Microsoft just released the first Preview look of Windows 8, with the Windows 8 Developer Preview. This install was done on a Dell Mini 1012 Netbook, to show the versatility of Windows 8 and an installation on the lowest spec base current in the market. The install process for windows 8 developer Preview is fairly simple and straight forward; and similar to Windows 7. Which you will see in the video, the total install time for the Netbook was about 45mins (time will defer with a faster machine)

Base system requirements for Windows 8- (Similar to Windows 7)

Intel Atom CPU

1GB of Ram

Windows Developer Preview 32 bit ver. here

Windows Developer Preview 64 bit ver. here

Windows Developer Preview with Developer Tools here



The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook is Samsung first entry into the Chromebook Market space. As it is traditional with Samsung, They have brought in their proven expertise on hardware creation.The Samsung Series 5 is a super lightweight notebook,weigh roughly 3.3lbs and feels light and comfortable.   The Series 5 comes with 2 USB 2.0 ports, memory card reader with a 4GB memory card with the unit and an adapter for you VGA out.  The Hardware design of the Samsung Series 5 is simple and effective,



ChromeOS is know for its fast boot up time and the Series 5 from Samsung is no exception. It starts up in less than 10 sec and the device is ready to use. Something that almost seems impossible coming from a windows background. The Chromebook and ChromeOS is based on cloud operating system. That suggest you do all you computing and run all your applications on the cloud. So how well does this ChromeOS experience feel?

Well ChormeOS is effective, and does bring in a new dimension to the personal computing experience. Taking away the enfacis on personal processing power but rather shifting that to cloud processing. There in lies the strengthen and weakness of ChomeOS. On the one hand, the lack of that advanced processing power allows for long battery life (9hrs), better mobility (weighs 3Lbs), and the ability to access our content from anywhere.

On the downside you can’t have your on custom application running on the system and to be honest ChromeOS is just a browser. The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook is a great piece of hardware, well design and polished. But the at the end of the day the OS doesn’t match the quality of the hardware.

Spec Details

up to 8.5hr battery life on continuous use

12.1 SuperBright display (1200×800)

Dual-core Intel processor

weighs 3.3lbs

2 USB 2.0 ports, 4-in-1 card reader

 

 

 

Samsung Series 5 Chromebook VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Seems like thing keep coming through the mail. Just got the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook in the mail. Decided to do a quick unboxing in of the device. This is my first time getting my hands on a Chromebook as I wasn’t one of the luck few who got the free Chromebook units from Google. The Samsung Series 5 is a super lightweight notebook, at 3lbs it feels comfortable. Though its design shape make it look larger than it is.  The Series 5 comes with 2 USB 2.0 ports, memory card reader with a 4GB memory card with the unit and an adapter for you VGA out.

Setting up the Chromebook is super easy. Yes its true it boots up in less than 10 secs. Though I had to download and update which took 20mins too long. other than that. Signing in with my Google account and selecting a profile pic was a breeze and you are good to go in using the Chromebook. Which at first Glance is a Chrome browser screen. But there is more to the device that meets the eye. Stay tuned for the full review of the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook.

Spec Details

up to 8.5hr battery life on continuous use

12.1 SuperBright display (1200×800)

Dual-core Intel processor

weighs 3.3lbs

2 USB 2.0 ports, 4-in-1 card reader

Google has announced the new Chromebooks running the new Chrome OS recently at Google I/O 2011. What? A “Chromebook”?

What is Chrome OS?

You probably know Google’s Chrome web browser. It’s quite good as a web browser. Has a webstore that offers extensions & web apps. So, what is Chrome OS? Google has made this Chrome web browser the complete operating system.

How does it work?

When you turn on a Chromebook, it boots up in 8 seconds and you’re on the web using Chrome. The UI is exactly like the Chrome browser, there is no desktop background, nothing. This is an extremely light weight OS designed for people who live on the web. It’s very easy to use. You just need to log in to your account and you can access your virtual desktop from any computer in the world. So, your computer follows you wherever you go. There is no need of antivirus software, all web apps update automatically and all future upgrades are completely free. This might be really good for elder folks who don’t like nagging updates & dealing with basic computer issues since this is extremely simple & easy to use. Chromebooks by Samsung and Acer are available now if you are interested.

Everything CLOUD

But, the thing is – everything is ON THE CLOUD. There is nothing on the PC. Everything is on the web. For instance, for writing documents; you’ll need Google Docs; for photos you’ll need something like Picasa; your videos have to be uploaded to YouTube. So, all your stuff will be owned by Google. This leads to privacy issues. When you upload a photo on Facebook, you accept the terms and conditions that Facebook has the copyright on all your content. Similarly, all your apps, docs & media content will be on the cloud and Google will own all of it. So, knowingly or unknowingly you are giving up your privacy. That’s a major issue. I don’t want Google to own my data and I’m not willing to give up my privacy.

Another major issue – as these Chromebooks are completely dependent on the internet, what happens when you move out of 3G or Wi-Fi coverage? Apparently, you can download some files and apps to your computer’s small internal storage drive but actually you have to “specify” that you want to download that file in the first place! Imagine you spent all night preparing your assignment on the web & you forget to save a copy of it on your local drive. You wake up the next morning getting ready to hand in your assignment that afternoon, you boot up your chrome book in the 8 advertised seconds and ready to print it out only to find out that your internet connection has died due to a fault in your local area or you simply moved out of Wi-Fi or 3G coverage. What happens then?

You might be thinking tablets are equally dependent on the internet as these new Chromebooks. That’s true to a certain extent. The primary purpose of a tablet is to be a web surfing device to be honest. But, the apps still live on the iPad for example. You can still watch movies, listen to music, view and edit photos & videos and play games in offline mode. All in, the major point of concern is privacy. Who is seriously willing to give up their privacy just so that they can boot up their computers a bit faster? Boot up times on conventional computers are going to increase anyway. Machines like the Samsung Series 9 and the MacBook Air boot up in around 12 seconds. What’s wrong with a 10 to 15 second boot up or even a 20 second boot up?

One more question. Why are these Chromebooks around the same price as every other notebook of the same specs? Considering the OS is free, shouldn’t these machines be a little bit cheaper?

Cloud computing services are necessary. True. But, cloud based operating systems? No, thank you.

So, what do you think? Are Chromebooks the future?

More details on the chromebooks via engadget, Google is really not pulling punches here with the Chromebooks, trying to crave a market space by offering the a unqiue value with its subscription pricing.

Pricing Table

More Via Engadget

Nvidia had a lot to show At PAX East. First off, all their systems at the show were running the new Nvidia GTX480 cards in SLI configurations. The Also had Demos of Metro 2033, Battle Field 2 Bad Company, & Avatar the game all in 3D. It did look pretty good.

Booth Tour Video

Another cool tech the showed of was the Optimus technology for laptop and netbooks, which allow for automatic software switching from dedicated GPU to the integrated GPU, which goes along way in saving battery power.

Key Benefits:

• Optimus technology is completely automatic allowing you to experience longer battery life and amazing visuals without having to manually change settings.
• Behind the scenes and with no interference to what you’re doing, Optimus seamlessly figures out how to best optimize your notebook computing experience.
• NVIDIA graphics you’ve come to expect, with more than 10x better performance¹ with NVIDIA® CUDA™ technology, allowing you to enjoy your applications and games without interruption or worry.

Also had devices that had Tegra 2 chips in them and lots of games stations and contest to booth.( 20 Free codes for the Starcraft II Beta, AHHHHHHH). NVIDIA Did come out to flex some muscle and they sure did in an impressive way

Battle field 2 Bad Company in 3D ( SLI GTX 480 output on 3 screens)

TEGRA 2 chip devices

Netbooks with Optimus Tech

(LG X120 3G Netbook” provided by LG to be able to experience the product. Opinion & Review remains that of Booredatwork)

The LG X120 3G Netbook is a very slick device, at 10. 1 inches the Netbook comes with  3USB ports, 1.3 Megapixel Webcam, VGA out, SD card slot, s-link port and a 3G card slot with AT&T in the battery bay, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built-in. The LG X120, also pack a  battery life of up to 7 hours on a full charge. The LG Smart On Menu is also very nice addition that makes the uses of this Netbook even greater.

Hardware Design

The LG X-120 is well designed and slick device, smooth surface with a keyboard that does work with large hands( yes I can use this Netbook effectively). The ports are well placed for easy access; the feels like a mini laptop than a Netbook. Which is a good thing in my book. Its light wait with the 6 cell battery and very very portable. The 10.1 Led looks gorgeous.

Video Review

Smart ON

I really like this feature, I wish all laptops & Netbooks had this feature built-in. Power on the Netbook in 6 seconds and you off browsing, chatting, viewing pictures, listening to music and playing games on your Netbook.

3G Software (AT&T Communications Manger)

When using 3G on the devices, the At7T communications manager does you wireless selection between 3G and WiFi selections.. It also displays signal strengthen and different wireless connection points via wifi.  The software also allows you to send text messages from the LG x120 Netbook to other cellphones. Which is a very neat added feature.

In all the LG x120 is a very solid Netbook and a good entry by LG, the design is simple and sick, after a week of solid testing and use. I found the Netbook to be very useable and the portability was a plus. Battery life from the 6 cell battery at 7 plus hours was a delight. Knowing I didn’t have to be by a power outlet each time I used the LG X120. The LG X120 retail at MSRP of $400, with  its 3G functionality and 7 hr battery life. I say its well worth the price.

Specs

General

Processor
Intel® Atom? Processor N270, 1.6GHz, 533MHz FSB, 512KB L2 Cache
Operating System
Genuine Windows® XP Home (Canadian Bilingual)
Chipset
Mobile Intel®945 GSE Express Chipset
Memory
1GB DDR2 800MHz
LCD Display
10.1″ LED backlit LCD 1024×576
Resolution
1024 X 576
Graphics
Intel® GMA 950
Hard Drive
160GB SATA 5400RPM
Optical Drive
None
Audio
SRS WOW HD, SRS TruSurround XT,Stereo Speakers (3W/ch)
Input/Output Port
3xUSB, VGA, RJ45, Mic-in, HP-out, SmartLink
AC Adapter
40W
Dimensions (WxDxH)
264 x 178.5 x 25.1-37.8 mm
Weight
1.27kg (with a 6 cell battery)
Colour
White with Lime trim
Security
HDD Security, Kensington Lock

Communication

Wireless
802.11 bg
W-LAN Antenna
Dual Hexa-band Antenna
LAN
10/100MB Ethernet
Bluetooth
Yes (Bluetooth v2.1+EDR)
WebCam
LG Smart Cam(1.3M Pixel)

3G (At&T 3G Card)

Input Device

Keyboard
84 keys (93%) ER Keyboard
Pointing Device
Touchpad with Scroll Function

Expansion Slot

Multimedia Card Slot
4-in-1 (SD, MMC, MS, MS pro)
PC Card Slot
None

Battery

Standard
6Cell(Li-Ion 4400mAh)

Software

Pre-installed
Open Office, Smart On, Smart Link, IP Operator, LG Magnifier, Cyberink YouCam, SRS WOW HD, SRS Trusurround XT, Norton Anti-virus (Trial Version), LG Smart Recovery (with Smart Partition), LG Intelligent Update, Google Toolbar, WIDCCOM Bluetooth
CD/DVD Titles
LG Intelligent Update DVD

Warranty

LG USA
1 year limited international

This is an Unboxing video of the LG X120 3G Netbook. Will have the full review soon

Now you can take you dual screen setup on the road with ONkyo’s DZ series Netbook, as far as specs go besdies the dual screens. It has 2x 10.1” 1366 x 768 displays, Athlon Neo MV-40 (1.6GHz, single-core) processor, 2GB RAM, 320GB HDD, AMD M780G chipset, ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit, Fingerprint scanner, 1.3MP Webcam, battery good for up to 3.7 hours.

In our 100th video we discuss the newly announced Apple iPad and why it s is not the proposed netbook killer some for proclaimed it to be. I would also like to all our viewers and subscribers for all the support. Thank you and enjoy the video.

1. No webcam or Camera: Which means no quality Skyping or Video Conferencing. and can’t simply take pictures.
2. Same OS as the iPhone 3.2: While it keeps things simple, it doesn’t seem fresh.
3. No flash: streaming content is out of the picture aka HULU Seriously no Flash!
4. ebook: prices are not to exciting. $14.99 might as well go to the Library
5. Not sure if you can transfer: your your old ebook or free Google books
6. No Multitasking,:seriously Apple. This is a no Brainer
7. iTunes: only, you are tied down
8. AT&T: 3G service, limits its use( should be open to all carriers)
9. Price Point:  $499 -$849 is a high price for an off use device. I can by an iPhone or Nexus One or two solid Netbooks
10. Not Netbook:

The Sony Viao X Series is a ridiculously light 11.1 notebook, that feels like a notepad in your hands, powered by an Intel Atom processor. The “X” comes with either 64GB or 128GB SSD storage, a full complement of USB ports  and VGA out, Verizon 3G card built-in, GPS and a Solid aluminum case build. Retails starts at $1,499 and comes with not one but two batteries. The standard battery runs 4hrs and the extended runs for 10 hrs.

Product Specifications

General

Action Buttons : Wireless / Bluetooth® on / off

Computer Type : Notebook

Pointing Device : Electro-static touch pad

Type of Use : Ultra-portable

Wireless/Networking

Bluetooth® Technology : Integrated Stereo A2DP (2.1 + EDR)¹²

Ethernet Protocol : 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T (Gigabit)

Ethernet Speed : Fast Ethernet (RJ-45)

Mobile Broadband : Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband Built-in¹⁸

Wi-Fi : 802.11 b/g/n³

GPS : Yes¹⁹

Service and Warranty Information

Telephone Support : 1 year toll-free technical assistance available 24/7¹⁰ at 888-476-6972

Online and Email Support : Available at http://www.esupport.sony.com/EN/VAIO

International Service : 1 year international service plan. Registration required. See www.sony.com/IRSP for details.

Limited Warranty Term : 1 year limited warranty⁹. See actual warranty for details.

Display

Back Light Technology : LED

Resolution : 1366×768

Screen Size : 11.1″⁴

Memory

Installed : 2GB (2GBx1)

Type/Speed : DDR2/533MHz

Maximum : 2GB

Weights and Measurements

Dimensions (Approx.) : 10.95″(W) x 0.55″(H) x 7.29″(D)⁶

Weight (Approx.) : 1.60 lbs (with standard battery)

Power

Battery Type : Standard Capacity Lithium-ion Battery and Large Capacity Lithium-ion Battery

Estimated Battery Life : Up to 3.0 hours⁸ with Standard Capacity Battery
Up to 12.0 hours⁸ with Large Capacity Battery

Expansion Slots

Multimedia Card Reader : One Memory Stick Duo™ media slot with MagicGate® functionality
One Secure Digital (SD memory card) media slot

Graphics

Chipset : Mobile Intel® Hub US15W Chipset

Processor : Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 500¹³

Inputs and Outputs

DC-In : 1

Ethernet Connection(s) : 1

Headphone Output(s) : 1

Microphone Input : 1

USB Port(s) : 2 (2.0 compliant)

Environmental Information

ENERGY STAR® : 5.0

EPEAT™ : Gold

ROHS® : Compliant

Hardware

Camera : Built-in MOTION EYE® camera and microphone with face-tracking technology (640×480) VGA

Keyboard : QWERTY, 82 keys with 1.2mm stroke and 17mm pitch

Solid State Drive

Capacity : 128GB

Interface : Serial ATA

Audio

Sound System : Intel® High Definition Audio

Processor

Front Side Bus Speed : 533MHz

L2 Cache : 512kB

Speed : 2.00GHz

Type : Intel® Processor

Software

Operating System : Genuine Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium 32-bit

Anti-Virus Software : Norton Internet Security™ 2009 30-Day Trial Offer¹⁵

Supplied Software : Microsoft® Works SE 9.0 w/ 60-Day Trial Version of Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007¹¹
Microsoft® Streets and Trips 2009¹⁹

The VAIO® Software Experience : VAIO Care™ – System diagnostics and maintenance

In the Box

AC Adapter

Standard Lithium-ion battery

Power Cable

Large Capacity Battery

The enTourage eDge is a unique device , its an e-book reader that combines a dual screen format and uses it in a classic book sense that well makes sense. Running the Android OS,  with 4GB of internal memory for storing countless books and numerous Android app. The eDge positions itself differently within its market place as a device that bridges both worlds of the reader and the laptop/tablet.. The practical applications are quite extensive for the eDge, within class rooms, Business meetings, sales enviroment.  enTourage is currently taking pre-orders right now on their site entouragesys.com and it retails for $490 in five different colors. Enjoy the video of the device in action. I personally can’t wait to get my hands on it.

enTourage eDGe™ Specifications

Dimensions: 8.25″ x 10.75″ by 1.0″ (closed)

Weight: approx. 3.0 lbs.

Internal Memory: 4 GB (3 GB for user) up to 3000 books

E-reader File Formats: ePub, PDF

LCD Touchscreen Display Size: 1024 x 600 (10.1″)

E-paper Display Size: 9.7″ e-Ink®(1200 x 825), 16 shades of gray

E-paper Input: Wacom® Penabled®

Operating System: Linux with Google® Android®

Screen Rotation: 90 and 180 degrees

Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth capability

Battery Life: 16+ hours utilizing the e-reader screen / up to 6 hours running the LCD screen

Battery Type: Lithium-ion polymer

External Memory: SD card slot, 2 USB ports

Audio and Microphone Jack: 3.5 mm each. Includes internal microphone and speakers.

Audio playback: MP3, WAV, 3GPP, MP4, AMR, AAC, OGG, M4A

Video playback: 3GP, MP4, Adobe Flash Lite (H.264)

Input: Stylus input on e-paper and touchscreen. Virtual keyboard. USB keyboard (optional)

Looks like Andriod is picking up steam. This interesting news comes via Tmotoday

The HTC – T-Mobile team has been hard at work on an Android Powered netbook with built in 3G connectivity.  While there is no impending release date, it was hinted that the yet to be named device would be showing up before the end of this year.

via tmotoday