NetbookTech

Qualcomm and NVIDIA are making sure their netbook oriented products will work well under the upcoming Windows 7 OS. Qualcomm announced an updated version of their Gobi2000 3G embedded chipset with support for Windows 7 while NVIDIA announced new certified WHQL drivers that will make their new Ion platform compatible with Windows Vista (and hence Windows 7).

Qualcomm’s updated second generation Gobi2000 3G embedded chip is designed to allow mobile devices like netbooks and notebooks access multiple 3G networks such as HSPA or EV-DO.  The new Gobi2000 module features:

• Adds support for additional radio frequencies within the 800MHz and 900MHz bands including UMTS900
• Improved uplink capabilities with support for up to 5.76 Mbps via HSUPA
• Support for assisted GPS and gpsOneXTRA Assistance Technology
• Includes Qualcomm’s MDM2000 chipset

The company is currently sampling chips and expects to have systems with the chipset during the second half of this year.

Separately, NVIDIA announced that the new Ion platform has been certified for the Windows Vista OS (and hence will work just fine for Windows 7). What this basically means is – the Ion platform now has certified WHQL drivers for the Vista OS. According to NVIDIA, Microsoft has certified the Ion platform to perform the following:

• 1080p HD video including Blu-ray movies
• DirectX 10 support
• Support for Premium Windows Vista features such as Aero glass and Flip3D
• GPU acceleration for faster photo editing and video transcoding

[via PC World]

Despite the fact that VIA and NVIDIA suspended plans on creating a new netbook platform, NVIDIA is still interested in the netbook/mini-notebook space. However, as PC World reports, the company is playing it by ear right now – waiting for the market to “mature before jumping in”.

According to NVIDIA’s CFO, Marv Burkett, “We’re not saying we’re not interested; it’s a matter of how the market will evolve.”

Of course if NVIDIA were to enter the netbook market, the most likely space it would enter in would be the chipset market. The company already has integrated graphic chipsets for both the desktop and notebook market – it would only make sense that NVIDIA would expand into the netbook market.

However, the company has also shown that it’s capable of building complete system-on-chip (SoC) solutions such as the Tegra processor which includes an Arm processor, a GeForce GPU, and other components. With ARM building up momentum for the netbook market, could we see NVIDIA eventually enter the market with a similar SoC solution built around an ARM core? That would be interesting eh?

Of course, all of this is just theory for now since NVIDIA has publicly stated that it’s taking a wait and see approach to the market. What does this mean for consumers? We’re pretty much stuck with Intel integrated graphics for the majority of netbooks in the near future.

[Check it out]

VIA Technologies and NVIDIA have apparently suspended plans to cooperate on building a new netbook platform based around the VIA C7/Nano processors and the NVIDIA MCP79 IGP chipset. Sources tell DigiTimes that while cooperation on the platform has been “suspended”, the “two are still cooperating and will showcase co-developed desktop PC products at CES 2009.”

This is certainly a bummer for the netbook market – we all know how much we need a netbook with good graphics performance. Here’s hoping for an Atom based system around the same IGP.

[Check it out via SlashGear, Electronista]