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.

Filed under:

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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

GPU-accelerated 720p Flash video gets demoed on a netbook (smoothly)

It’s been a long wait since NVIDIA and Adobe announced their plans for GPU-accelerated Flash video back in January of this year, but it looks like the pair now finally have something to show for themselves. While it’s not quite clear how official it is just yet, the folks at NotebookJournal have nonetheless published a video that shows 720p Flash video running smoothly on a netbook (an ION-powered HP Mini 311, to be specific). Unfortunately, it looks like we’ll still have to wait until sometime in the first half of 2010 to see the technology become publicly available (at least if the slides in the video are any indication), but you can now check out the demo for yourself after the break. Just be sure to stick with it for a while or skip ahead to the 1:20 mark — they show a non-accelerated video at the beginning for an all too painful comparison.

[Via Liliputing]

Continue reading GPU-accelerated 720p Flash video gets demoed on a netbook (smoothly)

Filed under:

GPU-accelerated 720p Flash video gets demoed on a netbook (smoothly) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Acer’s Ion-boasting Aspire Revo nettop now shipping from Newegg

It’s been a bit of a wait, but nettop enthusiasts are sure to be happy to hear this one. Acer’s NVIDIA Ion-powered Aspire Revo is now shipping from Newegg. The nettop — which boasts a 1.6GHz Intel Atom 230 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Windows XP Home Edition — got itself a pretty solid review from Engadget back in April, though we did have some gripes about the CPU. It runs $199.99.

[Thanks, Kevin]

Filed under:

Acer’s Ion-boasting Aspire Revo nettop now shipping from Newegg originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

HP’s Ion-infused Mini 311 netbook now on sale, starts at $400

We had originally assumed that Lenovo’s IdeaPad S12 would be the first netbook to ship with NVIDIA’s Ion platform, but since that rig was delayed until Windows 7 could make its retail debut, HP decided to swoop in and claim the honors. You heard right — the recently introduced Mini 311 has just become the first netbook in the universe with NVIDIA’s Ion to actually ship to end users, and it’s up for order right now starting at $399.99. ‘Course, you’ll be asked to pay extra for a white chassis ($20), Atom N280 ($25), Bluetooth ($25), 802.11n ($25) and integrated WWAN ($125), but at least that 1,366 x 768 resolution display comes standard.

[Thanks, Steve]

Filed under:

HP’s Ion-infused Mini 311 netbook now on sale, starts at $400 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

ASUS’ Ion-infused Eee PC 1201n netbook emerges overseas

If ASUS is hoping to stick with that “mid-October” launch date here in North America, we’d say it better get whatever units it has laying around loaded up with an English-speaking version of Windows and onto a large vessel destined for a US port. Still, it’s good to see some “proof” that the roadmapped Eee PC 1201n — a 12-inch netbook with NVIDIA’s Ion technology — is actually on schedule for an autumn release, even if said “proof” is a product listing on an Asian e-tailer’s website. Unfortunately, the machine is still humming along on Intel’s near-ancient Atom N270 processor, though the 2GB of RAM, high(er) resolution panel, real man’s GPU and Windows 7 operating system should help move things along. Per usual, we don’t expect ASUS to confirm or deny the legitimacy of this slip, but if you’re in the market for an Eee, this may be all you needed to hold off just a bit.

[Via NetbookItalia]

Filed under:

ASUS’ Ion-infused Eee PC 1201n netbook emerges overseas originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video: DFI hybrid motherboard runs two whole systems… simultaneously!

These days, the word “hybrid” gets tossed around like a rag doll. We’ve got hybrid cars, hybrid SLI and hybrid image stabilization — and that’s just for starters. But friends, this hybrid is one worth paying attention to. DFI has been working overtime in order to concoct the next great mainboard, and if this thing can really deliver as advertised, we’d say the gurus responsible for it will succeed greatly. The Hybrid P45-ION-T2A2 motherboard can actually house a complete Atom / Ion-based system on one side, while handling a traditional Socket 775 CPU system on the other. In other words, this single motherboard can power — let’s say — a low-power server system and your next gaming setup. At the same time! We’re still waiting on a firm release date and price, but ’til then, hop on past the break for a swell demonstration vid.

Continue reading Video: DFI hybrid motherboard runs two whole systems… simultaneously!

Filed under:

Video: DFI hybrid motherboard runs two whole systems… simultaneously! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

HP’s 11.6-inch Mini 311 pairs Atom with NVIDIA ION graphics, Windows XP

Three great tastes that taste great together? We suppose we’ll find out soon enough. HP has stuffed NVIDIA ION LE graphics into the new (already leaked) Mini 311 netbook-ish PC, but instead of being forced by Microsoft to go Windows Vista or Windows 7 to get the new chip in there, HP has stood by good ol’ Windows XP. It comes with a big caveat, however: “Streaming HD video playback not currently supported,” and of course an Atom N270 processor is still an N270, no matter what graphics you pair it with — stay away from heavy Flash video, dear friend. The 11.6-inch WXGA screen dreams of something more, however, and the ION chip can decode HD video and output over HDMI. Of course, it’s hard to complain about the $400 starting pricetag.

HP’s 11.6-inch Mini 311 pairs Atom with NVIDIA ION graphics, Windows XP originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Acer’s Ion-powered Aspire Revo 3600 packs dual-core Atom 330

Remember that Gateway QX2800 we peeked back in July? Looks like Acer’s finally issuing its own version of the nettop here at IFA with the introduction of the Aspire Revo 3600. Design wise, everything is pretty much the same as on the original AspireRevo, with the major differences coming on the inside. Rather than packing a paltry 1.6GHz Atom 230, Acer has outfitted this bugger with a dual-core Atom 330, NVIDIA’s Ion graphics technology, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, an HDMI socket and VESA mount compatibility. There’s no word on an expected price, release date or OS, but we’re hoping to get our mitts on the unit itself as well as those missing details when Berlin opens its doors to tech lovers across the globe here in just a few hours.

Filed under:

Acer’s Ion-powered Aspire Revo 3600 packs dual-core Atom 330 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

ASUS’ Eee PC roadmap leaks: Ion-boasting netbooks, multitouch T91 coming soon?

If two slides leaked to the Eeeuser.com forum are to be believed, ASUS has some pretty interesting — though not terrifically surprising — netbooks on the horizon. The slides, which are apparently the company’s roadmap for US products for the next two quarters, are chock full of refreshed product information. It looks like we’re going to be seeing a brand new Eee PC, the 12-inch 1201N, which will bring NVIDIA’s Ion platform to the line for the first time, with an Atom N270 CPU, 2GB RAM, a 250GB HDD, Bluetooth and 802.11n WiFi, running $499 for release in mid-October. Other than that, we can expect to see the 1005HA-P with the N280 processor and a 250GB HDD option running Windows 7 also arriving in October for $399, and the 1005HA-M with the N270 processor, a 250GB hard drive, and Windows 7 Starter Edition for $349. Finally, Netbook News is also reporting some new 1008HA models not listed on the slides, as well as a multitouch, Windows 7-running T91 convertible tablet with a 32GB SSD priced at $549. There’s no timeline mentioned for this one, but we’ll keep our ears to the ground expectantly. The other slide is after the break; hit the read link if you want the full details on each model.

[Via Netbook News]

Continue reading ASUS’ Eee PC roadmap leaks: Ion-boasting netbooks, multitouch T91 coming soon?

Filed under:

ASUS’ Eee PC roadmap leaks: Ion-boasting netbooks, multitouch T91 coming soon? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video: ASUS EeeTop PC ET2002T gets touched up

We might already have all the specalicious details on the new EeeTops from ASUS, but it never hurts to see one in action, right? Taking center stage here is the voice-activated widgetry ASUS has added to its Windows 7 install, allowing you to check the weather, play music, and even initiate Skype calls solely via the awesomeness of your voice. Expected to retail at €599 in Europe, the 20-inch ET2002T definitely looks sleek, though its screen is glossy enough for the camera girl to wave at us surreptitiously a number of times. Check it out, but be warned, there’s a small bit of salty language midway through, which is as inappropriate for the office as it is hilarious.

[Via Notebook Italia]

Continue reading Video: ASUS EeeTop PC ET2002T gets touched up

Filed under:

Video: ASUS EeeTop PC ET2002T gets touched up originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments