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ASUS ships Windows Home Server-packin' TS mini NAS drive
The Windows Home Server train has all but stopped this year, but with CES just around the bend (and Microsoft's software engineers free from the burden of readying Windows 7 for launch), it looks as if the steam is picking up once more. Hot on the heels of its first 3D laptop, ASUS has introduced its TS mini NAS drive for home media junkies. Outfitted with a 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor, 1GB or 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a gigabit Ethernet socket, six USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA connector and a smattering of LED indicators, the drive can be purchased as we speak in 500GB and 2TB editions. Aside from streaming multimedia throughout your home network, the device can also back up ten total PCs automatically and subtly make you dependent on its reliability. Which, as you know so well, is just a precursor for bowing down when the Robot Apocalypse gets underway.
Intel purportedly fast-tracking Pine Trail platform, forgetting all about N270 / N280 at CES
Say it with us now: "freaking finally!" The world at large seems perfectly fine with using Atom N270 and N280 CPUs for the rest of eternity (judging by the latest netbook sales figures, anyway), but techies like us are sick and tired of dabbling with the same underpowered chips and the same lackluster capabilities. At long last, we're hearing that Intel will supposedly officially announce the Pine Trail platform in late December, with a raft of netbooks based around the new Pineview chips hitting the CES show floor in January. The 1.66GHz Atom N450, dual-core 1.66GHz Atom D510 and Atom D410 are expected to be all the rage at the show, with the existing N270 and N280 making an expedited trip to the grave. Good riddance, we say.
Video: Gigabyte T1028X unboxed, handled, available in good ol' USA
Looks like we've got not one, but two nuggets of good news for you today: firstly, the latest Gigabyte swivel-screen tablet has been unboxed, undressed and appropriately groped up, and secondly, Amazon have now got stock of the device at $679 plus shipping. That might still seem a bit rich for a netbook, albeit with expanded functionality, but it's significantly more affordable than what our European comrades have to pay. As to the unboxing -- and there's a lot of it since Gigabyte decided to pack the unit in like a matryoshka -- the Liliputing crew do a thorough inspection as well as a size comparison against devices from ASUS and Lenovo. Slide past the break to see the pair of videos and judge for yourself.
Ion-equipped Samsung N510 netbook shipping stateside next month
Momma always said you had to pay to play, and it looks like those Europeans won't be the only ones coughing up dearly for the pleasure of having NVIDIA's Ion platform shoved within Samsung's forthcoming N510 netbook. According to the fine folks over at Liliputing, a Samsung rep has confirmed to them that said machine will begin shipping to US soil starting in September (far later than the "July" date we heard earlier in the year), bringing with it a sizable 11.6-inch display, HDMI output, GeForce 9400M GPU, Atom processor and the ability to handle high-def and Blu-ray content. Trouble is, all that multimedia prowess will demand a stiff premium, and by "stiff," we mean "$599." So, is anyone actually planning on laying down six bills for a netbook, or did you just convince yourself that a thin-and-light is the way to go?
Gigabyte T1028X TouchNote brings fresher specs, steeper price
It's only been a few months since Gigabyte unveiled the 1028M netbook / tablet hybrid, but its successor is already available to buy in Europe. Announced in Hong Kong last month, the 1028X ups the resolution to 1366 x 768 on the 10.1-inch swivel display and bundles a 6-cell 7650 mAh battery for a purported six and a half hours of juice. There's also an utterly meaningless 60MHz CPU upgrade from the Atom N270 to the N280, but the most surprising thing of all might be the price: €622 ($877). That's an awful lot of damage for what is still very much a netbook, but then if you simply must have a touchscreen display in that specific size range, there isn't much competition going around. At least for now.[Via Slashgear]Read -- Gigabyte product pageRead -- European reseller
Samsung's Ion-infused N510 netbook steeply priced across the pond
€499. $717. Or three easy payments of €171 ($246). That's the price folks in Europe are being asked to pony up for Samsung's admittedly svelte 11.6-inch N510 netbook. As one of the largest netbooks in its class, this machine -- which can purportedly last for around 6.5 hours under ideal circumstances -- also packs NVIDIA's Ion technology, but a sluggish Atom N280 is still manning the ship. If you'll recall, we actually heard that this here rig would surface sometime this summer, but it looks as if those orders may end up pushed to September. Anyone care to place a pre-order? Or are you more interested in those "real laptops" for just north of seven Benjamins?[Via Blogeee]
Video: ViewSonic VNB101 gets handled in the wilderness of Taipei
The new ViewSonic VNB101 may be rightly accused of aping the EeePC S101 a little too closely, but if you're going to copy something, it might as well be something sexy. Netbooks News have gone hands-on with an early model, noting a multicard reader, space for a 3G SIM card, and a 3400mAh Lithium-Polymer battery, which should deliver about 5 hours of juice and degrade more slowly over time than its Li-Ion counterparts. Pricing in Taiwan is set for around $485, and for that you'll get your standard dosage of Atom N280, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD inside and a red, black or champagne paintjob on the outside. Europeans can look for these later this year, but with no word of a US release, you'll have to make do with the video past the break.
Atom N270 / N280-based netbooks may be stuck at Windows XP
You see, there's not much wiggle room when it comes to netbook pricing. By and large, vendors have priced their machines about as low as they can in order to receive but a sliver of a profit, and there's certainly no way they could eat another $20 to $30 on each unit and still feel good about themselves. To that end, we're hearing that many companies may make their Atom N270 and Atom N280-based netbooks ineligible for the Windows 7 upgrade (from the factory, anyway), with those always-mysterious "industry sources" pointing to "increasing costs and low consumer demand." In essence, these guys feel as if consumers will view Windows XP as sufficient for those underpowered machines, while it'll be the Atom N450, Atom D410 and Atom D510 machines that'll be most suited for Win7. 'Course, we suspect you'll be able to pony up for whatever upgrade you'd like once it's in your hands, but we wouldn't anticipate any handouts to suddenly be attached to existing machines.[Via GadgetMix]
ASUS Eee PC 1000HV resurfaces with Atom N280, HD 3450
Another day, another entrant in the mile-long list of Eee PC netbooks. This one, however, is a curious add. You see, the Eee PC 1000HV originally came to light way back in July of 2008, when no fewer than 23 Eee model names were casually leaked out. Since that day, we've heard not a peep from the machine... until now, obviously. In a few locations overseas, the 1000HV has emerged for order, packing a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 display, a 1.66GHz Atom N280 CPU, 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, VGA output, the standard assortment of ports and a mildly attractive AMD HD 3450 graphics set -- the same one that ASUS recently shoved in its HD-minded Eee Box 206. We can't help but applaud the choice to slip in a real (or quasi-real, anyway) GPU here, but until this pup heads stateside, we're still figuring this is all just a figment of our imagination.[Via Slashgear]Read - Eee PC 1000HV order siteRead - Another Eee PC 1000HV order site
ASUS delivers full specs on Eee PC 1005HA Seashell
ASUS' Eee PC 1008HA hasn't even had a moment to enjoy its spot in the limelight, and already the company is pushing out even more machines in the rapidly expanding Seashell range. The Eee PC 1005HA is slated to launch with Windows XP Home, a battery good for 10.5 hours (we'll believe it when we see it) and a 160GB hard drive. There's also 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display (1,024 x 600 resolution) and your choice of Intel's played-out Atom N270 or N280. The rest of the innards could be guessed in your sleep: 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 0.3 or 1.3 megapixel webcam, VGA output, three USB 2.0 sockets, Ethernet, a multicard reader and audio in / out. Fans of colorful machines will appreciate the white, black, pink and blue motifs, but you'll need to muster up a little more patience before finding out a price and release date. One more look after the break.[Via Slashgear]
Acer Aspire One 571 emerges: Atom N280, 720p panel and Vmedia drive
Wait a second -- can this be real? Are we seriously seeing a drastic diversion from the cookie-cutter nature that has long since bored us of netbooks? The typically trustworthy macles* has shots and details of an all new Acer Aspire One, one that dyslexic folk will likely confuse with the already shipping Aspire One 751. Indeed, the Aspire One 571 looks an awful lot like other Acer netbooks, but it's the internals that set it apart. For starters, it's rockin' a 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor and a 1,280 x 720 resolution panel; sure it's still just 10.1-inches, but hey, we'll take 720p. Furthermore, there's a Quartics Q1721 Multimedia Processor shoved in there -- you know, so it can handle decoding and encoding of H.264 content while adding hardware scaling and filtering. Eager for more? That Vmedia comeback we heard about is on, as the left palm rest boasts one of the miniature optical drives. Mum's the word on price and availability, but you can peek a few more shots in the read link.
MSI Wind U123 netbook now being stocked by US retailers
If you've been waiting the edge of your seat for MSI's Wind U123, sit back and relax for now. The 10.2-inch WSVGA netbook's now officially either stocked up or available for pre-order from online US retailers, with all the usual accoutrements: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280, integrated graphics, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, card reader, 802.11g/n, 6 cell battery, and Windows XP Home. All are priced between $350 and $380, with Frosty Computers so far being the only option so far for customization. Color options are red and blue, and if that doesn't suit you well, may we suggest any of the other dozens of netbooks with the exact same spec sheets? [Via Portable Monkey] Read - Newegg Read - Amazon Read - J&R Read - Frosty Computers
Demand for Intel's Atom CPUs finally beginning to cool?
It was inevitable, really -- but the incessant demand for Intel's woefully underpowered Atom processors sure did last a lot longer than we anticipated. Originally made famous by those so-called "netbooks," the Atom is currently facing two hurdles in remaining wildly popular: 1) slumping demand for new PCs and 2) bona fide competition. For months on end, the Atom really was the only game in town when it came to powering netbooks and nettops, but with the unveiling on NVIDIA's Ion, the promise of a GPGPU (or cGPU) and Intel's own CULV platform, Atom's necessity in the market is becoming less intense. The interesting part here is that Intel is purportedly hawking its inventory to "second-tier and China-based vendors" as it looks to minimize warehouse clutter, which certainly makes us hope for lower-cost low-cost lappies to show up in the near future.Read - Atom demand slowingRead - Intel: PC sales hit rock bottom
MSI debuts Atom N280-equipped Wind U100 PLUS netbook
Frankly, we're beginning to wonder just how many iterations of the Wind U100 MSI can dish out before it's forced by riots and a bombardment of Molotov cocktails to come forward with a completely revamped Wind netbook. At any rate, today the company has just unveiled its U100 PLUS, a familiar looking fellow with a 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor, a hamstrung 945GMS chipset, Intel's GMA950 integrated graphics, up to 2GB of DDR2-533 RAM, a 10-inch LCD (1,024 x 600), 160GB hard drive, 4-in-1 multicard reader, VGA output, three USB 2.0 sockets, an optional 6-cell battery (3-cell is standard), WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. Crazily enough, MSI asserts that users can see upwards of 7 hours of use with the standard battery, which is easily one of the most unbelievable statements we've heard in the past 4.32 hours. Per usual, pricing and availability will come in due time.[Via iTech News]
MSI's Wind U123 netbook gets unboxed
We already caught MSI's upgraded Wind U120 (which goes by U123, if you must know) sitting pretty at CeBIT last month, but the crazy cats over at PortableMonkey have gone and got a model fresh in the box. Needless to say, this retail edition (which is hitting Japanese shelves any moment now) didn't stay packaged up for long, but we are happy to say that we've been cordially invited to feast our eyes upon the unboxing process. Right out of the gate, we have to share the disappointment in the lack of a rear panel for easily accessing the internal RAM and HDD, but at least the Atom N280 is a (minor) step above what we've grown accustomed to. Check the read link for all the pictorial delight.[Thanks, Peter]
Gigabyte posts specs for ThinNote S1024 and Booktop M1022
It's all coming together, folks. Merely hours after Gigabyte hosted up a product portal for its T1028 TouchNote, the same occurrence has just went down for the ThinNote S1024 and Booktop M1022. Both rigs were initially introduced last month at CeBIT, and now you can pretty much bank on 'em shipping stateside within the next little while. As for the M1022, you'll find it bundled with a vertical docking station and packing an N270 or N280 processor, Windows XP Home, 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, WiFi, optional WiMAX / HSDPA and a 6-cell battery. The S1024 netbook contains most of the same hardware, but you'll have to handcraft your own stand if that you're thing.[Via iTechNews]Read - ThinNote S1024Read - Booktop M1022
MSI outs full specs of X-Slim X320 / X340 and Wind U123
While MSI has been teasing its Wind U123 and X-Slim X320 / X340 laptops for a little while now, we've yet to see the full specifications for each rig laid out. Until now, of course. Over at CTIA in Vegas, the company is revealing all the dirty details about what makes these May-bound rigs tick, and we're pleased as punch to see a few unexpected inclusions. As for the 10.2-inch U123, you'll find a 1.66GHz Atom N280 CPU, integrated WWAN and even a built-in TV tuner. As for the X-Slim X340 (starting around $1,000), it's amongst the first to feature Intel's newfangled CULV platform, which sucks down one-sixth the power of a regular mobile CPU. The X320 (starting at $700) gets gifted with a less exciting 1.6GHz Atom Z530, but the optional 3G / WiMAX module definitely makes it altogether enticing for those scouting a continually connected ultraportable. Head on past the break for the full hardware breakdown.
ASUS quietly reveals Atom N280-equipped Eee PC 1002H
Till now, the only N280-packin' Eee PC of any stature was the amazingly long-lasting 1000HE. Thankfully for everyone who appreciates minute improvements in speed, ASUS has just pushed out another with the mildly quicker chip: the Eee PC 1002H. Not the 1002HA, mind you -- just the 1002H. Outside of the new CPU, however, most everything remains exactly the same from the 'HA' edition, including a 10-inch LED-backlit WSVGA display, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB hard drive, 1.3 megapixel webcam, inbuilt stereo speakers, a multicard reader, VGA out, three USB 2.0 sockets and audio in / out jacks. There's no mention of a price or release date, but it should arrive in Pearl White, Pink and Black whenever launch day comes.[Via Eee PC-Blog]
MSI readying updated Wind U123 for April release
MSI's Wind U120 has only been available for a little over a month, and already received a minor update of its own, but it looks like the company is already planning on adding a few more digits to the Wind line, with its upgraded Wind U123 apparently on track for an April release. While much will apparently remain unchanged form the U120, the U123 does get a bit of a boost from Intel's new Atom N280 processor, which has already found its way into ASUS' Eee PC 1000HE, and from a maximum 2GB of RAM, as opposed to 1GB on the U120. You'll also be able to get it in your choice of four colors, and with a six or nine cell battery if you choose. What's more, MSI's director of US sales reportedly confirmed that the company has both 11.6-inch and 12-inch netbooks "in development," and that it "can bring that out of the gate," although he unfortunately didn't go any farther than that somewhat cryptic statement."
Asus Eee PC 1000HE review roundup
Well, kids, it looks like the Asus Eee PC 1000HE has started making the rounds and so far the reviews have been rather favorable. PC Review was so taken by the machine, in fact, that they declared it the "best one yet... dethron[ing] the MSI Wind as the leader of the pack." Their enthusiasm is stoked by the fact that the machine's been designed around its new six-cell battery (making for something less bulky than, say, the 10-inch Aspire One or the NC10-14GB). Also in the win column are the obvious design improvements over its predecessor, and its hard to beat $400 street price. That said, it is a netbook: the new Intel Atom N280 processor offers "no real performance benefits" over the N270, the features are pretty standard for a machine of its class (160GB HDD, three USB ports, a webcam, VGA out, 4-in-1 card reader and the usual ethernet and WiFi connectivity) and testing failed to find "any performance differences between the 1000HE and systems like the Wind, the Aspire One (10-inch), and the HP 2140." Also according to the magazine, the new software-based overclocking feature is no great shakes. Laptop Magazine feels pretty much the same way, loving the new keyboard, the new battery, and the fact the easy-access panel (for HDD and RAM upgrades and the like) is still intact. On the other hand, they point out that the thing's a little heavy (3.2 pounds) -- but what do you expect from a machine that boasts over 7 hours battery life? Notebook Review singles the thing out for its design: "Build quality," it says "is very good with strong, durable plastics used throughout the body," and the new keyboard and gloss black paint "really adds another level of class and style to this netbook." But don't take our word for it -- hit the read links for the full reviews, and be sure to check out the gallery below.%Gallery-44165%Read - PC Review Read - Laptop MagazineRead - Notebook Review
