Category: NetBook

Lenovo is soon going to unveil 3G-version of the Lenovo S10. This will be known as Lenovo S10-2. A 12-inch screen model is also in the tunnel, which will be known as Lenovo S12. Both models will ship with Splashtop OS, which is basically a linux OS that can be booted in few seconds. It lets the user to browse the web; make Skype calls; use IM etc.

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Read Lenovo S10 review

[via GBM]

Intel has recently posted a webpage which lets the user decide between the netbooks and notebooks. By the article, it becomes very clear that the Intel is not happy the way the netbooks are affecting the sales of the notebooks. Couple of days we highlighted the fact, how the netbooks are affecting the sales of the notebooks.

From the chart given above (taken from this Microsoft link), it is clear that they perceive netbooks as devices for just surfing the web.

• Multitask: According to MS, you cannot multi task on a netbook. Right now, I am multi tasking fairly nicely on my EEE 1000H with concurrently running Photoshop CS3, 2 Firefox Windows with each having 8 tabs and WMP 11 (running in the background playing my favorite tunes). No hiccups.
• Create and Edit Videos: I use Windows Movie Maker all the time on my EEE 1000H and it works great for video editing on the go
• Encode Music: I use Goldwave application to edit music and apply filters on the music and I do not face any particular slowdowns
• Watch HD movies: 1080p with coreavc codec. ’nuff said
• Play Games: Netbooks are able to play most of the games that came around 4-5 years ago. Netbooks were never meant to replace your PSP, Xbox etc anyway
• Run Complex office software: Office 2007 works fine on my netbook without any slowdowns

I personally use my netbook for everything. Even for heavy duty tasks like audio editing and video editing, it works great. The Atom CPU provides more than enough power for my needs. I am not a gamer. Perhaps that is the reason, I do not yearn for the Core 2 Duo processor in my netbook.

I can fully understand that the netbooks are affecting the sales of the notebooks, but misguiding customers especially by a company like Intel was not expected.

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Also read:

Netbooks destroying notebook market?

We have heard several times(here and here) about the ASUS phasing out the 8.9-inch netbooks soon. Now, they have decided to keep them for the procurement market. But, reports do say that ASUS will eventually phase them out as they want to concentrate more on the 10-inch netbooks. The report also said that the company will also keep the 7-inch models for the telecom market.

I still do not completely agree with their decision of phasing out the 8.9-inch models. I love my EEE 1000H and other 10-inch netbooks that I have, but they are not as portable as EEE 900, whose size is quite similar to the EEE 700-series.

[via digitimes]

From fudzilla,

Intel advises its customers that the high end system from Intel should have both SSD and HDD. For $1100 or more Intel propagates that a user should get Core i7 920, X58 motherboard 4GB memory, even that would be hard for Nehalem system that usually feature 3GB or 6GB. X25-M Intel´s mainstream SSD drive, 750GB HDD.

I like the idea of HDD and SSD in a single machine, but I wonder why Intel is still not producing SSDs meant for netbooks. May be they think that the netbooks are good enough with HDDs and they do not have a need for SSDs. Fortunately, there are some netbook manufactures who do not think this way. Take MSI Wind U115 for example, which was the first netbook with both SSD and Hard Disk drives built in. The HDD can be used to store big files while the SSD can be used to drive the OS.

Benq, third largest netbook maker in China, is planning to introduce a number of thin notebooks based on AMD’s Neo and Intel’s CULV platforms later this spring. The ones on the roadmap include a 12.1-inch and 13.3-inch netbooks notebooks in May, 2009.

However, nothing more is known about the notebooks at this moment. That said, if they stick to the Sempron U210 processor, the price of the notebooks is going to be affordable.

[via digitimes]

About a month back, we heard rumors of ASUS to come up with Android based netbooks at the end of this year. Looks like, manufactures are thinking that there is a lot of potential in Android-netbooks. May be that is why Compal Communications, a Taiwanese mobile phone manufacture has plans to develop netbooks based on the Android platform. Right now, it is looking for the vendors that may be interested in Android netbooks.

Whenever I hear about such big manufactures talking about making Android based netbooks, only one question arises in my mind, “What is the need of running a mobile phone OS on a nebtook when it can run Windows XP and Windows 7 so nicely“. If the rumors of Android netbook are really true, then I am pretty sure that we will soon start hearing rumors of netbooks coming from Nokia and Apple.

All of my netbooks either run Windows XP or Windows 7. I do not see the need to run a mobile phone OS on my netbook that has the capability to run desktop OS. Period.

[via digitimes]

If you still consider a 12-inch notebook-size netbook portable, then you will find this one interesting. Samsung NC20, powered by VIA Nano processor is now available at newegg at $549.

It comes with Windows XP home edition, 1GB RAM and 160 GB HDD. The VIA Nano processor is clocked to run at 1.3GHz. It runs at notebook-ish resolution (1280 x 800) and comes with a 6-cell li-ion battery.

[newegg link for SAMSUNG NC20] [via GBM]