HP's new Mini 1000 and MIE Linux make netbooks fun again

We've been struggling to keep awake for the large majority of this year, as netbook after netbook lands in our laps with identical specs, form factors and general shoddiness. No longer. HP is giving the market a shot in the arm with its new "clutch-style" skinny form factors, polished Linux OS and aggressive price points -- even if the specs are about as boring as the Mini-Note 2133. As rumored, HP's new Mini 1000 netbook is ditching VIA and going the Atom route (1.6GHz N270, in case you hadn't guessed). Also new is an option for a 10.2-inch display, though it's a mere 1024 x 600 instead of the 1280 x 768 display on the 2133 -- for a bit cheaper you can get a 1024 x 600 8.9-inch display, but that would just be boring. HP is offering 512MB, 1GB and 2GB RAM configurations, though the XP option limits you to 1GB (thanks, Microsoft). For storage you can score a 60GB 4200 rpm HDD or your choice of a 8GB or 16GB SSD. If you go the SSD route there's also room for a 2, 4 or 8GB "HP Mini Mobile Drive," which is a regular USB drive that inserts all the way into a special slot for added integration. There's also an SD slot, VGA webcam, 802.11b/g, optional Bluetooth, Ethernet and dual USB plugs. Where things get extra interesting is in choice of OS. You can go the standard XP route, or for $20 less you can go for HP's brand new Ubuntu-based Linux "experience," MIE, which reminds us not just a little of HP's TouchSmart interface. The XP version is available today starting at $399, with a 10.2-inch version costing just a little bit more. The Vivienne Tam Edition, which brings a whole lot of style but little substance to the offering, will go for $699 in mid-December, and the MIE version will land in January for a mere $379.
Thanks: Engadget

MSI on track to ship 700,000 Wind PCs in 2008

Even with Asustek firmly holding onto the number one spot for netbook sales, MSI is doing quite well with the Wind. According to most recent estimates, the company is on track to reach upwards of 700,000 units shipped this year. While that still puts them behind Asustek by a considerable margin, with the Eee selling 700,000 in September alone, it still puts them ahead of their own estimates by quite a bit.


MSI's sales are expected to increase as the year ends, and given how much more time the Eee has had on the market, 2009 could prove to be a year when the Wind stands right beside the Eee. There's no mention if MSI's recent introduction of the Wind 3.5G has affected these sales.

Thanks: Justin Mann

Dell's new Inspiron Mini 12, an affordable MacBook Air?

Dell announced today the release of its second Inspiron netbook, this time with a larger 12-inch screen and more powerful specs.
With all its merits, netbooks are often relegated as secondary machines just because their size and technical specs present constraints for long-term usability. The original Asus Eee that popularized the netbook carried a meager 7-inch screen, while newer models are boasting 9 and 10-inch screens albeit at a higher price.

The same is true for the Inspiron Mini 12 which will retail for $600 in the U.S. and is expected to become available worldwide starting late November (Japan gets it immediately). The netbook will only weight 2.72 lbs. and pack a tiny 0.72 thick chassis. Inside you get an Intel Atom Z520/Z530 CPU running at 1.3 GHz or 1.6 GHz, respectively, 1GB of RAM, a built-in webcam, a 60GB or 80GB hard drive, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. Most surprising is the choice of OS which will initially be Windows Vista Home Basic, while Ubuntu and Windows XP will become an option before the end of the year, according to Dell.
A couple of review outlets have had some hands-on experience with the Inspiron Mini 12 already and are touting its similar dimensions with the considerably more expensive (and more powerful) MacBook Air. That's not to say the Inspiron was incapable of handling general computing tasks with ease, which could make it an appealing proposal for many, especially at this price.

Thanks: Julio Franco

10-inch Mini 1000 appears on HP website

HP's obviously getting ready to expand its netbook line beyond the well-received Mini-Note 2133 -- the company recently started teasing the Vivienne Tam Digital Clutch, and now images and pricing for a "Mini 1000" have appeared on the HP shopping site. As expected, the new rig is basically a non-glam version of the Digital Clutch, and specs appear to be right in line with what we've seen: 10-inch screen, sub-1-inch thickness, and 2.25-pound starting weight -- and we're guessing the Mini 1000 also gets the upgrade to an Intel Atom over the 2133's VIA C7-M. Not bad at all for a starting price tag of $399 -- hopefully we'll find out a lot more soon.

Thanks: jkOnTheRun

Laptop shipments exceed desktops in US for the not-exactly-first time

Hope you're eager to break into that Halloween candy early, because you've got some (re)celebrating to do. If you'll recall, we first heard that laptops accounted for over half of US retail computer sales back in 2003, and in June of 2005, we found that it was somehow worth getting jazzed over once more when it happened again. Here we are in the latter half of 2008 shaking our heads in disappointment, as IDC has amazingly discovered that notebook shipments into the US market have exceeded the 50% threshold for the first time evar. Go ahead and stock up on rave supplies early -- we get this weird feeling that we'll be doing this same song and dance in 2010 or so.


Thanks: Engadget

Splashtop 'Quick Start' comes to the Lenovo IdeaPad S10e

It looks like Splashtop -- the instant-on, quickboot Linux OS that's been cropping up on a smattering of motherboards and PCs lately -- is headed onto a smaller platform. The company announced today that it's going to be loading up Lenovo's IdeaPad S10e netbook with a healthy dose of the software -- dubbed "Quick Start" -- allowing you to get to that all-important YouTube video faster than previously thought possible. This marks the first time Splashtop is making its way to a netbook, and we expect it will be shipping on all new models, though the company hasn't been explicit about that. We'll keep our fingers crossed, and let you know if we hear otherwise.

Thanks: Engadget

Apricot yanks Linux option for PicoBook Pro: it's for your own good

Just last week, we heard that Apricot Computers would be offering its PicoBook Pro with Linux or Windows XP, but evidently its marketing department caught wind of the same trend that MSI picked up on earlier this month. If you'll recall, MSI found that Linux-infused netbooks get returned four times as often as units with Windows XP, and while the official word is that Apricot "made this decision to ensure customers had a smooth installation of their operating system," our bets are that it's just sidestepping the potential headaches associated with selling something outside of the status quo. As of today, the Windows XP version (or only version, as it were) is going for ?299 ($483) -- a full ?20 ($32) more than the previously cheapest edition.

Thanks: Yahoo!

BenQ Joybook R46 arrives in China, Thailand and Malaysia

The last time we saw some new Joybooks they were these cute little 10.1-inch things, but the new R46 is their professional-minded older sibling (the Alex P. Keaton to your Mallory, perhaps). This sober, serious machine sports a 14.1-inch "UltraVivid" WXGA display, a Core 2 Duo T3400 processor, integrated x4500 graphics, up to 4GB RAM, up to 320GB storage and all the love that WiFi and Bluetooth provide. And if video conferencing is your bag, you'll be please to note that it comes with a 2 megapixel webcam and microphone with smart noise suppression. Available now in China, Thailand and Malaysia -- but the price remains a mystery.

Thanks: Engadget

Sony's VAIO TT gets high marks in full review, still painfully pricey

We already detailed the basics of Sony's VAIO TT -- you know, the outfit's slap in the face to the netbook arena -- earlier this month, but the crew over at CNET had a chance to benchmark the unit and toss out some quantifiable talking points. Overall, critics found it just as appealing as we did, but they couldn't help but point out just how debilitating the insane price tag is. Of note, they weren't particularly wowed with the sheer performance, but the magnificent battery life (nearly 4-hours in a video playback drain test) and the speedy SSDs were gushed all over. At the end of the day, this thing is still too expensive for the majority of laptop buyers, but those not alarmed by the $2,000+ sticker should hit the read link for a look at the full writeup alongside a few benchmarks.

Thanks: Engadget

Toshiba's NB100 netbook photographed in the wild

Oh sure, you've seen a brief glimpse of Toshiba's NB100 (a pre-production unit, at least) at the company's own Mobility Conference, but things just feel a little different when the spotting goes down in the wild. The LXF Team was lucky enough to get their camera on Tosh's UK-bound rig, and while nothing was tremendously shocking, it was called out for boasting a "boxy, but sturdy construction that looks like a shrunk-down 'serious' laptop." Check out a finalized unit beside an equally cute Aspire One in the read link below.


Thanks: Engadget

Confirmed: Kids like Sugar better than XP

It's hardly a scientific test, but when a Cnet editor's 8 year old daughter was given the choice between an OLPC XO laptop running Windows XP or the Linux-based Sugar UI, Sugar was the winner. As Cnet points out, either OS when properly incorporated into the teaching curriculum should serve the children of developing nations equally well. Only one, however, promises to prepare our youth for middle management.


Thanks: Engadget

ASUS Eee PC S101 reviewed: sexy, but not worth the premium

We already knew ASUS' Eee PC S101 had it going on when it came to design, but how did it hold up under the stresses of everyday use? The critics over at Laptop Mag took the fashionable netbook into their testing lair, and while it was deemed "gorgeous and strikingly thin," users who opt for this one must be willing to "make some trade-offs in the name of fashion." For starters, the $699 machine shares almost all of the same internal components as the $449 Eee PC 1000H, so you'll have to fall awfully hard for the looks in order to justify the delta. Generally speaking, the palm rest and keyboard were both praised, but the critics did find the Shift key to be "awkwardly placed". In the end, there wasn't much here to discuss outside of cosmetic differences, and while this crew couldn't place its highest recommendations on the pricey S101, those with deeper pockets may certainly feel otherwise.

Via: Engadget

Dell rebrands its own Mini 9 as the Vostro A90, jacks the price to absurd levels

We're no strangers to rebranded netbooks, but we're a little befuddled as to why Dell's rebranding its own Inspiron Mini 9 as the Vostro A90. Sure, we're digging the stealth looks, but the specs haven't changed at all, and we don't think the Vostro brand really has any more cachet than Inspiron -- they're both pretty low end. Even more bizarrely, the A90 is apparently Japan-only for now, and it's priced at an absurd ?92,830 ($972) -- yeah, you can get three Eee 900As for that price with more or less the same specs. Must be one hell of a paint job.

Via: Engadget

MSI Wind v1.09 BIOS update makes overclocking easy

We've long since known that MSI was a fan of overclocking. After all, just about every last one of its gaming notebooks come with one-button OC'ing courtesy of the Turbo Drive Engine technology. Now, it seems that the company is giving the spoils once reserved for the Crysis crowd to those with netbooks, or more specifically, the Wind. The freshly released (and absolutely official) v1.09 BIOS update enables simple overclocking by mashing Fn+F10, giving users the ability to push things 8%, 15% or 24% beyond their normally specified limits. Electric Feel over at ElectricVagabond has found that the update provides up to a 30% boost in performance, which he claims is quite noticeable in processor-intensive apps like Photoshop. You know you're dying to give your Wind a little lift, so hit the via below for the step-by-step of getting this installed.

Via: Engadget

Dell preloading music mixes, CinemaNow movies, world again asks "Why?"

When Dell started pre-loading digital copies of Iron Man in new systems for $19, we didn't think that was very enticing, but at least it was a pretty good movie, right? Quite possibly encouraged by thousands of accidental purchases (we kid, sort of), Dell's announced two new content pre-loading partnerships -- Universal Music Group and CinemaNow. The music comes in 50 and 100 song bundles starting at $25, but at least it's DRM-free, so if you don't mind a mega mix chosen entirely by Dell it's not all evil. CinemaNow, though, offers $25 and up bundles including (among other flicks) world-renown classics like The Fast and the Furious and the Matrix sequels. Fear.


Via: Engadget

Dell launches the Inspiron Mini 12

We knew more Inspiron Minis were in the works, and Dell's just officially announced the next member of the family, the Inspiron Mini 12. Yep, the same machine we first spotted all the way back in June, and nothing much has changed in the meantime -- you're looking at either a 1.3GHz Atom Z520 or 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor (a step up from the usual 1.6GHz Atom N270), up to an 80GB drive, 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth / WiFi, and that 12-inch, 1280 x 800 display, all in a 2.72-pound package less than one inch thick. The bad news? It's Japan-only for now, but it'll hit the States late next month with a starting price under $600. That's a pretty hot price / performance ratio on paper -- if this thing performs like it should, it could potentially take away sales from more full-featured ultraportables like the Envy 133 and the MacBook Air. We'll see how it goes -- the netbook market suddenly got interesting again, eh?

Via: Engadget