Mobinnova Beam Features the Latest NVIDIA Tegra 2 Platform
News about NVIDIA’s latest chipset, the NVIDIA Tegra 2, was received with much zest as it promises a great deal of enhancements on the graphics front. It is supposed to deliver 4 times faster performance when compared to the earlier NVIDIA chipset with power consumption and heat generation still remaining within the same brackets. High definition 1080p video streaming and displaying will also be much quicker. Moreover, it is said to consume lesser power than its Intel and Qualcomm contemporaries. Reasonably good battery life is also promised.
Mobinnova Beam is one of the first ultraportables to sport this new NVIDIA platform. A light and slim mini-netbook, the Mobinnove Beam, has an 8.9″ screen. The ARM Cortex A9 1GHz processor is employed in it. The NVIDIA GeForce GPU handles graphics. The Windows CE OS had been running on a test unit checked by Engadget. However, the Android OS is supposed to be used when the device enters production. The RAM presents a capacity of 256MB. There’s also 512MB of flash memory. SD card memory expansion is said to be supported too.
The rear joint of the lid and the keyboard forms a roll-like structure, which snaps down, to reveal all the connectors. The device can as well be rested on this for a slight prop-up.
The tests conducted by Engadget revealed that the overall performance of the device was fast; Firefox is said to have opened in 7 seconds; 1080p videos played smoothly; playback was smooth when connected to an HD TV too.
Mobinnova Beam netbook will be available in the US, with the AT&T network. Pricing has not yet been revealed. Neither has a UK release been mentioned.
Via Engadget
PsiXpda at CES 2010
This time round at CES, there have been plenty of gadgets which have bridged the gap between a netbook and a smartphone, like the Dell Mini 5 and the Lenovo Skylight Smartbook. The PsiXpda ultramobile PC also belongs to this category. Well, a further look at its specifications make it more apt in the laptop and netbook category because it has an Intel Atom processor driving it. Nonetheless, it can met you make calls as well.
This device has a 5″ capacitive touchscreen and a slide out QWERTY keyboard. The screen can be tilted at an angle to the keyboard. This keyboard has decently placed keys, which are not cramped up. Thus, those users with large fingers should not have problems using it. The right side of the screen can be used for scrolling up and down the pages. Two mouse buttons are seated to the left of the display. The RAM is 1GB capacious and there is a 16GB solid state drive. This UMPC is based on Windows XP OS. Like most netbooks, this gadget supports WiFi. Additionally, 3G technology is supported as well. A VGA camera, USB connectivity, microSD memory expansion and a 2.5mm headphone jack are all housed in this gizmo.
This tiny little device can function as a full fledged PC. However, it has been priced on the higher side. The PsiXpda pocket PC can be heavy on your pocket with its price tag of £500 approximately.
The PsiXpda UMPC Has Made It To UK Stores
The PsiXpda UMPC is the newest ultraportable that has all eyes turned towards it. Not that it has something exceptionally special to offer, but that it has been chalked for a UK release!
This mini netbook has a 4.8” resistive touchscreen which presents a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. There’s a full QWERTY keyboard too. There’s a touchpad on the screen bezel. It has dimensions of 174 mm x 84 mm x 25 mm and weighs 430g. Therefore it looks more like a mobile phone when closed. You can use the QWERTY keyboard by sliding it out and tilting it over. More like the Nokia N97. However, the PsiXpda is more powerful, as it uses the Intel Atom Z510 1.1GHz processor. There is a 1GB RAM and a 16GB solid state drive. This UMPC is based on Windows XP.
This device offers WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. However, 3G is only optionally supported. Depending on where you will be using this ultramobile PC, you can even opt for EVDO, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA compliant versions. The battery life quoted is about 4 hours. The PsiXpda Touchscreen Ultraportable PC has been priced at £500.
Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1 UMPC
Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1 UMPC seems like an ideal rugged travel companion. With an IP rating of 54, this tough little fellow is waterproof. It can as well withstand falls from a height of 1.2m. Its weight of just a little over 1kg and its extremely long battery life add to its portability factor.
A walk down Specifications lane:
The Intel Atom Z520 processor with a clock speed of 1.33GHz handles internal processing in this ultramobile PC. A 1GB RAM and a 16GB solid state drive are integrated into this device. Optionally, a 32GB SSD is as well available. The operating system pre-loaded is the Microsoft Windows Vista Business OS. The most attractive aspect is its 9-hour battery life.
Display – This ultraportable Panasonic computer has a 5.6” LED backlit screen which presents a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. It offers touchscreen capability too. Being an anti-glare display, you can view it in the sunlight also.
Communication – This UMPC supports WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. It is 3G mobile broadband capable as well, allowing fast internet access. GPS proficiency is offered too. Even a 2 Megapixel web camera has been built into this device.
Ports – USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack, a microphone jack, an expansion bus and an SD card reader are packed into this tablet PC.
Though this UMPC has a lot going for it in terms of features, it looks a little bulky with a thickness of 2.2”. But this should not be a major cause of concern, considering the other rugged features it offers.
Price:
The price of the Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1 5.6” UMPC is about £1815.
Acer Aspire 3935-864G32Mn Notebook PC
Acer Aspire 3935-864G32Mn Notebook PC is richer in technology compared to other similar sized notebooks. Equipped with a fast processor and a spacious RAM, this notebook is suitable for multi-tasking as well as for executing fast applications. Hence this mobile computer can meet your work related computing and gaming needs too. Moreover, its light weight of 1.9kg makes it quite portable also. This notebook is one among the 3 laptops (Acer Aspire 8935, 5935, 3935 ) that Acer had planned to release during the latter part of this year.
The House Elves:
The internal components of the laptop work tirelessly behind the scene, attending to all the chores of the laptop. They are like the house elves in the Harry Potter books. Some of the elves employed in this best laptop are the Intel Core 2 Duo T8600 2.4GHz processor, a 4GB RAM, a 320GB hard drive and the Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium operating system. The battery of this portable PC offers a life of 2.2 hours.
Display & Audio – This notebook PC has a 13.3”, 1366 x 768 pixels, widescreen LCD display. This monitor offers high brightness and can display 16.7 million colours. This, in co-ordination with the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD processes the graphics. High definition audio with Dolby Home Theatre system take care of sound.
Communication – WiFi and Ethernet connectivity are both supported. Bluetooth wireless data transfer ability is offered as well. A 0.3 Megapixels camera is built into this notebook also.
Connections – This laptop houses 3 USB ports, a VGA output, an Ethernet connector, a headphone socket, a microphone jack and a 5-in-1 card reader for expansion.
Price:
The Acer Aspire 3935-864G32Mn 13” Laptop is quite expensive with a price tag of about £763.
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Toshiba Satellite L350-17P Laptop
What can Toshiba Satellite L350-17P Laptop do:
This best laptop can meet all your everyday computation requirements. It has been packed with features that make it suitable for entertainment purposes also. However, it is not a very portable device, considering that it has a 17” screen and a weight of 3.15kg.
Specifications:
The Toshiba Satellite L350-17P laptop employs the Intel Pentium Dual Core processor which is clocked at 2.16GHz. A 2GB RAM comes integrated in this workstation, which can be expanded to 4GB too. The hard drive is 160GB capacious. The Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium OS comes pre-loaded in this Toshiba Satellite laptop. A DVD/CD drive which supports both reading and writing is fitted into this workhorse as well. Face recognition is offered as a security feature.
Display and Audio – A 17” 1440 x 900 pixels TFT high brightness screen is sported. The Mobile Intel GMA 4500M card handles graphics in this laptop. Stereo speakers with Toshiba Bass Enhanced Sound System have been incorporated to create optimum sound levels.
Communication – Internet connectivity can be achieved either with Wifi in a hotspot or wired Ethernet connection. Bluetooth is however not supported. A VGA video call camera is also integrated into this laptop.
Interfaces and Ports – There are 3 USB ports, an Ethernet connector, a microphone socket, a headphones jack, an ExpressCard slot and 2 memory slots on board this workstation.
Price:
The Toshiba Satellite L350-17P 17” Laptop carries a reasonable price tag of £430.
Dell Latitude E6400 Laptop
Dell Latitude E6400 14″ Laptop has been constructed to meet your business computation needs, especially when you have long days at work or long travels. It boasts of a 19 hour battery life with a 12-cell battery. Designed for ruggedness and robustness, this Dell laptop should be a highly durable one. It is also supposed to be highly ergonomic, allowing the user to work comfortably on it.
There are 2 models presented by the Dell Latitude E6400 laptop – E6400-5556 and E6400-5390. The 5556 model uses the Intel Penryn Core 2 Duo P8400 2.26GHz processor. The 5390 model employs the Intel Penryn Core 2 Duo T9400 2.53GHz processor. Either of them have a 4GB DDR2 RAM. While the 5556 has a 160GB hard drive built into it, the 5390 has a 250GB hard drive integrated into it. DVD drives have been packed into either of them. They come with Windows XP pre-installed on them. However, they are compatible with Vista as well.
For graphics, both models employ the nVidia Quadro NVS 160M graphics card. WiFi is supported by either of them too. However, Bluetooth is not offered by both versions. The ports and interfaces housed in both models are also the same – a docking connector, a 5-in-1 card reader, 4 USB ports, a VGA port, a display port, a Smart card reader, an ExpressCard slot, an eSATA slot, an Ethernet connector, an optional RJ-11 connector, headphone and microphone jacks.
Display-wise, the E6400-5556 model has a 14.1” 1440 x 900 pixels, white LED antiglare widescreen monitor. On the other hand, E6400-5390 also has a 14.1” widescreen display but with a lower resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. Another difference between either of the models is the web-cam. While the 5556 has one for video chatting, the 5390 lacks it.
The Dell Latitude E6400-5390 laptop is a tad more expensive than the Dell Latitude E6400-5556 laptop, owing to its faster processor. While the former costs £649, the latter costs £629.
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Asus W90 Gaming Laptop
Asus W90 Laptop seems like a machine that will be loved by gamers. Though it weighs close to 6kg, and is humongous in size, it is supposed to offer real fast processing and graphics speed. It is empowered with either an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66GHz processor or a Quad processor, according to the user’s choice. This Asus laptop also gives you the option of overclocking the CPU to enhance speed. A total of 6GB of space is offered by the RAM in this device. The hard drive is capacious too, with a storage space of 640GB. As with most multimedia laptops, this one comes with a Blu Ray drive as well.
There is an 18.4” screen which presents a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This means pristine clarity of the displays. Also the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 graphics processor has been incorporated for taking care of graphics. The operating system employed is Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate. WiFi and Ethernet connectivity are both supported for internet connection. Even Bluetooth wireless data exchange is supported. The Asus W90 is well equipped with interfaces too. 4 USB ports, a Firewire port, an ExpressCard slot, an HDMI output, a D-Sub output are all packed in this Asus laptop.
The Asus W90 Gaming & Multimedia Laptop is currently selling for a price of about £2399. That is expensive. But it has been one of the most powerful machines seen till date.
Gigabyte M912X Netbook
Gigabyte M912X Tablet Netbook is an 8.9” touchscreen handheld PC. This LCD display screen offers a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels and can be rotated around and folded over for ease of use. It is internally powered by an Intel Atom N270 processor which has a clock speed of 1.6GHz. A 1GB RAM is present in this mini laptop. This can be extended to a maximum of 2GB as well. The hard drive has a capacity of 160GB. This UMPC ships with the Microsoft Windows XP Home OS.
Despite its small size, it manages to pack in 3 USB ports, a microphone jack, a headphone socket, an Ethernet connector, a VGA D-Sub port, an ExpressCard slot and a 3-in-1 memory card reader for SD/MMC/MS. This tablet PC supports WiFi as well as Bluetooth connectivity. A 1.3 Megapixel web camera has been built into it too for video calls. The battery of this portable PC delivers a 3.5 hour battery life.
There is a slot on the top-left corner of the screen panel into which the stylus that comes along with this netbook PC fits in. When using as a tablet (when swiveled and folded over), an onscreen keyboard helps enter data. The physical keyboard of this device looks ergonomic as well, with keys that are big enough to enable comfortable typing. Currently the Gigabyte M912X UMPC carries a price tag of £364.99.
Sony Vaio W Netbook
Sony has just set foot on netbook land with their new Sony Vaio W 10” Netbook. Everyone’s quite surprised with this new venture by the company. However, a lower priced netbook is a welcome change from the hefty priced pocket PCs.
Sony will be constructing their first netbook with an Intel Atom N280 1.66GHz processor. A 1GB RAM and a 160GB hard drive will be featured. A memory card reader will be present as well. The operating system that this netbook will ship with is the Genuine Windows XP Home Edition with service pack 3. The Intel GMA 950 graphics chip will take care of graphics. This new mobile computer will be WiFi and Bluetooth proficient too. There will even be 2 USB ports housed in this device. A web cam for video calling will also be fitted into this portable PC.
The main selling point of this new netbook is supposed to be its high resolution 10.1” 1366 x 768 pixels LCD LED-backlit screen. This can be used to play 720p high definition videos. Perhaps that’s why the Sony Vaio W Netbook is expected to be priced at about $500. Though its cost has not been announced for the UK market yet, this figure approximates to £310. Some websites opine that this is a hefty price tag for a netbook this size. They also mention that there are other 10” netbooks available for lower prices. That is definitely true. But most of them do not offer this high a resolution. And hey! We’ve seen netbooks like the Gigabyte M1028 10” Netbook and the HP Mini 2140 10” Netbook which offer the same 1366 x 768 pixels resolution screens. While the Gigabyte netbook which is a touchscreen netbook is priced at about $799 [~£495], the HP Mini 2140 10” Netbook which has no touch screen carries a price tag of about £400!
Coming to the battery life, the Sony Vaio netbook is expected to deliver about 3.5 hours of run time life. This is a slight disappointment considering that there are netbooks like Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell Netbook which offer longer lives. On the looks front, the Sony Vaio W Ultraportable netbook will come in 3 different colours – pink, brown and white. It will be released into the UK market sometime in August this year.