NVIDIA ION LE hack adds DirectX 10 support, raises interesting questions

If myHPmini forum member runawayprisoner is to be believed (and why not?), rather than featuring some sort of dumbed-down hardware, the sole difference between the NVIDIA ION and the XP-friendly ION LE is that the latter has DirectX 10 support disabled in the device drivers. Indeed, when the full-blown ION drivers are hacked to recognize the ION LE device ID, not only do you get to run DX10, but performance increases markedly as well. Of course, DX10 is Windows 7 only, but you should conceivably be able to take your ION LE machine, install Windows 7 and the driver hack, and get on with your life (and save a few bucks in the process). Why bother with the charade, you ask? Theories abound, but we think it’s a pretty good guess that NVIDIA is merely adhering to Microsoft licensing requirements here, and that in the long run crippling an existing chipset is cheaper than developing an entirely new one for an OS that’s likely to be phased out sooner than later.

[Via SlashGear]

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NVIDIA ION LE hack adds DirectX 10 support, raises interesting questions originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASRock readying three Ion-powered nettops, one with a BD drive

The nettop might not be the most riveting piece of machinery out there, but ASRock‘s hoping to generate at least a small amount of buzz by outfitting its next trio with NVIDIA’s Ion graphics technology. Reportedly, the Ion 330HT, Ion 330Pro and Ion 330HT-BD will all ship with a dual-core 1.6GHz Atom 330 processor, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, 7.1 channel audio, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI / VGA outputs, six USB 2.0 sockets and a powered eSATA port. The 330HT and 330HT-BD are both bundled with MCE remotes, while the latter also gets its DVD burner swapped out with a Blu-ray drive. There’s no mention of a price or release just yet, but we’re figuring that both of those points should be clarified shortly.

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ASRock readying three Ion-powered nettops, one with a BD drive originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI’s Wind Top AE2220 all-in-one PC brings 21.6-inch multitouch panel, Win7

MSI’s Wind Top line seems to be expanding at a breakneck pace, and the latest entry is actually worth bending over backwards to get a look at. Boasting a 21.6-inch multitouch display (1,920 x 1,080 native resolution), the all-in-one desktop also features Windows 7 Home Premium, 4GB of DDR2 memory, a 640GB hard drive, NVIDIA’s GeForce 9300 integrated graphics set (or Ion, if you please), an HDMI output, a bundled wireless keyboard / mouse and your choice of a 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo T6600 or 2.1GHz Pentium T4300 processor. You’ll also get eSATA support, WiFi, a 1.3-megapixel camera and a 6-in-1 card reader. Three versions are up for pre-order right now at Amazon, with the cheapest pegged at $659.99 and the most pricey at $899.99.

[Via Engadget Korea]

Read – MSI’s announcement
Read – Amazon pre-order page

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MSI’s Wind Top AE2220 all-in-one PC brings 21.6-inch multitouch panel, Win7 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo’s IdeaPad S12 finally on sale with Windows 7, NVIDIA Ion

Lenovo made us a promise back in August that the Ion-powered version of its IdeaPad S12 would finally be loosed after the introduction of Windows 7, and lo and behold, that very machine is now available to order directly from the outfit itself. The lone Ion configuration starts at $599, and as predicted, it packs a 1.6GHz N270 processor, Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit), a 256MB Ion GPU, 2GB of DDR2 memory, a 12.1-inch display (1,280 x 800), a 250GB hard drive, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, WiFi and a six-cell battery. So, if you’ve held on this long, are you finally jumping in now that the opportunity has presented itself?

[Via Mark’s Technology Blog]

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Lenovo’s IdeaPad S12 finally on sale with Windows 7, NVIDIA Ion originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onkyo’s tiny ION-based P3 nettop has an even tinier removable DVD-ROM

Onkyo's tiny ION-based P3 nettop has an even tinier removable DVD-ROM

If you’re concerned about the future obsolescence of your miniscule Atom-based nettop, chances are its choice of optical storage is not what’s bothering you. But, if that’s what keeps you up at nights, Onkyo‘s P3 is your Ambien. Its ION platform sports the usual 1.6GHz Atom 230 proc, 2GB of memory, and 160GB hard drive. The DVD-ROM is a separate module that clips into a groove on the side and, while details are slim, that doesn’t look like a standard form-factor to us, so if a Blu-ray upgrade or the like ever surfaces don’t expect it to be cheap. The P3 itself (pictured again below with an LCD friend) isn’t exactly a bargain to start, with an estimated MSRP of ¥69,800 (about $770) when it ships in March of next year. That’s the price you pay for modular design.

[Via PC Watch]

Continue reading Onkyo’s tiny ION-based P3 nettop has an even tinier removable DVD-ROM

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Onkyo’s tiny ION-based P3 nettop has an even tinier removable DVD-ROM originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon prepping HP Mini 311, Mini 110 for launch

Wait, hold up — before you sprint down to your Verizon store (sprint… Verizon… never mind) to pick up that catchily-named Gateway LT2016u that just launched, you might want to mull over the next batch of netbooks primed to hit the carrier’s outlets in the coming days. Subsidized netbooks still haven’t proven themselves as viable products — at least, so long as they’re not subsidized down to $0 — but Verizon’s ready to keep on trying with the launch of a global 3G-equipped HP Mini 311 on October 22. Sickeningly, they want a full $249.99 on contract after $100 mail-in rebate — but in exchange, you’ll be getting ION, Windows 7, 1366 x 768 resolution on a 11.6-inch display, and a 1.6GHz Atom N270. Moving on, the carrier’s current Mini 1151 will ride off into the sunset and be replaced by a Windows XP-equipped Mini 110 featuring a 160GB hard drive and 1GB of RAM; it’ll launch once 1151 stock is depleted for $199.99 after rebate with a new two-year deal. Follow the break for details and specs on the 110 (spoiler: it’s like pretty much every other 110, but with more voodoo subsidy math).

Continue reading Verizon prepping HP Mini 311, Mini 110 for launch

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Verizon prepping HP Mini 311, Mini 110 for launch originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo IdeaPad S12 gets ION powerup on October 22 in Japan

At this point, we’re not really sure which date has been discussed more in the history of humanity — the Mayan doomsday prediction or Microsoft’s October 22, 2009 launch of Windows 7. Lenovo’s S12 was originally supposed to be the first ION-sporting netbook on the scene, but the Chinese company opted to hold back the NVIDIA infusion till Windows 7 showed up, and has been shipping a version of the 12-inch IdeaPad with only standard netbook specs so far. Well, come this Thursday it’s out with the old and in with the HD video-decoding new in Japan, where the ION-powered S12 will be unleashed with 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, a 1280 x 800 glossy display, multicard reader and a HDMI port for company. Priced somewhere near ¥68,800 (about $757), the new machines (available only in white) are likely to dip below $600 when they make their inevitable journey Stateside.

[Via Netbooked]

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Lenovo IdeaPad S12 gets ION powerup on October 22 in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer’s Atom 330, Win7-packin’ AspireRevo now shipping to America

Acer’s been on quite the rampage of late, pumping out more machines during this week before the Windows 7 launch than in the past few months combined. The latest rig to get the a-okay from the shipping department is the refreshed AspireRevo R3610-U9012, a machine which was originally outed back at IFA. This one ups the ante over the former with a 1.66GHz dual-core Atom 330 (as opposed to an Atom 230), Windows 7 Home Premium, NVIDIA Ion graphics, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB hard drive, six USB 2.0 sockets, an HDMI port, eSATA connector, VGA, multicard reader and gigabit Ethernet. There’s also WiFi, audio in / out and a bundled wireless keyboard and mouse, though all that oomph in such a small package will cost you $329.99 to bring home.

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Acer’s Atom 330, Win7-packin’ AspireRevo now shipping to America originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS’s Ion-based Eee PC 1201N, non-Ion 1201HA turn up in yet another leak

We’d already had a pretty clear indication that ASUS’s Ion-infused Eee PC 1201N was on the way, and even gotten word of a few purported specs, but it looks like yet another leak has now kicked things even closer to all-but-official territory. Judging from the specs that appeared (briefly) on EeePC.it, this one will pack a 12.1-inch screen and Ion chipset as expected, plus an dual-core Atom 330 processor, which is certainly more welcome than the Atom 270 that was previously rumored. Otherwise, you can apparently expect 3GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, HDMI out, a multitouch trackpad, and a six-cell battery, among other standard fare (including Windows 7, of course). If that’s all a bit much for you, it looks like ASUS will also have a non-Ion version of the netbook in the form of the Eee PC 1201HA, which dials the specs back across the board, including an Intel Atom Z520 and the usual integrated GMA 500 graphics in place of Ion. Still no firm word on a release for either of ’em, but all signs point to them being available on or shortly after the big Windows 7 launch date.

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ASUS’s Ion-based Eee PC 1201N, non-Ion 1201HA turn up in yet another leak originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA Ion 2 still on track for this year

Don’t let NVIDIA’s recent announcement that they’ll be steering clear of Intel DMI CPUs get you down, man. According to the fine folks at Fudzilla, the company will indeed unveil its Ion 2 chipset before the year’s end. The second-generation platform is said to feature much faster graphics, over twice the shaders, a smaller die, and support for the VIA Nano as well as the usual compliment of Pentium 4-compatible CPUs. No word yet from the company itself, but you’ll know as soon as we do. Promise.

[Via SlashGear]

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NVIDIA Ion 2 still on track for this year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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