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.