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7-inch iPad tattle churns through Taiwanese rumor mills
The 7-inch iPad rumors are suddenly hot and heavy. In the last few weeks, we've seen a series of reports claiming that Apple was working on a smaller iPad (or bigger iPod touch?) set for release between the end of 2010 or early 2011. A DigiTimes piece, sourcing its own "analyst," claimed that the device would be making a jump to the Cortex A9 processor core, 512MB of RAM like the iPhone 4, and a 1,024 x 768 pixel IPS panel -- the same resolution as the 9.7-inch iPad giving the new model a better pixel density. Now we've got Taiwan's Economic Daily News saying that Chi Mei will join LG in supplying the new 7-inch IPS panels with AUO joining Sintek to provide the digitizer. EDN also claims that either Compal or Pegatron may join Foxconn in the assembly. Remember, even with hints of a new iPad model in Apple's own code this is all just rumor for now. Besides, we're still waiting for those Xbox 360 Blu-ray drives that the Economic Daily News assured us were coming in Q3 of 2008.
NVIDIA shows 16 new Optimus laptops at Computex, teases GTX 460M GPU
Just in case you were wondering where and when you might get a taste of the Optimus elixir, NVIDIA has handed us a detailed list of Computex debutants that will be taking the graphics switching technology with them to retail. A total of sixteen new Optimus machines are on show in Taipei, and although ASUS is still the biggest purveyor (with six SKUs, not counting previously announced products), Lenovo and Acer have also jumped on board, with the IdeaPad Y460 and a pair of Packard Bell EasyNotes, respectively. Notably, the FX700 above from MSI is marked as using an "unannounced" next-gen graphics chip, which we suspect might be the GTX 460M, a mobile GPU that NVIDIA is showing, but not talking about yet. Guess that'll be slotting in just below the recently unveiled GTX 480M. We've got pictorial evidence of the 460M's existence after the break, along with the full list of new Optimus-ized machines, which you can also scope out in the gallery below.%Gallery-94167%
Aigo's surprisingly sexy 7-inch N700 tablet packs Android 2.1 and Tegra 2
Go 'head Aigo! Get down with your bad self. Quite frankly, we never anticipated Aigo / Patriot to come through with a me-too tablet that actually made us take a second glance, but darn if this one isn't quite the looker. And that's before you've even had a moment to digest the specifications sheet. According to new details surfacing in China, this 7-inch machine will hum along on a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 processor and feature NVIDIA's Tegra 2 graphics chipset. There's also 512MB of DDR2 memory, an 800 x 480 pixel multitouch display, 4/16/32GB of inbuilt storage, a USB socket, microSD slot, HDMI output, inbuilt WiFi, optional 3G WWAN, audio in / out and a 3,120mAh battery. Android 2.1 will be the OS of choice, but crucial details surrounding price and availability are sorely missing. Call us crazy, but we'll actually be keeping an eye out for specifics on both. Update: Well, what do you know? Seems as if this here device may in fact be a Compal NAZ-10 in disguise, and if this YouTube video is to be believed, it'll boast 16 hours of HD video playback on a single charge and a $300 price tag. Can you say "tempting?" Thanks, Alain!
Toshiba's tablets said to offer Tegra 2 power, have we already seen the Android version?
News continues to trickle out about Toshiba's upcoming tablets, which we learned just last week would come in both Windows and Android flavors and would be shipping before the year is through. Now it seems that both versions, despite offering different designs, will offer NVIDIA Tegra 2 internals. That both tablets will be manufactured by Compal makes us wonder if we weren't given a preview of the future Tosh model when playing with a 7-inch Android prototype at CES in January, pictured above. There's a video of that after the break to refresh your memory, a relic dating from the pre-G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra era. Simpler times, those.
Tegra 2 delay rumor makes the rounds, NVIDIA says 'everything's on track'
We bumped into NVIDIA at CTIA in Vegas last week, and even NVIDIA itself expressed some frustration at not having any finished Tegra 2-powered products to show us, but there was no talk of delays -- not that we really have many hard dates for any of the Tegra 2 devices to push up against. This morning, however, SlashGear ran a rumor from a "trusted source" saying that there were hardware and software "technical problems" with the platform, including a problem with Flash, which were delaying various tablets, including products from Notion Ink, Compal, and ICD. The source said that the Compal, which was due for a June release, has been bumped to September, while the ICD tablets won't hit until October. We asked NVIDIA for a statement, and they said that "The rumors aren't true. Everything's on track." With that sort of terse reply, we're not really sure which aspects of this rumor NVIDIA is rebutting, but we have to assume NVIDIA is at least saying that there aren't issues with Tegra 2 that are holding things back. As for when we'll see Tegra 2 tablets and smartbooks hit the market? That's anyone's guess.
EAFT Magic Tile and Compal tablets shown in India, Tegra 2 and Android in tow
We heard earlier this month that half a hundred ARM-based tablets would be launching this year, and it's pretty safe to say that these will be two of 'em. Shown off recently in Mumbai, India's own EAFT spurred interest with its Magic Tile, a presumably Billy Mays-endorsed Tegra 2-based tablet that runs on Android. We're told that it's equipped with a 7-inch touch panel (1,024 x 600 resolution), a front-mounted 1.3 megapixel webcam for video chats, 1080p video encoding / decoding abilities, optional 3G, a battery good for 8 hours of usage, inbuilt accelerometer, Bluetooth, HDMI output and a USB socket to round things out. All told, it's a pretty well-specced machine, though we're certainly hoping that the design gets a little TLC before it's launched in Q3 for an undisclosed rate. In related news, a Compal tablet was also on display, boasting a similar 7-inch layout, a Tegra 2 chip within, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a 3 megapixel camera and a complete lack of WiFi (gasp!). Head on past the break for a hands-on vid. Update: We thought this thing looked familiar. If you had the same feeling, it's probably because the Magic Tile is actually that ICD Ultra tablet we played with a little while back. Still, "Magic Tile" has a catchy ring to it. [Thanks, Sriram]
Over 50 ARM-based tablets launching this year
While the verdict is still out with regard to consumer appetites for a 3rd portable computing device, PC makers are betting the farm on consumer interest in tablets that fill the gap between small-screened smartphones and bulky (by comparison) netbooks/laptops. We've already seen an uptick in tablet devices on display at the big CES and CeBIT trade shows, now tablet and MID device vendors look ready to blow out Computex when it kicks off on June 1st in Taipei. According to Roy Chen, ARM's ODM manager for worldwide mobile computing, more than 50 ARM-based tablet PCs will launch in 2010 starting in Q2 with "a lot more" landing in the third quarter -- a date that just happens to line up with the most optimistic Chrome OS launch schedule. ARM's seeing so much interest that it had to rent additional floor space to show off the devices. Chen said that many of the tablets are slated for China although all of the world's top 10 carriers have signed up as well. ARM was showing off two Android based tablets at the press event, including the 7-inch Compal device (pictured above) we gave a whirl at CES. Let's just hope that tablet makers have plans for some compelling content and service hook-ups with a focus on the user experience -- 50 near-identical slabs of touchscreen computing won't generate much enthusiasm around here.
Dell 'Lafite' enters the FCC, emerges as the Latitude E4310
Good old Dell and its FCC submissions. After the E6410 and E6510 were revealed at the start of this month, the Round Rock vendor is back with the flamboyantly named Lafite laptop, which will make its retail presence known under the more familiar moniker of Latitude E4310. Once again, we're talking about computers firmly focused on business use, as evidenced by the integrated RFID chip. The Commission disclosure also informs us of UWB, WLAN and WWAN connectivity options, though it leaves us to guess at the rest of the specs. Space for Intel (Arrandale chips, most likely) and Microsoft labels is par for the course, and we were impressed by the thin chassis profile, schematics of which you can see after the break. Can't be long to go now before we see this 13-inch ultraportable make its debut, presumably alongside a similarly upgraded E4210.
Dell E6510 / Margaux strolls through the FCC (Update: E6410 too)
Recall, if you will, Dell's aluminum-clad E6500: a mobile workhorse that some rank as highly, if not higher than Lenovo's venerable ThinkPad line (albeit with one slight hiccup in its service history). Well, the company has quite rightly decided that it's time to freshen things up with a new model, so let us all say a big howareya to the E6510. Code-named Margaux and bearing the product code PP30LA, this machine's journey through the FCC reveals Compal as its manufacturer, Intel and Windows as the major hardware and software providers (no surprises there), and a seemingly unaltered touchpad from the previous generation. The battery label seems to indicate a cool 6,700mAh of juice, while connectivity is taken care of with WiFi, WWAN and a UWB/Bluetooth combo card, with the latter two likely being optional extras. All in all, it's looking like a competent new outing from Dell, now let's just jack that Core i5 in there and start selling these babies. Update: The E6410, aka Rothschild, aka PP27LA, has also slinked its way through the American certification committee, though it appears to bear a smaller maximum battery capacity of 4,600 mAh and no UWB option when compared to its larger-screened brother. Skip past the break for a visual of its internal arrangement.
Compal Android tablet with next-gen Tegra demoed at CES (video)
Man, it's almost like every hour we come across another tablet-esque device here at CES 2010, and this time around it's a prototype concept device from Compal being shown off by NVIDIA. This 7-inch tablet / slate / MID / whatever was running Android 2.0 and packed Wifi -- sadly, there was no GPS or Bluetooth to be found. Up top there was a SIM card slot as well as a microSD card slot for extra storage, and an HDMI out port around the side. Unfortunately, the device is plagued from the start as its rocking a resistive touchscreen instead of a capacitive one. Despite the next-gen Tegra chip inside, our user experience was pretty abysmal, with touches barely registering and general usability pretty low. However, once we got some HD video up on the display, we got to see that Tegra doing what it was made to do... and it almost made up for that horrendous resistive display. %Gallery-82176%
Nokia's Booklet 3G in high enough demand to warrant a successor?
We're still not entirely convinced that there are enough netbook-needing Nokia fanbois out there to make the Booklet 3G a retail success, but word on the internets is that the folks in Espoo are seeing "strong market demand," which, if true, must be a little surprising even to them. Assuming orders are indeed high it's logical to expect a successor, and rumors are suggesting that Compal is expecting the nod to start building the next generation model -- not a particularly shocking notion since the company is already building the current Booklet. When will we see this neo Nokia netbook? Sometime next year... supposedly.
Moblin 2.1 eyes-on
Intel wouldn't let anyone touch it -- or even close the browser out to the home screen -- but we just got a quick glimpse of the new phone-oriented Moblin 2.1 running on an unnamed Compal MID and an Acer netbook. It's certainly pretty, and the widgets look nice, but we're not going to be happy until we can poke at it ourselves. One more pic after the break!
Nokia following Booklet 3G with ARM-based smartbook in mid-2010?
Those semiconductor semi-gossipers at DigiTimes want you to know that Nokia's not stopping with the Booklet 3G and in fact has an ARM-based smartbook set for mass consumption in the middle of 2010. According to its sources, Espoo's in the process of settling with ODMs now, and the speculation is that it'll go to either Compal or Foxconn (a.k.a. Hon Hai Precision Industry). If all of this sounds familiar, that's because it is: we've heard multiple reports this year that suggested a smartbook / MID with either a multicore ARM Cortex A9 Sparrow chip or Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor. We're not discounting it, especially considering that netbook bit panned out, but mid-2010 is quite a ways off -- no telling when we'll be hearing anything else on the matter.
HP reportedly beginning production of new 10.1-inch, 11.6-inch netbooks / ultralights
This is about as early and unofficial as it gets, but DigiTimes is reporting that HP has contracted Quanta to begin production of an apparently all new 11.6-inch netbook in August, and another new 10.1-inch before the end of the year, which SlashGear rightly speculates could well be CULV ultralights rather than standard "netbooks." That's further bolstered by the fact that HP has separately contracted Inventec to build a revision to its current 10.1-inch netbook at the end of September. It's not all netbooks and ultralights for HP, however, as Quanta has also landed a deal to produce some new 15.6- and 17.3-inch laptops, while Compal will be handling HP's new 13.3- and 14-inch enterprise notebooks.[Via SlashGear]
Acer's dual-boot Android and XP netbook launching in August?
You remember Android right, Google's other OS that actually exists? Well, Acer's set to launch what could be the world's first Android-based netbook in August. At least that's what DigiTimes is reporting second-hand via Chinese-language Apple Daily. While two suspect sources won't turn a rumor into fact, Acer's already on record with plans for an Android netbook in Q3 in dual-boot XP configurations. So hearing that Quanta and Compal will have these out smack in the middle of the quarter isn't much of a stretch.
Atom-based Nokia netbook reportedly on track for Q3 release
So much for Nokia and Intel keeping quiet on actual product announcements, huh? Just yesterday, the two mega-corps joined hands in what they called a technical collaboration, and while they wouldn't go into detail about what products would sprout from the partnership, it seems that Commercial Times has done the honors. Reportedly, Nokia has already ordered up a few machines from Compal and Quanta, two OEMs that are largely responsible for most every netbook on the market today. Not surprisingly, we're told that the Nokiabook will rely on one of Intel's Atom processors, and considering that the new wave of Atom chips aren't slated to land until 2010, you can pretty much put money on a N270 or N280 configuration. In related news, we're told that Compal will engineer a Qualcomm Snapdragon-based Nokia smartbook, though there's no word on what kind of OS (Symbian, perhaps?) will be included.
Compal tries harder with Intel-based KAX15 MID
We're not so sure that being the "world's smallest Windows-based MID" is really a benefit for those who appreciate keys that are large enough to mash and screens that are large enough to see, but whatever the case, Compal seems pretty proud of its accomplishments here. Shown off along with scores of other me-too MIDs at Computex, the KAX15 is based around Intel's existing Menlow platform and sports the polarizing tilt-and-slide mechanism for unmasking the QWERTY keyboard. As for specs, we're told that it packs an 800 x 480 display and an 800MHz processor, but further details have yet to flow. There's a hands-on vid just past the break if you're somehow intrigued with shoving Windows in your left cargo pocket.
Compal shows off Android-running, Snapdragon-powered smartbook
As if it wasn't clear already, smartbooks are one of the big trends (if not the biggest) to emerge out of this year's Computex, be they Snapdragon or Tegra-powered. Just as interesting as the devices themselves, however, is the fact that a number of manufacturers are looking at using Android as an OS for 'em, including big players like ASUS, and now Compal. While's ASUS' Snapdragon-based offering was impressive enough, Compal looks to have slightly outdone it by adding a customized interface at start-up, which is apparently just a taste of further "optimizations" to come. Details are otherwise a bit hard to come by, but you can head on past the break for a hands-on video courtesy of techvideoblog.com.
Acer to join the Moblin Linux bandwagon
Moblin -- the Intel lovin' Linux flavor we've heard so much about recently -- just got some major support from Acer, who plans on slapping it on laptops, desktop PCs, and its Aspire One nettops. According to PC World, a press conference held today saw a wide range of Moblin versions (including Suse, Xandros, Linpus, Red Flag, and Ubuntu Moblin) installed on netbooks from companies that included HP, Asustek, MSI, and Hasee Computer; MIDs by the likes of BenQ and Compal; and even an Eee Keyboard. Not too bad for an OS that wasn't even an OS when we first laid eyes on it, eh? We'll keep our eyes peeled for those machines from Acer. In the mean time, how about that Tony Hawk Ride? Man, that looks sweet.
NVIDIA unveils 12 Tegra devices, 25 days of music or 10 hours of 1080p video on single charge (updated)
You've read about it, maybe even dreamed about it in your fantasies of a Microsoft Pink smartphone drizzled with Zune media. Now we've got Tegra taking center stage at Computex with a dozen "mobile internet devices" powered by the Tegra processor, the "world's smallest and lowest power computer-on-a-chip" according to NVIDIA. Of notable importance, the latest Tegra press release contradicts the Mobinnova Elan release by claiming 1080p video playback is supported by Tegra, not just 720p. Something we saw for ourselves (and had confirmed by NVIDIA) during our hands-on with the Elan. Now, get this; NVIDIA is using the term MID unlike Intel uses MID even though the terminology is of Intel origin. Instead of referring to handheld devices for consumers, NVIDIA's MIDs are classed as Tegra-based netbooks and tablets. In other words, the 8.9-inch Elan is a MID. Ugh. Semantics aside, the platform is smokin' hot with promise offering the following benefits: 25 days of music or 10-hours of 1080p video playback on a single charge video games play at up to 46 frames per second GPU accelerated Adobe Flash animations (huzzah for Hulu!) always-on processors for instant access to the network 3G, WiFi, and WiMax solutions support Great on paper, but still not available for purchase. Rest assured, we'll be hands-on with more Tegra devices on the quick.Update: Tegra devices are expected to land before 2009 is through, priced around $200 or less with carrier subsidies.
