Most netbooks aren’t really designed with gaming in mind. The Intel Atom processor and integrated graphics found in most netbooks just isn’t up to the task of handling 3D graphics at high frame rates. But there are definitely some games that run well even on older netbooks. I think it’s a bit early to put Starcraft 2 into that category, but the folks at Netbooks Spain have loaded up a beta version of the hotly anticipated real time strategy game on an MSI Wind U100. And you know what? You can play it.

With the game resolution set to 1024 x 768 pixels, you’ll only get about 5 to 11 frames per second. But if you adjust the graphics to 800 x 600, you can get 15 to 20 FPS. That’s certainly not great, but the game is definitely playable at that speed.

It’s also worth noting that this is a pre-release version of StarCraft II. It’s possible that the final version could run better on netbooks like the MSI Wind U100. I suspect it will run even better on machines such as the Asus Eee PC 1201PN with NVIDIA ION graphics.

You can find a video of the Wind U100 running StarCraft II after the break.

via Blogeee

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Apple launched the first TV spot for the iPad last night during the Oscars. For the most part, the video appears to show an oversized iPod that’s a bit zippier, and better suited to reading books and newspapers due to its large display.

But here’s one thing you may not notice unless you pay extra close attention: Almost every shot of a person actually using the iPad shows legs contorted into unusual positions. Because while you can hold an iPod in one hand and poke at the screen with the other, the iPad is really just too big to use this way. So Apple is suggesting you prop it up on your legs — and that makes it all but useless if you’re sitting in a normal position.

If you place a notebook computer on your lap, you can still see the screen because the keyboard rests on your legs and the screen extends upward. When you put a slate PC like the iPad on your lap, the screen is where the keyboard would normally be. You’d have to bend over awkwardly and incur neck and back pain to use it like this.

Instead, you’re going to have to get a foot stool, prop our feet up on it, bend your legs, and then slouch back in your chair while using the iPad.

OK, presumably there may be some other comfortable positions. This thing’s probably going to be great for reading books in bed, for instance. But it’s clearly not meant for setting on a table or on your lap the way you would with a laptop computer.

Video after the break.

via TUAW

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While there’s a lot of buzz around the upcoming iPad and dozens of other internet slates, tablet PCs have been around for nearly a decade. The difference is that most Windows-based tablets available today feature full sized keyboards and swivels that let you fold the touchscreen down over the keyboard for use in tablet mode. The iPad is a touchscreen-only device with a low power processor. As a result, the iPad will be lighter, get better battery life, and be altogether more portable than most existing tablet PCs.

But what happens when you take Microsoft’s original vision for a tablet PC and shrink it down to netbook size? I’ve reviewed a couple of convertible tablet style netbooks and to be honest, I haven’t been that impressed with the results. But there are a number of new models slated to come out in the next few month, and Sascha at Netbook News got a chance recently to sit down with three of them and give us a good look at the similarities and differences.

The Gigabyte T1000, Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t, and Viliv S10 Blade all have 10 inch touchscreen displays. But the Lenovo has a 1024 x 600 pixel display while the Gigabyte and Viliv models has a 1366 x 768 pixel HD display. The Gigabyte laptop dis a bit larger, and overall more solid looking. But the Lenovo is significantly cheaper.

The Viliv S10, which shows up about 9 and a half minutes into the video below is much slimmer than the other models. But it also uses a different chipset. While the Lenovo and Gigabyte laptops have Intel Atom N450 or N470 processors, the S10 has a lower power Atom Z530 or Z550 processor.

Overall, it looks to me like the Viliv has the best case design of the bunch, but as we learned yesterday, the touchscreen isn’t particularly responsive.

You can check out Sascha’s hands-on video with all three tablets below for a closer look.

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Wandering the show floor at CeBIT in Germany, jkkmobile stumbled across 2 nice looking tablet computers from DPT. Both feature 7 inch displays, but one model has a 1024 x 600 pixel display and runs Windows 7 while the other is a Windows XP tablet with a lower resolution 800 x 480 pixel display.

The Windows 7 version has a multitouch display, 8GB to 16GB of solid state storage, and an Intel Atom Z5xx series processor. It has 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g/ WiFi, and an HDMI output as well as a SIM card slot and an optional 3G module.

We’ve seen a lot of Windows XP and Windows 7 tablets over the past few months, but I’m still not convinced there’s a very large market for these slate PCs. The technology to produce them has been around for years, and to be honest, companies have been selling them for quite a while. But while they’ve definitely been popular in certain niche markets and among a small group of enthusiasts, they’ve never really taken off with the general public. I have the feeling that if the Apple iPad takes off, it will be tablets running Google Android or Windows CE that give it a run for its money, not tablets running a desktop operating system designed for use with a keyboard and mouse.

You an check out jkkmobile’s hands-on video after the break.

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The Viliv S10 Blade convertible tablet-style netbook hasn’t started shipping yet, but it is available for pre-order for $699 and up. While it’s not exactly the cheapest netbook on the market, it has a number of premium features and a very nice case design. Chippy at UMPC Portal managed to get his hands on a pre-production unit and he’s posted a rather extensive first-look at the S10 Blade.

You can check out the video after the break, but here are some of the highlights:

• The touchscreen doesn’t appear to be very responsive when using the multitouch screen to zoom in the web browser.
• There’s no palm rejection for when you’re drawing or handwriting.
• It’s available with either a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 or 2GHz Atom Z550 processor.
• There’s a SIM card slot under the battery for an optional 3G modem.
• A mini-USB port works with Viliv’s transfer software that lets you copy files from one PC to another.
• The custom I/O port lets you connect VGA, S-Video, or composite video outputs. There’s also a standard VGA port.
• The battery is flush with the base of the unit, and doesn’t extend to the back, which means it will be hard to make an extended, high capacity battery for this model.
• You can remove the access panel door to upgrade the hard drive/SSD without a screwdriver. Just pop out the battery and slide off the panel door.
• There’s a stylus port built into the side of the laptop making it easier to keep track of your stylus

The Viliv S10 Blade is thin and light for a 10 inch convertible tablet. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium, and while Chippy says that it has a 1024 x 600 pixel display, I believe it’s actually avaailble with a high definition, 1366 x 768 pixel touchscreen display.

Overall, it looks like the chassis is well designed, but the touchscreen display and software leaves a bit to be desired.

Video after the break.

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The Mio V780 is a 7 inch tablet built around NVIDIA’s Tegra platform, which means it should be able to handle HD and 3D graphics. While the UI is based on Windows CE, Mio has crafted a custom3D user interface so that you’ll never have to see the guts of Windows CE. You’re still stuck with a version of Internet Explorer 6 though. A Google Android version may also be in the works.

The tablet has an 800 x 480 pixel display and can handle a variety of audio and video formats including H.264, DivX, Windows Media, and MP4. It supports WiFi, 3G, and WiMAX connections and an optional digital TV tuner. I’m pretty sure it includes GPS capabilities too (which is really what Mio is best known for). The tablet will come with 512MB of RAM and 4GB to 8GB of flash storage and sell for about 599 Euros ($820 US) when it’s available in Europe.

The price tag seems a bit high. But there’s one thing I absolutely love about the Moov V780 — the carrying case features a keyboard and stand.

I love a good tablet style device that comes with an optional keyboard accessory that effectively turns it into a laptop. I wrote about 90% of my master’s thesis while sitting in a coffee shop with a Dell PDA connected to a keyboard via a clunky docking station and sync cable.

The Mio Moov V780 keyboard seems to be a much better solution, since the keyboard is built right into the carrying case, and no extra docking station or cables are required. There’s also a touchpad or trackball of sorts built into the keyboard so you don’t have to keep lifting your hand to tap on the touchscreen display.

You can check out a hands-on video from jkkmobile after the break.

via NewGadgets.de

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Look, there are few things I love more than tiny computers. But there’s tiny, and then there’s tiny. And while the usmart Sun Power Technology mini-notebook with a 4.8 inch screen isn’t exactly the smallest computer with a QWERTY keyboard I’ve ever seen, I do have to wonder if it’s fair to call this kind of device a laptop. Because let’s be honest. If you tried to center it on your lap, it would probably just fall between your legs and people would ask you why you keep putting your hand down there to “type.”

OK, now that that’s out of the way, here’s a rundown on the specs: The device has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 800 x 480 pixel touchscreen display (resistive or capacitive), 512MB of RAM, flash storage, and WiFi. The computer runs Windows XP.It weighs about 1.8 pounds and has a QWERTY keyboard and what looks like a directional pad instead of a touchpad. The battery is good for about 2 hours.

The keyboard is probably too small for touch-typing, but you can hold it in your hands and type with your thumbs, smartphone-style.

You can check out a video of the computer in action after the break, courtesy of charbax at ArmDevices.net.

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The Skytone Alpha 400 was one of the dirt cheap mini-laptops with an Xburst processor and a choice of Linux or Windows CE. We’ve seen dozens, if not hundreds of these little guys with Xburst or ARM-based CPUs over the past few years. But Charbax from ArmDevices spotted one of the most intriguing models I’ve seen to date at CeBIT.

The new Skytone Alpha from MAG Digital has an ARM11 processor and runs Google Android 1.6. It has a 7 inch, 800 x 480 pixel display. But the cool part is that there’s a swivel that lets you rotate the screen 180 degrees and fold it down over the keyboard. So you can use the computer as a tablet or a laptop.

The device has WiFi, 2 USB ports, an SD card slot, mic and headphone jacks, and a TV output (although I didn’t recognize the connector, so I can’t say what kind of video out you get).

The battery is only good for about two hours, and the touchpad is rather tiny and features buttons on the left and right sides. What’s a bit unusual is that unlike other Android computes I’ve seen, the touchpad isn’t just good for scrolling through Android menus — there’s actually a cursor that shows up on screen.

On the sides of the touchscreen display, there’s also a directional pad and four buttons that you can use for playing games.

There’s no word on the final pricing, since Skytone is the OEM, not the end distributor. Theoretically it could sell for $200 to $250, but it has to come to market first.

You can check out charbax’s hands-on video after the break.

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