Best netbook 2010 - reviews and comparisons » expensive netbooks

New Samsung netbooks: N230 Slim and N220 Plus Premium

Mike — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:06:48 +0000

Some of the most popular netbooks in the world come from Samsung. Two new models joined their fleet these days, when the Korean producer launched the N230 Slim ultra compact and N220 Plus premium netbooks .

Both the N220 and N230 exist on the market these days. However, these are new and improved versions of those ones.

The Samsung N230 Slim is indeed compact. With just 0.9 inches in thickness and weighing 2.2 pounds (around 1 kilo), this 10 incher is truly portable and can easily join the list of lightest netbooks on the market. Plus, it brings a new exterior, with a futuristic design (especially the hinge ), better materials (glossy plastic used for the exterior, while the area around the keyboard mimics brushed metal), a chiclet keyboard and a new and bigger trackpad with independent click buttons.

On the inside, specs are pretty much standard for a 10 inch mini laptop these days: Atom N455 1.66 GHz processor, 1 GB DDR3 memory, 250 GB storage, Wi-Fi N, Bluetooth 3.0, card-reader, Windows 7 Starter and a 3 Cell battery. That last one is a shame, because this Samsung will only be able to offer around 5 hours of life, while other 10 inchers can do a lot better.

Samsung N230 Slim - ultracompact and light, but kind of expensive

Still, this device targets mobility more than everything, hence a small battery was introduced to keep weight as low as possible. Too bad price won’t be that low also, as rumors say this Samsung N230 Slim will come to Europe for around 400 euros (that would mean around 400-420 bucks in the States). Pricey!

The Samsung N220 Plus Premium is an improved version of the N220, an overall excellent netbook . Samsung upgraded some other versions lately, like the NB30 Pro. Like that one, this N220 brings some changes to the exterior, but mostly improved and new features.

There’s a new exterior with a dimpled finish, but still made out of a glossy plastic, which looks and feels great, but will have problems in time with scratches and smudges. There’s also a new chiclet keyboard, theoretically with better spaced keys and some optimizations (right CTRL and ALT keys are wider, because they are often used for KEY Shortcuts). Plus display seems to be matte, at least from the pictures (that remains to be confirmed though).

Inside, Samsung N220 Plus Premium boosts great specs for a 10 incher: new Atom N475 1.83 GHz processor, 2 GB of DDR3 memory, 320 GB storage space, Wi-Fi N and Bluetooth 3.0, Windows 7 Home Premium OS, SDXC card-reader and webcam. There’s also a 6 Cell battery (4400 mAh) which should offer around 6-7 hours of life on a daily basics.

Samsung N220 - new looks, better features, powerful hardware

All in all, the N220 Plus Premium is definitely versatile. More powerful than the standard 10 incher, it brings some very nice goodies like the more ergonomic keyboard, non-glare screen and fast connectivity. All these come with a price though, as this mini laptop will sell in Europe for 400 euros. Still, It’s a very fair price considering the features, so I’m looking forward to see this one in stores soon.

Both these Samsungs have been for now announced in Europe and should become available pretty soon. Hopefully, they will also reach the US market later this year, I know many of you guys would love to give them a spin.

Source: Blogeee 1 and 2

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New Vaio P gets crocodile skin

Mike — Thu, 27 May 2010 05:51:45 +0000

Sony has just recently updated their ultra-portable (and ultra expensive) Vaio P line, with new and improved hardware and extra features like GPS, 3G, accelerometer and a nice optical trackpad. However, if those are not enough for you, there will be some other customizing options for your tiny Vaio.

Let’s say you’ve built one with the best possible specs:

Intel Z560 processor + GMA 500 graphics (capable of Full HD playing)
2 GB of memory
256 GB SSD drive
8 inch 1600 x 768 px display
Wi-Fi N, Bluetooth, 3G, GPS
Windows 7 Home Premium
12 hours battery life

Sony Vaio P with crocodile skin

Not how about a special finish made out of crocodile skin. Sounds good, ay? Well, actually not, think about the crocs that have to be skinned for it. The end product does look great though and will make quite an impression between millionaire business people who look to suit a mini laptop with their crocodile boots, briefcase or watch-band.

But is this what we all needed right now? I’d say no. Though, if you want this customization option, look for it from June in Japan and be prepared to pay a couple of thousands of bucks for the end product.

Source: Sonybrands (via EEEPC.net)

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Ultra-slim LG X300 now available in some parts of the world

Mike — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:04:01 +0000

Remember the slim Sony Vaio X. And also the X300 showcased by LG at CES in January? Well, good news, the LG will have this ultra-slim and ultra-light netbook available in some parts of the world by the end of the month.

With a body that only measures 0.7 inches (17.5mm) in thickness, there’s no doubt the LG X300 is thin. And it also only weighs around 2.1 lbs. What’s amazing is that the producers managed to squeeze quite some potent hardware inside:

a 2.0 GHz Z550 processor
2 GB of RAM
up to 128 GB SSD storage
11.6 inch display (1366 x 768 px)
Wi-Fi N and 3G
Windows 7 OS
2 x 2Cell batteries (up to 7 hours of life)

However, as this device is built on the low powered Menlow platform, don’t expect amazing performances. Thus, this mini laptop is closer to the Vaio X than the most powerful Macbook Air or Dell Adamo XPS.

LG X300 - thin and compact, but expensive

As I said earlier, this gadget will be available from later this month on the Asian, Middle Eastern and South American markets. In Korea, prices are expected to be around $1400. But expect the LG X300 to be a lot cheaper when it will reach the US, probably around the 1000 bucks margin.

All in one, the LG X300 is an amazing device, with an incredible form factor and good performances. However, its target is somehow limited; this gadget is just not meant for us, regular mortals.

Source: Engadget

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Samsung GO N315 – updated Pine-Trail version

Mike — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:04:58 +0000

Samsung finally prepares the GO N315, a successor for their GO N310 successful 10 inch netbook, this one with PineTrail hardware and some extra features.

The previous generation was pretty popular despite its steep price, mainly because of the rugged case and solid construction that made it one of the toughest and most reliable mini laptops in the 10 inch class. The new class kept the same qualities on the outside, but came with improvements inside. In fact, the only thing to have changed on the exterior seems to be the display that is now non-glare, as oposed to the glossy one on the N310. Besides that, you get the same chiclet keyboard and touch-pad and the same comfortable matte palm rest.

In terms of specs, the Samsung GO N315 doesn’t look too bad:

Intel N450 1.66 GHz processor
1 GB of RAM and 250 GB hard-drive
Wi-fi N but no Bluetooth
3xUSB, VGA, Lan, card-reader, 1.3 MPx webcam, stereo speakers
Windows 7 OS
4 Cell battery

Samsung GO N315 - same tough look, with updated hardware and features

But there’s actually nothing too special for this new GO when compared to similar mini laptops from Asus, Acer or Toshiba. In fact, the lack of Blueooth or the poor battery that can only offer up to 5 hours of life are pretty big lacks.

The good part is that Samsung decided to make the new Go N315 a little bit more affordable, so while the old version cost around 500 bucks, this new one has a price tag of only $429 and can be ordered from Amazon . For now it’s only available in Blue, but expect more colors to follow soon.

Still, if you’re not looking for a tough-netbook, the better equipped and cheaper alternatives like the Asus 1005PE or Toshiba NB305 are smarter choices in my opinion.

Via Netbooked

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Asus 1018P – solid EEE PC and definitely a future bestseller

Mike — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:49:09 +0000

I placed the newly announced Asus 1016P on top of my personal list of netbooks to have in the previous article. But, only 30 minutes later, that version is no longer there, as i laid my eyes on the photos and videos with the new Asus EEE PC 1018P, which is many times better.

———

Update: See my complete review of the Asus 1018P via this link.

———

Why? First, it looks way cooler, with the same aluminum finish for the case and palm rest, but a more thinner body. Check the pictures to see how thin that screen lid actually is. It kind of reminds me of that extra-expensive Sony Vaio Z. The improved chiclet keyboard and new touchpad are present too, and although this device has a similar 10 inch display as the 1016P (although is not HD ready, but i dislike big resolutions on small screens anyway), it’s actually more compact in every aspect.

Incredibly slim lid for the Asus 1018P

And a fancy brushed aluminum case

There’s also the hardware part, this mini laptop packing the latest technology available at the moment: N740 processor (with N475 to follow), 2 GB of RAM, 250 GB storage, Wi-Fi N + Bluetooth 2.1 , Windows 7 Home Edition.

Specs for the Asus 1018P

However, in order to obtain this sleek design, something had to be sacrificed, and that was the battery. From the looks of it, only a 42 wAh one could be squeezed in, enough for up to 6.5 hours of life. But don’t worry, you can always get a spare battery with you if autonomy is the thing you need.

It seems that there actually going to be two different versions for the 1018P, a compact one available in black and a bigger one available in White and silver, with integrated 3G and a more potent 9 hours battery. More info should be unveiled in the following days.

It seems there will be actually two versions for the 1018P

Of course, i am right now curious on the price tags Asus is going to post for this Asus EEE PC 1018P masterpiece. I’m pretty sure it ain’t going to be very affordable, probably somewhere around 500-600 bucks. Still, with the looks and the features, this device targets a more upper class (there’s even a fingerprint reader) that the standard netbook buyer, so money shouldn’t really be a problem.

Thus, there’s no doubt in my mind this mini laptop will become a best seller in just weeks from its launch. Let’s just wait to see when will this happen. And in the mean time, also check out the hands-on video from Sascha at CeBIT 2010 .

Sources: netbooknews.de , netbooknews.com

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Convertible Asus T101MT on my desk – first look and some unboxing pictures

Mike — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:49:14 +0000

Once again i have an interesting product on my desk, another Asus, the long awaited 10 inch convertible EEE PC T101MT.

Comes with PineTrail hardware (N450 processor), 2 GB of RAM and 320 GB storage space. Also there’s the standard glossy case we find on most Asus netbooks (white for this version), but the screen is pretty matte. And runs Windows 7, of course.

This is the first touch-enabled netbook i get my hands on, and while i wasn’t expecting too much out of the resistive display, my first impressions on the quality and responsiveness is pretty poor. Still, i won’t judge it yet, give me a couple of days to play with the gadget more, and then we’ll see.

That’s it for now, you can see some unboxing pictures below (pretty poor pictures actually). And expect for a review in the next days (with way better pics by that time and maybe some videos also).

PS: I will update the post with some more pictures and details tomorrow morning (European time), once i get the chance to get in contact with my friend who helps me with photos on this site.

Update: Here’s the post with the extra photos, this time a lot better.

Update: And here is the review i promised.

Also, John had the chance to play with the same device earlier today and posted a hands-on video. Check for more details on his site.

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Toshiba NB305 review – most comfortable in its class, but a little pricey

Mike — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:52:41 +0000

Toshiba NB305 review summary

Toshiba NB305 - one of the best overall

I’ve always been a fan of Toshiba’s netbooks. They offered just the specs the others did, but with some extra features and looks closer to my taste, with none of the glossy parts other netbooks have.

That’s also the case with the NB305, the new series of 10 inch netbooks from Toshiba, with improved hardware (PineTrail) and buffed features.

It is at the moment one of the most complete devices available. Good specs, ergonomic keyboard and touchpad, good battery life, nice design, all of these are here. However, the Toshiba NB305 is not perfect and has its own faults, the biggest problem being the price, which is at least 10% above the competition. But is well worth!

Pros:

nice matte body (although there’s a glossy version too, for “fingerprints lovers”)
very good build quality
now only weights 2.6 pounds, making it one of the lightest 10 inch netbooks out there
good keyboard with chiclet independent keys and a nice metallic feel
properly sized touchpad, separated from the rest of the body and with two click buttons
6 Cell battery offers up to 11 hours of life on paper (around 9 in practice on Windows 7) – plus, the battery is not part of the body and no longer sticks out in the back
standard PineTrail hardware (N450 processor, 1 GB of RAM, 250 GB hard-drive)
performance levels are good, within this class averages
comes with Windows 7 OS (or XP for the cheaper version) and some useful extra-software
good connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (and optional 3G in the future)
good sound quality and volume (unlike the predecessor)
available in multiple colors and two price/equipment versions

Cons:

display is still glossy, but there’s less glare than on the Acer or Asus devices. Still, it would have been nice to have a matte display.
there’s only a 0.3 MPx camera, so if you care about that, there’s room of improvement in this area
the top versions sell for $399, and that makes the Toshiba NB305 one of the most expensive 10 inch netbooks on the market right now

Conclusion:

Overall, Toshiba did it once again with the NB305. It might not be the best in terms of performances, it might not provide the best autonomy and it might not be the most affordable, but all in one, this netbook is the most comfortable to use of all. It’s light so can be carried around easily, offers still good battery life, comes with perhaps the best keyboard and touchpad seen on a netbook yet and is not a fingerprints and scratches magnet. All these should just be enough for the extra bucks you’ll have to get out of the pocket. At least for me they are.

Available versions and where to buy them

There are actually two different versions of the NB305. There’s the fancy model, with all the above features, that sells for $399 between $349 and $379, based on color scheme (Royal Blue one is the most affordable). You can get this Toshiba in Blue, White or Brown and you can see more about the devices in here (with pics, reviews and the option to buy them for the best prices available online).

Also, there’s the improved version of this Toshiba Mini NB305, with better hardware: new N455 Atom processor and DDR3 memory. Everything else is the same, hence price is only a little bit bigger: around $369 . Details via this link.

And if you happen to live in UK, you can get this Toshiba for $324.99 pounds these days, but this is the upgraded version, with the same N455 CPU. However, only the Brown version seems to be available there.

And there’s also a cheaper version, the NB305-N310. This one sells for $299, is available only in Black but lacks many of the features above: has a smaller 160 GB hard-drive, comes with Windows XP instead of Windows 7, lacks the chiclet keyboard and offers a shinny and smooth lid case. If you believe all these are worth the couple of tens of bucks saved, than go for it, check out more details about this cheaper Toshiba NB305 in here .

I for one would go for the best version though, it’s not like i buy a new netbook more than once every year and a half, and those $50 are really not that important if you consider the long term investment, don’t you agree?

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Panasonic CF-R9 Let’s Go raises the bar high in the 10 inch netbooks class

Mike — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:52:31 +0000

Usually a 10 inch netbook doesn’t excel in terms of performances, as is powered by Intel’s Atom platform. But that’s not the case with the latest Panasonic toy, the CF-R9 Let’s Go netbook, a device that really raises the bar high for the other 10 inch mini laptops, at least in terms of features and performances.

Instead of the classic Atom, this device comes with Core i7 processors, the 1.06 GHz Core i7-620UM or the 1.2GHz Core i7-650UM . ULV processors, but still way better than the Atoms. Besides these, there are up to 4 GB of RAM, up to 500 GB hard-drive (or 128 GB SSD) , good connectivity and Windows 7 Professional as the OS. As for battery, Panasonic only managed to squeeze a 3 Cell one, 3100 mAh, but claim it’s enough for up to 7.5 hours of life. That would be cool, but i sincerely doubt it.

As for the display, the Let’s go will come with a 10.4 inch screen with 4:3 aspect ratio. And that’s not a problem, but the 1024 x 768 px maximum resolution is just not up to the rest of the package.

Panasonic CF-R9 - premium 10 inch netbook

Anyway, the device is overall impressive. Panasonic plans to release it in Japan only on February 17th. No word on pricing yet, but expect it to be hefty. Also, there’s no info whether this device will be available internationally or not, but even if it will come to the US, i’m not sure how many would be willing to pay $1500+ for it (that’s my guess on the price).

Source: RedmondPipe via Netbook Choice

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Samsung N220 reviewed – elegant and all-around good

Mike — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:34:55 +0000

Richard at netbooknews.it got his hands on the latest Samsung N220 , the most elegant of the Sammy netbooks announced at CES 2010 in the 10 inch class. And he just posted a pretty thorough review on his site, too bad it’s in Italian (link towards it is bellow).

Anyway, the Samsung N220 impresses with its looks and build quality, everything being chosen and put together with extra-care for details. The overall shape, the lid, the keyboad and touch-pad, all raise the bar quite high for the competition. And you can see that from the pictures below. Too bad for that glossy exterior though.

On the inside, there’s a very nice matte display, a feature too few other netbooks offer these days. Hardware is pretty standard, with N450 processor, 1 GB of RAM, 250 GB hard-drive, and overall the device is snappy, although there are quite lots of crappy preinstalled programs you will never need, so you’d better get rid of them.

In terms of battery, Samsung equipped the n220 with a 6 Cell 4400 mAh capable of only around 7 hours, and while good, is still behind what other netbooks from Asus, Acer or Toshiba provide. A bigger 5600 mAh battery would have been better.

Samsung N220 is definitelly one of the best looking netbooks on the market

For more details and pictures, i’d advice you to read the complete review on Richard’s site. (translated).

Anyway, Samsung managed to put together a nice netbook with the N220. While it excels in terms of aspect and offers better display and keyboard than others, has its lacks when speaking about battery life or software configuration. In US this device sells as Samsung N210 for around $380, which is similar to the best Asus or Toshiba netbooks in the 10 inch class. Choosing one over the others would definitely be a touch choice…

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Packard Bell prepares the VR46 Valentino Rossi netbook

Mike — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:52:51 +0000

If you’re a motorcycling fan, you have to know what 46 means, the number Valentino Rossi had on his bike since its debut many years ago. Well, there’s now also a netbook baring than number, made by Packard Bell and named VR46 .

In fact, the device was announced at the end of 2009, but now we have more details on specs and prices, along with some very interesting pictures.

As you can see, the case is branded with Valentino’s bike number, but I for one don’t find that sticker so appealing. They could have come with a way better design, don’t you think? Still it’s an unique product, and considering it’s branded with the name of the best pilot in the history, we should expect some nice performances from it.

So, inside you get the 11.6 inch display (with HD ready resolution) and an Intel ULV processor, plus 4500MHD graphics and up to 4 GB of memory and 640 GB big storage drives. Packard Bell plans to offer two different batteries for the device, with the bigger one providing an autonomy of up to 8 hours, and that’s quite OK considering this is a more powerful device than the standard 11.6 inch netbook built on Atom. All the other goodies, like webcam, Wi-Fi N + Bluetooth, card readers, HDMI output, will of course not be missing.

Overall Packard Bell VR46 looks quite nice, but they could have done better with the lid design's

From the pictures you can also notice the slim shape and the nice keyboad + touchpad with two separate click buttons. So all details conclude to this netbook as being quite a pick. It will all depend on the price, and from what we know now Packard Bell plans to offer the VR46 with prices starting from 449 pounds.

However, the better equipped versions will surely jump to 600-700 pounds. As for US availability, there’s nothing sure for now, as we don’t even know when Packad Bell plans to make this netbooks available in stores. But stay tuned, we’ll update once we find out more.

Source: Netbook Choice

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