PentiumM
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iPad prototype renderings from early-2000s revealed in Apple / Samsung court filings (update: comparison shots)
It's a strange bit of history that the concept of an Apple tablet led to what we know as the first iPhone. It's a fact that Steve Jobs made mention of back in 2010, at an appearance at All Things D, realizing that Apple was capable of building a handset based on the technology it pieced together for a multitouch display. Now, thanks to Apple / Samsung court filings (you know that whole little kerfuffle between the companies) and digging by the folks at NetworkWorld, some early concepts for an Apple slate have come to light. The dates of the mockups are a little nebulous at the moment, but during his deposition, Jonathan Ive, puts them at somewhere between 2002 and 2004. Check a few more angles and a stiff case usage in the gallery below. Update: Our friend Anand Shimpi of AnandTech pointed out that the first iPad prototype used a Pentium M processor. We sure have come a long way. Update 2: BuzzFeed obtained some color photos of the gigantic prototype placed next to an iPad 2. Head over there to see more.%Gallery-160618%
Intel prepping x86-based system-on-a-chip
Intel may have sold its mobile chip unit to Marvell, but it seems that the company hasn't entirely given up on the mobile biz, with the company recently detailing plans for an x86-based system-on-a-chip. According to HKEPC Hardware, the so-called 'Tolapai' unit will be based on Pentium M architecture, and pack 256KB of L2 cache and support for DDR 2 memory, along with a full compliment of integrated connectivity options, including PCI Express, USB, SATA, Gigabit Ethernet, RS-232 and a cellular link, among other goodies. The initial lineup will apparently come in 600, 1,066 and 1,200MHz varieties to start with, boasting a power consumption of 13-22W, and support for Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows XP Embedded on the OS front. While Intel will first be aiming the system-on-a-chip at embedded applications, as Reg Hardware speculates, it would seem to be just as applicable to handhelds and other mobile devices in need of a little more power. What's not so clear, unfortunately, is when we might actually see a device running on the thing, although the system-on-a-chip itself will supposedly be ready by the end of the year.[Via Reg Hardware]
Pentium-powered Samsung Q1 in the wild
Well, we sure didn't see this one coming: those sneaky devils over at Samsung have very quietly released yet another version of their Q1 UMPC into the wild, and to the delight of the few, the proud, the Origami lovers, this one features a Pentium M ULV CPU among several other spec bumps. You'll recall that the original Q1 sports a Celeron M processor, while the updated Q1b and Q1p offer Via chips to extend the battery life, and now an OrigamiPortal member named "millard" claims to have picked up a speed-stepping, Pentium-powered model at his local Fry's. Besides the improved battery life that should result from the 1.0GHz auto-adjusting processor in this new Q1 (which curiously retains the original "Q1" designation, though its model number has been changed to NP-Q1-V0002), other welcome improvements over the original include a 60GB hard drive and a full 1GB of RAM (compared to the 40GB / 512MB configuration on the debut model). At $1,249 the spec-bumped Q1 will set you back $250 more than the Celeron-powered version, but hey, it's still over $1,000 cheaper than the upcoming Q1-SSD with that hot little 32GB solid state flash drive.[Via Carrypad and JKOTR]
Lenovo releases Coke-themed F20 laptop in China
Even though the U.S. government may want nothing to do with its computers, Lenovo's still got so much love for the red, white, and blue that it's releasing a special-edition notebook branded with one of the most recognizable American icons: everyone's favorite tooth-decaying soft drink. Oddly enough, the company's Coca Cola-red, Pentium M-powered F20 was designed in honor of the 2008 Olympic Games -- which are not only two years away, but taking place in China, and not the U.S. (where was this lappy in 1996 when the Games were held in Coke's hometown of Atlanta?). Anyway, besides the snazzy paint job and stick-on Olympic rings, this version of the F20 is pretty much your run-of-the-mill 12.1-inch laptop, sporting an ULV 1.66GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, integrated graphics, an 80GB hard drive, and all the ports, wireless radios, and card readers you've come to expect from notebooks these days. Obviously priced in yuan, this model is going for the equivalent of $1,575, but since Lenovo knows that you can't possibly resist drinking a Coke while you're using this machine, they're throwing in some of that high-tech Batmobile-style armor plating on the house.[Via I4U]
Averatec's 10.6-inch AV1150 ultra-portable notebook
Averatec has just released the first member of its new 1100 series of ultra-portable notebooks, the AV1150-EW1, which sports the same low voltage Pentium M chip that we saw last year in the company's 1000 series, but improves on several other key specs. The most notable difference between the two series is the inclusion of a DVD burner on the new model, although doubling the RAM from 512MB to 1GB is certainly a much appreciated bump as well. All the rest of the features -- 80GB HDD, integrated graphics, WXGA display, and 802.11b/g -- remain the same, and yet Averatec has still managed to shave off a few ounces to help the 1150 weigh in at just 3.4 pounds. Available immediately online or in select stores, we found this model selling for a wallet-friendly $1,300, which is a bit less than the AV1050 commanded at its debut.[Via The Gadgets Weblog]
Blueado's m5e "Sport Edition" HTPC
If you liked the Mac mini-inspired Blueado m5e home theater PC, then you're gonna love a recently-released, improved version of the machine that the company is touting as a "Sport Edition" (because, you know, nothing invokes athleticism like sitting around watching TV and movies all day), which adds several compelling features (and $500) to its $1,500 sibling. Packing in the same 2.0GHz Pentium M processor and integrated graphics as the m5e, this new edition doubles both RAM and HDD capacity to 2GB and 400GB, respectively, and also throws in both analog and digital tuners for keeping you entertained. You get a fairly wide variety of connectivity options with this one -- USB 2.0, FireWire, DVI, VGA, S-video, and digital coax -- along with Dolby Digital and DTS support for hooking up your surround sound speakers to the included RCA outputs. Of course, no HTPC would be complete without a DVD burner, remote control, and million-in-one card reader, so the Sport Edition -- rolling into dealerships now -- mixes in those ingredients as well.
General Micro Systems' ruggedized P630 Spartan UMPC
With the "Origami lifestyle" being portrayed as so fun and carefree, we were surprised to see that UMPCs will also be tasked with the decidedly less fun-filled duty of helping soldiers locate and terminate their targets. The latest high-tech addition to the military's mobile arsenal is a pocketable 1.4GHz Pentium M-powered tablet from General Micro Systems known as the P630 Spartan, whose half-inch-thick ruggedized case houses 2GB of DDR SDRAM, a 30GB hard drive, 64MB of dedicated VRAM for OpenGL and Direct-X support, and an optional 16GB of bootable flash memory. You also get a CF slot, optional 802.11g or Bluetooth, USB and FireWire ports, and E-Purge hard drive self-destruct utility for your $3,400, although that price is for 100 of the devices, so we're not sure if they'll even be willing to sell just a couple to your militia group.
Gateway's E-100M / NX100X with ULV Core Solo chip ships
Remember Gateway's new hotness late last month, the E-100M / NX100X? Well, now they're shipping those things, if you're interested. Intel's also finally admitting to the new 1.2GHz U1400 Core Solo chip the Gateways are running (which they announced alongside their new 1.06GHz U1300 Core Solo in Beijing today). Both their new chips are Core Solo equivalents of the Pentium M ULV series, sipping a paltry 5.5w -- still more than the 5 or so watts consumed by 1.1GHz Pentium M ULV chips now, though.[Via MobileWhack and CNET]
Velocity's Micro NoteMagix M57 Ultra gaming notebook reviewed
Although the hardest-of-hardcore gamers will likely scoff at any laptop that isn't SLI-enabled these days, PC Mag's review of Velocity's 17-inch Micro NoteMagix M57 Ultra shows us that even a solo graphics card combined with a zippy single core processor and a generous helping of RAM can deliver excellent 1,920 x 1,200 fragging performance. The M57 is powered by a 2.26GHz Pentium M 780 -- which gives it only decent productivity benchmark scores compared to a dual core machine -- but the fact that Velocity throws in 2GB of RAM along with the high-end mobile nVidia GeForce Go 7800GTX card and a 7,200 RPM hard drive allowed the rig to best PC Mag's previous champ, the Dell XPS M170, in all-important 3-D and framerate testing. Even better, the faults here are few and far between -- a rather-hefty 9.3-pound weight, lack of software for the built-in TV tuner, and separation between mouse buttons are the only knocks in this review -- so non-SLI snobs should feel safe in dropping their $3000 on what is judged to be a "Very Good" laptop.
Alienware's Sentia m3200 business-minded laptop reviewed
"Business-minded" and "affordably-priced" are not two terms you think of when it comes to boutique gaming rig manufacturer Alienware, so when they announced the 12-inch Sentia m3200 notebook with integrated graphics and a sub-$1,500 price, we were eager to see how it performed. ArsTechnica has a, um, thorough look at this new ultraportable, and seem to come out generally impressed though not overly enthusiastic, as this model does have a few severe drawbacks. Overall, the system's 2.0GHz Pentium M fares decently for most non-cycle hungry tasks such as web browsing, basic multimedia, and Photoshop, but the built-in Intel graphics chip means that 3D CAD work or post-2004 games are pretty much out of the question. Also getting knocks were the ~3 hour battery life, limited vertical viewing angle on the LCD, and sub-par Media Center replacement, the bootless, Linux-based PowerCinema multimedia suite. Still, if you want a light notebook and won't be straying too far from a power outlet, the m3200 seems like a pretty good option, and is also one of the cheapest ways to sport that attention-getting, blazing-blue alien head for livening up stuffy board meetings.
