NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 isn’t just to be found in HD-capable mediaplayers; it’s also going to spearhead the company’s push into the smartbook segment. The Mobinnova Beam was perhaps the most eye-catching smartbook around back when the platform was announced in June 2009, and we stopped by NVIDIA’s stand to try out the latest version. Check out our hands-on video after the cut.
Remember Mobinnova's élan Smartbook from Computex earlier this year? The 8.9-inch ultraportable promised HD video playback and hours of battery life, thanks to its NVIDIA Tegra chipset; now Mobinnova are back, with the élan rebanded as the Beam, and promising a launch for the compact machine at CES in January 2010. According to LaptopMag's interview, the Beam will be offered with a carrier subsidy, though the company are keeping quiet on exactly which US network they're in bed with.
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An NVIDIA executive has confirmed that the company is working with Google to produce Tegra-based Smartbooks running Google Chrome OS. Talking to jkOnTheRun's Kevin C. Tofel, NVIDIA's GM of mobile business Mike Rayfield revealed that the company expects to see Tegra-based smartphones using Windows Mobile and Android, while Smartbooks or netbooks would use Chrome OS or Windows CE.
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Sony Ericsson are tipped to be working on a smartbook, a non-Intel ultraportable device that would bundle high-speed wireless connectivity, lengthy battery life and a compact keyboard and display. The news comes via NetbookNews, who have been talking to a "reliable Taiwanese source" connected to both existing smartbook developers and to upcoming manufacturers.
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It may not be quite as striking as Mobinnova's elan, but that doesn't mean Inventec's Rainbow smartbook doesn't have the same NVIDIA magic going on inside. CNET Taiwan caught up with the 10.1 inch, 1024 x 576 ultraportable, which uses NVIDIA's 600MHz mobile chipset for lengthy battery life as well as copious wireless networking.
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After yesterday's hardware demo we were promised a video of the Mobinnova élan Smartbook's software, and here it is. One of the most interesting devices to be debuted at Computex, the élan is based on NVIDIA's Tegra chipset and can play six hours of 1080p video on a single charge.
Video after the cut
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We've been quietly crushing on the Mobinnova élan Smartbook since its Computex debut, and this preview video from NetbookNews does little to dissuade that feeling. Based on NVIDIA's Tegra chipset, the promise is both high-definition support and up to 24hrs of audio playback from the super-frugal platform.
Video overview after the cut
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Microsoft and NVIDIA are working together to optimize Windows CE for Tegra-based Smartbooks, with NVIDIA exec Mike Rayfield describing Android as having a "rough user interface". Windows CE, meanwhile, has a "low memory footprint and a good collection of apps" and "is a rock-solid operating system that has been shipped billions of times" claimed the general manager for NVIDIA's mobile business unit.
After the cut: 1080p Tegra Smartbooks and more on the Tegra Zune HD rumors
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We’ve had a busy week here at SlashGear, with news from two shows – games-expo E3 and Computex – together with the arrival of the Palm Pre. The latter may have just a few days in the spotlight before Apple’s WWDC keynote on Monday, where we’re expecting to see a new iPhone unveiled, so get yourself up to speed with our Palm Pre review in advance of our WWDC live-blog at 10am PT tomorrow.
Mobinnova have announced one of the first NVIDIA Tegra-based smartbook/netbook/shrunken-laptops at Computex, the élan. With an 8.9-inch display capable of playing back 720p video, the élan weighs just 1.84lbs and measures a mere 0.8-inches thick, but still manages to pack in 3G and WiFi, 5-10 hours of continuous HD video playback or up to 24 days of audio playback (assuming the screen is turned off).
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