Closer look at the Gigabyte T1005M convertible netbook

The Gigabyte T1005M is a 10 inch mini-laptop with a touchscreen display that you can fold down over the keyboard or use in tablet mode. What sets it apart from earlier Gigabyte convertible netbooks, the T1005M has a dual core Intel Atom N550 processor and a capacitive touchscreen display. Earlier models has resistive displays and single core chips.

The new model also has a new chiclet-style keyboard, a USB 3.0 port, and a redesigned hinge with a sturdier build.It also has an eSATA port and a USB 2.0 port.

Nicole from Netbook News got a chance to check out the new Gigabyte T1005M in person and she seemed pretty impressed with most of the features, although the 6 cell. 7650mAh battery is rather large and unwieldy in the back, and the touchpad is awfully small and has buttons on the left and right side instead of in front of it.

We'll have to wait a little longer for reviews to start popping up, but you can pre-order the Gigabyte T1005M today from Amazon for $599.99.

You can check out Nicole's hands-on video after the break.

Closer look at the Gigabyte T1005M convertible netbook is a post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Netbooks, Notebooks and Tablets

• Toshiba Satellite T215D 11.6″ laptop w/AMD K125 CPU for $470 – Amazon
• Archos 5 16GB 5″ Internet Tablet with Google Android for $150 + $6 s&h – Best Buy
• Asus Eee PC 1015PED netbook w/Atom N475, Win 7 Starter for $335 – SuperBiz (coupon: PUMPKIN10)
• Asus Eee PC 1005HAB netbook w/Atom N270, Win 7 Starter, 3 cell battery for $250 – TigerDirect

Accessories

• OCZ 32GB 2.5″ SATA Internal SSD Drive for $47 after rebate + $8 s&h - Mwave
• Iomega Home Media 2TB NAS External Hard Drive for $152 + free shipping – Buy.com
• Syba 10″ Neoprene Netbook Sleeve and USB Light for $6 + free shipping – SuperMediaStore

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

Deals of the Day is a post from: Liliputing

Acer Aspire One Happy goes under the knife

The Acer Aspire One Happy is a 10 inch mini-laptop with an Intel Atom processor. Nothing new there. In fact, the computer is nearly identical to the Acer Aspire One D255. The main difference is that the Happy case comes in several different bright color options.

Still, under the hood the Happy isn't quite the same as other Acer netbooks we've seen over the last few years. It has a dual core Intel Atom N550 processor. The folks at Notebook Italia took the computer apart and looked at its insides, and found a few interesting features. That includes a heatsink with a bit more surface area than usual to dissipate the extra heat generated by the dual core processor, and a metal cage around the hard drive to protect it from bumps.

If you've ever wondered what a netbook looks like when stripped down to its skivvies… and then taken apart piece by piece, hit up Notebook Italia for more details.

Acer Aspire One Happy goes under the knife is a post from: Liliputing

Samsung NF310 dual core netbook now shipping

Samsung's first 10 inch netbook with a dual core processor is now shipping in the US. The Samsung NF310 has the same curvy design as the Samsung NF210, but while the NF210 is available exclusively through Sam's Club in the States, the NF310 is starting to pop up all over the place. Amazon and TigerDirect are both offering the netbook for $399.

If that price sounds a bit steep, it's only because you haven't heard all the specs yet. Not only does the Samsung NF310 have a 1.5GHz Intel Atom ND550 dual core CPU, but it also has a 10.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel HD display.

The mini-laptop has 1GB of DDR3 memory, a 250GB hard drive, a 6 cell battery, and runs Windows 7 Starter Edition.

Unfortunately it's saddled with integrated GMA 3150 graphics, but Intel and Samsung promise that the dual core processor is fast enough to handle local playback of 720p HD videos on that HD screen. Higher resolution 1080p videos are still out of reach, and I suspect that HD Flash video will be hit or miss at best.

Update: It looks like this model might have NVIDIA graphics, but I'm waiting for official word from Samsung on that.

Update: Samsung tells me the NF310 has integrated Intel GMA3150 graphics and does not have NVIDIA ION.

via Netbook News

Samsung NF310 dual core netbook now shipping is a post from: Liliputing

Tega v2 dissected: Inside a 10 inch Windows 7 tablet

It seems like every few days someone launches another 10 inch tablet that's essentially a netbook with its keyboard cut off. Many have similar specs (10 inch touchscreen display, 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, Windows 7), and several models actually seem to be based on the same design (ViewSonic ViewPad 100, Novatech nTablet, TegaTech Tega v2). So have you ever wondered what one of those little guys looks like with the cover taken off?

Now you can stop wondering, because Chippy at UMPC Portal got permission to take apart a defective Tega v2 review unit. While a netbook typically places the mainboard, storage, circuitry, and other goodies beneath the keyboard, a tablet has to pack everything behind th edisplay — and that includes the battery.

As you can see, the battery takes up nearly half the space, with some room left over for a solid state disk, wireless communications, and other components. You actually have to lift up the motherboard to find the processor, memory, and some of the other components.

It would be nice if someone could figure out a good way to build one of these tablets with  user replaceable battery like the ones we typically find on laptops. I know it might make the tablet a bit uglier and a higher capacity battery would probably add to the weight. But you're probably not going to find a 10 inch Windows 7 tablet that can get 10 hours of battery life (or even 6 for that matter) until either we see some with better batteries or more efficient processors.

Tega v2 dissected: Inside a 10 inch Windows 7 tablet is a post from: Liliputing

MeeGo Linux 1.1 for netbooks, smartphones, in-car PCs now available

The developers of the MeeGo Linux project have launched MeeGo 1.1. While MeeGo is available as a standalone download, the group offers up the architecture for use in other Linux distributions as well, so it probably won't be long before we start seeing versions of Linpus, Ubuntu, Fedora, and other operating systems using MeeGo's custom user interface and performance optimizations for Intel Atom and ARM v7 processors.

MeeGo is based on the Moblin and Maemo Linux projects, and while Moblin was aimed at netbooks and Maemo at smartphones, MeeGo is available for both of those platforms — as well as in-vehicle entertainment systems.

The core operating system is the same for all three versions, but the netbook version comes with a set of applications and a user interface designed for laptop-style devices with 1024 x 600 pixel displays (give or take a few pixels).

The In-vehicle user environment looks completely different, as it's meant to be navigated with your fingertips while you're in a car. The focus here is letting you fin what you're looking for quickly so you can get your eyes back on the road… there's also support for speech recognition.

The smartphone/handset user experience supports making phone calls, sending SMS messages, surfing the web, and playing media on a handheld device. While Nokia isn't officially supporting MeeGo, the software is designed to run on the Nokia N900 smartphone.

The handset version of MeeGo is still in an early development phase, but the team plans to launch MeeGo 1.2 in April with a more fleshed out Handset user experience with "a complete set of applications."

There's also a new MeeGo SDK 1.1 Beta which should be available soon for developers looking to write apps for MeeGo.

MeeGo Linux 1.1 for netbooks, smartphones, in-car PCs now available is a post from: Liliputing

Macallan UI for Windows 7 tablets is toast

Windows 7 has taken a lot of flak for being tough to run properly on low power tablet computers with low resolution displays. While Windows 7 includes support for multitouch gestures and has nice large icons and a few other features designed to make the OS more touch-friendly than previous versions of Windows, the on-screen keyboard and handwriting recognition features can be tough to use — or even downright distracting on some devices, and tablets with Intel Atom processors and 1024 x 600 pixel displays struggle with things like automatic screen rotation, and displaying applications in portrait mode.

A number of companies have come up with software designed to make things a bit better, including Mirabyte FrontFace and Thinix Touch. But one of the most interesting concepts I've seen this year was called Macallan.

Macallan was designed to make Windows 7 look more like Windows Phone 7, or rather, more like the Zune media software interface. It has an easy to navigate menu on one side of the display for flipping between internet, music, applications, and other features, and nice large icons for items in each category. Macallan was designed from the ground up to be used with your fingers rather than a keyboard and mouse. It also featured a large keyboard that docked to the bottom of the display.

Unfortunately Engadget is reporting that UI Centric, the company behind the Macallan concept has killed the project. So it doesn't look like we'll see any tablet shipping with the software. It also doesn't look like you'll be able to download Macallan and install it on your own device.

To be fair, while Macallan showed a lot of promise, I hadn't seen any real world tests of the software and I'm not sure how it handled 3rd party apps. One of the key advantages of using a Windows tablet instead of an iPad or Android device is the ability to run full blown Windows apps — but the demo video for Macallan only showed off custom apps designed for the platform.

You can check out the demo video below to get a bittersweet taste of what might have been.

Macallan UI for Windows 7 tablets is toast is a post from: Liliputing

PhotoFast offers SSD upgrades for the new MacBook Air

Sure, the recently launched MacBook Air mini-laptop from Apple has a super fast solid state disk which is smaller, lighter, and faster than a typical hard drive, helping the computer boot OS X in just 15 seconds and resume from sleep pretty much instantly. But wouldn't it be ncie if it were, I don't know, say… 30% faster?

A company called PhotoFast is offering an SSD upgrade kit for the MacBook Air which does two things. First, it allows you to put a 256GB SSD in the 11.6 inch MacBook Air. Normally that model tops out at 128GB. Second, PhotoFast promises that the upgraded module offers a 30% performance boost, with sequential read and write speeds up to 250MB/s and random read/write speeds of 50MB/s and 30MB/s respectively.

The upgrade kits will also come in 64GB and 128GB capacities.

Oh yeah… there's one more thing. The SSD actually comes with a SSD to USB 3.0 adapter. This lets you copy all of your old files and settings over to the new SSD before swapping out the storage. When you're done, you can keep your old Apple SSD and stick it in the adapter for use as a super-speedy USB flash drive.

No word on pricing or availability yet.

via Akihabara News

PhotoFast offers SSD upgrades for the new MacBook Air is a post from: Liliputing

Samsung Galaxy Tab: Available from all four major US carriers soon

T-Mobile has announced it will start offering the Samsung Galaxy Tab on November 10th, for $400 when you sign up for a 2-year service contract. That means that T-Mobile will be the first US carrier to sell the Galaxy Tab… but not for long. Verizon will launch the tablet on November 11th. In fact, all four major carriers have announced plans to offer the 7 inch Android tablet. Here's the breakdown:

• T-Mobile: November 10th for $399.99 and up
• Verizon: November 11th for $599.99 without contract
• Sprint: November 14th for $399.99 with a contract
• AT&T: There's still no word on pricing or a launch date, but I suspect we'll hear something soon

All three carriers will clearly offer a version of the tablet with WiFi and 3G capabilities, with data plans running from $20 to to $60 per month depending on the carrier and the monthly data plan you sign up for:

• T-Mobile: $24.99 for 200MB or $39.99 for 5GB
• Sprint: $29.99 for 2GB or $$59.99 for 5GB
• Verizon: Starting at $20 for 1GB (with no word on how much 5GB will cost)

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has a 7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel capacitive touchscreen display, a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, and runs Google Android 2.2. It has a 4000mAh battery, front and rear-facing cameras, and the ability to download and install apps from the Android Market. It's probably received more hype than any other Android tablet to date, and despite the fact that Google still says Android 2.2 isn't really built for tablets, a lot of people will be watching its launch closely to see what, if any, impact it has on Apple iPad sales.

Samsung Galaxy Tab: Available from all four major US carriers soon is a post from: Liliputing

Acer set to launch line of tablet PCs on November 23rd

Acer has been working on a line of tablets for a while. There's no surprise there. But now it looks like the company is finally getting ready to launch its tablets. The Wall Street Journal reports that Acer will hold an event in New York on November 23rd to introduce a new line of tablets with prices ranging from $299 to $699.

There's no official word on the size, operating system, or other specs, but we've seen rumors suggesting that Acer will have 5, 7, and 10 inch Android tablets with ARM-based chips from Qualcomm or NVIDIA.

An earlier rumor suggested Acer was working on just two models: a 7 inch tablet and a 10 inch device. We also saw a concept device this summer that Acer was describing as an eBook Reader, but which looked an awful lot like a 7 inch tablet.

It's possible all these leaks and rumors are wrong… but I suspect that what we'll see on November 23rd is some sort of Android tablet… or two… or three. Whether they'll go on sale by year's end still remains to be seen.

Of course, these won't be the first tablet-style devices Acer has launched. The company has also been offering a convertible tablet-style laptop running Windows 7 called the Acer Aspire 1825PTZ  in some markets since earlier this year. But the Android tablets are expected to be smaller, lighter, and cheaper.

via Engadget

Acer set to launch line of tablet PCs on November 23rd is a post from: Liliputing

Yahoo Mail Beta is faster, more feature-rich... not built for netbooks

Most netbooks have 1024 x 600 pixel display. While there are certainly a few exceptions, most Windows apps can run reasonably well at that resolution and most web pages are viewable with a minimal amount of scrolling. But for some reason, Yahoo Mail isn't one of them. For the past few years, every time I've tried to check my Yahoo Mail account using a netbook, I've been greeted with a message suggesting I use the "classic" interface instead of the newer, more streamlined version.

Last night Yahoo introduced a new beta version of Yahoo Mail which is designed to be faster to use, while offering new tools including Facebook and Twitter integration, in-line viewing of Flickr, Picasa, and YouTube photos and videos, and a new theme that's more… umm, purple.

Unfortunately, like the previous version of Yahoo Mail, the new Beta suggests a minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768 — which means most netbooks are left out. Rather than acknowledge the fact that this is a common resolution and maybe Yahoo's coders should tweak the site to work within it, Yahoo Mail Beta instead pops up an error message when you try to visit with a netbook browser, suggesting you adjust your screen resolution in your computer's display settings — even though many netbooks don't really offer the option.

On the other hand, when you actually push ahead and let Yahoo know you want to try Yahoo Mail Beta anyway, everything really does look just fine, as far as I can tell — except for one thing. The 160 x 600 pixel banner ad on the right side of the display is cut off at the bottom. I wonder if that's what Yahoo is worried about.

You can check out a video overview of the new Yahoo Mail after the break.

thanks for the tip Lee!

Yahoo! Mail @ Yahoo! Video

Yahoo Mail Beta is faster, more feature-rich… not built for netbooks is a post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Netbooks and Notebooks

• Refurb Asus Eee PC 1001P 10″ netbook w/Atom N450, Win 7, 6 cell battery for $226 – Geeks.com
• Dell Adamo 13″ thin and light laptop for $899 + free shipping – Dell (coupon: FCGPX2C0L9C428)
• ViewSonic 13.3″ laptop  w/Celeron SU2300 dual core CPU for $350 + free shipping – Buy.com
• Emprex BNB-1021 10″ netbook w/VIA C7-M CPU, Linux for $199.99 - Geeks.com

Accessories

• Sabrent 8X DVD Burner (external slim drive) for $34.99 – TigerDirect
• Windows 7 Professional 64-bit OEM DVD for $129.99 – TigerDirect (coupon: DEW9475)
• Kingston 64GB SSDNow 2.5″ solid state drive bundle for $99.95 – Buy.com
• $10 off $100 or more - J&R (coupon: GIECO10)
• Halloween Clearance Sale: Up to 85% off select items – Geeks.com

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

Deals of the Day is a post from: Liliputing

T-Mobile to begin charging $14.99 monthly fee for tethering

It figures. Just days after I signed up for a new home internet service, opting for a cable modem only deal instead of a cable/WiMAX combo deal because I figured I can always use my Google Nexus One's tethering capability if I need a backup or mobile solution… it looks like T-Mobile is about to start charging for tethering capabilities.

Boy Genius Report has obtained a document which shows that customers who have unlimited smartphone data plans running $19.95 and higher will be able to opt into the new "Tethering and Wi-Fi Sharing Add-On" program for $14.99 per month. That extra fee added to your monthly bill won't actually get you faster speeds, additional data transfers, or anything else. Just the ability to keep doing something you can do on select phones like the Nexus One today… for free.

Customers will be able to tether their phones over WiFi, USB, or Bluetooth connections. That means if you have supported hardware, you should be able to share your internet connection with a laptop or desktop computer, gaming console, WiFi tablet, or other device. For $15 per month more than you're paying now.

The new plan is expected to go into effect on November 3rd.

Of course, there are a number of apps that will let Android users with rooted devices tether their devices without alerting T-Mobile or other wireless carriers. But for non-root users, it looks like T-Mobile is officially eliminating free tethering.

via MobileCrunch

T-Mobile to begin charging $14.99 monthly fee for tethering is a post from: Liliputing

JooJoo version 2: Coming soon, with more Google Android?

JooJoo model 1

The JooJoo tablet may not have made a huge splash when it launched earlier this year, with some reports suggesting that as few as 90 tablets were sold during the pre-order phase. But apparently the company hasn't run out of money and folded just yet, because Gizmodo is reporting that JooJoo is planning its second tablet.

The new device is due out next year, and unlike the original, it will run apps. In fact, it will run Google Android, which means that thousands of apps may work on the device, although it's not clear if the JooJoo v2 will ship with access to the Google Android Market out of the box unless it's launched sometime after Google releases a new version of Android which is more tablet-friendly. That's expected to happen sometime early next year, so a JooJoo tablet with Android Market access isn't out of the question.

The original JooJoo tablet was designed to basically act like a screen with a web browser and virtual keyboard and little else. Unfortunately, the user interface was panned by early reviewers. Still, the hardware wasn't all bad, and some users managed to install Windows 7 or OS X to add functionality to the tablet.

I wonder how hackable an Android version would be? If it still has an x86 processor, my guess would be very… but in switching to Android, the company might also be switching to an ARM-based CPU, which means you'd likely be stuck with Android or some other Linux-based OS.

JooJoo version 2: Coming soon, with more Google Android? is a post from: Liliputing

Jolicloud branded netbook on its way

Jolicloud founder Tariq Krim has confirmed that a netbook bearing the Jolicloud name, and presumably running the company's custom Linux operating system is in the works. Today Krim shared a few photos on Twitter, showing the netbook and the box it will likely come in.

Krim wouldn't give me any information about the netbook specs, price, or launch date, but he did say the Jolicloud netbook "is real" and more details will be availble soon.

The Jolicloud operating system is based on Ubuntu Linux, but what sets it apart is the custom user interface which blurs the distinction between desktop and web apps. You can "install" Facebook, Twitter, or Gmail just as easily as OpenOffice.org, VLC, or GIMP. Installing web apps will add an icon to your program launcher which you can use to open the web apps.

There's also a social element, allowing you to share your installed apps with friends that also use Jolicloud — and making it easy for you to find cool new apps that your friends are using.

The Jolicloud user interface is coded in HTML5 and your settings are saved to the cloud, allowing you to login to your account and manage your settings from any computer.

Of course, you don't need to buy a Jolicloud netbook to use the operating system. It's available as a free download for anyone who wants to install it on existing hardware. Jolicloud is designed to support most current netbook hardware including NVIDIA ION graphics and the Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator.

You can check out a few more images after the break.

Jolicloud branded netbook on its way is a post from: Liliputing

$100 Android tablet hits Walgreens

Remember the $150 Android tablet that showed up at KMart? How about the $100 netbook at CVS. Well, they've got company in the discount store computer space. Meet the $100 Maylong M-150 7 inch Android tablet available exclusively from Walgreens.com.

This little guy is really nothing to write home about, but it is cheap. It has a 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel resistive touschreen display, 802.11b/g WiFi, Ethernet and USB connectivity with a dongle, speakers, a camera, microSD card slot (or T-Flash card slot, as it's called in this case), 2GB of flash storage, and 256MB of RAM.

The Maylong tablet has a VM8505+ ARM9 processor, which appears to be a 300MHz or 400MHz CPU. Like I said, nothing to write home about.

The tablet doesn't include access to the Google Android Market, but the product description does suggest that you can "download and install custom Google Android applications," so it sounds like there might be some sort of third party app store.

The product listing also points out that it comes with a web browser, eBook reader, and apps such as an alarm clock, contact app, and calendar. I know, exciting, right? In fact, the Walgreens web site also suggests using the tablet as a digital photo frame.

The folks at Android Tablet already got their hands on the little Maylong M-150, and they've posted an unboxing video which you can check out after the break.

via Business Insider

$100 Android tablet hits Walgreens is a post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Netbooks and Notebooks

• Gateway EC1457U 11.6″ notebook w/Pentium SU4100, Win 7 HP for $450 – Buy.com
• Acer Aspire One AOD255 10″ netbook w/Atom N450, 3 cell battery for $270 – Amazon
• HP Mini 210 netbook w/Atom N450, Win 7 Starter, 3 cell battery for $260 - TigerDirect

Nettops

• Jetway barebones nettop w/Atom D525, NVIDIA ION 2 for $210 – Newegg (coupon: EMCZYNT73)
• Zotac Mag nettop w/Atom 330, NVIDIA ION, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD for $280 – Amazon
• Zotac nettop w/Atom D510, NVDIIA ION 2, no memory or storage for $237 – J&R

Accessories

• ASUS 802.11b/g/n WiFi adapter for $19.99 + free shipping – Newegg (coupon: EMCZYNT83)
• Kingston 4GB USB Flash Drive for $5.99 + free shipping – Newegg (coupon: EMCZYNT95)
• AOC 22″ 1080p LCD Display for $130 + free shipping - Staples

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

Deals of the Day is a post from: Liliputing

Ubuntu 11.04 to replace GNOME interface with Unity

Canonical developed a new user interface for Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition, called Unity. While GNOME has panels at the top and bottom of the screen, Unity instead has a top panel and a panel on the left side which you can use to quickly launch apps and access running apps. Unfortunately, while Unity was designed with netbooks in mind, many netbook users have panned the new UI, saying it's sluggish and requires too much scrolling when viewing web sites and running other apps — since Unity eats up too many horizontal pixels.

That doesn't seem to have stopped Canonical from moving forward with Unity though. Founder Mark Shuttleworth has announced that the next major release of Ubuntu will replace the GNOME user interface with Unity. GNOME applications will continue to work, and in fact the GNOME Desktop Environment will still run in the background, but Unity will be the default user interface.

Users who still want to use the GNOME desktop will be able to install a special version of Ubuntu… or download the primary installer and modify the settings yourself. After all, Ubuntu is still open source software and you can make pretty much any changes you like. But I suspect a fair number of users stick with the out-of-the-box experience when downloading a new version of a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu.

Hopefully Canonical's increased focus on the Unity interface will lead the developers to optimize the UI for better performance on computers with slow processors and small screens such as netbooks… you know, the original target for Unity.

Ubuntu 11.04 is due out in April, 2011.

Ubuntu 11.04 to replace GNOME interface with Unity is a post from: Liliputing

Jolicloud to release own branded netbook

Tariq Krim, founder of Jolicloud has confirmed that the company are working on releasing their own branded netbook. Presumably the netbook will also run their own custom Linux operating system of the same name. Krim has shared some photos on Twitter of the netbook and has confirmed it is real. However apart from the pictures and confirmation of it's existence, as of yet no further information has been revealed.

Once more details are released, regarding specs, pricing and availability, we'll let you know here. Until then, head on to the read more link to view the other photos of the Jolicloud netbook. (...)
Read the rest of Jolicloud to release own branded netbook (2 words)

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Link to post: Jolicloud to release own branded netbook - from: Eee PC - Blog | No comments | © Admarket, 2010.

Olivetti shows off new netbooks in Italy

The folks at Notebook Italia spotted two new 10 inch netbooks from Olivetti at a trade show in Milan last week. For the most part, the two machines are pretty much identical. The main difference is that the Olivetti Olibook Net104 has a 6 cell battery while the Olibook M1030 has a 3 cell, 2200mAh battery.

Both machines feature 10 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel displays, Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, 802,11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth. Each has a 0.3MP webcam, 3 USB ports, and a VGA output. Both run Windows 7 Starter Edition and weigh about 2.2 pounds, although the M1030 is a bit lighter, due to its lower capacity battery.

The Net104 has a 160GB hard drive, while the M1030 has a 250GB hard drive.

No word on pricing or availability yet, but these new Olibook models look like pretty standard netbook fare, so I wouldn't expect anything too outrageous in the price department.

via Netbook Italia

Olivetti shows off new netbooks in Italy is a post from: Liliputing

Top Rated Netbooks and Laptops Under $400

The holidays are fast approaching and deal seekers have already begun searching for laptops and netbooks as gifts for family and friends. Although there are many cheap netbooks and laptops available often times consumers don't offer better than average reviews for lower end computers. Despite this, there are a couple top rated netbooks and laptops under $400 that are great options for holiday gifts. These include the following:

            

All of these products have good reviews according to consumers who purchased through amazon.com. They offer great value for the price (under $400) which makes them excellent choices for holiday gifts.

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Deals of the Day

Notebooks and Tablets

• Lenovo ThinkPad X100e 1.6GHz 12″ Laptop w/mouse for $375 + $6 s&h - Abe's of Maine
• Acer Aspire AS1551 11.6″ notebook w/AMD K325 dual core CPU for $424 – Amazon
• Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet w/60GB hard drive for $399.99 – TigerDirect
• 7″ Android tablet w/2Gb storage for $100 + free shipping - Focalprice (via Dealnews)

Accessories

• Transcend 4GB JetFlash USB flash drive for $6.99 - TigerDirect
• PQI 8GB U262 Traveling Disk USB Flash Drive for $12 + free shipping - Meritline (via Dealnews)
• Samsung SyncMaster 24″ 1080p LCD Display for $160 + free shipping – Dell
• USB External 2.5″ IDE Hard Drive Enclosure for $6 + free shipping – Meritline (via Dealnews)

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

Deals of the Day is a post from: Liliputing

WiFi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab to run $500?

We already know that Verizon plans to offer a 3G enabled version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet for $600 and up starting next month. Now it looks like there may be a cheaper option for anyone who doesn't need the 3G. Pocketables found a product listing from Best Buy showing that the US retailer plans to offer a WiFi only version for $499.99 and up.

Best Buy will also apparently sell the 3G version, allowing customers to sign up for service with Verizon or Sprint. AT&T and T-Mobile are also expected to offer the tablet in the United States. The Best Buy listing states that the 3G models will be available with both month-to-month plans and long term contracts. It should be interesting to see whether signing up for a contract helps bring the price down, or if it just means that monthly data bills will be lower.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has a 7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel capacitive touchscreen display, a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, and runs Google Android 2.2. It has a 4,000mAh battery, 16GB of storage, and two cameras, one on the front and another on the back. It has GPS support, can handle Adobe Flash, and can handle 1080p HD video playback.

So the question is… does the lower price and lack of a service contract make you any more likely to buy a Galaxy Tab? Or would you rather spend $500 on an iPad… or two cheap Windows netbooks?

Update: Sprint will apparently offer a 3G version of the iPad for $400 when you sign up for a monthly service plan running $30 per month for 2GB of data or $60 per month for 5GB.

WiFi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab to run $500? is a post from: Liliputing

Asus Eee PC 1015PW: Dual core netbook with custom designs

Asus is apparently adding yet another 10 inch netbook to its lineup. The new Eee PC 1015PW has the same basic specs as the Asus Eee PC 1015PEM, including a dual core 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 processor, 10 inch display, and integrated graphics. What sets the new model apart is the design.

While most Eee PC models are available in black, white, red, and blue, the Eee PC 1015PW comes in "Purple Rain," Gold Dust," and "Angel Skin." No, I'm not actually sure what color an angel's skin is, but I assume the first two designs mean purple or gold.

The netbook also has a wavy design on the lid.

The Eee PC 1015PW has 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, and either a 250GB or 320GB hard drive. It comes with a 1024 x 600 pixel display.

via Tech in Style and Eee PC.net

Asus Eee PC 1015PW: Dual core netbook with custom designs is a post from: Liliputing

Zotac adds ZBOX HD-ID40 ION nettop to its lineup

Zotac has added a new model to its ever-growing line of mini-desktops with high(ish) performance graphics. The new Zotac ZBOX HD-ID40 features the same case design as the last half dozen or so Zotac nettops,but under the hood it packs all new features, including:

• 1.83GHz Intel Atom D525 dual core PCU
• Next-generation NVIDIA ION graphics with 512MB RAM
• 802.11b/g/n WiFi
• HDMI output
• 6-in-1 flash card reader
• 6 USB ports, 1 combo eSATA/USB port, DVI, HDMI, Ethernet jacks
• Passive (fanless) cooling
• 2.5 inch drive bay.

Lke most Zotax nettops, the basic model of the ZBOX HD-ID40 will ship without a hard drive, RAM, or operating system. There's also a ZBOX HD-ID40 PLUS model with 2GB of DDR2 memory and a 250GB, 5400RM hard drive. You still need to install an operating system on your own.

via Netbook News

Zotac adds ZBOX HD-ID40 ION nettop to its lineup is a post from: Liliputing

Eee PC 1015PN Bestowed with an Official Product Page

So Asus has just made the new Eee PC 1015PN official via its own product page. You do remember this Eee PC with 1080p video playback capability right? Amazon has put up a page for this netbook earlier but forgot to put the release date.

But here's Asus now officially announcing the Eee PC 1015PN. And in case you've missed our previous coverage, let us remind you that this netbook features a NVIDIA ION graphics and Nvidia Optimus graphics switching technology.

Key specs of the Eee PC 1015PN include – 10.1-inch display, Windows 7 Starter, 1GB of RAM, 250GB HDD + 500GB Asus storage, and Intel Atom N550 dual core CPU.

Battery life is promised to reach up to 9.5 hours.

The Eee PC 1015PN is available now and would set you back for $429.99.

via Notebook Review

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Link to post: Eee PC 1015PN Bestowed with an Official Product Page - from: Eee PC - Blog | No comments | © Admarket, 2010.

MSI to launch dual core netbook soon, Android tablet early next year?

Sure, MSI was showing off Google Android powered tablets along with the best of them at CES in January, 2010. But the prototypes didn't exactly work all that well, and the company has repeatedly postponed plans to actually launch the tablet. Now it looks like you might have to wait until March, 2011 to get your hands on the MSI Wind Pad.

Digitimes reports that the company is waiting until after Google Android 3.0 is launched to release the 10 inch Wind Pad tablet. It will likely have USB and HDMI portsand cost less than $500. MSI will likely show off a demo at CES in January.

French site Blogeee obtained some new rendered images of an MSI Wind tablet a few days ago, although it's not clear if they represent the final design.

Meanwhile, it looks like MSI is still debating whether to launch a 10 inch tablet with an Intel processor and Windows 7 operating system.

DigiTimes also reports that MSI will introduce its first netbook with a dual core processor in November. I suspect this is the updated version of the MSI Wind U160 with an Intel Atom N550 processor that we heard about last month.

MSI to launch dual core netbook soon, Android tablet early next year? is a post from: Liliputing

One for the ladies: Asus Eee PC 1015PW

Asus are reportedly due  to release a rather stylish "fashion focused" Dual Core Eee PC 1015PW netbook model that is presumably aimed mainly at the female netbook buying market, according to a source on web blog TechInStyle.tv.

The Asus Eee PC 1015PW will be available in a choice of three stunning colors including Gold Dust, Angel Skin and Purple Rain and the lid of the netbook has a grainy textured finish to it. Specifications are expected to be similar to the previously released Eee PC 1015PEM model of netbook from Asus, using the new 1.5GHz dual core Intel Atom N550 processor and featuring a 10.1″ screen with 1024×600 resolution and a matte finish, 2GB of fast DDR3 RAM, a 250GB or 320GB hard drive (dependant upon the configuration options chosen) and of course the usual netbook additions of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, card reader and a webcam.

No firm release date or pricing details for the 1015PW are known as yet however, the Eee PC 1015PEM is available in the US market for between $359 and $399 which could give some indication of the price range the 1015PW will go into on release.

via

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Link to post: One for the ladies: Asus Eee PC 1015PW - from: Eee PC - Blog | No comments | © Admarket, 2010.

Tega v2 Windows slate reviewed, found a bit wanting

Well, this is kind of sad… as I just mentioned, my CTL 2goPad review will be coming any day now, but while it's definitely a better Windows tablet than some I've tried, it's still just not that much fun to use. Now it looks like another Windows slate is getting similar reviews. GottaBeMobile's Warner Crocker has posted a detailed look at the new Tega v2 slate PC, and as hard as he tried to like it, it looks like the little guy fell short.

That's saying something, because the build quality is reportedly quite good, and the Tega v2 was developed by Hugo Ortega, who is kind of a legend in the tablet PC enthusiast community. But the fact is that the Netbook Navigator Nav9 slate, the CTL 2goPad, and the Tega v2 are all failing to provide a decent user experience.

Now let's be clear. This doesn't mean that all Windows 7 slates are going to be awful. But it does add to mounting evidence that throwing Windows 7 on a device that's basically a glorified netbook might not be good enough. I wasn't particularly impressed with Eee PC T91 or Gigabyte TouchNote T1028X convertible tablets I reviewed last year either, but both of those models were running Windows XP.

What it is starting to suggest is that Windows 7 is a bit resource heavy for the type of hardware that tends to go into sub-$1000 slate computers. On computers that have accelerometers, it seems to take a very long time to rotate the display. Without an accelerometer it takes even longer because you have to manually enter the computer's settings to change the screen orientation. Zooming in and out of web pages tends to be a bit jerky, and while scrolling through web sites, images, and other areas can be smooth at times, I've also noticed some instances where you swipe your finger across the screen and nothing happens for a while.

Warner had a better expeirence than I did with pinching, scrolling, zooming and other elements, so it's possible that the Tega v2 may be better than some other slates I've tried. He also had a decent experience using a capacitive stylus to ink on the display, but I find the on-screen Windows 7 keyboard rather maddening to use because it often blocks parts of the screen you need to see there are far too many buttons to comfortably thumb-type if you rotate a 1024 x 600 pixel screen to portrait mode.

Like the CTL 2goPad, the Tega v2 has capacitive touch buttons built into the right side of the screen bezel — where there's a good chance you'll accidentally hit them and inadvertently trigger actions when you're simply trying to hold the computer until you get the hang of contorting your hands to avoid them.

I know there are people who love Windows tablets. But most of the tablets of yore had active digitizers which allowed for precise pen input, and relatively fast processors and graphics processors, rather than the Atom N270 and N450 chips showing up in today's slates. Oh yeah, and they cost a lot more. Many of those slates also had keyboards and touchpads as well, allowing you to use the computers as normal laptops or rotate the screen for use in tablet mode only when you wanted to.

I'm hopeful that someone can figure out how to make Windows 7 work well on cheaper slates, doing for the tablet space what netbooks have done for laptops: Driving down the price of portable technology. But we might need to wait until Microsoft or another company launches software that truly makes Windows more usable on these devices. Right now, it's hard to compete with Google Android and iOS, both of which were built from the ground up for touch input.

Then there's the problem of 1024 x 600 pixel displays looking silly when you put them on their side so you have 600 x 1024 pixel screens. Most Windows apps simply weren't designed for that kind of screen resolution.

That said, there's something appealing about being able to run virtually any Windows app on a tablet the size of an Apple iPad. I just wish they ran better on these devices.

Tega v2 Windows slate reviewed, found a bit wanting is a post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Netbooks and Notebooks

• Used ASUS Eee PC 1005PEB w/Atom N450, Win 7 Starter for $190 + free shipping – CowBoom
• Refurb ASUS Eee 1005HAB w/Atom N270, Win7 Starter for $180 + free shipping – CowBoom
• Refurb HP Mini 110 w.Atom N270, Win XP, 3 cell battery for $230 – TigerDirect
• Asus Eee PC 1015PN netbook w/Atom N550, NVIDIA ION for $425 + free shipping – Amazon

Accessories

• Kensington Netbook Accessory Bundle for $5 + free shipping - AT&T (via Dealnews)
• A-DATA 16GB USB Flash Drive for $23 + free shipping - eCost
• 7″ Mini USB Charging Cable for $1 + free shipping – EveryDaySource (coupon: S10SCCM)
• Sony MDR-NC40 Noise-Canceling Headphones for $39 + $7 s&h - MegaMacs
• Zonet 802.11n Wireless 4-Port Router for $22 after rebate + free shipping - Mwave (M Club price)

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

Deals of the Day is a post from: Liliputing