Toshiba's Nile-powered Satellite T235D

For someone who still considers 13" notebooks to offer the best blend of portability and functionality, we saw a lot to like in the Toshiba Satellite T235D. Weighing less than four pounds and measuring only 0.7" at its thinnest point, the larger form factor gets you not just a bigger LCD panel, but also a larger keyboard and touchpad.


Processor AMD Turion II Neo K625 1.5GHz
Memory 4GB DDR3-800 (2 DIMMs)
Chipset AMD M880G
Graphics Mobility Radeon HD 4225 integrated graphics
Display 13.3" TFT with WXGA (1366x768) resolution and LED backlight
Storage Toshiba MK3265GSX 320GB 2.5" 5,400 RPM hard drive
Audio Stereo HD audio via Realtek codec
Ports 2 USB 2.0,1 eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port,1 HDMI
1 VGA, 1 RJ45 10/100 Ethernet via Realtek controller
1 analog headphone output,1 analog microphone input
Expansion slots 1 MMC/SDHC
Communications 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi via Atheros AR9285
Input devices Chiclet keyboard
Synaptics capacitive touchpad
Internal microphone
Camera 0.3-megapixel webcam
Dimensions 12.7" x 8.8" x 0.7-1.03" (323 x 224 x 18-26 mm)
Weight 3.9 lbs (1.8 kg)
Battery 6-cell Li-Ion (61 Wh)


This particular variant of the T235D-S1345 sells for $599.99 at Newegg. The cheapest 13" laptops with Intel CULV processors, like Acer's Aspire AS3810TZ or Toshiba's own T235-S1310, are priced almost identically at around $590-600.

Asus introduces Eee PC 1015T AMD-powered netbook

Asus is showing off the 10 inch netbook at its Computex booth this week. At the first glance, it looks like all of the other 10 inch netbooks Asus has introduced this year, but the Eee PC 1015T is powered by a 1.2GHz AMD V105 single core processor and ATI Radeon HD 4200 graphics. Unlike most current netbooks, this model also supports up to 4GB of DDR3 memory.

The rest of the specs are pretty standard, including a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1GB of DDR3 memory, up to 320GB of hard drive space, and a 6 cells battery. The laptop runs Windows 7 Starter Edition and also includes the Asus Express Gate quick boot environment. The netbook comes with 802.11b/g/n WiFi and optional Bluetooth 3.0.

Dell Announces Nile & Danube Notebooks

A new ultrathin notebook from Dell, the Inspiron M301z offering users the choice of an AMD "Nile" Dual-Core Athlon II Neo K325 (1.3GHz) or a Turion II Neo K625 (1.5GHz).


The 13.3" widescreen laptop comes with an HD display panel (1366x768), an AMD RS880M chipset with SB820 south bridge, integrated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4225 graphics,, up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, Windows 7 Home Premium or Home Basic (64-bit), built-in speakers, a standard 320GB hard drive (7200RPM), 6-cell battery, 1.3MP webcam, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v2.1 and a Kensington lock slot. There's also HDMI-out a 7-in-1 card reader, audio jacks, two USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, a mini-DisplayPort output and a starting weight of just 3.89 lbs.

Beside that, Dell also announced the Inspiron M501R, a 15.6-inch laptop based on the latest 2010 AMD Mainstream Platform for Notebooks nicknamed "Danube".


The Dell Inspiron M501R features mobile AMD Phenom II X4 quad-core processor (codename Champlain), ATI Radeon HD 4250 integrated graphics or optional ATI Radeon HD550v 1GB GPU, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, up to 640GB of hard disk capacity, a DVD writer or Blue-ray combo drive, and a 720p LED-backlight display.

Dell’s new laptop also includes an integrated 1,3MP web camera, two speakers, 802.11n WiFi, optional Bluetooth, Ethernet LAN, three USB ports, an eSATA/USB port, optional 7-in-1 media card reader, VGA and HDMI outputs, and a full-size keyboard with numeric pad. The laptop weighs 5.83 pounds with its standard 6-cell battery, integrated graphics and optical drive.

Acer shows its new Aspire notebooks based on AMD's Nile

Following AMD announcement, Acer has officially announced three new notebooks based on AMD's 2010 Ultrathin platform, the Aspire One 521, Aspire One 721 and Aspire 1551.

The Aspire One 521 features AMD's single-core AMD V-series V105 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz paired up with ATI Radeon HD 4225 GPU. The rest of the features include 1 GB of memory, a 160 GB HDD, three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and D-Sub outputs, and an ability to easily run 1080p HD videos.



The bigger 11.6-inch Aspire One 721 features AMD's Athlon II Neo K325 paired up with the same Radeon HD 4225 GPU. As far as the ports and specs are concerned, this one is pretty much the same as the Aspire One 521 except for the obvious change in screen size and CPU.

The last but not least is the Aspire 1551 featuring the same 11.6-inch 1366x768 display but will be available with either AMD Turion II Neo K625 dual core processor, up to 4 GB of memory, 640 GB of HDD space, and the same Radeon HD 4225 integrated graphics. It also comes with HDMI output and is capable of playing 1080p content.

Some photos & videos posted at Netbooknews.de

Over 100 Laptops with AMD's Upcoming Danube & Nile Platform

Reuters reported that Advanced Micro Devices may make some of its largest inroads into the fast-growing laptop computer market thanks to a new generation of power-efficient chips to be unveiled next week. The company's latest microprocessors are expected to be included in 109 laptop models in the coming months, the company's best showing during the crucial back-to-school sales season. Last year, AMD's chips were available in 40 laptop models.

"Danube" is the new platform for mainstream notebooks replacing "Tigris". On Ultrathin segment, we will see "Nile" platform to replace "Congo" or the second generation AMD's Ultrathin.

Here are the 2010 Mainstream Notebook Platform CPU

Here are the 2010 Ultrathin Notebook Platform CPU

Notebooks featuring the new silicon will start showing up "as early as June" from the well-known vendors : HP, Acer, Dell, and Lenovo.

Early signs that the new range of chips to be unveiled next week are getting positive responses from top PC makers due to AMD's attempts to simplify its numerous offerings under its new "Vision" brand, as well as improved battery life and performance across the line. In the first quarter of 2010, AMD represented 12.1 percent of worldwide mobile chip sales, according to IDC.

Acer Aspire One 521 to feature AMD's Nile Platform

Say Farewell to Congo (2nd Generation Ultrathin), and Welcome to Nile platform. AMD's Nile is the new platform for Ultrathin notebook that will be using DDR3 memory.


Acer is reportedly preparing to launch a new 10.1 inch Aspire One netbook that switch from the Intel Atom chip for an AMD chip. The Aspire One 521 is powered by an AMD V105 processor. This is the slowest single core "Geneva" processor of the "Nile" platform, clocked at 1.2GHz, with 512KB L2 cache, DDR3 support and 9W TDP. Performance and further details remain unknown until AMD announces it in May. It is paired with an AMD M880G chipset with integrated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4225 graphics core and 384MB dedicated video memory. The 4225 is not announced yet either and probably has a few minor architectural improvements over the 4200, hence the increased model number, but is likely slower due to ~25% lower clock speed. It supports UVD2 (should be capable of HD video playback) and Acer didn't forget to add an HDMI port.


Eye-catching noticeable is the huge chrome plated logo. This chrome accentuation continues with the power button, which is transparent but has a chrome element.


The netbook will have optional Bluetooth 3 support and a compact charger with changeable plus. The battery is supposed to be good for up to 7 hours. No word on a launch date or price yet. So stay tuned...