NetbookTech

It’s time once again to check out the latest netbook/thin-and-light notebook reviews to hit the web. Here goes nothing:

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Lenovo ThinkPad X100e reviewed by V3.co.uk (formerly vnunet.com):

Specs for the ThinkPad X100e include:

• 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo processor
• ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics
• 1GB of RAM
• 160GB HDD
• 11.6 inch 1366 x 768 resolution display
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Optional WWAN
• 3+ lb weight

Here’s what they thought of this lightweight professional notebook:

“Lenovo’s Thinkpad X100e is certainly more powerful than a netbook, and more usable thanks to its 11.6in display. However, its weight and price are comparable with some larger laptops with a 13in screen. Nevertheless, the X100e exudes a build quality rarely seen on other laptops, and many buyers will find this reassuring.”

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Dell Inspiron Mini 10 with T-Mobile 3G service reviewed by LaptopMag:

Priced at $199.99 with a new T-Mobile 3G webConnect 2 year mobile broadband contract. Here are the specs for the Dell Inspiron Mini 10:

• 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450
• Windows 7 Starter OS
• 1GB of RAM
• 250GB HDD
• 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 resolution display
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, Ethernet connectivity
• 3 in 1 media card reader

Here’s the verdict:

“If you were to buy the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 directly from Dell with the same specs as the $199 T-Mobile model, you’d pay $329. That’s a savings of $130. But in exchange for that savings you’ll wind up spending $960 over the next two years just for data. That sounds like a lot for a netbook—and it is—but it’s still considerably less than what other carriers charge for their mobile broadband plans. If the touchpad worked better we might be more enthused about this machine, especially since it delivers faster 3G data than the competition. While the Mini 10 with T-Mobile webConnect has some things going for it, the $49 webConnect Rocket USB modem, which you can pair with any netbook or full-size notebook, is a better value.”

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Lenovo S10-3 reviewed by Australian PC Authority:

Specs of the Lenovo S10-3 include:

• 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics
• 1GB of RAM
• 250GB HDD
• 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 LED backlit display
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Windows 7 Starter
• 6 cell battery

Here’s their verdict:

“The clean looks, impressive keyboard and overall battery life make this a neat little netbook, and while its shortcomings are primarily battery life, they aren’t the death knell they could be, given the excellent ergonomics”

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Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t Tablet PC Netbook reviewed by PC World:

I’ve always loved the idea of convertible netbook/notebook. I’m just not sold on the Atom processor and touch-based Windows 7 end-user experiences.

Specs of the S10-3t include:

• Intel Atom N450 processor
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• 10.1 inch LED backlit 1024 x 600 resolution touch-screen display
• Dolby Headphone technology

Here’s what PC World thought of the S10-3t:

“The Lenovo S10-3t is, at best, decent as a netbook and decent as a tablet. While it’s nice to have the functionality of both, I think I’d get better use out of something that was just really good as one or the other–a great netbook or a great tablet would be better than something that’s merely mediocre at being both”

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Acer Aspire 1410 thin-and-light notebook reviewed by Anandtech:

Specs for the Acer Aspire 1410 include:

• Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor clocked at 1.4GHz
• Intel GS40 chipset
• 2GB of RAM
• Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics
• 11.6 inch LED backlit display with 1366 x 768 resolution
• 250GB 5400RPM HDD
• Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11a/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity
• HD audio
• USB 2.0, HDMI
• 6 cell battery

Here’s what they thought of the 1410:

“If you can live with the hit on battery life, there are many, many reasons to spring for an Acer 1410 or a similarly low priced CULV ultraportable notebook, even with a single-core processor. They offer adequate performance, embarrass the Atom, and come equipped with some nice features that most netbooks leave on the wayside to reduce cost as much as possible.”

Oh yeah – want a contrasting review? Check out our review of the 1410 here.

Yes, we’ve got our hands on a new netbook, and it’s none other than the HP Mini 210 (specifically the Mini 210-1095NR) in Sonoma Red. This netbook features:

• 10.1 inch WSVGA anti-glare widescreen display
• 160GB 5400RPM HDD
• 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
• 6 cell Lithium-Ion battery
• Intel Graphcis Media Accelerator 3150
• 5 in 1 media card reader
• Intel Atom N450 processor clocked at 1.66GHz
• Windows 7 Starter 32 bit edition
• Built-in webcam

Stay tuned for our review but do not it’ll take some time because we do like to use the netbook for a bit to get a good feel for the system. In the meantime, check out the unboxing pictures in all its glorious detail.

Introduction

So when is a netbook not a netbook?

When it comes to the Acer Aspire 1410, it’s not an easy question to answer at all.

The system looks like a netbook, feels like a netbook, and it’s even priced like a netbook. Yet at the end of the day, by Intel’s definitions, the 1410 is in fact not a netbook but an “ultra thin notebook” (also commonly known in the industry as a “thin-and-light notebook”).

The Aspire 1410 takes the look and feel of an 11.6 inch netbook and combines it with the power and energy-efficiency of Intel Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage processors – in this case the Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor.

At a higher level, the Aspire 1410 is best seen as a bridge between high-end netbook systems and high-end thin-and-light systems with more powerful dual-core processors and even larger form factors.

Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

Yes I’m definitely on a roll here today. Right on the heels of our Toshiba NB205 unboxing pictures comes even more unboxing pictures – this time of the new Acer Aspire AS1410  thin and light notebook.

Here’s a quick rundown of the AS1410 just in case you’re not familiar with the system. First off, you’re forgiven if you think the AS1410 is just another 11.6 inch netbook. It certainly looks and feels like one.. but power it up and you’ll quickly realize the system feels snappier than traditional Atom-based netbooks. Reason? The AS1410 utilizes the more powerful Intel ULV Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor clocked at 1.4GHz thus classifying this system as a “thin and light” rather than a “netbook”. While not a dual core processor, the Core 2 Solo is certainly higher performing than the Atom processor (although it consumes more power too).

Other notable specs to the AS1410 include:

• 11.6 inch LED backlit widescreen display with 1366 x 768 resolution
• 250GB SATA 5400RPM HDD
• 2GB DDR3 RAM
• Intel Graphics Media Acceleration 4500MHD
• Multi-gesture touchpad
• Crystal Eye webcam
• Draft-N Wi-Fi
• Gigabit Ethernet
• 5 in 1 memory card reader
• HDMI output
• Stereo speakers with Dolby Surround Room audio enhancement
• Vista Home Premium
• Up to 6 hours of battery life
• Measures 11.2 x 8 x 1.2 inches and weighs 3.1 pounds

While the insides are certainly not that of a netbook system. the AS1410 certainly has the price of a netbook – at least a higher end netbook. You can easily find the AS1410 for as low as $429 – a good price considering all that you get (although it does lack Bluetooth for some reason).

And now – onto the unboxing pics! Enjoy!

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!

Introduction:

With vendor after vendor rapidly hurling fastballs at us in the form of new netbook systems, the new Gateway LT3103u is best seen as a bit of a changeup. Unlike its netbook-brethren, the LT3103u keeps Intel on the outside by opting for an AMD platform in the form of the AMD Athlon 64 L110 processor and an ATI Radeon X1270 GPU. But wait – that’s not the only change of pace the LT3103u introduces. Expect the usual 1GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive? Nota chance. How about 2GB of RAM standard and a nice spacious 250GB hard drive instead? But why stop there? Forget the nearly standard 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 resolution display. Gateway moves it up a notch by using a 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 resolution display. Yes, the LT3103u is certainly a change of pace from the netbook norm but what isn’t different is the price. The $399 price tag ensures the Gateway LT3103u stays competitive with the rest of the competition. But how exactly does it perform against the rest of the Atom-based lot? What can you expect out of the ATI integrated graphics? Is this an alternative to the NVIDIA ION platform? Let’s find out.

Read the rest of this entry »

As mentioned yesterday, the new Gateway LT3103u 11.6 inch netbook is now readily available over at Best Buy. Yes.. I couldn’t help myself so I decided to pick up the new netbook system yesterday at the list price of $399.99 (I actually got it for less since I had some RewardZone coupons on hand). The LT3103u is Gateway’s first 11.6 inch netbook – as well as the first one to offer up the AMD Athlon 64 L110 processor and ATI Radeon X1270 graphics. 

While I’m still putting the netbook through its paces, I thought I’d at least share some of the unboxing pics of the LT3103u.

Packaging:

The Gateway LT3103u:

Here’s the top-front of the netbook (with the top plastic still attached):

Here’s the bottom of the netbook:

The right side:

The left side:

The battery attached:

The netbook opened:

Early Impressions:

Form Factor:

The LT3103u certainly has more heft to it than the majority of netbook systems out there. It’s not a fatty by any means but you’ll notice the 3+ pound weight especially if you’ve been using a system that weighs a mere 2+ pounds.

The battery juts out and downward a bit from the back – lifting the netbook up at the rear and providing a more comfortable typing experience. A good portion of the weight comes from this large battery which unfortunately only provides a supposed 4-5 hour battery life. (yet to be confirmed).

About the only real complaint that I have with the form factor is opening the netbook itself. There’s a small lip that hangs over the center of the netbook cover which you use to lift up the cover. This lip is a bit small to grip onto – especially for big fingers.

Oh yes.. the top cover is a fingerprint magnet.

Otherwise the netbook is quite sexy!

Keyboard:

I’m loving this keyboard folks! The Samsung NC10 was my previous favorite but the LT3103u  takes the cake thus far (although the new Toshiba will probably compete favorably here also) simply because the form factor as a whole is larger. 

Trackpad:

The LT3103u  has a multi-gesture trackpad although I haven’t had time to test it out yet. The pad itself is roomy and the mouse buttons are well constructed.

Display:

I absolutely love this display.. and here are the main reasons:

• 11.6 inches!
• 1366 x 768 resolution
• Bright!

Did I say 1366 x 768? Yes.. I’m done with that 1024 x 600 resolution display!!!

Performance:

I really can’t say much in this department as of yet since I’ve yet to run actual benchmarks. The LT3103u comes with Windows Vista Home Basic which isn’t my first choice for an OS but luckily Gateway bucks the netbook trend by bundling the LT3103u with 2GB of RAM. The system “feels” somewhat comparable to other “Atom” based netbooks I’ve played with but again – I won’t really know until I’ve executed the software benchmarks. It is important to note that this system runs a single core Athlon 64 processor. No dual core goodness or even hyper-threading goodness here.

And finally.. we are talking about a 64 bit processor here..

Yes.. since the LT3103u does come bundled with an AMD Athlon 64 I decided to try Windows 7 RC x64 on this netbook and yes.. it installed just fine. I had to install the wireless networking drivers and then update the graphics drivers but other than that – things went without a hitch. I’ll probably downgrade back to Windows 7 RC 32 bit shortly for testing purposes but then revert to 64 bit Windows 7 for the remainder of my time with the LT3103u.

Overall.. the Gateway LT3103u is very promising although I’m not exactly keen on the 4-5 hour battery life of the netbook. I also wish Gateway packaged the new AMD Athlon Neo processor instead of the single-core Athlon 64 L110 .. but oh well.. I’m sure component pricing had something to do with that one and when you consider you get an awful lot for $399.99, the LT3103u doesn’t look like too bad of a deal. Stay tuned for a full in-depth review.