NetbookTech

Looking to leverage the ever growing market for netbook systems, SanDisk announced their second generation solid state drives for netbook systems at CES 2009 called the SanDisk pSSD Gen 2. These modules are designed as drop-in replacements for traditional hard drives, offering faster performance, and more reliability.

The new pSSD Gen 2 drives will be available in 8, 16, 32, and 64GB capacities and will be “aggressively priced” according to SanDisk. The drives utilize 43 nm Multi-Level Cell (MLC) flash memory produced at a fab in Yokkaichi Japan.

The pSSD Gen 2 drives will be available in February and will be sold directly to IHVs (Independent Hardware Vendors) – sorry they will not be sold directly to consumers. Hopefully this means more and more netbooks will ship with higher capacity SSDs this year.

While visiting the HP booth at CES 2009, we briefly checked out the newly announced HP Mini 2140 – a 10 inch netbook designed for the mobile professional in mind. A couple of things definitely stood out for us.

1. The fit and finish stood out. No plastic chassis here folks – a beautiful aluminum alloy finish truly befitting a mobile professional netbook
2. The 1366 x 768 resolution display – a nice change from the standard 1024 x 600 resolution display. It’s almost the perfect resolution for a display measuring 10 inches
3. Can’t complain about the keyboard design – as always an excellent feel from an HP netbook
4. It has an ExpressCard/34 slot – just like the Lenovo IdeaPad S10
5. 8 hour battery life – very nice

The one downside? The damn touch-pad buttons that are still to the left and right of the touch-pad.

This is the optional external optical drive,

Finally, here’s a new review of the netbook from the folks at PC Magazine. They had this to say about the system:

“The HP Mini 2140 offers a larger screen and more advanced parts than its HP 2133 Mini-Note predecessor, while keeping the sexy design intact. But it’s pricier than other netbooks—for now.”

CES 2009 was also the place where we saw the formal introduction of the ASUS S121 netbook. The S121 features the Atom Z520 processor, a 12.1 inch display, and 8 hours of battery life. It’s also the first netbook to feature an optional 512GB SSD (we’re pretty sure that won’t be cheap though). Other specs include:

• Intel Atom Z520 processor clocked at 1.33GHz
• Intel US154W chipset
• Up to 2GB of RAM
• 12.1 inch LED backlit display
• Up to 250GB SATA HDD
• Optional 512GB SSD
• Built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam with array microphone
• Wi-Fi 802.11n
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Bluetooth
• Measures 296 x 210 x 23-26 mm
• Weighs 1.45 kg with the 4 cell polymer battery
• Operating system support includes Windows XP, Windows Vista Home Basic, GNU Linux

Here are several stills of the S121 including a close up of the palm rest (notice the textured palm rest).

[Check it out]

A small little editorial for you to consider when it comes to the VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC.

I wanted to share portions of an interesting conversation that I had with a Sony representative on Saturday. The conversation involved the new VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC or what I thought was.. Sony’s new “netbook”. Understand that going into this conversation, I had no idea what the price was for the system, and what made it “different” from say a normal netbook. Looking back on the conversation and the system now, I can’t help but laugh at how Sony is doing everything possible to disassociate the device from the netbook market. Why you might ask? To justify a consumer spending $900+ dollars on a device that practically offers the same “experience” that a regular netbook would provide at half the price.

Let’s just to the start of the conversation. Right off the bat, I asked the rep “what’s the processor on the inside?” Should be easy to answer right?

Sony rep: “It’s an Intel mobile processor running at 1.33 GHz”.

Me: “Oh, so is it a Core 2 Duo? A Celeron M?”

Sony rep looks at me, notices the press badge and proceeds to say quietly – “It’s an Intel Atom inside”.

OK.. now we’re talking. Atom processor on the inside which means it’s a power efficient environment… which also means we know what kind of performance to expect from it.

But.. why not come out and say so? Why so secretive? Why whisper this to me? If you don’t believe me – just go to the SonyStyle website for the Lifestyle PC. Notice Sony refers to the processor as a “1.33 GHz Intel Processor”. That’s it. Something fishy going on here right?

So I continue..

Me: “Oh so this is basically Sony’s first netbook entry..” I get cut off instantly by the rep. I think I hit a nerve.

Sony rep: “No..” (he seems annoyed now) “this is NOT a netbook. It’s a lifestyle PC. It’s a fully functional PC. A netbook allows users to check the web, check email, write some notes. The Lifestyle PC is a fully functional PC running Windows Vista and capable of running Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and even Photoshop.”

Now I’M ANNOYED. I stood there somewhat flabbergasted. I thought to myself.. “Wait a second.. you’re telling me my netbook isn’t a fully functional PC? You’re tell me I can’t run those very same applications? HELLO.. My netbook can do all of that and perform even better thanks to the higher clocked processor. Heck, I can get even better battery life than the P – all in a package that’s not much larger thank you very much.”

Ah alas..  I never got a chance to those such words because the rep continued on.

Sony rep: “The Lifestyle PC provides that full PC experience which is why we bundled Windows Vista instead of Windows XP. Windows Vista has gotten a lot of bad rap in the media – much of which is not justified.”

OK.. I agree that Vista has gotten a bad rap in the media but there’s also a reason why people prefer XP over Vista on Atom based systems. XP is light weight when compared to Vista. When you have a lightweight processor such as the Atom, it makes sense to go with a lightweight OS such as XP (did I really just call XP a lightweight OS? Wow). Will XP not give the “full PC experience”? Of course it will. Heck, it only powers the majority of Windows installations out there. Come on!

Yet I stood there, content on letting the Sony rep have his way. Why? Because there was no changing his opinion. He had been brainwashed that the Lifestyle PC was in fact a full blown PC whereas a netbook was more of a utility device. Worse yet – he was disseminating this information to the CES public that was ooooing and awwwing over the sexy design of the VAIO P. Win them over with sex. Great.

Of course, this very same rep proceeded to show me how small the PC really is – sliding the device into his front pants pocket. Awesome.. I’ve always wanted to carry a full blown PC in my pant pocket. Tell me – how many of you would be willing to carry a $900 dollar PC in your front pocket? Yeah.. I didn’t thinks so.

This leads me to the price. Yes.. the base configuration costs $900 dollars ($899 specifically). That’s easily a $450+ premium over something like the MSI Wind. If you want even better performance, get ready to pony up $1499 (which simply provides the solid state drive options). $1499 for a device that can fit in my pocket that can provide the full PC experience. Gee.. I don’t know.. what the hell was Sony thinking here?

AND that’s when it all clicked in my head.

Sony is doing everything possible to disassociate the Lifestyle PC from the netbook market in order to justify the high price tag. Genius.

Yes there are certainly innovations to be found in the VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC. The display is beautiful; it’s incredibly thin and lightweight; it forgoes the touchpad with a trackpoint device; and it comes with EV-DO support from Verizon Wireless. But really now.. isn’t this just a glorified netbook system? Do the comparison yourself. Compare this up against a standard netbook (say the MSI Wind) and realize the specs are nearly identical except for the processor speed (1.6GHz on the netbook vs 1.33 GHz on the VAIO P), display resolution (1024 x 600 on the netbook vs. 1600 x 768 on the VAIO P), hard drive capacity/speed (120GB/5400RPM on the netbook vs. 60GB/4200RPM on the VAIO P), and mobile broadband (none on the netbook vs. EV-DO on the VAIO P).

Which leads one to wonder – what exactly are you paying for?

• Perhaps you’re paying for a better PC experience thanks to the larger display. However, I would argue that it’s actually harder on the eyes. Have you ever really tried to use a 1600 x 768 display on a small 8 inch screen? PC Magazine claims you could put three Windows Explorer windows side by side.. but how small would the text really be? You better have some good vision!
• Perhaps you’re paying for the small form factor? Yes it weighs 1.4 pounds which is incredibly light but please consider… that’s ONE POUND or so less than a typical netbook. Is the reduction of one pound worth the price differential??
• Perhaps it’s the full PC experience of Windows Vista? OK.. if you’re in love with Vista – go ahead and get it for your netbook at half the cost.. but be aware Vista is a memory hog which is WHY the VAIO P comes with 2GB of memory and not 1GB like netbooks. Netbooks need only 1GB to provide an excellent experience under Windows XP.
• Perhaps it’s because the system features a small Linux kernel that you can boot into for quick media playback or surfing the web. Yeah that’s cool – but is it worth $900 dollars?? Umm no.

Thus what you’ve seeing here from Sony is a slight wave of the hand. By pressing the media to not call this system a “netbook” but rather a PC, it’s justifying the near 100% premium in price over comparable systems. By not outright stating it uses the Intel Atom processor, it’s sidestepping questions from folks as to why one should pay this much for the system.

What we have here folks is an incredible wave of the marketing magic wand. Position the system in such a way as to make it seem like it’s worth much money than it really is. Genius.. just don’t fall for it please.

To Sony, it’s a Lifestyle PC. To me, it’s just an underperforming netbook err.. fully functional PC that looks sexy.

Not only did ASUS announce new tablet style netbooks at CES 2009, they also had a wide assortment of netbook systems on display – nearly all of which were introduced back in 2008. Nevertheless, I thought it would be interesting to see all the different models that ASUS had on hand for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Eee PC 900SD:

Features include:

• 8.9 inch LED backlight display
• Intel Celeron M 353 processor
• Windows XP Home OS
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB flash memory + 10GB Eee Storage
• Stereo speaker, microphone
• 10/100 Ethernet
• 802.11 b/g
• VGA, 3 x USB
• 0.3 megapixel webcam
• 4 cell battery for 4 hours of power
• Measures 170 x 225 x 20-33.8 mm and weighs 990 grams

Eee PC 900A:

Features include:

• 8.9 inch LED backlight 1024 x 600 resolution display
• Intel Atom N270 processor
• Windows XP Home
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB/16GB SSD + 20GB Eee Storage
• Stereo speaker/microphone
• 10/100 Ethernet
• 802.11 b/g
• VGA, 3 x USB
• SD/MMC slot
• 0.3 megapixel webcam
• 4 hour battery life
• Measures 225 x 170 x 20-33.8 mm and weighs 990 grams

Eee PC 900HA:

Features include:

• 8.9 inch LED backlight 1024 x 600 resolution display
• Intel Atom N270 processor
• Windows XP Home
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD + 10GB Eee Storage
• Stereo speaker/microphone
• 10/100 Ethernet
• 802.11 b/g
• VGA, 3 x USB
• SD/MMC slot
• 0.3 megapixel webcam
• 4 cell, 5 hour battery life
• Measures 225 x 170 x 34 mm and weighs 1127 grams

Eee PC 1000HG WiMAX:

Features include:

• 10 inch LED backlight display
• Intel Atom N270 processor
• Windows XP Home OS
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD + 10 GB Eee Storage
• Stereo speaker + HD audio
• 10/100 Ethernet
• 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth
• WiMAX
• VGA, 3x USB, 2x audio jack, headphone, microphone
• card reader
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Measures 266 x 191 x 28-38mm
• Weighs 1450 grams
• 6 cell battery with 4 hour battery life

Eee PC 1003HG GO:

Features include:

• Intel Atom N270 processor
• 10 inch LED backlight display
• Windows XP Home OS
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD + 10 GB Eee Storage
• Stereo speaker + HD audio
• 10/100 Ethernet
• 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth
• VGA, 3x USB, 2x audio jack, headphone, microphone
• card reader
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Measures 264 x 181 x 28.5mm
• Weighs 1200 grams
• Polymer battery for 4 hours of life

Eee PC 1000HA:

Features include:

• Intel Atom N270 processor
• 10 inch LED Backlight display
• Windows XP Home OS
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD + 10 GB Eee Storage
• Stereo speaker, digital array microphone
• 10/100 Ethernet
• 802.11 b/g
• VGA, 3x USB
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Measures 266 x 191 x 28-38mm
• Weighs 1450 grams

Eee PC S101H:

Features include:

• Intel Atom N270 processor
• 10.2 inch wide active matrix LED backlight TFT display
• Windows XP Home OS
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD + 10 GB Eee Storage
• Stereo speaker + HD audio, array microphone
• 10/100 Ethernet
• 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth
• VGA, 3x USB, 2x audio jack, headphone, microphone
• 0.3 megapixel webcam
• Polymer battery for 5 hours under XP
• Measures 264 x 181 x 25mm
• Weighs 1100 grams

Eee PC 1004DN:

Features include:

• Intel Atom N280 processor
• Intel GN40 chipset
• Windows XP Home OS
• 1GB RAM
• Optional SATA DVD SuperMulti
• 10/100 Ethernet
• 802.11 b/g
• VGA, 3x USB
• 8 in 1 card reader
• ExpressCard slot
• 1.3 megapixel webcam

Eee PC 1002HA:

Features include:

• Intel Atom N270 processor
• GNU Linux
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD + 10 GB Eee Storage
• Built-in stereo speaker, digital array mic
• 10/100 Ethernet
• 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth
• VGA, 3x USB
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• 5 hour battery life
• Measures 264 x 181 x 27.6mm
• Weighs 1200 grams

Eee PC 1000HE:

Features include:

• Intel Atom N270 processor
• Windows XP Home OS
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD + 10 GB Eee Storage
• Stereo speaker, digital array microphone
• 10/100 Ethernet
• 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth
• VGA, 3x USB
• 6 cell battery for 9.5 hours
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Measures 266 x 191 x 28-38mm
• Weighs 1450 grams

Next up at CES 2009, we have ASUS and their immensely popular Eee PC product line. CES was certainly a busy time for ASUS as the company announced and introduced several new systems ranging from desktops to notebooks to convertible-style netbook systems. Right now, we’ll be focusing on their latest Eee PC announcements – the first convertible-netbook/tablets from ASUS – the Eee PC T91 and Eee PC T101H.

First up, we have the Eee PC T91 pictured below. If you’re familiar with conventional convertible notebooks, the T91 is essentially a smaller form factor. The netbook can be used in either a standard clamshell orientation or used in a tablet PC style method.

Here are the listed specs for the Eee PC T91:

• Intel Atom Z520 processor
• Windows XP Home Edition
• 8.9 inch touch panel/LED backlight
• Measures 225 x 164 x 25.2 ~ 28.4 mm
• Weighs 990 grams
• Optional GPS and TV tuner
• Available in black or white

Here are additional pictures of the system:

Here is the white version of the T91.

If you’re not thrilled with the 8.9 inch display, then you’ll probably be interested in the Eee PC T101H which features of course a 10 inch touch-panel display.

Features of the T101H include the following:

• Intel Atom N270 processor
• 10 inch touch panel/LED backlight display
• Windows XP Home
• Glossy design
• Available in white or black (white is shown here)

I managed to play with the 10 inch unit very briefly and found the overall experience to be rather pleasing. Transforming the netbook from clamshell to tablet mode was quick and painless with the Windows XP Home touch experience extremely responsive. I’d love to see what Windows 7 beta would be like in this form factor but we’ll have to wait and see.

Stay tuned for a short video clip too.

Next up, we have the 10 inch MSI U120H netbook. Listed features are as follows:

• Intel Atom processor clocked at 1.6GHz
• Windows XP Home OS
• Intel 945GSE + Intel ICH7M chipset
• 10 inch WSVGA (1024 x 600) LED backlit display
• Intel GMA 950 graphics
• 160GB SATA HDD
• 10/100 Ethernet
• 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
• Optional Bluetooth
• HSDPA support
• Weighs 1 Kg with the 3 cell battery

Next up, we have still shots of the new MSI U115 Hybrid netbook taken at CES 2009. The U115 comes with both a solid state drive and a traditional hard drive – allowing users to experience the energy efficiency, durability, and reliability of solid state drives with the high capacity and easy upgradability of traditional hard drives. Combine this storage hybrid approach with MSI’s ECO energy saving technology and you get a system that can potentially last up to 12 hours on a single charge (and with the six cell battery).

The U115 can be configured with either an 8GB or 16GB SSD – matched with either a 120GB or 160GB 2.5 inch SATA hard drive. The OS is loaded on the SSD which allows for faster boot times, and greater performance. It also allows the system to shut down the hard drive when the system is in ECO mode – translating to the longer battery life.

Other features and specs for the U115 include:

• Intel Melow platform
• 10 inch display
• Up to 2GB of memory
• 4 in 1 memory card reader (with support for xD, SD, MMC, Memory Stick)
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• 1.3/2.0 megapixel webcam
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth

Continuing our CES (more like post-CES now) 2009 coverage, our focus now turns to MSI. First up on the agenda are pictures of the recently announced MSI X-Slim Series X320 notebook.

Now before I continue, it’s important to note that the X320 is NOT part of the Wind line of netbooks. MSI in fact does not consider this a netbook but rather a slim ultra-portable notebook system (so expect a more expensive price than the Wind but something competitive nevertheless).

The X-Slim Series X320 has a 13.4 inch display and weighs a mere 1.3 kg. Other specs include:

• An overall thickness of 1.98 cm with the thinnest part being only 6mm
• 4 or 8 cell battery which lasts up to 10 hours
• Available in Champagne Gold, Pearl White, or High Tech Stylish Black
• Intel Menlow platform
• ECO Engine energy saving technology

The shots below are of a mock X320 – but it gives you an idea of what the system is like.

AMD’s Athlon Neo processor will get some company later on this year. Intel is apparently planning to release a new Core-based architecture for inexpensive ultra-portable notebooks later this year. In a CNET report, Intel sources at CES confirmed that the processor was going to be a “tweak” of Intel’s existing ultra-low voltage (ULV) line of processors and would be built on a package size of 22 sq mm. These new processors will enable inexpensive ultra-portable systems that would measure less than one inch thick and would not compete directly with netbook systems which typically cost less than $500 dollars.

[Check it out]