Netbook Review Roundup 27/03/2009
March 27, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Netbook Choice’s roundup of netbook reviews from around the web on Friday 27th March 2009.
Asus Eee PC 1000HE @ Khabrein.Info
Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)
HP Mini 2140 @ Wi-Fi Planet
Rating: N/A
MSI Wind U120 @ PC World
Rating: 4.5 Stars (out of 5)
Samsung NC10 review @ Cnet UK
Rating: 8.9
Sony Vaio P (P588E) @ Mobile Tech Review
Rating: 4 stars (out of 4)
Netbook Roundup (Asus N10Jc, HP Mini 2140, Samsung NC10, Sony Vaio P) @ Computer World
Rating: N/A
Video: Samsung N310 impressions & hands on
March 27, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Blogeee managed to get some time hands-on with the Samsung N310 yesterday and posted a short video of its impressions. They played with the black version, which judging from the video seemed slightly susceptible to fingerprints. Overall they found the N310 very well finished and surprisingly light and compact. The netbook was one of the most popular products on the Samsung stand. Read more
New Dell Latitude 2100 Netbooks to Target Education Market?
March 27, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Dell is planning to launch a new range of 10-inch netbooks branded for the education market in May according to Gizmodo. The Dell Latitude 2100 ‘Welch’ netbooks will be powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, support a maximum of 2GB RAM and weigh under 1.4kg (3lbs). They will come in four different colours and fitting in with the school theme, will have names to match. The names include ‘School Bus Orange, ‘Red Apple’ and ‘Blue Ribbon’.
Personally, they don’t look too attractive and from the render, look reasonably chunky too. These new netbooks may have a touchscreen and will come with 3 and 6-cell battery options. Other features include WiFi (b/g/n), Bluetooth, SD/MMC slot and three USB ports. With a price-point under $600, I would think there are better options on the market. However, this is just a rumour so we’ll wait for further information before criticising. Click through for a larger shot of the render. Read more
Archos to launch Android-powered UMPC in Q3 2009
March 27, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Archos is planning to release a number of ‘internet media devices’ powered by the Google Android operating system in the second half of this year. Archos hasn’t confirmed exactly what form these internet media devices will take, however a UMPC is likely to be one of them.
“In the third and fourth quarter we will be launching internet media devices that will be based on Google’s Android technology, ” said Tony Limrick, MD of Archos Europe. “In terms of the forthcoming ultra-mobile PC, we are not releasing the final specifications, except we will be incorporating Google Android into one very smart piece of kit.”
Further details are unknown at this point, however Limrick emphasised screen quality, size and ultra-portability as key factors. Whilst Archos is traditionally known for its personal media player (PMP) devices it launched its first netbook, the Archos 10, earlier this year. Whilst, the Archos 10 looks like most other netbooks on the market, may Archos also be planning a new netbook powered by Android? That certainly would set it apart from the rest.
Via Silicon Republic.
Video: Asus Eee PC T91 tablet hands on
March 27, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Pocket-Lint has posted a hands-on demonstration of the Asus Eee PC T91. A quick swipe of the touchscreen from right to left appears to toggle the OS between a Linux based kernel and Windows XP. The Linux kernel is likely to be very similar to the ‘Easy Mode’ used on Asus’ EeeTop products with access to weather, Firefox etc. Encouragingly the screen does not auto-rotate either, which could be a problem is using it on the move.
The T91 is an 8.9-inch convertible tablet powered by a 1.33GHz Z520 Intel Atom CPU. It will come with a 32GB SSD and optional extras including GPS, 3G and a TV tuner. Pricing has not been confirmed but is expected to be between $499 to $ 549 (c£500) on release. The T91 is expected to have an April/May release. Check out the video after the break. Read more
New Asus Eee PC E1004DN – First netbook to include optical drive arriving in April
March 27, 2009 at 9:53 am
The line between notebooks and netbooks blur even further. Asus will launch its first netbook with an embedded optical disc-drive in mid-April according to sources in retail channels. The model dubbed E1004DN (Asus’ model numbering gets ever more confusing) will be powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 CPU and GN40 chipset. It will also come with a 120GB hard-disk drive.
I imagine with a drive included it will bulk up the size and weight of the unit. However with the model numbering suggesting that this will be a 10-inch model, let’s hope Asus follow the styling cues of the 1008HA. It certainly will be a powerful machine given that it is adopting the GN40 chipset over the ageing 945GSE. The unit will come with a suggested retail price of NT$18,000-20,000 ($532 – $590, €395 – €440, £370 – £415). We’ll come back with more information on this exciting break-through as we have it.
Update: We have attached some pictures of the E1004DN after the break.
Update 2: We now have full specifications for the 1004DN, see them here. Read more
MSI Wind U123/U123T/U123H netbooks appear on official site
March 27, 2009 at 9:30 am
The MSI Wind U123 netbook, which was first shown at CeBIT, has now made an appearance on the official MSI site. A full list of specifications is available along with drivers, BIOS and manuals. Interestingly, as well as the Wind U123, MSI will also release the U123T which includes a built-in TV tuner and the U123H which comes with built-in 3.5G (HSDPA).
As far as I am aware, the U123 was meant to come with a 6-cell battery but according to the official Global site it looks like a 3-cell battery will be standard, with options for a 6-cell battery (we hear that an optional 9-cell battery will also be available). However, there is some discrepancy with the MSI Global site and Japanese site as the latter says that it will come with a 6-cell battery as standard. So maybe the Global site has a typo. Read more
Sony Vaio P refresh on the horizon?
March 26, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Sony will launch a refresh of the Vaio P ‘not-a-netbook’ this Summer according to Sony Insider. Before you get too excited it is unlikely that we will see a complete redesign, a bump in specifications is more probable. There has been talk of Intel replacing its 1.86Ghz Z540 Atom CPU with the 2.0GHz Z550, could this be part of a new beefed-up Vaio P?
A leak of six new model numbers was obtained which shows a jump from the current 500 series to a supposedly new 700 series. Four of the model numbers were tagged P710, the difference between them being four different colours (black, green, red and white). The other two were tagged P730A and P730T. It is unknown what the difference is between the latter two are, although it is likely that the P730 models will have a higher-spec (different processor, RAM or larger SSD drive). It would be nice if a lower price-point was also planned, although I can’t see that happening. We’ll come back with any more news on a new Sony VAIO P as soon as it emerges.
ARM-powered Wistron ‘FirstBook’ netbook spotted
March 26, 2009 at 6:07 pm
A recent video highlighting some ARM-based Qualcomm products at the recent Mobile World Congress had a hidden surprise towards the end. The video appears to show the first hands-on of Wistron’s FirstBook, a 3G-enabled netbook powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. It is the Snapdragon chipset that Asus is apparently considering in future Eee PCs.
The Linux based netbook looks quite attractive and has more than a resemblance to the Sony Vaio P form-factor with its widescreen display. It appears to be extremely light and thin for a netbook. A 3G demonstration was made by surfing the net which showed it had a good response time. No specifications of the unit are known at this point, although it is rumoured to have an 11.1-inch display.
The unit may just be a concept, but given that it was demonstrated along with Toshiba’s upcoming TG01 smartphone, we hope it will become a commercial reality at some point. Interestingly, we already know that a Wistron netbook with Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU is due to appear at Computex Taipei in June. We’ll hopefully have further details on the FirstBook then, if not before. Check out the action in the video after the break. The FirstBook is spotted from 2 minutes 33 seconds onwards. Well worth a look. Read more
Further Evidence of Multi-Touch Netbook Panels in H2 2009
March 26, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Evidence is growing that we will start to see netbooks with multi-touch panels by the end of 2009. Touch panel manufacturer, Young Fast Optoelectronics has confirmed that it will start to produce capacitive touch panels for netbooks in the second half of the year, according to its Chairman TJ Lin.
We are already starting to see a number of netbooks using touchscreen panels including the Asus Eee PC T91, the Touch Book from Always Innovating and Gigabyte’s TouchNote M1028. However, the touch-panel technology currently used is resistive. The move to capacitive panels will allow multitouch gestures (such as ‘pinching’).
Young Fast accounted for 20-percent of the touchscreen market in 2008, shipping approximately 40 million touch panels. It is currently producing around two million 3.2-inch capacitive panels per month. A number of panel manufacturers are looking to enter the capacitive segment for netbooks. Earlier in the month, we heard that EETI plans to ship 7 and 12-inch capacitive panels in H2 2009 too. With Windows 7 Touch on the horizon we could be in for some very interesting netbooks towards the end of the year.
Via Digitimes.
New Asus Eee PC 1002H netbook revealed
March 26, 2009 at 12:06 pm
A new 10-inch Asus netbook has just appeared on its official site. The confusing model names continue with this new netbook dubbed the ‘1002H’ (we already have the 1000, 1000H, 1000HE, 1002HA as well as the upcoming 1008HA!) Now from what I can tell, the 1002H is nearly identical to the 1002HA. The way in which it differs include a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 CPU on the 1002H, compared to the 1.6GHz N270 CPU on the 1002HA. The 1002H also comes with a 92-percent sized chiclet-style (254mm) keyboard, compared to a normal keyboard on the 1002HA.
The other main difference is down to the styling. The chassis uses infusion technology which means that the Eee motif is inlaid within the laptop surface itself. The whole chassis is also coated in a scratch resistant and hard-coated surface which means that the design should not fade over time. The 1002H will come in three colours, Pearl White, Pink, Black.
The rest of the features are identical to the 1002HA. It has a 10-inch (1024 x 600) LED backlit display and comes with 1GB RAM and a 160GB hard-disk drive plus 10GB of online Eee storage. The trackpad also has multi-touch gesture input. It has the same weight (1.2kg) and dimensions (264mm x 181mm x 27.6mm) too. Battery life stands at 5 hours, same as the 1002HA. Other features include WiFi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, a 1.3MP camera, digital microphone array and stereo speakers. There’s also a VGA output, three USB 2.0 ports, an ethernet port, audio in/out and a multiformat memory-card reader. Pricing and availability are unknown at this time. Click through for a full gallery of pictures. Read more
LG X120 Whatchamacallit? LG seeks alternative to ‘netbook’ name
March 26, 2009 at 10:23 am
Whilst the trademark dispute over the term ‘netbook’ continues to rage between Psion and Intel, LG has taken the matter into its own hands by looking for an alternative tag to attach to its upcoming X120 netbook.
In a unique promotion, LG Canada is asking the public what this new category name should be called. The three names with the most votes will win themselves a LG X120 netbook. From the LG site: “Previously, this small computer had a well-known category name, but since lawsuits are waged over that name, we’ve decided to ask you, our customers… What should we call it?”
Some of the more popular entries include LoGo, PocketRocket, LG Flight, LG Breeze and my current favourite ‘bing bang bing bang bong’! Have a look at the entries yourself here. So, what would you call it?
Netbook Review Roundup 25/03/2009
March 25, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Netbook Choice’s roundup of netbook reviews from around the web on Wednesday 25th March 2009.
Asus Eee PC 1000HE @ IT Pro
Rating: 5 Stars (out of 6)
Dell Inspiron Mini 1210 @ Cnet Australia
Rating: 7.3
HP Mini 1000 Mi Edition @ Cnet Asia
Rating: 7.8
HP Mini 2140, the ‘Mobile Professional’ @ Datamation
Rating: N/A
Samsung NC20 @ iGizmo
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Video: Windows 7 Touch gestures demonstrated
March 25, 2009 at 11:06 pm
The Windows Touch Team has posted a lengthy post on the ‘Engineering Windows 7’ blog, giving a thorough overview of touch in Windows 7. It is well worth a read for those that are interested in the touch capabilities of Microsoft’s new operating system. From a netbook point of view, Windows 7 could drive a surge in netbook sales although this is likely to depend on whether the hardware is up to scratch as well as mature software. I for one cannot wait for HD multitouch-panels to appear in netbooks/net tablets, but if the software isn’t up to scratch it will be pointless.
“With Windows 7 we have enriched the Windows experience with touch, making touch a first-class way to interact with your PC alongside the mouse and keyboard. We focused on common activities and refined them thoughtfully with touch in mind. You will have the freedom of direct interaction, like being able to reach out and slowly scroll a web page then flick quickly to move through it. With new touch optimized applications from creative software developers you will be able to immerse yourself as you explore you photos, browse the globe, or go after bad guys in your favorite games.”
The team also talk about the core gestures used in Windows 7 (Tap and Double-tap, Flicks, Zoom etc.) We have included a full list & description of these after the break along with a short video demonstrating these gestures in action. Read more
New netbooks from Kohjinsha & Trigem surface in Japan
March 25, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Two new netbooks have surfaced in Japan, both names are likely to be unfamiliar to those in the West. The two models from Kohjinsha and Trigem look distinctly average and the specifications are very much run-of-the-mill. I would be very surprised if these netbooks will become available internationally.
Kohjinsha has announced the 8.9-inch ML6 L16A, continuing the ML6 series, which is powered by a 1.6GHz N270 CPU and 1GB RAM. It also has 160GB of hard-disk storage and is WiFi enabled. It will be available in six different colours (Black, White, Bordeaux, Gold, Champagne, Blue and Pink). It weighs 1.08kg / 2.4 pounds. The battery lasts about 4 hours with an optional higher capacity battery. It will sell for 39,800 yen ($408) when it is released before the end of this month.
On the same day Trigem has announced the 10.2-inch Averatec AVN0270NB. This comes with a WSVGA screen and is powered by a 1.6Ghz N270 Atom CPU + 945GMS chipset. It comes with 1GB RAM and a 160GB hard-disk drive. It also has WiFi (b/g) and a 5-hour battery life. It is priced at 44,800 Yen (340€).
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