Did Retailers Jump the Gun with HP Mini 210?
HP Mini 210 is a next generation HP netbook that takes advantage of Intel Pinetrail technology to bring more p0wer to its owners. The device sounds and looks very exciting. But the funny thing is, HP has not officially released HP Mini 210 to the market. Kudos to Techtree for catching retailers jumping the gun on HP Mini 210. Even HP itself has posted information on HP Mini 210 on its website. So we may be very close to the official announcement for this device:
eCost.com goes one step further as it has Mini 210’s page up and running already. Apparently, you are going to pay somewhere between $340-$370 for this device. Here are the specifications according to eCost.com: (more…)
Broadcom, Nvidia + Netbooks: More HD for Consumers
Netbooks may be compact devices capable of handling business tasks such as word processing and spreadsheets, but they certainly fall short when it comes to handling high resolution graphics. In fact, many netbooks today struggle to handle true HD, which is why the news that Intel was releasing its latest processors to the market was a big news for netbook fans. But you are still going to need additional help for your netbook to become truly HD-friendly. That’s what Broadcom and Nvidia are planning to offer. (more…)
4 Niche Netbooks That Stand Out
If you go through the list of netbooks available on the market, you can get a feeling about the standard specifications of a netbook. Whether it’s the CPU, the look and feel, or netbook functionality, today’s netbooks are not drastically different from one another. It’s true that some perform better than the others, but you won’t find too many netbooks that fall way outside the standard specifications of an netbook. But if you are looking for a device that goes beyond what current models have to offer, here are 4 niche netbooks you should try:
ASUS Eee PC T91MT 8.9-Inch Black Tablet Netbook: it’s not only a decent netbook, but it allows you to use it as a tablet as well. So you can draw things and take notes on your netbook on the go. Something that is not currently possible on most netbooks.
litl webbook: it’s a unique entertainment device that doesn’t require too much maintenance but lets you get your work done and entartain yourself as well. You can even connect it to your HDTV through HDMI. (more…)
Dell, Toshiba Jump On Pinetrail Bandwagon
Intel Pinetrail technology is gaining momentum in the netbook industry. We already know that Fujitsu is planning to release its netbook with one of those processors. You can now add Dell and Toshiba to the list of netbook manufacturers that will be taking advantage of Intel’s latest processors for netbooks. Unlike most other companies, Dell is not expected to announce a new product line per se. But the next generation Dell netbooks will have a more powerful CPU and come with digital entertainment features that we have come to love.
Here is what Dell had to say about its new netbook:
…Mini 10 will be offered in the coming weeks in a selection of bundles with distinct features like an HD display, Broadcom Crystal HD media accelerator, surround sound capability, built in HDTV tuner for over-the-air local HD broadcasts, or built-in Wi-Fi location enabled GPS…
Fujitsu Introduces N450 LifeBook MH380 Netbook
We already know that we were going to get the new Intel ATOM CPUs in the next generation netbooks. We just didn’t know it’d be this fast. Fujitsu has just announced that it is introducing the all new LifeBook MH380 Netbook, which happens to come with Intel’s latest ATOM CPU, N450.
Fujitsu (http://solutions.us.fujitsu.com) announced today in North America one of the first mini-notebooks to feature the new Intel(R) Atom(TM) Processor N450 (code-named Pine Trail), which offers increased processor and graphics performance and features greater energy efficiency for reduced power and improved battery life.
So the company has pounced on the new development to push its new netbook line. The rest of the specs leave something to be desired but you may have the ability to customize the settings through Fujitsu’s store. Here is what was announced:
- Weight: 2.97-pound
- Battery: Up to seven hours of battery life with standard six-cell battery
- Processor: New Intel Atom Processor N450
- Screen: 10.1-inch HD display with 1366 x 768 maximum resolution
- Storage & Memory: 250 GB hard drive and 1 GB of RAM memory
- Wireless: Atheros(R) 802.11 b/g/n wireless
- Connectivity: Integrated webcam and Bluetooth wireless
The starting price is $449 but it could go higher if you add more horse power to your netbook. So when can you get LifeBook MH380? The company promises next month will be the earliest when you can get your hands on it. By then, you’ll probably have more options to choose from.
Intel Atom N450 To Debut
The wait for Intel’s next generation ATOM processor seems to be finally over. Intel is finally going to unveil the latest ATOM CPU that is smaller and more energy efficient than its predecessors. In case you haven’t noticed, most netbooks on the market come with ATOM N270 and N280. The new ATOM N450 is 60 percent smaller than previous generation processors and consumes 20% less energy, so you can expect to get even more hours of battery life on N450 netbooks.
N450 processor is also slightly faster when it comes to processing and handles more processor intensive tasks better. In the meantime, you shouldn’t expect this CPU to handle HD and more complex tasks any better than previous ATOM processors. So don’t expect to run Maya 3D animation software and have success with it on your netbook. Anil Nanduri puts it best:
These are not meant for hooking a Blu-ray player to it
Of course, dual core CPUs for netbooks are on the way as well. So before long, we are going to have netbooks that are as capable of some of the fully-fledged laptops on the market. The new ATOM CPU is certainly a decent improvement over its predecessors in the graphics department but the best is yet to come. There is a lot of room left for improvement.
Nokia Booklet 3G On Sale
Nokia Booklet 3G is one of the most innovative netbooks on the market. It’s a laptop that comes with all the bells and whistles and a great design to go with it. Normally, if you want to pick up such a netbook, you’d have to spend a decent amount of money. One would wish that we could get our hands on such a notebook for less than $400, but that’s not possible at this point, unless you are willing to pick up a wireless contract from AT&T to go with it.
Here are the specifications for this netbook in case you missed it:
- Intel® Atom™ processor Z530
- 1GB DDR2 memory
- 10.1″ antiglare TFT-LCD display
- 120GB Serial ATA hard drive (4200 rpm)
- Intel® graphics with HDMI
- Built-in 1.3MP webcam and microphone
- GPS and A-GPS
- Digital media reader
- 3 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
- Built-in high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g/n)
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR interface
- Built-in 3G modem
- Weighs only 2.75 lbs. and 0.8″ thin
Not your everyday netbook as you can see. A GPS netbook that comes with HDMI connectivity and HD support. Worth $599? That’s another story.
Nexus One Aftermath: Google Netbook In the Works?
In case you missed it, Google is planning to take on Apple and the iPhone with its very own phone, Nexux One. Many industry insiders have dubbed the phone as the new iPhone and a device that will certainly open the door for an Android revolution. If you like that move, you are going to love what’s going to be in store for us all in 2010 and beyond. Google Chrome OS may be still in an early stage, but it’s not tough to see where the company is planning to go with it:
The Google Chrome OS team is currently working with a number of technology companies to design and build devices that deliver an extraordinary end user experience. Among others, these companies include Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba.
So it’s not surprising to hear TechCrunch’s report on Google’s plan to sell its own branded devices in the near future (perhaps a year from now). Google has been planning to dominate the netbook market with more affordable machines that are as capable as netbooks we have on the market today. Does that mean you should stop buying netbooks and wait for Google to roll out its very own device? Not really. Google netbooks (if they do get released) are not for everyone. Besides, I rather support multiple companies with my purchases rather than getting all my gadgets from one source.
4 Best Air Cell Protective Cases For Your Netbook
Netbooks are fragile devices, which means you may want to get a decent case to go with your netbook if you plan to take your netbook on the go. Air cushion protective cases for your netbook take advantage of trapped air to provide protection against bumps and minor accidents. Most of these cases are capable of protecting your netbook against scratches as well, but that’s not the main point. If you are worried about damaging your netbook while you are on the go, these 4 air cell protective cases get the job done:
CaseCrown Premium Air Cell Padded Briefcase: comes with over 200 air cells lined to provide your netbook with maximum protection. It’s light-weight too.
10.1″ Netbook Exterior Air Cushion Netbook Sleeve: designed for ASUS laptops, this case protects netbooks against exterior shocks and impacts. It’s light-weight and can keep your accessories intact as well. (more…)
Acer Aspire One 532h Specs Out
We have been hearing about Pine Trail netbooks for a while now. So far we haven’t heard of too many new models that will come equipped with these new chips (not in the very near future that is). But January is going to be one busy month for netbook lovers and manufacturers alike. You can expect a lot of new netbooks to be announced and many will take advantage of the new chips (including dual core CPUs). Acer Aspire One 532h seems to be one of those laptops. The specifications of this netbook have already been leaked online, and we already know that it will be taking advantage of ATOM N450.
Of course, the netbook falls short in many other areas. So if the specifications are true, you may want to take a pass on this. With only 1 GB of RAM and a 3 cell battery, you are not going to get much battery life on this netbook. Windows 7 starter is not a good start either. To be fair to Acer, we will have to wait to see the final specs before making a judgement on this device. At the same time, it’s nice to know that we will finally get new ATOM processors on our netbooks soon.
