John Morris and Sean Portnoy deliver straight talk about notebook and desktop computers.
John Morris is a former executive editor at CNET Networks and senior editor at PC Magazine.
Sean Portnoy is a former executive editor at Computer Shopper magazine and editor at CNET Networks.
Rumors of netbooks using smartphone components rather than Intel chips and Microsoft Windows are nothing new. But we're finally getting a good idea of just what a PC based on an ARM processor and Linux will look like.
AMD will give its Dragon desktop platform a boost today with the release of faster Phenom II X4 quad-core chips. The new platform, which also includes the ATI Radeon HD 4890 GPU announced earlier this month and an updated version of its OverDrive utility, is geared toward enthusiast and gamers.
Intel hasn't made any secret of its plans to release ultra low-voltage chips for relatively inexpensive, ultra-thin consumer notebooks. In last week's earnings call, CEO Paul Otellini said the company looked forward to the "new consumer ultra low voltage products which will enable many new thing and light notebooks at very compelling price points.
AMD appears to be on track to release its first "Fusion" processor that combines an x86 CPU core with a graphics processor on a single silicon chip sometime in 2011. The first so-called APU, or Accelerated Processing Unit, is code-named Llano and will be manufactured using 32nm process technology.
After a prolonged, elaborate marketing campaign, the Dell Adamo 13 ultraportable is finally widely available and several sites have recently posted full reviews.Reviewers agreed that the Adamo succeeded in the design department with a sturdy, aluminum case that, at 0.
At CTIA Wireless earlier this month, I got a first look at MSI's latest netbook, the Wind U123, along with some new laptops. Now MSI has posted details on the new models.
Thanks to a slew of acquisitions, Acer has quickly become the world's third-largest PC company, and is now within striking distance of Dell.Yesterday Acer unveiled a new line of notebooks, netbooks and desktops that is meant not only to maintain that momentum, but also to sharpen the identities of the four brands leftover from this buying binge.
HP's latest ultraportable, the Pavilion dv2, is now available.Announced at CES in January, the dv2 is notable because it is part of AMD's strategy to counter Intel Atom-based netbooks with ultraportables that are closer in price to netbooks, but offer features more like full-fledged notebooks.
AT&T announced that it will start selling netbooks for as low as $50 in some trial markets with a two-year service contract. The company will offer the Acer Aspire One, Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and Mini 12, and LG Xenia netbooks--as well as the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 laptop--at subsidized prices in Atlanta and Philadelphia.
In the past wireless carriers spent a lot of time devising ways to keep devices other than phones off their networks. But as wireless networks get faster, the options for connecting are expanding.