MSI U135 Netbooks Shipping
Meet MSI’s latest netbook. MSI U135 which was announced a while ago is now shipping from major retailers. MSI has some of the most energy efficient and powerful netbooks on the market and MSI U135 is no different. It has N450 ATOM processor inside and gives you 7.5 hours of battery life to work with each and every charge. While like most other netbooks this model comes with only 1 GB of RAM, it can be easily upgraded in that department. Upgrade is something you will want to do if you want to go beyond what Windows 7 starter has to offer. (more…)
Netbook with Fold Out Keyboard: Can it Be?
We have seen plenty of crazy netbook concepts in the past, but this one really takes the cake. Actually, when you think about it, it’s not that crazy. Many netbook owners have complained about netbook keyboards being small and not full-sized. This concept netbook gives you a full-sized keyboard, a mouse-nubbin, and a track-pad to give you everything you need to work on your netbook like you would on any laptop. (more…)
ASUS T101MT In the Works
Credit: Geek.com
AsusTek is behind some of the most innovative products on the market. The company has not only developed some of the best netbooks on the market, it has manufactured many interesting hybrid devices (e.g. Eee keyboard) in the past few months. Asus Eee tablet netbook hybrid devices have been around for a while now. They are designed for those who want to get more out of their netbook and use it as a device to create art and do other things one would want to do with a tablet. It seems AsusTek is not yet ready to move away from its netbook/tablet hybrid product line.
While other ASUS tablets have left something to be desired, Eee PC T101MT netbook comes with a decent set of features. It will take advantage of Windows 7 Home Premium and featuresN450 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 802.11n WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. It also has a camera for those who are into video-chatting. According to Liliputing, the device will offer 6 hours of battery life, which is not great but acceptable for a tablet. (more…)
IBM To Offer Cloud Connected Netbook
IBM is focused on innovation and emerging markets. It’s always been looking for ways to improve existing products and discovering new ways to add value to them. Simmtronics Simmbook which has come to fruition out of a partnership among IBM, Canonical and Simmtronics, is a $190 netbook that takes advantage of cloud computing to provide value in emerging markets such as South Africa and India. The device is not completely cloud-based (though next generation netbooks may be heading that way). However, it does come with the software needed to take advantage of cloud computing and save consumers money in comparison to top Windows netbooks.
The focus of this device is to reduce costs for consumers and give them a more affordable option to take advantage of mobile computing. The focus is on open source products as well. Linux is much more affordable than Windows. Add to that IBM’s and other open source products available on the device, and it’s not to see why this product is so affordable.
Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Comes to T-Mobile
We have heard about subsidized netbooks for a long time. Many wireless carriers were expected to offer their own subsidized netbooks to lock in more customers and bring the up-front costs lower for netbook fans. While the move was not as widespread as some thought, there are a few decent wireless netbook bundles on the market. You can now add Dell Mini 10 with T-mobile to that list. T-mobile has announced that it will be offering Dell Mini 10 for $199 with a 2 year contract. Now that’s not exactly a great deal, but for those who need to stay connected to the Internet at all times, this bundle could save some money.
Not surprisingly, Microsoft seems to be more excited about the move than T-mobile itself. The company has been trying hard to push Windows 7 to the masses. We have seen all kinds of commercials (in English, French, and everything in between) on TV pushing Microsoft Windows 7. The more people pick up Windows 7 netbooks, the better Microsoft can make its case against the skeptics.
T-Mobile’s new offer is a great example of how a PC running Windows 7 with an ‘always-connected’ 3G mobile broadband service can open up a new world of mobile possibilities.
Unfortunately, Dell Mini 10 is being offered with Windows 7 starter. That’s not exactly the best operating system for a netbook. Microsoft is banking on netbook owners to upgrade to more premium versions of Windows. For that to happen, netbook owners need to upgrade their RAM to 2 GB to take advantage of the best Windows 7 premium has to offer.
Netbook Buying Guide – March 2010
N450 netbooks have finally made it to the market. The next generation ATOM processor is designed to handle graphics and resource intensive processes more effectively. While it’s not too much faster than its predecessors, it does improve performance on your netbook. The year is still young and many more netbooks are in the works. In fact, new CPUs are expected to make their debut in the next few months. What’s exciting about the current crop of netbooks is the increased battery life and energy efficiency of these models. Getting close to 10 hours of battery life on a netbook is not a dream anymore. And there aren’t just one of two netbooks that offer long battery life. So you have got options in that regard.
ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005PE-PU17 is one of the most popular netbooks on the market. It has with all the standard features you’d expect to see in a top netbook today. It also gives you 500 GB online storage to help you store your files online to never lose them again. HP Mini 210-1090NR Netbook is another top netbook by HP that not only gives you power and performance but longer battery life in comparison to other HP netbooks on the market. It is very light and portable as well. MSI U160-007US Netbook is a new exciting addition to the netbook family. It offers 15 hours of battery life and is the lightest in this list. It comes with plenty of connectivity features. It has a high quality web-cam as well. (more…)
Tablets Aim To Kill Netbooks
Apple iPad is just days away from being shipped officially by Apple. Those who have ordered their iPads in advance will get their hands on the device by April 3rd. The device has generated a whole lot of buzz and has already been dubbed as a netbook killer. Netbooks are still very popular among consumers. But the market does seem to have peaked. Besides, laptops and CULVs are getting slimmer and smaller. So while the demand for netbooks, as we know them today, may have peaked, there is a market for portable, slim, and energy efficient laptops in the future.
Netbooks are in the risk of getting lost in the sea of attention that devices such as the iPad and Slate are getting. The iPad is capable of getting a lot of things done on the road. It may not have the look and feel of a good old laptop, but thanks to thousands of apps that will be available in iTunes, the iPad will be able to deliver an experience that you won’t be able to get from any netbook on the market.
HP Slate is another exciting tablet that can go toe to toe with the iPad as far as the looks and features are concerned. The device may not have access to thousands of apps that the iPad will take advantage of, but it gives tablet fans another shiny option. As Phil McKinney, chief technology officer of HP’s personal systems group, put it, HP Slate is all about the future:
Acer Aspire 1825PT & 1825PTZ: Netbooks or CULVs?
The netbook market is one of those markets that is badly in need of innovation by players involved in it. Let’s face it. There are plenty of netbooks on the market that come with very similar features and manage to confuse netbook fans along the way. Acer is one of those companies that plans to change all that with Aspire 1825PT &1825PTZ. Both these so-called netbooks feature a 11.6-inch capacitive touchscreen and pack a lot of punch.
Acer Aspire 1825PT features Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 with 4 GB RAM. Aspire 1825PTZ has only 3 GB of RAM and has SU4100 ULV CPU. These netbooks won’t be cheap as they will go for around $900. Here is the problem I have with these two devices. It’s not fair to consider these devices netbooks when they are clearly CULVs. They use ULV processors and are fully-fledged laptops. That brings up a more interesting question. Is there really a distinct line between laptops, netbooks, and CULVs at this point?
ASUS Eee PC 1005PE-PU27: Power Meets Style
Asus Netbooks are some of the best units on the market. The company seems to be at the front of market when it comes introducing innovative and powerful netbooks to the market. But perhaps the most exciting ASUS netbooks are those special edition models. They give you a bit more and do stand out in the crowd. ASUS Eee PC 1005PE-PU27 netbook is another fun model by ASUS that packs a punch and has the looks as well. It comes with the latest Intel Atom Processor (N450) and 750 GB of hybrid storage (on board + online). You also get a webcam, plenty of ports, and 14 hours of battery life to go with your ASUS netbook.
Here is a summary of features included in this netbook:
- Up to 14 hours battery life.
- Intel Atom N450 processor
- 750GB Hybrid Storage for convenient storage on-the-go 250GB HDD + 500GB ASUS WebStorage
- 10.1-inch LED-backlit Screen
- 92-percent full-size chiclet keyboard
- Multi-touch trackpad
- 1GB system memory (upgradable to 2GB) (more…)
iPad vs. Netbook: Which One Will You Buy?
The iPad is finally here. You can now pre-order it and have it shipped to you in early April. The device has generated a lot of buzz for Apple not only for its features but also for its price. After all, nobody expects Apple to introduce a gadget that costs less than $500. The iPad does, if you don’t count taxes and other fees. Many experts are expecting Apple iPad to challenge and even beat netbooks in a head to head competition. The price seems to be right, and consumers can count on Apple’s iPad applications to enhance the functionality of their tablet.
The issue here is Apple iPad is not a real computer. Sure, you can get a keyboard for it and use it as your own blogging device. You can purchase an office application for your iPad and use it like a real computer. But that’s not its purposes. Netbooks seem to have the edge among business professionals, and they can hold their own against the iPad in other segments of the market. The iPad does beat netbooks in entertainment area, but not everybody’s willing to spend $500+ just for that. (more…)
