Toshiba Mini NB205 Now Shipping

For those of you who have been waiting for your Toshiba Mini NB205 netbook, the wait is finally over. Amazon and other retailers are starting to ship Toshiba’s latest netbook. Similar to most top netbooks these days, Toshiba NB205 is energy efficient and will last you 9.5 hours per each charge. You also get N280 CPU, which is faster than the previous generation N270 in addition to 1 GB Ram and 160 GB hard drive. It weighs only 2.93 lbs which is pretty light.

Here are the models that will be available for sale:

• Toshiba Mini NB205-N210
• Toshiba Mini NB205-N311/W
• Toshiba Mini NB205-N312/BL
• Toshiba Mini NB205-N310/BN
• Toshiba Mini NB205-N313/P

All in all, Toshiba’s new netbooks are another solid option for netbook lovers.

ASUS Eee PC 1005HA Review

Meet ASUS’ latest netbook. ASUS netbooks need no introduction. If you are looking for a portable, yet powerful machine to take with you during your business trips or get your college work done, you won’t go wrong with ASUS netbooks. ASUS is known for manufacturing energy efficient laptops, but it has certainly outdone itself with 1005HA. The Super Hybrid Engine used in this laptop lets you get 10.5 hours of battery life out of each charge. That alone can be a great reason to get your hands on this netbook.

Key Features:

It’s not hard to know what to expect from an Eee PC. These gadgets have been around for a while, so you know you are going to get something very portable and powerful at the same time. Here is exactly what you get:

• Battery: Up to 10.5 Hours of Battery Life
• CPU: Intel Atom N280 Processor 1.66GHz (latest)
• RAM: 1GB DDR2 RAM which you can upgrade to 2GB;
• Networking: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Storage: 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400 RPM)
• Webcam: 1.3MP webcam for video conferences and chat.
• Weight: only 2.8 lbs.
• Online Storage: 10GB Free Eee Storage
• OS: Windows XP Home Operating System
• Display: 10.1-inch WSVGA 1024×600 LCD Display

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AMD Netbooks Finally Coming?

AMD may not be as famous as Intel, but it can certainly make powerful CPUs. It has gone back and forth with Intel and has grabbed itself a decent market-share. But when it comes to netbooks, AMD has decided to stay away due to low profit margins. AMD simply doesn’t have the resources of Intel, which means it has to pick and choose which markets it enters to and how it positions its products more carefully. This could all change with Acer bringing its AMD netbook to the market. Gateway LT3103u netbook which uses AMD Athlon 64 L110 processor is the first AMD netbook, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Many experts are surprised by AMD CPUs being introduced to the netbook market, but AMD has the technology, and it was just the matter of time. Even though AMD argues that it is only interested in the upper end of netbook market, as long as AMD comes up with low voltage CPUs, there are going to be people interested in the technology. AMD doesn’t care where its CPUs are used. At least not at this point of time anyway. But if you are hoping for AMD to come up with a netbook-exclusive CPU, you are out of luck.

Netbooks are more about portability and energy efficiency than speed. Even ATOM N280 is not that fast of a CPU. But it’s not an energy hog, so you can get crazy long hours with your battery. I doubt people care too much about what’s used in their netbooks as long as they can rely on their device to produce and consume content for/on the Internet. Who knows. Depending on its success in the netbook market, AMD might change its approach to this market.

HP To Capitalize On Netbook Business Market with Mini 5101

The business netbook market is growing and more companies are now coming up with netbooks that are tailored towards the needs of business individuals. Take Mini 1501, a new business netbook by HP. Not only Mini 5101 comes with the faster ATOM N280 processor, but it also entertains a split-proof keyboard, and networking capabilities needed by business individuals to stay connected while on the go.

Unlike its predecessor, Mini 5101 netbook comes with a much sleeker design. It does help that it only weighs 2.6 lbs. And who can forget about the high quality cam included with HP 5101. If you want to get too fancy, you can add a solid state drive to your netbook, but that will cost you some. What I love about this netbooks is the inclusion of HP 3D DriveGuard technology, which offers a three-axis digital accelerometer chip that sends a signal to shut down the hard drive upon sudden movement or shock.

While business netbooks can be appealing to everyone, they are mostly designed to address the needs of business professionals on the go. Business folks need a laptop that is not only powerful and portable but also comes with quality add-ons (e.g. microphone, webcam, networking) to help them collaborate with others on the go. And one shouldn’t forget about battery life either. While we don’t know much about HP 5101′s battery life, we know it promises to be an energy efficient netbook, so it does address every the needs of business individuals wonderfully. Certainly a good netbook to consider for corporate IT and small businesses.

4 New Netbooks To Look Forward To – June 2009

Another month, another set of cool netbooks to be released soon. The summer time is a great time for netbook manufacturers to come up with new models as people start to look for summer gadgets. This month is no different as many manufacturers plan to release new, better netbook models. There are a lot to choose from, but here are 4 cool ones:

Acer Aspire One AO751h-1273 Netbook: Acer’s 11.6 netbook that not only has a larger screen but could go on for 8 hours. It comes with Windows Vista and 2 GB of RAM to get you started.

ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BU Netbook: 1005HA comes the faster N280 CPU and can go on for an astonishing 10.5 hours on battery.

Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 Netbook: another N280 netbook that is energy efficient as well. The 10.1″ inch is not too small.

EMTEC Gdium Liberty 1000 Netbook: a 10 inch Linux netbook. Comes with over 50 open source programs and removable storage.

As you can see, most of these netbooks are energy efficient and can go on a battery charge for hours. That’s where the industry is going so it’s no surprise. With that in mind, which netbook do you look forward owning the most?

Archos Classmate: a Netbook for Kids

The netbook market is still maturing and many new micro-niches are popping out of nowhere. We already know there is a huge demand for netbooks in the business community. But a lot folks are looking at netbooks as perfect machines for the younger generation. You can’t just buy a HP netbook and expect your kids to get the most out of it. The design challenge with kid-friendly netbooks is a bit different. You are going to need a shock-proof, tough netbook that can stand abuse. And one shouldn’t forget about the learning opportunities that netbooks can provide to your kids, which is why it’s essential for kid-friendly netbooks to come with proper learning software packages.

Archos Classmate is a shock proof netbook that can stand abuse and comes with proper learning software packages to let your kids get the most out of their netbooks. It’s not the first kid-friendly netbook, and it won’t be the last. But it’s certainly an indication for where this market is headed.

Business Netbooks: The Next Wave?

You got to love all the labels that are being put on all kinds of devices to increase sales and get more traction in various markets. It seems the netbook market is getting its own labels as well. First, we heard about kid-friendly netbooks. And now business netbooks have excited netbook fans again. But aren’t netbooks supposed to be business gadgets in the first place? Things are not as simple as it seems when it comes to the business world. Business users need portability, business software, and … to get the most out of their device while conducting business. The regular netbook lines do not come with the software package needed to address the needs of corporate IT, which is why netbook manufacturers are coming up with bundles that are customized for business individuals.

The good news about business netbooks is the fact that companies will be more open to adopting them than they were in iPhone’s case. Even regular netbooks provide portability and performance that business individuals need on the go. And the business software bundles make it easier for corporate folks to work with files, develop presentations, and share and collaborate with their colleagues. The business netbook niche is certainly an interesting one to consider but will it catch fire? We will have to wait and see.

Business netbooks to consider:

• ASUS N10J-A2 10.2-Inch Laptop
• HP 2140 Mini-Note

5 Cool New Netbooks You Should Try

It’s that time of year again. More netbooks are being released to the market, and companies are refreshing their current line up. It’s not hard to see where the netbook market is headed. More companies are coming up with larger screen netbooks. The CPUs are being improved, and wireless N is finally gaining more traction in the netbook market. If you are looking for a new netbook to upgrade to, here are 5 cool netbooks you should check out:

Acer Aspire One AO751h-1351 Netbook: Acer has some of the top units in the netbook market. AO751h product line comes with a larger screen (11.6), more ram (2 GB Ram), and Windows Vista. It weighs only 2.75 lbs too.

ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Netbook: Asus Eee is one of the most popular product lines in the technology world. Eee PC 1008HA comes with N280. It’s slim and energy efficient too.

Dell Inspiron Mini IM10-2863 Netbook: I am no fan of Dell desktops but Dell Mini IM10 is certainly a good netbook. Comes with a large screen and weighs only 2.6 lbs.

OCZ Neutrino OCZDIY10N1-US Netbook: great tool for tweeters and vloggers. Comes with a web cam and microphone, and it’s light enough to carry everywhere with you.

Acer Aspire One AOD250-1165 Netbook: weighs only 2.44 lbs. It’s very sleek and comes with features you need in a top netbook.

It’s certainly going to be an exciting summer and fall in the netbook world. The netbook market is growing fast and netbook manufacturers are trying hard to outdo each other, which means us consumers win.

Kid Friendly Netbooks On The Rise

Netbooks may be a dream come true for business individuals but that hasn’t stopped manufacturers from targeting other segments of this hot market. The Netbook market is one of the hottest niches around today, and there is a lot of room for innovation and differentiation. That’s why kid friendly netbooks make a whole lot of sense, at least to Asus and Disney. The two companies have joined hand to develop a Disney-themed notebook for young children. Netpal, which will be available on Toys R Us and Amazon later this year, is not your ordinary notebook for kids. It comes with everything your kids will need to play games, consume content, and learn new things.

The device will cost you $350 but it comes with a solid build. The keyboard is spill proof and comes with Asus anti-shock technology. Parents also have access to parental controls to make sure their kids don’t gain access to inappropriate information.

The kid friendly netbook market may not be huge at this point, but there is a lot of room to grow for companies that are willing to provide parents with a tough machine that provides more learning and entertainment opportunities for their young children. We are well into the Internet era, and what better toy than an Internet device such as Netpal.

Will Windows 7 Be a Game Changer?

Microsoft is putting a lot of eggs in Windows 7′s basket. As someone who has stuck by Microsoft throughout the years, I can tell you that Microsoft is at a crossroads with Windows 7. If Windows 7 succeeds, Microsoft can get back some of the customer trust that it has lost over the years. But if it bombs like Vista, there may be time for more folks to look at alternatives such as Linux and even Androids (on netbooks). Windows 7 has borrowed a lot of features from other software makers on the market, but it does allow for a better PC experience. And it may be Microsoft’s chance to gain a whole lot of market-share in the netbook market.

Windows 7 on netbooks could lead to more touchscreen netbooks being released to the market. Windows 7 is very capable in that area and netbook manufacturers are already working on new innovative devices to take advantage all the features offered Windows 7. Microsoft does face a stiff challenge for Linux and Android to a lesser point, so it’d be interesting how aggressive Microsoft will be at this point.

Windows 7 is Microsoft’s last chance saloon for a lot of PC users. A lot of promises have been made, and Microsoft needs to deliver big to avoid losing any more credibility. Will it? We’ve got to wait and see.