Gateway LT1001g selling $688 at Megatex

The Gateway LT1001g is now available for $688 at the Megatex event at the Expo. This is also the same price as the Acer Aspire One, not surprising since they are effectively the same machine.

However, I did see the LT1001g at Funan yesterday, and it was selling at $688 too, so you don't have to trek all the way to the Expo. The LT1001g definitely looks more "business", with its black and grey design scheme. So if you're looking for an Aspire One equivalent, check you the Gateway edition, you might like it better.

LG X110 and MSI Wind U100 at Carrefour Singapore

Carrefour Singapore is carrying the MSI, LG, Asus and Lenovo netbooks.

The MSI Wind is going for S$748, with 1GB RAM and 6-cell battery.



The LG X110 is going for $799.



Although the LG is a re-modelled MSI Wind, I do like the look of the LG X110, the design lines is just that bit nicer than the MSI Wind.

Go check them out.

Samsung NC10 LCD 'blotches'

There has been many reports of 2 "blobs" on the screen which looks like pressure points. Sadly my NC10 has the problem too.

The "blobs" will show up best on a white background. The image below is one which i've "gamma"-down so that the spots are more obvious, to help you look in the right region of the screen.





NC10 users in the UK have brought them back to the retail stores they bought from to swap for new units. One person even checked 3 new sets with the same problem before walking out of the store with one without. This is clearly a manufacturing problem, and you should contact your local Samsung dealer to get it fixed.

As for me, since Singapore doesn't have Samsung coverage, I'll just have to make do, and avoid using white background. As of now, I'm blind to it.

Check out these sites:
http://www.google.com/search?q=nc10+blotches

Gold Lenovo S10 in Hong Kong

Given the numerous netbooks available in the Singapore market, I would have to say the Lenovo Ideapad S10 is probably one of my favourites. The S10 design i think, is appealing, simple but sophisticated - especially the black one.

Well, now Lenovo has decided to launch a special Gold edition, but sadly only in Hong Kong. It's not known whether this edition will land in Singapore. Let's hope it does.

Samsung NC10 battery usage

I did a simple experiment to test how long the NC10 6-cell battery lasts during a normal work day in the office.

I turned off all the power saving features like LCD dimming etc, set the brightness to 4/8 (mid-way), and connected to the office network via wifi. I used it for reading news on websites, watching about 3-4 youtube videos, some word processing and some downloads and installs of apps like adobe reader, java etc.

I took readings of the battery status every half-hour. Overall, non-stop usage got me around 5.5 hours on a full charge before the NC10 went into hibernation.



I guess I could have saved more battery power if I turned the LCD brightness to 3/8. One thing I noticed about the NC10 brightness, it's really very bright, even at setting of 2/8, it's still quite useable, if a bit on the dim side. For me setting at 3/8 is just right.

Also, I did plug my usb drive in at one point, which probably sucked a fair amount of battery power.

Gateway LT1001g debuts in Singapore

Having been absent for eight years, Gateway is making its comeback into Asia starting with Singapore by launching a sleuth of new notebooks. One of which is a 8.9" inch netbook called Gateway LT1001g.



However, in case you're wondering about what this new netbook has to offer, don't bother. Given that Gateway is owned by Acer, the LT1001g is just a rebadged of the popular Acer Aspire One, with some minor differences:

The LT1001g comes with a glossy black lid with silver Gateway logo, a softer feeling palm rest and comes equipped with an internal 3G mobile broadband capability.





Judging from the pictures, it looks like the LT1001g would probably appeal to the savvy business user with it's black and silver look. A good alternative to those who don't want to carry around a toy-like looking Acer Aspire One.

More information is available at http://sg.gateway.com/products/series/ltseries.html

Samsung NC10 Unboxing - Singapore

My first time doing a video unboxing. I can never get used to hearing my own voice. Gives me the creeps! Anyway, check it out!

My Samsung NC10 has landed in Singapore

After placing an order at Amazon US almost 2 weeks ago, my white Samsung NC10 has arrived in Singapore.

 

My first impression... this is a sweet machine. The build quality is excellent. The whole thing just feels solid in my hands. 

The white version is kind of semi gloss, almost like a pearl shine effect. Really classy. That said, I still prefer the black though, because as all things white, it will attract stains and grime, and eventually the white will become beige with age. 

The screen is really bright! I currently have it set on 3 bars out of 8, and it's already bright enough for anyone. Not only that, with the screen set at brightness 3, the battery status is reporting a whooping 8 hours for the stock 6 cell that came with the NC10. 

In my opinion, this is without doubt one of the better netbooks you can get at the moment. Sadly, its not on sale in Singapore, so if you want one be prepared to pay the premium to have it imported and owned without warranty support.

I'll follow up this post with another more detailed review soon. Watch out for it!

d.

SITEX 2008: Netbook pricing update

Here are some of the latest price cuts in Netbooks at SITEX after 2 days to lure fair-goers to part with their hard earn money.

MSI WIND
Was S$729. Now S$699. (for the 1GB, 6-cell with free optical mouse, free netbook sleeve and purchase of slim DVDRW at S$88)
Was S$779. Now S$729. (for the 2GB, 6-cell with free optical mouse, free netbook sleeve and purchase of slim DVDRW at S$88)

LENOVO S10
Was S$769. Now S$699. (with 6-cell battery, free upgrade to 2GB and free sleeve case)

ACER ASPIRE ONE AOA150 - Pink Model
Was $718. Now S$688.

LG X110 - with HSUPA
Was $1088. Now S$999.

My personal pick for the best value 10" netbook would be the LENOVO S10. With the latest price changes and freebies, Lenovo has caught up to the competition.

Latest reports are saying the S10 was selling fast yesterday. Expect brisk sales today, so hurry down to SITEX if you intend to get one.

SITEX 2008: Axioo Pico DJJ

A new revamped Pico in the form of the Axioo Pico DJJ is available at SITEX 2008. Check it out at Booth 5A30. Specs wise its not any different from the others, but with a selling price of S$699, makes this another decent affordable 10" netbook for the budget conscious.

SITEX 2008: Zyrex Bee

If you haven't heard of the Zyrex Bee, you're not alone. This Indonesian brand is offered at this year's SITEX 2008. Selling for S$699, which makes this one of the more affordable 10" notebooks in the market.

Specs:

• Intel Atom Processor N270
• 1GB DDR2
• 160GB SATA HDD
• 1.3MP Webcam
• 3 in 1 Card Reader
• Windows XP Home

Go check it out at SITEX.

*UPDATE*
The Zyrex BEE is just another MSI WIND clone with warranty by COSTRONICS(!). Seeing that MSI WINDs' prices are dropping to S$699 for 1GB, 6cell version, and S$729 for the 2GB, 6 cell version. You'll be better off getting the Real McCoy.

SITEX 2008: Starhub giving away HP Mini 1000

Starhub is offering the HP Mini 1000 with integrated WWAN capability, but the catch is you have to subscribe to the MaxOnline Ultimate Plus plan that comes in at a whooping $93.09/month. That's just a bit too high for my taste.



Even so, I would expect there will be a glut of the HP Mini going onto the second-hand market very soon.

SITEX 2008: Netbook offers - Acer Aspire ONE, Asus EeePC

SITEX 2008 is here. The "longest running IT event" opens today 27th Nov and runs until 30th Nov, offering a host of tech goodies and bargains just in time for Christmas.

This year, the netbook category is without a doubt the hot must-see. Lenovo, Asus, Acer, MSI, NEC, Futjitsu all showcasing their version of the mini-notebooks.

Here are some of the promos:

There's a list being maintained at Hardwarezone on the Netbook Offers at Sitex. Go take a look.

HP Mini 1000 selling at Harvey Normans

I saw the HP Mini 1000 at Harvey Norman, Centrepoint branch today. It was the black model selling for S$799, 1GB RAM, 60GB HDD. The usual, loaded with Windows XP Home.





I have to say, in the looks department, it definitely oozes style. It was displayed next to the Asus EeePC 1000H and the Asus just came across as 'square'. It was like a super model next to Ugly Betty. This is without a doubt one slick looking machine. The nice pattern on the cover just adds to the eye-candy.

Sadly, I do have a gripe. After a closer look, I started noticing the 'cheap' feel about it. I tried it out the keyboard, typed out some random character, and felt it lacking somehow. The feel felt like cheap plastic, click-clacking, and the way the keys are flushed to each other, somehow just doesn't endear me to it. I found it uncomfortable, hard to type, and compared with the MSI's keyboard, I think it is far inferior.

But, if you're looking for something that looks good, and complements your fashion sense, this is about as good as it get in the current crop of netbooks. It's like high-heels. It makes the girl look good, but it's really uncomfortable to walk in.

SITEX 2008: BenQ Joybook Lite U101

For those who didn't know, there's another Atom contender on the market for a while now, this time its from taiwanese maker (where else?) BenQ. It's called the Joybook Lite U101.



It carries the following specs:

• 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 screen
  
• Intel 1.6Ghz Atom
• 1GB RAM
  
• 160 GB 5400rpm HDD
  
• LAN, Wifi, bluetooth and 3G option
  
• 1.3-megapixel webcam
• 3 x USB, VGA out and 4-1 card reader
• 3-cell Battery
• XP Home /Linux
  

It's touted to be able to withstand 50KG of weight on it, as demonstrated below. So I guess if I put my 90KG bulk on it, I'll void my warranty for sure.



It also claims to be able to survive a 76 cm drop! (Ok, so why 76cm? Does that mean if I drop it at 77cm it won't survive?)

Anyway, it's going to available at the coming SITEX show at the Singapore Expo next week. Priced at SGD$788 with free 160GB external HDD, RAM upgrade and 2nd year extended warranty.

HP Mini 1000 coming to Singapore

Looks like another Atom netbook is going to hit our shores soon come November (I personally think it's more likely to be Dec/Jan), and what a stunning looking netbook it is.

The HP Mini 1000 will replace the 'not-so-fast' but elegant looking Mini-note 2133, and will expect to come in 3 different versions - there's the standard Mini 1000, then there's the Vivienne Tam (or VT) edition, and lastly, the Mobile Internet Experience (or MIE) edition.

I would expect this netbook to be priced from S$700 onwards judging from what the US will be retailing for. It's probably not going to be cheap given that it's HP, but it's definitely a great looking netbook.



Check out these links for more info and pictures.
http://asia.cnet.com/crave/2008/10/29/hp-gets-serious-about-netbooks/
http://www.hp2133guide.com/hp-mini-1000-information/

LG X110 netbook unboxing video

The LG X110 looking like an MSI Wind, and is in fact an MSI Wind beneath the more styled and glossy lid. Here's an unboxing video done by Eee PC News.

Netbook buzz

Guess which netbook is getting the most buzz on the Internet? Well according to Google Trends, it's the Acer's Aspire One which is leading the pack in terms of search volume. This followed by the Asus Eeepc, MSI Wind and bringing up the rear is the Lenovo S10.



The picture is slightly different in Singapore. Although the Acer's Aspire One is also leading but Lenovo S10 seems more searched for than the Asus Eeepc (just barely) or the MSI Wind.



My own observation is that MSI Wind is starting to be old news. The amount of search volume is declining, and I guess it probably needs a boost from the new 'MSI Wind 2' coming in November to get people excited about it again.

MSI Wind U120 - Pictures available!

The next version of the MSI Wind is coming. The 'Wind 2' or more exactly, the 'Wind U120' will be aimed at the corporate/business market. Fudzilla managed to get hold of pictures of the new 'Wind 2'.



Well it seems not much has changed with the 'Wind 2'. It still very much a 'Wind 1' except for a few casing changes to make it less 'cute' and more business-like with its black/grey 2 tone color scheme. I liked that they have changed the single mouse-button bar back to the more traditional 2 distinct mouse-button design. It's also good to see MSI keeping the wonderful keyboard. The slanted air-vent grill design on the left side also adds to its slickness.

To cater to business crowd, the 'Wind 2' will include built-in 3.5G WWAN which will ensure that the Wind will be always 'connected'.

Looking forward to see the actual unit.

MSI's WIND of change is coming

The MSI Wind is one of the most acclaimed netbook you can get in the market today, aside from it's battery problem, everything about the mini-notebook is ideal. There are also many rebadged version offering slight differences from features to price - but unmistakeably a WIND.

Now, expect more things to come from MSI as they gear up to keep ahead of the competition. MSI's Director of US Sales Andy Tung shares with Laptopmag.com about what is in store for the WIND.

Some of the points that was shared includes:

1. A price drop for the MSI Wind 3-cell to retail for US$399, and the 6-cell, 160GB, wireless 802.11b/g/n version will retail for US$479. Compare that with what is selling today which US$479 for the 3-cell and US$549 for the 6-cell. That's quite a large saving. Hopefully this will prompt a drop in the Singapore prices too. Based on today's prices, we are paying roughly 8% more than our US counterparts.
   
2. A new version Wind U120 will be aimed at the corporate market, sporting a new look, SSD and HDD options and 3.5G connectivity. It's expecting to hit the US end of the year and is likely to go for under $600 (which probably means $599).
   
3. The 6-cell battery problems has almost being resolved. By end of October MSI should be caught up with the battery problem. Hurray! It certainly took them long enough.
   
4. No plans for a dual-core Atom WIND anytime soon. MSI won't see the availability of that processor until second half of 2009. So don't hold out to get one. We're stuck with the current Atom in netbooks for quite sometime to come.
   
5. Linux versions return rate is 4 times higher than Windows XP version. The message here is don't buy the Linux version, unless you intend to install your own copy of the Windows XP. Which incidently is a good option if you do have your own copy of Windows XP and you can be bothered to take your time to do. MSI is exploring adopting other Linux flavors, like a Ubuntu witha Mac OS interface, to replace the current SUSE Linux.

You can read the full interview with Andy Tung here.

Axioo Pico selling for $699 with 2GB RAM

I saw PK Computers at Funan Digital Mall advertising the Axioo Pico for $699, with 2GB RAM. Unfortunately, there's still no news on when the 6-cell will be available.

Newstead is still selling the Pico for $749 for the 1GB version from what I saw at Funan, but in today's Straits Times, Newstead has a roadshow at IMM from 3rd to 5th Oct, and listed the Pico for $799, with no change in the specs.

If you're looking for an MSI Wind, maybe you can consider this clone instead. Personally, I'm still holding out for a 6-cell MSI Wind, as I prefer to have bluetooth capability.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 is not here in Singapore yet.

Recently, in spite of what VR-Zone reported, it doesn't seem that the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 will not hit our shores in Singapore anytime soon. The website initially reported that it will be on sale on 1st October, which turned out not to be so. VR-Zone has since changed the article.

I was at Funan yesterday, and went to the Dell store to enquire. One store had a pre-order, so if you don't want to miss the launch date, you can place an order for it. The other Dell store told me it won't be available for another 2 months. Looks like Dell might try to bring in the shipment just in time for the Christmas shopping spree.

Can't find a 6 cell battery for your MSI Wind? Get a 9 cell instead!

German netbook blog EeePCNews has posted some photos of a potential 9-cell battery for the MSI Wind.

Here's what the thing is going to look like when installed into your Wind.

Not exactly the best looking thing, and looks to tilt your wind up even more at the back. Would typing be affected? Don't know.

Expecting it to show it's face in November in Germany, which probably means some time next year for the rest of us.

The ever increasingly crowded netbook market

Looks like come Christmas, netbooks will be in virtually everyone's shopping list. Computer builders are scrambling over each other to grab a piece of the ever increasing pie that is the 'netbook' market.

Toshiba has announced its netbook, the NB100, and will be expecting to hit shelves in Europe come October. CNET Asia Crave expects the netbook to arrive in time for our year-end holiday season. I hope so. 

The other new entry comes from Samsung. According to Akibahara News, it's expected to hit Europe next month also, and is likely to go for US$690 price range. 

Both will be running on the Intel Atom processor so we can pretty much expect more of the same. In an market that's probably getting crowded, each manufacturer is coming up with new ways to distinguish their products from the competition. 

Samsung's NC10 is touted to come with durable casing ideal for the daily grind as well as an anti-bacterial keyboard. Toshiba, however, has opted to include its clever Sleep-and-Charge technology, which continues charging your plethora of USB gadgets even when the NB100 is in sleep mode.

At the end of the day, I believe it's value for money that's going to make the peeps part with their hard-earned cash.

Personally, I'm still stalling to get one. I'm still aiming for a 10" inch screen with a decent size keyboard, because I intend to replace my heavy T43, so I need something a bit more comfortable to work with on a daily basis. 

The MSI Wind is still very much in my radar, but with the Samsung coming in, it might be a 

close one to call. 

Intel annouces Dual-Core Atoms but...

Intel announced a few days ago that it has officially started to ship the new 45nm dual-core Intel® Atom™ Processor known as the Intel Atom Processor 330. BUT, the new chip is designed specifically for 'nettops' and not 'netbooks'.

Even though that's the official Intel position, there's nothing stopping computer makers from incorporating these chips into a netbook form factor. Whatever is the case, I am sure we will start seeing Dual-Core Atom devices popping up pretty soon.

The dual-core Intel® Atom™ Processor 330 features a 1.6GHz processing core, 1MB of level 2 cache, an 8W TDP and support for DDR2 667.

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/chipshots/chipshots.htm?cid=rss-90004-c1-213105#091908a

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 unboxing video

Well, it seems the last few days, unboxing of the Dell Mini 9 has started to appear over the web. I guess folks who have ordered the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 are getting their first taste of this new netbook entry by Dell.

This is a great unboxing video by Gavin. Check it out: http://gadgetspot.co.uk/2008/09/12/dell-mini-9-netbook-unboxing

From what I can see from the video, what I like most is the power brick which is built into the plug, instead of a separate brick. Makes it more compact. Not sure about the glossy screen though, you can see the camera reflected in the screen.

Ideapad S10 - Too hot to handle!

Even though the Lenovo Ideapad S10 is stylish, cool it is not. In fact, it's literally too hot to handle! Blogeee.net reported that the keyboard itself gets pretty warm, around 40°C which is quite hot, imagine underneath.



Well at least if you plan to visit Alaska, this netbook might just be for you to keep those fingers warm! But here in sunny Singapore, it's another story.

Lenovo Ideapad S10 video from IDF

Notebook.com got a chance to walkthrough a Lenovo Ideapad S10. Check out the video:



As I read more about the Ideapad S10, this is definitely one of the best looking netbooks. It looks stylish and cool, a real chick magnet. I would get one immediately if I wasn't a bit hesitant about...

1. The 1.5GB RAM limit doesn't sit well with me since the MSI Wind's can be upgraded to 2GB RAM, why settle for 1.5GB?
2. The 2 USB slot is a bit limiting for me. I would probably need 1 slot for the mouse, 1 slot for my external HDD and 1 slot for the mobile broadband dongle.

It would also have been nice if Lenovo had put their trackpoint in. I know the guy explain this is the Ideapad range, but for me, Lenovo = trackpoint.

Rumor of MSI to sell upgraded model from September

There's a forum post at msiwind.net forum claiming that MSI will be releasing a 'beef-ed' up Wind U110 with 120GB HDD and 6 cell battery come September.

With the constantly falling cost for HDDs, I guess it's entirely possible that MSI would include in a larger HDD without affecting the cost of producing the Wind. It could also be a marketing move to counter the launch of Lenovo's IdeaPad S10.

If it turns out to be true, I guess, there's something to be said about competition.

Video of the new IdeaPad S9 from notebooks.com

I have to say, I'm startin to like the Lenovo IdeaPad S9/S10 more and more. It's starting to look like a pretty decent netbook. I know this might just be marketing brainwashing, but still...

You can clearly see from the video, when the reviewer closed the cover and flipped it around, that the S9/S10 is likely to be a fingerprint magnet with that shiny cover.

Check out this video from notebooks.com



Source: http://www.notebooks.com/2008/08/06/video-ideapad-s10-hands-on/

ST Digital Life's coverage of the mini laptops

ST Digital Life has a feature today on why ultra-mobile PCs are hot in Singapore.

According to market research firm GfK, sales of the mini notebooks went up almost 10-fold in the first half of this year, compared to the last six months of 2007.

'It's another option for vendors and retailers because it hits a price point that is very low,' said Gerard Tan, commercial director of IT for GfK Asia.

Many customers were parents buying for their children, and also geeks buying them for fun. There are even those who buy them as gifts, something that wasn't common before given the price of notebooks.

I wish someone would buy me one for a gift.

Check out the articles here:
Going big on mini laptops
See the light
Wind of change

There's a simple comparison table too. Click to view.

Lenovo IdeaPad S10 Pictures from Taiwan

CNET Taiwan published a set of absolutely gorgeous pictures of the upcoming Lenovo IdeaPad S10.



Unfortunately, you can clearly see that the right shift key is positioned like the Asus Eee PC, next the Up key, which is not a very popular configuration. It's easily prone to mistyping as you might hit the Up key accidentally.

Apart from that, this netbook is looking set to be a best seller (provided it performs to spec, of course).

MSI Wind at Carrefour

MSI Wind, 3-cell black version is now on sale at Carrefour.

Carrefour Singapore to sell MSI Wind!

I enquired about the MSI Wind at the World Cybergames event at Suntec at today. MSI had a booth there, with a black Wind on display. The lady I spoke to says the MSI Wind is available from Carrefour Singapore. It should be selling for $859 for the 3 cell version, but with a 1GB upgrade.

I went over to Carrefour to enquire about the Wind. The sales guy I spoke to says the Wind is still in the backroom and hasn't been cleared to be displayed yet. The sales guy says come back tomorrow (08 Aug 2008)

If this is true, buyers with the POSB Everyday card would get 5% rebate, which is a savings of about S$40. That could make this Wind buy the best deal so far in Singapore. (At least until COMEX, at the end of August)

Wind clone spotted at Amazon: Microtel NB10028

A new clone has emerged, and this time in the US. Amazon has started to list the Microtel NB10028 Wind, which essentially is the same MSI Wind, without the MSI logo, and has a price tag of US$599 for the 6 cell version.

Although at Amazon, it's listed to ship between 3-5 weeks, at the Microtel website, the netbooks will be available from the 2nd week of August. So if you're willing to pay that extra US$50, it's time to get your Wind.

MSI, what's with the 'Hearts' edition?

You can now buy an MSI 'white' Wind at the MSI website, but it comes in the form of the special 'Hearts' edition, and it's going for a whopping US$559! And, it's only a 3-cell!



MSI, what are you guys thinking? You should sack your marketing folks, 'cos they're not doing their jobs right. We're here waiting for white wind stocks to be available, and you come out with a special white edition with a bit of a cover design change for an additional US$59?

Your marketing folks are either geniuses or they have absolutely no clue. So which one is it?

For those of you who likes this new design and willing to pay that extra to get your white, it's still available at the MSI website. Last count, there's still 133 units available (at the time of this posting)

*UPDATE*
It would seem that I was too hasty in my judgement. The 'Hearts' Wind is actually MSI's global charity program to support a range of notebook donation programs around the world for children in rural and remote areas. See MSI's press release for more information.

MSI Wind U100's 'Mini-Me' - the Wind U90

A 'mini-me' version of the Wind U100 has appeared on the MSI website. It's called the Wind U90. According to the specs, it's identical to it's bigger brother in everyway except the screen size. The U90 comes with a 8.9 inch display instead of the 10 inch.

I don't know about you but if you believe the specs on the website, then why the hell would I want to get the U90 that comes with the smaller screen if the dimensions of both machines are the same?

Maybe this is a case of the webmaster not having the full specs yet, or he (or she) is just plain lazy. Whatever's the case, I hope MSI is smart enough to know that if they want to push out a smaller screen unit, the buyers would expect a smaller form factor!

Here are the links to the specs for the U90, and the U100. See for yourselves and draw your own conclusion.

Latest MSI Wind rebadge showing up in Russia

Russian MSI Wind fans will soon get a rebadged Wind in the form of the RoverBook Neo U100. It appears that the specifications will be the same as the MSI Wind, and will retail for around 14,566.50 rubles, or about US$620.

Lenovo IdeaPad S10 is coming!

Lenovo has just announced it's new IdeaPad S10 netbook PC. It will come in 8.9 inch and 10.1 inch screen sizes with a 160GB hard drive and is expected to be priced around US$400-US$600. [gizmodo]



From the few pictures available and this video, and backed by the Lenovo giant, it looks like this netbook might give the rest a run for their money.

I think MSI has really lost a lot of ground with stock shortage and jacking up the price. They could have dominated but I guess it's too little too late.

Here are some other news on the S10:
http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/9640.html
http://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-ideapad-s10-netbook-announced-0413374.php
http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/04/lenovo-goes-netbook-with-ideapad-s10/

More netbooks to come

The 'netbook' scene is looking to get more crowded very soon. Asus has really started a revolution in the notebook market. Along with Asus Eee PC, Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind and Dell E, expect to see more coming from major laptop producers.

Fujitsu will be coming out with the Amilo Mini, expecting to be priced around US$470 to US$630, and might be seeing it around beginning of the 4th Quarter (unconfirmed). See this video.

Lenovo will also be pushing out a budget netbook, although there's no news as yet on what it will be and how much it will be selling for. I'm sure it will make a big splash when it does.

Asus Eee PC family to grow by 13 more

It looks like Asus is looking to dominate the market by expanding the Eee PC range to 23 different models.

The president of Asustek Computer, Jerry Shen, has confirmed plans to launch Eee PC-branded mobile computers for higher-end market segments. These will come in the form of Pro Fashion and Ultimate (S-series) families of Asus Eee PC notebooks aiming at $700 - $900 price-points. The systems will feature 10.1” LED backlit screens, 120GB hard disk drives (HDDs) or 32GB solid state drives (SSDs) and will work for 4-5 hours.



I don't know about you, but I'm already confused by the number of models they have today. There are already 10 models listed on their website. With 13 more to be released, that's just gonna confused the hell out of the average consumer.

Pictures from a Pico user

These pictures were posted by a Pico user at Hardwarezone.

Various clones of the MSI Wind

I thought I would put together a list of all the Wind clones available around the world, just for the fun of it.

So here goes...

1. Advent 4211 was the first Wind clone I came across. Available in the UK from PC World computer store for £279.99. Check out the review from CNet UK. It seems the Advent is identical to the Wind in everyway except the color and some software.
2. Medion Akoya Mini E1210 was the next Wind clone I found. It's available in Germany (and Austria?) for €399 and in the UK for £299 (at Sainsbury's). Looks like the difference is a lack of bluetooth, but an upgraded draft-N wifi.
3. Axioo Pico, the South-east Asia's Wind clone, available in Singapore, and Indonesia. Selling at S$748 from various Axioo retailers. See my previous post on the difference with the Wind.
4. *Updated 04 Aug* RoverBook Neo is the latest MSI Wind rebrand for Russian market. It appears to be identical to the stock Wind, and will likely sell for sells for 14,566.50 rubles, or about $621.76 US.
5. *Updated 08 Aug* Neo Vivid V1100 MiniNote has popped up in the Philippines. It should be available on August 19th for about US$525

Drop me a comment if you know of other Wind clone models out there.

New price hike for the MSI Wind

MSI has finally come out and adjusted the price for the MSI Wind. The 3-cell Windows version will be going for US$499, and the 6-cell at US$549. You can read the story at laptopmag.

Given that here in Singapore, the 3-cell Wind will be retailing for S$859, that could mean that the 6-cell might be going for around S$959 or more.

It would seems that at that price, the Asus EEE 1000H, which is currently selling at S$888 might turn out to be a better deal.

With Comex coming at the end of August, I think we're gonna see some major slugfest, provided MSI can deliver by end of August, that is.

At S$748, the Axioo Pico may still be a good choice.

Build your own 9 cell battery for the MSI Wind

OK, tired of waiting for the 6 cell battery to show up? Wind Master, a member of the MSI Wind forum at MSIWind.net shows you how - that is, if you don't mind how ugly it looks.

Check out the posting here: http://forums.msiwind.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1245

Axioo Pico - Another MSI Wind clone

MSI Wind has been making headlines, touted as one of the best 'netbooks' (you know, those cheap, ultraportables made popular by Asus Eee PC) currently available. It's known to have one of the best keyboard for a netbook, a great screen and it comes with standard notebook components, making it easy to upgrade the harddrive and memory. You can check out some of Wind reviews at MSIWind.net

But sadly, one of its biggest problem is its availability. MSI has been hampered with the shortage of the battery which has affected their delivery.

Here in Singapore, the MSI Wind is only available in black and in the 3-cell battery option at the moment, but you won't be able to find it easily sitting on any store shelf, that's for sure. Apparently, the sole distributor, Corbell, is still trying to fulfill the masses who had pre-ordered at S$829. Once it hits the shelves, it will retail for S$859. When that will be is anyone's guess.

So, as we fixed our eyes on when the Wind will blow in, in sneaks a Wind clone, in the form of the Axioo Pico.

Axioo (for those who don't know - and there's probably a lot of you and includes me) is a Singapore-based start-up. So far I've only seen them at various PC events, selling some really affordable notebooks which you'll probably won't come near without a 3 foot pole. But, with the Pico, this company has now caught my attention.

The Axioo Pico is now available from today (31 July 2008), selling for S$748 (which is a good S$100 cheaper than MSI Wind) and it comes with an upgraded 160GB harddisk instead of the 80GB that comes with the Wind.

What's missing, I believe, is the bluetooth capability which might be heart-breaking for some, but at S$100 cheaper, I think this is a great buy, even if it is only the 3-cell version. It seems the only color available at this moment is white, and it has a fairly large Axioo logo on the front - which a nice notebook skin could easily fix.

I'm really still debating on whether to hold out for the real MSI Wind, or just commit to getting the Pico. It is, after all, still a Wind in disguised, and at S$748, it's really worth a second look (and a third, and a fourth).