11.6″ HP Mini 311 netbook gets official

HP has finally unveiled their very own version of the 11.6″ netbook. The HP Mini 311 will also feature a more powerful graphics chip, an NVidia Ion LE.

 

11.6″ display screen @ 1366 x 768 pixels
Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
NVidia Ion LE with up to 3,19MB memory
1GB DDR3 (max 2GB)
160GB SATA HDD
WiFi 802.11 b/g
HDMI port
5-in-1 card reader
6 cell Li-Ion battery

Will come pre-installed with Windows XP Home Edition SP3 and a DDR3 RAM is a welcome upgrade (the first netbook to have DDR3). It’s a bit heavy though at 3.22 pounds. Price starts at $399 so this is gonna be the cheapest in the 12-inch category (price could go up for upgraded the RAM and HDD capacity).

Cloned MacBook Air is more netbook-y but only costs $250

Oh wow, take a look at that MacBook Ai—hey, that’s not a MacBook Air! It’s a $250 netbook from China! That’s actually not too bad of a deal, considering that the machine has a 12.1-inch 1366×768 display, weighs just under three pounds, and is less than an inch thick.

Underneath it all, though, is your basic netbook: Atom N270 CPU, Intel GMA950 graphics, 1GB of RAM, 120GB hard drive, Wi-Fi, and Windows. And let’s just assume that the materials used with this netbook might not be as well-crafted as Apple’s magic aluminum enclosure within which the MacBook Air’s delicate parts are ensconced.

Still, the $250 price tag is pretty nice. You’ll have to be in China to get one, though.

Sony Vaio P unveiled locally, Price starts at P49,999($1080)

Along with other media folks, we got to witness first hand the unveiling of the Sony Vaio P here in the Philippines. It lives up to the Vaio brand name and is definitely a thing of beauty. There are basically two models to choose from: the VGN-P15G and the VGN-P13H.

Both models come in at a mere 19.8mm in thickness which makes it probably the thinnest and lightest ultraportable in the market today (not counting the Macbook Air, of course). 2GB of RAM, an 8-inch wide UWXGA 1600×768 TFT display, Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11 b/g/draft N, MS Duo and SD Memory card slot, 2 USB ports, headphone jack, IO connector, motion eye webcam and an Intel GMA 500 graphics chip are the other specs that are common to both models.

Acer Aspire One now Ready for Pre-order

Even though we have yet to see an actual 10-inch Acer Aspire One being sold in the local stores, that doesn’t mean you can’t reserve one for yourself right now. As a matter of fact, PC Corner is already accepting pre-orders for the Acer Aspire One 103 with the first batch expected to arrive on March 15, 2009.

This bit of news is courtesy of Yugatech and will certainly delight netbook aficionados waiting for this highly-anticipated upgrade to the Aspire One. Aside from the newly designed body and bigger display, the Acer Aspire One 103 comes with the 1GB RAM, 320GB SATA HDD, Acer CyrstalEye webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth, 6-cell battery, multitouch-enabled trackpad, and is the first netbook to feature Intel’s latest Atom N280 processor that’s slightly faster at 1.66GHz.

	with Acer ODD:
	PhP 26,500.00 cash price
	PhP 27,500.00 0% DP / 06-mos to pay... BPI, BDO and CiTi
	PhP 28,500.00 0% DP / 12-mos to pay... BPI, BDO and CiTi
	without Acer ODD:
	PhP 25,500.00 cash price
	PhP 26,500.00 0% DP / 06-mos to pay... BPI, BDO and CiTi
	PhP 27,500.00 0% DP / 12-mos to pay... BPI, BDO and CiTi

Dell Inspiron Mini 10: Average Display Size, Above Average Features

Dell has unveiled their latest addition to their netbook line, the Inspiron Mini 10.

While it does offer a smaller screen size as opposed to the Inspiron Mini 12, it does, however, offer more features. The Inspiron Mini 10 comes with a 10.1-inch 16:9 HD 720p display, Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G WWAN, webcam, multi-touch trackpad and a TV-tuner USB accessory. No word though on what the RAM, storage and OS options will be made available for this new netbook, but we’re guessing that 1GB/2GB RAM, 80GB/160GB HDD and SSD storage as well as Win XP/Linux options are a sound choice.

Likewise, an exact release date and price are yet to be known. Considering that the Inspiron Mini 10 comes with more than you’re average feature set, it wiill most likely be more expensive than any Inspiron Mini we’ve seen to date. Nevertheless, we’re pretty excited about this one as it looks to be a pretty handy netbook to lug around while on the road.

Are you ready for Tablet Netbooks?

Asus can be credited for the huge success of netbooks in the market today thanks to their groundbreaking Eee PC laptop, and it seems that they’re once again poised to set a new trend this year with the unveiling of the Eee PC T91 and T101H.

As their name implies, both new netbooks belong to the continuously growing Eee PC family, but unlike previous releases, these two feature a touchscreen display allowing it to function as a tablet PC as well. The T91 comes with an 8.9-inch display and an Intel Atom Z520 processor.

The Eee PC T101H, on the other hand, comes with a bigger 10-inch screen and a new keyboard design that greatly resembles that of Apple’s Macbook laptops.

Aside from the details mentioned above, further information regarding specifications and more importantly, price and availability were not disclosed just yet. Considering that Asus has decided to out not just one but two tablet netbooks this early on in the year, the question on my mind is; will tablet netbooks be the next big thing as far as netbooks are concerned? If these two pioneering models become successful when they’re released, I have no doubt that tablet netbooks will indeed be the next phase in the continuing evolution of the netbook.

Sony joins Netbook party with Vaio P

Sony has officially joined the netbook bandwagon with the announcement of the new Vaio P laptop.

It sports an 8-inch display, Intel Atom Z530 1.33GHz processor, 2GB RAM, WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth, 3G WWAN, GPS, webcam, Windows Vista OS, and 60GB HDD, 64GB SSD and 128GB SSD storage options. It also does away with the usual trackpad and features a pointer instead to save up on space. The Sony Vaio P also boasts of being the lightest netbook weighing only 1.4 lbs and has enough juice in its battery to last up to 4 hours which is still unheard of as far as 3-cell battery-running netbooks go. It’s expected to start shipping in February in 5 colored variants (garnet red, emerald green, onyx black, crystal white and classic black) with a starting price of $900.

Here’s a hands-on video showcasing the Sony Vaio P courtesy of Engadget.

With such a steep price and awkward design, I doubt the Sony Vaio P will actually draw much attention from the usual netbook-buying public. I personally find an 8.9-inch display already too small, and I can’t even begin to image how people will get their work done on a smaller 8-inch display.

Anyway, for what it’s worth, the Sony Vaio P is indeed a technological wonder cramming in all those features in an ultra-small form factor, but as far as practicality and functionality are concerned, it’s still got a lot of room for improvement.

HP Mini 2140: The Mini Note 2133, Mini 1000 rolled into one Netbook

I've got good news for those who love the HP Mini Note 2133 for its design and form factor but hate its processor and Vista OS. HP has decided to continue their first netbook’s legacy with the Mini 2140.

The HP Mini 2140 comes with an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, 10.1-inch LED display, 1GB (max 2GB) RAM, 80GB or 160GB HDD options, WiFi, Bluetooth, Express Card slot, and a ton of OS options that include Windows XP Home/Pro, Vista Basic/Premium, SuSe Linux and FreeDOS. The starting price for the HP Mini 240 is pegged at $499 which is exactly the same price of the Mini Note 2133 when it first debuted a while back. This, likewise, means that the Mini 2140 won’t be cheap at all.

However, with the best features of both the Mini Note 2133 and Mini 1000 all packaged in one stellar looking device, I certainly wouldn’t mind paying extra for it. While this is certainly good news for those holding out on buying a netbook, this latest announcement will definitely disappoint those who have already bought an HP Mini 1000 thinking that they were already getting the best of what HP has to offer as far as netbooks are concerned.

HP turns to Intel Atom for New Mini 1000

Despite being a bit on the expensive side and a bit slow when compared to its contemporaries, the HP Mini Note has garnered a following of its own thanks to its exquisite design. Now, HP’s improving on what they’ve gotten correct with their first netbook and is offering up something a bit more at par with rest of the pack the second time around.

The HP Mini 1000 will come in two variants: one with the same small 8.9-inch display, and a new one with a bigger and more adequately sized 10.2-inch screen. They’ve replaced the aluminum finish look for a sleek black plastic chasis. The new Mini will now also finally have an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor under the hood like the rest of the netbook pack, support up to 2GB of RAM, and have up to 16GB of SSD storage. Other options are yet to be disclosed, but the usual features such as Bluetooth, WiFi and VGA camera are still there. The Vista OS has been bumped off the specs sheet with Windows XP taking over the OS chores, but something to look forward to in 2009 is their new Mobile Internet Experience interfacebuilt on top of Ubuntu.

The UI shares similarities with their Touchsmart PC and aims at providing the user with an all-in-one interface for quick access to most commonly used features. This early on, we’re pretty psyched about it as it looks really polished. This is one added feature that might make users opt for the Linux version as opposed to the more popular Windows variant.

The HP Mini 1000 that sports an 8.9-inch screen, 512MB RAM, and 8GB SSD on Windows XP will cost $400 while the 10.2-inch version with the same specs is priced at $450. The price of the version that will feature an 8.9-inch screen and the Mobile Internet Experience OS on Ubuntu will start at $380 when it’s made available in January next year. There’s also a red Vivienne Tam Edition that will retail for $700 and 3G-enabled versions set to be announced in December as well. For more pics of the HP Mini 1000, you can check out Gizmodo’s photo gallery.

Sadly though, no international release dates were mentioned but we’re pretty optimistic it’ll become available before the first half of 2009 comes to an end. This is just another reason for you regret buying that insanely cheap-looking netbook just because you couldn’t wait for something better to come out. But then again, if there’s one thing you can count on in the world of technology, there will always be something new coming out in the not-so-distant future that’s sure to replace the latest and coolest gadgets of present time.

Asus S101: The ultra-slim netbook

Say goodbye to the toy-like Eee PC, and say hello to the more luxurious looking Asus S101.

Aimed at providing the mobile techno-warrior with an affordable yet compact netbook solution, the Asus S101 features everything you can expect from an ultra-portable of today and then some. It’s wicked thin measuring a mere 18mm in thickness and has an Intel Atom processor at its very core. Rounding up the rest of its specs are 1GB RAM, 10.2-inch wide LED-backlit 1024×600 252K display, WiFi 802.11n compatible, Bluetooth, multi-touch touchpad, non-removable 2450 mAh battery, and a variety of SSD storage options to choose from. The 16GB SSD variant will come with Windows XP and is expected to cost $699, while the Linux-based 32GB SSD and 64 GB SSD versions will fetch for $699 and $799 respectively.

It may not be as affordable as the first batch of Eee PCs, but with its ultra-slim form factor, users might find its more expensive price worth it. Besides, its still a whole lot cheaper than the Macbook Air, but then again, the Asus S101 isn’t a Mac. No word though on when it will be released locally so just stay tuned for future updates.

Asus Eee PC S101 Ultraslim Netbook

And just when we thought Asus could no longer outdo itself in the Eee PC line, they’ll come up with a new model just to show off they’re still king of the netbooks. So they’re bringing out a thinner but a little expensive Asus Eee PC S101 Ultraslim Netbook.

Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
Intel 945GSE
10.2” wide active matrix LED-backlit TFT, WSVGA 1024 x 600
Genuine Windows XP Home/GNU Linux
WiFi 802.11n
Bluetooth 2.0
1 GB DDR2 RAM
16GB, 32GB & 64GB SSD
20GB Eee Storage
4-in-1 MMC, SD, Memory Stick and MS-PRO card reader
0.3 megapixel webcam

Even at 10.2 inches, Asus maintained the weight at 1kg plus a 5-hour battery life. The 20GB Eee Storage is an Internet-based encrypted account (much like Box.net of Dell).

Since it’s using SSD though, they go a bit more expensive than usual.

• 16 GB SSD, Windows XP, inclusive of an additional 16 GB SD card: $699
• 32 GB SSD, Linux operating system: $699
• 64 GB SSD, Linux operating system: $799

Not sure how slim this could be but it will be somewhere between 18mm at it thinnest and 25mm at its thickest base. In comparison, the Macbook Air is 19.4mm at its thickest base.

Asus EEE PC do you want it?

They say that big things come in small packages.

In this day and age, the smallest gadgets can do so much—and today’s laptops are no exception.

The ASUS Eee PC brings new meaning to a mobile Internet experience. Half the size of the typical notebook and weighing a mere 1 kgs., it’s a computer you can bring with you anytime, and practically anywhere.

This line of PCs that focuses on providing users with the most comprehensive Internet application based on three Es: Easy to learn, work, play; Excellent Internet experience and Excellent on-the-Go, and hence the product name of Eee PC.

For easy hands-on, the Eee PC offers two modes of intuitive user interface design in order to accommodate both experienced and inexperienced PC users. With over 40 built-in applications, the Eee PC offers dynamic computing experience for learn, work and play. Built-in WLAN connectivity allows users to stay connected for dynamic Internet usage on the go.

Users can share photos without waiting till one gets home; connect face to face with just a few clicks; enjoy online entertainment live; stay on top of emails for high work efficiency and more. The 7" Eee PC is only 0.92kg with large flash-based storage capacity and built-in webcam for compact mobility with wireless freedom.

The special solid-state disc design based on built-in flash-memory gives the Eee PC a great shock-proof advantage over traditional notebook PCs.