ASUS Eee PC 1015T strolls into Computex with AMD V105… we think

So, here’s the thing — there’s no denying that the Eee PC 1015T, based on model name alone, is brand new and heretofore unknown. But what’s really under the hood? As the story goes, this here machine was spotted lurking in the rear of ASUSComputex booth, complete with a placard that informed us of its 10.1-inch glossy display (1,024 x 600), AMD V105 processor, an ATI Radeon HD 4200 series GPU, room for 4GB of DDR3 memory, 250/320/500GB hard drive, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, optional Bluetooth 3.0, a 6-cell battery and a few color options. But strangely enough, it seems as if the hard drive had been completely wiped, with only a brief boot-up screen informing us that this machine was an engineering release meant not for public use, and that NVIDIA parts were within. Hmm. In all honesty, we’re guessing that ASUS simply had to rush this particular unit out to make it before the show’s start, but we wouldn’t go placing bets either way — for all we know, the final version will get outfitted with a Core i5, Ion 2, inbuilt WiMAX and a Vmedia drive. Yeah, a Vmedia drive.

Continue reading ASUS Eee PC 1015T strolls into Computex with AMD V105… we think

ASUS Eee PC 1015T strolls into Computex with AMD V105… we think originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 08:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onkyo DX1007A5B dualscreen netbook preview

We’ve known about Onkyo’s DX dual-screened netbook for quite awhile, but it’s another thing entirely to see it extend its two 10-inch screens in person. On display at the Microsoft booth here at Computex, the Onkyo is still a rebadge of the Konjinsha DZ that we saw at CEATAC last year, but has a 1,366 × 768-resolution display rather than the Konjinsha’s 1,024 x 600. In our short hands-on time we found the screens to extend smoothly, but the hinge did feel a bit weak, though that could very likely be the result of being used and abused on the show floor. We were able to drag windows to the second monitor without a problem, so if you were concerned that the learning curve would be too steep, fret not. The most interesting thing about the netbook is that it turns into a handheld device of sorts — when you pull the screens back in, you can flip it around and hold it up. For some odd reason it doesn’t have a touchscreen, so you have to use an optical mouse on the side to navigate within Windows 7. If anything, the DX needs an internal upgrade since it still packs a first generation AMD Neo processor, but we’re sure that’ll come in time. See it all for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Onkyo DX1007A5B dualscreen netbook preview

Onkyo DX1007A5B dualscreen netbook preview originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 01:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD in no rush to build tablets, says netbooks are priority one

According to DigiTimes, processor vendor AMD isn’t terribly concerned about powering the next iPad or even a would-be assassin; the company’s still waiting to see if the tablet market even takes off. The silicon firm will still work on desktop PC products and graphics cards, but is currently focused on graphically potent ultraportables; according to the publication, they’re also not terribly interested in following in competitor Intel’s smartphone footsteps. Of course, that’s the same basic thing AMD execs said in 2008, right before Intel ate their lunch. We reached out to a company spokesperson this afternoon, and received the following statement:

Our current generation of notebook platforms has not been designed for tablets. Our focus continues to be on ultrathin and mainstream notebooks which address the vast majority of the PC market opportunity.

AMD in no rush to build tablets, says netbooks are priority one originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Mini ‘Classmate PC’ reveals itself at Computex (video)

Even though school’s just getting out in most places around the world, the bulk of companies start announcing their back to school laptops just about… now! And we’d bet you that this 10-inch Mini Classmate netbook (the final name is still TBD) is what HP has in store for the kiddies come this fall. Unlike the Mini 5102, which has previously aimed at the younger set, this here netbook is quite chunky and reminds us of the original Intel Classmate PC — it’s made entirely of plastic and has a handle on its back. The one on display was covered in a pretty unattractive marshmallow-ish white, but our wildest fantasies have HP offering it in a slew of colors. Other than that, it boasted a grey-colored chiclet keyboard, was running SuSE Linux 11 — it was actually on display at the Novell booth — and had an Intel Atom processor. That’s all we know for now, though we’re assuming there are a bunch of child-proof features that aren’t evident to the naked eye. Head on past the break for a brief hands-on video of this heretofore unannounced mini machine.

Continue reading HP Mini ‘Classmate PC’ reveals itself at Computex (video)

HP Mini ‘Classmate PC’ reveals itself at Computex (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s VAIO W Billabong hits US shores June 11th, $500 buys you a ride

Remember the boardshort-inspired VAIO W Billabong netbook that surfaced in Australia last week? The limited edition lappy’s headed stateside, too, and its Imperial Lime lid and faster 1.83GHz Atom N470 CPU will only cost you $50 more than the stock model. Mind you, this is otherwise the same pricy VAIO W that wasn’t worth five Benjamins last fall, but if you’re the type that dreams of barreling down a tunnel of deep blue ocean nightly, we suppose the occasional concession can’t hurt. Now available for preorder via the source link, the mini-notebook ships June 11th; PR after the break.

Continue reading Sony’s VAIO W Billabong hits US shores June 11th, $500 buys you a ride

Sony’s VAIO W Billabong hits US shores June 11th, $500 buys you a ride originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google: Chrome OS launching this fall




Originally announced with a planned second half of 2010 launch, today Google has narrowed the launch of its Chrome OS to fall. This, according to Sundar Pichai, Google VP of product management speaking at Computex. By our calculation that is sometime between 22 September and 21 December in the northern hemisphere if you want to take the man literally… and you do, don’t you. Wonder if we’ll see a Chrome OS tablet launch at the same time?

Google: Chrome OS launching this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 06:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PixelQi introduces tablet-ready screens, we go hands-on (video)

When we last caught up with PixelQi at CES, we were downright ecstatic about its dual-mode 3Qi LCDs with switchable backlights, though we had a few wants, including touchscreen support and better viewing angles. Well, the screen company took our criticism to heart, and brought along its new touch-capable and “wideview” panels to Computex. The new displays — which are readable indoors and out — are also 30 percent more power-efficent than the previous models, PixelQi founder Mary Lou Jepsen told us.

Much to our delight, we were able to handle a number of different tablets and netbooks infused with the new screens earlier today. The one pictured above is actually an Intel Atom Moorestown-powered 10-inch slate with a capactive touch 3Qi screen; there’s a button on the right edge that turns the backlight on and off. Another on display had a Wacom digitizer for taking notes in Windows 7 Home Premium. In the short time we spent with the tablets and mock-ups, we discovered pen and finger input to be very responsive in both LCD modes. We were similarly impressed with the wideview screen on the netbooks — a movie trailer was viewable when the screen was tilted off axis as well as from the sides. So, that’s the good news, but where the heck are the real devices? You know, the ones we can buy? We wanted to know the same thing, and CEO Mary Lou Jepsen assured us that they are currently working with major manufacturers. We hope so, Mary Lou. We hope so. Hit the gallery for tons of shots (the screen is a photographer’s dream!) and a video demo after the break.

Continue reading PixelQi introduces tablet-ready screens, we go hands-on (video)

PixelQi introduces tablet-ready screens, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 04:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel boosts netbooks with dual-core Atom, slims ’em down with ‘Canoe Lake’

You’re really coming full circle at this year’s Computex, aren’t ya, Intel? It was at the Taipei show two years ago that Chipzilla introduced the first Atom netbooks, and though it’s taken awhile, the company is finally announcing dual-core Atom processors for the category (not to mention slightly changing its party line on the power of the sub-laptops). While the details on the speeds and feeds of the new Pine Trail N series CPUs are being kept under wraps for now, we’ve been told that they’ll support DDR3 RAM and provide comparable performance to the dual-core desktop Atom processors, yet still maintain similar battery life to current netbooks. Intel still plans to keep these Atom chips in 10-inch systems, and told us that users will see the speed benefits in multitasking and browsing, rather than in HD playback and gaming.

But netbooks aren’t only about to get faster, they’re also going to go on a serious diet. Intel also unveiled its new “Canoe Lake” innovation platform for netbooks, which is what’s behind that 14mm thick machine pictured above. The platform can support single- and dual-core Atom processors, but provides significant cooling to allow for 50 percent thinner systems. However, “Canoe Lake” is merely a reference guideline for other manufacturers to use, so there’s no telling what the machines that use this could end up looking like. The dual-core Atom for netbooks goes into production next week and should be shipping in netbooks before the holiday season. And as for that super thin laptop you’re inevitably still peering at? Intel expects its partners to use the platform and have products out by the end of this year. We don’t know about you, but the pictures below may keep us salivating until then.

Continue reading Intel boosts netbooks with dual-core Atom, slims ’em down with ‘Canoe Lake’

Intel boosts netbooks with dual-core Atom, slims ’em down with ‘Canoe Lake’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS launches netbook App Store eying a MeeGo future

ASUS didn’t make much of a fuss over it, but its ASUS-branded App Store for netbooks did launch today. Not much to get excited about unless you’re already pumped by Intel’s AppUp store at the heart of ASUS’ offering. The best part might be the announced MeeGo support, whenever the Intel / Nokia OS mashup is ready. Just what the world needs: an EeeMee, right Mr. Anderson?

ASUS launches netbook App Store eying a MeeGo future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 May 2010 13:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI X340 reborn as DIY carbon fiber tablet, watch it stream YouTube at 720p (video)

Tired of touchscreen tablets that lack speed, a usable UI, or support for a certain streaming video format that will go unnamed? As one of our favorite sayings goes, if you want it done right, do it yourself. One Engadget reader took that idea to heart in crafting the 13.4-inch carbon fiber contraption you see above, imbuing it with enough high-end netbook parts to run Windows 7 at a brisk pace and play 720p video on its large, resistive touchscreen. Starting with the guts of an MSI X320, adding an accelerometer and 40GB solid state drive and finally sandwiching a random Chinese digitizer on top, the whole 1.6GHz Atom Z530 machine cost him under $700 in parts. For that price, we’re sure many of you would be happy to follow in his footsteps, but if not, by all means continue complaining to your tablet manufacturer of choice. We have another favorite saying: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Video after the break; Q&A with the creator at our more coverage link.

Continue reading MSI X340 reborn as DIY carbon fiber tablet, watch it stream YouTube at 720p (video)

MSI X340 reborn as DIY carbon fiber tablet, watch it stream YouTube at 720p (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 15:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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