NetbookTech

While the primary focus of the upcoming Google Chromium OS is the netbook form factor, this doesn’t mean Google isn’t considering other form factors for the browser-based OS. If you head on over to http://dev.chromium.org/chromium-os/user-experience/form-factors, you’ll find a variety of possible form factors for the Chromium OS – everything from tablets to laptops to desktop systems to large-screen displays. For each form factor, Google outlines the changes to the user interface one might expect with the Chromium OS.

On the netbook front, one would expect:

• Full Screen, Compact/Classic/Sidebar UI
• Omnibox may autohide on devices with limited vertical height
• Docking panels
• Tabs and Windows

Tables with 5 to 10 inch screens, one would expect:

• Full screen, touch-enabled UI
• Docking panels
• Tabs only
• High-resolution display
• Visual exploration

Laptops with 15 to 17 inch displays, one would expect:

• Windowed, classical UI
• Overlapping, or tiled window management
• Floating or docking panels

Desktops with 24 to 30 inch displays, one would expect:

• Windows, classical UI
• Overlapping window management
• Floating or docking panels

And finally for large display sized 40 to 60 inches, one would expect:

• Full-screen displays
• Auto-hiding Omnibox
• Docking panels
• Split screen
• Tabs only

Since everyone’s just a bit crazed over tablets these days, Google decided to show off concept renderings of what the Chromium OS would look like on a Tablet form factor. Here are the renditions.

IBTimes is out with a report on the rumored reference Google netbook specifications, and there’s nothing all too surprising here. According to the article, the Google netbook will feature:

• NVIDIA Tegra chipset (although it’s not clear which one)
• 10.1 inch TFT HD-ready multi-touch enabled display
• 64GB Solid State Drive
• 2GB of RAM
• Wi-Fi
• 3G support (hmm.. potential deals with mobile broadband companies in the works here?)
• Bluetooth
• Ethernet
• USB
• Built-in webcam
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Multi-card reader

About the only interesting tidbit here is the usage of the NVIDIA Tegra processor. As most of you probably know, the Tegra is a low-power system-on-a-chip featuring an ARM processor core and an NVIDIA graphics core (and accompanying chipset functionality).

With an emphasis on graphics and multi-touch displays, one has to wonder what Google has in store for us with the Chrome OS…

[Check it out via Crave]

A quick update on the Dell Chrome OS image that’s available for the Dell Mini 10v courtesy of Direct2Dell.com.

• The image is now running on the Latitude 2100 and Mini 9 systems too
• A new updated compressed image is now available to help improve download times (the pipe was also increased for the server)
• You can grab the updated image at http://linux.dell.com/files/cto – here – http://linux.dell.com/ChromiumOS_Mini10v_Nov30.img.gz

Lionel at Direct2Dell also sat down with Doug (the guy who’s been doing the Chrome OS tinkering) in this video interview:

[Check it out]

DigiTimes reports Acer plans on releasing a Google Chrome OS-powered netbook during the second half of 2010 – presumably once Google has delivered a release candidate of the new OS.

Chairman JT Wang has apparently expressed great confidence that Acer will be the first vendor to deliver a Chrome-based netbook in the market. The real question is, does it really matter that they’re first movers in this market? Just look at recent Acer history with their dual-booting Windows/Android netbook to see why being a first-mover isn’t necessarily a good thing.

[Check it out]

Do you have a Dell Inspiron Mini 10v? Are you feeling a bit adventurious?

If the answer to both question is an affirmative yes, then you might be interested in hearing Dell has released a highly experimental version of the Google Chrome OS for the Mini 10v. This image is based on the source code released by Google last week with some minor tweaks to get it working for the Mini 10v.

According to Doug A at Direct2Dell, there are some “caveats”. They are as follows:

• Could take 5-10 minutes for the Chrome OS network connection manager to “see” the wireless access points
• Issues with connection manager and underlying components which can easily break or cause the system to hang
• No reboot or shutdown option in the menu – press power to reboot the system

As you can guess, this is unsupported software so use it at your own risk. Make sure to back up your system before hand!

Read more about the installation process and details about the image over at Direct2Dell. You can download the USB key image file at http://linux.dell.com/files/cto

Those of unfamiliar with Google Chrome OS can read more about the OS at http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os. (or you can check out the below video on what si Google Chrome OS):

There’s some big news on the Flash video front – Adobe announces the beta availability of Adobe Flash Player 10.1 from Adobe Labs for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Adobe also expects Flash Player 10.1 to be available on smartphones and other Internet-connected devices in 2010.

So why is Flash Player 10.1 so important for us netbook users? 10.1 leverages hardware decoding of H.264 video on Windows PCs, netbooks, and mobile devices where available which will help playback quality as well as conserving battery life.

According to the download page:

“Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 is the first runtime release of the Open Screen Project that enables uncompromised Web browsing of expressive applications, content and video across devices. With support for a broad range of mobile devices, including smartphones, netbooks, smartbooks and other Internet-connected devices, Flash Player 10.1 allows your content to reach your customers wherever they are.”

If you’re curious about the key features of the 10.1 beta release, head on over to the Adobe labs page where you’ll also be able to download the release for your netbook system. You can also read the release notes (in PDF) here.

AND.. as far as hardware support is concerned, here’s a list of hardware platforms that support hardware acceleration of Flash Player 10.1 beta.

AMD/ATI:

Hardware video decoding of H.264 content in Flash Player 10.1 is supported on AMD/ATI products with UVD2 with ATI Catalyst Software Suite – starting with version 9.11 for the ATI Radeon family of produces and driver release 8.68 for the ATI FirePro family of products. Supported products include:

• ATI Radeon HD 4xxx and higher family of products
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4xxx series and higher
• ATI Radeon HD 3xxx integrated graphics and higher
• ATI FirePro V3750, FirePro V5700, FirePro V7750, FirePro V8700, and FirePro V8750 (and later)

Broadcom:

Hardware video decoding is supported on the Broadcom BCM70012 video decoding chipset, found in systems with Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator hardware

Intel:

Hardware video decoding of H.264 is supported on the Intel 4 Series Chipset family starting with graphics driver version 15.16.2.1986 for 32 bit and 64 bit Windows Vista and Windows 7 OS’s.

These drivers are available from:

• 32-bit EXE: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18334
• 64-bit EXE: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18336

Or automatically detect the latest driver for your system by using this link: http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/detect.htm.

NVIDIA:
Full GPU acceleration is available for NVIDIA ION and supported NVIDIA GeForce powered PCs. On the desktop front, products include:

• GeForce GTX 295
• GeForce GTX 285
• GeForce GTX 285 for Mac
• GeForce GTX 280
• GeForce GTX 275
• GeForce GTX 260
• GeForce GTS 250
• GeForce GTS 240*
• GeForce GTS 150*
• GeForce GT 240
• GeForce GT 230*
• GeForce GT 130*
• GeForce GT 120*
• GeForce GT 220
• GeForce 210
• GeForce 205*
• GeForce G100*
• GeForce 9800 GX2
• GeForce 9800 GTX+
• GeForce 9800 GTX
• GeForce 9800 GT
• GeForce 9600 GSO
• GeForce 9600 GT
• GeForce 9500 GT
• GeForce 9400GT
• GeForce 8800 GTS 512
• GeForce 8800 GT
• GeForce 8800 GS
• GeForce 8600 GTS
• GeForce 8600 GT
• GeForce 8500 GT
• GeForce 8400 GS
• GeForce 9400 mGPU
• GeForce 9300 mGPU
• GeForce 8300 mGPU
• GeForce 8200 mGPU
• GeForce 8100 mGPU

On the mobile front, NVIDIA supported products include:

• Ion
• Ion LE
• GeForce GTX 280M
• GeForce GTX 260M
• GeForce GTS 260M
• GeForce GTS 250M
• GeForce GTS 160M
• GeForce GTS 150M
• GeForce GT 240M
• GeForce GT 230M
• GeForce GT 130M
• GeForce G210M
• GeForce G110M
• GeForce G105M
• GeForce G102M
• GeForce 9800M GTX
• GeForce 9800M GT
• GeForce 9800M GTS
• GeForce 9800M GS
• GeForce 9700M GTS
• GeForce 9700M GT
• GeForce 9650M GS
• GeForce 9600M GT
• GeForce 9600M GS
• GeForce 9500M GS
• GeForce 9500M G
• GeForce 9400M G
• GeForce 9300M GS
• GeForce 9300M G
• GeForce 9200M
• GS GeForce 9100M G
• GeForce 8800M GTS
• GeForce 8700M GT
• GeForce 8600M GT
• GeForce 8600M GS
• GeForce 8400M GT
• GeForce 8400M GS

Oh yeah – Adobe also releases a beta version of Adobe AIR.

[Check it out]

Missed this one last week but the Moblin steering committee released Moblin v.2.1 for Intel Atom processor-based netbooks and nettop systems. Features in the latest release of Moblin include the following (courtesy of the Moblin.org website here):

• New Internet browser which “far exceeds” the previous browser performance and adds plug-in support and add-ons
• 3G data support using Ericsson MBM 3G modems
• Moblin Application Installer is integrated. Application selection comes from the Moblin Garage
• Clutter 1.0 animation framework
• Bluetooth device support. Device discovery and pairing is now supported via a new panel in the toolbar. Moblin now supports Bluetooth audio devices, input devices, OBEX file transfer, and using a Bluetooth  phone as a 3G modem
• New version of ConnMan which now supports Ethernet, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and 3G
• Support for nettop systems
• Improvements to Instant Messaging
• Input method support now included across the system
• Localized in English, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Swedish, Finnish, Korean, Japanese, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional
• Includes updated versions of key technology components including Linux kernel version 2.6.31, Intel Linux graphics driver 2.9, X server 1.6.4, and Mesa 7.6.

If you’re curious about one person’s experience in getting Moblin 2.1 up and running on a netbook, head over to the Intel Atom Developer Program and check out Gina Bovara’s posting on installing Moblin 2.1 on an ASUS Eee PC 1005HA netbook.  Here’s a quick blurb from that posting:

“I have entered the world of Moblin with my Asus Eee 1005HA netbook, and I am loving it so far! I’ve been move productive on the go this week and I am having a lot of fun doing it!”

We tried out Moblin 2.0 beta when it was first released earlier this year. While it was certainly promising, it was still a bit too raw and buggy for our liking. We’ll have to give 2.1 a spin and see how this version fares!

You can download the images by going to this link over at the Moblin.org website.

[Check it out]

Microsoft has stopped the distribution of a tool designed to make installing Windows 7 on netbooks easier after allegations surfaced that the tool could be using source code from ImageMaster which is licensed under GPLv2.

The allegations first surfaced courtesy of Rafael Rivera’s Within Windows blog here after which Microsoft confirmed with News.com that they were launching a review of the matter. The tool in question allows users to take a Windows 7 ISO image and create a bootable USB drive out it – allowing netbook users in particular a convenient means of installing Windows 7 since netbooks typically do not come with DVD drives.

So what to do in the meantime? I’ve always been of the opinion that one should get a decent external DVD burner. You’ll never know when you’ll need a burner I tell ya!

[Check it out via News.com]

Just a quick reminder to all of you that tomorrow, October 22nd, will be launch day for the new Microsoft Windows 7 OS. Windows 7 is certainly a great upgrade for many people out there – especially if you’ve been using Windows Vista for some time. Windows 7 takes the best features of Windows Vista; improves upon them; adds a few new usability improvements; and optimizes the entire platform for a wide variety of hardware.

Starting tonight at midnight, you should be able to configure your new computer system with a Windows 7 edition. Many new netbooks will begin to offer Windows 7 Starter Edition in favor of Windows XP Home Edition that is currently found on many netbook systems.

Our recommendation? If you have the appropriate system resources, go ahead and upgrade to Windows 7. It’s fast, stable, and a joy to use. Plus once you’re used to the usability enhancements, it’ll be hard to go back to an earlier version.

[Reprinted from Krunker.com]

Photos and limited details of a second Dell-branded Android device called the “Dell Streak” have managed to leak out onto the Internet via sites Tinhte and SlashGear. Here’s what we know thus far:

• 5 inch WVGA (800 x 480) resolution display
• Android 2.0 Donut MID
• Built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G wireless
• 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash
• microSD slot
• 1300 mAh battery

No word on when it might become available.. but it’s certainly an interesting device – especially if it comes with built-in 3G connectivity.

[Check it out via SlashGear]