Aug 22, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Best Netbook On Sale To Buy

Obviously, with a compact product size and low-price market such as that of the netbook, there can only be so many variations that companies can make to try differentiate their products, this point was proved by the Nokia 3G Booklet 3G and HP Touchsmart TX2 as they showed that to make something different in the netbook form-factor, you do end up having to raise the selling price!

So here we have an updated list of the best netbooks that we’ve found from doing a bit of research on the topic of top netbooks…

MSI Wind U160

Perhaps one of the most aesthetically pleasing of the lot, the latest installment from MSI is the Wind U160. Continuing with the latest trend of PineTrail netbooks, the MSI Wind U160 features a 1.6GHz N450 processor and the usual 1Gb of RAM. Perhaps this is not too impressive, but there are a couple of things that make this otherwise run of the mill netbook, stand out from the massively congested crowd. The 250Gb Hard Drive is also a little more than the standard 160Gb option found in far too many netbooks.

Firstly, the astonishing battery life which is claimed to be anywhere up to 15 hours. Streets ahead of many recent netbooks and even exceeding the top of the range ASUS models. Of course, it is unlikely that many people will experience such endurance, however anywhere close would be pretty formidable.

Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, is the aesthetic appeal of the machine. With a glossy brown lid, it immediately brings it away from the ordinary and into the ‘actually pretty appealing’ category. In addition there is a spacious trackpad and a near full size chiclet keyboard which in my opinion is a must for any new machine as it looks professional as well as being cool and comfortable. Lastly, the form factor is important, being a lot slimmer and a little lighter than many other netbooks in the range, this is a serious competitor.

Packing Windows 7 Starter is disappointing, but not uncommon. If i were to be interested in a netbook, the MSI Wind U160 is a strong favourite. Let’s hope it doesn’t price itself out the market.

ASUS 1201n

This option for me, is a bit of a gamble. It is really an in-betweener. The ASUS 1201n sits/asus laptop battery right at the top end of the netbook market, but not quite a proper notebook. This is largely down to its insides as it packs a pretty much unheard of Dual-Core Atom N330 clocked at 1.6Ghz as well as a 2 separate memory slots for expanding the RAM from the 2Gb that is built in. Also, the inclusion of the NVidia ION graphics platform means this machine is easily powerful enough for full HD movies as well as some lightweight 3D gaming.

Also, what pulls it away from the standard netbooks even further, is the 12.1″ display, which is not huge by any means, but is inching ever closer to the realm of the full size notebook. For example, the standard MacBook Pro’s are just over an inch bigger. It also provides a good HD resolution at 1366×768.

Again, aesthetically this is a fantastic machine. An extremely slim aluminium look body and full size chiclet keyboard which stretched almost edge to edge, as well as an extremely spacious trackpad creates a quality looking product which definitely appeals to those with a taste for more luxurious machines.

The ASUS 1201n comes at a cost, pricing at around £400 however it does include the full version of Windows 7 Home Premium which is much more appealing than a starter edition.

HP Compaq Mini 311(compaq laptop battery)

Again, this features the same old specs on the face of it. 1.6Ghz Atom N270, 1Gb DDR2 RAM and a 160Gb Hard Drive. All in all pretty standard, however the inclusion of the NVidia ION graphics adds a lot of extra capability which certainly makes it appealing particularly at the price of around £300.

The HP Compaq Mini 311 is fairly lightweight and slim netbook in comparison to many, whilst keeping a 11.6″ HD screen, utilized properly through the ION’s capability. Flawlessly playing 720p movies is fairly impressive considering the extreme restrictions on early netbook models, however in the others within this list, HD playback is hardly scarce.

Aesthetically, it is pleasing but far from the best. Available in a couple of colour options, it varies from model to model, but the lack of chiclet keyboard and cramped trackpad means that it doesn’t stack up compared to its competitors in this department.

Also, the roughly 6 hours of battery life is good, but not exceptional for a modern device which is why that this model is less appealing to a potential netbook buyer such as myself. However, as I said, the price of the HP Compaq Mini 311 is certainly a redeeming factor.

Samsung N220

Each of these netbooks has something which makes it stand out a little from the rest. To be considered the best, in truth they have to because the netbook market is just so crowded and quite frankly boring. So, to continue the tradition, the Samsung N220 has managed to feature a keyboard which is 97% of full size which is something pretty much no other netbook can boast as far as I know.

In terms of spec though, it is not exactly a mind blower. With a traditional 1.6Ghz Atom and 1Gb of RAM. However unlike several other of the netbooks including the HP Mini 311, it has built in 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity.

Coming in at just £330 (ish) these are certainly competitive and judging by Samsung’s previous ventures into the market, they are undoubtedly good performers. The 250Gb hard disk drive is another indication of the difference between entry level and top of the range within this market.

Last but certainly not least, the battery life. A 12 hour life is not to be sneezed at particularly in what is in all honesty a budget netbook. Aesthetically pleasing if not exceptional, but the Samsung N220 is let down a little by the Starter Edition of Windows 7 packed in.

Sony X Series

If money is no object, then the Sony Vaio X Series Netbook(sony laptop battery) is definitely the one for you. Ludicrously expensive, but it really does put luxury into netbooks. Made from Carbon Fibre and Aluminium, this is the lightest computer in the world to date and is incredibly thin and stylish.

The processor inside the thing lets it down in terms of performance. The Atom Z550 is just an ordinary single core processor which doesn’t exactly make this stand out. However, with 2Gb of RAM and a 256Gb Solid State Drive, it does have some tech specifications which make it a powerful contender as well as a beauty.

In addition, it as an 11.1″ LED display at 1366×768 which is again, something a little different. However when spending nigh on £2k on a netbook, you do expect at least something a little special.

A spacious chiclet keyboard coupled with a multitouch trackpad means that input is comfortable, simple yet extremely functional with the added multitouch capabilities.

Also, the 8 hour battery life in addition to the 0.7Kg weight means mobility and endurance is no problem at all.

OK, so in terms of value for money the Sony Vaio X Series Netbook is absolutely nowhere compared to the others in the list, however bearing in mind that the general purpose of a netbook is mobility, it really is the best that money can buy.

 

Jul 3, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

The Most Recommended Netbooks

We’ve reviewed the experts’ recommendations and users’ comments on a wide range of netbooks, and here we recommend 4 highly rated ones.

Firstly, what are netbooks? Like the meaning of “responsible” (as in “who really is responsible for the deep economic mire we find ourselves in – greedy bankers or incompetent ministers?”) everybody seems to have a different point of view.

For the non-techy they are small, very portable laptops which are more likely to be used for basic wordprocessing, emailing, surfing the net, and watching and listening to video, pictures and songs on the move. Later models are now able to play more sophisticated games, and even do some video editing, though this is still best left for a more powerful laptop or desktop. They are at the smaller end of the screen sizes, up to 11 inches (measured diagonally), though there are no hard and fast rules.

Don’t get confused with notebooks – notebooks a bit bigger, and less portable, lying between the netbook and the laptop; nor are they “tablets” – the most famous of which is the newly launched iPad. Tablets have no keyboard and are principally for playing media and surfing the web, not more serious multi-tasking.

The important thing is that netbooks are designed to be very portable laptops – though a recent survey of US owners found that 60% never took them out of the house! Most have inbuilt wifi to connect to wireless internet wherever you are, or have the capability to link to the internet via a 3G link (like a phone).

Why would you want one? Apart from establishing your IT revolution credentials on the 7.36 from Tring, it could perfectly adequately satisfy your general computing needs whilst on the move. Battery life of the more modern netbooks is between 6 and 8 hours.

However, the basic fact is that you trade off convenience for power – ie what the thing will do for you. For example, they are unlikely to do lots of tasks at the same time, or even a single, power hungry application such as video editing. Also, one of the key things to bear in mind is the size of the screen – its small size may mean that it’s easy to slip into a large pocket or bag, but as a result it may be less easy to see what’s on it. Nevetheless, you just have to read a few user reviews to see how popular they are, and how they fulfill most users’ computing needs.

The other thing you are unlikely to find in a netbook is an inbuilt CD/DVD player – though a reasonable solution is to buy a seperate player (or “drive”) for around £30.

So what netbooks do the experts recommend? We’ve scanned the web to find their recommendations, and have found suggested best buys listed by Cnet, PC Advisor, Netbook Review, Budget Netbooks, TechRadar, Stuff.tv, Pocket Lint, Trusted Reviews, and we’ve also reviewed user comments in Revoo, Review Centre and Amazon. We’ve aggregated the rankings, and come up with our own definitive list of best buy netbooks – ones we would happily buy ourselves.

One thing to bear in mind is that manufacturers are developing their products all the time – new versions are being released regularly. This means that reviews and recommendations may be out of date after a short while. However, where a notebook has been around a while, and there is an updated version, we’ve mentioned it as worth checking out.

We’ve looked at the budget end of the notebook spectrum – under £260. You can spend more – over £400 – and you will generally get a more powerful machine, with more features. However, we think, for general use, you can buy an excellent notebook for under £300.

Here are the 4 top recommended netbooks in priority order, best first. To get more detail and the price, click on the name of the netbook. To see a particular review, check out the full article at 1.Samsung NC10 Netbook

Possibly the most recommended netbook is the Samsung NC10. Described as “Most Popular” byBudget Netbooks, given 10/10 by Trusted Reviews, 4.5/5 by PC Advisor, 5/5 by TechRadar,  5/5 and a “Hot Buy” by Stuff.TV.

In terms of user reviews, it gets 4.5/5 (11 reviews) at the Review Centre, and 5/5 (22 reviews) at Amazon.

Unfortunately, this notebook is getting a bit old now (though still available and still getting excellent reviews), so you may also wish to consider a newer netbook from the same stable, such as the Samsung N120 (TechRadar gave it 4.5/5 ) or the Samsung N130 (TechRadar gave it 3/5 and 52 users gave it an average of 4.5/5 at Amazon). They all seem great notebooks!

2. Asus 1005HA 10-inch Netbook

This netbook is highly recommended by Netbook Review (2nd out of 5), and is considered “Good Value” by Budget Netbooks. It gets an average of 4/5 in 7 reviews at Amazon

It supercedes the highly acclaimed Asus 1000 HE. A good alternative, though more expensive, is the Asus Eee Asus PC 1008HA, which is ranked 9/10 by Trusted Reviews, and 5/5 by Stuff.TV, and rated 4.5/5 on average by 12 customer reviews at Amazon
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3. Toshiba NB200-10z 10.1-inch Netbook

Highly recommended netbook, by Netbook Review (5th out of the top 10), Cnet (8th out of the top 10), Trusted Reviews (9/10), PC Advisor (4/5), and Stuff.TV (4/5).

9 customer reviews average 4/5 at Amazon

4. Acer Aspire One D150

Whilst this notebook is getting a little long in the tooth (relatively!), and has been updated during 2009, it is still rated very highly by the experts and users. Budget Netbooks said it was “easy to use”, PC Advisor gave it 4.5/5, as did TechRadar. Stuff.TV rated it slightly lower at 4/5, but still recommended it. 33 customer reviews at Amazon rated it 4 /5 on average.

You might equally consider the Acer Aspire One Pro 531 which is rated  4/5 by Stuff.TV, and gets rated 5/5 by 1 customer at Amazon.

May 29, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Learn About the Computer Evolution With Netbook Computers:

At first there was a desktop computer, then there came the laptop, then notebook and now we have the netbook computer. Everyone who uses the laptop may at one time need to have a laptop that is simple to carry anywhere but still accomplish his tasks that’s why the netbook is put forward as the best computer for the next generation.Netbooks are bedfellows to Notebook computers the only difference is that they are very small compared to most notebook computers. They are made specifically for browsing and emailing the internet. One of the reasons why they are liked much is that they are energy efficient and lightweight.

Netbooks came into existence in 2007 when Asus Company made the Asus Eee PC. Netbooks have a small screen which ranges in the size of 7 to 10 Inches. They also have a manageable small keyboard although it doesn’t have a CD ROM or disk drive and that makes it the lightest notebook on planet earth. But although it is small, it has a RAM OF 1 GB, 80 GB HDD, advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) compared to other laptops .That means you can use it for very long time without getting worried about the size of information you are using on this computer called netbook.With our world of internet and the global village, these netbooks are made to pick internet from any location as long as one is in easy reach of internet connectivity.

The materials made to manufacture them are specifically to make them extra portable. And for that matter they are the best laptops to carry with you anywhere and that is the reason why they are taking the market of computer by storm.They come preloaded with Ubuntu Linux but that doesn’t mean that you can’t change it to Microsoft windows XP. I know there are some people who are not conversant with Linux but they shouldn’t get scared because one can change it to use Microsoft Windows as soon you get one who can do it for you.The best of all is that the price of these netbooks is less compared to the usual suspect of laptops .While the normal laptop with minimum features can be got at $1000, the netbook is cheaper some starting at as low as $300 .The reason given being that these netbook computers don’t have many features found in the other set of laptops.

With the current trend in business, education, travel and office work, netbook computers seem to take the world of computing by surprise. There are many places in this world where you can get them at a cheaper price, but the only place I recommend to purchase them is at TigerDirect.com because they have been in computer business for very long time and they have the best guarantee for their entire items. So next time you plan to buy a laptop, don’t forget to ask for the netbook computer if what you want is to browse the internet and send mails through the net.

May 9, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Dell Inspiron Mini 12 – Intel Atom Processor Netbook Review

If compared with other netbook such as MSI Wind U100, for example, Dell Inspiron mini 12 really looks thin. The thick is less than 1 inch, precisely 0.9 inches. In fact, the size of screen and all of the body is about 2 inches more wide than Wind U100.

Yes, Dell Inspiron mini 12 showcase is 12-inch display screen, which is still rare compared with others netbook carried by other brands.

Despite similar body-thin like Apple MacBook Air, Dell Inspiron Mini 12 does feel strong. It feels comfortable. Indeed, Dell Inspiron Mini 12 have more wider size in average compared with others netbook and can causing not being easily inserted in the handbag.

From the completeness of the features, in fact mini-12 not far differents from others netbook by other brands. Like a modern netbook, 802.11g wireless functionality is supported, 12 inch display screen. RAM, for example, are still 1GB, but unfortunately you can not upgrading the RAM.

Display Screen

12-inch display screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, of course, is the specialty of Dell Dell Inspiron Mini 12. Wide screen resolution make the use of the netbook more fun when you surf in the virtual world. Two web pages side by side can be opened and read it with quite comfortably. However, the letters look smaller, less suitable for those who have started to crash because of the vision on the old age.

Views on the screen looks very bright (too bright even on the maximum setting), and horizontal perspectives are good enough. Views can still see quite comfortable with the direction of the side. However, there are good idea to push back the screen so that the rebound effect is not felt, too.

At the top of the LCD screen, as usual, presented with a 1.3 megapixel Webcam.

Keyboard

With a more physical width compared with another netbook, not strange when the keyboard on mini 12 is also more relieved (92 percent of normal keyboard). The distance the button are wide so that makes you comfortable when typing.

Dell includes six function keys which is F11, F12, Home, Del, Insert, End which are placed on the top right side. In addition, there are 10 other function keys (F1 – F10), which also have their own features, such as Bluetooth and contrast. The Fn button is placed on the left side of the bottom..

Under the keyboard panel there are square touchpad which is also quite wide field, complete with left and right click. Touchpad is quite responsive. However, perhaps because of the wide size and the location that fit under the keyboard plus the wide of palmrest, sometimes we do not get the desired response from the touchpad which have quite fibrous surface because the cursor can move suddenly if you have small wrist.

The other different from the other vendors, Dell chose to put a speaker on the top of keyboard panel. Unfortunately, the quality of the sound is less strong despite already set up to maximum volume. However, for a netbook that is used personally and private, may have sufficient volume.

Another panel at a different location is the on / off. key When most vendors of netbook putting it on the right top side, not so with Dell. Dell prefer to put this very small on / off button on the left top side, abreast with speakers panel.

The Body

On the right side appears 3-in-1 card reader, a headphone jack, microphone jack, one USB port, and one LAN port.

The placement of the USB port are on the way back, this make less fun when you use the netbook on the knees (although this is usually not recommended because the netbook radiate enough heat) than if it is on the way forward as in most of other netbook.

On the left side there are two USB ports, VGA-out port, and for security lock (Kensington lock). Two USB ports are located in the middle of the unit, with the initial keyboard.

When you use the netbook the back of the bottom display which is close to the battery felt a bit hot. However, the keyboard and the touchpad are not affected and still comfortable to use. The bottom of the netbook was only slightly warm. Maybe because of the wide surface from this netbook plus the combination of low power processors successfully influence the spread of heat.

Processor

Mini 12 is not using the processor Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz like the others.

This netbook packaged with the Intel Atom 1.6 GHz clock speed, but in different type, that is, the Z530 (Silverthorne). This processor is designed for the smaller size devices depend with N270, the size of Silverthorne CPU nearly half (13 x 14 mm) and charged a lower consumption (2 watts vs. 2.5 watt owned N270).

Processor is a bit saggy used with Microsoft Vista as the bundle from Dell. Booting takes 1.5 – 2 seconds. The Intel GMA 500 chipset seems less suitable for gaming, including lightweight games. From the benchmark result of 3DMark 2003, the score is only 382 and failed to run 3DMark06.

The Battery

Mini 12 comes with a standard battery pack of Li-Ion 3-cell. Not included in the battery the capacity rating. However, according to Dell, the battery is able to stand up to 3 hours of use.

The claims may be true, but there are conditions that must be fulfilled. Netbook must be set first to lower the performance. This can be done easily arranged through the property of the Windows Power Options (Current Power Plan). If you want to survive your battery, you need to lower the performance by choosing Power Saver mode. However, if you need the performance you can choose High Performance that will drain the battery power more quickly or you can choose Balanced mode to balance the power of the battery and the performance.

Weight
Despite come with 12 inches wide-screen, this Mini 12 was not heavy. By default (plus 3-cell battery), the weight is only 1.268 kg. When the battery removed, the weight will be 1.1 kg.

Dell appears mature enough to prepare this netbook so comfortable and convenient to carry anywhere. For other than mild, the adapter that integrates with the cable was also light and pretty. This adapter looks similar to the phone adapter although quite large. Unfortunately only two legs, so you have to bring converter if you don’t have 2 legs.

The weight of the adapter are 178 grams. If you take all, (netbook + 3-cell battery + adapter + converter), Dell Inspiron Mini 12 was still light enough with a total weight of 1.862 kg.

The advantages Dell Inspire Mini 12 is Wide screen and keyboard; thin physical; SIMcard slot; light

The disadvantages Dell Inspire Mini 12 is Mono speaker; price; SIMcard slot on the back of the battery; minimal LED indicators; RAM can not be upgraded.

Dell Inspiron Mini 12 Specification

Processor: Intel Atom Z5301, 6GHz (Level 2 cache 512KB, 533MHz FSB and support Hyperthreading)
RAM: DDR2 1GB SODIMM (maximum)
Chipset: Intel Poulsbo
Graphics card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500
Sound: Poulsbo Intel High Definition Audio Controller
Harddisk: Samsung 1.8 “HS092HB jubilee ATA-100 3600rpm 80GB
Optical drive: No
Facilities: LAN, Wi-Fi 802.11 g, Bluetooth, 3-in1 card reader, 3 USB Port, 1.3 MP Web Camera, VGA port, 10/100 Ethernet port, michropone jack, headphone jack
Display: 12.1 “WXGA 1280×800 pixels
Operating System: Windows Vista Basic SP1
Battery: Li-Ion 3-cell 26WHr
Dimensions: 29.9 x 22.9 x (2,2-2,4) cm
Weight : (including 3-cell battery): 1, 268 kg
Warranty: 1 year (batteries, spare parts, freight)

This Dell Inspiron Price Range is USD$ 699

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Dec 30, 2009 Posted by admin in Videos

Samsung NC10 Netbook Review