NewsArchos 9 PC Tablet Comes to the U.S.
Posted 07/03/09 at 10:09:02 AM by Paul Lilly
Already announced in Europe last month, Archos is bringing its new Archos 9 PC Tablet to the U.S. market. The ultraportable tablet weighs less than 22.29 ounces and measures just 0.63-inches thick.
On the hardware front, the Archos 9 boasts a full touch-sensitive 9-inch screen, an Intel Atom Z515 processor (1.2GHz, 512KB cache, 400MHz frontside bus), 1GB of RAM, up to 120GB of storage, 1.3MP webcam, and an optical track-point mouse.
On the software side of things, the new tablet will come pre-loaded with Microsoft's upcoming Windows 7 OS. It will also include Microsoft Office and a host of other apps, such as "Web TV & Radio, video conference, antivirus, parental control, photos and movies edition applications, and more."
The Archos 9 PC Tablet will go on sale sometime this fall for an as yet undetermined price.
FeaturesWindows 7 vs Linux: What's the Best OS for Your Netbook?
Posted 07/02/09 at 10:30:00 AM by John Brandon
That shiny new netbook is light and portable, plays music and movies, and cost less than an iPhone (with service). Problem is: you might be ready to chuck it off a bridge. Running the Intel Atom processor at only 1.60GHz, netbooks are a bit on the clunky side when it comes to actual data processing. No one is going to play World of Warcraft on one of these thin machines, but it sure would be great if OpenOffice, a music player, and Mozilla Firefox could run a little faster.
The answer to the netbook dilemma is: find an alternative operating system. Of course, this is a time-consuming proposition, considering you have to download the OS, burn it to a CD or USB key, load the OS, and then configure it. To find out which OS will actually add pep to your Sony P – or any number of low-cost, Atom-based netbooks – we loaded six different options on the same machine and performed a series of tests – looking at the interface, networking features, the browser and built-in apps, and how much customization you can do and ended up picking a clear winner.
Linux or Windows? Read on to find out which OS is best for your netbook.
NewsDell's Thin and Light Vostro 1220 Laptop Joins the Family
Posted 07/02/09 at 09:17:40 AM by Paul Lilly
Dell's Vostro family just keeps growing, this time adding the Vostro 1220, a 12.1-inch ultraportable designed for business travelers more than anyone else.
"Today's globe-trotting entrepreneurs need a laptop that is power and lont-lasting," said Sam Burd, global vice president of Dell Small and Medium Business, in a statement. "That used to mean carrying around an ungainly device. The Vostro 1220 combines performance, built-in security, and long battery life."
A base package, starting at $799, includes an Intel Celeron 900 processor (2.2GHz, 1MB of L2 cache, 800MHz frontside bus), 2GB of DDR2-800 memory, 160GB hard drive, integrated Intel GMA 4500M graphics, 8X DVD burner, and Windows Vista. Throw an extra Benjamin into the mix and you can upgrade to an Intel Core 2 Duo T6670 processor (2.1GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 800MHz bus), 3GB of DDR2-800 memory, and a 250GB hard drive spinning at 7200RPM instead of 5400RPM. All in a lightweight 3.36-pound package.
The Vostro 1220 is available now.
ReviewsHP TouchSmart tx2
Posted 07/01/09 at 08:00:00 PM by Michael Brown
We’re unabashed fans of HP’s Touch-Smart desktop machines, so we were really looking forward to getting our digits on the new technology in a convertible touch-screen notebook PC. But our eager anticipation only made the reality of the TouchSmart tx2 all that more disappointing.
This is the first convertible touch-screen PC designed for the consumer market, and its underlying hardware—which in our review unit included AMD’s best mobile CPU—delivered enough horsepower for this machine’s touch-screen elements. Benchmark performance, on the other hand, was dismal (more on that later).
You can use the TouchSmart tx2 as a conventional notebook PC or rotate its 12.1-inch screen 180 degrees, lay it flat, and use the machine’s tablet functionality. The 1280x800 touch screen uses active digitizing technology and supports the use of either a fingertip or a digital pen (as opposed to the simple stylus that HP shipped with its first-generation TouchSmart desktops). The digital pen delivers hover feedback (it doesn’t have to touch the screen to activate user-interface elements, such as tooltips) and considerably more precision than a fingertip.
NewsSamsung to Ship First Ion Netbook in July
Posted 07/01/09 at 06:59:13 PM by Paul Lilly
It looks as though all those early jitters notebook vendors had surrounding Nvidia's Ion platform have started to subside, as yet another vendor confirmed plans to build a netbook based around Nvidia's Ion chipset.
This time it's Samsung who's jumping on board, following the announcement of Lenovo's IdeaPad S12 due out in August, the first Ion-based netbook announced from a major PC maker. But while Samsung wasn't the first to announce a netbook with Nvidia graphics, Netbook Choice reports Samsung's N510 is due this month.
A full spec sheet hasn't yet been made available, but in addition to the Ion platform, look for the 11.6-inch N510 to sport an Intel N280 Atom processor (1.66GHz), a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of memory, WiFi, and a webcam.
No word yet on price.
NewsCooler Master Selling Super-Slim Laptop Power Adapters
Posted 06/30/09 at 03:10:47 PM by Paul Lilly
We've long heard that good things come in small packages, and that appears to have been Cooler Master's inspiration for its SNA 95, a compact 95W power adapter for laptops. In fact, it's the "smallest 95W adapter in the world," Cooler Master claims, measuring just 2.9 x 0.7 x 5.7 inches.
The late Billy Mays (may he rest in peace) would have a field day with this one, as not only is the SNA 95 the tiniest 95W adapter you can get, but it also sports a few extras, like a USB charging port, cable management base, and nine power tips so you can use it with your iPod, smartphone, PDA, GPS, and other mobile gadgets. It also comes with a smart LED indicator.
So far, we've only spotted the SNA 95 at Sundial Micro for $70 (currently out of stock), but expect to see more retailers carrying the device in the coming weeks.
NewsSamsung Produces First ARM11-Based Processor Built on 45nm
Posted 06/30/09 at 10:00:00 AM by Paul Lilly
Samsung this week announced the S5P6440, which is the company's latest ARM11 processor and the first to be designed using a 45nm lower power CMOS process technology.
"Today's ultra-competitive consumer electronics market demands rapid performance upgrades and effective cost reduction to continue its expansion," said Dr. Kwang-hyn Kim, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing at Samsung Electronics' System LSI division.
The new chip is based on an ARM1175 CPU core, which runs at either 533MHz or 667MHz. A 64-bit AXI bus running at 166MHz connects the core and all on-chip hardware accelerators and peripheral interfaces. In addition, the S5P6440 boasts 2Dgraphics acceleration hardware compliant with the OpenVG API standard, enabling graphical goodies like alpha blending for transparency effects, anti-aliasing, and vector graphics support.
Samsung says it has begun sampling the new ARM11 processor to key customers and will start volume shipments sometime in Q3 of this year.
NewsGateway Launches AMD-Based Netbook
Posted 06/24/09 at 09:45:59 AM by Paul Lilly
AMD has repeatedly said it has no intention of releasing a netbook processor and competiting in a market now dominated by Intel and it's Atom platform. Either Gateway didn't get the memo or decided to ignore it, as the Acer-owned OEM this week introduced the Gateway LT3100 netbook with an AMD Athlon 64 L110 processor (1.2GHz, 612KB L2 cache, 800MHz frontside bus) inside.
"The Gateway LT3100 is a smart netbook choice -- it gives customers the freedom to connect to the Internet for everything from staying up-to-date on the latest viral videos and enjoying digital music and photos, to checking on the status of projects and studying for classes," said Ray Sawall, senior product marketing manager for Acer America.
Other goodies include an 11.6-inch LED screen with a 1366x768 resolution, 2GB of DDR2 memory, 250GB hard drive, ATI Radeon X1270 graphics, WiFi, webcam, three USB 2.0 ports, 6-cell battery, and Windows Vista Basic with SP1.
The LT3100, available in black or red, carries an MSRP of $399, however no release date has yet been set.
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