ApoTheTech

Contrary to the original concept of netbooks, which describe them as small and easy to carry around devices, the companies are now coming out with bigger and bigger netbooks everyday. We have already observed a slew of companies already coming out with 12-inch netbooks, which cost $600+.

Meet the HP DV2, a 12-inch sub notebook, which is almost the size of a typical 12-inch netbook. It just cost few dollars more and there are less tradeoffs in terms of speed and power as compared to full fledge notebook. The HP DV2 is often described as the cross between netbooks and notebooks. It has the features of notebook but comes at a price close to the netbook range. Its resolution is not netbook-ish (1280 x 800) and is equipped with an AMD processor instead of Atom processor, which is no match against the  AMD.

It even comes with a built-in BLU ray disk. I’m yet to hear any netbook manufacture to come out with a BLU ray drive.

However, the DV2 suffers from poor battery life, even with the extended battery (3 hours). This is something modern netbooks excel in.

[HP DV2 webpage]

[via TGdaily]

ASUS has made the bigger brother of sleek and stylish EEE S101 now official. Oddly enough, it is not carrying the EEE brand. May be it is due to the heavy price tag that it will carry.

Here are its specs:

• 12.1-inch display
• 1280 x 800 resolution
• Intel Atom Z520 1.33GHz processor
• 1GB RAM
• 250GB HDD
• 1.3MP webcam
• 3 USB ports
• 1.45kg
• 4-cell battery li-poly (3600mAh)

Intel Atom Z520 processor for such a premium laptop/netbook? Why ASUS, why?

Also, for the first time, ASUS is giving the user the option to opt for the Windows Vista (basic version). Do not get scared, XP version is still available.

READ ASUS EEE S101 review

[ASUS S121 webpage]

After the great success of EEEbuntu and other custom linux distros for netbooks, KDE has announced that they will also produce a distro for netbooks. Netbooks, no doubt are one of the hottest selling tech-products in the market. However, KDE is not going to make a custom distro just by re-skinning the interface of the original distro.

We aren’t making an interface for a “smaller laptop” or a “larger handheld”; the interface is for a netbook, which has a unique set of use cases and should have a unique, if familiar, user interface. To our knowledge, nobody is really doing this yet. We feel that just as Apple made popular an interface style on handhelds that is for handhelds with their iPhone/iPod touch interface, netbooks deserve a similar treatment.

It is definitely nice to see a company like KDE understanding the strengths and limitations of a netbook. I personally cannot wait to try the special KDE version for netbooks. Clearly, such efforts would make linux even more popular as compared to virus-prone Windows.

[via osattack]

With other phone companies like HTC showing immense interest in the netbook market, how can the market leader in mobile phones (Nokia) be so easily forgotten by us? A Taiwanese manufacture is in talks with Nokia has complete with a date to seal the deal.

There is no information on what OS it would run or how it would look like. I just do not want to see a symbian based netbook. Anything else will do.

[via ubergizmo]

I personally feel the old ones looked better. The new ones look over-worked. The old ones looked simple and more professional.

[via blogeee(french)]

Looks like ASUS is really going to make the tablets finally popular among the consumers. Let’s face it, tablets have always been confined to the executives and businessmen. The main reason that the tablets were not received nicely in the consumer market was due to high ‘price’. But, with the $549 price tag, ASUS has hit the sweet spot between functionality and price.

Also, we have heard that ASUS has added few really exciting utilities that are very finger friendly. This is already looking like a winner to me.

Here are full specifications:

Screen: 8.9″ LED Backlight / Resistive Touch Panel
Resolution: 1024 x 600 (WSVGA)
Weight: Under 2 lbs.
Battery: Li-polymer, 5 hours runtime
Processor: Intel Atom Z520 – 1.33GHz
OS: Windows XP Home
Memory: 1Gb (DDR2); 2Gb Maximum
SSD: 16Gb-32GB (TBD)
SD Card: 16Gb Maximum (not included)
Online Storage: 20Gb (free for 18 mos.)
Audio: HD / Stereo Speakers / Digital Array Mic
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth: Built-in
Camera: 0.3 Megapixel Built-in
GPS: Built-in (TBD)
3G Module: Optional (TBD/Model specific)
Digital TV Tuner: Built-in (TBD)
Colors: Black, White, Blue, Taupe, Pink (only BLACK will be available initially – other colors may not be available in the US)

[via netbooknews(german)]

MSI U123 is the successor of now aging U100. The U123 comes with 2GB RAM and uses the N280 Intel Atom processor. The MSI has also launched MSI U123H, which is similar to the U123 except for the fact that it comes with built-in 3.5G. The U123T comes with a built-in TV tuner card, which will let you watch (and record) TV programs on your netbook.

However, it is not a huge upgrade. I was looking forward to higher resolution. 1024 x 600 is nice but 1280 x 800 is something I would have really appreciated.

One piece of information that the MSI is repeatedely mentioning in the news release is the massive capacity of U123, which is 160GB. What? We have been using the 160GB HDD in our netbooks from quite sometime. In fact, it is a standard feature in netbooks these days and there is no need to mention it 4 times in the news release.

New Acer models (10-inch D150 and 11.6-inch one) will be made available under Packard Bell brand at the end of April. It is definately good to see Packard Bell coming up with new netbooks as Packard Bell stopped selling 8.9-inch Aspire One netbook sometime back.

The 10 inch model will known by DOT S and 11.6-inch model will be known by DOT M. The DOT S and DOT M will be priced at 299 Euros and 399 Euros respectively.

[via electronicpulp]