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If you don’t want reviewers to criticize the size of your netbook’s touchpad, you could always hide it flush with the palm-rest so they can’t quite see where it starts and ends. Now we’re not saying that Starline designed their NB1000 10-inch netbook with that in mind, but it’s certainly a side-effect of the slick touchpad integration.


Other than the touchpad, the NB1000 is pretty mainstream for a netbook, which means three USB 2.0 ports, ethernet and VGA. Inside there’s Intel’s Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard-drive.

Unfortunately the Starline NB1000’s keyboard may not win it many admirers, since it has a tiny right-side shift key and unusually placed home/end buttons. Still, the price is right: it’s on sale in Hong Kong now, priced at HK$2,498 ($322).

In a presumed effort to shake up the Japanese wireless industry and provide consumers with 3G-equipped PCs that aren't tied to multi-year contracts, Hewlett-Packard has quietly announced a deal with Japan Communications that will allow its machines to be sold with SIM cards that can be used on a pay-as-you-go basis. For those unaware, JCI leases network space from NTT DoCoMo, and as part of the agreement, HP will not only get to choose which devices can connect, but it'll get to keep a nice slice of the mobile data revenue as well. Here's the crazy part: the initial wave of netbooks will be sold for between $50 and $100 sans contract. That's about what users pay in America now for subsidized WWAN-ready netbooks, but there's a two-year contract tagging along. If all goes well, we could even see full-sized laptops, smartphones and digital cameras hop on the same bandwagon, but for now, we'll be keenly watching how brisk sales are when things kick off next month.

Fresh Samsung ultraportable tidbits for you today, with the news that not only will the company’s N510 NVIDIA Ion netbook be shipping in the US come September, but that it will be the first of three models to use the GeForce 9400M GPU. According to documentation acquired by Netbook Choice, the N510 will be joined by the Samsung NP-N511 and NP-N508.

Details of the two new notebooks are unknown; however it’s speculated that the N511 will use a different Atom CPU while the N508 might drop down a size-point and have a 10-inch display. Release dates are similarly unknown.

As for the N510, according to Liliputing that will begin shipping in September with a $599 MRSP. The ultraportable – which has an 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 display, HDMI port, Intel Atom CPU and 160GB hard-drive – is expected to land in Europe this month priced at €499 ($707).

The great thing about only spotting a new device when it launches is that you don’t have to wait too long until you can see if unboxed and in action. Gigabyte’s TouchNote T1028X convertible touchscreen netbook only crossed our paths yesterday, but already Liliputing have their review unit in to play with.
While the T1028X may look ostensibly the same as its T1028M predecessor, there are a couple of key changes. The Intel Atom N270 of the M-variant gets thrown out, to be replaced by the slightly faster 1.66GHz Atom N280 chip; more obviously (once you turn it on, anyway) the display has had an update to a 10.1-inch 1,366 x 768 panel.

A 7,650mAh battery is also on the capacious side of what we’ve seen for netbooks, so hopefully the T1028X will last longer than, say, ASUS’ Eee PC T91. It’ll have to be good, though; early pricing suggests you’re looking at $679 from Amazon. There’s also a first-look video over at Liliputing, to help you decide if it’s worth it.

Robotics platform manufacturer RoBe:Do Robotics have added a third model to their range of netbook-powered ‘bots, the Three. As with the previous two platforms, the Three is a modular chassis which uses a USB-connected motor controller; the buyer slaps their laptop or netbook onto the deck, and it acts as the Three’s brain.



Three is supplied fully-assembled, and in its most basic form has two 6.7-inch wheels with twin 120 rpm motors. They’re apparently faster than any RoBe:Do have used before, and are powered by either 8 or 16 rechargeable NiMH 9.6V batteries.

Into the system you can plug an optional three-sensor digital IR navigation array, for autonomous control, or any number of USB sensors, webcams, I/O controllers and other gadgets to adapt the platform. C, C++, C#, Flash AS3, Java, .NET, Python, VBScript and Visual Basic are all supported, among others, and you can use a Linux, Mac or Windows based notebook or netbook.

The RoBe:Do Three is available to order now, priced from $439 ($399 as an introductory offer); the navigation array is a $79 option, while the batteries are priced at $34 or $44 for the 8 or 16 packs respectively.

Nothing like a new niche to get the concept artists salivating, but this time it’s Freescale Semiconductor who are working on possible Smartbook designs. The company has commissioned six prototypes, ranging from the touchscreen-slate-with-QWERTY-ears you see here to a modular mini-notebook and a leather-clad clamshell.



The concepts are the work of industrial design specialists SCAD, and don’t appear to have reached hardware stage yet. Instead, the renders suggest the different directions the Smartbook platform - which uses ARM-based processors and boast super-long battery life - might go in, to cater for different usage patterns.

In terms of working hardware, the prototypes are slightly less impressive. Freescale have been demonstrating the Wistron N900z, a more traditional netbook-style design in which the most exciting aspect is perhaps its tipped sub-$200 price.

BenQ have become the latest netbook manufacturer to throw their hat into the Android netbook ring, as well as confirming their plans to produce smartphones running the open-source OS. The new hardware should arrive on the market sometime in 2010, though BenQ are keeping specification details for both netbook and smartphone close to their chest.

The company recently announced their latest netbook, the JoyBook Lite U121, which offers either Windows XP or a Linux OS. Based on Intel’s Atom Z520 processor, it’s unclear whether BenQ’s Android netbook will similarly use the Intel range of chips or take advantage of one of the low-power ARM-based CPUs that have been shown to be powerful enough to load Google’s platform.

Acer recently confirmed that they would be offering a dual-boot Android/XP netbook in Q3, seeking to distribute the machine through partnerships with carriers. An ASUS Eee PC based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and running Android was also demonstrated at Computex.

BenQ revealed a new super-portable, super-light netbook called the JoyBook Lite U121 Eco today. This tiny PC measures in at just 11.6-inches and weighs only 2.9-pounds. However, don’t let its light frame fool you.
This netbook has a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor, a three-cell battery and a six-cell battery option that’s capable of up to eight hours of life. The display has a 1,366 x 768 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Also included are several hard drive options that include 160GB, 250GB, 320GB and 500GB models. You can have a solid-state drive as well in either 8GB, 16GB or 32GB sizes. You can choose between Linux Lite or Windows XP Home Edition for your operating system and there’s up 2GB of RAM. Other features include an HDMI output, Bluetooth 2.1, HSUPA mobile broadband, Wi-Fi, two 2W speakers, VoIP and a 1.3-megapixel webcam. The JoyBook Lite U121 Eco netbook will be available in China, Taiwan and Malaysia in June in white and blue color options. Pricing is not yet known.

ASUS have officially launched the Eee PC T91 convertible touchscreen netbook, and already the first reviews are surfacing. Based around an 8.9-inch display which can rotate flat onto the keyboard for slate use, the T91 runs Intel’s Atom Z520 CPU with 1GB of RAM, a 16GB SSD, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1. According to Pocket-lint, it’s a useful compromise between traditional Tablet PC functionality and netbook scale.

They praise the sturdy hinge, which apparently resisted their best efforts to twist it into submission, and the three user-modes on offer. As well as standard Windows XP Home, the T91 offers a quick-boot Eee Mode which allows for internet and Skype access within seconds, and a custom touchscreen-only GUI intended for finger use.

You can see the T91’s GUI in action in the video below [via AsusTablet]. Overall, they’re impressed, describing the T91 as a “welcomed diversion in design”. No word on performance from the Z520 CPU - which has proved disappointing in the Acer Aspire One 751 - but perhaps the touch focus of the T91 eclipses any interest in the 720p playback which so stresses the Atom chip.

The ASUS Eee PC T91 is apparently available in select markets now, priced at around £449 ($684).

Wistron’s most endearing Smartbook machine may be the compact VAIO P-lookalike that has been floating around tradeshows for a few months now, but it’s not their only offering with ARM under the hood. Freescale Semiconductors are showing the Wistron N900z at their Computex 2009 stand, a more traditionally designed 10-inch netbook, and LaptopMag shot some hands-on video.



The design is relatively basic, with a rubberized keyboard (that LaptopMag compare to that of the OLPC XO-1, but we can’t avoid thinking about the Spectrum ZX) and “almost unusable” touchpad. Inside, though, is the real draw: Freescale’s i.MX515 platform, with an 800MHz processor and 4GB SSD.

The N900z runs Ubuntu, and loaded OpenOffice Writer in around fifteen seconds; Firefox, even when opened simultaneously, didn’t present any performance issues, though attempting to then play a video clip resulted in sluggishness. When the video was played on its own, though, it ran fine; Wistron expect the N900z to manage in excess of 10hrs runtime from a single charge, and be priced at under $200 when it eventually launches.

Fujitsu have announced their M2010 netbook, a 10.1-inch Intel Atom N270-based ultraportable with up to 2GB of RAM, standard Bluetooth and a claimed 50-second start-up into Windows XP Home. The company is aiming the M2010 at the educational market, with what’s said to be a more durable build to cope with kids.
According to Fujitsu, the M2010 has “three USB ports rather than the standard two ports”, which seems a bit inaccurate to us as most netbooks we’ve ever written about also have three. Still, it’s obviously getting tough differentiating your netbook from the rest of the crowd, so we’ll give the M2010 a little kudos for its digital microphone.

Otherwise it’s business as usual, and the $449 price-tag for a 1GB machine with 3-cell battery (good for 2.5hrs runtime) looks more than we’d want to spend. You can pick up a 6-cell battery for a whopping $129, and it and the M2010 are available to order now.

Mobinnova have announced one of the first NVIDIA Tegra-based smartbook/netbook/shrunken-laptops at Computex, the élan. With an 8.9-inch display capable of playing back 720p video, the élan weighs just 1.84lbs and measures a mere 0.8-inches thick, but still manages to pack in 3G and WiFi, 5-10 hours of continuous HD video playback or up to 24 days of audio playback (assuming the screen is turned off).

There’s obviously Tegra’s clever hardware Flash acceleration, which means full web access and speedy HD videos from YouTube and Hulu, together with a 3D GUI and webcam. Somehow, Mobinnova have managed to make all this fanless.

In addition to the élan there’s another Mobinnova Tegra device, the T8, which throws in a 10.1-inch touchscreen and GPS, plus HDMI and VGA outputs. According to the company these are just the first two of several Tegra-based netbooks set for launch; no word on pricing or availability yet, though.

We’ve known about the Toshiba NB200 netbooks for quite sometime now. They’ve been available in Japan and Europe. However, it seems a redesign of this netbook series will be heading to the U.S. for the first time under the name NB205.

This updated netbook will feature a chiclet keyboard as an option and have a standard six-cell battery. Another cool feature is a USB port that will actively charge external devices even when the netbook itself it’s powered up.

The design on this netbook is slimmer but still shares some specs with the original NB200 including 1GB RAM, a 1.66GHz Atom processor, Bluetooth and a 160GB hard drive. There will be several systems available including a base model, the NB205-210 in black for $350 and an upgraded version, the NB205-310 that adds the chiclet keyboard, and color options in pink, white, blue and brown for $400.

Details of a new ASUS Eee PC have been snapped at Computex 2009, ahead of the netbook’s official debut which is expected tomorrow. The ASUS Eee PC 1101HA slots into the company’s Seashell range, but offers an 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 display versus the 10-inch screen of the 1008HA. There’s also Intel’s Atom Z520 or Z530 processors paired with 1GB of RAM.

Other specifications include a 160GB hard-drive, three USB 2.0 ports and a multi-format memory card reader. Two 6-cell battery versions are promised, 2,200mAh and 2,800mAh, which are tipped to offer 9.5hrs and 11hrs runtime respectively. Connectivity includes WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and 10/100 ethernet, and there’s a 1.3-megapixel webcam in the bezel.

If it were us, we’d avoid the Z520 processor - which has given Acer such problems in their Aspire One 751 - and head straight to the Z530. You won’t get the top-end battery life suggested, but you’ll have a more usable system overall. No word on pricing, but we’ll hopefully hear more when the ASUS Eee PC 1101HA gets its official announcement later on in the week.

Hot from the “hang on, why haven’t I seen that before?” department comes ARM’s video demo of what a Mobile Computer Concept should be. Based on ARM’s Cortex A9 processor with the ARM Mali 400 chipset providing graphics, the most obviously unfeasible part of the concept is the pull-out, flexible touchscreen.

The demo has become topical (again) what with the ARM-powered Qualcomm Smartbook platform, officially launched at Computex 2009 this week. Intended to slot in-between smartphones and netbooks, but offering various degrees of functionality from each, Smartbooks would package 3G WWAN connectivity, GPS and other wireless technologies with a usably-large display, all-day battery life and HD playback.

At the company’s Computex keynote this morning, ARM CEO Warren East described the current iteration of netbooks as actually offering too much power for what most users demand of them. Instead, Smartbooks would offer tailored power - suited to HD media playback and internet access - with lengthy battery life.

NEC Japan unveiled the ultra-light VersaPro UltraLite VS netbook. Its slimmest part is just 15.8mm thick while it weighs 725 grams, making it the world’s lightest mini-notebook. The specifications include a 10.6-inch screen with 1280×768 resolution, Atom Z540 (1.86GHz) processor, 1GB RAM, 64GB SSD, Wi-Fi, USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, memory card reader, 4+ hours battery life and Windows Vista OS.

The VersaPro UltraLite VS is available for 99,750 Yen ($1034) till July 27 after which the price will be jacked to 105,000 Yen ($1088).

Underpowered, cramped keyboard, not-so multimedia friendly tags bestowed on netbooks will be a thing of the past. Lenovo has announced its first 12-inch IdeaPad netbook, S12 that also happens to be the first netbook based on Nvidia’s ION platform. For the uninitiated, the ION platform is cooked up together with Intel’s Atom processor and Nvidia’s 9400M GPU.

The 12-incher promises to give a full 1080p playback, full sized keyboard, WXGA LED backlit screen, 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB RAM, up to 320GB HDD, LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3 USB 2.0 ports, ExpressCard slot, card reader, VGA or HDMI out (depending on model) and optional 6-cell battery.

Lenovo will start selling in US from next month with the price starting from $449.

PS: Laptop-Mag have published their hands-on but the unit was sans ION, powered by a Via Nano processor.

The ASUS Eee PC 1000HV is the company’s latest netbook that features an ATI Radeon HD 3450 graphics with 256MB of memory. Other interesting specs you’ll find within this new system include a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor, a 1.3MP webcam, a 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, a VGA port, three USB 2.0 ports, an SD/SDHC/MMC card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 and a six cell battery. If you happen to live in Italy, you could pre-order the ASUS Eee PC 1000HV through Computer Discount for about €449 ($628).

Asus’ yet another Eee PC have surfaced online which can be preordered from online retailers. Dubbed as Eee PC 1000HV, the netbook is similar in specs and looks to 1000HE but the major advantage 1000HV gets from the inclusion of 256MB ATI Radeon HD 3450 GPU. Apart from this, everything seems to be normal – 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 802.11b/g/n, card reader, Bluetooth 2.0, USB/VGA ports, Ethernet, 1.3MP webcam and 6-cell battery giving 5 hours of runtime. The reduced battery life as compared to 1000HE (Our review) is understandable since this one houses a discrete graphics card.

There’s no official price yet but retailers are demanding 449 Euros ($627).

The rumor already claimed Dell was cooking something and today they have given us a confirmation. Dell’s Doug Anson, Technology Strategist is showing Dell Mini 10v netbooks running different operating systems including Android’s Cupcake version. Though he does not go beyond saying Android is “small and a snappy” environment, it actually is the first step by them towards porting the OS onto a product that can be commercialized in the future.