NetbookTech

LaptopMag has published a review of the Acer Aspire One D260 netbook here on their website. Specs for the D260 include:

• Intel Atom N450 and N475 processor
• Intel NM10 Express chipset
• 1GB of RAM
• Up to 250GB 5400RPM HDD
• Multi-in-one card reader with support for MMC, reduced-sized MMC, SD, MS, MS PRO, and xD-Picture Card
• 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 resolution high-brightness (200 nit) LED backlit TFT display
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics
• Acer Crystal Eye webcam with 1280 x 1024 resolution
• VGA port
• Built-in stereo speakers
• Built-in digital microphone
• Headphones/speakers/line-out and microphone ports
• Three USB 2.0 ports
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Ethernet connectivity
• 93 percent keyboard
• Multi-gesture enabled touchpad
• Measures 10.2 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches and weighs 2.8 lbs with the 6 cell battery
• 8 hours of power with six cell battery or 4 hours of power with three cell battery

Here’s what LaptopMag thought of the 10 inch netbook:

“Acer prioritized looks and portability above longevity in the D260, but this netbook manages to be charming even with its below-average battery life. Its $299 price is equally attractive, but for the same amount you could scoop up the ASUS Eee PC 1001P, which, though it has a smaller 160GB hard drive, fared better in several performance tests, including battery life. Still, if you think 5 hours or runtime is enough, the Aspire One D260 has plenty going for it, not the least of which being its charisma.”

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Jarred Walton over at Anandtech recently published a “first look” into the updated Alienware M11x 11.6 notebook (The R2 edition). First off, some specs for all of you to digest:

• Support for up to Intel Core i7 640UM processor
• Intel QA57 Express Chipset for Core i5/i7 or Intel GS45 Chipset for Core 2 Duo
• Windows 7 64 bit OS
• Up to 8GB DDR3 memory
• External USB slot-loading DVD burner
• Up to 500GB 7200RPM HDD or 256GB SSD
• 11.6 inch WideHD 1366 x 768 LCD display
• 1GB GDDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M graphics
• Intel GMA 5 series integrated graphics
• NVIDIA Optimus Technology (only on the Core i5/i7 processor versions) allowing users to intelligently switch between integrated graphics and discrete graphics
• Intel HD 5.1 surround sound audio
• Bluetooth 2.1, Internal WWAN mobile broadband, 802.11 a/b/g/n 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi
• 8 cell 64 WHr primary battery
• Firewire port, 3 USB 2.0 ports, 3 in 1 media card reader, 2 audio-out ports, audio-in/microphone port, and Ethernet port
• 2 Built-in front speakers

Yes, this isn’t your normal thin-and-light notebook. The M11x comes in a body better suited for 13.3 inch notebooks and has enough power for decent mobile gamage. They’ve yet to finish the review but here are some interesting tidbits from the first look:

• PCMark Vantage shows an improvement of 36% over previous model
• 3DMark results show an improvement of between 5 to 15%
• Battery life looks promising – with times upwards of 7 hours for lighter loads – thanks in no small part to NVIDIA Optimus Tech.

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PC Magazine reviews the ASUS Eee PC 1005PR Seashell netbook here on their website. Although at first glance, the 1005PR looks like any other ASUS Eee PC 10.1 inch netbook, the system actually features a higher-resolution display (1366 x 768) and the Broadcom Crystal HD decoder (BCM 70015) to help decode 720p/1080p video clips.

The Broadcom Crystal HD solution provides much needed help to the Atom processor for decoding HD video content – although this does assume your video decoder application supports hardware acceleration with the chipset.

And the higher resolution display? Well that’s always nice to have – especially if you want to view more of a given Word document or web page or more importantly view 720p HD video clips.

Other specs to the netbook include:

• Windows 7 Starter and Express Gate OS
• 10.1 inch LED backlit display
• Intel Atom N450 processor
• 1GB of DDR2 RAM – max 2GB
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• 250GB HDD
• 0.3 megapixel webcam
• HD audio
• Digital microphone
• VGA, 3 USB 2.0ports, Ethernet, Headphone/Microphone
• Card reader
• 6 cell Li-Ion battery 63W/h for 11 hours of power or 6 cell Li-Ion battery 48W/h for 9 hours of power

Here’s what PC Mag thought of the 1005PR:

“The Asus EeePC 1005PR may not be the perfect netbook, but Asus makes it hard to turn down a good bargain.”

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It’s been awhile since I published a roundup of netbook reviews from around the web – sorry I’ve been bogged down with work from my day job!. So without further ado, here’s a quick roundup of netbook reviews that you might find interesting.

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The Washington Post (OK really PC World) reviews the ASUS Eee PC 1001P-MU17 netbook here on their website. The 1001P-MU17 features the following:

• Intel Atom N450 processor
• 10.1 inch LED backlit display
• 92 percent keyboard
• Multi-touch enabled keyboard
• 160GB HDD
• 1GB of RAM
• 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
• Built-in webcam and microphone
• 11+ hour battery life

Here’s what they thought of the 1001P:

“The Asus EeePC 1001-MU17 is a solid effort from the company that started the netbook craze. It has a very nice keyboard and exceptionally well-adjusted touchpad–factors often overlooked in the netbook purchasing equation. While not ostentatious, it’s still sedately handsome, and if you regularly need quick access to the Web, the Express Gate can be handy indeed.”

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CNET’s Crave took the new Intel Convertible Classmate PC for a spin here on their website (photo above from CNET). Similar to last year’s version of the Classmate PC, the latest version adds a rubberized outer shell, a spill-resistant keyboard and screen, and a sturdier chassis with shock-absorbing corners and a shock-detecting hard drive. After-all, kids are going to be rough with their toys right? Specs include:

• Intel Atom N450 processor
• 160GB HDD
• 1366 x 768 resolution 10.1 inch display (nice to see a higher resolution here)
• VGA, two USB ports, two headphone jacks, microphone jack, and SD card slot

Here’s a snippet from the hands-on:

“Overall, the new Classmate is a great idea, with tools that seem like they’ll help the implementation of an "educational laptop" in school systems ready to adopt them. The only question is, at $499, would a school possibly choose an iPad instead?”

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Washington Post has yet another netbook review (courtesy of PC World really) – this time of the Samsung NB30 netbook. The rugged NB30 features:

• Intel Atom N450 processor
• 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 resolution display
• 160GB HDD
• 1 GB of RAM
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics
• Built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Three USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, VGA port, headphone jack
• Built-in stereo speakers
• Windows 7 Starter
• 6.5+ hours of battery life

Rugged features include:

• Hard drive freefall sensor automatically parks the hard drive heads if it senses the netbook dropping
• Scratch-resistant texturized matte black finish
• Water-tight seal prevents damages from contact with up to 50cc of spilled water if removed within 10 seconds

Here’s what they thought of the NB30:

“The NB30 is priced a smidge higher than the competition, but those extra dollars fetch a few features that may help this otherwise run-of-the-mill netbook avoid an untimely death.”

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Finally, Bloomberg Businessweek takes a look at the Sony VAIO X thin-and-light notebook/netbook. This pricey system (how pricey? how about a starting price of $1299.99?) features an 11.1 inch display, Atom processor, and an incredible light weight of 1.6 lbs.

Full on specs for the $1299.99 model include:

• Intel Atom Z550 processor clocked at 2GHz
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• 11.1 inch LED backlit LCD display
• 2GB of RAM
• 64GB SSD
• GPS
• Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband support
• Bluetooth
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Ethernet
• Intel GMA 500 graphics
• Standard and extended batteries for up to 14 hours of power

There’s also a VAIO Signature Collection X series with a starting price of $1499.99 which features a 128GB SSD drive.

Here’s what Businessweek thought of the system:

“A handy business tool for on-the-go professionals”

The good folks over at LaptopMag have published a new review of the Acer Aspire Timeline 1810TZ thin-and-light notebook here on their website. Those of you looking for a bit more oomph than an Atom-based netbook will certainly want to check out the 1810TZ as the system provides approximately double the power of most netbooks thanks to its’ dual-core Pentium SU4100 processor. Specs include:

• 11.6 inch 1366 x 768 resolution display
• Intel Pentium SU4100 processor clocked at 1.3GHz
• 4GB RAM
• 320GB 5400RPM HDD
• Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity
• VGA, HDMI, Headphone, Microphone, 3 USB ports
• 5 in 1 media card reader
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

Here’s what LaptopMag thought of the system:

“The 1810TZ is a very capable ultraportable at an affordable price. Its endurance is excellent, its keyboard a pleasure to use, and it offers a fair amount of speed for a such a small and inexpensive system. However, at $579, it’s just $20 cheaper than the 1810T, which has an even faster processor and the same battery life. If you don’t mind sacrificing a few hours of runtime, the equally totable Toshiba Satellite T135D offers double the graphics performance and a larger 13-inch display for $599. Still, the 1810TZ offers a nice combination of power and portability for less than $600”

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BusinessWeek publishes a review of the third generation IdeaPad S10 series netbook – the S10-3 here on their website. The S10-3 features an Intel Atom N450 processor, Windows 7 Starter OS, a 10.1 inch LED backlit display, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional 3G, Dolby Headphone, built-in speakers, and a weight of 2.75 lbs. Here’s what the publication thought of the system:

“Though it’s pricier, slightly less well-configured, and slower out of the box than much of its competition, the S10-3 is more than the sum of its parts. Type and point with one before you grab something else just to save 50 bucks.”

Meanwhile, the folks at PC World have published two new netbook reviews – one for the Samsung N210 and one for the Toshiba mini NB305-N310.

The N210, a netbook exclusive to Best Buy, features your now typical Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, 250GB HDD, Windows 7 Starter OS, 10.1 inch matte display, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and built-in webcam/microphone. Here’s what PC World thought of the system:

“The Samsung N210’s matte screen is easy to see in various lighting conditions, but the colors are a little washed out.”

The Toshiba mini NB305 is essentially a Pinetrail upgrade of the popular Toshiba mini NB205 netbook. You’ll get the Atom N450 processor, Intel 3150 graphics, 160GB HDD (a bit small these days), 1GB of RAM, built-in webcam, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and optional Bluetooth. Here’s what PC World thought of the system:

“The Toshiba Mini NB305-N310 is a professional-looking netbook with a comfortable keyboard and a huge touchpad, but it’s not great for watching Web videos on.”

Two more reviews of the Samsung N210 are hitting the web this week – one comes courtesy of the folks over at PC Magazine who had this to say:

“Nothing in particular makes the Samsung N210 stand out in a netbook line-up, but it’s a fundamentally sound netbook at a low price.”

Another review comes courtesy of CNET and here’s what they have to say:

“Though it has some useful software tools, there’s nothing special about the Samsung N210’s components or performance. At S$849, it’s much more expensive than comparable Netbooks.”

Sounds like a middle of the road netbook to us.

LaptopMag is out with their latest netbook review – this time of the new MSI Wind U160 netbook. The reviewed system (with a price of $379) features:

• Intel Atom N450 processor
• 1GB of RAM (expandable to 2GB)
• 160GB 5400RPM SATA HDD
• 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 resolution display
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Ethernet
• Headphone, Microphone
• VGA port
• 4 in 1 media card reader
• Chiclet keyboard
• 1.3 megapixel webcam

Here’s the verdict from the review:

“The MSI Wind U160 ($379) isn’t perfect—its battery juts out of the back and its keys are smallish—but on the whole it’s a strong choice in the 10-inch category. This machine offers especially long battery life, good performance, and one of the lightest designs you’ll find. “

The U160 certainly appears to be a viable 10 inch netbook option but as the reviewer notes, you’ll be better served with the cheaper ASUS Eee PC 1001P. We prefer the larger touchpad and keyboard of the Toshiba NB305.

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LaptopMag recently reviewed the thin-and-light, business-oriented Dell Vostro V13.  Based on the Adamo form factor, but hundreds of dollars cheaper, the Vostro V13 features:

• Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor
• 4GB of RAM
• 500GB 7200RPM SATA HDD
• 13.3 inch 1366 x 768 resolution display
• Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics
• 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 2.0
• Windows 7 Professional
• Ethernet
• Headphone and microphone ports
• USB/eSATA combo port, 2 USB ports, VGA port
• 5 in 1 card reader
• ExpressCard/34 slot

Here’s what LaptopMag thought of the thin-and-light:

“Dell has created another attractive notebook that is not only more expensive than its peers, but it comes up short in terms of endurance.”

Next up, Liliputing has a new review up of the $599 Lenovo IdeaPad S12 netbook featuring the NVIDIA ION platform. Specs include:

• Intel Atom N270 processor
• NVIDIA ION
• 2GB of RAM
• 250GB HDD
• 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 2.1
• 6 cell 52Whr battery
• Windows 7 Home Premium

Here’s what they thought of the system:

“if you want a model that can reliably handle HD video, Flash video, and some 3D gaming, as well as pump out video to an HDTV via an HDMI port, the NVIDIA ION model is the way to go….

But with a starting price of around $599, I can’t think of many reasons to pick up the NVIDIA ION version of the IdeaPad S12 instead of a computer like the Lenovo IdeaPad U150 with an Intel CULV processor which offers better overall performance, even if it doesn’t score quite as highly on graphics benchmarks.”

CNET published a new review of the ASUS Eee PC1005PEB netbook here on their website. The 1005PEB can typically be found at Best Buy for a reasonable price of $329.99. Specs for this netbook include:

• Intel Atom N450 processor
• Intel NM10 Express Chipset
• 1GB of RAM
• 250GB SATA HDD
• 3 in 1 media card reader
• 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 resolution LED backlit display
• 0.3 megapixel webcam
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Built-in stereo speakers
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• 6 cell lithium ion battery
• Windows 7 Starter

Here’s the verdict:

“This retail version of the popular Eee PC Netbook, the 1005PEB, hits the required notes, and is a little less expensive than many other retail Netbooks (but more than some online models).”

And finally, Anandtech reviews the ASUS Eee PC 1001P netbook – calling it their “favorite netbook” so far. The 1001P is the latest addition to ASUS’s Seashell product lineup, eschewing the glossy finish of the 1005 series with a textured matte finish. Spec wise, the 1001P features:

• Intel Atom N450 processor
• Intel NM10 chipset
• 1GB of RAM
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics
• 10.1 inch LED Matte display
• 250GB 5400 RPM HDD
• Ethernet and 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi connectivity
• HD audio
• 6 cell 48Wh battery
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• Media card reader
• Microphone/headphone jack
• VGA port
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Available in white, black, blue, and pink

Why is this Anandtech’s favorite netbook yet? Here’s why:

“A well built and attractively styled netbook with a great LCD, good battery life, no major design flaws, and few minor faults, but a netbook nonetheless, and as with so many other netbook reviews, the main takeaway remains. They’re the smallest, lightest, and cheapest portable computers that money can buy, but they’re also dog slow and not particularly enjoyable to use.”

The folks at LaptopMag have published two new netbook reviews on their site – one for the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t and one for the Samsung N210.

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t is a convertible netbook with the following specs:

• Intel Atom N470 processor clocked at 1.83GHz
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics
• 2GB of RAM
• 250GB 5400RPM SATA HDD
• 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 resolution display
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
• Ethernet
• Headphone/Microphone
• VGA port
• 2 USB ports
• 6 in 1 media card reader

A convertible netbook seems like a wonderful idea – except when you consider the Atom-processor really isn’t up to snuff with touch-operations. Here’s the verdict from LaptopMag:

”The S10-3t does some things right. It’s fairly light for a convertible, offers accurate touch input, and it has a comfortable keyboard. And, provided you get the 8-cell battery, you’ll see 7 hours of unplugged computing time. However, this machines’ sluggish performance and weak wireless range hold it back. If you want a netbook with touch capability, the S10-3t is worth considering, but this netvertible didn’t quite live up to our expectations.”

Read more of the review here.

Meanwhile, the Samsung N210 is the latest addition to Samsung’s fine lineup of netbook systems. The N210 is a Pinetrail enabled netbook featuring a unique scratch-resistant finish and instant-on capability with a widget-based user interface. Specs to the N210 include:

• Intel Atom N450 processor
• 1 – 2 GB of RAM
• 250GB 5400RPM SATA HDD
• 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 resolution display
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Windows 7 Starter
• Ethernet
• Headphone and microphone port
• VGA port
• 3 USB ports
• 3 in 1 media card reader

What’s the verdict?

“The Samsung N210 offers solid overall performance, close to 7 hours of battery life, and an attractive design. We also like the matte screen and loud speakers. However, this machine faces stiff competition from the ASUS Eee PC 1001P, which costs $80 less and lasts nearly 90 minutes longer on a charge. And the $399 Toshiba mini NB305 offers a better touchpad/mouse button combo and longer endurance for not much more money. The N210 is good, but it’s not the best.”

$379 is a tough sell when you consider the competition is either cheaper or offering better battery life. Come on Samsung – get back into the ballgame here. Read more of the review here.

The Wall Street Journal has published a review of the new Lenovo S10-3t netbook here on their website. With a starting price of $549, the S10-3t is certainly a pricey netbook – except it’s no ordinary netbook. The system is actually a convertible netbook which means you can rotate the screen and fold it onto itself, transforming the unit into a slate-oriented tablet PC.

Spec wise, the S10-3t features the new Intel Atom N450 processor, Windows 7 Starter Edition, Intel GMA 3150 graphics, 1GB of RAM, a 10.1 inch LED Glare and multi-touch enabled display, 160GB 5400RPM HDD, 4 cell lithium-ion battery, and Wi-Fi support.

So what does the WSJ think of the system?

“At $549 it’s a little pricier than your average netbook. Some might be willing to pay the extra bucks for the touch screen, which made navigating and using the small computer much easier than some regular laptops. But until the processor gets a little faster, I’m holding out for the iPad.”

Of course the sluggishness reported by the author shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise given that we are talking about the Atom processor. However, one statement did stand out – “For the most part, the netbook was all of these things for me, but it was slower than I would have liked”.

We couldn’t help but wonder what exactly the author was expecting from the S10-3t? What was the baseline he was comparing against? Was it an iPod touch? An iPad? Another netbook? A high-end tablet PC? A Core i5 system. We’re just wondering.

In any case, we probably wouldn’t have recommended the S10-3t simply due to the price of the system. At $549, it’s a fairly expensive proposition given what you get, which aside from a touch-screen, isn’t much more than a standard $300+ dollar netbook.

[Check it out via liliputing]