Intel goes ULV for laptops to combat the oncoming tablet horde

Intel CPUIntel has been talking up its x86-powered smartphones and battery-sipping Atoms for tablets quite a bit recently, but the company hasn’t forgotten its roots in traditional PC form-factors. At an investor event in San Francisco, CEO Paul Otellini announced a significant change to its line of notebook CPUs — ultra low voltage will be the new norm, not just a niche chip for high-end ultra-portables. The baseline TDP for future CPUs will be in the 10 to 15 watt range, a huge drop from the 35w design of the mainstream Core line and lower than even current-gen ULV chips (which bottom out at 17w). The company also plans to make NVIDIA eat its words by putting the pedal to the metal on die shrinks — releasing a 22nm Atom next year followed by a 14nm version in 2013. That could mean our fantasy of true all-day battery life in a sleek and sexy laptop will finally come true. Don’t crush our dreams Intel!

Intel goes ULV for laptops to combat the oncoming tablet horde originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 10:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel admits Apple ‘helps shape’ its roadmap, keeps foot lodged firmly in mouth

We knew Intel and Apple had a close working relationship when it came to developing Thunderbolt, but now an exec from Santa Clara has taken the declarations of mutual admiration to the next level. Tom Kilroy, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Intel’s Sales and Marketing Group, told a Reuters tech summit that Apple isn’t merely important to his company’s plans, it actually “helps shape [Intel’s] roadmap.” Those are strong words coming from the world’s biggest maker of processor chips, one that you wouldn’t expect to be beholden to any hardware or software partner. Additionally, it marks the second time this week that Intel has indirectly slighted Microsoft, the first one being a damning analysis of Windows 8 on ARM by fellow Intel SVP Renee James. It’d be easy to conclude that we’re seeing cracks developing in the old Wintel bond, but we reckon it’s more likely that Chipzilla is simply finding the wrong words to express otherwise benign thoughts. Hit the source link for more from Mr. Kilroy.

Intel admits Apple ‘helps shape’ its roadmap, keeps foot lodged firmly in mouth originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 07:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft rebuts Intel’s claims about Windows 8, calls them ‘factually inaccurate’

Bad Intel! Microsoft has issued a strongly worded response to comments this week from Intel SVP Renee James describing the future of Windows 8 on ARM as fragmented and backwards-incompatible. Those statements, says Microsoft, were “factually inaccurate and unfortunately misleading,” though we’re left without clarification as to what specifically was untrue. James claimed that legacy x86 programs won’t be running on the ARM architecture, requiring a re-write for developers and probably a re-purchase for users. She also went on to suggest that each of the four hardware suppliers for Windows 8 systems-on-chip will have a different code stack, incompatible with the rest, which sounds like a far worse allegation to us. Now the issue is to try and figure out which of those two big accusations Microsoft has taken offense to. The Redmond team had nothing more to say on the matter, offering only a reminder that Windows 8 is still at the tech demo stage and there’s still a long way to go.

Microsoft rebuts Intel’s claims about Windows 8, calls them ‘factually inaccurate’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 05:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu’s LifeBook T901 tablet PC now on sale in the US, starting at $1899

That machine looming large at the top of this page is Fujitsu’s LifeBook T901 tablet PC and it’s now for sale in the US of A. Powered by an Intel Core i5-2520M processor, the T901 features a 13.3-inch, 1280 x 768 LCD that supports NVIDIA’s Optimus graphics. The display also rocks an active digitizer, though you’ll have to pay an additional $100 for the dual digitizer that enables five-finger capacitive multitouch. For those in need of some extra life, there’s a modular bay that allows you to swap in a second battery or hard drive, along with an integrated fingerprint sensor that’ll keep your kids away from your precious TPS reports. Prices start at $1899, so hit the source link if you’re interested in adding an yet another tactile dimension to your digital existence.

[Thanks, Charles]

Fujitsu’s LifeBook T901 tablet PC now on sale in the US, starting at $1899 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel VP confirms ARM versions of Windows 8 will offer no compatibility with legacy apps

Intel VP confirms ARM versions of Windows 8 will offer no compatibility with legacy apps

We already knew that there would be multiple flavors of the next version of Windows. This is, after all, Microsoft, and if it isn’t available in dozens of different SKUs, one for each rung on the ladder from student to corporate executive, then it isn’t worth stamping to a disc and throwing in a box. However, thanks to Intel Senior Vice President Renee James, we now know for sure that there will be a decisive split between the various ARM and x86 editions. James confirmed yesterday that x86 versions will work just fine on Intel, AMD, and other compatible chips, running all your legacy applications with aplomb.

However, the ARM versions of the OS (which may number as many as six) won’t include any sort of instruction emulation, James saying “Our competitors will not be running legacy applications. Not now. Not ever.” That’s something that Intel CEO Paul Otellini hinted at back at CES, which means Office running on ARM must have been a re-write — or at least a re-compile. That’s bad news for anyone hoping they’d be able to install Command & Conquer Collector’s Edition on the Tegra-powered Windows 8 tablet of their dreams. James additionally indicated there will be four separate Windows 8 ARM SoCs, meaning someone has joined NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and TI since the CES unveil. Intrigue!

Intel VP confirms ARM versions of Windows 8 will offer no compatibility with legacy apps originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 07:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel promises more than 10 new tablets at Computex, including Android and MeeGo versions

For all its processing might, Intel is a non-player in the booming tablet space. Consumers, no longer trapped in the WinTel PC juggernaut, are increasingly opting for devices running software experiences optimized for more power efficient ARM processors. Intel hopes to break back into the market it once dominated with the release of “more than ten new tablets” at Computex later this month. Navin Shenoy, Intel general manager for Asia Pacific, elaborated saying “more than 35” tablets equipped with Intel chipsets are on track to ship this year. Of course, Intel chief Paul Otellini already told us that he’d have MeeGo, Windows, and Android tablets on display at the big Taiwan event. Just imagine it: Honeycomb on an Oak Trail tablet. We’ll be bringing it to you live when Computex kicks off on May 31st.

Intel promises more than 10 new tablets at Computex, including Android and MeeGo versions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 04:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s MacBook Air duo to receive Sandy Bridge and Thunderbolt upgrade in June or July?

We’ve already seen Intel’s Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt reinvigorating the MacBook Pro line, so it’s only logical for the MacBook Airs to eventually follow suit — presumably they’ll pick up Sandy Bridge’s 17W mobile processors to match the current 10W and 17W Core 2 Duos. So when can we expect this to happen? Well, according to DigiTimes’ sources within the supply chain, Apple may receive shipment of the refreshed Airs in late May ahead of a June or July launch — this echoes earlier reports from Apple Insider and CNET that cited the same time frame. Additionally, DigiTimes says Quanta will continue to assemble Apple’s ultra-portable laptops, with Simplo Technology and Dynapack supplying the battery packs. As always, we shall remain open-minded about such rumors, but you’ll know the real deal as soon as we do within the next couple of months or so.

Apple’s MacBook Air duo to receive Sandy Bridge and Thunderbolt upgrade in June or July? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 02:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel promises smartphones in ‘first part of next year,’ we put fingers in our ears

After Intel’s early smartphone ambitions failed to bear fruit, experiencing delay after delay, the company seemingly decided it’d be a bad idea to give reporters so much as a ballpark release date. Well, the company’s confidence must have returned, because CEO Paul Otellini just told investors that those 32nm Medfield smartphones are indeed on the way. “You’ll see the first Intel-based phones in the first part of next year,” he said at the company’s annual investor meeting today, adding later that there will be “phones shipping in the market from major players” at that time. Here’s hoping.

Why all the delays? Intel blamed its partnership with Nokia, calling it a mistake. “In hindsight, Nokia was the wrong partner to have picked,” said Otellini, but told attendees that the time both companies spent working together won’t be wasted entirely: Intel is currently shopping around their co-developed handset as a reference design.

Intel promises smartphones in ‘first part of next year,’ we put fingers in our ears originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 May 2011 13:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 review

For weeks now, Lenovo aficionados have been salivating. Thanks to a series of leaks, more than a few of you have been awaiting the ThinkPad X1, the skinny, girlfriend-proof follow-up to the company’s vaunted X series. One problem: it didn’t officially exist. Well, the jig is up, and the X1 is at last a real, whirring product, on sale tomorrow with a starting price of $1,349. As expected, it marries that iconic red nub and rock-solid construction with some flourishes you haven’t yet seen on a ThinkPad, including a 13.3-inch Gorilla Glass display, integrated, fast-charging battery, and a buttonless trackpad. And, as you may have gathered from those leaked shots, it’s the slimmest ThinkPad yet, measuring just 16.5mm (0.65 inches) at its thinnest point.

Throw in Intel Core 2011 processor options and you’ll see Lenovo has made one lofty promise: a svelte system that performs like a heavyweight and whose design is modern, but not too much of a departure from the classic ThinkPad uniform. So how close does the X1 come to living up to these towering claims? Let’s find out.

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad X1 review

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 17:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s 11.6-inch Series 9 now shipping in the US, priced at $1,160

It’s been about a month since Samsung’s 11.6-inch Series 9 laptop first surfaced for pre-order on Amazon, and now it’s finally available for shipping. Touting a $1,160 price tag, this duralumin-enclosed little beast packs an Intel Core i3-380UM processor, 2GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD. The 2.3-pounder also ships with 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 3.0 and WIMAX 4G capabilities, along with a 1.3-megapixel HD webcam and a 1366 x 768 display with 340 nits of brightness. The newest addition to the Series 9 family is available on Amazon, Circuit City and Tiger Direct, but if they don’t suit your fancy, you can check with Samsung to find a full list of retailers, below.

Samsung’s 11.6-inch Series 9 now shipping in the US, priced at $1,160 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 09:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Netbook News  |  sourceAmazon  | Email this | Comments