NEC LaVie Touch hands-on (updated)

Originally scheduled for a September launch under the VersaPro type VT moniker, NEC’s LaVie Touch Windows 7 tablet is finally hitting the Japanese market next week. Alas, there are still no plans on an international release for this 10.1-inch Atom Z670-powered device, but at CEATEC we were lucky enough to stumble upon it along with its DVD dock and wireless input peripherals — all included for ¥99,960 ($1,300), which is a huge drop from the original ¥144,000 ($1,873) customizable bundle.

Despite the slightly more sensible pricing, is the LaVie Touch still worth the money? Probably a stretch given the much cheaper offerings from the likes of Acer and Samsung, but regardless, kudos to NEC for keeping its tablet’s weight just under 730g (1.6 pounds) while promising 10.6 hours of battery life. For comparison’s sake, the Acer Iconia W500 weighs 970g (2.14 pounds) and only packs up to six hours worth of battery juice. The NEC tablet felt firm in our hands and its IPS LCD didn’t disappoint, though Windows 7 on this particular unit was slightly laggy during our hands-on, so be sure to check it out in the stores first before you hand over your hard-earned yen.

Update: We just found out that Yodobashi Camera has just started selling the LaVie Touch, so we went along to Akihabara to check out the final product. Alas, Windows 7 was still sluggish, whereas the AMD C-50-powered Iconia W500 in the next aisle handled pinch-to-zoom rather well, despite the less impressive LCD.

NEC LaVie Touch hands-on (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Four Atom chips sneak out of Intel, soon to appear in netbooks and nettops

Rarely do you hear of new chips sneaking out of Intel, Escape from Alcatraz-style. But that’s (figuratively) happened today, with a quartet of processors appearing with little fanfare from Chipzilla. Two of these you might recognize as members of the delayed Cedar Trail series, the D2500 and D2700. The former clocks at 1.86GHz and 2.13GHz, with the latter upping that to 2.13GHz and 2.4Ghz; both have a thermal design power of less than 10W. The other two chips sip power even more judiciously: the N2600 has a TDP of less than 3.5W at 1.6GHz or 1.86GHz; the N2800 has a 6.5W TDP, running at 1.86GHz or 2.13GHz. All include GPUs, with the N2000 series destined for netbooks, while the D2000 series should end up in nettops. To dig deeper into the specs, see Intel’s datasheet at the source link below.

Four Atom chips sneak out of Intel, soon to appear in netbooks and nettops originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Asus Eee PC 1025 treads a Cedar Trail through the FCC

Attracted by all that Cedar Trail gossip about 10-hour battery life and weeks of standby time? Then you’ll be pleased to see that Asus’s Eee PC 1025C and higher-end 1025CE models have received their nods from the FCC. Both pack the latest 32nm Atom processor under their 10.1-inch hoods, along with an HDMI-out, Kensington lock and flush trackpad. The CE additionally serves up a USB 3.0 port, 4x zoom on its webcam and a metallic finish. NetbookNews got some hands-on time with these babies at Computex and reported prices of $249 and $279 for the C and CE respectively — whet your appetite at the More Coverage link.

Asus Eee PC 1025 treads a Cedar Trail through the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opera Mobile on Android x86 at IDF 2011 (video)

We discovered this little gem hidden deep within the recesses of the show floor at IDF 2011. It’s none other than Opera Mobile running on a Honeycomb tablet — not just any tablet, mind you, but Intel’s Oak Trail-powered (Atom Z670) Green Ridge device. That’s right, you’re looking at Opera’s web browser, compiled using the latest Android NDK and running natively on top of Android x86. First impressions? It’s fast, even without hardware acceleration — scrolling and zooming are smooth as butter, with no signs of checkerboarding anywhere. According to Phillip Grønvold of Opera software, this is just the beginning. Hardware acceleration is already in the works, along with Flash support. So go ahead if you dare — browse our gallery below and watch our hands-on video after the break.

Dante Cesa contributed to this report.

Continue reading Opera Mobile on Android x86 at IDF 2011 (video)

Opera Mobile on Android x86 at IDF 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 10:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cedar Trail-based Classmate PC hands-on at IDF (video)

Looking for a Cedar Trail-powered update to the long running Classmate PC line of netvertibles? Intel’s got you covered here at IDF 2011, with a refreshed edition of the very familiar hardware on display. All the usual elements are here, with a handle, touchscreen and stylus combined with a tough rugged casing ready to take the worst a 3rd grader can dish out. It felt a little lighter in our hands, and while this was just a demo unit as usual we’re told OEMs should have production versions available soon. If you need to see it in motion to believe all that next generation Atom power could be packed inside, just watch the video after the break.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report

Continue reading Cedar Trail-based Classmate PC hands-on at IDF (video)

Cedar Trail-based Classmate PC hands-on at IDF (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Novero’s Solana is a Cedar-Trail Inspiron Duo from the future (video)

Have a look at what we found lurking deep within IDF’s technical showcase: the Novero Solana. Contrary to what its name might imply, it’s not a fancy European shaver, but actually a thinner, more rectangular Inspiron Duo lookalike. Seeing as it’s imprisoned behind glass — just like that other tablet — the only specs we can confirm are that it’s Cedar Trail-based and Windows 7 powered. Want to get a little more acquainted with it? Check out the gallery below, and peek after the break for our eyes-on video.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

Continue reading Novero’s Solana is a Cedar-Trail Inspiron Duo from the future (video)

Novero’s Solana is a Cedar-Trail Inspiron Duo from the future (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 8 can run on an Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM

Curious what the minimum specifications for Windows 8 will be? As are we. Microsoft’s remaining mum on specifics, but the outfit’s Steven Sinofsky — President of Windows and Windows Live — just confessed during the opening Build 2011 keynote that an antediluvian Lenovo S10 was potent enough to run Windows 8. And in fact, it’ll do so with more poise than with Windows 7. A brief demonstration explained that Win8 demanded fewer system resources (barely, but still) than Win7 on the same hardware, proving that an early-gen Atom CPU and 1GB of RAM is “enough” to run the outfit’s upcoming operating system. We highly doubt it’s enjoyable, but at least you (probably) won’t be forced into an upgrade if you don’t want to be. Have a gander at the actual numbers just after the break!

Continue reading Windows 8 can run on an Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM

Windows 8 can run on an Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee PC X101 now available for pre-order at CDW and Amazon

We’ve been waiting for ASUS to launch its Eee PC X101 for the better part of a year, and it looks like the wait is almost over. The slim, MeeGo-running netbook has popped up on two online retailers’ sites with price tags just above the company’s promised $199 positioning. Despite earlier rumors of a July launch, the ultraportable has managed to slip through the cracks of summer, and most likely will debut this fall — although, no official release has been mentioned. If you’re eager to get your pre-order on for this single-core 1.33GHz Atom N435 netbook, you can snag it at Amazon for $227, or CDW for a more attractive $210. Those holding out hope for its pricier, Windows 7 brother — the X101H — will just have to sit this one out.

[Thanks, Andrew]

ASUS Eee PC X101 now available for pre-order at CDW and Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel reveals January 2012 Gingerbread arrival for the Atom E6xx (video)

Intel wants a piece of the smartphone market — bad. The company has made no bones about its attempts to break into that booming space. Despite big talk, however, it hasn’t really given smartphone manufacturers something they can work with. A new promotional video for its pint-sized Atom E6xx series, however, reveals that chipmaker may be taking a step in the right direction, highlighting a January 2012 date for bringing Android 2.3 to the processor. Keep in mind, of course, that this isn’t a smartphone chip that we’re talking about here — the primary applications as outlined by Intel are retail, fitness equipment, digital signage and in-vehicle systems. Still, perhaps it marks a next step in the company’s push toward your mobile devices, or moreover, a shift for Android into more non-mobile things.

Continue reading Intel reveals January 2012 Gingerbread arrival for the Atom E6xx (video)

Intel reveals January 2012 Gingerbread arrival for the Atom E6xx (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu LOOX F-07C review

For those who’ve been dwelling on this planet long enough, you might just remember a category of mobile computers by the name of UMPCs. In particular, think Sony’s VAIO UX, the OQO devices and the elusive xpPhone. Alas, those Windows devices were — and probably still are — well ahead of their time no thanks to their battery life, bulkiness and sometimes cost; though for some bizarre reason, Fujitsu begs to differ. In fact, said company took one step further and released a hybrid device in Japan: the LOOX F-07C, a QWERTY slider phone that can switch between Symbian and Windows 7 at a click of a button. Interesting combination, right? Read on to find out how this weird device fares in real life.

Continue reading Fujitsu LOOX F-07C review

Fujitsu LOOX F-07C review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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