11/20, 11:50am
Vizio Via networking HDTVs delayed until 2010
Despite promising to release its Via HDTVs with Wi-Fi and network connections this fall, Vizio has officially said it will delay the launch until January of 2010, according to a Friday CNET report. Other promised features of the Via TVs include local LED backlighting dimming for deeper black level reproduction and interactive add-ons as well as a Bluetooth remote with a QWERTY keyboard to navigate and manage it all.
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11/09, 11:10am
Netbooks, Intel winners in Q3 share
Notebooks rode a massive wave of demand in summer, according to new IDC data. Shipments of mobile processors attached to the systems jumped 35.7 percent compared to the spring and grew more than three times faster than for desktop processors, which advanced 11.4 percent at the same time. Server processors like Intel's Xeon and AMD's Opteron saw their sales grow by 12.2 percent over the period.
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09/16, 12:15pm
VIA NetNotes can playback 1080p videos
VIA has recently released its NetNote Turnkey Systems, which are netbook PCs ranging in size from 10.2 to 12.1 inches. Unlike mostnetbooks, however, the NetNotes are said to be capable of flawless 1080p HD video playback thanks to hardware video decoding in the VX855 graphics chipset. The actual CPUs can come from VIA's C7-M ULV or Nano families. The C7-Ms are the simpler processors and can be had with clock speeds that range from 1GHz to 1.6GHz. They consume between 3.5W and 8W of power.
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07/02, 3:40pm
Inkia shows Atom MIDs
Chinese electronics maker Inkia has recently launched a pair of nameless Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) powered by 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPUs, with both 7-inch and 5-inch versions. Each is equipped with an 800x480 resolution touchscreen, 1GB of RAM and solid state drive storage up to 32GB. The preloaded operating system is either Linux or Windows XP. Other features common to either system include 3G support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.
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05/25, 10:35am
Shuttle PC intros slim PCs
Shuttle has recently announced it will show two new additions to its PC lineup at the Computex show in Taiwan at the start of June. The Embedded Slim-series systems, the XS92 and XS92F, will be powered by VIA's Nano CPUs, with the former getting the faster but more power-hungry L-series processors while the latter will be powered by the highly energy-efficient U-series of Nano chips. All come in very small enclosures that fit into spaces tighter than Shuttle's usual small form factor cases would allow.
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04/18, 12:35am
OLPC XO-1 Goes to VIA
The One Laptop Per Child project tonight said it would overhaul the XO-1 with a major internal upgrade. The Gen 1.5 update will drop the AMD Geode processor that has been used since launch and instead use a VIA C7-M with a clock speed that varies between 400MHz and 1GHz depending on the amount of heat. By making the swap, OLPC also gets a new chipset that adds 3D acceleration, HD video decoding and surround sound. The combined design is meant to consume no more energy than the current XO-1 while active but to use less power while idle, run faster, and (through component cost drops) ultimately reduce the price.
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04/10, 9:40am
CrunchPad Apr 2009 Update
An unintentional leak late Thursday has shown a major revision to TechCrunch's CrunchPad touchscreen tablet. Aside from being much thinner than older prototypes, the new version has switched from a VIA Nano processor to an Intel Atom and now has a wider, capacitive 12-inch touchscreen that should be easier to use. It also has a much more efficient software base that uses a custom Linux variant and WebKit-based browser that use just 100MB of space.
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04/03, 10:15am
Samsung NC20 now available
The 12.1-inch Samsung NC20 netbook PC first revealed late in February is now available for purchase, priced at nearly $550. The computer features an unusually large 1280x800 display resolution and otherwise class-standard 160GB hard drive and 1GB of RAM. It most sharply breaks from the class average is via its use of a 1.3GHz VIA Nano processor instead of a much more common Intel Atom CPU.
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03/27, 12:15pm
NVIDIA to buy VIA shares
NVIDIA is today claimed to be in talks with Taiwanese chipmaker VIA Technologies to buy a significant amount of shares from the company in hopes of getting a significant stake in its business. VIA is said planning on selling 300 million new shares by way of a private placement, each priced at between the equivalent of about $0.27 to $0.35. Nothing is official and is likely to remain so until all possible candidates for shares are named after a June 19th shareholder meeting. NVIDIA is maintaining complete silence on the subject.
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03/05, 1:20pm
Samsung Q1EX-71G UMPC
Samsung has recently introduced the newest UMPC for sale in the US, the Q1EX-71G, which sports a 7-inch touchscreen with 1024x600 resolution. Its unique feature is a switch in its core CPU: instead of earlier Intel A100 parts or an Atom, processing power comes from a 1.2GHz VIA Nano U2500 ultra-low voltage processor as well as 2GB of RAM. The 1.8-inch 60GB hard drive ships with Windows' XP Tablet edition operating system.
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02/27, 7:30am
Samsung NC20 Official
Samsung has finished out its week by launching the NC20. Like its Inspiron Mini 12 rival at dell, the Samsung system is a crossover between netbooks and fuller-size systems and centers on a 12-inch, 1280x800 display that also affords a full-size keyboard and trackpad. Samsung, however, opts out of Intel chips for a 1.3GHz VIA Nano processor and its matching integrated graphics chipset; the move gives the system a claimed 6.5 hours of battery on a stock 6-cell battery pack.
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02/25, 2:55pm
NVIDIA Ion 2 Leak
If accurate, a new leak has NVIDIA releasing an updated version of its Ion platform with support for more than just netbook processors. As part of a presentation obtained by Fudzilla that responds to Intel criticism of Ion, NVIDIA has acknowledged that it will launch a second-generation version that supports not only the Atom and VIA Nano but also regular Celeron, Pentium and Core 2 chips. The update would allow full-speed notebooks to use the smaller footprint.
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02/20, 7:35am
NVIDIA Ion for VIA Coming
NVIDIA chief Jen-Sun Huang has said that NVIDIA is well into development of a version of its Ion platform for VIA's Nano processors. Speaking to Digitimes, Huang says the companies had already demonstrated an early example of it in 2008 but are now committed to releasing a production version sometime this year. Details of any differences between this and the Intel Atom reference version haven't been mentioned, though VIA regularly produces reference netbook platforms like OpenBook based on its most recent hardware.
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02/18, 8:20am
Lenovo NVIDIA Ion Rumor
Lenovo may be one of the first PC makers to adopt NVIDIA's Ion platform in a netbook, the Taiwan-area Commercial Times paper claims. The PC maker is reportedly asking local contractor Wistron to build 11.6- and 12.1-inch IdeaPads for the spring that would combine the much faster, GeForce 9400M-level graphics of Ion with an Intel Atom processor. The company is also said mulling a 13-inch model using the same technology.
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02/06, 3:35pm
NVIDIA x86 Rumor
NVIDIA may be stepping into the production of its own x86 processors if a rumor circulated by the Inquirer proves authentic. The video chipset producer has reportedly been hiring large numbers of engineers familiar with how to design for the foundations used in most Intel chips and has a virtually complete team. The company allegedly lacks a license for x86, however, and would likely face legal action from Intel as a result.
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01/28, 5:20pm
No Geode replacement: AMD
Computer chipmaker AMD said on Monday it will not be replacing its low-power Geode CPU currently used in devices such as the XO laptop made by the One Laptop Per Child project, UMPCs and set-top boxes, according to a Tuesday report. An AMD spokesperson did reassure those who depend on the current CPU that the company will continue to offer the product as long as there is demand for it.
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01/19, 8:45am
CrunchPad Tablet
News site TechCrunch today revealed that it's much closer to launching a promised low-cost, touchscreen Internet tablet. Referred to now as the CrunchPad, the device has a 12-inch, 1024x768 touch display but includes netbook-grade components to keep the price and size down: the nearly button-free device will use a VIA Nano processor, 1GB of memory and a 4GB flash drive that are just enough to hold an interface that boots directly to a custom WebKit-based browser in Ubuntu Linux.
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01/16, 1:20pm
HP to intro Mini 2150
According to a Friday report, HP will soon launch more model to add to its Mini family of netbooks. Most recently, the computer maker launched the Mini 2140 at CES, which replaces the Mini 2100 and brings with it an Intel Atom chip instead of a VIA C7-M as well as bumps up the screen size to 10.1 inches from 8.9. The report claims a Mini-note 2150 is the next model due for release, adding integrated 3G data network access to the specs.
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01/14, 11:00am
Samsung NC20 Manual Leak
Samsung today inadvertently confirmed details of its NC20 netbook by posting a manual (Windows-only) on its UK website. The text confirms earlier leaks and sees the 12-inch system switch away from Intel's Atom to a 1.3GHz VIA Nano as well as a much larger 6-cell stock battery. Samsung also puts the case through a significant redesign that moves the SD card slot to the front.
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01/09, 1:40pm
VIA NSD7800
VIA Technologies has announced the NSD7800, a home server capable of storing large quantities of information from multiple computers. Designed for small or home offices, the NSD7800 supports up to eight 3.5-inch SATA II hard drives. The storage device is powered by a 1.5GHz VIA C7-D processor, and comes equipped with a mini-PCI port for security related add-in cards, a bootable CompactFlash type 1 slot, and four USB 2 ports. It also offers automatic data monitoring and allows users to access their personal information while away from home.
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01/05, 10:40pm
HP Mini 2140
HP in its pre-CES run-up introduced its first major update to its Mini 2100 netbook. The Mini 2140 replaces the Mini-Note 2133 and abandons VIA's C7-M processor in favor of a 1.6GHz Intel Atom that HP claims should extend its battery life and cool it down compared to the hot-running older model. It also switches from the original 8.9-inch screen to a 10-inch model and now has the pick of both the original, extra-sharp 1366x768 display to a lesser 1024x576 panel which is both lower-priced and less demanding on the graphics chipset.
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12/22, 11:00am
Samsung NC20 Leak
Samsung is planning to upsize its netbook line with a second model early next year, a leak suggests. The simply-titled NC20 would move from the 10-inch display of the NC10 to a 12-inch (likely 1280x800) panel and would importantly switch from Intel's common 1.6GHz Atom chip to a 1.3GHz VIA Nano, potentially improving its performance despite the lower clock speed. It should also carry the features of the high-end NC10 model, including its 1GB of memory, 160GB drive and 1.3-megapixel webcam.
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11/27, 12:10pm
VIA dual-core Nano by 2010
Chip and computer hardware parts maker VIA unveiled its roadmap for future Nano chips at the Embedded Technology 2008 show in Japan held last week, according to a Wednesday report. The roadmap revealed VIA won't be releasing a dual-core Nano CPU for netbooks until an estimated date of June of 2010, leaving the market wide open for competitor Intel and its dual-core Atom CPU. The Taiwanese company also revealed it will release a Nano E-series chip in the spring of 2009, which will bump up the front system bus speeds from the current 800MHz to 1,333MHz and use a 65nm process.
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11/10, 3:55pm
Acer to launch compact PC
Notebook and desktop PC maker Acer is considering releasing an efficient, entry-level compact desk-top PC early in 2009, according to a Monday report. Computer parts providers believe the PC will offer Intel's Atom CPU as an option due to higher-than-expected sales of the company's Aspire One netbooks, which use the Intel chip. The sales goal stands at between 12 and 13 million. Acer is reportedly looking to use CPUs from VIA Technologies or AMD, the latter (pictured) providing a 2.1GHz Phenom X3 CPU in the company's Aspire X3200 desktop.
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11/04, 1:05pm
NVIDIA/VIA netbook plans
Graphics specialist NVIDIA and general chip builder VIA have broken off any plans to develop a netbook platform, say sources at the latter company. The corporations had signed a deal in April, which would have seen VIA's C7 and Nano CPUs coupled with NVIDIA's MCP79 processor, also known as the GeForce 9400M. The chipset debuted with Apple's newest MacBooks, and is expected to become prevalent in the notebook industry, displacing slower graphics accelerators built by Intel. Aside from netbooks, the platform would have applied to mobile Internet devices (MIDs).
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10/29, 12:05am
HP intros three netbooks
Days after a posting a picture of the device on its website, HP is rolling out not one but three consumer netbooks in the Mini 1000 series. Users can choose between 8.9- or 10.2-inch 1024x600 LED-backlit displays, 8GB or 16GB SSDs or a conventional 60GB hard drive. All models ship with built-in Wi-Fi, and 3G versions are expected in December. The 1000 marks a sharp break from the Mini-Note 2133's VIA C7M processor and instead uses a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor with between 512MB and 2GB of RAM; the combination lets HP keep the price down while still providing headroom for better performance.
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10/26, 11:05pm
HP Mini-Note 1000 Teaser
HP today dropped a hint as to its future netbook direction through its shopping home page by posting a teaser graphic for the Mini-Note 1000. An ordinary version of the Vivienne Tam Edition, the system should have the same 10-inch display as the designer netbook but with a more conventional black exterior. Despite the larger size than the 8.9-inch Mini-Note 2133, the system should also be lighter at less than 2.3 pounds and will still measure less than one inch thick.
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10/23, 12:25pm
HP Vivenne Tam and Atom
HP's Vivienne Tam netbook concept is turning into a production model, the company and Glam have confirmed through a teaser page for the mini PC. Now due to ship in December, the Vivienne Tam Edition is already known to be larger than the Mini-Note and will carry a 10-inch screen along with its designer outer cover; new in the teaser is word that the system will use an Intel Atom processor rather than the VIA C7-M which has been the Mini-Note's sole choice since it was introduced earlier in the year.
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10/17, 4:20pm
Apricot WiMAX netbook
Apricot Computers has recently announced it will return to the UK market with its 8.9-inch PicoBook Pro netbook, which is powered by a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M ultra low voltage processor sitting on a VIA mainboard that also houses integrated graphics processing. The company promises a WiMAX module will be an available option for the netbook, which would make it among the first, if not the very first, netbook to offer access to the wireless high-speed broadband network.
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10/15, 12:20pm
HP Clearing Mini-Notes
HP is aggressively discounting its Mini-Note PCs in what may be an attempt to clear stock for upgrades, a new promo would suggest. The VIA-based netbook, which officially launched at $499, is now selling for as little as $399 in its basic configuration of a 1GHz C7-M, 512MB of memory, and a 4GB flash drive pre-loaded with SuSE Linux; other discounts are more dramatic and range up to a $779 model (normally $1,064) with a 1.6GHz chip, 2GB of memory, a 120GB hard drive and Windows Vista Business.
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10/07, 1:45pm
NVIDIA to stop chip making
According to an analyst with the Pacific Crest Securities, chipset manufacturer NVIDIA will stop making media and communications chipsets in 2009, representing 21 percent of the company‘s current revenue. While the Tuesday report notes that NVIDIA had flat-out denied similar rumors back in August, its partners AMD and Intel are both are breaking into the mainboard chipset business themselves, Intel with in-house efforts and AMD with the recent purchase of chipmaker ATI.
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09/16, 5:25pm
Eltrinex 320GB notebook
European electronics manufacturer Eltrinex has built a 10.2-inch netbook PC it calls simply MobilePC, which sports a 320GB hard drive, by far the largest capacity in the segment. The Czech company also equipped the notebook with a 1.6GHz VIA C7-M processor and 1GB of RAM, while Windows XP is the user interface. An external DVD-RW drive that connects via a USB is also part of the package. The notebook is equipped for a quick connection to the Internet thanks to a built in 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi module, an Ethernet jack and Bluetooth connectivity.
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08/15, 4:10pm
VIA intros EPIA N700 board
After announcing it will quit making mainboard chips for third parties earlier this month, VIA Technologies on Friday announced the release of its own EPIA N700 Nano-ITX board for compact industrial PCs and embedded automation devices. The compact motherboard will ship with a choice of VIA's 1.5GHz C7 or the 500MHz Eden processor, and is the company's first Nano-ITX board to use the newest VIA VX800 media system processor chipset.
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08/15, 11:30am
HP Ordering VIA Nanos
HP has ordered batches of VIA's Nano processors for upcoming computers that may include its netbooks, claim some within the PC business. The faster, more efficient mobile processors are allegedly already shipping to HP and would be the second processor line from VIA to reach the American company after the C7-M, which so far has only been used in the Mini-Note 2133 and was initially thought to be a stopgap until HP could use Intel's Atom processor.
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08/11, 1:40pm
VIA Quits Mainboard Chips
VIA has formally quit the business of manufacturing chipsets for third parties, the company tells Custom PC. The semiconductor company has decided against continuing to make chipsets to support AMD and Intel processors and will instead focus on its own processors and their accompanying platforms, such as Pico-ITX (shown) or full reference platforms like the OpenBook. The move is characterized as the end of a long shift away from building for AMD and Intel as they produce more of their work in-house.
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08/07, 9:15am
HP 10 inch Atom Leak
HP plans to significantly expand its Mini-Note line in the fall along with a switch in processors, one new leak claims. Although an expansion has already been rumored, the new tip is more specific and alleges that a larger 10-inch model will ship with an Intel Atom processor rather than the VIA C7-M used in the 8.9-inch version. The system will purportedly ship with a solid-state drive and an unusual 1024x576 screen resolution rather than the 1024x600 of the current system.
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06/27, 3:40pm
VIA's slim motherboard
Taiwan's VIA Technologies today announced its slimmest Pico-ITX motherboard to date with the EPIA P700 Pico-ITX. To save space, it features an integrated power supply and is meant for use in ultra-compact systems. The P700 also sports in-line I/O pin-headers, Gigabit LAN support and a SATA II interface. The board comes with VIA's VX700 IGP chipset and a choice of a 1GHz C7 or fanless 500MHz Eden ULV processor.
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06/05, 9:00am
VIA Mini-ITX 2.0
VIA this morning continued a string of announcements for its computer platforms with the launch of Mini-ITX 2.0, its latest platform for mini desktop PCs. The spec for mainboards is designed to allow small (6.7in square), quiet systems using processors such as VIA's own Nano but is unique in mandating a full-speed, 16-lane PCI Express 2.0 slot; the requirement gives all systems room for a fast video card, virtually guaranteeing support for DirectX 10 and OpenGL 2 in games and other apps that demand advanced 3D; an integrated DirectX 9-class chipset is also present as a fallback.
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05/29, 3:35pm
VIA Nano chips compared
Earlier today, VIA Technologies made public details on its new Nano processing chip family that comprises five processors. VIA claims improved performance compared to its own C7 processors, and has provided test results it says prove the fact. The competition is also squarely in sights, as the Nanos' x86 instruction set allows it to run the same software as Intel's Atom and AMD Celeron M CPUs, with which the Nano was designed to compete. Performance comparisons are already surfacing from independent sources.
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05/27, 6:00am
VIA OpenBook
VIA this morning set out its version of the future for micro notebooks with the OpenBook. The 8.9-inch portable is the sequel to last year's NanoBook and earns its name through its uniquely open-source chassis. Unlike most stock designs, the blueprints for the outer panels are put under a liberal Share Alike version of the Creative Commons license: this lets third-party PC makers freely remake the outside of the notebook without the trouble of negotiating for a license. The shift will give many companies a unique PC of their own that gets to market for less money and more quickly than rivals, VIA hopes.
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05/15, 11:00pm
VIA 45nm, dual-core chips
Mobile processor manufacturer VIA on Thursday announced it would commence shipments of 45nm processor fabrications in 2009, as well as the company's first dual-core chips. DigiTimes writes that insiders have brought to light some of the specs, with the Isaiah-based dual-core processor allegedly featuring a 2GHz core frequency. The chip will sit on an 800 to 1333MHz bus, and will feature two pairs of 64KB L1 cache, and 1MB L2 cache.
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05/08, 11:45am
MSI Titan
Offering its own take on low-cost desktops, MSI has released the Titan, its early answer to ASUS' E-DT system. At 9.4 by 7.3 inches, the system is larger than some of its planned rivals but also includes a 250GB hard drive in its frame; size is kept down by using a 2GHz Via C7-M mobile processor at the Titan's heart and by using a notebook-sized DVD burner and hard disk. These also keep it quiet and greener than full desktops, MSI says. The system is also software-indepedent: rather than ship with Linux or Windows, the Titan comes as-is for users comfortable installing their own choice of operating system.
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04/29, 9:00am
Intel Atom Shortage?
Intel has encountered a supply shortage that will prevent it from fulfilling more than half of the orders for its Atom mobile processors in the next month, according to a report in the Taiwan newspaper Apply Daily. Less than 40 percent of the semiconductor firm's requests are purportedly being met and, as a result, are expected to delay or hurt the rollouts of micro notebooks from a number of new entrants to the field, including from Acer and Dell.
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04/11, 12:45pm
NVIDIA low-cost CPU plans
NVIDIA, addressing a meeting of financial analysts, has announced plans for a new CPU platform. Currently known only as "The World's Most Affordable Vista Premium PC," the platform would incorporate an integrated graphics processor from NVIDIA alongside one of VIA's upcoming Isaiah CPUs, in a design that would cost below $45. The chip is deliberately intended to compete with Intel, for whom NVIDIA has previously supplied hardware; the latter company claims that its platform is capable of 36 gigaflops, whereas a similarly-priced Intel 945/ICH4 combination is limited to 6.4.
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04/08, 12:10am
HP Mini-Note
Slightly ahead of a formal release, HP has revealed the Mini-Note, one of the few Western attempts at entering the field for micro notebooks. The previously leaked system aims to improve the formula started by the Eee PC by offering a genuinely comfortable keyboard: despite having just an 8.9-inch screen, the Mini-Note's keyboard is just 8 percent smaller than that of a full-sized notebook. The design is also more upscale than counterparts from ASUS or Everex and is built out of aluminum with a spill-resistant key layout.
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02/21, 1:05pm
HP 2133 May Use Via CPU
HP's Compaq 2133 ultra-mobile PC may use non-Intel hardware to achieve an exceptionally low price, says an off-hand remark in an article comparing the devices. Although previous leaks have pointed to Intel's Silverthorne forming the backbone of the 8.9-inch miniature notebook, the report claims that at least one version will use a Via processor and sell for $499, putting the computer into the same price .league as the ASUS Eee PC and Everex CloudBook. This is most likely to involve Via's notebook-oriented C7-M processor and should be helped by the use of Linux instead of Windows as the stock operating system.
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11/28, 1:35pm
Zonbu Notebook
Translating its relative success with the original Zonbu Desktop to portables, Zonbu today unveiled the Zonbu Notebook. Like the original Linux system, the Everex-made 15.4-inch system is based primarily around a subscription for network storage and programs: 50GB of space not only backs up information stored on the local system but offers a continually updated software suite that never needs to be manually updated. Unlike the desktop, however, the portable includes a 60GB hard disk with enough space to store many files locally and comes with both a DVD burner and built-in Wi-Fi.
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