Samsung ND10: An OS-less NC10 [Video]
August 13, 2009 at 11:49 am
The guys over at NetbookNews spotted a Samsung ND10 netbook model on a trip to China. For those wondering how this particular model differs from the best-selling NC10, the answer is not much.
In fact the only difference appears to be that the ND10 does not come with an operating system and therefore is around $50 cheaper. This is great if you wanted to stick your own Linux distro on it without paying the ‘Windows tax’. It’s unlikely to make an appearance outside of China though. Check out the hands-on video after the jump. Read more
LG X130 netbook gets official, 12 hour battery life promised
August 13, 2009 at 11:36 am
The last we heard of the LG X130 was when it was doing its rounds at the FCC. LG has now officially announced the LG X-Note Mini X130. One of its main selling points is a 9-cell battery that can run for 12 hours under normal use or for 7.5 hours under video playback.
The LG X130 has a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) LED backlit display. It will be powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. Other features include Wi-Fi (b/g), Bluetooth 2.0 and Windows XP. In fact the X130 looks very similar to the X120, the major difference being the 9-cell battery.
Like other LG netbooks, it also has a dedicated key to access the Splashtop-based Smart-On operating system, which starts in less than 7 seconds. The LG X130 will come in three different colours (black, white and pink. The netbook will be released shortly across 30 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Middle East / Africa. It is priced at 789,000 Korean Won (£385, $640, €448). Check out some pictures after the jump. Read more
iiView A2 gets video unboxing
August 12, 2009 at 11:47 pm
We already brought you word on the iiView A2 12.1-inch netbook that strikes more than resemblance to the Macbook Air. Well it looks like the guys over at BabyPC have managed to go hands-on with the unit and promptly shot an unboxing video.
Their opinion is that it looks more akin to the Asus Eee PC 1101HA, rather than the Air but is still quite thin all the same. It also has a large access panel on the bottom for the HDD and RAM.
The iiView A2 has a 12.1-inch display with resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It is powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom CPU, Intel 945GSE chipset, 2GB RAM and a 320GB HDD. Other specs include mini HDMI port, two USB ports, Wi-Fi (b/g) and a 6-cell battery. Check out the video after the break. Read more
Dell Inspiron 11z: New CULV-based ultra-thin snapped
August 12, 2009 at 11:25 pm
We speculated recently that the departure of Dell’s Inspiron 12 netbook was likely to mean the imminent arrival of a rumoured 11.6-inch CULV-based ultra-thin model to replace it. Right on cue, Gizmodo has some images of the Inspiron 11z. There’s little detail on specifications, it seems that Gizmodo can’t divulge that detail right now.
What we can tell from the design is it will sport a thin chassis and come with a wide touchpad. The mouse buttons appear to be incorporated in the touchpad. The keyboard stretches to the edge of the chassis and they’ve even managed to fit in separate Home, End, PgUp and PgDn keys to the very right of the keyboard in a vertical strip. Hopefully, an official announcement will be coming very shortly. Check out some pictures of the 11z after the break. Read more
MSI Wind U100 PLUS shipping soon in Europe
August 12, 2009 at 6:25 pm
The MSI Wind U100 PLUS was announced four months ago but we haven’t heard anything since. Well it now looks like the U100 PLUS will finally start to ship in Europe within the next few weeks. The U100 PLUS is effectively a refresh of the U100 and comes with a faster N280 (1.66GHz) Atom processor.
It also comes in two additional colours, Rose Champagne and Metallic Blue, as well as the original three colours (red, black and white). Apart from that the specifications appear to be the same as the original U100 netbook.
Via Fudzilla.
Dell releases Nickelodeon themed Mini 10v netbook
August 12, 2009 at 10:39 am
It looks like Disney isn’t the only company to release a netbook targeted to kids. Dell has introduced a new Inspiron Mini Nickelodeon Edition netbook. It is based on the Mini 10v netbook but is aimed at kids, coming in three different designs. One is for fans of Spongebob Squarepants, another is for iCarly fans whilst the last one is a Nickelodeon slime version that features a green splash on the lid and key rest.
Apart from the design, the netbook will have a tailored UI developed by Stardock Systems that’s branded with Nickelodeon wallpaper and icons and offers quick access to Nick’s Web portals. Educational software from Whyville.net and LoJack’s anti-theft software will also be included. A 15-month trial of McAffee Family Security to monitor their kids’ usage should give parents peace of mind.
Dell hasn’t said whether any of the internal hardware will change from the existing 10v, which normally has a 1.6GHz Atom chip, 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive and a 10-inch, 1024×600 display. The Nickelodeon edition netbook will be available in Walmart and at Dell.com starting at $300.
Samsung N510: UK price, launch date & battery life unveiled
August 11, 2009 at 11:28 pm
We have received word from a reliable source that Samsung’s ION-powered N510 11.6-inch netbook will be available to buy in UK retail from the first week of September. We can also reveal that the recommended retail price in the UK will be £449. This seems right when placed against the rumoured European price of €499 and US price of $599.
We have also seen the full specification list of the UK N510 SKU. For those worried about battery life, then fear not. The Samsung N510 will be shipping with a 6-cell 5900mAh battery that should be good for 7.5 hours of use according to the company. The netbook will come with a HDMI port and a chargeable USB port. The whole thing will weigh 1.46kg.
There has been some speculation whether or not the N510 will use ION LE, which uses a DirectX9 GPU instead of the DirectX10 compatible 9400M (ION) chip. From the information we have received, the Samsung N510 will be using the ION platform and not ION LE. You can check out the specs after the break. Read more
Sony Vaio W netbook now shipping in UK
August 11, 2009 at 10:48 pm
The Sony Vaio W netbook is now in stock and available to order in the UK. Comet has managed to snag the first stock in the country and currently has the white version (VPCW11S1E/W) for sale for £399.99. This puts it £30 cheaper than the current Amazon.co.uk pre-order price. Other colours are expected shortly.
The Sony Vaio W is the first proper netbook from the company and comes with a 1366 x 768 resolution 10-inch display, chiclet keyboard and is powered by a 1.66GHz N280 Atom CPU. It ships with a 3-cell battery as standard which should last for 2.5 hours according to the company.
Thanks John!
Samsung ION netbook line-up to include N508, N510 & N511 models
August 11, 2009 at 12:17 pm
All of the buzz on Samsung’s upcoming Nvidia ION-powered netbook has been on the NP-N510, which is rumoured to include a 11.6-inch high-resolution display and launch later this month in Europe. However, we can now reveal that this will not be the only ION netbook from Samsung.
Samsung is also planning to release two further models, the Samsung NP-N508 and Samsung NP-N511. We don’t have any details on specifications or availability of these previously unheard of models. However a sensible guess would be that the N511 may include a different Atom processor whilst the N508 could sport a smaller display – maybe a 10-inch ION netbook? Read more
Microsoft confirms Windows 7 Starter Edition’s restrictions
August 11, 2009 at 11:46 am
Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer has confirmed that Windows 7 Starter Edition will be limited to “super-small screen” and “certain processor” devices in an aim to try and boost revenues. Windows 7 SE is the cheapest version of windows and is predominantly expected to be found on netbooks. It will be sold to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) only.
“Our license tells you what a netbook is. Our license says it’s got to have a super-small screen, which means it probably has a super-small keyboard, and it has to have a certain processor and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,” said Ballmer at a Microsoft-hosted analyst conference. Read more
Samsung N510 shipping in September for $599 in US?
August 11, 2009 at 10:58 am
We have already heard speculation that Samsung’s ION-powered N510 11.6-inch netbook will hit Europe by the end of this month. Now Brad from Liliputing has word from Samsung that the N510 will launch in the United States in September for a recommended retail price of $599.
This price-point puts it much higher than its peers, even against other 11.6-inch netbooks. However, this will be one of the first with the ION platform and I’m sure the netbook will have a market despite the high price tag. Much to Intel’s and Microsoft’s annoyance, there are many people who are demanding the ability to playback high-definition video on their netbook.
The Samsung N510 has a high-resolution (1366 x 768) display powered by a 1.66GHz N280 Atom, 1GB RAM and a 160GB HDD. It will come with the Nvidia 9400M GPU, HDMI-out, Wi-Fi (Draft-N), a 1.3MP webcam and 6-cell battery.
Gigabyte T1028X TouchNote unboxing video
August 11, 2009 at 10:33 am
The Gigabyte T1028X TouchNote has only just become available for sale and already we have the first unboxing video from Brad over at Liliputing. The T1028X is the higher-end model in the T1028 series and offers a slightly faster 1.66GHz N280 Atom processor, high-resolution (1366 x 768) display and a 6-cell 7650mAh battery that should last for around six and a half hours.
The keyboard looks nice and large along with a wide multi-touch supported touchpad. However, to account for that large keyboard, the mouse buttons are placed either side of the touchpad. There are several access panels on the bottom for the RAM, HDD and a Mini PCI-E slot. Behind the battery, you’ll also find a sim-card slot. The T1028X is also compared to the 10-inch Lenovo S10-2 and Asus Eee PC 1000H. Check out the unboxing and first impression videos below. Read more
Sony Ericsson planning smartbook move?
August 10, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Whilst the speculation continues to swirl around one of the largest mobile manufacturers in the world, Nokia, entering the netbook/smartbook segment, we are hearing similar news regarding another mobile heavyweight. Sony Ericsson is considering developing its own smartbook according to a “reliable Taiwanese source” of Sascha Pallenberg from NetbookNews.com.
Apparently, Sony Ericsson is working on a new device that will hit the market soon. The exact ARM-based processor is not known at this stage, but they seem confident that it will indeed by a non-x86 chip. Any idea of form-factor is also not known. This could simply be a powerful smartphone sporting a high-end ARM chip, much like the Toshiba TG01 that has a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. We also know that Samsung is planning to incorporate Nvidia’s Tegra platform into a future mobile handset too, so this could simply be Sony Ericsson keeping up with the Joneses.
Glarewear sunglasses ease eye strain for outdoor netbook use
August 10, 2009 at 5:28 pm
The guys over at NetbookReviews.net have reviewed a pair of Glarewear sunglasses, designed especially for netbook/laptop use. The glasses have been designed to solve a common problem. When using a netbook/laptop on a sunny day, if you try to wear sunglasses at the same time, it can make it almost impossible to read the display.
The Glarewear sunglasses get round this problem by allowing all the light from the laptop through, but still blocks out the majority of the background light. The sunglasses ship with three different lenses which work best on different types of screens. Whilst they do appear to make a difference, if you are viewing your netbook in direct sunlight don’t expect miracles. Check out the full review here.
Thanks Matt!
Active Media release SSD upgrades for HP Mini netbooks
August 10, 2009 at 5:13 pm
We recently saw Active Media launch a Solid State upgrade line for Asus Eee PC netbooks. The company has now followed this up with a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) line-up for HP Mini netbooks. These PATA SSD flash drives come in 1.8-inch size only and are designed to be easy to install.
Active Media claim that these drives will fit a number of HP netbooks including the HP Mini 1000, 1010NR, 1030NR and 2510P. These drives are quite reasonably priced, a 16GB unit will cost $70 and the $32GB costs $110. However, this reflects speeds that aren’t the best in class. It has sequential reads and writes up to 82MBps and 38MBps, respectively. It is also unknown whether these will fit the recently announced Mini 110 series.
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