GIGABYTE TOUCHNOTE T1028X CONVERTIBLE NETBOOK REVIEW

The Gigabyte TouchNote T1028X is an ultraportable netbook with a 10.1 inch display. It is powered by an Intel Atom N280 processor. Specifications don’t set it apart from other netbooks currently available in the market; still the TouchNote T1028X isn’t just another netbook.

Display and Graphics
The most remarkable thing about this netbook is indeed its display. The 10.1 inch display is touch-enabled. It also comes with a default resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. There is probably no other netbook in the market with a touch-screen display featuring 1366 x 768 pixels. The display can be folded down over the keyboard to use the device in tablet mode.

The touch screen shows good sensitivity. You will not have any difficulty navigating through programs using either the stylus or your finger. Gigabyte has also included some software applications which make the touch-screen easy to use.

The display itself is average. Colors aren’t very bright or vivid. The high
resolution of the display is both good and bad. It reduces the need to scroll when viewing web pages. On the flip side, having so many pixels on a tiny screen puts extra strain on your eyes.

Ports and Slots
There are 3 USB ports, headphone and microphone jacks. Other notable features include integrated 3G module (optional), VGA, Ethernet, SD card reader, an ExpressCard/34 slot.

Design
The TouchNote T1028X is slightly heavier and larger than typical 10 inch netbooks. It measures 1.5 inches in thickness and weighs around 3.3 pounds. The lid features an attractive glossy finish which is prone to collect fingerprints. The screen bezel, palm rest and other parts of the computer feature a matte finish.

The TouchNote comes with a 6-cell battery which sticks out a bit from the back of the notebook. The battery is expected to give 5 hours of up time. The netbook is very upgrade friendly with the bottom featuring easy access panels for RAM, hard drive and wireless module.

Speakers
The speakers aren’t very audible. So if you like to listen to a lot of music on your netbook you will definitely want to use headphones or a set of external speakers.

Keyboard and TouchPad
The keyword is wide and it stretches from one side of the case to the other. The keys provide nice tactile feedback. But for some unknown reason Gigabyte has reduced the size of some keys. The touchpad supports multi-touch gestures. While sensitivity is good the touchpad does pose some problems. Its buttons are located on the left and right side of it. This is an arrangement you will take sometime to get used to.

Performance
Performance is snappy. Boot times are good and applications load almost instantly. You will not have any difficulty performing your day to day activities like web surfing and word processing. But remember that this machine is powered by an Intel Atom processor which doesn’t have enough power to handle CPU intensive tasks such as editing and transcoding videos.

Conclusion
In terms of performance and build quality this is one of the best netbooks in the market. The touch-screen works just like it should. On the flip side this is one of the most expensive netbooks in the market. In fact, this is not a netbook at all because netbooks are supposed to be small and cheap.

Gigabyte recently upgraded the TouchNote T1028X. It is now available from Amazon for $668. This model ships with Windows 7 and a 250GB hard drive. But like the previous version, the upgraded version also comes with 1GB of DDR2 RAM. The model with an integrated 3G module sells for $788.

GIGABYTE 1305 BOOKTOP UNVEILED

The 13-inch Gigabyte 1305 Booktop is the bigger cousin of the 10-inch Booktop M1022. Pre-production sample of the notebook was recently spotted at a Windows 7 event in Taipei.

The 1305 Booktop is powered by an Intel CULV processor, GS45 chipset and integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics. 2GB of DDR3 RAM can be installed. The storage option is a 500 GB SATA hard drive. The notebook comes with integrated 3.5G connectivity. There is the regular array of ports. Other features include a fingerprint scanner and a webcam with integrated security which allows you to use your face to encrypt data. The removable DVD drive can house a 4-hour battery.

Like the original Booktop, the 1035 also comes with a docking station. The ports on the dock include HDMI, VGA, 6 x USB and LAN.

GIGABYTE UNVEILS NOTEBOOK WITH EXTERNAL GRAPHICS

Gigabyte has unveiled a notebook that allows the option of using an external graphics card through a docking station. The new M1305 notebook has a 13.3 inch display with 1366x768 pixels. It runs on Windows 7 and can be configured with Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium or Celeron ULV processors. The notebook has an integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD. But if you want better graphics performance you can use the Nvidia GeForce GT 220 GPU through the docking station.

Up to 4GB of RAM can be installed. The hard disk is available in 320 or 500GB capacities. Other notable features include eSATA/USB combo port. There is also an HDMI port for transferring video to an external monitor. The machine weighs 4 pounds with the six-cell 3800mAh battery. Gigabyte claims that it will offer up to 6.5 hours of runtime.

No information on pricing or availability has been announced as yet.

GIGABYTE UNVEILS TOUCH NOTE M1028 TOUCHSCREEN TABLET

Gigabyte has unveiled a convertible touchscreen tablet – the Touch Note M1028. The device is equipped with a 10.1 inch touchscreen display.

Sources reveal that the Touch Note M1028 will be available in four different configurations. While two models feature displays with 1024x600 pixels, the other two will have higher resolution displays with 1366x768 pixels. All models will come pre-loaded with 1 GB of RAM which can be upgraded to 2GB. The storage capacity is 160GB. The tablets are likely to run on the new 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor. While three models will have the integrated Intel 945GSE GRAPHICS chipset, the Touch Note M1028P (one of the two models with higher resolution) will have the Intel GN40 chipset which is expected to improve HD video performance.

Other features include Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth. All models will run on Windows XP. Some models will also have 3G mobile broadband and WiMax.

GIGABYTE GV-N98TSL - THE LEAST NOISY GPU

High end graphic cards are easily the noisiest part in any PC. They generate a lot of heat and are usually cooled by high-rpm fans which will generate enough noise to make your speakers inaudible. Fan-less graphic cards are available, but usually they don’t deliver good performance.

Well, it seems the situation has changed. Gigabyte has introduced a fanless graphic card - GV-N98TSL- that delivers reasonably good performance at an affordable price. The card comes with a Silent Cell heat pipe system that is capable of keeping it cool as it runs intensive graphics.

GV-N98TSL is definitely not the best performer from Gigabyte, but it is good enough to decode a 1080p Blu-ray movie at absolute silence.

GIGABYTE RELEASES T1028X TOUCHSCREEN NETBOOK

Gigabyte has announced a revised version of its T1028M convertible touchscreen netbook. The new version is dubbed T1028X. It has a 10.1 inch LED-backlit resistive touchscreen with 1366x768 screen resolution.

The netbook comes with Intel Atom N280 processor. Other specifications include 1 GB of RAM and a 160GB hard disk. For handling graphics there is an Intel GMA 950 GPU.
The 6-cell 7650 mAh battery is expected to give more than 6 hours of uptime. Connectivity options include Express Card 54, Wi-Fi b/g and Bluetooth. Another option is the integrated HSDPA.

The netbook features a full keyboard and mousepad with multi-touch capability. It is fully compatible with Windows 7 touchscreen support. It will be retailed for approximately $877.

Gigabyte T028 TOUCHNOTE GETS OFFICIAL DOCUMENTATION

What do we have here? The first line of netbooks that will carry touch screen sensitivity? Seems so as Gigabyte has just let some real details slip about its new tablet netbook.

GIGABYTE LAUNCHES THIN NOTE S1024, TOUCH NOTE T1028 AND BOOKTOP M1022

Gigabyte announced the specifications of its three new netbooks the Thin Note S1024, Touch Note T1028 and Booktop M1022 at a pre-CeBit event. Though we have seen some pictures of these notebooks already, the latest details on their specifications are as follows.

The Gigabyte Thin Note S1024 is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU with 1GB of RAM, Intel 945 GSE chipset and up to 80GB of Hard Drive. It sports a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display with 1024 x 576 pixels, Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi 802.11a/b/g and 3.5G connectivity. The Thin Note weighs just 890 g including a 6-cell 3400 mAh battery which makes it the lightest among the three notebooks. The Thin Note S1024 is priced at about $615.



The Touch Note T1028 packs either a 1.66GHz N280 or a N270 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor with Intel GN40 or Intel 945 GSE chipset, up to 2GB RAM and 2.5-inch 160GB Hard Drive. It also includes 3 USB ports, ExpressCard slot and an optional WiMAX. The Touch Note has a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display with either 1366 x 768 or 1024 x 600 pixel resolution. The T1028 has options for a 6-cell or 4-cell battery and will weigh 1.48Kg or 1.3Kg respectively. The Touch Note T1028 is tagged for about $610.

The Booktop M1022 is powered by Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz CPU with Intel 945 GSE or Intel GN40 chipset, 1GB RAM and a 2.5-inch 160 GB Hard Drive. It will also include WiFi 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, 3.5G HSDPA, 4G WiMAX, ExpressCard slot and has a 10.1-inch display with 1024 x 600 pixel resolution. The Booktop will weigh 1.3Kg with a included 6-cell battery. This Booktop can be vertically docked to be used in a desktop PC form factor and is priced about $580.

GIGABYTE LETS THE WRAPS OFF ITS 10-INCH M1028

It hasn't made it to main stream yet but we've been seeing some little netbooks with touch screens pop up around the place. Well Gigabyte has joined the new market with their 10-inch M1028 convertible netbook.

The system features the following: 1,024x600 display, WiFi, Bluetooth, 160GB HDD, 1GB DDR2 RAM, optional WWAN module, SD card slot, ExpressCard, VGA out, 3x USB 2.0 ports, 1.3 MP webcam, and running the show, Window's XP Home.

We're not sure when this is planned to be released or the price but it does look pretty official as Gigabyte has made an official press video that can be viewed below.

GIGABYTE OFF THE HOOKS – ULTRA PORTABLE VARIANTS ARE OUT

Absolute with 8.9-inch WXGA LED-backlit display, Atom CPU, and provided with up to 250GB HDD and Windows Vista, yeah we are talking about Gigabyte and that too an ultra portable one. Gigabyte is all positioned to cross the threshold of the sub-notebook marketplace with their new-fangled M912 subnotebook which factually does it all - diminutive & power proficient notebook, entirely capable to be used as a net book, a Tablet PC too, and the majority of other widespread computing tasks you toss at it.

This 1.3kg ultra-portable notebook from Gigabyte will evaluate around 1.3kg together with the 2.5" HDD. Specs wise: the M912 captures 1.6GHz Atom CPU, 945GSE chipset, 1GB DDR2 memory, up to 250GB HDD, 8.9" WXGA LED-backlit swivel touch screen flaunt, 3 USB 2.0 ports, VGA port, Express Card slot, connectivity through Bluetooth 2.0 and 802.11g Wi-Fi. With its 4500mAH Li-ion battery power pack, the rated battery sprint life is 3.5 hours. In addition, Gigabyte does state that an exterior USB optical drive will be provided (optional). There's not a large amount to abhorrence here as mutually the specs and design look very inspiring indeed. We just expect

GIGABYTE M912 MAKING WAVES

Gigabyte Technology will reveal its competitor for the low-priced PC marketplace, the M912 with an 8.9-inch sheet and powered by an Intel Atom processor, at the commencement of June, with regards to the sources in the channel. The M912 will support either Linux or Windows XP, while the company is also considering including Bluetooth, added the sources. The Gigabyte M912 is being intended in house by the corporation in order to facilitate it to be in charge of the development timetable, specification and eminence, the sources renowned, prominence that this will permit the company to stay behind supple based on market opinion.

GIGABYTE N512 REVIEW - CHECKOUT THE NEW LAPTOP FROM GIGABYTE

The laptop market is heating up and it seems like every one wants a portion of the action. Not to be outdone, Taiwan based Gigabyte has introduced several new laptops to their existing broad range of products. The N512 laptop features a powerful Intel Pentium M 1.7GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and an ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 graphics adapter. Let’s see the company’s first launch this fiscal.

Design
N512 shown on Gigabyte’s website do not do it honesty; In fact shows the system look thicker and blander in facade than it really is. This just isn’t the case. With the exemption to the back of the system where the battery is located, the whole system is dressed in a shiny silver paint giving it a very expensive look. And with the system barely being about an inch tall it looks like it may perhaps be made by Apple from a distance. Of course the Apple PowerBooks come with a genuine magnesium case and a wide-screen display but Gigabyte does a good job duplicating the styling.

Performance
Powering the N512 is Intel’s latest Dothan based Pentium M CPU running at 1.7GHz and Intel’s Centrino chipset. N512 comes with 512MB of DDR memory you can choose to upgrade the system for a sum of 2GB of RAM – more than most notebooks. Gigabyte chose to conduit the Intel integrated graphics chip in favor of ATI’s Mobility Radeon 9600 graphics adapter which we think is an elegant decision.

The N512 also comes loaded with 4 USB 2.0 ports, 1 FireWire port, a PC Card and MMC/SD media card slot and a DVD/CD-ROM combo drive. 2 things we were very happy to see on this system is the dazzling 15-inch SXGA+ TFT display with a max resolution of 1400x1500, and the integrated 802.11b/g WiFi.

The disappointed was to see no DVD writers or gigabit Ethernet as an option though. The N512 comes with only a few software programs which is what we like. Included are Power DVD, Easy CD Creator, Xpress Recovery and Norton Antivirus.

The touchpad and scroll buttons labor very well and we did not have any issues with how they performed. The keyboard arrangement and key size is also pretty nice, not too large nor small and the keys give a pleasant click feel when they are being used which is comparable to the way an IBM ThinkPad keyboard feels. There are only 2 hot buttons on the system with one going to the evade e-mail program and the other to the help section of Windows. Some cool little things we institute are audio controls as the secondary function on the F keys.

Overall
Gigabyte has done a astonishing job giving the user all they need to get going. They incorporate an attractive laptop bag as well as a diminutive wireless laptop mouse. The instruction manual is easy to read and they provide a warranty that appears to rival the competition, even though the tech support phone number is not toll-free. If you are willing to smash the cast and try a system from a company not known for its notebooks, the N512 is definitely a system worth checking out.

Pros
+ Very fast;
+ System memory is upgradeable to 2GB;
+ Very reliable

Cons
- Does not have a widescreen display;
- DVD writer or Gigabit Ethernet is not an option

This is an old laptop (2004 model), we have written review for it's fans.

GIGABYTE G-MAX N203 LAPTOP

The craze for notebook is at its peak that everyone wants a laptop; if they've already have one, and then they need a better one. Unfortunately, just as with high end TVs, harsh reality soon launches in when it comes to pricing the top-end laptop you are lusting after. Most of them end up compromising with a midrange notebook that has most or all of what they want.

Today we present you the new entrant Gigabyte's G-Max N203 laptop in "Ruby Red", which snuggles neatly into this midrange category. Features and portability are this Centrino-based 1.6GHz laptop's primary strengths, but it can also hold its status high in the office computing department.

Gigabyte offers 2 variants in the N203 line, taking the different route of differentiating them by color. 'Ruby Red' N203 comes with a 1.6GHz Pentium M processor and 256MB of memory, while 'Jazz Black' variant sports a 1.7GHz processor and the memory doubling to 512MB. It comes preloaded with Windows XP Home edition.

Gigabyte has also mounts the stardom trough the G-Max N203. It sports one of latest from the Intel family 'Dothan' 90nm process 2MB level 2 cache M processors. G-Max N203 employs the Intel 855GME chipset included with the ICH4-M Southbridge chip.

The 12.6" TFT LCD uses a familiar and native resolution of 1024x768 (XGA) which is still a good performer for an LCD of this size. The screen is scaled at a conventional ratio, not a widescreen one. The battery is an 11.1Vdc, 4400mAH Lithium Ion six cell packs; it weighs just around a pound. Gigabyte claims 4 hours of battery life on a full charge out of the Six-packer battery unit.

Overall a decent and a keep-it-simple attitude from Gigabyte.

GIGABYTE EXPOSES U60 – 1ST UMPC

Gigabyte will release the U60 this month at CeBit. U60 is Gigabyte’s 1st UMPC. This freaky gadget features a practical built-in QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard slides out of the main body.

A 6.5-inch (800×600) display dons the role of a screen. The screen looks crisp and clear. It sounds more practical for a UMPC. Connectivity wire free through Wi-Fi is a good feature. It boasts a 30GB hard drive, 2 USB ports and a memory card reader with SD and MMC Slots Provided. The U60 will be mastered around the C7-M mobile processor.

It carries a built in camera, that enable the snap on the move functions. DVB-T Module pack & GPS Module pack can be availed as an optional spec. U60 carries a finger touch screen, Graphics is brilliantly handled through the VIA unichrome pro with the clock speed revving up to 1000Mhz.

The Gigabyte UMPC U60 is loaded with hand writing recognition under Window XP OS. U60 stares at businesspersons for instant access to email, web-conferencing, wi-fi and GPS navigation system, which are, incorporated with the traditional Smart Phones and PDA. U60 is aimed at phasing out the SMART PHONE/PDA era. Battery life of 2.4 -3.4 hrs just beefs up the Gigabyte. U60 with decent performance and weighing at just 720 grams, its just the kind of tool a gadget freak would love to hang out with. Overall a decent performer compressed to the palm.

GIGABYTE W551N REVIEW

Blessed with a Dual core Intel, this one is a fresh performer. Fast, efficient mobility is what this product promises. Lets explore more.

Design
The laptop is simple by looks, but packs a solid punch in the performance and features tab. A Widescreen of 15.4” WXGA color TFT. 2 MICs are integrated on the screen at both sides. A superb view-angle is provided due to its widescreen technology. The keyboard is the standard laptop set, with key-size being average, but a bit cramped. The touchpad below the keyboard is just fantastic, having a super smooth feel, and good scrolling system. Moreover, the touchpad is a little deep embedded which removes the risk of accidental touch while typing. On top left side of keyboard, are the Power, quick access keys for Email, Browser, WiFi/Bluetooth, Volume control. Above these buttons are the LEDs which show power, HDD status, and Caps, Num lock.

The front of the laptop has 3 audio ports, headphones, line-in, MIC. Also, IEEE 1394 port, SD card reader, PCMCI Card slot, 4 USB 2.0 ports are provided. Bluetooth and WiFi are provided for instant connectivity. A VGA out, S-video port is also provided for enabling display on external screens.

Performance
The Intel Dual core processor T2300 is the brain of this notebook. Coupled with the 945 chipset, it gives a good performance but nothing as compared to the best ones currently available. 512 MB RAM is provided which is upgradeable to 2Gb in case the need arises. 80GB HDD @ 5400 rpm makes the disk system good enough, and a 8x DVD RW dual layer is enough to satisfy your data backing needs. Graphics department is handled by Nvidia 7300, which is an average performer, if not more.

The product achieved a score of 1859 3D Marks05 and 3395 PCMarks 05, which is an average score. The presence of a good processor was the reason for this rating. Most games of the current generation can be run at medium-high settings, and running most business applications is a breeze.

Conclusion
The battery life of the Notebook is quite good too, mainly because of the efficient processor that has been included. Its a decent buy at the price at which it retails at, but there are better performers out there, some which are competitively priced. A bit heavy in weight, this one has nothing in it which can make you drool, neither the looks, nor the performance.

Pros
+ 15.4” crystal clear widescreen
+ Good build

Cons
- Recurring heating problem
- Bottom in the looks department

Value For Money

Our Rating