ExoPC Slate Comes On The Heels Of the iPad

A French computer maker has added another combatant in what has become a war between Apple's iPad and the netbooks.  Similar to the HP Slate, the ExoPC is a new tablet form factor netbook, featuring 8.9″ of  multitouch goodness.  It looks similar to the iPad, though most tablets in this field are probably going to have the same characteristic bevel layout.

This is a full-fledged netbook, minus the keyboard. Specs are standard: Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz, 2 GB DDR2 RAM, 32 GB SSD w/ expandable SD slot.  Naturally, the ExoPC will be running Windows 7,  allowing for a much more functional if not visually pleasing  environment than the modified iPhone OS.  This also allows ExoPC to promise "the web without compromise," a reference undoubtedly pointed towards the iPad's lack of flash support.

There is one place where the ExoPC shows some weakness, and that's in the battery life department.  At only 4 hours, it lacks the godly battery life that we have come to expect from netbooks, but it is at least user replaceable.  Still at $599 and release date in March it is placing itself as a direct competitor to its iPad counterpart.

Via Engadget.

Hivision 7″ Android netbook reviewed

Charbax at Arm Devices has posted a video review of the Hivision PWS700CA, an ARM-based min-laptop running Google Android. The device has a 600MHz ARM-based CPU, 128MB of RAM, and a 7 inch, 800 x 480 pixel display. It supports WiFi and Ethernet connections and can handle 720p HD video playback. It also weighs just about 1.4 pounds.

The Hivision netbook is designed to be dirt cheap. But I think Charbax gets a bit carried away when he hears the prices of OEM devices from Chinese manufacturers like Hivision. Just because Hivision is charging distributors about $98 for the equipment doesn't mean we'll ever see the mini-laptop sold for under $100. Still, the PWS700CA could certainly be rebranded and sold for under $200.

The browser seems pretty responsive. But the user interface is clearly designed for a touchscreen device like a phone, not a laptop with a touchpad or mouse. Out of the box there's no support for the Google Android Marketplace for third party applications. But Hivision has created their own app store with access to a handful of programs that can run on the device.

You can check out Charbax's video after the break.

Post from: Liliputing

Hivision 7″ Android netbook reviewed

Samsung X120 unboxing video

Samsung seems to be popular this week for unboxing videos this week. We follow on from the N220 unboxed to the X120. Like the N220, the X120 is currently not shipping in America.

The Samsung X120 falls in the CULV category as it features the Intel CULV processor. The X120 features an 11.6 inch display and a full sized keyboard. The left and right mouse buttons are located either side of the trackpad, which for some may hinder the use of the built in mouse, especially if you're used to the right and left buttons being located under the trackpad. The guys over at Netbook News received the X120 and have posted an unboxing video along with first impressions design wise. Like the other Samsung netbooks, the accessories include a neoprene sleeve to protect the netbook, however it's noted that no manual is included, not even a quick start guide. The X120 also has the trademark chrome border. Looking at the underneath, it appears that the HDD and RAM are easily accessible for those who wish to upgrade either. You can view the full unboxing and first impressions video after the jump.

via

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Samsung X120 unboxing video

Deals of the Day

Netbooks and Notebooks

• Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 Atom 1.66GHz 10″ Netbook for $299 + free shipping – Lenovo (coupon: USPS103BLACK)
• Samsung NC10-13GB 10.1″ netbook w/Atom N270, Win XP, 6 cell battery for $284.99 – Amazon
• Asus Eee PC 1001P-M 10.1″ netbook w/Atom N450, 6 cell battery, Win 7 Starter for $284 - SuperBiiz (coupon: SHINE0215)
• Toshiba Mini NB205-N230 w/Atom N280, Win 7 Starter, 6 cell battery for $314.29 + $10.18 s&h – Amazon
• 20% off refurbished Dell Mini 10″ netbooks: Deals from $175 + free shipping – Dell (coupon: KJC8Z8PGL2T83L)

Accessories

• Kingston 2GB Secure Digital Cards (2 pk) for $14.97 + free shipping - Buy.com
• Kingston 4GB SHDC class 4 card for $11.84 + free shipping – Amazon
• Fantom 2TB G-Force USB/eSATA hard drive for $139.99 + free shipping - Buy.com
• Refurbished Linksys WRT110 RangePlus Wireless-G 4-Port Router for $20 + $7 s&h – UncleVic

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

Post from: Liliputing

Deals of the Day

Netbook Rumble - Pine Trail Edition

LaptopMag has a new showdown up and this time it pits the newly released Pine Trail netbooks against each other. The six competitors are:

• Acer Aspire One 532h
• Asus 1005PE-P
• Dell Inspiron Mini 10
• HP Mini 5102
• MSI U135
• Toshiba Mini NB305-N410

The over-all champion? HP Mini 5102 which bested the other netbooks in its easy to use keyboard, extra long battery life and elegant professional design. Hit the link below for the full rundown on this fight.

source LaptopMag

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Netbook Rumble – Pine Trail Edition

Four sub-$300 Pine Trail netbooks

Brad of Liliputing shared some great netbook deals he found. Most netbooks are slowly inching up in price due to bundling of newer operating systems, faster drives and processors and more 'bling' like graphics cards and 3G modules. It's refreshing to see that this is not the case for all netbooks.

If you're looking for a newer model netbook (those with the new Pine Trail processor), here are a few that you can get for under US$300.

• HP Mini 210 - $279.99 from HP's online store
• Dell Inspiron Mini 10 - $299 from Dell's online store
• Acer Aspire One AO532h - $299 from Amazon.com
• Asus Eee PC 1001P - $299.99 from Amazon.com

If you want to see other models within this price range, check out Netbook Reports post.

Source liliputing

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Four sub-$300 Pine Trail netbooks

Acer To Deliver New eReader, App Store, and Chrome OS Netbook

Acer, already the second largest computer maker in the world, has ambitious plans for the future. According to Bloomberg, Acer is tossing its hat into the already over-saturated yet underdeveloped market of eReaders, facing off with the likes of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, and others. No specifics have been announced other than it will have a 6-inch, monochrome (assume E-Ink) screen and ship in Europe.

More surprisingly, Acer is announcing an online apps store. Jim Wong, president of the Acer IT product division, has stated it would contain hundreds of applications, "otherwise you can't call it an app store." It will likely be a cross-platform marketplace for Android, Windows Mobile, and ChromeOS.

However, Acer's most stunning announcement is the fact it has announced plans to rush forward with a ChromeOS netbook to provide a "a change to the Microsoft-Intel environment," according to Wong. The mention of Intel hints that this new product line might be ARM powered as an alternative to the standard Atom on-board most mainstream netbooks. Acer plans to release the netbook sometime around Q3 2010, on schedule with Google's release date for ChromeOS.

Via Bloomberg, image via Wikipedia.

Deals of the Day

Netbooks and Notebooks

• MSI Wind U135 10.1″ netbook w/Atom N450, Win Starter, 6 cell battery for $316.99 + free shipping – Buy.com (via Amazon)
• Refurbished Acer 250  w/Atom N20, Win XP Home, 3 cell battery for $249.99 + free shipping – Buy.com
• 15% off any Dell Outlet Laptop with Coupon Code N4GPFKF9JL$MBW – Dell
• Sony VAIO Atom 1.66GHz 10″ LED Netbook for $450 + free shipping – Datavis (via Buy.com)
• Asus Eee PC T91MT 8.9″ netbook w/touchscreen display, 1.33GHz Atom Z520 CPU, 32G SSD for $484 – Amazon

Accessories

• DANE-ELEC 80GB 1.8″ SSD with 2.5″ adapter, migration kit for $189.99 + free shipping – Newegg (coupon: EMCYZNT44)
• ASUS RT-N10 IEEE 802.11b/g/n Wireless Router for $21.49 + free shipping – Buy.com
• 15% off all orders, no minimum – Shop4Tech (coupon: EJ15)
• Samsung Wireless Mono Laser Printer for $100 – TigerDirect
• HP Bluetooth Wireless Printer and PC Adapter 2-Pack for $20 + 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

AMD Expands Processor Share, Bright Future in General for Chips

AMD has begun to make comeback in the CPU market, according to a study today by market research firm IDC.  AMD recorded major gains beginning in the first quarter of '09 and has aggressively made inroads into the notebook market.

It expanded from a 10.2% share to 12.7% from Q4 '08 to Q4 '09, gnawing down Intel from 89.1% to 87.3%.  This is likely the result of the Turion II X2 and Athlon line, but Intel still seems to sit on top of the mobile market.  Only time will tell as both companies scramble for dominance over CPU and integrated GPU chips in laptops and netbooks.

Overall, 2009 has been a largely successful year for chipmakers, who shipped 31.3% more processors in Q4 '09 compared to Q4 '08.  Processing lightweight VIA was the exception, shrinking from 0.4% to 0.1% over the past year.  A major area of growth was mobile PCs (including of course netbooks), rising  by 11.7% over the same period.  The IDC remains optimistic for the coming year, forecasting a 15.1% growth in CPUs sold.

Via PC World.

4 Pine Trail netbooks for under $300

The first consumer oriented netbook launched in late 2007 with a $400 price tag. The Eee PC 701 had a 7 inch, 800 x 480 pixel display, a cramped keyboard, 4GB of flash storage, 512MB of RAM, and a 900MHz Intel Celeron processor. While some folks have been complaining that Intel's latest Atom processor doesn't offer significantly better performance than the low power Atom chips that have been available since mid-2008, there is one area where things have changed quite a bit: price.

I regularly highlight netbooks that are selling for under $300 and sometimes even under $200 in my daily deals posts. But what you might be surprised to notice is that these aren't all simply refurbished netbooks or older models that are taking up space on store shelves. In fact, some of the newest netbooks announced just this month have starting prices of less than $300. These are modern machines with the new energy-efficient Intel Atom N450 Pine Trail processor.

Netbook Reports has put together a good roundup of some of these models, with detailed specs for each. Unfortunately,  some of the notebooks they mention don't actually seem to be available in the US at the moment. For instance, I've only seen listings for the MSI Wind U135 for $317 and up, with a 6 cell battery, while Netbook Reports suggests the 3 cell version will sell for a lower price. And I'm reluctant to list the Acer Aspire 532h and Gateway LT2106U as separate models, since they're basically the same machine with different brand names.

But here are 4 deals that I found on Pine Trail netbooks that you can pick up today for under $300:

1. HP Mini 210 w/1GB RAM. 160GB HDD< Win XP, 3 cell battery for $279.99 – HP
2. Dell Inspiron Mini 10 w/1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, Win XP, 3 cell battery for $299 - Dell
3. Acer Aspire One AO532h w/1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, Win 7 Starter, 6 cell battery for $299 – Amazon
4. Asus Eee PC 1001P-MU17 w/1GB RAM, 160G HDD, Win 7 Starter, 6 cell battery for $299.99 – Amazon

See any that I missed? Let us know in the comments.

Post from: Liliputing

4 Pine Trail netbooks for under $300