netbook

Lenovo joins netbook fray with Ideapad S10

Paul Mah — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:27:03 -0400

Lenovo has announced its entry into the increasing popular netbook market with the Ideapad S10. This new netbook will sport a 10.2-inch screen and a keyboard that is 85 percent of full size. More interestingly, it will run Intel's new Atom N270 processor, as well as packing 2GB of RAM and a standard 5,400 rpm hard disk under its hood. In addition, it will have an ExpressCard slot for WAN connectivity, two USB ports, a built-in webcam, a headphone jack, and a 4-in-1 card reader. Battery will come in the form of either a 3-cell or a 6-cell pack. Running on Windows XP, the Ideapad S10 is expected to be available in October and will be priced at $399 and $499 depending on size of hard drive.

For more on the Lenovo Ideapad S10:
- check out the article from The Inquirer

NVIDIA unveils new processor that packs a punch

Paul Mah — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:44:02 -0400

NVIDIA has unveiled a new family of processors designed from the ground up for mobile gadgets. The Tegra is a computer-on-a-chip that is smaller than a dime with a power efficiency that NVIDIA claims to be 10 times better than existing products that run "compelling visual computing applications."

Other than an 800 MHz ARM CPU, the Tegra has an architecture featuring multiple specialized processors for specific tasks such as a HD video processor, an audio processor, and even an ultra-low power GeForce GPU. It also packs a display support for an impressive range of devices such as 1080p HDMI, WSXGA+ for both LCD and CRT as well as NTSC/PAL TV-output. The NVIDIA Tegra is expected to reach consumers by the end of the year.

For more on the patent:
- check out this NVIDIA press release

Intel shows off new Atom processors

Paul Mah — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:42:54 -0400

Intel has announced the availability of two Atom processors at the Computex 2008 conference in Taiwan this week. The Atom N270 processor is targeted at low-cost notebooks, while the Atom 230 is aimed at small desktops. Both processors feature 1.6GHz clock speeds and a 533MHz front side bus. Built on Intel's 45-nanometer manufacturing process, they are capable of supporting both Linux and Windows XP operating system.

Intel expects growth of the netbook and nettop market to exceed that of traditional desktops and even laptops. This will come about as households in emerging markets snap-up the cheaper offering, and households in mature markets acquire additional netbooks so that there potentially will be one device per person.

For more on Intel's Atom processors:
- check out this Computerworld article