smartbook
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Augen's $99 GenBook smartbook preview
That's right, not only does Augen -- a company unbeknown to us before yesterday -- make an $150 Android 2.1 tablet, but the company is also stocking Kmart shelves with a $99 Android smartbook of sorts. How'd we find out about this one? Well, when we headed to our local Kmart in hopes of picking up the 7-inch tablet, one last, very lonely GenBook 74 was dwelling on the shelf. We aren't the kind of people that could just leave the little guy there all alone, so $100 later we were the proud owners of a 7-inch, Android 1.6 clamshell device. Is the little laptop really capable of surfing the web and downloading apps, or would your hard earned cash be better spent elsewhere? Find out after the break. %Gallery-98319%
Toshiba AC100 review may explain why we haven't seen many (or any!) smartbooks
To be honest, when Toshiba's 10.1-inch AC100 smartbook was revealed last month it looked like one nice clamshell, but we're not really all that surprised that Hi-tech.mail.ru found it to be rather lacking after putting it through the paces. The good news is that the Russian site found the 1.9-pound smartbook to be incredibly thin and light, and had no ergonomic issues with its keyboard and touchpad. The bad? The 1GHz Tegra 250-powered lappie runs Android 2.1, but like most other Android netbooks or tablets it doesn't have access to the Market, so you've got to sideload your own apps. They also described the browser as "archaic," presumably because of its inability to run flash content. And on top of all that, the reviewers weren't all that impressed with the 4.5 hours of video playback. To its credit, the AC100 was able to play 1080p video, which those typical Intel Atom N450-powered netbooks absolutely choke on. Basically, Toshiba's smartbook -- like most -- seem to be a mixed bag, but if you're still lusting for some more details you'll want to hit the source link for the full translated review.
Lenovo's Skylight and U1 Hybrid being revived with fresh Qualcomm silicon?
What's this? A new sliver of hope in a dark, lost world? Before you throw your hands up and shut your eyes, you should know that all of this is coming from Digitimes, so taking it all in with an unhealthy dose of salt is highly suggested. According to them, Lenovo is actually planning to eventually ship its Skylight and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid (yeah, the two machines that were kinda-sorta shelved a month ago), but with far different specifications. For starters, they'll rely on Qualcomm's recently announced dual-core processor line, and rather than using the now-nonexistent Skylight OS, they'll both rely on Google's Android. If all goes well, the official launch will occur before the dawn of 2011, but there's no solid word on when they'll actually ship. In related news, there's also word that Toshiba will be readying a smartbook in its long-standing Dynabook line, with NVIDIA's Tegra 250 under the hood, a 10.1-inch panel and Android running the show. Now, who's up for seeing if any of this actually comes to fruition?
Lenovo IdeaPad smartbook appears, powered by Freescale and Pegatron
When Lenovo decided to shelve the Skylight smartbook, there were many tears here at Engadget HQ, but it seems the company's ambitions continue in the smartphone-turned-netbook realm. Notebook Italia reports that a new Lenovo IdeaPad has surfaced at the Freescale Technology Forum this week, powered by a Freescale i.MX515 SoC with an 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, smartphone-esque battery life, and a power management system reportedly robust enough that it doesn't even need to be cooled. If all this sounds rather familiar, it might be because you've seen it before -- it appears Lenovo simply tweaked the low-power Pegatron reference design that we wrote about early last year. Not that we're complaining or anything.
Nokia 7- or 9-inch MeeGo tablet rumored to be running ARM (not Moorestown) in Q4
While DigiTimes has been known to get a rumor correct now and again, its success rate falls off dramatically when dealing with companies HQ'd outside of its native Taiwan. Keep that in mind when you hear it discuss a Nokia tablet with either a 7- or 9-inch screen. DigiTimes, speaking with "upstream component makers," claims that the Foxconn manufactured device -- of which, about 100 engineering samples have already been produced -- will be ARM-based with a Q4 launch targeted. If true (and that's a big IF) then it would certainly be running the MeeGo OS (that's a Quanta-built prototype above) when it ships. Of course, DigiTimes has been rumoring an ARM-based smartbook from Nokia due in mid 2010 for almost a year. And guess what? It's mid 2010, with smartbooks/netbooks now out of style and tablets all the rage. Thing is, we'd have thought that Nokia would be more likely to opt for Intel's Moorestown in support of their partnership given the Q4 timing. But hey, it's just rumor, let's not get too carried away.
Toshiba's AC100 8-hour Android smartbook plays 1080p video on a 1GHz Tegra 250 processor (update: video!)
We wouldn't fault you for thinking that's a first generation ASUS Eee PC what with that iconic fingertip pose and all. But Toshiba's AC100 is a very modern take on the ol' Atom-based netbook idea. For starters, this super slim smartbook runs Android 2.1 on a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 250 SoC (built around a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor) capable of about 8 hours of browsing and video playback (and 7 days standby) before needing a recharge. It's also packing a 32GB SSD, 512MB of DDR2 memory, 802.11n WiFi, optional 3G data, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, and an HDMI jack beneath that 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 pixel display. As for software, the AC100 ships with Documents to Go for editing MS Office docs, an email client with POP3, IMAP, and Exchange support, an Opera Mobile browser, and a Tosh media player which should support HD 1080p video playback if it's taking full advantage of that Tegra 2 silicon. Too bad Toshiba is being quiet about the pricing and availability 'cause this little guy has us intrigued. Update: Netbooked got its hands on with the Japanese Dynabook AZ twin and received confirmation that it'll ship in Japan in August for between ¥40,000 and ¥50,000 (about $438 to $548). Video after the break.%Gallery-95912%
Sharp Netwalker PC-T1 unboxed, now available
There can be only one. Wait, wrong franchise -- this here is a Netwalker showdown. In the left corner, we have the Sharp Netwalker PC-Z1, a 5-inch Ubuntu smartbook powered by the 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 CPU, and at right, we have the Sharp Netwalker PC-T1, a 5-inch Ubuntu tablet with the exact same specs. Is the pen mightier than the keyboard? We won't find out today -- but Pocketables invite you to check out a bevy of fresh-squeezed T1 unboxing pics and comparison shots while they work on a review. See an EVO 4G make this tablet squirm at our source link, or check out our more coverage section if the juxtaposition of the words "Ubuntu" and "tablet" had you scrambling for your pocketbook three sentences ago.
Lenovo kills Skylight OS in favor of Android, U1 Hybrid and Skylight smartbook being shelved
Lenovo's been awfully quiet about the Skylight smartbook and U1 Hybrid tablet / laptop since it first showed them off at CES, and now we know why: following weeks of rumors that the custom Linux-based Skylight OS wasn't up to snuff, the company is killing the project entirely in favor of Android. That makes a lot of sense, considering Lenny's already shipping a Skylight-skinned version of Android on the Snapdragon-based LePhone, but it also means that the Skylight smartbook and U1 demoed to us at CES are done for as well -- Lenovo's statement says the "initial version of the Skylight" is being "shelved" and refers to the U1 as a "concept." We spoke to Lenovo for clarification and it sounds like things are in considerable flux at the moment: the company told us it wants to tap into Android's apps and ecosystem, but it's invested something like 18-24 months into building Skylight OS products and it's going to rethink and retool while it transitions to Google's OS -- although the underlying ideas of the Skylight and U1 Hybrid will live on in future devices, neither will come to market as announced. We were also told that Lenovo is now targeting Q4 as a launch date for Android-based devices, so we'll see what happens -- it'll be a sad day for the gadget world if the U1 fails to live on in some way.
Freescale partners with Savannah school for some leg-stretching tablet concepts, makes a nice use case for Light Peak
Normally when you've got industrial design students going wild on computer concepts, you get a lot of wild, unrealistic computer concepts. There's plenty of that here, but this 10 week collaboration between Freescale, some of its top partners, and Savannah College of Art and Design students is yielding a bit of fruit. We particularly like this docking tablet that can slot into different docks depending on use case -- the two primary ones shown being a home entertainment setup and a pro audio breakout. Sure, it's still not the most realistic way to use a tablet -- we'd much rather have solid support for 3rd party USB devices in the near term -- but with a bit of Light Peak and some as-ye-unseen pricing, this could make for some pretty slick use cases.
HP Compaq Airlife 100 review roundup: a little too dumb for a smartbook
As of last month, there were still no solid plans to ever bring HP Compaq's Airlife 100 smartbook to US soil, and judging by the first reviews surfacing across the pond, the company should probably consider keeping it that way. In a land already saturated with increasingly powerful netbooks, highly capable smartphones and a blossoming selection of tablets, the actual need for a so-called smartbook is questionable at best. For those still interested in paying near-netbook prices for this (on contract with a carrier, no less), you should probably first take a gander at the reviews linked below. Put simply, the Airlife 100 just wasn't a contender, and it had issues handling basic tasks like playing back HD videos and loading the full Gmail experience. 'Course, Android 1.6 is looking severely dated right about now, so we can't say we're shocked to hear so much negativity. The design itself was universally praised, but when you can snag a Crystal HD-equipped netbook (sans a data plan agreement, to boot) for just a few Euros more, it's hard to justify locking yourself into something far less intelligent.
ARM blames Flash, netbooks and tablets for smartbook delay, oh my
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.
HP: opportunities for webOS 'smartphones, slates, and potentially netbooks'
Color us excited. HP's Todd Bradley just made an interesting proposition on the conference call about its Palm acquisition. Specifically, Bradley said, "Between smartphones, slates, and potentially netbooks, there are a lot of opportunities here." You read that right: slates and potentially netbooks. The tablet route is pretty obvious, but having the netbook / smartbook form factor is quite a twist. Think about it, a Foleo descendant you can be proud of -- whodathunkit? If you're worried HP has forgotten about other platforms, we need only point in the direction of the Android-fueled Airlife. Obviously nothing to announce at this point, but doesn't that just get us hopeful -- roadmap announcements are said to be forthcoming closer to the merger being finalized. The call is still ongoing, so stay tuned!
Compaq Airlife 100 exclusively available to Telefónica customers for 229 euros in May
We just had a feeling that the Compaq Airlife 100 would be the first smartbook to ship when we caught wind of its official spec page last week, and now our Spanish counterparts are reporting that the Android-running clamshell will be exclusively available through Telefonica Movistar in mid-May. The carrier is also finally revealing a price -- the Snapdragon smartbook will set Spaniards back 229 euros and that doesn't even include the accompanying 48 euros a month Internet Maxi plan (insert iPad joke here). We are told there's also a 39 euro Internet Plus plan, but that requires you to shell out 299 euros for the little laptop. Seems to be a bit more expensive than we originally thought, considering you can get a more powerful netbook for less than 199 euros these days, but we will see how this whole smartbook thing pans out soon enough. As for us Americans, HP recently told us there are no plans to bring the Airlife 100 stateside.
HP Compaq AirLife 100 specs revealed (Updated: still no plans for a US arrival)
HP hasn't exactly shrouded its Android-running Compaq AirLife 100 in mystery -- you know, considering we spent some quality time with it at MWC and it recently just cleared the FCC -- but the full specs of the company's first smartbook have now been confirmed on HP's website. Frankly, we're not all that surprised by what's going on inside the 10-inch clamshell device -- it's powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with WiFi / 3G connectivity, 512MB of RAM, and 16GB of flash storage. Just as we saw at CES and then again in Barcelona, in addition to a touchpad it's got a resistive touchscreen (no multitouch here) for navigating the mobile OS. We're still assuming it won't have access to the Android Marketplace, but HP is listing the preloaded apps, which interestingly includes a "data transfer counter" and NDrive GPS. The AirLife is set to launch soon in Latin America and in parts of Europe with carrier partners, but because it's popping up on HP's US site there's reason to believe it may be headed stateside. We're still awaiting HP's official word on that American AirLife so stay tuned. Update: HP has confirmed that it has no current plans to bring the AirLife stateside. It will ship in Europe and Latin America soon.
Lenovo Skylight also delayed to better compete with iPad?
This isn't the first time we've heard talk of competitors delaying products to see what the boys from Cupertino are up to. Last time, it was HP making some last minute pricing and feature adjustments to its Slate. Now we've got DigiTimes' sources claiming that Lenovo is holding up its Linux-based Skylight smartbook -- pushed from April to July -- for very similar reasons. Specifically, "control is not able to act as smoothly as the iPad." Guess even a 1GHz Snapdragon can't fix a poorly implemented UI.
Lenovo Skylight launch pushed off to July, IdeaPad U1 Hybrid still on track
Today in announced-at-CES product delays, we bring you the Lenovo Skylight. Last week when we inquired about the whereabouts of our review unit (or even an order page), we were told that the Skylight's April release date had been pushed, but Laptop has uncovered that the super thin, Snapdragon-powered smartbook has actually been significantly delayed until July. According to the a Lenovo spokesperson, the company is still working to get things just right, and we're actually not surprised considering the software we saw at CES was far from fully-baked. Oh, but there's good news! The IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, that awesome tablet / laptop combo, we also checked out at CES seems to be right on track for its June release date. Given that the tablet part of the U1 runs the same Skylight Linux OS as the smartbook, we're a bit skeptical on that one, but the that doesn't mean we aren't hoping and praying to get it in our hands ASAP.
Sharp IS01 Snapdragon-powered 3G MID introduces AU to Android
After Softbank announced the HTC Desire and DoCoMo began pushing its very first Android smartphone (Xperia X10), Japan had big hopes for AU's press event today. An EVO perhaps, or maybe something more from this once proud home of the original superphones? Unfortunately, Engadget Japanese let out a collective meh in response to a 5-inch IS01 handheld from Sharp running Android 1.6 on a Snapdragon processor and measuring 83 × 149 × 17.9mm and 227g. While it looks like the classic Japanese eDictionary, the IS01 is meant to be used as a general purpose MID with a 5-row QWERTY, Sharp-built "New Mobile ASV" multi-touch capacitive display pushing a 960 x 480 pixel resolution and a 5.27 megapixel auto focus camera on back with a 0.43 megapixel jobbie up front for video calls. Rounding out the specs are 802.11 b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, microSD slot, 1Seg mobile TV tuner, IrDA, 4GB of internal storage, and Qualcomm 3G CDMA data. Look for it to ship in October while a developer friendly version (JN-DK01) should be available in May.
Coby $85 smartbook feels like a hundred bucks (hands-on)
Funny how our tune on smartbooks totally changes when one's got an $85 price tag. We happened upon Coby's booth at CeBIT this morning and of all the fairly cheap feeling laptops the company had on display it was its 7-inch NBPC722 smartbook that cozied right up to us. Okay, so it isn't as thin or attractive as the $499 Lenovo's Skylight, but again let us remind you that it costs about as much as a couple of new printer ink cartridges. Inside the little guy packs a 624MHz Marvell PXA303 processor, 2GB of flash storage and runs Windows CE which all should be good enough for some light Web browsing and e-mail writing. There was actually a YouTube shortcut on the desktop, but the NBPC722 wasn't connected to try it out. Apparently this inexpensive laptop should be making its way stateside this spring, but until the flowers start blooming you've got the video below. %Gallery-87155%
Smartbook's laptops hands-on: a MacBook and a VAIO walk into a bar...
Bewildering. We're pretty sure that's the only way to describe our adventure at Smartbook's CeBIT booth. First off, let us just clear up that there are absolutely no smartbooks on display -- don't forget that this is the company that's going after Qualcomm's jugular for using the term smartbook in the first place. Now that that's out of the way, the German outfit introduced two new 11.6-inch laptops at the show, both which are clearly a rip on Apple and Sony laptops. What's confusing there? Well, the fact that they are actually nice. First you have the Atom N280-powered Razor that's clad in a brushed aluminum that feels impeccably similar to the unibody MacBook. Sure, it will run like a last-generation Windows 7 netbook, but it felt seriously solid in hand. Next up is that ULV-packing Logo we told you about last week, and with a glowing power button embedded in its circular hinge there's no doubt that it was Sony VAIO "inspired." Again, the make is actually quite good, and we were shocked to feel how sturdy the chiclet keyboard was. Both KIRFs the Smartbook Logo and Razor should go for about 699 Euros when they become available in Europe this spring. Not amused yet? The pictures of the Swarovski covered netbook below should just about do it -- and we have video proof after the break, if you're into that sort of thing. %Gallery-86973% %Gallery-86971% %Gallery-86979%
Smartbook Logo is neither a logo nor a smartbook, actually a 3G-equipped CULV laptop
We're ready to hand out our first award for CeBIT 2010. The most confusing product of the year ribbon goes to German company Smartbook, who's decided to produce a portable computer with a shell design and 3G connectivity that... isn't actually a smartbook (or what we understand the term to mean anyway). Instead of capitalizing on the built-in marketing appeal of its name, Smartbook AG staunchly persists in believing it's a real laptop maker, and is readying a new thin-and-light machine to prove just that. To be known as the Logo, this will be an Intel CULV-powered 11.6-incher, with a 1366 x 768 resolution, Windows 7 Home Premium and a stingy 1GB of RAM on board. In other words, the Acer Timeline 1810T, only a few months later and priced to (never) sell: €699 ($944). Boy, we've heard of corporate hubris before but this is getting silly now.
