Microsoft have officially announced the Zune HD for pre-orders, with the OLED touchscreen PMP set to land in pockets on September 15th. Given the numerous leaks over the past few days, it comes as no great surprise to hear that the Zune HD is priced at $219.99 for the 16GB model and $289.99 for the 32GB model. Your money gets you a 3.3-inch 16:9 480 x 272 display, NVIDIA Tegra chipset and – via an optional dock – 720p output for your HDTV.
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.
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.
Samsung have spilled some details on their upcoming YP-M1 PMP, including the suggestion that the 3.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen media device will use an NVIDIA chipset. That’s prompted speculation that, like the Zune HD, the YP-M1 will be based on the NVIDIA Tegra chipset.
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
According to an internal Microsoft tipster, the upcoming Zune HD will be available in 16GB and 32GB capacities, and be priced from $249 to $280 for the entry-level model. The company is considering a 64GB Zune HD later on in the model year, but the first of the PMPs will arrive in September; that tallies with previous rumors that fingered September 5th.
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
Microsoft have confirmed that their upcoming Zune HD touchscreen PMP will use NVIDIA’s high-definition capable Tegra chipset. Speaking in the official Zune Insider podcast, product team member and show host Matt Akers revealed that the recent rumors about Tegra’s adoption were true, describing the Zune HD with the NVIDIA chipset as “like a mini laptop in your hand.”
Different types of RAM may not be as exciting or glossy as different ultraportables, say, or the latest CULV netbook, but it can have a whole lot of impact on how enjoyable the end result turns out to be. Micron have announced a new high-performance, low-power DDR3 memory, which the company claims uses the industry’s lowest 1.35V one-gigabit DDR3 components.
Chrome OS: Waiting Is The Hardest Part…Though Necessary
Apple is no longer the Nordstrom of Tech, they’re the “New Nordstrom”
Can Anything Replace Windows XP As the Best Netbook Operating System?
Hey, Premium Notebooks or Netbooks, Get the Basics Right!
SlashGear Japan
