Netbooks and VIA enjoy gains

John Peddie research has released figures showing a jump in growth for the GPU market, including sales increases for VIA of 100% in the last quarter. The growth has been accounted for because of IGPs being used in notebooks and netbooks, sales of which increased by 27% in Q2. Fast on the heals of the announcement that the US has climbed out of recession, things are also looking up for GPU manufacturers - except for Nvidia, which lost 4% market share in the same period.

"A total of 119.45 million units were shipped in the third quarter, exceeding the record 111 million units in the third quarter of 2008," said Dr Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research.

"So the market has caught up with, and exceeded, last year's highs. The crash of Autumn 2008 is now behind us." - V3.co.uk

Will vendors choose VIA Nano with Nvidia ION 2?

Netbookchoice is running the rumor mill, conjecturing about the processors that will be supported by Nvidia's upcoming ION 2 platform. Apparently Fudzilla said that ION 2 will support "VIA Nano, Intel ULV & of course Intel Atom". They wonder if this will lead to a wave of VIA Nano + ION 2 netbooks. That sounds kind of nice but there is a bit of an uphill battle with that idea. Intel simply has more marketing muscle and pull with manufacturers, to entice them to buy their own Intel platforms - CPUs and chipsets - for their netbooks. Then again, if it's cheaper and it's got better performance and battery life, manufacturers could be convinced that it will sell more.
It's too early to tell.

Why choose the Nano version of the Lenovo IdeaPad S12

I have written here before several times that the VIA Nano version of the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 is cheaper than the Atom version. But aside from price, is there a good reason to choose it? An UberTechGuy - the nick name he calls himself, not my nickname for him - did choose the Nano version and here's why:

"I looked at all of the netbooks on the market and settled on the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 with the VIA Nano ULV 2250 (1.30GHz 800MHz 1MB) processor. Why VIA instead of Intel Atom? I liked the fact that it would address 3 GB of memory (RAM), had a very fast front-side BUS (quick communication between the processor and the rest of the system) and 1MB of video memory (fast video). Also, the reviews and benchmarks (speed tests) were very good. I should note that the VIA is a 64-bit processor."

Put your pedal to the, er ... OLPC

I'm not sure if this model OLPC netbook is the VIA based version or not, but look, it has ever lasting power - or at least as long as your legs can take you!

"There are already hand cranks available that let you charge up an XO Laptop while you’re not using it. But now the folks at OLPC Afghanistan have built a machine prototype that lets you charge the laptop while you’re using it by connecting a hand crank to a pedal. In other words, you can sit at a desk and pedal away to generate electricity while your hands are free to actually use the computer." - Liliputing

Asus Eee clone with VIA Nano

China, there is a growing business of manufacturers who take a design from a major manufacturer and copy it, altering it a bit but keeping the look fairly similar. In this case the EEE 1002HA Asus netbook design has been copied, but on the inside is a VIA Nano processor instead of an Atom.

"The VIA NANO runs at a clock speed of 1.3GHz. VIA’s new VX855 chipset allows one to enjoy 1080p videos on the tiny 10-inch screen of this cloned netbook and that too with jus 20-30% CPU utilization." - Gadgetmix

Samsung NC20 recommended as great budget buy

Yet another doom and gloom introduction to a netbook review ... there is an economic crisis - like we did know that already - and netbooks are a good option. Netbook PC has specifically recommended the VIA Nano based Samsun NC20. After detailing the specs they say:
"I know all this is not enough for you to make up your mind. It is the performance that matters. This Samsung mini notebook stands out here as well. The Samsung NC20-21GBK Netbook is equipped with a powerful yet energy-efficient VIA Nano processor, which uses 65 nanometer process technology. You can be guaranteed of a performance that is way better than other notebooks available in the market today."

HP 2133 gets new lease on life

The HP 2133 Mini-note was a major design coupe for VIA, being a big brand name manufacturer. It was also one of the first netbooks with a high res screen. If you bought one, you may look back on your purchase now with a tinge of regret because unlike many newer netbooks, the HP 2133 Mini-note can only manage 480p. Well, here's a fix, a way to boost the HD resolution by installing a Braodcomm Crystal HD Enhanced Media Accelorator.

"With the Broadcom card installed, he was able to watch 720p and 1080p video on his netbook. It’s also worth pointing out that the HP 2133 was one of the first netbooks with a high resolution display to hit the streets. It has an 8.9 inch, 1280 x 720 pixel screen.
He even found that he could play Blu-Ray video as long as he paused for a few seconds to let the video buffer first." - Liliputing.com

3G plus netbook at bargain price

I haven't seen mobile communications or 3G service providers in Australia sell contracts with netbooks. Smartphones, absolutely, but nothing larger as yet. In Taiwan, the Kinpo NO3V 11.6" netbook is available with a 2 year 3G contract. The specs read like a familiar recipe: VIA Nano 1.3GHz, VX800 single chip solution, 160GB HDD, webcam, Ethernet, car reader, USB, etc. With the two year contract the price is really a great deal - $US285 (approx). Here's a video review of the Kinpo:

Lenovo varieties

Everyone is always mentioning how the Lenovo S12 has two flavors: Intel Atom or VIA Nano. The Nano is cheaper. Why?
"The VIA has a slower clockspeed (1.3-GHz vs. the Atom’s 1.6-GHz) but in every other respect that matters it’s a more powerful chip: It’s got a faster bus (800-GHz vs. 533-Mhz) and twice the cache (1MB vs. 512KB). It’s also a 64-bit processor, although like most netbooks, the S12 I used ran the decidedly 32-bit Windows XP. (I don’t know if Lenovo intends to offer a version of the Nano-equipped S12 that runs a 64-bit version of Windows 7; it could be pretty darn cool.)" - Technologizer.
Then again, apparently the battery life is a little less - but that's what you get for more performance I guess.

Two happy Samsung NC20 owners?

The Samsung NC20 has a 12.1" screen so really, in my opinion, it's a notebook, not a netbook. Never the less it has been reviewed by two "customers" on the "Netbook Reviews by Comparison" website, where "users" post reviews of product. Funny thing is, I can't find a place to login and post a review. The site was started in August 2009 and is basically a cleverly laid out Wordpress blog, with handy links to "More Details" which takes you to Amazon to buy the product. The two reviews of the Samsung NC20, with VIA Nano processor, are mainly positive.

OLPC offers new VIA XO 1.5 laptops to developers

The laptops designed by the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) group have recently had an upgrade from the original AMD Geode processor to a VIA 1GHz C7-M. The specially developed Linux operating system is of course open source and so are the apps the little laptop runs. Before these units are offered to schools and governments around the world, OLPC are looking for developers to help create useful apps and tools. If you've got a good idea and the know-how, you can receive a sample XO 1.5 laptop to work on. - Liliputing