AMD's Fusion Chip Will Compete Against Intel's Atom Processors

Intel Corporation is widely considered to be the technological giant regarding computer processors. However, AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) plans on challenging Intel's consistent dominance in the market.

With the recently announced development of the new "Fusion" chip designed for netbooks, we are led to believe AMD plans on making its mark by targeting the "portable computer" community.

The new chip offers a relatively normal TDP of 10- 15 watts as well as decent graphics performance without requiring a separate GPU. Most importantly, this chip will fit in a netbook with a screen less than 12 inches long.

Nigel Dessau, AMD's senior vice president, said "It will have a good processor integrated with graphics, so you won't need the Ion graphics to give it half-decent performance… If we'd had a part, we'd have been in this space. We didn't have a part so we went and worked on a part for the thin and light space. The plan is to come to market next year with a Fusion part that fits it nicely in a netbook type thing."
The Fusion chip will be available sometime next year, so unfortunately, we can only speculate on its performance now.

Via Nexus404.

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Lenovo IdeaPad S12 (NVIDIA ION) review

The Lenovo IdeaPad S12 netbook has been on the market for a while. I first reviewed this laptop in the summer of 2009. But Lenovo recently sent me an updated model with NVIDIA ION graphics to review. As promised, the NVIDIA graphics give the laptop an extra boost for watching HD video or playing games with 3D graphics.

But as with other ION based systems I've tested, I found that the computer was actually slower at some everyday tasks than a notebook with an Intel Atom processor and integrated graphics. I blame this on the fact that the ION graphics processor only kicks into high gear for certain tasks, which means that for many activities you're left relying on the relatively slow CPU.

To see how the IdeaPad S12 with NVIDIA ION graphics compares to other notebooks in its class, read on.

The demo unit I reviewed has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, ION graphics, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a 6 cell, 52Whr battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium. Lenovo sells this configuration for $599.

Design

Superficially, the NVIDIA ION powered version of the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 is identical to the model I reviewed in July. It has the same 12.1 inch display, 1280 x 800 pixel display and the same full sized keyboard. And both of those are good things. The display is comfortable to read without being too sharp. And the keyboard is comfortable to type on " especially if you're used to Lenovo keyboard which place the Fn key in the lower left corner" to the left of the Ctrl key.

If I have any complaint with the physical design of the IdeaPad S12, it's the battery which sticks out of the back of the laptop like a tumor. Sure, you won't actually have to look at the battery while you're using the laptop. But I would have preferred a battery like the one used on the Lenovo IdeaPad U150, which rests entirely under the body of the laptop without taking up any extra space in the rear.

There is one external difference between the NVIDIA ION model and the version with integrated graphics. The ION version of the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 has an HDMI port, which takes up the space occupied by an ExpressCard/34 slot on the other model. In other words, there's no room for an ExpressCard slot on this model, but you do get HDMI output for pumping out HD video to an external display.

Rounding out the rest of the ports are 3 USB ports, a VGA output, Ethernet jack, microphone and headphone ports, and an SD card slot. There's also a switch on the left side of the computer that you can use to turn the wireless features on and off.

The IdeaPad S12 is available in black or white. Both models have glossy lids, although I feel like the black cover shows fingerprints more easily. The case isn't a solid color though. While it's kind of hard to spot from a distance, when you look at the laptop up close you see a textured pattern of circles.

On the bottom of the laptop you'll find two access panels which you can open up to upgrade or replace the RAM or hard drive. One nice thing about the IdeaPad S12 is that unlike many netbooks, it has 2 RAM slots, making it easy to upgrade the memory.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The IdeaPad S12 is larger than a typical netbook thanks to its 12.1 inch display. And that leaves plenty of room for a full sized keyboard. I found typing on the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 to be quite comfortable " although I'm still not a big fan of Lenovo's decision to place the Fn key to the left of the Ctrl key in the lower left corner of the keyboard.

Arrow, Page Up, Page Down, brightness and volume keys are all located in the bottom right corner of the keyboard. But for some reason Lenovo offers some buttons with duplicate functionality in a row just above the keyboard, where you'll find volume and mute buttons.

This extra row of buttons also features the power

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 is Lenovo's third netbook in the IdeaPad line. But you could probably have guessed that from the name. Here's what you might not know: It's the best looking 10 inch netbook Lenovo has released to date, and it's the first with a new Intel Atom N450 Pine Trail processor.

The netbook is thin and light, and comes with a choice of a black or red cover featuring a textured, fingerprint-resistant cover. But in order to keep the laptop as small as possible while providing a nearly full sized keyboard, Lenovo chose to build left and right buttons into the touchpad, making it difficult to use.

The demo unit Lenovo sent me to review features a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, Windows 7 Starter Edition, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, 6 cell battery, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1.

Design

At 10.6″ x 6.6″ 1″ the IdeaPad S10-3 is one of the smallest 10 inch netbooks I've tested. It weighs 2.8 pounds with a 6 cell battery, which is about par for the course.

But it's not the size or weight that make the IdePad S10-3 stand out. It's the distinctive design element such as the textured pattern on the black or red lids that gives the laptop an almost carbon fiber coated look. At a time when many netbook makers are putting glossy, fingerprint magnet lids on their netbooks, this attractive matte finish is a nice touch.

The palm rest area below the keyboard has a brushed metal look which even extends onto the touchpad. And the keyboard features flat, island-style keys with rounded edges on the bottom. In fact, the keyboard is very similar to the one designed for the new Lenovo ThinkPad X100e thin and light business notebook.

In order to reduce the size of the netbook, Lenovo made two interesting design decisions. The mouse buttons have been integrated with the touchpad. And the power, Quick Start, and recovery keys have been integrated into the bezel around the display. Normally these buttons are placed in a row just above the Fn keys on the keyboard. The first few times I used the notebook, it took me a second to remember where the power button was located, but it didn't take long to get used to.

The 6 cell battery juts out a little bit from the bottom of the netbook, which means the back of the keboard is tilted up a little bit when you place the S10-3 on a tablet. But the battery is definitely less of an eyesore than the batteries on previous IdeaPad S10 netbooks.

On the bottom of the computer there's a single large access panel which you can open to replace or upgrade the hard drive and memory.

Around the sides of the laptop you'll find 3 USB ports, an flash card reader, and VGA, mic, headphone and Ethernet ports. There's also a switch you can use to toggle the WiFi on and off.

Despite the matte finish on the lid and palm rest, the display and screen bezel are both glossy, which means the laptop casts a decent amount of glare when used in direct sunlight.

Keyboard and TouchPad

Lenovo says the IdeaPad S10-3t keyboard is 98% full sized. The isolation-style keyboard features flat keys with a small space between each key making it easy to find the correct key without looking at your fingers.

Like all Lenovo keyboards, the Fn key is located in the bottom left corner, to the left of the Ctrl key. If you're used to using computers from virtually any other company, it might take you

School Netbook Program Implemented in Sanborn, NY

The effects of the technological revolution is beginning to become manifest in school systems. Niagara Wheatfield, a public school district in Sanborn, New York, has just recently proposed to their school board that all fifth graders should be provided with netbooks.

Mary Ann Buch, the leader of an instructional technology committee, suggested that netbooks specially designed for instructional purposes will further enrich and support student learning. Also, by taking advantage of the portable nature of the netbooks, students will keep in contact with the class program outside of conventional school time.

The netbooks will be linked to access points installed throughout the Errick Road Elementary School and Edward Town Middle School, and can only be accessed through the student netbooks, blocking anyone else.

The proposal however, comes with a hefty price-tag: each netbook will cost from $198 to $400, Buch later said. If the netbooks are purchased through the Educational Services contract, the school will be reimbursed 68%.  Now, the only question is how effectively the Niagara Wheatfield school district will utilize the new netbooks if the proposal is accepted.

Via Buffalonews

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Sony Vaio M Spotted Sporting a Pine Trail Platform

The folks at Notebookreview forum spotted the new Sony VAIO M and discovered some " interesting" details about the said netbook.

And here are the said details:

• Intel Atom Processor N450 1.66GHz
• 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• 250GB 5400rpm
• 10.1 1024×600 16:10 LED backlight
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
• 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth standard Ver. 2.1+EDR Built-in Camera

So, obviously this is just Sony's entry into the current trend among netbooks today. That is, another one of their classy netbooks but this time sporting the new Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz Processor. But then, with the release of a newer Intel processor, don't you think that it would be wise to wait up for the next Vaio netbook?

Still, if you are a Sony netbook fan, you might just be interested with this. Unfortunately, no words on pricing and release date yet.

Via Sony Insider

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Sony Vaio M Spotted Sporting a Pine Trail Platform

Mini netbook by Sun Power

If a 7 inch display netbook isn't portable enough for you and a cell phone is two small, then this mini laptop by Sun Power may be for you. The device features a 4.8 inch display with a resolution of 800 x 480. The screen is a touch screen but, it also features a QWERTY keyboard. It also appears to have a directional pad instead of a touchpad. The usmart Sun Power Technology powered laptop will use Windows XP and have 512MB RAM and a flash storage device. ArmDevices have a video of the mini laptop in action, which you can view after the jump.


via

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Mini netbook by Sun Power

Acer Timeline 1410 rebranded to the Acer Aspire One 752

Ultralight notebooks housing CULV processors are known to be pricier than netbooks. So Acer rebranded one of its thin and light devices, the Acer Aspire Timeline 1410, into their budget netbook like as the Acer Aspire One 752.

Acer Aspire One 752

• 11.6" 1366 x 768 screen
• 1.3oGHz Intel Celeron ULV 743 with GMA 4500MHD
• up to 4GB RAM
• 320GB HDD
• 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, Gigabit LAN
• HDMI out, Dolby audio
• 5-hour battery life
• Weight: 1.41kg

It's a bit on the borderline between a netbook and a notebook already but if you're not a stickler for terminology, this looks like a solid device all around. It will be available in black, blue, white and red. No pricing and availability details yet.

source Pocket Lint

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Acer Timeline 1410 rebranded to the Acer Aspire One 752

Coby introduces lunch money cheap netbook

In my part of town, Coby is known for making portable DVD players on the cheap. They must have thought, "Hey, a netbook looks like a portable DVD player so why don't we sell one of those?" A stellar idea though the implementation might need a bit of work.

The Coby NBPC722 packs a 624MHz Marvell processor inside a 7" netbook running on 2GB flash and Windows CE. It's not the faster one in the market but at US$85, who's complaining? That's even cheaper than an iPod Nano. If you're one of the folks who tend to use netbooks as glorified cellphones and use them just for instant messaging, email and social networking (or knows someone like that), I'm sure you'll appreciate this device more than I do.

source Engadget

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Coby introduces lunch money cheap netbook

Deals of the Day

Netbooks and Notebooks

• MSI Wind U130 10.1″ netbook w/Atom N450, Win 7 Starter, 3 cell battery for $279.99 + free shipping – Amazon
• Compaq Mini CQ10 10.1″ netbook w/Atom N270, Win XP, 3 cell battery for $269.99 – HP
• Asus UL20A-A1 12.1″ netbook w/Core 2 Duo SU7300 CPU, Win 7 HP, 6 cell battery for $555.99 – B&H
• Toshiba Satellite T115D-S1125 11.6″ notebook w/AMD Neo X2 CPU, ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics for $487.95 - B&H

Accessories

• Logitech V450 USB Cordless Laser Mouse for Laptops for $24 + free shipping – Dell
• Targus 10″ Netbook Case for $7 + $4 s&h – MacMall
• D-Link DWL-P200 Power Over Ethernet Adapter for $30 + free shipping - Buy.com

You can find more deals on netbooks, gadgets, and accessories in the Liliputing Deals section

Post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Here are some of the first next-gen ION products

Acer, Asus, Lenovo, and Zotac are among the first companies to announce products sporting the just-announced next-generation NVIDIA ION graphics platform. We already knew about the Acer Aspire One 532G 10 inch netbook which was announced at Mobile World Congress last month. But here are a few more products that will come with next-generation ION graphics.

Asus is introducing an updated version of the Eee PC 1201N, called the Eee PC 1201PN, which is shown above. It will also be available in silver. You can see another photo in the gallery below.

The company also has a new all-in-one PC and a new nettop in the works.

Asus Eee Box EB1501P

Lenovo is introducing the new C200 all-in-one desktop with next-generation ION:

Zotac is updating its Zbox line of nettops with the Zbox Mag2 with next-generation ION:

And last, but not least, NVIDIA will be offering a desktop PC card with ION graphics for anyone looking to add a little ION magic to their computer. Unfortunately there are currently no plans for a mini-PCIe card for netbooks or other laptops.

Post from: Liliputing

Here are some of the first next-gen ION products