Users of the Intel X25-M and X18-M SSDs were not happy when they learned that the firmware update that promised to increase write speeds actually killed Windows 7 installations. Intel removed the firmware update that added support for TRIM shortly after the reports started coming in of the Windows 7 issue.
Dell have updated their mobile workstation range of notebooks with the Precision M6500, packing a range of Intel Core i7 quad-core and Core i7 Extreme quad-core processors. There’s also a considerable 17-inch 1920 x 1200 display – with various degrees of LED backlighting – together with up to 16GB of DDR3 memory, space for up to three hard-drives (up to 500GB HDD or 256GB SSD in each bay; various RAID setups available) and a choice of ATI FirePro M7740 1GB, NVIDIA Quadro FX 2800M 1GB, or Quadro FX 3800M 1GB graphics.
Many have accused Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) as being gadgets in dire search of a purpose, and despite Intel’s push for the segment the talk out of Taipei is that the ultraportable touchscreen handhelds are having a difficult time finding traction among manufacturers. DigiTimes is reporting that several companies originally signed up to Intel’s Mobile Internet Device Innovation Alliance (MIDIA) have axed MID development, while those manufacturers who have actually shipped devices have only done so in numbers described as “very weak”.
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Charts purporting to illustrate Intel's plans for its desktop processor range through 2010 have emerged, bringing with them talk of a frugal version of the Core i5 together with budget Core i3 CPUs. The chart also discuss the previously-leaked Core i9 processor, though that's not expected to arrive until the second quarter of 2010 despite having already been caught in the wild.
If you’d told us a month or two ago that ASUS’ Eee PC 1201HA would be arriving at Best Buy priced at $329.99, you might have prompted a few oohs and aahs. Unfortunately, with the company’s NVIDIA Ion and AMD Congo models (the 1201N and 1201T, respectively) on the scene, the standard Atom Z520/GMA950 version seems more than a little backward.
It went unnoticed by most, but back in October Sagemcom announced it would be selling its first MID, the Sagemcom Spiga. A rebadge of the UMID mbook M1, the Spiga will be reaching European shelves this month complete with its Intel Atom CPU, 8GB of flash storage, 4.8-inch touchscreen and integrated 3G HSPA. Unfortunately they’ve also given it a stonking price tag: €500 ($748).
The Lenovo IdeaPad U150 CULV ultraportable last spotted strutting its patterned stuff in Japan last month has finally made it to the US, with pricing kicking off at $649. The U150 packs a choice of 1.3GHz Pentium dual-core or Core 2 Duo processors, together with 3GB or 4GB of RAM, 250GB or 320GB of storage and an 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit display.
We’re only now seeing the first Pineview netbooks – based on Intel’s next-gen Atom platform – begin to show themselves, but details are already emerging about the silicon company’s intentions for the platform after that. Come 2011, say Fudzilla, Intel are expected to out Cedarview, a 32nm processor with a new, DDR3-compatible memory controller.
That DDR3 compatibility is particularly interesting, as it will put Atom’s RAM support on a par with what Intel’s Core i7 – Bloomfield processors can utilize. However Intel will limit supported memory to single-channel sticks, though you’ll at least be able to use two DIMMs; that, say Fuzdilla, is confirmed for the nettop platform, but it’s likely to be the same situation for netbooks.
AOpen have outed their latest nettop, but whereas we’re used to apologetic Atom processors holding us back, the AOpen XC Mini GP7A-HD takes regular Core 2 Duo CPUs instead. The barebones kit also packs NVIDIA’s Ion graphics chipset, which adds up to Full HD performance and a machine that could actually do a little gaming on your big-screen TV.
Otherwise there’s a DVD burner, two DDR3 memory slots (4GB max, though it’s unclear if that’s per-slot or overall) and a 2.5-inch HDD bay. Connectivity includes HDMI and VGA outputs (which will work simultaneously), together with gigabit ethernet, six USB 2.0 ports, eSATA, audio in/out and a 6-in-1 memory card reader. There’s no standard wireless connection, but two empty PCI Express Mini Card slots inside are enough for both a WiFi b/g/n card and a TV tuner if you should so wish.
If you fancy one of Dell’s new multitouch capable computers, but want both the portability of a notebook and the scale of a desktop, then the new Dell Studio 17 Touch might fit the bill. As the name suggests, the notebook has a 17.3-inch 1,600 x 900 display with mutlitouch support, as well as up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, processors ranging from 2.1GHz Pentium dual-core T4300 up through to Core i7 processors, and of course Windows 7 as the OS.
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