NbC: What would you change?

By now most of you have probably heard that Netbook Choice is entering a period of hibernation, whilst it considers other projects. We may resurrect the site at some point in the future, but it’s all unknown for now.

We wanted to take this opportunity to ask our readers a few questions and we would like you to be brutally honest in your feedback. We basically wanted to know the following:

– What did you like about the site and what wasn’t up to scratch?

– If you ran Netbook Choice what would you change?

– Would you have liked to see more/less news, features, and reviews. Which one of these was important to you?

– What was your opinion on the design of the site, would it have worked better in a blog format?

Any feedback at all would be much appreciated. If you’re not comfortable with replying in the comments section then please contact us directly through this link. Many thanks!

Goodbye NbC. It was fun while it lasted…

As some of you may have noticed, we have been posting less and less here on NbC over the last few months. Some of this relates to the lack of news on netbook technology and some relates to our team exploring new opportunities. They say that every road comes to an end and it is with regret that we are today saying goodbye to Netbook Choice. It’s been an exciting journey for us and one that we’ve learned a lot from since we launched the site in March 2009.

Regardless of what you read, netbooks are here to stay, despite the threat from other form-factors such as tablets. There are a number of things to be excited about going forward including the fact that AMD is now on the scene with its Nile platform providing some much needed competition in the netbook processor space. We will also see Google’s Chrome OS and Intel’s dual-core netbook chip released by the end of the year that will, hopefully, lead to some exciting netbook designs.

We haven’t got too much to say about our new project(s) right now, although it is likely to continue in the mobile/portable computing segment. Never say never, but we may even resurrect NbC at some point in the future if the conditions are right. Until then, thanks to all of our loyal readers who have visited the site regularly. We wouldn’t have lasted this long without you.

Tej

Intel shipping Android 2.2 for netbooks within two months

Intel is preparing a fully native x86 version of Android 2.2 (Froyo) that it expects to ship to developers in the next two months. The company is hoping that this will ignite sales of Atom-powered netbooks and tablets.

Android was originally written for ARM processors, like those found in most current smartphones. This has meant Intel has had to play catch-up to port Android to x86 architecture.

“Our expectation is that (native x86 Android) will be based on the Froyo release and will be available this summer to developers” Renee James, Intel’s senior VP for software and services said.

Via APC.

HP Mini 100e netbook targeted at classrooms

HP has added a new model to its netbook roster, the HP Mini 100e Education Edition. This looks like a classmate PC in design and is targeted at schools rather than the wider market. The palm rest, base and lid can be customised with the school’s logo.

The case and hinges are reinforced and it also comes with an integrated carry handle and spill-proof keyboard. The outer lid also comes with a LED network activity lid so teachers can spot which kids are surfing the net when they’re meant to by working!

The Mini 100e comes with a 1.66-GHz Intel Atom N455 processor, up to 2GB of RAM, a matte 10.1-inch (1024 x 600-pixel) display, and a 5,400-rpm 160GB HDD. You’ll also get two USB ports, VGA, Ethernet, and a modem port for developing countries. The HP Mini 100e Education Edition goes on sale in July with various pricing bundles.

Via Engadget.

MSI Wind U135DX with N455 DDR3 Atom

Intel recently launched new DDR3-enabled Atom processors, the 1.66GHz N455 Atom and 1.83GHz N475 Atom. A number of manufacturers are refreshing existing models using these new chips given their energy efficiency. The latest one to do so is MSI with the Wind U135DX.

This model appears identical to the Wind U135 that we enjoyed reviewing recently, but comes with the 1.66Ghz N455 Atom processor. As with the Wind12 U250, the Wind U135DX also comes with MSI’s new overclocking utility called TDE (Turbo Drive Engine). Other than that everything else looks the same. No word on pricing or availability. Click through for the specs. Read more

Gateway LT23 netbook gets fresh makeover

Gateway has refreshed its netbook range with the LT23 series, complete with N450 Atom Pine Trail processor and a change in aesthetics too. The model is still typically basic coming with a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) display, 1GB RAM, 250GB HDD and a 6-cell battery that is good for 8 hours of battery life. It also comes with a swirling pattern that extend from the lid down to the wrist rest.

Other features include Wi-Fi (b/g/n), three USB ports, memory card reader along with a “social network” button that presumably gives you direct access to Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites. The LT23 is available now in champagne, pearl or black with prices starting at $329.99.

Via LaptopMag.

MSI Wind12 U250 12.1-inch ultrathin gets official

MSI has officially announced its 12.1-inch AMD-powered Wind12 U250 ultraportable. The U250 will be armed with AMD’s new “Nile” ultrathin platform, more specifically a dual-core AMD Athlon II Neo (Geneva) processor that supports DDR3 memory. It also sports AMD’s latest RS880M chipset that supports HD graphics as well as UVD2 and DirectX 10.1.

The design seems similar to the U230 but will come with a Cobra Gray print that helps to protect it against scratches. The Wind12 U250 will come with a 12.1-inch glossy (1366 x 768) display, up to 8GB RAM and various HDD options (160/250/320GB). Other features include HDMI, Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1, a 1.3MP webcam, 4-in-1 card reader and three USB ports. Read more

Lenovo U1 Hybrid and Skylight to come out eventually after all?

Those of you worried that the Lenovo U1 Hybrid and Skylight ultraportable devices have been canned then fear not. The guys over at TabletPCReview sat down with some Lenovo reps who told them about new Android builds on both devices implying that they will see an eventual release.

Whilst the hardware is largely in tact, the custom Linux OS for the Skylight has been ditched in favour of Android. This has given them more confidence, especially since Lenovo has worked on Android with its smartphone in China. Release timelines still remain a mystery but fingers crossed it will be out in 2010.

Via Slashgear.

Asus Eee PC 1201PN reviewed – better runtime, poorer performance

The first review of the Asus Eee PC 1201PN has popped up courtesy of Laptop Mag. The 1201PN is the latest model to use the same 12.1-inch 1201 netbook chassis and this particular model comes with a single-core N450 Atom and next-generation ION without Nvidia Optimus technology.

They found that the Eee PC 1201PN improved on its predecessor (the dual-core 1201N with first-gen ION) in two ways. The first being the fact that it lasts 40 minutes longer (4h 33m) and the second being better 3D performance. They continued to like the comfortable keyboard and the fact that it has a HDMI output. On the negative side, they found that performance was sluggish compared to the 1201N, the mouse touch buttons were a tad stiff and the 0.3MP webcam was a bit poor given the current 1.3MP standards. Click here to read the full review.

New Acer netbook range now available at Amazon.com

Acer announced a number of new netbooks recently. This range is now either shipping or up for pre-order in the United States through Amazon.com. This includes the following:

– Acer Aspire One 533 for $329.99. 10-1 inch, N475 Atom, Bluetooth 3.0.

– Acer Aspire One D260 for $329.99. 10.1-inch, N450 Atom CPU.

– Acer Aspire One 521 for $349.99. 10-1 inch, 1.7GHz AMD Athlon II Neo K125 CPU.

– Acer Aspire One 721 for $480.94. 11.6-inch, AMD Athlon II Neo CPU.

– Acer Aspire 1551 for $499.99. 11.6-inch, 1.3GHz dual-core AMD Athlon II Neo K3325 CPU or 1.5GHz dual-core AMD Athlon II Neo K625 CPU.

– Acer Aspire TimelineX 1830T for $599.99. 11.6-inch, Intel Core i3 or Core i5.

Via Netbooked.

Toshiba libretto W100: Dual 7” screen device picks up where Courier left off

Toshiba hasn’t finished announcing new devices just yet, we’ve already seen the AC100 smartbook, but now we’ve got something much more interesting, the libretto W100. The W100 has a form-factor similar to that of the Microsoft Courier before it was canned. The W100 comes with two 7-inch (1024 x 600) multi-touch capacitive displays in a clam-shell design with brushed aluminium finish and will run Windows 7 Home Premium.

The libretto W100 is powered by a 1.2GHz Intel Pentium U5400 processor, 2GB RAM and a 62GB SSD. Other features include a 1.0MP HD webcam, Wi-Fi (b/g/n). Bluetooth 2.1 , one USB port, a microSD memory card slot and 8-cell battery. Read more

Toshiba AC100: Tegra 2-powered 10.1-inch Android smartbook official

Toshiba has announced the AC100 10.1-inch Android 2.1 netbook/smartbook powered by the 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 (250) chipset. The AC100 smartbook offers a super slim profile, 512MB RAM, 8GB of NAND flash, a start-up time of “less than a second” and a battery runtime of 8 hours (or seven days of standby under mixed use). It looks like a traditional netbook but is slimmer and comes in a striking black and orange design (well we like it) along with a full sized-keyboard. It weighs just 870g and measures 14mm at its thinnest point.

Toshiba have made slight tweaks to Android 2.1 to make it more suited as a netbook. You’ll get the usual homescreens that can be pre-configured and a number of apps will be pre-installed including Documents to Go for viewing and editing Microsoft Office files, a POP3 email client and a Toshiba Media Player. Read more

HP Pavilion DM1z 11.6-inch AMD ultrathin gets unboxed

HP announced the Pavilion DM1z 11.6-inch notebook earlier this week that is similar to the Pavilion DM1 but comes in a champagne colour and is powered by AMD’s latest Nile single-core processor, the 1.7GHz Athlon II Neo K125 and ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics.

Peter from Netbooked managed to get hands-on with the DM1z (or DM1a as it’s known in Japan) and posted his initial impressions. He found that the ergonomics haven’t really improved with a cramped keyboard and touchpad with stiff mouse buttons. There’s plenty of upgrade potential with access to the HDD, RAM and an empty mini PCI-E slot. Check out the video after the break. Read more

Acer’s ION 2 Aspire 532G 10” netbook cancelled?

Acer’s first 10-inch netbook the Aspire 532G has reportedly been cancelled according to Pierre from Blogeee. Apparently, technical problems meant that the Acer and Nvidia teams could not deliver on the performance front and hence cancelled the netbook. To be honest, this all sounds a bit too vague. Surely, other manufacturers are prepping 10-inch netbooks so why is Acer having difficulty?

If true, it would be a big blow to Acer and leave the ION netbook market pretty much to Asus. It’s not clear whether this cancellation is on a global basis, although if those technical issues are true, then I don’t see why region would make a difference.

Acer Aspire One 521, 533, 720 and D260 gets official in US

Acer has officially released four new Aspire One netbooks the US complete with pricing information. We’ve come across all netbooks before, but as quick reminder, the 11.6-inch AO721 and 10.1-inch AO521 run an AMD Athlon II Neo processor with ATI Radeon HD4225 graphics and a HDMI output. The AO521 has Bluetooth support too.

The 10.1” AO533 will run Intel’s new DDR3-enabled N475 processor, whilst the dual-booting 10.1” AOD260 will come with the standard N450 Atom processor. All four netbooks come with a 250GB HDD and Wi-Fi(b/g/n). The AO721 gets 2GB RAM whilst the rest will ship with 1GB. Read more

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