Tegra "smartbook" running Android spotted, tested

[integrated]

Engadget has translated a test/review of a Toshiba AC100 running Tegra.

Seems it failed to impress...

[265586888]

Can't run flash!?
That's outrageous.

[stef]

Android version related issue. Problem is, they have to wait for Google to release the code for new version, and then they have to "hack" it for their non-smartphone product. It takes time. Maybe MeeGo would be better choice.

[integrated]

If Atom can make it through 10 hours, an ARM-based netbook should be cruising way past 6 hour battery-life with ease.

This one isn't.

Jives with Charlie's take on Tegra, but not with MS's implementation in Kin. Does this suggest that Kin was aggressively underclocked? We should assume this "smartbook" has significantly more mAh to dole out than a phone but also a larger screen.

[C Mell]

Originally Posted by integrated

If Atom can make it through 10 hours, an ARM-based netbook should be cruising way past 6 hour battery-life with ease.

This one isn't.

Jives with Charlie's take on Tegra, but not with MS's implementation in Kin. Does this suggest that Kin was aggressively underclocked? We should assume this "smartbook" has significantly more mAh to dole out than a phone but also a larger screen.

Hum. 10 hours with the Toshiba AC100 battery, rated at 2200 mAh (as far as I know)? Not with an atom N or D series. The original Acer aspire one with SSD has the same capacity, and it barely last more than two hours.

Note that smartphones batteries are in the 1300 mAh range, if I'm not mistaken (1460 mAh for the iPhone 4, so we're close).

Netbooks with 10h battery life (idle) have 4000 mAh batteries and above.

A tegra may be too power hungry for a phone design, but don't rate Intel Atom chipsets on the same level, please. Even an atom + nvidia ion netbook manages to have a reasonable battery life (HP mini 311C, for example).

[integrated]

I'm not suggesting that Atom is more efficient.

I'm saying that the product has a shorter battery-life. That means the customer experience is worse.

No love for Atom here, believe me!

[C Mell]

Originally Posted by integrated

I'm not suggesting that Atom is more efficient.

I'm saying that the product has a shorter battery-life. That means the customer experience is worse.

No love for Atom here, believe me!

Ok. So far, the pre-production experience is that the AC100 rates as an equivalent to better battery life than the average netbook, is a lot lighter, is fanless, and has a small battery. It will apparently be priced around the low-end netbooks, at least here (in the € zone).

You have to relate in those SoC designs. Smartphone are highly constrained and require precise power specs; not so constrained in the so-called smartbook category (or iPad/tablet) where size and power drain of the overall system may make Nvidia problems in Tegra production negligeable (in short, the AC100 may be good, Tegra may be good enough in this system, and Charlie be perfectly correct about Tegra's and Nvidia's shortcomings).

Just wait for real, complete testing of that Toshiba. Should be available end of August around here.