Google Chrome OS Targeting Netbook Market

Google recently announced that they will be releasing Google Chrome OS, which will be a lightweight, open-source system based on Linux OS. The Google Chrome OS is expected to be made available on netbooks in the 2nd half of 2010. More info about Google Chrome OS is available on Google Blog.

Sony To Release VAIO W Series Netbook

Sony is one of the few big companies that's still not in the netbook game.. until recently, it finally announced that it will be releasing the first 10-inch netbook called the VAIO W.

The Sony VAIO W netbook will have the following specs which is similar to most other netbook in today's market:

• 10.1-inch screen, 1366×768 resolution
• Intel Atom N280 1.66GHz
• 160GB HDD
• 1GB RAM
• webcam
• 3.5-hour battery pack
• Bluetooth
• GMA 950/W-LAN
• Windows XP Home Edition

The Sony VAIO W series netbook will be available in 3 colors: white, brown, and pink. It's expected to hit US market in August with a starting price of $499.

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Asus Eee PC 1005HA Gets Official Specs

Asus Eee PC 1005HA is the second model of the Seashell netbook after the 1008HA model. The main difference between the 1005HA and the 1008HA is that the 1005HA model comes with a removable battery while it's predecessor doesn't.And because of this, the Eee PC 1005HA netbook is also slightly thicker than its predecessor.


As of now, Asus has not announce the release date of the Eee PC 1005HA yet, but the product page is already up on Asus website. Here's the specification for the Eee PC 1005HA:

• 10.1" LED Backlight WSVGA Screen (1024x600)
• Intel Atom N270/ N280 CPU
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD + 10GB Eee Storage
• 3 x USB 2.0
• 1 x VGA Port (D-sub 15-pin for external monitor)
• 1 x LAN RJ-45
• 2 x Audio Jack (Head Phone / Mic-in)
• 1.3MP webcam
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Card Reader: MMC/ SD(SDHC)
• Hi-Definition Audio CODEC, Stereo speaker
• 3-cell (up to 4 hrs usage) or 6-cell battery (up to 10.5hrs usage)
• Linux / Windows XP

Dell Introduce Dell Inspiron Mini 10v

Dell recently introduce a new version of Inspiron Mini 10, the Inspiron Mini 10v with slightly different specs, and lower starting price.


The Inspiron Mini 10v comes with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU instead of the Z series Atom processor, while the hard drive space is 120GB instead of 160GB. Other than that, the rest of the specs are exactly the same as the original version of Inspiron Mini 10. The starting price for the Inspiron Mini 10v is just $299.

Asus Eee PC 1008HA To Be Released in UK on May 15th

Asus Eee PC 1008HA, the thinnest and lightest 10 inch laptop in the Asus Eee PC line, will be available in the UK next week on May 15th.


The netbook weighs just 2.4 pounds and measure 10.3″ x 7″ x 1″. The specs are 1.66GH Intel Atom N280 processor, 160GB hard disk, 1GB of RAM, 10.2-inch screen with 1024 x 600 pixel display, and GMA graphics.

The tax-inclusive UK price for the Eee PC 1008HA will be about £379 (or $572 US). No word on when this netbook will be available in the US yet.

New Netbook Models From Samsung Released

Samsung has recently released quite a few new netbook models. Here's an overview for each of them:

1. Samsung N110


N110 is similar to the NC10 netbook but with better designed touchpad and higher capacity battery.

Specification:

• 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB Hard Drive
• 6 Cell Battery (up to 9.5 hours of battery life)
• Microsoft XP Home with Service Pack 3
  

2. Samsung N120


Similar to N110 but with a full-size keyboard.

Specification:

• 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor
• 1 GB RAM
• 160 GB Hard Drive
• 6 Cell Battery
• Microsoft XP Home with Service Pack 4
• SuperBright 10.1-inch glossy LCD screen
  

3. Samsung N310


N310 comes in a rubberized case and features the latest medical technology that smear the keys with a special finish that makes it "almost impossible for bacteria to live and breed.

Specification:

• Intel Atom N270 processor
• 1GB of RAM
• 160GB hard drive
• four-cell battery for up to 5 hours runtime
• frameless 10-inch screen

The N110 and N120 netbooks are currently for sale on Amazon.com for $475.99 and $465.99 respectively. N310 is available only in Korea for the moment.

[via: Small Mini Laptops]

Sharp Mebius NJ70A With LCD Trackpad is Cool But Expensive

Sharp recently announced the first netbook of their own, Mebius NJ70A, which comes with a 4-inch LCD trackpad. With 854 x 480 resolution, not only it recognizes text and drawing, it also allows you to perform some finger-based functions, like rotate, zoom in/out, and other multi-touch functions.


Other than the LCD trackpad, other specs for this machine is similar to other standard netbooks on the market: 10.1-inch 1024×600 Screen, Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz CPU, 1GB RAM, and 160GB HDD.

The LCD Trackpad is no doubt a really exciting feature, but it comes with a price.. Dynamism online store has listed the Sharp Mebius NJ70A for pre-order with a price of $999, making it one of the most expensive netbook so far!

[via]

Toshiba Dynabook UX Netbook Unveiled in Japan

Toshiba has announced a 10-inch Dynabook UX netbook in Japan.


Expected to be released later this week in Japan, Toshiba Dynabook UX netbook will be equipped with Intel Atom N280 1.66 GHz CPU, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, and a 10-inch display with 1024×600 native pixel resolution.

The price for this netbook will be £400, which is quite high compare to other netbooks. No word on when it will be released in other countries.

Samsung N120 Now Available

Samsung has announced quite a few new netbook models lately. One of the model, N120 is now available on Amazon.com. The specs are as follows:

• 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor
  
• 10.1″ WSVGA 1024 x 600
• 1 GB DDR2 RAM
• 160 GB, 2.5″, 5400 RPM HDD
  
• Intel 945GSE
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• 802.11 b/g / Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
• 3 USB (2 chargable USB ports)
• Multi Card Slot 3 in 1 (SD, SDHC, MMC)
• 6 cell lithium ion battery
• 10.27″ x 1.19″ x 7.3″, 2.8 lbs.

The price for Samsung N120 listed on Amazon is $466.

Velocity Micro Netbook Released

Netbook sales keep increasing, and new netbook brands and models keep coming every once in a while. The latest new netbook is from Velocity Micro, a popular boutique PC maker. It's called the Velocity Micro NoteMagix M10 with the following specs:

• Intel Atom N270 (1.6GHz) CPU
• 10-inch wide screen display
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB hard drive
• 802.11b/g wireless
• 6-cell battery
• Webcam, Media card reader, and 3x usb ports
• Microsoft Windows XP SP3

The Velocity Micro NoteMagix M10 comes in black, red, or blue and with 1 year warranty. It's currently available for $379, and you can order it on Velocity Micros official website.

Acer Aspire One D150 Hands-On Video

Acer Aspire One D150, the 2nd generation of Aspire One netbook from is coming soon. While it has not started shipping in the US and Europe countries yet, Sascha from NetbookNews.de has got a chance to put his hand on the D150 which is ordered from Taipei. Check out the hands-on video which he has made:



The specs for the Acer Aspire One D150 is as follows:

• 10.1 inch display
• 1GB of RAM
• 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor
• 160GB hard drive
• 6 cell battery
• Windows XP Home Edition

The Aspire One D150 netbook has started showing up in Amazon and BestBuy.

Asus Eee PC Touch Demo Video

The touch screen version of Asus Eee PC is going to be released later this year. While waiting for it, here's a video demonstration of the Asus Eee PC Touch.

10-inch Acer Aspire One to sell for under $400

According to Digitimes, there will be 10-inch version of Acer Aspire One netbook released in Febbuary this year, with a price of US$399. The 10-inch version of Acer Aspire One will be available in 3 colors which are red, black and white.

NoteMagix M10 Netbook from Velocity Micro Announced

Here's another new netbook entering the market -- NoteMagix M10 from Velocity Micro.


Velocity Micro is a popular boutique PC maker. The NoteMagix M10 Netbook will come with the following specs:

• 10.1-inch screen
• Intel Atom processor
• 160GB HDD
• 1GB RAM
• 1.3 megapixel webcam
• 3-in-1 media card reader
• 4 cell-battery
• Wi-Fi
• Windows XP OS

The netbook is expected to ship by Spring with a price of around $379.

[Source]

Sony VAIO P Released for Pre-order

Sony VAIO P unveiled at the CES 2009 is now official. The specs for the VAIO P is as follows:

• Intel 1.33 GHz CPU
• 2GB RAM
• 60GB HDD or up to 128GB SSD
• 8-inch (1600×768) LED backlight XBRITE-ECO screen
• Up to 4 hours battery life or 8 hours for a larger capacity battery
• Memory Stick PRO, SD, MMC media slot
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Windows Vista Home OS

With a price tag of $799.99, the P-Series netbook from Sony will be available in garnet red, crystal white, emerald green, and classic matte color design and weighs only 1.4 lbs. You could already pre-order this “world’s lightest 8-inch notebook” on Sony Style.

HP Mini 2140 Unveiled

HP has unveiled another new model of netbook after the Mini 1000. It's called the HP Mini Note 2140, and is the successor to the HP 2133 Mini-Note. The appearance of Mini-Note 2140 is pretty similar with the 2133 model, with a sleek aluminum case and excellent keyboard design.


In terms of technical specs, the Mini Note 2140 is quite different from the older model:

• 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor
• 10.1-inch display with 1024 x 576 or 1366 x 768 resolution
• 160GB HDD or 80GB SSD
• 3 or 6 cell battery
• 2 USB ports, mic input, headphone out, VGA port
• HP 3D Drive Guard

The HP 2140 Mini-Note will be released some time this week, with the price of $499.

[Source]