HP Mini 311 official press shots unveiled

The HP Mini 311 (Compaq Mini 311c in Europe) is expected to hit the market with an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display and ION LE platform. Whilst the model hasn’t been officially announced, it is believed to be powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD.

Other features include Wi-Fi (B/g), Bluetooth, HDMI out, three USB ports, webcam and 5-in-1 card reader. It will come with a 92 percent keyboard and a 6-cell battery. Notebook Italia stumbled on some official press images of the Mini 311 that show it will come in two colours, black and white, both with patterned lids. Availability is pricing is still unknown, however we’ll bring you further details as soon as we have it. We have a few pictures of the Mini 311 after the break. Read more

Medion Akoya E1313’s touchscreen gets video demo

The Medion Akoya already has a number of models in its E131X series. One model we hadn’t heard of before was the Medion Akoya E1313 netbook. Like its brothers, this model is also powered by an AMD Sempron CPU, but differs in that it will launch with a touchscreen.

Sascha from NetbookNews managed to get hands-on with the E1313. The model he tested was running Windows 7 suggesting a launch in late October/November. The touchscreen appears to be impressively responsive. Other features include an Expresscard/34 slot and a protruding 6-cell battery. It should be priced between €450 – €500. Check out the video after the break. Read more

Olive & Tata launch India’s first 3G-enabled netbook

A partnership between Olive Telecommunication, a subsidiary of Haier Mobile, and Tata Teleservices (TTSL) has today announced the first 3G-equipped netbook in India. The X107H netbook comes with the usual specifications including a 1.6GHz processor, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD.

The netbook will be enabled with the Qualcomm QSC 6085 chipset, with data packages provided by Tata. The wireless broadband service is called Photon Plus. The X107H will cost 23,999 Rupees (£300), which includes the Photon Plus service. There will be ten subsidised netbooks altogether and will launch in a couple of months. These models will be priced between 4,999 to 39,999 Rupees (£63 – £500).

“The unique advantages of our high-speed Internet access service get compounded by the feature-rich and attractively-priced Netbook, which will be on offer with an exclusive range of tariff offerings, designed to bring the best of both worlds to the market,” said Anil Sardana, Managing Director of Tata Teleservices

Via TechTree [via Liliputing].

Intel’s N470 Pineview Atom CPU has 1.83GHz clock speed

Up until now, only one next-gen Pineview processor has been revealed – the 1.66GHz N450 Atom. However, Fudzilla is reporting that this will be accompanied with a faster N470 processor that has a 1.83GHz clock speed. The N470 Atom is expected to hit select netbooks during the first quarter of next year.

As with the N450, the N470 is a single core processor that supports hyper-threading. The Pine Trail chipset has a TDP of 6.5W, whilst this is more than double that of the N270, you have to remember that Pine Trail includes an integrated IGP on the same silicon. Hopefully, we’ll have more details at Intel’s Developer Forum (IDF) from 22-24 September.

Sony Vaio X video roundup

Sony’s super thin Vaio X 11.1-inch device has certainly caused quite a stir. Whilst no specifications have been released, it’s form-factor, consisting of carbon fibre shell measuring just 14mm and weighing less than 700g, makes it one of the sexiest we’ve laid eyes on.

A few videos have appeared over the last few days. The first is a promo video for the Vaio X and it does its job very well, making me want to stick on my early Christmas list right now, despite not knowing the price (ignorance is bliss!)

Also, Sascha from NetbookNews managed to get hold of two models, one with a glossy lid and the other with a matte exterior. He gives a great overview of the device including a tour of the ports and keyboard/touchpad. The last video shows some of the quality assurance testing the Vaio X goes through that’s also worth a watch. Check out all three videos after the jump. Read more

HP Compaq Mini 311c: ION-powered 11.6” netbook?

It appears that HP may be looking to launch two more netbooks to its portfolio. Some members of the Notebook Review forums came across a list of notebook model numbers that included the “HP Mini 311/Compaq Mini 311” and “HP Mini 210/Compaq Mini 210” netbooks. HP normally releases its netbooks under the Compaq brand in Europe, which is why there are two listings per model.

Whilst there was no additional details on these models, NetbookNews.de did a little digging and came across a retail listing for the HP Compaq Mini 311c. It seems that this model will sport an 11.6-inch display, powered by the Nvidia ION LE platform and 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor. Read more

MSI Wind U210 now shipping in US

MSI’s AMD-powered Wind U210 is now shipping in the US via Amazon.com. Only the white model is shipping at a cost of $429.99, with the black version still on pre-order.

The 12.1-inch Wind U210 is an AMD Neo MV-40-powered system with 2GB RAM and a 250GB HDD. It also has a 6-cell battery, HDMI out and comes with ATi Radeon X1250 graphics.

Via Netbooked.

Toshiba JournE: 7-inch tablet plays HD video

Toshiba has announced a new MID at IFA in Germany, called the JournE. This device is a 7-inch touchscreen tablet that has a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. As it is powered by an ARM-based processor, it runs the Windows CE 6.0 Pro operating system. However, judging by the pictures it seems that it runs a custom UI.

The JournE can play back sub-1080p video or full HD video via the HDMI output. It also supports a broad range of codecs (H.264, DivX, WMV). Other features include Wi-Fi (b/g), HDMI functionality in the dock, 1GB of storage (although this can be expanded via the SD card slot).

The device measures just 14mm in thickness. The JournE will hit the market for €249 when it is released in the further quarter this year. Check out some hands-on videos from Engadget and NetbookNews after the break. Read more

Qualcomm responds to smartbook trademark dispute

Qualcomm has given their response following a restraining order from Smartbook AG who claim that the ‘smartbook’ term is trademarked. Smartbook AG has ordered Qualcomm to stop using the term in Germany or risk facing a fine.

Qualcomm has responded by saying that smartbook is a “descriptive and generic term” and one that is used by a number of companies. Qualcomm will have the opportunity to object to the order,” the company noted, adding that it is reviewing the litigation and that “the order does not impact Qualcomm’s services, products, shipments or customers.” Read more

Samsung’s CULV-based X120 ultra-thin full specs unveiled

Details on the Samsung X120 CULV-powered 11.6-inch ultra-thin first appeared yesterday. Whilst the manual was already live, there was little detail in terms of exact specs. However, the Samsung X120 product page is now live on the Samsung website which reveals all.

The X120 comes with an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) glossy display and is powered by a 1.3GHz SU4100 ULV processor, GS45 chipset and 4500MD graphics. It ships with 2GB RAM, but it has 2 DIMM slots suggesting a maximum of 4GB RAM. Storage is catered for by a 250GB SATA HDD. Read more

Samsung intros new N130 & N140 netbooks; now shipping in UK

Samsung has officially announced two new entries to its ‘N’ netbook series. Both 10.1-inch models have very similar in specifications and looks. The official product page for the N130 & N140 is now live on the Samsung UK website. The manuals for both are also available (N130 here and N140 here).

The UK SKUs are both powered by the 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor and 945GSE chipset, and come with 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. They have 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) matte displays and feature Wi-Fi (including Draft-N), webcam, 3-in-1 card reader, three USB ports and 6-cell batteries. Read more

Opinion: Why the Nokia Booklet 3G is a disappointment

Nokia unveiled all of the details of its first entry into the netbook segment this morning. The Booklet 3G is a premium netbook and the company clearly believes that it justifies this tag for a number of reasons. Without question, it is one of the most attractive netbooks on the market today. It is just 20mm thick and comes in an aluminium chassis that leads to comparisons with the Apple Macbook. It is also one of the few netbooks to include 3G connectivity, a crucial aspect since it is likely to be sold on contract via wireless carriers as well as on a standalone basis through retail.

Looking through the initial impressions of bloggers out at Nokia World, it also seems that the keyboard is a delight to use. The touchpad is also large and has well-spaced buttons. The HD (1280 x 720) screen sits flush with the chassis, which gives it a classy look. We are also glad that Nokia has chosen to include a removable 16-cell (3,840mAh) battery in the Booklet 3G and looking at the remaining specs it certainly seems to be well featured (Wi-Fi draft-n, Bluetooth 2.1, HDMI, 1.3MP webcam). Nokia also claims that you’ll get a 12-hour battery life, which is superb. You even get an accelerometer, although I’m not sure what use this has in a non-tablet device? However, despite all of these positives, there are a number of issues that we feel lead to a disappointing package overall. Read more

NbC Announcement: A new era

Netbook Choice has been around for exactly six months today and we’re using the opportunity to announce some changes to the site. The main change, and one that might disappoint some of our readers, is that we will be substantially reducing the number of news articles that we publish.

Over the last six months we have strived to bring you the latest news on a daily basis, however we have begun to question the value of this going forward. There are already some very good tech sites & blogs that provide excellent coverage of netbook news on a daily basis. As even some of the biggest tech sites cover the most mundane netbook news, often it feels that we can add little value to what’s already out there. Read more

Sony Vaio X: 11.1” Atom-powered ‘netbook’

Sony has announced a new Vaio X ultra-portable device. It certainly looks like an aspirational device, weighing just 700g (1.5lbs) and measuring 13mm in thickness. It has a chiclet keyboard and whilst specifications are thin on the ground, we know that it will be powered by an Intel Atom processor.

The lightweight chassis is down to the carbon fibre shell and Sony claim that the battery “will set the new standard for stamina.” It will also have built-in 3G support. The official specifications will be announced in October and it will hit retail a week after the Windows 7 launch. It won’t come cheap though, according to a Sony rep this will cost “below $2,000”.

Update: Check out hands-on video from NetbookNews after the jump. Read more

Nokia Booklet 3G netbook gets priced & full specifications

Nokia has revealed further details on its Booklet 3G netbook today at the Nokia World conference at Stuttgart today. We now know that the Booklet 3G will cost €575 ($820, £504) before subsidies, which is in line to the rumoured $799 price we heard of last week.

The full technical specifications were also revealed. The HD display comes with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and flush glossy screen. It will have a 16 cell (56.8 Wh) battery that the company claims will be good for 12 hours. It will be powered by a 1.6GHz Z530 energy efficient processor, 1GB RAM and 120GB HDD.

Other features include Wi-Fi (Draft-N), Bluetooth 2.1, HDMI-out, three USB ports, a 1.3MP webcam, Windows 7 Starter Edition and interestingly an accelerometer. You can check out some hands-on pictures from both Slashgear and the Nokia Blog. There’s no word on an exact launch date right now. The full specs are listed after the jump. Read more

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