iPad, tablets to cannibalize 'Wintel' laptops

Sales of Windows-Intel laptops will take a hit because of iPad and tablet growth, according to research notes released by Barclays Capital.

Dell's Streak uses Google's Android operating system and a processor based on an ARM design. No Intel or Microsoft here.

(Credit: Dell)

Sales of the iPad and similar tablets will jump next year, with some of that heady growth coming at the expense of Netbooks and low-end notebooks, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing a series of research notes sent out by Barclays Capital.

Tablet sales are forecast to reach at least 15 million units this year, jumping to 28 million in 2011, Barclays said. "We believe the initial phase of the tablet surge will cannibalize a portion of the notebook category, particularly a chunk of the netbook market and low-end notebook market," according to Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes.

Right now, almost all of the tablet growth is coming from Apple's iPad, which may sell as many as 10 million units this year and is forecast to sell more than twice as many next year. Other vendors will also contribute to sales. Dell is slated to bring out a few different tablet designs in addition to the small Streak tablet, and Hewlett-Packard is also expected to follow suit with at least one tablet.

A report earlier this year by Avian Securities forecast Netbooks rising from 37 million in 2009 to 47 million in 2010. Almost all Netbooks use Intel processors and Microsoft's Windows operating system as do a large portion of notebooks sold worldwide. (Avian expects notebook sales to increase from 140 million to 180 million in 2010.)

Because of the expected surge in tablet sales, however, in 2011, more consumer-based personal computing will shift to devices using Google operating systems, such as Android, and ARM processors and away from Windows-Intel laptops, Barclays said. This is in addition, of course, to the popular iPad that runs Apple's OS.

ARM processors are already used in Apple's iPad and Dell's Streak. These power-efficient chips are expected to power a number of future tablets. ARM chip suppliers include Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Freescale, and Nvidia.

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Hands-on with the Toshiba Portege R705

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

We know that the quest for the perfect laptop is ultimately fruitless. Different users have different needs, budgets, and expectations, and tomorrow's technology threatens to make any just-purchased laptop semi-obsolete before it even comes out of its cardboard box. That said, the new Toshiba Portege R705 comes about as close as anything we've seen this year, offering a great mix of price, design, features, and performance.

The Portege R705 is a 13-inch laptop (similar to Apple's MacBook), which is the biggest screen size we'd consider carrying around on a regular basis, but also the smallest we'd be able to comfortably use for full-time computing. It's thinner than the current white plastic MacBook (but not as svelte as the MacBook Air or Dell Adamo XPS), and has a sturdy magnesium alloy chassis.

Toshiba lists the Portege R705 for $889, but as of this writing, it can be found online for $799. A handful of business-oriented configs are also available (called the R700, instead of the R705), adding a docking port and a few other corporate-friendly features for $999 and up.

For $100-$200 less than an entry-level MacBook, you get a newer Intel Core i3 processor (the basic MacBook has an older Core 2 Duo CPU), a large 500GB hard drive, and Intel's Wireless Display technology, which allows the laptop's display to be beamed to a remote TV or monitor (this requires a sold-separately $100 Netgear adapter that connects to your TV). Not to draw too many MacBook comparisons, but it also has an SD card slot (as does virtually every Windows-based laptop no matter the price), something the $999 MacBook lacks.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

There are a few issues. The integrated Intel graphics are a drag, and the keyboard isn't backlit, which would have been a nice touch on this slick-looking system. Also, out of the box, the hard drive accelerometer was far too sensitive, parking our HDD head every time we so much as breathed on the R705.

Those problems aside, the Portege R705 looks and feels like a much more expensive laptop, and is our new go-to choice for those who want a 13-inch experience but can't (or won't) join the MacBook masses.

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Acer Aspire One 521 and 721 Netbooks Get to Europe

Acer, as consumers might know, has been one of the main advocates of the entry-level laptop market, otherwise known as the netbook market, for quite some time. As such, it is not at all surprising to hear that it is quite aggressively promoting each and every new such PC that it manages to put together. This is made especially obvious by the Aspire One 521 and Aspire One 721. This pair of netbooks of unusual size have finally managed to land in European stores.

Netbooks, as a market, excelled during 2009, and were one of the main reasons, if not the major reason, why the dismal performance of 2008 didn't repeat itself. Acer was especially productive on this segment, scoring significant revenues. The aforementioned two netbooks are part of the company's effort to propagate that success forward. They are even unusual, in a way, because they do not employ the now well-known Pine Trail platform. Instead of the Intel Atom chips, the 10.1-inch Aspire One 521 and 11.6-inch Aspire One 721 have configurations centered around the AMD Athlon II Neo K125 central processing unit. This chip is backed up by 1GB of DDR3 (2GB on the AO721) memory and the ATI Radeon HD 4225 integrated graphics. The netbooks also boast 250GB hard disk drives and the full range of connectivity and I/O options that any laptop should have. Specifically, Gigabit Ethernet is present, as is a 1.3 megapixel webcam, a multi-gesture touchpad, a 93%-sized keyboard, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and a 6-cell battery. The AO521 and AO721 last for up to 7 and 5.5 hours on a single battery charge and are pre-loaded with Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Premium, respectively. European stores list them as available for shipment with price tags of 329 Euro and 399 Euro.

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Sony Vaio E series expands, adds Intel Wireless Display

The larger Vaio EC: any color, as long as it's black.

(Credit: Sony)

Remember the Sony Vaio E? When we reviewed it earlier this year, we were quite excited about Sony's more budget-priced multimedia Vaio, both because it had a Core i3 processor and optional Blu-ray. We'll admit it. We were also a little intrigued by the Vaio E's optional neon colors and funky neon keyboard skins.

The only problem? The E was limited to a 15-inch screen size. That's been remedied with new Vaio EA and EC models, in 14 and 17.3 inches, respectively.

The Vaio EA starts at $769 with a Core i3-350M CPU and built-in Intel Wireless Display, with an optional Core i5 upgrade, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 graphics, and Blu-ray that will cost extra. It comes in the same rainbow of colors, from Lava Black to Caribbean Green, as the first Vaio E. For an extra $20, you can pimp it out even further with a removable black, blue, green, pink, or purple keyboard skin that can double as a germ/crumb protector and garish eye candy.

The Vaio EC starts at $819, and only comes in relatively somber black. It comes standard with a Core i3 processor and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 graphics. Upgrades include a more powerful ATI 5650 GPU, Core i5, and Blu-ray, but no Intel Wireless Display. The option to layer on a neon keyboard skin, however, remains yours.

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Too lazy to download free software? Asus laptops from Amazon now pre-load Kindle app

Do you love both Asus laptops and Amazon's Kindle book-reading app, but are extremely lazy? As in, so lazy you can't be bothered to download and install the PC version of Amazon's free Kindle app on your new Netbook?

Fortunately the alphabetically enhanced companies Asus and Amazon have heard your cries and responded by striking a deal to pre-load the Kindle app on select Asus systems, including the Eee PC 1005PE Netbook and the 13-inch UL30A and UL30VT (with other models to follow).

Why bother pre-installing more free software on an off-the-shelf laptop? The Asus press release on the subject helpfully quotes Ben Thacker, VP Sales and Product Management, Systems Business Group, North American Channel, ASUS Computer International as saying, "Kindle is something our customers have been asking for and by pre-installing Kindle for PC on select long battery life products, we believe we are providing our customers an even richer PC experience."

We say, as long as you're installing the Kindle software, why can't someone ship us a laptop pre-loaded with Firefox, AVG Free, Steam, and the VLC media player?

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2010 VAIO P: Hands-On and Explained

One of the main reasons behind Sony's invitation to its facilities in Japan was for us to be among the first to set our eyes on the new VAIO P ultraportable computer system. With that, we had the opportunity to talk with the engineers behind the project and even experience the new features first-hand. After our experience with Sony's new VAIO P, we can now provide a few more details that are not available in the official press release.

The new matte finish of the VAIO P makes the ultraportable feel a bit nicer, when compared to the previous version. From a design viewpoint, the all-around color design looks better, while the keyboard feels a bit more finger-friendly. All around, this fresh-new VAIO P looks like something that could easily be considered a competitor for smartbooks, but that's rather hard, considering that the smartbook market has not yet taken off. 


Talking about the key features of the new design, you will immediately notice the updated screen and lid of the VAIO P. As you might have already read, the new laptop offers a built-in optical trackpad and two (left and right) mouse buttons, strategically placed on the black bezel. This enables an interaction with the P-series that pretty-much similar to the Sony PSP gaming console. The touchpad feels really nice and responsive and goes hand-in-hand with the laptop's digital compass.

 


Although you could easily use the on-board touchpad and the two mouse buttons on the screen bezel, there's another new functionality that makes the VAIO P more web-browsing friendly. In case you've missed it, the P-series now features an on-board accelerometer, which allows the laptop's screen to be used in both portrait and landscape mode. By just flipping the laptop into the desired orientation, you'll be able to enjoy its 8-inch screen as a normal laptop, or a reading device, such as an e-book reader. In addition, the accelerometer in combination with the Windows Internet Explorer lets user flip backwards and forwards, trough browsed web pages. It is a bit unfortunate that this feature is only limited to Windows Explorer, but we hope an update will make it functional on all browsers. On a side note, the function also works with Adobe Reader, but there's still room for improvement with additional support.

Sticking to the features available with the new display, Sony learned its lesson from the development of the previous generation and has now enabled a new quick-access feature on the laptop. With a simple press of a button, available on the bottom side of the keyboard, users will be able to change the screen's resolution from 1600 x 768 to 1280 x 600, which yet again is more Web-friendly.

The display will still suffer from the glossy screen that Sony chose for its new VAIO P, but there's a new function that tries to minimize that effect. That's the built-in light sensor, which senses the light intensity and dims or brightens the display accordingly.

Of course, there's the VAIO Assist and Web buttons, which are designed to enable to deal with the troubleshooting and enable the end-user to browse the Web in a matter of seconds.

Inside the laptop, we see a more simplified design, which has been enabled by the adoption of SSD and the new Intel low-power chipset. That design feature has also led to an increased battery life, something that most users will undoubtedly appreciate.

Overall, this version of the VAIO P looks a bit more appealing than the first one. We can definitely say that, if this was the first to market, it would have certainly won our hearts and money. Whether this is a must-buy or not, is still a matter of opinion. We will try to update you with a review of the new laptop soon enough, until then, enjoy the picture gallery below.

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webOS tablet reportedly coming before October

HP has confirmed a webOS tablet will be out before October ends.

The news keeps rolling in this Saturday.

First, it was the apparent false alarm thatAndroid 2.2 had come early on the Nexus One. Instead, it has shown up on test units for reviewers.


That’s pretty unfortunate.


Now, there is news that HP and Palm plan to release a webOS-based tablet sometime this year in the United States. There have been rumblings about an HP Hurricane and now that HP scraped their Windows-powered Slate, it should be only a matter of time before we see a webOS tablet.


And apparently that time is before October.


According to a report, HP Taiwan vice president of personal computing systems group Monty Wong has confirmed that the company will be adopting webOS on a tablet like they’ve already said they would do and that the device should be out sometime before the fiscal year ends.


That’s in October.


webOS is a great operating system and it will be interesting to see how it performs in tablet form. It will also be interesting to see what kind of competition is out at the time. We know Google and Verizon are probably working together on a tablet device, and the iPad is out on the market so the holidays should be exciting times.


It’ll be a tough call to decide on an OS just like it’s hard to decide on a smartphone OS right now. Android? iPhone OS? webOS?


What would you choose, SF?


webOS devices already on the market with the next release scheduled to the Palm Pixi Plus on AT&T on June 6th.

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Inside the 13-inch MacBook: Graphics gains

Among mostly subtle changes for Apple's 13-inch MacBooks, the graphics silicon stands out as the one distinct difference between the new and old models. So, what, graphically speaking, has changed exactly?

A lot. Apple was clearly making a point when it updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro and then followed with the white MacBook update this week: Nvidia graphics chips matter more than Intel processors. At least, in the case of these two models they do.

So, what do users get when they opt for a newer MacBook or MacBook Pro? A pretty significant jump in graphics performance, according to reviews and experts.

The bottom line is that the newer Nvidia GeForce 320M chipset has 48 processing cores versus 16 cores in the older GeForce 9400M chipset that was used in the previous generation of MacBooks. (And note that in the case of the 320M, it is a chipset, not a standalone graphics processor. Typically, Intel makes the chipset that accompanies the main processor and Nvidia attaches a discrete graphics processor to this. But in this case, Nvidia supplies the chipset containing the graphics silicon.)

The white Apple MacBook, seen here from the front and side, was updated this week with faster Nvidia graphics silicon, like the 13-inch MacBook Pro before it.

(Credit: Apple)

"You can expect at least two times the benchmark performance with the 320M over the 9400M," said Jon Peddie of Jon Peddie Research, which tracks the graphics chip market. "And what it does most dramatically is improve the transcode throughput," he added, referring to the chip's ability to convert file formats on the fly. Peddie also said the 320M offers better performance than the Intel graphics integrated into the new Core i5 and Core i7 processors.

And speaking of Core i5 processors, that's an update that the 13-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro didn't get. They both continue to use the same Core 2 Duo processor design, albeit at slightly higher frequencies.

CNET Reviews said the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the 320M Nvidia chip did well in Call of Duty 4 benchmarks and Laptopmag.com said that the 320M in the new 13-inch Pro beats the old Pro "in every way...its score of 4,754 in 3DMark06 (a benchmark that measures graphics chip performance) is more than double that of the last MacBook Pro (2,174)."

With some reviews even citing better benchmarks for the 13-inch MacBook Pro over theoretically faster systems with new Intel Core i3 processors, maybe Apple is on to something here.

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MSI Wind U160DX Netbook Runs for 15 Hours

With all the talk about more powerful Intel Atom CPUs and their support for faster memory, there was no way that any PC supplier would miss the opportunity of being among the first to unleash a product based on them. In fact, with Computex just around the corner, it would be surprising not to see such a product. Micro-Star International seems to be more than aware of this, which is why it has already let some information slip concerning the Wind U160DX.

Since it is a next-generation device, it is obvious that basic specifications will be superior to what MSI has been selling so far and, sure enough, the netbook seems more than ready to assume the role of successor to the Wind U160. The U160 showed up at this year's CES and its appearance will live on in its sibling. The insides, however, are another story. 

The Wind U160DX runs not on the Intel Atom N450, but on the N455 CPU, which does not exactly bring any groundbreaking speed improvements, but does have one major asset. To be exact, this new chip gives netbooks the ability to integrate DDR3 memory instead of just DDR2. It is not exactly clear how much DDR3 the model has, but its speeds will definitely make more than just a little difference. Unfortunately, little other information is available on the hardware, which means that consumers will have to wait a bit longer before learning about graphics and connectivity, not to mention pricing and availability.

Here is one vital detail that was disclosed, though. By means of the MSI power management system, and the so-called “Turbo Drive Engine,” the mobile PC will supposedly be able to last for up to 15 hours on a single battery charge. That is no small feat, given that it's about as long as most people stay awake during a day.
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Sony Launches New Sony VAIO P-Series Netbooks To Counter Apple iPad Mania

Sony's first netbook device was the VAIO P-Series, a sleek device with an 8-inch widescreen and using Intel's Atom platform.

The device looked different from other netbooks present in the market, but it was pricey. Yesterday, Sony launched new P-Series device with a new Atom processor and several new features, sending signals that the Japanese electronics giant might jump into the tablet PC arena very soon.

The P-Series netbook is still liked by lot of people because its screen has a footprint the size of two Apple iPhones. The device has an undersized keyboard but it has a centralized pointing stick, which makes navigation easier.

The new device also has a touchpad on the right side of the LCD bezel. On the other side are mouse buttons. The users of the new device will be able to hold the laptop by the screen and navigate with the keyboard. This feature is similar to tablet devices.

Sony can come up with its own tablet by stripping the top half off the P-series and putting an ARM CPU and Android operating system into it. The P-series also has an accelerometer so the users could use it in portrait mode also.

The new device will come in different colors like Electric Orange, Neon Green, and Icy White. The P-Series is available immediately for pre-order for a starting price of $80.

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Dual-core Intel Netbook chip due by June

Netbooks are expected to get a dual-core Intel Atom processor by June, finally giving this category of tiny laptops all of the goodness that multicore processors offer.

Netbooks from Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Dell, and Toshiba are offered exclusively with single-core Atom processors, which provide good battery life but lack the performance of multicore chips. Though Asus has been offering a dual-core Netbook, this kind of design is rare because it shoehorns a more power-hungry Atom chip built for desktop PCs into a larger laptop-sized casing.

But a dual-core Atom tamed for the tiny Netbook form factor could boost the product segment by striking a better balance between performance and battery life. As this HotHardware review of the Asus Netbbook shows, a dual-core design can make a difference. "It's easy to spot just how beneficial a dual-core CPU is here," the review said.

The dual-core Atom is expected during the June Computex conference time frame, according to industry sources. Intel chief executive Paul Otellini indicated as much during the company's first-quarter earnings conference call when he said a dual-core Atom for Netbooks "comes out in the second quarter."

The category is still poised for heady growth this year. And confusion and delays among companies trying to bring out Netbooks based on the Linux operating system and ARM processors can only help Intel's cause. "I still think there will be significant growth in the Netbook business year over year. Features and integration (of silicon) are the technical knobs to twist here," Otellini said during the earnings conference call in April.

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HP Teams with AMD to Introduce More Than a Dozen Notebook PCs

HP today unveiled its broadest selection and largest single introduction of AMD-powered notebook PCs.

The company introduced 14 notebooks utilizing VISION and VISION Pro Technology from AMD, giving consumers and businesses a wide range of mobile products and a vivid visual experience at virtually every price and performance level.

Consumers have a choice of VISION Technology across HP Pavilion notebooks, including the dm and dv lines, as well as Compaq notebooks. Business customers can tailor new HP ProBook s-series, HP ProBook b-series or HP or Compaq notebooks with the VISION Pro Technology from AMD featuring AMD™ Phenom II, AMD Turion II, AMD Athlon or AMD V-Series processors.

“Businesses and consumers can turn to HP not only for the deepest portfolio of notebook products, but also for a wide range of technology choices to meet specific mobile computing needs,” said Ted Clark, senior vice president and general manager, Notebook Global Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. “HP’s commitment to providing customers a choice of technology helps us maintain our position as the worldwide leader in notebook sales.”

HP customers get improved performance on popular applications with the updated AMD multicore processors. For example, an HP notebook that employs a new AMD Phenom II Dual-Core N620 processor offers up to 69 percent faster performance than previous-generation HP AMD-powered notebooks and gets up to 24 percent longer battery life.(1)

This performance, coupled with long battery life and exceptional visual performance, gives users hassle-free, efficient computing – all at a price that makes sense.

“Our close relationship has evolved to today’s expansive consumer and commercial product lineup, providing outstanding technology innovation and performance competitiveness that ultimately benefits the customer,” said Chris Cloran, corporate vice president and general manager, Client Division, AMD. “VISION and VISION Pro Technology from AMD enables an exceptional visual experience, great system performance and is designed to simplify the PC purchasing experience.”

The new HP products span all customer segments, including consumer, small and midsize businesses (SMBs), and the enterprise. Highlights include:

* Thin and light, the HP Pavilion dm3 offers ultramobility and fast performance paired with cool etched patterns and a sleek metal finish. With an internet connection, consumers can stay connected with Skype, instant messaging and HP QuickWeb.(2) At less than 1 inch thick and weighing 4.2 pounds, the dm3 boasts a battery life of up to 7 hours,(3) ensuring that consumers can take it anywhere, leaving power cords at home.
* The HP ProBook 4425s features a sophisticated brushed-aluminum metal case in caviar or bordeaux. Weighing only 4.71 pounds, it offers enhanced graphics capabilities, outstanding performance and a long battery life. Designed for SMB professionals who want stylish, affordable notebooks for everyday office applications, the HP ProBook 4425s includes various productivity enhancing HP Professional Innovations, as well as Central Management for HP ProtectTools.(4)

Additional newly announced HP notebooks powered by AMD VISION and VISION Pro Technology include:

* HP Pavilion notebook PCs: dm1, dv5, dv6 and dv7
* HP ProBook notebook PCs: 4325s, 4525s, 6455b and 6555b
* HP notebook PCs: 425 and 625
* Compaq notebook PCs: CQ42/G42 and CQ62/G62

More information about the products, including product specifications and images, is available at www.hp.com/personal.

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