Smartbooks Revue, Voila !

Latest from the final frontier

Samsung / LG readies Smartbook ?

Qualcomm is hoping to boost the processing speed of more mobile devices after it announced it will be bringing a smartphone and smartbook based on its superfast Snapdragon chip.

For those that don't know / don't care about the smartbook category, it's a device that bridges the shrinking gap between a smartphone and a netbook, so basically high performance in a smaller package. (And yes, we hate the name too).

Compal's Snapdragon-powered smartbook

As if it wasn't clear already, smartbooks are one of the big trends (if not the biggest) to emerge out of this year's Computex, be they Snapdragon or Tegra-powered. Just as interesting as the devices themselves, however, is the fact that a number of manufacturers are looking at using Android as an OS for 'em, including big players like ASUS, and now Compal. While's ASUS' Snapdragon-based offering was impressive enough, Compal looks to have slightly outdone it by adding a customized interface at start-up, which is apparently just a taste of further "optimizations" to come

Nokia and Intel in a partnership that will define smartbook market ?
The companies will work on a new class of devices for the emerging smartbook or MID space


4 companies leading the mobile revolution. Qualcomm is one of them

QCOM is bridging the gap between smartphones and notebooks by creating a device called a smartbook. Smartbooks are mini-laptops that are similar to netbooks, but differ such that they operate on mobile phone chips (thus QCOM chips) as opposed to PC microchips, such as Intel’s (INTC) Atom microprocessors. This device will have “the portability and intuitive feel of a smartphone combined with the versatility and capability of a notebook.” Smartbooks will come in various forms “from larger, sub-notebook designs to compact, touch-screen tablets.”

New smartbook offerings coming this year on the wings of Intel / Nokia deal

"We would expect new netbook/smartbook offerings in coming months from other traditional handset vendors such as Motorola, Samsung, and LG. Intel announced a MID deal with Korean handset maker LG at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February of this year, with the launch of the first Intel MID by LG expected in 2010. In addition, we expect traditional PC players such as Acer, Asus, Dell, and HP to come forward with smartbook/smartphone like devices using applications processors from Intel, Qualcomm, and Nvidia in the next few months."

Nokia order Snapdragon smartbook

As for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset, that caused no small amount of fuss back at Computex for its role in the new ARM-based smartbook niche. A rival to Intel-based netbooks, smartbooks promise all-day battery life together with full wireless connectivity and HD media playback with HDMI connectivity.

After unhappy netbook users, there's place for happy smartbook users

The Linux segment is far from dead -- it's just getting started. But that's technically a "smartbook"..

Intel's fifth-gen Centrino and WiMax

Mobile Wimax connectivity nirvana

Intel gets pushy about WiMax mobile broadband in USA and they just funded joint venture with Sprint and Clearwire.

Given Wimax is a competitor to both cellular broadband solutions and fixed broadband, much of its market potential is shrinking even before this appears, IMHO.

But the rollout of HSDPA is tough business as well. We in Croatia do have some fast mobile broadband coverage, but only major cities are covered by now.

One of the first pioneers and WiMax operators here in Croatia is Novi Net d.o.o. from Merhatovec ( northern part of Croatia , Medjimurje )

PC at hand

Not smartphone. Mobile Internet Device. Co-existence and divergence.

Intel with its Mobile Internet Device platform and Nokia’s move towards Internet Tablets, as I wrote in yesterday's post, could bring some shift in our mobility assumptions. At least, I am challenging my dogmas :)

Intel's Paul Otellini said recently:

But Otellini believes that Silverthorne may be one of the most important products in Intel’s history. “The importance of the new Silverthorne chip is only comparable with the 8088 processor or Pentium,” he told the FAZ

Both of these are so called ultra mobile platforms only Intel's has a distinct attributes ( more pocket friendly ) : size - 4'' to 6'' display, target users consumers and prosumers, instant UI .

Intel is focused on delivering an un-compromised Internet experience with an excellent UI, strong performance, responsiveness, battery and memory. They define the usage models as “Stay in Touch,” “Be Entertained,” and “Access Info and Locate.

Nokia is preparing and re-inventing itself to the possibility of being computer company after all.

Iannucci pointed out that Nokia started as a paper mill and has a history of completely changing its industry from time to time -- from rubber boots to monitors to mobile phones. He said it is once again "a company in transition to the next phase." That next phase is mobile computing.

So, having in mind already announced iPhone, Palm Foleo and other similar products, things can get interesting with mobile computing .


Google and Microsoft still haven't showed their muscles.

Market is in the making.

I call it ''PC at hand''- a casual mobile appliance with full access to the network and the range of communication features.

Mobile Web Tablet by Intel

Internet tablets with Intel Inside.

Intel is another company making pitch for mobile computing.
The device is not smartphone but not a laptop as well. They claim Master User Interface ( MUI ) and it is a mobile internet device powered by Linux.

So, who will come up with ''mobile tablet PC'' in the future ? ;))

Follow up:

What if ... Google thinks along the same line ? Google Ultra Mobile tablet with The Grande phone apps on board ?
They just released Google Gears few days ago which will do mobile offline computing and later synch with server data.
What if they are betting against Microsoft Origami that will come up preinstalled with Live apps ?

Uf...

Could be that Alan Kay was right after all when saying after iPhone announcement:

He responded by pulling out a black covered 6×8-inch paper notebook and said that he would like it to be that size.

;))

This might be a path to Google's Metaverse when taking into account Google SketchUp and Croquet project.

Our world modelled in 3D and presented by Google and its Google AdWords advertisers ;))