HP Viienne Tam netbooks have been around for a while now. HP netbooks are decent as they are. But they are not designed specifically for the fashion savvy. The good news is HP always thinks about that group as well. HP Mini 210-1099SE Vivienne Tam Netbook is another lightweight netbook that is designed for those who want to express themselves and have a device that stands out in the crowd. It does help that the device packs more power than other netbooks and runs Windows 7 premium (instead of Windows 7 starter).

Here is a summary of what’s included with this netbook:

• Processor: Intel Atom Processor N450 (1.66 GHz)
• Memory: 2 GB DDR2 System Memory
• Hard Drive: 250GB (7200RPM) Hard Drive
• Display: 10.1″ Diagonal WSVGA LED HP BrightView Infinity Widescreen Display (1024 x 600)
• Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 (shared) with up to 256MB Total Available Graphics Memory
• Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Weight: 2.69 lbs.

As you can tell, this laptop offers more features than most models on the market. While it’s designed for those who pay attention to fashion, it can be used by anyone who’s interested in consuming video or doing video chats on the go. The only downside is the battery life and this netbook’s lack of support Wireless N technology. The price can be another issue as this netbook is not cheap. But that’s always been the case with Vivienne netbooks. The device is currently available for pre-order with no word on when it will be released.

ASUS seems to be introducing netbook models faster than most of us can keep up. The company was the first out of the gate with N450 processors and is now continuing the trend by adding new technologies before than its competitors. ASUS Eee PC 1005PR which was introduced recently includes Broadcom BCM 70015 HD Decoder to help its owners get more out of their content on their laptop. The device is also capable of going dual boot easily, so you can always get rid of the included Windows  7 Starter.

The device is also promised to offer 11 hours of battery with the included 6 cell battery. In reality, you’ll be getting a bit less than that, especially if you spend your time watching HD content on your laptop. The downside is the 0.3 MP webcam and the operating system that is included with the device. Overall, ASUS Eee PC 1005PR netbook looks solid, but lets hope netbook makers stop including Windows 7 starter with their products and ship a real OS with them.

The device is designed to be a tablet, a personal handheld device, and an e-book reader all fit into one device. And it costs you as much as some of the best netbooks on the market. While Apple iPad is a very exciting device, it’s not the only device that aims to challenge netbooks. Microsoft has been secretly working on its Courier device for months now. The device comes with dual 7 inch screens and is multi-touch capable.

As Engadget reported in its video, the device is expected to be an e-book reader and a digital journal. It also seem to work great for designers and artists as well.

Of course, you can expect such a revolutionary device to be portable and thin as well (weighs only 1lbs). Apple iPad is super portable as well. Both these devices can’t necessarily replace your netbook. They are not designed to be desktop computers on the go. But they do make working with documents, images, and video a breeze on the go. The only downside seems to be the price at this point. Apple iPad is affordable but still could cost your close to $900 if you go with the best model (not counting the cost of wireless service). Microsoft Courier will probably cost somewhere in that area as well. Our hunch is that netbooks will continue to survive against this next wave of innovative devices. But the competition is certainly getting stiffer.

Your turn: netbooks vs. iPad – which one are you more likely to pick up this year?

We all know that Sony hasn’t had the best of years if you compare what the company has done with its products against some of the things Apple, Google, and other gadget makers have achieved recently. The company is not dominating the netbook market and is not exactly shaking the gaming market with its PS3 products. It’s not tough to see why the company is struggling to keep up with Apple and other gadget makers. Sony used to be a market leader, but it has now become a market follower. How else can you explain the company’s decision to introduce a new set of handheld devices to compete with Apple products and other top smartphones?

According to multiple sources, Sony is going after Apple iPhone and iPad with new smartphones and a tablet of its own. As CNET reported, Sony was quick the deny the reports by issuing the following statement:

As already announced, Sony and Sony Ericsson have been strengthening their collaboration in the networked mobile space. However, it is not our strategy to discuss future products or business plans before we make a formal announcement. Any media report that suggests details of the product or business is based on speculation.

That’s almost as good as confirming those reports. We know Sony has to do something to stay competitive considering all the new gadgets that will be making their way to consumer markets. Besides, tablets are hot these days, and many companies are building tablets even though they are going head to head with Apple iPad. You can expect Sony to bring its own touch-sensitive tablet or handhelds to the market soon. It’d be interesting to see if the company can execute its product to perfection. Sony has struggled in this area for a while now. Regardless, it’s handheld devices better deliver or they’ll be devoured by iPad and other tablets. And let’s hope the company doesn’t brand its netbook/tablet a Playstation device.

Sony netbooks are truly interesting cases. While netbooks are expected to be affordable, Sony still commands a premium for its VAIO netbooks. Of course, that’s only to be expected if you are a true die-hard VAIO fan. But for the rest of consumers, paying extra money as brand premium doesn’t make too much sense. That doesn’t mean Sony netbooks are not in demand. With company’s plan to introduce new netbook models in the future (Sony M), there will be even more options available for Sony fans.

Sony VAIO M netbooks which will make their debut shortly are cheaper than expected. So much so that it has shocked many Sony fans. Of course, when a company such as Sony drops its prices, people are going to question the quality of its products. If you keep your prices high, customers are going to complain, and if you introduce a cheaper product, there will still be those who will complain. In case of Sony VPC-M11M1E/B, you get Atom N450 1.66GHz processor along with 1GB of DDR2 memory, a 250GB 5,400rpm HDD and Intel GMA 3150 graphics. You also get bluetooth and WiFi N capability to go with it (complete specifications after the break).

Here is what you will be getting with Sony VPC-M11M1E/B netbook:

Sony VAIO M netbook that is up for grabs online in UK stores doesn’t look too impressive, but it’s more recession friendly and a decent effort by Sony to reach out to more segments of the market. It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, and it’s not something you write home about. The price is right but could the product be wrong?

If you have looked at the current netbooks on the market and have not found what you are looking for, here are 5 powerful CULV laptops that are great alternatives to netbooks:

ASUS UL30A-A2 Laptop: packs quite a  punch. It comes with 4 GB RAM and a dual core CPU to give you power and performance on the road. It also offers up to 12 hours of battery life.

Toshiba Satellite T115D-S1125 LED CULV: if you are not into intel ULVs, this is the machine you should give a close look. It features 1.5GHz AMD Athlon NeoX2 L325 Processor and 2 GB Ram. It weighs only 3.5 lbs.

ASUS UL80Vt-A1 14-Inch Thin and Light Laptop: features a 14″ Widescreen HD LED LCD Display, NVidia G210M Graphics, and 4 GB Ram. Windows 7 Home Premium works like a charm on it.

Acer TravelMate TM8371-6457 13.3” Notebook: another feature rich ULV laptop for the go. It has a webcam, a finger print reader, a 5 in 1 card reader, and tons of other features to enable you to get your work done on the go.

MSI X600-031US Slim 15.6-Inch Laptop: the only CULV in this bunch that is equipped with Windows Vista. Its 1.4GHz Penryn SFF C2S ULV SU3500 Processor, 4GB RAM and 15.6″ display give you plenty of things to be excited about.

What’s your favorite CULV Laptop?

When people hear the word netbook, the immediately think of a tiny device that comes with a 9-10 inch screen. But not everybody is a fan of those smaller screens. After all, if you happen to be interested in multi-tasking your netbook and want to review multiple items on your netbook at the same time or read content on it, you may find those smaller screens to be a bit frustrating to work with. That’s why 12+ inch netbooks have some appeal among netbook fans.

MSI has had larger screen netbooks in the past. It’s stepping up once again to offer more options to netbook fans in this area. MSI U230 Netbook not only features a 12.1 inch screen, but it will also have an AMD flavor to it. The device comes with Athlon X2 L335 Processor and 2 GB RAM to enable its owners to take advantage of the home edition of Windows 7 to get more done on the road. Since the processor used in this device is dual-core, you can expect it to be more responsive when handling those complex applications.

Here is a summary of what’s included in this netbook:

• 1.6GHz AMD Athlon X2 L335 Processor; Chipset AMD RS690 + SB600
• 2GB System Memory (4GB Max)
• 320GB SATA Hard Drive; Wireless 802.11b/g/n; 2 HD Audio Speakers
• 12.1 inch HD WXGA 16:9 LCD Display, Resolution 1366×768, ATI Radeon HD3200 Graphics; 1.3MP Webcam
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• 4 Hours of Battery Life

It’d be interesting to see how the device performs against its predecessor, MSI U210, which packed some punch as well. 12 inch netbooks are not for everyone. But if you are shopping around for those netbooks with larger screens, MSI U230 could be worth waiting for.

Netbook fans have heard a lot about the benefits of taking advantage of Nvidia ION to get more sophisticated tasks done on their netbooks and getting more battery life on the go. The new Nvidia ION chip makes it possible for next generation netbooks to handle more sophisticated graphics and achieve newer heights of energy efficiency. This technology works hand in hand with Intel processors to offer as much as 10 times faster graphics.

The new Nvidia ION makes it possible to switch between ION and GMA 3150, so you will have the option when you need it. It’s still not known what will be the exact benefit of using this technology in new netbooks. That can’t be known until next generation netbooks hit the market. Acer Aspire One 532G and ASUS Eee PC 1201PN address a lot of questions in that area (video after the break).

The new Nvidia ION comes in 2 flavors to work with both desktops and netbooks. The good news is that the chip won’t work with Windows 7 starter. That’s great news for netbook fans who have grown tired of Microsoft’s starter OS. But can the manufacturers keep the prices low?

For a long time, HP was a bit passive with its netbook strategy. But HP’s strategy seems to have changed dramatically. HP netbooks have been getting better and better as the company has improved their features and their energy efficiency. Now, HP’s new netbooks will get the faster N470 processor (1.83 Ghz) as well. Mini 5102 and Mini 2102 netbooks both pack more power than most netbooks on the market today and are designed to address the concerns of the skeptics.

Both these netbooks are expected to come equipped with 2 GB RAM, so using Windows 7 on these netbooks will be much less painful. The storage seems to have increased in comparison to previous HP models, so that is a plus as well. It’s not known how these units will perform in the energy management department.

The release date for these two units has not been announced, so if you are in the U.S., you may have to wait a bit to get your hands on these machines.

Nokia Booklet 3G is one of the best netbooks available on the market. It’s actually quite unique as it comes with features, such as on-board GPS, that are not available in other netbooks. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on one of these models, you are going to quickly realize that this is not your everyday netbook. The device is stylish, powerful, and great on the go. Of course, just like any other netbook, you don’t want to abuse your booklet 3G and keep it unprotected on the go. You also want to pick up accessories that help you get more out of your netbook. That’s why these 5 cool booklet 3G accessories are worth a look:

invisibleSHIELD for the Nokia Booklet 3G: it’s a scratch proof, invisible protection for your Nokia booklet 3G that improves grip and doesn’t add any bulk to your netbook.

Air Cell Protective Case for the Nokia Booklet: if you are worried about dropping your booklet 3G or just don’t want to take the chance, this air cell case comes in handy. It’s bump proof and can save you potential headaches on the go.

NetbookFitting Winged Flight Series Reversible FLY Wing Bag: a cool looking carrying bag for your netbook and other gadgets. It comes with a matching wallet as well. Great for those savvy in fashion.

CaseCrown Faux Suede Protective Sleeve: it’s not only attractive and functional, but it’s also very easy to carry around with the included shoulder strap. The exterior pocket lets you carry other accessories with you.

Adapter/Battery Charger/Power Supply For Nokia Booklet 3G: if you have lost your original adapter for your Nokia netbook, here is an affordable replacement that gets you out of trouble.

What are your favorite Nokia Booklet 3G accessories?