News Bits: DIY Notebook, Acer Gemstone Blue Now Available, New Atom-Based Eee PC

OCZ announces DIY notebook series

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OCZ has announced its own line of do-it-yourself notebooks. Product Manager for OCZ System Solutions Eugene Chang said in a statement "With the OCZ Do-It-Yourself Notebook initiative, OCZ empowers with the resources like validated component guides, documentation, tech support, and a warranty to allow consumers to configure and build a true gaming notebook with the exact specification that matches their unique requirements."

OCZ plans to offer notebooks that can be fully customized just like a desktop. Their first machine is a 15.4-inch gaming notebook with Nvidia's popular GeForce 8600M-GT graphics card. The chassis OCZ is using is a customized Compal IFL90.

No pricing nor availability information has been released.

Press Release
Product Page

First Centrino 2 benchmarks emerge

The Intel Centrino 2 platform will be officially announced next month at Computex 2008. NotebookJournal.de has obtained a pre-sample notebook based on the new platform and has done a preliminary performance analysis.

Centrino 2 features faster processors up to 3.06GHz with a higher FSB (now 1066MHz from 800MHz in the current Santa Rosa platform). It also features newer integrated graphics, the GMA X4500.

In performance tests, the X4500 nearly doubled the performance of the X3100 in the current Santa Rosa platform. Processor performance benchmarks were less impressive, providing only small improvements in performance.

Full Story (NotebookJournal.de)

Samsung to enter notebook market

Samsung says it will pull out of the notebook market if it does not triple sales in three years. By 2011, the company needs to ship 11 million notebooks. According to Samsung executive Sukyong Hong, Samsung should meet its target if it moves into the US market.

Full Story (PCPro.co.uk)
Via (Laptoping.com)

New Acer Gemstone notebooks now available in North America

Acer has announced that its new Gemstone Blue series notebook PCs are now available in North America. The notebooks were revealed in March, and feature 16- and 18.4-inch displays. Other features of the notebooks include Nvidia GeForce 9-series graphics cards, full HD displays, and Dolby Home Theater technology.

Press Release

Microsoft, OLPC reach agreement, XP to go on laptops

Microsoft and One Laptop Per Child have finally reached an agreement after years of fighting. Microsoft did not join the project initially because it used the Linux operating system. Sales of the laptop have been slow due to a lack of confidence in machines that do not run Windows. The first of OLPC's XO laptops will be tested next month with Windows XP, and the first notebooks with the OS should be available by September. Windows will add approximately $3 to the cost of each machine. An extra $7 will be added onto dual-booting models featuring Linux and Windows. At current, the XO laptops cost $200 apiece; the goal is to bring the price down to $100.

Microsoft will not sit on the OLPC board and no payment was involved with the agreement.

Full Story (NYTimes.com)

ASUS Eee PC with Atom revealed

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Image credit: BlogEee

The image above according to French website blogeee.net shows the Eee PC 901 featuring the Intel Atom processor. It looks similar to the current Eee PC 900 with a few small differences, including the absence of the ASUS logo (replaced by the Eee PC logo to show brand separation), a new set of buttons above the keyboard, and hinge styling changes.

Some rumors are that the Eee PC 901 could hit the market later this month; no official information on availability or pricing is available.

Via (HEXUS.net)

 

WOW that was a great breathrough by OCZ....


*sarcasm*

 

yay for Centrino 2... wonder how long it takes for it to be included in laptops...

 

It is based on the ifl92... Not really a breakthrough as those have been sold under the compal own brand for quite a while.

 

It is interesting to read that Samsung are planning a serious expansion in notebook production. However, the move into North America seems to be an assumption and not a statement but should be very easy to implement since there's already a good distribution chain for other Samsung products.

Further widening of the product range should also increase sales in other markets.

John

 

How could you miss the sarcasm when he clearly stated *sarcasm*?

 

I wonder how well the Intel GMA X4500 will run Half-Life 2.

 

The shopping channel had a pretty good deal on the 16" gemstone (almost maxed out...like $1200). lol can't wait for centrino 2!

 

Meh at Centrino 2. It seems to be such a minor upgrade. I'm more interested in seeing how the mobile GeForce 9 series performs compared to the 8 series.

 

There is so much to Centrino 2 besides update graphics, which allow you to watch high def content now without an Nvidia/ATI card: Wimax, turbo memory 2, quad core notebooks, low power usage dual cores, ddr 3, and displayport support.

 

Well all that stuff is good and all but it seems pretty evolutionary. I think I'll be picking up something like an EEE PC 901 this year and then upgrading my main notebook later next year with the major bump from Nehalem (or whatever the mobile version is called)... unless the low-end Geforce 9 is a big improvement over the 8400 GS, that is.

 

I'm surprised Asus is dropping the new Atom based Eee PC so soon after the 900 came out. I think they should have just waited and put out the 901 instead since the 900 seems useless now.

 

ASUS lost me as a customer after that move. I was waiting on the Eee 900 and ordered it the day it was released. I'd return it and wait for the 901, but there's a 15% restocking fee on returns and I'm not going to drop $75 for the privilege of returning a computer I don't want. ASUS, YOU SUCK DONKEY. I hope the Wind destroys the Eee.

 

Yay for Compal IFL90!

Best notebook in the world!

 

Well at least the x4500 seems about on par with my x1400... not too bad for an igp.

I'd like to see some reviews for those gemstone notebooks. They look pretty awesome imo. I wonder if their build quality is better than previous Acer's.

 

Yay , my 3D needs are now satisfied . Is this the major outcome of the tech leap ( 30%+ FSB , DDR3 RAM ) titled as "Centrino 2" ?

 

Can't wait for a review of the new Gemstones.
X4500 is shaping up to be possibly very decent. Hopefully it doesn't get shafted by bad drivers.

 

I think you should wait and see how well eee901 performs. I guess that eee900 with celeron will be faster...

 

the atom based Eee will prob dont be any faster just do longer on a battry

 

Is it me, or that hinge on the EEE 901 doesn't really match the rest of the notebook's aesthetics? Also, it better start at $399 or the Wind is a no-brainer.

 

I can't wait to see the benchmarks on the 901, and the price. Hopefully they've got this one right.

And Kamehame if you've already ordered the 900 you might as well stick with it, the 900 will most likely be faster and the only advantage for the ATOM will be battery life.

 

Digitimes is reporting that the eee 901 will be priced "under" 650$.
US$ 649,99 anybody?


http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20080516PD210.html

 

why would you be interested in the benchmarks of a machine like the eee900 its not a mchine you buy for performance... just basic tasks like text edeting and surfing the internet

 

Sorry, wrong choice of words, I meant how well it performed loading those programs, how quick to boot up etc.

And yeah apparently it's coming in at $650

 

Nice to see larger, 18.4", and hopefully HQ lcd screens in 17" notebooks. When will others follow suit?

 

I read in some reviews, that the [wacky] touch controls on the left side of the new Gemstones aren't as responsive as desired. Kinda disappointing, that being the selling point and all. And it seems Acer is still not very reliable with its build quality. Forgot where I found that review, sorry.

 

Has anyone been able to find those new Acer notebooks anywhere?

 

looks like the msi wind will win

 

I have the new 6920g with me now. It has very good build quality. Low keyboard flex and the side control is very responsive. I made a post in the Acer forum as to where to buy in Canada. Tigerdirect and Staples both carry it. The models in Canada are not customizable and the only caveat for some people are the T5550 processors. I don't know about the larger 8920g model though.

edit:

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/...d=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20080515005276

updated processors coming soon.

 

New Gem series are great product....

The only problem is the GPU....which is not top of the line

Im thinking to get Sager (the one with Desktop CPU)

And the new asus eee 901 looks sexy.....

 

Final week: not much sleep-> cloudy mind

 

It's looking much more attractive then the EEE at the moment, a hands on:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&langpair=es|en&u=http://www.chw.net/Revisiones/Otras/mAnalisis:-MSI-Wind-Notebook-200805142014.html

(translated to English from Spanish)

$400 is around the same price as the EEE 701, and it has the features and more of the Asus 901, looks like MSI took the EEE PC idea, and improved it

 

I appreciate everyone trying to console me by telling me that the Eee 900 will probably be faster than the 901, but I remain ticked off at ASUS. First of all, even if that's true, that's no way to treat your customers. How can you release a model, wait literally TWO DAYS, then suddenly "leak" to the public that you're coming out with a NEWER model in response to the fact that MSI is putting out a much better laptop? That's like Apple putting out the iPhone and then releasing one with more memory for less one month later. No class.

Second of all, while the 900 may be faster, it will have a WAY smaller (albeit solid state) HDD for the same price. And the MSI gives you Bluetooth on top of that for LESS price. Given a redo, I'd get the MSI in one second. Go, MSI!!

 

The $400 Linux Wind model has no Bluetooth, the $550 Windows XP model does however.

 

Circuit City.

 

Asus seems to have lost all taste; the 901 looks ugly and extremly cheap. The EEE's simple white/black understated style was wonderful; just like the simple but effective style on Apples MacBooks. The tacky add-on’s and stupidly cheap plastic additions make the EEE unbelivably garish. Also, why didn’t Asus do the normal thing and improve the models of the EEE already on the market, giving the option for a Atom in June ect.

 

The Celeron and Atom versions will both be for sale until the fall since Atom is facing a shortage. And nobody knows if these photos are the real 901, we have to wait till June 3rd to find out.

 

The 901 doesn't look substantially different from the 900.

 

Follow the thread. The added plastic pieces seem, IMO, to subtract from the EEE's style. I know there no great change; but the difference is enough to ruin the EEE. I hope that the 901 pictures are fake, or at least a consept Laptop. I don't realy care about style; but going into any public place with something which looks like a childs-toy is just humiliating and overtly embarrising.
Anyway, I'm waiting for the MSI wind, or DELL options to become available on the ultra-portable market.

 

Found it on a site of a store I usually shop in. link

 

You cant be mad at Asus for having the 901 come out so soon, we all knew the Atom based model was coming soon, in the computer world there is always a better thing out in a week or a month. You buy now when you need now or you will be sitting on your money forever waiting for the right time to buy.

 

I can certainly be mad. Look, of course, we all knew the Atom-based model was coming out. That's a no-brainer. But what Asus did was stupid. Period. It didn't want to wait until the Atoms were ready ...so it half-assedly put out an "interim" upgrade, essentially. Which is fine, except if they do that, you basically assume (I did) that they're not planning on doing an Atom upgrade for a while. And they only did that in response to MSI challenging them.

Basically, they came out with a bunch of computers that nobody would buy if they had all the information. Their current 900s will cost the same as the 901s and probably be inferior in terms of HDD and perhaps other options, to compete with MSI. They deliberately kept everything quiet ...and then the info leaked out. That's lame. At least sell the 900s for less.