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

Asus Eee PC 1015N: 10-inch ION 2 netbook with Optimus

Computex is underway and we are expected to hear about a host of new devices from a number of Taiwanese companies including Asus, Acer and MSI. To kick things off, Asus is showing off the Asus Eee PC 1015N netbook. The 1015N is the company’s first 10-inch next-generation netbook and will come with Nvidia’s Optimus technology.

Judging by the pictures it comes with a matte (smudge-free) lid, matte display, chiclet keyboard, large touchpad with single rocker bar, HDMI, three USB ports and a 6-cell battery. You will only be able to upgrade the RAM as no access panel has been provided for the hard drive. Pricing is expected to be around the €400 mark when it launches in H2 2010. Other specs are unknown right now, but we’ll update this post as soon as we have them. In the meantime, check out some pics after the break. Read more

NbC: Two23 Leather Netbook Messenger Bag Review

All of the netbook bags that we’ve reviewed to date have come from well-established companies with leading brands in this segment. This time we have something a bit different. A small startup company called Two23 recently got in touch to tell us about a premium handmade leather messenger bag, designed with netbooks in mind.

Unlike many other leather bags, the Two23 bag uses some of the finest top grain leather. This makes the leather both heavier and thicker than other bags and provides greater protection for your netbook. The Two23 leather netbook messenger bag is currently only being sold in the United States at a price point of $189, reflecting the quality of materials used. Click through for our impressions. Read more

NbC: MSI Wind U135 Review

The MSI Wind U135 netbook is interesting for a number of reasons. It is one of the company’s first Intel Pine Trail offerings, it moves away from the usual bland MSI Wind design, it’s reasonably fully featured in terms of specifications, provides good battery life and, best of all, is priced at a reasonable price point.

We have put the Wind U135 netbook through its paces and overall we were left with positive impressions. Yes, we did find a few niggles, but couldn’t complain too much given its keen pricing at £280. Click through for our in depth review, along with our customary performance and battery tests. Read more

Next generation Nvidia ION official: All you need to know

After months of speculation, Nvidia has finally released details on the next generation of Nvidia ION graphics. There have been various rumours up until now including whether the new ION is a chipset or discrete solution, performance leaks and talk of two ION solutions. As with any kind of leak, the reality is that some of these rumours have been spot on whilst others have been off the mark.

We are big fans of Nvidia’s original ION chipset, believing it makes a massive difference to a netbooks overall proposition. The ability to play flawless 1080p video, HD Flash as well as enabling casual gaming is a real game changer for those who demand a multimedia solution. In our view, next generation Nvidia ION builds on this further. Click through for full details on the new ION. Read more

Nvidia Optimus tech demoed on Acer Aspire One 532G ION netbook

The Acer Aspire One 532G is the world’s first 10-inch netbook to be armed with next generation Nvidia ION graphics. It was announced last week at the MWC show in Barcelona and we managed to get hands on with the device at a press event in London earlier this week.

The AAO 532G is expected to launch in late April/early May and will come in two configurations. The 1GB RAM/160GB HDD combo will cost £349, whilst a 2GB RAM/320GB HDD combo will cost £399. These prices are not set in stone and depending on exchange rates may end up costing another £30 more. However, Acer is keen not to price the higher end SKU above £400 if they can help it. Read more

NbC: Cool Bananas OldSchool Netbook Messenger Bag Review

Cool Bananas have built up a good reputation for making well built & designed netbook cases. This certainly was the case when we previously looked at the Hard Cover netbook case and we are now reviewing the Cool Bananas OldSchool Netbook Messenger Bag courtesy of GearZap. Everything about the bag screams quality, it is made out of faux black leather with brass metal trimmings. This particular case should fit any netbook or CULV ultra-thin up to 12.1-inches.

The Cool Bananas OldSchool Netbook Messenger Bag costs £28.97. GearZap apply a small delivery charge on top of this depending on whether shipping is to the UK or mainland Europe. GearZap are a specialist retailer of netbook and laptop accessories. They have an extensive catalogue of products and deliver across Europe. Click through for our impressions on this OldSchool Netbook Messenger Bag. Read more

NbC: UltimateAddons Netbook Sling Bag Review

We have reviewed a fair number of netbook sleeves, cases and bags here at NbC, but now we have something that sits slightly differently to everything seen so far. The waterproof UltimateAddons netbook sling bag is designed to fit netbooks ranging from 8.9 to 10.2-inches. It doesn’t feel much bigger than a case but offers enough room to carry accessories and comes with shoulder and handle straps to be used outdoors.

The UltimateAddons netbook sling bag comes in two colours, black (which we tested) and olive green. It was sent over for us to review by those nice guys over at Ultimate-Netbook who ship these bags at a cost of £19.99 with free worldwide delivery. Ultimate-Netbook is a specialist retailer of netbook accessories, including bags and cases. Read on to find out our thoughts on the netbook sling bag. Read more

Modern Warfare 2 on the Samsung N510 netbook [Video]

Netbooks aren’t meant for gaming, or so the saying goes. Nvidia has other ideas with its ION chipset that means you should be able to play even recent games as long as you don’t mind sacrificing settings and resolution. To give you an idea of how well an ION netbook can play games, we have a quick video demo of one of the current best-sellers, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 playing on the 11.6-inch Samsung N510.

It is being played at a resolution of 800 x 600 with the lowest settings. We managed to score between 20 to 30fps on average with the occasional drop below that. I’ve tried it quite a few times and it is actually reasonably playable. Obviously it’s not as smooth as my quad-core PC, but for those times when my desktop isn’t around, it gives you a quick gaming fix. Check out the video of my demo playing the game (badly) below as well as a couple of extra videos looking at HD YouTube Flash and 1080p video content. We have also updated our Samsung N510 review with these videos. Read more

NbC: MSI Wind U135 Unboxed [Video]

MSI were kind enough to send over the MSI Wind U135 netbook for us to test. Whilst we’ll be putting the 10-inch U135 through its paces over the next couple of weeks, we first shot an unboxing video along with our preliminary impressions.

I have to say I’m impressed with MSI’s efforts in its new range of Intel Pine Trail netbooks. Whilst the Wind U160 may be the head-turner, the U135 isn’t too bad itself. Whilst we’re never fans of seeing a glossy lid, it doesn’t seem to be as much of a fingerprint magnet compared to the other models. The chiclet keyboard also has proved to be comfortable and we really like the textured touchpad. It’s not the biggest, but the tracking is very accurate and the finger scrolls smoothly over the surface. The single rocker bar underneath also has good feedback.

We’re currently conducting our usual round of battery and performance tests and will come back with a review in due course. Until then, check out our unboxing video after the break. Read more

NbC: Samsung N510 Review

The Samsung N510’s arrival is important for a number of reasons. It is one of the first netbooks to be released armed with the Nvidia ION LE chipset. It is also the company’s first 11.6-inch device. On paper it sounds like a winning combination, you get a 1.66GHz processor, high-resolution matte display, HDMI, Wi-Fi (including Draft-N), Bluetooth 2.1 and a 6-cell 5900mAh battery.

However, times move quickly and with the advent of Windows 7, some may not want to purchase a new netbook that only comes with XP. It’s also not cheap at around the £380 mark, pitting it a significant premium to the main other ION netbook on the market right now, the Compaq Mini 311c at £330. Read on to find out whether ION really makes a difference and whether the Samsung N510 is worth the premium. As usual, you’ll also find some comprehensive performance and battery tests. Read more

NbC: Toshiba Mini NB200 Review

Toshiba hit a home run with the Mini NB200, its first 10-inch netbook, winning rave reviews since launch. The NB200 follows on from its 8.9-inch NB100 and the company certainly upped the game in terms of marrying desirability, portability and endurance.

The Toshiba NB200 exists in various configurations. We tested the NB200-10Z, one of the higher end SKUs that comes with a 1.66GHz N280 Atom processor, chiclet keyboard, Bluetooth, Windows XP and a quoted 9 hours battery life. Read our full review and decide for yourself whether the Toshiba NB200 lives up to the hype. Read more

A Very Merry Christmas from the NbC Team

We just wanted to wish all of our readers a Merry Christmas and to thank you for visiting Netbook Choice during 2009. The world of netbooks is continually evolving and we’ve seen some wonderful new models this year. Judging by the raft of recent announcements, it seems that 2010 will be another rollercoaster ride when it comes to netbooks, smartbooks and ultra-thin technology.

We will be there keeping you up to date with the latest news, but until then we hope that Santa brought all the gadgets you asked for. More importantly we wish you health and happiness in the year to come.

Relax and enjoy this precious time with family and beloved ones and we hope to see you back in 2010.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The NbC Team.

Competition: Win an Ultimate Netbook Messenger Bag & Netbook Car Mount

The kind folks over at Ultimate-Netbook have provided not one but two prizes for a lucky winner in this week’s competition. We have up for grabs an UltimateAddons Netbook Messenger Bag as well as the Universal 7″ to 13″ Netbook Car Mount. If you’re interested to know a bit more about the prizes, you can check out our review of the messenger bag here and the car mount here.

As before, to enter the competition all you have to do is leave a comment below. We will pick a winner randomly when the competition closes at midnight (GMT) on Monday 14th December. Good luck!

Rules: 1) Please leave a valid email address as we will be using this to contact you, 2) once contacted, if we do not hear from you within 24 hours we will draw another winner, 3) only one entry per household (remember we can see your IP address), 4) this competition is open to our readers in the United Kingdom only.

Update: The lucky winner is Ray!

Next Page »