Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve seen Acer’s Android 2.1-powered Stream a time or two before, but we couldn’t resist the opportunity to give it a look ourselves here in Taipei. Acer’s full gamut of smartphones were out on display, but this 3.7-inch monster was easily the standout. Build quality was remarkable, and the screen was downright luscious; viewing angles on the AMOLED panel were nothing short of incredible, and the haptic feedback was a nice touch, too. The 1GHz Snapdragon CPU handled the transitions within the OS with poise, and it actually felt a good bit lighter than some of the other touchscreen-based smartphones that we’ve played with recently. ‘Course, we couldn’t help but long for Froyo, but with a hardware set this powerful, we wouldn’t be shocked to see it handed down shortly. Vid’s after the break, vaquero.

Continue reading Acer Stream preview at Computex 2010

Acer Stream preview at Computex 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 06:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know, you’re probably eager to brush off yet another “embedded” operating system, but here at Computex, Microsoft is giving the naysayers a reason to think twice with the official debut of Windows Embedded Compact 7. Showcased along with a number of Windows 7 handhelds and slates at the company’s monstrous booth, the public community technology preview of the new OS is being made, with the goal to get this onto lightweight ARM-powered devices that either aren’t powerful enough for a full-fledged copy of Windows 7, or are simply aimed at a different market. Put simply, it’s yet another product that Microsoft can offer up and coming device makers who may otherwise consider MeeGo, Android or a plethora of other mobile OS options. We’ve got an interview session lined up with Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Division, for later today, but we just couldn’t wait to show you all of the Windows 7 and Windows Embedded Compact 7 tablet PCs that were impossible to avoid. Hit the gallery below (or video past the break) for specs and the like, and don’t blame us for those plastic covers — Microsoft wasn’t about to rip ’em off, as a fair amount of these are super early beta units.

Continue reading Microsoft reveals Windows Embedded Compact 7 at Computex, hosts heaps of tablets

Microsoft reveals Windows Embedded Compact 7 at Computex, hosts heaps of tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 02:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tablets may be attracting all of the attention right now, but it’s clear that Intel‘s keeping a broad focus on mobile computing. During today’s PC Client keynote at Computex, the company took a moment to talk up Canoe Lake, an experimental platform that’ll enable 720p video playback on a machine that’s barely thicker than a couple of envelopes stacked together. We got a chance to peek the prototype on hand in Taipei, and we were told that Intel designed the device you’re peering at above completely in-house as a way to sell PC makers on the idea. They also affirmed that a GMA 3150 GPU was inside, and that the platform was capable of handling high-def multimedia. The machine was indeed functional, but few tricks were shown — the 10-inch display looked suitable enough, though it would certainly take us a few days to stop noticing that monster gap between the keyboard and LCD. But hey, you’ve got to cram those components / battery / fairy dust somewhere, right? Look for a plethora of Canoe Lake-based systems (probably fashioned like the gapless netbook at the tail end of the gallery below) to start shipping in “the second half of this year” from companies that Intel simply can’t name as of yet.

Intel ‘Canoe Lake’ prototype netbook preview originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS‘ ARES line of gaming PCs has been kicking for a few years now, but regardless of how many iterations we see, we’re still a wee bit terrified when approaching a chassis this gargantuan. Just after the outfit’s press conference in Taipei, we daintily hurried over to the newest member of the family in order to snag a few shots and get the low-down on what users could expect when it ships between now and next century. Aesthetically, we’re told that the CG8490 was inspired by “ancient and modern armor of both Eastern and Western cultures,” likely a politically correct statement with no actual meaning. Regardless, this monster can overclock itself by as much as 20 percent without boiling over, and the six-core Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition CPU is suited for slicing up even the most complex of tasks. There’s also 12GB of DDR3 memory, 2TB of hard drive space, a standard DVD burner and a pair of overclocked ATI Radeon HD 5870 GPUs to handle DirectX 11 and Eyefinity duties. Mum’s the word on a price or release date, but we’re going with “too much” and “not soon enough.”

Oh, and be sure to peek the limited edition ARES GPU as well as the company’s Rampage III Extreme motherboard in the gallery below.

Continue reading ASUS showcases ROG CG8490 gaming desktop: Core i7-980X, dual OC’d Radeon HD 5870s

ASUS showcases ROG CG8490 gaming desktop: Core i7-980X, dual OC’d Radeon HD 5870s originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 May 2010 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alright, stick with us here. For some reason, ASUS decided it best to name its freshest e-reader the Eee Tablet, while its downright magical tablet goes by Eee Pad. Got all that? Good. The Eee Tablet (again, not to be confused with the Eee Pad tablet) is half e-reader, half note taker, and it’s an interesting twist on a played product category. We took a few precious minutes to experiment with the device here on the Computex show floor, and overall, we like what we’re seeing. Gone is the painfully slow E-Ink page refresh that Kindle owners are so accustomed to, with this particular LCD proving deliciously quick at changing screens. The only hang-up comes when you attempt to flip through too many pages, too fast — we managed to harness a loading wheel on two occasions, both of which took around six or eight seconds to vanish and the next page to finally appear. We also confirmed that the screen only works with the included stylus, much like pen-enabled Wacom tablets. That said, the bundled stylus was perfectly weighted, and the Eee Tablet responded well to our doodling. Speaking of weight, the model shown here in Taipei was shockingly heavy (at least iPad-level heavy), while the 10-inch EP101TC was markedly less hefty. Enough chatter — have a look at our hands-on video just past the break.

Continue reading ASUS Eee Tablet preview

ASUS Eee Tablet preview originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 May 2010 06:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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