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MSI X320…

james — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:44:46 +0000

…it’s gorgeous!

The war for the netbook high ground just got seriously hot with the release of some images showing the MSI X320 in all its glory. Apart from having some pretty impressive specs, the X320 is a pretty stunning example of what can be done with an ultra mobile device…

The X-Slim 320 is not the smallest of netbooks - the 13.4 inch screen makes it the bigges netbook so far! The 320 measures a miniscule 1.98cm and about 2.87 pounds and comes with either a 4 or 8 cell battery that, allegedly, lasts up to 10 hours. MSI haven’t given out the specs with their press release but Engadget Chinese report that it’s running on a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor, 1366 x 768 resolution and up to 2GB DDR2 RAM. All the usual bits are included such as 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, 3.5G network card, three USB ports, an Ethernet port, VGA output, and an all-in-one card reader. Interestingly Crave are suggesting that the X320 might feature the NVIDIA Ion platform. Now that would be worth buying.

The X320 is due to hit the beaches in the second quarter of 2009 with a price tag of around $800 - if it features all the specs above, in particular Ion, this could well be one of the best netbooks on the market to date.

One more pic for you:

Sony netbook Specs

james — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:03:22 +0000

The Sony Vaio P (UMPC) specs are out in the wild and it’s looking pretty good. The Vaio P features an Atom Z250 (1.33 Ghz), 2GB RAM (possibly so that it can run the Vista resource hog) , a Hard Disk, optional SSD, GPS and UMTS all for around 700 Euros.

Images have been seen on the web so it’s likely that Sony are getting ready to launch soon - probably at CES press events on 6th/7th January (only a day or so to wait).

Looks like a netbook apart from the price. Now all you need to do is buy one and install Linux :).

Nvidia breeds mutant netbook

james — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:13:13 +0000

No, Nvidia aren’t building their own netbook but they have realised the value of the sub-notebook niche of computer hardware and reacted with ‘Ion’. Basically, Nvidia have produced a decent netbook graphics card for netbooks. You have to admit that the current offerings are actually pretty crap - sure, they get the job done but if you’re using them for more than an hour or so it can a real strain on the eyes.

The Ion platform platform is made up of an Atom-based motherboard with Nvidia’s GeForce 9400 onboard graphics processor bolted on to it. Cue CUDA support and outrageous amounts of I/O for netbooks.

Nvidia have already demoed Ion’s capabilities on a ‘nettop’ (the platform was originally designed with mobile PCs in mind) by running Call Of Duty 4 without a single hitch! Let’s see your Eee PC 1000 do that :). In addition, video playback seems to be far better on the Ion system which probably has something to do with the built-in, full-spec 1080p HD video support - looks like the end to jumpy movie playback on your netbook is near!

Admittedly, the announcement by Nvidia isn’t going to solve the gripes people have with keyboards and small screens but it should help - now you have a device that fits in your pocket that can be plugged into a full sized monitor/keyboard to give users a desktop-like experience.

Samsung NC20 launch date

james — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:42:00 +0000

The NC10 netbook from Samsung hasn’t actually been out on the market for long so it’s quite surprising to see the next model details have been bouncing around the web. Then again, that never stopped Asus launching a log jam of netbooks!

This updated version is a bit a of a beast; in both specs and pricing. The NC20 will come with 1.3GHz VIA Nano U225 processor, a 12.1-inch display, 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11b/g WiFi, Ethernet, a 3-in-1 card reader and a 1.3-megapixel camera. The NC20 weighs about 3.3 lbs so it’s definitely not the lightest device on the market. Although the spec is pretty decent for a netbook the price is a bit of a smack in the face - it’s expected to be in the region of $642! And I though netbooks were supposed to be a low cost alternative to draw in the masses of mobile users!

Aspire One 10 inch model coming

james — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:47:28 +0000

Acer has announced plans to launch a 10-inch version of the Aspire One sometime around March next year. in February or March next year, according to Scott Lin, Acer Taiwan president.

Acer will be launching a 14.1-inch LED-based notebook during the upcoming month but UK prices haven’t been confirmed. On top of this notebook you can expect to see 12.1-inch, 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch LED-based notebooks coming out of Acer in 2009.

Acer will also start selling a 13.3-inch notebook and all-in-one PCs based on its sub-brand Gateway during the show and the company expects the 13.3-inch notebook will fill up the gap in Acer’s product range.

The current range of 8.9-inch netbooks with the 3.5G modules are expected to hit around 9,000 units shipping volume by the fourth quarter of 2008. Current figures show Acer selling about 10,000-20,000 Aspire Ones and 7,000-8,000 consumer notebooks monthly in Taiwan alone.

Ok, a whole load of figures and comments around ‘it’s coming soon’ - the average price of a notebook is still falling. By combining healthy netbook and notebook sales Acer looks set to be a major challenger for the netbook crown in future. As I’ve said before, the 10 inch models are now blurring the distinction between netbook and notebook and it’s now more a case of who can cram the most into a chassis - here’s to Acer’s next netbook, the ‘3.5G, TV Tuner, kitchen sink and floor sweeper One’!

Samsung NC10

james — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:01:18 +0000

Once again, it looks like Samsung have definitely been listening to their users. Notebook Magazine has conducted battery life testing on the NC10 Netbook with some impressive results. Take a look at these stats:

12% screen brightness: 7hrs 34mins.
50% screen brightness: the duration dropped to 6hrs 30mins.
100% screen brightness: 4hrs 38.

Conclusion? Dim your screen to conserver battery life! Admittedly, load testing does have a bearing on the battery life of any portable device but even the latest advances in display technology still leave a lot to be desired.

The stat above show that, when it comes to power consumption, Samsung is moving in the right direction. The Q1 Ultra is another excellent example of how Samsung have listened to the customer and implemented the ‘right stuff’ in terms of requirements. This attention to detail is probably one of the reasons why LaptopMag calls the NC10 the ‘netbook of choice’, for now. Isn’t it time that some of the other OEM’s took a note out of Samsungs book and started giving us more battery life?

Asus S101 gets own site and release dates

james — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:07:09 +0000

The soon to be released Asus Eee S101 has been given it’s own, dedicated webpage. Head on over here to find a range of videos and images of the so-called MacBook Air killer. One of the more important pieces of info on the site is the official release date gotten its own official press page - look on the right hand side of the landing page where you’ll see ‘S101 launch schedule’ then hover your mouse over this link to pop out page with all the info you need. There’s no date there for the UK but I’m assuming they should be here about now, inline with European launch dates.

One of the more interesting videos suggests the Asus S101 runs almost silent with 5 hours of battery life - very nice, if it’s true. Unfortunately Asus have decided to continue shipping their netbooks with 0.3 Mpxs camera!

Netbook sales rising fast

james — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:51:22 +0000

Market research company IDC have produced sales figures showing over two million netbooks have sold in the EMEA region for Q3 2008. Pretty impressive to say the least. For fans of netbooks/sub notebooks this leap in popularity will come as no surprise. The question is; how will full sized laptops fare in future? Some commentators are suggesting the notebook will all but disappear - undermined but the low cost, highly portable netbooks that are coming to market. Add in the recent Intel announcement that the dual core Atom is ready and you’d be forgiven for predicting the demise of the trusty laptop.

But don’t be too quick to judge. Sure, netbooks are pretty hard to beat for users on the go especially when you consider the current low cost devices on the market. Personally, I love my HP 2133. The keyboard is almost perfect and the monitor is fine for general usage - up to a point. I have to admit that after an hour of staring at the 8.9″ screen I’m ready for the comfort of my 17″ laptop. Portability and low cost has attracted significant interest from both business and home users alike but don’t expect the netbook craze to completely replace standard laptops. Even 10″ screens on the like of the new Asus Eee PC S101 can be hard on your eyes with continued usage. Let’s face it, which do you prefer - an 8.9″ or 15″ monitor?

Another point to remember here is that this may just be a fad, albeit a rather profitable fad for the manufacturers, which could end rather rapidly. The low cost of the netbooks will definitely attract many users but this low pricing won’t last forever. As manufacturers push the specs ever upwards expect to see prices rise inline.

I’m not knocking netbooks in any way, simply questioning some of the views that the form will kill off laptops.

On a final note, IDC are predicting that the netbook sales figures will jump to over 4 million sales by the end of this year.

Nokia N810 Wimax news

james — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:58:14 +0000

It looks like the WiMax enabled Nokia N810 internet tablet has finally been launched. This latest version of the popular, Linux based, internet tablet can be purchased direct from Nokia for $443. For your hard earned cash you’ll get a WiMax N810 that looks pretty much the same as the original, except the casing is black and it has WiMax. This version of the N810 has been delayed by quite some time although this may well have something to do with the rollout of the WiMax network which only really came to life in the past few weeks.

Reports seem to suggest that the intial WiMax deployment is going well in the US - good news for Nokia. By being first to market with a WiMax device, Nokia should be in a good position to capture a significant chunk of early adopters who’ll be keen to test the waters.

One point to note here - Nokia have played a smart move by launching the WiMax N810 at the same price as the last version - no lengthy discussions with yourself when you come to your next purchase decision!

Apple rumours debunked, maybe.

james — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:30:13 +0000

There seem to be a number of reports about an $800 MacBook circulating on the web. Apple fans were getting flustered over the thought of being able to buy would could be a low end MacBook or even a netbook type device. It seems like macrumors have found some info that kills off the entry level MacBook myth.

Based on information that macrumors have gathered, it would appear that the $899 product (K29, MB382LL/A) on Apple’s product lists is likely to be LED Apple Cinema Display.

AppleInsider also thinks the $899 ‘thing’ could be a 24″ Cinema Display. This analysis casts a bit of shadow over some of the other predictions that are being thrown around by pundits. As yet, there’s still no word on entry level MacBook pricing - I’ll guess we’ll just have to wait for the big announcement.