NOTEBOOK AND LAPTOP REVIEWS: 10/1/10

APPLE PREVIEWS MAC OS X LION

Besides launching the new models of the thin and light MacBook Air, Apple gave a preview of the company's upcoming Mac OS X “Lion” operating system last week.
The Mac OS X Lion is inspired by the software running iPad. It is actually the eighth major release of OS for Mac computers and includes support for full screen iPad-like apps.

Other features include the Mac Apps Store, Launchpad, a new home for all Mac apps, and Mission Control which provides an innovative new view of everything running on your Mac allowing you to instantly navigate anywhere.

Apple will start shipping the Mac OS X Lion next summer. The Mac App Store will be available for users of the current Mac OS X 'Snow Leopard' within three months.

Apple also introduced a beta version of FaceTime for Mac which allows users to video call iPhone 4 and iPod touch users.

DELL XPS 15 OVERVIEW

The newly launched Dell XPS 15 is a 15.6 inch notebook aimed at multimedia enthusiasts. It is available with a choice of Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and discrete NVIDIA graphics with Optimus technology. The available processor options include the dual core Core i5-460M or Core i5-560M and quad core Core i7-740QM or Core i7-840QM. Besides the integrated Intel HD graphics, the XPS 15 has the NVIDIA GeForce GT435M or GT420M dedicated video card. Other specifications include up to 8GB of RAM, up to 640GB, 7200 rpm hard drive / up to 256GB SSD, DVD burner / Blu-ray combo drive.

The notebook has an LED backlit display with a full HD 1080p resolution or a lower 720p resolution. The supported networking options include WiFi 802.11n,WiMAX, HSPA and EVDO-HSPA mobile broadband, Bluetooth and Gigabit LAN. There are two USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 / eSATA combo port, built-in JBL 2.1 speakers, optionally integrated TV tuner, a 2.0MP webcam, optional GPS, a 9-in-1 media card reader, mini DisplayPort, HDMI 1.4 video outputs and NVIDIA 3DTV Play technology that allows you to connect your notebook to a 3D-enabled TV.

According to the product page, the XPS 15 will get around 5 hours of battery life with the standard 6-cell battery. A 9-cell battery option is also available. The Dell XPS 15 runs Windows 7 operating system. It starts at $849.99.

WIFI ONLY SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB HITS FCC

Best Buy has already announced its plans to sell a WiFi only version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet. Now it looks like the model is nearing its launch in the US. The WiFi-only version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab has made its appearance at the FCC website which is a clear indication that it will soon hit the US market. This model will not have a 3G modem. It is aimed at customers who don't want to commit themselves to long-term like service contracts.

The WiFi only Samsung Galaxy Tab GT-P1010 has got the same basic specifications as the more expensive 3G-enabled version.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has a 7 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. Both WiFi and 3G models of the tablet have a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor and run Android 2.2. Besides 3G modem, the WiFi-only model may also lack a GPS receiver but it will be cheaper than the 3G version.

ASUS TO LAUNCH ALMOST SIX TABLETS IN THE COMING MONTHS

Asus has been working on multiple tablet devices for a while and now Digitimes report that as many as 6 tablets are in the pipeline. The site says that it obtained the information from Asus President Jerry Shen. That said, these are still rumors and Digitimes has a history of presenting rumors as fact.

So here is what we know at the moment, assuming that Digitimes has got its sources correct. The upcoming Asus tablets will have screen sizes ranging from 7 to 12 inches. First of the six machines will hit the streets in December. The remaining five will make their debut by March.

Some of these tablets will have ARM-based processors and run Google Android or Windows Embedded 7. Others will have x86 based processors and run Windows.
There will be two 7 inch models. One of them will have WiFi and the other will have 3G and phone capabilities. Both of these machines are likely to have ARM-based processors.

There will be two models in the 9 inch space. One of them will have a NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor and run Google Android. The other model will have an Intel x86 processor and run Windows. There is no word on final pricing, but the Tegra based tablet is expected to be around $100 cheaper than the Windows tablet.

Aside from the 7 and 9 inch models, Asus is also developing 10 and 12 inch tablets.

CLOSER LOOK AT THE GIGABYTE T1005M CONVERTIBLE NETBOOK

The Gigabyte T1005M is a convertible tablet style netbook with a 10 inch touchscreen display which can be folded down over the keyboard for use in the tablet mode. Unlike previous convertible tablets from Gigabyte, the T1005M has a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core processor and a capacitive touchscreen display. Earlier models had single core processors and resistive displays.

The new model also has a chiclet-style keyboard, USB 3.0 port and better build quality.It also has an eSATA USB port and USB 2.0 ports.

The T1005M has many impressive features. There are, nevertheless, a few shortcomings as well. The netbook has a 6-cell, 7650mAh battery which is rather large and sticks out from the back. The touchpad is small and has got its buttons on the left and the right side of it.

Detailed reviews of the netbook are not available at the moment because the convertible hasn't started shipping yet, but it is now available for pre-order from Amazon for $599.99.

CHERRYPAL CHERRYPAD ANDROID TABLET NOW SHIPPING

CherryPal CherryPad, the 7 inch Android tablet that the company introduced a few weeks ago, has reportedly started shipping. It has a relatively slow processor and limited capabilities, but at $188, it is reasonably priced. The folks at Laptop Magazine got to spend some time with the tablet and has posted a short-article about the experience of using the tablet.

Long story short, the tablet has reasonably attractive looks. It is thin and light and has a resistive touchscreen display that works reasonably well although it lacks multitouch support. The CherryPad runs Android 2.1. At the moment it has access to the Android Market and that is kind of surprising because according to Google's terms and conditions,devices that do not have phone capabilities can't access the Android Market.

The tablet does feel a bit sluggish at times and that is nothing surprising. As for availability, well, CherryPal says that shipments began on October 15th and all domestic orders in the US would ship within 24 hours. Some customers who placed orders with the company have, however, complained that their tablets haven't been delivered yet. So it makes sense to wait until a few more users report that they have received their tablets. After all, CherryPal has been accused of running a scam in the past too.

MEEGO 1.1 FOR NETBOOKS, SMARTPHONES AND IN-CAR PCs NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

The folks behind the MeeGo Linux project has launched MeeGo 1.1. MeeGo is based on the Moblin and Maemo Linux projects. It is available for netbooks, smartphones and in-vehicle entertainment systems.

While MeeGo is an independent project, it is the architecture used in other Linux distributions. So it won't be long before we see versions of Linpus, Ubuntu and other operating systems using MeeGo's UI and performance optimizations for Intel Atom and ARM-based processors.

All three versions will have the same base operating system. MeeGo 1.1 for netbooks, however, comes with a set of applications and a user interface designed for mini-laptops with 1024 x 600 pixels displays. The smartphone version of MeeGo 1.1 supports phone calls, SMS, web surfing and playing media. Although Nokia doesn't support MeeGo, the software is designed to run Nokia's N900 smartphone.

There is also a new MeeGo SDK 1.1 Beta for developers interested in writing apps for MeeGo.

SAMSUNG NF310 DUAL CORE PROCESSOR NOW SHIPPING IN THE US

The Samsung NF310 dual core netbook has started shipping in the US. The NF310 has a 10 inch display.It has the same case design as the NF210, but while the later is a Sam's Club exclusive in the US, the former will be available from most retailers. Right now Amazon and TigerDirect offer the netbook for $399.

At that price it isn't exactly cheap, but the Samsung NF310 has a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core processor, 1GB of DDR3 memory and a 250GB hard drive.The 10.1 inch display has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. The laptop comes standard with a 6-cell battery and runs Windows 7 Starter Edition.

Although the mini-laptop doesn't have a discrete graphics option, Samsung and Intel says that the dual core processor is powerful enough to handle local playback of 720p HD videos. 1080p HD videos are still out of reach.

EXOPC WINDOWS 7 TABLET - FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The ExoPC is an 11.6 inch tablet computer with a high resolution 1366 x 768 pixels. It is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor. The tablet runs Windows 7. It has 2GB of RAM and a 32GB SSD. The most interesting thing about the tablet is perhaps the unique user interface that runs on top of the Windows OS making it easier to launch and close applications. And in case you prefer the Windows user interface instead of the custom user interface, there is a dedicated button to turn off the custom UI.

Because it runs Windows 7, the ExoPC can run virtually any Windows app. The folks at Engadget got to spend some time with the tablet and here is what they have to say. The tablet’s custom on-screen keyboard is not yet fully functional, although you can use the virtual keyboard that comes with Windows 7. The user interface is quite responsive. The tablet can also play 1080p HD video, thanks to the Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator.

On the flip side, ExoPC may get only around 4 hours of battery life. This, in fact, is a problem with most sub $1000 Windows tablets on the market. ExoPC is no different. But over all, it looks like an interesting machine.

T-MOBILE TO LAUNCH THE SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB ON NOVEMBER 10

T-Mobile will be first wireless carrier to actually sell a Samsung Galaxy Tab in the US. T-Mobile has announced that it will start offering the Android tablet on November 10 for $400 with a 2-year service contract. Verizon will launch the tablet the next day, on November 11th. The other two carriers that will offer the tablet in the US are Sprint and AT&T. Here are the launch details.

* T-Mobile: November 10th for $399.99 and up with 2 –year contract
* Verizon: November 11th for $599.99 without contract
* Sprint: November 14th for $399.99 with a contract
* AT&T: Still no word on pricing or availability

All the carriers will offer WiFi and 3G models of the tablet. The data plans are as given below:

* T-Mobile: $24.99 for 200MB or $39.99 for 5GB
* Sprint: $29.99 for 2GB or $$59.99 for 5GB
* Verizon: $20 for 1GB (No word on how much a 5GB data plan will cost)

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has a 7 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. It is powered by a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, and runs Google Android 2.2. The tablet has access to the Android Market and has phone capabilities.

ACER TO LAUNCH A LINE OF TABLETS ON NOVEMBER 23

That Acer has been working on a line of tablet PCs is now no secret. And now it looks like the company is all ready to make an official launch. According to a Wall Street Journal report Acer will introduce a line of tablets at a New York event on November 23. These devices will have prices ranging from 299 to $699. They are expected to run Android, although there is no official confirmation in this regard.

There is still no official word on the specs, but we have been hearing that Acer is building 5, 7 and 10 inch tablets. These machines will be powered by ARM-based processors from NVIDIA or Qualcomm.

Acer, on its part, unveiled a concept device this summer. The machine had a 7 inch display. The company described it an eBook reader, but it looked an awful lot like a tablet PC.

By the way, this isn’t the first time Acer has built tablet-style laptops. The company has been selling a convertible tablet-style Windows laptop called the Acer Aspire 1825PTZ since earlier this year.

JOOJOO VERSION 2 COMING SOON

The JooJoo tablet was panned by most reviewers when it launched early this year. In fact, word is that Fusion Garage, the company behind the tablet, managed to sell only 90 tablets during the pre-order phase. But it looks like Fusion Garage is still alive and kicking. And the company is reportedly planning to launch the version 2 of JooJoo.

The new device is due out next year, and unlike the original model which ran a custom Linux based operating system, the new model will run Google Android.

That means it will be able to run thousands of Android apps, although it is not clear whether it will have access to Android Market out of the box. If Fusion Garage launches the tablet after Google releases the Gingerbread or Honeycomb versions of Android, it will most likely have full access to the Android Market.

The original JooJoo was essentially an internet tablet with a web browser and an onscreen keyboard. It offered little else. Worse still, the user interface was far from perfect. Still, the hardware wasn’t all that bad. JooJoo had an x86 processor which was capable of running just about every operating system. Some users actually installed Windows 7 or OS X on the tablet and made it more functional.

It is not clear whether the Android version will also be a hacker’s delight. If it still has an x86 processor, it will be very hackable. But if the company opts for an ARM-based processor, it will not be able to run Windows 7.

BEST BUY TO SELL HUAWEI S7 ANDROID TABLET FOR $299

Best Buy has announced that it will start taking pre-orders for the Huawei S7 Android tablet. The retailer will also offer the Sprint and Verizon versions of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Interestingly Best Buy will sell the Huawei S7 for just $299. At that price it is about half the price of the Galaxy Tab.

Like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, the Huawei S7 has a 7 inch display. But while the former has a capacitive touchscreen display, the S7 has a resistive touchscreen display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels.

It is powered by a 768MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The tablet runs Android 2.1.

Other specifications include WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, a 2 megapixel rear-facing camera and a 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera. The Huawei tablet also has a 2200mAh battery, a microSD card slot and a USB port. Better still, it is one of the few 7 inch tablets available at the moment with full access to the Android Market.

The Best Buy version is WiFi-only. The 3G-enabled model of the S7 is available for pre-order from Expansys for $359.

CLOSER LOOK AT THE NEW MACBOOK AIR ULTRATHIN NOTEBOOKS

Apple has launched the next generation MacBook Air ultrathin notebooks. The new MacBook Air will be available in two screen sizes - one sporting an 11.6 inch display and the other sporting a 13.3 inch display. Both models have Intel Core 2 processors,unibody aluminum enclosures and solid state disks for storage.

The new MacBook Air starts at $999. It measures only 0.11 inches at its thinnest part and 0.68 inches at its thickest. While the 11.6 inch model weighs 2.3 pounds, the 13.3 inch model weighs 2.9 pounds. They will reportedly also feature iPad's instant-on capabilities and amazing battery standby time.

The 13.3 inch MacBook Air has a 1440 x 900 pixels display, a webcam and a full sized keyboard. It is available with your choice of a 1.83GHz or 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 128GB to 256GB of storage. The graphics option on both models is the NVIDIA 320M chip. It will reportedly get 7 hours of battery life and up to 30 days of battery standby time.

The 11.6 inch model has a 1366 x 768 pixels display. Like the larger model it has a 2USB ports, but it lacks the SD card slot found in the larger one. It is available with a 1.4GHz or 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a choice of 64GB or 128GB. This model is expected to get 5 hours of battery life. Both models come with 2GB to 4GB of DDR3 memory.

Pricing and availability
Both models are now available for purchase from Apple’s online store. While the 11.6 inch MacBook Air with 64GB of storage starts at $999, the 13.3inch model with 128GB of storage has a starting price of $1299.

SAMSUNG RF510 AND RF710 NOTEBOOKS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE US

The multimedia oriented Samsung RF510 and RF710 notebooks are now available for purchase in the US. Amazon and Newegg both have the 15.6 inch Samsung RF510-S01 and the RF510-S02 in stock. The RF510-S01 is powered by an Intel Core i5-450M processor. It has a 500GB hard drive. The RF510-S02 has a Core i7-720QM processor and a 600GB hard drive.

The 17.3 inch RF710-S02 is now available for purchase from TigerDirect. This model also has a Core i7-720QM processor and a 640GB hard drive. But instead of a DVD burner it has a Blu-ray combo drive.

All the three notebooks have the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics with 1GB of dedicated video memory and 4GB of RAM. The Samsung RF series notebooks also feature the Fast Start technology that enables a 3-second booting, as well as HDMI outputs, webcams, and Bluetooth.

Pricing and availability
All three models are now available for purchase. Newegg sells the Samsung RF510-S01 and RF510-S02 for $849.99 and $999.99, respectively. The RF710-S02 is priced at $1,099.99 (TigerDirect).

LENOVO IDEAPAD V560 WIMAX LAPTOP GOES ON SALE IN THE US

The 15.6 inch Lenovo IdeaPad V560 WiMAX notebook is now available for purchase in the US. The IdeaPad V560 is aimed at small and medium businesses. Right now the notebook is only available from Best Buy which is offering it for $549.99.

The V560 is powered by a 2.4GHz Intel Core i3-370M processor. Other specifications include built-in WiMAX mobile broadband module, WiFi, Intel integrated graphics, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB hard drive and a DVD burner. The notebook ships with Windows 7 Home Premium. The 15.6 inch display has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, although it is not clear whether it is glossy or matte.

The Best Buy product page for the laptop states that it will get around 4.5 hours of battery life. The IdeaPad V560 also has a 1.3 megapixel webcam, fingerprint reader, 3 USB ports, an eSATA/USB combo port, a 4-in-1 media card reader and Gigabit Ethernet LAN. It doesn't have an HDMI port.

Although the IdeaPad V560 is consumer-oriented it has a business-class exterior. In case you need something more portable,you can check out the 14 inch IdeaPad V460.

NOTION INK ADAM TABLET TO GET 15 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE?

Notion Ink says that the company’s upcoming Adam tablet PC will run for 15 hours on a single charge. Battery life estimates are always subject to fluctuation. Companies often promise 14 hours of battery life and deliver only around 7 hours. So will Adam manage to get the kind of battery life it promises?

The Notion Ink Adam tablet has a 24Whr battery. It is powered by a low power NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor which consumes very little power. Better still, the tablet is available with an optional low power Pixel Qi transflective display which will reduce power consumption even further.

Of course, the battery life you get from your tablet depends upon how you use it. If you spend a lot of time watching high definition video at full brightness you won’t get good battery life. Notion Ink says that they may eventually offer an interactive chart that will let you choose the activities you are likely to perform on the tablet and give a prediction of the battery life you are going to get.

Notion Ink also says that the tablet has got some of the best speakers. And with its USB ports you can watch videos from a USB flash drive. You can also plug in a mouse and keyboard.

ASUS EEE PC 1015PN DUAL CORE NETBOOK WITH ION NOW SHIPPING

The Asus Eee PC 1015PN dual core netbook with NVIDIA ION graphics has started shipping. Amazon is selling the netbook for $425 plus free shipping.

The Eee PC 1015PN is a 10 inch netbook with a dual core Intel Atom N450 processor. It doesn’t have the full version of ION graphics found in larger netbooks and desktops. It can still handle 1080p HD video. You will also be able to play some games. That said, there is no point in expecting the same kind of graphics performance we have seen from the 16 core ION chip found in larger notebooks.

Since the netbook runs Windows 7 Starter Edition it doesn’t support NVIDIA Optimus graphics switching technology. In other words, you will have to manually switch between the discrete ION and integrated GMA 3150 graphics. It isn’t all that difficult, though.

Still at $425, the Eee PC 1015PN is an enticing option. It costs only around $50 or $100 more than a typical netbook and has a dual core Atom processor and HD video capabilities.

11.6 INCH MACBOOK AIR TEAR DOWN

Within hours after Apple launched its 11.6 inch and 13.3 inch MacBook Air ultraportable notebooks, the folks at iFixit have ripped them apart. They have also posted a photo gallery showing what the smaller model looks like.
Long story short, most of the space inside the 11.6 inch MacBook Air is taken up by the batteries. Another notable feature is the solid state storage that looks more like a stick of memory. By using it instead of a 2.5 inch or 1.8 inch hard drive, Apple has managed to save some space.

The 11.6 inch MacBook Air doesn't look all that upgrade friendly. The 2GB of RAM is soldered to the motherboard. The laptop is also available with 4GB of RAM, but you will have to pay an extra $100 for that upgrade. It looks like you can upgrade the storage - the SSD can be removed and replaced easily. But since MacBook Air uses proprietary storage, you probably won’t be able to buy an upgrade anytime soon.

MSI DUAL CORE NETBOOK COMING SOON; TABLET POSTPONED AGAIN

MSI showed off some Android-running tablets at CES early this year. These prototypes, however, didn't work exactly like the way they should. The company has now postponed its decision to actually launch these tablets until at least Google launches the version 3.0 of Android. MSI thinks that Android in its current form isn't quite the best operating system for tablets.

The upcoming MSI Wind Pad tablet will have a 10 inch display. It will likely have USB and HDMI ports and cost less than $500. The company is expected to show off a refreshed demo unit at CES in January 2011. A few rendered images of the tablet have already hit the cyberspace, although it is not clear whether they represent the final design.

Meanwhile it looks like MSI still hasn't decided on the processor and operating system for the tablet. The company is reportedly still debating whether it should launch the tablet with an Atom processor and Windows 7 operating system.

Meanwhile MSI is also expected to launch its first dual core netbook in November. This will probably be an update to the MSI Wind U160.

HP SLATE OFFICIALLY UNVEILED

HP has officially unveiled its Slate PC. The device was first introduced at CES early this year.

A lot of folks expected the HP Slate to be an iPad alternative, but that isn't quite so. HP is positioning its Slate as a business tablet. The company may, however, release a consumer-oriented WebOS tablet sometime next year.

At $799, the HP Slate isn't cheap.The tablet is powered by a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor with 2GB of RAM. It has an 8.9 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The storage option is a 64GB Solid State Disk.

The tablet has 2 cameras - a 3 megapixel camera on the back and a front-facing camera for video calls. Other specifications include a Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator, a Wacom active digitizer for handwriting recognition and a docking station with HDMI ouput. HP claims that the tablet will last 5 hours on a single charge, but unfortunately the battery isn't user replaceable.

The HP Slate runs Windows 7 Professional. At just 1.5 pounds, it is lighter than the iPad.

VERIZON TO SELL SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB FOR $600

Verizon Wireless has unveiled its pricing details for the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The carrier will start selling the tablet on November 11 for $599.99. At that price the Galaxy Tab is kind of cheaper than the iPad 3G which is priced at $629. Still, it isn't cheap enough to lure everybody into buying it.

Samsung is positioning its 7 inch Android tablet as an excellent alternative to the Apple iPad. And that makes sense because the Galaxy Tab has many features you wouldn't find in the iPad. For example, it has a camera (actually 2 cameras), an SD card slot and access to the Android Market. The tablet can also make phone calls although it is not clear whether this feature will be present in its US version.Still selling a $600 Samsung tablet will be harder than selling a $629 Apple tablet simply because Samsung or other PC makers don't enjoy the fanatic fan-following that Apple does.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has comparable specs to the iPad. It is powered by a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor. The tablet has a 7 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. It runs Android 2.2. Other specifications include 16GB of storage, a microSDHC card slot, 2 cameras and a 4000mAh battery that will reportedly provide 7 hours of video playback. The tablet also has 3G, GPS and support for Adobe Flash.

Verizon's data plans for the Galaxy Tab starts at $20 per month for 1GB of data.

DELL INSPIRON 11Z NOW AVAILABLE FROM SPRINT

The Dell Inspron 11z mini-laptop is now available from Sprint. Dell discontinued the 11.6 inch laptop earlier this year, but now it has surfaced at the Sprint store with a mobile broadband module that lets you access 4G WiMAX and 3G EVDO networks across the US. The laptop has also received a processor update. The Sprint version has an Intel Core i3 processor. Previous versions shipped with Intel Pentium or Celeron processors. The new model is likely to run Windows 7 Home Premium.

Sprint also offers the 10 inch Dell Inspiron Mini 10. This netbook has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, a Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator, 1GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. The Inspiron Mini 10 runs windows7 Starter Edition. It is also available from Dell without the mobile broadband option.

Sprint is expected to start taking orders for the laptops in the coming weeks. The Inspiron Mini 10 will be free after rebate if you sign up for a long term service contract. The Inspiron 11z will run $150 with a contract and rebate.

AMD TO LAUNCH BOBCAT CORE FOR LOW POWER PROCESORS NEXT YEAR

AMD has been preparing to launch its upcoming Bobcat core for low power processors for ages. And it looks like the wait is going to continue. AMD reporetdly has no intention to launch processors based on the Bobcat core until next year. AMD has nevertheless released new bits of information.

The AMD Bobcat core will power upcoming AMD Ontario processors for low power laptops, tablets, MIDs and other devices. AMD claims that the Bobcat core will offer 90% of the performance of today's chips while occupying less than half the silicon area which means that it will consume less power and generate less heat.

In fact, the Bobcat core is capable of running on less than one watt of power. And unlike Intel's Atom processors, the Bobcat core is a 64-bit chip.
The AMD Ontario platform will combine the Bobcat processor core with AMD graphics on the same chip, making it the first system-on-a-chip from AMD.

CLOSER LOOK AT THE KDDI SMT-I9100 ANDROID TABLET

KDDI will soon start offering a 7 inch Samsung tablet in Japan. The Android running machine has awfully similar specs to the Samsung Galaxy Tab which will hit the US and Europe soon. The Japanese version, however, has a different name and a different case design. It also sports some different features. The KDDI tablet appears to have a custom user interface on top of Android.

The tablet is reportedly WiFi only, but interestingly there are icons for Gmail and Android Market. This is surprising because Google doesn't allow devices that can't make phone calls access to the Android Market.

The KDDI SMT-i9100 has a compact angular design. It seems to have the same case design as the Stream TV eLocity tablet. But specs-vise they are different machines. While the eLocity tablet has an 800 x 480 pixel display and a NVIDIA Tegra processor, the KDDI tablet has a 1024 x 600 pixels display and a Samsung Hummingbird processor.

The SMT-i9100 will launch in Japan in February.

THREE WINDOWS 7 TABLETS FROM ONKYO NOW AVAILABLE IN THE US FOR A PRICE

The three Windows 7 tablets that Onkyo introduced last month in Japan are now available for purchase in the US. You can now purchase the Onkyo TW117A4, TW217A5, and W317A5 from exporter Dynamism. Prices range between $779 and $1129.

The Onkyo TW117A4 has a 10 inch display. It is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU with 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. The tablet runs Windows 7 Home Premium and sells for $779.

The Onkyo TW217A5 also has a 10 inch display but this model is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor. Other specifications include 1GB of RAM and a 32GB SSD. The tablet runs Windows 7 Home Premium and is priced at $979.

The Onkyo TW317A5 has a larger 11.6 inch screen, a 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD, and Windows 7 Home premium. It is priced at $1129. That said, you can find cheaper Windows 7 tablets in the US and Europe without having to import them from Japan by paying an extra fee.

ARCHOS LAUNCHES 10 INCH CHEAP NETBOOK IN THE UK

Archos is a company best known for its portable media players and internet tablets. Though not quite a well known PC maker Archos has tried its hands in the netbook space as well. The company launched the Archos 10 mini-laptop a while back. That wasn't a huge success, but now Archos is back with a second laptop with a 10 inch display.

The Archos Arnova is different from the Archos 10 in many respects. While the first Archos netbook had a 1.6GHz Intel atom N270 processor and 1GB of RAM, the Archos Arnova is a budget device with a 533MHz ARM-based processor, 2GB of storage and 128MB of RAM. It runs Windows CE 60 operating system. The netbook also has a 10.2 inch TFT display, 802.11b/g WiFi, a 2100mAh battery, 3 USB ports, an Ethernet jack, and an SD card slot. It weighs about 2.4 pounds.

To put it simply, the Archos Arnova is meant for performing basic activities such as surfing the web and running a few apps. On the bright side it is decently priced. The Archos Arnova is now up for order at Amazon UK for £126.75 or over $200 US. No word on pricing or availability in the US.

SAMSUNG REDESIGNS GALAXY TAB FOR THE JAPANESE MARKET

Samsung has teamed up with KDDI in Japan to offer a device somewhat different from the Galaxy Tab. The SMT-i9100 has basically the same specifications as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but it is WiFi only and sports a boxier looking design.

This isn't the first time Samsung has tried these gimmicks. The company is known to design different cases for devices that are essentially the same.

Samsung, for instance, offers four different versions of the Galaxy Tab in the US - one for each carrier and they all look different even though they have the same specifications.

Like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, the KDDI SMT-i9100 has a 7 inch capacitive multitouch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. This model has 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a docking station. It runs Google Android 2.2. Other specifications include Bluetooth and wiFi 802.11b/g/n. The tablet is due out in Japan in February.

CTL 2GOPAD WINDOWS 7 TABLET SELLS OUT

The CTL 2GoPad Windows 7 tablet is selling fast. CTL says that the tablets were sold out the day after the company started taking orders last week. The compnay expects a new shipment at the end of November and is confident that those units will sell equally fast. CTL says that the short supply of 10 inch multitouch capacitive displays is causing the delay.

CTL does offer some interesting products, but it isn't a huge PC maker like Dell or HP. Nevertheless, the tablet has generated considerable interest in the tech community.

The CTL 2GoPad is essentially a netbook without a physical keyboard. It also happen to have a touchscreen display, an accelerometer and a lower capacity battery. At $499, it is one of the cheapest Windows 7 tablets on the market at the moment. But the price will go up to $549 when the launch promotion ends on Wednesday.

The 2GoPad is reportedly easier to use than many other windows tablets, thanks to some hardware and software optimizations. Still the tablet suffers from some Windows 7 quirks that make the user experience far from perfect.

TEGA V2 WINDOWS 7 TABLET REVIEWED; FALLS SHORT OF PROMISE

The Tega V2 is one of the few Windows 7 tablets on the market at the moment. It has impressive specs, but unfortunately the machine falls short in many areas. Tech blog GottaBeMobile has published a detailed review of the tablet and they aren't all that impressed with its performance.

The Tega V2 is designed by tablet enthusiast Hugo Ortega. The tablet reportedly possesses excellent build quality, but unfortunately it fails to provide a decent user experience.

This, in fact, is the problem with other Windows tablets as well. However, this doesn't mean that Windows isn't suitable for tablets. In fact, running Windows on a tablet device has several advantages. It supports Flash. It can run numerous apps. You can also plug in all kinds of peripherals. Still there is growing evidence that throwing Windows 7 on a touchscreen device that is essentially a netbook sans a physical keyboard isn't good enough.

This is probably due to the fact that Windows 7 is resource hungry for the type of hardware found in a typical tablet. The Windows 7 on-screen keyboard isn't quite known to deliver a good typing experience either. That said, the Tega V2 is still better than many tablets on the market. But given the fact that this was an eagerly awaited machine, it is kind of disappointing to learn that it doesn't provide that ultimate tablet experience.

BMODO12 WINDOWS 7 TABLET COMING

A relatively unknown company called bModo has announced its decision to take pre-orders for a certain tablet called bModo12. If this machine looks kind of familiar it is because it is the same OEM machine as the WeTab, the ExoPC and the Pioneer DreamBook L11.

Like the WeTab and the ExoPC, the bModo12 also has an 11.6 inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.

It is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor with 1GB of RAM. The tablet runs Windows 7 Home Premium and will come with a 32GB Solid State Disk. Other specifications include 2 USB ports, an HDMI port, SD card reader, a SIM card slot, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, a 3G modem, a 1.3MP camera and an accelerometer. It also has a Broadcom HD video accelerator for enabling HD video playback.bModo says that the 4800mAh battery will power the laptop for up to 5 hours on a charge.

The tablet weighs under 2.2 pounds. There is no word on pricing, but the tablet will reportedly start shipping in December.

NETBOOK NAVIGATOR NAV9 REVIEW

The NetBook Navigator Nav9 is one of the few Windows 7 tablets available at the moment. In many respects, the Nav9 is similar to the iPad. Both machines lack a physical keyboard. There are plenty of differences too. The Nav9 has 3 USB ports, an SD card slot, a standard SIM card slot, a VGA and Ethernet adapter, and a front-facing webcam. The ports make it possible to plug in all sorts of accessories to expand the capabilities of the Nav9.

ON the flip side, the Nav9 is heavy for a tablet. It weighs as much as a netbook. And since tablets are meant to be held in the hand, its weight may pose a problem. Another problem is the resistive touchscreen display and the relatively slow Atom N450 processor. Worse still, the battery lasts only a couple of hours. Compare this with the iPad which gets around 8-10 hours of battery life on a single charge.

The Nav9 starts at $599, but that price doesn't include an operating system. The cheapest model with Windows 7 will cost at least $699.

Quick specs:
Processor: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor
Memory: 2GB of RAM
Display: 8.9 inch resistive touchscreen display
Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
Storage: 32GB

Price as configured: $874

The tablet comes with a retractable stylus. However, there is no spot in the tablet's case that you can slide the stylus into. The resistive touchscreen supports multitouch gestures. It is better suited to a stylus than your fingertips. However, it is also possible to make a case that resistive screens are better suited to Windows.

Performance is reasonably impressive. The tablet has no difficulty handling simple tasks such as surfing the web, watching video or listening to music. It can't handle 1080p HD video or HD Flash video, but 720p and lower resolution videos play reasonably well. But text entry is an altogether different story.

The tablet lacks an accelerometer for automatic screen rotation. It also happen to have poor viewing angles.

On the bright side running Windows on a tablet has its share of advantages. It supports Adobe Flash. It can run tens of thousands of programs. Better still, you can plug in USB hard drives, flash drives, DVD drives, a keyboard, mouse, or other accessories. still this Windows 7 tablet isn't quite up to the mark.

IS APPLE BUILDING A NEW MACBOOK AIR?

The Apple MacBook Air is a rather expensive thin and light notebook with a 13.3 inch display. It weighs just 3 pounds and measures 0.76 inches in thickness. In fact, the MacBook Air is the thinnest and lightest Mac available at the moment. Unfortunately, this machine hasn't received any major updates in a long time. But now word is that Apple will launch a refreshed MacBook Air at an event scheduled for October 20th.

Many sites are reporting that the new model will have an 11.6 inch display. Some of the leaked photos of the said device, however, seems to show a 13.3 inch model. The photos show extra battery cells. However, there is no hard drive - which is in line with a rumor that suggests that Apple is building a new type of solid state drive that uses flash based storage. SSDs are hardly a new idea. Many netbooks ship with solid state drives, but they tend to be slow drives that aren't much faster than an SD card or a USB flash drive. Since Apple is known for adding novelty to its devices, it may use something more powerful.

Regarding processor, well, it seems to have the same Intel Core 2 Dup SL9400 processor found in current models. But it is possible that we are looking at an early prototype here. The final model could have a faster processor.It is also possible that Apple isn't building a new MacBook Air.

MSI INTRODUCES THE FX700 AND FR700 GAMING LAPTOPS

MSI has officially introduced its FX700 and FR700 gaming laptops. These two were among the 16 Optimus-based laptops NVIDIA showed off at Computex in June.

Both FX700 and FR700 have 17.3 inch widescreen displays. They also feature the company's anti-scratch, anti-smudge coating and a fairly attractive design. The MSI FX700 is powered by a Core i5 processor with NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M discrete graphics with 1GB of dedicated video memory. Other specifications include 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 320GB / 500GB / 640GB hard drive, HDMI / VGA outputs, a DVD SuperMulti drive, 2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 ports, a 5-in-1 card reader, built-in webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, gigabit Ethernet and a 6-cell Li-ion battery.

The MSI FR700 has more or less the same basic specifications, but it lacks a discrete graphics card and instead comes with the Integrated Intel graphics. Clearly this laptop isn't for those interested in playing bleeding graphics games.

MSI hasn't said anything about pricing or availability, but the FX700 and FR700 should hit the market in time for the holiday shopping season.

TEGA V2 WINDOWS 7 TABLET NOW SHIPPING

The Tega V2 tablet from TegaTech has started shipping. The computer is designed by tablet enthusiast Hugo Ortega. Its specs aren't all that different from those of recently launched Windows tablets. It, nevertheless, has a few features that will make it stand out from the rest.

The Tega V2 tablet is super-thin. It also seems to have a professional look and excellent build quality. The tablet also has a few buttons that are designed to make Windows 7 easier to operate. For example, you can press the Home Button to bring up the tablet. The tablet reportedly boots quickly but doesn't last longer than 3.5 hours on a single charge.

The Vega V2 will be available in a number of configurations. It isn't cheap by any standard. One of the configurations available at the moment costs $799. For that price you will get a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 processor, 2GB of DDR3 memory, 32GB SSD and Windows 7 Professional. The tablet has a 10.1 inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.

The cheapest option currently available runs $688. It has 16GB of storage, 1GB of RAM and no operating system. The top-of-the-line model comes with 2GB of RAM, 3G wireless, a 64GB SSD and Windows 7 Professional.It runs $1250.

AMD TO LAUNCH TABLET CHIPS WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE GRAPHICS

AMD introduced some netbook processors this year which offered decent battery life and about 2-3 times the CPU performance of an Intel Atom processor. Better still, these processors supported 1080p HD video playback and 3D graphics acceleration. Needless to say many netbooks currently shipping and several upcoming have AMD processors inside.

And now AMD is keen on making its presence felt in the tablet space as well. That said, AMD is unlikely to launch a tablet processor in the immediate future. But once the tablet market grows big enough AMD will introduce chips with 'great graphics and video technology'.

Still, that doesn't mean that you will have to wait 3 or 4 years to see an AMD powered tablet. In fact it won't be long before tablet makers use AMD netbook processors in tablets. But until that happens ARM-based processors and Intel Atom processors will continue to dominate the tablet space.

DELL STREAK ANDROID TABLET COMING TO BEST BUY

The 5 inch Dell Streak Android tablet has been available at online stores for a while, and now it is going to be available in retails stores as well. Starting October 24, Best Buy will offer the tablet at its retail stores across the US.

The Dell Streak is kind of a cross between an Android phone and a tablet computer. With its 5 inch, 800 x 480 pixels display, it isn't all that bigger than the Droid X or HTC Evo 4G smartphones. It can also make phone calls like a typical phone does. Still, it isn't quite a smartphone. In fact, it has many features that will give it tablet status.

The US version of the Dell Streak currently runs the dated Android 1.6. An update to the latest Android 2.2 Froyo is expected soon. The tablet is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Other specifications include a 5MP rear-facing camera, a VGA front-facing camera, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, 256MB of RAM, GPS, an accelerometer, and ambient light sensor.

Pricing
Best Buy is expected to offer the Streak for $299.99 with a 2-year service contract.

AT&T TO START SELLING 3G iPADS ON OCTOBER 28

AT&T has announced that all Apple iPad Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available from its stores across the US starting October 28. The 16GB iPad will have a suggested retail price of $629. The 32GB and 64GB models will sell for $729 and $829 respectively.

Domestic data plans for the tablet are priced at $14.99 per month for 250MB data transfer. For $25 you can get up to 2GB of data.

Both plans provide unlimited access to AT&T's WiFi Hot Spots in the US. Neither plans require a long-term contract.
Apple's iPad WiFi + 3G models come with an integrated micro SIM card slot that enables access to AT&'s 3G mobile broadband network.

Meanwhile Verizon has also announced that they will offer iPad at their stores. The Verizon models are WiFi only. They will be sold standalone or bundled with an external MiFi router that allows iPad customers access to Verizon’s 3G network

APPLE iPAD COMING TO VERIZON STORES ON OCTOBER 28

The Apple iPad will be available at all Verizon Wireless Stores across the US starting October 28.

Verizon will offer three models, all featuring a WiFi-enabled iPad and a Verizon MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot. Here is a quick rundown of the prices:

iPad WiFi 16GB + MiFi = $629.99
iPad WiFi 32GB + MiFi = $729.99
iPad WiFi 64GB + MiFi = $829.99

iPad customers will get monthly data plans of up to 1GB of data for $20 a month. Verizon Wireless will also offer all three iPad WiFi models on a stand-alone basis. The MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot that comes bundled with the tablet allows the creation of a personal WiFi network that supports up to five WiFi-enabled devices that can share access to the Verizon Wireless 3G Mobile Broadband network.

HP PHOTOSMART ESTATION C510 PRINTER-TABLET COMBO GOES ON SALE

The HP Photosmart eStation C510 printer-tablet combo has gone on sale. Starting today you can pick up one for $399.99. At that price it is cheaper than most standalone tablets on the market. On the flip side, the estation tablet isn't as powerful as a tablet like the Apple iPad or the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Still, it is a good deal because for less than the price of a tablet you get a tablet and an internet connected printer.

The Photosmart eStation C510 is the same tablet-printer combo that was formerly known as HP Zeen. It includes a nice color photo printer with WiFi and an SD card reader. You also get some ink cartridges.

HP doesn't call the estation tablet a tablet. Instead the company describes it as a Detachable color Touchscreen which for all intents and purposes is a 7 inch tablet running Android 2.1. Of course, it isn't as feature-rich as a typical Android phone or tablet. It doesn't have access to the Android Market either. That said, the tablet is still functional. It has a web browser and a series of apps designed to work with the printer. There is also an ebook reader for reading ebooks and with the attached printer you can also print them.

If you are in the market for an entry level tablet and a color printer, the estation C510 is definitely an interesting option. But if you are looking for a full featured Android tablet this isn't the machine to buy.

CLOSER LOOK AT CTL 2GOPAD WINDOWS TABLET

The CTL 2goPad SL10 is a 10 inch tablet PC powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom processor with 2GB of RAM. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.

The computer has a capacitive multitouch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. Other specifications include a 250GB hard drive, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, Ethernet, 2 USB ports, a micro SD card reader, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, heaadphone and mic jacks.

The tablet also has an accelerometer which will come really handy when you have to rotate the display, 2 channel stereo speaker and a 4-cell battery which will reportedly give up to 5 hours of battery life.

The 2GoPad also comes pre-loaded with EasyBits Quick software which makes launching frequently used applications a bit more easier than the Windows 7 Start Menu. Another useful feature is the couple of capacitive buttons built into the right side of the screen bezel. These are designed to let you do things like adjusting the volume, brightness settings and toggling between WiFi and Bluetooth.

At 2.6 pounds, the 2GoPad SL10 is heavier than a typical tablet. In fact, it weighs as much as a netbook do, although it lacks a physical keyboard.

CTL is offering a pre-sale offer on the tablet. You can pick up one for $499 before October 20th. Afterwards the price will go up to $599.

EXOPC GOES ON SALE IN CANADA AND PORTUGAL UNDER DIFFERENT NAMES

The ExoPC Windows 7 tablet has made its debut in Canada and Portugual under different brand names. The device has generated considerable media interest, thanks to its intuitive user interface which is designed to make Windows 7 more finger-friendly.

In Portugal the retailer Probitas is selling the tablet as Mobi One. It will set you back 692€, or about $965 US. In Canada the tablet is being sold under the name Ciara Vibe. It is essentially the same machine as the Mobi One, but it has a much more reasonable price tag: about $599 and up (or $649 Canadian).

The tablets have an 11.6 inch capacitive multitouch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Other specifications include WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, HDMI, optional 3G, USB, mic, headphone jack, an SD card slot and stereo speakers. It also has an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, 3-axis sensor and a 1.3mp camera.

The ExoPC is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor with 2GB of DDR2 memory. It is available with either 32GB or 64GB of SSD. The tablet weighs less than 2.3 pounds.

TOSHIBA LAUNCHED WIMAX READY PORTEGE R700 ULTRAPORTABLE LAPTOP

Toshiba today introduced two WiMax ready models of the 13.3 inch Portege R700 ultraportable laptop. The new models are called Portege R700-S1332W and R700-S1322W.
The Toshiba Portege R700-S1332W has an Intel Core i7 processor and a 128GB Solid State Drive besides the built-in WiMAX wireless module. The Portege R700-S1322W, on the other hand, has an Intel Core i5 processor and a 320GB, 7200 rpm hard drive. Both notebooks have 4GB of DDR3 memory.

Toshiba claims that its Portege R700 is the world's lightest 13.3 inch full performance ultraportable laptop with an integrated DVD drive.

Pricing and availability
The WiMAX ready R700-S1332W and R700-S1322W will be available on October 12, 2010 from select Toshiba resellers and online retailers. While the R700-S1332W has an MSRP of $1,699 the R700-S1322W starts at $1,349.

ASUS EEE PC 1015PN WITH NVIDIA ION GRAPHICS BENCHMARKED

The Eee PC 1015PN is one of the few 10 inch netbooks to have next generation NVIDIA ION graphics. Needless to say, the laptop has no difficulty handling 1080p HD video playback. However, the copy of ION used in a 10 inch netbook like the Eee PC 1015PN is not as powerful as the ION graphics used in large notebooks and desktop computers.

Eee PC.it has run a series of benchmarks on the Eee PC 1015PN and here is what they have found. In graphics intensive tests the computer does outperform other netbooks with integrated graphics. That said, the 1015PN is not as powerful as the 1215PN which has a more powerful version of ION graphics. In fact, the ION chip used in 1015PN has just 8 cores instead of the 16 cores found in the full version. In other words, the 1015PN may deliver better 3D graphics than a typical netbook, but it isn't exactly the best choice for playing high-end games. On the bright side, the lower capacity ION will help reduce the energy requirements and heat output.

The Asus Eee PC 1015PN has a 10.1 inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. It is powered by a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core processor with ION and GMA 3150 graphics. Other specifications include 1GB of DDR3 memory, and a 250GB hard drive. The Eee PC 1015PN is now available from ExcaliberPC for $429.

HUAWEI S7 ANDROID TABLET HITS FCC

The Huawei S7 Android tablet has hit FCC. The device has a 7 inch display. In fact it looks more like a big smartphone than a tablet PC. And that's fine because the Huawei S7 has a built-in 3G modem that will let you make phone calls. Of course, you wouldn't want to hold it up to your head, but you can easily use wired or wireless headsets to make phone calls.

The Huawei S7 is already available in Europe. And now that it has hit FCC it may be heading to the US as well. The Huawei s7 is powered by a 768MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It runs Android 2.1 and has a 7 inch resistive touchscreen display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Since the tablet has phone capabilities it is likely to have access to Android Market.

There is still no word on pricing or availability in the US. The tablet received lukewarm reviews in Europe. Still, if the pricing is right, it should be able to get some takers.

UBUNTU 10.10 NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

Canonical has officially launched Ubuntu 10.10, the latest version of the popular Linux distribution. Both desktop and netbook editions of the Ubuntu 10.10 aka 'Maverick Meerkat' is now available for download from ubuntu.com for free.

The Ubuntu 10.10 is aimed at home and mobile computing users. It also adds an array of online and offline applications to Ubuntu Desktop Edition.

Ubuntu Netbook Edition now offers a new desktop interface called 'Unity'. It is specifically optimized for mobile devices with smaller displays.

The new version supports touch and gesture inputs. It also offers updated email, office, and music apps, as well as integration with the Ubuntu One service that lets you back up files and data and stream media files over the internet.Other supported features include interoperability with other operating systems including Android, iPhone and Windows.

ACER ASPIRE ONE HAPPY TO DUAL BOOT WINDOWS AND ANDROID; COMING SOON TO UK

The Acer Aspire One Happy has been available in many parts of Europe for a while. The mini-laptop showed up at Spanish and Hungarian retail sites last month. Now it is heading to the UK where it will reportedly sell for around £250, or under $400 US.

It looks like the UK version of the Aspire One Happy will be able to dual boot Google Android 2.1 and Windows 7. It is not clear whether the versions available in other parts of Europe also have this dual boot feature. Meanwhile, word is that Acer plans to offer Android on all of its upcoming notebooks with dual core Atom processors.

The Aspire One Happy is available with your choice of a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 single core processor or a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core processor. The netbook has a 10.1 inch display, up to 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. Other specifications include WiFi, Bluetooth and optional 3G.

The Aspire One Happy will be available with purple, pink, lime green or light blue lids. In fact, these colorful lids are the most distinguishing feature of these laptops.

ASUS LAUNCHES EEE PC 1215P IN GERMANY

Asus has launched a new 12 inch notebook with a dual core Atom processor. The Asus Eee PC 1215P is expected to go on sale in Germany and Austria soon for 449 Euros.

The Eee PC 1215P is one of the few 12 inch notebooks with an Atom processor. it is powered by a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 processor with Intel GMA integrated graphics. Other specifications include 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. The 12 inch display has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.

Unlike most Atom powered netbooks which ship with Windows 7 Starter Edition, the Eee PC 1215P has Windows 7 Professional. The laptop also has WiFi 802.11b/g/n, a 0.3 megapixel webcam, Ethernet, 3 USB ports, a VGA port, a card reader, headphone and mic jacks and a 6-cell, 40Whr battery.

No word on pricing or availability in the US.

T-MOBILE TO OFFER SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB FOR $399 IN THE US?

Samsung unveiled its Galaxy Tab a few weeks ago, but the company is yet to put a final price tag on its much hyped tablet. European product listings of the tablet has prices of $950 or higher, but that is the unsubsidized price.

Samsung is offering its Galaxy Tab on all four major wireless carriers in the US. None of the carriers have revealed their pricing for the tablet, but now a leaked document is providing some hints.

According to a document unearthed by some bloggers, T-Mobile will offer the tablet for $649 in the US. This is the price of the unsubsidized version of the Galaxy Tab. If you are willing to sign up for a 2-year mobile broadband service contract you should be able to get the tablet for $399 after rebate.

For your money you will get a 7 inch tablet with a 1024 x 600 pixels capacitive touchscreen display, a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor and Android 2.2. The tablet also has an HDMI output, front and rear cameras, WiFi, Bluetooth and access to Samsung Media Hub software that will let you purchase and download movies and TV shows.

In the US, Sprint, Verizon and AT&T will also offer the Galaxy Tab. They haven't revealed their pricing yet.

NETBOOK NAVIGATOR NAV9 NOW STARTS AT $699

The Netbook Navigator Nav9 is one of the few Windows 7 tablets on the market right now. It is pricey by any standard, but now the company has reduced the price a bit.

The Netbook Navigator Nav9 starts at $599, but that price does not include an operating system. The base model with Windows 7 Home Premium used to cost $749 until a few days ago. Now this model starts at $699.

For that price you will get an 8.9 inch resistive multitouch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, 1GB of memory, a 16GB solid state disk, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N280 processor, 1.3 mega pixel webcam, Bluetooth and WiFi. This model does not have 3G. If you need more memory or storage, you will have to shell out more cash. The tablet is also available with Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate.

Still $699 is too much money for a Windows tablet with netbook-like specs. In fact, you can buy two netbooks for the price of Nav9. On the other hand, the Nav9 is smaller and lighter than a typical netbook. It is also a whole lot more finger-friendly than a netbook.

SAMSUNG LAUNCHES EXTERNAL DVD WRITER FOR NOTEBOOKS AND NETBOOKS

Samsung has introduced a new external DVD writer for notebooks and netbooks. Called Samsung SE-S084F, the portable DVD burner weighs less than one pound. It is powered through a USB port.

Samsung says that the new external drive is smaller, lighter and faster than its predecessor, the SE-S084C. According to the official press release, the SE-S084F supports a variety of speeds across different data media types including: 24X CD-ROM, 24X CD-RW, 8X DVD±R recording, 5X DVD-RAM recording, 6X DVD+R Dual Layer recording, 6X DVD-R Dual Layer recording, 8X DVD+RW recording and 6X DVD-RW recording.

The Samsung SE-S084F also features the WriteMaster technology, which allows multitasking and high-speed writing, even in PCs having low performance processors.

Pricing and availability

The Samsung SE-S084F is now available for purchase from various online retailers for around $50. The best price we could find is at SuperBiiz ($39.49).

NEW HACK INSTALLS ANDROID MARKET ON ARCHOS TABLETS

A member of the ArchosFans community has launched a new application that will let users install Android Market on their new Archos tablets including the Archos 28, Archos 32 and Archos 43.

Archos introduced five new tablets recently. None of them have full access to Android Market. Neither do the old tablets from Archos. Nevertheless, people have been installing hacked version of the Android apps on the Archos 5 tablet for a while.

But this hack will not work on the new Archos tablets because they run Android 2.1. The new app is designed to work with the new tablets.

Besides installing the Android Market on your tablet, it also gives you access to Google’s Gmail app, Google Maps, Google Talk, and Google Calendar.

In order to install the new hack, download the gApps4Archos.apk file from one of the links at the ArchosFans Forum thread and follow the instructions. Before installing the app, however, bear in mind that neither Google nor Archos supports the hack. So just in case you run into trouble, don't expect any help from them.

ASUS EEE PC 1015T AMD-POWERED LAPTOP UP FOR PRE-ORDER

The AMD powered Asus Eee PC 1015T netbook is now up for pre-order in the US. The Eee PC 1015T has a 10.1 inch display. It is powered by the latest AMD ultrathin processors.

Excaliber PC has started taking pre-orders for the Eee PC 1015T in black, white, blue and red colors. The 2.7 pound netbook will ship with the 1.2GHz single core AMD V105 processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 integrated graphics, 1GB of DDR3 memory and a 250GB hard drive.

The laptop runs Windows 7 Starter Edition. It also has a 6-cell battery which will reportedly get around six hours of battery life.

Other features include a 0.3 mega pixel webcam, WiFi 802.11n, Stereo speakers, 3 USB port, an MMC/SD (SDHC) card reader and a VGA connector.

Pricing and availability
The Eee PC 1015T is priced at $349. It is expected to start shipping on October 20th.

CLOSER LOOK AT THE EEE PC 1015PN NETBOOK WITH ION GRAPHICS

The Asus Eee PC 1015PN is one of the first few 10 inch laptops to have the second generation NVIDIA ION graphics. Of course, the version of ION used in the 10 inch netbook is not as powerful as the ION processor found in larger notebooks. That said, it is still powerful enough to handle 1080p HD video playback.

Asus hasn't started shipping the Eee PC 1015PN in the US, but it is available in some parts of Europe.

In terms of looks, the 1015PN isn't all that different from other netbooks Asus recently introduced. It has got the same chiclet-style keyboard and a touchpad with a single button. What makes this machine more interesting than other Asus netbooks is the graphics processor. But since the Eee PC 1015PN runs Windows 7 Starter Edition, it will not support NVIDIA Optimus automatic graphics switching technology. What this means is that you will have to manually switch between the integrated GMA 3150 graphics and the ION graphics. An upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium might solve this problem.

The Eee PC 1015PN is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core Intel Atom N550 processor with 1GB of RAM.

ASUS EEE PC 1001PQ, 1001PX AND 1005PX TO GET MINOR UPDATES

Asus is making minor updates to some of its entry level netbooks. Besides getting a minor specs bump, the Eee PC 1001PQ, Eee PC 1001PX, and Eee PX 1005PX are all getting new names as well. The new models will be called Eee PC 1001PQD, 1001PXD, and 1005PXD.

The new models will have Intel Atom N455 processors and support for DDR3 memory.

The Atom N455 is essentially the same as the Atom N450 processor, but the former supports DDR3 memory. There is, however, no point in expecting much of a performance boost.

Intel has been phasing out older Atom chips ever since the launch of DDR3 supporting Atom N455 and N475 processors. The company believes that wider supply of the new processors will make DDR3 memory.

There is no word on when the new Asus models will start shipping, but they are all listed on the Asus support site.

AUGEN TO LAUNCH 6-NEW ANDROID TABLETS

Augen made lots of headlines when it launched its GenTouch78 Android tablet. The device received lousy reviews, but that hasn't deterred the company. Augen apparently is building not one but six new Android tablets with prices ranging between $200 to $600.

The $199.99 model seems to be a modest update to the GenTouch78 tablet. The top-of-the-line $599 tablet, on the other hand, will have impressive specs and a keyboard docking station.

Here is quick rundown of the models.

Augen GenTouch Latte: $199.99 tablet with a 7 inch resistive touchscreen display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Other features include a G-sensor, HDMI output, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi and 2GB of storage.

Augen GenTouch Latte Grande: $249.99 tablet with a 7 inch, 800 x 600 pixels display, Android 2.2, an 800MHz processor, a 3 axis accelerometer and an ambient light sensor.

Augen GenTouch Espresso: $349.99 tablet with a 7 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels, a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 CPU, Android 2.2, Bluetooth, WiFi, 8GB of storage, accelerometer, ambient light sensor and a compass.

Augen GenTouch Espresso Firma: 7 inch tablet with 800 x 480 pixel resisitve touchscreen display, a dual core CPU, Android 2.2, 2GB of storage, WiFi, and a “magical wand pen” for handwriting recognition.

Augen GenTouch Espresso Dolce: $429.99 tablet with a 10.1 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixel display.

Augen GenTouch Espresso Doppio: $599.99 tablet that can dual boot Android and Ubuntu Linux. It also has a backlit keyboard docking station with its own battery. All tablets are due out before the end of this year.

CHERRYPAL LAUNCHES $180 ANDROID TABLET CALLED CHERRYPAD

CherryPal is not a well known PC maker, but it was one of the first companies to launch cheap netbooks running Google Android and Linux. And now the company is entering the tablet space with the launch of a 7 inch Android tablet called CherryPad.

The CherryPad has a reasonably fast 800MHz processor, 7 inch resistive touchscreen display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, 2GB of storage, a G-sensor, 256MB of RAM, a microSD card reader and WiFi 802.11b/g.

It also has a 3200mAh battery, a USB port, 3.5mm headphone jack and built-in speakers and a microphone.

The CherryPad weighs 1.1 pounds and reportedly has an aluminum casing, which is not something you would find in other cheap Android tablets on the market.

Pricing and availability

The CherryPal CherryPad is now available for purchase for $188 plus shipping.

LENOVO MIGHT OFFER A THINKPAD TABLET

Tablet computers with touchscreen displays are all the rage these days. These machines lack a physical keyboard and typically weigh less than 1 pound. While Lenovo is building an Android powered tablet for the masses, the company has been reluctant to offer a business-oriented ThinkPad tablet yet. But now it looks like Lenovo has had a change of mind.

According to a PC World report, many enterprise customers are already interested in mobile tablets that compliment traditional laptops and desktop computers. So Lenovo thinks that it might make sense to launch a business-oriented tablet PC.

Lenovo hasn't announced a ThinkPad tablet yet, but it looks like the company is at least considering the option. Lenovo already offers a line of convertible tablet style ThinkPad notebooks with touchscreen displays. These machines have displays that can be folded down over the keyboard for use in the tablet mode, but they tend to be bulkier, heavier and more expensive than tablet PCs.

T-MOBILE TO OFFER PRE-PAID 3G DATA PLANS

T-Mobile has joined the list of US wireless carriers offering pre-paid 3G data connection. The company is yet to officially announce its plans, but a leaked training document lays out prices for T-Mobile's upcoming prepaid plans. Here is a quick rundown.

The $10 plan has a data transfer limit of 100MB. It is good for a maximum of 7 days. If you use up the 100MB in -say 4 or 5 days - you will need to recharge. The $30 plan is valid for 30 days. It has a data transfer limit of 300MB. The $50 plan is also valid for 30 days, but offers 1GB of data.

Of course, these pre-paid plans are quite costlier than T-Mobile's subscription plans which would let you transfer up to 5GB of data per month for just $39. On the flip side, the subscription plans require a user to sign up for a long term service contract. And if the user terminates the plan before it expires, they will have to pay an early termination fee of up to $200.

T-Mobile is expected to roll out its pre-paid plans this month.

MALATA WINDOWS 7 TABLET PC HITS FCC

Chinese PC Maker Malata has submitted documents with FCC regarding its upcoming PC-A1001 tablet. Malata isn't known for selling a lot of products in the US, but the FCC filing clearly indicates that the company plans to sell this device in the US. It is also possible that another vendor will sell the tablet in the US under a different brand name.

Specs-wise, the Malata PC-A1001 has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, a 10.1 inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The tablet also has 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and WiFi 802.11b/g/n. It runs Windows 7 and weighs 2.2 pounds.

Malata has also been showing off a similar looking tablet with a dual core NVIDIA Tegra ARM-based processor and Google Android for a while.

CLOSER LOOK AT THE SHARP GALAPAGOS TABLETS

Sharp introduced a new line Android powered tablets last week. The Sharp Galapagos tablets were also on display at CEATEC this week. The Galapagos tablets are primarily designed to be eBook readers, but they offer more features than dedicated ebook readers such as Kindle or Nook.

One of the tablets has a 5.5 inch display while the other has a larger 10.8 inch display.

The Engagdget team got to spend some time with the tablet and seem quite impressed. According to them webpages looked great on the tablet, but the UI seemed a bit slow. The tablets reportedly support Adobe Flash Player 10.1.

Regarding specs, the 5.5 inch model has a 1024 x 600 pixels display while the larger model has a 1366 x 800 pixels display. The resolutions are large enough to make them good devices for surfing the web. Both models support WiFi 802.11b/g.

ACER ASPIRE ONE AOD255 WITH DUAL CORE PROCESSOR UP FOR PRE-ORDER FOR $329.99

Acer has revealed the pricing and availability details of its Aspire One AOD255 dual core netbook. The mini-laptop was briefly available from the Home Shopping Network in August, but now Acer has officially launched it.

The Aspire One AOD255 is available with either a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 single core processor or a 1.5GHz dual core Atom N550 processor.

It weighs about 2.5 pounds and measures 1 inch in thickness. Other specifications include a 10.1 inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, a 1.3 mega pixel webcam, 1GB of DDR3 memory, WiFi 802.11b/g/n and a 250GB hard drive.

The Aspire One AOD255 will ship with Windows 7 Starter Edition and Microsoft Office Starter 2010. It is available in red, black, brown and aquamarine.

Pricing and availability
The Aspire One AOD255 is now available for pre-order at Amazon. The dual core version runs $329.99 whereas the single core version is available for as little as $269.99.

MICROSOFT RE-LAUNCHES WINDOWS 7 FAMILY PACK

Microsoft re-launched its Windows 7 Family Pack promotion this weekend. What this means is that you can pick up 3 licenses for $150 or less. A Windows 7 Home Premium license usually costs about $100. The deal is only available in the US right now, but Microsoft plans to launch the promotion in other countries as well on October 22nd.

Microsoft offered a similar deal earlier this year when the company launched Windows 7. The current promotion will be good 'while supplies last'. So once Microsoft reaches a certain number of Family Packs sold, they will stop the promotion.

A data of Windows customers shows that nearly two-thirds are still using Windows XP which was launched about a decade ago. While Microsoft is happy with the sales of Windows 7, they are also keen on convincing the holdouts to upgrade.

Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Family Pack is now available from Amazon for $139.99 + free shipping.

MARVELL AND OLPC WORKING ON LOW COST EDUCATION TABLETS

OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) has reportedly received a $5.6 million grant from chip-maker Marvell to develop low cost tablets around the chip maker's low power chips. The two companies have been working together for a while.

OLPC and Marvell are also expected to show off a product at CES in January 2011. It will most likely be a tablet based on the Marvell Moby design.

It will be aimed at students in developed nations. According to OLPC founder Negroponte, the tablet will be due out in 2012 and it will be called XO 3.

Like the XO laptop which OLPC has been offering in developing nations for the past few years, the XO 3 wil also have a rugged plastic case and a dual mode display that will be quite viewable outdoors. The tablet may run Linux, but the Marvell Moby platform is currently designed to run Android.

£180 DISGO TABLET 6000 COMING TO UK

A little over a few months ago, cheap Android tablets were only available in China. If you lived outside of China, you had to ship them from that country by paying a fee. But now these slate like computers are becoming available in other parts of the world as well. Companies like Dell, Samsung and Archos have already released Android tablets in the western market.They aren't necessarily cheap, but some Chinese PC makers have also started selling their tablets in Europe and America under different brand names.

The Disgo Tablet 6000 is one among them. It is a budget Android tablet with a 7 inch display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. It runs Android 2.1. Other specs include 256MB of RAM, a 100mAh battery, stereo speakers, a 3D graphics accelerator, USB port, HDMI output and a microSD card slot.

The disgo Tablet 6000 doesn't have access to Google Android Market. Instead it ships with the SlideMe market and several third party apps including the Skyfire web browser.

The disgo Tablet 6000 is due out in the UK this month. It will be available from Amazon and other retailers for about £180 ($285 US).

MSI LAUNCHES GT663 15.6 INCH GAMING LAPTOP

MSI has made a new addition to its G Series of gaming laptops by launching the GT663. The MSI GT663 has a 15.6 inch display and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M discrete graphics card with 1.5GB of GDDR5 memory.

The MSI GT663 is available with a range of processors including a Core i7 quad-core processor. Other specifications include 3 DDR3 memory slots for up to 12GB of RAM, two 500GB hard drives, a DVD burner and an LED backlit display with full HD or HD resolution.

The MSI GT663 also has built-in 2.1 speaker system, a 720p/30fps web camera, two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Gigabit LAN, and HDMI and VGA outputs. The laptop also incorporates the Turbo Drive Engine+ technology for boosting system performance when it is required and Cooler Boost technology for enhanced system cooling. There is a dedicated hotkey above the keyboard for activating both technologies.

The MSI GT663 runs Windows 7 operating system. It weighs 7.7 pounds. No word on pricing or availability.

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