(Credit:
Asus)
Hot on the heels of the well-regarded HP Mini 311, Asus has moved the Netbook bar forward by taking a 12-inch Netbook chassis and including both Nvidia's Ion graphics and a dual-core version of Intel's Atom processor (called the Atom 330). We've previously seen dual-core Atoms only in a handful of Nettop desktops, because of heat issues, and it's unlikely we'd see one in anything smaller than a 12-inch laptop body.
While still small, the 1201N fits in a full-size keyboard and a 250GB hard drive (plus access to 500GB of online storage space). The system comes with Windows 7 Starter and 2GB of RAM. Asus claims the 6-cell battery should last up to five hours, similar to what we've seen in other Eee PC models.
In a brief hands-on demo, we noted that the Asus Eee PC 1201N looks very similar to the current Eee PC line, including the popular 1005HA, with a black glossy finish and textured touch pad.
Combined with a 1,366x768 HD display, the Nvidia Ion GPU makes for a great video watching experience, once you download the new Flash 10.1 beta, which allows the Ion to accelerate streaming Flash video.
When it's available later this year, the Eee PC 1201N should retail for $499, which is a $100 premium over the HP Mini 311 (with Windows XP and 1GB of RAM).
Got an HP Mini 311? Download the Flash 10.1 prerelease update ASAP.
The HP Mini 311 is one of our favorite current Netbooks, thanks to its hi-def screen, reasonable price, and Nvidia Ion graphics. Our main knock has been that the accelerated video, while great for basic gaming and HD video file playback, didn't work with the kind of streaming flash video used by Hulu and other sites. In our recent review, we said:
Video playback was excellent, and our test HD WMV file ran flawlessly--something no other Netbook has been able to do. Web-based video is a bit of a different story, but an updated version of Flash (reportedly available in November) will let streaming Web video take advantage of the GPU. For right now, Hulu on-demand content ran decently as-is, but not radically better than other Netbooks.
So, we're pleased to see the Flash player 10.1 update is available (as a prerelease version) for download. It's not even in official beta form yet, but we downloaded and installed it on an HP Mini 311 Netbook to test it out.
Even in this early form, full-screen HD video via Hulu was much improved. Playback was mostly smooth, with a tiny bit of occasional stuttering. Prior to the Flash update, low-res Hulu programming played reasonably well (and even then, not in full-screen mode), and HD video was very hard to watch.
If you're interested in installing the pre-beta version of Flash 10.1 on your Nvidia Ion Netbook or Nettop, you can find it here.
On Sale Now: $399.99
View the latest prices for HP Mini 311
This radio-controlled model car is powered by a battery that can be refilled with an electrolytic fluid.
(Credit: Fraunhofer Institute)Imagine that you're driving your future electric car down the road, and it gives you a low battery warning. What do you do? Instead of spending a few hours at a recharging station, new battery technology being developed by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany would let you pull into a service station and refill the battery with an electrolytic liquid.
The Fraunhofer Institute is using a redox flow battery, a type of cell that uses two electrolytic fluids exchanging protons through a membrane. This process generates electricity. Although this type of battery isn't new, the Fraunhofer Institute improved the energy density, making it equivalent to that of a lithium ion battery.
In production cars such as the Tesla Roadster, the lithium ion battery pack requires almost four hours from a quick charger to go about 200 miles. A redox flow battery service station would pump out the discharged electrolytic fluid from your car's battery, replacing it with charged fluid, most likely in a matter of minutes. Instead of getting new shipments of charged fluid, similar to how current service stations rely on tankers full of gasoline, the station could merely recharge the fluid on its premises, even using solar cells or a wind turbine.
Other companies are working on redox flow battery technology for stationary energy storage.
Episode 53 of the Digital City, where we explore Netbook gaming, thanks to the Nivida Ion and HP's Mini 311; the thin-is-in designs of the new Dell Adamo and Sony X-series; T-Mobile and Microsoft's Sidekick problems; and Scott's Forza 3 obsession.
Plus, a quick sneak-peek of Rock Band for iPhone and -- just in time for Halloween -- tech celebrity jack-lantern carvings.
Related links:
>>Netbook gaming arrives: HP's Mini 311
>>Dell teases with new Adamo shots
>>Sony's pencil-thin X-series laptop
>>Forza 3 hands-on: Never underestimate the power of a British accent
>>Halloween special! Tech guy jack-o-lanterns!
>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter!
Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | iTunes (video) | RSS (audio) | RSS (video)
As longtime Netbook fans, we've been well aware of the platform's limitations, from choppy video playback to a total lack of gaming ability. These sticking points have kept many people from making the Netbook jump, or forced them to also keep a full-size laptop for these tasks.
With Nivida's Ion GPU coming to several Netbooks, but seen first in the HP Mini 311, we're one step closer to a low-power, low-cost system that really can be a laptop replacement for many. In our recent review, we said:
We've seen hi-def Netbooks from Sony and others, usually with prices closer to $599, so we're excited to see HP's new Mini 311 packing in an 11.6-inch, 1,366x768 screen, as well as Nvidia's Ion graphics chip, all starting at $399.The real payoff is in the Nvidia Ion, which, while not a true discrete GPU, offers enough power to play HD video files smoothly (a sticking point for Netbooks), as well as do some basic gaming.
We got Unreal Tournament running fairly smoothly at 800x600, and Call of Duty 4 was also playable at the same resolution (and not terrible at higher resolutions, either) -- although we did run into some stuttering on that game during more frenetic sequences (see the video above), no matter how far down we dialed down the settings .
While a new, and possibly more expensive, version of the Ion GPU is reportedly on the way, one likely workaround to squeeze more performance out of the HP Mini 311 is to add a second GB of RAM -- something that won't be possible until the Windows 7 version ships sometime after Win 7's October 22 launch. We pointed out the folly of being an early adopter in this case when we said:
As much as the Mini 311 may be our new go-to Netbook, we'd be hard-pressed to suggest buying one of these right now, when Windows 7 comes out at the end of October. With Netbooks exempt from Microsoft's free upgrade offer, it makes more sense to wait a few weeks and get the new OS out of the box (which should also make it possible to get past the artificial 1GB of RAM limit on XP-powered Netbooks).
Also, note that taking advantage of the Ion for flash-based Web video, such as Hulu, will require you to wait for the next Flash platform update, which Nvidia tells us is due by the end of November.
On Sale Now: $399.99
View the latest prices for HP Mini 311
Episode 52 of the Digital City, where we talk about the latest Apple tablet rumors, dissect Kindles on campus, bemoan the use of single-core CPUs in 13-inch laptops, and worry about NYC's growing rep as a surveillance state.
The 404's Jeff Bakalar pops by to fill the absent Joseph's seat, as we compare notes on Uncharted 2 and complain about how hard it is to actually get any content onto a PSPgo.
Related links:
>>Newly revealed Apple patent application
>>Do Kindles really work on campus?
>>Hands on impressions: Is Uncharted 2 worth the wait?
>>Special pre-Halloween bonus: Dan as Kratos; and Dan as Marcus Fenix
>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter!
Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | iTunes (video) | RSS (audio) | RSS (video)
Will HD video make your Netbook?
(Credit: Nvidia)We're weeks away from the Windows 7 launch, which is bringing along with it a collection of souped-up laptops and Netbooks that have been waiting for Microsoft's new operating system as their coming-out party.
In particular, this means that Netbooks paired with Nvidia Ion GPUs are going to be on their way soon enough. We've heard about these devices endlessly in teases from Lenovo, HP, Samsung, Asus, and of course Nvidia. The mobile GPU is essentially a GeForce 9400M processor--the one that's in Apple's MacBook lineup--but rebranded for Netbooks. This sounds great on paper, but for Netbooks it's being paired with an Atom processor, not a Core 2 Duo.
In demos we've seen, it will enable Netbooks to play HD video and even some mainstream 3D games. The Netbooks that will get Ions will all largely have the same Intel Atom N-series processors that current Netbooks have, but will benefit from added processing in some instances on the GPU, as well as the graphics boost. At the prices some of these new Netbooks are claiming they'll sell for--$399, for instance--it sounds like a decent deal.
But is a graphics boost the missing link for you, the laptop consumer? Is the Ion in fact a way to solve any frustrations you may have had with Netbooks up until this point? Or are you looking for better CPUs, keyboards, or other features? A few months ago we guessed at what future Netbooks could bring, and graphics certainly loomed large. But will a video-friendly Netbook provide enough oomph to be anything more than a secondary computer, and will such a device begin to supplant video-savvy smartphones as a traveling companion of choice? On the other hand, is the growing trend of thin-and-light laptops with ULV non-Atom processors of more interest?
We ask because we wonder if 11.6-inch Ion-powered Netbooks will in fact be the Holy Grail of the holiday season, or are simply a clever marketing campaign. Once we get our hands on a few, we'll let you know soon enough.
Is this the 12-inch Asus Eee PC 1201n?
(Credit: pcpop.com)Several eagle-eyed bloggers noticed a new Eee PC from Asus popping up on a Chinese online retailer's storefront. The purported new model is called the Eee PC 1201n, and a rough translation of the product page indicates it will include Nvidia's Ion graphics.
That long-hyped new GPU should help with HD video streaming and media playback, an area your average Netbook struggles with. Other than that, the Intel N270 CPU, 2GB of RAM, and 1,366x768 display seem fairly standard for a 12-inch Netbook.
Obviously there's no price or US availability info yet, but we've seen similar configurations coming from other PC makers for around $399.
HP's new Envy laptop: is this the MacBook clone you've been waiting for?
(Credit: HP)HP announced its fall lineup today, which included new Windows 7 laptops, an Ion-powered Netbook, SmartMedia network storage products, an all-in-one desktop, and an assortment of business-centric monitors.
HP gets an Ion-powered HD Netbook
With a Nvidia Ion processor and a 1,366x768 11.6-inch screen, the HP Mini 311 looks to be the type of souped-up HD Netbook we've been waiting for.
(Posted in Crave by Scott Stein)
September 14, 2009, 9:06 p.m. PDT
HP 13-inch laptops bring on aluminum and affordability
Just in time for Windows 7 comes HP's new Windows 7-preinstalled 13-inch thin-and-lights.
(Posted in Crave by Scott Stein)
September 14, 2009, 9:04 p.m. PDT
HP's new business monitors not bad for nonbusiness people
HP announces entertainment-supporting business monitors.
(Posted in Crave by Eric Franklin)
September 14, 2009, 9:01 p.m. PDT
HP launches new SmartMedia network storage servers
HP launches new home servers with larger storage, faster processors, and enhanced features for PCs and Macs.
(Posted in Crave by Dong Ngo)
September 14, 2009, 9:01 p.m. PDT
HP introduces first nontouch all-in-one
HP's Pavilion All-In-One MS214 is the company's first nontouch all-in-one.
(Posted in Crave by Rich Brown)
September 14, 2009, 9:01 p.m. PDT
HP goes high-end with two new Envy laptops
Ditching the Voodoo branding of the first Envy laptop, HP is aiming at the very upper ends of the market with its new Envy 13 and Envy 15 laptops, both announced today.
(Posted in Crave by Dan Ackerman)
September 14, 2009, 9 p.m. PDT
(Credit:
HP)
We said we noticed a recent trend of better-resolution HD screens showing up in Netbooks, and we like the direction. HP apparently does too, as its newly announced HP Mini 311 includes an 11.6-inch 1,366x768 pixel screen, a resolution that's standard in most laptops but not in most Netbooks. The extra pixel real estate is backed by an Nvidia Ion GPU--the same elusive processor we've been eagerly waiting to try but has been delayed in products such as the Lenovo IdeaPad S12.
The combination of the Nvidia Ion and an Intel Atom N270 processor should help push the Mini 311 to display 720p HD movies, and according to HP, it'll also output 1080p via its HDMI-out port. Other than the Ion and the higher-def screen, other details are mostly Netbook standard--although, in addition to the screen, the Ion, and the HDMI, the Mini 311's 1GB RAM is a speedier DDR3 instead of DDR2.
At a price of $399, it's also a really good deal for a Netbook. We already liked HP's Netbook line before this, but the Mini 311 could be something special (although it does lack 802.11n and Bluetooth). It comes in black and white.
- Mini 311 specs:
- 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270
- Nvidia Ion LE graphics
- 160GB 5400rpm HDD
- 1GB DDR3 RAM
- 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
- Altec Lansing speakers
- 3 USB 2.0 ports
- HDMI
The HP Mini 110's subtle patterns.
(Credit: HP)And, in other Netbook news, HP is releasing a more stylish Mini 110 with a design by Studio Tord Boontje, featuring white-on-white layers of flower and plant patterns. It's nice too, but we're a little more excited about the Mini 311.
