REVIEW >> Asus Eee Pad Transformer tablet

When it comes to tablets, we�re not really ready for software keyboards, are we? Or maybe the developers of software keyboards aren�t yet ready for us.

This week, we received the Asus Eee Pad Transformer tablet. Like with most new tablets that enter this building, it was immediately pounced on by a pack of ravenous wolves group of my coworkers.

What made the Transformer�s debut more exciting than most was its primary claim to fame and origin of its namesake: the keyboard/dock accessory.

If not for the keyboard/dock, most would have mistaken it for one of the two other new Honeycomb tablets we acquired in the last week. iPad sales numbers not withstanding, there are still quite a few who simply prefer the tactile to the abstract. It�s familiar and thereby comforting, I think.

In the case of the Transformer, it�s also utilitarian. The $150 accessory includes two USB ports, an SD card reader, and its own battery. Once connected, it�s like your very own Honeycomb Netbook.
The Wi-Fi-only tablet itself costs a low $400 (for the 16GB version; $500 for the 32GB), making it the cheapest Honeycomb tablet yet.

You can�t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, though, and in this case, the omelet is the capable, powerful tablet. The eggs come in the form of build quality, bugs, and a couple of features.

For details on those broken eggs, check out the full review.

Still, with such a low price, I hope the Transformer will inspire more-competitive pricing on Honeycomb tablets going forward.

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer will be available April 26.

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REVIEW >> Samsung NC215S Solar

Samsung Netbook New Solar Powered NC215S Survived Being able to 14.5 Hours!

Samsung announced a netbook with a built-in solar panel and 14.5-hour battery life. The NC215S also offers hybrid fast start technology, the ability to charge portable devices even when it�s turned off, a choice of Atom processors, and a 250GB or 320GB hard disk drive.

The solar-powered NC215S just might fit the bill, especially for those who work � or play � outdoors, far from a power outlet.

While some observers consider the netbook form factor passe, Samsung is leveraging the clamshell design to provide something new: a built-in solar panel. According to the company, the NC215S� solar cells provide one hour of work for each two hours of recharging in the sun.

The netbook isn�t totally dependent on solar power, because it also comes with a six-cell battery that, Samsung claims, can provide up to 14.5 hours of operation. It�s also said the unit�s three USB 2.0 ports can recharge devices such as phones or MP3 players even when the netbook is sleeping or turned off.

Samsung adds that sun-worshippers will be able to read the NC215S� display outdoors while they and the laptop catch some rays. Perhaps because the solar panel already drives up cost, Samsung has not chosen to reduce power consumption by adopting a solid state disk drive. The NC215S instead comes with a 2.5-inch, 5400rpm hard disk drive, offered in 250GB and 320GB capacities.

However, the company does tout an �innovative hybrid sleep mode� it calls Samsung Fast Start. The other features on the 2.86-pound NC215S are more typical, including a choice of Atom processors (the dual-core N570 or single-core N455, 1GB of RAM (presumably expandable to 2GB), and a 10.1-inch screen with 1024 x 600 resolution. The NC215S is equipped with Windows 7 Starter Edition, according to the company.

First introduced for the African market, Samsung�s NC215S will be hitting Russia in early August for 13,999 rubles ($479). The netbook sports a lid almost entirely monopolized by a solar panel, which contributes to an overall estimated battery life of 14.5 hours.

The NC215S packs a 1.6GHz N570 Intel Atom dual-core processor, 250GB of storage, and 1GB of RAM into a 2.9 pound frame. Just a little over a month ago, our own J. Angelo Racoma gave you a look at the NC215S from Samsung, a solar-powered netbook that was hitting African markets first.

It�s set to pack a 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Atom N570, a full gig of RAM, a relatively small 250 gig of storage (which is still pretty substantial on an absolute level, but some pack four times that or more), Samsung�s Fast Start system, and the Sleep And Charge system in which you can connect your various USB devices to the laptop and use its solar panel to not only recharge the battery but also divert some of that charge into your batteries.

Samsung has announced it will be launching the NC215S solar-powered netbook this August for customers in Russia. Using solar panels to keep laptops running is nothing new, but the company claims a world�s first here due to the panel being integrated into the lid of the netbook�s 10.1in, 1024 x 600-pixel display.

Rather than fueling the netbook, the solar panel is designed to sustain battery life, notching up a possible 14.5 hours on the go. The NC215S itself is on a par with the current crop of Samsung netbooks, running Windows 7 Starter and sporting an Intel Atom N570 (1.66 GHz) dual-core processor, 1GB of Ram and a 250GB or 320GB drive.

The image of snow covered boots tends to accompany thoughts of the Russian climate, but it�s one helluva big place and this launch suggests Samsung is minded to look on the bright side.

Specifications listed for Samsung�s NC215S include:

•     Processor � single-core Atom N455 or dual-core N570 (both @1.66GHz)
•     Chipset � Intel NM10
•     Memory � 1GB of DDR3 RAM (expandability not cited)
•     Display � 10.1-inch screen with 1024 x 600 pixel resolution and anti-reflective coating; solar panel on back
•     Storage � 250GB or 320GB hard disk drive
•     Expansion � SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC slot
•     Networking � gigabit Ethernet
•     Other I/O:

              *  3 x USB 2.0 with sleep-and-charge functionality
              *  VGA
              *  audio � headphone jack, microphone input

•     Battery � six-cell
•     Dimensions � 10.19 x 7.06 x 1.4 inches
•     Weight � 2.86 pounds

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REVIEW >> Acer Cromia AC761 Laptop

Acer Cromia AC761 Review

Acer, multinational computer technology and electronics corporation and Google has launched the first Acer Chromebook laptop, called Acer Cromia AC761. Acer Cromia AC761 Chromebook will be available in two versions, Acer Cromia AC761-1099 and Acer Cromia AC761-1529 (3G) and expected will be released on the 15th of June and will be on sale online from BestBuy and Amazon with start price tag at $349.

Acer Cromia AC761 Specifications

Acer Cromia AC761 Chromebook is a netbook which running Google Chrome OS and powered by Intel Atom Processor N570 (1M Cache, 1.66 GHz) with Mobile Intel NM10 Express Chipset and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 for graphics card. The Acer Cromia AC761 also equipped with a 11.6 inch HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit LCD display with 1366 x 768 resolution, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 16GB Solid State Drive for internal storage, Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader and a 6-cell Li-ion Battery (4400 mAh) that provide up to 6-hours Battery Life.

Acer Cromia AC761 Features

The Cromia AC761 netbook designed with fullsize Chrome keyboard with Oversize fully-clickable trackpad, Built-in two Speakers with High-Definition Audio, 1.3 Megapixel HD Webcam with noise cancelling microphone and measuring in 8.1 x 11.2 x 1 inches with weight 3.3 lbs. Acer Cromia AC761 laptop also support bluetooth 2.1+EDR, optional 3G, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, USB 2.0 port, HDMI port for connect to external monitor, Google Chrome web browser with an integrated media player and offer a boot time of eight seconds.

Acer Cromia AC761 Specs

• Processor : 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N570 dual core processor
• Display : a 11.6 inch HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit LCD display with 1366 x 768 resolution
• Chipset : Mobile Intel NM10 Express Chipset
• Graphic system : Intel GMA 3150
• Main Memory : 2GB DDR3
• Hard Disk : 16GB Solid State Drive
• Audio : Two Built-in Speakers
• Webcamera : 1.3 Megapixel HD Webcam with noise cancelling microphone
• Wireles : 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED
• Bluetooth : Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• 3G : Optional
• Input/Output Port : 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x HDMI port
• Expansion Slots : 4-in-1 memory card slot (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC)
• Operating System : Google Chrome Operating System
• Battery : 6-cell 4400 mAh Li-ion Battery provide Up to 6-hours Battery Life
• Dimensions : 8.1 x 11.2 x 1 inches with weight 3.3 lbs

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REVIEW >> ASUS is developing a tablet based on Oak Trail platform

When last week Intel officially announced new mobile platform - Oak Trail, it was said that this platform has already been selected for the three and a half dozen devices that will come on the market before the end of the year.

Among the products based 0on the Atom Z670 processor, Asus mentioned about their new tablet ASUS Eee Pad Slider. Meanwhile, it is known that the Eee Pad Slider is now being built on NVIDIA Tegra 2 platform. This model had a slide-out keyboard equipped with IPS display with the size of 10.1 inches. It is assumed that Eee Pad Slider will be powered by Google Android 3.0 (Honeycomb).

The assumption that ASUS decided to change the hardware platform was reinforced by the message on the "Notebook Italia" website, which stated that ASUS plans to release an updated version of the Slider in September (the appearance of the first model is expected in May).

The situation was cleared when information on the tablet had disappeared from the Intel's website. Following this, ASUS representative explained that there was an error. Tablet Eee Pad Slider will not be built on Intel Atom, but the company is really working on the tablet with Oak Trail platform. Its release has not yet been announced yet.

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REVIEW >> AMD will release C-60 APU with support of Turbo Core this autumn

AMD plans to expand APU Fusion family with C-60 (Ontario). The main features of the new model will be the same as an existing model C-50: two cores running at 1.0 GHz, GPU that supports DirectX 11 and high-definition video decoder UVD3.

Its main difference from C-50 is that C-60 supports Turbo Core technology support - a technology that allows to increase the frequency of both cores up to 1.33 GHz. Graphics core can also be overclocked from 276 to 400 MHz. However at the moment, the technology may be applicable to only one of the components, not to exceed the TDP 9 Watts.

It is expected that the C-60 APU will be used in netbooks, which are scheduled for release this autumn.

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