VIA have unveiled their latest ultrathin notebook, the eNote Turnkey Solution, a wireless-packing ultraportable based on the company’s 1.3GHz Nano CPU and a choice of WiMAX, HSDPA and EVDO Rev.A modules. Intended to be offered by carriers rather than direct to consumers, the VIA eNote has an 11.6-inch WXGA LCD and VX800 graphics chipset.
Video demo after the cut
AMD have revealed their latest attempt to corner the market in notebook hardware, with the launch of the 2009 AMD Mainstream Notebook Platform “Tigris” and the Second-Generation AMD Ultrathin Platform. Both combine AMD’s latest CPUs and ATI-range GPUs, and promise up to 42-percent improved performance in the mainstream range and ultraportables that “visibly outperform” rival systems (such as Intel’s CULV, we presume) when it comes to 3D gaming, media processing and more.
It’s a frankly astonishing time to start a teaser campaign – right smack in the middle of an Apple event – but Dell were obviously so upset by Apple’s snook-cocking at their netbook range that they wanted to show off their upcoming super-skinny Adamo XPS. The 9.99mm thick notebook has no specs, no details and no price, but then again it wouldn’t be much of a teaser if everything was on a plate for you, would it.
Sony’s VAIO TT may have passed on, but the company have a new ultraportable with which they’re hoping to coax your attentions. The Sony VAIO X is being described as the true successor to the X505, with the 11.1-inch notebook measuring just a half-inch thick and using materials such as carbon-fiber for the chassis and aluminum for the keyboard.
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Occasionally arch rumor site Digitimes takes a break from speculation and leaks and does some research into PC hardware sales performance. Latest niche to come under their microscope is the "ultra-thin" notebook, generally based on Intel's CULV (consumer ultra-low voltage) platform, and offering a middle-point between the battery longevity of netbooks and the performance of full-sized notebooks. Unfortunately for manufacturers, Digitimes claims the ultra-thins will only account for 4-percent of total global notebook shipments in 2009.
MSI have prepared another AMD variant of an existing Intel model, in the shape of the Wind U210. The 12.1-inch thin-and-light notebook is based on the MSI Wind U200, but switches that machine’s Intel CULV processor for one from AMD’s Yukon range. Two models will kick off the new U210 series, the MSI Wind U210-002 with the AMD Athlon Neo NV-40 1.6GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB HDD, and the Wind U210-010 with the same CPU, 2GB of RAM and a 250GB HDD.
Acer’s latest ultraportable notebook, the Aspire 1410 – the US version of the Timeline 1810T – has shown up for sale at CostCentral. Priced at a reasonable $460.33, the 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 notebook packs an Intel CULV 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor and 2GB of RAM into a slimline casing strikingly similar to that of the Acer Aspire One 751h we reviewed yesterday.
It’s probably fair to say that we haven’t been particularly impressed with what we’ve heard about Acer’s Aspire One 751. The phrase “pretty but dumb” has been muttered more than once, an aesthetically pleasing machine but one lacking in processing power. So when Acer offered us the latest version, the AO751h-1522, we jumped at the opportunity to see how it holds up to our own exacting standards. Check out the full review after the cut
Back when we reviewed the Sony VAIO TT in November last year, we wondered out loud whether there was still a place for high-end ultraportables in a world obsessed with netbooks. Unfortunately it looks like Sony may be wondering the same thing; according to their US team, the VAIO TT has been discontinued
It’s perhaps a fact of life that with age comes a paunch, but who would’ve thought the MSI X-Slim X340 would go from toned ultraportable to tubby laptop so quickly? The company have been showing off their updated model, which gets a girth increase thanks to a new, extended 8-cell battery intended to address complaints about poor runtimes.
SlashGear Japan
