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NVIDIA Ion to begrudgingly support Core 2 Duo by Q4?
It's easy to overlook amidst all PowerPoint-fueled fisticuffs but, in addition to slinging rebuttals at Intel and muttering insults under its breath, NVIDIA also appears to have dropped a bit of news about its next-generation Ion platform. While we had already heard that Ion 2 would be supporting VIA's Nano processor in addition to Intel's Atom, it looks like it'll also support Core 2 Duo processors, and even Pentiums and Celerons for good measure. That, of course, is not all that surprising given Ion's roots in NVIDIA's current MCP79M/MCP7A chipset platform, and there's certainly plenty of time for things to shake out further before that promised Q4 rollout date -- and, knowing these two companies, things probably will.[Via Electronista]
Acer's Ion-based Hornet nettop leaked in presentation slides?
Despite NVIDIA's claims that we'd have an Ion desktop sometime this Spring, we still haven't really seen it in consumer-bound hardware -- until now, that is. Although unconfirmed, slides have purportedly leaked out of what is said to be the Acer Hornet Ion-based nettop. Aside from the platform and a HDMI output, we don't have any specs for the machine. What we do know is that it's sporting a wireless game controller / air mouse -- in case you didn't pick up on the Wii influence, one of those background photos is a direct rip from NIntendo's ad campaign -- and can apparently hang from the back of LCD TVs. The images also tout its eco-friendly design, small form factor, "silent operation," and a price tag of only a couple hundred dollars. Elaborate Photoshop or impending PC? Something feels fishy here, so while we sit and impatiently wait for some official word, hit up the read link for more pics. [Via Slash Gear]
NVIDIA responds to Intel's Ion dismissal, all eyes on recess for confrontation
It wasn't too hard to see this one coming, but NVIDIA has now shot back at Intel and responded point by point to each accusation Intel made recently about its Ion platform. For starters, while NVIDIA doesn't exactly dispute that Ion is just a repurposed MCP79M/MCP7A chipset, it does say that Ion is a "modern 2 chip solution," while Intel is relying on a "4-year-old 3 chip design." NVIDIA also points out that Ion is certified by Microsoft to deliver the "premium Windows experience," and not just Windows XP, and that, contrary to Intel's claim, Ion does in fact offer similar battery life to an Intel-based system while also delivering ten times the performance. In related news, Intel CEO Paul Otellini himself hit NVIDIA with a few jabs yesterday at a Goldman Sachs conference in San Francisco, saying that NVIDIA is simply not in a strong competitive position, and that, "if you don't have a microprocessor, what else do you have to sell?" Meanwhile, AMD was said to be wandering around the cafeteria, looking for a seat at the lunch table.Read - Tom's Hardware, "Nvidia Fires Back at Intel's Anti-Ion Sentiments"Read - CNET, "Intel CEO comments on Nvidia, economy, flash"
NVIDIA Ion platform to support VIA Nano processors this year
It's pretty clear NVIDIA already has some big plans for its new nettop / netbook-specific Ion platform, and it looks like its reach is about to get broader still, with company president Jen-Hsun Huang reportedly confirming that the platform will also support VIA's Nano processor by the end of the year. As you may recall, the two companies had been in off and on talks about a partnership last year before things finally fell though in November, and there was even a point where it seemed like NVIDIA might actually acquire VIA. No word from Intel on this latest development, although it doesn't seem like it'll be affecting the Atom's status as the go-to processor in the short term. There's also unfortunately no indication as to exactly what sort of VIA-powered, Ion-based systems we can expect to see, although it certainly wouldn't be a surprise if they followed the Ion / Atom combo and went with a nettop first.[Via GadgetMix.com]
NVIDIA shows off Ion Windows 7 multitasking, confirms launch details
We've already gotten a pretty good idea of Ion's capabilities, but NVIDIA doesn't seem to be one to turn down an opportunity to show it off, and it did just that recently at a joint press conference with Microsoft. As you might have guessed, the pair was especially keen to show off Windows 7 multitasking on the platform and, judging from the video available at the read link below, it seems to be more than up to the task, with it able to convert a 1080p video file to a more portable size while the video was playing, and play Left 4 Dead at 720p resolution without any noticeable hiccups. In other news, NVIDIA also confirmed that the first Ion-based system would, in fact, be a desktop, and that it'll begin shipping sometime this spring. Unfortunately, there's no word as to who may be manufacturing said desktop, with NVIDIA's Drew Henry only going so far as to say that it'll be "very small" and "affordable."Read - TweakTown, "NVIDIA demo Windows 7 multi-tasking on ION "Read - Electronista, "First NVIDIA Ion system a desktop, due in spring"
NVIDIA Ion platform review roundup
A handful of sites have managed to get their mitts on a miniature test PC equipped with NVIDIA's Ion platform, and it looks like the line between netbook and laptop just got a whole lot blurrier. According to the testers, the setup delivers smooth HD video playback and could be a boon for the Home Theater PC market. It won't play Crysis, but the DirectX 10-compatible chipset should do World of Warcraft and Left 4 Dead justice. Though the company claims it'll only use 12% more power than comparative Intel 945GM/E-based solutions, PC Perspective found the test units to consume twice the wattage -- of course, it might be a different story when Ion-equipped PCs hit retail channels. NVIDIA says the platform will tack on about $50 to $100 compared to similarly-spec'd 945GM/E models, and the first two computers to use it -- one desktop and one netbook -- should be out early summer.Read - PC PerspectiveRead - Laptop MagazineRead - Hot Hardware
Rumored Mac Mini refresh said to be Ion-based
People trading in salacious gossip have been counting on an update of the Mac mini for ages now, with most of the rumors centering on it making its appearance at Macworld. Well, the festivities came and went without a peep about the mini -- but that hasn't stopped the rumors from swirling. The latest we're hearing is that the refresh will be built upon NVIDIA's new Ion platform, which houses a 9400M GPU -- the same graphics processor as the new unibody Macbooks -- and could mean an even minier mini than the one we already know. Tom's Hardware, the source of this newest rumor, also speculates on a March release date, though they're not guessing on the price just yet.
