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Acer launching Android powered netbooks in 2009

news — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:54:53 +0000

The Taiwanese computer maker, Acer is planning to launch a new version of Aspire One, which will be powered by Android, the smart phone operating system. This announcement was made last week at Computex held in Taipei, Taiwan. But it will not be the first Android netbook in the world as Chinese company Guangzhou Skytone Transmission Technologies is planning to launch it very soon. There are many companies like Dell and HP who are interested in launching Android netbooks in the near future. Acer plans to launch the netbook in the third quarter of 2009, which could mean either July or even October.

Like all Aspire One netbooks, this one will have Intel microprocessor. It is the first company which has shown Android power netbook with Intel atom microprocessor. The netbook will sport a 10 inch screen, like all Aspire Ones. Currently, Aspire one netbooks come with Windows XP. The netbooks which will go on sale later this year will have Dual boot system, and they will have Android and Linux OS instead of Windows XP. Though Acer will keep manufacturing netbooks with Microsoft’s OS, but many netbooks from Acer will also have Android. The users will have an option to choose the operating systems.

There is no confirmation on pricing yet, but it would be less expensive than the one with Windows XP. Normally netbooks have a battery life of 6 to 7 hours but it is assumed that Android powered netbooks will offer more battery life, of around 8 to 10 hours.

Since netbooks are designed to be carried anywhere comfortable, connecting to the internet quickly and being portable are the two most important aspects for it to be successful. Android will offer very fast wireless connection to the internet; which means more convenience to the users. They will have a very fast start up time of about 18 seconds and shut down time of 1 second.

Android is a smart phone operating system developed by Google. It was designed for mobile phones which makes communication and web browsing easy. It is a Linux based operating system and has been executed on HTC Magic and HTC Dream. Being free and open source, Android could be modified to be used on netbook with an Atom microprocessor.

Many companies have admitted that they are working on android netbooks; which should put rival Microsoft on alert. While Microsoft charges $20 per computer for Windows XP and around$40 for Windows Vista, Google does not charge for Android. So, costing could be a factor for this move.

Toshiba NB100-11R

netbooks — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:16:33 +0000

This sleek and stylish netbook from Toshiba gives you the ability to connect to the Internet from anywhere with its wireless capabilities, but if you’re looking for more than that, you may want to pass on this model. The Toshiba NB100-11R only has 80GB of hard drive space, which isn’t unusual for a netbook but with less than 1GB of memory, you have to wonder how well the machine will run for you and just how much you’ll be able to do while using your netbook.

This Toshiba also comes with a screen that’s 8.9″, which while that also was once the standard in netbooks just won’t cut it anymore without a few features to pad it and it also has no optical drive so unless you have external storage, there won’t be any way to get your files from your netbook to your home PC. The operating system is not from a dinosaur’s age but certainly isn’t among the more impressive operating systems being put into other models – it’s the Ubuntu Netbook Remix operating system which will serve the purpose but will also take some getting used to.

This Toshiba really is a bare-bones machine and even for those who are just looking for the basics in their new netbook should pass on this model. For the price, there’s much more available that will let you do many more things with your netbook and get much better use out of it!

From: MicroWarehouse
Price: £210.73

Compaq Mini 702 Netbook

netbooks — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:24:12 +0000

Compaq brings it’s top-of-the-line and high-quality products like their desktop and laptop computers and brings it to the world of netbooks with the Mini 702. It has everything you would expect to find in a netbook, such as the small but sufficient Intel Atom N270 processor, which is still more than you’ll find in many netbooks and 60 GB of space on the hard drive. While this won’t allow you to store an endless amount of media on your netbook, you’ll be able to store what’s most important to you and is perfect for this compact and portable model. The screen is generous for most netbooks, at 10.2″ and it also comes with the Windows XP operating system, which is extremely user-friendly and gives you the finest quality in all of the tasks you’ll need to do on the go.

With the Mini 702’s wireless capabilities, you’ll also be able to browse the Internet and check email while on the go and when cyberspace just isn’t enough to keep in touch, use the integrated webcam to talk to friends and family face-to-face. Also built into this beauty is Bluetooth capabilities, which is almost unheard of in netbooks. You’ll also find in this Compaq built-in speakers so you can enjoy all of your media and it all come wrapped in a pretty, shiny black package! The Compaq Mini 702 netbook brings features to the netbook that give it a slight edge above its competitors but at the same price. And you can’t ignore the fact that it looks great!

From: John Lewis
Price: £299.00

Lenovo planning Ideapad S20 netbook

news — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:45:21 +0000

News is that Lenovo’s latest form Ideapad series is S 20 netbook. Reported by Digitimes, though there is no official confirmation yet; Ideapad S20, like the earlier model, Ideapad S10, it will be powered by Intel’s N280 processor but the netbook will have a 12 inch display. It is good news for those who find keyboards of 9” netbooks too cramped.

There is fierce competition among the 10 inch netbooks and so everyone is coming up with 12 inch netbooks now. What these 12” netbooks are also doing is eating up the laptop market. With a bigger display and more keyboard space these netbooks offer, lesser and lesser people are going to buy a low end laptop now.

Coming back to Lenovo, Ideapad is their consumer oriented mini laptops. S20 is an upgrade to the Ideapad S10, thus will be very similar. The build quality should be good as expected of Lenovo. The netbook will have a 12 inch LCD, backlit display. The S20 netbook will come with 1.66 GHz, Intel’s Atom N280 CPU and GN 40 chipset and loaded with Windows XP. The Ideapad S10 netbook had usual ports; BGA, Ethernet, headphone, mic, and 4 in 1 card reader. It had two USB ports, one lesser than normally given. It remains to be seen whether S20 will have three USB ports. Given, S20’s increased size; the keyboard is bound to be spacious.

Since it means that this would go against the Intel’s restrictions which state that netbooks can not be bigger than 10 inch, Lenovo will not get the preferential pricing which other vendors of 10 inch netbooks get and Lenovo will have to pay 10 $ premium for Atom chips. This decision of 12” netbook may surprise many but it may be because the competition is growing in the 10 inch category. In fact, this year itself Dell was the first one to come out with its Mini 12 netbook. Soon Samsung followed with its own 12 inch netbook but it is using Via Technologies chip instead of Intel. Looks like companies are trying to find a middle ground between very small netbooks and bigger laptops and most of the companies are going for 11 and 12 inch size screens.

The netbook will be priced at approximately $586 which is higher compared to Asus EEE PC 1004 DN, its direct competitor, which has N280 and Intel GN 40 chipset and t a much lesser price $ 379. No details yet about its availability.

New Acer Aspire One Netbook

netbooks — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:14:57 +0000

The New Aspire One from Acer brings you the 160GB of hard drive space that the older version did, which is already impressive for a netbook, and the 1 GB of memory space but the New Aspire also allows you to customize your machine, using the 4 different sections that the screen is divided into. Within these 4 sections are all the applications you will need to run your New Aspire and these sections can be customized, making it even easier for you to use. It also has the 8.9″ CrystalBrite LCD widescreen that its predecessor did but now it also has an integrated webcam so that you can always stay in touch with family and friends. It does have shared graphics memory which may slow you down a touch but this is not usually a priority in netbooks to begin with. And if you will be using your machine for basic games, you can also use the 5-in-1 card reader or the SD card reader, which will let you expand your memory if you require it. And it all runs on an Intel Atom processor N270 and a Windows XP operating system!

Price: £299.00
From: John Lewis

Lenovo IdeaPad S10e 4068

netbooks — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:22:29 +0000

This netbook is perfect for those who need a lightweight machine that’s easy to pick up and go but this Lenovo IdeaPad may have just a few more features than the average netbook and it will definitely make you stop and think! The Intel 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor works with the SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 operating system to ensure that this machine will always work smoothly and easily. Ideal for browsing the Internet, checking email, keeping in touch with friends and business associates via the built-in webcam and the wireless capabilities and you’ll have just about everything you need all in a netbook that weighs just slightly over 1 kilogram! And we haven’t even touched on the 80 GB of hard drive space or the 1GB of memory and you’ll be able to do light tasks all at the same time. The 10.1″ screen is larger than many other models of netbooks but what really sets this Lenovo apart from the rest is the Quick Start feature. This feature allows you to quickly access the Internet, send email, look at photos, or listen to music all without having to fully start the entire system. Now that’s a great idea!

Price: £295.00
From: MicroWarehouse

Acer Aspire One A150

netbooks — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:01:06 +0000

This Acer Aspire One has a slight edge over its competition with a stunning design, a roomy hard drive, and lots of other features that make this netbook a cut above the rest. The Intel Atom N270 processor will work together with the impressive Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition to make sure that your machine always runs smoothly and easily and the 160 GB of hard drive space will be enough to keep your most important files and folders always at your fingertips! Add to that the fact that the 8.9″ LCD screen features CrystalBrite display and the sound card always delivers a crisp, clear sound for audio and video. Add to that the great colour of the keyboard and this netbook is sure to make any user feel pretty in pink!

Price: £270.08

From: MicroWarehouse

Fujitsu UI 3250 1GB

netbooks — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:48:26 +0000

The Fujitsu UI 3250 is undoubtedly compact and comes in a slim and lightweight design but you may want to consider what you are really getting before investing in this netbook. While it’s clearly not one of the most expensive netbooks on the market, it’s definitely not one of the cheapest either. Considering this fact, it’s important to note that this netbook has only a 1 GB hard drive, so you won’t be able to store your entire life on it and the 1 MB of memory may make the machine become choppy when you have too many programs running at once. Another limitation you may have if you want to hook up a bunch of thing to it is that it only has 2 USB ports which will probably be sufficient anyways when you are looking at smaller netbooks. Some of the features it does have are bluetooth technology, a built-in webcam, and a battery with an approximate life of 4.5 hours before needing to be charged. Still, if all you’re looking for is a small model that can be toted around with you, there are better models on the market than this one. Add to that the outdated design and you’re sure to be able to find something better.

Price: £274.03

From: Comet

Advent 4489 Netbook

netbooks — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:11:59 +0000

This Advent netbook is certainly at the lower end of the price range when compared to other brands and designs but in the case of the Advent 4489 Netbook, it’s truly a case of getting what you pay for. Not only does this black and silver netbook look like something from prehistoric times but it also has only 80 GB on the hard drive, which will be barely enough to hold the documents that you need, let alone any videos or pictures that you want to carry around with you. It also has less than 1 GB of memory, which will most likely leave any user frustrated as they try to switch between programs or browse online smoothly. The built-in webcam is a nice touch, as are the built-in speakers but considering that these are the only two really great things about this model, it’s probably worth spending just a little more to get so much more in return!

Price: £229.99
From: Dixons

Acer AOA150-BB

netbooks — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:08:14 +0000

This Acer netbook comes in a stunning Sapphire Blue colour but if you’re looking for more out of your machine than just looks you may want to consider similar models, that may end up offering you more bang for your buck. The 120 GB of hard drive are similar, if not better than, many models, and the Acer AOA150-BB also runs on the Microsoft Windows XP operating system, which is also very comparable to other machines. It does not however, come with any additional application software, which other netbooks most often do. The fact that it doesn’t have FireWire ports isn’t surprising for any netbook but the fact that there are only 2 USB ports means that you’ll be even more limited when it comes to hooking things up to your machine. The battery also wanes after about 3 hours, which means that even if you can browse the Internet and check your email, you’ll only be able to do so for short periods of time. While this Acer features many of the same things that other netbooks on the market do as well, it also lacks in many others. Giving this netbook are a few points are its stunning colour and the fact that it’s very compact and light with an 8.9″ screen and weighing less than 1 kilogram!

Price: £279.99
From: Comet