The Asus Netbook - Eee PC 1005PE - Powered by New Atom N450

Asus Eee PC 1005PE ($379) is the first netbook or mini-laptop powered by Intel’s new Atom N450 1.66-GHz processor to hit the market. Code named Pine Trail, the processor promises a 20 percent decrease in average power consumption. The new Asus netbook’s battery lasts over 10.5 hours on a charge.

• CPU: 1.66-GHz Intel Atom N450; RAM: 1GB (expandable to 2GB); HDD: 250GB, 5,400 rpm; Graphics/Video Memory: Intel GMA 3150/128MB shared; Display: 10.1-inch, 1024x600-pixel LED-backlit display.
• OS: Windows 7 Starter Edition.
• Ports: On the left side, there are a USB and VGA ports, and on the right side are a-3-in-1 memory card reader, an Ethernet port, two USB ports, headphone and microphone jacks. Above the display is 1.3-mega pixel webcam.
• Performance: On PCMark05 test, the new Asus netbook score is 1.410, which is about 90 points below the category average. On Geekbench, the score is 918, which is 85 points higher than the netbook average. The score on 3DMark06 is 155, which is in line with the category average. The Intel GMA 3150 integrated graphics chip play back high-definition 720p video clip smoothly with no hiccups.
• Design: Better keyboard, easy and comfortable to type on. The touchpad measures 2.5x1.5-inch with a single mouse button, supports multitouch gestures. The 1005PE is one of the member of ASUS’ Seashell family. It measures 10.2x6.9x1.4 inches, 2.8-pound.

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The Best (Buy) Netbooks or Mini-Laptops

If you plan to buy a netbook or mini-laptop, whether for gift or yourself, here are the best netbooks listed by LaptopMag.com, CNet.com, and PCWorld.com.


LaptopMag.com has listed the five best netbooks:

1. Toshiba NB205-N330BL (best designed netbook, 250GB hard drive, nearly 9 hours battery life, Windows 7)

2. HP Mini 311 (nVidia Ion graphics card, 3G wireless, Windows 7)

3. HP Mini 5101 (attractive design, good performance)

4. Lenovo IdeaPad S12 (12-inch netbook, excellent keyboard, 6 hours battery life)

5. Asus Eee PC 1005HA (nine hours battery life, Windows XP)


CNet.com have selected the best five netbooks:

1. Asus Eee PC 1005HA

2. HP Mini 5101

3. HP Mini 311

4. Dell Inspiron Mini 10v

5. Samsung Go N310


PCWorld.com has 10 best netbooks:

1. Toshiba NB205-310 (fantastic features, long battery life)

2. Samsung Go (stylish, potentially kid-friendly)

3. Samsung N120 (better keys, better performance)

4. Asus Eee PC 1005HA (slim, good price)

5. Lenovo IdeaPad S12 (larger than average netbook)

6. HP Mini 5101 (business netbook)

7. Asus Eee PC 1008HA (smart design, great battery life)

8. Acer Aspire One 751h (good-sized netbook, miserable mouse button)

9. Samsung NP-NC20 1000MHz (wider screen, goog battery life)

10. Dell Inspiron Mini 10 (decent design)

As you see on the lists above, HP Mini 5101 and Asus Eee PC 1005HA are on the three lists. Mean while, Toshiba NB205 (LaptopMag.com and PCWorld.com, each has different type), HP Mini 311, and Lenovo IdeaPad S12 are on the two lists.

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Mini-Laptop: Samsung N140

Specs: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280, 1GB (expandable to 2GB) RAM, 250GB/5,400 rpm HDD.

Design: . The keyboard of the 10.3x7.3x1.2 inches NC140 is 93 percent of full size, it’s comfortable enough to type on. The 2.5x1.4-inch touchpad is wide enough. And a single mouse bar sits below the touchpad.

Battery: The six-cell battery lasted 6 hours and 32 minutes.

Screen: The NC140’s screen size is 10.1-inch, with resolution of 1024x600-pixel WSVGA.

Ports: The ports on the left side are Ethernet VGA, headphone, mic, and an USB. The USB is provided with power - you can charge a device on it even when the N140 is off. Users can deactivate the feature. The 3-in-1 memory card reader is located at the front of the unit. On the right side you’ll find 2 USB ports and a power port.

Performance: On Geekbench test, the N140 delivered a score of 887. This is 50 points above the average mini-laptop. Its boot time is 54 seconds, which is 3 seconds faster than the mini-laptop average.

Software: The N140 run Windows 7 Starter Edition. Applications and utilities: CyberLink You Cam (create special effect for videos and images/photos); Chargeable USB (deactivate power on one of USB ports); management utilities for resolution, display, networks, and power profiles. There are also sharewares or trialwares such as McAfee Internet Security, FailSafe, Microsoft Office 2007, and AnyPC (for remote access).

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Mini-Laptop: Acer Ferrari One 200

Is it a mini-laptop? The Acer Ferrari One 200 is not powering by Intel processor. Instead, the cool design product is using AMD Athlon X2 L310 (dual-core, 1.2GHz) processor. It specs are “higher” than most of the mini-laptops. But, indeed, the Ferrari One 200 is a mini-laptop. Acer groups it as a mini-laptop. Here are the differences (comparing to “mainstream mini-laptops“):


- Display: 11.6 inches, 1366x768 pixels (the most of mini-laptops have 1024x600 resolution).

- Graphics card: ATI Radeon HD 3200

- RAM: 4GB (DDR, 4GB max)

- HDD: 320GB

- Ports: ATI XGP connector, HDMI

- Sound system: Dolby Sound, 3G Dolby Home Theatre, stereo speaker

As the other mainstream mini-laptops, the Ferrari also features 6-cell battery, 0.3 mega pixel webcam, 3x USB ports, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, and operates Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

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Mini-Laptop-like Devices Will Run Chrome OS Next Year

• Google immediately released the Chrome OS code to the public under an open source license.
• The Chrome OS supports HTML 5 standards and accelerated JavaScript engine
• Chrome OS is based on the Linux kernel.
• Chrome OS is browser-based computing. A computer running the OS will have no local applications. User documents and other data will be saved on Web-based cloud storage. Every application is a Web application.
• Since Chrome OS applications will be Web-based, users will not need to install or maintain any software. The applications will launch more quickly.
• The Chrome OS will be more secure - according to Google - because the latest software updates and security patches would be installed automatically over the Web.
• Storing data on the Internet has advantages, users will be able to move from device to device, or even to share devices.
• According to Google, Chrome OS machine will be able to boot quickly, it takes about seven seconds.
• The Chrome OS will come preinstalled on new, mini-laptop-like devices. Google is working closely with hardware partners to produce Chrome OS-based products.
• The products will support solid-state drives (SSD) for reducing power consumption and contribute to fast startup times.
• According to Google, the devices will cost less than current Windows and Linux-based mini-laptops.

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Mini-Laptop: Nokia Booklet 3G

Pros: Great battery life, excellent design, seamless 3G connection.
Cons: Sluggish performance, expensive.

•  Specs: Intel Atom Z530 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 120GB hard drive 4,200-rpm; OS: Windows 7 Starter Edition.
• Design: Attractive design with aluminum-covered body.
• Dimension: 10.4x7.3x0.8 inches, 2.8 pounds.
• Keyboard: Keys are small and a bit stiff. But the touchpad is accurate and comfortable to use. It supports the multitouch pinch gesture for zooming in and out.
• Display: 10.1-inch and its native resolution is 1280x720. It is higher than a typical netbook’s 1024x600 screen.
• Port: 3 USB, SD card reader, SIM card slot (on the right side), 3.5-inch audio in/out jack, HDMI-out.
• Web cam: 1.3 mega pixel.
• Performance: Geekbench performace benchmark scored 787, which is about 50 points below the netbook average (101 points below the HP Mini 311). It takes 55 seconds to boot (displaying the Windows 7 Starter Edition desktop) and takes another 27 seconds to load most of the tray icons.
• Battery: 16-cell; it lasted 8 hours and 24 minutes for Web surfing via Wi-Fi (3 hours longer than the netbook average).
• Price: $599

 

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Why do you plan to buy a mini-laptop?

- You need basic computing: email, browse Internet, simple document editing/creating.
- You want to be connected (to the Net)
- You need both above anytime and anywhere.

Which mini-laptop do you need?

A. Basic configuration: Intel Atom 1.6GHz N270 processor, 1GB memory, 160GB hard disk drive, 10.1-inch screen, 802.11g Wi-Fi, Windows XP.

B. Higher-end configuration: Intel Atom 1.66GHz N280 processor, 1GB memory, 160GB 7200rpm HDD, 10.1-inch screen, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Windows 7

C. Newer configuration:

• Model 1 (better graphics performance): Intel Atom 1.66GHz N280 processor, 1GB memory, 160 hard disk drive, 11.6-inch wide screen, nVidia ION LE graphics card, 802.11g/n Wi-Fi, Windows XP. (HP Mini 311)
• Model 2 (more speed and battery life): Intel Atom N280 processor, 10.1-inch display, 160GB hard disk drive, 2MB memory, 10.5 hours battery life.
• Model 3 (more RAM and hard disk capacities): Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz, 2GB memory, 320GB hard disk drive, HDMI port, Windows 7 (iiView A2)

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Install Windows 7 on Mini-Laptop

Do you want to install Windows 7 on your mini laptop? Fortunately, Microsoft has released a utility for the installation.

The utility, Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, can create a copy of .iso file to a USB flash drive or DVD. The tool can create a bootable USB flash drive or DVD. The .exe file is 947KB, and can be downloaded from Microsoft online store.

To install Windows 7, insert the flash drive into your mini-laptop and run setup.exe from the root of the drive. But before the installation, you need to configure your mini-laptop's BIOS, so that the flash drive is on first list of boot order.

If your mini-laptop currently runs Windows XP, then you should do "clean" installation. It means, you need to back up your applications and data. And after installing the Windows 7, restore the applications and data.

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Acer AS1410: Full-fledged Laptop But at Mini-Laptop’s Price and Size

Do you plan to buy a mini-laptop? Wait and consider a latest model: Acer AS1410. It is a full-fledged laptop but with both size and price of a mini-laptop. Acer delivers it in a sleek and stylish design. According to Acer, it has relatively long battery life: six hours.

• Notice its specs: Intel Celeron SU2300 1.2Ghz processor (with a 1MB L2 cache and an 800MHz FSB); 11.4-inch widescreen (16:9; 1366x768 resolution); 2GB DDR2 memory (upgradeable to 4GB); 160GB 5400rpm (up to 250GB) hard drive; Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD; HDMI out; 802.11a/b/g/n, 3 USB 2.0 ports; 6-cell battery 4400 mAh; Windows 7; one-inch-thin and 3.08 pounds; card reader; webcam; two built-in stereo speakers.
• The trackpad supports multi-touch and the keyboard is full-sized. Three color options: Diamond Black, Sapphire Blue, and Ruby Red.
• Its price starting at only $400.
• Amazon.com is displaying the model but with slightly different specs: Acer Aspire AS1410-8913 11.6-Inch Notebook. It started available on October 20th.

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Mini-Laptop: Hewlett-Packard Mini 311

HP Mini 311 is the first mini-laptop using nVidia ION LE graphics card. Mini 311 is for you who can only afford a netbook but want to play and edit high definition videos. HDMI-Out is supported natively because of the nVidia graphics card. You can plug a larger display with 1,920x1,080 resolutions. There are also VGA Out, three USB ports, nVidia's Ethernet, and 5-in-1 card reader.

- Graphics performance: On 3DMark06 (which measures graphics performance), the score is 1,386, more than 1,280 points above mini-laptop average. Mini 311 runs 720p and 1080i (24fps) movie clips well, but not 1080p (24fps) clips - there is noticeable lag. Most high end games are uplayable on the Mini 311. High-end 3D games are still best played on full-fledged laptops.

- System performance: On PCMark05, tested by LaptopMag.com, which measure overall system performance, the score was 1,917. That is almost 500 points above of the current mini-laptops average of 1,423. Boot time was 1 minute 44 seconds, it is very slow (for mini-laptop, 55 seconds is the average).

- Screen: 11.6-inch widescreen, 1,366x768 pixel

- Keyboard size 92% (of full-sized keyboard), and the touchpad is unsually wide (3.3x1.5 inches) and responsive, while the mouse buttons made these loud clicking noises.

- Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi (most mini-laptop have just 802.11g) and embedded mobile broadband (will cost you extra $125).

- Battery life: 5 hours 29 minutes (MobileMark 2007 test).

- Specs: Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, 160GB/5,400 rpm HDD, 1GB RAM (upgradable to 3GB), Windows XP Home.

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Acer Offers Android Mini-Laptop

Acer announced its new mini-laptop that runs Google’s Android operating system. Actually the new mini-laptop also runs Microsoft Windows. According to Acer, users will be able to switch between the two operating systems.

The mini-laptop has been available. You can order it at Amazon.com, listed at $349.9.

The Aspire One with Android powered by Intel Atom N280 microprocessor, 1GB of DDR2 DRAM and a 160GB hard disk drive. It has a 10.1-inch screen and 6-cell battery. The mini-laptop can be booted in either Android or Windows XP Home. The Android OS takes 18 second to boot-up and shuts down in 3 second.

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Mini-Laptop: HP Mini 5101

• TARGET. The HP Mini 5101 is aimed at businesses and high-demand users.
• SPECS. The Mini 5101 is powered by Intel Atom N280 1.66GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and runs Windows XP. The hard disk has capacity of 160GB, while it is typical for mini-laptops, but it spins at a faster 7,200 rpm. There are a standard VGA out (the Mini 1000 didn't have one), a radio on/off switch, an SD card reader, HP display option, and three USB slots. The 2-mega pixel webcam offers excellent images.
• DESIGN. Compared to budget Mini 110, the Mini 5101 features HP's 3D Drive guard - an on-board accelerometer that protects the hard drive when falling or shocking. DESIGN. Its design is much like a higher-end ultra portable: the metal chassis and aluminum lid are downright solid. Measuring 10.3x7.1x0.9 inches, the 5101 is more boxy and brawny than its predecessors: the 2133 and 2140. The keyboard is large and spacious. The track pad is smaller but workable. The keys, palm rests, track pad buttons, and underside of the chassis get a soft-touch rubber coating which fell good on your hands (called SoftTouch). But the metal covering LCD lid picks up fingerprints. At 2.8 pounds, the 5101is about average when it comes to mini-laptop weight.
• DISPLAY. The 10.2-inch display has 1024x600 pixel resolution - typical for a mini-laptop. It has good viewing angles both vertically and horizontally.
• PERFORMANCE. On PCMark05, the 5101 scored 1,626. It is better than average of 1,383. The 5101's graphics performance also above the average, notching 782 in 3DMark03, and 127 in 3DMark06.
• BATTERY LIFE. Its six-cell battery lasted 7 hours and 52 minutes.
  

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Mini-Laptop: Samsung Go

• DESIGN. Samsung Go has rounded design and a rubberized shell, slicker than other boxy netbooks. The Go comes in four colors: Mint Blue, Midnight Blue, Sunset Orange, and Jet Black.
• DIMENSION. A little weighty, but the appearrance is slimmer than its real dimension (10.3X7.3X1.1 inc)
• SCREEN. Like most netbooks, its 10.1-inch screen has native resolution: 1024 by 600 pixels.
• KEYBOARD. The keys well spaced, and the keyboard is a pleasure to type on. Its touchpad, with single-bar mouse button, could be bigger, although it is ok.
• PERFORMANCE. The score of WorldBench 6: 36 - average score for most mini-laptops.
• BATTERY. The six-cell battery got PC World Test Center result: 9 hours, 6 minutes. According to LaptopMag.com, the 8850 mAh battery lasted 8 hours and 23 minutes for Web surfing via Wi-Fi. It is more than 2 hours longer than six-cell netbook average. While Toshiba mini NB205 have longer battery life (9:24).
• SPECS. CPU: Intel 1.6GHz Atom N270; RAM: 1GB (upgradable to 2GB); HDD: 160GB; three USB ports (two of which are powered), a 1.3-megapixel Webcam, mic and headphone jacks, a flash card reader, Bluetooth, and 802.11b/g, ethernet, and VGA-out jacks.

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Nokia Announced New Mini-Laptop

• The handset manufacturer has announced its new mini-laptop (netbook), called Nokia Booklet 3G.
• Portability and connectivity will be its strength features. Nokia promised to provide up to 12 hours battery life, with the integrated mobile broadband, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and assisted GPS (A-GPS). Nokia Booklet 3G will weigh 1.25kg and will be just over 2 cm thick.
• Nokia Booklet 3G will have a 10-inch glass, HD-ready screen. There is also included HDMI port.
• The mini-laptop will be powered by Intel 1.6MHz Atom Z530 processor, and will operate Microsoft Windows.

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Lite-On Release External DVD for Mini-Laptop

You will have a problem of installing a new application stored on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM onto a mini-laptop (netbook). There is no disc drive on mini-laptop. Fortunately, Lite-On has released a new external DVD writer this week.

The Lite-On eTAU108 makes your life easier, now you can read or write onto discs; with writing DVDs at up to 8x and CDs up to 24x. Standard disc reading also reach 8x for DVDs and 24x for CDs. The external drive - available in piano black and pearl white - only needs a single USB 2.0 cable for power and operation, and weighs under 350 grams. The new product will be available from September at a price around US$65.

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Mini-Laptop: Toshiba NB205-N310

Design. The design style of Toshiba NB205-N310 doesn't look or feel cheap at all, with a fingerprint-resistant white, blue, brown, or pink textured lid and a silver keyboard tray. It has boxy chassis design and rounded corner.

Keyboard. The keys of the keyboard are widely separated. The distance of each key is close to what you'll find on full size keyboard. So the keyboard is comfortable and easier to use. The touch pad is more than 3 inches wide (3.1x1.6-inch), the biggest on mini-laptop, make it easy to navigate the desktop. The two dedicated right and left mouse buttons are comfortable.

Screen. The 10.1-inch screen has color reproduction and support 1024x600 pixels. Images look plenty sharp on the screen. The LED display makes the screen thinner and uses less power.

Performance. Score of WorldBench 6's performance test is 36 - it is standard performance score. Like the other mini-laptop, the system offers enough computing power for the basic tasks. Mini-laptop are design for web surfing, working on documents, and some basic multimedia playback. Intel's Atom processor, N280, used in this NB205 slightly faster, particularly in single apps tests. The NB205 boot Windows XP in 1 minute and 25 seconds. According to Laptopmag.com, the boot time is longer than the 55-second mini-laptop average.

Battery life. The six-cell 5800mAh lithium ion battery can last for almost 9 hours, 53 minutes (PC World). Almost the same, Laptopmag.com also test the battery (continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi), it lasted 9 hours and 24 minutes. On Cnet.com's test, the battery run for 6 hours and 14 minutes on video playback battery drain test.

Sound. Its sound quality is not good.

Special Features. The netbook provides an internal accelerometer to protect the hard drive in case of falls (much as the HP Mini 2140 does). The mini-laptop has sleep-and-charge technology. It allows you to charge or power USB devices from one of the three USB ports, even if the laptop is sleeping, hibernating, or off.

SPECS. CPU: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280;　RAM: 1GB, 533 DDR2;　HDD: 160GB 5,400rpm;　OS: Windows XP Home;Dimension　(WxDxH): 10.4x7.6x1.3 inches;　Weight: 2.9 pounds;　Screen: 10.1 inches;　Audio: speaker, headphone/microphone jacks;　Port/Slot: 3 USB 2.0; SD card reader;　Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth;Webcam: 0.3 megapixel.

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Mini-Laptop: Acer Aspire One D250

Design. Compared to its predecessor - AOD 150, AOD250 is lighter and thinner, because it has a three-cell battery, not a six.

Keyboard. The keyboard is firm and easy to type on. It has a pair of full Shift keys, but it still smaller than full size keyboard. There is an improvement on the touch pad, although it is still tiny (2.0x1.5 inches), but the bottom rocker button is a single bar and more clicky.

Display. The 10.1 wide-screen LED-backlit LCD offers a 1,024x600. Colors are sharp, and text and icons are crisp.

Sound. The stereo speakers are weak, both in volume and sound quality (bass is thin). The speakers located on the underside of the front edge of the chassis. Headphones are almost a must.

Battery. According to battery test conducted by CNet.com, the battery life is lower than average. AOD250 ran for 1 hour and 50 minutes on video playback battery drain test. Three cells battery are generally last 2 to 3 hours, while six cells are thicker and can last in the 5-hour range. But according to LaptopMag.com, the 3-cell battery achieved a runtime of 3 hours and 4 minutes, which is about 15 minutes longer than average.

Performance. PCMark05: 1,492; 3DMark03: 741. Both scores are about 100 points higher than average. (ASUS Eee PC 1008HA achieved PCMark05: 1,584.). Boot time: 49 seconds.

Software. 30-day trial of Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft Works, Acer GameZone, Google Desktop, Carbonite Online Backup, a 60-day trial of McAfee Security Center, and Acer eRecovery Management application.

Color availability. Black, white, and red.

Price. US$298 at launch time.

SPECS. CPU: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N270; RAM: 1GB, 533 DDR2; HDD: 160GB 5,400rpm; OS: Windows XP Home SP3; Dimension (WxDxH): 10.17x7.24x1 inches; Weight: 2.2 pounds; Screen: 10.1 inches; Audio: stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks; Port/Slot: 3 USB 2.0; SD card reader; Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth; Webcam: 0.3 megapixel.

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Asus Eee PC 1005HA

The most amazing of the Asus Eee PC 1005HA is its six-cell battery life. According to battery test conducted by Cnet.com, the 1005HA got an impressive 6 hours and 51 minutes in video playback battery drain test.

Compared to its predecessor, the 1008HA with three-cell battery, the new model slightly thicker and heavier. There is a standard 160GB HDD inside and augmented by a free 10GB online data storage subscription for backing up files to a remote server.

The 10.1 inch LED display offers standard resolution for a mini-laptop, 1,024x600, but the higher-end systems are starting to add 1,366x768 display options. LED display uses less power than traditional LCD display.

The 1005HA offers a fairly standard set of ports and connections. With Intel N280 Atom processor, the performance is the same as the average current mini-laptops. For basic tasks such as word processing, web surfing, and e-mail, the Atom mini-laptops are more than adequate.

SPECS. CPU: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280; RAM: 1GB, 533 DDR2; HDD: 160GB 5,400rpm; OS: Windows XP; Dimension (WxDxH): 10.3x7.1x(1.1-1.4) inches; Weight: 2.9 pounds; Screen: 10.1 inches; Audio: stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks; Port/Slot: 3 USB 2.0; SD card reader; Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.

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By The End 2009, 33 Million Units Shipment of Mini-Laptop

According to study conducted by DisplaySearch, mini-laptop or netbook sales are growing very well. The sales are projected to account for 20% of all notebooks sold worldwide by the end of 2009. It is believed, the mini-laptop shipment will be 33 million units by the end of the year.

Because of the global economic recession lately, people prefer buy the less expensive mini-laptop. This is why the mini-laptop sales are increasing rapidly.

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BYON Chameleon N610 XPGA-A

BYON Chameleon N610 XPGA-A has some fatures that is superior compared to the other mini-laptops. It's price is the lowest than competitors, only Rp 3.8 million. What makes the Chameleon get Platinum Reward from InfoKomputer magazine? Here are some of them:

• Lowest price but with high storage capacity: 160GB; and 2GB DDR2 RAM
• Battery capacity is higher than its competitors, 4400 mAh
• It also features Bluetooth and dial-up modem
• With Intel Atom N270, the Chameleon combines good performance, features, and price.

Chameleon N610 XPGA-A run Windows XP Home Edition. Or you can also run FOS Recovery - a Linux based operating system (included in the package). The OS can be run on USB flash disk. In the package, you will also find Kapersky antivirus and Microsoft Works ("lite" version of Microsoft Office).

SPECS. Processor: Intel Atom N270 1.60GHz; RAM: DDR2 2GB; HDD: 160GB; Screen: 10.2 inch 102x768; Dimension: 25x18.2x(2.5-4.7) cm; Weight: 1.33 kg; Features: LAN, WiFi 802.11a/g, Bluetooth, card reader, 3 USB ports, webcam 1.3 megapixels, modem; OS: Windows XP Home.

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The Next Netbooks' Pocessor: Intel Atom N450

Intel has announced the successor of current Intel Atom N270 for mini-laptops or netbooks. Codenamed Pine Trail, the new processor, Intel Atom N450, will be more power efficient. Its speed also be increased, but as not high as we hope. Intel Atom N450 is single-core CPU and will be clocked at 1.66 GHz.

But many mini-laptop vendors are not so antusiast in responding to the announcement. It is due to the global recession, left many vendors with high inventory volumes. Mini-laptop demand in the first half of 2009 were far from many vendors expectations.

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HP Mini 2140

Pada pameran CES beberapa waktu lalu, Hewlett-Packard memamerkan netbook terbarunya yang akan diluncurkan bulan depan. HP Mini 2140 ini menyusul model sebelumnya Mini 2133 dan 1000.

HP Mini 2140 dihadirkan dengan casing aluminium. Sekarang 2140 sudah menggunakan prosesor Intel Atom 1,6GHz, dengan memori maksimal 2GB, dan harddisk 160GB atau SSD 80GB. HP juga menawarkan opsi baterai 3 dan 6 sel.

Opsi lainnya adalah sistem operasi, ada Windows Vista Business, XP, dan XP Professional. Menurut hasil uji PCWorld.com, waktu booting yang menggunakan Vista, cukup lama, yaitu 77 detik.

Dengan layar 10,1 inci, keyboardnya cuku luas, 93% dari ukuran normal. Bobotnya sekitar 1,18kg. Harganya mulai dari US$499 sampai US$700.

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Asus Eee PC 1000H Jadi Pilihan Menarik

Harga Asus Eee PC 1000H sudah turun drastis. Pada awal peluncuran, beberapa bulan lalu, harganya US$560. Namun saat ini sudah turun harga menjadi US$459. Walaupun dari sisi "Rp" tidak beda jauh - karena waktu itu kurs dollar masih Rp 9.500, dilihat dari spesifikasi, maka Eee PC 1000H menjadi pilihan mini-laptop yang sangat menarik saat ini. Coba saja bandingkan dengan Acer Aspire One A150 yang harganya US$497, yang layarnya cuma 8,9". Prosesor (Atom N270), kapasitas harddisk (160GB), dan memori (1GB) sama dengan Eee PC 1000H. Bahkan 1000H berlayar 10" dan baterai 6-sel.

Misalnya saja Anda membutuhkan mini-laptop atau netbook yang berfasilitas modem 3G, 1000H masih menunjukkan keunggulan di harga. Harga modem 3G sekitar US$100, maka kalau 1000H ditambah modem (eksternal, tipe USB), harga menjadi US$559. Ini masih lebih murah dibandingkan dengan Acer Aspire One A150 3G yang US$597, walaupun fasilitas 3G-nya sudah built-in.

Coba pertimbangkan lagi bila Anda akan membeli netbook dalam waktu dekat ini.

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Prosesor Intel Atom Seri Z Mulai Banyak Dipakai

Sebenarnya Intel mengarahkan prosesor Atom seri Z untuk komputer genggam yang lebih kecil. Tapi mulai banyak vendor yang memakai prosesor ini untuk mini-laptop. Atom seri Z ini merupakan kelanjutan dari Atom N270 yang kini sudah banyak dipakai di mini-laptop atau netbook.

Sony di pameran CES di Las Vegas awal bulan ini, memamerkan mini-laptop P Series yang menggunakan prosesr Atom Z520 1,33GHz, dengan layar 8 inci (widescreeen), memori 2GB, harddisk 60GB, GPS, modem 3G, dan juga WiFi. Mini-laptop seberat 680 gram dan tebal 2 cm ini dijual seharga US$900.

MSI juga memamerkan produknya yang menggunakan Atom seri Z. Dengan layar yang lebih lebar daripada buatan Sony, MSI X320 mirip dengan Apple MacBook Air. Selain menggunakan Atom Z520, X320 memiliki layar 13,4 inci, RAM 2GB, tebal cuma 1,8 cm, dan bobot 1,3 kg.
Asus konon juga memamerkan produknya yang menggunakan Atom seri Z. Ada model dari Asus yang menggunakan SSD 512GB.

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Pilihan Netbook ber-3G

Netbook seharusnya memang dilengkapi dengan fasilitas 3G. Sehingga akses Internet di mana pun menjadi lebih mudah. Dikala akses Wi-Fi tidak dapat dijangkau, koneksi 3G dapat digunakan untuk berselancar di Internet. Jadi 3G dan Wi-Fi harusnya saling melengkapi.

Fasilitas 3G memang bisa diraih melaui modem yang banyak ditawarkan operator ponsel. Tapi kalau fasilitas 3G sudah built-in di dalam netbook, jadinya lebih praktis. Tidak usah colok-colok dan tidak perlu ada "tonjolan-tonjolan" modem di netbook kita.

Sejauh ini Acer yang getol menawarkan netbook ber-3G, yakni Aspire One 3G. Harganya $100 lebih mahal ketimbang yang tidak ber-3G, yaitu menjadi $599. Selisih $100 itu kurang lebih sama dengan harga modem 3G. Spesifikasi Aspire One 3G sama dengan yang non-3G, yaitu prosesor Intel Atom, memori 1GB, layar 8,9 inci (1024x600 pixel), harddisk 160GB (5400 rpm), slot card reader (SD, MMC, RS-MMC, MS, MS PRO, xD) dan menyediakan storage card dengan adapter (miniSD, microSD, MS Duo, MS PRO Duo), bobot 1,26kg, dimensi 249x195x36 mm, baterai 6 sel yang diklaim berumur 6,5 jam. Untuk jaringan juga didukung Wi-Fi 802.11b/g dan Fas Ethernet. Modul 3G Chipset dapat di-upgrade ke 7,2 Mbps HSDPA dan 2Mbps HSUPA.

Model lainnya yang mendukung 3G adalah Dell Inspiron Mini 9 dengan HSDPA 3,5G. Harganya sama dengan Aspire One 3G, yaitu $599. Tetapi peranti penyimpanannya SSD 8GB. Fasilitas lainnya mirip, yaitu prosesor Intel Atom N270, layar 8,9 inci, memori 1GB, WiFi, card reader, tetapi ada Bluetooth, dan sistem operasi Windows XP Home SP3. Inspiron Mini 9 ini juga dilengkapi dengan Mac Afee 15 bulan.

Itulah pilihan untuk Anda yang berencana membeli netbook. Untuk yang sudah punya, ya Anda perlu membeli modem 3G bila ingin koneksi Internet setiap saat dan di mana saja.

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