News Bits: Linux Loaded ThinkPads, Acer Eee PC Competitor, Intel Montevina Processors

Lenovo intros T61, R61 with SLED 10 Linux

(view large image)

Lenovo has made Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) OS available on select ThinkPad T61 and R61 widescreen notebooks (14-inch). The OS will be available on a wider range of T61/R61 notebooks in February. At current, the SLED 10 Linux-powered ThinkPads are available to large enterprise customers. Lenovo says that much of the business workforce can go from Windows to SLED 10 without a hitch.

NotebookReview.com Review for the ThinkPad T61
Read More (Laptoping.com)

Acer to launch Eee PC competitor in Q1/Q2

Acer is planning to launch a low-cost 8- or 9-inch notebook in late Q1 or early Q2 according to a DigiTimes report. It is designed to be a direct Asus Eee PC competitor, and will have a similar pricetag. Production of the notebook is being oursourced to Wistron.

Read More (DigiTimes.com)

Intel to launch 15 CPUs for Montevina notebook platform

Intel will launch 15 new CPUs for its upcoming Montevina notebook platform in May. 8 of the 15 will come in a smaller package size and are designed for smaller machines. The standard CPUs with a package size of 35mm^2 include a quad-core Core 2 Extreme QX9300 with a TDP of 45W, a dual-core Core 2 Extreme X9100 with a TDP of 44W, two 35W CPUs (T9600/T9400), and three 25W CPUs (P9500/P8600/P8400). The other 8 CPUs will have a smaller 22mm^2 package size and have TDPs ranging from 10W to 25W.

Read More (DigiTimes.com)

Manufacturers face rising notebook battery prices in Q1

Notebook battery suppliers will raise battery prices in Q1 due to rising prices for core components and materials. Supply will be 15% short of demand until production is ramped up in Q2.

Read More (DigiTimes.com)

 

OH no I thought laptop prices where going to get cheaper whatever I want to buy mine in Q3 anyway...

 

what is happening to AMD? No new stuff from them??
Bad news about the laptop batteries... i was hoping you will find at the CES, an upcoming battery that will make our laptops last..12-24 hours, but no, instead, we have the same old stuff at higher prices?????/

 

i wonder what the sales numbers and profit margins were for the eee pc for it to elicit such a response from competitors....

 

I've always wondered when ThinkPads will be sold with linux again. Are they also going to put ThinkVantage softwares on linux?

 

It's always good to see manufacturers embracing other operating systems than those of Microsoft. I've said it before: Good move Lenovo.

 

This is good sign that corporate customers are asking for Linux on their Thinkpads. I had to put Ubuntu on manually. Thinkpads are naturally Linux compatible - all Intel parts with open source drivers!

I dearly hope they develop some ThinkVantage software for Linux. My main gripe about running Ubuntu is that battery life is about 20% shorter. The smart battery-minder software would be absolutely awesome. I can't even get the screen to dim correctly on Ubuntu.

Greg.

 

I really hope the new CPUs are socket, pin and voltage compatible with the socket-p systems out right now. I would love to upgrade to quad core.

SLED is cool. I wonder if this means cheaper T61 models.

It seems we are witnessing that start of a wave - Linux notebooks.

 

Agreed. I like ThinkVantage. It is just the sort of thing Linux needs.

 

It will probably not mean lower prices, as they will be offering support and such for Suse, but it should be. I'd like to see it on the T61P 15" though.

 

Rumour going around is that Dell will expand their Linux offerings to include the XPS laptop line. Supposedly it's going to happen at the end of January or early February. This is a very good trend. Kudos to Lenovo and Dell.

 

Acer is looking to steal some of Asus' thunder.

 

I don't know if the new CPUs are pin-compatible but they are for the new Montevina platform only. The "Santa Rosa refresh" CPUs are already out:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3964
Quad-core will be restricted to very few notebooks that can actually handle its thermal output; a beefed-up cooling system is needed.

 

That means 17" system. Hopefully somebody can squeeze one in in a 15.4" chassis. Better yet, a 14" chassis

 

Do you guys know when ULV Montevina for ultraportables is going to be availabale?

 

Hope they do too I feel that Asus has been monopolizing the UMPC scene for long enough.

 

They are pin compatible - Montevina uses Socket P. However, I have doubts as to whether they will be voltage compatible....I hope they are though, since the Montevina Penryns have waaaay low power consumption.

 

The T9400 and T9600 of processors will likely work, but I doubt anything below them.

 

Nice. Also, a Ubuntu-powered Thinkpad will also be a welcomed addition.

 

I'm so happy to hear this!
I wish they shipped openSUSE or ubuntu though