netbook

HTC considering making a “unique value” netbook?

November 6, 2009 | By Surur

In an interview during the HD2 launch yesterday Peter Chou revealed, despite early protestations, that HTC was still interested in the netbook segment.

In some ways HTC has been a pioneer in the area, but forgot the “cheap” part of the cheap and limited equation with the HTC Shift, their Vista PC with an integrated Windows Mobile smartphone.

Similar to that device, HTC does not just want to make another me-too device, but rather something with "unique value". The HTC CEO did however say they were "carefully looking into that category and how it can be part of that".

HTC has in recently published a number of patent applications for a new user interface which appears very likely to see the light of day and may be the new take of a netbook the company chief has been alluding to.

First Tegra based netbook shown off- runs Windows CE

June 2, 2009 | By Surur

Well, well. For all the talk of Android powered netbooks, it was Windows CE running on the first NVidia Tegra device.

The Mobinnova élan is the first in line of ultra-portable computing devices powered by the NVIDIA® Tegra™ Computer-on-a-Chip. The 2 lb. élan is like a netbook in that it’s small, has a keyboard, and offers easy access to the Internet. However that’s where the similarities end. The élan powers up instantly, connects directly to a 3G wireless network, offers hours of continuous use, full page web browsing, and delivers graphics performance never seen before on a mobile computing device–all packaged in Mobinnova’s stylishly thin design.

"This truly portable device is a pleasure to hold and to use. It offers 720p high-definition video playback, full Internet browsing and an impressive battery life," says KC Kuo, Chairman and CEO of Mobinnova. "We like to say it ‘runs on fun’. It’s a real game changer."

The size of a hardback book and weighing less than 2 lbs., the Mobinnova élan is compact, quiet and cool. "It’s the most powerful mobile Internet device you can easily pack in your purse, backpack or briefcase. You can use the élan for hours, even days between charges," says Mike Holland, Vice President of Business Development for Mobinnova. You can also use it anywhere–on a plane to Nepal, at a café in Paris, on the sidelines of a soccer game, in a college dorm room, or sitting in bed. "The élan’s advanced power management means hours of viewing pictures, HD videos, Internet browsing, and reading and responding to email," says Holland.

The Mobinnova élan offers:

5-10 hours of continuous HD video playback on a single charge (dependent on screen usage).
Up to 24 days of continuous audio playback on a single charge (if screen not in use while listening to audio).
8.9 inch screen size provides a rich viewing experience and full page web browsing.
Ultra-light, compact design at 1.84 lbs (836g), 9.1 inches (232mm) x 7.3 inches (186 mm) x .8 inches (20.5 mm).
NVIDIA Tegra-based platform that supports accelerated Adobe® Flash® animations and 720p high-definition video playback.
Both Wi-Fi and 3G wireless connectivity, enabling you to check your email, social networking accounts, and do internet searches wherever you are.
An innovative 3D graphical user interface.
QWERTY keyboard and touchpad.
Ability to view Microsoft® Office® and Adobe® documents.
A webcam for sharing video.
Fast, high resolution photo rendering, upload, and download.
Fanless operation for a quite, cool experience.
Advanced power management, allowing the élan to draw as little as 50mW during typical operation and 150mW during video playback, a fraction of most devices on the market today.

Also being shown at Computex is the Mobinnova T8, which combines the same powerful platform with a 10.1" touch screen, GPS, and HDMI and VGA video output. "Mobinnova has designed several interesting Tegra-based, mobile Internet devices that will surprise the market with their sleek, lightweight design and long battery life," said Mike Rayfield, General Manager Tegra Business at NVIDIA. "Tegra adds the secret sauce to deliver a desktop-like Internet experience and cell phone-like battery life in these new designs." "The Mobinnova élan and T8 answer the portable communications challenge," says Mobinnova’s Chairman and CEO, KC Kuo. "We are honored to partner with NVIDIA to create products that make people’s lives easier, more productive, and more enjoyable."

Via Engadget.com

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Windows Mobile powered netbook shown off

February 25, 2009 | By Surur

Still catching up with the less headline catching news from Mobile World Congress, this little bit is quite interesting.

At Mobile World Congress, Qualcomm showed of a Snapdragon-based netbook with a wide screen and large keyboard. The device, like all netbooks, is aimed at web browsing, document editing and displaying video, and besides WIFI features integrated HSDPA so you can stay connected to the Internet everywhere you go.

The device, like the Toshiba TG01, is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor running at 1GHz CPU, has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3D graphics, XGA display, support for up to 12-megapixel cameras and DVB-H (mobile TV).

Apparently several netbook manufacturers are lining up to use the platform, so we should see products some time this year.

I imagine a product like this, in a very thin form factor and with GSM only connecting on demand, would have great battery life, and with an on-device application store concerns around software compatibility may be greatly alleviated.

Nvidia and Opera partner up for accelerated full desktop browsing on Windows Mobile

September 9, 2008 | By Surur

Nvidia has made clear its intention to storm the netbook market with its Windows Mobile solution by providing a full desktop browsing experience using an optimized Opera Mobile browser which will be available when bundled with its chipset and powerful Tegra processor.

“Seamless, effortless Internet access is critical to any state-of-the-art connected mobile device, and the combination of Opera 9.5 and NVIDIA Tegra will deliver the full Web experience into the palm of your hand,” said Neil Trevett, vice president of mobile content at NVIDIA. “Opera and NVIDIA are cooperating to create a powerful browsing experience that will truly make the Internet an integral part of the advanced Tegra mobile visual computing experience.”

“Full Web browsing is a key feature for mobile phones and mobile Internet devices today. End users are demanding a mobile-browsing experience that mirrors that of their home and work computers,” says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO of Opera Software. “Opera 9.5 combined with NVIDIA Tegra will deliver a powerful and visual browsing experience for the next generation of smartphones and mobile Internet devices.”

The Tegra family of computer-on-chip solutions integrates high-performance ARM CPUs, extensive media acceleration and integrated GeForce(R) GPUs that enable Opera 9.5 to provide mobile users a compelling browsing experience with the following features:

Support for full desktop Web content with hardware-accelerated rich media, image and in-page video playback;
GPU acceleration delivering a smooth, highly-interactive panning and zooming browsing experience with significantly-reduced battery consumption;
Hardware-accelerated 3D touch browsing experience with Opera integration into NVIDIA’s OpenKODE-based composition framework using the power of OpenGL ES 2.0.

Devices with the Opera browser powered by NVIDIA Tegra hardware are expected to be available to consumers in 2009.

Source: Nvidia Press Release

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