Asus Eee PC 1101HA unboxed

The Asus Eee PC 1101HA is a larger netbook with an 11.6" display, powered with a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor. Although the Atom Z520 processor is slower than the more common Atom N280, the Z520 does use less energy, which leads Asus to claim the 1101HA can stretch up to 11 hour of battery life per charge.

Check out the Asus Eee PC 1101HA unboxing video from Liliputing.

Singapore's Samsung N310 has more power, but also pricier

Many have reported that Singapore's version of the Samsung N310 has slightly better specifications than ones sold in the US. The Singapore version includes the Intel ATOM N280 and 802.11b/g/draft-n WiFi, compared with the standard Intel Atom N270 and 802.11b/g WiFi.

So that's great for us here in Singapore right?

A quick check shows Amazon is currently selling the Samsung N310 for roughly US$440 (about S$635) but the N310 that's sold here in Singapore is going for S$899 which is about US$623.48.

Does the increased specification justify the roughly US$180 price difference? You decide.

Compare the Samsung N310 specifications: Singapore, US

Netbooks with dual-core Atoms paired with ION

The Intel Atom 330 processor was never meant to be incorporated into netbooks. The dual-core Atom was more used for nettops and small-form factor PCs. So it's a pleasure to see not only one but two netbooks with the Atom 330/Nvidia's ION chipset paring, which should make this the fastest netbooks to date!



Japan's DosPara released the 59,980 yen (S$910.13) Prime Note Cresion NA which comes with the following specs.

• Intel 1.6GHz Atom 330 processor
• 2GB RAM
• Nvidia Ion chipset
• 12.1-inch 1,366 x 768-pixel display
• 320GB HDD
• DVD writer
• 4-in-1 memory card reader, three USB 3.0, VGA and HDMI-out, Webcam
• Gigabit Ethernet, modem, 802.11n and Bluetooth connectivity
• Dimensions: 305 x 225 x 37.5mm
• 1.92kg
• 3.2-hour battery life

China, on the other hand, offers the Weibu N10a which is a more conventional netbook (ie 10.1" form factor) and sells for only 49,800 yen (S$755.66).

Nokia Booklet 3G launched!

After many years of dubbing it's phones "multimedia computers", Nokia has finally jumped onto the netbook bandwagon with the release of the Nokia Booklet 3G. Like everyone else on the bandwagon, the Booklet 3G is an Intel Atom-based device with 10-inch display and built in HSPDA connectivity.

Unsually decked out with HDMI port, 802.11n Wifi, it also comes with A-GPS, which uses the phone signal to get location fix and is integrated with Nokia's Ovi Maps.

Expect more news to be released at Nokia World 2009

Samsung N510 unboxed and compared with the NC10

Netbooknews.de has posted an unboxing of Samsung's first ION-powered netbook - the Samsung N510.

Up till now, we've only seen the netbook through the company's promotional pictures and never seen it compared with another netbook. Well, now we can see what the N510 looks like next to Samsung's popular NC10.

If you don't know yet, the Samsung N510 features an 11.6" display capable of 1366 x 768 resolution and it uses the NVIDIA ION platform, making it capable of handling more advance 3D games and HD videos, including Blu-Ray playback.

Check out the Samsung N510 unboxing post at netbooknews.de. You can also see more pictures of the comparisons between the N510 and the NC10.

More news on the Disney Netpal

I previously posted about Asus and Disney teaming up to offer a EEE PC 901 variant specifically aimed at kids age 6 to 12.



# Intel Atom 1.6GHz
# 1GB RAM
# 8.9-inch display
# 3 USB ports; VGA-out; memory card reader; built-in Webcam
# 10/100 Ethernet; 802.11n wireless
# Windows XP Home

Apart from the usual yawn-inducing specs, the Disney Netpal will gives parents total control of what the kid can install and who they can communicate with. It even lets the parents curfew certain applications which can be blocked at specified time slots. Since we all know how clumsy kids can be, the Netpal is armed with a spill-resistant keyboard and a shock-protected harddisk.

The Netpal is currently only available at Toys "R" Us in the US for US$349.99, with countries like Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the UK, France, Italy, Australia and Turkey getting their Netpals by the end of the year.

Sadly, there's no news on whether it will be coming to Singapore.

Rilakumma netbook for kids

Rilakumma a cute yellow (japanese cartoon) bear who likes to relax and eat mochi and donuts is going to be plastered on to yet another netbook aimed at kids.



Released by Bandai Namco, it's another Kohjinsha rebranded 8.9" netbook with Atom N270 processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 1024x600 8.9” Display, TV Tuner, Windows XP Home.

It looks lovely for the kiddies but not so much for the parents, as this thing costs a shocking 79,800 yen! (US$858) which places it into Sony Vaio P price range! You might be better off getting a cheaper alternative and just buy some nice cutesy skins for it.

Samsung - Back in Singapore

Samsung is back in the notebook segment here after a two-year break, launching five laptops under the N, X and R series on Thursday.



The N series features two netbooks preloaded with Windows XP. The 1.35kg pebble-shaped N310 (S$899) comes with a chiclet-style keyboard, a scratch-proof exterior and screen, and a six-cell battery that lasts 9.8 hours.



The 1.28kg N120 (S$799) boasts a sizeable keyboard and 2.1 sound system. Both come with WiFi (802.11b/g/*), a webcam, a memory card reader, a 10.1-inch LED screen and sport a 1.66GHz Intel Atom chip with Intel GMA 950 graphics.

Acer Aspire Timeline 1810T takes on the netbooks?

Netbooks have been languishing on the Atom platform for far too long. It seems every new netbook announced is far from being different. Underneath all the different designs, the same processor, hard disk options, ram limitation still exists.



Could Acer's latest addition demonstrate that you don't have to be on an Atom platform to be "netbook"-like? You could easily mistaken the Acer Aspire Timeline 1810T as another Aspire One model, since it shares the chassis as the Aspire One 751, albeit with a few modifications.

However, looking under the hood you'll find that the Atom processor is not present. In it's place is a Intel ULV SU3500 1.4GHz processor which is at least twice as fast as any Intel Atom processor currently on the market. The 1810T can take up to 4GB of RAM instead of the current crop of netbook's 2GB max limit.

It also comes with an 11.6-inch 1366x768 screen, Intel GS45 Express Chipset, with integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics core capable of decoding HD video. HDMI, Bluetooth 2.1, usual Wifi fare are also included, in addition to the optional 3G modem. Let's not forget the 8h battery life also!

Sony launches a new netbook... VAIO W

I'm all impressed by the form factor for the Sony VAIO P but really put off by the extremely high pricing, and you couldn't really call the VAIO P a netbook, but Sony has now fully waded into the netbook market with the new VAIO W.

The 10-incher runs the standard 1.6GHz Atom processor and will come with Windows XP, 1GB RAM etc. Although no pricing is confirmed yet, but expect it to be the usual overpriced price tag.

Anyway, check out the promo video and see for yourself if you like the look of the new VAIO W.