In the race to come up with the handiest mobile device possible, it’s said that tablet computers are currently ahead of laptops. Some tech pundits are even talking about a “tablet revolution”. This is not surprising as the new slates being released are sporting wider screens, faster processors, and more memory, while still maintaining high portability. According to market research firm IHS iSuppli however, laptops could make a strong comeback, and at the vanguard will be a new kind of device called ultrabooks.

There are portable personal computers that we know as laptops. Then there’s the ultraportable kind that usually refers to gadgets labeled as mini notebooks or netbooks. Ultrabooks are a relatively new concept that also falls under this latter category. It’s actually a trademarked name by Intel which introduced the idea in Computex 2011. The processor giant defines this new type of device as a notebook enhanced with all the advantages of a tablet PC. That means it will have a light and thin form factor, speedy boot up and restart, and the same type of user-interface.

To carry out such features, an ultrabook would be driven by one of Intel’s new line of CULV (Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage) processors. It will also have integrated graphics and flash-based solid state drives. Like tablets, it will do away with optical drives. The resulting package would be a device that is less than an inch thick, have around 5 hours of battery life, won’t quickly heat up, and perform just as quickly as other comparable Intel powered notebooks.

IHS iSuppli’s projections show that 43% of notebooks that will be released in 2015 will likely be based on the ultrabook design. This is a growth rate that starts at only 2% this year. Some of the current devices already available that have the ultrabook label are Acer Aspire 3951, Asus Zenbook UX21 and UX31, Lenovo IdeaPad U300S, and Toshiba Portege Z830. If those projections push through, you’re going to see a much longer list of ultrabooks in 2012 and the next few years after.

Source: twice

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Gigabyte have released an 11 inch ULV netbook but, haven’t publicized it much, with some saying it was a “quiet release”. Perhaps the reason behind there not being much of announcement is due to the outdated specifications used on the netbook. The Gigabyte Q1105M comes with an Intel Pentium ULV processor and Intel GMA 4500 graphics. The choice of battery is also disappointing, with the Q1105M only coming with a 3 cell battery.

If that isn’t enough to put you off though, the rest of the specs seem quite standard. It comes with an 11.6 inch display and a 1366×768 resolution, 2GB of RAM and either a 250GB hard drive, or a 320GB hard drive. It also has the usual connectivity options of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 10/100 LAN. It also comes with a VGA camera, HDMI out and Windows 7 Home Premium.

via

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Reports from a recent study indicate that consumers are choosing 14 and 15 inch notebooks over ultraportable devices. The most affected however, seems to be 13 inch notebooks. MSI are no longer offering their X360, which features a 13 inch display, while Lenovo will stop making the ThinkPad X300, another notebook that sports a 13 inch display.

Ultraportable machines have their advantages over larger notebooks, such as the portability factor with regards to weight and bulk but, the average 15 inch notebook also has a shorter battery life of about 100 minutes, than the average 13 inch notebook. However some consumers regard smaller devices as having less power, while 15 inch notebooks come with more powerful CPUs and will replicate a desktop experience more. It’s not all down to the way consumers see things however, manufacturers also offer a more competitive price on the 15 inch panels, than they do for smaller displays. Could ultraportables be on the way out? While Lenovo and MSI have given up on their 13 inch devices, netbooks and tablets are still very popular, with more devices being announced all the time.

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For folks who were waiting for HP’s Pavilion DM1 to make it’s way to the US after seeing it launched in Japan, the wait is finally over. The 11.6 inch portable device is now available directly from HP starting at $449.99. Normally the DM1 comes with a 250GB hard drive with an option to upgrade to a 320GB or 500GB for an additional cost. The upgrade to a 320GB hard drive however, is free for the mean time. 2GB of RAM is also included in the base model but, you can upgrade it to a whopping 5GB.

Other options are also configurable but, basic specs include AMD Athlon II Neo 1.7GHz CPU, 11.6 inch display with a 1366×768 resolution, a 6 cell battery as well as WLAN. The keyboard is a 92% full sized one, which should make typing a breeze on it. You also get Windows 7 Home Premium as standard but, can upgrade to Windows 7 Professional.

via

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With two more weeks before the much awaited Computex 2010 event happening in Taipei, manufacturers are probably gearing up their new products as early as now. True enough, one of them is reportedly preparing to unveil four new netbooks. Elitegroup Computer Systems, better known in the netbook circle as ECS is in fact preparing four new netbooks – ECS V10IS1, V10IS2, T10IL and ECS 11IS CMPC.

Unfortunately not too much information is available about these netbooks yet except for the fact that the they  are all 10-inch netbooks loaded with Intel Atom N450 CPU, bluetooth, integrated WiMAX and 3G/HSUPA, SSD drive,  and  9-hours battery.  The ECS 11IS CMPC is what we usually know as the Classmate PC and as you may have guessed by now, it will be geared for the education sector and will have either a 9-inch or 10-inch display.

In addition, ECS is also launching an 11-inch powerhorse loaded with CULV processor and this will get the branding ECS T21.

via Netbooknews.it

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We’ve already seen an HP Mini 5102 clone recently and now there’s another one making the rounds. This ones called the Phecda and is available in blue. Specs include an Intel Atom N450 CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. No info on pricing but, it’s likely to not be more than $360. For an extra 10 yuan (around seven cents), you can have the netbook ordered with an HP logo.

While the 11.6 inch display Dell Adamo, has already been cloned by Shanzai in both white and black. Now MIC Gadget have spotted in it red, currently not available from Dell in red. Along with an 11.6 inch display, it features display resolution of up to 1366 x 76, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive and either an Intel Atom N450 CPU, or a 1.2GHz Intel Celeron ULV CPU. The ULV model will also feature GMA X4500 graphics card and will retail for 2,600 yuan ($380), while the N450 model, features GMA 3150 graphics and is 1,900 yuan ($280).

via

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It’s no surprise that many manufacturers are giving good deals with the imminent arrival of Pine Trail netbooks and tablets to the market. Digitimes reports that Asus, Acer and MSI are slashing prices for the first-generation Atom netbooks to move them out faster.

A 10-incher from Acer now only sells for US$314 while an Asus Eee PC 1005HA drops to US$298. It’s not just Atom-based netbooks that are getting price cuts. Ultra-thins like MSI’s X320 now sells for just US$405.

The price drop has also been driven by slowing demand for netbooks and the online news site notes that the manufacturers are changing their focus back to notebooks.

source Digitimes

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For the budding cinematographers out there, now all you need is a few sensors, your Touchsmart tm2 and a warm body to create motion capture sequences. HP partner PhaseSpace showed off a system where they used mounted motion sensors on top of a tablet PC to render scenes in real time.

How it works is you point the red beams onto an actor suited up for the sequence and view the animation as it happens. Of course, don’t expect the tablet to do all the heavy lifting but it does communicate with powerful servers that process and broadcast scenes to the mobile screen. The touchscreen also helps the director edit the background and panning around is easy to do.

This tech has been around for a while, amazingly enough, and has been used for video games like Modern Warfare and music videos like the Black Eyed Peas’ Imma Be Rockin That Body. Looks like a cool setup that doesn’t require you to invest in any fancy equipment.

source GottaBeMobile

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Acer likes to mix things up as I’m sure you’ve already known. They rebrand Acer laptops for their other store brands like Gateway or eMachines. They also like reusing chassis for newer models.

The Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T is no exception. It is an Acer Aspire Timeline 1810 but instead of a Celeron ULV processor, it now flexes its beefed up Core i5 processor. The clock speed is variable, ranging from 1.06GHz to 1.86GHz which would be a perfect combination of a low-power device that gives a kick when you need it to. It also boasts an 8 hour battery life, not too shabby.

This device has already showed up in a few blogs as well as at the FCC where it’s known by a few other aliases like the Acer AO721 and JV10. Wait for the official announcement within the month for the other details.

sources Macles, FCC

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Lenovo’s chief Yang Yuanqing stated that in the next five years, up to 80 percent of their sales will be through Internet-enabled mobile devices. Included in this forecast are the sales for smartphones, smartbooks, netbooks and similar products.

Lenovo is currently the fourth largest computer maker. Yang added that Lenovo will be moving into emerging markets such as those in Eastern Europe and Latin America. The previous quarter, sales in India and other emerging economies rose 52 percent year-on-year versus the 13 percent growth in Western markets.

source Yahoo News

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