Apple Macbook Air going more anorexic

Rumors are circulating of a new Macbook Air that's getting more anorexic than before. Taiwanese site DigiTimes reported that Apple will soon launch a new Air model with an 11.6" display and an Intel Core i-series low voltage CPU.

The device will be manufactured by Quanta Computer, according to Mingchi Kuo, senior analyst at Digitimes Research who cites discussions with upstream component makers.

Apple currently only offers the Air in 13.3" form factor and scaling down to a more compact size might be Apple's way of differentiating the Air from the Macbook and Macbook Pro models.

How likely is this going to happen? Steve Jobs has made it perfectly clear that he has no love for the netbook, and with the netbook market supposedly eaten away by Apple's iPad, makes this possibility even slimmer (no pun intended). That is, if you assume that Apple is aiming the Air at the netbook market (ie the sub-US$500 market).

What's more likely is that the new Air will cost more than US$1000 and is aimed at the status-seeking corporate execs who prefers to be seen with a showy business notebook, than be able to do any real productive work on it.

What's for sure, even if the new Air goes to market it will probably suffer the same fate as its older brother. Despite the ultra-thin, eye-grabbing design the current Macbook Air has never been one of Apple's top draws, being too pricey for what you get in return. With the new Air, I don't see this changing anytime soon.

Source: Apple readies 11.6-inch MacBook Air and new iPod touch

Jolicloud 1.0 test-drived

If you're tired of the whole Windows XP drama, and looking to try something fresh to revitalize your netbook, take a look at the Jolicloud. The newly minted version 1.0 is starting to roll out to the beta testers and one of the first users is Sascha from Netbook News. Check out his below video.

Give your netbooks a new lease of life with Pixel Qi

Ever since the Apple iPad hit the stores, tablets are all the rage and the netbook market is slowly dying out. Everyday there are more news of companies working hard to release their own tablets.

But before you decide to replace your trusty netbook, maybe you can consider upgrading it and breath some new life into it. One of the best ways to do that is to replace the netbook's display with one that can switch between color LCD screens and e-reader-like black-and-white displays.

Made by Pixel Qi, the 3Qi display operates in three modes: a full-color LCD transmissive mode; a low-power, sunlight-readable, reflective e-paper mode; and a transflective mode, which makes the LCD display visible in sunlight.

The 10.1-inch displays became available on July 1 through online retailer Maker Shed's website. The initial stock sold out in under a day, after which Maker Shed made the US$275 display available for pre-order, and will resume shipment "by the middle of this week," according to the website.

"Sales have been much higher than expected -- but we have the screens and are delighted about the enthusiastic reception from individuals running small projects. We are pleased to be able to support their efforts," said Mary Lou Jepsen, CEO of Pixel Qi, in an e-mail.

For now, Pixel Qi says it can guarantee the compatibility of the displays, which cost $275 each, with only two models of netbooks–the Samsung N130 and Lenovo S10. But the screen works in most other models and swapping out existing netbooks screens for those from Pixel Qi is a simple DIY tweak. "Changing the screen of your netbook is easy, the process takes about 5-10 minutes using a small screwdriver. It's simple," says Jepsen.

Beyond enthusiasts, Pixel Qi is also focused on working with "bigger customers," says Jepsen. Tablet maker Notion Ink has shown its upcoming Adam tablet uses a 3Qi display, while Pixel Qi in March signed a deal with One Laptop Per Child to develop screens for future XO devices. It is likely that a variant of the 3Qi screen will appear on OLPC's XO-3 tablet, which will also function as an e-book reader.

Check out this howto video from Maker's Shed on installing the 3Qi screen into an Acer netbook.

Asus Eee PC 1018PB Reviewed at CNET

Dan Ackerman from CNET has just posted the latest review of the Asus Eee PC 1018PB.

This is a straightforward Eee PC housing the standard Intel Atom N450 processor, up to 2GB RAM, 250GB storage etc. Nothing new or groundbreaking in terms of its internals. Instead, Asus has gone back to the drawing board to refresh the Eee PC design with a new slim, metallic look that's attractive and professional.

Performance-wise, the 1018 doesn't really distinguish itself from the pack but it ran for 5 hours and 15 minutes in the battery test and achieved a pretty low annual energy consumption cost compared with other brands.

Read the Asus Eee PC 1018PB review for more details.

Miffy gets 'netbooked'

Bandai Namco in celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Miffy cartoon character is unleashing the power of cute to children, in the form of a limited edition Miffy netbook.

Miffy (or Nijntje) is a small female rabbit in a series of picture books drawn and written by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. The first Miffy book was produced in 1955, and almost 30 others have followed. In total they have sold over 85 million copies, and inspired a television series as well as items such as clothes and toys featuring the character.

The latest addition to the Miffy empire is a netbook with specifications that are good if not great, and a look that is so sickly sweet it may just melt in your mouth. The netbook features a standard 1024x600 pixel 10.1 inch display and GMA 3150 graphics. The Intel Atom N450 processor is not deviating from the current market standard either.

The Miffy netbook is aimed squarely at the young ones, especially girls. The team at Bandai happily includes a number of Miffy themed applications and wallpapers, along with a casing that's liberally covered with character silhouettes. The Bandai Miffy will be available in both Windows XP and Windows 7 configurations, and can be pre-ordered right now for a hefty price range of US$900-US$1000.

Asus Eee PC 1215N with Dual-Core and ION

If you're like me, one of the early adopters of the netbook and still languishing with a N2xx series Atoms, the time has come to upgrade to dual-core netbooks with HD capable hardware.

Asus has introduced new Eee PC 1215N netbook with dual-core Intel Atom D525 1.8Ghz processor and Nvidia ION. Like the other 12xx series, the 1215N has a 12.1-inch HD ready display supporting 1366x768, and takes up to 2GB of RAM and up to 320GB of HDD.

Graphics-wise, it comes with the next generation Nvidia ION processor along with Nvidia Optimus technology. This technology automatically switches between integrated graphics and discrete graphics as per the requirement with due care taken for power consumption as well. Support for HD includes an HDMI out for connecting it to external HD displays enabling full 1080p HD playback.

What comes as a surprise is the inclusion of Bluetooth 3.0 and USB 3.0 support for better connectivity, along with the obligatory built-in Wi-Fi and webcam. Appearance wise, the 1215N is not much different from its cousin, the 1201. Check out the video review below.

No word yet on the pricing and availability of this netbook but it would probably be higher compared to current models.

AMD-powered dual-core Acer Aspire 1551 hits the shelves

If you've been wishing for a laptop with netbook form factor but without the limp of Atom processors, the latest Acer Aspire 1551 might just be the one for you.

The Aspire 1551 is endowed with not Atoms, but AMD's Athlon II Neo processors, inside a petite form with an 11.6" LED-backlit display and crammed with up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 802.11n WiFi, HDMI-out and a six-cell, five-hour battery. All this into a package that weight around 1.3Kg.

Two models will be made available. The pricier model (~US$550) will have a 1.5Ghz AMD Turion Neo K625 dual core processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive, while the cheaper one (~US$480) will have a 1.3GHz AMD Athlon II Neo K325 CPU, 3GB of memory, and a 250GB hard drive.

Libretto W100 coming to Singapore

Toshiba will be selling the Libretto W100 in Singapore soon. What's so special about the Libretto W100? It's probably the world's first dual-touchscreen tablet. Although the concept is not new, the Libretto W100 would be the first such machine to actually hit retail shelves.

What's immediately apparent when you first look at the W100 are the 2 1,024x600 pixels 7" multi-touch LED-backlit displays. It doesn't have a keyboard and instead flashes a virtual keyboard on one of the displays.

It runs on Intel Pentium U5400 1.20Ghz processor, has 2GB of memory, 62GB of solid-state storage, and comes with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. It only weights 0.81Kg which is pretty light, it packs a 1-megapixel front-facing webcam and has a built-in accelerometer that automatically switches from book mode to laptop mode.

The Libretto will be selling for S$1,999 which is a pretty steep price tag, and will come in various metallic colours. The low battery life (2 hours with four-cell battery, double that for the eight-cell pack) probably won't help sales either, and will make this appealing only to early adopters.

Check out the video demo below.

New Samsung N230 touts 13+ hours of battery life

Samsung's N230 will last 13+ hours of usage, so they claim in a new announcement. The netbook will offer seven hours of battery life, but if you're on a plane or simply can't be bothered to charge the machine then this can be extended to 13.8 hours with a 66Wh battery.

The N230 sports a premium black finish, weighs below 1kg and measures 23.2mm slim. Designed for consumers who want portability, the 10.1-inch N230 offers sufficient computing power to do their daily tasks.

It's powered by either an Intel 1.66GHz N450 or a 1.83GHz N470 Atom processor, has 1GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive, WiFi with wireless N and built-in 3G. Throw in Bluetooth 3.0 and the system offers plenty of connectivity.

Samsung has announced that its N230 netbook will be available worldwide with a starting price of $399.

Source: Korea Newswire

Rugged HP Mini 100e netbook for school kids

HP is preparing for the US back to school season and has offered up a new netbook for students called the HP Mini 100e Education Edition. This is the first product aimed at students between kindergarten and 6th grade, with a low price of US$300.

The HP Mini is a Pine Trail machine, with 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 processor, 1GB RAM, 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600-pixel display and 160GB HDD. There's also a VGA webcam, and the laptop comes with a choice of a 3 cell, 4.5 hour battery or a 6 cell, 8.5 hour battery which also sits flush with the base of the unit.

Its made with a strong plastic chassis held together with steel pins, metal-alloy hinges that should hold up well to repeated use, a 92% spill-resistant keyboard and a carry handle. The handle is non-user removable, because HP wanted as few removable parts as possible to keep children from messing with the netbook.

It includes an intergrated modem for use in developing or remote areas where broadband might not be available, and it has an LED on the back of the lid so that teachers can see when there's network activity.

The 100e comes with productivity, education, and security software preinstalled from Microsoft with Office 2010, Microsoft Math, and Microsoft Security Essentials.

The HP Mini 100e is not available at the retail level and is sold through B2B channels wordlwide at this time. It's expected to go on sale globally the first week in July.

Toshiba’s AC100 Tegra netbook runs on Android 2.1

Toshiba UK has just announced their first netbook running on Android. Dubbed the Toshiba AC100, it's running Android 2.1, has 512MB of DDR2 RAM, 8GB of NAND flash memory with more optional space coming from the SD/MMC card reader. It also includes a 1.3MP webcam built in with an accompanying microphone for video conferencing needs.

Other specs include a nice NVIDIA Tegra 250 chip packing an ARM-based 1GHz processor, a 10.1-inch TruBrite display with LED backlights and a resolution of 1,024×600. It includes USB and MiniUSB ports, an HDMI Port, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR, WiFi, and optional 3G radios.

The battery is touted to operate for 8 hours (with 7 days of standby life) which is expected on an Android-powered netbook that naturally has better battery technology.

There are a few other interesting points about this netbook. There's no touchscreen display which is usually a norm for Android devices, and while it's running Android 2.1, it's using the Opera Mobile web browser instead of the default Android browser. The machine also comes with Documents To Go and Fring preloaded for office, chat, and VoIP functionality.

As with most Android devices, you may be able to plug in USB mouse, keyboard or external storage, but you probably don't have any luck plugging in a printer or digital camera.

The device should hit UK shelves this August but pricing has yet to be announced.

Intel's new Atom N550 is fast!

One of the more exciting news from the recent Computex show was Intel's announcement of a dual-core Atom processor for the netbook.

For the past years, Atom chips for netbooks have little or no preceptible difference in performance, and it looks like this is about to change with the new dual-core Atom N550 processor.



According to benchmarks done by folks from Notebook Italia, who managed to to spend a few minutes with a pre-release Asus netbook with an Atom N550 chip recently, the N550 is excellent in performing tasks that can take advantage of the chips multithreading capabilities.

The benchmark was conducted using the file compression app 7Zip's built-in benchmarking utility, and the results shows that the N550 was twice as fast as a 1.66 Intel Atom N450 processor, and a little faster than the current crop of dual-core Atom chips - the Atom 330 and D510.

It is also much faster than the Intel Core 2 Solo SU3300 processor, which is a chip that doesn't support hyperthreading.

We do have to take note that this is just one benchmark, but it does show that the Atom N550 will likely take the lead when it comes to running multiple applications simultaneously or running apps that are designed to take advantage of multiple threading capabilities.

Intel has shown with the Atom N550 that its finally able to provide improvements in performance of the Atom chip without compromising its excellent energy efficiency.

Source: TEST OF DUAL-CORE ATOM PROCESSOR N550

12.1-inch Asus Eee PC coming with AMD Geode chip

Asus has just announced a new Eee PC that breaks from the Atom crowd and gets in bed with a processor from the AMD Geode family.

The Asus Eee PC 1201K will have a 12.1" display and will use the AMD Geode NX 1750 processor. The Geode range of chips is primarily designed for use with media players, traffic lights and other embedded systems, which makes this a very surprising move.

Compared with the Atom N450, the Geode NX 1750 really doesn't look very impressive. It is clocked at 1.4Ghz instead of the typical 1.6Ghz we are all used to, and has a tiny 256K of Level 2 caches which is half as much as the Atom chip.

I won't expect any breakthrough performance by the 1201K which is a bit of a shame given that it comes with a 12.1" 1366x768-pixel display which literally screams multi-tasking, high-def video playback and large-format image editing. All of which could benefit form a much quicker processor.

As yet, there's no news of when the 1201K will be released or what it'll cost. I expect it will be priced much lower than the Atom range to offset the poorer performance capability.

Toshiba NB250 comes with DDR3 RAM and WiMAX radio

Toshiba announced it is updating its Dynabook line of notebooks in Japan, with new models ranging in size from a 10.1 inch netbook to 16 inch notebooks.

The 10.1" screen Dynabook UX/24 will use Intel's Atom N455 processor along with 1 or 2GB of DDR3 RAM and a 250GB Hard disk drive, and will include a WiMAX module too, says the company. Outside Japan, the UX/24 will be known as the NB250.

Other than the change in processor and RAM, Toshiba has left the netbook styling and features pretty much the same as previous models. Carried over, also, are the other typical netbook features such as three USB 2.0 ports, a webcam, a VGA output, a microphone input and headphone output, and a 10/100 Ethernet port. It will be available in white, brown, blue or black.

Also retained is the shiny keyboard with a chiclet design similar to its previous NB305.

The Dynabook UX/24 will be available later this month with Windows 7 Starter Edition. Pricing was not specified.

Replace JooJoo Linux with Windows 7

Back in July 2008, a US$200 Web-connected slate running on a Linux-based, touch-optimized interface was unveiled as the CrunchPad. Fast forward 1.5 years and a lawsuit later, and CrunchPad has morphed into the US$499 JooJoo tablet.

The finished product, unfortunately released after the Apple iPad hit the market, is a bit underwhelming. For the same price as the iPad, there's a feeling that we're getting something a bit less.

But it seems the a few modders at the JooJoo Forums have found a way to dump the OS and replaced it with Windows 7 and somehow turn the JooJoo into a much better tablet.



With a 12.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, NVIDIA ION graphics, 1GB of RAM, and a 4GB solid state disk, the JooJoo is essentially a netbook without a keyboard.

Source: Modder installs Windows 7 onto JooJoo tablet, gets touch working (video)

End of XP netbook by October 22, says Microsoft

The end is near for Windows XP. Microsoft has issued a reminder that Windows XP will no longer be pre-loaded come October 22, and support for Windows XP SP2 will end on July 13. This comes after figures released by research outfit NPD, that 81% of US netbooks sold via retail come preloaded with Windows 7.

"As of October 22, 2010, OEMs will no longer be able to pre-install Windows XP Home on new netbook PCs," Microsoft wrote. "However, for a majority of our customers, they may not notice much change."

However, according to Net Applications, Windows XP is still the most popular operating system in the world, with a market share of 62.55% while Windows 7 only has 12.68%, and Windows Vista 15.25%.

If you're one of the 62.55% still clinging on to Windows XP, you can take heart that Windows XP SP3 will continue to be supported until April 2014. So if you haven't already done so, you can update your version of Windows XP to the SP3 via the Microsoft Update website.

HP, Fujitsu first off the block with new Atom processors

After the announcement of new Atom processors by Intel at Computex last week, HP and Fujitsu are off the starting blocking, updating their existing netbook models with the new Atom chips, the N455 and N475.

These new chips run a the same speed as their predecessors but includes integrated DDR3 capable memory controllers, which allows data to be exchanged faster between the memory and CPU. This should boost the overall system performance.

HP will be upgrading its Mini 210 netbook, while Fujitsu announced the MH380-1A netbook.

HP's offering looks pretty standard for your usual netbook with 10.1-inch screen and 320GB of storage. It will come with up to 1GB of memory for the Windows XP version and 2GB with Windows 7. No word yet on when the upgraded Mini 210 will start shipping.

On the other hand, Fujitsu's will come with WiMax mobile broadband and include a 10.1-inch screen, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It will run the Windows 7 OS. The PC will start shipping on June 17.

Acer Aspire One D260 dual-boots Android OS and Windows 7

Come 1st July, Acer will be releasing the Acer Aspire One D260 netbook. What makes this netbook special is its unique ability to dual boot with Android OS and Windows 7.

This is a great option for buyers interested in a 15 second boot time, but it comes with a catch. The Android OS option is just that, an option.

"And, as an option the Aspire One D260 can be preloaded with Android OS, ensuring ultra-fast access to Internet, along with Microsoft Windows 7. Starting up the netbook with Android you will be able to surf the web or check your email in just about 15 seconds!"

The Acer Aspire One D260 features a 10.1 inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600. Processing comes in the form of an Intel Atom 1.66GHz N455 processor, and there is also Intel GMA 3150 graphics, plus 2GB of RAM. The D260 will be available in a selection colors that includes black flake, purple flake, pink flake and charcoal flake.

Acer has yet to reveal how much this netbook will sell for, and whether or not the netbook will be a success with the masses is still questionable.

PC Show 2010

This year will be PC Show's 20th year in Singapore, and we can expect more gadgets galore and great promotions. Last year, the PC Show attracted over 1.16 million visitors and generated S$52.1 million in sales. As usual, notebooks, netbooks, mobile phones and other portable devices are expected to continue to be top sellers this year.

With new netbook processors and technology coming in the second half of the year, expect great bargains in the netbook space as vendors clear their stock. Here are some deals to look for.

Asus Eee PC Seashell 1001PX at S$498 with 2nd year local warranty


Fujitsu Lifebook MH330 for S$499


HP Mini 5102 - S$699 with an optional touchscreen for S$100.


Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 - S$549 with free wireless mouse


MSI Wind U160 - N450 at S$548 with carry sleeve, optical mouse, LCD wiper.


Samsung N150 - S$499 with free anti-virus software


The PC Show 2010 runs from 10th - 13th June 2010 at the Suntec Convention Hall, from 12pm till 9pm.

MSI Sketch Book demoed

In addition to the various new netbook concepts MSI showed off at Computex, here's a look at something more unique, the MSI Sketch Book.

The MSI Sketch Book, as the name applies, is intended for people who want to sketch handwritten notes or drawings with their laptops. As any digital sketch artists knows, touchscreen devices are not targeted for such purposes since most are optimized for the finger rather than a styles.

Well, MSI is hoping to target this market segment by providing a netbook that has a stylus compatible surface for taking notes, drawing, or any other type of sketching.

As you can see in the video demo, the hand-writing surface can be rotated around and replaced by a full QWERTY keyboard on the other side. Quite ingenious really, but how practical it is still remains the question because you can only use one form of input or the other, unlike if a USB stylus pad was attached.

LG X140 catches the World Cup fever

World Cup fever is here and LG has caught the bug with the release of a their new LG X140 netbook World Cup edition.

The netbook will go on sale in certain countries this month, most likely in countries mad about soccer. There's nothing unusual under the hood compared with the original X140, powered by either the N450 or the N470 processor with 1 or 2GB RAM, a 250 or 320GB hard drive and a 10.1" screen.

It will be available with either a 6-cell, or 9-cell battery, with the later providing 12 hour of battery run time. The 6-cell version weighs 1.3kg while the 9-cell model comes in at 1.45kg.

This special edition will be available in three colors, white, black and hot pink. Each color will have a different world cup design on the lid.

Onkyo’s DX Dual-Screened Netbook

On display at Microsoft's Booth in Computex was the Onkyo netbook. What's special about this netbook is it comes with not one 10.1" inch screen, but two! Yes, two. So how does one fit 2 screens onto a small framed netbook?

Seeing is believing...



The Onkyo is a rebadge of the Konjinsha DZ, but has a 1,366 x 768-resolution display rather than the Konjinsha's 1,024 x 600. It run on AMD's 1.6GHz Neo MV-40 processor, has 320GB of hard-drive, 2GB of ram, and ATI’s Radeon HD 3200 graphics card. Additionally, it comes with a webcam, wifi, bluetooth capabilities, Windows 7, and a battery lasting close to 4 hours. All for a price of US$956 which is not cheap.

You might be better off getting a external LCD like the Samsung USB monitor.

MSI shows off two new netbook concepts - La Mode and Serene

MSI might have been one of the first companies to release the netbook way back when, but it's been awhile since they've come up with something fresh. Well, at Computex, MSI proudly announced two new netbooks, the MSI La Mode and the MSI Serene.

Even though there's not much details about the two, pictures and videos are available.



MSI Serene:


MSI La Mode:


The MSI La Mode netbook features a 10" screen, and seems to look similar to the MSI Wind U160 with a slightly different exterior design. It's an "ebony cloth case with wave-pattern and luminescent MSI logo" which supposedly helps to dissipate heat.

The other, the MSI Serene, will feature MSI's thermal technology for heat dissipation. Since it's won't have a fan to help cool the unit, it's going to be "serenly" silent when it's turned on.

Source: Notebook Italia

Netbook thinner than MacBook Air? Intel says Yes!

Intel has pulled off the curtains to showcase possibly the world's thinnest netbook, made possible with a new cooling method employed on the new processor codenamed "Canoe Lake".

It's important to know that the Intel netbooks on show at Computex are just reference designs to show end users what's potentially possible, which are netbooks that are 14-15mm thin, with a 10.1" screen and a 1280 x 1080 display and Windows 7. That's half a CM thinner than the already thin MacBook Air.

Watch the video below as an ultra-thin netbook us being demonstrated.



Here's another demo.



LOL! love the play on the MacBook Air fitting inside an envelope. Now you can fit 2 netbooks inside an envelope!

Dual-Core Atom processors in production, says Intel

At Computex, Intel has disclosed that dual-core Atoms for netbooks are in production.

So far, Intel has launched and began shipping 4 new Atom processors this year: N455, N475 for the netbook and the D425 and D525 for the "net-top" market. Even so, only the D525 is a dual-core processor - a 1.8GHz chip.

According to executives, with the new dual-core Atom chip now in production, we can expect to see products with the yet un-numbered processor by the year end holiday season.

The new chip launches are part of Intel's "Atom Everywhere" strategy, according to Anil Naudauri, the markting director for netbooks and tablets for the PC client group.

The addition of a dual-core Atom for netbooks will be significant, since the company's dual-core efforts have so far been confined to the net-top space.

Lamborghini-branded Asus netbook found at Computex

The folks from Pocket-lint found an amazing looking Lamborghini-branded Asus VX6 12.1-inch netbook at Computex, Taiwan and posted some exclusive pictures.

Not only does it look good, it has Intel's upcoming Atom D525 processor which runs at a clock speed of 1.8GHz and supports DDR3 memory. In addition, there's Nvidia's latest generation of ION graphics to match the 1266x768 resolution screen. The combination makes for an impressive next-gen netbook.

I guess with Intel releasing the restriction on the screen-size of netbooks, we're going to see more variety of netbooks poping up.

Check out more Lamborghini-branded Asus netbook photos at Pocket-lint

A look at Ubuntu Linux Netbook Edition 10.04 (Lucid Lynx)

If you're sick of using Windows and looking to try something different, consider Ubuntu Linux Netbook Edition 10.04 (aka Lucid Lynx).

The folks over at Desktop Linux Review has posted a screen-by-screen introduction to the Netbook edition of Ubuntu. It has an alternative interface to the standard desktop edition of Ubuntu, specially optimized for the netbook. If you're not happy with that, and prefer the standard desktop interface, you can toggle between the two, which is a nice touch.

The Gwibber social media client is bundled in, which is a good thing since the netbook is more about communication and web than desktop apps. There's also the Ubuntu One Music Store bundled into Rhythmbox which lets you buy music online, ala iTunes.

All in all, a nice viable alternative to Microsoft Windows. Check it out.

Source: Desktop Linux Review - Ubuntu Netbook Edition 10.04

Sony Vaio goes Billabong

Sony has teamed up with Billabong to release a netbook to match the fashion label's 2010 summer board shorts range.

The special edition Vaio W series Imperial Lime notebook is also clad in lime green, blue and black hand-drawn art that is intended to represent "the vibrant colour palette that helped define surf fashion in the 1980s".

There's even Billabong images and episodes of a planned new TV series featuring some of Billabong's boardsport athletes preloaded. Perfect with the beach accessories, towels and thongs.

The netbook will feature the standard 10.1" screen, 250GB hard drive, 2 USB ports and built in webcam and mic.

Source: Special-edition Sony Vaio Netbook goes Billabong

Samsung NB30 middle of the pack

Technological innovation has pretty much stayed the same for netbooks, so the real appeal of them now lie in areas of design or build quality as opposed to what's under the hood, and this is no different for Samsung's NB30, according to reviewer Scott Stein at CNET.

Samsung takes a more 'rugged user' approach by wrapping the NB30 in a more rugged and scratch-resistant shell, a hard drive free-fall sensor, and a water-tight, spill-resistant keyboard. Everything screams durability, except the "rugged style" isn't really and truly all that rugged.

For example, the keyboard, which Samsung bills as splash-resistant is limited to an exposure of a maximum of 60ml of fluid and provided that fluid is "removed within 10 seconds". 60ml of liquid isn't really a lot.

The review compares with other netbooks and found the NB30 to be middle of the pack. Pretty much what you would expect with netbooks these days. All in all, the rugged look is the only distinguishing feature, and doesn't quite justify the more expensive price, compared with others.

Source: Samsung NB30 Review @ CNET Asia

HP Mini 5102 reviewed

NetworkWorld has published a new review on the HP Mini 5102 after spending a month with it.

The Mini 5102 is targeted at the business user and it shows. It has a durable metal case with a magnesium alloy shell bottom, and a screen wrapped in anodized aluminum. It is 10 by 7 by 1 inch and weighs in at about 2.64 pounds. The 5102's keyboard is 95%-full and has a nice, responsive, positive feel, and the 10-inch LED backlit WSVGQ screen is bright and clear (1024x600 resolution).

It seems there's quite a lot to like about the Mini 5102, with decent build quality, an adequate keyboard, and a size perfect for travel. As a companion to the office machine, it's a plus.

It comes with a set pretty cool tools, The first is HP QuickSync, which easily syncs the contents on the netbook with your desktop over a wired or wireless link. Pretty handy.

QuickWeb launches an HP browser without starting up the operating system. Great for that few minutes between stops. QuickLook lets you access three months of Outlook calendar items, contact info and stored e-mail (up to 1,000 cached messages) without booting the computer.

Check out the HP Mini 5102 review at NetworkWorld.

MSI Wind U160DX capable of 15 Hours usage

With Computex around the corner, MSI let some information slip about the Wind U160DX netbook. Since it is the next step up, the netbook seems more than ready to assume the role of successor to the Wind U160. The U160 showed up at this year's CES and its appearance will live on in its sibling. The insides, however, are another story.

The U160DX runs on a N455 Atom CPU, and has one major improvement - DDR3 memory instead of just DDR2. It is not exactly clear how much DDR3 the model has, but its speeds will definitely make more than just a little difference.

Another vital detail that was disclosed. With the MSI power management system called "Turbo Drive Engine," the netbook will supposedly be able to work up to 15 hours on a single battery charge. That's as long as most people will stay awake during a day.

Unfortunately, little other information is available on the hardware, which means that we will have to wait a bit longer before learning about graphics and connectivity, not to mention pricing and availability.

Unboxing the Compaq Airlife 100

Chippy from Carrypad gives us an gives us an unboxing and demo of a Compaq Airlife 100 Spanish model. The Compaq Airlife 100 has yet to go on sale in Spain but is expected soon.

The whole unit weights in at around 1kg, with 16GB of storage, and 10.1" 1024x600 resistive touch screen. It runs Android 1.5, which means no Google marketplace and no multi-touch gestures. With the 3-cell li-poly battery, it is touted to give you up to 10 hours of battery life. With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor, you can expect performance similar to the iPad, which is slightly less than that of your average netbook.

The Airlife seems to be built pretty decent, with nice plastics, and a very lightweight power adapter. The screen however, only tilts back to probably around 120 degrees maximum, which might be a bit limiting for some.



Link: Compaq Airlife 100 Unboxing, Overview, Demo

Tired of Windows on your netbook? Try Ubuntu for a change

When it comes to installing operating systems on netbooks, things becomes a bit more tedious since there's no native CD/DVD drive. Well, it just got a lot simpler with the Wubi installer.

Wubi is a Windows installer for Ubuntu. It takes away the headache of installing Ubuntu Netbook Remix edition onto your netbook (without needing an external drive), and it easily uninstalls with just a few clicks!

The folks over at How-To Geek has published a very simple, but detailed step-by-step tutorial to get your netbook breathing Linux instead of stuffy Windows.

Ubuntu Netbook Remix is considered one of the more attractive and user-friendly Linux flavors available. Now with the Wubi installer, it's perfect for anyone who's interested to try something alternative on their netbook.

Link: Install Ubuntu Netbook Edition with Wubi Installer

Bigger netbooks may be on the horizon

There's rumor that Intel may be lifting their restriction on the netbook size later in the year, allowing larger screens on netbooks that use the dual-core N550.

Given that netbook sales have started to plateau, Intel is probably looking for a way to keep netbooks interesting by offering more form factors. It's also the case that Intel has been pitching the Pine Trail + Broadcom CrystalHD combo as a way to do 1080p video on a netbook—and 1080p certainly makes more sense for larger screens than it does on a sub-10" panel.

It could also be possible that Intel is foreseeing the coming wave of ARM-based "smartbooks" and Intel doesn't want the Atom competing with the ARM-based offerings. With the restriction lifted, OEMs can get to work on making larger Atom-based netbooks to hit the shelves soon.

This also raises the question of what makes a netbook a netbook? If the form factor is starting to resemble a traditional notebook, what's the difference?

Source Digitimes

Gateway's LT2118u reviewed

Computerworld has published a review of the stylish Gateway's LT2118u. The LT2118u tested amazingly for battery, running up to 11 hours and 17 minutes! This was surprising because on paper the LT2118u is no different from its sister unit, the LT2120u except for the color of the cover, and yet, was able to run an additional hour and a half longer.

Apart from the astonishing battery life, the LT2118u is your standard Windows 7 Starter netbook, with its "same less-than-snappy, but doable feel". The keyboard is fine, but with a large gap between the keys makes for a ton of space for dust and other particles to collect. Vacuum regularly is the advice. The touchpad is an area of raised bumps that makes it easy to find by feel.

In conclusion, "The LT2118u is all about style and endurance. It's a cut above the average netbook in appearance and is easy to upgrade--and you certainly can't complain about the 11-plus hours of run time."

Via ComputerWorld.

Lenovo ThinkPad netbook spotted for Aussie students

Is there such a thing as a Thinkpad netbook? Well, apparently there is, according to Engadget who managed to get their hands on one. Lenovo has so far been making netbooks in the Ideapad range, with the popular S10 series. This is the first time a Thinkpad netbook has been sighted, and is probably going to be the last.

The official word from Lenovo is that the product was a one off deal for the Australian school district. As Engadget discovered, the Thinkpad netbook is nothing more than a Thinkpad X100e with a 1024x600 10-inch screen, rather than the original 11.6-inch one, and an 1.6GHz Atom N450 processor instead of the AMD Neo which is standard in the X100e.

Check out more pictures at Engadget

Dell's leaked roadmap showing Sparta, Athens netbooks

A Dell product roadmap has been uncovered by Android Central and shows some really cool upcoming line-up of netbooks and tablets releasing soon. The roadmap shows two new netbooks codenamed the "Athens" and "Sparta". The "Sparta" will be a netbook tablet hybrid, and the "Athens" a true netbook, both of which will have a 11″ inch display, ARM processors, and option of 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth connectivity modules.

Another semi-new device in the roadmap is the 7-inch Looking Glass Pro Android tablet. It seems the Pro version comes with an "HD" screen and the digital TV tuner that is optional for the non-Pro Looking Glass..

Finally, it looks as if the Dell Streak will come in three flavors. A T-Mobile (US) version, a European model running on Vodafone's network and a later released model for China, which be on all 3 major carriers: China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile.

Via Android Central

Next-gen NVIDIA ION Acer and ASUS netbooks delayed

The wait to see next-generation Nvidia ION graphics hit netbooks already feels like a long while. NVIDIA's next generation Ion platform was announced back in early March and according to Engadget, it looks like the wait will have to go on a little while longer.

Acer and Asus have both confirmed that their first notebooks with next-generation ION graphics won’t be ready to ship in the US until late May or possibly early June.

The 12" ASUS Eee PC 1201PN will ship first in Late May, in Europe and Asia, then after that in June in the US. The 10-inch Acer Aspire One 532G, announced back in February and was scheduled for a March release has been delayed until early June, when Computex starts.

We just have a feeling there will be some more joining the Ion 2 netbook brigade in the interim, but it's looking like we'll just have to kick off the summer with another Ion showdown.

Via Engadget

Asus Eee PC 1005PR pre-order for US$400

The Asus Eee PC 1005PR is the first 10" netbook from Asus with a high resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, and packs a Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator so you can actually watch HD video smoothly on the HD display.

The netbook has a standard 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and a battery which is good for up to 11 hours of run time.

It's now available for pre-order from Amazon for US$399.99.





via Netbooked

Samsung NB30 Unboxing

Samsung sent Brad from Liliputing a demo unit Samsung NB30 to review for a few weeks. He noted that the overall design was decent, which manages to come across as both semi rugged and attractive.

Although the specs of this netbook doesn't stray far from the norm, it does have a few features that make is more than a typical netbook. This includes a free fall sensor that helps protect the hard drive in the event of a fall and a case that is scratch-resistant design, and a spill-resistant keyboard.



Via Liliputing

ASUS Eee PC 1018P captured

I'm not really a fan of the Asus brand and its vast line of netbooks, but I have to admit the new ASUS Eee PC 1018P is one of the best looking netbooks that's coming soon.

The aluminium-clad netbook is just 18mm thick and sports the latest USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0 standards (optional) along with DDR3-packing N455/N475 processors. It was showcased at CeBIT and comes with a 10.1" (1024 x 600) display, up to 2GB RAM, 250GB-500GB HDD and Wi-Fi (b/g/n).

The folks over at TechInStyle.tv managed to get hold of the Eee PC 1018P and captured some great pictures.





Via eeepc.it. More pictures at Flickr

Chrome OS netbooks around US$300-US$400, says Schmidt

The netbook market today is pretty much dominated by Windows-based machines, but Google is hoping to change that later in the year with its Chrome OS for netbooks. The idea behind Chrome OS is that you'll be able to boot up your netbook and get online quickly, and do everything online. It is essentially a web browser OS.

Speaking at an event recently, Google CEO Eric Schmidt let loose a few more details of his vision. He expects netbooks running Chrome OS to sell for about US$300-$400, which is about the same price as most netbooks currently on the market.

While Chrome OS will be free, it doesn't actually provide that much of a cost saving, since Microsoft licenses Windows 7 Starter Edition for netbooks at a pretty low price.

Would the Chrome OS make a difference? I would like to hope so, since having alternatives to Windows is always a good thing.



Via TechRadar

Acer Aspire One 521: AMD powered 10” netbook

Information regarding an unannounced netbook from Acer has been leaked. The Acer Aspire One 521 netbook will come with the usual netbook fare with one major difference. It will come with an AMD processor instead of the standard Intel Atom processor.

The netbook will feature a 1.2Ghz AMD V105 single core processor, an AMD M880G chipset and ATI Radeon HD4225 graphics, plus HDMI out and Bluetooth 3.0, and a battery that can last up to 7 hours.

There are no details on when the Acer Aspire One 521 netbook will hit the stores, or how much it will be.

Via Liliputing

Early HP slate impression: No iPad killer

Whatever Apple delivers, you can expect a bunch of others trying to beat it, and the latest iPad is no exception.

HP is one of the first manufacturer off the block with the HP Slate. The Slate is powered by an Intel Atom Z530 1.6Ghz processor with 1GB of RAM non-expandable and a 8.9" 1024x600 pixel screen. Two models will be offered, a 32GB for US$549 price and a 64GB for US$599. It will run Windows 7.

If the specs are starting to look familiar, you're not wrong. The Slate is nothing more than a netbook without a keyboard. A Spanish blogger who had early access, describes the system as "meh", let down by the Windows 7 OS, making the device slow and clunky.

But there are some positives, the Slate has expansion slots which includes an expansion dock with HDMI and USB connections, built-in camera, and a decent (if smaller than iPad) screen.

Read the review at Conectica.ca

If you're curious how the Slate compares to the iPad, Engadget managed to get its hands on an internal HP presentation.

Dual-core Atom chip for netbooks on the horizon?

Intel was rumored for working on dual-core Atom chip for netbooks that are usually considered as low processing power carrying computers.

Recently, Intel CEO Paul Otellini confirmed that Intel will bring dual-core Atom processors for the netbook segment.

Intel already has 1.6GHz Atom 330 microprocessor for the netbooks such as Asus Eee PC 1201N. But these new dual-core Atom processors will have integrated memory controller and integrated graphics.

Otellini said, "I think there will still be significant growth in the netbook business year-over-year. I think that there are rather than pricing, I think, we would look to features and integration as a technical novelty or twist here. The next innovation coming out on Atom is dual-core, which comes out in the second quarter, so that it will ramp for the holiday season this year and I think that will be a very attractive product."

More processing power for the low-cost and light weight netbooks is always welcome, and a natural progression in technology. Intel didn't share more details about these dual-core Atom chips but we can expect netbooks with these chips before year-end at least.

Samsung's NB30 netbook gets touchy

Samsung has added a touchscreen to its rugged NB30 netbook, dubbed the NB30 Touch. But everything else is pretty the same.

The screen is LED backlit, has a 1024 x 600 resolution, and can be viewed outdoors. The processor is the same 1.66GHz Atom and the machine runs Windows 7 Starter. Storage is to a 160GB or 250GB HDD and the netbook has 1GB of RAM.

The same liquid-proof keyboard, isolated hard drive to resist shock and rugged shell of the standard NB30 is still there.

The touchscreen NB30 costs about $164 more than the NB30's base price, which reaches the equivalent of $380 in Europe.


Via Notebook Italia

IT Show 2010 is back

The first of 4 annual tech bazaar is back! This year, the show has reportedly been completely sold out in terms of space, so expect lots of goodies to be on sale.

For netbook fans, this is the chance to get hold of the latest and newest "Pine Trail"-ed units, offering better graphics, longer battery life and smaller sizes.

Here's my top 5 netbooks to look out for:

Lenovo S10-3t
This latest offering from Lenovo sports a twist-and-turn 10.1" display, as well as the latest Intel Atom N450 processor. Lenovo also ships this with QuickStart 2.0, an "instant on" tool that lets you browse the web without booting up your netbook.
Price: S$949, with free upgrade to 2-years on site warranty.



Asus Eee PC Seashell Karim Rashid Collection
Following the trend of designer styled netbooks, Asus got award-winning New York-based designer, Karim Rashid, to design this chic looking netbook. The cover is a textured-pattern that comes in glossy hot pink or stylish matte coffee brown. At only 1" thick, this one makes a pretty looking mobile companion.
Price: S$798, with free additional battery.



HP Mini 210
This latest offer from HP boast a near full-size keyboard. HP also includes the HP Cloud Drive, where you can park your music, photos, and documents in an online storage space, leaving your free to get access to those files even when you using another notebook. Like most of the other netbooks, it's powered by the Atom N450 processor, and comes with an option to upgrade your hard-disk storage to 320GB.
Price: S$699.
For folks looking for broadband plans, M1 is offering this netbook as a free gift for new sign-ups.



Sony Vaio W
Sony is known to be pricey, and the Sony Vaio W is no different. Under the hood, Vaio W doesn't offer anything different from the rest of the pack but the appeal here is for the environmentally-conscious individuals. The limited-edition Mint White Eco model is built using recycled parts. The cover, palm rest and other parts of the netbook are made from recycled plastics.
Price: S$999/S$1099.



Acer Aspire One Slim AO532H
Acer is one of the best selling netbook makers. This latest Aspire One will keep buyers interested in Acer's offering. The netbook comes with a redesigned power adapter which is 30% lighter than typical adapters and charges 30% faster. Another highlight is the multi-gesture touchpad which allows you to flip and zoom anything on the screen.
Price: S$599.


The IT Show 2010, is held at Suntec Convention Center, starting today 11 March and ends this weekend 14 March. Doors open at 12pm.

Lenovo S10-3 unboxed

Brad from Liliputing got his Lenovo S10-3 demo unit, and promptly uploaded an unboxing video.

Some first impressions, the netbook is pretty thin, the lid is not glossy and has a textured feel to it which seem to be fingerprint resistant. The keyboard is isolation-style, which means there's space between keys. There's no distinct buttons for the trackpad, as they're built into the trackpad surface itself.

Overall, a pretty nice look netbook which I won't mind getting.



check out Laptop Magazine's review of the Lenovo S10-3

Lenovo S10-3 gets reviewed

I have always considered the Lenovo S10 netbooks to be one of the better choices in a crowded netbook market. The design of both S10 and the S10-2 were very appealing to both consumers and business users.

Laptop Magazine has published a detailed review of the new 2.6 pound Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3. The reviewer finds Lenovo has done a lot of things right with the S10-3. They managed to improve what was already a good keyboard into a better one. The speakers in particular is "positively booming" for a netbook.

On the inside, the S10-3 is kitted out with Intel's new 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor and GMA 3150 graphics. It has a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display and runs Windows 7 Starter Edition.

However, in the interest of saving space, the touchpad buttons for the S10-3 is integrated into the touch area, much like how Dell has done for its past few netbooks. This could need some getting used to. The reviewer was not impressed, "The cursor jumped around at times, especially when trying to select a block of text. Also, the buttons are somewhat stiff."

Read the full Lenovo S10-3 review at Laptop Magazine

Samsung NB30 unboxing

Samsung’s latest netbooks are starting to make the rounds in Europe, and Netbook News has posted an unboxing video of the Samsung NB30.

The Samsung NB30 is kind of a business version of the Samsung N150, and features the Intel Atom N450 processor, GMA 3150 graphics, 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and a 10.1-inch anti-reflective screen.

NB30 also features a hard drive free-fall sensor which parks and protects the hard drive if the netbook is dropped. This helps to prevent data loss and damage to the drive. It is also has a water tight seal to prevent damage to the system if up to 50cc of water is spilt on the system, and removed within 10 seconds. Absolutely great for clumsy hands.

Moblin Linux in a MSI U160

Even though the folks behind the Moblin Linux interface for netbooks announced they are merging with the Maemo project to develop a new OS called MeeGo. This hasn't stopped netbook makers from installing the latest version of the Moblin netbook operating system on their latest models and showing them off.

This week the folks at Notebook Italia spotted the OS running on a MSI Wind U160 10inch netbook. Check out the video.