By Toshiba’s just announced their first netbook running the Android operating system – dubbed the Toshiba AC100 that we first saw in a very small and modest product listing not too long ago – and we’re a little more than highly impressed. It’s running Android 2.1, it has 512MB of DDR2 RAM, 8GB of NAND flash memory with more optional space coming from the SD/MMC card reader. It also has a 1.3MP webcam built in with an accompanying microphone (some nice hardware to use with Fring’s video chatting features).
Other specs include a nice NVIDIA Tegra 250 chip packing an ARM-based 1GHz processor, a 10.1-inch TruBrite display with LED backlights and a resolution of 1,024×600. To round all of that off, it has USB and MiniUSB ports, an HDMI Port, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR, WiFi (up to n), and optional 3G radios. All of that impresses us, but the device’s 8 hours of battery life (with 7 days of standby life) is remarkable in and of itself – that’s a long shot from the 4-5 hour life we’d predicted before. It’s to be expected on an Android-powered netbook which will naturally have better battery technology to eat away at, but it’s still quite tempting.
We can expect to see this device on shelves this August, but pricing is yet to be determined (and the UK is our best guess on region, for starters). Full press details can be found straight ahead.
London, UK, 21st June 2010 – Toshiba UK today introduces the stunning new AC100, a mobile internet device that combines the AndroidTM platform with NVIDIA® TegraTM processing technology. The AC100 is the ideal take-anywhere device for active users, allowing instant emailing, web browsing and document editing on the go.
The Toshiba AC100 is the ultimate device for simple, instant and efficient web use. Designed to be used whenever, wherever you are, the AC100 is instantly ready for action, offering up to seven days standby under mixed use, with a rapid start-up time of less than a second. In constant use the AC100 can provide up to eight hours of battery life, which combines with the intuitive full-size keyboard and compact clamshell form factor to offer a truly stunning mobile device.
Ultra-slim AC100 combines smartphone functionality with netbook usability AndroidTM platform makes browsing, networking and editing easy Up to seven days battery life in standby with instant-on capability
Take-anywhere design
The AC100 offers a stunning black and orange design that’s easy to take anywhere, thanks to an ultra-light weight of just 870g. Measuring just 14mm at its thinnest point, the device is extraordinarily slim – making it easy to fit into any bag and carry around all day, every day. A 25.7cm (10.1″) T oshiba TruBrite screen with LED backlighting offers outstanding reproduction of all on-screen content, and the full-size keyboard guarantees easy and comfortable typing – making it perfect for keeping in touch with friends via email or social networks.Personalised mobile computing
The AC100 runs on the AndroidTM platform, enabling users to customise their device to suit their computing habits. Depending on location or what the AC100 is running, AndroidTM can automatically switch to a prefigured home screen to best suit the user. For example, users can set shortcuts for work-related applications, widgets and ‘live-files’ to appear when working in the office, or personal applications and widgets to appear when the AC100 detects they are at home. Users can also manually switch between home screens as they wish – allowing them to access all of their content, wherever they are.The intuitive user interface also offers the possibility for users to further personalise the device by downloading a range of applications and widgets on-demand. A number of applications are also pre-installed for immediate use out-of-the-box, including Documents to Go for viewing and editing Microsoft Office files, a POP3 email client, IMAP and Exchange support, a messaging client, Opera Mobile for browsing the web, and the Toshiba Media Player for playing and viewing video, music and pictures.
Mobile performance
The latest NVIDIA® TegraTM processing technology provides fast internet browsing speeds, with super-quick load times and instant rendering of complex pages. Advanced mobile graphics technology provides enhanced playback of multimedia content including video and mobile games, offering the perfect platform for enjoying entertainment on the move.The latest wireless connectivity also enables the users to stay connected at all times. 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi provides fast and rapid internet access from any wireless hotspot, and the
option of an integrated 3G module allows users to get on-demand Mobile Broadband connectivity from cellular networks for instant web connectivity, wherever they are1.The AC100 is designed for the growing number of users that are storing content such as photographs, videos and documents on cloud based applications or virtual storage. 8GB of NAND Flash memory also provides users with fast, efficient and robust storage for their personal content. An integrated SD card slot also provides the ability to expand storage on- demand, or display images, documents and personal content. For users that want to output content, an integrated HDMI port provides simple connectivity to any HD ready screen or projector.
The Toshiba AC100 will be available from August 2010.
Specifications:
AndroidTM 2.1 NVIDIA® TegraTM 250 Mobile Processor (1GH, ARM) RAM: 512 MB DDR2 (333 MHz) 8GB flash storage (NAND) 25.7cm (10.1”) TruBrite® display with LED backlight, 1,024 x 600 pixels Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR*, WLAN (802.11 b/g/n), Mobile Broadband 1 x USB 2.0, 1x Mini USB, Card Reader (SD, MMC), Audio out/Mic in combo socket, HDMI® 1.3 MP webcam with integrated microphone Location based switchable desktop Toshiba Home Menu, a customisable desktop with widgets and shortcuts Size: 262mm x 190mm x 14 / 21mm Weight: starting at 870g
If apple can get 10 hours out of a Macbook using proper mobile processor, I’d want more like 15 from a machine using phone level processors and using an OS designed to be battery light.
This thing is awesome. Best part is that you will be able to guesstimate the overall performance of a Cortex A-9 smartphone by using this unit.
i don’t see the need for such a device nowadays.
considering the number of applications on android market which are optimised to this screen dimensions…
i’ll pass for now, maybe if it was a capacitive touch screen with rotating screen, then it’ll double as a tablet.. now we’re talkin!
you mean something like this?
http://www.obsessable.com/news/2008/11/19/hp-touchsmart-tx2-multi-touch-laptop/
@Simon There is a perfect need for this unit. It is going to start filling the niche and replacing the Atom with ARM based netbooks/smartbook. ARM processors are far more power efficient and advanced than the x86 based Atoms. It is only a matter of time before you start seeing Quad-Core Cortex A-9 based netbooks and even lower end laptops running Linux. Price for performance there is nothing that can currently compare to ARM.
If the screen were touch and can be detached from the keyboard then that would be awesome!
The thing about android is that unlike linux, it is a standard platform so it has a better chance at getting games (such as Need for Speed that was demoed on an android phone). And isn’t gaming the whole point of the tegra? :)
For the first time OEMs have a real choice between windows and Android and Chrome OS. This is awesome. This will ensure only the best OS will win. Ubuntu has somehow not taken off with the OEMs, although it does have great potential
@ $500+ Price tag, I’ll pass.
Not a good contender to Windows Netbooks for the price
Android is designed for touch so I don’t see myself using a mouse on Android. Nope. If they could just sit down and come up with better tAblets it would be just awesome. But my phone replaced my computer for Browsing needs anyways
Can’t wait for someone to root this thing. I really want to buy one but I’d like to remove android and put something like Ubuntu or MeeGo on it.