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ASUS Eee PC 1005PE review
By our count ASUS has released -- at the very least -- 20 Eee PC netbooks since 2008. Some had 8.9-inch or 10-inch displays, some ran Xandros Linux or Windows XP, and some packed hard drives instead of flash storage. But common to virtually all of them was an Intel Diamondville 1.6GHz Atom N270 or N280 processor. That all changes with the 10-inch Eee PC 1005PE -- one of the first netbooks to feature the next-generation Intel Pine Trail platform, which features a 45-nanometer Pineview Atom N450 processor that integrates both the memory controller and GMA 3150 graphics onto the CPU die. The newly compact package promises improved performance and power efficiency, but will you notice the difference? Does the $380 1005PE blow past the Diamondville Eee PCs of late? Read on to find out in our full review. %Gallery-80648%
Intel's next-gen Pine Trail Atom processors officially announced
Get ready for the next generation of netbooks and nettops: Intel's just officially announced the Pine Trail Atom N450, D410, and D510, along with the NM10 Express chipset, and we should see over 80 machines with the 45-nanometer chips at CES 2010. Nothing too surprising about the 1.66GHz chips themselves, which integrate the memory controller and Intel graphics directly onto the CPU die: the N450 is targeted at netbooks, while the single-core D410 and dual-core D510 are designed for nettops, and each chip should use about 20 percent less power than its predecessor. That was borne out in our review of the N450-based ASUS Eee PC 1005PE, which got 10 hours of battery life in regular use, but unfortunately we didn't experience any performance improvements over the familiar N270 and N280. That jibes with other reports we've heard, but we'll wait to test some more machines before we break out the frowny face permanently -- for now, check out the full press release below.
ASUS Eee PC 1201N debuts early at Newegg
OK, kids, here you have it: the Asus Eee PC 1201N has arrived a little earlier than expected. At least we think that's what Newegg is trying to tell us. If you hop on over to the site RIGHT THIS MINUTE you can see that the thing is available for ordering, in black, with a limit of one per customer. It's better than waiting until sometime next month, eh? There's no telling if this is a snafu on the e-tailer's part -- everyone else in the western world has it available for pre-order, with a ship date of January 15 -- but if you feel like taking a gamble there is only one thing left to do: hit the source link. [Thanks, Yoav E]
Intel's Atom D510, D410 processors get benchmarked
Intel's Pine Trail may not be out in full force just yet, but it looks like German website CarTFT has gotten ahold of a couple of Intel's latest processor / motherboard combos (intended primarily for nettops) and gone ahead and published a few early benchmarks. As you may have expected, however, the boards don't exactly represent a huge leap over current systems in terms of performance -- especially when compared to an Atom 330 processor paired with an Ion chipset. Indeed, the Atom 330 / Ion pairing actually beat out both the Atom D510 and D410 in a number of real-world Windows 7 performance tests, although the new Atoms did of course come out top when it came to raw processor performance. Then again, the new boards do also both come in at under $100, and they each boast some reasonably good improvements in power consumption, which should be enough to get plenty of folks to overlook look a few shortcomings.
Acer Aspire One 532 spotted in database with Atom N450 'Pine Trail' processor
It's no secret that we're facing down a tidal wave of new netbooks at CES in January, with all signs pointing to Intel unleashing its brand new graphics-friendly Atom N450 chip based on its new-generation Pine Trail platform. So, before we get all netbook'd out, let's allow ourselves a small amount of excitement at this Acer Aspire One 532 spotted within the bowels of the internet (Acer's driver pages). A bit of Google work uncovered specs that include an Atom N450 processor with Intel GMA 3150 and a 10.1-inch 1280 x 720 screen. It's been listed for 299 Euros in one of these random, bean-spilling online stores, so that gives a decent reason to hope that a new generation of Atom won't mean a major leap in pricing. Is that a whiff of holiday optimism we smell in the air?
NVIDIA Ion 2 already ordered up by Acer?
If you need yet more reason to delay purchasing a current generation netbook, we're hearing that Acer has eagerly scooped up an order for NVIDIA's Ion 2 chips, which will eventually be found partnering Intel's forthcoming Pineview hardware in machines of the future. With Intel now integrating graphics processing and the memory controller into the CPU packaging, the Ion 2 is expected to serve much more like a discrete GPU than the Ion chipset of today. Plans to support VIA processors are also still firmly in place, should you wish to experience the improved graphics performance outside of the realm of Lord Intel.
ASUS Eee PC 1201N Ion-based Seashell ready for $500 Amazon pre-order
It's a bit later than the mid-December target heard previously, but ASUS' 12-inch Ion-packing Eee PC 1201N is up for pre-order with an anticipated January 15 release. A penny short of $500 takes home a dual-core N330 processor clocking 1.6GHz on the Atomic clock, 2GB of DDR2 memory with room to expand to 8GB, a 250GB 5,400 RPM hard disk, Bluetooth, 802.11n WiFi, webcam, and fancy new 32-bit Windows 7 Home Premium OS -- none of that Starter Edition netbook nonsense. Here's the rub: are you really going to pull the trigger for a legacy Diamondville-class Atom lappie now knowing that the big CES event in January will likely be flooded with Intel's latest Pineview-class machines sporting new N450 Atom processors, of which, at least a few will offer HD video acceleration? Pre-order now if you want but we'd wait until January 11th to see what might get announced. [Thanks, Luke F.] Update: We've been in touch with ASUS' UK team and can confirm that Blighty will be getting its chance at Ion-infused nirvana at a similar time, "mid-January" they say, and at the slightly higher price of £399 ($663).
Atom N450 netbook torrent undammed on January 11 next year?
Well, well, here's something to spice up that upcoming post-CES malaise. The second Monday of the first January of the 2010th year of the Gregorian calendar seems set to be the day Atom-powered netbook lovers have been waiting for. DigiTimes today reports that the long (much too long) awaited move to the Pine Trail platform is set to go off with a pretty major bang of vendor support come next month. Acer, ASUS, Lenovo, and MSI are all said to have lined up their N450 wares -- we know that for a fact with Lenovo -- and are now awaiting Lord Intel's predetermined date to start shipping. We're also hearing the even faster N470 chip will start making the rounds in March 2010, meaning that the first quarter of next year will see more netbook innovation than the last year and a half combined.
Fujitsu LifeBook MH380 netbook becomes the latest climber on Intel's Pine Trail
We still have nothing but leaked roadmaps and insider information about the details of Intel's Pineview processor and Pine Trail platform at this point, but that's not stopping a number of manufacturers from prepping their products for the supposedly upcoming unveiling. There was a nettop last month, Lenovo's latest IdeaPad last week, and now, thanks again to the FCC, we know there's a new netbook coming from Fujitsu packing the 1.6GHz Atom N450 processor. The LifeBook MH380 sports a 10.1-inch LCD with a resolution of 1366 x 768, 802.11b/g/n wireless, and, well, that's all our government-funded spies have revealed so far. We're guessing CES will be a time of great knowing. [Thanks, Matt]
Intel's Cedarview Atom chip rumored to go 32nm in 2011
We know you aren't publicly keeping count, but considering that you're carefully watching process technology numbers in the depths of your mom's basement, we felt it prudent to pass along the latest juicy nugget from the folks at Fudzilla. According to raisins in their grapevine, Intel is gunning for a 32nm Atom chip in 2011, with the codename of the CPU being Cedarview and the name of the platform being Cedar Trail. If you'll recall, we recently heard that Pineview was expected to be formally unveiled in a slew of machines come January, but we're already anxious for Cedarview's DDR3 support and fresh, sun-ripened scent. Oh, and support for Blu-ray playback, too.
Lenovo IdeaPad shown to possess Pineview CPU by FCC photo shoot
Remember that Pine Trail fast-tracking we were talking about? Yeah, it's for real. Intel's latest submission to the FCC reveals details of a new member of Lenovo's IdeaPad netbook range, and is the first confirmed sighting of the Pineview processor every netbook diehard has been waiting for. The documentation suggests an S10-3 moniker for the new 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 machine, which is likely to pair up that Atom N450 with 2GB of RAM and 250GB of storage. Click past the break to see the sticker with all the specs on it, and do make your voices heard in the comments below regarding that buttonless touchpad -- a Synaptics ClickPad, perchance?
Intel purportedly fast-tracking Pine Trail platform, forgetting all about N270 / N280 at CES
Say it with us now: "freaking finally!" The world at large seems perfectly fine with using Atom N270 and N280 CPUs for the rest of eternity (judging by the latest netbook sales figures, anyway), but techies like us are sick and tired of dabbling with the same underpowered chips and the same lackluster capabilities. At long last, we're hearing that Intel will supposedly officially announce the Pine Trail platform in late December, with a raft of netbooks based around the new Pineview chips hitting the CES show floor in January. The 1.66GHz Atom N450, dual-core 1.66GHz Atom D510 and Atom D410 are expected to be all the rage at the show, with the existing N270 and N280 making an expedited trip to the grave. Good riddance, we say.
Intel's Pine Trail Atom D510 already spotted in Chinese nettop
Remember when we first heard that a mythical Atom D510 was on Intel's roadmap way back in June? Yeah, turns out that memo was spot-on, and while the chip maker has since gone official with the next-gen architecture, we've yet to see it within any machine outside of a trade show floor... until now. Halfway around the world, the KND K1850 all-in-one nettop is said to be packing a dual-core 1.66GHz D510 (Pineview) chip, an 18.6-inch display, 250GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM and a DVD drive. There's also inbuilt WiFi, a 3-in-1 card reader and a few USB ports, though there's no indication that it'll ever ship to anywhere outside of Asia. 'Course, about four billion other machines from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo will, and you can bet your bottom dollar that they'll all have the exact same specifications. Oh, joy.[Via Slashgear]
New Atom architecture Pine Trail on schedule for this year, says Intel's Eden
The ever-entertaining Mooley Eden, Intel's General Manager of Mobile Platform Group, wants you to know as succinctly as possible that the rumors of Atom evolution Pine Trail's delay have been greatly exaggerated. "Pine Trail is on schedule. You can quote me on that... The three chip solution down to two chip solution [is] coming this year." Now how about a hint as to where we'll first see this chip, eh Eden?
Acer and ASUS reportedly freeze netbook releases until 2010
Looks like even Acer and ASUS are getting bored with the Atom N270 -- Digitimes says the two companies are suspending development of new netbooks until the first quarter of 2010 when Intel's next-gen Pine Trail platform with the Atom N450 is set to arrive. What's more, Acer's also apparently postponing that dual-boot Android / XP machine since it's found demand to be low -- we could have told you that months ago, but whatever. Still, turning off the netbook spigot will be a big step for the two companies most responsible for the segment's overheated product cycle, but don't you worry about them -- they'll have plenty of CULV thin-and-light machines to obsessively iterate in the meantime.[Via SlashGear]
Intel Atom N450 "Pineview" processor delayed until next year?
We'd recommend taking this one with a hefty grain of salt for the time being as Intel isn't saying anything on the matter itself just yet, but DigiTimes is reporting / speculating that Intel's Atom N450 "Pineview" processor (and the Pine Trail platform that goes along with) has been delayed until next year. That processor, as you may recall, was apparently on track to debut sometime in the last quarter of this year, but DigiTimes says Intel has decided to push it back a bit so as not to shake up the netbook market too much in the second half of 2009.Update: DigiTimes has further clarified saying the N270 will take up the slack on 2H2009 in part due to low orders of the relatively high cost N450 and worries that the Pine Trail platform could cannibalize sales of next gen thin-and-lights and Calpella-based laptops.
Intel's Atom N450 'Pineview' coming to netbooks in October?
Get ready to say goodbye to the N270 processor and 945GSE graphics team slow-dancing with your netbook right now, Intel's single-core Atom N450 "Pineview" processor is rumored for a possible October release, at the earliest. The Atom N450 is part of Intel's "Pine Trail" platform architecture that moves the GPU and memory controller onto the CPU die for a smaller package that consumes less power (or the same if Intel jacks the clock speed) when coupled with intel's NM10 "Tigerpoint" chipset. Expect to see Atom N450-based netbooks elbowing for space against Snapdragon- and Tegra-flavored smartbooks everywhere by the end of the year.
Intel details next-generation Atom platform, say hello to Pine Trail
Intel has been doing a lot of talking about big new processors and platforms as of late, and it's now gotten official with one that's soon to be ever-present: its next-generation Atom platform, codenamed Pine Trail. In case you haven't been tracking the rumors, the big news here is that the processor part of the equation, dubbed Pineview, will incorporate both the memory controller and the GPU, which reduces the number of chips in the platform to two, and should result in some significant size and power savings. As Ars Technica points out, the platform is also the one that'll be going head to head with NVIDIA's Ion, which is likely to remain more powerful but not as affordable or efficient, especially considering that NVIDIA can't match Intel's on-die GPU. Either way, things should only get more interesting once Pine Trail launches in the last quarter of this year.
Intel reveals notebook and netbook plans for the rest of the year
The netbook formula hasn't evolved much since its inception, still offering largely the same configuration and performance as it ever has. That likely won't change until the end of the summer, with Intel announcing that it's even thinking about retiring the newer Atom N280 processor and GN40 chipset entirely, leaving the older and more common N270 with its 945GSE as the main choice until September, when the new Pineview Atom chips might finally hit production. The company is also creating a whitebox N270-based 8.9-inch netbook that it's shopping around to resellers, again not doing any favors to fans of variety. Moving up to skinny 12- to 13-inch notebooks, Intel is still pushing its CULV architecture, and has its dual-core Calpella platform poised for inclusion in anything with a targeted MSRP of $1,200 and above -- and a release date sometime after the third quarter. That's a few months too late to catch the needy college freshman crowd, Intel.
Intel's 32nm chips ready for MIDs and netbooks in 2009
In 2005 Intel revealed its 65-nm manufacturing process, then 45-nm in 2007. Today, in keeping with its "tick-tock" strategy, Intel is announcing a further shrinkage to its manufacturing process as it ends the development phase for 32-nm chip circuitry. That puts the chips on a production schedule for Q4 2009 -- interesting as Intel's rumored 32-nm Medfield chip wasn't expected until the first half of 2010. According to Intel, the new chips incorporate second-generation high-k + metal gate technology with transistors that switch 22% faster than its current 45-nm Penryn chips. Why should you care? Well, the smaller chips are cheaper to manufacture which should translate to consumer savings. They also require less power than Intel's notoriously power-friendly Atom-class chips. As an interesting side note, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Intel has also disclosed a variant of its 45-nm process (the Lincroft-based Pineview we presume) "that is tailored to create chips for portable computing devices that require low power consumption." Uh, those wouldn't be targeting ARM by any chance would they Intel? Wink wink, nudge nudge. [Via Wall Street Journal]