Netbook Portal

Google Chrome OS Targeting Netbook Market

2009-07-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-12T06:56:00.000-07:00

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.

via

Asus Eee PC 1005HA Gets Official Specs

2009-05-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-02-08T00:04:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-20T06:14:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-15T06:21:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-13T05:39:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-08T05:22:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-06T05:39:00.000-08:00

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]

BenQ Joybook Lite U101 Reviewed

2008-12-31T19:49:00.000-08:00

BenQ Joybook Lite U101 is the first product from the company to join the netbook market. Laptop Magazine has recently made a review for this netbook, and the result is just average (rated 2.5 out of 5).One special characteristic for this netbook, is the lid design which comes with a cute emoticon. Other than that, the features of the BenQ Joybook Lite U101 is pretty standard.

The review unit comes with the following spec:

1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor
1.5/2GB RAM (expandable)
160GB/5,400 rpm HDD
10.1-inch display with 1024 x 576 resolution
Windows XP Home
Price: $499

Pros and Cons:

Pros

* Unique lid design
* Compact build
* Bright, glossy display
* Loud speakers

Cons

* Cramped keyboard
* Short battery life
* Loud mouse button

Read the full review of BenQ Joybook Lite U101 on Laptop Magazine.

Sony VAIO Netbook

2008-12-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

More information is revealed about the Sony VAIO netbook that we read about few days ago -- jkOnTheRun reported that this product placeholder about a new Sony VAIO series that goes by the monicker “P”.

The P laptop series of Sony VAIO will come with the following specs:

1.3 GHz Intel Atom processor
8-inch LED Backlit Display
60 GB HD or 128 GB SSD
Windows Vista

At this moment, Sony has yet to make any announcement about this "new netbook' which we believe is coming soon. Hope to hear from Sony soon!

HP Compaq Mini 700 Released in Europe

2008-12-24T05:02:00.000-08:00

Compaq Mini 700 is another netbook from HP which was announced together with the Mini 1000 several weeks ago. It's now released in European countries.

The specification for this netbook is as follows:

1.6 GHz Intel Atom Processor
10.2-inch display with 1024×600 resolution
1GB of RAM
60GB of HDD
GMA950 graphics processor
Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
3-cell battery
2-in-1 card reader
Altec Lansing Speakers
Webcam
Windows XP Home

According to Notebook Italia, the HP Compaq Mini 700 will retails for around $594. No announcement on when this netbook will be available in the U.S. yet.

Samsung to Release NC20 in Febuary

2008-12-22T06:25:00.000-08:00

According to Notebook Italia, Samsung will be releasing a new netbook model called NC20 in February 2009.

The Samsung NC20 will have the following specs:

12.1-inch display
1.3 GHz VIA Nano U225 processor
1GB RAM
160 GB Hard Drive
3-in-1 card reader
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
1.3 megapixel camera

The price of the NC20 will be around around $642. By looking at the spec above, the NC20 which comes with a 12-inch display and VIA Nano processor might not be considered as a netbook, but just a budget notebook instead. But being named as NC20, Samsung might want to relate it with the NC10, and still categorize it as netbook.

Sony VAIO Netbook Finally Here?

2008-12-22T06:03:00.000-08:00

It appears that Sony is going to release a new VAIO model which will "change the way you look at laptops forever" on the 9th of January. The teaser page is posted on Sony's New Zealand site.

As of now, most of the big laptop manufacturers have already released their own netbook, except for Sony and Apple. Many are guessing that Sony will be launching a netbook, which we think is highly possible.

Asus Eee PC 1002HA Unboxing Video

2008-12-19T07:38:00.000-08:00

We have seen that the Asus Eee PC 1002HA is a pretty awesome netbook from the previous reviews. Now let's look at the unboxing video done by Zeavott:

New Configuration and Price for Dell Inspiron Mini 12

2008-12-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

Probably due to the review and feedback of the slow performance of Windows Vista on the Inspiron Mini 12, Dell has recently added Windows XP option in three new configurations/prices on their product page.

Here's the new configuration and price for the Inspiron Mini 12 netbook:

Inspiron Mini 12 Ubuntu Linux Version - $499

Intel Atom Z520 (1.33GHz)
1GB RAM
40GB HDD
Ubuntu Linux 8.04.1
3-Cell Battery

Inspiron Mini 12 - $549

Intel Atom Z520 (1.33GHz)
1GB RAM
40GB HDD
Windows XP Home
3-Cell Battery

Inspiron Mini 12 - $599

Intel Atom Z530 (1.6GHz)
1GB RAM
60GB HDD
Windows XP Home
6-Cell Battery

[via Laptop Magazine]

The World's Smallest Mac - Mactini

2008-12-18T07:43:00.000-08:00

The MacWorld is just a few weeks away.. What could be the next cool product that Apple will be coming up with? Many are guessing that Apple might come out with their own netbook, but Peter Serafinowicz from BBC has a different idea -- Mactini, a machine with only one button. Check it out from the video below. Enjoy! :D

Asus Eee PC 1002HA Review by PC Magazine

2008-12-17T08:05:00.000-08:00

We have seen the review for Asus Eee PC 1002HA from Laptop Magazine.. an here's another review done by PC Magazine. The Asus Eee PC 1002HA is rated as 4 out of 5 stars from this review. Basically, PC Magazine gives almost the same feedback as Laptop Magazine, which is cool design with metallic finish, great keyboard layout and performance, but lacks of six-cell battery being the biggest drawback.

Bottom line:

"Its metallic finish makes the ASUS EeePC 1002HA the most attractive netbook to date, and its performance doesn't disappoint. However, this netbook could use some help in the features department."

Both Asus Eee PC 1000HA and Asus Eee PC 1002HA are available on Amazon for 399.99 and 498.79 respectively.

[Source]

Lenovo IdeaPad S9 Hits US

2008-12-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

The sibling for Lenovo IdeaPad S10 netbook, IdeaPad S9 is now available in US online stores. It's spotted on Geek.com and Buy.com for $344.99 and $359.46 respectively.

The IdeaPad S9 netbook has the following specification:

1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU
8.9 inch 1024 x 600 pixel display
512MB RAM
4GB solid state disk
Linpus Linux Lite

MSI Wind U110, U115, and U120, Arriving on January 2009

2008-12-15T05:35:00.000-08:00

According to an interview with Andy Tung, the Director of Sales for MSI U.S., the company is planning to release 3 new models of MSI Wind -- U110, U115, and U120 in January 2009. In addition, there will be a 13.3-inch MSI notebook called U300 which will not be branded as MSI Wind released in the same month.

Andy Tung has confirmed that both the MSI Wind U110 and U115 will come equiped with the newest Intel Z530 Atom Processor, 1GB of RAM (2GB max), 10-inch LED backlit displays, WiFi b/g/n, a choice of 1.3-megapixel or 2-megapixel webcam, and either a 3-cell or 6-cell battery. Only the U115 will support the dual storage setup: the U110 will have either a 160GB or 250GB hard-drive, the U115 can pair either of those with 16, 32 or 64GB of SSD capacity. With the same 6-cell battery, the MSI Wing U110 is said to have 8 hours of battery life, while the U115 will have up to 10 hours of battery life.

Other than releasing the 3 new models of MSI Wind, the company is also planning to launch a touch-enabled MSI Wind during the CES 2009.

Eee PC Battery Charger

2008-12-11T04:27:00.000-08:00

Your Eee PC netbook battery do not need to be attached to the netbook anymore to be charged. Yes, you can get a standalone charger for your Eee PC netbook at a pretty low price.

The charger light, durable and tidy and let you make full use of your spare battery. It can also be a nice docking station for your battery even when you are not charging it. The charger however is not available for all EEE PC models. Check out the following stores for the charger. The starting price is as low as USD 15.99!

Premium Batteries
GPSforless

Price Drop for HP Mini 1000

2008-12-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

HP has has recently cut the price of the Mini 1000 netbook from $399 to $359, a price drop of $40. The specs that you will be getting from the new price is the same which is 1GB RAM, 8GB SSD, 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 8.9-inch screen, and a 3-cell battery.

The price for the Vivenne Tam edition netbook however is not changed at $699.99.

[via Liliputing]

Asus Eee PC 1002HA Reviewed

2008-12-05T22:42:00.000-08:00

Asus Eee PC 1002HA has been reviewed on Laptop Magazine recently. Overall, this machine which is said to be the combination of Eee PC S101 and 1000HA, score a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars from the review.

The specs of the review unit is as follows:

10-inch 1024x600 display
1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor
1GB RAM
160GB 5400 rpm HDD

Laptop Magazine is pretty impressed by the design and slimness of 1002HA, and also the comfortable keyboard layout. Also, they found the 1002HA to be a fast booter and with speedy performance overall. The only disappointment comes from the 2-cell battery which can last only for 3 hours and 39 minutes, and the company isn't planning to offer an extended life model either.

[Source]

HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition Now Available for Purchase

2008-12-05T08:05:00.000-08:00

The Vivienne Tam Edition of HP Mini 1000, which was announced in October, is now available for purchase on HP website. The starting price will be $699.99, and the features of the netbook will be as follows:

1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU
1GB of RAM
16GB SSD or 60GB HD
10.2-inch diagonal WSVGA HP LED Brightview Infinity Display
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Integrated HP Mini Webcam
3-Cell Battery
Wireless G-Card, Bluetooth
HP Color Matching Keyboard
Windows XP Home

As a fashion-conscious netbook, the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition is less than an inch thick, and weight only around 2.45 pounds. It also features a peony-flower design which makes it looks fashionable.

Samsung to Release NC11 Netbook?

2008-12-03T06:19:00.000-08:00

Samsung NC10 netbook is popular with its great performance.. and probably due to the success of Samsung's first netbook, looks like the company is now planning to release a new model called NC11.

Samsung has put up the manual for NC11 on their official website. Although it's in Korean language, we can see that there isn't much between NC10 and NC11, except for NC11 being available in Windows Vista and using Intel 945GSE chipset instead of Intel 945GME which NC 10 is using.

[via Netbook Magazine]

MSI to Release U110 and U115 Netbook

2008-12-01T05:19:00.000-08:00

MSI has been quite successful with their MSI Wind U100 netbook, and has set to release a new model U120 at CES 2009. Now the company is planning on releasing another 2 new models: U110 and U115.

Different with other netbooks, the MSI U115 features a SSD and also a HDD. The operating system will be installed on the SSD, while the HDD will be used for storing data and information. The SSD/HDD combination will be 8GB SSD/80GB HDD, 16GB SSD/120GB HDD, or 32GB SSD/160GB HDD.

The MSI Wind U110 has the same basic specs as the U115, but comes with HDD configurations only. It will be available with a 120GB, 160GB, or 250GB hard drive and an Intel Atom Z530 CPU. Both models come with a 10-inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 802.11b/g/draft-n WiFi, Bluetooth, and a 4-in-1 card reader. The U110 will be available with 1GB of RAM, while the U115 will come with 1-2GB.

[via Liliputing]

MTV Branded Eee PC Netbook

2008-11-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

If you are from Italy, you can now get an 3G capable Eee PC with MTV Mobile logo on the lid. The colorful design of the logo certainly makes your netbook looks more fun.

The MTV Branded Eee PC is actually a 901 Go model. It's available for 399 Euros, and with extra 99 Euros you will get 1 year wireless broadband with up to 100 hours of usage per month.

[via Eee PC Italia]

Indamixx Laptop - A Fully Loaded Audio Laptop Computer

2008-11-27T04:30:00.000-08:00

The Indamixx Laptop announced yesterday is a Linux based netbook loaded with a boatload of software for creating and editing audio.

Some features for Indamixx Laptop:

Fast Intel Atom based Netbook (1.6Ghz)
Transmission 2.1 OS
Pre-bundled software with award winning energy XT
First solution to feature ArdourXchange.
Over 2900 drum sounds
More than 350 classic sample and scratches
Over 260 Plugins and effects
Complimentary Software Support

The Indamixx Laptop is tagged $499. It can be a perfect gift for DJ’s, producers and remixers as it's a netbook that's built around music and only music.

10-inch Acer Aspire One Coming Next Year Febuary / March

2008-11-25T05:53:00.000-08:00

The president of Acer Taiwan, Scott Lin, has informed the reporters of Taiwan that the 10-inch Aspire One netbook will be launched in Febuary or March next year. Also, according to Lin, the 3.5G module-based Aspire One netbooks being bundled with Taiwan Mobile (TWM) services is expected to reach a shipment volume of 9,000 units in the Taiwan market in the fourth quarter this year, while the sales of the Aspire One netbook has reached 10,000-20,000 every month.

More info are available on DigiTimes.

Asus Eee PC 1002HA in Brushed Metal

2008-11-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

On a media preview event in New York Thursday night, Asus has shown off a brand new 1002HA in brushed metal design.

"The new Eee PC 1002HA has essentially the same components as the Eee PC 1000 -- Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP, Bluetooth, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and a few different SSD and HDD hard drive options -- but in a sturdy, upscale-looking chassis with a brushed metal lid and wrist rest."

According to Crave, the Eee PC 1002HA in brushed metal looks pretty much like the HP MiniNote 2133, and will start shipping on early December with a price of $499+.

Limited Edition Netbook from Dospara - Prime Note Cartina UM

2008-11-20T04:57:00.000-08:00

Dospara, a Japanese company has recently announced a new netbook model called Prime Note Cartina UM. The netbook will be equipped with the following specs:

1.6GHz Intel Atom Processor
8.9 inch screen with 1024 x 600 pixels
120GB HDD
1GB RAM
1.3MP Webcam
3-in-1 card reader
802.11b/g WiFi

Surprisingly, the company announced that the netbook will be limited edition, and only 30 units of this netbook will be made available. The price for Prime Note Cartina UM is ¥39,980 ($413) and is only available in Japan.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Is Now Available in Red and Pink in Japan

2008-11-18T04:37:00.000-08:00

Still remember this photo being one of the first "leaked" photo for the Dell Inspiron Mini 8 netbook? It's in glossy red.

For some reason, when Dell first officially launched the Inspiron Mini 9 a few months ago, they do not make this color available. Only until recently, the Mini 9 in glossy red has finally made available in Japan. In addition, a blush pink version is also available.

Dell is also releasing the new Platinum Package which features a 32 SSD and comes with a price of around $569. This is also available in Japan only at this time.

No announcement on when the new colors will be available in other countries yet. If you can't wait to get a pink netbook, check out this list of pink mini laptop.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 for $299 on Black Friday

2008-11-13T07:26:00.000-08:00

Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the US, and Dell appears to be planning to offer a discount on the Inspiron Mini 9 netbook with a price of only $299.

If you are planning to get an Inspiron Mini 9, or other brands netbook, this will be a great time to get one. Here's a useful post where you will find tips for finding a good deal on a netbook this Black Friday.

New Pink Acer Aspire One Netbook Coming Soon

2008-11-11T05:47:00.000-08:00

Acer will be releasing the Aspire One netbook in a brand new color scheme which is in white and pink.

The release date for the pink color Aspire One is still unknown at this time. Other big brand in the netbook industry such as Asus Eee PC, MSI Wind and Lenovo Ideapad have made their netbook to be available in pink color as well. Pink is the new black!

[via Pink Laptop Computer]

Asus Eee PC With 8 hour Battery Life?

2008-11-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

A new advertisement for Asus Eee PC is claiming that the Eee PC can have a bettery life of up to 8 hours:

According to Liliputing, he has not seen any model of Eee PC that can have a battery life up to 8 hours.. or Asus is planning on releasing one soon?

Best Buy Selling MSI Wind U100 at $349

2008-11-06T06:08:00.000-08:00

MSI Wind is a great netbook with great performance. Now Best Buy has made it even better with the price at just $349.99.

Here's what you will get for $349.99:

Intel® Atom™ processor N270
1GB DDR2 memory
120GB SATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
10.1" WSVGA widescreen display with 1024 x 600 resolution
Built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 graphics with 64MB of shared video memory
3 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
Digital media reader
Built-in high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g)
10/100 Mbps Ethernet LAN (with RJ-45 connector)
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

A really great deal from Best Buy!

Samsung NC10 Reviewed - Probably The Best Netbook

2008-11-04T05:39:00.000-08:00

Laptop Magazine has recently made a review for the Samsung NC10 netbook, and found this machine to be probably one of the best in the 10-inch netbook market.

Overall, Laptop Magazine rated this netbook 4 out of 5 stars. What's being the most impressive feature for the NC10, is the long battery life (6-cell) which can last for 6 hours and 34 minutes.

"Until now, no other netbook has been able to match the 10-inch MSI Wind’s endurance, strong performance, and spacious keyboard. Samsung’s NC10 is the only product that provides comparable—and even improved—features for a lower price. Its comfortable, well-positioned keyboard, speedy and spacious hard drive, and more than 6 hours of endurance make the $499 Samsung NC10 the most well-rounded 10-inch netbook on the market." (Full review on Laptop Magazine)

The Samsung NC10 netbook is expected to be released in the US soon for $499.

Asus to Release $200 Eee PC Netbook in 2009

2008-10-31T09:22:00.000-07:00

According to the president of Asustek, Jerry Shen, the company expects to launch an Eee PC priced at US$200 in 2009.

When Asus first announced the plan to make low cost laptop, they promised to make it as low as $200. This target has not been achieved since the cheapest Eee PC to date (Eee PC 2G Surf) is around $250. Now looks like Asus is trying to keep their promise by releasing a $200 model in 2009. The specs is however unknown at this time.

Jerry also says that the 7 and 8.9-inch Eee PCs will slowly phase out of the market to be replaced by 10-inch products.

[Source]

HP Mini 1000 Announced

2008-10-29T06:34:00.000-07:00

HP has officially announced the new 1000 Mini netbook.

Different from Mini-Note 2133 which use the VIA processor, the HP 1000 Mini netbook will be running on Intel’s 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor. Other features of the netbook includes: a choice of 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 or 10.2-inch 1024 x 600 BrightView displays, 512MB or 1GB of DDR2 RAM and either a 60GB 4,200rpm hard-drive or 8/16GB SSD.

The HP Mini 1000 is now available on HP’s online store for $399. It will comes with a pre-installed Windows XP Home OS, packs with Ethernet jack and two USB ports, has WiFi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity features plus a 3G connectivity coming soon. Also, HP will release a Vivienne Tam Edition of Mini 1000 with a starting price of $699 in December.

[via Liliputing]

Dell Inspiron Mini 12 Hit Japan

2008-10-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

Dell is expanding it's netbook business by launching a new category of netbook -- the Inspiron Mini 12.

The features of the Inspiron Mini 12 includes: 1.3GHz Atom Z520 or 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, 12-inch 1280 x 800 display, up to 80GB drive, 1GB of RAM, and Bluetooth / WiFi. In terms of portability, the new Inspiron Mini 12 is only one inch thick and weight 2.72-pound.

The 12-inch netbook is currently available only in Japan, and will be hitting US late November with a starting price of around $600.

[via Laptop Computer News]

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Gets Rebranded as Vostro A90

2008-10-25T02:47:00.000-07:00

Inspiron Mini 9 is getting a coat of black paint and renamed as Vostro A90.

Typically targeting the business user, the all-black Vostro A90 certainly make it looks better. Other than that, all other specs of the netbook is identical to the Inspiron Mini 9:

8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display
1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU
1GB of RAM
8GB of flash memory
Bluetooth
4 cell battery
Windows XP

Currently, the Vostro A90 netbook is launched only in Japan, and the price is set at ¥92,830 (about $998 US), which cost way more than the Inspiron Mini 9 and certainly not what we'd expect a Vostro machine to go for.

[via Engadget]

Apple Netbook in Development?

2008-10-25T02:26:00.000-07:00

Latest Apple's netbook rumor:

“That would seem to confirm findings that a search engine company shared with me on condition that I not reveal its name: The company spotted Web visits from an unannounced Apple product with a display somewhere between an iPhone and a MacBook. Is it the iPhone 3.0 or the NetMac 1.0?”

(From New York Times)

From the statement, Apple seems to be working on a new device with a display somehwere between an iPhone and a MacBook, and the new device which might be still in experimental phase is used to surf the web.

MSI To Release The New Wind 120 model

2008-10-11T00:54:00.000-07:00

According to the recent interview of Laptop Magazine with MSI’s Director of U.S. Sales, Andy Tung, there will be a business oriented Wind netbook called Wind U120 coming soon.

The new MSI Wind model will get a new look with a slightly more angular case compare to the MSI Wind U90. Here are some pictures of the upcoming MSI Wind U120 netbook from Fudzilla:

The basic specs for the new netbook model includes a 10 inch display, an Atom processor, 1GB RAM, a 120GB HDD or a 40/80 SSD, Wi-Fi and a built-in 3.5G modem with a SIM card slot. It's expected to be released around late November or early December with a price below $600.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Reviews

2008-09-29T01:20:00.000-07:00

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 was launched recently as the company's step into the netbook market. Soon after the released of the Inspiron Mini 9, it has been reviewed quite a number of times on various websites on the Internet. Overall, the rating given to this 8.9-inch Dell netbook is above average.

Specification
Before going through the reviews, let's look at the specification for the Dell Inspiron Mini 9:

1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor
Up to 1GB DDR2 533MHz RAM
Glossy 8.9 inch LED display (1024X600)
Up to 16GB Solid State Drive
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
Wireless 802.11g Mini Card
1.3 Megapixel webcam (optional)
Bluetooth 2.1 capability (optional)
4-Cell 32Wh Li-ion battery (4 hours battery life)
Size: 9.2" x 6.8"x 1.3"
Weight: 2lb 5.5oz (include battery)
OS: Ubuntu / Windows XP

The Ubuntu version of Inspiron Mini 9 has a starting price of $349 while the Windows version start from $399.

The overview video of the Inspiron Mini 9 from Dell:

Reviews Round Up

Laptop Magazine reviews the Linux version of the Inspiron Mini 9, and given a rating of 3.5 out of 5. Here are the pros and cons given by Laptop Magazine:
Pros
* Sleek, simple Linux OS
* Compact, sturdy design
* Decent battery life
* Configurable online

Cons
* Awkward keyboard
* Solid state storage only
* Extended battery not yet available

Notebook Review gets their hands on the Linux version as well. While there's no rating given, they have concluded that although the Mini 9 is a great netbook with reasonable price, it does have a few problems that are commonly seen in other netbooks such as heat, annoying glossy plastics, bad keyboard, etc. Here's the pros and cons concluded by Notebook Review:
Pros
* Small and light
* Easy to use
* Very well built and durable
* Responsive Synaptics touchpad
* Easy to upgrade RAM, SSD, and wireless cards
* No noisy cooling fan
* Low price for an ultraportable

Cons
* Gets a little hot
* Glossy plastic lid is a magnet for fingerprints
* No F11 or F12 keys, other function keys in strange location
* 4-cell battery is nice, 6-cell battery would be better

Cnet has reviewed the Windows XP version and given it a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. Here's the summary of their review:
The good: More configurable than other Netbooks; good battery life; XP and Linux OS options.

The bad: Some awkward keyboard compromises; no SSD options larger than 16GB.

The bottom line: Dell's entry into the Netbook market means it's time to take these low-cost, low-power PCs seriously. The Inspiron Mini 9 is an excellent example of the form, if not radically different from the competition.

Conclusion
From the reviews that we have seen, the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 is an above average netbook, with reasonable price. But it does have some flaws such as the awkward keyboard design, and larger size HDD & extended battery being unavailable. While these are acceptable, Dell should definitely fix those issues/complains in the next release in order to stay competitive in the netbook market.

Packard Bell 'dot' Netbook

2008-09-27T00:58:00.000-07:00

Packard Bell will be releasing the 8.9-inch netbook called the 'dot'.

Due to the fact that Acer owns 75% of Packard Bell, it isn't a surprise that the 'dot' netbook actually looks a lot like the Acer Aspire One. The specification for the Packard Bell 'dot' netbook includes an Intel 1.6GHz Atom Processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 6-cell battery, three USB 2.0, one VGA, microphone and headphone ports, and a 5-in-1 multicard reader.

The Packard Bell 'dot' netbook will be available in Europe for €399($584) in the coming November.

Averatec Unveils The 10.2-inch Buddy Netbook

2008-09-27T00:36:00.000-07:00

Averatec will be joining the netbook competition with the recently announced netbook called Buddy.

The Buddy netbook from Averatec is a 10.2-inch machine with the following specifications:

Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz CPU
1GB of RAM
160GB HDD
WiFi Connectivity
Windows XP Home

The Averatec Buddy netbook will be available soon for a reasonable price of $450.

[via]

LG Xnote Mini Announced

2008-09-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Another new netbook announced by LG Korea. The new netbook is named the Xnote Mini which is said to be the lightest netbook from Korean manufacturer. The specs for the Xnote Mini is quite similar with the other netbook setup on the market:

10.2-inch screen
Intel Atom processor rated at 1.6GHz
1GB RAM
160GB HDD
Built-in 1.3-megapixel camera
Wi-Fi and 3G access
3-cell battery

The only special feature for this netbook is the customized keyboard which claims to provide a more comfortable typing. While there's nothing much to be excited about the Xnote Mini feature, there has been quite some discussion on the cute Korean girls instead of the netbook itself on Engadget. :D

Asus Eee PC900A In Gold And Blue

2008-09-26T22:40:00.000-07:00

Asus Eee PC 900A is getting new look with 2 brand new colors: Gold and Blue.

The Asus Eee PC 900A was released in August this year with the price of around $465. The specs includes a 1.6GHz Atom Processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB/16GB SSD storage, 3 USB ports, 1 VGA, and a 0.3MP webcam. Other than the new colors, the gold and blue version of Eee PC 900A will have the exact same specification. The price for the new color variants are not stated, but we expect them to be the same as others.

[via]

About NetBook Portal

2008-09-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

About NetBook Portal
Well, the title says it all.. everything on this blog is about netbook. Welcome to the NetBook Portal!

About NetBook
Netbook is a term that we hear frequently in today's laptop industry. If you do not know what a netbook is, Wikipedia is always the best resource to find out the answer:

"The term netbook was re-introduced by Intel in February 2008 to describe a category of small-sized, low-cost, light weight, lean function subnotebooks optimized for Internet access and core computing functions (e.g., word processing) — either directly from applications installed on the netbook itself or indirectly, via cloud computing. More than 50 million Netbooks are expected to be in widespread circulation by 2011. Netbooks (or sub-notebooks as they may be known) typically come with an 7-inch to 10-inch screen."

Even with this definition, one could still easily confuse netbook with other closely related terms such as UMPC, Subnotebook, etc.. Not to worry.. Gizmodo clears this up pretty well for us. Here's a good writeup from them about the difference between Netbook, UMPC and Subnotebook.

In a nutshell, a netbook carry the following characteristics:
* Small-sized (10.2-inch or lower screen size)
* Low cost (typically under $600)
* Mainly used for Internet surfing, word-processing, and other non-CPU extensive task.

Again, welcome to the Netbook Portal, and we are pleased to present you with up-to-date reviews, and news on the netbook industry!