Hasta La Gadget!

We preface this post by saying we don’t know how practical this really is, but PLX’s idea of using a netbook’s keyboard to type on the iPad is definitely an intriguing one. How does it all work? Well, it relies on the company’s USB Duet technology, but the setup isn’t exactly what we’d call streamlined. You’ll need a netbook like the Fujitsu MH380 or NEC LaVie Light with the built-in PLX chipset / mini-USB port, an iPad with the camera connection kit, and of course the applicable USB Duet software. Regardless, the demo we saw today at the Netbook Summit worked fairly well. When all was said and done, we laid the iPad on top of the netbook’s screen and we were able to use the keyboard to type in Safari and in Notes faster than when we were pecking on the virtual keyboard. Additionally, PLX says the same USB feature enables you to use the netbook’s speakers as well as transfer files from the iPad to the laptop without iTunes (we should note here that USB duet also allows you to hook up a netbook to other laptops to transfer files, etc.). Truth is, we could debate the value of this iPad hook-up for quite a few hours, but instead we’ll just direct you to the video and press release after the break, and then let you duke it out for yourselves in the comments.

Continue reading PLX USB Duet: your netbook is now a cumbersome iPad keyboard

PLX USB Duet: your netbook is now a cumbersome iPad keyboard originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 May 2010 23:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re not going to lie, it’s a little late in the game for Dell to update its Latitude netbook with Intel’s Pine Trail processors — you know, since the chips were released back in January — but it’s better late than never, we suppose. The 10-inch Latitude 2110, like the previous 2100, is still very much aimed at students, and keeps its chassis in tact with the same rubber cover (available in red, blue and black) as well as that anti-microbial keyboard to protect against insect secretions, misplaced mayonnaise and far-flung mucus particles. The studious laptop will be available with an Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM and Ubuntu for $389, and clicking the Windows Starter option should boost the price to $419. That’s a bit more expensive than the average Pine Trail netbook these days, but who wouldn’t pay a bit extra for some added durability for the kids? In case you haven’t seen the little guy before, we’ve got a few beauty shots below (and a press release after the break).

Continue reading Dell Latitude 2110 updated with Pine Trail Atom, already thinking about fall semester

Dell Latitude 2110 updated with Pine Trail Atom, already thinking about fall semester originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 01:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a day of $300 netbooks and $500 tablets, it sure is mystifying to see Sony still pushing a secondary, $700+ Atom-powered device. That’s right, Sony hasn’t given up on its 8-inch VAIO P Series, and has updated the 1.3-pound mini-laptop with a slightly different design, a faster Atom Z560 processor, touchpad, and last but not least, an accelerometer that lets you tilt the machine to the navigate the web. It’s got some pretty cool tricks, that’s for sure, and considering that our main complaints about the first generation included performance and desktop navigation we’re certainty taken with this next iteration. So, does a mild retooling and a smattering of new abilities make the VAIO P a better product, or better yet, worth a lofty $800? Hit that read more link to find out in our full review.

Continue reading Sony VAIO P Series review

Sony VAIO P Series review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s not easy to launch a new product category, especially if devices don’t have a magically-delicious hook, but that’s not why ARM thinks it’s taken so long to deliver the smartbook. In an interview with ZDNet UK, VP Ian Drew said Adobe’s blame was undeniable — Flash didn’t deliver ARM optimization in time for subnetbooks to be viable. Compounding the issue, the tablet craze has manufacturers all atwitter, he said, diverting smartbook resources to the iPad party instead. As far as netbooks are concerned, Drew cited poor adoption of Linux; he reminded us ARM smartbooks can’t do x86. Asked if Atom (which can) might be the real reason for delay, he said absolutely, positively no way. The executive said manufacturers apparently hadn’t brought up that idea even once. Guess we’ll have to take his word on that one.

ARM blames Flash, netbooks and tablets for smartbook delay, oh my originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 02:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen the future of Intel’s mobile platform, and it isn’t all roses and sunshine. Three years after the chipmaker told us Moorestown would reduce Atom’s energy consumption by a factor of 20, company execs told us earlier today that they’ve more than reached that goal with the new Z6xx series. Problem is, in the smartphone realm Intel’s competitors haven’t been sitting idle; according to one of Chipzilla’s cantaloupe-and-magenta bar charts, it seems the company has merely caught up in terms of battery life. That’s not to say the chips aren’t worlds better than previous Atoms — Intel sees 1.5GHz smartphone processors that slay Snapdragons and up to 1.9GHz in a tablet PC variety — but 5 hours of web browsing is most decidedly not the 24 hours of productivity Intel previously promised. Besides, who knows: Qualcomm also has a 1.5GHz SoC in the works, though it may not be available by the time Intel’s chips ship in the second half of the year.

None of this is to say that Intel won’t continue to dominate in the netbook marketplace — we shudder to think at the potential when combining a nice, chunky battery with Intel’s nearly leakproof new chips, and perhaps a small serving of switchable graphics while we’re at it. But without a single new MID or smartphone to show us this morning — Aava Mobile and OpenPeak‘s offerings seemed unchanged from our previous encounters — we’re not sure if the company’s other mobile ambitions have any sway. Not technical enough of a discussion for you? Peruse our gallery for the nitty-gritty.

Intel reaches for the ‘smartphone zone’ with Moorestown-based Atom Z6, comes up shorthanded originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 May 2010 02:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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