Sony Sony DRX-S70U-W Optical Drive Perfect For Netbook Use

If you've got a netbook and it isn't a Japanese import or the ASUS Eee PC 1004DN, you probably don't have an optical drive. So what are you going to do when you need to watch DVDs on the run?

The new Sony DRX-S70U-W optical drive has a classy brushed metal design and connects to netbooks, notebooks, and desktops via USB.

The optical drive is DVD/CD recordable for speeds of up to 8X DVD±R and can deliver a 4.7 GB disc's worth of data. It records on 8.5 GB DVD+R Double/Dual layer as well as 4.7 GB DVD-RW discs at speeds of 6X, "DVD+RW at 8X, DVD-RAM at 5X and CD-R/RW at 24X."

Sony's new netbook drive comes with the Nero DVD/CD mastering software suite.

Pricing and availability are as of yet unknown but the Sony DRX-S70U-W optical drive is expected by Christmas at the latest.

Via HotHardware.

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Sluggish Netbook Performance Feared For Windows 7

Microsoft claims that Windows 7 will run great on netbooks, but how tested is this claim? Most netbooks run XP totally fine but run Vista slowly. While it seems likely that 7 will be more resource-taxing than XP, will it really be light-weight enough to run on an Intel Atom?

Windows 7 Starter Edition is the version that's been tested on most netbooks. We don't have to worry about a three-application limit, as was earlier rumored, but Starter Edition does disable some features… like the ability to change your desktop background.

Netbooks running the full version of Windows 7 might therefore suffer in performance, a prediction corroborated by the Washington Post on a Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2. Their conclusions?

"So while it looks as though Windows 7 will run on a netbook, you may want to take the OS for a spin on a demo netbook at a store before you decide to upgrade."

That's sound advice. There are only 22 days left until 7 is launched, so look out for many more updates about the new Windows OS in the coming weeks.

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Swordfish Net 102 Dual Atom Netbook, Really?

Wired.com stumbled upon this particularly weird netbook called Swordfish Net 102 Dual Netbook Computer. If a netbook without OS sounds ordinary to you well the Swordfish Net 102 netbook is certainly not, for one simple reason that it has not just one but two Intel Atom Processor.

The next question now is why the need to have two processor? Certainly not for power since having two processor has nothing to do with speed and performance. Battery life will be even affected if two processors are running.

Probably the netbook's manufacturer just want to be different.

Other unusual features of the Swordfish Net 102 Dual Netbook Computer include – 2GB of RAM, 160GB of HDD, dual Bluetooth, built-in WCDMA 3G cellular radio 83 keyborad.

The Swordfish Net 102 Dual Netbook Computer goes for $450. You might want to check out the official product page if you're interested to get this netbook.

via Wired.com

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Swordfish Net 102 Dual Atom Netbook, Really?

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Acronis True Image Home 2010 Backup Solution for Netbook

If you're looking for a back up solution for your netbook machine, you might want to check out the Acronis True Image Home 2010 Netbook Edition. This back up solution was designed specifically for our netbooks.

The Acronis True Image Home 2010 works with Windows 7, so if you have been using the pre-release beta of Windows 7, you can use this back up solution without encountering any problem (I hope).

Key Features of the Acronis True Image Home 2010 solution:

1. Easy and Fast Backup and Recovery of operating system, applications, settings and personal files.
2. Friendly, Windows style User Interface
3. Acronis Online Backup to a secure location
4. Optimal backup and recovery performance for netbook systems.

The Acronis True Image Home Netbook Edition 2010 is available for $49.99.

via GottaBeMobile

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Acronis True Image Home 2010 Backup Solution for Netbook

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Deals of the Day

Netbooks

• Dell Vostro A90 Atom 1.6GHz 8.9″ Netbook for $219 + $8 s&h - Dell Small Business
• ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Atom 1.66GHz 10″ Netbook for $300 after rebate + free shipping – ZipZoomfly
• Refurbished Lenovo IdeaPad S10e Atom 1.6GHz 10″ Netbook for $248 + free shipping – Lenovo Outlet
• Toshiba Mini NB205-N313 (Pink) 10.1″ netbook with 9 hour battery for $379.95 + free shipping – Amazon

Accessories

• Turbo-Air Rechargeable Air Duster for $9.99 – Buy.com
• IOGear Bluetooth USB 2.4GHz Wireless Adapter for $13.99 – Buy.com
• Centon DataStick Pro 8 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive for $14.99 – Amazon
• A-data 8GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive for $11.99 – eCost
• Sabrent Slim USB 8X DVD-RW drive for $49.99 – TigerDirect

You can find more deals on netbooks, gadgets, and accessories in the Liliputing Deals section

Post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

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Sharp NetWalker PC-Z1 tested: Excellent build quality, somewhat sluggish performance

It's probably not fair to compare the Sharp NetWalker PC-Z1 with a typical 10 inch netbook. First, the little device has a 5 inch display and tiny keyboard. And second, it uses an 800MHz ARM-based processor instead of the Atom CPU found in most netbooks. But it just looks so much like a tiny laptop that I can't take my eyes off it. Yesterday Jenn from Pocketables posted some unboxing photos of the NetWalker, and today she's posted some initial impressions (sort of a pre-review).

Overall, she seems very happy with the build quality. One interesting point is that she finds the touchscreen difficult to use because it's just so darn sharp. But there's a built in "optical mouse" that you can use to control a cursor from the keyboard. As for performance, while it takes just 7.5 seconds to launch Firefox, which isn't that bad, it taks 37 seconds to load OpenOffice.org. Now, OOo is kind of a resource hog, so that's not entirely surprising. But it's certainly annoying on a mobile device, especially if you plan to use the NetWalker as a portable note taking device.

Jenn says that the web browsing experience is pretty good though, with pages loading at about the same speed as they would on an iPhone 3GS which has a similar processor. Make sure to check out Jenn's post for more details.

Post from: Liliputing

Sharp NetWalker PC-Z1 tested: Excellent build quality, somewhat sluggish performance

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DoubleSight Offers External Netbook Displays

DoubleSight Displays has a product ready for the netbook market – a new line of Smart USB Monitors which, believe it or not, connect to netbooks via USB port.

The displays work in a similar way to MIMO touchscreens, or the recent Kensington USB monitors, upgrading and expanding the user's visual surface. DoubleSight Displays director of sales DellaMaggiore explained what DoubleSight hopes to offer consumers:

"DoubleSight continually seeks new ways to help users expand their viewable workspace and make multitasking easier… Now adding a second or third monitor to a computer has never been easier. Simply connect the DoubleSight Smart USB Monitor via a USB Port and run the installation software. That is it."

The press release cites the features as follows:

• Built-in Support for Multi Monitor Mode
• Perfect for Laptops, Netbooks and Desktops
• Lightweight and Portable
• Landscape and Portrait Viewing
• USB for Power and Video (no video port required)
• PC and MAC Compatible
• Supports a Variety of Applications

DoubleSight's LCD netbook monitors come in 7-inch and 9-inch sizes, and some models come with an integrated webcam. The pricing ranges from $119 to $159 depending on the configuration that's purchased.

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Airis Kira 700 netbook available in Spain sans operating system

The Airis Kira 700 is a 10.2 inch netbook available in Spain for about 299 Euros. What sets this laptop apart from other netbooks isn't the specs. Most of those are pretty much standard. It's the fact that you an pick up the laptop without an operating system installed. It's also available with Windows XP, but that's hardly a distinguishing feature.

As for the rest of the specs, here's what you get: 10.2 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 160Gb hard drive, 3 USB ports, VGA output, 1.3MP webcam, Etehrnet, Bluetooth, 802.11g WiFI, mic and headphone jacks.

The computer weighs 3.2 pounds, measures 10.2″ x 7.1″ x 0.75″ ~ 1.7″ and has a 4.5 hour battery.

via Linux Netbook

Post from: Liliputing

Airis Kira 700 netbook available in Spain sans operating system

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Broadcom to develop ARM-based netbook processors?

US chip maker Broadcom is best known for its communication and broadband technologies. But the company recently launched the Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Media Accelerator which enables HD video playback on low power netbooks. And now it looks like Broadcom may go all-in on the mobile device market by developing a CPU that could be used in netbooks or Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs).

Telecoms reports that Broadcom has licensed ARM's Cortex A9 multicore processor technology, as well as technology for media acceleration on low power ARM-based chips.

ARM-based processors tend to use significantly less energy than competing products from Intel, VIA, and AMD. But since they're not x86 chips, they can't run Windows XP, Vista, or 7 which means ARM-powered devices typically run Windows CE, Linux, or custom operating systems.

via Netbook News.de

Post from: Liliputing

Broadcom to develop ARM-based netbook processors?

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Ubuntu Moblin Remix walkthrough - Video

It's been a little while since I've tried out Moblin Linux on a netbook, but Sascha from Netbook News caught up with the folks at Canonical at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco recently and got a chance to shoot a video walkthrough of a Dell Inspiron Mini 10v running the new Ubuntu Moblin Remix Developer Edition operating system.

In a nutshell, Moblin is a custom user interface for Linux netbooks. It's designed for devices with small displays and limited screen real estate. It's also designed for internet connectivity and puts features like the web browser, instant messaging, and email front and center. There's also a built in media player and since Ubuntu Moblin Remix is built on Ubuntu Linux, you can still install any of the thousands of applications that can run on Ubuntu Linux using the Synaptic Package Manager.

One of the most interesting ideas is replacing the typical Windows-style taskbar with a new "zones" concept that lets you open windows in different virtual desktops and toggle between them. I like this idea a lot better than the Ubuntu Netbook Remix concept of simply opening every single application in full screen mode. Because let's be honest, do you really need to see your calculator in full screen?

You can check out the video after the break. There's also a brief look at the latest version of Ubuntu Netbook Remix which will be available with Ubuntu 9.10 which is due out next month.

Post from: Liliputing

Ubuntu Moblin Remix walkthrough – Video

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Asus Eee PC 1001HA gets official, probably won't come to the US

A few days ago pictures of a new Eee PC 1001HA model started floating around the web. At first glance, the netbook looked like a minor variation on the popular Eee PC 1005HA. And sometimes first impressions are correct. Asus has uploaded a user manual for the netbook to its support site, and the first page reads "Eee PC User Manual Windows XP Edition Eee PC 1005 / 1001 Series."

Asus has also posted an official product page on its Chinese portal. From that page we learn that the Eee PC 1001HA has a 10.1 inch display. 160GB hard drive, 802.11n WiFi, a 92% full sized keyboard, and weighs 2.4 pounds. The only noticeable difference between the Eee PC 1001HA and the 1005HA is that the 1001HA has a textured pattern on the lid and palm rest, while the 1005HA has a smooth, glossy finish.

I also don't see any information about the battery, so I don't know whether the Eee PC 1001HA has the same 10.5 hour battery as the Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X, the 8.5 battery found in the Eee PC 1005HA-VU1X, or the 5 hour battery of the Eee PC 1005HAB.

via Eee PC Italia

Post from: Liliputing

Asus Eee PC 1001HA gets official, probably won't come to the US

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Eee PC 1101HA Gets the Official Chinese Treatment

Remember that "economy" Eee PC model that showed up in the Chinese IT portal CCIDNET? – Eee PC 1001HA?  That time, the specs seems pretty official but since it's not an Asus site, we didn't take it as official specs.

But now, the Asus Chinese portal has put up a product page for the Eee PC 1001HA and it looks like these netbook would have the following official specs – 10.1-inch display, 1GB of RAM,  160GB of HDD, Wi-Fi, 92% full-sized keyboard, 0.3 megapixel camera. Additionally like we said before this netbook would come with an Intel Atom N270 CPU and most probably a 3-cell battery.

In case you forgot already, this Eee PC would have a specially designed chassis characterized by textured patterns.

via Eeepc.it

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Eee PC 1101HA Gets the Official Chinese Treatment

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VAIC TT copies the Sony VAIO TT style, not its price (or specs)

The Sony Vaio TT isn't a netbook. Priced at around $2000, it's far too expensive to even live in the same zip code as a netbook. But the VAIC TT is another story.

This Chinese knockoff looks like a Vaio TT and has a suspiciously similar logo plastered on the lid. But on the inside, it's all netbook with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. It has a 6 cell, 4400mAh battery WiFi, and optional Bluetooth. The laptop has a 12.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display. Oh yeah, and it also packs a DVD drive, which isn't something you'll find on most netbooks.

The Sony Vaio TT, on the other hand, has a Core 2 Duo processor,  higher performance graphics, HDMI output, and an 11.1 inch display, not to mention an optional solid state disk. But here's what the VAIC TT has going for it: It runs about $300.

via Cloned in China

Post from: Liliputing

VAIC TT copies the Sony VAIO TT style, not its price (or specs)

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Dell To Offer Computrace LoJack for Dell Inspiron Mini Nickelodeon Edition Netbook

Absolute Software Corporation, the leading provider of computer theft recovery systems, has just announced that the Dell Inspiron Mini Nickelodeon Edition netbook will come with a free 12- month Computrace LoJack subscription.

Parents will be able to feel more secure about their children having netbooks and laptops with this kind of technology. According to the VP of Consumer Business at Absolute, Mark Grace, "As any parent can tell you, once you put a highly portable computer like the Dell Inspiron Mini Nickelodeon Edition in the hands of your kids, they don't want to put it down, let alone lose it altogether."

This newly-equipped netbook  will be available in the United States this October at Dell.com as well as on Walmart store shelves and Walmart.com.

Via iStockAnalyst.

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Netbook Competing Satellite Notebooks From Toshiba

The Toshiba Satellite T100 laptops aren't quite netbooks, though they're doing their best to pretend they are. At 11.6″ and 13.3″, the Toshiba Satellite T115 and T135 come in at netbook-like price points as well – $450 and $600.

The notebooks weigh under 4 pounds and have a cornucopia of ports including HDMI out (both support 1080p video). Toshiba's Satellite notebooks will run Windows 7 Home Premium and run, as you may have guessed, the Intel Consumer Ultra-Low-Voltage (CULV) processors we've heard so much about. These machines will beat out just about any Atom-based netbook for speed.

The T115 runs for a full 9 hours and the T135 for 7.5. Some of these boosts to efficiency can be credited to the CULV chips.

You can expect the T115 and T135 notebooks on October 22nd, the eve of Windows 7's highly anticipated launch.

Via Gizmodo.

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Intel's roadmap for upcoming CULV chips leaked?

There's something I've been wondering about for a while: Do we need Intel Atom processors anymore? The Atom has become the CPU of choice for virtually every netbook on the market, but the first netbooks to hit the streets had Intel Celeron or VIA C7-M chips. It's not the Atom processor that makes a mini-laptop a netbook. It's the small size, light weight, and low price. And if NVIDIA wants to push its ION platform and Intel wants to push its CULV platform, I'm cool with that. As long as I can still pick up a 3 pound laptop for around $400.

With that in mind, I don't really expect the Atom processor to disappear overnight. But I'm eying the Intel CULV space pretty carefully as Intel continues to pump out relatively low power chips that can perform circles around an Atom CPU. And it looks like things are only going to get better. Intel hasn't really spelled out too much about the next generation of CULV processors, but DigiTimes gathered some data from notebook makers and found that the future is largely dual core.

Specifically, the Core 2 Duo SU900 will keep on keeping on, but Intel is expected to replace the Core 2 Solo SU3000 series with the Core 2 Duo SU7000 and the Intel Pentium SU2000 will be upgraded to an Intel Core 2 Duo SU4000. These changes should drop during the 4th quarter of 2009, so just in time for the holidays.

There'll still be a few single core CULV chips around, but it looks like we should be able to expect higher performance from thin and lights in the future. Now what would be really nice is if Intel and/or Microsoft eased their restrictions a bit so that we could start seeing these processors show up in 10 inch and smaller netbooks instead of 11.6 inch and larger laptops.

Post from: Liliputing

Intel's roadmap for upcoming CULV chips leaked?

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Deals of the Day

Netbooks

• ASUS EeePC 1005HA-PU1X-BK w/10.5 hour battery for $324.99 after $20MIR – ZipZoomfly (w/coupon code: zzf4price)
• Refurbished Asus Eee PC 1005HAB w/5 hour battery for $239.99 – mwave (w/coupon code FALLSVG09)
• Samsung NC20 12.1 inch laptop with VIA Nano CPU, 6 hour battery for $479 – Amazon
• HP Mini 1116NR 1.60GHz Intel Atom Netbook w/ Webcam for $199.99 – eCost

Accessories

• ASUS SDRW-08D1S-U Black Slim External DVD±R/RW Drive $54.99 after $15MIR – ZipZoomfly
• Belkin Wireless Travel Mouse for $9.99 – eCost
• OCZ 16GB SDHC Secure Digital High Capacity for $33.49 – Buy.com

You can find more deals on netbooks, gadgets, and accessories in the Liliputing Deals section.

Post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

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Sharp NetWalker PC-Z1 mini-laptop unboxed

Every now and again I use the phrase "mini-laptop" to describe the 9 and 10 inch notebooks we've come to think of as netbooks. But the Sharp NetWalker PC-Z1 takes things to another level with a 5 inch display and full (but tiny) QWERTY display. And apparently the NetWalker has begun shipping, because Jenn at Pocketables has posted one of the first unboxing photosets I've seen.

What's a bit astonishing is that this tiny laptop running Ubuntu Linux isn't the smallest clamshell device out there. Jenn also takes the time to compare the NetWalker with the UMID mBook M1 which is even smaller and looks more like a smartphone with a larger-than-average keyboard tacked on. The NetWalker dwards the UMID, but it's still miniscule compared with a typical netbook and my guess is that touch-typing is going to be out of the question.

The NetWalker has a 1024 x 600 pixel display, an 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 ARM-based CPU, 4GB of storage and 512MB of RAM. It's available from Conics for $587.40.

Post from: Liliputing

Sharp NetWalker PC-Z1 mini-laptop unboxed

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Netbook Screen Shipments To Boom In Q3

More evidence of the continued rise of netbooks can be found in recent data reported by Digitimes, claiming that netbook LCD panel shipments will increase this quarter.

Though the back-to-school netbook market was weaker than forecasted, netbook demand is still healthy. Growth may slow, however, in October due to "weaker demand from end-market players."

Numbers for specific vendors are promising, with Dell expecting 1.2-1.4 million shipments third quarter and Acer looking at 3-3.5 million Acer Aspire One shipments.

Via PCDAndF.

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Samsung ship 1.5 Million NC10 Netbooks

The Samsung NC10 has proven to be very popular, which is now backed up by shipping numbers. Not surprisingly, the sleek netbook has shipped 1.5 million units worldwide since it's release 8 months ago. The NC10 features the standard netbook specs, 10.2 inch display, 160GB HDD, 1GB of RAM etc but, at a slightly higher price in the UK. However when browsing the netbook display in my local PC World, the NC10 is still the netbook which stands out above the rest, so it isn't surprising to see so many units shipped. It would be more interesting to see how many have actually been purchased though. Hopefully this figure will become public soon as well.

via

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Samsung ship 1.5 Million NC10 Netbooks

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Two Satellite Netbooks to launch from Toshiba

Toshiba are to launch two new Satellite models. Both models fit more into the CULV category rather than netbook but, the T115 just makes it's mark in the netbook world with an 11.6 inch display. Non netbook specs however, include up to 4GB of RAM, 500GB HDD along with an Intel Pentium or Celeron CPU. The T115 will launch in the US for $449. It will also launch in the UK for £429 but as the T110.

Moving onto the other model, it's out of netbook range but, still provides more portability than a standard laptop with a 13.3 inch display. The 13 inch CULV will launch as the T135 in the US for $599. It'll also be available in the UK as the T130. Like the T115, the T135 will come with either an Intel Pentium CPU or Celeron. Only a 250GB HDD will be included in this model, along with support for up to 3GB RAM.

Both Satellite models will be available from the 22nd of October both in the US and UK.

via

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Two Satellite Netbooks to launch from Toshiba

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Webook 10 Netbook Comes with Optical Drive1.6GHz

Let's see now, when was the last time that we heard of a netbook that comes with an optical drive? If my memory serves me right I could barely recall the Eee PC 1005? Is that right?

Anyway, as Brad noted, there are several reasons why we don't get to see to many netbooks with optical drives. Actually he mentioned 4 reasons and I couldn't help but agree. These reasons are:

1. It helps keep down the cost
2. Fewer moving parts to break
3. There's not a lot of room in most netbooks for a disc drive
4. Microsoft only makes low cost Windows XP licenses available to PC makers for netbooks that meet strict specifications, and a disc drive isn't on that list of specs

So, if you want a netbook equipped with an optical drive, you're best bet would be to check out in China and you'd probably encounter the Webbook 10 by China's Imore. This 10-inch netbook with optical drive comes with the following specs:

• 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 procesor
• 1GB of RAM
• 160GB HDD
• Wi-Fi
• 10.1-inch display 1024×600
• 2 USB ports
• VGA output
• 2600mAh battery

Pricing is uncertain though.

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Webook 10 Netbook Comes with Optical Drive1.6GHz

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Webbook 10 inch netbook with optical disc drive hits China

Most netbooks with 10 inch and smaller displays lack optical disc drives for 4 reasons:

1. It helps keep down the cost
2. Fewer moving parts to break
3. There's not a lot of room in most netbooks for a disc drive
4. Microsoft only makes low cost Windows XP licenses available to PC makers for netbooks that meet strict specifications, and a disc drive isn't on that list of specs

If you guessed the last item on the list was one of the most important, you'd be right. The other three items aren't exactly insurmountable. And if you happen to be operating in Shenzhen, China, neither is the fourth. A company called Imore is introducing a 10 inch laptop called the Webbook that will sport a CD/DVD drive. There's no mention of the operating system, but this netbook likely either runs Linux or an unofficial copy of Windows XP.

Of course, disc drives aren't as important as they once were. You can download most software from the web, and you can also download music and movies. Still, if you have data stored on a disc that you want to access, or like to listen to CDs or watch DVDs on the go, a disc drive can come in handy.

Aside from the disc drive, the Webbook has all the usual netbook specs including a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160Gb hard drive, 802.11/b/g/n WiFi, and a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display. It has just 2 USB ports, tanks to the disc drive which uses up a fair amount of space. But there is still room for a flash card reader and VGA output.

The laptop has a 2600mAh battery and measures 10.2″ x 7.6″ x 1.2″.

via Shanzai.com

Post from: Liliputing

Webbook 10 inch netbook with optical disc drive hits China

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NSW Brings 240,000 Netbooks To Students

The New South Wales Department of Education has an ambitious new plan in motion to put 240,000 netbooks into local high schools, despite the fact the CIO Stephen Wilson thinks high schools are "the most hostile environment you can roll computers into."

The Lenovo netbook initiative will offer new challenges to tech security. Students and parents have been asked to sign forms acknowledging their intent to take care of the machines and use them properly.

The machines are being given to ninth graders and will come with Windows 7, Microsoft Office, the Adobe CS4 creative suite, iTunes, and other education-centric content. Despite the costly software package, 2 GB of RAM and 6-hour batteries, the NSW Department of Education has restrained costs to $500/unit.

In order to ensure the security of such a massive system, each netbook has been password protected. The netbooks are additionally embedded with tracking software at the BIOS level. The netbooks can be remotely disabled in the event of their theft or sale, a technique that will work regardless of whether the hard drives are switched out or operating systems cleared.

New South Wales' move to bring netbooks to students is just the latest in a number of educational plans meant to bring technology to the individual level in classrooms.

Via Zikkir.

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HP Now Accepting Orders for the Mini 311 Netbook

Launched just a couple of weeks ago, HP is now acceptinng pre-orders for its upcoming 11-inch netbook called the HP Mini 311. For only $399 you can get this sleek-looking netbook with some nice features including – Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz CPU, 1GB of rAM, 160GB of HDD, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or 3G option from AT&T, Sprint or Verizon.

You can also have the netbook with the Intel N280 CPU but with additional fee of course. And in case you've missed our previous report, the HP Mini 311 is the first netbook from HP with the NVIDIA Ion chipset. This netbook supports HD video at 1080p resolution.

Reserve your HP Mini 311 now.

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

HP Now Accepting Orders for the Mini 311 Netbook

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Another Rubberized Netbook Shows Up - Zongchi ZC-A80

Here's another netbook that was outed recently in the Chinese market – the Zhongchi ZC-A80 netbook. The ZC-AC80 is supposedly a bigger version of another netboook and sports a rubberized case that could provide ample protection.

Specs-wise, aside from its 11.1 inch display with 1366×768 pixel resolution, the Zongchi ZC-A80 also features Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 160GB of hDD, VGA output and 3 USB ports. Nothing really to get us excited about.

No pricing information yet as we learned from Shanzai.com that this netbook is still in production stage.

via Liliputing

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Another Rubberized Netbook Shows Up – Zongchi ZC-A80

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NVIDIA showcases Tegra-based smartbook scheduled for release before year-end

Back in June, Mobinnova introduced the Elan netbook, a new portable computer that offered 5-10 hours of high definition video viewing thanks to it being based on NVIDIA's Tegra platform. It has been showcased recently and according to a report from DigiTimes it has already received orders from telecom service providers in Europe and North America, where it will appear before the end of 2009. Foxconn has been identified as the primary manufacturer of this Tegra-based "smartbook" while it is said that Compal Communication is also supposed to make one before year-end. Apart from supposedly excellent high-definition video playback and slightly longer battery life (than average), there doesn't seem to be anything special about Tegra. I suppose I will have to see when I get my hands on a unit of my own for testing.

Via DigiTimes

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

NVIDIA showcases Tegra-based smartbook scheduled for release before year-end

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Zhongchi netbook with rubberized case, 11.1 inch display

While sometimes it feels like every netbook in the US has the same specifications (10 inch screen, Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, and 160GB hard drive), Chinese PC makers are busy breaking the mold. The latest trend seems to be mini-laptops with 11.1 inch displays. The latest entry is the Zhonchi ZC-A80 which has an 11.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display.

The laptop also has a rubberized case which should give it a bit of protection against scrapes, scuffs, and falls. In general there's a difference between rubberized and ruggedized though, so I wouldn't recommend running the laptop over with a car or anything.

The rest of the specs are back in familiar territory. The Zhongchi ZC-A80 has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 160Gb hard drive, VGA output and 3 USB ports. It weighs just over 2.6 pounds.

Post from: Liliputing

Zhongchi netbook with rubberized case, 11.1 inch display

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Gateway LT2016U Netbook To Sell For $150 At Verizon

It's looking like starting Sunday, October 4th you'll be able to buy a Gateway LT2016U netbook at Verizon Wireless for some potentially interesting numbers. Here's are your options:

• $499 with no contract
• $319 with a $60/month one-year wireless broadband contract
• $150 after a $100 rebate with a $60/month two-year wireless broadband contract

If you're into the wireless broadband thing that's a competitive deal. The 10.1-inch Gateway LT2016U netbook has a 1024 x 600 pixel screen, the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 chip, a Gig of RAM, 160 GB HDD, and Windows XP.

Retail versions sold elsewhere cost around $300 but don't include the 3G chip.

Via CrunchGear.

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Samsung Offers RAM Upgrade for N310

Do you own the Samsung N310 netbook with 1GB of RAM? Do you want to upgrade it to a 2GB RAM capacity? Well you might want to check out with your local netbook dealer and find out if they are offering this RAM upgrade for the Samsung N310.

JKOntheRun reports that Samsung informed him about the deal. That is RAM upgrade from 1GB to 2GB. If Samsung is really offering this upgrade it's a pretty good deal since the 2GB module normally costs $69.99 and the offer will give it for only $19.99.

Also included in the deal is a case worth $20.

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Samsung Offers RAM Upgrade for N310

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NVIDIA and Adobe to support hardware acceleration for HD Flash video

Netbook with Intel Atom processors generally have enough power to handle 720p video playback. And if they have 1024 x 600 pixel or lower resolution screens, they can handle standard definition and some high quality Flash video playback in full screen mode. But there are two things that no netbook I've used to date have been able to accomplish:

• 720p HD Flash video playback
• Smooth high bit-rate Flash playback on a 1366 x 768 pixel or higher resolution display

That's true even for machines with NVIDIA ION graphics. Because Adobe Flash doesn't currently take advantage of the GPU. Instead it relies on the CPU, and the Intel Atom processor just isn't up to these tasks. In fact, I had trouble getting even the Acer Aspire 1410 with a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor and GMA 4500MHD graphics to handle standard definition video from Hulu in full screen mode.

But it looks like a breakthrough is just around the corner. Earlier this year Adobe announced it was working with companies including NVIDIA and Broadcom to support hardware acceleration for Flash video. And now Notebook Journal in Germany has posted a video showing a machine with NVIDIA ION graphics playing HD Flash video smoothly on a high resolution monitor.

It looks like the video was taken at a recent presentation, and I have a feeling Notebook Journal wasn't supposed to post the video online so soon, so you might want to check it out before it's gone. If I'm reading the presentation in the background properly, NVIDIA and Flash are promising to make the technology publicly available during the first half of 2010.

You can check out the video after the break.

via Netbooked

Post from: Liliputing

NVIDIA and Adobe to support hardware acceleration for HD Flash video

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ARM To Overtake Intel By 2012 in Netbook/Smartbook Battle

Currently, Intel claims 94% of the netbook/smartbook market, but according to Robert Castellano of market research firm The Information Network, by 2012, the tables will have turned, and ARM will own the leading market share (estimated at roughly 55%).

In 2009, the market for Intel-powered netbooks totals 22.1 million units while that for ARM-powered smartbooks totals 1.4 million. In 2010, Intel netbooks will total 31.1 million and ARM smartbooks will total 7.8 million. By 2012, Intel plans to ship 43.2 million netbooks, which is more or less an on-par estimate, but ARM plans to ship a  whopping 52.9 million smartbook units. This would give ARM a 55% share of the market, leaving Intel with a 45% share.

According to The Information Network, the demand for smartbooks, "because of their design and need for cloud connectivity, will grow even more strongly," giving the smartbook segment a chance to overtake netbook demand and sales. We'll be sure to keep you posted on the progress of this situation.

Via EeTimes.

Image via TrustedReviews.

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How Windows 7 Could Change The Netbook World

The Standard has  brought up some interesting questions about the future of netbooks in their recent article about the upcoming release of Windows 7.

The biggest issue at hand is the price point of Windows 7. While we have some preliminary numbers already, it's unknown what Microsoft will charge manufacturers for their new OS. That fee that will likely trickle down to consumers. This could lead to an increase in netbook prices and the quality of their features, at least according to analyst Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies:

"This is what both Microsoft and hardware companies want. They want to sell ultrathin laptops for $500 rather than netbooks for $300. But users like netbooks."

There's no question about that! But even if prices rise for Windows 7 netbooks, what will happen to Windows XP?

Windows XP is currently sold to manufacturers for about $15 a copy, a compromise that Microsoft reluctantly took in light of the fact that Vista is unbearably slow on most netbooks. Microsoft has agreed to license Windows XP for a full year after the October 22 release of Windows 7.

The real debate is whether consumers will accept a price boost in order to get in on Windows 7. Indeed, Kay notes that while "there's no doubt Windows 7 will be better than XP on netbooks," it might not be "$100 better when all most people do on netbooks is surf the Web, check e-mail and IM."

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720p Flash Video Running on an HP Mini 311

As netbooks continue to improve on their technical capabilities, what many are expecting it to be able to do is to play 720p Flash Video at a smooth high bit-rate on a 1366×768 pixel or high resolution. It is understandable since Adobe Flash doesn't take advantage of GPU but of CPU instead. And our current netbooks' Atom CPU can't handle these tasks.

But may be soon, netbooks will be able to handle 720p Flash video based on a leaked presentation video showing a machine with NVIDIA ION graphics playing HD Flash on a high resolution display.

The machine was the HP Mini 311.  And if you want to see how a it was able to playback an HD video from YouTube you might want to check this video.

via Liliputing Netbook Journal

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

720p Flash Video Running on an HP Mini 311

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Asus Eee PC 1005HA dissected (with instructions)

Asus has a pretty good track record of putting access panels on its netbooks that let you upgrade the RAM. But while some models also include hard drive access panels, the Eee PC 1005HA does not. That means if you want to swap out the hard drive or tweak the WiFi module, add a Bluetooth device to a model that doens't already have, it or perform other minor surgery, you're going to need to open the computer up and access the motherboard.

EeeUser Forum member wacou has put together a handy set of instructions for removing the laptop's casing and futzing around with the Eee PC 1005HA's insides. Basically you'll need to pop out th ebattery, undo a bunch of screws and open a few tension clips, remove the keyboard, and take off a few more screws. The end result should look something like the picture above.

Hopefully if you're brave enough to take your netbook apart you'll also be smart enough to save all the screws and be able to put the thing back together again when you're done. Remember kids, this is a potentially warranty-voiding procedure.

Post from: Liliputing

Asus Eee PC 1005HA dissected (with instructions)

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Deals of the Day

Netbooks and notebooks

• Refurbished Asus Eee PC 900 16G 8.9″ XP Netbook for $199.99 – Mwave
• Asus Eee PC 1005HA-VU1X-WT (White) with 8.5 hour battery for $314.95 – Amazon
• Refurbished Asus Eee PC 1000HE 10″ Netbook for $249.99 – Mwave
• Samsung N110-12PBK 10.1 inch black netbook with 9.5 hour battery for $339 – Amazon
• Refurbished Asus Eee PC 1005HAB (5 hour battery, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, no Bluetooth) for $249.99 – Mwave
• Buy a fully loaded Studio slim desktop with 23″ monitor for $949 and add a Mini 10 netbook  for $149 – Dell
• Acer Aspire 1410 Core 2 Solo 1.4GHz 12″ Laptop for $400 + free shipping – J&R (Looks like this deal has ended, but you can pick up a blue Aspire 1410 from Amazon for $430).

Accessories

• Western Digital 320GB My Book Essential External Hard Drive for $41.99 – eCost
• SanDisk 4GB Cruzer Micro USB 2.0 Flash Drive for $10 + free shipping - Abe's of Maine

You can find more deals on netbooks, gadgets, and accessories in the Liliputing Deals section.

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Deals of the Day

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