NetbookTech

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.

[Check it out]

The folks at Anandtech have published an extensive review of the HP Mini 311 – the first HP netbook to feature the NVIDIA ION graphics platform. As most of you know by now, ION brings the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics chipset to the Intel Atom processor platform – promising to deliver increased graphics and video decoding performance. Of three (actually now four) known ION-based netbooks, the Mini 311 was the first to actually ship even though it was the last to get announced (the other three coming from Samsung, Lenovo, and ASUS).

Typical configurations for the Mini 311 include the Intel Atom N270 processor, the NVIDIA ION LE platform, 1GB of RAM, 11.6 inch glossy LED-backlit display, internal hard drive, 2-channel HD audio, HDMI output, media card reader, VGA port, and choice of Windows XP Home Edition or Windows 7 Home Premium.

For the folks into extensive reviews, the Anandtech review certainly won’t disappoint. You’ll find a review that covers a bevy of benchmarks – everything from application performance to graphics performance to the quality of the display.

Ultimately the question of the HP Mini 311’s worthiness is based on its comparisons with other products available on the market today. We’ve seen substantial changes in the mobile market over the last 6 months – especially with the rise of CULV-based thin-and-light notebooks that offer substantial performance increases over netbooks yet cost just a tad bit more than high-end netbooks. For the price of the HP Mini 311 one has to ask whether its better to save the money and spend just a bit more for a system with a heftier processor and awesome battery life. Thus here’s what Anandtech thinks:

“With so many other viable options, ultimately the HP Mini 311 is an interesting product that doesn’t do enough to get our full attention. . . . Intel’s Atom has always been about keeping costs low and reducing power requirements; spending $400 on any Atom netbook is tough to recommend, and the HP Mini 311 will usually cost closer to $500 once you add a few extras. The most likely buyer for the 311 is users that want a netbook with an external Blu-ray drive and software, in which case $630 for the Mini 311 is a fair deal. Ultimately it’s not a bad netbook, but neither is it Editors’ Choice material.”

After using the ASUS UL30A-X3 thin-and-light, we’d also be hard pressed to recommend anyone spending more than 400 dollars for a netbook these days – especially with the advent of thin-and-light notebooks.

[Check it out]