Intel's barking up all kinds of trees (ones planted by Qualcomm, NVIDIA and ARM) with its Moorestown Atom platform, and while it'll be quite some time before we see an Atom Inside sticker gracing the face of a smartphone, the company's making sure the world sees what it has ramped up so far with reference builds here in Taipei. Aava Mobile was kind enough to build a number of prototypes for Intel to showcase at Computex, and while the vast majority were running Moblin, a couple were humming along with Android 2.1 underneath. We were able to get our hands around one here at the show, and while performance seemed decent enough, it certainly didn't floor us any more than a 1GHz Snapdragon has in the past. Granted, we weren't able to seriously tax it due to having no internet connection and no pre-loaded HD multimedia, but casual users probably won't notice a significant boost in screen transitions. Don't take our word for it, though -- jump on past the break for a video of Intel doing Eclair.
Microsoft has been all over Computex this week, and we caught a few minutes with the software giant's OEM vice pres Steve Guggenheimer (aka the Guggs) after his keynote this afternoon. Obviously, tablets were top of mind for us and he reinforced that Microsoft plans to push Windows 7 hard for the category, just as we have recently heard. "People are looking for a premium experience and the benefit of Windows familiarity," he said. When we asked him about Windows Phone 7 scaling up into the larger-screened devices or even a tablet version of Windows 7, he was quite firm in saying that the current PC offering is the platform of choice. He cited netbooks being the record for the company, and that people want to use slates not only for "content consumption," but also creation. On the other hand, Microsoft also has its Embeded Compact 7 for ARM-based tablets and devices.
Microsoft certainly made a bit of splash at Computex with the introduction of Windows Embedded Compact 7, but it's not necessarily the easiest thing to wrap your head around right off the bat (or say three times fast). Thankfully, Microsoft has now come through with a site that explains the new OS in detail (complete with videos), and a trial download that will let you get a sneak peek at it yourself. The short of it is that the OS is aimed at devices that don't need or aren't well suited to the full-fledged Windows 7 (or Windows Phone 7, for that matter) -- like the Eee Pad pictured above -- which, incidentally, seems to address one of the major concerns from folks like NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. That added simplicity also means that the OS won't run regular Windows applications -- it is a successor to Windows CE, after all -- but Microsoft does at least promise a "streamlined developer experience." That's not to say the OS isn't capable in its own right, though -- it boasts a full-range of media playback capabilities (including MPEG-4 and HD video), built-in support for Silverlight for Windows Embedded and Flash 10.1, a customized version of Internet Explorer with full multitouch, support for Open GL ES 2.0, support for the latest ARM v7 architectures and, of course, "seamless" integration with Windows 7, to name just a few highlights. Still hungry for more details? Then hit up the source link for the complete rundown and Microsoft's videos, and for all the information you need to download the preview release.
6/03/2010 01:04:00 AM
kenmouse
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BlackBerry Bold 9650
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Mobile News
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Alright, BlackBerry fans. It’s time to double-check your bank balance and when you’re current contract is set to expire, as Verizon has just officially announced it will be releasing the BlackBerry Bold 9650 tomorrow, June 3rd. To be available online only for the first week, brick and mortar stores will begin selling the 9650 exactly one week later on June 10th. The cost? $149.99 on a 2-year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate. Not too shabby. Anyone planning on picking up the successor to the tuh-tuh-Tour?
6/03/2010 01:03:00 AM
kenmouse
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Technology
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Viliv X10
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We’ve a soft spot for Viliv, since the Korean company have actually managed to get more than one MID and/or tablet device onto the market rather than just push out renders, and so the company’s new Viliv X10 slate is all the more interesting. LaptopMag grabbed some hands-on time with the 10-inch 1366 x 768 16:9 capacitive touchscreen tablet, complete with an unspecified ARM-based processor that’s 1080p HD capable. Connectivity puts the iPad in the shade, too, with HDMI, an SD card reader, USB and WiFi, and Viliv reckon there’ll be options for 3G and WiMAX too.
Interestingly, while Viliv were showing an Android-based X10 – running OS 2.1 for Computex, but getting OS 2.2 Froyo in time for the slate’s launch – Microsoft had the same hardware running Windows 7 at their booth. No word on whether it will be offered alongside the Android model, or was just put together to bolster Microsoft’s line-up.
6/03/2010 01:08:00 AM
kenmouse
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Google has announced that it expects the first Chrome OS netbooks to launch in late fall, with Sundar Pichai – head of the Chrome project – using Computex 2010 to narrow down the previous “second half of 2010″ window. As the search giant has hinted at previously, they plan on being careful in how Chrome OS is delivered; “We will be selective on how we come to market because we want to deliver a great user experience,” Pinchai said, “we’re thinking on both the hardware and software levels.”
