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Asus Equips Latest Netbooks With Instant On Technology
Asus has announced that it will be equipping its latest Intel Atom-powered netbooks with “Instant On” technology. Which is currently used in the Asus Zenbook UX31, enabling it to resume from sleep nearly instantaneously.
The Asus Instant On technology will be appearing first on the Eee PC 1025C and 1025CE netbooks, and will help them resume from sleep in around 3 seconds. Both will be available later this month for $299 and $319 respectively,
When using the instant on technology Asus say that it should provide users with around 21 days of sleep time. Providing you will a manageable alliterative to having to shut down your netbook for longer periods or when worried about battery drain.
The 1025C model has 3 x USB 2.0 ports, while the Eee PC 1025CE has 2 x USB 2.0 and 1 x USB 3.0 port, and both will be equipped with a 10.1″, 1024 x 600 resolution displays, 1GB RAM, 32GB hard drive, together with VGA webcams, microphone, headphone, VGA, HDMI ports, and SDHC card slots.
As well as the new Instant On technology Asus has also revealed that other new apps will also be making their way to the latest Asus netbooks, in the form of Smart Camera and Media Sharing.
Source: Liliputing
ASUS Eee PC 1225B proves netbooks will still be kicking around in 2012
The death of the netbook has been greatly exaggerated — at least that’s what ASUS is praying holds true for next year. Its latest addition, the Eee PC 1225B, refreshes the spec sheet seen on the 1215B. You’ll find it’s still based on AMD’s Brazos chipset — thus the B — and will apparently arrive on two different gear speeds; one with an AMD C60 dual-core 1GHz processor and another toting AMD’s dual-core 1.65GHz E450 APU. Up to 4GBs of DDR3 RAM and storage options starting at 320GB should ensure a respectable bang for your buck. On top of that, there’s an 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 display, integrated webcam, a smattering of USB ports (both 2.0 and 3.0) and the same VGA and HDMI outputs found on its predecessor. Notebook Italia reckons that these new netbooks will start at €349 ($455). If you’re not ready just yet for the heady specs (and prices) of an Ultrabook, you can visit ASUS’ official site at the source for the full spec breakdown.
Intel ships 100 million Atoms, celebrates third birthday of netbook CPU
Intel’s Atom processor and the rise of the netbook have gone hand in hand, which has to this date resulted in a tally of one hundred million CPUs shipped by Intel. And though netboks are not quite the new hotness they once were, Intel is today celebrating the third birthday of its low-power processor and promising to keep it going for many years yet. That’ll happen thanks to a category Intel is calling companion devices, which includes clamshells of the old netbook ilk and tablets of all sizes and varieties. As if to prove that point, the company showed off a tablet that could boot into MeeGo, Android and Windows — choice is what it’s all about, according to Intel.
Intel reveals skinny Ivy Bridge 'Ultrabooks,' Moore's Law-defying Atoms
Intel took the opportunity at Computex to update the tech-loving world on its processor plans, and it looks like those whispers we heard about low power and an accelerated Atom roadmap were spot on. Executive VP Sean Maloney didn’t divulge specific TDPs but did confirm that we could look forward to reduced power consumption and sleek designs in 2012. The Intel exec declared that new class of PC, dubbed “Ultrabooks,” will make up 40-percent of the market by the end of 2012. These machines, powered by the 22nm Ivy Bridge, will be less than 0.8-inches thick and start at under $1,000 — which sounds just like the lines we were fed about CULV chips back in 2009.
Maloney also confirmed that, going forward, the Atom line would be getting a die shrink every year, as opposed to every two. The upcoming, 32nm Cedar Trail will usher in the new Moore’s Law-smashing era with promises of a 10 hour battery life and weeks of standby, and will be succeeded by 22nm and 14nm models. Intel even talked up Medfield, it’s Atom variant designed specifically for smartphones and tablets, and showed off more than 10 tablets based on the Oak Trail-flavored Z670. With AMD merely a fading blip in the company’s rearview mirror it looks like Chipzilla is gunning for all those ARM-touting manufacturers.
HP unveils the Pavilion dv4, Envy 14 with Sandy Bridge, and a redesigned Mini 210
With a Sandy Bridge refresh, a new 14-inch mainstream laptop, and a redesigned netbook, HP’s latest crop of consumer systems offers a little something for everyone. First up, there’s the 14-inch Pavilion dv4 (not to be confused with the metal-clad dm4), which bears the same Imprint finish and CoolSense technology as its siblings and ushers in a striking cobalt blue color option, as you can see in the photo above. Look for it on May 18 with a starting price of $600.
Then there’s the revamped Mini 210, which swaps last year’s not-too-glossy plastic lid for candy-colored lids, and adds a seamless touchpad, edge-to-edge 10.1-inch display, and a flush six-cell battery promising up to 8.8 hours of battery life — an upgrade over last year’s standard four-cell. Spec-wise, nothing has changed from the current 210, except for the addition of Beats Audio, something you’ll find across HP’s notebook lineup. It’ll be available on June 15 and cost $300 for the charcoal version — alas, you’ll have to pony up $330 for one of the punchier colors. For now, be sure to check out our video hands-on.
Lastly, HP did the predictable and refreshed the high-end Envy 14 with Sandy Bridge CPU options and USB 3.0. It also promises an improved touch experience — something we bemoaned in our review last year — with a trackpad that uses optical sensors to analyze your multitouch gestures. That will go on sale June 15 for $1,000 and up.
HP Mini 210 hands-on (video)
Truth be told, we liked the Mini 210′s not-too-glossy design when we reviewed it last year, but compared to the latest generation, it manages to look frumpy. The made-over version (starting at $299) has a shimmering paint job that’s almost metallic, but since the 210 is still made of plastic, it feels light in the hands — as a netbook should. And oh, the colors! We’d be lying if we said the palette didn’t help sell us on the design. (It’s just too bad that all but the charcoal gray model will set you back an extra $30). Even more than our sweet spot for turquoise, what makes these color options appealing is that HP committed to them. Lift the lid, and you’ll see the color extending onto the palm rest, above the keyboard, and even between the keys. The 210 also has a flat bottom with a larger, six-cell battery inside, and it’s because of this flush battery that HP was able to paint the area near the hinge, as opposed to letting the battery stick out. Throw in the edge-to-edge 10.1-inch display and flush touchpad, and you’ve got a design that feels seamless, minimalistic.
That continuity — even more than the metallic finish — is what makes the Mini 210 look like a high-end laptop, cut down to size. In fact, the Mini 210 borrows design elements you might recognize from the company’s premium Envy line — namely, rounded edges, scooping around the keyboard area, and Beats audio — a surprise feature in a category that doesn’t usually offer much in the way of rich sound. As for the keyboard, HP’s stuck to a chiclet layout that’s served it well in the past. In our brief hands-on, the panel felt sturdy, and we made few typing errors. The buttons, meanwhile, felt tactile, though we’ll have to spend more time with it to gauge how well HP fixed the trackpad issues afflicting last year’s model. We hope to do just that before it ships in mid-June, but until then take a peek at the gallery of close-up shots below, along with the video tour after the break.
Acer releases Aspire One 722 netbook, tries to make molded plastic happen
It looks like that funky Acer netbook with the dented lid that we spied at MWC wasn’t a one-off. The company just released the Aspire One 722, an 11-inch mini with the same aesthetic (and a likely successor to the 721). Like the D257 we saw in Barcelona, its lid is made of molded plastic, sculpted to resemble a series of ripples. Spec-wise, it has the same innards as the more staid-looking Aspire One 522, pairing AMD’s netbook-class 1GHz C-50 Ontario processor with Radeon HD 6250 graphics. But the 722 improves on the 10-inch 522 with higher 1366 x 768 resolution, two speakers instead of one, and rated battery life of up to seven hours — a boost over the 522′s six-hour max. No word yet on pricing or availability, but for now you can content yourself with some official press shots.
