11/17, 10:10am
ASUS UL30Vt mixes CULV, GeForce G 210M
ASUS has quietly staked out a claim to the fastest CULV-based ultraportable by adding the UL30Vt to its stable. The system takes the familiar 13.3-inch display and 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo of the original version but adds a GeForce G 210M. The gesture lets the under 1-inch thick PC handle HD video and some modern 3D but includes a switchable graphics system that optionally reverts to the more miserly Intel GMA 4500 graphics when the system is running on battery power.
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11/11, 6:10pm
AMD plans unified CPU/GPU by 2011
AMD in its annual analyst event provided details of some of its future processors and platforms. The highlight for the semiconductor firm is "Bulldozer," a major revision for both desktops and notebooks that should be much more efficient at multithreaded codethan existing designs. It will be particularly optimized for pairing with graphics chipsets and will be supplemented by "Bobcat," a variant of Bulldozer tailored to ultraportables.
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11/06, 3:50pm
Lenovo ThinkPad X100e may reach CES
Lenovo's rumored ThinkPad netbook will launch at the start of the next year, a leak today says. It's now purportedly named the ThinkPad X100e and may ship on January 5th, just ahead of CES. System specs are only guessed at but may not necessarily cling to the Atoms found in the IdeaPads; instead, it's speculated that Lenovo may use either Intel's CULV processors or an AMD Athlon Neo.
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11/03, 3:10pm
Lenovo ThinkPad netbook spotted
An image of what is believed to be an upcoming Lenovo ThinkPad netbook, the x200e, has surfaced online. While the company has only said it's considering the concept, the leak suggests the computer is real and appears to have a cosmetically different form factor and that it may still use Windows XP.
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10/27, 4:10pm
Intel Pine Trail to double RAM, drop prices
Some of Intel's Pine Trail Atoms will finally escape Intel's 1GB RAM cap for netbooks even as they drop prices, a series of leaks have indicated in the past day. While the chip maker will still officially limit certain Atoms to 1GB of memory, the 1.83GHz Atom N470 will reportedly allow running 2GB of RAM. The limit should provide a large jump in performance for small systems, particularly those with more demanding operating systems like Windows 7.
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10/26, 2:25pm
Lenovo upgrades Idea PCs for Windows 7
Lenovo today sparked life in its IdeaCentre desktops and IdeaPad notebooks by refreshing them for Windows 7 and adding a few completely new models. The IdeaCentre B500 is one of the few all-in-one PCs built for gamers and high-end media use with both a Core 2 Quad, unnamed but dedicated graphics and a built-in JBL speaker system. It also brings a 23-inch 1080p display, 1TB of disk space and a motion remote for an unspecified price.
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10/23, 1:10pm
Lenovo shipping 11.6-inch IdeaPad U150 in Japan
Lenovo has officially launched a new 11.6-inch IdeaPad notebook in Japan, the U150. The portable is one of Lenovo's first CULV systems and runs a 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor with 2GB of RAM. Making the CPU upgrade gives it a faster GMA 4500 graphics core that can better handle the 1366x768 native output. A 250GB hard drive is standard fare, and the IdeaPad is one of Lenovo's first with Windows 7 to come stock.
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10/22, 1:15pm
Dell bring Inspiron 13z to Australia, Japan
Dell has brought its Inspiron 13z notebook to Australia and Japan, both with Windows 7. While basic specs differ slightly between the two offerings, buyers still get a 13.3-inch, 1366x768 resolution, LED-backlit screen and a choice of Intel's CULV processors.
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10/21, 2:20pm
ViewSonic intros Viewbook CULV notebook range
ViewSonic has recently unveiled some of its first portables above the netbook class in its Viewbook series. The 12.1-inch VB120, 13.3-inch VB130 and 14-inch VB140 Pro are all powered by Intel's CULV chips, with the VB120 getting a 1.3GHz Core 2 Duo and 2GB of RAM. It also has a 250GB hard drive preloaded with Windows 7.
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10/20, 10:25am
Acer AS1410 brings CULV to Aspire line
Acer on Tuesday chose to grow its use of Intel's CULV processors beyond the Timeline series and in one of its first Aspire updates. The Aspire 1410 is one of the least expensive CULV systems of any kind and will reach $400 thanks to its use of a 1.2GHz, single-core Celeron. Picking the processor still gives the 11.6-inch system six hours of battery life, a one-inch thick chassis and a weight just under 3.1 pounds.
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10/19, 12:10pm
Gateway EC notebooks reach US with Win 7
Gateway today entered the market for Intel CULV portables in earnest by launching its EC series in the US. Previously seen in Canada, the line is a rebadge and re-spec of Acer's Timeline and is highlighted by the EC14. The 11.6-inch system weighs just under 3.8 pounds and uses either single-core Celeron, dual-core Celeron or dual-core Pentium CULV chips to outrun netbooks while still getting as much as eight hours of battery life.
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10/16, 5:00pm
Fujitsu LifeBook P3010, P3110 ready
Fujitsu has opted for an unusual end-of-week introduction for a pair of new notebooks in its LifeBook mix. The P3010 and P3110 are the company's first netbook/notebook crossovers and have 11.6-inch screens as well as a long 6.7-hour battery life that can be pushed to 7.2 with an eco mode toggle. They also borrow a technique from Apple that will share a DVD drive on the local network to read or burn discs instead of having to use a physically attached USB optical drive.
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10/09, 10:55am
ASUS prices, dates UL notebooks for the UK
ASUS has recently announced pricing and a release date for its previously announced UnLimited (UL) series of notebooks for the UK. Two of the three models will ship to the country's retail electronics stores on October 22nd. This includes the 13.3-inch UL30 and
two variations of the 15.6-inch UL50, the UL50AG and UL50VG. There is no word on the 14-inch UL80, however. All three use Intel's CULV processors and some are claimed to provide up to 12 hours of battery life.
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10/09, 9:10am
Ion 2 to run twice as fast, support CULV
NVIDIA's Ion 2 chipset is still due to ship before the end of year and could provide a significant boost not just to netbooks but to notebooks using Intel's CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) processors as well, an update from the company has shown. In addition to supporting the timeframe, an executive heading chipset development has reportedly confirmed rumors that the next-generation Ion will support processors other than the Atom, including the Celeron, Core 2 and Pentium processors that make up CULV as well as VIA's competing Nano design.
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10/08, 5:10pm
Netbooks forcing notebook revenue down
The rise of netbooks is having a corrosive effect on the financial health of the rest of the notebook business, a DisplaySearch study asserted on Thursday. The mini PCs represent 22.2 percent of all notebooks shipped but only account for 11.7 percent of revenue and are thought to ultimately be dragging revenue downwards for other categories as buyers skip more expensive systems they would have bought otherwise. Where netbook revenue has shot up from $845 million in spring 2008 to $3.07 billion in spring 2009, the rest of the notebook industry actually lost $3.74 billion of revenue in the same period, revealing that netbooks have actually cost the industry money.
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10/01, 10:30am
Dell adds hardware options to Inspiron 11z
Dell today said it has added more cosmetic and performance customization options to its Inspiron 11z notebook. Dell has now added expanded its range of color options for the 11.6-inch CULV system beyond the original black, including white, blue, green, red, purple or pink. There are also new processor, memory and hard drive options.
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09/29, 10:10am
Toshiba bows T100 ultraportables
Toshiba this morning made its second-ever Windows 7 notebook its first system ever to use Intel's CULV platform. The Satellite T100 series is aimed at the space just above netbooks with the added processor speed but also larger screens and thinner designs; at its smallest, the line is less than an inch thick and weighs just under 3.5 pounds. Every model is said to get as much as nine hours of battery life out of its built-in six-cell pack.
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09/15, 12:00am
HP ProBook 5310m and Pavilion dm3
As part of a shift to ultra-thin notebooks, HP tonight launched two crossover 13.3-inch notebooks that it hopes are both fast and portable. The ProBook 5310m is unofficially the most portable full-performance notebook ever with an 0.93-inch thick body (versus Apple's 0.94 inches) and a 3.8-pound weight; it accomplishes the feat through an aluminum shell without an optical drive and, unusually, by giving the option of a full-speed 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo as well as a CULV-based 1.2GHz Celeron dual-core. Using the Celeron gives the system as much as 7 hours of battery life using the stock 4-cell battery.
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09/10, 7:30am
AMD Congo platform
AMD this morning kicked off the launch of an updated notebook offering and headlined it with Congo, the nickname for its next-generation Ultrathin Platform. The new architecture includes AMD's faster 1.6GHz Turion Neo X2, found in the HP dv2z, but focuses on graphics performance and battery life. It uses a Radeon HD 3200 much like AMD's fuller-size notebooks and as a result can decode 1080p video smoothly in hardware; at the same time, AMD estimates about an hour more of battery life than its earlier platform.
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09/09, 3:05pm
Adamo XPS teased without details
Dell today quietly put up a teaser site for the Adamo XPS. While it gives few clues, the site touts a 9.99mm (under 0.4in) thickness that would make it far thinner than the Adamo 13 and significantly thinner than the MacBook Air the Adamo series has often fought against. The side profile image shows a uniformly metal (likely aluminum), tapered design unlike the block-shaped original.
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09/08, 4:20pm
ASUS outs 7 CULV notebooks
ASUS has begun the week by launching an entirely new line of notebooks centering on Intel's CULV processor mix. The UL series uses a relatively thin (about 1 inch) and lightweight aluminum shell that renders it much easier to carry even with the DVD burners present in most models. As with most CULV systems, they all have particularly long battery life and in some cases run for up to 12 hours on a charge.
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09/08, 1:50pm
Dell Inspiron 14z and 15z
Dell today grew its budding CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) notebook line with two mid-sized models. The 14-inch Inspiron 14z and 15.6-inch Inspiron 15z together use the slower but also much cooler and more efficient processors to both slim down significantly from the regular systems while also shedding weight and extending their battery lives: the systems can last over eight hours (8.5 on the 14z) on a six-cell pack.
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09/07, 12:20pm
HP CULV and Core i7 notebooks leak
HP's impending plans to revamp its notebook line have likely been uncovered in advance today courtesy of a pair of leaks (one, two). Leading the group should be the Pavilion dv8, one of the first systems to use Intel's mobile Core i7; it should be an 18.4-inch desktop replacement with an early 1.6GHz quad-core processor that scales up to 2.8GHz when it can ramp down one or more cores. It's also expected that the system would come with a Blu-ray drive as well as 4GB of RAM and 640GB of storage, likely spread across two disks.
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09/03, 11:30am
X120, X420, X520 all get new design
Samsung used the IFA show in Berlin to revamp its portables, starting with its X series notebooks. The X120 is Samsung's first system to use an Intel CULV chip and runs on a new dual-core, 1.3GHz Pentium SU4100 whose 10W power draw lets the system run for up to nine hours on a charge, even with a small four-cell battery. It also leads a new design language for the company with rounded, glossy shells that are resistant to both scratches and UV-related fading.
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09/01, 4:40pm
BenQ outs CULV notebooks
BenQ recently announced the launch of two notebooks powered by Intel's Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) processors. This includes the 13.3-inch Joybook S35 and 14-inch Joybook S43. Processor choices include a 1.4GHz single core Core 2 Solo, 1.3GHz Core 2 Duo SU7300, 1.2GHz Celeron 723 or 1.3GHz Celeron 743 chips. Both sport a 1366x768 resolution along with high brightness and contrast levels thanks to LED backlit screens. Graphics processing is thanks to an ATI Mobility Radeon HD4330 GPU on the S43 or Intel's integrated GMA4500M GPU on the S35.
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08/31, 11:05am
ASUS CULV notebooks due
ASUS is planning on releasing two new ultra-thin notebooks powered by Intel's CULV chips, including the 45nm Celeron 743 and Core 2 Solo SU2300 early in September, Digitimes said on Monday, citing unnamed sources in the industry. The report goes on to say initial shipments of the portables will begin on September 7th and go to Taiwan, China and Europe at first. US details weren't mentioned, though some sort of American launch is unofficially expected.
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08/24, 9:55am
Intel 7 New CULV in Oct
Intel is on the verge of dramatically swelling the ranks of its CULV (Consumer Ultra Low-Voltage) processor ranks if a leak of early information proves true. The chip producer is seen by Fudzilla as shipping seven processors in early October that would significantly expand the range. Two low-end models, the SU2500 and SU2600, should be joined by the mid-range SU4100, SU4500 and SU4700 as well as the high-end SU7300 and SU7800.
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08/22, 4:20pm
Gateway EC1803h in Canada
Canadians have been receiving an early North American look at the first 11.6-inch Acer and Gateway notebooks to use Intel's CULV platform thanks to a model that has been spotted this week by an Electronista tipster at Future Shop stores in the country. Known as the Gateway EC1803h, the PC seems to be a rebranding and mild respecification of the Acer Timeline 1810T (Aspire 1410 in the US) that isn't yet on sale in North America and shares much of its design language with Gateway's own LT3100. The new model shares the Aspire/Timeline's 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo and GMA 4500 graphics, and in its single trim level comes with 3GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive as well as expected features like its 6-cell battery, HDMI output and 5-in-1 card reader.
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08/21, 11:00am
MSI Wind12 U200 official
Taiwan-based computer maker MSI has officially announced the 12.1-inch, CULV-based Wind12 U200 ultraportable. Labeled as the first 12.1-inch notebook powered by Intel's Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) line, it comes with a 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo that gives it much more performance than a netbook but without as much of a jump in price or power use as a full-size system. Accordingly, it weighs less than 3.1lbs with its stock 3-cell battery.
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08/20, 12:55pm
Sony Axes VAIO TT
Sony has quietly pulled the VAIO TT from its lineup. The move ends Sony's current participation in the ultraportable world and comes without any sign of an immediate replacement. Dropping the system leaves only the Atom-based VAIO P and VAIO W with screens below 10 inches in Sony's lineup.
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08/18, 6:10pm
Students favoring netbooks
The still-growing popularity of netbooks has likely robbed Apple much of its target audience for back-to-school Mac sales this year, a study from Retrevo found on Tuesday. Just over a third of notebook-buying college students, or 34 percent, plan to buy a netbook from any make for their return to class. About 49 percent of the total also specifically plan to buy a regular Windows notebook, leaving just 17 percent either buying a Mac or uncertain about what they will buy.
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08/18, 8:45am
Dell Inspiron 11z
With little fanfare, Dell this morning has launched its first notebook based on Intel's CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) platform. The Inspiron 11z costs as much as a netbook but uses an ultra-low voltage 1.2GHz Celeron that Dell estimates is about 40 percent faster than a 1.6GHz Atom. It also has a larger 11.6-inch, 1366x768 screen and faster GS45 integrated graphics, but isn't tangibly bulkier at about 1 inch thick and just over 3 pounds in weight.
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08/12, 5:55pm
Lenovo ships U450p laptop
After releasing several teaser images and specs on its website recently, PC maker Lenovo has unceremoniously launched the full-blown product page for its IdeaPad U450p notebook PC. The U450p uses Intel's CULV chips, but unlike the previously released IdeaPad U350, it uses a larger 14-inch LCD and adds an optical drive. With the official release, specs are now known for the notebooks.
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08/12, 5:15pm
Ultrathins in trouble?
Acer chairman JT Wang has admitted that the company's shipments of ultra-thin notebooks has not reached initial sales goals, according to the DigiTimes. The computer maker has adjusted its internal forecasts to reflect the changing conditions, reducing total shipment volumes for the third quarter from 30 percent to 20 percent. Fourth quarter volumes have been similarly reduced from 50 percent to 30 percent.
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08/11, 11:55am
Dell Vostro 10 Inch Teaser
Dell today provided a brief (now unavailable) teaser on Flickr of an impending but unannounced Vostro portable. Labeled only as a "Vostro 10-inch notebook," the computer borrows stylistically from newer Inspirons but, despite being small and thin, doesn't appear to be a netbook; it has an internal tray-loading optical drive and a relatively large amount of expansion. It would come in both a conservative black as well as cherry red and blue.
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08/07, 3:10pm
Dell Mini 12 Gone
Dell today in a low-key move shrunk its Inspiron Mini netbook line by dropping the Mini 12. The Texas PC builder hasn't explained the decision but now just leaves the Mini 10 as its lone netbook. It follows shortly after Dell's cancellation of the Mini 9, its first netbook introduced late last year.
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08/06, 5:30pm
Dell Latitude Z at FCC
Dell's designer Latitude Z has garnered support today courtesy of an FCC filing for the ultraportable's government tests. Beyond confirming the notebook's existence, the use of only 802.11g Wi-Fi implies the base model won't have faster 802.11n. A diagram of the design appears to support a removable "hump" that would have an Ethernet connection, likely other ports, and possibly an extended-capacity battery.
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08/04, 5:10pm
CULV Notebook Demand Cool
In spite of high-profile launches, notebooks based on Intel's Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) aren't having much success in the market, contacts in the PC industry said Tuesday. Sales were expected to pick up in July and August but, DigiTimes said, have been modest even when the ultraportables were bundled with coupons to upgrade to Windows 7 for free. These companies are now counting on systems actually shipping with Windows 7 to see a jump, which for many won't occur until November.
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07/31, 9:05am
Lenovo IdeaPad U450p shows
Computer manufacturer Lenovo has posted a teaser page for an upcoming IdeaPad U450p notebook, revealing nearly no information at all as a full-blown product page does not yet exist. At 14 inches, it's the larger sibling to the recently launched 13.3-inch IdeaPad U350 and will add an optical drive. Like the U350, it will be powered by a range of Intel's Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) processors, though which ones exactly isn't known.
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07/23, 9:20am
Sony Touch VAIOs in Fall
Sony plans to launch VAIO portables with touchscreens as early as the fall, company senior VP Mike Abary said in an interview today. The electronics giant fully anticipates shipping "some" computers with touch features in the fall to coincide with the launch of Windows 7, which is due October 22nd and has much better hooks for touch interfaces than Vista. Specifics weren't mentioned to Laptop, but Abary explained these were more likely to draw on Windows 7's existing touch features rather than to have a customized interface.
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07/13, 11:50am
Intel Clarksfield by Oct
Intel's first mobile Nehalem processors, known under their Clarksfield codename, have had their launch date pushed to near the start of fall if a rumor proves true. Originally scheduled for the summer, the quad-core chips are now penned in for late September or early October. No reason has been given for the delay by the sources for DigiTimes, although the processors are known to consume large amounts of power.
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07/07, 10:20am
Acer 11.6-inch Timeline
Backing up an earlier rumor, the existence of Acer's 11.6-inch Timeline 1810T notebook is all but confirmed thanks to some leaked images. The chassis is shared with the Aspire One 751h, including its 11.6-inch, 1366x768 resolution screen. Other components include a 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo SU3500 and an integrated GMA 4500 graphics chipset that gives it enough power to decode HD video. Using a GS45 Express mainboard also provides headroom for up to 4GB of RAM.
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07/02, 9:05am
CULV NBs Too Cheaply Made
Many of the Windows PC makers building ultraportable notebooks based on Intel's low-cost CULV platform are learning first-hand that their cheaper case designs aren't enough to sustain the systems, a research note from AmTech analyst Doug Freedman says. Many of the companies design the systems with plastic shells to keep their prices down but are discovering that the cases are cracking, often forcing major replacements. Which companies are affected aren't mentioned, but Lenovo and MSI are some of the first making systems in the category with the IdeaPad U350 and X-Slim line respectively.
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07/02, 7:50am
MSI X-Slim X400 Detailed
MSI today rounded out the hardware specs for the last of the current wave of X-Slim ultraportables. The 14-inch X400 will be the more colorful model of the group with "personalized" color bezels around the lip of the frame and its trackpad. It's also billed as one of the thinnest, lightest systems at its screen size at under an inch thick and 3.3 pounds.
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06/16, 2:40pm
Dell Teases CULV Notebook
Dell at a Parisian event today briefly showed a mystery notebook likely to be the company's first based on Intel's Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) initative. Without naming the model or detailing its features, Phil Bryant and Michael Tatelman of the company told Engadget and observers that it's part of an "entirely new model line" of thin notebooks. No release information has been given and echoes the Adamo teaser at CES, which preceded an actual launch by months.
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06/12, 1:30pm
MSI X600 specs revealed
MSI's flagship X-Slim series notebook, the MSI X600, has received specs for two of its variations today through a new leak. The company has previously only released teasers of the specifications for the notebook PC, which is meant to compete with the MacBook Air. The 15.6-inch notebook sports a 1366x768 resolution and is powered by Intel's CULV platform, in a package that is less than one-inch thick.
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06/11, 8:50am
Intel Cel 740 and SU2300
Intel has quietly a pair of new Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) processors to its lineup to help drive the costs of ultraportable notebooks downwards, an industry leak claims today. Although it doesn't yet show in Intel's processor list, a 1.3GHz Celeron 740 would be Intel's first dual-core Celeron, keeping the costs low but still taking advantage of modern operating systems; DigiTimes says it would have 1MB of Level 2 cache and an 800MHz front-side bus. A 1.2GHz SU2300, badged either as a Core 2 Duo or Pentium dual-core, would step in with more software features but similar specifications.
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06/09, 12:30pm
Acer 11 6in Timeline Rumor
Acer could be introducing a smaller Timeline that may ultimately kill the high end of its netbooks, a rumor from Taiwan's PC industry indicates. An 11.6-inch version of the Timeline is purportedly tapped for July and, DigiTimes says, will create pressure in the category. To avoid a conflict with the same-size Aspire One 751h netbook, Acer is believed to be either cutting the price of the 751h or else phasing it out entirely.
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06/02, 2:05pm
AMD dual-core Neo out
Closely following Intel's news of its CULV platform, rival chipmaker AMD at Computex on Tuesday announced its dual-core Athlon Neo chip is now shipping to makers of ultra-thin and light notebooks. The dual-core Neo will be aimed at the same clients as Intel's CULV CPUs. All the specs for the dual-core CPU, which goes by the Conesus codename, are not yet known, however. What is known is that is sports 1MB of L2 cache, a DDR2 memory controller and more power-miserly 45nm construction.
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06/02, 9:05am
Acer Timeline in US
Acer today provided US details of its Timeline notebooks using Intel's new CULV platform for ultraportables. The least expensive of the group is also the largest and starts with the 15.6-inch AS5810TZ-4657; it costs $598 with a 1.3GHz Pentium, 3GB of memory, a 320GB hard drive and an internal DVD burner. It totes the Timeline series' multi-touch trackpad as well as 802.11n Wi-Fi, a webcam and HDMI output.
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