Hasta La Gadget!

If you believe Jon Rubinstein, mobile computing is the future, but if you look at the VNB102’s spec sheet, you’ll find that the future still comes with an Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard disk. Should that still satisfy your humble needs, it’ll cost you $349 with a 3-cell battery or $399 for the 6-cell edition. Now for grown-up people, ViewSonic ditches the glossy casing and throws up a most righteous 13.3-inch 1280 x 800 display, riding atop an SU7300 CULV processor, 2GB RAM and 320GB HDD. For $899, you’ll even get a DVD rewriter, or you can sacrifice it to save a hundred bucks and get an even thinner machine. The VNB132 (pictured) is set to ship with the release of Windows 7, but check the read link below to see it handled today.

Filed under: Laptops

ViewSonic VNB132 laptop and VNB102 netbook hit the massage table originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is this really the first netbook to be officially announced with Windows 7? From Hercules? Yeah, we’re miffed too. In fact, we forgot all about the outfit’s eCAFÉ lineup — which briefly splashed down about this time last year — but we suspect this bugger may have a bit more staying power. The eCAFÉ EC-1000W is destined to ship at the tail end of October (you know, just after Win7 hits the streets), and while the 1.6GHz Atom N270 CPU, 1GB RAM module and 250GB hard drive are totally predictable, we get the feeling it’ll just feel nicer thanks to the revitalized OS. Other specs include a 10.1-inch display (1,024 x 600), 50GB of online storage, a chiclet-style keyboard, 802.11n WiFi, a 6-cell battery, integrated webcam / microphone, three USB 2.0 sockets, audio in / out, a VGA output, Ethernet and a multicard reader. Not bad for $399 — but where’s that $200 Win7 netbook we were promised?

Continue reading Hercules loads Windows 7 Starter on $399 eCAFE EC-1000W netbook

Filed under: Laptops

Hercules loads Windows 7 Starter on $399 eCAFE EC-1000W netbook originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARM‘s doing some chest thumping today by revealing a 2GHz clock speed on its dual-core Cortex-A9 processor. The move is meant to remind manufacturers that ARM can scale beyond its traditional smartphone strong-hold and into netbook territories currently dominated by Intel. ARM’s even handing out benchmarks showing the Cortex A9 out performing Intel’s single-core 1.6GHz Atom N270 — a processor launched back in 2008. Of course, Intel already ships a dual-core Atom 330 processor with its low-power Pineview processor set to launch on the near-horizon. It’s also worth remembering that Windows 7 won’t run on ARM so future Cortex A9 smartbooks will have to settle for Windows CE, Android, or perhaps, Google’s Chrome OS if you ask politely. ARM is licensing its Cortex A9 speed- and power-optimized technology today with delivery in the fourth quarter of 2009.

[Via PC World, thanks Ian]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Laptops

ARM’s Cortex-A9 beats Atom N270: too bad it’s not 2008 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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magicJack may still be sorting out its own fairly ambitious cellular plans, but it looks like some folks are taking it upon themselves to put the cheap phone call-making device to some exciting new uses — like this crafty modder who crammed his trusty “MJ” (as those in the know call it) into his Eee PC 1000HE netbook. That mod apparently took a full day of tweaking to get working just right, but it does indeed seem to work as promised, and will let you make dirt cheap phone calls simply by plugging any old phone directly into your netbook (via a headphone jack). Unfortunately, there’s no step-by-step how-to just yet, but you can check out some pics of the process at the link below and do your best to follow along.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Laptops

magicJack gets hacked into a magicNetbook originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mini 110 isn’t quite the cutting edge of the netbook space at this point, but HP’s found a pretty enticing way to refresh it: a new designer version by Tord Boontje. At first glance it looks like just another intricate pattern printed on the lid, but it’s actually a brand new process called “HP Imprint 3D” which adds layers and depth to the design — you’ll have to see it in person to really get a vibe for it, though you probably know right now if you’re the sort of person to be swayed by high-end lid etching in your netbook purchases. The good news is that unlike the large premium HP commanded for the original Vivienne Tam model, the Tord Boontje is a mere $399.

Filed under: Laptops

HP Mini 110 by Studio Tord Boontje pairs high design with the same old same old originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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