NetNote design wins announced - sort of

VIA issued a Press Release on Friday announcing some design wins with their VIA Surfboard NetNote Edition. The announcement was made at their Autumn Global Mobility Bazaar gathering in Shenzen China. The NetNote, as you may remember, is 10.2-12.1" notebook with a VIA Nano processor and the VX855 chip, capable of playing HD video. No details were released about the specifics of the design wins, like manufacturers and models, but they did release some details about features.
"Along with high bit-rate 1080p HD video playback capability, many of the NetNote systems also offer additional value with external MP3 control decks that can be operated without having to boot the OS, digital TV modules that receive CMMB standard digital video broadcasts from both satellite and terrestrial transmitters, and FM transmitter functionality that allows users to tune in car radios or cell phones to pick up broadcasts from NetNote devices."

Pink UMPC

I know this isn't a netbook but it's an ultra mobile device. It reminds me of the Samsung and Tablet Kiosk UMPCs from years back, except that it's pink with a Pierre Cardin style - apparently, I have a feeling it's not officially sanctioned!

"Pierre Cardin PC-729 features a seven inch screen resolution 800 x 480 WVGA touchscreen course (resistive), 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor, excellent memory, 16GB SSD and price around 350 euros. Not bad when you consider that the RAM is 1GB, there’s accelerometer, Ethernet, three USB ports, Wifi, webcam and ability to integrate the card with GPS, Bluetooth and 3G. 3000 mAh battery, but lasts only 2.5 hours." - Techlocation.

GMB won't make money till 2010

Digitimes reports that VIA's Timothy Chen has admitted that their Global Mobility Bazaar (GMB) efforts are not expected to contribute to revenues until next year. "However, Chen said that the company has found the key to solving the problem and is currently working aggressively on improvements. Chen said he expects integration will be completed before the end of 2009."

The report from Digitimes includes a list of members of the GMB, representing a variety of types of manufacturers.

Linux to gain more foothold in mobile space?

As the year rolls on we're seeing more and more specs released for smartbooks. They're kind of like netbooks but even smaller and with crazy battery life - battery life like you're used to on a mobile phone in fact. I might have to change my blog name if they really can deliver what they promise. A lot of these smartbook designs use ARM processors and almost all of them run Linux. Both ARM and VIA joined the Linux foundation this month. Is the use of Linux on mobile devices about to increase with smartbooks?

"Two designers of low-power microprocessors – ARM and Via Technologies – this month joined the Linux Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to standardizing Linux operating system. Both companies said that see huge opportunities for Linux in mobile devices, but while ARM processors power the vast majority of mobile phones, chips from Via are only found in a few netbooks (which are sold only in China) and low-power desktop/embedded applications." - XBitLabs.

NetNote name not liked but NetNote Surfboard design given thumbs up

Yesterday I questioned the usefulness of another name for another segment of the mobile space, when VIA announced a new NetNote platform. It seems I am not the only one wondering if we really need yet another name for a portable clamshell design. LegitReviews, although they like the NetNote platform, dubbing it a possible rival to NVIDIA's ION, they don't have positive comments for the NetNote name itself: " ... can Via really see the term 'netnote' taking off? Those delusional pills must be strong... "
CrunchGear seem to get the idea a bit more: "Netbooks are too underpowered, notebooks are too bulky and expensive – “SILENCE!” shouts VIA. All hail the new “NetNote” category, if you please. We’re basically talking netbooks with 10- to 12-inch screens that can handle 1080p HD video without breaking stride."
But the title of their article does hint at them being a little underwhelmed by all this segmentation of the market: "VIA searches for portable computing Goldilocks zone with ‘NetNote’ platform".
VIA may be splitting hairs with the new NetNote category but manufacturers need to. Consumers want specific features and they don't want to pay for what they don't want. So manufacturers are keen to get the balance right with different platforms.

ANOTHER category: NetNote

Sometimes it's useful to coin a new phrase, develop a new terminology, for a new segment in the IT market. Sometimes marketing peeps in companies just like to come up with new words. When I first saw the title of VIA's Press Release, "VIA Unviels SurfBoard Platforms and Turnkey Systems for New NetNote Category" I thought ... "Oh no! Here we go again! What is it this time? Smaller than a netbook? I thought that was a smartbook!?" But actually, there may be a plausible reason for the new NetNote term. Whether or not it'll become a mainstream term is far less likely, however.

Have you ever taken the back off a notebook or netbook? Underneath you'll find an odd shaped motherboard that has the graphics and processor embedded on it. For a quick and easy way for manufacturers to make a netbook, VIA launched the SurfBoard platform in March this year. It paired the then quite new VX855 media system processor with a C7-M. Today VIA has improved the specs by offering the Nano as an option as well, plus support for an HDMI port and 3G module options.


Rather than decreasing the size of the platform they're targetting, the NetNote SurfBoard platform is aimed at notebooks which are 10.1" - 12.1" and crucially, supporting 1080p HD video. They must also be ultra-portable (fat and heavy designs need not apply) and cheap (sorry, not a good marketing word, but that's the cold hard fact). So it's in those four factors where the distinction lies for VIA between a notebook and a NetNote: medium size screen, supports 1080p playback, light and thin, and affordable. That's not to say that there aren't notebooks that fit that description already, but they may not be VIA-based, so I guess there's the fifth distinction!


The Press Release goes on to highlight VIA’s GMB Alliance, which sees VIA working closely with Chinese manufacturers. VIA are holding another GMB event in China, Friday week, where they’ll be demonstrating the NetNote turnkey solution.

OLPC 1.5 with C7 processor spotted - and played with

We've known for a long while now that the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) netbooks would be getting a VIA processor with their next upgrade. The OLPC learning club in DC has one already and they've published a video comparing it to the previous version. The OLPC 1.0 has an AMD Geode 433MHz whilst the new OLPC 1.5 model has a VIA 1GHz which operates at variable speeds (presumably depending on the application/s being run). - Liliputing If you're wondering why they use a VIA C7-M instead of a Nano, it would be because of a cost vs performance consideration. OLPC netbooks are designed for educational needs of kids in third world countries.

eNote solution on video

VIA have a released a video on YouTube which has one of their marketing peeps explaining the new eNote Turnkey solution - the one announced last week that puts a VIA 1.3GHz Nano 11.6" notebook with a Sequans Communications chip bringing WiMAX, HSDPA and EVDO to the package.

VIA's new platform delivers new screen size and WiMAX

First there was NanoBook - 7" screen and Wi-Fi. Then there was OpenBook - 8.9". Now the screen size has gone up again, to 11.6" with eNote. According to all the PR years ago when NanoBook was first launched, the platforms would continue to miniturize. In terms of what consumers have demanded, however, it's the portatibility afforded by miniturization but with a bigger screen size. This is not lost on VIA with this latest platform they are calling a "turnkey solution". The hardware specs are just an upgraded version from previous platforms:

"Powered by the 1.3GHz VIA Nano processor and the VIA VX800 digital media IGP chipset, the eNote is a slim-line, 1.3kg, 11.6" form factor design that supports WXGA screen resolutions and high performance VIA Chrome9™ DirectX™ 9.0 3D graphics. Advanced video acceleration for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9, VC1 and DiVX video formats, a VMR capable HD video processor and 8-channel HD audio make it a feature-rich thin and light platform."

What makes it extra special is the partnership of Sequans Communications, which gives the eNote WiMAX support.

"The VIA eNote Turnkey Solution offers unrivaled broadband connectivity options though two internal modules, with the first one featuring WiFi, Bluetooth, and optional AGPS connections and the second one offering WiMAX, HSDPA, and EV-DO/W-CDMA options. Additionally, the device comes with three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port, and audio-in/audio-out jacks as well as a 4-in-1 card reader (SD/SDIO/MMC/MS) and a 2 mega-pixel dual-headed web camera." - Press Release.

Lenovo now cheaper but offers more

Lenovo have launched a new version of their IdeaPad S12 notebook that has a VIA Nano processor. Not only that, the RAM has increased from 1GB to 2GB and the hard drive size is now 320GB instead of 160GB. And it's cheaper than the Atom version which has the smaller RAM and HDD. Does this mean that the VIA Nano processor is so much cheaper than the Atom that Lenovo were able to increase other specs? I'm not sure, but what a good deal! - Gadgetmix.

Not high marks - but cheap as!

The Sylvania Gnet 13001 is a re-hashed, re-positioned version of a netbook, once called a NanoBook, which was first available almost three years ago. Sales were confined to South East Asia but now it's available on Amazon and eBay for around $200, according to RateNetbooks.

"We have to be clear, that this laptop impresses in virtually no way other than the price. It is running a lightweight, non Windows OS and still features relatively poor performance."

That may sound harsh but it's fair. It is after all running a VIA C7-M processor, not the snappy power efficient VIA Nano. But $200 for some people makes this almost a consumable item or a toy for a child's present.

Lenovo's IdeaPad S12 with Nano out in Taiwan

Lenovo have released a version of their IdeaPad S12 with a VIA Nano processor. It's not clear yet whether it will be released outside of Taiwan.
"The Nano U2250 powered S12 with 2GB of memory should end up some 25 percent cheaper than the Intel-based version without an OS. This sounds like a pretty fair deal, as the Nano U2250 is a decent CPU and the rest of the spec will probably remain unchanged."-Fudzilla.

Larger than others

The Samsung NC20 which is usually referred to as a notebook and not a netbook, has a 12.1" screen and here's something I didn't know, the touch pad is larger than most as well.

"Another excellent feature of this laptop is that it actually has a larger touchpad compared to most of the netbooks. The full-size keyboard seems to be easy to use; however, there seem to be no quick launch buttons. This however is a common thing for most netbooks."-PCHijack.com