Lenovo has been working on a smartbook for a while. The machine will be powered by an ARM-based processor based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform which will enable it to decode 720p HD video. It will be connected to the internet all the time so you will be able to receive emails and other notifications even when the smartbook is lying in the bag folded up.

The device is also expected to have several other features of mini-laptops and cell phones. Now word is that the machine will be called Lenovo Skylight. It is also heard that Skylight would have an all-day battery life, wireless and touch capabilities.

Lenovo is expected to showcase the device at CES which is only a week away. So we will get to know things for certain soon enough.

The Toshiba NB300 showed up at the FCC website a few weeks ago. While the company hasn’t officially unveiled the laptop yet, some online retailers have started showing it among listings. As per the listings the netbook will have the following specs:

Display: 10.1 inch display with 1024 x 600 pixels
Processor: 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 processor
Chipset: Intel NM10 Express Mobile
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics
Operating system: Windows 7 Starter (32-bit)
Memory: 1 GB (expandable to 2GB)
Storage: 250GB hard drive

Supported connectivity options are WiFi 802.11b/g/n, 10/100 Ethernet and optional Qualcomm GOBI2000 3G module. There are 3 USB ports, VGA, SD card slot, headphone and mic jacks. The battery is expected to give around 4 hours of up time.

The Asus Eee PC 1001P is now up for pre-order at Amazon.de. The netbook sells for 249 Euros (about $357 US). In Europe netbooks tend to cost more than they do in the US, still at $357, the 1001P is much cheaper than the Eee PC 1005P/PE netbooks.

The Eee PC 1001P runs Windows XP Home Edition. Its pricier siblings, on the other hand, run Windows 7 Starter. While the 1001P has a 6 cell battery is rated at 440mAh, the 1005PE has a six cell battery rated at 5800mAh. Still, $357 is a good price for a low cost netbook with a Pine Trail Atom N450 processor. The netbook is expected to be available on January 6th.

Sony has refreshed its VAIO T thin and light series with CULV processors. The new models in the series can be configured with CULV processors including 1.2GHz Intel Celeron SU2300, 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo SU9400 and 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo 9600 processors. All three chips will come with the Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics.

The VAIO T thin and light notebooks have 11.1 inch displays. They are available with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 500GB of hard drive or 512GB of SSDs. You can also install practically any version of Windows 7.

On the flip side, the VAIO T laptops don’t come cheap. In fact the base configuration starts at around $1400. But you do get some premium features which you wouldn’t find in budget notebooks. For instance, Sony offers batteries that will last for up to 17 hours. All laptops in the series come with optical drives. Other features include optional Blu-ray drives, optional TV tuner and fingerprint scanners.

Like most netbooks, the NorhTec Gecko Edubook has an 8.9 inch display with 1024 x 600 pixels. It is capable of running either Linux or Windows. But the similarities end there, for this machine is very different from other mini-laptops.

The Gecko Edubook can run on rechargeable NiMH AA batteries. Its 1 GHZ Xcore86 processor is compatible with x86 and consumes just 1.2 watts of power. The whole laptop consumes just 6.5 watts of power. If you need more uptime you will be able to purchase the netbook with Lithium Polymer battery packs. As this machine consumes very little power, it is designed to operate without a fan.

There is an internal SD card slot for storage. Now in case you prefer a hard drive, there is room for that as well. The Gecko Edubook sells for $199.95 per unit. If you order in bulk, you will get them much cheaper.

The netbook is designed for educational purposes. But it is designed in such a way that you can remove even the CPU. Norhtec plans to sell either assembled units or barebones you can assemble into a netbook. Don’t expect this machine to outperform other laptops of its size. It won’t and it isn’t designed with that objective either. It is meant to be a customizable low-cost machine for use in education, particularly in developing countries, and it serves that purpose quite well.

Samsung is yet to officially announce a Pine Trail Atom netbook, but some retailers are selling a laptop called the Samsung N220 which has a Pine Trail Atom processor. This mini-laptop, it seems, is the updated version of the Samsung N140. Here are the specs:

Processor: 1.66GHz Intel Pine Trail Atom N450 processor
Display: 10.1″ non-glossy display with 1024 x 600 pixels
Memory: 1 GB of RAM
Storage: 250 GB hard drive
Operating System: Windows 7 Starter Edition

The Samsung N220 has the regular array of ports. Supported connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 and Ethernet. There are 3 USB ports, VGA, SDHC card slot, headphone and mic jacks. The machine weighs 2.9 pounds and measures 1.4 inches in thickness. Samsung claims that the 6 cell battery will give up to 11.5 hours of runtime. These claims are probably too good to be true, but you should be able to get 7 or 8 hours under real-world conditions.

Pricing and availability
The netbook now sells for 349 Euros in France (about $503 US). It is not available in the US at the moment, but it may in the near future and then it will likely sell for less.

Google we know is building an OS for netbooks. Now word is that the company is also building a netbook. Google has never really been known as a hardware maker, but this rumor is still good to be true. Google, we are told, is also building a cellphone based on its OS Android.

British site IB Times recently disclosed the rumored specs of the upcoming Google netbook:

The netbook is likely to have a 10.1 inch HD ready multi-touch screen display. It will be powered by an ARM-based processor. The storage option will probably be a 64GB solid state drive. Other likely specifications include 2GB of RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, Ethernet, webcam, USB and flash Card reader. No prizes for guessing the OS. It is going to be Google Chrome.

IB Times also reports that the netbook will be subsidized by a wireless carrier and will sell for under $300.

Google’s Chrome OS is meant for running web-only applications, but this device it seems has more power than is necessary to run web-apps alone. Of course these are all rumors and may or may not become true.

Chinese PC maker Sheng has released a netbook with a brushed aluminum lid. Besides the lid, the palm rest also features a brushed aluminum finish. Not many netbooks available in the market at the moment have an aluminum lid. But other than the metal lid, the Sheng T108 doesn’t have anything particularly impressive.

It is powered by an Intel Atom N280 processor. The netbook has a 10 inch display and a generous 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. Other features include VGA, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, a flash card reader and a SIM card slot.

The laptop sells for around $300. But don’t expect it to be available outside of China anytime soon.

Acer, it seems, is planning to bring its 11.6 inch convertible tablet to the US. The company has filed documents with FCC for an unnamed touch-screen tablet pc. Pictures released by FCC shows the laptop with the brand names Gateway, Acer and Packard Bell.

As Acer owns all the three companies this could very well be a case of rebranding.
Specifications also indicate that the three laptops could be the Packard Bell Butterfly Touch, Acer Aspire 1820P and Gateway EC18T. It is still unclear whether all the three versions will be available in the US, bust since they are visible on the FCC website, chances are they will.

All models are likely to be powered by Intel CULV processors with integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics. Other specifications may include 2 to 4GB of RAM, 250 to 500GB of hard drive and 11.6 inch displays with 1366 x 768 pixels.

The Gateway EC18T has been approved by FCC. We first heard about this tablet notebook in September. And then Acer (which owns Gateway) kept itself busy with other touch tablets like the Aspire 1420p/1820pt/1820ptz. But now the EC18T has resurfaced.

This particular model of EC18T which passed through FCC seems a rebranded version of the Acer Aspire 1420p because both models have similar specifications.

The EC18T is powered by a 1.2GHz Intel Celeron SU2300 dual-core processor. It has an 11.6 inch touch-screen display with 1366 x 768 pixels. Up to 8 GB of RAM can be installed. The hard drive comes in 250 GB/320GB or 500GB capacities. Other specifications include HDMI, VGA, 3 USB 2.0 ports and audio jacks. The battery is expected to provide up to 8 hours of up time.

The MSI Wind U135 product page has gone live. The notebook is yet to hit the market, but it made the review rounds in the US before Christmas.

The Wind U135 looks similar to the original MSI Wind. But it has a larger trackpad and a chiclet style keyboard. The netbook delivers good performance, and at just $329, it is cheaper than its competitors from the Asus and Samsung stable. 6-cell battery gives around 5.5 hours of up time.

The official MSI Wind U135 specs are as follows:

Display: 10 inch with 1024 x 600 pixels
Processor: 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor
Chipset: Intel NM10
Graphics: GMA 3150 graphics
Memory: 1 GB of RAM
Storage: 160 GB hard drive
Weight: 1.2 kg

Other features include VGA, 3 USB 2.0 ports, audio jacks, LAN, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 1.3 Mega pixel webcam, Windows 7 Starter.

India’s leading PC maker HCL has introduced a new netbook under the name ME 06. The machine is a standard mini-laptop powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor. It runs Windows XP Home Edition. The ME 06 has a 10.1 inch display with 1024 x 600 pixels. Other specifications include 160GB hard drive and a 1GB of RAM. The netbook is 3G-enabled. There is also a SIM card slot.

The HCL ME 06 weighs around 3.5 pounds and measures just 1.1 inches in thickness. The 6-cell battery is expected to last for 5 hours. Besides the 3G connectivity option, the netbook also supports LAN and WiFi. There are 3 USB ports, a VGA port, SD/MS card slot, headphone and mic jacks.

HCL ME 06 retails for INR 21,640 or about $465 US.

BrowserLinux is a simple Linux-based operating system capable of running only a few applications including an audio player, file manager and Firefox 3.5.5.

BrowserLinux is very light-weight; it is just a 78MB download. Before installing the OS to your hard drive, you can try it risk-free by installing it to a USB flash drive using Unetbootin. But booting the OS from a flash drive will take a lot longer than booting it from your hard drive. Still it is a good idea, just in case you change your mind later.

A browser only OS has many limitations because it isn’t good for anything other than browsing the web. But if you are one such user who only uses their computer to surf the web, you may find this more than sufficient. And it will load a lot faster than Windows.

Intel has released the technical specs for its Pine Trail Atom processors such as Atom N450, Atom D410 and D510. While the Atom N450 is meant for use in netbooks, the other two are desktop processors.

Here are the highlights.

The Atom N450 is a 64-bit processor. As a result of this you will be able to run the 64-bit version of Windows 7 on a netbook powered by this processor. The Atom N270 and N280 weren’t 64-bit chips.

The Pine Trail Atom processors integrate memory, graphics and processor functions onto a single chip, but the package size is exactly the same as that of earlier chips.

The integrated GMA 3150 graphics core doesn’t support hardware video acceleration.
The Pine Trail Atom processors are designed to be 20% more power efficient than the Atom N270/N280 processors. These processors, however, offer little or no performance boost.

The Acer Aspire 1420P and the 1820PTZ are now up for pre-order in Europe. The notebooks will start shipping in 3-5 weeks.

The Acer Aspire Timeline 1820PTZ is already on sale in Singapore. It is expected to be available in other parts of the world early next year. The Aspire 1420P is also up in some European online stores. There is no release date though.

The European model of the Aspire 1420P has the following specs: 11.6 inch multi-touch display with 1366 x 768 pixels, Intel Celeron SU2300 dual core (1.2GHz) processor, GMA 4500MHD graphics, 250GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM and 6-cell battery. Other specifications include Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Gigabit LAN and Bluetooth. The notebook will run Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Operating System. The Aspire 1420P will go for 525 Euros.

Foxconn, it seems, is pretty busy these days. The Taiwanese OEM has been churning out netbooks one after another. Close on the heels of the SZ901P netbook, two other Foxconn netbooks have hit the FCC. Other than a bunch of photos, not much information is available at the moment.

For the time being, the new models are called Foxconn NS20 and NS24. As Foxconn computers have a history of getting rebranded these devices may hit the market under different names.

The machines will come pre-loaded with Foxconn’s FoxOS Linux distribution, but they also support Windows XP. The user manual also provides instructions for installing Windows XP. Both models support Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n. There will also be a webcam.

The wind U135 is the latest 10 inch netbook from MSI. It is powered by a Pine Trail Atom N450 processor. It has many plus points including a great display and a comfortable keyboard. And at just $329, it is cheaper than its competitor Eee PC 1005PE.

Specifications
Operating system: Windows 7 Starter Edition
Processor: 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 processor
Memory: up to 2 GB
Hard drive: 250 GB, 5400 rpm
Display: 10 inch display with 1024 x 600 pixels
Price as configured: $329

Design
The Wind U135 is available in blue, black, silver and red. In many aspects the design is similar to that of Asus Eee PC 1005PE. The netbook measures 1.5 inches in thickness with the six-cell battery noticeably sticking out from its bottom. The lid features an attractive wavy line pattern which also helps to hide fingerprints.

Heat and Noise
The Wind U135 remains cool even when the processor is under considerable stress. On the down side the fan is fairly audible.

Battery life
The biggest drawback of this otherwise decent netbook is the below average battery life. The wind U135 lasts for around 5.5 hours on a single charge. This is surprising because U135 is powered by a Pine Trail processor which is said to consume 20% less power than the Atom N270/N280 processors.

Keyboard and Touchpad
In keyboard and touchpad design, the Wind U135 is strikingly similar to Asus Eee PC 1005PE. The island style keyboard is easy to use and shows absolutely no flex at all. The touchpad is good and bad in parts. It is the normal size for a 10 inch netbook, but doesn’t support multi-touch gestures. Another problem with the touchpad is the single mouse bar which is narrow and feels mushy.

Display and Audio
The10 inch display has 1024 x 600 pixels. The display is absolutely gorgeous with excellent viewing angles. The speakers are quite audible, but sound quality isn’t very impressive.

Ports and Webcam
The U135 has the regular array of ports. There are 3 USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, VGA, 4-in-1 card reader, 1.3 mega pixel webcam, mic and headphone jacks. There is no HDMI for transferring video to an external monitor.

Performance
Performance is quite satisfactory. The Wind U135 delivers decent performance. You can perform your basic activities such as web browsing and word processing. You can also watch videos without any issues. Boot times, however, aren’t very good. The netbook takes around one and half minutes to boot into Windows.

Verdict
The MSI Wind U135 is a decent netbook aimed at budget conscious customers. It can do everything a netbook is supposed to do and it carries an extremely affordable price tag. The biggest downer is the battery life. But if you find close to 6 hours sufficient, then you probably have no reason to give it a miss.

Pros
Nice keyboard
Good display; great viewing angles
Low price

Cons
Average battery life
Mushy touchpad button
Takes longer to boot
Fan is a bit loud

Taiwanese company Foxconn makes computer that would get rebranded and sold under different names in the west. So don’t expect the Foxconn SZ901P to hit the US and Europe under that name. Foxconn has, nevertheless, submitted documents with FCC for a netbook under that name.

The Foxconn SZ901P supports both Windows XP and a custom Linux distribution called FoxOS. Other specs are pretty regular. There are 3 USB ports, VGA, headphone and mic jacks. Touchpad has separate left and right buttons, but it doesn’t offer multi-touch support. The netbook, it seems, is upgrade friendly. FCC documents indicate that there are two access panels on the bottom presumably for upgrading the hard drive or memory. No information regarding processor, memory or storage capacity is available at the moment. Earlier this year word was that Foxconn was working on smartbooks based on ARM processors. But as this netbook supports Windows XP, it is unlikely to have an ARM CPU.

The NVIDIA ION platform combines a low power Atom processor with a higher performance NVIDIA GeForce 9400 graphics. Netbooks are low power devices with negligible graphics capabilities. The ION platform gives these machines enough power to handle some modern games and play 1080p HD video.

The ION platform is used in several desktop computers and now some ION-powered notebooks have also arrived. Currently four ION powered netbooks are available: The HP Mini 311, Lenovo IdeaPad S12, Asus Eee PC 1201N, and Samsung N510. So which one performs better? Laptop Magazine tested all the four machines and here is what they discovered.

All four laptops have more or less the same specs. While the Asus Eee PC 1201N has a dual core Atom 330 processor, the other three are powered by single core Atom processors with ION. According to Laptop Magazine each machine has its strengths and weaknesses. While the HP Mini 311 is the best in terms of design and ergonomics comfort, the Lenovo S12 has the best keyboard.

In graphics benchmarks tests, the four computers delivered similar performance, but when it comes to performing CPU-intensive tasks, the Eee PC 1201N took the lead, thanks to its dual core processor.

In terms of battery life, the HP Mini 311 and IdeaPad S12 are better. Both machines give five hours of up time. So which machine is the King of Netbooks? Well, that distinction goes to the Eee PC 1201N. It gives less than 4 hours of battery life, but it is powerful, fast and gaming worthy. The HP Mini 311 is equally good. Even though it doesn’t have a dual core processor, it performs well in graphics and video transcoding tests. It has an excellent design and offers ergonomic comfort. It also gives 5 hours of uptime.

The verdict: Get the Eee PC 1201N if speed is what you are after. Get the HP Mini 311 if what you need is a good mix of graphics performance and endurance. The IdeaPad S12 and Samsung N510 are indeed good netbooks, but there are better alternatives.

Every main stream PC maker is now busy announcing new netbooks with the Pine Trail Atom N450 processor. Avaratec, it seems, thinks differently. The company has just introduced a new netbook powered by an Atom N270 processor clocking at 1.6GHz.

The Averatec HS-105 has a 10.1 inch display with 1024 x 600 pixels. Up to 2GB of RAM can be installed. The hard drive comes in 160GB or 250GB capacities. Other specifications include 1.3MP webcam, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Windows 7 Starter Edition.

So does the HS-105 stand a chance in a market that will soon get flooded with Pine Trail netbooks? Well, it does. Not having a Pine Trail Atom is no recipe for failure. In fact, the Pine Trail processors aren’t much better than the Atom N270/N280 processors currently used, but they are expected to reduce power consumption thereby increasing battery life.

Asus was the first company to launch an affordable consumer-oriented mini-laptop, now known as netbook. The Asus Eee PCs have since then become synonymous with netbooks. Still Asus isn’t the No 1 netbook maker in terms of the number of units shipped. That distinction goes to Acer with Asus occupying a distant second place.

Now a Digitimes report says that Asus will have to concede its second place to Samsung. Asus is expected to sell around 6 million Eee PC netbooks in 2010; Samsung might sell 7 or 8 million netbooks. In the recent past Samsung released several new netbook models including the N130 and N140 with Atom N270 processors and the N510 with ION graphics. It is also expected that Samsung will release a few more netbook models by January in time for CES. Meanwhile, Acer is expected to hold onto its first place by shipping around 12 million netbooks in 2010.

Acer has unveiled its TravelMate Timeline notebooks aimed at businesses. There will be three different models dubbed TravelMate Timeline 8571, 8471 and 8371. The TravelMate Timeline 8571 has a 15.6 inch display; the 8471 has a 14 inch and the 8371 has a 13.3 inch display.

All models in the series will be powered by Intel Core 2 Duo processors which belong to the Intel CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) platform. The notebooks will run Windows 7 Professional. Windows XP downgrade option will also be available. Either 3GB or 4GB of fast SDRAM can be installed. The connectivity options include WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, WLAN, Bluetooth and gigabit LAN. There will be no discrete GPU, but the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD offers full support for Microsoft DirectX10 standard enabling the notebooks to deliver good graphics and video. The touch-pad supports multi-touch gestures.
The six cell battery is rated at 5600mAh. It is expected to give up to 8 hours of battery life. Other features include optional port replicator, integrated webcam and fingerprint reader.
Pricing and availability
The notebooks are now available from Acer’s retail partners. Prices start at $899.

It is raining Pine Trail netbooks. Dell hasn’t announced any new netbook with the Atom N450 chipset, but it has decided to refresh its Inspiron Mini 10 series with a newer design and the brand new processor. The redesigned netbooks will have a textured smudge-resistant palm rest and sculpted keys. They will be powered by Intel’s latest Pine Trail Atom N450 processor. Both 3 cell and 6 cell battery options are available. Dell claims that the 6-cell battery will provide up to 9.5 hours of uptime, thanks to the better power efficiency of Atom N450. The netbooks will run Windows 7 Starter Edition. For storage there is a 250GB hard drive. Other features include HDTV tuner (optional) and GPS.

Pricing and Availability
The updated Inspiron Mini 10 is expected to be available in early January. The base version will start at $299.

Fujitsu has introduced a new netbook called the LifeBook MH380. The machine will have a 10.1 inch display with 1366 x 768 pixels. The MH380 will be powered by Intel’s N450 Atom Pine Trail processor clocking at 1.66GHz. Incidentally this is the first Fujitsu laptop with a Pine Trail processor.

The MH380 weighs just 3 lbs with the 6-cell battery. Fujitsu claims that the battery will provide up to 7 hours of up time. The netbook will run Windows 7 Starter edition. Other specifications include 1GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive.

Pricing and Availability
The Fujitsu LifeBook MH380 is expected to be available in January. It will cost $449.

In the first week of January Intel will release its new Core i3 and Core i5 CPUs for use in notebooks. These new processors will belong to the Arrandale platform and they will feature integrated GPU cores for the first time. As a result of this, the Core i3 and Core i5 processors will be able to handle full 1080p HD video.

Both Core i3 and Core i5 will be dual core chips. Their integrated GPU core will be labeled as Intel HD Graphics. The integrated HD graphics solution will enable notebooks to handle HD video. There will also be the switchable graphics option for gaming. Both processors use the latest in hyper-threading technology from Intel, and the Core i5 processor will also feature the ‘Turbo Boost’ technology which enables it to focus power on a single core when necessary. The chips are expected to be available on January 7th.

Remember that OLPC XO educational laptop which sparked the netbook revolution? It couldn’t be sold for the promised price of $100, but it proved that it is possible to build a usable mini-laptop at extremely low prices. Well, Nicholas Negroponte, the man behind the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project, is pretty busy these days. He is building the XO-3 tablet. This isn’t actually a laptop; it is a touch-screen tablet that would consume less than 1W of power and cost $75.

Negroponte has said the tablet would be ready by 2012. The project including the hardware design is going to be open source. Most people other than those behind the tablet are skeptical and say that the project probably won’t materialize at all. And you can’t blame them. Neither the proposed power consumption nor the price tag seems realistic. On the bright side, the mere concept of a simple $75 tablet may inspire PC makers to change the way they build low-cost laptops.

Asus’s Eee PC T101MT touch-screen tablet PC has hit the FCC. We first heard about this model almost a year ago, but then Asus delayed the release. The T101MT has a touch-screen display that can swivel and be folded down over the keyboard. No information regarding specs is available at the moment, aside from the fact that the machine will support WiFi 802.11b/g/n.

While it is hard to predict the specs when no information is available, it is probably safe to assume that the computer will have the Pine Trail Atom N450 chipset. The original Eee PC T91MT touchscreen tablet has a sluggish Atom Z520 processor while most other Eee PC models have Atom N270 processors.

It is raining netbooks. Ever since Intel introduced its next-generation Atom N450 processor, PC makers have kept themselves busy announcing new netbook models. And we will be seeing a lot more models in the coming weeks leading up to CES. Here’s a roundup of all the netbooks that were announced in the last two days.

Asus Eee PC 1005PE
The Asus Eee PC 1005PE is the first Asus netbook with an Atom N450 processor. It has already reached the hands of reviewers. The first impression, it seems, is good. The machine offers better battery life and it is snappy for a netbook. Asus is also working on two other 10 inch models called Eee PC 1001P and 1005P.

Dell Inspiron Mini 10
Dell has announced an update to its Inspiron Mini 10. The new version will sport an Atom N450 processor. It is expected to offer better runtime, HD display, GPS and TV tuner.

Fujitsu LifeBook MH380
Not much information is available about this model, but it will have a higher resolution display.

MSI Wind
MSI has announced 4 new models called MSI Wind U130, U135, U140 and U160. All models have more or less the same specs, but case designs seem to be different.

Classmate PC
ntel’s Classmate PC is targeted at students. The company has announced an updated version of the Classmate with its Atom N450 chipset. The new model is expected to offer better battery life.

HP Mini 210
There is no official confirmation yet, but leaked specs and a few promo shots have already hit the cyberspace.

Samsung N150, NB30
Samsung hasn’t made any official announcements yet, but two models hit the FCC website recently. While not much information is available at the moment, it is safe to assume that both netbooks will have Pine Trail chips.

Intel has officially launched its Pine Trail platform, and we have already seen at least six companies announcing netbooks based on the Pine Trail chips. Lenovo, however, has maintained silence. Though the company hasn’t announced any netbooks based on the next generation Atom processors, A Lenovo representative says that two new 10 inch models are on the way.

The new laptops will be called IdeaPad S10-3 and S10-3t. The S10-3 will be the successor to the IdeaPad S10 and S10-2. The S10-3t will reportedly be a tablet with a touch-screen display. Both models will be equipped with full sized keyboards and will run Windows 7. GPS and 3G wireless options will also be available.

Samsung is yet to announce its N150 netbook with Intel Atom N450 Pine Trail chips. But some online retailers have already listed the new laptop. Most of the specifications are mentioned, there are no pictures though.

The Samsung N150 will be powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor with integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics. It will have a 10.1 inch display with 1024 x 600 pixels. Other specifications include 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, Ethernet and WiFi 802.11b/g/n. The laptop will run Windows 7 Starter Edition. There will be 3 USB ports, VGA, 0.3 mega pixel webcam and a 3-in-1 card reader. There is no mention of an HDMI port though. The 6-cell battery is expected to give around 7 hours of up time.

The laptop will measure just 1.05 inches in thickness and weigh around 2.73 pounds. No word on pricing or availability as yet.

MSI has officially unveiled its first mini-laptop with an Intel Atom N450 processor. The MSI Wind U135, as it is called, has attractive looks. Design-wise, the machine has a striking resemblance to the newest Asus laptops, thanks in no small measure to the similar keyboard and touchpad design.

The Wind U135 has the same processor as the Asus Eee PC 1005PE and delivers more or less the same performance. Laptop Magazine, which got to spend sometime with the MSI laptop, says that it will offer around 5.5 hours of battery life. The Asus Eee PC 1005PE, which will be probably be the biggest competitor of this notebook, offers 10+ hours of up time. So does Wind U135 stand a chance against its rival from the Asus stable? Well, yes and no. Netbook shoppers usually tend to expect an all day long battery life which the Asus laptop offers. On the plus side, the Wind U135 is around $50 cheaper than the Asus laptop. It starts at just $329.

More details regarding the HP Mini 210 have emerged. We have been hearing about this little computer for a while. And now online retailer eCost has created some product pages for the laptop.

The promotional shots of the computer indicate that the lid will be less glossy than the HP Mini 110 lid. The touchpad, it seems, has been completely redesigned. The touchpad buttons are now integrated into the bottom of the touch area to save space.
Each model in the series will have a 1.66Ghz Intel Atom N450 processor, Intel GMA 3150 graphics and a 10.1 inch flush glass display. Other specifications include 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and 160GB/250GB hard drives. The machines will ship with Windows 7 Starter Edition.

Pricing and Availability
The laptops will be available in silver, red, blue and black. The base version may start at $321.99. No word on a release date.

The Asus Eee PC 1201HA is the cheapest 12 inch Asus notebook available in the moment. In fact, you can pick one up for just $329. Unlike the 1201N or the 1201T, the 1201HA doesn’t have impressive specs. Still, you can’t write it off altogether either.

Specifications
Display: 12.1 inch display with 1366 x 768 pixels
Processor: Single core Intel Atom Z520 processor
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA500 graphics
Memory: 1GB
Storage: 160GB hard drive
Other features include Wi-Fi and webcam.

Design and Build quality
Build quality is good. The notebook does have a solid feel to it, and at just 3lbs, it is ultraportable. The screen lid comes with a matte finish which protects it from fingerprints.

Performance
Don’t expect too much in the performance department. The 1201HA is powered by an Atom Z520 processor which is slower than the Atom N270/N280 processors common in netbooks. Overall performance is sluggish, but you will be able to performs basic jobs like web surfing and word processing without much difficulty. What about HD playback? Well, it will come as a surprise, but the 1201HA can decode HD video (both 720p and 1080p).This is probably due to the GMA500 chipset which is better suited to handling H.264 video than the GMA950 chipset.

Display
The 12.1 inch display features 1366 x 768 pixels. HD video does look good on the screen, but the colors seem a bit washed out.

Heat and Noise
The 1201HA has a silent cooling system. The notebook also remains cool even after hours of continuous use.

Battery life
Battery life is below average. The 6-cell battery gives around 6 hours of uptime. While 6 hours isn’t necessarily bad, most notebooks of this size offer 8 hours or more.

Pros
Light weight
Silent cooling system
Cheap

Cons
Sluggish processor
Average display
No HDMI
Average battery life

MSI is making a comeback in the netbook scene. The company has announced a range of netbooks based on the Pine Trail chips. Not much information regarding the specifications is available now, but one or two models are expected to be powered by CULV processors.

The upcoming range of netbooks includes the MSI Wind U130, Wind U135, Wind U140 and Wind U160. The U130, U135 and U140 will have 10 inch displays. In design the U130 and the U135 will be similar to the U100. The U140 will have the same chassis as the U123. As for the U160, the only available information is that it will have an ultra-thin chassis.

We will be hearing more about these devices at the CES in January.

Intel has officially announced its next-generation Pine Trail Atom platform. In the coming years, these processors will replace the N270/N280 Atom chips. Among the Pine Trail chips announced include N450, D410 and D510. The N450 processors are meant for use in netbooks, whereas the D410 and D510 (dual-core) processors are nettop/desktop based. Intel also announced the NM10 Express chipset that would work alongside these processors. The Atom N470 processor has not yet been announced. All of these processors run at 1.66GHz speed.

The Pine Trail processors will consume 20% less power than the Atom N270/N280 processors used today. As a result of this they will offer better battery life and may even lead to fan-less netbook designs. Pine Trail chips are also smaller in size which will make the devices thinner and lighter. They are, however, unlikely to offer any significant improvement in performance.

The Pine Trail platform will officially launch on January 4. Already over 80 netbook models using these processors have been announced.

The Aspire Timeline 1820PTZ is Acer’s first 11.6 inch touch-screen tablet. The model hasn’t started shipping in the west yet, but it is available in many parts of Asia.

Specifications
Processor: 1.3GHz Intel Pentium Dual core SU4100 processor
Graphics: GMA 4500MHD
Display: 11.6 inch touch-screen display with 1366 x 768 pixels
Memory: Up to 3GB of RAM
Storage: 160GB

Build quality
The 1820PTZ has small dimensions. But at 3.8 pounds the machine is slightly heavier for an 11.6 inch notebook. The notebook has a plastic casing, but build quality is excellent. No part of the device shows any signs of flex.

The touch-screen supports multi-touch gestures. It accepts both finger and stylus inputs. And to get best results you can adjust the settings to finger or stylus mode first. The display is also pressure sensitive. The display can be folded down over the keyboard to use the notebook in the tablet mode.

The display itself is average. It is sharp due to its high pixel density, but color and contrast are average. There are a few other problems as well. The display is heavy, so if you tilt it back too far, its weight may cause the computer to fall over.

Ports and Slots
Port selection is good for a laptop of this size. There are 3 USB ports, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, VGA, Ethernet, HDMI, and webcam. There is no Expresscard Slot or eSATA.

Battery
The 6 cell battery is rated at 5600mAh. It provides up to 8 hours of up time.

Performance
Performance is satisfactory. The dual core Pentium SU4100 processor has enough power to handle every day jobs with minimal efforts. Surfing the web with multiple tabs open doesn’t pose any problems. You will also be able to run multiple applications simultaneously. Gaming is still out of question. The integrated GMA 4500MHD doesn’t have enough oomph to handle graphics rich games. What about video streaming? You can watch HD YouTube videos and 720p videos without any issue. 1080p playback isn’t very satisfactory.

Dell has introduced an update to its Inspiron Mini 10 series of netbooks. Currently the Inspiron Mini 10 has an Atom Z520 processor and the Mini 10v has an Atom N270 processor. The updated notebooks will have an Intel Atom N450 processor instead. The new models are expected to be available in the first week of January. Prices will start at $299.

The netbooks will ship with Windows 7 Starter or Windows XP home. Ubuntu 9.04 Linux will also be available in future. The chassis has undergone a minor makeover. The palm wrest area now features a textured finish. The touchpad on the new models still features the integrated mouse buttons but it will no longer support multi-touch gestures.

Both 3-cell and 6-cell battery options are available, but Dell said that most models will ship with 6 cell batteries. The netbooks measure just 1.3 inches in thickness.

There is no denying that laptops are getting cheaper and cheaper. Nowadays you can pick up a decent machine for under $600. These machines are both portable and usable and they won’t burn a hole in your market. But just in case, you were looking for something way cheaper, well, that is available too.

Take, for instance, the SMQ 4012 Aviation Book. This machine is slow but it is dirt-cheap. It has a 7 inch display with 800 x 480 pixels. The little device is powered by a VIA VT8500 ARM-based processor clocking at just 400MHz. 128MB of RAM and 2GB of storage is available. The SMQ Aviation run Windows CE and weighs around 1.4 pounds. The machine sells for 85 Euros or about $122.It is not available in the US yet.

Packard Bell’s latest offering – an 11.6 inch EasyNote Butterfly Touch Edition tablet – has made to company’s UK website. There is no official announcement, though.

The EasyNote Butterfly tablet will be available in NightSky Black or Cherry Red. It will have an 11.6 inch touch-screen display with 1366 x 768 pixels. The machine will run on an Intel CULV processor (Intel Pentium SU4100 or Core 2 Duo SU9400) with GMA 4500MHD graphics. Up to 2GB of RAM and up to 640GB of hard drive storage can be installed. The 6-cell battery is rated at 8 hours.

The EasyNote Butterfly will run Windows 7 Home Premium. You will also get some cool software additions such as Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 (full version), Nero 8 Essentials, Norton Internet Security and Microsoft Touch Pack apps with the notebook.
No word on pricing or availability as yet.

Pixel Qi says that its 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel displays are already in production. And now the company has announced that Notion Ink is going to be first manufacturer to release a product with its transflective display. The upcoming Notion Ink tablet will run Google’s Android. It will be powered by a NVIDIA Tegra T20 chipset. The Tegra chipset will give it enough power to handle 1080p HD video while at the same time reducing overall power consumption.

The Pixel Qi display can operate in two modes: fully saturated color mode and grayscale ePaper mode. The ePaper mode will save energy and make the display readable in bright settings. And while working indoors you can change the settings to fully saturated color mode and use the device as a computer. The tablet doesn’t have a physical keyboard, but it can be used for surfing web over WiFi. It can also be used as an eBook reader. Notion Ink says that you will be able to play HD video continuously for up to 8 hours.

The tablet is feature-packed. It supports WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G wireless and GPS. It has USB, HDMI, SD card slot, headphone and mic. It also has a 3 mega pixel webcam. For storage there is a 16GB or 32GB onboard flash storage.

Notion Ink is expected to show off the device at CES. No word on pricing or availability as yet.

Everybody wants a piece of the netbook market, or so it seems. Google reportedly is building its netbook and now UK retailer Marks & Spencer has launched its own netbook. The process is pretty simple: just call up a Taiwanese PC maker and order a few thousand netbooks. All that you need to do next is to slap your name on it and then sell it as your own netbook.

The netbook launched by Marks & Spencer is called MSNB-2009. The MSNB-2009 is manufactured by Elonex. The MSNB-2009 doesn’t have anything special about. It has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. The 10.1 inch display comes with 1024 x 600 pixels. The device runs Windows XP.

Asus has officially announced its Eee PC 1201T. This is the first Eee PC model to be powered by an AMD processor and ATI Radeon graphics.

In shape and design, the Eee PC 1201T isn’t much different from the recently launched Eee PC 1201N. But while the 1201N has a dual core Atom processor and ION graphics, the 1201T is powered by a 1.6GHz AMD Congo MV40 processor and ATI Radeon HD3200 graphics. The AMD-ATI combination will give the machine enough power to handle HD video playback.

The 1201T is equipped with a 12.1 inch display with 1366 x 768 pixels. The machine will run Windows 7 Home Premium. Up to 2GB of RAM can be installed. The storage option is a 250 GB hard drive. Asus also provides 500 GB of online storage. The connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Ethernet and Bluetooth (optional). There are 3 USB ports, VGA, SDHC card slot, 0.3 MP webcam, headphone and audio jacks.

The 6-cell battery is expected to give around 6 hours of run time. The Eee PC 1201T is available in black, silver and red. The notebook weighs 3.2 pounds with the battery pack.

Netbooks are becoming a rage these days and it seems Google, too, wants a piece of the action. If TechCrunch got it correct, we will be seeing a Google netbook before the end of next year. According to sources (unofficial, of course) Google is in talks with hardware manufactures about making a netbook. Sources also claim that detailed specs of the device have already been proposed and agreed upon. It seems the only thing missing is an official release date.

Specifications of the device have not yet been leaked. But one thing is certain: the machine will run Google Chrome. Another possibility is that it could be powered by an ARM processor. In that case it will be a smartbook and not a netbook.

Every PC maker is busy launching devices around the upcoming Pine Trail chips and Asus is no different. The company is planning to release updated versions of the Eee PC 1005HA. The new devices dubbed Eee PC 1005P and 1005PE will reportedly have a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor. While the 1005P will have a 160 GB hard drive and 1GB of RAM, the 1005PE will have a 250 GB hard drive. The latter will also support Bluetooth. Both notebooks will run on Windows 7 Starter Edition.

The Eee PC 1005P will retail for around $345, while the slightly higher priced 1005PE will cost around $382. The notebooks are now available for pre-order in many parts of Europe.

Asus has been working on a ‘keyboard computer’ for a while. Now word is that NorhTec, makers of the low cost Gecko EduBook Netbook is also planning to release a similar device that would pack a computer inside a keyboard.

The Gecko Surfboard, as it would be called, will have a low power x86-compatible chipset that integrates processor, graphics and memory functions. The Gecko Surfboard is very power efficient and would consume just 5 watts of power. NorhTec says that the Surfboard is about the same size as a typical keyboard, but it is a bit thick.

The Surfboard will be able to run Linux, Windows CE or Windows XP. While the Asus Eee keyboard is a multimedia device with an HDMI port, the Gecko Surfboard is different. It is meant to be a low cost primary computer. It has a VGA output port for connecting to a monitor. And if no monitor is available you can plug in a TV using the composite jacks. Other features include Ethernet, headphone, mic and USB ports. The Gecko Surfboard will cost around $99.

The Acer Aspire Timeline 1810TZ Olympic Edition thin and light notebook is now available for pre-order. It is essentially the same Aspire Timeline 1810TZ, but it has an Olympic logo on the lid. And while the standard Aspire 1810TZ goes for about $579.99, the Olympic edition costs about $30 more. The machine runs Windows 7 Home Premium.

The notebook is equipped with an 11.6 inch display with 1366 x 768 pixels. It is powered by a 1.3GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core SU4100 processor. Up to 3GB of RAM can be installed and up to 320GB of storage space is available. The Aspire 1810TZ Olympic Edition is now available for pre-order from Amazon. Interestingly, the standard Aspire 1810TZ is hard to find these days.

CherryPal has introduced a new netbook that is selling for as low as $99. Called Africa, it is a severely underpowered netbook. But at this price point you will definitely want to check it out.

The CherryPal Africa has a 7 inch display. It is powered by a 400MHz processor with 256MB of RAM and a 2GB of flash storage. The machine will run either Linux or Windows CE. The battery life is expected to be around 4 hours. Of course, the specifications are reminiscent of a cell phone and not a netbook. But isn’t CherryPal Africa worth buying? Well, it is. With its keyboard, WiFi and a web browser, the machine provides an extremely affordable means of accessing the internet. But be aware of its limitations before you order one.

Sources claim that NVIDIA is going to announce new Tegra-powered devices at CES in January. The company will also introduce its next generation Tegra chipset in January.
Nvidia’s Tegra platform combines a low power ARM-based processor with Nvidia graphics.

The Tegra chips are designed for use on small devices and would offer high quality video and graphics performance. As ARM processors are highly power efficient, you will also get excellent battery life. But not many devices use the Tegra chipset at the moment. There is the Zune HD which can play 720p video for up to 8.5 hours. There are also a few smartbooks.

The new devices will reportedly include smartphones, tablets, smartbooks and netbooks. The products are expected to start coming in early 2010.

Samsung recently launched two netbooks with Windows 7 – the Samsung N130 and Samsung N140. Of the two, the Samsung N140 has better specs than the N130.

The Samsung N140 is designed to replace the popular Samsung NC10. It is powered by a 1.66GHz N280 processor. Some models of N140 with Atom N270 are also available. The N130 has a slower 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor. The N140 provides about 6.5 hours of uptime, whereas the N130 has a lower capacity battery and you will get around 4 hours 44 minutes of uptime.

The differences aren’t just limited to the processors. The N140 has two speakers and SRS surround. Sound quality is reasonably good. The N130 has just one speaker and the sound quality isn’t very impressive. Both machines have the same keyboard and touchpad. The Samsung N130 is now available from Amazon for under $300.

Packard Bell has unveiled a Valentino Rossi edition of its dot notebook. Rossi is an Italian motorcycle racer with a huge fan following around the world. The notebook looks pretty slick and its design may appeal to both guys and gals.

No word on specs available at the moment. But the images indicate that the notebook could be a designer version of the Packard Bell Dot M/U which is actually a rebranded version of the Acer Aspire 1410. If that is indeed so, then you can expect to get an Intel CULV processor, GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics and an 11.6 inch display. You will also get a reasonable amount of storage space and memory.

Yet another netbook has it the FCC. This time around it is a 10 inch model from CLEVO.

The only interesting thing about CLEVO M81P is probably its HSPA wireless broadband capabilities which make it possible for the netbook to be subsidized by a wireless carrier in the US. The computer is powered by a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor. It has a 10.1 inch display with 1024x 600 pixels. Up to 2GB of RAM is available. The hard disk is a 2.5 inch model and the user manual recommends using a 5400 rpm drive.

The Clevo M81P is ultraportable. And at just 0.77 inches, it is one of the thinnest netbooks around. No word on pricing or availability yet.

It is not everyday that you hear about a notebook running a VIA processor. And it is nothing unusual, because VIA occupies only a tiny share of the notebook CPU market. The company is now heavily focusing on the market for tiny PC chips.

VIA has introduced two new desktop motherboards for use in small-form factor desktop computers called nettops. These motherboards are deigned for use with VIA’s Nano processors which compete with Intel’s Atom in the netbook segment.

The new VIA EPIA-M800 Mini-ITX motherboard can use either a 1.2GHz Nano U2500 processor or a 1.3GHz U2250 processor. It comes with VIA VX800 media processor and supports dual gigabit Ethernet, DVI and HDMI.

The VIA EPIA-N800 Nano-ITX motherboard can use the 1.3GHz U2250 processor. It also comes with the VIA VX800 media processor and has 6 USB and 2 SATA II ports. Other features include VGA, Gigabit Ethernet.

Plenty of 11 and 12 inch laptops with Atom processors and Nvidia ION graphics are now available. But the Asus Eee PC 1201N is different from the rest. It is powered by a dual core Intel Atom 330 processor with Nvidia ION graphics. The dual core Atom 330 is usually only found in desktop systems. It is more powerful than the Atom N270/N280 processors found in most netbooks. The presence of a dual core CPU gives the 1201N a significant edge over competing netbooks from HP, Samsung and Lenovo.

Review Laptop Specifications
Display: 12.1 inch display with 1366 x 768 pixels
Processor: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N330 dual core
Graphics: GeForce 9400M (ION Graphics)
Memory: 3GB of DDR2 RAM
Storage: 250/320 GB hard drive + 500 GB web based storage
Battery: 6-cell 5200mAh battery
Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium

Ports and Slots
The Asus Eee PC 1201N comes with the regular array of ports. There are 3 USB 2.0 ports, 1 SD card slot, HDMI, VGA, 0.3 mega pixel webcam, headphone and microphone jacks. Connectivity options include Ethernet, Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11b/g/n.

Design and Build Quality
The Asus Eee PC 1201N measures just 1.3 inches in thickness and weighs around 3.1 pounds. Build quality is reasonably good. The notebook comes with a shiny black plastic exterior. While the glossy exterior lends the notebook an attractive look, it tends to collect fingerprints.

Performance
The dual core Atom 330 and Nvidia ION combination gives the machine an edge over other netbooks with single core processors. Performance is good. The machine can easily decode 1080p Flash video using Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta with GPU acceleration. HD video also looks good on the high resolution display. The machine can also handle several graphics rich games such as Call of Duty 4, Torchlight and Street Fighter IV demo. And if you need to, you can edit photos in Photoshop CS4.

Battery life
Asus claims that the 6-cell battery will provide up to 8 hours of runtime. But in real usage you can’t get more than 5 hours. In fact, you won’t get more than 4 hours if you perform a lot of CPU and GPU intensive tasks.

Keyboard and touchpad
The keyboard is large and comfortable to type on. It comes with two full sized shift and two full sized arrow keys. The touchpad supports multi-touch gestures.

Heat and Noise
Heat and noise levels are well within normal limits. The 1201N is relatively quiet, almost silent. It doesn’t get too hot even under heavy loads.

Windows 7 is out and every netbook maker has released at least one model sporting the brand new OS. ViewSonic is no different. The company recently announced a Windows 7 version of its 10 inch VNB102 netbook.

The VNB102 will be released on December 18th with Windows 7 Starter. Prices start at $399. Other than the new operating system, the VNB102 doesn’t have anything to set it apart from other ViewSonic laptops. It has a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1 GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. The 10 inch display has 1024 x 600 pixels. Other features include WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Ethernet and VGA output. The 6-cell battery is expected to give up to 6 hours of runtime.

MSI first introduced its X-Slim line of notebooks at CES in January. Back then they had Intel Atom processors. Then MSI upgraded the notebooks to single core CULV processors such as the SU3500 and Core 2 Solo processor. And now MSI is giving these notebooks another performance boost. The company has just launched an MSI X350 notebook with a dual core Intel CULV processor.

The X350 is an ultra-thin notebook with a 13.4 inch display. It is an updated version of the X340. The notebook can be configured with either an Intel Pentium Dual Core SU4100 or Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor.

The MSI X350 will be available with 320GB to 500GB of storage space. 4-cell and 8-cell batteries are available. Other features include Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics, HDMI, 2GB of RAM and 1.3 MP webcam. The 13.4 inch display comes with 1366 x 768 pixels.

The X-Slim notebooks have always been compared to MacBook Air, even though the latter has much better specs and a much higher price tag. Despite getting a specs boost, the new MSI X-Slim X350 is no MacBook Air. But it is much better than a netbook.

Point of View is known for the graphics cards and other components they make. But of late the company has forayed into the mini-laptop market with a few good netbooks including a 10 inch model with Nvidia ION. Now they are entering the thin and light segment with an 11.6 inch notebook.

The Point of View Mibii Slim ULV has an 11.6 inch display with 1366 x 768 pixels. It is powered by a dual core 1.2 GHz Intel Celeron CULV processor with integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics. Other features include up to 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11b/g/n and 1.3 mega pixel webcam. The 4-cell battery is rated at 4400mAh. The machine runs Windows 7 Home Premium.

Point of View Mobii ULV measures just 1.1 inch in thickness and weighs 3.3 pounds. It is now available in Germany for about 599 Euros or $875.

For a limited period of time, the Nokia Booklet 3G will be available for $199.99 if you sign up for a 2-year data plan from AT&T. The 10 inch netbook normally goes for $299 with the AT&T contract.

The Nokia Booklet 3G was one of the most anticipated netbooks of the year, but unfortunately it failed to impress many reviewers. The mini-laptop does have some premium features like integrated GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G modem for use on the go, but it runs on the Intel Atom Z530 processor which is slower than the Atom N270/N280 processors found in most netbooks. The integrated GMA 500 graphics, however, feature the 720p HD video acceleration. The netbook also has an HDMI port for transferring video to an external monitor.

A number of 3G-enabled netbooks are now available from wireless carriers like Verizon, Sprint and AT&T. And at $199.99, the Booklet 3G is indeed a good choice price-wise. But before you head to the nearest dealer, bear in mind that $199.99 is only the upfront cost. The data plan will cost you $60 per month over a period of 24 months.

Intel is all set to release its Pine Trail platform on January 11 and more and more netbooks are hitting the FCC with the new chipset. Fujitsu recently filed documents with FCC for its LifeBook M380 netbook which will have a Pine Trail chipset.

The LifeBook M830 will be powered by an Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz processor with on-die graphics engine and memory controller. This set up will replace the current 3-chip design with a 2-chip design that will make the system less complex and reduce power consumption. The Pine Trail chips will give longer battery life. But they are unlikely to improve system performance.

The LifeBook M380 will have a 10.1 inch LCD display with 1366 x 768 pixels. Other features include Atheros WiFi b/g/n and Realtek Ethernet. No word on pricing or availability, but Fujitsu is expected to unveil the netbook at CES in January.

Toshiba has filed documents with FCC for its upcoming netbook – the NB300 - with 3G wireless and GPS capabilities. The Toshiba NB300 will have a 10.1 inch display. The netbook will have a Qualcomm Gobi2000 module for 3G wireless connectivity. It will be compatible with a variety of mobile networks as it supports GPS, EVDO, EDGE, CDMA200 and WCDM/HSPA standards.

No further details are available at the moment. But the netbook is expected to be introduced early next year. It is also likely to have an Intel Atom Pineview chip. In related news, Sony has also filed an FCC application for an updated version of its 10 inch Vaio W netbook with a wireless Gobi module.

LG has filed documents with FCC for its upcoming notebook with Intel Atom processor. The LG X30, as it would be called, is an 11.6 inch thin and light laptop. The display has 1366 x 768 pixels. LG is yet to officially announce the laptop, but the details filed with FCC include a user manual, external photos and a number of shots of the computer’s internal parts.

The LG X30 weighs just 2.1 pounds. The storage option, it seems, is a solid state drive. Other features include Wi Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth. The touchpad supports multi-touch controls such as pinching to zoom. The user manual states that the notebook would be powered by an Atom processor, but doesn’t specify which Atom processor. No word on pricing or availability as yet.