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Details of Samsung's 'Alex' Chrome OS netbook leaked, Atom N550 in tow
As we approach the expected mid-2011 launch for a few Chrome OS devices, it seems inevitable that some details are bound to slip out ahead of time -- here's looking at you, Acer ZGB and Seaboard. The latest victim outed by a Chromium bug report is the Samsung "Alex," which sports a 1280 x 800 display (probably at 10 inches as previously rumored; like the mockup above), 1.5GHz dual-core Atom N550, SanDisk SSD P4 of unknown capacity, and 2GB RAM. Also listed are a Qualcomm Gobi 2000 3G card, Bluetooth, WiFi, webcam, and a Synaptics touchpad. Well, not long to go now -- perhaps the Alex might even make a cheeky appearance at Google I/O in two weeks' time? Screenshot of the bug report after the break. [Thanks, Marco]
Gigabyte slips out Atom N550-based M1005, Q2005 netbooks
We're guessing we'll see a more official announcement about these soon enough, but for now we'll have to make do with some product pages that have quietly turned up on Gigabyte's website for two new Atom N550-based netbooks: the M1005 and Q2005. As Netbook News notes, the latter of those (pictured above) looks to be remarkably similar to the Jolicloud Jolibook, also based on the same dual-core N550 processor, while the M1005 appears to be a relatively minor update to the company's M1022 model, right down to the same docking station (check it out after the break). Still no indication of pricing or availability for either of them, but you can find the complete specs for each at the links below.
Toshiba launches NB520 and NB500 netbooks, one with Harman Kardon sound, one without
When's the last time you said "Crank up the netbook, I love this song!" Yeah, probably never, but if you had a Toshiba mini NB520 you might -- or at least that's what Toshiba would like to envision you would do. It packs stereo Harman Kardon speakers that can crack the foundation and wake the dead with an amazing two watts each, apparently the smallest tweeters H/K has ever put on a laptop. That's paired with an Atom N550 processor, 2GB of DDR3 memory, a 250GB HDD, 10 hours of battery life, and a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 LED-backlit display. If that's too loud or you're too old, there's also the "no frills" NB500, offering the same specs but minus the petite sound system and stepping down to an Atom N455, though doing so at a lower price. What price? That we don't know, but we'll find out when both ship in the first quarter of 2011, which starts in a month. Yikes. %Gallery-108653%
Jolibook now on sale in the UK, first batch of orders ships Monday
Looks like Jolicloud knows how to keep a product under wraps -- just ten days after revealing the Jolibook to the world, it's already on sale at a pair of e-tailers. Yes, it's just a netbook, and a fairly standard one at that -- you can cross the 10.1-inch WSVGA screen, Intel GMA 3150 graphics, 1GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive and 0.3 megapixel webcam right off your laundry list. But it does have the instant-on Jolicloud 1.1 OS on board, and a dual-core 1.5GHz Atom N550 processor to power through basic tasks, and for a confirmed £279 (about $443) it would also seem to have a price to match. Find it Vye or Amazon UK if you're already sold, and expect to actually receive it before long -- founder Tariq Krim tweets that orders placed this weekend will ship out Monday morning.
Jolibook to cost £279 in the UK, could be with us tomorrow
Netbooks might no longer be the sexy must-have accessory they once were, but maybe having Jolicloud's custom Linux-based OS on board will sway people to give this one a second look. Yes, the Jolibook that we so recently saw for the first time is about to make its retail debut, with the UK getting the first opportunity to spill some cash on it. Netbook News reports the precise levy will be £279 ($443), while the Wall Street Journal has word that the whole shebang could start as early as tomorrow. That price is, as promised, competitive, but it's not quite cheap enough to attract buyers all by itself -- Jolicloud will have to hope its OS is as good in long-term use as it's looked in brief glimpses so far, in which case this 10.1-incher shouldn't have much trouble justifying its cost.
ASUS Eee PC 1015PW peeks out of hiding with dual-core Atom, royal purple shell
Can you keep track of all the different variants of ASUS' Eee PC netbook? It's not easy when the Taiwanese computer company pumps out new ones nearly every month, but we doubt we'll easily forget the Eee PC 1015PW's distinctive shade of purple. Otherwise, TechinStyle reports it's much the same as the 1015PEM, which isn't a terrible thing -- it's got a dual-core 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 CPU, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and a 250GB or 320GB hard drive under that chiclet keyboard, plus the usual 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600 LED-backlit screen. No word on pricing or availability, but the way these things usually go, you'll find it in Europe well before the States. [Thanks, Sal]
ASUS Eee PC 1015PN gets official, will do 1080p in a pinch
It was rumored back in August for a September release and, though it did miss that by a full month, we're definite believers of "Better late than never." The ASUS 1015PN is officially the newest entry in the Eee PC family with its 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600 LCD, a dual-core Atom N550 processor, 1GB of RAM, 250GB of platter-based storage, and, perhaps most importantly, NVIDIA Ion 2 graphics that won't put a hurting on your battery life thanks to Optimus switching tech. That means an estimated 9.5 hours of longevity on a charge so long as you don't spend your time pumping out reams of legally acquired full HD test footage. If all that sounds good you can order yours right now for around $429.
Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550 wants to protect you from netbook heat, tinny audio
Look at this thing, now scope out Logitech's Speaker Lapdesk N700 and come back to tell us the difference between the two. Not that we'd ever dare question the sanity of having two Speaker Lapdesk SKUs, but you've got to admit Logitech hasn't really differentiated its new N550 -- a two-speaker, heat-shielded pad for treating your thighs with more kindness and less calefaction -- from its admittedly pricier predecessor. After doing some fine investigative journalism (i.e. reading the press release after the break), we've discovered that the N550 is designed for laptops with screens sizes up to 14.1 inches, and it also omits the USB-powered fan of the bigger N700. Good to know. Now if someone can explain to us why Logitech is announcing this game changer a whole three months ahead of its January 2011 release for £50 ($80), we'd be all set. Update: Looks like Americans will see it in October for $59.99.
Acer Aspire One D255 with dual-core Atom hits at $330
It was only a matter of time before Acer let out the pricing / availability details on its dual-core Atom netbook, and as we could have predicted, the Taiwanese company's smacked an extremely enticing pricetag on this one. Ringing up at an aggressive $329.99, the 2.2-pound D255 looks almost identical to the D260 -- yes, even those with the worst of cataracts could tell it's an Aspire One from afar -- but in terms of specs it's got that notable difference of a brand new dual-core Atom N550 processor. But not to worry, even though it's now the cheapest dual-core netbook around, it's still got the netbook standards -- including 1GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive and six-cell battery. The single-core version will go for $269.99, but we do have to say that shelling out that additional $50 for that extra core does buy you slightly faster performance (see our HP Mini 5103 review for some Atom N550 performance results). Sounds mighty tempting to us, but it still doesn't make us forget about that Chrome OS netbook Acer's been promising.
Dell Inspiron Duo hybrid netbook / tablet stars in another film
We'll freely admit how smitten we are with Dell's concept, the Inspiron Duo. While it's supposedly coming to retail by the end of the year, it's so special that every time we spy new photos or video footage of it, we watch joyfully. Of course, Intel doesn't need to watch from afar, as demonstrated in a new video -- they simply asked Dell's Inspiron Product Marketer, Dave Zavelson to show it off on film. The Duo, in case you've been hiding under a rock since before IDF, is a 10-inch netbook with a swivel screen which enables you to use it as a sort of tablet... you know, those things that everybody's cranking out these days. It also boasts a dual-core Atom N550 CPU and Windows 7 Home Premium. Regardless, we still haven't heard any pricing or definite availability info yet, but the video is below.
NEC expands Valuestar 3D lineup with two new desktop PCs; laptops say LaVie
We'll have to assume NEC managed to free Willy and that its first 3D venture was a success, as the company's just revealed a brand new set of stereoscopic screens, one of which is actually not part and parcel of an all-in-one PC. NVIDIA's 3D Vision kit (with active shutter glasses) and a 23-inch, 1920 x 1080 120Hz monitor accompany this Valuestar L, with a 2.93GHz Core i7-870 processor, GeForce GT 330 GPU, 8GB of memory, 1TB of storage and Blu-ray 3D drive in an attractive white case. There's also a similarly-sized Valuestar W 3D all-in-one with a 2.53GHz Core i5-460M and GeForce GT 330M graphics, a digital TV tuner, half the memory, a 1.5TB drive and a passive, polarized display. If you're not interested in wearing glasses while chained to a desk, of course, you could always consider the new LaVie Light netbook, newly refreshed with a dual-core Intel Atom N550. And yes, we know we made a horrible pun. Sometimes we just can't help ourselves.
Dell's Atom-powered Inspiron Duo: 10-inch netbook / tablet hybrid with a crazy swivel (update: more video and detailed press photo!)
Boy, did Dell show just off the craziest device on stage at Intel's IDF 2010 day two keynote. What started as a tablet device converted to a netbook just by opening to the keyboard and literally swiveling the screen from within the frame. This hybrid's got a 10-inch screen, houses a dual-core Atom N550 and runs Windows 7 Premium. And if it looks at all familiar, that's because we saw something eerily similar in a leak from April (hello, Sparta). No price given and Dell isn't providing us any more details, but it should be released by the end of this year. Update: It ain't pretty, but we managed to bum rush the stage and get some footage of the Inspiron Duo during as it made its transformations to and from a keyboard-equipped existence. It's after the break... along with a press photo! Update 2: And now we've got a much clearer video for your enjoyment. Check it out! Update 3: Dell sent over a pretty hefty press photo, so we decided to break it down piece-by-piece. To the gallery! %Gallery-102183%
HP Mini 5103 with dual-core Atom N550 performance review
We realize keeping up with HP's model numbers can be as hard as keeping tabs on say, Lindsay Lohan's run-ins with the law, but the 5103 is notable in one major way -- it's one of the first netbooks to ship with Intel's dual-core Atom N550 processor. Like the 5102, the 5103 is still primarily aimed at business professionals. In fact, HP hardly messed with the look and feel of the aluminum dressed laptop -- the chassis and features are pretty much the exact same, although HP did ditch the black lid for an "Espresso" color and preload some new "Day Starter" instant-on OS. Obviously, the big deal here is the new processor and seeing as how we've been waiting on Intel to release a dual-core Atom CPU for netbooks since well, the first netbook we were eager to see how much power that extra core adds and if it impacts battery life. Hit the break to see some of the results. %Gallery-101488%
Samsung N350 throws LTE and HSPA+ into an intriguing new netbook proposition
Yeah, we thought netbooks were old news too, but if they all start strapping up with the latest in 4G connectivity, we might have to give them another look. The Samsung N350 is just such a machine, with dual-mode LTE and HSPA+ built in. You won't be surprised that almost everything else is par for the affordable laptop market course: a dual-core Atom N550 CPU, that boilerplate 1,024 x 600 resolution on a 10.1-inch matte screen, 250GB of storage, 1GB of DDR3 RAM, a multicard reader, and a trifecta of USB ports. The basic wireless options are keeping up with modernity, however, with 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0 on board, both of which are nice to see. The 3-cell battery should last up to 6.7 hours and the whole package is expected to retail for €429 ($553) in Germany this autumn. You can probably expect a rebadge under the Go label for the US and a relatively swift launch over here as well.
HP Mini 210 and Mini 5103 officially announced with dual-core Atom power
Netbook makers like Lenovo, Gigabyte and ASUS have been quietly releasing new systems with Intel's new mobile, dual-core N550 processor, but HP's not keeping its use of the fresh chip in 10-inch netbooks a secret... anymore. Just as we've previously heard, the professional-aimed $399 Mini 5103 will be getting a dual-core 1.5GHz processor option, which HP tells us can improve benchmark performance by up to 20 percent without a significant impact on battery life. It's also been updated with a new "espresso" color and will have HP's Day Starter instant-on OS -- no WebOS buried in there yet. On the consumer end, the HP Mini 210 has also been refreshed -- actually, more like gutted -- with a new design. The 10.1-inch netbook is now available in a bunch of cleverly named colors, including crimson red and ocean drive, and has been revamped with a new back that integrates the battery into the bottom of the chassis. Don't worry: the battery is still swappable and you can open the bottom cover to replace the RAM and hard drive. It still has that chiclet keyboard we like so much, the rather hit-or-miss ClickPad touchpad and a Broadcom Crystal Accelerator option for 1080p playback. The Mini 210 will start at $330 with a single core Atom CPU and six-cell battery, but will be available with the N550 processor for a bit more (we're guessing around $75). The full release is after the break and some snazzy hands-on pics are below. %Gallery-100743% %Gallery-100742%
HP bringing dual-core Atom N550 to Mini 5103, other netbooks expected to follow
HP only just rolled out its Mini 5103 business netbook earlier this month, but it looks like it might already be set to get an upgrade -- a newly-discovered support document on HP's own site clearly lists the new dual-core Atom N550 processor alongside the current Atom N455 and N475 options. No indication of any other changes beyond that, but this should only just be the beginning of broader rollout for the dual-core CPU -- CNET says it expects a full refresh to hit HP's consumer netbooks next month.
ASUS prepping Eee PC 1015PN/PEM versions with new dual-core Atom
When Intel released the details on its dual-core, mobile Atom N550 processor earlier this week ASUS was one of the first to raise its hand with a netbook sporting the new CPU. Well, now we've got a few more details on the forthcoming Eee PC and unsurprisingly -- as it is coming from ASUS -- there appears to be a couple of different versions. The first is the 1015PEM, and according to TechInStyle, the small lappie will be powered by the new 1.5GHz N550 CPU, support up to 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and be €349 ($440 US) when it hits the market. However, we've also heard from ASUS's North American team of the 1015PN, which will add NVIDIA's Ion 2 platform to the mix and be landing stateside in September. Sounds like it could be one of the most powerful 10-inch netbooks to ever grace the planet, but unfortunately we don't have the exact specs and pricing on the latter one as of yet. Of course, as soon as we find out or see it hit Amazon we'll be reporting back. Update: ASUS has gone and made the 1015PEM official. Well, it did for a while, page seems to have been yanked. See the Notebook Italia coverage for confirmation of the specs.
Intel debuts dual-core Atom N550 processor, 70 million Atom netbook chips shipped so far
Intel first made mention of its upcoming dual-core Atom for netbooks back at Computex, and now it's making good on its promise with the ready-to-ship Atom N550. The chip operates at 1.5GHz, with 1MB of cache and support for DDR3 memory, and "similar" battery life to the Atom N450. Intel is billing it as a more "responsive" experience, which will make sense as a selling point to anyone who has attempted any serious multitasking on a netbook. YouTube and Hulu also get first paragraph billing in Intel's press release, and we'll be happy to test out those claims once we get our hands on a netbook with the N550 under the hood. Unfortunately, while Intel claims that netbooks based on the processor are available "in stores today," we don't know of any shipping just yet -- naturally, we have our eyes peeled. MSI and Lenovo actually denied plans for the chip to us, despite their inclusion in Intel's PR, but we do know the upcoming ASUS 1015N (which is also packing NVIDIA ION graphics) will pack the N550 when it hits. Hardly a landslide so far, but we're sure we'll eventually see enough N550 to be sick of it, in traditional netbook fashion. In semi-related news, Intel is also proud to announce that it's shipped over 70 million Atom netbook chips since it started on this crazy ultraportable journey back in 2008. PR is after the break.
Acer Aspire One D255 netbook dual boots Android and XP for about $375
Attending the Taipei Computer Applications Show today? Lucky you. Then be sure to pick up your specially priced Acer Aspire One D255 netbook with dual booting Android and XP operating systems before leaving the venue. Otherwise, the NT$9,500 (about $300) 10.1-inch netbook configured with an Atom N450 processor, 1GB of DDR2 memory, 160GB hard disk, and 3-cell battery (with optional 6-cell) will cost you NT$11,900 (about $375) when it hits traditional retail channels sometime in the days ahead.
Acer Aspire One D255 netbook packs Atom N550 processor, subdued appearance
It's been less than a month since Acer rolled out its Aspire One D260 netbook at Computex, but it looks like the company already has a followup (of sorts) lined up in the form of the Aspire One D255. That netbook is apparently mostly identical to the D260 in terms of specs, with the notable exception of a brand new dual-core Atom N550 processor -- a first for an Acer netbook. About the only other changes are some minor design tweaks that ditch the chrome accents and flake paint options found on the D260 -- but don't worry, that impossible to miss Aspire One logo on the lid is still there. No word on availability just yet, but we're working to get that information out of Acer.
