Atoms.

Well according to Fudzilla, a 1.86GHz N470 Atom is also on the pipeline and is expected to launch in March next year (the N450 is rumoured to launch in January). The N470 Atom will cost $75, placing it $11 more expensive than the N450 at $64. It will be interesting to see the take-up of both of these new chips given that the N270 is selling for just $44.

Intel’s Atom N450 processor launches on January 3rd?

The next-generation Pineview processor used in netbooks, the Atom N450, will launch on 3rd January according to Fudzilla. It will also be the day that Intel will announce other new chipsets too. The 1.66Ghz N450 will sell for $64 at launch, around $20 more expensive than the popular 1.6Ghz N270 Atom.

The new Pineview processors are built around a two-chip platform. The Pineview processor features a CPU, GPU and memory controller on a single die. Combining this with Intel’s Tiger Pint I/O is what makes up the Pine Trail platform. The benefits of moving from 3 chips to 2 chips are power efficiency, lower costs that enable more fanless netbook designs.

Intel Pineview chips to hit netbooks in Q4

There has been much speculation when Intel will release its next-generation Atom processors, dubbed Pineview, to OEMs. However, Jeff DeMuth, Intel’s platform marketing executive, has confirmed that they will launch these chips during the last quarter of this year. When Pineview-powered netbooks will reach consumers is another matter though. It is believed that this could happen during Q1 2010.

Pine Trail is a two-chip platform. The Pineview processor features a CPU, GPU and memory controller on a single die. Combining this with Intel’s Tiger Pint I/O is what makes up the Pine Trail platform. The benefits of moving from 3 chips to 2 chips is power efficiency, lower costs that enable more fanless netbook designs.

Via PC World.

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