Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Apple iPad review roundup

With the Apple iPad set to go on sale this weekend, a number of news outlets have published reviews of Apple's new tablet. Here's a smattering of opinions:

  • Sun Times: This is the first true tablet. Everything else is a laptop with the keyboard removed.
  • New York Times: It's basically a big iPod touch. The big display is a game changer for some apps. But the on-screen keyboard stinks.
  • TechBlog: It's not a PC replacement, but it's an entirely new class of device (with a surprisingly decent on-screen keyboard).
  • USA Today: Netbooks will need to change or adapt… but the on-screen keyboard stinks (mix messages much?)
  • Wall Street Journal: You can use it surf the web, send emails, and consume media. You won't use it for creating large documents.
  • Boing Boing: It will change the way you read books — think "Harry Potter" books with moving pictures.
  • PC Magazine: The iPad is lighter than a laptop, but kind of heavy to hold in one hand for extended periods.
  • ABC News: Hey look, it's a video!

Interestingly, while some reviewers hated the on-screen keyboard, others found it comfortable. The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg says he preferred it to some netbook keyboards.

Reviewers also differed a bit on the battery life — but nobody came up with test results that were that far off from Apple's 10 hour estimate. The shortest I saw was about 9.5 hours, while several reviewers managed to get 11 to 12 hours of run time while playing videos continuously.

The new A4 processor is reportedly quite snappy, making the iPad feel much more responsive than an iPhone. And the general consensus appears to be that the tablet is excellent for surfing the web and consuming media — and not as good for producing media. The New York Times' David Pogue had one of the most clever reviews, because he split the review in half. For techies, he basically admits that the tablet has a lot of failings. It doesn't play Flash video. It doesn't multitask. But for casual users, that large display but touch-friendly, iPhone-like interface is a game changer.

Post from: Liliputing

Apple iPad review roundup

Eee PC 1008P-KR Karim Rashid Edition Lands in UK

Although, Asus has internationally announced its limited edition Eee PC 1008P-KR netbook a couple of weeks ago, it is only no that the said netbook is coming to the UK market. It's gracing London this coming weekend and it is even bringing along some friends – more particularly a mouse and netbook case to match it stylish design. Both the mouse and case comes in either pink or brown color.

Wait, in case you forgot, the Eee PC 1008P-KR sports a special design created by Karim Rashid, which I'm guessing is a famous stylish?

For features, read our previous coverage of the Eee PC 1008P-KR here.

via Netbook Reviews

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Eee PC 1008P-KR Karim Rashid Edition Lands in UK

Psyopper makes nice, custom netbook sleeve

CrunchGear has a review up on a very interesting product. It's from Psyopper, a company that builds custom sleeves for Dell netbooks. I'm pretty sure you can fit netbooks from other makers in them as well. They're a very small outfit up at Portland but the product looks like it's fit to battle the big boys.

The review sleeve was customized with a strap, front pocket and a USB pocket. It's made from tough, military-grade material with triple stitching at all the important areas. It also has a polar fleece lining to absorb a bit of the bumps you get when carrying a netbook around. The sleeve is TSA-friendly if properly configured.

From the design, the big velcro pad on the flap will let you carry the sleeve even with just the handle which is attached to the flap. It's pretty compact, and you can as easily slip this in your bag or carry it around using the strap with no problems. The custom front pocket is great for the charger and other USb knick-knacks like mice.

While it is customizable, you better take care when ordering since the price really gets a bit high if you overdo it. It's also not for the impatient, impulse buying types since it takes a while to get done. The sleeve can be shipped internationally though, so that's good news for you folks not in the US. Personally, I hope someone locally makes something similar, a lightweight but rugged sleeve that doubles as a netbook bag.

source CrunchGear

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Psyopper makes nice, custom netbook sleeve

Samsung N150 Unboxing Video

Our friends from Netbook Reviews just go their hands on a new Samsung N150 netbook and is sharing with us their hands-on, unboxing video. In case you forgot already, the Samsung N150 sports a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 Processor, 1GB DDR2 Memory, 160GB Hard Drive,  up to 7 hours Battery life, 10.1-inch non-glare matte display and Windows 7 Starter Edition.

Chris of Netbook Reviews' first impression of the Samsung N150 is pretty good, especially the netbook's overall design and aesthetics.

The Samsung N150 is available in blue, black, red and black matte color design. Price starts from $329 at Amazon.

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Samsung N150 Unboxing Video

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Asus to Release Two Tablets, Possibly to Go Up Against the iPad

With a few days left before the Apple iPads starts landing on the lap of  future owners, I'm pretty sure it's going to be an exciting media blitzkrieg topbilled by the iPad. Although the iPad is not really a netbook killer, its popularity may still affect the netbook market, especially those who are just about to try their hands on the portable computing machine. Or perhaps even current netbook owners might consider shifting to the iPad instead of upgrading their netbooks.

Asus' Chairman Johnny Sheh probably realized this and so his company was quick to announce, rather informally that 2 Asus tablets are definitely coming out this year.

It could be the once-talked about EeePad or it could be the Eee Reader. Nothing is final yet. Although Mr. Sheh mentioned something about one of the upcoming tablets running on Google Chrome OS or Android while the other one will most likely be running on Windows platform.

Could Asus pull out its magic once again and steal the thunder away from the Apple iPad once their Eee Tablet comes out? That's still a long way to go for us to make a call. But, we're pretty much excited of what Asus will deliver. Are you?

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Asus to Release Two Tablets, Possibly to Go Up Against the iPad

A Solution To Netbook Keyboard Worries

Face it: your netbook has a tiny keyboard, and that sucks. It's just one of those annoying things that comes with the form factor, and you wouldn't trade it for the world. But does that have to be the case? Behold:

This tantalizing netbook prototype, first shown at Yanko Design, will allow you to pack a lot more keyboard into a small space, as you can see. An additional layer would definitely add some thickness to the netbook, but this could definitely be a worthwhile tradeoff if you've got man-fingers like me.

Once upon a time I would have doubted that this netbook could ever hit the market, but this is a world where we have dual-screen netbooks and netbooks with removable displays. Nothing's surprising anymore, is it?

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Asus Eee PC 1005PE-PU27, 1001PX now available

Two new Asus netbooks have hit the streets this week. And when I say new, I mean, netbooks that are incredibly similar to existing models with a few minor differences.

Asus Eee PC 1001PX

This netbook looks virtually identical to the Asus Eee PC 1001P that's been available for the past few months. The main difference is that it's available with Windows XP Home Edition instead of Windows 7 Starter. For some reason it also has just 2 USb ports instead of the usual three.

The Asus Eee PC 1001PX has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 802.11b/g WiFi, optional Bluetooth 2.1, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB or 250GB hard drive. It's available with a 3 cell, 23Whr battery or a 6 cell, 48Whr battery.

ExcaliberPC is taking pre-orders for $279, but the company seems to already be selling the netbook for $289 through its eBay store.

Asus Eee PC 1005PE-PU27

As I noted recently, this model is almost exactly the same as the Eee PC 1005PE-PU17 model that's already available. The only real difference is that the 1005PE-PU27 has a matte lid with a textured pattern that won't show fingerprints and smudges as easily.

Amazon is selling the Asus Eee PC 1005PE-PU27 for $354. The netbook has a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Windows 7 Starter Edition, and a 6 cell battery.

via Netbook Reviews and Eee PC.it

Post from: Liliputing

Asus Eee PC 1005PE-PU27, 1001PX now available

Monday, March 29, 2010

Netbook Navigator confirms Nav 9 details

I'd like to point out at the onset that this is not a netbook. The Nav 9 is a tablet from manufacturer Netbook Navigator. Still confused?  This slate tablet is soon to hit shelves with a base price of US$599. which includes a 16GB tablet, a case, 8GB SD card and car charger. It doesn't come with the OS but frankly, I don't think that should be a problem. There are Linux options out there that will suit it just fine, given all the bloat Windows 7 has.

They've also fixed the touchscreen, thanks for asking. I have my reservations on slate PCs at the moment since the bigger ones look almost like convertible netbooks already and are similarly priced. I'm betting they are also as big sans the keyboard.

source UMPC Portal

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Netbook Navigator confirms Nav 9 details

Archos 7 Internet Tablet (with Android) could ship next week

The Archos 7 Internet Tablet features a 7 inch touchscreen display and runs Google's Android operating system. Like the Archos 5, the new model will come with some custom Archos software for playing audio and video files. While I was underwhelmed with the build quality and stability of the Archos 5 tablet I recently reviewed, the video software is almost worth the asking price for the tablet, since Google hasn't seen fit to launch a really good video player for Android.

First announced at CeBIT earlier this month, it looks like the Archos 7 could ship as soon as next week. Chippy at CarryPad found a German retailer that's taking orders for the 7 inch tablet with an estimated ship date of one week.

Redcoon.de is charging 180 Euros for the 8GB version of the Archos 7. That's about $242 US. Archos also plans to launch a model with just 2GB of storage for 149 Euros, or about $200 US.

While many vendors are pushing Google Android-powered tablets as low cost alternatives to Apple's iPad, it's worth pointing out that most of these devices ship without access to the Android Market. That means while there will be well over 100,000 apps available for the iPad on day one, you're pretty much stuck with the software that ships with an Android tablet like the Archos 7 or at best a few hundred apps that are available in third party app stores.

Some users have figured out how to enable access to the Android Market on the Archos 5 and other tablets. But as Wired points out, Google doesn't officially support Android on tablets, so it's likely that tablet users will have to continue hacking their way to into the Market. It's also possible that this is largely because Google will start pushing its upcoming, browser-based Chrome Operating System for tablets and netbooks when it's officially released later this year.

Post from: Liliputing

Archos 7 Internet Tablet (with Android) could ship next week

Intel Atom processors: Not just for netbooks

One of the hallmarks of a netbook is a cheap, low power processor. But it's not just people who are looking for low cost laptops with good battery life who are interested in these sorts of CPUs. Researchers in Germany have developed a system for sorting data that uses an Intel Atom 330 dual core processor and a solid state disk (instead of a hard drive). The result is a data sorting system that's three times more energy efficient than previous record holders.

The system is called EcoSort, and when sorting 100GB of data, researchers were able to have it sort 36,400 records per joule of energy.

Of course, we're not talking about a bottom of the line Atom-based system here. The computer had 4GB of RAM and four 256GB SSDs.

via Slashdot

Post from: Liliputing

Intel Atom processors: Not just for netbooks

Reviewed: Samsung N210

Brad now has a review of his previously unboxed Samsung N210. It's pretty extensive and covers almost all the bases. He says that the keyboard and touchpad are okay but the price is a bit on the high end.

Samsung like to price its products with a premium and while the specs might be the same ones on other netbooks, Samy likes to kick it up a notch in design. You have other options though like the Samsung NB30 and the Samsung N150.

For more pics, insight and tests, drive on to Liliputing below.

source liliputing

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Reviewed: Samsung N210

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Deals of the Day

Netbooks

  • Samsung NB30 semi-rugged netbook w/Atom N450, spill-resistant keyboard, 6 cell battery for $339.99Amazon
  • Samsung N150 10″ netbook w/Atom N450, Win 7 Starter, 6 cell battery for $319.99Amazon
  • Asus Eee PC 1005HA-VU1X-BK 10.1″ netbook w/Atom N270, Win XP, 6 cell battery for $309.99Amazon
  • Dell Inspiron Mini 10 w/TV tuner, Win 7 Starter, 6 cell battery for $303.84- Amazon

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

Post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator shortage sweeps eBay, quadruples prices

The Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator is a media coprocessor that you can throw into many netbooks with low power Intel Atom processors to enable support for 1080p HD video playback. It's not a full fledged video card. It just does one thing: offers hardware acceleration for HD video so that low power CPUs don't have to burn themselves out trying to decode a high definition video.

A handful of netbooks including the Dell Inspiron Mini and HP Mini 210 are available for purchase with the Broadcom hardware pre-installed. But for the past few months, you've also been able to pick up the mini PCI-E card on eBay for around $25. If your computer had an open slot for a mini PCI-E card, odds were you could install the video accelerator yourself without spending a lot of time or money on the project.,

But it looks like whoever it was that was supplying eBay sellers with a dirt cheap supply of the Broadcom media accelerators must be running low on stock. Because right now there are only a handful of the chips available, and they're running close to $100 each.

Perhaps we'll see prices fall again once Broadcom's updated version of the video accelerator becomes more common. But since there's still no company offering NVIDIA's next-generation ION video card as a mini PCI-E solution, the Broadcom accelerator still provides the best opportunity for adding support HD video playback to an existing 10 inch netbook.

via Netbooked

Post from: Liliputing

Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator shortage sweeps eBay, quadruples prices

Netbooks For Kids


For those of us who were kids during the late 90's, the computer was a pretty fascinating device, but it didn't really play too much of a role in our lives. It was there when the first videos were around and when most of us had to wait roughly ten minutes for our dreaded dial-up internet to finish loading something. However, computer usage is playing an ever growing role in young people's lives, both at home and at school. Hell, there are plenty of eight year olds out there who are more computer savvy than some adults.  However, some kid-friendly computer programs are still a good tool for helping to get children acclimated to computer usage while maintaining some parental control.

Fortunately for parents, PeeWee PC is there to help them. PeeWee PC makes notebooks and desktops geared towards children. They now offer the PeeWee kit, which is children's software on a 4GB USB stick. The USB stick essentially helps bring kid friendly programming to netbooks.

The PeeWee kit includes games and software for education. There is also a tool that allows parents to monitor how long their kids are on the computer and what they're doing on it. The Kit is available on the flash drive $30 and on CD for $20.

Via Liliputing.

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Saturday, March 27, 2010

Netbooks hitting the bargain bin in Taiwan

It's no surprise that many manufacturers are giving good deals with the imminent arrival of Pine Trail netbooks and tablets to the market. Digitimes reports that Asus, Acer and MSI are slashing prices for the first-generation Atom netbooks to move them out faster.

A 10-incher from Acer now only sells for US$314 while an Asus Eee PC 1005HA drops to US$298. It's not just Atom-based netbooks that are getting price cuts. Ultra-thins like MSI's X320 now sells for just US$405.

The price drop has also been driven by slowing demand for netbooks and the online news site notes that the manufacturers are changing their focus back to notebooks.

source Digitimes

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Netbooks hitting the bargain bin in Taiwan

Confirmed: 60,000 Australian students getting ThinkPad Mini netbooks

Lenovo hasn't officially introduced a 10 inch ThinkPad netbook in the US, and the company may never do so. But they are being rolled out in other parts of the globe. The NSW public schools in Australia are deploying about 60,000 ThinkPad Mini 10 netbooks to students. The laptops will be outfitted an Intel Atom processor, Windows 7, a high resolution screen, and a spill-resistant keyboard.

Netbook News spotted a news report which clearly shows something we'd already suspected: While the Lenovo ThinkPad Mini 10 has an Atom processor and 10 inch display, the chassis is the same as the one used for the ThinkPad X100e thin and light laptop. The X100e has a more powerful AMD processor and a larger 11.6 inch display.

Post from: Liliputing

Confirmed: 60,000 Australian students getting ThinkPad Mini netbooks

HeatProtect netbook case is also a cooling pad

Philips puts the "lap" back in "laptop" with this new netbook-case-slash-cooling-pad accessory that they just released. The HeatProtect case can be used to carry your precious netbook and you unzip, flip over and plop it on your lap as a cool stand to type on.

By cool, I mean in both the style sense as well as the thermodynamic sense. The back part of the case has strips of aluminum to help cool down you device while the neoprene underside keeps your thighs comfortable.

You can get this accessory in a variety of sizes from gaming notebook-sized 15.4″ to portable netbook sized 10″.

source nDevil

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

HeatProtect netbook case is also a cooling pad

Friday, March 26, 2010

Cheap Chinese netbooks get NVIDIA ION graphics bump

Sure, NVIDIA has moved on to its next-generation NVIDIA ION platform that offers even higher graphics performance and plays well with Intel Atom Pine Trail processors. But you know who's still interested in the first-generation ION platform that bundles an NVIDIA graphics processor with an Intel Atom N270 or N280 chip? The companies making dirt cheap netbooks for sale in China.

Shanzai.com spotted a netbook that looks an awful lot like a 10 inch Acer Aspire One — except this model has a first generation Intel Atom chip and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics on the inside. That means you should be able to play 1080p HD video and even HD Flash video on this netbook without kiling the CPU — although the site points out that there are still some dropped frames when watching HD video.

Still, it's nice to see that even some of the cheapest netbooks on the planet are now available with upgraded graphics. Don't expect to see this particular model in the US anytime soon, but Acer does plan to offer a 10 inch netbook called the Aspire One 532G in the West soon with next-generation NVIDIA ION graphics and an Intel Atom Pine Trail processor.

Post from: Liliputing

Cheap Chinese netbooks get NVIDIA ION graphics bump

Asus netbooks to get USB 3.0 support

Asus is apparently planning to go all out in support of the new USB 3.0 standard. USB 3.0 offers data transfer speeds up to 10 times faster than the 480Mb/s you get from USB 2.0.  And while you might think that Asus and other PC makers would focus first on bringing the new technology to high end computers with expensive hardware, DigiTimes reports that machines in the budget Eee PC netbook and Eee Box nettop lines will be getting a USB 3.0 bump soon.

With data transfer speeds up to 5Gbps, it's very possible that the USB port will become one of the fastest components on your PC. In fact, it's likely that you won't get the full benefit of USB 3.0 if you're using a cheap netbook, since the other components might not be able to handle that kind of speed. But Asus will also be bringing USB 3.0 support to its mainstream notebook line.

via Register Hardware

Post from: Liliputing

Asus netbooks to get USB 3.0 support

Philips HeatProtect netbook case doubles as a cooling pad (or vice versa)

Looking for a protective case for your netbook and a cooling pad to keep your lap from overheating if your netbook does? Philips has a solution. The company's HeatProtect combines a protective slipcover with a cooling pad.

The case has two zippers with rubberized edges designed not to scratch up other items in your bag. One side of the case has a layer of aluminum designed to disperse heat. The portin of the HeatProtect that normally functions as a case is flexible, allowing it to rest comfortably on your lap.

Philips offers the HeatProtect in a few different sizes, including a 15.4 inch version for a full sized laptop and a 12.1 inch version designed for netbooks and thin and light laptops. There also appears to be a 10 inch version available in Germany. Unfortunately, I can't find any US stores that have the HeatProtect in stock in any sizes.

via nDevil

Post from: Liliputing

Philips HeatProtect netbook case doubles as a cooling pad (or vice versa)

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Get NVIDIA ION on a netbook for cheap

Shenzhen never ceases to amaze me. The Chinese technology capital, while not always at the forefront of innovation, is the leader when it comes to making cheap devices. Now they are bringing us HD-capable netbooks by bundling in NVIDIA's ION graphics in the newer devices rolling out the production line.

The one pictured above is the first ION netbook from Shanzhai, the S30, sporting a familiar Acer Aspire chassis. It does eat up a lot of power though so fair warning if you really want to get one for some sweet 1080p playback. You also might need to fly to China for this one since it's only set to sell locally for now.

source Shanzai.com

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Get NVIDIA ION on a netbook for cheap

Deals of the Day

Netbooks

  • Refurbished HP Mini 110-1116nr w/Atom N270, Win 7 Starter, 3 cell battery for $229.99eCost
  • Acer Aspire One Intel Atom 1.6GHz 10″ Netbook for $268 + $4 s&hWalmart
  • ASUS Eee PC 1001P-MU17 netbook w/Atom N450, Win 7 Starter, 6 cell battery for $289.95B&H

Nettops

  • Asus Eee Box HD 1006 w/Atom N270, Win XP Home, ATI Radeon 4530, HDMI for $279.99 + free shippingAmazon
  • Lenovo IdeaCentre Q100 w/Atom 230, GMA 950 graphics, Win XP Home for $222.28pcRUSH
  • Acer AspireRevo AR1600-U910H w/Atom 230, Win XP, NVIDIA ION LE, HDMI for $209.99CompUSA (via Amazon)

Accessories

  • PNY Mini Attaché 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive for $31.99 + free shippingNewegg
  • Cradlepoint PHS300 Personal Portable WiFi Hotspot for $100 + free shipping - Buy.com
  • Lenovo IdeaPad S115 10″ Netbook Sleeve for $6 + free shippingLenovo (coupon: USPCM32102)
  • Dane-Elec 4GB Capless zMate USB 2.0 Flash Drive for $10 + free shipping - Buy.com

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

Post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

IBM, Simmtronics to offer $190 Linux netbooks

The Simmtronics Simmbook isn't exactly a state of the art netbook. It features a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. In other words, it looks like virtually every netbook that was released in the summer of 2008. But here's what the netbook has going for it: It's cheap.

Earlier this year we reported that it would be available in India for about $300. Now we have some more details, and it looks like the netbook will run Ubuntu Linux and come preloaded with IBM business software including Lotus Symphony, Lotus Notes, LotusLive iNotes, and other desktop and cloud-connected applications. The Simmbook could sell for about $190 in markets including South Africa, India, Singapore, Honk Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. While the focus is on developing nations, it sounds like the Simmbook could be sold in the US and UK as well.

via ReadWriteWeb

Post from: Liliputing

IBM, Simmtronics to offer $190 Linux netbooks

LG X300, good but has its flaws

LaptopMag was pretty amazed at the LG X300. Who wouldn't be? It was extremely thin and light, almost smartbook-like. But the specs were clear that this was no smartbook; it had a 2GHz Atom Z550 processor and a 64GB SSD for fast performance. The keyboard also was pretty solid by their account since it was built similar to the unibody Macbook Pro with the keys embedded in the chassis.

I'm not too crazy about having no buttons at all in a trackpad but having an invisible trackpad altogether? The Eee PC Seashell netbooks had tiny grooves to signify where the trackpad was but this model integrates the touchpad into the chassis itself. Sure there are LED beacons at the corners but it still makes clicking and tapping quite difficult, according to the review. The webcam is also not in its usual nesting place at the top of the monitor so don't expect to be centered when you use Chatroulette.

source LaptopMag

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

LG X300, good but has its flaws

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Haleron iLet HAL tablet is now shipping?

Haleron has announced that its iLet HAL 7 inch tablet is now shipping. The iLet HAL features a 600Mhz VIA ARM-based CPU, an 800 x 480 pixel display, 802.1/bg/ WiFi, 2GB of storage, 128MB of RAM, and a SDHC card slot that supports up to 32GB of additional storage.

It looks like the HAL comes in two sizes. You can get a version with a 7 inch display or an 8 inch model that looks strikingly similar to a certain Apple tablet that's due out soon. The 8 inch version will be available in May. Both the 7 and 8 inch models run Google's Android operating system and include 2 USB ports, mic, headphone, and Ethernet jacks.

The 8 inch model also appears to have a SIM card slot for an optional 3G modem.

The 7 inch iLet HAL is available for order for $229. You can drop the price to $179 if you order 100 or more units, while an order of 5 or more will bring the price to $199 per tablet.

Update: I should point out that Haleron says the tablet is now shipping. But I've never read a single product review of a Haleron product, despite the fact that the company says it has released several netbooks, a smartbook, and now a tablet over the past year or two. I've reached out to Haleron several times to see if I can get a demo unit for review, but have yet to receive one. So place orders with caution — and if you have ever purchased a Haleron product, please let us know in the comments. I'm certainly hoping that this is a real product and not just a scam.

Post from: Liliputing

Haleron iLet HAL tablet is now shipping?

ZaReason outs Teo Ubuntu Pine Trail netbook

Netbook news on ZaReason has been sparse recently though they did make quite a scene at the start of the netbook revolution. They've been a bit busy though in the portable computing scene with the launch of the new Teo netbook.

Amazon gave a few details on this netbook which looks like it went for the favorite chassis of rebranders, the MSI U100. The Teo sports the same specs as the U100 with the exception of a Pine Trail 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU. They've also boosted the RAM to 2GB and it come packed with the friendly Ubuntu Linux OS. I'm curious why they didn't include Ubuntu Netbook Edition instead though, since it's made for these types of devices.

While I'm not that excited to see MSI's flimsy keyboard again soon, some of you Linux fans might want to check this out.

source Linux Netbook

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

ZaReason outs Teo Ubuntu Pine Trail netbook

Deals of the Day

Netbooks and Notebooks

  • Refurbished Acer Aspire One 250 10.1″ netbook w/Atom N270, Win XP, 3 cell battery for $229.99 + free shippingBuy.com
  • Lenovo IdeaPad S12 notebook w/12″ display, 1.3GHz Via NAno CPU, Win XP for $389Lenovo
  • Toshiba Mini NB205-N325BN 10.1″ netbook w/Atom N280, Win 7 Starter, 6 cell battery for $299.99 + free shippingAmazon

Accessories

  • iRecharge Universal Rechargeable Laptop Battery for $25 + free shipping - VibeCellular (via eBay)
  • Samsung 8X Slim External DVD Writer for $49.99TigerDirect
  • Super Talent 8GB Elite Series Swivel USB Flash Drive for $17 + free shipping - SupermediaStore
  • Cooler Master Choiix 10″ Netbook Sleeve for $2 after rebate + free shippingMwave (via Dealnews)
  • Refurbished Targus Universal Laptop Docking Station w/ audio for $15 + $5 s&hDealsClick

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

Post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Deals of the Day

Netbooks and Notebooks

  • Dell Inspiron Mini 10 1.6GHz 10″ Netbook w/ TV tuner for $298 + free shippingMicrosoft Store
  • ASUS UL20A-A1 12.1″ Notebook w/Core 2 Duo CPU, Win 7 Home Premium for $539 + free shippingJ&R
  • Asus Eee PC 1005HA 10.1″ netbook w/Atom N280, Win XP, 63Whr battery for $324.99SuperBiiz (coupon: MADNESS15)
  • Acer Aspire One AO532H 10.1″ netbook w/Atom N450, Win7 Starter, 6 cell battery for $289.99 (Open Box)TigerDirect
  • Refurbished Acer Aspire One AOD250 10.1″ netbook w/Atom N280, Win 7 Starter, 3 cell battery for $259.99Buy.com

Accessories and other

  • Belkin Mini Bluetooth USB 2.0 Adapter for $5 + $5 s&hDealsClick
  • Kingston 8GB Micro SDHC Flash Card + SDHC adapter for $16.99 + free shippingNewegg
  • Dane-Elec 8GB USB Flash drive for $18.71 + free shippingBuy.com
  • HP DreamScreen 130 Internet Tablet Alarm Clock for $230 + free shippingHP (coupon: SVBT557331)
  • Western Digital 500GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive for $55 + free shippingDell (coupon: L50RX??DWR8LD4)

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

Post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Dell Inspiron Mini 10 to get mobile connectivity

T-Mobile is planning to sell the Inspiron Mini 10 from Dell at a subsidized $199 when customers sign-up for a 2-year plan. Initial availability of the netbooks will be at major cities including Dallas, Los Angeles and Miami. Clear is also going to provide a discounted Mini 10, this time with 4G technology already for $250 with a service plan.

This netbook was Dell's new entry into the mobile arena and was first shown off at CES earlier this year. Clear offers unlimited data with up to 6Mbps speeds and T-Mobile has a 5GB cap on data with speeds of  up to 7.2Mbps.

source Liliputing

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Dell Inspiron Mini 10 to get mobile connectivity

New EeeTop PC ET2010AGT Shows Off its Wares

Tired of all the netbooks and nettops featuring the Intel Atom processors? Want something with a bigger display and possibly a good gaming and multimedia machine? You better check out the new Asus EeeTop PC ET2010AGT.

So, how much powerful is this Asus nettop exactly? How does an AMD Athlon X2 250u 1.6GHz, AMD RX780 chipset, ATI Mobility Radeon HD5470 with 512MB dedicated, and  4GB of RAM sound?

You can also add a DVD Super Multi Double Layer, a 20-inch multi-touch screen with 1400×900 resolution, Ethernet and wireless 802.11 type b/g/n, 1.3 MP webcam, 6 USB ports, SDHC card reader, HDMI port. The package also comes with a keyboard kit and wireless mouse and of course preloaded with Windows 7.

I mean, what else could you possibly look for from this nettop? Unfortunately, it will only be available in France sometime this May. No words yet on whether it will be released in the U.S. and international market. But if you're in France you can grab this machined for aroud 599-649 euros.

Via Blogeee.net

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

New EeeTop PC ET2010AGT Shows Off its Wares

MSI Wind12 U230 thin and light notebook reviewed

The MSI Wind12 U230 is one of MSI's newest thin and light laptops with an 12.1  inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display. While MSI's previous thin and lights have sported Intel Atom or Intel Consumer Ultra Low Voltage chips, the Wind12 U230 packs an AMD Athlon Neo X2 dual core CPU and ATI HD 3200 graphics.

TestFreaks has published one of the first reviews I've seen of the Wind12 U230. As expected, the dual core CPU helps with multitasking and everyday computing tasks, while the HD 3200 graphics are good enough for handling HD video playback and some basic gaming.

The computer come with Windows 7 Home Premium, and the reviewer notes that it took 91 seconds to go from a cold boot to a usable desktop, which seems pretty sluggish by today's standards.

The MSI Wind12 U230 lasted about 4 hours when used for web browsing, which is actually better than I would have expected from a computer with a dual core AMD Neo processor. While you can easily find a netbook that will provide more than twice the run time for less money, you won't get the same kind of CPU and graphics performance out of most netbooks.

For more details, test scores, and comparisons with several Atom powered netbooks (including an HP Mini 311 with NVIDIA ION graphics), make sure to check out the complete review.

via SlashGear

Post from: Liliputing

MSI Wind12 U230 thin and light notebook reviewed

VIA breathes HD life to netbooks

VIA is one of the "other" chip manufacturers in the netbook scene. They've recently intro'd a new platform called the VIA Nano which gets an HD graphics boost courtesy of a VIA VX900 graphics card.

Netbook News' editor-in-chief Sascha Pallenberg got a peek at this new system. The 1.2GHz Nano U3100 tested has VX900 built-in with HD Chromation 2.0. It can handle both streaming and local HD file playback.

Watch his hands-on video below:

source NetbookNews.de

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

VIA breathes HD life to netbooks

Trigem Averatec N1200 netbook reviewed

Trigem's Averatec N1200 netbook is an attractive 10.1 inch mini-laptop that has a boxy but professional looking shape reminiscent of the HP Mini 5102. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the HP laptop's battery life. Laptop Magazine reviewed the Averatec N1200 recently and was barely able to squeeze 2.5 hours of run time out of the 2 cell, 3200mAh battery.

Aside from the poor battery life, the netbook looks like standard fare. It has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 10.1 inch. 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. It runs Windows 7 Starter Edition and supports 802.11b/g/n WiFi.

On the bright side, the Averatec N1200 is cheap. You can pick one up for just under $300. Laptop Magazine reports another version with a 6 cell battery is due out in April.

Post from: Liliputing

Trigem Averatec N1200 netbook reviewed