ARM-based netbooks coming in June

Companies have been demonstrating netbooks using ARM-based processors for a few months now. I got a chance to see a few in action at CES in January, and a handful were making the rounds even before then. But DigiTimes is reporting that we’ll see even more at Computex in June. And that means some of these low power, Linux or Windows CE-based netbooks could hit the market in the second half of 2009.

At least I think that’s what DigiTimes is saying. Becuase it’s also possible that we’re going to see the same devices at Computex that was saw at CES, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon-based prototype and a low cost netbook built by Pegatron. Hopefully one of these next generation low power ultraportables will make it to market eventually. And by eventually, I mean this year.

Posted on Friday, March 13th, 2009, 11:16 am by Brad Linder

BoloMKXXVIII

Why is it taking so long to bring these to market? Seems like they have been announcing these forever.
DG

Yes, it is frustrating. I'm holding out for one of these beasties (probably the Pegatron) but I may have the bite the bullet with something lesser first if needs dictate. I guess the wait is no longer than we had between the original Eee announcement and products in shops…
Pixel Qi fan in waiting

An ARM device that has 15 to 20 hours of battery per charge, is what is needed. Of course per the Pixel Qi site, there will not be mass production of the new 10 inch Pixel Qi screen tech until mid year or so… (hmmm, will it include touchscreen or is that something that the manufacturer is going to add on their own)?
Per Pixel Qi site… what does Pixel Qi do?
* Extreme low-cost
* Extreme low-power
* E-paper readability
* Mass producible new display technologies
* Outdoor use, sunlight readability and robustness
per:
http://www.pixelqi.com/blog1/
begin quote
“We have been feverishly working on designing our first screen product We will be sampling our 10″ screens this spring and plan to be in high volume mass production this summer. These screens have an epaper state that rivals the best epaper on the market today. What’s different: unlike the other epaper products where one must wait a second or so to change the screen – we provide video rate refresh. Also, while we have a high resolution paper-white black and white, we also provide, in the same screen fully saturated color fidelity – the same as a standard laptop screen – same color, contrast resolution, field of view etc. Our screens consumer 25%-50% of the power of a regular notebook screen in their power savings modes and will be in available at comparable price points and volumes to standard LCD screens this summer. In addition, by integrating the screen with the electronics driving the screen a 5-fold increase in battery life between charges can be achieved”.
end quote
Hmmm, no mention of touchscreen, so that must depend on the maker of the Netbook that this 10 inch screen will end up in? Hmmm, will APPLE use this IF APPLE does a netbook? Will this screen show up in an ARM device?
BoloMKXXVIII

Your quote is from over a month ago. No further information since which is a bit dissapointing. As for Apple, they have ordered their 10″ screens from another company.
John

There is supposed to be 4 on the market in June, even more in august, and a total of 10 in all in H2 2009.

They are even saying 8 or 10hrs on the web so should be more than capable of 15hrs of use offline. And that is with smaller batteries. With an extended it is likely going to approach Psion 5mx in terms of battery life

Cant wait to see them.
turn.self.off

i hope it brings along with it some pricing sanity.

sadly the feature creep that have been going on since asus launched the first eeepc, have also induced a price creep thats sending the netbooks into ultra-portable territory a bit to fast for my liking…
Null

The only two companies that have announced pricing for arm mids are openpandora ($339) and alwaysinnovating ($299/$399).

So I'm wondering what Pegatron and Wistron are gonna price theirs at.
Mikez

And the Gdium NetBook (250 Euros).
Null

Gdium is MIPS, no?
Null

Gdium is MIPS, no?

ARM-based netbooks coming in June

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