• 31Mar

    Acer Aspire One D260 laptop to dual boot Google Android, Windows 7

    Laptop No Comments
    Acer Aspire One D250 with Android 

     

    Acer is reportedly working on another netbook that dual boots Windows and Google Android. Electric Pig reports that the new model will be dubbed the Acer Aspire One D260, which seems to imply that it will be a modest update from the dual-boot D250 model released last year.

    There’s no information on the processor or other specs. Apparently the new model will have a redesigned chassis. The company also plans to launch a netbook running Google Chrome OS later this year — after Google makes the operating system available.

  • 30Mar

    Sharp IS01 Android smartphone on sale

    Laptop No Comments

    Most of the so-called “smartbooks” we’ve seen over the last few months have attempted to blur the lines between a netbook/notebook and a smartphone by using an ARM-based processor and an always-on operating system such as Google Android that allows you to receive incoming messages even when the laptop’s lid is closed. But most of these devices, like the Compaq Airlife 100 and Lenovo Skylight look more like an average netbook than a smartphone, thanks to the 10 inch display and nearly full sized keyboard.

    The Sharp IS01, on the other hand, looks more like a phone than a laptop, thanks to its diminutive size. The IS01 features a 5 inch, 960 x 480 pixel touchscreen display and a QWERTY keyboard that will probably be more comfortable to type on with your thumbs than with all 10 fingers. But it uses the same 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor found in the HP and Lenovo smartbooks.

    Japanese wireless carrier KDDI will offer the IS01 with EVDO, 802.11b/g, and Bluetooth 2.1 capabilities as well as a 1-Seg TV tuner and two cameras, one for taking pictures and another for making video calls.The device runs Google Android 1.6 and is due out in Japan in May.

  • 28Mar

    Netbook friendly Google Chrome extension auto-zooms web pages

    Laptop No Comments

    Most modern web browsers feature full-page zoom functions. Just hit the + or – keys to zoom in and out of a web page. This comes in handy if you happen to be using a netbook with a 1024 x 600 pixel or 800 x 480 pixel display and you don’t have enough room to see a full web site on your screen. But if you don’t feel like fiddling with the controls, you can install an add-on or extension to automatically set your default zoom level.

    If you’re using Google Chrome as your browser, you can give Chrome Antialising and zoom 85% a try. This Chrome extension was released yesterday, and it does exactly what the name suggests. It sets the default zoom level to 85%, which should be enough to cram most ful web sites onto a 1024 x 600 pixel display without cropping the edges. There’s also antialiasing built in to minimize distortion associated with zooming.

    Honestly, I find the effect to be a little jarring on the eyes and most of the time I’d rather just scroll a little bit than zoom. But if you’re looking for an easier way, you might want to check this extension out.

  • 26Mar

    Asus Eee PC 1201T netbooks available in the US

    Laptop No Comments

    The Asus Eee PC 1201T is the first member of the Eee PC notebook family to feature an AMD processor. And now that it’s shipping in the US, it looks like it’s also the cheapest 12 inch notebook from Asus. Newegg is selling it for just $389.99 — although that’s partially due to the fact that this laptop ships without Windows.

    Here’s what you get for that price:

    • CPU: 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40
    • Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 3200
    • Display: 12.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel
    • OS: Express Gate quick start (bring your own desktop OS)
    • Memory: 2GB
    • Storage: 160GB hard drive
    • Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Ethernet
    • I/O: 3 USB ports, VGA, mic, headphone, SDHC card slot, 0.3MP Webcam
    • Battery: 6 cell
    • Dimensions: 11.7″ x 8.2″ x 1.3″
    • Weight: 3.2 pounds

    This looks like a pretty good deal if you happen to have a Windows installation disc handy or if you plan to install Linux or another operating system. For more information on the Eee PC 1201T, you might want to check out a recent review from Yugatech.

  • 25Mar

    LG X140 netbook hits the FCC

    Laptop No Comments

    There’s still no word on when the recently introduced LG X140 netbook will hit the streets. But the company has submitted the laptop to the FCC for review, which is a pretty good indication that it’s on its way to the US.

    The FCC filing describes a netbook with a 10.1 inch, HD display and a 1.83GHz Intel Atom N470 CPU, which is a slight bump up from the 1.66GHz Atom N450 chipset we had been expecting.

    Rounding out the specs are 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, and Windows 7 Starter Edition.

  • 24Mar

    Haleron iLet HAL ebook reader is now shipping?

    Laptop 1 Comment

    Haleron has announced that its iLet HAL 7 inch tablet is now shipping. The iLet HAL features a 600Mhz VIA ARM-based CPU, an 800 x 480 pixel display, 802.1/bg/ WiFi, 2GB of storage, 128MB of RAM, and a SDHC card slot that supports up to 32GB of additional storage.

    It looks like the HAL comes in two sizes. You can get a version with a 7 inch display or an 8 inch model that looks strikingly similar to a certain Apple tablet that’s due out soon. The 8 inch version will be available in May. Both the 7 and 8 inch models run Google’s Android operating system and include 2 USB ports, mic, headphone, and Ethernet jacks.

    The 8 inch model also appears to have a SIM card slot for an optional 3G modem.

    The 7 inch iLet HAL is available for order for $229. You can drop the price to $179 if you order 100 or more units, while an order of 5 or more will bring the price to $199 per tablet.

    Update: I should point out that Haleron says the tablet is now shipping. But I’ve never read a single product review of a Haleron product, despite the fact that the company says it has released several netbooks, a smartbook, and now a tablet over the past year or two. I’ve reached out to Haleron several times to see if I can get a demo unit for review, but have yet to receive one. So place orders with caution — and if you have ever purchased a Haleron product, please let us know in the comments. I’m certainly hoping that this is a real product and not just a scam.

  • 23Mar

    the WePad video demo from CES

    Laptop No Comments

    So you know that WePad tablet all the kids are going crazy for? The one with the 11.6 inch display and the name that makes it sound like it’s so much cooler than an iPad that it uses the first person plural instead of singular? It looks like it may be based on a slate PC design that Pegatron was showing off at CES earlier this year.

    The Pegatron prototype had the same 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display and 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor. But while it looks like the WePad is going to run Google Android, the Pegatron demo machine had Windows 7 installed. Since the computer has an x86 processor, it can run either operating system (or OS X, for that matter).

    The folks at Neowin shot a brief hands-on video with the tablet at CES, as did the Notebook Italia team. You can check out both videos after the break.

    The touchscreen seems reasonably responsive and the computer is rather thin, even if it is a it larger than the Apple iPad. But the iPad has a 9.7 inch, 1024 x 768 pixel display, while the WePad/Pegatron tablet has a larger, higher resolution display.

  • 21Mar

    Best Buy to sell Viliv tablets, netbooks

    Laptop No Comments

    Korean PC maker Viliv has a pretty wide range of portable computers including touchscreen tablets and convertible netbooks with touchscreens and full QWERTY keyboards. But they tend to be a little hard to come by if you happen to live in the US. Sure, you could always order one online, but if you’re the sort of person that prefers to try before you buy, you were pretty much out of luck. That changes tomorrow.

    As jkOnTheRun notes, Best Buy will be stocking 5 Viliv models starting March 22nd. That includes a few 5 and 7 inch slate PCs, plus two versions of the 7 inch Viliv S7 netbook with a touchscreen display that you can fold down over the keyboard for use in tablet mode.

    The Vili S7 is probably the model I’m most interested in. It’s available Windows XP, 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth, and a choice of a 60GB hard drive of a 32GB SSD. Unfortunately both models are hobbled by a reltively slow 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor. Th Viliv S5 and X7 tablets feature similar specs — but no keyboard, which makes these touchscreen tablets smaller and lighter than the netbook.

    There’s no word on whether Best Buy might eventually stock the new Viliv S10 convertible netbook with a 10 inch touchscreen display.

  • 19Mar

    iPad accessories are already sell in the market

    Laptop No Comments

    While Apple’s iPad won’t begin shipping until April, you an already pick up dozens of accessories for the tablet. In fact, Macworld has a roundup of 2-dozen iPad cases that are aready competing to keep your Apple tablet safe.

    It’s probably worth pointing out that you can also pick up a netbook slipcover or a case designed for a portable DVD player. The truth is, there are already plenty of products to protect a device with a 10 inch screen from scratches and scuffs, and some of the items on Macworld’s list are really just netbook cases.

    But I suspect we’ll also start to see iPad screen protectors and other devices designed specifically for the 9.7″ tablet. I also wouldn’t be surprised if we start to see accessory makers start to advertise generic products such as headphones as if they were designed specifically for the iPad. Everybody loves to jump on the latest trend.

  • 18Mar

    Marvell announces $99 ebook reader for students

    Laptop No Comments

    Just because the Apple iPad has a starting price of $499 doesn’t mean all tablets need to cost that much. Chip maker Marvell is introducing a platform for a $99 tablet for the education market. The company’s “Moby” prototype features an ARM-based processor and it can handle 1080p HD video, Adobe Flash, and 3D graphics. The low power Marvell ARMADA 600 chipset also supports always-on, internet-connected performance. As an educational tool, the Moby is likely to be used more as an eBook reader/textbook replcement device than a HD video player. Marvell points out that you can regularly update textbooks on an electronic device instead of spending $60 or more to buy new editions of text books. That said, the Armada 600 chipset supports WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and FM radio. While I doubt you’ll be able to pick up a Moby Tablet for $99 at retail, if enough educational institutions place large orders, perhaps it won’t be too long before we start seeing similar tablets with more of a consumer focus for $100 to $200.

« Previous Entries