Gateway Reveals Its New Laptop

Gateway, one of Japan's leading laptop manufacturers, has shown off its latest offering. Called the EC19C-A52C/S, it boasts a powerful 1.33GHz dual-core Core i5-470UM CPU and runs on the Windows 7 OS. This baby has some of the most powerful specs for its size – which is at a surprising 11.6 inches.

Additional specs include a 320 GB hard drive, 2 GB of RAM, outputs for HDMI and VGA, plus an inbuilt Ethernet port. It also packs a 1.3 megapixel webcam, a 4-in-1 card reader, and connectivity via 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0.

It's just been released in Japan at a whopping price of ¥65,000 – which is around $775. Pretty expensive but it seems to be worth the price.

Source: Engadget

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Link to post: Gateway Reveals Its New Laptop - from: Eee PC - Blog | No comments | © Admarket, 2010.

Rumor: BlackBerry Playbook pricing to start at $399

Research in Motion still hasn't announced the official pricing for the upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, but we've been hearing for a while that it would be competitive with Apple's iPad and that at least some models would sell for under $500. Now the folks at Mobility Insider claim to have the scoop on the actual pricing.

Reportedly you'll be able to pick up an 8GB model for $399, while a 16GB version will run $499 and 32GB version will sell for $599.

I'd take these prices with a grain of salt for now, since they come from an anonymous source.

Mobility Insider reports that the only difference between these models is the amount of storage space, which makes the pricing spread seem a bit high to me. None of the models will have an integrated 3G modem. Instead, the idea is that you'll be able to pair the PlayBook with a BlackeBerry phone to share your data connection, or use the PlayBook as a standalone tablet over a WiFi connection.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is expected to launch early next year.

Rumor: BlackBerry Playbook pricing to start at $399 is a post from: Liliputing

The One Coming From Woow Digital

Calling their product "The One", you can't say that Woow Digital doesn't have some chutzpah. The little-known electronics company is preparing for a tablet release in a big way, with an initial release in Japan at a price tag of ¥42,000 ($504). With specs that include a 10-inch  1024×600 resolution screen and  an NVIDIATegra 2 core, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of flash storage, it's pretty much worth the price. Throw in an Android Gingerbread OS and wireless connectivity provided via Bluetooth, WiFi and WCDMA 3G, and you've got a pretty good product.

Release date is pegged before Christmas and you'll probably find many of these under a Christmas tree.

Source: Engadget

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Link to post: The One Coming From Woow Digital - from: Eee PC - Blog | No comments | © Admarket, 2010.

The Asus DR-900 Gets A Surprise Release

This is a bit of good news for those who're hankering for a new e-reader. Asus seems to be planning to release their DR-900 e-reader – which everyone was expecting next year. Now slated for a November 29 release,   the problem is that it's supposed to only be released in Taiwan. Coming with a price tag of NT$12,000 or $390, it should be cheap enough to order it from abroad – comparing the new Kindle DX's $379 price.

Specs include a nice 9-inch SiPix e-paper display – definitely not the standard. It's also got 4 GB of internal storage and access to the Internet via integrated Wi-Fi and 3G, as well as an optional WiMax module. It's supposed to support PDF, TXT, MP3 and ePub file formats.

A great choice if you're looking for an e-reader – though you'll have to wait a little for it to reach American shores.

Source: GoodeReader

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Link to post: The Asus DR-900 Gets A Surprise Release - from: Eee PC - Blog | No comments | © Admarket, 2010.

SlingPlayer Mobile app turns the Archos 101 into a portable 10 inch TV

Sure, it was cool when Sling Media launched a SlingPlayer Mobile app for Android this summer, letting you stream live or recorded TV from your home to a mobile phone. But somehow it's a lot cooler on a 10 inch tablet like the iPad, or an Archos 101.

As it turns out, the app runs great on the Archos 101, which features a 10 inch capacitive touchscreen tablet, a 1GHz ARM-based processor and support for HD graphics.

In order to use the $30 SlingPlayer app, you'll need to have a supported Slingbox hooked up to your home media system. Once that's done, you can stream live TV from a cable, satellite, IPTV, or broadcast signal, or play recorded shows from  TiVo or other supported DVR. You get virtual on-screen remote control functions, fast forward, rewind, pause, controls, an electronic program guide, and pretty much everything you need to watch TV on the go.

You can check out a video of SlingPlayer Mobile on the Archos 101 after he break, courtesy of YouTube user ruinah1.

via reddit

SlingPlayer Mobile app turns the Archos 101 into a portable 10 inch TV is a post from: Liliputing

LG Unveils The E-Note H1000B Tablet

The HP Slate 500 maybe the big boy on the block right now for Windows tablets, but don't expect that to last too long. Even now, a lot of competitors are popping up. Some of them aren't exactly the best products, for example, some Shenzhen tablet, but LG from Korea has come out with something that may give buyers a decent alternative.

Called the LG E-Note H100B, it's pretty much a tablet with netbook specs. Running on a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z530 CPU a Windows 7 Starter Edition OS, it also comes with 1 GB RAM, 16 GB SSD storage, 2- USB 2.0 ports, SD card reader, packed with WiFi 802.11 b/g/n support and Bluetooth 3.0 for its connectivity options. It also includes a capacitive touch stylus.

The price tag is $850 which includes a WiMax router.

Source: Gottabemobile

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Link to post: LG Unveils The E-Note H1000B Tablet - from: Eee PC - Blog | No comments | © Admarket, 2010.

Dell Inspiron Duo Convertible Netbook/Tablet Available Now for Pre-Order

Well, that was fast. If we got you excited about the Dell Inspiron Duo convertible netbook/tablet and you're excited to get it by December, well you can place your order now and get first dibs at this cool netbook-tablet combo.  Dell promises to deliver the Inspiron Duo by December 15 and to grab it, you'll need to spend $549.

For that price you'd get one of the coolest netbook we've seen packed with Intel Dual-Core Atom N550 CPU, Windows 7  Home Premium, 360GB of HDD and 2GB of RAM, built-in webcam, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 4-cell battery and 10-inch display.

via Electronista, Dell

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Link to post: Dell Inspiron Duo Convertible Netbook/Tablet Available Now for Pre-Order - from: Eee PC - Blog | One comment | © Admarket, 2010.

NEC Smartia: Consumer version of the LifeTouch Android tablet

NEC has been showing off a 7 inch Android tablet called the LifeTouch cloud communicator in Japan for a few months. The machine has an 800 x 480 pixel display, a 600MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 1GB o fstorage, 384MB of RAM, 802.11b/g WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, a G-sensor, light sensor, and 3mP camera. It runs Android 2.1.

The only catch? The NEC LifeTouch is aimed at enterprise users. But now Netbook News reports that NEC seems to be offering a consumer version of the tablet.

The new model is called the NEC Smartia, and aside from the new name, it looks virtually identical to the LifeTouch.

The tablet will sell for about 42,800 yen in Japan starting on December 6th. No word on international availability.

NEC Smartia: Consumer version of the LifeTouch Android tablet is a post from: Liliputing

In-depth look at the Dell Inspiron Duo

The Dell Inspiron Duo is expected to begin shipping next week. The Duo is one of the most intriguing 10 inch mini-laptops to launch this year, thanks to a unique design that lets you convert the computer from netbook to tablet mode by flipping the screen around and closing the lid.

But the convertible tablet functionality is just one of the things that makes the Duo different. It also has a rubberized case, an optional docking station that lets you use the computer with external speakers, and Dell Stage media software that launches automatically when you convert from laptop to tablet mode.

The Dell Stage software includes music, photo, video, books, games, paint, and internet apps. Given that Windows 7′s default apps don't tend to run as well as they could on low cost tablets (most likely due to hardware constraints), it's nice to see that Dell has put some effort into improving the experience.

That said, the folks at Laptop Magazine took a pre-release version of the Dell Inspiron Duo for a spin, and the media software looks kind of sluggish at the moment. It's worth keeping in mind that this is pre-release software and hardware though, and things may work better on the final version.

You can check out Laptop's video overview after the break. There are also more photos, screenshots, and much more information at the Laptop Magazine blog.

In-depth look at the Dell Inspiron Duo is a post from: Liliputing

Asus Releases the Eee PC 1015PW in Austria and Germany

Somewhere in Austria and Germany, Asus has just unveiled a new powerhouse netbook dubbed – Eee PC 1015PW.  This new Eee PC netbook boasts of Intel Atom N550 Dual Core Processor, 10.1-inch display, 250GB HDD, 1GB of RAM and an extra 500GB storage via Asus' WebStorage where you'd get free one year access to the server and store your photos, movies, and music collection.

Design-wise, the Eee PC 1015PW sports a striking, corrugated surface structure and comes available in designs with shades of  purple, pink and gold. The Eee PC 1015PW gives you a netbook running on 6-cell battery pack which could probably max you out for more than  hours of usage.

The Eee PC 1015PW will hit the Austrian and German market sometime in December.

via Netbooknews.de

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Link to post: Asus Releases the Eee PC 1015PW in Austria and Germany - from: Eee PC - Blog | No comments | © Admarket, 2010.

Digia develops custom user interface for MeeGo computers, smartphones

MeeGo is a light weight Linux distribution that's been optimized to run on smartphones, tablets, netbooks, and other devices with low power ARM, Intel, or AMD chips. The OS is tweaked to run on low resolution displays and to handle low power processors. But while you can certainly run a vanilla MeeGo installation on your mobile device, MeeGo technology is also available for use in other Linux-based operating systems. Linpus, Fedora, and others have already added MeeGo code to their software.

But while some folks are busy taking the MeeGo user interface and adding it to other operating systems, a company called Digia is showing off a custom user interface that runs on top of MeeGo Linux.

MeeGo Experts caught the Digia UI on video, and it sure looks very zippy and oh-so-pretty. Honestly, it doesn't look all that useful though. The company showed a Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t convertible tablet with the Digia UI, which simulates an underwater scene with your program icons floating in bubbles. You can drag them around, watch air bubbles reach the surface, and scroll left and right.

The UI also runs on the Nokia N900 smartphone, but the animated effects look much better on the Atom-based S10-3t. Overall, I think you're better off sticking with the stock MeeGo user interface — but it's interesting to see what kind of tools third party developers are putting together for the platform.

You can check out the video after the break.

via SlashGear

Digia develops custom user interface for MeeGo computers, smartphones is a post from: Liliputing

Jolicloud Jolibook reviewed

Now that the Jolicloud Jolibook is available in the UK, we're starting to see reviews pop up. CrunchGear recently posted some thoughts on the hardware and the cloud-centric Linux operating system. Now Engadget's Joanna Stern has published a detailed review.

Here's the short version: The hardware is pretty much par for the course, although the touchpad and display could be better and the 48Whr will only offer around 5 hours of run time. The operating system is user-friendly, easy to use, and works well for anyone who runs a lot of web-based apps, but wants to be able to run offline apps as well (which Google's upcoming Chrome OS won't support).

In other words — I can't see a lot of reasons to buy the Jolibook instead of simply buying a cheap Windows or Linux netbook and downloading and installing the free Jolicloud OS on your own. But if you really want the colorful lid, or don't feel comfortable installing operating systems on your own, I guess the Jolibook might be attractive.

The computer runs £279 in the UK, which is about the same price as many Windows 7 netbooks. No word on how much it will cost if and when it ships int he US.

Jolicloud Jolibook reviewed is a post from: Liliputing

Fuduntu: Fedora Linux remix designed for netbooks

Earlier this month the folks behind the Fedora Linux distribution released Fedora 14 with a number of new features including MeeGo technology to improve performance on netbooks and other devices with low power processors and small screens. But Fewt, the guy behind the Jupiter power management applet for Linux netbooks, decided to go a bit further in optimizing Fedora to run on a netbook.

He's called the remixed Linux distribution Fuduntu, and it features some desktop environment tweaks, optimizations of the tmp and log directories by moving them to a RAM disk, and adjusted swappiness. These tweaks should help improve performance on Eee PC netbooks with slow SSDs and small screens, although the OS should run at least as well on more powerful machines including larger notebooks and desktops.

Fuduntu also loses some of the default apps that come with Fedora 14 including Empathy, Transmission, GNOME games, and Dialup, while adding OpenOffice.org, GIMP, Pidgin, and others. Of course, the Jupiter power management utility is also included.

Fuduntu: Fedora Linux remix designed for netbooks is a post from: Liliputing

Acer to launch a 10 inch, AMD-powered Windows tablet in February

This morning Acer introduced 5 new laptop and tablet computers and two major pieces of software news. But here's one item I wanted to take a closer look at: The 10 inch Windows tablet Acer is expected to launch early next year.

We don't have complete specs for the computer, but we know it will have a 10.1 inch "high resolution' display, measure about 0.6 inches thick, and weigh less than 2.2 pounds. The tablet will have WiFi and 3G, as well as twin 1.3MP cameras: one one the front, and one on the back.

The tablet will also come with a docking device with a full-sized keyboard, allowing you to use the tablet as a sort of convertible touchscreen tablet-style netbook.

Of course, Acer won't be the first company to launch a 10 inch convertible tablet, not by a longshot. This little guy enters a space already populated by the Asus Eee PC T101, the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t, and the new Dell Inspiron Duo, among others. But there's one thing that could really help the Acer tablet stand out: It will have a "next-generation" AMD chip.

I've noticed that most of the Windows tablets I've tested which are equipped with low power Intel Atom chips feel a little too sluggish to run Windows 7 properly in a tablet form factor. It appears you need a bit more power to properly handle features such as automatic screen rotation and accurate gesture support.

AMD's latest chips though, offer much better CPU and graphics performance than a typical Atom chip. So I'm hopeful that the upcoming Acer tablets will be better equipped to run Windows 7. We'll have to wait until February to find out… although I suspect Acer will probably have prototypes on display at CES in January.

via Engadget and Laptop Magazine

Acer to launch a 10 inch, AMD-powered Windows tablet in February is a post from: Liliputing

Dell Inspiron Duo now available for $550

Yesterday the Dell Inspiron Duo went up for order at the Microsoft Store. Today it's available directly from Dell.com — although the preliminary ship date isn't until mid-December.

The Inspiron Duo is a convertible tablet style netbook. You can use it like a normal 10 inch clamshell netbook, or you can flip the screen back and close the lid so you can hold the computer like a tablet.

The computer has a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core CPU, a 10 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel multitouch display, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB, 7200RPM hard drive, and runs Windows 7 Home Premium. It has 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, and a 1.3MP webcam.

On the downside, the Duo comes standard with a 29Whr 4-cell battery. I'd be surprised if you can squeeze more than 3-4 hours of run time out of the machine, but we won't know for sure until we start to see some real-world reviews. I'm hoping to get my hands on a demo unit, but Dell says those won't be available until December.

Dell also offers an optional Inspiron Duo Audio Station for an extra $100. You can dock the computer in the station when it's in tablet mode to use the integrated speakers, media card reader, Ethernet adapter, and 2 extra USB ports.

Dell Inspiron Duo now available for $550 is a post from: Liliputing

Acer introduces 5, 7, 10 inch tablets, dual-screen notebook

Acer is unveiling a new line of touch-enabled computers today, along with a new media store for users to purchase and download music, video, games, and newspapers. Engadget is covering the news in a liveblog, but here's what we know so far:

• Acer plans to launch 5, 7, and 10 inch tablet computers
• The company is also showing a new dual-screen notebook called the Iconia with a virtual on-screen keyboard on one screen. It looks a lot like the Toshiba Libretto W100… but bigger. It runs Windows 7.
• There's a 10.1 inch convertible tablet-style netbook due out in February with an AMD chip, 2 cameras, HDMI output, and Windows 7.

It looks like Acer has developed some pretty serious touch-capable software for interacting with the Iconia laptop. The display brings up an Acer menu when you place five fingers on the screen. There are touch-friendly apps for videos, photos and a web browser that's been optimized for touch controls.

As far as tablets, Acer plans to launch a 10.1 inch model in April that will run the version of Android Google keeps promising will be optimized for tablets. It will have a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU, support for Flash 10.1, a 5MP rear-facing camera, as well as a lower resolution front-facing camera, and HDMI output.

Also in April, Acer will introduce a 4.8 inch mini-tablet with a 1024 x 480 pixel display, 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, HD video recording, 6-axis motion sensing, and an LED flash. This little guy will be able to make phone calls and walks the line between tablet and smartphone, much like the 5 inch Dell Streak.

Acer also has a 7 inch, 1280 x 800 pixel tablet with a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU in the works. Like the others, it's not due out until April.

You can find more photos from Engadget after the break…. or at Engadget.

Update: The folks at Laptop Magazine got their hands on some press shots, including a few you can see after the break.

Acer introduces 5, 7, 10 inch tablets, dual-screen notebook is a post from: Liliputing

Vayee clones the Nokia Booklet 3G for Chinese market

The last mini-laptop I saw from Chinese PC builder Vayee was an 11.6 inch laptop designed to look like a MacBook Air (before Apple had an 11.6 inch MacBook Air). Now the company is back with a 10 inch netbook designed to look like a Nokia Booklet 3G.

The Vayee netbook has 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. While the CPU is more powerful than the Atom Z530 found in the real Booklet 3G, the Nokia laptop has a 720p HD display, while the Vayee knockoff has a typical 10 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display.

There's no word on pricing or availability, but I'd be surprised if the Vayee HY116 was released outside of China anytime soon.

via Shanzai.com

Vayee clones the Nokia Booklet 3G for Chinese market is a post from: Liliputing

Stream TV eLocity A7 tablet still isn't shipping yet

You know how some products just seem like they're taking forever to hit the market because it's been so long since we first heard about them, and other products really are taking forever… because they keep missing their estimated ship dates. Yeah, it looks like the Stream TV eLocity A7 tablet is falling into the latter category.

The 7 inch Android tablet features an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core chip, n 800 x 480 pixel capacitive multitouch display, an accelerometer, and USB and HDMI ports. It can handle 1080p HD video output, runs Google Android 2.2, and is supposed to sell for $399.

Unfortunately the company promised in August that the tablet would be available the following month. September came and went. So did October. Now that November is almost over, Netbook News discovered that customers who have placed orders are finding that the ship dates have been pushed back to December.

I think it's still too early to call the eLocity A7 vaporware. At this point, I think it's just delayed… but sometimes its better not to give shipping estimates than to provide them and miss them.

Stream TV eLocity A7 tablet still isn't shipping yet is a post from: Liliputing

Reminder: Black Friday deals on mobile tech

It's Thanksgiving in the US today… which means family, food, and football for many folks. It also means there's just one day to go until Black Friday, often considered the official start of the holiday shopping season, the busiest shopping day of the year, and/or the day when many US retailers finally break even for the year. Oh yeah, there are also often deep discounts on an awful lot of goodies.

If you're crazy enough to brave the lines for discounts on goods from retailers such as Best Buy, Target, Sam's Club, and others, it looks like there are some pretty good deals to be had, including a $150 Compaq netbook from Best Buy, a $180 Acer netbook from Radio Shack, and a 1TB portable hard drive for $69 from Target.

But there are also some great deals from online retailers, which you can order without leaving the house. Newegg, Amazon, Buy.com Dell, Lenovo, and others are already offering deep discounts on netbooks, notebooks, tablets, nettops, and other gadgets. I put together a list of deals recently and I've been updating it throughout the week.

So if you're thinking of picking up a new PC, tablet, MP3 player, eBook reader, or other item, then you might want to check it out.

A number of the online deals are already available, while some of the promotions won't kick in until late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

Reminder: Black Friday deals on mobile tech is a post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Netbooks and Notebooks

• Asus Eee PC 1015PN 10″ netbook w/Atom N550, NVIDIA ION 2 for $425 – Amazon
• Refurb Asus Eee PC 1005HAB netbook w/Atom N270, Win XP, 3 cell battery for $195 – eCost
• Refurb Asus Eee PC 1005PEB netbook w/Atom N450, Win 7 Starter, 6 cell battery for $219 – MWave
• Acer Aspire AS1551 11.6″ notebook w/AMD K325 CPU for $409 – Amazon
• Acer Aspire AS1830T 11.6″ netbook w/Core i3-330UM CPU for $558 - B&H

Accessories

• VMWare Fusion 3 for $2 after rebate - Smith Micro (via JAMM)
• Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit (full version, OEM) for $85 - SuperBiiz (coupon: FOODCOMA15)
• Samsung 23″ 1080p LCD monitor for $150 – TigerDirect (coupon: EJJ12205)
• Centon 16GB SDHC Secure Digital Class 4 Card for $17 + $2 s&h – TigerDirect
• Sony eBook Pocket Reader for $100 + free shipping - Best Buy
• ASUS 8x Dual Layer USB DVD Burner for $20 after rebate + free shipping – Mwave (M Club)
• Google Checkout: $5 off $30 at Buy.com, TigerDirect.com, more – Details at Dealnews

You can find more deals on mobile computers, gadgets, and accessories in the Liliputing Deals section. You can also check out the latest Black Friday deals on mobile tech.

Deals of the Day is a post from: Liliputing

Google Chrome OS netbooks to ship in 2011

While there's still time for Google to officially launch its upcoming Chrome Operating System before the end of the year, time is running out. Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently stated that Chrome OS was due for release in the next few months, which many bloggers took to mean that the OS wouldn't see the light of day until early 2011 — but last time I checked, the next few months still includes next month.

Now Engadget has some more evidence though. Apparently Acer's Jim Wong said that the company will launch a netbook running Chrome OS next year, during the "consumer launch" of Chrome OS.

That doesn't mean that Google won't release a public beta, or maybe even a final build of Chrome for users to download before the end of the year. But it seems like we might have to wait until early 2011 before we actually start to see netbooks and other hardware designed to run the operating system.

Chrome OS is basically a fast-booting light weight operating system designed around Google's Chrome web browser. It's meant to get you online nearly instantly, while most apps will be web apps. There will also be some offline functionality such as media caching for offline playback, as well as services that will let you interact with hardware such as printers.

Google Chrome OS netbooks to ship in 2011 is a post from: Liliputing

Intel ramps up production of Oak Trail chips

Intel has reportedly started mass production of its new Oak Trail chips. These low power chips combine Intel Atom Z670 processors and SM35 chipsets.

DigiTimes reports that the chips will be available to hardware makers for about $25 with MeeGo Linux. Systems that run Windows 7 will run higher due to licensing costs.

Tablets, netbooks, and other low power computers based on the Oak Trail platform should start arriving early next year.

Intel ramps up production of Oak Trail chips is a post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Netbooks

• Refurb ASUS Eee PC 1005PEB w/Atom N450, Win7 Starter, 6 cell battery for $238 – Geeks.com
• Acer Aspire One 532h w/Atom N450, Win 7 Starter, 6 cell battery for $289 – Amazon

Tablets

• Archos 7 Home Tablet w/Android, 8G storage for $170 + free shipping – Amazon
• Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet w/Android for $250 – Best Buy

Accessories & Other

• Windows 7 HP Upgrade 3-pack + free Cisco Valet Router for $135 – Microsoft Store (coupon: TNSGIFT10)
• Get $3 in free credit for Amazon MP3 downloads
• LG slim 8x USB DVD-RW burner for $33.99 - Geeks.com
• Lite-On ETAU208-96 SLIM external DVD burner for $29.99 – TigerDirect
• Kingston 4GB DataTraveler 101 USB flash drive for $7 + free shipping - Buy.com

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

Deals of the Day is a post from: Liliputing

Testing Renice-Tech's new Mini PCI-E 70mm SandForce SSD for Eee PCs

So far, the best performing Mini PCIe solid state disk for Asus Eee PC netbooks that use SSDs has been the Runcore Pro IV series, with the Indilinx controller. This is due in part to the fact that up until now, no one else has utilized a better controller for a Mini PCI-E SSD.  But this has changed with the recently released Renice Technology X3 (K3VLAR) series 70mm Mini PCI-E SSD, with a SandForce SF-1222 controller, which  the good folks over at My Digital Discount have let me review with a pre-release 60GB prototype of the Renice drive.  I've posted the detailed benchmark results at the EeeUser Forum.

You can purchase the new SSDs from MyDigital Discount. The 32GB model is going for $119.99. The 64GB version runs $199.99, and the 128GB SSD costs $379.99.

SandForce based SSDs have up till now only been offered in 2.5″ form factor SATA drives, and a few also in 4x PCI-Express packages.  But Renice Technology is the first to offer a Mini PCIe version of the drive.  That's significant considering how SandForce based drives have become one of the most highly rated in both consumer and enterprise class drives.

However, the Eee PC systems that this Renice drive is intended for are limited to SATA 1.0 (1.5 Gbit/s or 150 MB/s) and there's additional overhead that reduces actual performance to a little below 130 MB/s.

That means you won't be reaching the drive's reported max speeds with these systems, and you may not notice a big difference between the Renice drive and a Runcore Pro IV because of this.  But the benchmarks I ran still clearly show an advantage for the Renice drive despite the SATA limitation and side by side you can notice some difference — especially for smaller read/write cycles which is where these drives really boost the performance for Eee PC' netbooks.

The Renice-Tech Mini PCI-E 70mm SSD reference specifications also indicated the drive is capable of even greater performance than it would show netbook designed to use this sort of solid state disk.

So, since I have the RunCore 70mm/50mm Mini PCI-e SSD to 2.5″ SATA II Converter Adapter, I decided to also test the Renice drive in a Eee PC 1000HE,  as a control to see how the drive compares in a netbook that normally uses a hard drive, and finally in a SATA II (3 Gbit/s or 300 MB/s) compliant desktop system to check the full potential of the drive and compared it to a Runcore Pro IV 32GB 70mm Mini PCI-E SATA SSD for comparison.

The results show significantly greater potential for the Renice drive than the Runcore.

Of course, results will vary depending upon the capabilities and efficiency of your particular system but you can also check out a more detailed benchmark testing done by The SSD Review, which were done on a more powerful Core i7, with a motherboard that supports SATA 3 (6GB/s), system that showed results more consistent with the Renice-Tech reference specifications and match up pretty well to the Renice 2.5″ SATA drive.

Overall, I was quite impressed with the performance of the Renice drive and would recommend it to anyone considering upgrading their 70mm Mini PCI-E SSD equipped Eee PC's.  The drive may also prove useful for those wishing to upgrade and mod one of Asus's present line of Eee PC's.  The Seashell design is thinner than previous models and leaves very little room for modding of these systems.  But a fast Mini PCI-E SATA SSD drive like the Renice-Tech drive, in combination with the previously mentioned Runcore adapter, will take up only about half the space of a traditional 2.5″ SATA drive while still providing you with a fast SSD upgrade.

Incidentally, Renice Technology has also added a listing for a 50mm PATA Mini PCI-E SSD.  It's a PATA disk instead of SATA though, and is using a Eastwho EWS600 controller instead of a SandForce.  So performance will be significantly less than the SATA 70mm drive but unlike the 70mm drive the 50mm drive is intended for more generic UMPC's and not for a specific brand system like the Asus Eee PC.

SATA Revision 1.0 (SATA 1.5 Gbit/s)

Testing Renice-Tech's new Mini PCI-E 70mm SandForce SSD for Eee PCs is a post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Netbooks and Notebooks

• Refurb Asus Eee PC 1005PEB w/Atom N450, Win 7 Starter, 6 cell battery for $220 – Newegg
• Acer Aspire One D255 netbook + Sennheiser wireless headphones for $330 – SuperBiiz (coupon: TAKE5)
• Asus Eee PC 1001PXB w/Atom N450, Win 7 Starter, 3 cell battery for $280 – Best Buy

Accessories

• LaCie 500GB rugged portable hard drive for $73 + free shipping - Buy.com
• Polaroid Red Slim external DVD writer for $29.99 – TigerDirect
• ViewSonic 22″ 1080p monitor for $159.99 – TigerDirect

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

Deals of the Day is a post from: Liliputing

Jolicloud netbook may launch in the UK on Friday

Jolicloud is expected to begin selling a netbook called the Jolibook soon… perhaps real soon. The Wall Street Journal reports that the netbook will be available in the UK on Friday, with Jolicloud launching the netbook in other countries after taht.

The Jolibook features a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core processor, a 250GB hard drive, and the Jolicloud Linux-based operating system which is optimized to run on netbooks with small displays and low power processors. Jolicloud is also designed to blur the lines between native desktop apps and web apps, allowing you to "install" shortcuts for web services like Twitter and Gmail just as easily as you would install a native app like OpenOffice.org or VLC.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that Jolicloud has been in talks with education suppliers in the UK and other countries about getting the netbooks into schools.

via SlashGear

Jolicloud netbook may launch in the UK on Friday is a post from: Liliputing

Dell to Unveil the Dell Duo, a Netbook Convertible Tablet

Since tablet is so popular today, and netbooks still getting some good responses from consumers, Dell is taking a wise move by releasing a tablet that converts into a netbook. Dubbed Dell Duo, this device is aimed at the Apple iPad but at the same time geared for netbook fans.

Dell is expected to roll out its hybrid tablet-laptop next week, as the PC maker takes aim at Apple's iPad with a novel twist on the tablet concept.

Unfortunately, when it comes to features nothing much is available right now. Except for the fact that the Dell Duo will it will run Windows 7 and sports a 10-inch display.

Pricing details are still not available as of this time.

via CNET

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Accessories

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• Refurb Linksys 802.11n Wireless Gigabit Router for $20 after rebate + $5 s&h – TigerDirect

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

Deals of the Day is a post from: Liliputing