"VIA has introduced out its latest Nano CPUs, pitching the new 3000 family of low-power processors at makers of thin'n'light laptops and of all-in-one desktops. The Nano 3000 series runs to six processors, clock at between 1GHz and 2GHz. They all sit on an 800MHz system bus. Four U3x00 models consume just 100mW of power when idling - the two L3xx0 Nanos consume 500mW at idle. VIA touted the new parts' support for 64-bit computing, virtualisation and the SSE 4 media processing instructions. Like past VIA processors, the new ones have on-board AES and SHA encryption engine."
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Member since:
2005-06-29
Member since:2009-11-04
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2005-07-08
It really sounds like good news but I don't trust VIA's announcements that much anymore.
The Nano processor family was announced in May 2008
see for instance: http://www.smallformfactors.com/news/db/?11906
And how many Nano based computers do we have right now? 18 months later? I know of only one, the Samsung NC20. And that is too expensive to be a success.
There are almost no motherboards based on the Nano on the market. Pity as I like to upgrade my low power VIA C7 server.
It's a bit like ARM, in January I saw this awesome Youtube movie showing off a Pegatron ARM based netbook.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrLa1qTVf34
Where the hell are the ARM and VIA based netbooks??
Still in hope here...
Edited 2009-11-03 19:28 UTC
Member since:2009-04-23
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2009-04-23
Member since:2005-07-11
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Member since:2005-07-13
you will see a nano and an ION board before the year end 
http://www.techspot.com/news/36538-nvidia-preparing-to-launch-ion-2...
Edited 2009-11-03 23:37 UTC
Member since:2005-08-19
There are some mini-itx boards from the same VIA and Jetway. There are some netbooks and notebooks from Samsung, Lenovo and other companies. There is even a server from Dell (blades if I am not wrong). It is difficult to gain a market share especially when your opponent is Intel. And it was a quite time after announcement and real products. It is not that bad as it seems, just VIA never had a big market share. Nano platforms offer more performance, however, they draw more heat and it seems they are more expensive. Because of this most cheap netbooks builders prefers Intel. Finally, Intel does their job better. VIA always tells a lot of features, but I always have problems to get them working (for example, they are not implemented in drivers or BIOS doesn't allow to enable some feature or another)...
Edited 2009-11-05 12:44 UTC
Member since:
2005-07-06
Intel's current Atom offering uses an old chipset+graphics which draw much more power than the Atom processor. This allows the current VIA Nano to be at least somewhat competitive.
The next-generation Intel Atom will have the graphics and memory controller integrated on the same chip as the CPU, the chipset will be tiny (the motherboard will be 1/3 the size), will not require fans and the whole system will use much less power (hence much smaller batteries will be required).
The current-generation Atom netbooks will look big and bulky in comparison to the next-gen ones.
In order to compete, Nano 3000 will have to be much, much more efficient than the current gen Nano. The advertised 20% better energy efficiency will not cut it for netbooks. It will be great for nettops, especially if NVidia makes a Nano chipset.
Edited 2009-11-03 19:52 UTC
Member since:2008-06-24
Member since:2005-07-06
I have an eeepc 1000h, it weights 3.2 pounds and it could be much slimmer. I hope that my next netbook with a next-gen Atom and an SSD will be <2 pounds, at the same form factor.
And speaking of 10" screens - without the bezel the screen could be 11", without changing the size of the netbook. And sadly, the reason for this bezel is not technological : http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090526PD211.html
Edited 2009-11-03 21:03 UTC
Member since:2008-10-11
Why do manufacturers insist on this? I want super low power systems, WITH the same batteries, so that the entire system lasts longer. I don't want smaller batteries, I want longer-lasting batteries.
Why do no-one understand this?
Member since:
2005-07-06
The only Netbook we saw with a VIA processor was the first (costly) Netbook from HP and it was not even a Nano CPU.
Since then, nothing. VIA can brag all they want about their Nano CPU but nobody is using them.
Even AMD seems to have problem selling their Neo CPU for low power laptop. Intel is eating everybody with the ATOM, even more so with the nVidia ION chipset.
Member since:
2009-11-03
Most netbook manufacturers are tied to Microsoft in one way or another, which also ties them to x86 hardware. There is no ARM port of a desktop Windows. (WinCE does not count), and many manufacturers are still wary of betting on non-Microsoft products. Valid or not, it's outside the status quo and thus risky.
That being said, Sharp recently introduced a 5-in. ARM-based netbook running Ubuntu (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/08/27/sharp_linux_arm_netbook/), and many proofs of concept were demo'd at Computex this past spring. There is also Always Innovative's TouchBook, based on the Beagle Board (ARM cortex A8, OMAP 3530) running some flavor of Linux (http://www.alwaysinnovating.com/home/index.htm), but I don't think it is available just yet.
Member since:2009-01-06
With a suitable "netbook" tuned Linux distribution capable of running on ARM and VIA Nano and requiring minimal resources (less than Intel Atom with Windows XP or Windows 7), there may be some real fun coming.
I'm starting to be glad to have hold-out on the netbook trend until mid to end of 2010.
Member since:2007-02-17
Canonical have ported Ubuntu to ARM.
ARM have released a dual-core design, using 250 milliwatts per core, for their Cortex A9 CPU that can run at over 2 Ghz.
You read it right: Dual core. 2Ghz. Half a watt. Runs a full Ubuntu.
Edited 2009-11-04 05:13 UTC
Member since:2007-02-17
Here is another netbook class machine that is going to ARM.
Negroponte: XO-1.75 goes ARM, XO-2 is canceled
http://www.olpcnews.com/people/negroponte/negroponte_xo-175_goes_ar...
One might even argue that this is the machine that started the whole netbook thing, in a way.
It is also a machine which might still get deployed in large numbers:
http://www.olpcnews.com/countries/uruguay/400000_cannot_be_wrong.ht...