Samsung N150 netbook reviewed

Monday, February 8th, 2010, 5:26 pm by Brad | Tags: ,

The Samsung N150 is one of a handful of mini-laptops powered by Intel Atom N450 processors that Samsung introduced last month. It’s one of the cheapest new models, with a rather ordinary looking plastic case and a battery that’s good for up to 7.5 hours (as opposed to the 11 to 12 hours of run time Samsung is promising for the NB30 and N210/N220 netbooks).

CNET has posted one of the first reviews of the Samsung N150. Overall, the reviewer finds the netbook to be a mixed bag. He finds the keyboard to be a little cramped, but he likes the touchpad which supports multitouch gestures.

The 4400mAh battery provided just over 5 hours of run time in a Battery Eater test. Since Battery Eater is designed to constantly stress the CPU, you should expect closer to 6 or 7 hours of web surfing or other light duty activities.

The Samsung N150 is available from Amazon for $349.

via Eee PC.net

Notion Ink Adam tablet mockup

Monday, February 8th, 2010, 4:29 pm by Brad | Tags: , , , ,

When Notion Ink showed off an early prototype of its 10 inch tablet at CES last month, the device was still in the early prototype stages. How early? The case was hand-carved out of wood instead of being made of metal or plastic. But the Adam tablet still got a lot of buzz as one of the most exciting devices on display at CES thanks to two factors. It has a Pixel Qi 3qi display which looks as good outdoors as it does indoors, and which can be flipped from full color mode to a high contrast, low power mode for reading eBooks or web pages. And the tablet uses NVIDIA’s Tegra platform which bundles high quality graphics with a low power processor.

The Notion Ink Adam still isn’t ready to ship yet. But the company sent SlashGear a series of mockup images showing what the finished product could look like. All told, it doesn’t look that different from the device I saw at CES. But the company does have a few new details to share.

First, there could be two different versions of the Adam. One would measure 12.9mm thick, while the other would be just 11.6mm. Both would be thinner than the 13.4mm iPad.

Notion Ink claims that the Adam might be able to run for 2-3 times longer than the iPad for surfing the web or performing some other tasks. SlashGear reports that the tablet will also launch with partnerships in place with digital magazine, eBook, and comic book content available.

You can check out my hands-on video with the Notion Ink tablet prototype from CES after the break.

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Well, that’s one way to sell a notebook

Monday, February 8th, 2010, 3:18 pm by Brad | Tags: , , , ,

The Gigabyte Booktop M1305 is a 13 inch notebook that comes with a docking station that lets you effectively use the laptop as if it were a desktop by quickly and easily plugging in a mouse, keyboard, monitor, and other peripherals. It’s basically the larger version of the 10 inch Booktop M1022.

The idea is that the notebook is more useful when you stick it into the dock. So to promote the “stick it in” concept, Gigabyte is running a campaign in Taiwan showing another popular “stick it in” action: people sticking their fingers in their nose. Because umm… well, really I don’t know why.

It’s not exactly the kind of campaign that’s going to appeal to everyone. but who knows, maybe it will go over well in Taiwan.

via NewGadgets.de and Mobile and Notebook

Core Grid Vigood U220 netbook with a solid metal chassis

Monday, February 8th, 2010, 2:02 pm by Brad | Tags: , , ,

By definition, netbooks are cheap (and small) laptops. As such, they typically have cheap plastic cases because let’s face it, aluminum, magnesium, and the other metals often used in laptop casings cost a bit more than plastic. But a handful of netbooks (most noticably the HP Mini 2133, 2140, 5101, and 5102) have had metal cases. And now you an add another one to the list: The Core Grid Vigood U220.

If that brand name isn’t familiar, that’s because this netbook comes from an obscure Chinese manufacturer. Or at least, obscure outside of China.

The Vigood U220 features your typical netbook specs including a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive, and a 10.2 inch display. It sports 802.11b/g WiFi, a 1.3MP webcam, 3 USB ports, VGA output, and a flash card reader. The one distinguishing characteristic is its metal chassis. Shanzai.com reports the Vigood U220 sells for the equivalent of about $350.

Deals of the Day

Monday, February 8th, 2010, 12:56 pm by Brad | Tags:

Asus Eee PC 1201T with AMD NEO reviewed

Monday, February 8th, 2010, 11:41 am by Brad | Tags: , ,

The Eee PC 1201T is one of umpteen versions of the Asus Eee PC 1201-series of laptops. They all have 12.1 inch, 1366  x 768 pixel displays ans the same chassis and keyboard. But while the Eee PC 1201N, 1201HA, and 1201NL all have Intel Atom processors, the Eee PC 1201T has an AMD Neo MV-40 CPU and ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics.

The folks at Yugatech have posted one of the first reviews I’ve seen of the AMD version of this laptop. There’s not a lot of information about the overall performance, but here are a few things I learned:

  • The Eee PC 1201T comes with the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium (most other models have the 32-bit version).
  • The computer has a Windows Experience Index of 3.1 (with the graphics notching the lowest score and the CPU weighing in at 3.2). By comparison, the Eee PC 1201N has an Index of 3.3, with a 4.3 graphics score, but a 3.3 for the CPU.
  • HD video appears to be a mixed bag, with the Eee PC 1201T playing 1080p HD video locally without a problem, but struggling with 720p and higher resolution Flash video.
  • Battery life was pretty sad, with the computer lasting about 2.5 hours with a 4400mAh battery.

Yugatech reports that the Eee PC 1201T sells for about 21,900 Philippine pesos ($471 US) in the Philippines.

via Blogeee

Netbook Navigator’s Nav 9 slate PC gets affordable, guns for the iPad

Monday, February 8th, 2010, 10:21 am by Brad | Tags: , , , ,

When the folks at Netbook Navigator first asked me to write about the company’s new 9 inch tablet PC I had a hard time getting past the high price tag of nearly $1200. But that price was for an early model that packed 3G capabilities and was intended for early adopters. Now Netbook Navigator has updated the pricing for the Nav 9 tablet and the base model costs just $799. Yeah, that’s still enough money to pick up 2-3 netbooks, but here’s what you get for the money:

  • Display: 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel multitouch display
  • CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU
  • Graphics: Intel GMA 950
  • Storage: 16GB SSD
  • RAM: 2GB
  • OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
  • Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, LAN, optional 3G HSDPA or CDMA
  • I/O: 3 USB ports, MiniSD card slot, SIM card slot, port replicator w/VGA/LAN adapter, 1.3MP webcam
  • Battery: 3 cell, 1700mAh (2.5 hours max)
  • Dimensions: 10″ x 6.6″ x 0.8″
  • Weight: 2 pounds
  • Other: car charger

The 3G module will cost you extra, as will a higher capacity battery which is good for up to 4 hours of run time. You can also get the Nav 9 with a 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB SSD. The most expensive unit will run you $1399, but the $799 starting price is certainly much more appealing than the $1200 the company was charging earlier.

Netbook Navigator has also put together a handy chart comparing the Nav 9 tablet to the upcoming Apple iPad and the already-on-the-market Archos 9 tablet. The long and short of it is that the Nav 9 supports multitasking, supports USB peripherals and SD card expansion, and comes in more varieties. Oh yeah, it can also run most Windows applications. On the other hand, it’s thicker and heavier than the other tablets.

DosPara special edition notebook has dual core Atom, Blu-Ray drive

Monday, February 8th, 2010, 9:51 am by Brad | Tags: , , , , ,

Japanese PC maker DosPara is no stranger to pushing the limits of netbooks and ultraportable laptops. The company was one of the first to put out a notebook with a dual core Atom 330 CPU and NVIDIA ION graphics, for example. But DosPara’s latest notebook ups the game with the addition of a Blu-Ray drive.

The Dospara limited edition “Yu-pon” model is based on a character from game animation company Nitro+. The notebook features a 12.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, and an HDMI output. It’s loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium, and according to Akihabara News it’s due out in Japan this month for 69980 yen, or about $783 US. I doubt we’ll see this laptop in the US anytime soon though.

via Eee PC.net

Asus Eee Top ET1610PT all-in-one PC to sport Pine Trail power

Monday, February 8th, 2010, 8:38 am by Brad | Tags: , ,

Asus is apparently preparing to launch its first all-in-one PC with Intel Atom Pine Trail processors. The company has been putting out desktop computer-in-a-display systems under the Eee Top brand for a year or two. But the Eee Top ET1610PT will be the first to come with a single core Intel Atom D410 Pine Trail processor and integrated GMA 3150 graphics.

The PC will feature a 15.6 inch, 1600 x 900 pixel touchscreen display, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, and Windows XP. That’s right, Windows XP, not Windows 7. At least that’s how the computer is expected to ship in Italy, where Netbook Italia reports it will sell for 400 Euros.

No word on whether we’ll see a dual core model or a version with higher performance graphics anytime soon.

Asus Eee PC 1005PE-H comes with Win7 Home Premium, spec bump

Sunday, February 7th, 2010, 9:20 am by Brad | Tags: , , , , , ,

French retailer fnac has posted a product page for a new Asus netbook model called the Eee PC 1005PE-H. Basically, the laptop is identical to the Asus Eee PC 1005PE in most respects. It has the same design, keyboard, and processor. But the Eee PC 1005PE-H comes with more RAM and storage space than its cheaper sibling, and ships with Windows 7 Home Premium instead of Windows 7 Starter Edition.

There’s no word on whether this model will be available in the US anytime soon. But I’d be surprised if it’s only available in France. Typically netbooks that pop up in that country are made available throughout much of Europe.

Here’s a rundown of the specs:

  • CPU: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450
  • Display: 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixels
  • RAM: 2GB
  • Storage: 320GB hard drive
  • OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
  • Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, Ethernet
  • I/O: 3x USB, SD card reader, mic, headphone
  • Battery: 6 cell, 4400mAh
  • Dimensions: 10.3″ x 7″ x 1.4″

Fnac is charging 349 Euros for the Eee PC 1005PE-H, whichi s the equivalent of $476 US, although European prices tend to be higher than prices in the US.

via Blogeee