Posts Tagged ‘netbook’
Ultrabook: Intel’s $300 million plan to beat Apple at its own game
Ultrabooks are ultralight PCs, like the MacBook Air, no more than 0.8″ thick, like the MacBook Air, with Intel processors, like the MacBook Air, metal cases for superior heat dissipation, like the MacBook Air, SSD storage, like the MacBook Air, long battery life and even longer standby time, like the MacBook Air, and affordable, like the MacBook Air. Oh, and they should boot in 7 seconds or less (which at a pinch, the MacBook Air can probably pull off, too). Is the MacBook Air actually an Ultrabook? Intel told us that that’s up to Apple—the MacBook Air is an Ultrabook in all but name.
Intel, keen to stimulate demand for PCs (rather than for ARM-powered tablets) is clearly so annoyed by the inability for PC OEMs to meet this specification that it recently announced the creation of a $300m “Ultrabook Fund” to invest in companies that are working to build this kind of hardware. That’s a damning indictment of the PC industry.
What Intel is asking for is readily attainable. We know that because Apple’s selling millions of Airs. And yet the world’s five biggest PC manufacturers—HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, and Asustek—have so far been unable to come up with something equivalent. And apparently they’re not close to managing it, either, because Intel thinks it must invest pots of cash to close the gap.
Read More: ArsTechnica
Intel invests $300 million on light “ultrabooks”
Intel intends to invest $300 million in a push for the development of thin and light laptops that can go for days on standby and still sell for under $1,000. The company refers to this class of computers as “ultrabooks,” laptops that would be positioned to compete with devices like the MacBook Air or the iPad.
Ideally, this research money would go toward developing computers that are under an inch thick, with robust batteries and very short startup times, Intel says. But the sub-$1,000 price point appears equally as important as the other factors, and it’s one that will be difficult to achieve in a device that must necessarily include a solid-state drive if it wants to achieve a quick startup time.
Intel isn’t the first to get behind the concept of an ultrabook: Asus showed its 2.4-pound “ultrabook” with a 13-inch screen, U100 SSD, and Core i7 CPU at Computex in May, and pegged the price as sub-$1,000. By the end of 2012, Intel is aiming to convert 40 percent of available laptop models to an ultrabook format, making “mobile computers into the next ‘must have’ device,” Intel Executive Vice President Arvind Sodhani told Bloomberg Businessweek, in evident hopes that the company will be able to pull consumers back from the burgeoning tablet market.
The $300 million fund will be spent over the next three or four years; for its part, Intel will keep creating processors that draw less battery power. But the ultrabook is not far from market; Intel says the first generation will hit shelves by this holiday shopping season.
Source: arstechnica
System76 second gen Starling Netbooks
Starling Netbook
First off let’s get the boring bit out of the way: As netbooks go, the Starling is atypical of its competitors – Atom, RAM, Screen size. Counting against it slightly are a standard 3 Cell battery which will see you eek out 3.5 hours at best and the inclusion of 0.3MP webcam which, compared to most other netbooks, it pretty subpar. But at a base price of only $389, a gorgeous exterior and guaranteed compatibility from the off – including suspend and resume – it’s more than a match for it’s competitors.
Full specs follow below below.
Specs
Processor
The new Starling whizzes by on the power of the relatively-new “system-on-a-chip” Atom N455 clocked at 1.66 GHz with an integrated single-channel DDR2 memory controller and an integrated graphics core plus support for multi-threading, SSE3 & 64bit capable. The lower wattage and consumption that previous atoms.
The new system-on-a-chip design uses half the power of the older Atom’s resulting in reduced overall power consumption & thus better battery life.
Graphics
The Atom N455 also comes with the GMA 3100-derived integrated graphics ‘on-chip’ clocked at 200 MHz and theoretically capable of 720p HD playback (depending on drivers).
RAM
2GB of DDR2 comes as standard, a 1GB bump from previous gen Starlings and more than enough for most common netbook-orientated tasks.
OS
The netbook ships with Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition pre-installed.
Other: -
Display: 10.1″ HD WSVGA Super Clear Ultra-Bright LED backlit (1024 x 600)
Graphics: Intel GMA 3100 graphics
Audio Output: Intel High Definition Audio
Networking: LAN (10/100), WiFi
Wireless: 802.11 bgn
Ports: VGA, 3 x USB 2.0, Headphone Jack, Microphone Jack, SD Reader
Camera: Built-In 0.3 MP Webcam
Security: Kensington® Lock
Power Management: Suspend & Hibernate
Battery: includes one 3 Cell Lithium Ion
AC Adapter: includes one AC adapter
Dimensions: 10.47″ x 7.28″ x 0.72~1.0″ (WxDxH)
Weight: 2.0 lbs.
Pre-order
Base prices start at super sweet $389.00 and can pre-ordered here: -
Source: OMGUbuntu.co.uk