Instant-onOs
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Hybrid official: instant-on OS based on Android doubles battery life, arrives in Q2 for $1,599
Well, look at what we have here. Though it didn't arrive as early as rumored, the ThinkPad X1 Hybrid running Android is, in fact, a real, whirring product. Lenovo just unveiled the laptop, which has a fanless "Instant Media Mode" promising to double the original X1's (rather skimpy) battery life to as much as ten hours. And while we've seen notebooks with instant-on operating systems, Lenovo's done something unique by installing a dual-core Qualcomm CPU on the motherboard and building a custom OS based on the Android kernel. In fact, its launcher should look awfully familiar to the customization we've seen on the IdeaPad K1 and other Lenovo tablets. Here, too, you can check email, surf the web, organize photos, listen to music, play videos, change the wallpaper and add widgets to the three home screens, though access to Android Market is a no-go. We got to spend a few minutes with the X1 Hybrid a few weeks ago, and if first impressions are to be believed, the battery-saving prowess works as advertised: immediately after switching modes, the estimated remaining runtime jumped from an hour and 16 minutes to four hours and 19 minutes. The OS also booted in about two seconds, as Lenovo says it should. We were also relieved to learn that there's no back-door way of accessing the OS: if the laptop goes to sleep while you're in Instant Media Mode, you'll have to return to Windows to log in again. In every other respect, this is the X1 we reviewed last spring: it has a durable, 3.7-pound chassis, integrated Intel graphics and a glossy, 13-inch (1366 x 768) Gorilla Glass display with brightness rated at 350 nits. It'll be offered with Core i3, i5 and i7 processors, a 3G radio and a slice battery that adds up to five more hours of juice. It'll be available sometime in the second quarter for $1,599 and up -- about a $300 premium over the original. And no, current X1 owners can't download Instant Media Mode as an update -- as you can imagine, that whole "SoC on a motherboard" requirement makes that impossible. Hey, no one ever said being an early adopter was easy.
HP picks up Phoenix's HyperSpace, HyperCore and Flip instant-on assets for $12m
Phoenix Technologies, remember those guys? Yeah, us either. Not that we really minded its instant-on OS or anything, but considering that full-fledged operating systems can boot up in under a minute on most machines, they're kind of a hard sell. Unless you're selling to HP, of course, which is on somewhat of an acquisition rampage. In fact, Hewlett-Packard hasn't even filled out the appropriate paperwork to close that Palm deal it entered into last month, and already the company's dropping another $12 million in order to pick up Phoenix's HyperSpace, HyperCore and Flip instant-on and client virtualization products. There's no mention from either company on what exactly HP plans to do with the new code, but considering that this deal is expected to go final by the month's end, we're guessing we'll be finding out sooner rather than later. On the edge of our seats? Oh, you bet.
Canonical shows off 'Unity' desktop, Ubuntu Light for OEMs
Linux development moves at a rapid pace and, faster than you can say Lucid Lynx, Canonical has now unveiled two new major additions to its Ubuntu bag of tricks. The first of those is the so-called "Unity" desktop, which will be the new desktop environment for Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition (slated to debut in October of this year). Among other things, it boasts a range of enhancements for netbooks and touch-based devices, including a pared-down interface and a new panel and application launcher that gives you quick access to your favorite apps. The other big news is Ubuntu Light, which is Canonical's take on an instant-on OS, and is targeted directly at OEMs for use on netbooks and other mobile devices. While it can be used on its own, Canonical mostly sees it being used in a dual-boot environment with Windows (giving Canonical a bigger foothold in the process). Like other instant-on OS's, it will integrate with Windows and give you access to things like music, photos and other files, as well as provide all the basic apps you need. Unfortunately, there isn't one catch-all version of Ubuntu Light that you'll be able to download since it'll need to be tweaked for each device, but it is available to OEMs immediately -- still no word of any devices that will be using it, though.
ASUS' Express Gate 2.0 instant-on OS demoed on video
ASUS' original ExpressGate instant-on OS may be getting a little long in the tooth, but it looks like it's finally due for a serious replacement. While it didn't cause much fanfare at the time, ASUS was apparently showing off version 2.0 of the SlashTop-based OS at CeBIT earlier this month, and Notebook Italia has just now provided a quick hands-on video that gives us some idea of what's in store. As you can see, the biggest change is the interface, which now looks more than a little like webOS' cards system, and represents a significant step up form the barebones original. Head on past the break to check it out for yourself. [Thanks, Sal]
Dell adds cheaper Latitude On Flash module to some laptops
Dell's Latitude On quick-boot OS has been available on some of the company's laptops for a little while now, but it looks like Dell has now found a new way to make those laptops boot fast but be more affordable. That comes in the form of Latitude On Flash, which an actual flash module that snaps into a mini-card slot in the laptop and makes use of the laptop's own x86 processor to speed up the boot process instead of a separate ARM chip like current Latitude On systems. While that switch will still give you a boot time of eight to ten seconds, it apparently comes at some expense to battery life -- although we're guessing the lower cost (a $50 upgrade, as opposed to a $199 one) will make that trade-off more than acceptable to most users. Look for the upgrade right now on Dell's Latitude E4200, E4300 and Z laptops -- which, incidentally, also come with an updated Gen 2 interface for the Latitude On OS.
Sony VAIO NW unboxing and hands-on
Get used to seeing Sony's new low-priced VAIO NW pop up all over the place: not only is Best Buy heavily promoting the $800 configuration as part of its Next Class campaign, but it's a pretty great value in general -- our $880 tester with Blu-ray basically has every feature you could want in a WIndows machine. We just got it unboxed and toyed around with it a little -- it's not the smallest 15.5-inch machine we've ever seen, but it's not a clunker, either. There's just... more of it to love. Unfortunately, it's harder to love the goofy faux-wood texture that's been baked into the plastic -- it's very much like bad 80s rec room wallpaper. If you do work up the arm strength and fashion courage to lug this thing outside, however, you'll find that quick connectivity is greatly enhanced by Splashtop, which allows you to quickly boot to a Linux-based shell and run a browser. It's a nice little perk, and it should help NW owners transition into the Chrome Age quite nicely -- and speaking of which, Chrome is the default preinstalled browser once you boot back into Vista. Other quick notes: the screen has pretty dismal viewing angles and it's crazy glossy, the trackpad is textured (which we love), and we have no idea why Sony can't bother to at least properly align all the stickers on this thing -- it looks a bit of a mess. That's just sort of how it goes at this price point -- if you can get past the minor flaws, though, the VAIO NW certainly has a lot to offer. Quick Slashtop video demo after the break.
Xandros' instant-on Presto Linux distro now available for download-o
It looks like those itching to try out Xandros' instant-on Presto Linux distribution needn't linger in drawn out boot processes any longer, as the beta version of the OS is now finally available for download from all the usual sources. Unlike some other instant-on OS environments, Presto is designed to sit alongside Windows rather than replace it entirely, with it giving you the option of selecting Windows or Presto each time you boot your computer. If you select the latter, you should be up and running in just "seconds," and have access to all of the apps you likely use 90% of the time. Just don't expect a free ride if you find yourself getting attached to the OS, as the final version is set to demand (an entirely reasonable) $20 when it launches on April 13th.
Xandros announces Presto! instant-on Linux distro
We've always had a thing for instant-on OS environments like SplashTop, and now Xandros is looking to bring that concept to every laptop with Presto!, a new Linux distro that's said to boot in "seconds." The idea isn't so much to replace Windows as it is to supplement it -- you select between Windows and Presto at boot, you'll still have access to all your files, and you can even uninstall Presto from Add / Remove programs. Not a bad way to get your Linux feet wet, and Presto seems like it's pretty functional as well: Xandros already powers the Linux Eee PCs, and it sounds like Presto will run decently on similarly low-powered / older hardware. The stock install comes with Firefox, Skype, a media player and office suite, but Xandros is working on an app store, so you should have lots of other options soon. Sounds promising -- we'll see how it goes when the beta's released on March 16.[Via GadgetMix]
Corel brings InstantON technology to Sony's VAIO P
Man, that first edition VAIO P was not the one to buy. Just a month after we saw the thing unveiled at CES, we've already learned that a Gobi-equipped version is on the way. Furthermore, Corel has just proclaimed that all future VAIO Ps will ship with its own InstantON technology to alleviate slow boot times associated with running Windows Vista on an Atom CPU. As with most alternatives, Corel's version of the software enables users to surf the web, check email, chat online and play back photos, videos and music in seconds after turning on their machine, and it sounds like Corel has crafted a customized interface specifically for this pocket-friendly(ish) PC. If this just made your decision to run out and snag a VAIO P, you can find the Corel-equipped version now in Japan and elsewhere later this month.[Via GadgetMix] Update: In order to address some understandable confusion with this release, Sony has provided the following response: "All of the P Series shipped to date come equipped with Gobi mobile broadband technology and the instant-mode option, but certain feature deployment varies region by region. As such, the mobile broadband feature is exclusively supported by the Verizon Wireless network for all US customers."
Freescale's i.MX515 netbook chip now supports Android and Xandros
When we first laid eyes on Freescale's five-core i.MX515 processor this January, we hoped it was all it claimed to be -- promising an extremely cool machine with a low power budget and a price point that'll take your next netbook down near the fabled $199 range. So far, so good: the Pegatron machines we peeped at CES fit the bill quite nicely, and now ZD Net is reporting that the Cortex-A8-based chip supports the HyperSpace instant-on OS, specially optimized 3G HSDA data modules from Option and Wavecom, and both Android and Xandros. Of course, none of this will be of any help to you if you're married to Windows -- but then again, even if you are we wouldn't really blame you for wanting a little Linux on the side. Especially if it comes in a sweet package like this.
HyperSpace instant-on OS on ASUS lappies: it'll cost ya
When Phoenix Technologies relaunched its HyperSpace instant-on OS, we didn't balk too much at the pricing plans for users looking to add it onto their existing laptop. On the same token, we fully expected it to be included gratis (or close to it) when it arrived pre-installed on Acer and ASUS machines. According to Phoenix Technologies' PR firm, the system will ship on a variety of ASUS machines, with the Hybrid edition being loaded on higher performance devices and the Dual product finding its way onto netbooks and the like. Sadly, ASUS won't be subsidizing the cost of the subscription-based system in part nor in full, meaning that users will be forced to pay the full $39.95 (Hybrid) / $59.95 (Dual) annually if they want to take advantage. Something tells us someone didn't think this plan through.
Phoenix Technologies HyperSpace instant-on OS coming to ASUS laptops
We already knew that Acer was signed on to load Phoenix Technologies' HyperSpace instant-on OS onto some of its machines, and we had a hunch that ASUS would be next in line. Today, the aforesaid outfit has affirmed our suspicions by announcing that the company responsible for the overpopulation of the Eee will "incorporate HyperSpace into its next generation laptops." Oh, and we get the idea ASUS won't be the last to join in, so you Gateway fanboys can feel free to hold out just a bit longer.
Phoenix Technologies HyperSpace instant-on OS review
Here at Engadget, we don't spend an awful lot of time dabbling in operating systems, but when Phoenix Technologies offered us the chance to check out its HyperSpace instant-on OS, we just couldn't resist. After all, it's hard to ignore the allure of reported sub-10 second bootup times on portable-by-nature machines (often referred to as "netbooks," for those camped under rocks). Considering that HyperSpace is well on its way to a netbook near you (we're told that undisclosed partnerships should be completely hammered out within the next few months), why not follow us past the break to see if the system really is all it's cracked up to be.
Phoenix Technologies relaunches HyperSpace instant-on OS: now tastier, widely available
Not that we've never seen this phenomenon before, but Phoenix Technologies' HyperSpace embedded OS was forgotten just about as quickly as it was introduced. Here at CES -- over a year since we first heard of the software -- it's being relaunched in very much official glory. Starting today, HyperSpace for Consumers can be downloaded directly onto any laptop in two flavors: Hybrid ($59.95 annually or $149.95 for three years) or Dual ($39.95 annually or $99.95 for three years). The former taps into the virtual technology in many Intel and AMD CPUs in order to let users toggle between systems; the latter forces you to stay in one or the other. Also of note, HyperSpace for Netbooks will begin shipping on pre-fab machines in just a few months, with Acer already signed on as a partner. The full release is after the break, and check out Laptop's hands-on at the read link.
