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Habey USA's 12-inch panel PC brings that rugged look to your home
It's a shame this steel-encased touchscreen PC from Habey USA arrived too late for our violent outburst on the Engadget Show, but at least it has some broadly agreeable specs. The PPC-6512 can reel off 1080p vids on its 12-inch screen while consuming just 30W thanks to its 1.8GHz Atom D525 and NVIDIA Ion GT218 combo. An empty 2.5-inch removable HDD tray and eSATA port give it potential as a networked storage hub, and an old-school serial port lets it handle home automation controls too. It could also be used as a comms or security terminal, as there's a 1.3MP webcam on board, vesa mounting holes and four USB 2.0 ports. Heck, we'd buy three and rig our whole house up -- were it not for the $800 price tag, the apparently limited availability on Habey USA's underloved Amazon page, and the fact that we like our terminals to show a bit of emotion. Full specs in the PR after the break.
ASUS Eee PC 1015PN review
It's not a secret: ASUS likes to roll out many (and we mean many!) variations of the same laptop. However, while most of the time the differences between the various model numbers -- the PEs, PNs, UCs, UFs, etc. -- usually don't result in much, the $430 1015PN happens to be quite a system in comparison to the many other 1015 or 1215 models roaming the universe. Sure, it has the same chassis as the 1015PE we reviewed not too long ago, but inside it's the first netbook to have Intel's brand new dual-core N550 processor and NVIDIA's Ion graphics. It's arguably the most powerful 10-inch Atom netbook to ever hit the market, but there's one thing that kills the experience for us. Find out just what that is in our full review after the break! %Gallery-107314%
ASUS Eee PC 1215N review
About nine months ago ASUS released its 12.1-inch Eee PC 1201N to much fanfare. It was the first "netbook" to pack NVIDIA's Ion platform and a desktop-class Atom processor. Translation: it absolutely wrecked regular netbooks (and even other Ion netbooks) on the graphics and performance battlefield. Indeed, the 1201N blurred the lines between netbook and regular laptop, but we ultimately knocked it fairly hard for not lasting longer than 2.5 hours on a charge -- it was dubbed a "netbook" of course. Our apologies for the brief history lesson, but it's actually quite important in understanding why ASUS' second generation of the 1201N is such a big deal. The 1215N has a Pine Trail 1.8GHz dual-core Atom D525 processor and NVIDIA's Ion 2 with Optimus, which no longer requires the GPU to be running the entire time and saves battery power. The $500 rig (though we're seeing it on sale for as much as $599) is still on the pricey side for a "netbook," but promises 1080p playback, seven hours of battery life and a 250GB hard drive. So, does the 1215N correct all the wrongs of the 1201N and live up to the "netbook powerhouse" title that ASUS has given it? And more importantly can it compete with some of the newer thin and light laptops, like the Dell Inspiron M101z? We found out, and we're assuming you want to as well in our full review after the break.
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.
Shuttle's excessively thin XS35 nettop now shipping, 1080p Ion 2 graphics and all
It's been a long wait (nearly half a year, in fact), but Shuttle has finally transitioned the XS35 from a luscious HTPC promise into a retail reality. The 1.5-inch thick nettop is today rolling out to online retailers in the US and Canada, offering three preconfigured options to suit a variety of budgets. All come with built-in 802.11n WiFi, a dual-core 1.66GHz Atom D510 CPU, 5 USB ports, and a 4-in-1 media card reader, while the pricier two also include DVD-RW drives for good measure. The top XS35 spec gives you 500GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, a HDMI output, and the crowning glory of NVIDIA's scrumptious Ion 2 powering 1080p video playback. Newegg doesn't seem to yet have that SKU available, but it's priced the other two at $240 and $290, suggesting a price somewhere north of $300 for the complete package. Full press release after the break. Update: And sure enough, the Ion 2-equipped SX35 has also made its Newegg debut, yours for $380. Thanks, RatioTitle!
ASUS Eee PC 1215N to ship in the US at the end of August
With the NVIDIA Ion 2-powered Acer Aspire One 532g falling by the wayside and the ASUS Eee PC 1201PN hitting the market sans NVIDIA Optimus, all eyes are on the ASUS Eee PC 1215N to be the true Ion 2 machine. Well, super-charged netbook fans, we've got good news: the 12-inch laptop, which has a 1.8GHz dual-core Atom D525 CPU and NVIDIA's Optimus to intelligently switch between discrete and integrated graphics, will ship in the US around August 23. And while an MSRP hasn't been set in stone, we're told "it should be below $500." Sure, a glance at the calender will reveal that you won't get your mitts on this bad boy for at least 40 days, but we're confident you'll find something to pass the time.
ASUS Eee PC 1201PN with NVIDIA Ion now available at an Amazon.com near you
Well, what do you know? Just a few hours after hearing the Acer Aspire One 532g with NVIDIA Ion 2 has been canceled, the Ion 2-equipped 12.1-inch ASUS Eee PC 1201PN that we've also been waiting on pops up for sale on Amazon.com. While we had heard this Eee wouldn't be shipping in the US, that's clearly not the case, and for $484.00 it's not a bad deal either -- especially considering the Eee PC 1201N started at $499. The spec rundown is exactly the same as we've been hearing for months -- it's got a Intel Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 201M graphics. But don't forget while this is technically dubbed as having "Ion 2," it doesn't use NVIDIA's Optimus technology, which means the GPU is always on, and thus probably going to chew away at the battery life. The whole last part is quite a bummer, but we're still betting some will hit the source link below and pull out the plastic. Will you? Updated: If you're waiting to read a review before pulling the trigger LAPTOP Mag has one up right now. Stay tuned for the official Engadget review soon.
NVIDIA Ion 2-based Acer Aspire 532g netbook canceled
Acer may have announced a handful of new netbooks this morning, but we've been waiting and waiting on the NVIDIA Ion 2-powered Acer Aspire One 532g. And we hate to be the bearer of this bad news, but it turns out we could be waiting forever on the 10-inch, 1080p-playing netbook. Blogeee is reporting that bugger has been canceled in France due to technical issues with NVIDIA and Acer drivers, and when we followed up with our Acer contact here in the US, we were told that the 532g would not be launched in the "upcoming back-to-school cycle." It's truly not looking good for the little laptop, not to mention it's extremely disappointing not to see any other Ion 2 netbooks on the market almost five months after its launch. Well 532g, we'll always look back on our time together at CeBIT fondly. Sniff.
ASUS Lamborghini VX6 and VX7 peel out with NVIDIA Ion 2 and Core i7, respectively
ASUS may have spent most of its Computex press conference talking tablets and pads, but the company is definitely descending on the show with some new laptops. The 11.6-inch Lamborghini VX6 and 15.6-inch VX7 are amongst the most eye catching -- ASUS has redesigned the premium systems with new glossy casing, sleek automotive adornments, chiclet keyboards and a Bang & Olfsen ICE power sound system. We're totally swooning over the smaller VX6, which packs a dual-core Atom D525 processor, USB 3.0 and NVIDIA Ion 2 graphics, though the higher end Core i7 VX7 and its NVIDIA "enthusiast graphics" sound pretty darn good as well. No word on when these bad boys will be going from zero to sixty to a store near you, but given the fact that the systems at the show didn't boot we're going to go with a not very soon. We'll let you know when we hear more, but you'll certainly want to check out the beauty shots of these puppies below. %Gallery-94072%
ASUS Eee PC 1215 with Ion receives Optimus and USB 3.0 augmentation (video)
When we found out that the Ion 2-packing Eee PC 1201PNs lacked NVIDIA Optimus tech for switching graphics hardware on the fly, well, it was a bit of a bummer to say the least. But, ASUS is at least fixing its successor, the Eee PC 1215. It's largely the same machine as the 1201, packing a dual-core Atom D510 processor and Ion graphics to complement the onboard graphics. This one, though, will have the Optimus hardware to switch betwixt the two, saving battery life all the while. The case has also been subtly refreshed but, most interestingly, ASUS saw fit to throw in a pair of USB 3.0 ports, their cerulean insides shining like beacons to guide us toward the future of high-speed file transfers. We're not sure when the 1215 is destined to hit retail and make the 1201PN obsolete, nor how much of a premium it will cost when it does, but there are plenty more pictures of the thing and even a few benchmarks at the source link. Update: We've got a video of some hot benchmarking action after the break.
Zotac's ZBOX HD-ID11 starts shipping for $250
You've seen the sneak peek, you've dug into the review, and now you're more ready than ever before to part with $249.99 in order to get your grubby mitts around one of the world's smallest Ion 2-based small form factor PCs. You've already dreamed up the perfect application for this pint-sized rig, and now it looks as if Newegg is shipping out the orders that it receives right now. Go on and head down to the source link if your mind's made up, but remember, we can't be held responsible for buyer's remorse effective March 13, 2004.
Zotac ZBOX HD-ID11 and its Ion 2 innards reviewed
Small form factor? Check. Low power consumption married to 1080p video playback capabilities? Of course. Quiet cooling? Naturally. Those are the basic requirements for, and their fulfillment is the means by which we judge, a good home theater pc. They're also the highlights of Zotac's Ion 2-powered ZBOX HD-ID11 barebone (you have to add your own RAM, storage and OS) nettop, which recently visited AnandTech's labs for some old fashioned review action. It's a highly illuminating read, particularly for those interested in the differences between NVIDIA's Ion generations, which throws up a mixed bag of results. While you'll be quite alright watching Full HD Blu-rays on the ZBOX, Flash hardware acceleration -- yeah, that old nugget again -- is not yet implemented well enough, resulting in a maximum of 480p resolution before Hulu streams started glitching out on the reviewer. A June driver update from NVIDIA should rectify this issue, and we're encouraged to wait it out and see what we might see then. In the mean time, you can just delve into the complete analysis which awaits at the link below. [Thanks, Wowzers]
Keepin' it real fake: MacBook Pro knockoff rocks Ion 2, thinks itself fly
We've stumbled across any number of MacBook Air KIRFs, but it's not often we see a worthy representation of Cupertino's heftier model. Never underestimate Shenzhen. This "Dragonfly QT Pro" not only features a familiar aluminum alloy shell, the 14-inch, 1366 x 768 netbook's also got Ion 2 switchable graphics ahead of its Acer and ASUS cousins. A 1.66GHz Atom D410 and 1GB of memory help pump out 1080p video while keeping case temperatures at a lap-happy 36 degrees Celsius, while a 160GB hard drive, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and HDMI (take that, Mini DisplayPort) round out a 4.2 pound, roughly $3000 RMB (about $440) package. Shame it only gets 2 hours of battery life, eh?
First wave of Ion 2 ASUS Eee PC 1201PNs lack NVIDIA Optimus
Well, this is sad. While we told you earlier this week that the Ion 2-powered ASUS Eee PC 1201PN wouldn't be arriving until late May, a number of European sites have gotten early review samples of the 12-inch "netbook" -- if you choose to call it that -- and have discovered that it doesn't use NVIDIA's Optimus automatic graphics switching technology. That's right, instead we're told by NVIDIA that the discrete GeForce 201M GPU runs continuously and Intel's integrated chip is never used -- a configuration which sounds like it'll absolutely kill the battery life on this machine. According to Hardware Zone, ASUS made this choice aiming to be the first to market with the next generation of Ion, but an Optimus version of the ASUS Eee PC 1201PN will be ready later this quarter. It also appears that an Eee PC 1215N with both Ion 2 and Optimus is floating around, but we haven't confirmed what's going on with that. We're sorry if we confused you even more, but we'll be keeping our eyes out for the early reviews of the 1201PN to see if our predicted two hours of battery life is on the mark. Update: The 1201PN cannot be updated with firmware to enable Optimus -- the hardware isn't there for the automatic switching.
NVIDIA Ion 2 Acer and ASUS netbooks won't ship until late May
NVIDIA's next generation Ion platform was announced back in early March, so naturally we've been wondering where all the souped-up netbooks based on the tech have been hiding. We wish we had better news, but it looks like the wait will have to go on a little while longer. While NVIDIA claims no delay on its end, ASUS and Acer have confirmed that their respective Ion 2 netbooks will not arrive until the end of May or even as late as the beginning of June in the US. The 12-inch ASUS 1201PN, which packs a dual-core Atom processor and a 16-core Ion chip, is set to hit Europe and Asia in mid to late May and will make its US debut in June. Similarly, Acer's 10-inch Aspire One 532G is planned to be released around Computex in early June. We just have a feeling there will be some more joining the Ion 2 netbook brigade in the interim, but it's looking like we'll just have to kick off the summer with another Ion showdown.
Lenovo C200 brings NVIDIA Ion 2 stateside for $499
If you've been patiently waiting on a low-cost NVIDIA Ion 2 system it looks like today is your lucky day since it looks like Lenovo has scored an early lead in unleashing the wrath of the new Atom / GeForce combo. Available sometime this month, the 18.5-inch C200 all-in-one isn't going to replace that Core i7 rig for ripping through Command & Conquer 4, but its Intel dual-core Atom D510 CPU can handle the light productivity while its GeForce G210 GPU will automatically turn on -- thanks to Optimus -- to deal with some Spore or 1080p video. Unfortunately the C200 only has a single touch, 1366x768-resolution display and a standard integrated DVD drive rather than Blu-ray, but we guess we can't expect much more for its appealing $499 price tag. Lenovo will also offer a sans Ion and touch version of the C200 for $399. We told you today was going to be your lucky day! PR and press pics for your viewing pleasure below. %Gallery-89877%
Shuttle's Ion 2-equipped XS35 shows off its slimline nettop credentials in hands-on video
In the market for a new HTPC? Then you'll probably be wanting the slimmest possible enclosure that can still fit an optical drive and the grunt to power through HD video. Set aside some of your attention for Shuttle's XS35, in that case, as this 3.3cm-thick slab of engineering contains an Atom D510 (yawn) paired with NVIDIA Ion 2 graphics (yay!), which should in concert deliver buttery smooth 1080p playback, whether through Flash or Blu-ray discs. The integrated optical drive can't run those fancy discs from what we know, but you could easily swap it out with a slimline BR burner, jack your favorite HDMI cable into the back, and have the perfect little movie box. It's passively cooled so there'll be no fan noise, and its price should be pretty endearing considering the aggressively priced competition from Zotac and Acer. See the XS35 in its metallic flesh after the break. [Thanks, JC]
Acer Aspire One 532G with ION 2 priced at an aggressive 379 euros
Now that's how to get our attention. While the English-speaking portion of the Acer press conference left much to be desired, the second half, decidedly more German in vernacular, had a couple great tidbits. Most notable is a price of Acer's AspireOne 532G, the ION 2-equipped netbook initially espied at Mobile World Congress. The slide says it all, sort of: 379 euros -- mighty aggressive, and if history tells us anything, there's a good chance it'll be about $379 when it comes stateside, too. No word on release date as far as we can tell, but you'll definitely want to keep an eye out for this one.
Zotac's ZBOX HD-ID11 has NVIDIA Ion 2 and Atom D510 to thank for excellent media playback (updated)
Like gaming? Move right along to the iBuyPower booth, please. Want an unobtrusive PC that will feed your Hulu and YouTube HD streaming addiction? Say hello to the ZBOX HD-ID11. It's basically a desktop version of the same Ion 2 setups you saw announced on the mobile front yesterday, and as such should provide flawless Flash 10.1 playback while occupying an extremely lean footprint on your desktop. Zotac has matched MSI's Wind Box DE220 with its inclusion of a dual-core 1.66GHz Atom D510 CPU, though it obviously differs with its NVIDIA Ion 2 graphics subsystem that includes 512MB of dedicated DDR3 memory. HDMI 1.3a and standard VESA wall-mounting are expected extras, with six USB ports, integrated 802.11n WiFi, dual-link DVI, and a 6-in-1 media card reader covering the rest of your bases. Check out some 1080p playback on a similarly specced system right here while you wait for pricing and availability to be revealed. Update: We've heard directly from Zotac on the matter of pricing and we're told that the American MSRP will be $209.99 ($239) for the barebones edition, which will require you to add your own hard drive, memory and OS. Update 2: Zotac seem to have been a little too ambitious with the initial price they quoted and have asked us to correct that number upwards by 30 bucks -- MSRP is now expected to land at $239.
NVIDIA's Optimus technology shows its graphics switching adroitness on video
Explaining automatic graphics switching and the benefits thereof can be a somewhat dry affair. You have to tell people about usability improvements and battery life savings and whatnot... it's much more fun if you just take a nice big engineering board, strap the discrete GPU on its own card and insert an LED light for the viewer to follow. NVIDIA has done just that with its Optimus technology -- coming to a laptop or Ion 2-equipped netbook near you -- and topped it off by actually pulling out the GPU card when it wasn't active, then reinserting it and carrying on with its use as if nothing had happened. This was done to illustrate the fact that Optimus shuts down the GPU electrically, which is that little bit more energy efficient than dropping it into an idle state. Shimmy past the break to see the video.
