NetbookTech

PC Magazine has two new netbook reviews out on their website – one for the Toshiba Mini NB305-N410 and one for the new ASUS EeePC 1201N netbook.

The Toshiba Mini NB305 is essentially an update to the extremely popular Mini NB205 – keeping the great features of the NB205 while updating the system to the new Intel Pine Trail platform. The NB305 features the Intel Atom N450 processor, a 10.1 inch LED backlit display, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB SATA HDD, a full-sized keyboard, a spacious multi-touch enabled touchpad, Wi-Fi, and Windows 7 Starter. The best part? The NB205 maintains its incredible battery life while shrinking the battery form factor (aka the protruding battery is no more). Here’s what PC Magazine thought of the NB305:

“The Toshiba mini NB305-N410 netbook carries over many of the qualities that made its predecessor, the mini NB205 so lovable, and it’s still the netbook that gives you the most for the least amount of money.”

The ASUS EeePC 1201N is an entirely different kind of netbook – eschewing battery life in favor of processor and graphics performance. The 1201N dumps the Intel Atom N270 processor in favor of the higher-performing Atom N330 dual-core processor, making the 1201N the first netbook to feature the dual-core processor. Other features include a 12.1 inch LED backlit display, NVIDIA ION graphics, HDMI output, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, 2GB of RAM, full-sized chiclet keyboard, integrated webcam and microphone, and Windows 7 Home Premium.  As you might expect, the 1201N has a fairly low battery life of around 4 to 5 hours but if that’s the least of your concerns, then the 1201N is certainly an interesting system to look at. Here’s what PC Magazine thought of the unit:

“The ASUS EeePC 1201N is the fastest netbook money can buy, but its tradeoff is battery life just 4 hours of it.”

Just in case you missed it, Toshiba is now offering Intel’s latest Pine Trail platform with the new Toshiba NB305 series. Keeping most of the great features that made the original NB205 series so awesome, the new NB305 series features the following:

• Intel Atom Processor N450
• Windows 7 Starter OS
• 802.11n Wi-Fi
• Toshiba ReelTime which allows you to find files based on a timeline or “reel”. Instead of asking “where is it?”, you’re now thinking in terms of “when did I use it?”
• Toshiba Media Controller – Share multimedia with other compatible devices at home
• EPEAT Gold Rating
• Built-in webcam
• Toshiba Bulletin Board – customized home page you can drag and drop important data to

There are currently two models available, the NB305-N310 and the NB305-N410, with the primary differences being the hard drive, operating system, size of the battery, and the keyboard.

The NB305-N310 has the following specs:

• Intel Atom Processor N450
• Windows 7 Starter
• 1GB of RAM
• 10.1 inch display
• WSVGA TruBrite Backlit LED (1024 x 600 resolution) display
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
• 250GB 5400RPM HDD
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Built-in webcam and microphone
• 85 key keyboard and touchpad with multi-touch control
• 10/100 Ethernet
• Standard stereo speakers, headphone jack, and microphone
• 5300mAh 6 cell Li-Ion battery
• Up to 11.08 hours of battery life
• 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 2.0 port with Sleep and Charge support
• Memory card reader
• 2.6 lbs

The NB305-N410 has the following specs:

• Intel Atom Processor N450
• Windows XP Home
• 1GB of RAM
• 10.1 inch display
• WSVGA TruBrite Backlit LED (1024 x 600 resolution) display
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
• 250GB 5400RPM HDD
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Built-in webcam and microphone
• 85 key keyboard and touchpad with multi-touch control
• 10/100 Ethernet
• Standard stereo speakers, headphone jack, and microphone
• 5800mAh 6 cell Li-Ion battery
• Up to 11.08 hours of battery life
• 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 2.0 port with Sleep and Charge support
• Memory card reader
• 2.6 lbs

It’s no secret we’re big fans of the Toshiba Mini NB205 series – I mean seriously- what’s not to like about the system? The battery life is awesome (9+ hours), the keyboard’s awesome, and my goodness, that touchpad is gi-normous for a netbook (if you’ve ever played with a Lenovo IdeaPad S10 touchpad then you’ll know what I’m talking about here).  With that said, there’s an awesome deal for the Toshiba Mini NB205-N230 over at Amazon.com. The system is currently available for $329.99 and features the following specs:

• Intel N280 Atom Processor clocked at 1.66GHz
• 1GB of RAM
• 250GB 5400RPM HDD
• 10.1 inch LED backlit 1024 x 600 resolution display
• Windows 7 Starter Edition

It should be noted this system’s keyboard isn’t exactly the same one as the one we reviewed a few months back (the NB205-N310 here) Our reviewed system has the island-styled keyboard while it looks like the NB205-N230 on sale at Amazon has a more traditional netbook-keyboard.

[Check it out ]

If you thought $599 was a great price for the Toshiba Satellite T135-S1307, then you’ll certainly love the fact that Amazon has lowered the price again to $549.99. This thin-and-light notebook features:

• 1.3 GHz Intel Pentium ULV SU4100 processor
• 3GB RAM
• 500GB 5400RPM SATA HDD
• 13.3 inch LED backlit display
• Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
• Wi-Fi – 802.11 b/g/n
• Measures 12.7 x 1.35 x 8.78 inches and weighs 3.88 pounds

The T135-S1307 has a rated battery of 9+ hours – ah.. don’t you love CULV processors? At $549 – this might just be a steal.

Those of you looking for something beefier than a netbook with a larger display, will definitely want to take a look at this system.

[Check it out]

Amazon.com currently has several other notable netbook deals available. Without further ado, here’s some for you to consider this week.

Samsung N120-12GW

This 10.1 inch netbook is available for $363.32 direct from Amazon which is $35.68 less than the list price of $399. You can even purchase this system for as low as $319 from Beach Camera (via Amazon.com). Features of the N120 include:

• Intel Atom N270 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• 10.1 inch glossy LCD display
• Windows XP Home Edition
• 6 cell battery
• Measures 7.3 x 10.27 x 1.21 inches and weighs only 2.8 pounds

Samsung N110-12PBK

This 10.1 inch netbook from Samsung is available for $326.95 from Amazon.com and is available with free shipping assuming you have Amazon Prime. Features include:

• Atom N270 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD
• 6 cell battery
• 10.1 LED backlit glossy LCD display
• media card reader

HP Pavilion DM3-1030US

This thin and light notebook is currently available for $548 after a mail-in rebate from HP for $50 dollars (check out price is therefore $598 which is already $101.99 dollars less than the list price of $699.99. The system features:

• 1.6 GHz AMD Athlon Neo X3 dual-core processor
• 4GB RAM
• 320GB 7200RPM HDD
• 13.3 inch HD HP LED BrightView widescreen display with 1366 x 768 resolution
• ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics
• Measures 12.83 x 9.06 x 0.96~1.23 inches
• Weight of 4.21 pounds
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
• Up to 6 hours of power via 6 cell lithium-ion battery

Toshiba Satellite T135-S1307

Here’s another awesome thin-and-light system available on sale at Amazon.com for a low price of $599.99. That’s $100 dollars off the standard price of $699.99 and it’s also eligible for free shipping via Amazon Prime.

The T135-S1307 features:

• 13.3 inch HD LED-backlit TruBrite display
• Intel Pentium SU4100 dual-core processor
• 500GB SATA 5400RPM HDD
• 3GB of RAM upgradeable to 8GB
• Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Ethernet
• Bluetooth 2.1
• 3 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI port, Built-in stereo speakers
• eSATA/USB combo port with sleep and charge
• Full-sized 85 key keyboard with 10 key pad
• Up to 9 hours of power with 6 cell 5600 mAh battery
• Measures 12.7 x 8.78 x 1.35 inches and weighs 3.9 pounds
• Windows 7 Home Premium OS

That’s a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

It’s that time of the month again – time to check out Amazon.com’s netbook bestseller’s list (well at least the top 10 netbook models) as of today (October 15th, 2009).  If you’re considering a new netbook, make sure to check out the bestseller’s list first to see what your fellow computing enthusiasts are interested in. 

Oh and in case you’re curious of the vendor breakdown of the top 10 list, it works as follows: ASUS – 5 models, Acer – 3 models, Toshiba – 2 models

Let’s start with # 10 and work our way down to #1

10. ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-VU1X-PI 10.1-Inch Pink Netbook – 8.5 Hour Battery Life for $314.95

9. ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-VU1X-WT 10.1-Inch White Netbook – 8.5 Hour Battery Life for $314.95

8. ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-VU1X-BK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook – 8.5 Hour Battery Life for $314.95

7. Acer Aspire One AOD150-1920 10.1-Inch Ruby Red Netbook – 6.5 Hour Battery Life for $319.72

6. Acer Aspire One AOD250-1580 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook – 7.5 Hour Battery Life for $319

5. Toshiba Mini NB205-N312/BL 10.1-Inch Royal Blue Netbook – 9 Hour Battery Life for $349.99

4. Acer Aspire One AO751h-1145 11.6-Inch Red Netbook – 6 Cell battery for $294.99

3. Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook – 9 Hour Battery Life for $341.99

2. ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BU 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook – 10.5 Hour Battery Life for $349.95

1. ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook – 10.5 Hour Battery Life for $349.95

Enjoy!

[Check it out]

Introduction:

Although a late-comer to the U.S. netbook market, Toshiba quickly raised the bar for what a 10 inch netbook should deliver with the over-the-summer introduction of the NB205 netbook.

With the NB205, Toshiba addresses several key shortcomings of current 10 inch netbooks by delivering a full-sized keyboard, a large comfortable touchpad, and a day-long running Lithium-Ion battery.

Factor in a full complement of standard netbook features and a $399 price tag, and it’s clear Toshiba has a winner with the NB205.

Join us as we take a tour of the NB205 (which we’ve been using for several months now) and hopefully by the end of this review, you’ll understand why we think so highly of this 10 inch netbook wonder.

Read the rest of this entry »

Newegg just launched their 72-Hour Fall Sale and there’s a couple of interesting systems that some of you might be interested in.

First off, Newegg is offering the Acer Aspire Timeline Intel Pentium SU2700 notebook for a mere $499.99 – you’ll need to use promo code EMCMLLM23 to get this price. Other specs to the notebook include:

• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Intel Pentium SU2700(1.3GHz)
• 15.6 inch 1366 x 768 display
• 3GB RAM
• 320GB HDD
• DVD drive
• Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics
• Gigabit and Wi-Fi
• 5 in 1 card reader
• Two built-in stereo speakers
• 6 cell lithium ion battery
• Measures 14.9″ x 10.2″ x 0.97″ – 1.16″ and weighs 5.3 lbs

Secondly, Newegg is selling the Toshiba NB205-N210 netbook for $329.99 (using promo code EMCMLLM24). The system features the following:

• Windows XP Home
• Intel N280 Atom processor
• 10.1 inch display
• Intel 945GSE chipset
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB SATA HDD
• Measures 10.4″ x 7.6″ x 1.0-1.27″ and weighs 2.93 lbs
• Ethernet and Wi-Fi
• 6 cell lithium ion battery

While netbooks are certainly all the rage these days, inexpensive thin-and-light notebooks are clearly a growing storm on the horizon. We’ve seen CULV based notebooks from the likes of Dell, Acer, ASUS, and HP and now the latest company to enter the fray is Toshiba with their new Toshiba Satellite T100 Series.

The new series is available in two display sizes – a 13.3 inch model and a 11.6 inch model – both of which feature Intel CULV processors, and 9+ hour battery lives. Here’s what you need to know about the two models – the T135 and T115.

Toshiba Satellite T135:

• 13.3-inch diagonal widescreen HD TruBrite LED Backlit display
• Windows 7 Home Premium operating system
• Intel Pentium SU4100 processor or Intel Pentium SU2700 processor
• DDR3 RAM
• Starting at 250GB (5400 RPM) HDD
• 802.11b/g/n wireless and 10/100 Ethernet
• Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR (available on select models)
• Toshiba Hard Drive Impact Sensor
• Touch Pad with Multi-touch Control
• Lightweight at only 3.88 lbs.
• Long-life 6-cell battery delivering up to 9 hours of battery life
• One eSATA/USB combo port with USB Sleep-and-Charge and two USB 2.0 ports
• HDMI port
• Built-in Webcam with Toshiba Face Recognition, stereo speakers and microphone
• Toshiba PC Health Monitor
• 5-in-1 Memory Card Reader Slot

Toshiba Satellite T115:

• 11.6-inch diagonal widescreen HD TruBrite LED Backlit display
• Windows 7 Home Premium operating system
• Intel Pentium SU4100 processor or Intel Celeron 743 processor
• DDR3 RAM
• Starting at 250GB (5400 RPM) HDD
• 802.11b/g/n wireless and 10/100 Ethernet
• Toshiba Hard Drive Impact Sensor
• Touch Pad with Multi-touch Control
• Lightweight at only 3.49 lbs.
• Long-life 6-cell battery delivering up to 9 hours of battery life
• One eSATA/USB combo port with USB Sleep-and-Charge and two USB 2.0 ports
• HDMI port
• Built-in Webcam with Toshiba Face Recognition, stereo speakers and microphone
• Toshiba PC Health Monitor
• 5-in-1 Memory Card Reader Slot

How about pricing? The Satellite T135 has a starting price of $599.99 while the Satellite T115 has a starting price of $449.99. You’ll have to wait until October 22nd to get these systems (launches when Windows 7 launches)

Yes I’m a little late but heck – better late than never right? Here are unboxing pictures of the Toshiba NB205 netbook which I took back in August as I was preparing for a trip to Romania. With a long flight coming up, I decided that it was probably a great opportunity to see how the NB205 would fare while on the road. The verdict? It rocked.. but more on that in my review later on. In the meantime, enjoy these unboxing pictures!