|
|
|
Netbook, notebook, who cares what the heck you call it? The Asus Eee PC 1215N is the best 12-inch laptop we’ve tested under 500 bucks. It combines a dual-core Atom processor (although it’s a desktop CPU) with more than 5.5 hours of battery life, thanks to Nvidia’s Optimus technology. For those who don’t know, Optimus switches between Ion graphics–good enough to play maintstream titles like World of Warcraft well above 30 fps–and Intel’s Graphics chips are responsible for processing all images sent to your computer?s display.
Learn Moreintegrated graphics to squeeze out more endurance. Other highlights of this sequel to the 1201PN include a larger touchpad and improved webcam. Add it all up and you have a great ultraportable bargain.
Intrigued? Check out our full review of the Eee PC 1215N here.
Source |
|
|
In finger-pointing news today, ASUS has noticed a decline in their netbook sales and  lowered their shipment goals accordingly for later this year. According to president and CEO  Jerry Chen, Apple is to blame. “The company saw sales of its netbooks in the second quarter fall short of expectations mainly due to competition from Apple’s iPad, and has downward adjusted its target shipments for the third quarter, the traditional peak sales period, to 1.4 million units,” Chen said to investors in a conference call last week.
The company isn’t just sitting around with folded arms though. In light of this news Chen also mentioned ASUS entering the tablet PC market with Eee Note and Eee Pad series of tablets, while still continuing to offer their netbooks. The question is how quickly the company can make this transition, and how well it can execute.
via Engadget, DigiTimes
Source |
|
|
The Asus UL20FT is a 12.1 inch ultraportable laptop with a low power 1.2GHz Intel Core i3-330uM processor. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, has integrated Intel graphics, 2GB of memory, a 320GB hard drive, and a 6 cell, 47Whr battery. Basically, the UL20FT is an updated version of the Asus UL20A which I reviewed last year. The main difference is that while the UL20A shipped with a 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 CPU, the new model has a next-generation Core i-series CPU. The case design, and most of the specs look pretty much the same on both models. Oh yeah, there’s another difference. While the Asus UL20A sells for about $540, the Asus UL20FT went on sale today on sale today for about $630. So is it worth the extra $90? The folks at Notebook Review took the new model for a spin, and they were pretty impressed with its performance. It’s hardly the fastest machine around, but it definitely scored higher on most tests than some other thin and light laptops in its category. That includes the Lenovo ThinkPad X100e which I recently reviewed. On the other hand, while the integrated graphics are good enough for watching HD videos, you’re probably not going to want to use the Asus UL20FT as a gaming machine. And Notebook Review got just 4.5 hours of run time out of the battery, which is about 90 minutes less than the “up to 6 hours” of battery life Asus promises. That said, Asus tends to load its laptops with a power management utility. While I got just over 4 hours of run time in “high performance” mode on the UL20A last year, I managed to get about 6 hours of battery life in “battery saving” mode. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could get similar results by tweaking the settings on the Asus Ul20FT. So is it worth the extra $90? That depends on whether you need a little more power than the Asus UL20A can offer. But I wouldn’t expect to find an enormous difference in performance. But I suspect Asus will soon start phasing out the UL20A, which means the UL20FT will be the only option available. I should also point out that when the Asus UL20A first launched it was priced at $599. So don’t be surprised if Asus eventually lowers the price on the UL20FT as well. On the other hand, a number of 11.6 inch laptops with AMD Nile-based chipsets have also hit the streets this summer, with similar prices and higher performance graphics processors. So the UL20FT has some competition from notebooks such as the Dell Inspiron M101z, Acer Aspire One 721, and Acer Aspire 1551. You can find a run-down on the specs for the Asus UL20FT-A1 after the break. - Read the rest of this entry »
View Comments Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet specs leaked? Monday, August 16th, 2010, 8:19 am by Brad Linder | Tags: android tablet, samsung, samsung galaxy tablet, samsung tablet, tablet, verizon, vodaphone The Galaxy Tab is an upcoming 7 inch Android tablet from Samsung. We’ve been seeing photos and hearing snippets of info about the Samsung Galaxy Tab for months, but we haven’t seen any real specs… until now. The folks at Samsung Firmwares managed to snag the firmware for the upcoming tablet which will be known as the P1000 Galaxy Tab. Here’s what the firmware indicates. The tablet will run Google Android 2.2 and the software indicates a screen resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, a 1GHz ARM11 Hummingbird processor, support for Adobe Flash Player, GPS, WiFi, and the Swype virtual keyboard.This despite early reports that the tablet would have a 1.2GHz CPU. The tablet will apparently have two cameras, with the front-facing camera topping out at 320 x 240 pixels for video chat and similar applications. The rear camera is a 3.1MP camera with a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. There’s a decent chance that Samsung will officially unveil the tablet at the IFA trade show in September, so we won’t have to wait too long to find out whether these specs are correct. A higher resolution display would be nice, since the 7 inch Galaxy Tab appears to have the same screen resolution as the 4 inch Samsung Galaxy S smartphone. But the feature I’m most interested in finding out about is the price tag. Meanwhile Engadget dug up some evidence that the tablet will debut with Vodaphone in the UK, which suggests a 3G capable version may be available — maybe for a subsidized price. No definitive word on whether other mobile broadband providers around the globe are on-board — but we did see a report a while back indicating that Verizon might offer the tablet in the US.
Source
|
|
|
There was a time when I sspected Asus was thinking about changing the company’s name to Eee. After the successful introduction of a line of Eee PC netbooks, Asus went all out and introduced the Eee Box line of nettop computers, the Eee Top all-in-one PC line, an Eee Keyboard multimedia device for the living room, and even an Eee Stick video game controller. Things seem to have slowed down on the Eee front lately, as Asus focuses on higher end machines, but when it came time to pick a name for its upcoming tablet, Asus did go with Eee Pad. And now it looks like Asus also has a USB hard drive line with the Eee logo slapped on it for good measure. Taiwanese shopping site PC Home has a listing for a 1.8 inch, 30GB USB hard drive from Asus which is selling for about $31 US. While 30GB isn’t exactly a lot of storage, a 1.8 inch USB hard drive isn’t really all that much bigger than a USB flash drive — and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than a 30GB flash drive, making the Eee hard drive a decent little tool for copying files between computers or just carrying around some documents, media, or other files on the go. No word on whether we’ll ever see this product in the US. via Netbook News.deSource |
|
|
The Asus Eee Pad EP101TC is a 10 inch tablet that Asus plans to launch as a competitor to the Apple iPad. While we’d heard reports last month that Asus had dropped plans to ship the tablet with Windows Embedded Compact 7 and instead use Google Android, PC World reports that Asus will actually launch two models, one with each operating system. Both will run $399 or less. Asus CEO Jerry Shen says the Windows Embedded version could ship in January, while the Android model won’t be available until March. The $399 price tag could make the tablet pretty competitive. The Apple iPad starts at $499 and goes up as you add 3G capabilities and additional storage space. The Notion Ink Adam Tablet which is expected to ship later this year or early next year will sell for $399 to $498. Of course, by January to March of 2011, when the Asus 10 inch tablets are expected to ship, I fully expect Apple to bring down the cost of the original iPad to nil and to launch a second generation unit that comes with a jetpack. Or you know, something else equally cool. Asus does plan to offer a 12 inch Eee Pad EP121 by December or January. This model will run Windows 7, but it will apparently cost about $1000. On the one hand, that’s going to price it out of the range of the budget tablets so many of us have gotten excited about this year. On the other hand, all evidence I’ve seen points to the fact that you really do need more expensive equipment to get a good experience out of a tablet running Windows. The 12 inch model will also have a docking station with e keyboard, allowing you to use the machine as a laptop. It will also have an intel Core 2 Duo CPU. via EngadgetSource |
|
|
The other day we heard that the Asus Eee Tablet could hit the streets for “under $599.” If PC World is correct, we can put the emphasis on under, which is a good thing, because $599 would be a ridiculously high price for a device that’s basically an eBook reader — even an eReader on steroids. PC World is reporting that the 8 inch touchscreen device could ship in October for about $300. While the Asus Eee Pad series of tablets will run Windows 7, Windows Embedded Compact 7, and Google Android allowing you to run thousands of third party apps, enjoy media, and surf the web, the Eee Tablet is a different kind of device. It has a 8 inch, 1024 x 768 pixel touchscreen LCD display with support for 64 shades of gray. It’s not backlit, which will save energy while providing a viewing experience similar to a dedicated eBook reader. Asus says the tablet will run for about 10 hours on a charge, which is pretty good until you compare it to a dedicated eBook Reader with an E Ink display — which can run for days on end without charging. E Ink displays also tend to have higher contrast ratios, looking more like paper than LCD screens. But there are a few other things setting the Eee Tablet apart from machines like the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook. Because it uses an LCD display, you won’t have the same kind of slow screen refresh rate you see on E Ink devices. And the Eee Tablet will be designed for note-taking as well as reading, allowing you to jot notes, highlight passages, and perform other actions with a highly accurate stylus. The tablet will also have a web browser and WiFi capabilities. The tablet will run a version of Linux developed by Asus. The company also may change the name to Eee Note before launch, to help make it more clear which of the upcoming Asus devices are meant as general consumer electronics devices and which are designed primarily for reading and note-taking. The Eee Tablet/Eee Note is aimed primarily at students. Source |
|
|
The Asus Eee Pad EP101TC is a 10 inch tablet that Asus plans to launch as a competitor to the Apple iPad. While we’d heard reports last month that Asus had dropped plans to ship the tablet with Windows Embedded Compact 7 and instead use Google Android, PC World reports that Asus will actually launch two models, one with each operating system. Both will run $399 or less. Asus CEO Jerry Shen says the Windows Embedded version could ship in January, while the Android model won’t be available until March. The $399 price tag could make the tablet pretty competitive. The Apple iPad starts at $499 and goes up as you add 3G capabilities and additional storage space. The Notion Ink Adam Tablet which is expected to ship later this year or early next year will sell for $399 to $498. Of course, by January to March of 2011, when the Asus 10 inch tablets are expected to ship, I fully expect Apple to bring down the cost of the original iPad to nil and to launch a second generation unit that comes with a jetpack. Or you know, something else equally cool. Asus does plan to offer a 12 inch Eee Pad EP121 by December or January. This model will run Windows 7, but it will apparently cost about $1000. On the one hand, that’s going to price it out of the range of the budget tablets so many of us have gotten excited about this year. On the other hand, all evidence I’ve seen points to the fact that you really do need more expensive equipment to get a good experience out of a tablet running Windows. The 12 inch model will also have a docking station with e keyboard, allowing you to use the machine as a laptop. It will also have an intel Core 2 Duo CPU. via EngadgetSource |
|
|
The other day we heard that the Asus Eee Tablet could hit the streets for “under $599.” If PC World is correct, we can put the emphasis on under, which is a good thing, because $599 would be a ridiculously high price for a device that’s basically an eBook reader — even an eReader on steroids. PC World is reporting that the 8 inch touchscreen device could ship in October for about $300. While the Asus Eee Pad series of tablets will run Windows 7, Windows Embedded Compact 7, and Google Android allowing you to run thousands of third party apps, enjoy media, and surf the web, the Eee Tablet is a different kind of device. It has a 8 inch, 1024 x 768 pixel touchscreen LCD display with support for 64 shades of gray. It’s not backlit, which will save energy while providing a viewing experience similar to a dedicated eBook reader. Asus says the tablet will run for about 10 hours on a charge, which is pretty good until you compare it to a dedicated eBook Reader with an E Ink display — which can run for days on end without charging. E Ink displays also tend to have higher contrast ratios, looking more like paper than LCD screens. But there are a few other things setting the Eee Tablet apart from machines like the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook. Because it uses an LCD display, you won’t have the same kind of slow screen refresh rate you see on E Ink devices. And the Eee Tablet will be designed for note-taking as well as reading, allowing you to jot notes, highlight passages, and perform other actions with a highly accurate stylus. The tablet will also have a web browser and WiFi capabilities. The tablet will run a version of Linux developed by Asus. The company also may change the name to Eee Note before launch, to help make it more clear which of the upcoming Asus devices are meant as general consumer electronics devices and which are designed primarily for reading and note-taking. The Eee Tablet/Eee Note is aimed primarily at students. Source |
|
|
In North America at least, ASUS has primarily been known as a consumer notebook company. However, that might be about to change as the Taiwanese vendor announced the launch of its B Series of small business-oriented laptops.
Available in 14 or 15-inch sizes with the model prefixes B43 and B53 respectively, the ASUS B Series has is available in four main configurations with the following key features:
- Intel Core i5-520M or Core i7-620M CPUs
- 14 or 15-inch, 1366 x 768 screens
- ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 GPU or Intel GMA HD (B53F only).
- ATI Eyefinity technology for supporting up to 3 external displays at once.
- 320GB The storage device that holds your OS, programs, and data.
Learn Morehard drive in 5,400 or 7,200 rpm speeds
- 2 to 4GB of DDR3 RAM
- A Sonata Long Life Battery that is guaranteed to work at at least 80-percent of its initial capacity for 3 years.
- ASUS Xpress Charge promises to charge the battery to 90-percent capacity in 90 minutes.
- Trusted Platform Module
- Spill proof keyboard
- Fingerprint reader
- 3 year global warranty / 1 year accidental damage protection
The two features that stand out to us most are the ATI Eyefinity technology and the Sonata Long Life Battery. Being able to power up to 3 additional displays is a key feature that business users who may have two external monitors at home and another two at work will need. The Sonata Long Life Battery comes courtesy of Boston Power, whose long-lasting battery technology is behind the HP Enviro batteries that are an option on select HP notebooks.
However, this is the first time we’ve seen a major notebook vendor offer Boston Power batteries as standard and that’s a great step forward. Considering the high cost of replacing a Notebook batteries provide power to the system whenever it’s unplugged.
Learn Morenotebook battery and the even higher productivity cost of diminished battery life over time, we wish more vendors would offer long-lasting batteries like this.
Overall, it looks like ASUS is making a strong effort to take the uncertainty out of buying a notebook by including as standard several features that other notebook vendors charge extra for, including the 3 year warranty, the accidental damage protection, and the extended-life battery.
ASUS did not announce pricing for any of the four configurations, but a quick Google product search reveals both the 15-inch models, the B53J and the B53F starting at a little over $1,100. For more details on the different models, check out ASUS’s B Series page.
Source |
|
|
You might say that Asus goes against the grain with its U33Jc. (Ahem.) It’s the company’s first notebook for the U.S. that’s decked out in smoky brown bamboo on the lid and palmrest, offset by a cool brushed aluminum deck. The eco-chic aesthetic is unlike anything we’ve seen before, but it’s far from over the top. In fact, you have to look fairly close to make out the treated wood, which is said to have the tensil strength of steel. Beyond the design, the 13-inch U33Jc impresses with its overall performance, helped by a Core i3 processor and Nvidia’s hybrid Optimus graphics. This is not a gaming rig by any stretch, but you get plenty of multimedia muscle combined with nearly 7 hours of battery life in a strikingly handsome design.
Is this bamboo notebook for you? Check out our full review of the Asus U33Jc here. Oh, and if you want to get your hands on one, Amazon will start taking pre-orders today right here.
Source |
|
|
|
|
Author: 
10 Views 