Category: Netbooks

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Netbooks New Products

White MacBook Clone

White MacBook clone.

Making the news just now is a clone of Apple’s white MacBook, courtesy of China’s OEM providers. Supposedly, this model has a “feature” better than a stock MacBook: a second battery that can put in the DVD drive’s slot. Unfortunately, total run time with the two batteries is less than four hours, lower than a genuine MacBook.

Because this laptop is powered by an Intel Atom D510 1.66 GHz processor, it essentially is just a netbook with a 13.3–inch screen. The basic model comes with Intel GMA 3150 graphics but Nvidia’s ION 2 is said to be an option.

Would you buy this one for less than 500 USD?

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Netbooks

LG X300

LG X300

The LG X300 is simply not just a netbook. This ultraportable uses an 11.6–inch screen while weighing just 2.1 pounds at a thickness of 0.7 inch! The processor will reportedly be a 2.0 GHz Atom with RAM options up to 2GB. A 128GB SSD is an optional extra. The battery is supposedly just a 2–cell type but they claim that it can reach 7 hours of use.

This should be a fairly popular netbook.

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Netbooks

HP Mini 311

HP Mini 311

The HP Mini 311 is a new netbook that pairs Intel’s Atom processor with Nvidia’s new Ion platform to produce a new type of product that should be more common in the coming days—ones that packs strong graphic performance in small computing devices. With an 11.6–inch display at a resolution of 1366×768, the HP Mini 311 blurs the line between netbooks and notebooks.

If only HP’s service was better here in the Philippines, I’d love to get one for myself.

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Asus Eee PC Netbooks

Asus releases EeePC Seashells in the Philippines

eeepc-seashells

Also known as the Asus EeePC 1008HA, the EeePC Seashells is Asus’ new update to the netbook line that started it all. The new design certainly looks classy and very well done, a lot better than netbooks from previous generations. But that’s the problem — it’s not really any prettier than every other netbook we have in the market now. Most maufacturers have raised their game to produce beautiful portable machines at a reasonable price. And then there’s the issue of pricing. If Asus Philippines gets to do it their way, the EeePC Seashells will come out at around 32,000 pesos. Ouch. That’s a lot of money for a netbook; in fact for a bit more than that you can buy a netbook and a desktop PC.

The EeePC Seashells comes with things typical in netbooks: Intel Atom processor, a large hard disk (160GB), 1GB of RAM, 6–hour battery life. That battery life is impressive for this design, you don’t get the unattractive bulge typical in high–capacity batteries. Unfortunately, the battery is not user–replaceable as it is integrated; it is not the removable type.

As this review would suggest, the EeePC Seashells (1008HA) is a good performer that’s thin and light with a gorgeous design. It is sadly hampered though with a non–removable battery and a Philippine SRP that puts it way above its competitors. 32,000 is steep for a netbook. Anywhere in the 20-25,000 peso range would make this an excellent choice especially with the chic colors it is available in.

eepc-seashells-pink

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Netbooks

Dell Latitude 2100

Dell Latitude 2100

Dell has finally released a netbook for the educational market — the Dell Latitude 2100. Designed to be rugged to withstand everyday use, it also comes in several colors:

dell_latitude_2100_group3

Here’s the specs for the Dell Latitude 2100:

  • Processor — Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz; 512KB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB; Intel 945 GS Express Chipset
  • Memory — 1GB DDR2, expandable to 2GB
  • Flash expansion — 3-in-1 card reader
  • Storage — up to 250GB HDD, or up to 16GB SSD; optional USB-based DVD+/-RW drive
  • Display — 10.1-inch WSVGA (1280 x 576); optional touchscreen; VGA port
  • Networking — 1 x gigabit Ethernet port
  • WiFi — 802.11g; optional 802.11a/g/n
  • USB — 3 x USB 2.0 ports
  • Bluetooth — Dell Wireless 365 Bluetooth 2.1
  • Audio — stereo speakers, digital microphone
  • Other options:
    • Kensington security lock slots
    • Webcam
    • Shoulder straps and carrying handles
    • Antimicrobial keyboard (U.S. only)
    • Dell Mobile Computing Station (U.S. only)
  • Colors — School Bus Gold, Chalkboard Black, Ball Field Green, Blue Ribbon, Schoolhouse Red
  • Power — 3-cell or 6-cell battery; 65W AC adapter
  • Weight — 2.9 lbs (1.32 kg) with 3-cell battery
  • Dimensions — 10.4 x 7.4 x 1.6 inches (265 x 187 x 40mm)
  • Operating system — Ubuntu Linux, Windows XP Home, Vista Home Basic

Initial writeups suggests that the Latitude 2100 may well be good enough beyond students. Interesting.

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Netbooks

iUnika GYY: Solar-powered netbook

iunika-gyy

Now here’s a green twist to netbooks—the iUnika GYY. From the Spanish PC maker iUnika, the GYY weighs only 700 grams and sports a 400MHz processor. Seems underpowered, right? That problem is somehow made less important with the use of some GNU/Linux flavor as the operating system. With just an 8–inch screen running at 800×480px, the solar panels at the back of the screen should be just enough to power this baby.

Here’s more on the GYY’s specs:

  • Up to 64GB of flash memory
  • 128MB RAM
  • WiFi
  • 10/100 Ethernet LAN

This netbook really scores big in ecofriendly factor with a body made from bioplastics and other biodegradeable materials. At around $180 USD, this should be useful enough for some ecofriendly hackers once it ships in June.

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Netbooks News Operating Systems

Windows XP still available for netbooks

It was news just a few weeks ago that mainstream support for Microsoft’s Windows XP is finally coming to an end. This means that major changes and updates to the OS will cease to come with Microsoft just providing “extended support” until April 8, 2014. This basically means that they will instead push for consumers to upgrade to the upcoming Windows 7 or buy new PCs with the said OS.

Fortunately, perhaps based on the low–powered nature of netbooks and other ultraportables, Microsoft is allowing netbook makers to install Windows XP for one year after the official availability of Windows 7. Though not directly, this move seems like an attack on Linux, enticing consumers to buy XP–equipped models instead of Linux–equipped ones by giving the more familiar OS.

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Netbooks Ultraportables

Acer Aspire One AOD150 in the Philippines!

090224-1746-0776

The new version of the Acer Aspire One is now here in the Philippines! This is the AOD150, sporting the 10–inch LED–backlit LCD screen that is slowly becoming the common screen size for recently released netbooks. The retail price was listed at 23,900 pesos. And the good news is that it is also available in a 12–month zero–interest deal!

I personally tested it and the keyboard, though reportedly unchanged, feels much more solid than the 9–inch model. Build quality seems good with no squeaks or design issues. Though not as small as the first generation Eee PC, the AOD150 is still a very portable computing tool. If only this was below 20,000 pesos, I’d be using one right now to write on this blog.

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Netbooks Ultraportables

Samsung NC20 now shipping in the UK

Samsung NC20

It appears UK shoppers will be getting the Samsung NC20 first. The NC20 is Samsung’s new ultraportable with a unique 12–inch screen unlike the 9 and 10–inch squinters we get from other manufacturers. It also sports the Via Nano processor, an exception to the typical Intel Atom N270 we see everywhere. But without an optical drive, I wonder if this one will outsell standard 12–inch notebooks with snappier dual core processors and an optical drive. What do you think?

(Photo courtesy of Notebookreview.com user Spitwroot)

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Netbooks Ultraportables

10–inch Acer Aspire One now on sale in Hong Kong!

10-inch-acer-aspire-one-hong-kong

It seems that the 10–inch version of the Acer Aspire One is now on sale in Hong Kong! Unfortunately, it sells for a lot more than its announced SRP: 3998 HKD, or just more than 500 US dollars. Ouch. I guess that’s the price we pay for being first. I hope it will be here in the Philippines soon, but I’d rather wait for prices to drop to a reasonable level.

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Netbooks Ultraportables

LG X110 reviewed

lg-x110-netbook
LG X110 (Photo courtesy of NotebookReview.com)

The LG X110 is LG’s late entry into the netbook market. It has been rumored to be based off the MSI Wind but it does have a few things that make it not entirely just the same as everyone else. Yes it sports the same Intel Atom processor, paired with a 10–inch screen, and a traditional hard disk instead of an SSD. So how does it compare to all other netbooks out there? This review should help you out.

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Netbooks New Products Ultraportables

Quick Review: Sony Vaio P

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Having been invited to the Philippine launch of the Sony Vaio P, I got the chance to handle this new ultraportable computer from Sony. I won’t call it a netbook, at least not for now, as Sony has been insistent that this product is not a netbook competitor. Considering its USD $900 price tag, it ought to be a lot more than a netbook. Here in the Philippines, it will be selling for 49,999 pesos at its cheapest configuration while the more upscale option is listed at 69,999 pesos. Ouch.

The cheaper version has a slower Intel Atom processor, the 1.33 GHz Z520 while the other one has the 1.6 GHz Z530. For storage, the entry–level (if you think fifty thousand pesos is an entry–level price point) version uses 60GB HDD while the other one sports 1 64GB SSD. RAM is more than adequate at 2GB, but since they’re using Windows Vista on this one, it really doesn’t help.

Here’s a very quick summary about the Sony Vaio P:

  • 50,000 pesos is a hard sell for an ultra–mobile solution, but then again it might be okay since Sony has never been out to capture the whole market anyway. Maybe it will sell well enough to be not a flop, but definitely not a hit.
  • 1600×768 resolution on a screen this small is a technological feat — but you should’ve stopped at that. There’s no reason to sell it as you cannot read text on the screen. It defeats the advantages presented by the wonderful keyboard — you can type fast comfortably but cannot see what you’re writing. Almost the same as the netbook problem, but this time we’re complaining about the screen, not the keyboard.
  • Now let’s look at things differently: it is a marvelous screen. The ultra–widescreen LCD is bright with good contrast and color that it would be very good for watching movies and viewing photos. Unfortunately, for the same money I could’ve bought a 32–inch LCD TV with a cheap netbook and I can use the netbooks video out port to view everything on the LCD TV, in HD resolution.
  • Trying out Internet Explorer 7 that came with Vista, I opened two web pages on two different tabs. Switching between the two of them takes noticeable time that it becomes irritating. The Vaio P would’ve fared better if it ran Windows XP.
  • Touch–point/trackpoint interface instead of a trackpad was a necessary detail to keep the device’s size to a minimum. However it somehow limits the usability of the device itself, especially considering the ultra–high resolution screen; it is hard to control the cursor movements with such an input device.
  • Not to be entirely negative about the Vaio P, this thing can do HD video output as well as special wireless pairing features with other Sony devices. It can do beautiful photo slideshows and similar presentations. Not to exaggerate, but the device itself is an engineering milestone. It’s just crippled by some compromises and a huge price tag.

090128-1456-0920

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Netbooks Ultraportables

10-inch Acer Aspire One now in Japan!

acer-aspire-one-10-inch-shipping

So the new Acer Aspire One is slowly making its way throughout the world as it has now been launched in Japan. Now with a larger 10.1–inch screen compared to the 8.9–inch from the previous model, this should make the Aspire One a better choice compared to recent offerings from Lenovo, Samsung and the likes that have chosen the 10–inch displays.

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Netbooks Ultraportables

Acer Aspire One with 10-inch screen unveiled

10-inch-acer-aspire-one

The long–expected rumor of a revised version of the Acer Aspire One with a 10–inch screen is now confirmed. This one’s called the AOD150. Everything is basically unchanged except for the screen:

  • Atom N270 (1.6GHz, 533MHz FSB)
  • Up to 2GB RAM
  • 10.1” Display (1024 x 600 resolution, 180 nits)
  • 160GB HDD
  • Multi card reader (SD/MMC/RS-MMC/MS/MS PRO)
  • Stereo speakers (HD Audio)
  • 0.3MP Webcam
  • 802.11b/g Wifi
  • 10/100 Mpbs Wired
  • 3x USB ports
  • VGA Port
  • Bluetooth
  • Wireless Broadband (UMTS/HSPA, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, HSDPA/HSUPA, 3G)
  • 260 x185 x 33.4mm Dimensions
  • 2.62 lbs (3-cell battery) or 2.95lbs (6-cell battery)
  • 3 Li-ion Batteries: 3-Cell (24.4W 2200 mAh ) or 6-Cell (48.8W 4400 mAh) or 6-Cell (57.7W 5200 mAh)
  • 84-key keyboard (1.6mm key travel)
  • 2 button touchpad

With this new update, I wouldn’t be surprised if Acer comes out way ahead of everyone else in the netbook market by the end of the year.

Categories
Netbooks Ultraportables

Released: Sony VAIO P

sony-vaio-p-commercial

It was never a question of “will” but rather “when.” I always felt that Sony wouldn’t just let all the other computer manufacturers have all the fun with the emerging ultraportable netbook market. Now we have their response in the Sony VAIO P:

  • 8–inch screen at 1600×768 widescreen resolution
  • 1.8 pounds
  • Intel Atom Z processor at 1.33 GHz with 512KB of L2 cache
  • USD $900

It’s nice that Sony chose to produce a product not exactly similar as every other netbook out there. The screen diffirentiates it from everything else and might just make it its advantage. The processor though seems to be a less powerful version of the Intel Atom N270 that we see everywhere, I just hope it fares just as well in common computing tasks.

But USD $900? That’s just 99 dollars cheaper than the basic Apple MacBook and more expensive than many budget notebooks with far more of pretty much everything. This won’t be an easy sell.

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Netbooks News Ultraportables

CES 2009

CES 2009 brings us a lot of new products and surprises. Here’s just a few:

Now that’s a lot of products to read about. This only means better choices and cheaper prices for the netbook market. We consumers win!

Categories
Netbooks Ultraportables

Google’s Android OS on netbooks

android-netbook

Google’s Android project has been known for use in mobile devices like cellphones, but hardly was it mentioned before that it can be used for ultraportables and netbooks. To their credit, they never said it wasn’t for portable computers, we just assumed it was going to be for phones that will give the iPhone a run for its money. Now here’s the big surprise.

The guys over at Mobile-facts (via VentureBeat) took four hours to compile Android for the Asus Eee PC 1000H. They had the graphics, sound, and wireless internet working, so it’s a very functional hack.

Knowing that Google has the Chrome browesr and the backing of the OHA, it wouldn’t be a wild guess that we will be seeing phone/netbook hybrids pretty soon. More importantly, it could also mean another major factor in the netbook market now with a new OS thrown into the mix. We have Linux and Windows variants, and now we just might have Android. This will definitely be a big push for the netbook/ultraportable market in the coming months.

Categories
Laptop Reviews Netbooks Ultraportables

Review: Samsung NC10

samsung-nc10

If the first review of the Samsung NC10 didn’t convince you, here’s another that might make you think twice about this new netbook. Now if only Samsung would sell it more markets worldwide.

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Deals Netbooks Ultraportables

Acer Aspire One deals!

acer-aspire-one

The best netbook deals you can find right now are with the Acer Aspire One. The barebones 8GB SSD version that comes with a 3–cell battery can now be bought for just below 12,000 pesos. Yes, that is an Atom–powered netbook that’s very usable for basic computing tasks. Now if you’re looking for something more robust, the hard–disk equipped version of the Aspire One sells for 24,000 and comes with 6–cell battery along with its 160GB 2.5–inch hard drive. That gives you around five hours of continuous use without a wall socket! Right now, the HDD model even comes with a free slim external DVD–writer which makes it as good a deal as most cheap laptops out there.

Now is this model good enough? This review tells me it is:

For those looking for an even lower cost budget netbook, the Acer Aspire One is a worthy candidate to think about. This computer has solid build quality to handle being tossed around in a backpack or purse, and modest performance to handle common software applications with ease. Battery life isn’t the best with the 3-cell model, so if you spot the 6-cell/160GB version in stock, it is highly recommended that you pick that. While it is not the easiest netbook to upgrade, it does offer a large storage drive to start with and an SDHC expansion slot. Starting as low as $349 it is no question that it blows the socks off the current competing models, which are priced at $499 and up.

Things are getting really better for the consumers these days.

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Netbooks Ultraportables

HP Mini 1000: Editors’ Choice!

HP Mini 1000

The new HP Mini 1000 gets a much coveted Editors’ Choice badge over at NotebookReview:

The HP Mini 1000 is a clear winner on the netbook front, offering a great design and being very user-upgrade friendly. It offers the best keyboard out of the entire netbook crowd, only matched by the earlier Mini-Note 2133 which uses the same design. We are delighted HP finally decided to refresh their netbook with the Atom platform since it increased battery life over the VIA model and greatly reduced the amount of heat thrown off the processor. With great build quality, a spring-loaded RAM slot, awesome keyboard, and super slim design it is easy to give the HP Mini 1000 our Editor’s Choice award. We feel it is well deserved even with the missing VGA port and limited battery options.

Wow, time to start buying it now!