Since day one, Intel’s Atom chips have come in two flavors: desktop and mobile. While the desktop chips have come in dual core and single core versions, the Atom chips designed for netbooks and other portable devices have traditionally been single core only. But it looks like that could soon change.
PC Inpact reports that Intel may be working on a dual core Atom chip for netbooks. It will reportedly be called something like the Atom N500, which makes sense, since the latest dual core chip for desktops is called the Atom D510 — and most of the company’s netbook-specific chips have started with the letter N, such as the Atom N270, N280, N450, and N470.
Up until now, any PC maker that wanted to build a laptop with a dual core Atom processor had to use a desktop chip such as the Atom 330 dual core CPU found in the Asus Eee PC 1201N. But those chips tend to draw more power and generate more heat than chips designed for netbooks.
Bear in mind, even with two cores, an Atom chip is an Atom chip. They’re designed as low cost, low power alternatives to beefier processors. As such, I’d expect the Atom N500 to be a little faster than a single core Atom processor and better at multitasking and other tasks which can benefit from multiple cores. But don’t expect miracles.
There’s no word on how much the Atom N500 would cost or when it would be released. And right now, this is just a rumor, although PC Inpact reports that the information comes from companies that work with Intel.
via Blogeee
Post from: Liliputing
Intel may be working on a dual core Atom chip for netbooks
Samsung has quietly upgraded its Go range of netbooks, the N315. Most significantly, it has the newer 1.66GHz Atom CPU from Intel's newer Pine Trail platform versus the older 1.6GHz version, along with a matte screen. The chassis and keyboard are carried over, and a Wi-Fi radio is integrated as well. The New York Times' Reader software is preloaded onto the larger 250GB hard drive, along with Windows 7 Starter....
Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops
So LG has this super skinny, super nice looking netbook, its the X300 and it is going to be available beginning later this month. Unfortunately this is one of those times that we here in the US are going to be a little disappointed because the LG X300 netbook is not headed here, at least not at first. Instead LG has chosen to release it in Asia and then the Middle East and South America.
Feature wise, to begin with the skinny part comes in regards to the 0.69-inch thickness. Otherwise the LG X300 netbook comes sporting an 11.6-inch display, 2.0GHz Intel Menlow processor, a 1.3-megapixel webcam and is running Windows 7 Home Premium. Other perks of the LG X300 include built-in 3G connectivity and that it can handle up to 2GB of RAM, up to a 128GB SSD and ships with a spare 2-cell battery. Yes, spare 2-cell battery. Finally, it weighs in at 2.14-pounds and will be available in either shiny white or light brown.
No word yet on pricing, of course March is not all that far away to wait, assuming you live in one of the areas that LG is planning to make the X300 available.
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LG’s X300 notebook will be available in Asia, the Middle East and South America starting this month. The laptop, which first showed up at CES in January, has an 11.6 inch 1366 x 768 pixel HD display and runs Windows 7 Home Premium. It ships with a 2 cell battery, plus a spare battery which should provide up to 7 hours of run time, combined.
The notebook uses a low power 2GHz Intel Atom Menlow chip and a 128GB solid state disk. It has a fanless design, which should make operation pretty darn quiet.It also has an integrated 3G module
The most impressive thing about the LG X300, though, is its size and weight. It’s less than 0.7″ thick and weighs just 2.1 pounds. Not bad for an 11.6 inch notebook.
On the down side, this thing ain’t going to come cheap. While no US pricing has been announced yet, Engadget reports that it will sell for the equivalent of $1424 in Korea.
It’s possible that the US version will be called the LG X30 instead of the X300. The FCC has already published some documents for an LG X30 laptop which looks strikingly similar to the X300.
Post from: Liliputing
LG X300 thin and light notebook launches this month
A curious listing has emerged over at Tosh Computers, an Apple reseller. Although regarded as a publicity stunt, Tosh lists 17-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros featuring Intel’s Core i5 and i7 processors, configurations that are yet to be confirmed by Apple.Like most geeks that build their own computers, I have spent tons of money at New Egg over the years buying hardware and various other gear. Most shoppers of New Egg know the company to be reputable and to have great service. New Egg is in the middle of a controversy right now over allegedly fake Intel Core i7-920 processors that were shipped to customers.
Hard OCP reports that one user has supplied the publication with pictures of an Intel Core i7-920 CPU that appears to be in the correct box and look legit enough from the outside. The top of the CPU is even stamped with what looks to be correct markings.
Flip the CPU over and it becomes clear quickly that the processor is far from normal. The instruction manual with the CPU is a bunch of blank pages stapled together. Other sources reports that 300 of these counterfeit processors were purchased by New Egg from supplier D&H Distributing. Intel and New Egg are reportedly investigating the issue and users who received the fakes are getting real replacements. A video on YouTube has also surfaced of an allegedly fake Core i7 shipped by New Egg.
Relevant Entries on SlashGear
I forgive the dude's overly snide narration because he just received a fake Intel Core i7-920 processor from Newegg. A Newegg supplier, D&H Distribution, sent them 300 fake processors in a batch of 2000. And threatened sites who reported it.
Several people received demonstrably fake Core i7 processors from Newegg, like the guy in this video, and reported it into HardOCP's forums. Newegg's been immediately replacing counterfeit processors with legit ones, but the whole thing's still pretty fishy. They're blaming one of their suppliers, D&H Distribution for sending them the bad chips.
For reporting on it, D&H is serving up a C&D to HardOCP, telling them to "remove the contact and any reference to D&H from your website" and to "post an immediate retraction and apology which shall remain posted for not less than thirty days." They're shady dudes, obviously, so what do you expect?
What makes me sad is Newegg's shitty cover story:
"Newegg is aware of a shipping error that occurred with certain recent orders of the Intel Core i7-920 CPU. After investigating the issue internally it appears one of our long term partners mistakenly shipped a small number of demo boxes instead of functional units."
Demo boxes with completely fake products? Right.
Intel, meantime, is currently investigating a flood of counterfeit Core i7-920s hitting the market.
Myself, meantime, isn't ordering anything from Newegg, until this gets straightened out. And I was just thinking about building a new PC for Bad Company 2. Good thing it's still pretty broken! [HardOCP via Hot Hardware]
NewEgg has had a fairly good reputation for being a reliable online tech seller with good prices.
Well, everyone makes mistakes, but the one they made by shipping over 300 fake Intel Core i7-920 CPUs is kind of a big one.
The problem supposedly roots from their partnership with D&H Distributing, who issued 2,000 copies to NewEgg - 300 of which turned out to be counterfeit.
NewEgg has released a statement and an apology, saying they are “aware of a shipping error” and that their “customer service team has already begun proactively reaching out to the affected customers.” I hope that means refunds/replacements, covering shipping costs, etc.
There’s also a debate over whether or not these were “demo” copies or actually fabricated lookalikes, and now Intel has started an investigation. Either way, a lot of people screwed up here, and NewEgg can’t push off all the blame to another party. Although, I don’t think this will hurt their business too badly, so long as they make all of those 300 customers happy real fast.
One lesson to be learned is check all of your package contents for any discrepancies or oddities before tossing them. You might need all that stuff to return a defective/fake/wrong product later.
[Image via Hardware Canucks]
Lenovo is offering the 12″ Lenovo ThinkPad X201s with Intel Core i7 for $1,349 plus free shipping. The Lenovo ThinkPad X201s weighs less than 3 pounds, is under an inch thick and comes with 2GB RAM and a 160 GB hard drive. Visit LogicBuy for more information.
The chipmaker is trying to figure out how many counterfeit Core i7 processors might be on sale, and where they are being sold
Intel acknowledged Monday that at least one counterfeit version of its Core i7-920 processor made its may into the U.S. market, and said it's trying to determine how many more are out there.
It looks like a lot of products unveiled at CES 2010 are finally getting some release and shipping dates. Now the MSi Wind U160 netbook is also now shipping in the US.
Selling for as low as $379.99 (before taxes and shipping), the MSi Wind U160 netbook is a worthy contender for those shopping around for a netbook right now - especially considering it promises up to 14-15 hours of battery life.
You might have to search around though, as Newegg and some other sites are already shipping, but Amazon is still only on pre-order mode.
Just to keep in mind, some of the specs on the MSi Wind U160 include:
It’s available in black and gold, although based on the photo, that’s a very dusty dark gold. (I don’t like it when colors in PR photos can be misleading, especially when shopping online.)
Advanced Micro Devices is offering prizes to drum up more interest ahead of this month's launch of its 12-core server chip, as rival Intel also has server-chip launch plans.
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Two tech sites have received 'cease and desist' letters after reporting that online retailer Newegg was inadvertently supplying counterfeit Intel chips to customers.
Although they’ve been relatively mum about this product since it was unveiled at CES 2010, LG has some big release plans for the ultra-thin X300 laptop this month.
Starting in March, the LG X300 will first be available in Asia, followed by the Middle East and South America - although it’s not clear when exactly it will drop in those regions. Specific dates and prices will also vary from country-to-country.
Developers were obviously as concerned with a sleek design as they were with installing premium specs. Some of the fine touches include a reflective keyboard, a border-less touchpad and availability in two colors (”shiny” white and light brown). LG also promises it will only be seen and not heard, as the X300 utilizes a “fan-less, silent” operation.
Considering that LG is touting this 0.69-inch thick laptop as their “flagship mobile computing device” for 2010, we should see a much wider release some time this year. But until a North American release date is announced, here’s some of the specs to keep you entertained:
