NetbookTech

First off, Happy New Year to all of you. I sincerely hope all of our readers had a wonderful holiday season. Ours was fairly uneventful (which is of course, a good thing).  In any case, let’s start the new year off by looking at how netbooks fared in Japan in 2008. The folks at Akihabara News were kind enough to republish a list of the top 10 netbooks in terms of sales volume for 2008 (originally compiled by the folks at BNC Japan). Without further ado, here’s the list:

• ASUS Eee PC – 4GB SSD model had 20.9 percent
• Acer Aspire One – 120GB model had 19.5 percent
• ASUS Eee PC 901-X – 12GB SSD model had 16.8 percent
• Acer Aspire One – 160GB model had 5.1 percent
• ASUS Eee PC 1000H – 160GB model had 4.7 percent
• Konjinsa SA5KX08AL – 80GB model had 2.6 percent
• ASUS Eee PC S101-X – 16GB SSD model had 1.9 percent
• Onkyo C101-4 – 120GB model had 1.8 percent
• ASUS Eee PC 701-SD-007X – 8GB SSD model had 1.8 percent
• HP FR082PA – 160GB HDD model had 1.6 percent

Congrats to all.

[Check it out]

A new review of the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 is out – this time from the folks at Stuff.co.nz. While there’s a lot going for the Mini 12, there’s also a couple of annoying features. The system supports a max of 1GB of RAM, has a slow, pokey hard drive, and comes with Windows Vista (not Windows XP or Linux like other models out there). Here’s a snippet from the review:

“For all that, the Inspiron Mini 12 isn’t as good as it could be.”

NotebookReview takes a look at the new HP Mini 1000 netbook here on their website. The Mini 1000 is HP’s second generation netbook featuring a larger 10.2 inch display, and the Intel Atom processor. I recently played with the Mini 1000’s keyboard and I must say, it’s quite good. Here’s what NotebookReview thinks of the Mini 1000:

“The HP Mini 1000 is a clear winner on the netbook front, offering a great design and being very user-upgrade friendly. It offers the best keyboard out of the entire netbook crowd, only matched by the earlier Mini-Note 2133 which uses the same design. “

Finally, DailyTech reviews the MSI Wind U100-483JP netbook here on their website. Here’s a snippet:

“Although the Eee PC 1000H is a solid choice for portable computing I think the MSI Wind U100 is the better pick.”

Enjoy!

Here are the latest netbook reviews from around the web.

Top Tech News reviews the Acer Aspire One A110 netbook and finds:

“Overall, the A110 will meet the needs of users who want a quick Internet access device. It is not really meant to be your primary workstation, but if you need to use the A110 extensively for more than one hour, it would be good to install Windows XP.”

About.com has a review of the HP Mini 1035 NR netbook which is HP’s second generation netbook featuring a 10.2 inch display. Here’s what they thought of the netbook:

“The biggest problem with the HP Mini 1000 netbooks though is the ports. It is limited to just two USB ports and an SD slot. This puts it well behind offerings from other companies. Even the VGA port requires an adapter to use.”

Legit Reviews publishes a review of the ASUS Eee PC 1000HA here on their website. Here’s their verdict:

“The ASUS EEE 1000HA is a very capable netbook.  If you are looking for something with all the features and abilities of a notebook in a small and easy to use package, then this is the netbook for you. “

Best Buy has three netbooks listed in this week’s circular. They are as follows:

ASUS Eee PC 900A netbook for $279.99. Specs for this model include:

• Intel Atom processor
• 8.9 inch WSVGA widescreen display with 1024 x 600 resolution
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB SSD
• Intel GMA 950
• Ethernet
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• Built-in stereo speakers
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• Linux OS

ASUS Eee PC 1000HD netbook for $349.99 (this is a sale price this week). Specs include:

• Intel Celeron 900MHz processor
• 10 inch WSVGA widescreen display with 1024 x 600 resolution
• 1GB RAM
• 120GB SATA 5400 RPM HDD
• Intel GMA 900 graphics
• Ethernet
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
• Built-in speakers
• Windows XP Home

Finally, the HP Mini 1030NR Netbook for $449.99. Specs include:

• Intel Atom processor
• 10.2 inch TFT LCD widescreen with 1024 x 600 resolution
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB SSD
• Intel GMA 950
• Ethernet
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
• Built-in speakers
• Windows XP Home

The good folks at LaptopMag have published a comprehensive head to head comparison of five 10 inch netbook systems – the Samsung NC10, the MSI Wind U100, the Lenovo IdeaPad S10, the HP Mini 1000, and the ASUS Eee PC 1000H. Comparisons were made across performance, Wi-Fi, design, screen, connectivity, keyboard/trackpad, battery life and value.

Wondering who won at the end? Well the publication chose the Samsung NC10 as the overall 10 inch netbook winner stating:

“Of these five netbooks, the Samsung NC10 came out on top in six categories–Design, Screen, Keyboard, Trackpad, Battery, Value–and got decent scores in every other area, earning its place as the best 10-inch netbook we’ve seen so far.”

Very cool – congrats Samsung – you’re late to the party but you’re rocking!

[Check it out]

While you’ve seen us install the pre-beta build of Windows 7 on a Lenovo IdeaPad S10 netbook, other adventurous folks out there have decided to try out the new OS on their respective netbook systems.

Joanna Stern of LaptopMag installed Windows 7 on her ASUS Eee PC 1000H netbook and had this to say about the system.

“So how is Windows 7 on an Intel Atom netbook? Two thumbs up for the new wireless manager and the new visual cues that are incorporated throughout the OS. We wouldn’t give up Windows XP just yet considering the video playback, but the OS is still in beta and it is our hope that final version will be even better for Atom-based PCs.”

Liliputing posted up their impressions of running Windows 7 on an MSI Wind netbook system here. Here’s what they had to say about the new OS:

“All in all, Windows 7 is even more enjoyable than Vista was, and it’s not going to be disappearing from my Wind any time soon.”

Another adventurous fella posted up a view clip of Windows 7 on the MSI Wind on YouTube:

He had this to say:

“Anyways, it runs ok (it’s still in Beta), but if you have a Wind, just stick with XP or Vista for now.”

Finally, the folks at the HP Mini Guide.com installed the M3 build on the HP Mini-Note netbook and said the following:

“Overall it does seem a bit faster than Vista and things are looking really good for this pre-beta.”

All very positive results thus far. Add in a few more features, clean up some bugs, and Windows 7 could definitely be a winner.

[via SlashGear]

Both PC Magazine and LaptopMag have reviews up for the newly announced HP Mini 1000 netbook. This 10.2 inch second generation netbook, announced earlier last week, features an Intel Atom processor, Windows XP Home OS, 1GB of RAM, a 60GB HDD (or an optional SSD), and of course, a beautiful 92 percent HP keyboard. Unfortunately, HP also stuck with the first generation mouse/touchpad layout (ugh). Here’s what PC Magazine thought of the netbook:

“The Mini 1000 is a solid second act for HP that could teach other netbooks a thing or two about design. It could stand to learn a few things from its peers, as well.”

and here’s what LaptopMag thought of it:

“.. HP Mini’s stylish and seriously compact chassis, crisp and bright screen, and outstanding keyboard elevate it above most of its competitors and shake up the cookie-cutter netbook mold. However, those looking for a longer lasting system with a larger, faster hard drive for $50 less will prefer the $499 Samsung NC10 (which comes standard with a 6-cell battery). But those lusting after a stylish 10-inch netbook will be beyond satisfied with the the HP Mini 1000.”

HP today announces the launch of their new HP Mini 1000 line of netbook systems with the introduction of three new systems – the HP Mini 1000, the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition, and the HP Mini 1000 with MIE (Mobile Internet Experience). News of the HP Mini 1000 leaked out over the weekend when the HP Shopping website accidentally had some images of the new netbook series – yet actual detailed specs were scarce at the time.. ah but now we know the goods..

First off, all three systems have the following common traits:

• Less than one inch thick
• Weighs a little more than two pounds
• 92 percent keyboard size
• BrightView widescreen Infinity display (1024×600 resolution) with flush glass and LED backlight
• Built-in webcam and microphone
• Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor

Now let’s get to the details of each of the new systems.

First up, there’s the HP Mini 1000:

Key features of the Mini 1000 are as follows:

• Piano black finish with HP Imprint swirl design
• Windows XP Home
• Ethernet
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• 3G versions coming in December
• Choice of either 8.9 inch or 10.2 inch display
• Choice of SSD or regular hard drives
• Prices start at $399

Here are the full specs:

• Windows XP Home with SP3
• Choice of 8.9 inch or 10.2 inch WSVGA HP LED BrightView Infinity Display
• 512MB or 1GB of RAM
• Intel GMA 950 graphics
• Intel Atom N270 processor
• 8GB/16GB SSD or 60GB 4200 RPM PATA HDD
• HP Mini Webcam with HP Imprint Finish
• Wireless G card with optional Bluetooth support
• 3 cell Lithium Polymer Battery
• Measures 10.3 in (L) x 6.56 in (W) x 0.99 in (H)
• Only 1 DIMM slot for a maximum of 1GB of memory
• Weighs 2.23 lbs
• Integrated stereo speakers

Note – a fully decked out system can be as high as $549.99 – that’s including a 60GB HDD, 1GB of RAM, and a 10 inch display.

The Mini 1000 is available now for purchase.

Next, we have the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition:

Key features for this netbook are as follows:

• Vibrant red with peony flower inspired design
• 10.2 inch BrightView display
• Windows XP Home
• Ethernet
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• 3G versions coming in December
• MSRP of $699

You can reserve the Vivienne Tam edition today.

Finally, there’s the HP Mini 1000 with Mobile Internet Experience (MIE). What makes the MIE model particularly interesting is the fact that it’s an HP designed user interface for accessing digital content – including videos, photos, music, and email. The system runs a Linux OS and has Ethernet, two USB ports, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Prices for the Mini 1000 are expected to start at $379. This system will be coming out soon.

HP rounds out the new netbook announcements with several accessory announcements also including a new HP Mini Mobile Drive which comes in 2, 4 or 8GB storage capacities and an optional six cell lithium-polymer battery due out in January.

Initial thoughts

The new HP Mini 1000 series certainly have the looks and the form factor/sizes are definitely just right. However, the mouse button layout is still the same as before (why in the world are the buttons on the left and right sides of the touchpad??)  and the prices are a tad bit high once you start adding features to the list. Other netbooks feature more and cost less – something HP might have to contend with if it wants to be successful in this market.

[Check it out]

If you happened to come across the HP Shopping website on Sunday you might have caught a glimpse of a curious new system called the HP Mini 1000. Judging from the name, this appears to be the follow-up netbook system to the HP Mini-Note 2133 announced earlier in the year.

The picture has since been removed from the website (These “accidental” slipups happen so often these days that you have to wonder if it’s really an accident) but thanks to The Technicist, it appears the Mini 1000 will be coming out on Wedneday, October 29th.

Information on the new netbook is scarce at this time. One would assume this system is related somewhat (if not identical) to the Vivienne Tam Special Edition netbook that’s due to come out in December. If that’s true, then expect the Mini 1000 to have an Atom processor as well as a 10 inch display. What we do know (thanks to the picture), is that the Mini 1000 will be less than 2.25 lbs and measure less than one inch thin.

[via News.com, The Technicist]

It looks like the upcoming HP Vivienne Tam Edition notebook might actually be a full fledged netbook system instead. According to the Tech Chic Glam webpage, the upcoming Vivienne Tam Edition system will be available in December and feature an Intel Atom processor. Yes.. the mere fact that the Atom is in there leads most of us to believe this is in fact a new HP netbook system.  The system was actually announced by HP back in September via this press release. However at the time, it wasn’t revealed that the system would feature the Atom processor inside.

According to the press release:

“The top of the notebook is gleaming red and bursting with peony flowers. The peony design is meticulously carried inside the notebook, under the keypad. The notebook also features a complementary embroidered storage sleeve that helps keep the exterior protected while being carried as a clutch.

The peony design features a unique blend of Asian and Western cultures, antiquity and modern style, technology and fashion. It was inspired by Tam’s “China Chic” style, which is recognized from the runways in Milan to the Olympics in Beijing and represents her personal mantra to live well and be beautiful.”

HP has an interview with Vivienne Tam here on their website where you’ll also be able to quickly glance at the netbook (and I do mean quickly!).

HP has yet to release the exact specs of the netbook but it’s probably safe to say that the system features a 10 inch screen and will have similar specs to other netbooks out on the market. At least we now know HP has switched to the Atom processor.

[Check it out via CrunchGear]