Acer & Lenovo planning Tegra devices with Chrome OS?

Google’s Chrome OS isn’t expected to hit netbooks until the second half of 2010, however Shanzai is reporting that it may be used in upcoming smartbooks. According to their sources, both Acer & Lenovo are working on Nvidia Tegra-based devices that will use Google’s new OS. They are also reporting that these devices could launch as early as next month.

It all sounded so plausible up until that last sentence. Given everything that Google has officially said about its Chrome OS regarding release dates, I’d be very surprised if they were at the stage of even launching Chrome OS as a beta product right now.

Samsung N510: 3D graphics tested with Doom 3 [Video]

Samsung’s ION-powered N510 netbook should bring a new level of 3D graphics performance compared to current netbooks. For those wondering just how well it fares with games then it may be worth checking out the video below. It showcases how playable Doom 3 is on the N510.

The Doom3 timedemo was first played at a 640×480 resolution where a FPS of 18 was achieved. Cranking the resolution up to 1024×768 lowered the FPS to 16. Whilst this may seem disappointing, it is worth pointing out that Doom 3 was one of the most graphical intensive games back in 2004. Yes, it may be 5 years old but it can still be relatively demanding on low-end desktop PCs.

HD YouTube performance was also tested and played fine apart from in full-screen mode (hardly surprising). However, the content played fine when downloading the file and playing it through VLC. Check out the Doom 3 video after the jump. Read more

Shenzhen Weibu N10A ION-powered netbook

The Shenzhen Weibu N10A is one of the latest netbooks to be powered by Nvidia’s ION-platform. Interestingly, it also sports an Intel Atom 230 (1.6Ghz) processor that’s normally found in nettops. This particular netbook created waves over the weekend when the listing over at Akiba Hotline said the the model had a dual-core 330 Atom CPU. That has since been corrected to the Atom 230 processor.

The Weibu N10A also comes with 1GB RAM, 150GB SATA HDD, HDMI-out, webcam, two USB ports and Wi-Fi (b/g). Apparently it will ship without an operating system. If you are interested and are in Japan, then the Weibu N10A will go on sale shortly for 49,800 Yen ($527, €368, £321).

Via Cnet.

Samsung N510 now shipping in Europe; first unboxing pics appear

Samsung’s ION-powered N510 netbook is now shipping in parts of mainland Europe. This concurs with the news we received yesterday that Samsung will be shipping the 11.6-inch N510 with Windows XP and won’t be waiting for Windows 7, unlike the US. Italian retailer MediaWorld has the Samsung N510 in stock right now for €499. It is also shipping in Germany.

We don’t know whether different SKUS are planned for the mainland European and UK market, but all of the ones appearing in mainland Europe come with the 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU. This contrasts to the UK SKU (NP-N510-KA02UK) being listed with the 1.66GHz N280 Atom. The UK SKU is also meant to have a 5900mAh 6-cell battery compared to the 5200mAh battery found in the European SKUs. This could be a mistake but we’ll only find out for sure when it releases here in a few weeks time.

NetbookNews.de managed to get hold of the first N510 unboxing pictures via reader, Joerg Ingenbrand. There are a number of pictures of the device itself and also compared against the company’s best-selling 10-inch NC10 netbook. It is nice to see the N510 sporting a matte display and it’s nice to see a bigger touchpad too. Sometimes, despite having a bigger chassis, manufacturers don’t actually increase keyboard/touchpad sizes that much. Check out some of the unboxing pictures after the break. Read more

Samsung delaying ION-powered N510 until Windows 7 launch?

We heard yesterday that Lenovo will not be launching its ION-powered Lenovo Ideapad S12 until after Windows 7 has been released. This left a clear road for Samsung to be first on the market with their N510 ION-powered netbook. However, according to Laptop Mag, the 11.6-inch N510 may also be delayed so that Samsung can ship it with Windows 7.

I’m not sure if the release will be delayed worldwide or just in the United States. But from our sources, a number of retailers are still looking to launch the N510 at the beginning of next month. It will be a shame if the launch were delayed, especially as a wait for Windows 7 may mean a higher price point.

Samsung is planning on shipping the N510 with the ION LE platform and Windows XP. They may have decided that they will deliver a better experience by shipping it with Windows 7 instead and using the full ION platform that is DX10 compatible. Hopefully, all will be revealed shortly.

Update: We have heard from a reliable source that the Samsung N510 will indeed be shipping in Europe with Windows XP. However, this model will be stopped when Windows 7 is released. Whether that means it will then simply ship with Windows 7 or a change of specs is not known right now.

Lenovo’s Ideapad S12 ION to launch after Windows 7 release

The Lenovo Ideapad S12 ION netbook was one of the first netbooks to be announced with Nvidia’s ION wizardry. However, since its announcement back in May, we’ve not heard too much about the ION version (the Atom and VIA SKUs are already out). Indeed, the Samsung N510 has stolen much of the ION momentum away from the S12 ION.

Gizmodo now has word that the S12 ION will not ship until Windows 7 has launched i.e. it will launch after October 22nd. This means it will be able to use the newer OS that should deliver better performance than the Vista version it was planning to ship with. No firm date was given, but it is expected to retail for $550, around $50 more expensive than the standard Atom SKU.

They were also told that a HP ION netbook is also due in the coming weeks. Looks like everyone wants to jump on the ION bandwagon.

Samsung N510 manual live; ION LE confirmed

The manual for Samsung’s ION-powered N510 11.6-inch netbook has now appeared on the official website. With a release date expected at the beginning of September, the manual’s release is certainly timely.

We’ve been pouring through all of the pages to find out any new information. Whilst the specifications page doesn’t list detailed specs, it does give the first confirmation that the N510 will be running on the DX9-compatiible ION LE platform, rather than the DX10-compatible ION. In real world results, I’m not sure whether this will make too much difference, but it’s worth pointing out. We also know that it will be using the nVidia MCP79-D9 chipset. Read more

Samsung N510: UK price, launch date & battery life unveiled

We have received word from a reliable source that Samsung’s ION-powered N510 11.6-inch netbook will be available to buy in UK retail from the first week of September. We can also reveal that the recommended retail price in the UK will be £449. This seems right when placed against the rumoured European price of €499 and US price of $599.

We have also seen the full specification list of the UK N510 SKU. For those worried about battery life, then fear not. The Samsung N510 will be shipping with a 6-cell 5900mAh battery that should be good for 7.5 hours of use according to the company. The netbook will come with a HDMI port and a chargeable USB port. The whole thing will weigh 1.46kg.

There has been some speculation whether or not the N510 will use ION LE, which uses a DirectX9 GPU instead of the DirectX10 compatible 9400M (ION) chip. From the information we have received, the Samsung N510 will be using the ION platform and not ION LE. You can check out the specs after the break. Read more

Samsung ION netbook line-up to include N508, N510 & N511 models

All of the buzz on Samsung’s upcoming Nvidia ION-powered netbook has been on the NP-N510, which is rumoured to include a 11.6-inch high-resolution display and launch later this month in Europe. However, we can now reveal that this will not be the only ION netbook from Samsung.

Samsung is also planning to release two further models, the Samsung NP-N508 and Samsung NP-N511. We don’t have any details on specifications or availability of these previously unheard of models. However a sensible guess would be that the N511 may include a different Atom processor whilst the N508 could sport a smaller display – maybe a 10-inch ION netbook? Read more

Inventec Rainbow / Mobinnova N910 Tegra smartbooks hands-on

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

Samsung’s ION-powered N510 netbook dated by French e-tailer

Samsung still has not confirmed rumours of the N510 11.6-inch netbook, despite a number of retailer listings. Now the French-based retailer, Pixmania, has the ION-based netbook listed on its site for €499 and a release date of 21st August.

There’s no information apart from that, although the listing does confirm the specifications that we’ve already seen. It will have a high-resolution (1366 x 768) display powered by a 1.66GHz N280 Atom, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. It will come with the Nvidia 9400M GPU, HDMI-out, Wi-Fi (Draft-N), a 1.3MP webcam and 6-cell battery. If the release date is just a few weeks away, expect an official announcement from the company soon.

Via Blogeee.

Nvidia ION LE: Light version of ION aimed at XP netbooks

Nvidia has launched a lightweight version of its ION platform called ION LE. The ION LE denotes that it is an entry-level product and is targeted to netbooks and nettops that use the Windows XP operating system.

“ION LE is SKU of the ION GPU that is identical to ION, except it only supports DX9. This product is designed specifically for Windows XP on Netbooks and Nettops and we are going to offer LE SKU just for OEM market,“ said Igor Stanek, Product PR Manager EMEA ION/Notebook products.

This seems like a good move by Nvidia as it means they can hopefully charge less for ION LE as opposed to ION, due to the inclusion of DirectX 9 rather than Directx 10. Whilst ION LE will only be limited to XP netbooks, this shouldn’t be a problem as we may still see XP in netbooks up to a year after Windows 7 is launched.

Via Fudzilla.

Nvidia Firefly smartbook to launch in September?

Rumours of an Nvidia-branded Tegra netbook/smartbook launching later this year surfaced late last month. These rumours were quickly squashed by the company, denying any plans to sell its own brand of smartbooks. However, according to ODM sources, Nvidia will be releasing a Tegra-based device under the ‘Firefly’ name and it will launch in September.

Nvidia is already showing off a Firefly prototype to ODMs according to SemiAccurate. This device will come with the Tegra platform and Windows CE operating system. 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).

There’s little other information than that. The previous rumours talked of a Black Friday release in the United States, along with the device launching with a wireless carrier. I’d take all of this news with a pinch of salt, however it certainly seems like Nvidia is up to something. Whether this prototype sees the light of day is another thing.

Point of View’s ION netbook gets official – Mobii ION 230

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

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

« Previous Page — Next Page »