A workaround has been developed to restore Atom processor support in Mac OS X 10.6.2, a Russian hacker claims. The technique relies on a custom version of the Mach kernel, which must be installed using Terminal because of the need to gain root access. Once active, the kernel should support so-called hackintosh netbooks, most likely to use Atom chips.
German computer maker Smartbook AG has continued to threaten companies, including EE Times, that have been using the term "smartbook." The manufacturer recently sought a restraining order against the chip maker Qualcomm. Although Qualcommm and other companies, such as Freescale, use the term smartbook as a generic reference to portable Internet-ready devices that fall between the typical classifications for netbooks and smartphones, Smartbook AG has argued that it owns the sole rights to the trademark.
The Hong Kong-based computer maker ii-View has introduced its latest device, the A2 netbook. Like many similar devices, the A2 is based on Intel's 945 chipset and 1.6GHz Atom CPU. The basic configuration integrates a 320GB hard drive and 2GB of RAM, along with components for 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi.
Nokia showed off some of its latest high-end devices, including the Booklet 3G and the N900, at the San Diego CTIA conference. The Booklet 3G integrates the same 10-inch screen size as a variety of netbooks, although, after handling the device, it is clearly quite different from the competition.
Apple is likely to release new iMacs and MacBooks "in the next several weeks," claims Wedge Partners. In particular the firm's analysts say they envision an iMac with a "thinner, organic design," including "smoothed or rounded edges." Any changes to the MacBook are "likely to be limited," according to the firm. This could be because Apple announced redesigned MacBook Pros as recently as June.
MSI has confirmed the introduction of mobile Core i7 processors with several of its upcoming Windows 7-based notebooks . The company is set to ship 15.4- and 17-inch notebooks based on the Core i7 7200M, Core i7 8200M, and Core i7 920XM CPUs. Along with the high-end notebooks, MSI is also set to release a Wind U150 netbook featuring a touchscreen and Intel's next-generation Pine Trail platform.
At least two netbooks based on NVIDIA's Ion graphics technology are being consciously delayed, according to reports. Lenovo is said to be postponing the Ion version of the IdeaPad S12, waiting until the release of Windows 7 in October. The new OS should make an Ion S12 more attractive than one loaded with Vista, the company says.
LG has introduced its latest netbook, the X130, featuring a standard nine-cell battery claimed to enable runtime of approximately 12 hours. The device sports a 10.1-inch LCD with 1024x600 resolution, while powered by Intel's 1.6GHz Atom N270 CPU. Standard configurations ship with 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive.
A variety of smartbooks and netbooks integrating ARM-based Snapdragon and Tegra processors are scheduled to ship later this year, according to a DigiTimes report. The devices are being produced by several companies such as Acer, Foxconn, Pegatron, Compal and Inventec.
Normally known for its monitors in North America, ViewSonic has announced two new netbooks, initially slated for Asia and Europe. The VNB100 uses a 10.2-inch display, capable of resolutions up to 1024x600. Inside is an Atom N270 processor with 1GB of RAM, supplemented by a 160GB hard drive. Other features include Wi-Fi, a memory card reader, a 1.3-megapixel webcam and three USB ports. Unusual is the presence of an ExpressCard 34 slot, typically reserved for full-sized notebooks.
HP on Wednesday introduced several devices geared for businesses, the Mini 5101 netbook and ProBook 4310s notebook, along with new accessories. The Mini 5101 features a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display, with options for 1024x600 resolution or a 16:9 aspect ratio with 1366x768 resolution. The device is powered by Intel's 1.66GHz Atom N280 CPU and 945GSE chipset, with 1GB of DDR2 RAM which can be expanded to 2GB.
Disney has collaborated with Asus to produce a Disney-branded netbook, known as the Netpal, that focuses on the market for kids aged six to 12. The device is based on the computer maker's Eee PC, with a 8.9-inch display, Wi-Fi connectivity and an Intel Atom processor. Each machine will run on Windows XP, but with a customized interface featuring themes such as Mickey Mouse, Cars, Toy Story and WALL-E, among others.
ASUS is readying a late June shipment for its first 11-inch Eee PC netbook, the 1101HA. Specifically measuring 11.6 inches, the design of the system is otherwise said to closely resemble the 1005HA and 1008HA. Inside is a 1.33GHz Atom processor, paired with 1GB of RAM and a six-cell lithium ion battery. The display supports resolutions up to 1366x768.
Mobinnova has announced the élan, a netbook based on one of NVIDIA's fledgling Tegra processors. The system features an 8.9-inch display, which in combination with the Tegra chip is capable of 720p video as well as accelerated Flash content. 3G and Wi-Fi connections are built in, along with a webcam with unspecified resolution. The exact model of Tegra is also unknown.
Qualcomm on Thursday outlined its vision for mobile computing, specifically an ARM-based series of smartbooks that combine attributes of both smartphones and netbooks, according to GigaOM. The smartbook would be powered by the company's Snapdragon technology, a powerful mobile processor and chipset platform first introduced late in 2007. The devices could integrate cellular connectivity and Wi-Fi, with a small form-factor, displays measuring between 10-12 inches and a full keyboard.
A new version of Acer's Aspire One netbook has emerged, according to reports. Dubbed the 571, the machine is said to be based on the chassis of a D150 or D250, also using most of the same internal specifications. Its 10.1-inch display is said to have been upgraded to support 1280x720, though, in a 16:9 widescreen ratio. Aiding the encoding and decoding of HD and H.264 video is a Quartics coprocessor.
A Verizon version of the iPhone may not arrive for some time, but it remains a strong possibility, according to a pair of key Apple executives. In a meeting with Kaufman Bros. and a group of investors, CFO Peter Oppenheimer and senior Mac manager Tom Boger have explained that Apple is happy with the results in regions with multiple iPhone carriers, such as Australia. Adding Verizon in 2010 would cause a problem, the executives say, because of the carrier's current dependence on CDMA networking.
Taiwanese phone specialist HTC is collaborating with carrier T-Mobile on an Android-based netbook, a TMOToday source claims. Little is known about the computer, except that it should feature built-in 3G reception for T-Mobile's broadband network, and ship sometime before the end of the year. Such a timeframe could suggest a launch no later than early October, timed to coincide with the frequent influx of school computer sales.
There remains little or no interest at Apple in developing a netbook, the company's COO remarks. In response to a question from Barclay analyst Ben Reitzes, asked during the company's Q2 results call, Tim Cook has expressed disappointment with the current state of netbooks. "When I look at what is being sold in the netbook space today, I see cramped keyboards, terrible software, junky hardware, very small screens," says Cook. "And just not a consumer experience and not something that we would put the Mac brand on, quite frankly."
The Japanese division of Sharp has announced the Mebius NJ70A, its newest netbook. While designed in a standard 10.1-inch format, the system is said to be the first netbook in the world with an LCD trackpad. The pad measures a separate four inches, and is equipped with LED backlighting and resolutions scaling up to 854x480. Users can run several apps directly from the screen, such as games and a paint program. It additionally recognizes multi-touch gestures similar to those on the Apple MacBook, such as pinching and expanding fingers to scale content.
Additional information has emerged surrounding Verizon's upcoming netbook offerings. Several leaked images posted on PhoneArena show an HP Mini 115NR with a 1.6 GHz CPU, 10.1-inch screen, 1GB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive. The system will come loaded with Windows XP Home Edition, and users can access the Internet from Wi-Fi or Ethernet in addition to the integrated mobile broadband modem with support for GlobalAccess. The keyboard on the 10.1-inch Mini is closer to the area of a full-size notebook.
People should not expect to find Android on Acer netbooks in the near future, executives from the latter company have stated. While HP is known to be testing Android for netbooks, and ASUS and Dell are rumored to be interested, Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci argues that the software is not yet suited to netbook functions. "Android in my opinion is for communications," says Lanci. "And Windows comes at the market from the computing side. An ideal solution would offer both. So right now we are using Android for our smartphone, and we are testing it on our netbooks. But I think everybody in the industry is testing Android on netbooks."
At the CTIA show in Vegas that kicked off today, MSI is showing off its new Wind U123 netbook along with a pair of new X-series Ultra-Slim notebooks and has released the specs and pricing information for its portable PCs. The new 10.2-inch Wind model is powered by Intel's 1.66GHz Atom N280 CPU and is the first Wind netbook to offer a 3G data network module and a TV Tuner. For security, the netbook will have MSI's EasyFace software that will read a user's facial features via its 1.3-megapixel camera before granting access. Another first in the Wind range is the U123's availability in a range of colors, adding blue and red in addition to white and gray.
The Android platform for mobile phones, developed by Google, may soon be used in netbooks, with HP confirming interest and ASUS and Dell rumored to be developing devices as well, says the Wall Street Journal. HP says its engineers are testing the technology, but the decision has not yet been made to go ahead with the plan. The free open-source software could drop the prices of netbooks, which are entry-level devices with low margins that make ultra-low price points hard to achieve. Taiwan's ASUS has said it is considering Android-powered netbooks; Dell may be more likely to develop Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) with the software, but neither company has elaborated on statements.
The first market the Aspire One D250 will likely be available in is Europe, as the system now has its own product page on Acer's European website. The 10.1-inch netbook was first spotted in February, and passed through the FCC earlier this month. The page reveals official specs for the sub-2.5lb, one-inch thick netbook, which uses Atom N270 or N280 processors and supports 3G broadband. Standard RAM is 2GB, while permanent storage consists of a 160GB hard drive preloaded with Windows XP Home.
OCZ has officially announced its 10.1-inch Neutrino netbook, first shown during CeBIT at the beginning of March. Part of the company's Do-It-Yourself (DIY) line-up, the computer can be upgraded by users without voiding the warranty. The Neutrino weighs just under 2.9lbs, and by default sports a 1024x600, LED-backlit screen, though it can be upgraded to a 1600x1200 display. Processing power comes from a 1.6GHz Atom CPU.
Verizon Wireless is ready to begin selling netbooks, possibly as soon as next quarter, an unnamed source told Bloomberg. The carrier is allegedly working with more than one PC maker, according to the person that is close to the project. If true, the company appears to be stepping up competition against other carriers that have seen an opportunity in low-priced computers paired with data contracts and subsidized for extra discounts.
A number of new developments are in progress behind the scenes at Apple, claims Kaufman analyst Shaw Wu. Sources currently say, for instance, that Mac OS X Snow Leopard will only be released this summer at the earliest, and possibly as late as the fall. This stands in contrast to predictions from Apple's own director of Unix engineering, who in November said that the OS would ship before the end of March. It is thought however that Snow Leopard may be laying the groundwork for future iMacs, equipped with quad-core Intel processors.
Dell has seen steady sales growth and low return rates with its Inspiron Mini 9 netbooks running Ubuntu, despite reports that MSI experienced substantially higher return rates with its Wind series running SuSE Linux compared to the XP platform, according to Laptop. A third of the Mini 9 devices are shipped with Linux. "We have done a very good job explaining to folks what Linux is,” says Jay Pinkert of Dell.
Glenn Lurie, AT&T's Emerging Devices president, has hinted that the company might be talking with Apple about subsidized notebooks tied in with wireless data contracts, according to an executive interview with Fortune. The wireless carrier has become increasingly interested in working with device manufacturers beyond the realm of handsets. Initially, the company has dabbled with lower-priced mobile computers such as netbooks.
Social and technological factors have conspired to make 2009 the year of the netbook, according to analysts. ABI Research expects a "perfect storm" to form this year, leading to a market explosion in the netbook category, calling for 35 million units to ship in '09, with an estimated 139 million units shipping by 2013. The convergence of PDA functionality, the data-hub theory of smartphone technology and the mobility of ultramobile PCs find a home in netbooks at a time when low-cost, low power processors and light-weight form factors have arrived.
A larger, 10-inch version of Acer's Aspire One netbook, rumored back in November, is now said to have more complete specifications. The Aspire One 103 should be powered by a 1.6GHz N270 or N280 Atom CPU. Standard RAM is expected to be set at 1GB, while a 160GB hard drive should be preloaded with Windows XP. Upgrading either piece of hardware will be made easier thanks to the integration of access doors.
At CES this week, Asus introduced two new tablet netbooks, the Eee PC T91 and T101H, and several full-size notebooks including the M90GF and W90Vp. The Eee PC T91 features an 8.9-inch touchscreen with LED backlighting. The system runs on Windows XP Home and uses an Intel Atom Z520 processor, while customers can add an optional GPS receiver or TV tuner. The T101H offers a 10-inch screen and an Atom N270 CPU running the same version of XP as the smaller model but with a keyboard size closer to an average notebook.
Microsoft will be producing at least three different versions of Windows 7, including ones specific for netbooks, sub-notebooks, one for consumers, and one for enterprise users. Following the introduction yesterday at the CES keynote, a new report by CNET UK says that the software giant confirmed the multiple variants in a one-on-one briefing at Microsoft's London offices this week. The publication notes that the netbook version likely would not be made available to consumers, but would likely only be made available to OEM manufacturers of such devices.
First International Computer is preparing a new netbook for the US, documents from the FCC show. Currently known only as the CW001 Mini-note, the computer has a 10.4-inch display, supporting resolutions up to 1024x600. As with a number of netbooks, the machine is powered by a 1.6GHz Atom processor and integrated graphics; it also contains 2GB of DDR2 RAM however, and uses a SATA II hard drive, as opposed to the lower-capacity SSDs found in some rivals.
ASUS will launch a variant of its 10.2-inch netbook, the S101, with a conventional hard disk instead of a solid-state drive, reports say. While the capacity of the disk in the upcoming computer -- due to be called the S101H -- is unknown, the netbook's thinness will likely constrain the disk to a smaller, slower 1.8-inch format. Its capacity should be much larger than the current maximum 64GB SSD option, which is also paired exclusively with Linux. S101 buyers who opt for Windows XP are limited to 16GB SSDs, due to rules imposed by Microsoft.
Portable device maker EMTEC is due to release its Gdium Liberty 1000 netbook in the US in the near future, according to a Tuesday report. The Mandriva G-Linux-based netbook, set to debut at CES next week, offers a 10-inch display with 1024x600 resolution, and should weigh just over 2.6lbs. Processing power comes courtesy of a 900MHz Loongson CPU and 512MB of RAM. As there is no permanent onboard storage, the Gdium will ship with a G-Key: a USB drive that stores the Linux operating system, and all applications and personal data. Users will need to plug it into the netbook before the latter will boot up.
An Apple netbook may yet be in the works, wording from the Taiwanese government suggests. The country's Government Information Office recently issued a new report, in which it claims that local manufacturer Quanta is "expected to add Sony and Apple as clients for the contract manufacture of Netbook computers in 2009." Although the Sony netbooks could likely be from the new VAIO P series, Apple has not officially announced any plans to release a netbook.
Taiwanese computer maker MSI has announced the U115 netbook, which, the company claims, will be the first to offer both a solid state drive along with a conventional hard disk. The 10-inch computer will be offered with an 8 or optional 16GB SSD, as well as a 120 or 160GB HDD. Processing power comes from a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 chip, aided by 1GB of RAM.
Sony Japan has posted a teaser page for what is believed to be the VAIO P, an upcoming netbook. Shown briefly in the page's Flash montage is a new keyboard, with raised keys similar to those on the VAIO TZ and TT. The updated keyboard has a trackball in the middle however, which may indicate that that the P is too small to fit a conventional trackpad.
ASUS' S121 netbook has been spotted in an advance leak, though any information on specifications is scarce. What is known is that the new product will be based on the existing 10.2-inch S101, which means it will likely use the same 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU. Other specs of the S101 are expected to carry over, including its 1GB of RAM, a draft-N Wi-Fi module, Bluetooth 2.0 and a VGA webcam.
Several retailers are now offering the Lenovo IdeaPad S9 in the United States. The manufacturer had previously shipped the model only to other countries, while offering the slightly larger IdeaPad S10 in the domestic market. The netbook runs on the Linpus Linux Lite operating system and features a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, GMA 950 graphics processor, 4GB solid-state drive and 512MB of DDR2 memory. The 8.9-inch display offers a resolution of 1024 by 600 pixels. The device also provides built-in 802.11b/g support, an ExpressCard slot, media card reader and web camera.
The current recession is beginning to harm Apple's US sales, writes the NPD Group. The research firm notes that in tracking November sales of Macs, numbers actually declined 1 percent year-over-year, while the computer industry as a whole grew 2 percent. Apple has generally seen continuous growth in recent years, and the trend was poised to continue until the development of the credit crisis in September.
Microsoft may be facing harder times than expected going into 2009, various analysts argue. Although the company itself has posted conservative guidance for the near future, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Holt says he is lowering both his fiscal Q2 and fiscal 2009 projections, mainly on the belief that PC sales have slackened considerably. Complicating the situation, according to Bernstein's Jeffrey Lindsay, is that the emergence of netbooks represents a wildcard -- because of their limited purpose many of them are able to use Linux, or lower-end versions of Windows.
MSI will be demonstrating new touchscreen-enabled notebooks during January's Consumer Electronics Show, says the company's US sales director. Andy Tung notes that 10- and 16-inch touchscreen portables will be on display, the former of which should be a Wind netbook. It is uncertain if it will become a commercial product, says Tung, as a 10-inch screen may be considered too small for tablet functionality; it is confirmed however that MSI's touch-based Wind desktops will be coming to the US in 17-, 19- and 22-inch sizes.
A leaked Radio Shack holiday ad shows the Acer Aspire One priced at $100 when combined with a $60 or higher two-year AT&T data plan. The promotion represents a unique subsidization strategy for netbooks, drawing from a technique long-established in the mobile handset market. The Aspire One features an Intel Atom processor, Windows XP Home, 1GB memory, 160GB hard drive, 802.11b/g wireless and integrated 3G components for connection to cellular networks.
Sony's long-anticipated netbook has been revealed through filings with the FCC, a report from Engadget suggests. Two versions, known as the PCG-1P1L and PCG-1P2L, have been through wireless testing with the government body; the PCG prefix is known to represent Sony's VAIO portable line. More crucially, the computers match typical netbook dimensions, at approximately 9.5 inches long by 4.5 inches wide. This should make them smaller than many rival systems.
Apple will likely produce a netbook within the next two years, says analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray. Although the research firm has been predicting the release of a more compact Apple portable for some time, and at one point proposed a release towards the end of 2008, it now suggests that the earliest an Apple netbook could come is sometime in 2009, in the form of a scaled-down MacBook Air.
AMD announced several new projects that will compete with Intel's Atom processor late next year, according to ExtremeTech. The company expects to add the Caspian and Conesus processors sometime next year. Both products are intended for use in mini-notebooks or netbooks, featuring the same 45-nm architecture of the new Shanghai processor announced earlier this week. Dual-cores will be featured in both, along with DDR-2 memory support.
AMD could introduce new proprietary mobile processors as soon as tomorrow, reports indicate. In July, CEO Dirk Meyer announced that a response to Intel's Atom processors -- aimed at netbooks and mobile Internet devices -- would be mentioned in a Q4 analysts conference, which is scheduled for Thursday. One possibility is the announcement of Bobcat, which was first hinted at 18 months ago and is rumored to have a 1GHz 64-bit core, an 800MHz HyperTransport link and a DDR2 memory controller, together consuming 8W of power or less.
