Atom-based ASUS Eee PC 901 spotted

It seems as if only yesterday we were marveling at ASUS' new 9-inch Eee PC 900 (actually, it wasn't yesterday, it was Monday). About the only thing we didn't love about this pocket-sized marvel was its dated Celeron processor--especially since the fine folks at Intel have been talking up this whole Atom thing for so long (that's the company's new low-cost, low-power CPU especially made for netbook-style laptops).

We knew ASUS was working on an Atom-based version of the Eee PC, and now we have the first photos of what will be called the Eee PC 901--posted on French site blogeee.net. It looks pretty much the same--we see a slightly reworked hinge, the AC adapter plug has been moved from the rear to the side, and there seems to be some unlabeled quick-launch buttons right above the keyboard.

No pricing or availability information has been released, but the Magic 8-ball points to summer 2008, and it probably cost about the same as the current US$550 model.

Via Crave CNET

Samsung may abandon laptops by 2011

Samsung will cease operation of its laptop division if it doesn't improve its market share by 2011, according to one of the company's senior managers.

The news was broken to Crave UK while on a visit to Samsung's headquarters in Suwon, South Korea. Sukyong Hong, the senior manager of Overseas Sales and Marketing for the company's computer division, said an additional 11 million units must be sold worldwide by the year 2011 in order to reach 5.7 percent market share--a massive task, considering Samsung's worldwide market share has grown only from 1.2 percent in 2005 to 1.7 percent in 2007.

To stay afloat, Samsung says it will have to--at least--overtake Sony, which currently lays claim to 6 percent of the laptop market. The rest of its primary competitors seem out of reach. Toshiba has 10 percent, Dell is on 14 percent, Acer has 16 percent, and Hewlett-Packard tops the charts on 23 percent.

One of the most obvious ways of increasing market share is to venture into the mini-PC market, along with the likes of ASUS, HP, and MSI, but Samsung seems reluctant to do so. The company fears that making a low-cost laptop will jeopardize sales of its existing machines.
Read more »

HP Mini-Note to get Windows XP next month

The HP Mini-Note has officially launched in Singapore, with two Vista models making an appearance at a starting price of S$999 (US$657.24) as previously reported.

Aside from the main attraction, a slew of lifestyle accessories was showcased ranging from S$39 (US$25.66) textured skins (made from special 3M material exclusive to HP) to S$89 (US$58.55) handbag-like flip cases. Options like the S$309 (US$203.29) external DVD writer and S$259 (US$170.39) six-cell battery will be available next month.

So what's stopping some from buying one now?
Read more »

MSI dishes specs for its Wind mini-notebook

MSI put out a vague news release that detailed some, but not all, of the specifications of its upcoming and unfortunately named Wind mini-notebook. At the top of the release, it states the 10-inch notebook will "feature the new Intel Processor", but it failed to explain what that processor might be. An Intel Atom processor is a safe bet; the chips are expected to be released this June.

The only mention of pricing in the release reveals that MSI Wind configurations will start at less than US$500 in early June. The MSI Wind is available, however, for preorder at Expansys, which lists a S$764.95 (US$503.26) price for a Linux-based model and a S$834.95 (US$549.31) price for a Windows model (and a ship date of June 27). Expansys states that the processor as a 1.6GHz Intel processor. I'd hazard a guess that the Wind will use the 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 chip. Available colors for the models on Expansys are white, black, and pink.

The MSI Wind news release does reveal that there will be two configurations, one based on Novell Linux and another based on Windows XP Home. Both models will feature a 10-inch, LED-backlit screen with a 1,024 x 600-pixel resolution, the Intel 945GMS chipset, Bluetooth and an 80GB hard drive. Common features also include three USB ports, a card reader, an integrated Webcam, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi.
Read more »

Dell XPS M1730 gets a major graphics boost

When we first reviewed the XPS M1730, its dual Nvidia GeForce 8700M GT graphics engine took gaming benchmark scores to new heights. As possibly the first SLI laptop in Asia, it truly deserved the title of extreme gaming rig and won our Editors' Choice award.

So how can you improve an already fast machine? Make it faster, of course. Dell is now offering the high-end dual Nvidia GeForce 8800M GT video cards for an extra S$960.86 (US$632.14) to the starting price. It may seem steep, but with a score of almost 13,500 on 3DMark06 (as tested by our US labs), this monster will eat even the most resource-intensive games for lunch and still have room for dessert.

There is one small thing, though. Dell's MediaDirect 3.3 software is not compatible with the Nvidia GeForce 8800M GT drivers. As such, upgrading to the new graphics card means losing pre-boot entertainment features. Dell is working on an update to the application but, according to its engineers, will require the user to reformat and reinstall the entire operating system. Hardly an elegant solution but that's the price to pay for an extreme gaming experience.

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