5 Top Wireless N Netbooks
It often surprises me to see netbook manufacturers still stick with wireless G networking on their devices. It’s 2009 folks. Wireless N is the faster way to get online, and there is no excuse for not having that capability on 2009 model netbooks. With that in mind, here are a few laptops that do come with wireless N capability:
Sony VAIO VGN-P530H/Q Lifestyle PC Sony VAIO VGN-P530H/Q Lifestyle PC – Black is an ultra portable laptop created for folks who are constantly on the go. It’s an energy star system that is energy efficient and powerful at the same time. It comes with wireless N capability as well.
MSI Wind U100-432US Netbook is another energy efficient Netbooks. It comes with ATOM 270 and weighs only 2.6 lbs. The 10 inch screen is big enough to be easy on the eye.
ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10-Inch Netbook come with 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 Processor and 10 GB Eee Storage. You also get 9.5 Hour Battery Life in addition to your wireless N built-in adapter.
MSI Microstar U100-422CA WindBook comes with a 1.6 Ghz CPU and all the standard features you see in top netbooks. It weighs only 2.6 lbs. Perfect for super Internet user.
HP 2140 Mini-Note Netbook is another super light netbook that supports wireless N. You also get 2 GB Ram and a 160 HDD. The downside is it comes with Vista. You can downgrade it if you prefer.
If you are thinking about getting a new netbook, you may want to consider getting one that comes with wireless N capability. There is nothing wrong with a wireless G connection, but why settle for a slower connection when you can connect to wireless N networks.
Your turn: what’s your favorite 802.11n netbook?
Smartbooks to Challenge Netbooks
I don’t know what it is about these fancy names that we have all come to love. Netbooks, nettops, and now smartbooks. Smartbooks are a new category of computers that are supposedly cheaper, lighter, and even more connected than netbooks. Smartbooks look very similar to Amazon Kindle or a UMPC XL. They use ARM CPUs that are more energy efficient than their Intel counterparts, and they will be using Linux. No wonder they’ll be cheaper than most netbooks. Best of all, some of these smartbooks can go as low as $99.
Smartbooks are not exactly ready for prime-time yet. But the idea is interesting to say the least. I always expected Amazon Kindle to go into this route, and Amazon may still do so. In the past few months, some of the laptop manufacturers have shot themselves in the foot by blurring the lines between netbooks and regular laptops. Devices such as smartbooks can help draw a line between an ultra mobile laptop and a regular one. And the price will work for a lot of people too.
It’d be interesting to see how much slack the wireless companies will cut for consumers when it comes to smartbook wireless plans, but it’d be good for consumers to have yet another portable machine to choose for their needs.
3 Best 7 Inch Netbooks
Netbooks are designed for those of us who need a super portable machine when we are on the move. Most netbooks weigh around 3 pounds, which makes taking these machines around the world convenient. But not all netbooks are created equal. Some netbooks come with bigger screens (12.1) and as such are closer to fully-fledged laptops. 7″ netbooks are the smallest class of netbooks. These netbooks are very compact and weigh less than 2 lbs, making the ultimate solution for business individuals or those who are constantly on the move.
There aren’t many of these computers around, but the consumers have some real options when it comes to 7 inch netbooks. If you are looking for one of these machines, here are 3 machines you should consider:
ASUS Eee PC 4G: Eee PC 4G comes with 7-Inch Display, Intel Mobile Processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB Hard Drive, and Linux Preloaded. If you are tired of Windows, this is a good netbook to consider.
Sylvania GNET13001 7″ Netbook PC: another super portable netbook. It only weighs 1.87 lbs and comes with 1.2 GHz Via C7-M Processor, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB Hard Drive, and gOS Escape Pod 2.9M OS. It’s affordable too.
CTL IL1 7-inch Laptop: CTL IL1 is a lightweight machine that comes with Via C7-M 1 GHz Processor, 1 GB RAM, 4 GB Flash Drive, and XP Home. It weighs less than 3 pounds and is very compact.
Some folks prefer small netbooks to the larger models available on the market. Smaller netbooks are less powerful but high portable. These netbooks are often cheaper as well. If you are looking for a ultra portable laptop, 7 inch netbooks are a good way to go.
Microsoft Pushing Windows 7
I have talked in the past about not willing to give Windows 7 a chance on my netbook. But Microsoft is certainly having big plans for Windows 7, especially when it comes to netbooks. Many new netbooks will ship with Windows 7 starter edition. But the starter edition used to have many limitations in order to encourage netbook owners to update their O/S to premium Windows versions. Microsoft has realized that their low-end version of Windows 7 is probably not something to write home about which is why Microsoft has lifted some restrictions.
Microsoft’s netbook strategy is evil to say the least. When you buy a netbook, you expect to get an OS that allows you to get your job done without having to upgrade to a premium OS package. But Microsoft is planning to give consumers a taste of Windows 7 before pulling the rug from under them and making them buy a premium version of Windows 7. Unfortunately, a lot of netbook manufacturers are already on board with this move. Thankfully, we are going to see Android and Linux netbooks too! Not only they’ll be cheaper, but they won’t require you to keep spending money to get your OS to work properly.
Your take: will you upgrade to Windows 7? Would you invest in a netbook that comes with Windows 7 starter?
Lenovo Introduces IdeaPad S12
Lenovo has finally jumped on board with the latest trend in the netbook market and released a 12 inch netbook in S12. IdeaPad S12 is not you everyday netbook. It comes with a 100% size keyword that makes the transition from your larger laptops to this device much easier. The device only weighs 3 pounds, which is more than portable especially when you compare it against other laptops on the market.
IdeaPad S12 comes with an ATOM processor, the latest Wi-Fi technology, and the most recent NVIDIA technology. And the battery will last you for about 6 hours. That’s what I call a good set of features for a netbook. The previous generation Ideapad was a great netbook, so I expect this new netbook to be a decent one as well. We will have to wait and see.
Apple Moving Away from a Netbook?
We have been hearing a whole lot of rumors about Apple’s secret gadget. Some people think it’s a tablet. Others think it’s a hybrid. But the latest rumors suggest that Apple is working on coming up with a bigger, better iPhone. Call it iPhone XXL if you will. Steve Jobs has talked about Apple being interested and then not so interested in the netbook market. But since the iPhone has been so successful, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see Apple introduce a large screen iPhone with a better CPU and more features. Rumor has it that the device will cost you as much as $700. That’s almost as expensive as some of those new laptops on the market. Will Apple work on a deal with at&t or Verizon to subsidize these tablets? That’s something we need to wait and see.
Top 5 Netbooks – May 2009
The netbook market is expected to heat up in the next few months with the new models starting to emerge. We already know about the latest developments in Acer and Dell camps. Lenovo is thinking of a Thinkpad netbook, and Apple may finally release it’s media pad. With that in mind, here are the top 5 netbooks for the month of May:
HP Mini 1035NR Netbook moves to the top of the charts with its new subsidized wireless plan. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s well-designed and light-weight. Comes with a 10.2″ screen.
MSI Wind U100-451US Netbook is an energy efficient netbook that comes with the latest bells and whistles such as wireless N connection. It’s light-weight too.
ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Netbook is one heck of a netbook. ASUS has some of the best netbooks on the market. This netbook has the best battery life.
ASUS Eee PC 1000HA Netbook is another Eee PC that the consumers have come to love. Comes with a long battery life, large screen, and a powerful set of features.
Samsung NC10-11PBK Netbook is another powerful netbook that has been consistently among the best in the past few months. Very well-designed and energy efficient.
at&t Netbook Plans Go Nationwide
A few weeks ago, we covered the fact that at&t was testing out netbook plans in the Philadelphia and Atlanta areas. Offering netbooks for as low as $50 just to give customers incentive to sign up for a two year wireless / data contract seems to have worked for at&t or it wouldn’t be going nationwide with its netbook plans. Lenovo, Dell, and Acer laptops are all seem to be up for grabs when at&t rolls its plans nationwide. Consumers do get about $200 discount on these netbooks, but they’ll have to part ways with $40-60 a month for at&t’s wireless plans.
While it’s surprising to see how successful at&t has been with its netbook wireless plans, this does show that the market may be more ready that a lot of us thought for netbook + wireless combo. You can buy a netbook for $400 and still save a whole lot of money by avoiding those wireless contracts. But a lot of adopters don’t know what to do with their netbooks without an Internet connection. While netbooks are very different from cell phones on the surface, they are useless to a lot of folks without access to the Internet. That’s most likely why people feel comfortable with paying $960 to $1450 for a wireless contract for their netbooks.
As much as I’d like to believe that we will see cheaper wireless plans for netbooks, people are still going to pay for these more expensive plans. at&t’s recent success in my hometown proves just that.
Dell Targets Schools with Latitude 2100 Netbook
Dell has made its intention known in the e-book market by releasing Latitude 2100 for young students. Latitude 2100 has the look and feel of a rugged laptop, except it’s a netbook (or Dell wants it to be). You get the standard features that you would get with most netbooks, but Dell Latitude 2100 also comes a few features that help teachers keep track of what students are doing. For instance, the netbook comes with a network activity light (NAL) makes it easy for teachers to see who’s surfing the Internet instead of getting work done.
This netbook also lets schools updates what’s on the students’ machines via LAN. Dell Latitude 2100 seems like a decent option for students, but it does look like something businesses can be adopting in the future. The device is a bit heavier than regular netbooks and could cost as much as $500, so we are not talking about a cheap student netbook here. Will it catch fire? That remains to be seen.
Meet New Acer Netbooks
Acer has finally released its latest series of netbooks in its latest attempt to improve its position in the netbook market. Acer has finally introduced a 11.6″ netbook for folks who find regular-sized netbooks too small. These new netbooks are also thinner as well. Here are the new models that you can expect to get your hands on:
- Acer Aspire One AO751h
- Acer Aspire One AOD250
The AO751h line comes with Z250 CPU as opposed to N270 or N280 that is used on other popular netbooks. There is still no information on when it will be available for sale on Amazon and other online stores, but that will be happening soon. The AOD250 line is a refreshing addition to Acer’s netbook lines. It’s well-designed and thinner than its predecessors. And the good news is you can buy one right away online. Acer already owns a big portion of the netbook market, but will these new models allow Acer to protect itself against the up and comers in the netbook market? That remains to be seen.
