We here at Netbook.ie would all love our own personal arcade, but sadly a lack of square footage can make that a challenge.

The new Nanocade Netbook accessory is much more affordable and, conveniently much smaller too. It's a kit from designer Rasmus Sorensen that enables you to turn a netbook into a wee GAME cabinet.  Your Pacman high scores will be in for a tough time.

If you have such a donor machine when this kit starts shipping in March 2011 all you'll need is a little a technical know-how to make your own. Oh, and €300 plus shipping. 
 

Today, Intel AppUp, the chip-maker’s app store for Windows-based netbooks, came out of beta. If you’re growing weary of app stores for different platforms, AppUp’s mission is at least unique: to provide apps that will run smoothly on Atom powered Windows XP and Windows 7-based netbooks. (They will one day run on MeeGo devices too). In addition to offering some more lightweight apps, though, Intel is keen on the idea of users being able to discover and purchase them in a central location.

We got some hands-on time with AppUp, after installing it on our Toshiba NB305, which runs Windows 7.

To install AppUp, go to appup.com. If you don’t have Adobe AIR installed already, you’ll be prompted to download it during the installation process. The first time we launched the storefront on our desktop, the program involuntarily closed, but it opened normally the second time. Although you don’t need an AppUp account to download and install the store, you’ll need one to download apps, even free ones. This process happens online, and involves creating a password, and handing over your name and e-mail address.

With its separate onscreen boxes for browsing apps by categories, staff favorites, what’s new, and what’s hot, the layout isn’t unlike Apple’s App Store. It’s certainly an improvement over Android, which makes it impossible to sort apps based on user ratings, although you can search by category or focus on newly released apps.

Although just five categories are on display on the main screen, there are actually 22 on display, with duplicates for utilities and games, since there are already more apps to choose from in these areas than in others. (We don’t see why Intel can’t just have, say, one large games section). With the exception of categories such as games, which boasts more than 60  titles already, most of the categories are sparsely stocked. We counted one books app, for instance,two news ones,  three each in the business and communications categories, and four music apps.

Right now, the selection is also random, at best. Take, for instance, the game based on the show Murder She Wrote. (Ed. note: Yikes.) The free Calculator app lets users calculate things such as cosines and tangents, but lacks on onscreen number pad and is confusing to use, regardless of your recollection of high school-level formulas. Some, such as the Spacact Photo Manager, are useful, albeit, with crude interfaces. This one, for example, doesn’t have editing tools; just a link to start editing with whatever third-party editor you have installed already.

To boot, too few of them are free; you’ll see many that cost $0.99 or even $4.99. Something this experimental and with so few apps can’t afford to be pricey. Between this and the selection, AppUp’s launch reminds us of the launch of Windows Mobile’s app store. Whether this initiative is for real or just a placeholder while Microsoft develops  a full-fledged Windows app store, we hope Intel can pick up more developer support than it has so far

Hands-on with Gateway's LT32 premium Netbook

The Gateway LT3201u Netbook.

(Credit: Dan Ackerman/CNET)

Netbooks have settled into a comfortable set of stock components, offering basic PC functionality for prices unheard of even a few years ago. The typical setup of a 10-inch display, Intel Atom N450 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and Windows 7 Starter is easy to find for as little as $299, and more than adequate for many tasks, from e-mail to Web surfing.

But those low, low prices mean PC makers are eager to upsell, and a handful of Netbook-plus systems have turned up, with larger HD displays, more RAM, and even better CPUs and graphics capabilities, such as the Asus Eee PC 1201, which pairs a bigger screen with Nvidia's ION GPU for what some call a "Premium Netbook" experience.

The latest system to offer a little more Netbook for a little more money is the Gateway LT32. This 11.6-inch laptop skips the typical Intel Atom for an AMD Athlon Neo II K125 processor. While still a single core chip, AMD has always positioned the Neo as a better performer than the Atom, and during initial anecdotal hands-on use, that certainly seems to be the case. The LT32 also includes ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4225 graphics--still not a discrete GPU, but a small step up from the integrated Intel graphics found in most Netbooks.

Almost as important to the end user experience is the 2GB of RAM (double what's in a typical Netbook) and Windows 7 Home Premium operating system instead of the more common Windows 7 Starter Edition.

The design of the LT32 is reminiscent of the Acer Ferrari One, an excellent 11-inch Premium Netbook from earlier in 2010. That system was even better, with a dual-core AMD CPU and 4GB of RAM, but it also cost nearly $600, putting it in solid mainstream laptop territory.

(Credit: Dan Ackerman/CNET)

The Gateway LT32 is more reasonably priced. Gateway is listing it for $449, but hopefully some adventurous retailer will sell it for $399 -- which would make it a great $100 upgrade from entry level Netbooks.

In our hands-on use, the LT32 felt like a definite step up from Atom-powered Netbooks. We spent less time staring the spinning Windows wait icon, and launching and switching between apps resulted in less hang time. Both the Neo processor and extra RAM likely play a part in this. The Radeon graphics weren't much for 3D games (although some more basic games are certainly playable -- see our list of great games for Netbooks for some examples), but HD video playback was great, including streaming Flash video in HD -- something that trips up even Netbooks using Broadcom's Crystal HD video accelerator.

The large keyboard is typical of 11-inch Netbooks, and certainly easier to type on, although its wide, flat, closely packed keys felt a little wobbly, especially around the center of the keyboard. The touch pad is undersized, and made of the same material as the rest of the wrist rest, demarcated only by a faint raised line. Like most current laptop touch pads, it includes some basic multi-touch gestures, such as two-finger scrolling, but they were hard to use, failing to register much of the time. At least the left and right mouse buttons are actual separate buttons, skipping the unfortunate recent Gateway trend of using a single, thin rocker bar in place of mouse buttons.

One area where the Intel Atom still has a clear advantage is battery life, and while the LT32 lasted around four hours in anecdotal use, that's nowhere near the six-plus hours a highly efficient Atom Netbook can get.

Nonetheless, using a Netbook with just a bit more oomph makes a huge difference, and if priced reasonably by retailers, this could be a very attractive alternative. We're currently testing the Gateway LT32 in the CNET Labs, so stay tuned for a full review with benchmark scores.

By Dan Ackerman.

All rights reserved.

The netbook itself is pretty has the following value specification:

• 10.1 inch, 1,024 x 600 display
• Choice of:
   - 1.66GHz Atom N450 with 1GB of DDR2 RAM
  - 1.66GHz Atom N455 with 2GB of DDR3
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics
• 250GB hard drive
• Card reader, 3x USB, Wireless N, Bluetooth, Ethernet …
• 8 hour battery life with optional 6 cell battery
• Size: 258.5mm x 185mm x 24mm
• Weight: 1.25kg
• MiniGo adapter 34% lighter than typical adapters
• Choice of four colors: Black Flake, Purple Flake, Pink Flake and Charcoal Flake.

What’s really quite interesting about this new Netbook is the dual boot - offering both Windows 7 and Google Android OS. There’s very little info on the Android OS from Acer at present, so I’m guessing Android 1.5. We are however promised a 15 second boot time to check email and surf the web, which is great.

No price yet, and availability is expected July 1st

Elegant Seashell Inspired Design

Seemingly crafted by nature itself, the Eee PC™ Seashell draws its inspiration from seashells and its opalescent and glossy exterior is crafted by the innovative in-Mold Roller technology; matte painting in C part to create baby soft touch. It's so light and compact, you can take it anywhere with you! And with sleek curves and smooth lines hugging its lustrous shell, the Eee PC™ Seashell will easily charm passers-by wherever it goes.

Saves Power and the Planet - 11 hours battery life with Super Hybrid Engine

The Eee PC™ 1005PE is not only beauty outside with elegant seashell design, but also matches with its power inside as energy efficiency. It features the new power-saving Intel® Atom™ N450 CPU, which works in tandem with ASUS’ exclusive Super Hybrid Engine energy management technology to deliver 11 hours* of battery life on a single charge. The Eee PC™ 1005PE’s is truly the product of ASUS’ love for the Earth and perfect masterpiece to eliminate worries about power while on-the-go for full day, unplugged computing.

Dual OS: Lose the Wait with Express Gate

The Eee PC™ 1005PE offers near-instant access to the Internet thanks to the inclusion of Express Gate, an ancillary operating system that boots up in seconds. Make Skype calls, surf the web, browse photos, play online games, engage in instant messaging, and much more with Express Gate!

No Deficiency in Efficiency

The Eee PC™ Seashell 1005PE features a breathtaking design that includes a 10.1” LED-backlit display and an ergonomic chiclet keyboard. It also comes with an extra 500GB of online ASUS WebStorage** which allows you to access, share and back up your files and media no matter where you are, through an easy-to-use drag-and-drop web-based interface.

It’s an ultraportable notebook Netbook with an 11.6″, 1366 x 768 display, and Intel Core 2 DUO SU7300 processor, 4GB of RAM, 500 GB storage, a full-sized keyboard and a 9-hour battery. Specs-wise, it’s pretty good. It also comes with a lot of Barbie-related stuff such as the Barbie logo on the lid, screen saver, and desktop icons. It comes in black or pink. I’m not a big fan of pink netbooks since pink isn’t one of my preferred netbook colors, but the black looks nice.

It’s oh-so-very manly

Samsung has announced four new netbooks for its N-Series line: N210, N220, N150 and NB30. All of these will run on the Intel Pine Trail platform with an Atom N450 processor.

The highlight of these new devices? Battery life.

Netbooks are primarily meant to be portable devices, so being plug-free for as long as possible is essential. Samsung has taken note, incorporating Enhanced Battery Life solution support and an energy-efficient 10.1-inch LED display. The N210 and N220 should last up to 12 hours, the NB30 runs for 11 hours and the N150 keeps going up to 8.5 hours.

All of the netbooks are built in mark and scratch-resistant casing, and they each host a Digital LiveCam. However, not all four are quite alike.

The NB30 is the most durable pair of the quartet with an hard drive disk sensor, which auto-parks the HDD if it senses that the netbook dropping. It’s also water-resistant up to 50 cc for 10 seconds before removal.

The N210 and N220 feature “Instant On” capability, allowing them to turn on and go online before Windows finishes booting.

Finally, the N150 is the most simple of the netbooks, but it stands out with an integrated hinge for smoother movement.

1. Nettops and Netbooks with New Atom CPU and platform can handle Multimedia apps: Sure, you won't be compositing images into Hollywood movies like James Cameron's Avatar on a nettop, but the new Atom D510, D410, and N450 processors are capable of quickly getting the red eye out of photos and helping you airbrush out that distracting trash can in your latest Ansel Adams-style snapshot. PhotoShop CS4 is well within Atom N450 and D410's specs.

2. The same architecture is used in both nettops and netbooks: All three of the new Atom processors work with the new Intel NM510 Express chipset, so applications that work on the portable netbook will work on the sedentary nettops, as will drivers for any of your hardware, or even apps that you develop in-house for your business.

3. Power savings is substantial: Exclusive of technologies like networking and built-in displays, the new Pine Trail architecture uses less than 20W of power.

4. These systems will be quiet: In addition to the savings on your power bill, lower TDP (Thermal Design Power) mean that new nettops and netbooks using Pine Trail won't need fans to cool themselves, so therefore they will be inherently quieter, a boon if you're listening to music or watching a video.

5. This platform is (still) Web-oriented: Netbooks and nettops are still oriented to consuming content on the Internet. You don't need a quad-core processor to surf the 'Net and watch videos on YouTube.

6. You'll see richer Websites than on any smartphone: Though smartphones are your "always on" Internet link, you can't currently view websites with heavy Flash content on your iPhone or Android phone (yet). A MID or netbook with Atom N450 will be able to full support Adobe Flash.

7. They could be your primary computer: The first generation of netbooks was strictly your "third" or "fourth" PC in the house. They were simply too small and slow to keep up with a complicated digital life. Back then, you needed a Core 2 Duo or Athlon X2 powered PC to do most of the things you do on a PC, unless you wanted to tear your hair out waiting for everything to finish processing. The newest Atom processor and platform is powerful enough to do everything on the Web and most general tasks. Anything "harder" like 3D gaming or video editing, and you'll still need to go to a higher-powered desktop or notebook, but you can certainly live your virtual life on Facebook, Twitter your latest thoughts, and surf to your heart's content all at the same time on any new Atom powered netbook or nettop without too much effort.

 by Joel Santo Domingo

(Credit: Asus)

Hot on the heels of the well-regarded HP Mini 311, Asus has moved the Netbook bar forward by taking a 12-inch Netbook chassis and including both Nvidia's Ion graphics and a dual-core version of Intel's Atom processor (called the Atom 330). We've previously seen dual-core Atoms only in a handful of Nettop desktops, because of heat issues, and it's unlikely we'd see one in anything smaller than a 12-inch laptop body.

While still small, the 1201N fits in a full-size keyboard and a 250GB hard drive (plus access to 500GB of online storage space). The system comes with Windows 7 Starter and 2GB of RAM. Asus claims the 6-cell battery should last up to five hours, similar to what we've seen in other Eee PC models.

In a brief hands-on demo, we noted that the Asus Eee PC 1201N looks very similar to the current Eee PC line, including the popular 1005HA, with a black glossy finish and textured touch pad.

Combined with a 1,366x768 HD display, the Nvidia Ion GPU makes for a great video watching experience, once you download the new Flash 10.1 beta, which allows the Ion to accelerate streaming Flash video.

It's available later this year in the US, the Eee PC 1201N we have no confirmed release date here but it should be available in Ireland in Spring 2010.

The upper-left corner has an applications menu with links to a variety of Web applications. Those applications can be permanently lodged as narrow tabs between that menu and ordinary browser tabs.

Although screen real estate is tight--especially given the presence of a clock and status icons to indicate Wi-Fi connections and the like in the upper right--more than one browser can be open at a time even if others are hidden in the background.

Photo by Google

New Atom Netbooks coming for CES?

 

Imagine the HP Mini 311 with a new Atom...

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

 

With CES coming in January and Windows 7 computers already everywhere to be found, a casual observer might assume that Vegas' annual consumer electronics extravaganza might not be as exciting for laptops. For Netbooks, at least, that seems to be completely untrue. Although Netbooks have seen an across-the-board upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 and, in some instances, boosts like HD-resolution screens, added RAM, and discrete Nvidia GPUs, Netbooks still tend to run variants of the same N270/280 Atom processor we've seen since 2008.

Intel has been readying its newer Atoms, including a dual-core D510, for a while, but a rumor of a leaked document suggests that Intel might be unveiling the new Atom N450 (the successor to the N270), and even new Netbooks and Nettops containing it, at CES. The report also suggests a possibly quick decommissioning of the old Atom N270s. Intel's new Atoms are supposed to provide better battery life as well as smoother video playback.

We've already found some great new Netbooks recently, and this should only drive the new wave of Netbooks ever forward.

We're excited about seeing some of these future Netbooks. As long as they stay affordable, that is.

(Via Engadget)

Hewlett-Packard on Tuesday announced its first Netbook with an 11.6-inch screen and Nvidia's Ion chipset as well as two inexpensive "ultrathin" laptops.

HP Mini 311 Netbook uses an 11.6-inch screen and Nvidia Ion chipset

(Credit: Hewlett-Packard

The Mini 311 is the first HP Netbook to use a large screen--11.6 inches exceeds the upper limit of 10 inches on standard Netbooks--and is the first to get high-octane Nvidia Ion graphics--the same graphics used in laptops such as the Apple MacBook Air.

The 11.6-inch diagonal LED display is available in high-definition 1366x768-pixel resolution. It includes HDMI and VGA video connectors.

Nvidia's Ion chipset is a graphics processing unit (GPU) that works together with the low-power Intel Atom processor to generate standard-laptop-like graphics performance.

"By processing data-intensive applications in parallel with the CPU, ION-based Netbooks offer many of the same capabilities of full-sized notebooks including support for all versions of Microsoft Windows," Nvidia said in a statement.

HP 'ultrathin' ProBook 5310m

(Credit: Hewlett-Packard

Analysts believe that getting mainstream-laptop level of performance in a Netbook is important. "Our research shows that most people who buy a netbook expect it to behave like a full-sized notebook," according to a statement that Nvidia provided from Tim Bajarin, principal analyst at Creative Strategies. "With Ion-based Netbooks like this one from HP, consumers can expect a well-rounded experience and the ability to handle nearly all of their everyday computing needs," he said.

The Mini 311 will start at $399 in the U.S.

HP also introduced a couple of relatively inexpensive "ultrathins," the ProBook 5310m and Pavilion dm3. The ProBook 5310m is 0.9-inches thick, weighs in at 3.7 pounds, and sports a 13.3-inch diagonal LED high-definition display. It is offered with a Intel Core 2 Duo SP9300 (low-power) processor and combines durable, black anodized aluminum with a magnesium frame.

The HP Pavilion dm3--also classified as an ultrathin--comes in an all metal design, with up to 10 hours of battery life via the standard six-cell battery. The dm3 uses a 13.3-inch diagonal LED screen and offers AMD or Intel processors and a discrete graphics chip.

HP Envy 13 laptop is a higher-priced, higher-performance thin laptop

(Credit: Hewlett-Packard

The HP ProBook 5310m starts at $699 with an Intel Celeron dual core and $899 with Intel Core 2 Duo. The notebook is expected to be available in North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region on Oct. 22 with the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system.

The HP Pavilion dm3 starts at $549 with an AMD processor and $649 with an Intel processor and is expected to be available starting Oct. 22 with the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system.

The higher-priced and higher-performance sub-one-inch-thick "Envy 13" laptop bears some of the hallmarks of the MacBook Air, such as an aluminum body and a robust graphics chip. The Envy 13 will come with an Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400, ATI Radeon HD 4330 graphics, and a 1,366x768 display. It starts at $1,699.

by Brooke Crothers

Samsung to add to N-Series netbook range

Prior to its own press conference at IFA, Samsung has just announced new N Series netbooks – the N130, N140 and N510.

The headline development is an 11-hour battery life for the N140, while Samsung is still saying the Intel Atom-basedmodels will come with Windows XP Home – presumably it can't say anything until Windows 7 availability on its netbooks until the Microsoft OS launches on 22 October.

The N130 is the lightest of the bunch, weighing in at 1.26Kg, while the company retains its gloss finish and availability of multiple colours including black, white, sea blue, and peach pink. The N510 has a 16:9 11.6-inch display powered by Nvidia Ion graphics, while the other models have 10.1-inch screens.

Phil Brown, General Manager of Samsung UK's Notebook Division said the new launch "demonstrates Samsung's commitment to the netbook market as a strategic priority for the business."

The market has certainly forced Samsung to come a long way from May 2008 when it announced it was merely considering launching a rival to the Eee PC.

All three models will be available from early September. All will be available at great prices from Netbook.ie

Nokia have announced their own netbook, the Nokia Booklet 3G, promising up to 12 hours battery life together with integrated WiFi, 3G HSPA and GPS.  The 1.25kg netbook has an aluminum chassis and measures around 2cm thick; it uses an unspecified Intel Atom processor, has an HDMI output for HD video playback and a 10.1-inch glass HD-ready display.

The ports include three USB 2.0 connectors and an SD card slot, plus there’s Bluetooth and a front-facing webcam.  OS is Windows 7, at least going by the demo video and there’s integration with Nokia’s Ovi services including Maps for Ovi that uses the GPS and A-GPS, music downloads, VPN integration and more.  Nokia are also talking about a hot-swappable SIM slot, which suggests you’ll be able to flip between 3G connections without needing to shut off the Booklet.

Nokia are promising the full specifications and pricing for the Booklet 3G at Nokia World next week.