Mini-Laptop: ASUS Eee PC 1001P

The mini-laptop (netbook) has saslick design, roomy keyboard, and long battery life.

At $299, not only is this netbook $50 to $100 less expensive than many mini-laptops (netbooks,) but it has stylish design and lasting more than 8 hours on a charge. For those on a tight budgets the 1001P is a very good choice.

Design
The Asus Eee PC 1001P look more expensive than its price suggests. The mini-laptop has a white lid (also available in black) with a textured checkerboard pattern of tiny concentric squares. This matte lid keep smudges at bay. The same pattern extends onto the keyboard deck, which is also white; the bezel is still a glossy black. The 10001P measures 10.3x7.0x1.4 inches and weighs at 2.8 pounds.

It has roomy keyboard and the right Shift key isn’t shrunken. The touchpad is white 2.5x1.4-inch, it has a matte surface that exhibited very little friction and also supports multitouch gestures.

Display
The Asus Eee PC 1001P’s 10.1-inch, 1024x600-pixel LED-backlit display, provides decent image quality.

Specs
The Asus Eee PC 1001P configured with the 1.66-Ghz Intel Atom N450 processor, 5,400rpm 160GB hard drive, and 1GB RAM (upgradable to 2GB). On the right side of the 1001P are a 3-in-1 memory card reader, two USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, and headphone and microphone jacks. On the left side are a USB 2.0 port, a VGA port, and a Kensington lock slot. A 0.3-mega pixel webcam, located above the display, provide clear- if grainy - images. If you wave hand quickly in front of the lens, you will notice little motion blur. The 1001P has an older 802.11b/g Wi-Fi card and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. OS: Windows 7 Starter Edition.

Performance
PCMark05 = 1,384 - 82 points below of the mini-laptop category average.
Geek bench =908, which is 50 points higher than the netbooks average.

Graphics performance: 3DMark06 = 155, which falls about 70 points of the category average. But a downloaded high-definition 720p video clip played back smoothly with no hiccups.

Battery life
The 1001P’s 4400-mAh battery achieves 8 hours 23 minutes on battery test, that’s almost three hours longer than the category average.

Instant-On
ASUS’ instant-on OS, Express Gate, can be activated by pressing a button on the upper left-hand of the keyboard. On instant-on OS you have options for an instant-messaging client, online games, photos, Skype, and the Web. The 1001P booted to the OS in 8 seconds.
Softwares
ASUS provide some softwares and utilities. Most of apps are accessible through the EEE Docking bar, which is centered along the top of the desktop. There are four categories of Eee-branded software: Eee Amuse (contains entertainment options, such as game, magazine, music, TV stations, radio); Eee Sharing (contains a shortcut to E-Cam that launches comprehensive webcam software); Eee Xperience; and Eee Tools.

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Mini-Laptop: Samsung NB30

Specs. CPU: 1.66-GHz Intel Atom N450; RAM: 1GB (upgradable to 2GB); OS: Windows 7 Starter Edition; HDD: 160GB 5,400rpm; Display: 10.1-inch 1024x600 pixel; Graphics Card: Intel GMA 3150; Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g/n; Ports: Ethernet, headphone, Kensington Lock; microphone; VGA; 3 USB ports; 3-1 card reader; Size: 10.4x7.4x1.1 inches; Weight: 2.8 pounds.

Design. The 2.8-pound NB30 has textured surface. Aside from being easy to grip, the NB30 is also scratch-resistant. Its spill-resistant keyboard will keep liquid-induced disasters at bay. Samsung says the NB30 can withstand up to 50 ccs (about 1.7 ounces) of liquid if it is removed within 10 seconds. The 10.4 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches NB30 has island-style keyboard. It delivers a good typing experience with springy tactile feedback. The 2.5x1.6-inch touchpad is fairly large.

Performance. Samsung NB30 delivered a score of 1,313 on PCMark05, more than 100 points below the 1.440 category average. Its Geekbench score is 922 - above the netbook average (868). It took 1 minute and 14 seconds to boot into Windows 7 Starter. For graphics performance, its 3DMark06 score is 143. Compared to other Pine Trail netbooks, the graphics performance of the NB30 is only slightly below average.

Battery . The battery life of the NB30 is 6 hours and 22 minutes - only slightly above the six-cell category average. It took 2 hours and 10 minutes to fully charge the six-cell battery.

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Mini-Laptop: Asus Eee PC 1005PR

Design. The newest member of Asus’ Seashell line has the same rounded edges and slim chassis as its predecessor, 1005HA. The 1005PR is available in four colors - black, white, pink and dark blue. The 10.3x7x1.4 inches netbook adds a touch of style, making it fashionable. Compare to the average netbooks, the 1005PR is lighter, weighing just 2.4 pounds.  The 1005PR’s keyboard has island-style layout as on earlier Seashell models. Most of the keys are well-sized. The 2.5x1.5-inch pad touchpad is covered with small braille-like dots. The touchpad also supports multitouch gestures.

Display. The 10.1-inch, LED-backlit display has a resolution of 1366x768.

Performance. Powered with 1.66-GHz Atom N450 processor, the Windows 7 Starter Edition system scored 1,319 on PCMark05, more than 100 points below the category average (1.439). On Geekbench, the 1005PR scored 891 - a little higher than the netbook average (867). On 3DMark06, the score is 150. When compared to other Pine Trail systems, the 1005PR is not much difference from other systems such as Samsung N210 (153), Win U160 (163), and Del Inspiron Mini 10 (153).

Battery life. The battery is lasting for 8 hours and 45 minutes. It is better than Wind U160 (8:37), Dell Mini 10 (7:51), and six-cell category average (6:20)

Specs. CPU: Intel Atom N450 1.66-Ghz; RAM: 1GB (upgradable to 2GB); HDD: 250GB 5,400rpm; Display: 10.1-inch 1366x768 pixel; Size: 10.3x7.0x1.4 inches, 2.6 pounds; Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n; Bluetooth 2.1; MS Windows 7 Starter Edition.

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MSI Ships Athlon-Powered Netbooks

Intel Atom is not the only processor for netbooks. MSI proof it by launching two netbook models - Wind 12 U230-033 and Wind 12 U230-040 - powered by AMD Athlon. Both netbooks boast 12.1 inch WXGA display capable of resolutions of up to 1,366x768 at a 16:9 aspect ratio; ATI Radion HD3200 Graphics; 2GB of RAM; 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi; three USB 2.0 ports; a 1.3MP webcam; an Ethernet port; VGA/HDMI out; audio in/out; a multicard reader and a six cell battery; and run Windows 7 Home Premium and weigh 3.3 pounds.


So what’s the difference? Wind 12 U230-033 is powered by an AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor and comes with a 250GB hard drive, while Wind 12 U230-040 is powered by an Athlon X2 L335 processor and a 320GB hard drive.

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Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t Tablet Netbook

Tablet; Multitouch Screen; 1.83-GHz Intel Atom N470; 2GB RAM; Instant-on OS

Design: The Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t netbook weighs 2.8 pound (and measures 11x6.8x0.8-inch). By swiveling the 10.1-inch display in either direction and folding the screen back on top of the keyboard, the S10-3t become a tablet mode. Its keyboard is comfortably enough for typing. The Windows 7 netbook also offers an on-screen keyboard. The touchpad is so narrow and it had integrated buttons.

Performance: The score of PCMark05 is 1364 - slower than the netbook average although the S10-3t has 2GB of RAM (most netbooks have 1GB). You will also feel slow when interacting with touch applications. But on the plus side, the boot time was just one second longer than average at 60 seconds. On 3DMark06 test, the netbook got score of 164. It is below the average but better than S10-3 (147), Dell Inspiron Mini 10 (157) and Toshiba Mini NB305 (159).

Battery life: For continuous surfing over Wi-Fi, the 4-cell battery lasted 3 hours an 12 minutes, it is far below 8+ hours battery life of the netbook average. But you can buy the S10-3t with an 8-cell battery for $499. The 8-cell battery life is about 7 hours.

Screen: The S10-3t features 10.1-inch multitouch display (1024x600). The touchscreen accuracy improved once you use calibration tool. There is also an automatic display orientation feature. The display will change from landscape to portrait mode base on how you hold the device.

Specs: 1.83-GHz Intel Atom N470; 2GB RAM; 250GB/5,400rpm HDD; 10.1 screen; price: $649

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Mini-Laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3

Specs: 1.66-GHz Intel Atom N450, 1GB RAM, 160GB/5,400 rpm HDD, 10.1 inches/1024x600 display.

Price: US$ 369

Design: The Lenovo netbook has slick design with size of 10.6x6.6x1.4 inches, weighs 2.6 pounds - lighter than most netbooks. The S10-3 has an island-style keyboard and it is very comfortable. Its touchpad is fairly large (2.6x1.4 inches) but too sensitive and the buttons are somewhat stiff.

Screen: The 10.1-inch display and its resolution of 1024x600 is fine for reading text and playing video.

Instant-On: The S10-3 run version 2.0 of the SplashTop instant-on operating system.

Performance: According to LaptopMag.com, on PCMark05 performance test, its score of 1,193 is more than 270 points lower than the netbook category average. But on Geekbench test, its score of 880 is about 30 points higher than the average.

On 3DMark06 test, its score is 147, about 10 points less than similarly netbooks equipped with Intel GMA 3150 graphics card.

Battery: Its six-cell battery lasts 6 hours 55 minutes, 40 minutes longer than the netbook average for six-cell batteries.

Operating System: Windows 7 Starter Edition

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If You Plan to Buy A Netbook or Mini-Laptop

Netbooks, especially launched this year, have identical hardware specs. The netbook is powered by an Intel Atom N450 1.66-GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive, Intel's GMA 3150 graphics card, a 10.1-inch screen, three USB ports, connector for an external monitor, networking, audio, a flash card reader, and a webcam.

But if you want to buy a netbook, the things you should take into consideration are:

• The size of the keyboard and touchpad - the larger, the more comfortable.
• The battery, 3-cell or 6-cell for longer life.
• The sharpness and brightness of the screen.
• Mobile broadband connectivity; it would be more flexible if you choose USB mobile broadband modem.
• Bluetooth; this feature is important if you have some Bluetooth devices (headset, cellular phone, etc.).

The latest netbooks also come with Microsoft Windows 7 Starter Edition. With the version of Windows 7 you can’t share an Internet connection, connect to a domain or use any of the machines as a network bridge. You can’t change your desktop image, and it doesn’t support multiple monitors. It also doesn’t come with Windows Media Center for watching TV with an external tuner. But with the operating system you will be able to finish your work using your netbook.

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Latest Netbooks Powered by Atom N450

Many of the latest netbooks or mini-laptops are powered by Intel’s Atom N450 processor. According to testing conducted by Computerworld.com, the processor has 28% better performance compared with its predecessor, Atom N270.

The Atom N450 has 123 million transistors - more than twice the N270 - and can take advantage of 667 MHz of RAM, versus 533 MHz for N270 systems.

The processor delivers extending battery life. According to Intel, the N450 consumes 7 watts of power -- less than half the N270’s 16 watts. This not only extends battery life but also reduces the need to cool the processor.

The processor and Intel’s chipset take up 60% less space than the N270 and its chipset. This allows the N450 to be squeezed into smaller places and could lead to more creative and thinner hardware designs. According to Intel the processor will be used by 80 different devices by summertime.

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Mini-Laptop: Toshiba Mini N305-N410

Specs: 1.66-GHz Intel Atom N450 processor; 1GB RAM (upgradable to 2GB); 250GB, 5,400rpm HDD; Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, MS Windows 7 Starter Edition; 10.5x7.6x1.2 inches, 2.8 pounds.

Port: As the other netbooks or mini-laptops, the Toshiba netbook has standard ports. The ports on the left side are VGA, Ethernet, USB, and a three-in-one memory card reader. The two more USB ports, as well as headphone and mic ports, and a lock slot, are on the right. The USB port on the left also features USB Sleep-and-Charge technology, so users can recharge connected accessories even if the system is turned off.

Design: Sleeker design than predecessor. The keyboard is sturdy and comfortable, but the function keys are quite small. The 3.1x1.6 inches of touchpad is large, easy to navigate the desktop. The right and left mouse buttons are large and easy to press.

Display: 10.1 inches, 1024x600.

Web cam: Toshiba includes a Web Camera Application for its 0.3-megapixel webcam. The utility can record video, snap still shots (in resolutions from 160x120 to 640x480), and add visual effects that border the image.

Performance: On PCMark05, the Toshiba mini N305-N410 scored 1,383. On Geekbench, it scored 925, 85 points higher than average. While its 3DMark06 score of 159 is about 70 point the netbook average. The system boot Windows 7 Starter Edition in 1 minutes and 9 seconds, which is 10 seconds longer than average.

Battery life: 8 hours and 37 minutes.

Software:

• Trialware: 60 days for Microsoft Office 2007, Norton Internet Security
• Microsoft Works, Skype
• ReelTime lets you scroll back in time to find previously opened documents and files.
• Bulletin Board lets you place photos and notes on black board in the middle of the screen.
• Toshiba’s PC Health Monitor and Eco Utility helps you manage the power consumption of your system.

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