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Viewsonic ships 7-inch ViewBook VB730 tablet for $230, sticks with Android 2.2
Looking for something a bit different to replace your Galaxy Tab with? Can't say for sure why such a yearning would be reasonable, but if we just rang your bell, Viewsonic's got a newcomer that's on sale now. Just a few months after passing through the FCC's database, the ViewBook VB730 is now in stock over at Amazon, with $229.99 netting you a 7-inch slate with Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, WiFi, a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage space, a microSD card slot and an 800 x 480 screen resolution. Unfortunately, there's no Android 3.2 to be found here; instead, Froyo's listed as the OS of choice, but it's fair to expect a bit of corner-cutting given that shockingly low price point. Hit the source if you're sold.
ViewSonic's new VNB131 ViewBook Pro puts an attractive spin on the 13.3-inch ULV laptop
Viewsonic isn't quite our go-to for excellent PC design just yet, but its new VNB131 ViewBook Pro is a surprisingly decently attractive alternative to the usual ULV fare from the likes of Acer and ASUS. Maybe it's just that touch of "1999" in the aluminum curves and accents that we're finding ourselves suddenly drawn to. Outside of the looks, the VNB131 is mostly pretty stock ULV: there's an Intel ULV SU7300 Core 2 Duo processor, 320GB HDD, 2GB of RAM, a DVD burner, HDMI, VGA, 802.11n and a 7-in-1 card reader. Interestingly, however, you can swap out the DVD drive for an extra 3 cell battery, which in conjunction with the stock 6 cell should offer up to 12 hours of battery life. We're sure you sacrifice a bit on weight and thickness for that luxury, and the price isn't best-in-class either at $949. Still, it's not bad for a company that's still thinks it's pulling one over on people by trying to rip the "MacBook Pro" below-screen lettering. It's available now, wherever ViewBooks are sold. Check out another shot of the laptop after the break, along with some fancy PR. Update: Electric Pig got some hands-on time with it.
ViewSonic blitzes CES: HDTVs, nettops, PMPs, laptops and more
You wouldn't generally think of a smaller outfit such as ViewSonic having a major presence here at CES, but sure enough, the company has hit the ground blazing in Las Vegas. Kicking things off is the new ViewLED TV lineup, which consists of four LED-backlit sets ranging from 19- ($299) to 42-inches ($1,199) in size. Moving from HDTVs to PC panels, we've got ten new Eco-View monitors spanning the entire gamut of sizes and features. The company is also letting loose its VFP858 connected Bluetooth smart frame, which packs an 8-inch panel, an integrated microphone, stereo speakers and support for handsfree dialing... all from a digiframe. For media junkies on the run, the new line of MovieBooks (including the 5-inch VPD550T and 3-inch VPD313T) both sport touch-sensitive displays and sub-$150 price tags. Finally, we've got no fewer than nine new laptop and desktop models, including the 13.3-inch VNB131 ViewBook Pro, 18.5-inch VPC190 all-in-one and the VOT125 nettop. Obviously we've got far too many pricing, availability and hardware details to cover in this space, but all the information you could ever want on the new kit is hosted up after the break. %Gallery-81339%
ViewSonic VNB102 netbook gets price, release date, a handful of pretty renders
If you were waiting for ViewSonic to finally put out a netbook, the wait is over. If you weren't, we don't blame you -- we weren't either. At any rate, the VNB102 ViewBook that we saw manhandled way back in September has finally got a street date: December 18, to be exact. Things are pretty much as you were expecting: 10-inch display, Windows 7, Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB memory, 160GB hard drive, a six cell battery, and 802.11b/g WiFi. This bad boy can be yours for the MSRP of $399. Intrigued? Hit up the gallery below of fly past the break for some stunning PR. %Gallery-80349%
Viewsonic debuts new range of ViewBooks, ViewBook Pros
Viewsonic's already announced a few new laptops in advance of that little Windows 7 launch, but it looks like it's saved its biggest guns for the last minute, with it now introducing a whole range of new models in Taipei. The stand-out of the lot is the company's new ViewBook Pro (pictured above), which packs a 13.3-inch display, low-power Core 2 Duo processor, and a fairly unique interchangeable optical drive / second battery into a slim aluminum enclosure. Rounding out the lot are the ViewBook 120, 130 and 140, which expectedly boast 12-inch, 13.3-inch and 14-inch screens, respectively, and some low-end to mid-range specs across the board (think Celeron or Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, and a 250GB or 320GB hard drive). Still no word on a release over here, but it looks like the ViewBook Pro will set you back $999 or $1,099 depending on the configuration, with most of the rest running well under the $1,000 mark. Head on past the break for a hands-on look at the Pro.[Via TweakTown]
ViewSonic VNB132 laptop and VNB102 netbook hit the massage table
If you believe Jon Rubinstein, mobile computing is the future, but if you look at the VNB102's spec sheet, you'll find that the future still comes with an Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard disk. Should that still satisfy your humble needs, it'll cost you $349 with a 3-cell battery or $399 for the 6-cell edition. Now for grown-up people, ViewSonic ditches the glossy casing and throws up a most righteous 13.3-inch 1280 x 800 display, riding atop an SU7300 CULV processor, 2GB RAM and 320GB HDD. For $899, you'll even get a DVD rewriter, or you can sacrifice it to save a hundred bucks and get an even thinner machine. The VNB132 (pictured) is set to ship with the release of Windows 7, but check the read link below to see it handled today.
Video: Mobinnova élan sporting a custom Tegra UI
Although we get irked by all the names assigned to netbooks, smartbooks, or in this case, viewbooks, we are still pretty excited about the élan's 1080p capabilities, and now the Netbook News crew are adding to our enthusiasm with a pair of videos investigating the machine's chassis and software. The UI they looked at is notable for being supplied by NVIDIA, and may therefore give a good indication of what future Tegra-based devices of all shapes, sizes and naming nomenclatures may look and feel like. We like the media-centric approach, which complements the platform's strengths well, and the chunky navigation icons avoid the pitfalls inherent in a screen of this size (8.9-inches). Click through for the vids, but be warned: super-glossy screens and pink laptop enclosures lay ahead.
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.
