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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Asus Eee Top ET2002 reviewed, thoroughly enjoyed

The kids at Liliputing got their hands on the Asus Eee Top ET2002 all-in-one recently and were cool enough to both put it through its paces and clue us in on their findings. According to the reviewer the device, which sports a 1.6GHz Dual Core Atom 330 processor, a 20-inch / 1600 x 900 pixel display, 2GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive, was “impressive… in many ways.” It easily handles 1080p playback and video games that would cause “most Intel-Atom based PCs to choke.” Aside from the ION graphics, unfortunately, this guy comports itself like a “typical” Atom netbook: unzipping large files takes forever, boot times are slow, and the system sometimes felt overtasked when browsing the web. Then again, when you’re spending less than $600 on a machine (Amazon’s currently selling ’em for $581) you’re going to have to make some compromises. Hit the read link to see for yourself.

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Asus Eee Top ET2002 reviewed, thoroughly enjoyed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s ION-enriched N510 reviewed approvingly, still needs price trim

We dare say NVIDIA’s ION platform hasn’t been the quickest to go from announcement to market availability, but at long last we’re seeing a number of pretty decent options cropping up. The Samsung N510 is a great test case for the prowess of the chipset, as it boasts the otherwise entirely unremarkable Atom N280, 1GB RAM and 160GB HDD spec, meaning that whatever performance gains it exhibits will be down to the ION infrastructure. Unsurprisingly, the 11.6-inch machine showed marked improvements over standard netbooks in the graphics department, with hardware-accelerated 1080p video decoding and mildly graphically-intensive games made possible. With six and a half hours of battery life and a matte 1366 x 768 screen, the N510 was well received by the PC Pro team, who could only bemoan the uncompetitive pricing of £382 (about $613). Hit the read link for their full impressions.

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Samsung’s ION-enriched N510 reviewed approvingly, still needs price trim originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 logo program already 6,000-strong with products

The Windows Ecosystem Team has gone official with the new ‘Compatible with Windows 7’ sticker, which we sincerely hope won’t be as laughably misapplied as its Vista-related predecessor. Set to appear on hardware, software and peripherals, the label is intended to reassure customers that they’ll have the “optimal Windows 7 experience” thanks to “robust testing requirements” and a longer testing cycle. That’s good to hear, as is the fact that already over 6,000 products have been given a passing grade, meaning that — surprise, surprise — when you get your Windows 7 machine, it will most likely be compatible with everything you own or intend to buy. An intriguing tidbit is that one logo will cover all flavors, including 64-bit, meaning that you’ll have to wait for Intel’s Pineview chips to come around the turn of the year if you want to get a certified Atom-based Windows 7 netbook.

Update: Okay, so it looks like we were a little off the mark here. To be clear, this program is primarily intended for peripherals and accessories you purchase after you get a computer, which is why testing against 64-bit Windows 7 is a requirement. We’re sure we’ll see plenty of Atom netbooks running Windows 7 with a slightly different sticker on ’em just as soon as October 22 rolls around — you just won’t be able to buy an Atom-based mobo with this particular sticker on the box, because it won’t run 64-bit Windows 7. You know what else you can’t buy? A dragon.

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Windows 7 logo program already 6,000-strong with products originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Hanvon / Hanwang’s aluminum-clad tablet does Windows 7 multitouch

You know that tablet we keep waiting for? Well, here’s something that looks very much like it, but for the Windows 7 operating system and purported Atom processor inside. This 8.9-inch, two USB port-sporting device can pull off multi-touch pinching and zooming — albeit with a lag akin to wading through water — and is outfitted in a rather becoming all-aluminum case. It could make for a pretty desirable movie-playing machine on the go, provided it has the battery prowess for such tasks. Chinese folks will know for sure pretty soon, with the release coming before year’s end — presumably just as soon as the company figures out which westernized version of its name to use. Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Video: Hanvon / Hanwang’s aluminum-clad tablet does Windows 7 multitouch

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Video: Hanvon / Hanwang’s aluminum-clad tablet does Windows 7 multitouch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TabletKiosk rises from the ashes, pops Atom CPUs into hideous new UMPC / tablet line

Sheesh — whatever happened to TabletKiosk, anyway? Aside from one random slate PC tailored for the medical industry, we haven’t seen anything meaningful from these guys since 2008. And yes, that includes the present day. Oh sure, the company’s newest trifecta of machines — which includes the 7-inch eo a7330D, 7-inch eo TufTab a7230XD and 12.1-inch Sahara NetSlate a230T — may use the incredibly mighty Atom CPU now, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re all uglier than sin itself. In fairness, all three are designed more for the enterprise market than for fashion conscious consumers, but still, we’re struggling to see any design improvements here compared to the wares this outfit was pushing way back in 2007. If you truly believe that beauty’s on the inside, hit the read link for all the dirt.

[Via HotHardware]

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TabletKiosk rises from the ashes, pops Atom CPUs into hideous new UMPC / tablet line originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: UMID shows off faster, cheaper, Windows 7-packing mbook M2

Video: UMID shows off faster, cheaper, Windows 7-packing mbook M2

It seems like just yesterday we were finally welcoming the UMID mbook M1 into the world, kicking and screaming after a rather extended gestation. After all that it wasn’t exactly well received thanks to a high price, a screen that didn’t open far enough, and USB ports that sadly required dongles. UMID is now demoing the completely dongle-free M2, said to be ultimately available with your choice of either a 1.2 or 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor. Memory has been bumped up to 1GB to support Windows 7, the case has been tweaked, the hinge now opens further, and there’s an optical “mouse” integrated into the bezel with a sensor on the right and two tiny mouse buttons on the left. A non-functional version is lovingly caressed after the break, while working models are said to ship before the year is up with prices starting at $499. Let’s hope this one doesn’t follow the same, circuitous path to retail that its predecessor did.

[Via jkkmobile]

Continue reading Video: UMID shows off faster, cheaper, Windows 7-packing mbook M2

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Video: UMID shows off faster, cheaper, Windows 7-packing mbook M2 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change the netbook as we know it?

Netbooks, by definition, have been around for years now, and while the vast majority have left the 7- to 9-inch realm, hardly any have bothered to show up with a respectable 720p panel. Furthermore, hardly any have deviated from the strictly held hardware line, which generally consists of an Intel Atom N270 / N280 processor, GMA950 graphics, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, Windows XP and far too few USB sockets. Oh sure, we’ve seen an Ion-based machine trickle in every now and then, and AMD definitely has our interest piqued with Congo, but we’re honestly exhausted by the torrent of netbooks that just seem to look exactly like one another internally. This week’s question is dead simple: if you had the power to flip the netbook arena upside-down, how would you go about it?

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How would you change the netbook as we know it? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel exec speaks the obvious: first-time buyers aren’t going for netbooks

Intel’s chief sales and marketing officer Sean Maloney wants you to know something you probably already figured out on your own. “Netbooks are predominantly… a second or third purchase from someone who’s already got a notebook,” he suggested today at the company’s Technology Fair event, further extrapolating with an anecdote of him watching people in China retail shops skipping the portables and going straight to more capable notebooks. “The first time you buy something, you want the real deal. It’s a human behavior thing… it’s [the same] all around the world.” It’s an admission of processing power and capability, but of course Intel still wants you interested in ultra-thin computers with more capability — and either way, the chip manufacturer gets a share of the profits, so it’s essentially a win-win.

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Intel exec speaks the obvious: first-time buyers aren’t going for netbooks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Viewsonic VOT130 and ION-based VOT132 nettops handled in the open

Not long after we first heard about Viewsonic’s latest VOT130 and VOT132 nettops, the gang at Netbook News have gotten some hands-on time with the hardware. On the surface, it looks pretty sleek, and the abundance of USB ports is a definite plus, as is the HDMI port on the NVIDIA ION-based VOT132, but unfortunately we’re lacking any performance demonstrations or impressions. As we saw previously, the slot-loading optical drive attachment is essentially the same form factor and attaches flush with the unit thanks to some aptly placed magnets, and the bundled stand is designed for the computer with or without the peripheral. So what’s not to love? Well, the price for one — the ION-packed VOT132 costs a hefty $514 US in Taiwan, with the VOT130 priced at a more reasonable $331 — but perhaps that’ll be brought down if / when it ever makes an official stateside debut. Video hands-on after the break.

Continue reading Viewsonic VOT130 and ION-based VOT132 nettops handled in the open

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Viewsonic VOT130 and ION-based VOT132 nettops handled in the open originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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