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Edge HD2 Mini PC is an HTPC that hides behind your TV
When it comes to home theater PCs, size matters -- and it doesn't get too much smaller than Sapphire's original Edge HD mini PC, pictured above. In fact, Sapphire saw no reason to fiddle with the Edge's diminutive form factor when designing the HD2, and instead poured itself into improving the HTPC's specs. Not only is the updated mini-rig small enough to mount behind your HDTV, but it also packs a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Atom, 2GB RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. All this (and 1080p VGA / HDMI out, of course) at 30W, "20 times less power than a typical desktop PC," according to Sapphire. No word on price (or pics, for that matter), but feel free to jump past the break for an official press release with full specifications.
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%
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.
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%
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%
Dual-core Atom-powered Gigabyte and Lenovo netbooks up for sale in Australia
As promised, we've been keeping an ear to the ground on Intel's new mobile, dual-core Atom processor, and as luck would have it a number of netbooks are popping up with the new CPU baked in...well, at least in the land down under. Australian e-tailer Pena.au has 10.1-inch netbooks from both Gigabyte and Lenovo listed on its site with the fresh 1.5GHz Atom N550 processor. The Gigabyte T1005M convertible -- or netvertible, as we like to call it -- is much like the T1000, and still has a 1,366x768 pixel capacitive touch display, USB 3.0 ports, and an eSATA jack. It sounds like a pretty impressive little system, but it's listed for 905 Australia dollars, which translates to about $800 US. That's a bit steep, but Aussies looking for something more affordable have the N550-powered Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 to choose from as well -- although that too is listed for a pricey $699 Australian (about $617 US). We're assuming the dual-core CPU adds about $50 to $75 to the average single-core netbook selling price, but here's hoping that the prices are a bit lower once they hit this side of the hemisphere.
Intel to announce dedicated tablet silicon at Computex
During this morning's press conference on the new Core i3, i5 and i7 ULV processors, Intel PC Client Group Vice President Mooly Eden revealed that Chipzilla will launch that special "tablet solution" we had heard about at Computex next week. No details were given on this "dedicated silicon for the tablet space," but we can assume that it's going to fall into the Atom line up. Whether it will be an extension of the Moorestown family or just be an outgrowth of the Pineview platform found in netbooks and nettops remains to be seen, but you can bet on us listening up for more info when we're live from Taipei next week. Hit the link below if you want to hear this guy spill the beans.
Intel wraps up 'best first quarter ever' by teasing new dual-core Atoms for Q2
Android support for Moorestown isn't the only morsel of Intel news to come out today. In an earnings call today that kicked off with word of a 288 percent year-over-year net income increase -- its "best first [fiscal] quarter ever" reportedly -- Intel CEO Paul Otellini said, "the next innovation coming out on Atom is dual core, which comes out in the second quarter." Given dual core Atoms already exist for nettops, we're gonna guess he's referring specifically to netbooks. That jibes pretty well with what we heard about the supposed D510 remake as N500. Guess we've got something to look forward to in the netbook category over the next few months.
Rumored dual-core Atom details get fleshed out
We'd already heard that Intel planned to trot out some dual-core Atom processors sooner or later, and the Fudzilla website has now turned up a few more details on 'em courtesy of a supposedly legitimate leak. According to it, the first dual-core processor will be dubbed the Atom 330, and will clock in at the same 1.6GHz as the current single-core Atom 230 (no word on that 1.87GHz version we heard about previously). What's more, the processor will supposedly pack 1MB cache memory (twice the amount of the current single-core processor), and boast a TDP rating of just 8W, which is a good deal more than the 2W rating the current Atom 230 has, but still far less than any of Intel's other low-voltage processors. Still no word on a price for it, unfortunately, but it's said to be on track for a release sometime in the third quarter of this year.[Via Electronista]
