NEC VersaPro VS-7 netbook manhandled, makes one reviewer positively giddy

You know that new ultra-light, ultra-thin, and ultra-portable laptop from NEC you got an eyeful of way back in May? Of course you do. You’ve been obsessing, actually — and frankly, we’ve been worried about you. Still, we’d be remiss in our duties if we didn’t turn you on to this mini-review that Akihabara News scored of the VersaPro VS-7. And we must say, the kudos are flowing pretty freely over there: “freaking light,” (that’s right: freaking), “slim and robust.” The reviewer is simply “amazed” at the netbook’s performance. Even in full screen mode HD video plays “just fine,” and 720p DivX video playback is characterized as “flawless.” But that ain’t all — hit the read link for the full, unexpurgated tale. But not before peeping the video after the break.

Continue reading NEC VersaPro VS-7 netbook manhandled, makes one reviewer positively giddy

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NEC VersaPro VS-7 netbook manhandled, makes one reviewer positively giddy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel Atom N450 “Pineview” processor delayed until next year?

We’d recommend taking this one with a hefty grain of salt for the time being as Intel isn’t saying anything on the matter itself just yet, but DigiTimes is reporting / speculating that Intel’s Atom N450 “Pineview” processor (and the Pine Trail platform that goes along with) has been delayed until next year. That processor, as you may recall, was apparently on track to debut sometime in the last quarter of this year, but DigiTimes says Intel has decided to push it back a bit so as not to shake up the netbook market too much in the second half of 2009.

Update: DigiTimes has further clarified saying the N270 will take up the slack on 2H2009 in part due to low orders of the relatively high cost N450 and worries that the Pine Trail platform could cannibalize sales of next gen thin-and-lights and Calpella-based laptops.

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Intel Atom N450 “Pineview” processor delayed until next year? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No surprise: Intel has known about Chrome OS, worked with Google on ‘elements’ of project

So as it turns out, Intel isn’t just casually accepting of Google’s new OS initiative, it’s actually been privy to the project for some time now, according to a spokesperson for the chipmaker. The two have apparently also worked together (and are potentially still working together) on portions of Chrome OS, he says, which really makes it all the more curious that the company isn’t mentioned among Google’s first partners while Qualcomm, Freescale, and Texas Instruments are. Then again, said inclusion might make the Moblin team more than a little bit upset, and either way, let’s not forget that Atom chips will be sold regardless of which OS is on the system — it’s really kind of a win-win situation that we reckon the hardware division isn’t complaining about.

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No surprise: Intel has known about Chrome OS, worked with Google on ‘elements’ of project originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel Celeron, Core i7, and Atom lineup leaked?

Intel Celeron, Core i7s, and Atom lineup leaked?

The sun rises, seasons change, CPUs get faster, and Intel’s plans get leaked. That’s the way it works, so while this report from Digitimes listing out Intel’s chip releases through the beginning of next year should be taken with a grain of salt, feel free to make it a small one. Apparently there’s a new line of celery-packing Celeron processors coming in Q3 called E3000, starting with the 2.4GHz E3200 and the 2.5GHz E3300. Both feature 1MB of L2 cache, 800MHz FSB, 65W power consumption, and hardware virtualization, meaning either can take you to XP-on-Win7 nerdvana. There will also be a new Core i7 960 chip with a core frequency of 3.2GHz in the fourth quarter, which is also when the nettop-intended dual-core Atom D510 will drop, while the more portable-friendly dual-core Atom D410 won’t release until Q1 next year — bad news for those who’d been hoping for a speedier netbook under the Christmas tree.

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Intel Celeron, Core i7, and Atom lineup leaked? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Onkyo Sotec C204 hands-on impressions

The wild and crazy guys over at Portable Monkey have just got their hands on one of Onkyo’s 10.1-inch Sotec C204 netbooks and were cool enough to share thoughts, impressions, and a madcap YouTube video with all of us. Priced at around ¥49,000 ($511), but seen going for less at various online tech purveyors, the gentleman’s first impression of this device was, in a word, “great.” Smaller and lighter than even the ASUS Eee PC S101, this bad boy seemed to perform as you’d expect an Atom N270-powered, 1GB, Windows XP Home machine should — even if it does generate more noise than a little guy like this oughta. Curiosity piqued? Make sure you peep the video (after the break) for this life-affirming hands-on event.

Continue reading Video: Onkyo Sotec C204 hands-on impressions

Video: Onkyo Sotec C204 hands-on impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer to join the Moblin Linux bandwagon

Moblin — the Intel lovin’ Linux flavor we’ve heard so much about recently — just got some major support from Acer, who plans on slapping it on laptops, desktop PCs, and its Aspire One nettops. According to PC World, a press conference held today saw a wide range of Moblin versions (including Suse, Xandros, Linpus, Red Flag, and Ubuntu Moblin) installed on netbooks from companies that included HP, Asustek, MSI, and Hasee Computer; MIDs by the likes of BenQ and Compal; and even an Eee Keyboard. Not too bad for an OS that wasn’t even an OS when we first laid eyes on it, eh? We’ll keep our eyes peeled for those machines from Acer. In the mean time, how about that Tony Hawk Ride? Man, that looks sweet.

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Acer to join the Moblin Linux bandwagon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NEC’s VersaPro UltraLite Type VS is thicker but lighter than Air

NEC's VersaPro UltraLite Type VS is thicker but lighter than Air

Another challenger enters the ultrathin notebook arena. This time it’s NEC, prepping its lightest and daintiest edition of the UltraLite line, the Type VS. Its thickness ranges from 15.8mm to 29.9mm, comparing unfavorably to the 19.4mm MacBook Air or the 16.51mm Adamo. But, its 725g weight (about a pound and a half) definitely undercuts the competition, and its three USB slots, Ethernet port, and SD card reader give reasonable connectivity without external adapters. Its 10.6-inch screen has a resolution of 1208 x 768, the CPU is Intel’s 1.86GHz Atom Z540 (the same as found in the higher-spec version of the Vaio P), 1GB of RAM is on tap, and a 64GB SSD keeps things persistent. Solid specs for sure, and with an asking price of around ¥99,750 (a little over $1,000) it should be reasonably solid value when it hits Japanese retailers in July. Just don’t go wasting your summer waiting for these to appear domestically.

Update: That ¥99,750 is actually a special promotional price for those who pre-order directly through NEC. The device’s MSRP after that will be nearly double, ¥176,000 ($1,850), and while we’re guessing it’ll sell for something less than that, it still won’t be nearly the bargain early-adopters will receive.

[Via PC Watch]

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NEC’s VersaPro UltraLite Type VS is thicker but lighter than Air originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 May 2009 07:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo gets budget-friendly with IdeaPad U350, G550 and IdeaCentre C300

The IdeaPad S12 isn’t the only new kit flowing from RTP today, as Lenovo is also choosing to celebrate Memorial Day with two new lappies and an all-in-one desktop. Starting things off is the IdeaPad U350 (shown above), a thin-and-light machine that packs a 13.3-inch LED-backlit display (1,366 x 768), an HDMI output, an ambient light sensor and your choice of Intel’s 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo SU3500, the 1.3GHz SU2700 or 1.2GHz Celeron 723. There’s also room for a 500GB hard drive, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a GMA 4500M / 4500 MHD graphics set, 1.3 megapixel camera, multi-touch trackpad, twin 1.5-watt speakers, Vista Home Basic / Premium and an optional 8-cell battery good for up to 10 hours of use.

Next up is the business-like G550, which sports a 15.6-inch display, a non-nonsense enclosure, WiFi, Bluetooth, DVD burner and a numeric keypad for crunching those end of quarter numbers. You’ll also get upwards of 4GB of DDR3 RAM, up to 320GB of hard drive space, a Core 2 Duo processor, GMA X4500 or GeForce G105M graphics, HDMI output and up to five hours of battery life with the included 6-cell Li-ion.

Wrapping things up is the IdeaCentre C300 all-in-one, which aims squarely at the low-end with a lackluster Atom 230 processor, integrated Intel graphics and a preposterously low price tag. The machine features a 20-inch LCD, up to 2GB of DDR2 memory, a 160GB to 640GB HDD, Ethernet, WiFi, 1.3 megapixel camera, FireWire, six USB 2.0 sockets, a 6-in-1 multicard reader and a starting price tag of just $449. Not a terrible choice for the devout web surfer in your family, we must say. The full release and specifications list awaits you just past the break.

Continue reading Lenovo gets budget-friendly with IdeaPad U350, G550 and IdeaCentre C300

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Lenovo gets budget-friendly with IdeaPad U350, G550 and IdeaCentre C300 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 May 2009 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo’s $449 IdeaPad S12 now official: first netbook with NVIDIA’s Ion chipset

We’ve seen NVIDIA’s Ion placed within a nettop, a motherboard, and now (at long last), a laptop. Yep, the machine you’re inevitably peering at above (Lenovo’s S12) is both the company’s first 12.1-inch netbook and the planet’s first netbook with Ion baked in, and it’s likely just a snippet of the kind of material we can expect to see at Computex. Frankly, this is one of the first netbooks in ages that has managed to get our blood moving, with a 100-percent full-size keyboard, the promise of 1080p video playback, a sub-3 pound weight and a starting tag of just $449. Other specs include a WXGA (1,280 x 800) resolution LED-backlit panel, Intel’s 1.6GHz Atom CPU (the one big “ugh”), 1GB of DDR2 memory, 160/250/320GB HDD options, an optional 6-cell battery, Ethernet jack, WiFi, Bluetooth, three USB 2.0 sockets, an ExpressCard slot, a 4-in-1 card reader and VGA / HDMI outputs. Thankfully you’ll find Windows XP running the show, and you’ll be able to grab your own starting next month. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Lenovo’s $449 IdeaPad S12 now official: first netbook with NVIDIA’s Ion chipset

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Lenovo’s $449 IdeaPad S12 now official: first netbook with NVIDIA’s Ion chipset originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 May 2009 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onkyo’s new Sotec DC204A3 netbook has 32GB SSD, no love for VGA or wired Ethernet

Onkyo's new Sotec DC204A3 netbook has 32GB SSD, no love for VGA or wired Ethernet

We like a good netbook that’s so small it doesn’t have room for any pesky, legacy inputs keeping you tethered to the wall (and thus The Man) — but we’re not sure we’d consign VGA and Ethernet to the Closet of Obsoletion just yet. Onkyo seems to be opening the door, moving the two ports to a USB break-out box on its latest Sotec, the DC204A3. That wouldn’t really be a problem if the adapter didn’t look to be about a third as big as the netbook itself (see for yourself after the break). Otherwise we have a slender but standard Atom N270 netbook, with 945GSE graphics, 1GB of ram, and a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 display. Notable is the 32GB SSD, which sounds quite nice, but with a ¥49,800 ($529) asking price, you’re certainly paying for it. Available to forward-looking Japanese starting at the end of the month.

[Via Akihabara News]

Continue reading Onkyo’s new Sotec DC204A3 netbook has 32GB SSD, no love for VGA or wired Ethernet

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Onkyo’s new Sotec DC204A3 netbook has 32GB SSD, no love for VGA or wired Ethernet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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