01/11, 8:15am
AMD CEO Meyer pushed out due to tablets
The sudden ouster of AMD's CEO Dirk Meyer was owed to poor competition against Apple and Intel in tablets, insiders said Tuesday. Although the company didn't give a formal explanation, those aware said the board of directors forced him out as they were frustrated with a lack of growth in server-class hardware and the tablet field established by the iPad. A presentation in November revealed that Meyer just wasn't moving fast enough for the board's liking, the WSJ said.
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08/09, 11:45am
Dell tries to scare users away from MacBooks
Dell has stirred controversy by quietly posting an inaccurate Dell versus Apple comparison section for its notebooks. The Texas PC builder tries to show that its desktops and notebooks are better values than Apple's lineup and pits the Zino HD against the Mac mini, the Inspiron 560 against the 21-inch iMac, and the Studio 15 and 17 against similarly sized MacBook Pros. For the portables, it claims Apple is charging more than twice as much for "similar" specs.
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07/21, 12:50pm
MSI outs 11.6-inch Wind U230 Light notebook
MSI has released an updated version of its Wind U230 ultraportable notebook in the form of the Wind U230 Light. Despite the name, the 11.6-inch notebook weighs 3.3lbs and is just 1.2 inches thick, which is about 0.4lbs heavier and just as thick as the original namesake. The U230 Light earns its name through an 11.6-inch display smaller than that of its 12.1-inch predecessor but with the same resolution.
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03/29, 11:55am
Athlon Neo dual-core-powered MSI Wind confirmed
The existence of the second dual-core AMD Athlon Neo X2-powered notebook from MSI has been all but confirmed thanks to a product page on the Energy Star website. The Wind U250 joins the Wind U230, though how the two differ exactly is not clear. Apart from the 1.3GHz dual-core AMD Neo chip, the low-power notebook comes with Windows 7, a 320GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM.
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03/09, 5:45pm
MSI Wind U230 gets Athlon Neo X2 below 500
MSI on Tuesday continued a string of netbook launches by formally launching the Wind U230 in the US. The 12-inch system overrides the U210 and, in one model, includes MSI's first use of AMD's dual-core, 1.6GHz Athlon Neo X2 to give it better-than-usual performance for the size and price. Windows 7 is also new and comes in full Home Premium guise rather than the Starter edition often associated with netbooks.
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01/20, 10:30pm
Netbooks scheduled for April release
ASUS is set to launch several variety of new netbooks, with AMD Athlon Neo-based models arriving next month and several Ion 2-based systems scheduled for the spring, according to a DigiTimes report. The company has already confirmed plans to release an all-in-one, the Eee Top, driven by the Ion 2 chipset, although the recent report is the first indication of an ASUS netbook based on NVIDIA's second-generation mobile platform.
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01/06, 10:20am
Toshiba T115D, T135D get AMD CULV alternative
Toshiba's Satellite T100 series expanded significantly on Wednesday with the rollout of AMD-based processors in the mix. Instead of the Intel CULV processors of before, the T115D and T135D have the option of the Athlon Neo, the dual-core Athlon Neo X2 or (on the T135D) the Turion Neo X2. They all give performance beyond that of a netbook but, because of the Radeon HD 3200 video, should be faster than the Intel-based models in graphically intensive tasks.
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01/03, 10:25pm
Lenovo AMD ThinkPads get redesign, colors
Lenovo kicked off its CES introductions early by launching a slew of new notebooks that include its first AMD-based notebooks and a major redesign. The ThinkPad Edge (link active soon) uses either Athlon Neo X2 or Turion Neo X2 dual-core processors and marks a significant change in ThinkPad philosophy: they now come in colors, including red, and have a much more modern keyboard layout with "chiclet" keys, simplified media controls and backlighting on larger notebooks. The trackpad is now larger and supports multi-touch, though the signature TrackPoint remains intact.
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11/30, 4:15pm
ASUS Eee PC 1201T is first without Intel Atom CPU
What is the first Eee PC netbook from ASUS to run on a chip other than Intel's has been spotted. The Eee PC 1201T offers the option of a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo CPU but otherwise shares the specs of the Eee PC 1201HA, which has an Intel Atom processor. There is also 2GB of RAM, and the 12.1-inch display has 1366x768 resolution. Also, the 1201T can play back 1080p video thanks to its ATI Radeon HD3200 graphics processor.
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11/27, 12:00pm
Kohjinsha turns dual-screen concept to reality
Japanese PC maker Kohjinsha has taken its dual screen notebook concept it showed off at last month's CEATEC show and made it into a production PC. The DZ6HKE16E is the first of the DZ-series of notebooks, and comes with a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 CPU, 1GB of RAM. There is also an integrated ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics chipsets to drive the two 10.1-inch displays, each with 1024x600 resolution and an LED backlight.
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11/24, 11:25pm
MSI X430 runs dual-core AMD hardware
MSI tonight added another mid-size model to its X-Slim ultraportables. An upgrade of the X410, the X430 doubles up on processor cores and uses the Athlon Neo X2. It still uses Radeon HD 3200 graphics with HDMI output but should face less of a burden by coming with Windows 7 Home Premium in place of Vista.
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11/19, 11:30am
Lenovo's AMD-based ThinkPads in spec leaks
Two of Lenovo's first notebooks to use AMD processors have been given hard specs in a German leak. True to form, the ThinkPad X100e is now known to be Lenovo's first portable in between netbooks and notebooks and should use a 1.6GHz Athlon Neo, an 11.6-inch 1366x768 display and a multi-touch trackpad. Configurations will vary but should hold up to 4GB of RAM, a 3- or 6-cell battery, and between 160GB and 500GB of hard drive space.
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11/12, 8:55am
Dell Zino HD uses AMD to undercut Apple
Dell this morning officially unveiled its most direct attempt at claiming the ultra-compact desktop space currently held by the Mac mini. Shown after multiple teases, the Inspiron Zino HD occupies roughly the same footprint as its Apple counterpart but uses AMD processors to keep the costs low while still supplying options its rival doesn't have. The micro PC is seen as a home theater PC and comes with native HDMI output as well as options of discrete Radeon HD 4330 graphics and a Blu-ray drive.
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11/11, 6:10pm
AMD plans unified CPU/GPU by 2011
AMD in its annual analyst event provided details of some of its future processors and platforms. The highlight for the semiconductor firm is "Bulldozer," a major revision for both desktops and notebooks that should be much more efficient at multithreaded codethan existing designs. It will be particularly optimized for pairing with graphics chipsets and will be supplemented by "Bobcat," a variant of Bulldozer tailored to ultraportables.
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11/06, 3:50pm
Lenovo ThinkPad X100e may reach CES
Lenovo's rumored ThinkPad netbook will launch at the start of the next year, a leak today says. It's now purportedly named the ThinkPad X100e and may ship on January 5th, just ahead of CES. System specs are only guessed at but may not necessarily cling to the Atoms found in the IdeaPads; instead, it's speculated that Lenovo may use either Intel's CULV processors or an AMD Athlon Neo.
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11/02, 4:25pm
MSI Wind12 U230 gets Windows 7, AMD Athlon Neo X2
While there was no official announcement, MSI will soon offer a new netbook-class Windows 7 portable, according to a product page for the Wind 12 U230. The PC has AMD's new 1.6GHz Athlon Neo X2 dual-core processor, which is paired with ATI's Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics chipset. Other specs are common to the current U210 notebook, including a display that's sized at 12.1 inches and with 1366x768 resolution.
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10/16, 5:00pm
Fujitsu LifeBook P3010, P3110 ready
Fujitsu has opted for an unusual end-of-week introduction for a pair of new notebooks in its LifeBook mix. The P3010 and P3110 are the company's first netbook/notebook crossovers and have 11.6-inch screens as well as a long 6.7-hour battery life that can be pushed to 7.2 with an eco mode toggle. They also borrow a technique from Apple that will share a DVD drive on the local network to read or burn discs instead of having to use a physically attached USB optical drive.
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09/28, 5:55pm
Intel plans more frequent Atom updates
Intel will more aggressively update the Atom processor than it has in the past, executive VP Sean Maloney said in an interview published today. The company waited roughly a year between the original Atom launch and its Z500 upgrade but now plans to put it more closely on the faster "tick tock" pattern it uses for regular processors, where it first shrinks the manufacturing process for an existing design and later ships a new architecture built on that process. Such upgrades will start in earnest with Pine Trail this fall, which technically achieves both by moving to a smaller 45 nanometer design and moving the graphics core to within the processor.
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09/21, 11:25am
MSI X610 uses low-power AMD CPU
MSI on Monday announced the upcoming release of the X-Slim X610 ultrathin notebook, an AMD-powered version of its currently available X600. The same 15.6-inch, 1366x768 resolution screen is used, though the Intel Core 2 CPU and related mainboard are replaced with AMD's Congo platform with an Athlon Neo processor. Other specs are shared, including the 1-inch thickness, 4.6lb weight and standard six-cell battery.
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09/17, 9:15am
MSI X410 now official
MSI this morning took the X-Slim line into AMD's territory by officially launching the X410. The crossover, 14-inch ultraportable uses the lower end of AMD's Congo ultrathin platform and uses both an Athlon Neo processor and the newer chipset to reportedly get twice as much battery life as a regular 14-inch notebook, although MSI is silent on actual numbers. The system uses the older Radeon X1250 for integrated graphics but claims its power is enough to decode 1080i video smoothly.
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09/15, 12:00am
HP ProBook 5310m and Pavilion dm3
As part of a shift to ultra-thin notebooks, HP tonight launched two crossover 13.3-inch notebooks that it hopes are both fast and portable. The ProBook 5310m is unofficially the most portable full-performance notebook ever with an 0.93-inch thick body (versus Apple's 0.94 inches) and a 3.8-pound weight; it accomplishes the feat through an aluminum shell without an optical drive and, unusually, by giving the option of a full-speed 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo as well as a CULV-based 1.2GHz Celeron dual-core. Using the Celeron gives the system as much as 7 hours of battery life using the stock 4-cell battery.
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08/21, 1:25pm
MSI Athlon Neo notebooks
Taiwan-based MSI may launch ultra-thin notebooks with AMD's Yukon platform for Athlon Neo processors as early as October, say industry sources. Digitimes reported on Friday that the PC maker has finished its testing of the notebooks but has not yet decided on a launch date as other PCs equipped with the Yukon platform, possibly including the HP Pavilion dv2, are not selling so well. The AMD processor is meant to compete with Intel's CULV range of CPUs and results in ultraportables that are costlier than netbooks but much less expensive than traditional systems.
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