Have Laptop Will Travel

10-inch, Atom-based Lenovo ThinkPad X100e soon?

Originally posted on February 24, 2010 @ 1:55 am

The Lenovo ThinkPad X100e is one of the best netbooks out there at the moment. Come on, how could it be not good when it’s carrying the ThinkPad brand? The 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, AMD Neo MV-40 single core CPU, and AT Radeon HD 3200 graphics make it one of the best choices to get when shopping for a netbook.

But it looks like Lenovo’s got something else up their sleeve. According to rumors, they’re going to make a 10-inch ThinkPad that’s going to be rocking an Intel Atom processor. From Liliputing:

It looks like Lenovo is also planning to launch a smaller version of the laptop with a 10.1 inch, 1280 x 720 pixel display. An Intel Atom N450 Pine Trail processor option also appears to be on its way. It’s not spelled out specifically, but it’s likely that the Atom CPU will be tied to the smaller screen.

While a number of reviewers have given the Lenovo ThinkPad X100e high marks for its keyboard, build quality, and overall design, it gets pretty lousy battery life for a modern ultraportable. Swapping out the AMD CPU for a low power Atom processor could go a long way to address that.

Say what you want about the ThinkPad’s looks, but I think it looks pretty neat. Seriously considering the future 10-inch ThinkPad X100e as a possible netbook purchase if my laptop proves to be too big to carry around.

1.86 GHz Atom Processors Coming

Originally posted on October 16, 2009 @ 8:40 pm

Well, it looks like we’re about to get more powerful netbooks in the future. You see, the Intel Atom N450 (1.66GHz, GMA 3150 graphics core) is about to hit stores come January. But if you can afford to hold off buying a new netbook a bit longer, the Intel Atom N470 will be worth it, and it’s coming March next year. [Read more…]

Sharp’s Netwalker MID runs Ubuntu

Originally posted on September 10, 2009 @ 10:00 am

Oh look, it’s something from Sharp. I wasn’t being sarcastic about that folks, but it’s been a pretty long time since I heard something, anything, from them.

But they’ve come up with the NetWalker, and they have my attention. It’s powered by an 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 processor (ARM Cortex A8 core), has 4GB of internal memory, and runs Ubuntu 9.04. In addition, the 14.4-ounce unit measures 6.35″ x 4.28″ x 0.78″ and features a 10-hour battery life (JEITA estimate; expect about 7 hours of real-world usage), 5″ LED-backlit screen, standard USB ports, optical mouse, and mouse buttons.

I’ll let the video below explain:

Will you just look at it. It’s… um, cute.

Personally, I’m not into MIDs. I’d rather bring a netbook around, or if that’s still too big for me, I’ll just use my handy Nokia E63 to use to browse during those boring lulls, or to work when I’m away.

But this Netwalker looks pretty good if you prefer MIDs.

Jolicloud netbook OS Alpha users can invite friends

Originally posted on October 27, 2009 @ 10:00 am

So let’s say you’ve been using the Jolicloud netbook OS for some time now. And you want your friends to actually join you for the ride, but dang, it’s a closed alpha and you can’t get your friends to use the new OS.

Now if you’re a Jolicloud user, you should be able to see 10 invites in your homebase so you can get your friends to use Jolicloud. If you have a friend who uses Jolicloud, this is the perfect time to bug your friend as well.

MSI’s dual-screen netbook on sale soon

Originally posted on January 28, 2010 @ 3:44 am

iPad, SchmiPad.

I’ve detailed the reasons why I’m not the least bit excited over the iPad in Gadzooki. To be honest, I’m not an Apple hater. I think the iPod – all its iterations – is the greatest thing ever. Macs are pretty spectacular devices. But the iPad left me a bit cold. And the disappointment over the iPad has left me looking for other touchscreen devices, and I see that MSI’s dual-screen netbooks are going on shelves pretty soon.

From EeePC.net:

MSI is taking advantage of the current tablet craze by pushing up the launch of the concept dual-screen netbook they showed off at CES a couple of weeks ago. LaptopMag found this out in its interview with MSI President Joseph Hsu and MSI VP for Sales and Marketing , North America Andy Tung.

During the interview, Tung mentioned that the device will be a eReader and netbook combo, with the second screen acting as a haptic touchscreen keyboard when needed. They plan to release this mid-year with Google Chrome OS possibly bundled in. Despite the dual screens, MSI notes that the device will still boast 4-5 hours of battery life.

The device itself looks pretty promising since it gives more screen space in the same netbook package. No price yet though I’m sure this will cost as much as a regular notebook with the new tech going into it.

This won’t be an iPad-level hit to be sure, but it’s nice to see other manufacturers, MSI in particular creating something different from Apple’s products, unlike the Macbook air-like laptop they unveiled a few months ago.