Sony Vaio W netbook gets UK pricing & hands-on impressions
July 9, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Sony’s first entry to the netbook market, the Vaio Mini W-series, was announced yesterday. Whilst we found out how much this netbook will cost in the US and mainland Europe, a UK price was conspicuously absent. We now know that the Vaio W will cost £399 including VAT, when it’s released in mid-August.
A number of publications went hands-on with the Vaio W netbook today and came back with mixed reactions. PC Pro thought its biggest selling point was the high-resolution (1366 x 768) screen. The screen was bright and text was sharp, although they did feel the 10.1-inch screen was a bit too cramped. The chassis is made of plastic, although with a textured finish. Whilst the chiclet (isolation) keyboard looks great in the pictures, they said that the Samsung N110 keyboard was more usable.
What Laptop also feels that the HD screen is its standout feature. They found the colour and contrast to be excellent. The touchpad is large and has responsive mouse buttons. TechRadar liked the 86 percent keyboard although they were concerned on slightly small keys. They also loved the screen, using adjectives such as “stunning” and “vibrant” and calling it “one of the best netbook screens we’ve seen to date”.
Official: Asus Eee PC T91 launches in US on 15th July
July 9, 2009 at 6:57 pm
This morning everyone got a bit excited when it appeared that the Asus convertible netbook, the Eee PC T91, was in stock at an US online retailer. It seems that this listing was an error, as the status has since been moved from “In Stock” to “Pre-order”.
However, good news for Eee PC T91 fans, Asus US has officially confirmed that the 8.9-inch netbook will launch on Wednesday July 15th in the United States. However, stock will be in limited quantities so you’d better pre-order quickly if you want to be the first to get hands-on.
Asus UK reveals Eee PC T101 specifications; Aug/Sept release
July 9, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Much of the focus in the convertible netbook space has been on the 8.9-inch Asus Eee PC T91, however let’s not forget that the 10-inch T101 is also on the Asus product roadmap. Whilst we’ve not heard too much about the T101, it appears that it is still planned to be released in the UK according to AsusTablet.
They have posted what are believed to be “final” specifications of the Eee PC T101H and claim that it will be released in late August or early September. There are a few things that I’m slightly confused about though. The specs list the OS as Windows 7, but that isn’t being launched until October 22nd. Also, it talks of a “resistive multi-touch” panel, despite the fact that it should be a capacitive panel if it does feature multi-touch. Read more
NbC: Cool Bananas Hard Cover Netbook Case Review
July 9, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Netbooks are designed with portability in mind. A growing market of netbook sleeves, cases and bags are now becoming available to protect your netbook when on-the-road. Whilst sleeves do a good job of keeping the dust out and protecting against scratches, they won’t save your netbook if dropped. However, we do have one case here that should do a good job of protecting your beloved netbook against bumps and knocks.
The Cool Bananas Hard Cover netbook case was kindly sent over by GearZap, who are a specialist retailer of netbook and laptop accessories. They have an extensive catalogue of products and deliver across Europe. Our case impressively arrived in just one day. This particular case should fit any netbook between 8.9-inches to 10.2-inches. The Cool Bananas Hard Cover Netbook Case is available in five different colours (Black, Navy Blue, Brown, Red and Pink) and costs £21.95. GearZap apply a small delivery charge on top of this depending on whether shipping is to the UK or mainland Europe. Read more
Asus Eee PC T91 now shipping in US for $499
July 9, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Update: Thought this was too good to be true. BuyDig has now changed the status from “In Stock” to “No stock Yet-Accepting Pre-Orders”. Looks like we will be waiting until the end of the month before stock appears.
The Asus Eee PC T91 convertible tablet appears to have gone on sale at an US online retailer, at least two-to-three weeks earlier than expected. The T91 was not due to hit retail until “late July” in both the US and UK. Whilst we are still waiting here in the UK, US-based BuyDig now has the T91 listed as in stock and ready for dispatch for $499.
The Eee PC T91 netbook has a 8.9-inch (1024 x 600) display and a swivel mechanism that converts it into a tablet device. The particular model number listed is T91SA-VU1X-BK. The Eee PC T91 is powered by a 1.33GHz Z520 Atom CPU and comes with a 1GB RAM and a 16GB SSD. Read more
Dell Latitude 2100 netbook gets video unboxing
July 9, 2009 at 1:06 pm
The Dell Latitude 2100 netbook is the company’s first 10-inch device targeted to the education segment. To keep it as kid-proof as possible, the Latitude 2100 has a network activity light on the lid, rubberised case, a fanless bottom to avoid spills as well as some optional extras such as an anti-microbial keyboard, carrying handle and shoulder strap.
Sascha from NetbookNews has unboxed the Latitude 2100 and given his initial impressions. The netbook is available in 6 colours and the one they handled was ‘School Bus Gold’. When you first lay eyes on the Latitude 2100 it does look quite chunky compared to current netbooks. However, Sascha says that this is incredibly well built that you could even probably drop without causing too much damage.
The netbook shipped with both Windows XP and Vista discs, giving you an option to choose which OS you want to install. It comes with a 3-cell battery that should be good for three hours of battery life. There are no access panels, not a surprise considering that it is “spill resistant”. The display was very interesting, looking like a cross between a glossy and matte display. Check out what we mean by watching the video after the jump. Read more
Google Chrome OS screenshots leaked; partners named
July 9, 2009 at 11:08 am
Update: The screenshots were indeed faked. See here for more detail.
Following yesterday’s announcement of the Google Chrome Operating System that will initially hit netbooks next year, a few more bits of information are beginning to come through. This includes what look like the first images of the Chrome OS that have been leaked.
The leak comes from someone who has taken extreme measures to remain anonymous. He has hastily created a WordPress blog called ‘Chrome OS Leak’, with some initial impressions of the OS as well as a few blurry screenshots. He works for a company that supplies parts for Acer laptops and was given a demonstration of the Chrome OS by a Google Rep. Read more
Dell Mini 10 GPS functionality now available
July 8, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Dell announced its plans to launch a new service for the Mini 10 netbook called the Dell 700 Wireless location system last week. This combines GPS and Wi-Fi positioning to determine where you are, indoors or outdoors. Dell now has this option up on its site, which costs an additional $70, but it can only be selected if you have the HD screen (1366 x 768) option i.e. an extra $35.
This may seem a bit pricey, but is still cheaper than compared to standalone units. Personally, I’m trying to understand how useful GPS on a relatively bulky netbook really makes sense. Dedicated units and mobile handsets I can understand, especially as most have touchscreens and you can fit in your pocket.
For those that are interested, you can find this now on the Dell site under the ‘Mobile Connectivity’ section. It is only available on the Mini 10 netbooks, not the Mini 10v.
Via Portable Monkey.
Sony Vaio W netbook: Protruding 6-cell battery & access panel in pictures
July 8, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Sony announced its first proper netbook yesterday, the 10.1-inch Vaio W, which has a high-resolution display, chiclet keyboard and is powered by a 1.66GHz N280 Atom CPU. We can’t help thinking that Sony would have had a best seller on its hands if the battery life was a bit better.
Sony has included a standard 3-cell (2100mAh) battery that is good for just 160 minutes of battery life. The good news is that an optional 6-cell (5200mAh) battery will also be available that should double this time. Some new pictures from ITMedia show just how much this higher capacity battery will stick out, unfortunately it does so quite a bit. Read more
Manli M3 netbook gets video unboxing
July 8, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Manli Technology recently unveiled the iii series of netbooks at Computex. The Manli M3, was one of these netbooks, and comes with a 10-inch (1024 x 600) display, powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU. Its claim to fame is a fingerprint reader on the palm rest and an Expresscard/34 slot.
Other specs include 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, a 3-in-1 card reader, Wi-FI (b/g only), a 1.3MP webcam as well as optional 3G. NetbookNews has got hold of the netbook and promptly shot an unboxing video. It was nice to see this model sporting a matte display, although the lid looks like it’s a fingerprint magnet. Upgradeability seems to be well catered for with a very large access panel on the bottom. This provides easy reach to the RAM, HDD and two Mini PCI-E card slots.
There have been a number of unusal design decisions regarding the keyboard. First of all, there is a very small shift key right at the edge of the keyboard. The space bar is also quite small, partly to fit two Windows keys, one either side of the space bar. You also get dedicated Home and End buttons, quite unusual for a netbook. But their placement is strange, stuck to the left of the Enter key. Check the video out for yourself after the jump. Read more
HP Mini 110 XP gets HD screen & Broadcom video acceleration
July 8, 2009 at 6:28 pm
The HP Mini 110 netbook was promised a number of optional upgrades this month and right on cue, these options are now available. First off, you can now opt for a high resolution 10.1-inch screen for an additional $30. This will bump up the resolution from 1024 x 576 pixels to 1366 x 768 pixels.
You may want to pair this with the Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video accelerator, which will cost an extra $30. This card should allow smooth playback of HD video content. However, you will have to use this with the bundled ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre software to take advantage of the video acceleration. TotalMedia Theatre will give you access to MKV, MOV, MP4, AVI, WMV and TS/M2TS files. Read more
NbC: Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell netbook unboxed
July 8, 2009 at 5:27 pm
The Asus Eee PC 1005HA was officially announced for the UK today and Asus were kind enough to send over the netbook for testing. The Eee PC 1005HA looks very similar to the first 1008HA Seashell model, but is slightly thicker and heavier due it having a removable battery (the 1008HA has a sealed battery). You also don’t get the flaps over the port doors that you get in the slimmer 1008HA. The 1005HA also has a full-sized VGA port.
As we reported earlier, there are two (quite different) UK SKUs for the Eee PC 1005HA. The model that we were sent is the Eee PC 1005HA-WHI064X. This particular version is the white 1005HA powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU. Compared to the more expensive N280 Atom model, this model has a lower capacity 6-cell battery, no Bluetooth, no netbook sleeve, a matte screen (N280 SKU has a glossy screen) and a 0.3MP webcam (N280 SKU has a 1.3MP webcam). Read more
Asus Eee PC 1005HA and 1101HA officially announced for UK
July 8, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Whilst we already know lots about the Eee PC 1005HA and 1101HA Seashell netbooks, both models have officially been announced for the UK market today. The 10-inch 1005HA will come in two different SKUs and launch at the end of the month. We would suggest that consumers pay special attention to both model numbers as there are significant differences between both SKUs.
The cheaper 1.6GHz N270 Atom netbook will cost £329 and is available in black (1005HA-BLK083X) and white (1005HA-WHI064X). This model comes with a lower-rated 6-cell battery (4400 mAh) that should be good for 8.5 hours according to the company. You will not find Bluetooth on this model and it only has a 0.3MP webcam. The N270 SKU also has a matte (1024 x 600) display. Asus also does not include a netbook sleeve with this version. Read more
Google Chrome OS coming to netbooks in 2010
July 8, 2009 at 11:53 am
The speculation surrounding a Google operating system has existed for many years. Finally, the rumours are no more, Google has officially announced the Google Chrome Operating System. As you can probably tell by the name, the OS is a natural extension of the Chrome browser. It is an “open source, lightweight” OS that will initially be targeted to netbooks for release in the second half of 2010.
Google says that the key attributes of the Chrome OS are “speed, simplicity and security”. The OS is based on Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. This means that much of the user experience takes place on the web (or cloud computing if you like). The Google Chrome OS will run on both x86 and ARM chips, so there should be no limitations on whether we see this OS on netbooks or smartbooks. Read more
Netbook demand running out of steam? Vendors cautious over Atom N450 netbook sales
July 7, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Netbooks have seen explosive growth since they first launched onto the market around two years ago. It’s been one of the few technology segments where growth has been sustained during these tough economic times. Due to its success, it seems that everyone wants a slice of the pie. Because of this there has been huge competition in this space, albeit with a lot of ‘me-too’ products with similar specs and uninspiring designs.
Therefore, it is probably no surprise to learn that netbook demand in H1 2009 failed to live up to some manufacturers expectations. The result of this is unsold inventory and margin dilution due to high competition. Some of these vendors have already significantly reduced their netbook Research & Development expenses as well as lowering marketing budgets. Read more
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