VIA

Dell said to tap Via Nano for servers

This was originally posted at ZDNet's Between the Lines.

Dell will reportedly use Via Technologies chips in select low-power servers.

According to The New York Times' Ashlee Vance, Dell will unveil a system that has 12 full servers running on Via's Nano chip. Each server will consumer 15 watts of power.

Dell is expected to unveil the Via-powered systems next week.

For Via, Dell would be a huge win. Via is a player in the Netbook market, but Intel and AMD own the server market. Dell will pitch these servers to Web-hosting companies. However, don't expect much … Read more

Latest Netbooks roundup

With no sign of abatement in sight, recession-addled consumers continue to flock towards the small, low-cost, low-power laptops called Netbooks. According to IDC, Netbooks went from essentially zero to a full 8 percent of the portable computing market in 2008, making this a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy economy for PC makers.

Typically, a Netbook means a 10-inch display, Intel's Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP, and a 160GB hard drive--but those lines are clearly beginning to blur. Some of the Netbooks in this roundup include new CPUs from AMD and Via, or larger displays (that some would say disqualifies them from being Netbooks at all--a position we can't say we fully disagree with).

And beyond these current models, we have several potentially interesting new Netbooks on the horizon, including Dell's Mini 10v, which intends to bludgeon the competition with a $299 starting price; and Asus' Eee PC 1008HA, which reinvents that popular line with a slim, upscale design.

See our reviews of all the latest Netbooks after the break. … Read more

OLPC laptop drops AMD for Via

The One Laptop per Child project's XO laptop will switch to a Via processor as part of a general hardware refresh.

Generation 1.5 of the XO machine will have the same industrial design as the original model, but will use a Via C7-M processor, John Watlington, OLPC's vice president of hardware development, wrote in a post on Friday. Currently the XO, which is aimed at educational markets in developing countries, uses an AMD Geode processor.

"The design goal is to provide an overall update of the system within the same ID and external appearance," Watlington … Read more

Minilaptop CPU showdown: Atom vs. Neo vs. Nano

For a long time, Intel's Atom CPU ruled the minilaptop universe, powering Netbooks from Asus, Dell, HP, Acer, Lenovo, and others. After all, who wouldn't want an inexpensive processor capable of powering an almost-pocket-size laptop? Especially one perfectly suited of handling basic coffee shop chores such as Web surfing, e-mailing, or blogging.

But when you're on top, everyone else wants a piece of your action. Two new potential Atom-killers have launched recently, each looking to steal some market share from Intel with variations on the Netbook theme. The contenders, in brief, are:

Intel Atom The smallest processor currently made by Intel, the Atom is found in a majority of Netbook-style laptops. The most common versions are the Atom N270 (1.6GHz) and Atom N280 (1.66GHz), and popular Atom-powered systems include the Asus Eee PC 1000HEand Acer Aspire One AOD150.

AMD Athlon Neo Intended as a step up from Atom-style Netbook processors, AMD's Athlon Neo will be seen in ultrathin laptops such as the new HP Pavilion dv2. That particular system has a 1.6GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 CPU and a 12-inch display.

Via Nano Chipmaker Via has replaced its older low-power CPU, the C7-M, with the new Nano, specifically designed for Netbooks. The 1.3GHz Nano U2350 was first seen in the Samsung NC20Netbook.

So, how did laptops with these CPUs fare when pitted against each other? To start with, it's important to note that these are different Netbook-style systems from different vendors, so this is not an exact comparison--many other factors besides the CPU affect performance--but it's similar to the choices you'll face when shopping for a low-cost, low-power laptop.

As one might expect, there's no clear winner. We sampled three laptops, one with each processor, and in this particular grouping, the system with the Intel Atom was fastest in our multitasking test (but none of these single-core systems were particular adept at this task), but the one with the Via Nano was the fastest in one of our single-application tests (in this case, our iTunes encoding test), while the Netbook with the AMD Neo was fastest in another single-application test using Jalbum, a photo program we sometimes use in place of Photoshop for low-power or Linux-based systems. The Neo is theoretically the fastest of these CPUs, but it's also running Windows Vista, which has historically been less suited for Netbook-style laptops than XP.

Note: Remember that this is a comparison of three example systems, using data from previously published reviews, and performance scores rely on more than just the CPU.

Note: lower scores are better

Intel Atom N280 (Asus Eee PC 1000HE)

Via Nano U2250 (Samsung NC20)

AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 (HP Pavilion dv2)

Multitasking test (seconds)

3,960

5,257

7,218

Apple iTunes encoding test (seconds)

718

367

589

Jalbum (seconds)

219

228

175

Samsung jilts Intel but where's Nvidia?

Samsung's NC20 Netbook shows that Via Technologies' Nano processor can keep up with the Joneses. But will Nvidia be given the chance?

CNET Reviews' Dan Ackerman reviewed the new Samsung NC20 Netbook and found it not wanting in a matchup with the Asus Eee PC 1000HE, packing Intel's latest and greatest Atom N280.

Though Nano is a necessary industry antidote to Intel's grip on the Netbook market, in the scheme of market share numbers, Via's chip is a blip at best.

I find it almost amusing when Intel lists Via as one of two competitors (Advanced … Read more

Via challenges the Intel Atom for Netbook supremacy in the Samsung NC20

Samsung's NC20stands out from the crowd in two very important ways. First, it's one of only a handful of 12-inch Netbooks (the best-known example being Dell's Vista-addled Mini 12); secondly, it's the first laptop we've tested with Via's Nano CPU, intended as an alternative to Intel's popular Atom processor.

The Atom is found in virtually every other Netbook, so it's always good to see some competition, and the new Nano managed to fight Intel to a tie, beating it in some benchmarks and falling behind in others.

We're more concerned about … Read more

Digital City No. 25: Game Developer's Conference, Netflix's Blu-ray surcharge, and VIA's new Netbook CPU

In Episode 24 of the Digital City, we discuss what happened at the recent Game Developer's Conference, the jump in Netflix's Blu-ray surcharge, and how VIA plans to take on the Intel Atom with its Nano CPU for Netbooks.

>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes >>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page >>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter!

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Via design targets first-time Netbook makers

Via Technologies has released a new Netbook reference design aimed at PC manufacturers that want to start selling Netbooks for the first time.

The reference design for the Via Surfboard C855 mainboard, unveiled Tuesday, includes the Taiwanese chip company's new VX855 media system processor alongside a C7-M processor. The mainboard will provide "smooth playback" of high-bit-rate 1080p high-definition video, as well as eight-channel HD audio, according to Via.

According to Richard Brown, Via's vice president of marketing, one advantage of the Surfboard C855 design is "the head start it affords mini-notebook system developers or those … Read more

Intel and TSMC: What are they thinking?

Don't get me wrong-- I think the Intel-TSMC alliance announced earlier this week is a good thing for both companies.

But the official explanation, that Intel wants TSMC's help to make Atom processor cores more widely available to the industry, just doesn't strike me as a sufficient reason for the deal.

Intel hardly needs TSMC's help to make SoCs (systems on a chip). Intel has been making highly integrated devices for the embedded market, as well as PC chipsets for a long time. It already has enough of the building blocks and enough experienced engineers to … Read more

VIA's Em-ITX form factor: Less means more

In making embedded devices, one of the biggest challenges has always been reducing the physical size of the device without compromising the functionality. And the main component that decides the size of a computer is the motherboard.

In this regard, VIA Technologies has some good news. The company announced Tuesday its latest board form factor for embedded systems, the Em-ITX. The new board boasts dual Input/Output coastlines while still establishing an off-the-shelf standard for ultraslim embedded devices.

Measuring merely 4.7 inches by 6.7 inches, the Em-ITX form factor is 30 percent more compact than the existing Mini-ITX standard, … Read more