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Asides

The new Playstation Portable, the “PSP …

The new Playstation Portable, the “PSP Go,” is now here!

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Asides

The Lenovo IdeaPad S12 is (obviously) a …

The Lenovo IdeaPad S12 is (obviously) a 12–inch version of the excellent S10 that should be an interesting addition to the netbook market. More importantly, a version will come with the Nvidia Ion platform.

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Asides

If you’ve finally taken the Ubuntu plun …

If you’ve finally taken the Ubuntu plunge, here’s a list of backup software you should consider for your new system.

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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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New Products News

Acer Timeline laptops unveiled in Manila

Acer Timeline

Aiming to be one of the few to first launch highly energy–effecient laptops, Acer has launched its Acer Timeline series of laptops that boast of ULV processors that result in extended battery life. Two models were demoed in the launch event: the Timeline AS4810T and the Timeline AS3810T. Both trims sport Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 processors clocked at 1.4 GHz running on an 800 MHz front–side bus. With 3 MB of L2 cache, this is a reasonably good processor hampered only by the absence of dual core.

Here’s the Acer Timeline in brief:

  • Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 (1.4 GHz, 3 MB, 800 FSB) processor (ULV–type)
  • Mobile Intel GS45 Express Chipset
  • Intel Graphics Media accelerator 4500MHD with up to 1759 MB DVMT 5.0 (64 MB dedicated memory, up to 1695 MB shared)
  • 1366 x 768 pixel resolution Acer CineCrystal LED–backlit TFT LCD screen (14 inches for the Aspire 4810T and 13 inches for the Aspire 3810T)
  • Intel Laminar Wall Jet technology for cooling the processor
  • 6–cell battery rated to 3 hours of battery life, but can be extended up to 8 hours using the Acer PowerSmart Manager
  • 24 mm chassis thickness
  • 1.6 kg for the Aspire 3810T and 1.9kg for the 4810T

The Timeline laptops surely are attractive devices that try to be very similar to Apple’s MacBook Air. The 3810T in fact skips the built–in optical drive just like the feather–light MacBook Air, but infortunately, it is still nowhere as thin or sleek. One thing I found worth noting was the new keyboard design used in the Timeline, they are also MacBook–like yet they appear floating on a flat plane; very attractive and classy for a laptop of its class. Typing on the keyboard was a joy, providing a tactile feel without the clickity–click noise.

The Timeline 3810T has a suggested retail price of 44,500 pesos while the 4810T comes cheaper at only 39,900 pesos. With prices just close to mainstream laptops available today, the Timeline series should sell well. Though the 8–hour promised battery life may be a little too much, it should still comfortably provide 4 hours of use considering the ultra low voltage single–core processor. I bet it would be fun putting the Timeline 3810T to a battery life test against the more popular netbooks.

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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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Asides

Still keeping with our found tips from L …

Still keeping with our found tips from Lifehacker, we have another list: 10 battery hacks and tips to make the most out of them and your mobile devices.

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Asides

Everyone’s been playing around with Ubu …

Everyone’s been playing around with Ubuntu these days, so here’s a list of 10 Ubuntu downloads that I’m sure you’re gonna like.

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Deals News Shops

Digital Walker contact numbers

I’m often left scrambling when I want to buy something from Digital Walker since they have so many branches and no single way to inquire for item availability across all of them. Good thing I found the contact numbers from one of our local forums (all numbers courtesy of Charlie Paw, of course):

Digital Walker Zoom GB5 – 7570242
Digital Walker V-mall – 7255136
Digital Walker Machines V-mall (Apple Gold Service Center) – 7259840
Pods @Digital Walker Trinoma – 9169528
Digital Walker SM Mall of Asia – 5560113
Digital Walker SM South Mall – 8003194
Digital Walker Park Square 1 – 8163574
Digital Walker SM San Lazaro – 7862645
Digital Walker SM Cebu Northwing – (032) 2365198

Digital Hub Robinsons Place Manila Midtown (Apple Premium Store and Gold Service Center) – 5672624
Digital Hub Robinsons Pioneer (Apple Gold Service Center) – 6872219
Digital Hub Robinsons Galleria – 6363345
Digital Hub Greenhills Theater Mall – 7245592

Crumpler Bonifacio High Street – 8562019
Crumpler Trinoma – 9167098
Crumpler Robinsons Manila Midtown – 5670662
Crumpler SM Megamall – 6387391
Crumpler SM Cebu Northwing – (32)2361512

If you’re buying something from Digital Walker, Digital Hub, or Crumpler here in the Philippines, these are the numbers to call just to make sure they have the exact merchandise you’re looking for.

Categories
Asides

The Acer Aspire Timeline seems like a cl …

The Acer Aspire Timeline seems like a classy piece of mobile computing. If it lives up to its promise of USD $699 and 8 hours of battery life, no doubt on its success just like the Aspire One.

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Asides

The new Dell Mini 10 is a looker for a n …

The new Dell Mini 10 is a looker for a netbook, and with their revised Windows and Linux strategy, should sell as good as its Mini siblings.

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Asides

The Samsung Omnia HD comes with Nokia’s …

The Samsung Omnia HD comes with Nokia’s S60 operating system, which makes it a Nokia 5800 XpressMusic with a few tricks up its sleeve. With a familiar Nokia UI, Samsung may just score a hit!

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Asides

Here’s a user review of the Asus EeePC …

Here’s a user review of the Asus EeePC 1000 HE that pegs it at the top of the netbook choices available today.

Categories
Asides

An Ubuntu netbook using the latest Jaunt …

An Ubuntu netbook using the latest Jaunty Jackalope? Surely a bold move for System76 but the returns should be huge if the idea sells. For sure it makes the price more attractive at 359 USD.

Categories
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)

Categories
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.

Categories
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.