Two new Asus netbooks have hit the streets this week. And when I say new, I mean, netbooks that are incredibly similar to existing models with a few minor differences.

Asus Eee PC 1001PX

This netbook looks virtually identical to the Asus Eee PC 1001P that’s been available for the past few months. The main difference is that it’s available with Windows XP Home Edition instead of Windows 7 Starter. For some reason it also has just 2 USB ports instead of the usual three.

The Asus Eee PC 1001PX has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 802.11b/g WiFi, optional Bluetooth 2.1, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB or 250GB hard drive. It’s available with a 3 cell, 23Whr battery or a 6 cell, 48Whr battery.

ExcaliberPC is taking pre-orders for $279, but the company seems to already be selling the netbook for $289 through its eBay store.

Asus Eee PC 1005PE-PU27

As I noted recently, this model is almost exactly the same as the Eee PC 1005PE-PU17 model that’s already available. The only real difference is that the 1005PE-PU27 has a matte lid that won’t show fingerprints and smudges as easily.

Amazon is selling the Asus Eee PC 1005PE-PU27 for $354. The netbook has a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Windows 7 Starter Edition, and a 6 cell battery.

via Netbook Reviews and Eee PC.it

You don’t see full sized laptops with Intel Atom processors very often. But this MacBook Pro clone from China is an interesting exception to the rule. It sports a 14.1 inch display and a case that looks an awful lot like a MacBook Pro case including the large touchpad with integrated buttons.

But while the MacBook Pro is available with Intel Core 2 Duo processors, the clone has an Intel Atom processor. It is available with a choice of a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 or dual core 1.66GHz Atom D510 chip — the latter usually being reserved for use in desktops, not laptops. And both versions come with next-generation NVIDIA ION graphics, which should give the computer quite a boost when it comes to HD video playback and rendering 3D graphics. But performance-wise, I don’t think anyone’s going to confuse this MacBook Pro clone with the real thing.

Rounding out the specs are 1 to 2GB of RAM, a 160GB to 320GB hard drive, a 1366 x 768 pixel display, HDMI, 3 USB ports, a flash card reader, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, and Bluetooth. The notebook weighs just under 4 pounds.

via Shanzai.com

Smish is a new app for organizing apps on your computer. The software is technically designed for any PC, with a Mac client coming soon. But it looks ideal for netbooks. Or maybe I’m just saying that because it looks like a cross between Moblin Linux and the Intel AppUp Center, which are both designed for netbooks.

The idea is that Smish replaces the Windows desktop and shortcut paradigm with a user interface that lets you bring up tabs for social networks, the web, your files, and so on. In one way, it’s kind of a big app launcher that makes it easy to find the apps you’re looking for by searching or clicking the appropriate tab. In another way, it’s a whole new organizer for your computer that helps you find contacts, documents, media, files and apps all from a central interface.

It looks like Smish will also have some sort of developer program which will allow third party developers to write applications that will play well with the platform.

Smish is in private beta right now, but you can sign up to request an invitation. Or you can just check out the video after the break to get a better idea of what Smish is and how it’s supposed to work.

via Netbooked

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been pretty clear for the last few months that Asus is working on a tablet PC or two… and now Forbes has confirmed that the company will put out “at least two” tablets soon. Forbes spoke with Asus chairman Jonney Shih recently, who told the magazine that one will likely run Windows 7 while the other will probably run either Google Chrome OS or Google Android.

Both tablets will be designed to handle multimedia content, but there’s a pretty big difference between a tablet running Windows and one running Chrome or Android.

An Android tablet would be most like the Apple iPad it will likely compete with, since both platforms offer a smartphone-like user experience and the ability to run third party apps from an app store (although Google doesn’t officially make the Android Market available for Android devices that aren’t smartphones). Google Chrome OS is primarily a web-centric platform, as the operating system is built around the Chrome web browser and most apps will be web apps.

Windows 7 tablets, on the other hand, have the advantage (and disadvantage) of being able to run virtually any Windows program. While there are millions of apps available, they aren’t necessarily designed for finger or stylus input, which can make the user experience on Windows tablets a bit more hit or miss.

via TechSpot

Sony appears to be working on a 3G-enabled version of the Vaio P mini-laptop. The FCC is showing a few documents related to two new models, labeled the AK8PCG11111L and the AK8PCG31113L. At this point, there’s very little information available about either model, aside from the fact that they sport WiFi, Bluetooth, and CDMA/EVDO connectivity.

As Engadget notes, most of the information about these new devices is hidden away behind confidentiality requests. But that request lifts on May 13th, at which point the FCC might publish some photos and a user manual — although my guess is that the point will be moot, since that’s probably when Sony and/or its partners will officially unveil the product.

HP offers an optional touchscreen display for the HP Mini 5102. This premium netbook is targeted at business and education customers, so it’s likely that most of the folks that get their hands on this particular model will get it through school or work. But if you feel like foregoing the relatively inexpensive “Smart Buy” configurations on the HP Small Business web site and opting for the more expensive, customizable model, you can also grab a Mini 5102 with a touchscreen display.

Here’s why you might want to:

• This netbook has one of the most responsive touchscreens I’ve ever used on a netbook.
• HP’s software lets you simulate a right-click by tapping and holding on the screen — and you even get a visual cue letting you know when the right-click has been registered.
• The capacitive display recognizes up to two simultaneous inputs, allowing you to draw two items on a screen or pinch to zoom or rotate in some applications.

On the other hand, here are a few issues I have with the touchscreen on the demo unit HP sent me to review:

• The display is a little thicker than a normal screen, adding a little bulk to the laptop.
• The colors look a little washed out, and while the display is technically matte, it’s a bit more reflective than most non-glossy displays I’ve used.
• It’s hard to tap on a precise point on the display with a fingertip, despite HP’s software that’s designed to make it easy.
• The screen doesn’t fold back for use in tablet mode, which means you have to reach your hand up from the keyboard to tap the screen — it’s much easier just to move your hand down and use the touchpad most of the time (although reaching up is moderately more comfortable when the netbook is on your lap rather than on a desk).
• There’s no palm rejection technology, so if you place your hand on the screen to write, your palm may make more marks than your finger — although the point is kind of moot because the netbook doesn’t operate in slate mode.

The biggest problem though, is that Windows simply isn’t designed for use with this type of a touchscreen display. Not even Windows 7 Professional, which is the version I’m using. It’s designed for use with a mouse and keyboard — or a stylus and resistive touchscreen or active digitizer. For instance, in order to scroll through a web page you have to move your finger over to a scrollbar — which may be too thin to easily tap on the first try. If you want to do the same thing on an iPhone, you just tap and drag.

There are third party applications that can certainly help. For instance, if your only concern is how you’re going to navigate through web pages, you can install a Firefox add-on called Grab and Drag. But it’s not just the scrolling. It’s the fact that icons, hyperlinks, text, and pretty much every other element of the operating system is designed for an input method that’s more precise than the tip of your finger.

That’s one of the reasons why the iPad is poised to do well. Sure, there are a million things you can do with a touchscreen PC that you can’t do with a tablet that’s designed to run smartphone-style apps. But all of the apps you’ll run on the iPad are designed to work with the capacitive, multitouch display. Almost none of the applications you’ll run on the HP Mini 5102 are.

You can check out my hands-on video with the HP Mini 5102 touchscreen display after the break.
Read the rest of this entry »

MeeGo is the new Linux-based operating system and user environment that came out of the merger of the Maemo and Moblin Linux projects. Today the MeeGo team released the first pre-release builds of the operating system, with versions available for:

• Intel Atom-based netbooks
• Intel Atom Moorestown handsets
• The ARM-based Nokia N900 internet device

The first full release of MeeGo is scheduled for May. But if you want a first look at the new operating system, you can go ahead and check it out today… or maybe tomorrow. I started downloading about 20 minutes ago and it looks like it could take another 14 hours before I have the 392MB USB image. It looks like the MeeGo servers might getting hammered, and I don’t see any mirrors or torrent files yet.

via jkOnTheRun

Acer Aspire One D250 with Android

Acer is reportedly working on another netbook that dual boots Windows and Google Android. Electric Pig reports that the new model will be dubbed the Acer Aspire One D260, which seems to imply that it will be a modest update from the dual-boot D250 model released last year.

There’s no information on the processor or other specs. Apparently the new model will have a redesigned chassis. The company also plans to launch a netbook running Google Chrome OS later this year — after Google makes the operating system available.

via Netbook Choice