Archive for August, 2008

The LG X110 is, in my opinion, another very stylish looking netbook. The only things that help it to stand out against other netbooks (other than its sleek looks) is integrated 3G and the 160GB HDD. If you feel the same way, you’ll appreciate this short hands-on from IFA which gives a quick harwdare tour of the device.

[jkkmobile]

MicroPCTalk forum member Anh did some serious surgery on his UX280. Taking the unit apart, he de-soldered the factory U1200 Core Solo (1.2GHz), and soldered in a U7600 Core 2 Duo (1.2GHz) CPU. An impressive instillation in a machine that has so much hardware stuck in such a tiny footprint. Was it worth it? Take a look at the graph belo; the benchmark performance almost doubled in certain areas. The graph compares the modded UX280 to a UX380, I compared to the 380 because both machines were running Vista and I wanted the graph to be as accurate as possible. ALU and FPU are the primary CPU benchmarks and as you can see, the 1.2GHz U7600 Core 2 Duo crushes the 1.33GHz U1500 Core Solo. Ahn is most likely the first person in the world to be running a UX280 with a Core 2 Duo, and might even be the first to successfully swap the UX’s CPU for any other CPU in general.

[MicroPCTalk] via [Pocketables]

JKK and I talk about the press day at IFA where the Fujitsu Amilo Mini and LG X110 Netbooks were launched. We also talk about the Samsung SSDs. The recording was made over Ustream which isn’t the best for audio quality but the MP3 is extracted and linked below. If you want to see the original, with video, it’s here.

Direct playback and download: MP3, 21 Minutes

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Yes, a strange statement to make but its exactly what I though if when I saw it. A design daring to be different but not really having any classic, timeless lines. The Amilo looks cool on first glance but I bet it looks, er, less cool in 12 months!

Fashion aside though, the specs aren’t anything to moan about, apart from the slow-looking 60GB HDD perhaps. The Array mic will help with Skype, the ExpressCard slot will help with multi-device 3G cards and I like the fact that its got Bluetooth. FSC is a German partnership between Fujitsu and Siemens so I’m not sure how this product will translate into other countries [Update - The news item gives us a clue. It could be the M1010] but I’m guessing that if Fujitsu have the rights, you’ll simply see it under a different Fujitsu model name in other countries.

Sascha from Eee PC News was at the launch today and has a few more pics where you can see the exchangeable cover ‘feature.’

Full specs are in the database now.

• 8.9’’ WSVGA Display (1024 x 600)
• Intel® Atom™ Processor N270 (1,6 GHz)
• 1024 MB DDR2 667 MHz RAM
• 60/80 GB HDD (3600 rpm / 4200 rpm)
• LAN, WLAN 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth
• ExpressCard slot
• USB 2.0
• VGA out
• Webcam 1,3 Megapixel
• Digital Array Microphone
• Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
• 233 x 29 / 36 x 175 mm, 1 kg

Via JKKMobile

I know there are quite a few of you out there waiting for the M912 so rather than post this update in the forum, I thought I’d air the info here . If you’re waiting to push the button on an M912 but can’t decide what information is correct about the screens, here’s the latest word from Gigabyte.

For M912V/X which is 1280×768, the LCD back light is using “Inverter technology”.

For M912M which is 1024×600, the LCD back light is using “LED back light technology”

The info comes direct from Gigabyte and is the same as I heard before. The reports of LED-backlighting on the 1280×768 X/V models look to be incorrect so if you want the best battery life and, potentially, a cooler running system, wait for the M model. I havent confirmed if the T model (DVB included) comes with 1024 or 1280 screen yet.

Latest information on the X/V models is here. And on the M model here.

News flash: M version to get BT upgrade at Mobilx.

Before I give you an update on some other netbook news happening this morning, allow me to highlight the LG X110 that has been given an outing in Berlin at the IFA today.

Its all pretty standard HDD/XP Netbook stuff here with the exception of the built-in 3G module and the price.

When the HTC Shift and Q1b came out in 2007, they were two of the cheapest 3G-enabled PCs available at around 1200 Euro. Previous to those two, you’d have to look at the LG C1, P1610 and Flybook V5 for 3G and think about dropping 2K for the privilege. Today, with the X110 it looks like you’ll be getting 3G capability for just 399 Euro which I personally find too cheap to believe.

The information comes from The Register who also report that the X110 has a 10″ screen, 160GB of HDD (nice for media storage) and will be available in October.

However..

Eee PC news also reports that a ‘top model’ will be available for 499 and may have GPS and Engadget report prices between 399 and 499 with 120GB, 6GB SSD, GPS and HSDPA options.

Before you make those 1000H vs MSI Wind decisions people, you need to wait for final specs and price confirmation on this one. Check our X110 product page for details as we update them.

Source: The Register.

…assuming they all reach the market of course!

By my research and calculations I see 33 design wins for the Intel Menlow MID platform. We’ve seen a lot from the likes of Benq, Willcom and Gigabyte in the last 6 months but there are a number of MIDs out there that have been very quiet and aren’t in the database yet. Here’s a list with as much detail as I know at this stage. Information comes from various sources. They are all based on Silverthorne and Poulsbo. (Menlow platform)

• KJS/Inventec - X5 MID. Linux, 4.8″ 800×480, 512Mb, 30/60GB, HSDPA, GPS - (This is possibly the Yukyung/Viliv S5, AKA X5 Atom.)
• KJS/Inventec - S32 - Linux, 4.8″ 1024×600, 1GB, 2GB/4GB flash,  GPS
• abit (USI) MID-100 - Slider - previewed at CeBIT
• abit (USI) MID-150. 8GB Flash, 4.8″ 800×480, GPS [Spec sheet here]
• abit (USI) MID-200 - Slider, 4.8″ [news here]
• Arbor Gladius G0710. Rugged tablet. 7″ screen. [news]
• TriGem Averatec (TriGem is the new parent company) MID - 512MB, 30GB, 4.8″ 1026×600. DMB, Wibro. Looks like its Asia-focused but Averatec are a global brand so maybe we’ll see this outside Asia.
• Nexcom - MTC2100. (Industrial tablet)
• OQO - No real news at this stage. [IDF news]
• Clevo TN70M, TN71M - Notebook style, 7″ 1024×600. [More news]
• LG Xnote B831 slider, 4.8″. [details]
• Samsung [listed at CeBIT]
• Hitachi [listed at CeBIT] Likely to be automotive device. [news]
• Toshiba [news] mini tablet.
• TabletKiosk i7300 [news]
• NEC [from this list]

Note the new KJS/Inventec ones (although they could be variants of these Inventec devices) and the Averatec MID. We’ll keep them on the watchlist and let you know if we hear anything.

In addition to the quiet ones, we have Panasonic CF-U1, EB MIMD, Gigabyte, BenQ S6, Aigo MID, Viliv S5, ASUS R70a, ASUS R50A, Sharp Willcom D4, Lenovo Ideapad U8, Fujistsu U2010, Kohjinsha SX3, Viliv S7, Digifriends MID, Wibrain i1, Kohjinsha SC3, Clarion.

33 design wins is amazing for a CPU that launched only a few months ago and I’m not even including the 10-15 development and industrial boards that are out there based on Menlow!

Sources: UMPCPortal archives, an IDF photo and this anonymous list on iii.

The device was apparently first announced at Computex. I don’t recall reading any news on it but it did make me laugh. Just look at the headline:

Albatron’s “Tee PC” is all that you need with not an inch to spare

As the article on HotHardware.com mentions, it comes out of the box with Windows CE 6.0 and everything you need preloaded: WordPad, MediaPlayer and Internet Explorer…right. The device has both WiFi and Bluetooth, weighs 343 grams, has a 400Mhz ARM926 processor, 128 MB of RAM and 128MB of flash memory. On the device itself there is an SD card slot, a camera, and a headphone jack while the included docking station has two USB ports, built in speakers and line in/out. Assuming you can get a good time-telling application, it would make for a decent bedside alarm clock

Quick Update: The dimensions are 18.8×11.3x 1.3 cm, and the screen is 7 inches. 

Source: HotHardware.com

Forget the low cost PC market Samsung, there’s a million people out there that could benefit from a bit of SSD love on their daily compute.

"We’ve refined our manufacturing techniques and redesigned our low-density SSDs to get what the @low-priced PC market is looking for in the way of improved cost"

What I suspect is happening here is that Samsung have designed a product that can be made in the millions for direct sale to netbook OEMs. You might find these on Ebay at some point but don’t expect them to be easy to get hold of for the average punter.

"Samsung’s new MLC-based SSD at 32GB capacity will read data (sequentially) at 90MB/s and write it (sequentially) at 70MB/s – performance levels much greater than low-density SSDs on the market today. The 16GB reads at 90MB/s and writes at 45MB/s, while the 8GB reads at 90MB/s and writes at 25MB/s."

VIA GottabeMobile. Source AkihabaraNews.

Now that I have your attention, take note that the M912V and M912X are now shipping. Mobilx have a quantity on 912V’s awaiting customs clearance and the X versions will leave Taiwan in a few days. Go get em!

The pic comes direct from Nvision where The Tech Report got some hands on.  They seem to be impressed but question the battery life. Commenters there also question the price but when you consider the fast disk, hi-res screen, PCI-Express, easy access to card slot, disk and memory and the convertible touch feature, I cant see that there’s really much to moan about. This is a netbook that reaches into the pro-mo (sorry, prosumer-mobile) sector.

In the article you’ll see a reference to a new digital TV-enabled version which is probably why they’re at the Nvision show. We’ve just had news of that too from Mobilx. It will be a M912M with DVB-T module know as the M912T. Availability is planned for Oct but frinal price in unknown. Budget for something like a $70-$100 premium. This will be the first time we’ve seen a UMPC or netbook with integrated DVB module in Europe and with that fast S-ATA drive and the good media capabilities, raw MPEG-2 recording in direct digital from the DVB stream is going to be easy, making a great multimedia recording and playback system. SageTV should work a treat on this so fingers crossed for a built-in IR receiver, TV-out and remote control. Or will they ship with Vista for the media center? I hope not. I was going to get the M912M but if the 912T is running XP, I’m definitely going to wait for it. Stay tuned for more details.

Details and news for the M912 models here.

Last week I listed 10 important ISVs that are working with Intel on Moblin-based software. Gypsii, Move Networks, Fring and a bunch of others. Today, you can add two more to the list; FancyPants and Orb.

FancyPants is a GUI development system. Announced in a press release that I missed last week you’ll see that they (that’s FST - Fluffy Spider Technologies) develop an API and software suite for implementing graphics and media-rich GUI solutions. Up until now, OEMS have had to employ the services of software houses to ‘finish’ the existing Moblin, Ubunti and Asianux stacks but this could help them turn around nice designs at lower cost and with a shorter time to market.  They’ve also produced a demonstrator running on the Compal JAX10 (Gigabyte M528, Aigo MID) which you have to take a look at here. Its smooth! I certainly wouldn’t mind having a bit of fun with this on my MID! [Article continues...]

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I think that completes my hands-on with almost every netbook out there (*1) and I’ve decided which one is the best for the average customer. Its the MSI Wind with XP and 80GB drive.

Over the last week I used it (in Medion Akoya form) alongside a Kohjinsha SC3 costing twice as much and its been a superb portable all-rounder. So much so that on the third day of IDF, I left the SC3 in my room. The SC3 works well most of the time but after a number of Bluetooth failures, Vista lock-ups, drive thrashing and a lack of processing power for Skype operations, it became too risky to rely on it. The Wind took over and performed flawlessly.

While I was at IDF I also got the chance to test out the Aspire one, G10L and Eee 901 and neither of them really seemed to offer anything special over the MSI Wind. The Aspire One, a previous favorite of mine, seemed to have a lower build quality and have a lower quality keyboard, the 901 has an even worse keyboard. The G10L isn’t available! Don’t get me wrong, none of these devices are bad and I doubt that any of them would actually disappoint. For all-round table-top use though, I can’t find any faults with the MSI Wind.

Many of you will cry ‘battery life’ of course and yes, that is a consideration if you’re 2-hours away from a power socket but the reality is that in the table-top usage mode, there’s nearly always a power socket nearby. Be careful to remember I’m not talking about ultra mobile computing here and I’m also talking objectively. The MSI Wind is not the best device for my usage scenarios but it’s likely to be the best for most people. I’ll talk about my own requirements again soon (In short I think I’m going to go for a Gigabyte M912M + Gigabyte M528 until I can test a Raon Everun Note and Viliv S7 that may replace both early in 2009.) but for most of you out there, if you’re thinking about a no-fuss do-it-all netbook, the MSI Wind with XP and HDD is the one that should be at the top of your list.

More information, images, links to reviews and news articles on the MSI Wind.

(*1) I haven’t personally tested the HP 2133 but I know from other peoples testing that its not the best device out there. There are processing limitations that cause problems with some higher-end apps like Skype. The keyboard and design is good but it needs a processor boost before it becomes a flawless device in my opinion.

Has anyone else in Europe spotted a massive price drop on the Fujitsu P1610? For about two weeks the prices have been at the 800 Euro mark. which is about a 50% discount over previous prices.

The P1610 is a well-respected ultra mobile workhorse. Good build quality, hi-res screen, fingerprint reader, heavy-touch screen for reduced vectoring, PCMCIA slot and extended battery capability. It runs XP TE and Vista Business (dual-boot as I understand it) on a Core Solo processor at 1.2Ghz and weighs 1.2KG which is the same as an MSI Wind or Eee PC 901. At its previous price of over 1600 Euros it was out of reach for most people but at 800 Euros, its a different matter.  [Article continues...]

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Have you been anxiously waiting to order the new Lenovo S10 netbook? Now’s your chance: the order page is up on the Lenovo website. Available for $439 in your choice of red, white or black. Order now, ships in October.

Ideapad S Series order page.

This new model is approaching the thin line between netbooks and notebooks. I guess thats why Asus chose not to release it under the EEE brand. Or perhaps they realized people are getting confused having so many EEE models around. Whatever the reason was, this new model sure has some unique features: there is a new glossy black and silver case which looks great, a 10 inch 1024×768 1024×600 screen, Altec Lansing speakers, a fingerprint reader, 1.3 megapixel webcam, and an HDMI out. Thats a pretty impressive list of features for a device that is supposedly only going to cost 400 euro. No mention of processor speed or type, but it will probably be an Atom. Blogeee speculates that it might even be dual-core. At least thats what I understand from my limited French

via Blogeee.net (click link for more pictures)