Fujitsu introduces mid-size LifeBook laptop

Fijitsu says that the 15.6 inch notebook offers a little more muscle for your money, with the $1,199 LifeBook AH530 packing a Core i5 processor and 500GB hard drive.

It doesn’t seem like long ago that the first $1,000 notebook brought forth howls of protest throughout laptop land.

Well, those were howls of protest from the notebook manufacturers who didn’t have a $1,000 dollar deal claiming that there would now be a race to the bottom, profits and margins were being sacrificed, yadda yadda yadda.

We people who buy notebooks were howling with delight, of course. And naturally it wasn’t long before every notebook manufacturer was playing at the affordable end of town – and they soon discovered that while margins might be lower, sales will be higher.

Fast forward to today, and what you can get for around the $1,000 mark is truly astounding. It’s also proof why notebooks are far outselling desktops.

For more information, please visit: http://apcmag.com/Content.aspx?id=6108

Lenovo launched IdeaPad Y560d multimedia 3D laptop

Lenovo has launched its first multimedia 3D laptop with the release of its IdeaPad Y560d notebook.

The 3D laptop is designed for the high-end gaming market and users that seek high performance, gaming and multimedia capabilities said Chet Joshi, an account executive at Lenovo Canada.

The IdeaPad Y560d is a 15.6-inch slim form factor laptop that's 3D enabled, providing its users with a 3D experience similar to what they'd get at home or in a movie theatre, he added.

"Right now the 3D notebook is still a niche market," Joshi said. "But there are actually a lot of games that were developed in years past that are 3D-ready, and with 3D becoming popular with movies we think the market will exponentially explode. This provides instant gratification because users are viewing multimedia in 3D."

For channel partners, even though 3D laptops serve a niche community, because the units are designed to be higher-end the margins are better, Joshi said. Partners can also see their revenues soar when they sell complementary accessories such as speakers, adapters, batteries and multimedia remote controls.

The notebook features a high-definition 16:9 widescreen display and comes with a pair of polarized glasses which are compatible with 3D movies and games. The average battery life for the unit is estimated to be about four to five hours, with the possibility of more, depending on how the notebook is used, Joshi said.

In addition, the laptop is built with TriDef 3-D technology, which enables users to view their standard 2D video and photos in a 3D format.

"TriDef takes standard movies and photos and converts them to make them 3D on the screen," he said.

For more information please visit:
http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=58445

"HP LaserJet Pays You Back" - LaserJet printers to SMBs across EMEA

HP Middle East today unveiled the "HP LaserJet Pays You Back" global marketing campaign to demonstrate how an HP Color LaserJet Multifunction Printer (MFP) printing professional colour in your office pays you back.

The "HP LaserJet Pays You Back" campaign features a game-changing value proposition to illustrate the amazing return on investment (ROI) of an HP Color LaserJet Multifunction Printer: over time, the printer continues to pay customers back through energy, paper and toner savings.

The thought-provoking, fully integrated communications program combines social media, digital influencers and strategic partnerships including LinkedIn and International Data Group (IDG) to engage SMB and IT decision makers and broaden awareness of the HP LaserJet as a genuine business investment to the SMB community in the Middle East.

Unheralded heroes of business ROI

The campaign, which kicks off today, will run throughout the summer highlighting the measurable contribution of many other unheralded aspects of day-to-day business life that are able to generate quantifiable value. Discussions and debate will be initiated throughout the region on whether, how and how much practices such as a morning coffee break, the walk to work, a trip to the gym, an attractive working environment or a drink after work (with or without colleagues!) contribute to workplace productivity.

As Amin Mortazavi, General Manager IPG, HP Middle EastHP Middle East, explains, the campaign is about looking at products and practices which people typically consider as a cost in a different way.

"Many of these day-to-day workplace activities are considered a simple expense, when - in reality they generate a positive and measurable contribution to the overall business. As such, they can be considered as 'unheralded heroes' of office productivity, representing a fresh look at how we can view strategic investments in technology, personnel and every day costs," says Amin Mortazavi.

For more information please visit:
Zawya.com

DACC trustees approve bid for computers, networking to Zhai Network Parametrix

DANVILLE – Danville Area Community College will continue to improve technology on campus this summer.

Trustees on Tuesday awarded a $78,836 bid to Zhai Network Parametrix for 70 Lenovo desktop computers, 70 monitors and 12 laptops. The equipment will be installed in four existing computer labs throughout the main campus.

Trustees also awarded an $80,474 bid to CDW-G for Cisco networking equipment. That will improve wireless Internet capabilities on campus.

The computer equipment will be purchased with Perkins grant funding, and the networking equipment will be purchased with the remainder of a 2008 technology and equipment bond.

"There were a little bit of funds that were left over," Chief Financial Officer Gail Morrison said of the $1 million bond, which DACC officials issued to make technology improvements across campus. "That will exhaust any remaining money."

The college used to rely on an annual $250,000 technology grant from the state to do that, but that money dried up several years ago. Afterward, the college replaced some items using grants, but not nearly as many or as frequently as it should.

A first round of funding was used to buy more than 200 computers, monitors and other equipment in the 2009 fiscal year, and a second was used to buy more than 250 computers, monitors and 62 laptops this current fiscal year.

"We're certainly much more up-to-date with our technology than we were," President Alice Jacobs said, adding that couldn't have been done without the bond. "We have to have computers and equipment that's as up-to-date as other institutions of higher education and the high schools to meet not only the needs of the students but the needs of the area employers, as well."

Source:

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/education/2010-06-23/dacc-trustees-approve-bid-computers-networking.html

Lenovo Y560d laptop: works great for gaming

The 3D revolution making headlines in 2010 goes beyond just TVs and actually extends to Blu-ray players, game consoles, and even laptops. It seems every computer manufacturer has hopped on the 3D laptop display train, and now Lenovo is finally aboard too with the new IdeaPad Y560d.

Lenovo slow to follow

In terms of 3D laptops, Lenovo can be considered something of a slow starter since both Acer and Asus already come out with 3D notebooks of their own late last year in 2009. By now, over a half a year later, Lenovo was one of the few PC makers to have not released a 3D laptop model, although all this has been changed with the new IdeaPad Y560d. Of course, what do we mean by a 3D laptop? Well, we’re referring to the computer’s 3D display, but there’s also more to it.

3D display

A 3D display alone isn’t enough if you only have 2D content, so something else is required to turn the standard 2D media into three dimensions. One option for 3D laptops to display photos, movies and games in 3D is none other than Nvidia’s 3D Vision Kit, complete with glasses, that we introduced earlier in the year. Models like the recently unveiled Toshiba Satellite A665 3D notebook make use of the Nvidia alternative, and reviews, especially for 3D gaming, are generally positive with the Vision Kit. To the contrary, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d, with its ATI GPU, goes another route by employing TriDef’s 3D tech.

TriDef 3D technology

The TriDef 3D solution was also used in Acer’s first 5738DG 3D laptop from late last year, to much less positive reception. Criticism included no support for DirectX 10 games, something that’s still an issue, a poor 3D HD experience, and a failure to work well with incompatible games (for a full list of tested games we refer you to TriDef’s homepage). Then, even when the effect did work as planned, it was nothing too spectacular. Granted, these experiences were with an Acer, not Lenovo, laptop, but many of the TriDef exclusive problems extend to the Y560d. Another glaring TriDef 3D issue is the fact that the service doesn’t work with Blu-rays, at all. So if you’re expecting a portable 3D Blu-ray player with this 3D IdeaPad Y series computer, then think again. Still, it’s not all bad news as the TriDef Photo Transformer software was said to do an excellent job of bringing 2D photos into three dimensions. Oh, and unlike Nintendo’s new 3DS, polarised glasses are of course still mandatory.

Impressive gaming specs

Aside from its 3D prowess, the IdeaPad Y560d packs some of the latest and fastest in hardware. We’re talking about the latest Intel Core i7 2010 CPU, complete with Intel’s performance enhancing Turbo Boost tech, a high-end ATI Radeon HD5730 graphics card, an HDMI port, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, up to 8GB of RAM, as well as support for HD graphics on its 3D capable 16:9 widescreen. Furthermore, switchable graphics for the Radeon card work much in the same way as Intel’s CPU Turbo Boost feature, by only boosting performance when needed, and save both power and battery life in the process.

Unique and stylish design

Looking at the IdeaPad’s appearance, moreover, it seems Lenovo have taken a page out of Alienware’s book when designing gaming rigs. The sleek black 15.6 inch 3D laptop comes with a large tribal etching on its back, struck through the middle by a white beam, lending the computer a very fashionable and unique presentation.

For more information please visit:
http://news.idealo.co.uk/news/7792/lenovo-y560d-laptop-great-for-gaming-alright-for-3d.html

MSI Unveils GT660 Gaming Notebooks

MSI recently unleashed its GE600 gaming notebook for gamers. Now the company has announced the MSI GT660, calling it the ultimate gaming notebook and bestowing upon it the title of the king of gaming laptops. The MSI GT660 is born out of a collaboration between MSI and professional recording and sound system manufacturer Dynaudio. The device is first notebook in the world to feature MSI’s TDE+ (Turbo Drive Engine+) technology which enhances processor, memory and graphics performance.

The GT660 uses the Intel Arrandale notebook platform with the Intel Core i7 processor. It comes with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 285M discrete graphics card with 1 GB GDDR3 display memory. With sound technology from world renowned Dynaudio, the GT660 immerses you in your games or multimedia.

MSI’s TDE+ technology enhances both processor and display performance. One touch of the luminescent Turbo hotkey above the keyboard allows users to control processor, memory and display chip performance. The laptop’s GeForce GTX 285M graphics card comes with 128 3D stream processors and supports Nvidia Cuda and Nvidia PhysX technology.

The MSI GT660 notebook comes with three DDR3 memory slots which enables users to expand memory to 12 GB. It also features the latest USB 3.0 ports which are capable of data transfer at speeds of up to 4.8 Gbs.

In terms of looks, the MSI GT660 packs a one-of-a-kind LED light show with LEDs lighting up around the edges of the notebook. This light show is controlled by a hotkey and the LED lights pulsate to the beats of music.

Source:
http://www.gameguru.in/hardware/2010/09/msi-unveils-gt660-gaming-notebook/

New products from Intel

Upcoming Toshiba's 13-inch Laptop Has Turbo-charged Battery

Toshiba’s latest up and coming 13-inch laptop might be the world’s lightest, but it’s got another trick up its sleeve to banish battery life woes permanently. How? By adding a special second battery. Read on to discover what’s so special about the Toshiba 13-inch super-slim laptop.

Toshiba looks set to create a stir in the ultraportable laptop market by launching not only the world’s slimmest 13-inch laptop but it’s claimed by VozExpress to also deliver turbo-charged battery options.

Toshiba has yet to announce a name and price for its ultra-thin 13-inch laptop. However we are longer privy to some of its specifications. One of the most interesting is its battery. The new Toshiba laptop relies on a standard-voltage Intel processor and will be offered with an Intel Core i3 and Intel Core i5 options. This usually has an impact on battery life.

To get around this, reports Engadget, Toshiba has also added a second battery that uses Super Charged ion Battery technology capable of recharging to 90 per cent in just 10 minutes. If true, we can imagine Toshiba’s latest laptop being great for working on the move – a quick ten minute recharge in the local café, and you’re set for the rest of the day.

Other specifications to consider include a 512GB solid state drive, 500GB hard drive and a choice of Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7-620 processors with 4GB of memory. Hopefully it’ll include Intel Wireless Display too.

We’re hoping to get further details of the Toshiba ultra-slim laptop in the next couple of days.

Source:

http://www.my-laptop.co.uk/2010/05/10/toshiba-13-inch-laptop-has-turbo-charged-battery/

Intel EU+ Expansion Growth Award Won by Avnet Technology Solutions

Avnet Technology Solutions / Avnet Technology Solutions Wins Intel EU+ Expansion Growth Award processed and transmitted by Hugin AS. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Avnet Technology Solutions (www.ts.avnet.com), the solutions distribution leader and an operating group of Avnet, Inc. (www.avnet.com) (NYSE: AVT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating (www.ir.avnet.com)), was awarded the Intel EU+ Expansion Growth Award by Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating?) at the recent Intel Distributor Enabling Conference in Barcelona, Spain. Avnet was recognized amongst more than 40 EMEA distributors for excelling and maximizing growth opportunities in 2009. The award was presented to Francesco Capizzi, European Intel product manager, Computer Components, Avnet Technology Solutions, EMEA.

Avnet Technology Solutions' Computing Components division is Europe's premier distributor of leading-edge PC components. The division has a focused line card that ensures a close relationship with each supplier and a sales force that is able to deliver in-depth knowledge on each product.

recognized Avnet with this prestigious award not only because of their ability to drive growth in Europe for Intel products, but also because of their expertise in channel management and solutions development," said Maan Ahmadie, EMEA Director of Distribution at Intel. "Our partnership with Avnet has enabled Intel to serve a broad set of geographies and customers in Europe. We appreciate their dedication to the Intel channel, and their ongoing commitment to generating profitable growth for their business partners."

Avnet Technology Solutions' Computer Components division distributes Intel's leading-edge products, including processors, motherboards, networking and servers, which are designed to work together to deliver a complete technology solution. With a centralised logistics facility, Avnet Technology Solutions' Computing Components is able to hold large stocks of products from leading manufacturers, such as Intel and other complementary suppliers, providing next day delivery in many cases across Europe.

For more information please visit:
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/press-release/avt_intc_tscc_avnet-technology-solutions-wins-intel-eu-expansion-growth-award-929579.html

Intel Core 2 Duo

New 32nm Westmere-based Xeon CPUs Launched by Intel

Intel today launched what it calls its "most secure data center processor" in the new Xeon 5600 series, which is a 32nm update over the previous Xeon 5500's 45nm process. As many of you can figure out, the new Xeon 5600 series is based on the new Intel Westmere core technology.

What sets the Xeon 5600 apart from the consumer-level Core i3, i5 and i7 chips are two new security features -- Intel AES-NI, and Intel TXT -- that enable faster encryption and decryption performance for more secure transactions and virtualized environments.

For more information please visit: http://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-xeon-westmere-32nm-nehalem,9905.html

Desktop PC Buying Guide

Once you've determined the type of desktop system you want a compact PC, a budget system, a mainstream all-purpose model, or a performance crackerjack--you need to know what components to look for. The processor and graphics chip you choose will determine many of your machine's capabilities, as will the system's memory and hard drive. Understanding those components will help you get the performance you need, without paying for things you don't.

You'll also want to consider details like the layout of the case, which can also make the difference between a pleasant workstation and a nightmare PC.

Graphics Cards

The GPU (graphics processing unit) is responsible for everything you see on your display, whether you play games, watch videos, or just stare at the Aero desktop baked into Windows 7.

If you aren't interested in gaming on your PC, integrated graphics built onto the motherboard--or in the CPU itself with Intel's new Core i3 and Core i5 Clarkdale chips--is the way to go. Integrated graphics help keep a system's cost low, and they deliver enough power to run simple games or high-definition Flash video. Intel's integrated graphics chips are widely used, but some PCs include an nVidia Ion graphics chip, which offers superior integrated video performance.

Processor

The CPU is one of your PC's most important components. The processor you choose is likely to determine your PC's shape and size, and will definitely determine its price. Generally, the higher the CPU clock speed, the faster the performance you may see--and the higher the price. A 3.46GHz Core i5-670 PC will trounce a 2.93GHz Core i3-530 system, but you'll pay nearly twice as much for the faster CPU. Another spec to watch is cache size: More is better, here: Core i3 and Core i5 parts have 4MB caches, while performance-geared Core i7 chips have 6MB or 8MB caches.

Desktop Case

A good case can make your everyday work easier and can simplify such tasks as upgrading and servicing components in a workplace. A well-designed case provides tool-less access to the interior, hard drives mounted on easy-to-slide-out trays, readily accessible USB ports and memory card slots, and color-coded cables for internal and external parts.

Operating System

It may be a decade old, but Windows XP remains a stalwart--even on some new systems. Nevertheless, most systems on the market today run Windows 7. Microsoft's latest operating system has received generally positive reviews, improving on many of Windows Vista's foibles.

For more information please visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/16/AR2010031600059.html

Review on Advent Vedona P

The Advent line of laptops is exclusive to PC World stores and the Advent Verona P is the latest ultra-slim machine on offer. It comes with 1 13.3-inch screen and entry-level CPU. It’s also a good looking with plenty of style. Find out how practical it is with our Advent Verona P review.

The Advent Verona P is an entry-level laptop based around a 13.3-inch screen and uses Intel’s new CULV processor, in this instance the Intel Pentium Processor SU2700, to deliver performance akin to that of a netbook.

Backed by 3072MB of memory and rounded out with a 250GB hard drive, the Advent Verona makes a decent secondary laptop, idea for using around the house, for example.

What’s more, it’s an incredibly slim laptop and compact laptop that weighs in at just 1.7kg, so is incredibly easy to take on the road with you. Sadly, the basic machine only comes with a 3-cell battery pack, which offers up to three hours of battery life at best.

For more information please visit: http://experts.thelink.co.uk/2010/03/08/advent-verona-p-review/

Intel will sell boxed Pentium CPUs as Core-based processors in Q1 2010

While it’s fun to target the latest Intel “Extreme” processor and hear about the performance tweaks that have been implemented over the previous iteration, the fact is that most buyers can’t afford to drop $1,000 on a CPU, or even $200-$300 for its still-powerful but more affordable siblings. Even Intel is aware that people are still satisfied with a Pentium dual-core processor instead of a Core i5; according to Fudzilla, Intel projects that Pentiums not only will outsell Core i3s, i5s, and i7s this first quarter of 2010, but also Core 2 Duos and Core 2 Quads. In other words, the company’s humbler assistance will outpace all of the other boxed Intel CPUs, including the few bargain-priced (and -powered) Celerons that will still be available.

While the latest games and certain applications like Adobe Photoshop or Premiere Pro can make use of some of that extra processing horsepower, most people are using Microsoft Office, surfing the Web, and maybe doing their taxes on their PCs. They can run multiple applications like these at the same time and use Windows 7 with a Pentium-based PC. Most users don’t need Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technologies, and certainly won’t pay for them with the economy still in flux.

In case you’re curious, here’s the approximate breakdown in terms of projected sales of Intel’s other boxed processors:

• Celeron (both single and dual core), 11%
• Core 2 Duo, 12%; Core 2 Quad, 7%
• Core i3, 5%; Core i5, 5%; Core i7, 2%
• Core i9, 4%.

Sony Vaio CW Series - Fiery Red

Sony’s renowned Vaio range of laptops deliver good performance but come with outrageous price tags. However, back in November the company put to fore its CW Series of power-packed multimedia notebooks. The CW series is where the company really worked on lowering the price points yet offering an efficient performance. The device emerged as a powerful multimedia device at an affordable price, bringing in some competition to manufacturers like Dell. Well, the CW series wasn’t just about performance as Sony maintains its love for style and elegance. The device is splashed with several colors. As the Sony Vaio CW Series Red notebook hops onto their desks, here’s an exclusive review of the Sony machine that runs on Windows 7.

Well, the impressively designed Fiery Red Vaio caught their attention from the moment the device was unboxed. It oozes super-stylish looks with a bright Red color to woo the ladies. All tech-savvy style icons with a budget can opt for the Sony Vaio CW notebook and if Red is not your color then Sony lets you pick among the hues of Black, Pink, Blue and White.

Talking about its design, the eye-catching device is dipped in glossy Red hue. The stylish 14-inch notebook’s lustrous outer body (lid) and the palm rest reflect style and sophistication. But one cannot escape the smudged finger prints on the lid and palm rest. As each time we used the notebook, our fingerprints settled on its glossy textured body. The other parts of the notebook sport a matte black finish.

Notebooks usually come with a small locking system to securely fold back the notebook. However, the Sony Vaio CW does not follow the usual game and features a slightly smaller lid (breadth-wise). This leaves a narrow horizontal space which houses LED indicators for power, battery and Wireless mode. The front part also equips memory slots for Standard SD cards and proprietary Memory Stick Duo cards. Well, we wonder if Sony wanted to add to the style (didn’t look like) with the distinctly designed lid. However, it leaves the device with smooth, rounded edges for additional comfort.

For more information: http://www.techgadgets.in/reviews/2010/28/fiery-red-sony-vaio-cw-notebook-reviewed/

Intel Corporation -PC chipset stores

Intel AMT enhances the security and central remote management of business PCs by providing a firmware-based out-of band communication channel through which a management console can reach the PC even when it is powered off or the operating system (OS) is non-functional or missing. A management engine within the PC chipset stores authentication information in non-volatile memory that it uses to pass information across the same physical network interface used by the host OS, but with its own logical identity and IP address.

This mechanism allows system administrators to dramatically extend their management reach, including the ability to remotely discover hardware and software, power machines up and down, and deploy security patches and other software, regardless of system state. Using Intel AMT, support organizations can also isolate PCs from the rest of the network if they become compromised by malware.

Industry Challenges that Inspired Intel Trusted Execution Technology

Where the traditional focus of network protection has been. Coupled with the fact that a compromised PC may offer the means to obtain access to servers and other network assets, these characteristics have created an incentive for hackers to focus their efforts on client computing platforms.

Attack tools are widely available on the Internet, and IT organizations too often find themselves in a reactive mode in trying to fend off malicious intruders. The diversity and flexibility of intrusion attempts has largely outpaced the ability of today's protection models to cope with them.

As vulnerabilities in popular operating systems and application software are publicized, exploits are generated, often before security patches can be created to guard against them.

Financial incentives associated with the theft of data will continue to grow and encourage attempts to breach system defenses. Because of the increasing significance of the business PC in overall security, it has become necessary for IT organizations to look beyond perimeter defenses in protecting their networks.

Memory-chip company - Folsom

When it’s not operating as the largest privately held, global technology company in the Sacramento region, Numonyx B.V. could serve as a marketing extension of the Folsom Chamber of Commerce, the city council and the mayor’s office.

Headquartered in Switzerland, the privately held company, which claims to be the world’s third-largest supplier of memory technology and the number one provider of memory chips for mobile phones, is a major booster of doing business in Folsom.

Numonyx picked the city as its North American headquarters and opened nearly 100,000 square feet of office and laboratory space at 2235 Iron Point Road in December. The site is staffed by nearly 450 employees working in or supporting strictly research and development. There’s no manufacturing.

Folsom won the nod partly because of the nearness of the Numonyx facility to the Intel Corporation campus. Numonyx was formed in 2008 when Intel and STMicroelectronics joined their flash memory businesses to create the independent company focused solely on memory technologies. Until the move into its new building, Numonyx employees temporarily worked at the Intel site.

For more information, please refer this page: http://folsomtelegraph.com/detail/142054.html

BMO Capital Markets Maintain Nokia (NOK) and Intel (INTC) Ratings

Analyst Tim Long from BMO Capital Markets met with Nokia Corp. Executive Vice President Tero Ojanpera at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and discussed the company's Meego operating system that was developed in partnership with Intel Corporation.

Long maintained his Market Perform rating for Nokia Corp. He said he believes that the focus on Meego will cause a slower than expected recovery for Nokia's smartphone business.

The analyst also said that while Nokia is expanding its services businesses, that prices are falling and that he doesn't think the businesses will be very profitable.

BMO Capital Markets also maintained their Outperform rating for Intel Corporation.

OpenBSD

OpenBSD is a Unix-like computer operating system descended from Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), a Unix derivative developed at the University of California, Berkeley. It was forked from NetBSD by project leader Theo de Raadt in late 1995. The project is widely known for the developers' insistence on open source code and quality documentation, uncompromising position on software licensing, and focus on security and code correctness. The project is coordinated from de Raadt's home in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Its logo and mascot is a pufferfish named Puffy.

OpenBSD includes a number of security features absent or optional in other operating systems and has a tradition of developers auditing the source code for software bugs and security problems. The project maintains strict policies on licensing and prefers the open source BSD licence and its variants—in the past this has led to a comprehensive licence audit and moves to remove or replace code under licences found less acceptable.

As with most other BSD-based operating systems, the OpenBSD kernel and userland programs, such as the shell and common tools like cat and ps, are developed together in a single source repository. Third-party software is available as binary packages or may be built from source using the ports tree.

The OpenBSD project maintains ports for 17 different hardware platforms, including the DEC Alpha, Intel i386, Hewlett-Packard PA-RISC, AMD AMD64 and Motorola 68000 processors, Apple's PowerPC machines, Sun SPARC and SPARC64-based computers, the VAX and the Sharp Zaurus

Processor architectures

ARM

ARM is designing and licensing high-performance chips requiring a relatively low power envelope, which would constitute an ideal basis for netbooks, and has touted these as an alternative platform. Despite this, ARM has had very little success in establishing a market for their chips in netbooks, likely because of incompatibilities of their ARM architecture to the established x86 software ecosystem (primarily the dominant Microsoft Windows operating system, Linux is fully compatible). Freescale, a manufacturer of ARM chips, has projected that by 2012 half of all netbooks will run on ARM and there has been much speculation as to a version of the upcoming Windows 7 compatible with ARM. In June 2009 nVidia announced a dozen mobile Internet devices running Tegra, some of which will be netbooks.

MIPS

Some Ultra-Low Cost netbooks feature a MIPS CPU. The 64-bit Loongson MIPS microprocessor is also used for higher-end applications.

x86

One report at the end of 2008 suggested the typical netbook featured a 3-lb (1.4 kg) weight, a 9-inch (23 cm) screen, wireless Internet connectivity, Linux or Windows XP, an Intel chip, and a cost of less than US$ 400. The x86-compatible VIA Technologies C7 processor is powering netbooks from HP and Samsung. VIA has also designed the Nano, a new x86-64-compatible architecture targeting lower priced, mobile applications like netbooks.