AMD/ATI show off new laptop graphics

Several new developments in the laptops graphics department from ATI and parent company AMD were announced at this year's Computex show in Taiwan.

To compete with Nvidia's just-announced GeForce 9M series of laptop GPUs, AMD now has the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3800 series. The company says "the new ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3800 series offers notebook manufacturers the ability to deliver fast graphics performance, energy-efficient 55nm graphics processor technology, amazing video playback, and, for the first time ever, ATI CrossFireX technology for a mobile graphics solution".

You can already get two Nvidia GPUs in select laptops, a setup known as SLI, so we're pleased AMD's version, called CrossFire, is also an option now--but it's the kind of thing only the most extreme laptop gamers would be interested in.

It is worth noting, however, that the new Radeon HD 3800 supports Microsoft's DirectX 10.1--the newest Nvida chips do not. The real-world implications, however, are minor.
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Acer likes Linux for laptops

Yahoo and Microsoft used the press to negotiate for several months regarding a potential merger. Now it appears Acer and Microsoft are having a public spat. Or, if they aren't yet, Acer's comments mid-week will likely start one.

In an interview with VNUNet.com, Acer Vice President of Marketing Gianpiero Morbello said his Taiwanese PC maker has big plans to develop the market for Linux, not only on its low-cost ultraportable, but on the company's laptops as well.

The reason is because of the cost and operation of Microsoft's operating system over open-source Linux.

"We have shifted toward Linux because of Microsoft," said Morbello. "Microsoft has a lot of power and it is going to be difficult, but we will be working hard to develop the Linux market."

Acer officially unveiled its entry into the low-cost mini laptop market, the Aspire One, on Tuesday. It will come in both Linux and Windows XP flavors.

It makes sense to try to cut as much cost as possible out of building a device like the Aspire One, which will start at US$379. The attraction to such a device is mainly price, and expectations of a full set of features can be relatively low. Plus, as Acer points out, Linux has a quicker boot time and can extend the battery life of tiny Netbooks like the Aspire One.

But will mainstream PC shoppers go for Linux when they're used to buying a Windows notebook? It's unclear if Acer, currently the No. 2 notebook seller in the world, will be foisting Linux on reluctant consumers or just looking harder for places and markets that have yet to fully embrace Windows.

Via CNET Crave

More Netbooks unveiled at Computex 2008

First International Computer, a Taiwanese computer manufacturer and the parent company of US-based Everex, has announced two new mini-notebooks at Computex this week. The field of tiny laptops is already starting to look crowded (with the HP 2133, Eee PC, and MSI Wind--heck, even Dell's working on an mini-laptop), but FIC has a distinguishing characteristic right out of the gate: The otherwise identical systems can be configured with either a C7-M processor from Via Technologies or Intel's new Atom CPU.

Both the Via-based CE2A1 and Intel-based CW0A1 feature an 8.9-inch screen and a 1.3-megapixel Webcam. Around the case are VGA, Ethernet, and two USB 2.0 ports, plus an ExpressCard slot. Networking connections include 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0. Regardless of platform, the laptops can incorporate up to 2GB of RAM and up to 160GB of hard drive space.
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ASUS takes user interface to the next level

Forget multi-touch technology and face recognition. At its Computex booth in Taiwan, ASUS displayed concept designs which take the user interface to new frontiers.

Termed Reality-to-Virtual, what looks like a clamshell laptop with dual LCDs is actually a showcase of how motion sensing can combine with context-based displays. With a sweep of your hand, the Webcam will detect and cause the upper LCD to switch to the requested application. The lower portion is really a touch-sensitive LCD that can be used as a keyboard, media control, photo-editing panel, etc. As this is only a concept model, the device shows just a video of its future capabilities for now.
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VIA Nano sub-notebook spotted

From the bosom of obscurity, VIA has started to gain attention in the hot sub-notebook category. Unfortunately, the first-generation processor was reported to perform even worse than the Intel 900MHz Celeron, despite having a clock speed of up to 1.6GHz.

The company hopes to change that with its new Nano platform, and the first machine with this chipset is the TongFang Imini S1 Mini-Note. The 10.2-inch machine sports a 1.2GHz VIA Nano processor with 512MB memory and 80GB harddisk sharing space under the hood. The 1.3kg Webcam-enabled laptop has a footprint of 249 x 180 x 32mm, reasonably portable though a little heavy. The six-cell battery holds only 4,000mAh of power, which doesn't give much prospect for long uptimes.

We are unlikely to see this machine ship out of Taiwan, but we can expect other VIA Nano machines to make an appearance soon.

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