The Studio 14z is the thinnest and lightest 14-inch notebook Dell has ever produced.
It has a 8-cell battery which promise more than 5 hours of battery life, a HD (720p/900p resolution) screen, powerful speakers, up to 500GB worth of hard drive storage, and above average graphics performance. The only drawback of this laptop is that it does not have an optical drive. But for those who are more likely to download software and entertainment than use a disc, this thin and light system is ideal for streaming content and playing digital files. And similar to other laptop models from Dell, the Dell Studio 14z is available in various colors and design that you can choose to reflect your personal style. The available colors include Black Chain Link, Midnight Blue, Spring Green, Plum Purple, Ruby Red, and Promise Pink.
Specification and feature highlight for the Dell Studio 14z:
Intel Pentium Dual Core or Intel Core 2 Duo standard voltage processors up to T9550 (2.66GHz, 1066Mhz FSB, 6MB Cache)
Up to 5GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3
Up to 500GB HDD capacity
Energy-efficient, mercury-free, 14.0-inch 16:9 WLED display with HD resolution (1366x768 or 1600x900)
Integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics
Optional 8-in-1 Media Card Reader via 34mm Express Card slot
Standard 1.3MP webcam with dual digital array mics
Digital Video/Audio via HDMI and DisplayPort
Six-cell battery standard, optional slim design 8-cell battery for up to 6:46 hours of battery life
Gesture-based touch pad controls to help improve productivity
Starting weight of 4.3 pounds
Thin design for students who want a combination of power and mobility (Dimensions: 0.79"-1.2" x 13.2" x 9.0")
PowerShare - Charge your USB-connected cell phone and other mobile devices via the USB 2.0/eSATA combo port even when you’re unplugged from a power outlet
Standard FastAccess Facial Recognition Software to help prevent unauthorized access to your computer
Optional Phoenix Failsafe Theft Protection to help protect laptop and data in event of theft
The following are the review and unboxing videos of the Dell Studio 14z by digitalhomethoughts.com.
Unboxing video of the Studio 14z:
Video review of the Dell Studio 14z:
Conclusion: If you can live without an optical drive, the Dell Studio 14z is definitely a great choice. It has an attractive design, long battery life, good speakers, and strong graphics performance.
Stuff.tv has made a review on the pink Sony VAIO W netbook. Check it out in the video below.
The Sony VAIO W pink netbook is currently available on Amazon.com for $499.99. It comes with a 10.1-inch screen, 1.66GHz Intel N280 Atom CPU, 1GB RAM, and 160GB HDD. One of the great feature of this netbook is the display that supports up to 1368 x 768-pixel resolution, making it a great choice for viewing HD movies. The downside however is the short battery life which supports only up to 2.5 hours of usage.
Check out the review of the pink Inspiron Mini 10 done by ShinyShiny.tv. The Pink Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is currently available for $363.35 on Amazon.com.
Now that the Asus Eee PC 1008HA is made available in pink (currently available in Amazon.com for $417), I have made some analysis on this netbook. Below are the summary of good and bad for this netbook after reading several reviews across the web.
Asus Eee PC 1008HA is one of the thinnest 10-inch netbook around. It has a 10.1-inch LED Backlight WSVGA Screen with 1024 x 600 resolution, an Intel Atom N270/ N280 CPU, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 10GB complimentary online Eee Storage, and a battery that last for 6 hours usage. The most outstanding features of this netbook is its slim and stylish design. It's just 1-inch thick and weight only 2.2 pounds. And under such thin and light design, this netbook still maintain a decent performance that's comparable to other bigger-size netbook. While the spec claims that the battery can last for 6 hours, most reviews that have done stress test on the battery are seeing 4 to 5 hours of battery life, which is still consider good.
The biggest drawback of the Eee PC 1008HA is however the non user replaceable battery -- you couldn't change to a backup battery yourself when the original one run flat. This could be a big disadvantage for those who need to travel long distance. And another drawback would be the price which is more expensive than most other competing nebooks.
Here are the summary pros and cons for the Eee PC 1008HA:
Toshiba finally released it's first netbook, the Mini NB205 to the U.S. market. It might be a little late now, but being late is not always a bad thing. It gives Toshiba the opportunity to watch and takes in all the buzz being generated in the netbook market and glean from all the rants about these devices ways to improve upon its own product. And we are so glad that Toshiba did offer a posh pink color option which gives us another great choice of pink netbook that's not only attractive design, but also has everything we’d recommend in a netbook.
The pink Toshiba NB205 netbook is currently available on Amazon.com for $399. In terms of internal parts, it is similar to most of other netbooks in today's market. Here's the rundown of the NB205's specs and features:
10.1-inch diagonal widescreen TruBrite backlit LED display (WSVGA)
Intel Atom N280 processor (1.66GHz)
1GB DDR2 800MHz RAM, upgradeable to 2GB
Spacious Storage with a 160GB HDD2
TOSHIBA Hard Drive Impact Sensor
6-cell battery delivering up to 9 hours of productivity
802.11 b/g wireless and 10/100 Ethernet
Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR
Built-in Webcam, speaker and microphone
One USB port with Sleep-and-Charge and two additional USB 2.0 ports
Memory Card Reader Slot
RGB port for connecting to external displays
Weight: 2.9 lbs.
Windows XP Home operating system
Laptop Magazine, CNet, and PC Mag have done their respective reviews on the Toshiba NB205 netbook, and all of them gives pretty good rating to this machine. Both Laptop Magazine and PC Mag rated it 4.5 out of 5 and given it an 'Editor's Choice' status. CNet on the other hand is a little unsatisfied with bulky battery and the wimpy audio, giving it a rating of 3.5 out of 5, but still recommend it as one of the netbook that's worth considering.
In terms of system performance, the Toshiba NB205 performs pretty well. Based on all three reviews, they had no problems streaming video at full screen or working with several applications simultaneously. Here are the summary of good and bad of Toshiba NB205:
Good:
Unique and stylish design: Available in Posh pink as well as a few other colors, the Toshiba NB205 has a textured lid that's fingerprint-resistant. Combined with an elegant, shiny bronze hinge (with a glowing power button at the center), it nicely matches the silver finish on the bottom deck for an overall professional look.
Comfortable keyboard and large touchpad: The metal, island style, full-size keyboard is sturdy and comfortable. Both Laptop Magazine and CNet comment that it take some time for them to get used to the unique keyboard design, but eventually they found it very easy and comfortable to use. The large touchpad which measures 3.1 x 1.6-inch, and the two dedicated right and left mouse buttons make it easy for users to navigate the desktop.
Excellent battery life: The Toshiba NB205 comes with a standard six-cell 5800 mAh lithium ion battery which last for 8 hours plus on Laptop Magazine's and PC Mag's test, and 6 hours plus on CNet's video playback battery drain test.
USB port charges device when system is off: the USB port on Toshiba NB205 is enabled with Toshiba’s Sleep-and-Charge technology, which provides power to connected devices when the system is off.
Bundle with a good deal of useful software, including HDD Protection and Zoom Utility software, Bluetooth Stack (for easy Bluetooth setup), ConfigFree (for connecting to a network), and PC Health Monitor (for keeping the netbook running smoothly).
Bad:
Bulky battery that sticks out at the back: While the standard six-cell battery provides an excellent battery life, it juts out from the back of the system making it looks less attractive.
Weak speaker: The speakers that are hidden below the front edge of the system, were a bit weak compared with other netbooks. This is one of the major factors that Cnet lowered their rating on this this netbook. This problem can be solved though by plugging in a headset, as suggested by Laptop Magazine.
Large display bezel: The almost one-inch thick bezel that surrounds the display makes the screen feel smaller than it should.
Conclusion: Apparently, Toshiba has made quite a great deal of competitive analysis before coming up with the NB205 netbook. Besides having a killer design, the NB205 has everything we’d recommend in a netbook: ergonomic keyboard and touchpad, excellent battery life, and most importantly an affordable price that's according to the public's demand. The Posh pink Toshiba NB205 will definitely made it into our list of best pink netbooks!
Remember the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 netbook that was announced last month? It's the second generation of 10-inch netbook from Lenovo with quite some improvements over the first generation. The pink colored Lenovo S10-2 is currently available for order on Amazon for $329.99, and will comes with 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB 5400rpm hard drive, and 6-cell battery.
According to most reviews done on this netbook, the Lenovo S10-2 is definitely much better than the first generation of IdeaPad S10. Lenovo has tried removing most of the complaints on the S10 model in producing a better new S10-2.
First, the external design of S10-2 looks better than its predecessor. It has a rounder look, a glossy cover with a repeating pattern that looks strikingly similar to Target’s Bullseye, and available in 4 colors including pink, white, gray, and black.
Second, the keyboard and touchpad of the S10-2 has a much improved design in terms of ergonomics. The pitch of the keys are wider, and the multi-touch trackpad has been expanded.
Third, the features of IdeaPad S10-2 has improved. It comes with a standard 6-cell battery (instead of 3-cell in S10), 3 USB ports (instead of 2 in S10), a glossy 10.1-inch display, and a new option for 3G modem. Also, there's a quick start function that enable this machine to be booted up in just 10 seconds, according to this review by DK.
And finally, the greatest part is the price. Despite all the improvements that Lenovo has made on the S10-2 model, the price remain in the comparative range in the market.
Now let's look at what other reviews say about the IdeaPad S10-2:
Laptop Magazine "Lenovo improved upon its already solid netbook with its s10-2, but also dropped the price to be in line with many other netbooks on the market. The $349.99 netbook is exactly what any second generation product should be - remarkably improved and even more affordable."
GottaBeMobile "I think a lot of consumers will be attracted to the S10-2’s designs, but I wish it had a matte display like the S10."
DK.SG "If you like the Lenovo S10, I’m sure you will definitely love the Lenovo S10-2."
In short, Lenovo has no doubt produce a much better 2nd generation netbook to stay competitive in the netbook market, but there are still room for improvement if they want to compete with other top netbooks such as the Samsung NC10 and ASUS Eee PC 1005HA.
If you are looking for a pink notebook with the size of a netbook, but still carry the features of a full size laptop, Toshiba Portege A600 would be one of the nearest that you can get. It has a 12.1-inch screen size, and a casing fully made from plastic that make it extremely light (very close to netbook weight). But inside, this little machine has a big feature set.
Toshiba currently offers 2 models of A600 online: A605-P210, and A600-ST2231. The model that's shaded in pink is A600-ST2231 which comes with the following spec:
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor SU9300
3GB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz SDRAM
160GB HDD (5400rpm)
IntelR Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
DVD-SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) with Labelflash drive
OS: Genuine Windows VistaR Business 32/64-bit, SP1 with downgrade media for WindowsR XP Professional
Color: Soft pink
Starting price: $1299
Toshiba Portege A600 Review
Here are some reviews for Toshiba Portege A600 done by the professionals, and the rating they given to this machine:
1. NotebookCheck (85% out of 100%)
"The Toshiba A600 is basically a downright solid business notebook, with unfortunately coarser flaws in regards to the case stability. The new business device can't keep up with its forerunners in this. Fanciers of the successive models will probably be a bit disappointed in consideration of the stability of our test candidate.
Toshiba recompenses this, though, with two things. For one thing, the color coding, whereas the Portege A600 is now available in four different styles (Glossy Black, Lotus Pink, Pearl White and Titanium-Silver). And for the other, through its wide-range guaranty." Read full review
2. MobileTechReview (3 out of 5)
"With the growing popularity of netbooks, casual laptop users who need to check their email and browse the Net will find the slower Atom processor machines running either Linux or Windows XP adequate for the job. But “full notebooks” are better for business users who need to run Vista, work on productivity tasks (Office, Photoshop, etc.), need more ports and expansion slots and require an optical drive. The Toshiba A600 fits the role well. It’s one of the cheapest 12-inch notebooks on the market and it has good enough performance running most business applications and multimedia. Though not equipped with the fastest mobile processor, the Toshiba has an attractive price and that means more now to businesses and individual users." Read full review
3. CNet UK (8.1 out of 10)
"It's hard not to be impressed by the Toshiba Portege A600. It might not be the thinnest or lightest of the thin and light models out there, but it's certainly a decent ultra-portable laptop. It features the built-in optical drive that rivals such as Samsung's X360 lack and, although by no means a powerhouse, will cope with most tasks. Throw in built-in HSDPA and a decent battery life, and it's a good amount of kit for the money. That said, increasing your budget slightly puts the 1.1kg Portege R600 within reach." Read full review
Conclusion
The Toshiba Portege A600 provides great values for its price. While it's equipped with a specs that's good enough to run most business application, it's also small and light enough to be as portable as a netbook. And what we love most about it is of course the pink color which also make it a perfect choice for young professional ladies, or individualistic executives that fancy something a little more eye-catching. The only drawback is that the plastic casing may make it looks plasticky and easily scratched. This can be solved by getting a laptop case, or you might also want to check out the Dell Latitude E4200, another stunning 12-inch pink laptop, which provides a solid casing, but heavier and more expensive.
We know that Asus is going to launch the pink version of Eee PC 1000HE soon. While waiting for it to be released, let's look at the reviews for this netbook.
Other than upgrades in processor and battery capacity, the specs for the Asus Eee PC 1000HE is quite similar to its predecessor, Eee PC 1000H. The full specs are as follow:
Here's a great video by MobileComputerMag that give you an overview for the Eee PC 1000HE:
There are several reviews done on this netbook, and all of them have been rather favorable so far.
1. Laptop Magazine rated it 4 out of 5 stars, and awarded it as one of their Editor's Choice.
"With the Eee PC 1000HE, ASUS offers one of the best values in netbooks around. This system features a vastly improved keyboard, and its trackpad and touch buttons are better than most systems in its class. Although the processor doesn’t add much in the way of performance, we’ll take it. More important, the 1000HE lasts more than 7 hours on a charge."
2. PCMag rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars, and similar to Laptop Magazine, they have made the Eee PC 1000HE their Editor's Choice.
The ASUS EeePC 1000HE makes fewer compromises than other netbooks, and the value you get—in terms of design, typing experience, and battery life, among others—for an excellent price will be tough to beat.
3. And for NotebookReview, their comments on this netbook is favorable as well.
"ASUS made some good improvements to the 1000HE, most notably the newer keyboard. The keyboard is more comfortable to type on over the old style and the improved spacing helps to reduce typing errors. The design has few changes, with some areas gaining glossy paint over a matte finish before, but the average user might not tell the difference unless both were sitting next to each other. The newer Intel Atom processor with a faster clock speed and faster bus speed had little improvement in our benchmarks over its predecessor and HD content is still unfeasible unless you are playing low bitrate videos. The battery life also improved by a wide margin, moving past seven hours under normal use, which is the greatest out of any netbook we have reviewed. Overall I would say ASUS has an impressive new netbook and a very affordable starting price."
Well, I believe the reviews above should be enough to convince anyone to go for Eee PC 1000HE. It "offers the best combination of value, performance, and endurance on the market today", according to Laptop Magazine. The black version of this netbook is already available on Amazon.com. Hopefully Asus will not make us wait too long for the pink Eee PC 1000HE!
Samsung NC10 is one of the best netbook in today's netbook market. It has been reviewed many times since its release, and there's no doubt about its greatness in terms of performance. Good news for pink laptop lovers is that Samsung is going to release a pink model (NP-NC10-KA04UK) for this netbook soon.
Update: pink model of Samsung NC10 is now available on Amazon. The US version (NP-NC10-KA04US) is available on Amazon.com while UK version (NP-NC10-KA04UK) is available on Amazon.co.uk
Samsung NC10 Specs With the pink model of Samsung NC10 coming soon, this netbook becomes one of the best pink netbooks that we recommend. The specs of Samsung NC10 are as follows:
Display: 10.2″ TFT Display at 1024 x 600 pixels
Processor: 1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270
Chipset: Intel 945 GSE Express
RAM: 1 GB DDR2 RAM
Hard Drive: 120 GB HDD, 5400 RPM
Integrated Graphics: Intel GMA 950 64 MB VRAM
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
Ports: 3 USB 2.0, Ethernet, Headphone, Microphone, VGA, 3 in 1, SD Card Reader
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home
Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
Weight: 2.8 pounds
Samsung NC10 Reviews There have been quite a number of reviews done on Samsung NC10 since its release in November 2008. Here are the roundup for all these reviews:
"Until now, no other netbook has been able to match the 10-inch MSI Wind’s endurance, strong performance, and spacious keyboard. Samsung’s NC10 is the only product that provides comparable—and even improved—features for a lower price. Its comfortable, well-positioned keyboard, speedy and spacious hard drive, and more than 6 hours of endurance make the $499 Samsung NC10 the most well-rounded 10-inch netbook on the market. While the $549 MSI Wind (with a six-cell battery) is an excellent choice, it will cost you $50 more. Those willing to sacrifice some touchpad room will find the Samsung NC10 to be a great mobile companion."
Samsung's NC10 may have arrived fashionably late, but it takes its place as the best netbook of the bunch.
It's been a long time coming, but Samsung's debut in the already crowded netbook market is finally here. It's up against some pretty stiff competition, though, so the burning question is whether Samsung's alchemists have used that time to perfect the netbook formula.
If its name hasn't given the game away already, the NC10 is a 10.2in netbook. That leaves it with a similar footprint to Asus's Eee PC 1000H and MSI's Wind, and it weighs in at a very portable 1.3kg. So far, so ordinary.
"It might be late to the party, but Samsung has clearly listened to users and learned from the competition, thus producing a supremely balanced proposition. Attractive design and reassuring build quality are married to a great keyboard and superb battery and if one or two things, like the token slip case, could be improved upon, all is forgotten when you look at the price. Unless integrated HSDPA is high on your agenda, you can buy an NC10 with great confidence. In its class: it is the best."
From what we can see from all these reviews, Samsung NC 10 is no doubt one of the best netbook that you can get. At this time, the pink model of Samsung NC10 is available for pre-order on 2 UK online retailers: dabs.com and Overlockers.. and according to trusted source, it will be available in the U.S. pretty soon!
The Vivienne Tam edition of HP Mini netbook is reviewed. The folks over at Chip Chick has got their hands on this stylish little netbook and published a great review together with several hands-on photos to let you have a closer look at the lovely netbook.
Overall, they are pretty impressed with the hot pink / fuschia coloring plus the lovely peony design on the netbook lid, the comfortable keyboard design, and the great system performance. The only few drawbacks for this netbook is the webcam (too dark), the uncomfortable trackpad layout, and the price which is higher than average netbook.
Here's the conclusion of the review:
"Overall, we are quite taken with the HP VT edition. It’s a beauty to behold and luckily, its looks aren’t superficial since it also performs well. Granted the VT is no desktop replacement notebook by far, but the good performance on the VT combined with its quality hardware make it a serious competitor in the Netbook marketplace. That said we do have a few minors gripes. Most notably is its underperforming webcam.
The VT Edition with a 60GB hard drive retails for $699 and includes 1 year accidental coverage as well as a 1 year warranty. Overall, the most challenging aspect ofthe VT is its $699 price tag, which makes it a highend, high cost netbook. Unfortunately, the same rule that applies in the fashion world, applies here - you’re gonna pay more for something that looks good - and hopefully makes you feel good too. Is it worth the $699 price tag? Any higher then that, and we’d say they were really pushing it. But if you can afford it, and looks are just important to you as substance, then the price tag wont bother you that much. Especially when you get oohs and ahhs from your friends while you sashes along with the VT edition under your arm. We’ll be taking the VT edition with us use to blog with at CES to and we look forward to spending more time with it, particularly to see how well the battery holds up. We’re sure well have even more to say after taking it to Vegas with us."
Still remember the Joybook Lite U101 from BenQ which comes with a unique emoticon design on the lid? It's one of the many netbook that's available in pink and was made available in Taiwan a while back. While the netbook is yet to be released in the U.S., Laptop Magazine has ordered a unit of Joybook Lite U101 from Taiwan, and published a review on this machine.
Their review unit comes with the following spec:
1.6-GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor
1.5/2GB expanable RAM
160GB/5,400 rpm HDD
10.1-inch display with 1024 x 576 resolution
Windows XP Home
Given a rating of 2.5 out of 5, the BenQ Joybook Lite U101 was found to be having the same poorly placed right shift key that many other netbooks have. The poor battery life is another complains that the netbook gets from the review. On the good side, the Joybook Lite U101 is complimented for its unique lid design, compact build, bright & glossy display, and loud speakers.
Overall, we can say that the performance and features for the BenQ Joybook Lite U101 is just average. But what we like about this netbook is the unique cute emoticon design, and it has pink color available!
The Fujitsu Lifebook A1110 is a 15.4-inch desktop replacement which comes with a swappable exterior panel and a a spill resistant keyboard. Our favorite part for this laptop is no doubt the colorful swappable snap-on lids which includes a pretty pink butterfly design!
On performance and overall features, the Fujitsu Lifebook A1110 seems to be an average laptop. PCMag has rated it 2.5 out of 5 stars. They found the laptop to be a good performance machine with 3GB of RAM and a decent processor (their review unit comes with a 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800).They also mentioned that the laptop has an intensely bright screen, and a relatively low price. But on the negative side, they found the laptop battery too small, and the snap-on lids are a bit tacky.
"Bottom Line The A1110 would fare better against the competition had Fujitsu spent more time designing a sleeker-looking chassis."
Notebook reviews has also done a review for the LifeBook A1110 laptop. While there's no rating given, they have listed down the good and bad this laptop:
Pros: * User replaceable lid with cool color design * Spill resistant keyboard * Little heat transferred through notebook body * Acceptable performance as configured
Cons: * Lots of flex * Overpriced for the configuration * Poor battery life and weak charging system
The LifeBook A1110 is available on Fujitsu online store with a starting price of $799.
Laptop Magazine has recently reviewed the MSI VR220 YA Edition laptop, and rated it 3 out of 5 stars. The specification of the review unit is as follow:
2.0 GHz Intel Pentium T3200 Processor
12.1-inch screen with 1280 x 800 resolution
2 GB RAM
250GB 5400rpm HDD
DVD±RW DL Optical Drive
Price: $699
The compliments that they have for this machine includes the colorful lid options, extended battery standard, and a much more affordable price compare to other 12-inch ultraportable. Also, if compare this budget 12-inch laptop to a typical netbook, the performance is much better.
Verdict:
"Instead of putting a mini-notebook’s insides into a larger case (as with Dell’s Inspiron Mini 12), MSI took the guts of a budget mainstream notebook and crammed them into a 12-inch chassis to create the VR220. And as with most budget systems, you have to expect budget performance. While it costs nearly half as much as more traditional 12-inch notebooks, such as the Lenovo ThinkPad X200, it’s not nearly as light, nor does it have the endurance of those systems. But those machines are meant for road warriors with expense accounts. The MSI VR220 is intended for students who need something relatively light and inexpensive for day-to-day tasks. As long as you can live with its subpar keyboard and relatively large size, MSI’s netbook alternative is worth a look."
Other than the black color which may best suit those looking for something more demure, the MSI VR220 YA Edition comes in another 3 attractive summer shades, which include Denim Blue, WASABI Green, and Coral Pink. While Carol pink is definitely our favorite out of all, the other two colors will also be attention getters.
Lenovo Ideapad S10 is one of the most popular netbook in the market. The 10-inch netbook has a stylish design and available in multiple attractive colors: white, red, blue, black, and pink. The netbook was announced way back on August 4, but only started shipping in late September. The pastel pink Lenovo S10 is now already available on CompUSA.
Pink Lenovo Ideapad S10:
Review for the Lenovo Ideapad S10 netbook:
1. Laptop Magazine rated the netbook 3.5 out of five stars:
The good: Includes ExpressCard slot; decent keyboard.
The badThe bad: No SSD hard drive options; unimpressive battery life.
The bottom lineThe bottom line: Lenovo's "me, too!" entry in the Netbook sweepstakes, the IdeaPad S10, gets the price and features right, but falls behind on battery life.
Lenovo official site currently offers only white version of Lenovo S10 for $399, and a red version for $429. To get the pink Lenovo IdeaPad S10, you will need to order from CompUSA at $429.99.
Update: CompUSA now shows that the pink Lenovo IdeaPad S10 is currently unavailable. Looks like they have run out of stock... we will keep updating one we found new source selling the pink version.
We have seen Asus, Dell, Acer, and many other big players in the laptop industry entering the netbook market.. but strange enough, Sylvania, a company originally manufacturing light bulb, has entered the mini laptop space with an 8.9-inch netbook called the g Netbook Meso.
The g Netbook Meso from Sylvania is available in four colors: pink, yellow, white, and black. The pink version is absolutely an eye candy. Here are some pictures of the Sylvania g Netbook Meso in pink:
In a nutshell, the netbook is applaud for the descent battery life and Ubuntu Netbook Remix operating system, but it as got some performance issue due to the 512MB RAM and cramped keyboard design.
Shaded in Romantic Pink, the MSI Wind netbook (or subnotebook, or mini laptop... whatever you like to call it) is another popular netbook on the market. The product is currently available on Amazon.com.
Introduction to MSI Wind
Announced at CeBIT 2008, and listed for pre-orders on May 2008, the MSI Wind netbook becomes a great competition to other popular netbook such as Asus Eee PC and Acer Aspire One. It is currently available in two version: the Wind U90 with 8.9" screen, and the Wind U100 with 10" screen. Here's the specification for the MSI Wind netbook:
The U100 model has been upgraded to a larger hard drive space of 120 GB with the price remaining the same. U100 model with 80 GB HDD is still available, but with a lower price.
The U90X model which is running on Linux, get a price cut.
Colors available for the MSI Wind netbook includes: Romantic Pink, Noble Red, Angel White, Empire Black, and Wind for Love (white with extra pattern).
The Romantic Pink MSI Wind Netbook If you are interested in a pink laptop, make sure to check out the MSI Wind netbook shaded in romantic pink. It's simplistic, and yet stylish. Here, take a closer look at this pretty little pink laptop:
MSI Wind Reviews Roundup A stylish pink netbook, is that all the MSI Wind about? Of course not. Let's look at what this little laptop can do.
Unboxing: MSI Wind
MSI Wind review from Notebookreview.com:
"The MSI Wind is one of the best subnotebooks I have seen come out of the mini notebook storm that has hit us the past few months. It offers a 10" widescreen, 2.5" SATA hard drive, Intel Atom processor, and WIFI with Bluetooth for well under what some of the other mainstream competition charge."
Review from LaptopMag.com gives the MSI Wind 4.5 out of 5 Stars! Read the full review here.
Conclusion The MSI Wind shaded in romantic pink has an attractive look. And base on reviews done by the experts, the performance of the MSI Wind is one of the best in the market. So if you are getting a netbook, and you want it to be pink, MSI Wind is definitely worth considering!
The blush pink Eee PC is reported to be the best seller in Asus Eee PC retailer.
Introduction to Eee PC: Asus Eee PC, one of the earliest mini laptop introduced to the market, is more often referred to as a netbook / sub-notebook due to the following characteristics: smaller size (7 to 10 inch screen), solid-state flash hard drive, and lower cost (start from $299). Because of these characteristics, the Asus Eee PC netbook becomes a highly portable Web surfing and office productivity machine.
If you are looking for a netbook in pink, Asus Eee PC provides a few models in blush pink: Eee PC 2G Surf, Eee PC 4G Surf, and Eee PC 4G.
Update: Other than the 3 models mentioned above, the new Asus Eee PC 904HA will be available in pink. Read
- Specifications: ~ Weight : 922g (2.04lbs) ~ Processor : Intel® Celeron M ~ Memory : 512 MB DDR2 RAM (Onboard) ~ Storage : 2 GB Solid State Disk ~ Display : 7" 800x480 LCD monitor ~ Battery : 4400 mAh Battery (4 cell) ~ OS : GNU Linux ~ Webcam : N/A ~ Colors : Pure White, Galaxy Black, Blush Pink, Lush Green, Sky Blue
- Customer Reviews:
Fantastic (June 14, 2008) By Robert Kohr (Morristown, NJ United States)
"This little machine kicks arse!
One thing you should not do: Don't get the 2G model if you want to install anything. Setting the destination for binaries to anything other than the the main drive is nearly impossible (and I am an advanced linux user). With the OS and everything else installed that leaves you with only a few hundred M to play with.
I went in and wiped out all the internationalization configs to clear up some memory.
Pick up the 4 G Model if you want to save some cash, and then get an SD card for non-application files.
Another thing to note: the middle of the mouse button is not the button, it is a rocker. Press the left side for left click, right side for right click. Took a little while to figure that out, but now it works great."
This thing is a godsend... (March 15, 2008) By G. Rivet "G @ Arabia"
"Who would have thunk 2 years ago, that you could get a full-fledged laptop with built-in wifi for a $300.00?
I brought this with me to Malaysia for a short trip and found it to be extremely useful. It's very small and light weight. Wifi is virtually ubiquitous and free in Malaysia, so I was able to give this thing a run. I considered installing XP, but for what I do, which is essentially exclusively surf the Internet, I now think this would be pointless. The OS which comes with the Eee is both stable and functional. Not only that, it boots-up within seconds. Try that with XP. I had a few people approach me and make inquiries on the small laptop I had in my possession. All were impressed.
While very happy with this little puppy, there are however some downfalls. The screen's resolution is one. I found myself having to scroll across in order to read the full content of some, but not all websites.
The keyboard is another issue. While it's fine for sending off a quick email, anything more than that is a hinderance.
The mouse pad is too small, leading to frustration incorrectly scrolling or choosing a particular tab within Firefox for example.
While not a grand slam, it is a home run. Asus has done a formidable job with this 2G and I fully recommend it. While some may not consider $300 disposable, I can say that if this were get lost or stolen, it would be easy to replace.
my2cents."
After a little work, it's the Perfect tool...and it fits in my purse! (January 21, 2008) By staisey (Chicago, IL)
"The size is definiately the major selling point here...it's wonderfully small, no case needed, and it fits nicely in my purse.
I was getting a little upset by the default desktop. It reminded me of my OLD palm pilot. This is a fine interface for kids or seniors, but I was actually considering returning it. I have an iBook G4, an iPhone, and a couple of desktops (PC and Mac). If this was just going to be an overgrown pda (albeit with a Word clone), it was redundant.
After a quick search, I found step by step instructions for downloading and enabling the "advanced" desktop. I've never used linux before (advanced Mac/PC user), and I was a bit intimidated, but was able to follow instructions, and the "advanced" desktop is just like XP, only quicker! I definitely recommend that any user intent on having XP put the advanced linux desktop on it for a few days first. Also, the 2G does not have java plug-in installed. That was another quick 5 minute install. I believe that the 4G Surf model has the advanced desktop and java plug-in installed, you just need to enable the desktop mode.
With the OpenOffice suite, and other software installed it is almost a replacement for the laptop, especially when traveling. I found an inexpensive 8G sd card, threw that in the built in slot, and can watch movies, listen to music, type, surf, etc. I can upload my digital photos to Flickr, and free up card space while traveling.
Yes, it has a small screen, yes it has a small keyboard, but I wasn't planning on writing the great American novel, nor was I going to invite a few friends to watch a movie on it. The screen and keyboard are effective and quite well sized for a portable unit.
With a half hour of setting up, I am overjoyed with my little pink lappie!"
- Specifications: ~ Weight : 922g (2.04lbs) ~ Processor : Intel® Celeron M 353 ~ Memory : 512 MB DDR2 RAM (Onboard) ~ Storage : 4 GB Solid State Disk ~ Display : 7" 800x480 LCD monitor ~ Battery : 4400 mAh Battery (4 cell) ~ OS : GNU Linux / Windows XP ~ Webcam : N/A ~ Colors : Pure White, Galaxy Black, Blush Pink, Lush Green, Sky Blue
- Reviews:
More than a great little gadget (December 11, 2007) By Wiikend Gamer (Kansas City)
"After a little over 24 hours of using this item, I have to say this little gadget is much more than just a fun must-have. Set-up was quick and easy. It connected instantly to our corporate network without any input by me. With our Windows-based units, it normally takes about 10-15 minutes to get everything up and running. At home, I had it connected to my home network in about 10 minutes, most of that time was spent getting my other computer configured.
I do have a few complaints though and they are minor. One, it seems to be a little picky about how it connects to the wireless network. I had to shut it down and restart it several times before it would connect. After it connected once though, it had no problems. Two, the windows (tabs) at times are not visible completely - I maximized a window a couple of times and could not scroll to all of the edges and actually had to close out the window (tab). Setting up my mail was a chore because all of the options at the bottom were not visible, so I just had to hit enter on the keyboard and hope the right button was highlighted.
All-in-all this is a great product. Aside from the screen size, it is every bit as functional as my work laptop. Open Office works great with only minor formatting issues. The keyboard is an acceptable size. I have the 4G Surf model, which at the time I ordered it Asus only listed one model on their website and that was the 4G model. I thought I was getting the webcam and the higher capacity battery. The 4G Surf model does not have those items, but I can purchase them separately. I successfully downloaded the beta version of Skype for Linux, which includes video conferencing capabilities. I have not tried it yet, but it looks like it should work. If you visit some websites, it will tell you that Skype for Linux will have that capability in 2008 - it is available now. I like this computer for what it is - a lightweight travel companion that I can take anywhere and use anywhere. For the price I paid, you cannot get a quality laptop that runs this fast and is this practical. The 900mhz processor and 512mb RAM runs faster than our 1.6ghz Windows-based desktops.
Update: After a little research I learned that you can hold down Alt and left-click anywhere on the window to move it around. Also, wireless works a lot better now - I have no problems connecting anywhere I go. The problems I had before must have been a fluke. The other day I wanted to find certain store, so I parked in front of a restaurant with Wi-Fi and connected to the internet to find where I wanted to go. What a great deal!"
The Eee PC Excels (February 5, 2008) By Walt Witmen "lovesTech" (Washington, DC, USA) The Asus Eee PC certainly doesn't look as sleek as the ultra portable Macbook Air, but most laptops are not as sleek as Apple or Sony products. Still, the Eee PC is a genuinely ultra-portable everyday workhorse with features, performance, and value that make it a terrific machine. I think the Eee PC is probably one of the best values in computing technology you will ever find.
I bought the black 4 G Surf, which means it has a 4 Gig SSD (drive) and does not come with an onboard web cam. I like this machine. It boots up fast and quietly; when I turn it on its ready for me in 20 seconds. No Windows machine I am aware of can deliver that kind of performance on the hardware the Eee PC runs on.
It comes pre-installed with all the software you need to be productive, which is good since this machine does not have an optical disc drive. To install additional software, you do not have to buy a disc drive; instead, you can connect the Eee PC to a network or the internet using the built-in wifi 802.11 b/g connection and download additional software; downloading is also a good way to access updates for the pre-installed software. A BIOS update from AsusTek is already waiting for users of the 4G model.
Since this machine is genuinely ultra-portable, I carry it with me nearly everywhere I take my knapsack. At 2 lbs, it is hardly noticeable. Unlike most notebooks, the Eee PC's power cord is light weight and the SD card I use for extra disc storage weighs less than a penny.
In the office, I use a Windows XP desktop, at home I have a Macbook Pro, and for travel integrating the Linux-based Asus has been seamless and easy even though the Eee PC is the third operating system I am using. Thanks to the open source software that runs on the Eee PC, I can create documents that are compatible with anything on my Macbook Pro or Windows PC. Although I might be considered a "power user," believe me anyone can pick up the Eee PC and use it out-of-the box without any prior experience with Linux;you simply point and click your way to whatever you want. And, for the power user, you can do virtually anything on this machine with the flexibility of installing whatever you want on this machine including installing a new operating system or entirely changing the original set up. With all of the choices open to computer users and the bargain basement cost, I am not sure why the Eee PC has not received more media attention in the U.S.
This is a terrific machine for everyday tasks like web browsing, emailing, document creation, and even writing this review. I highly recommend the Eee PC as a second computer for adults, a first computer for a child or an ultra portable computer for anyone.
A Few Issues that Matter
Keyboard Size:
Some folks may not like the keyboard. The Eee PC uses a small key board; it is probably one-fifth to one-fourth the size of a typical laptop keyboard. I can type fast on this keyboard, but the keyboard is not as responsive as my MBP keyboard and the right-shift key is too small - - it is too easy to mistakenly hit the larger enter key instead. Having said that, I think the keyboard is very usable, but be prepared to spend some time adapting to the small keyboard before you are able to type quickly and accurately on it.
Screen: The 7-inch display is crisp and sharp, but not as bright as some laptops and the resolution is only 800x480 pixels. You are going to scroll the screen more than you would on a 15-inch desktop or laptop. To alleviate this problem, be prepared to buy one accessory: a wireless mouse. The touchpad is responsive, but I think touch pads are particularly poor pointing devices when a lot of scrolling is required.
Disc size and Memory: The solid state hard drive is fast and responsive. Applications load quickly and disc access occurs with a breeze. Although nearly half of the 4 GB SSD is used by the pre-installed software, you can use SD cards to extend your storage capacity. I have over 1 GB of space available on the internal SSD with nearly 50 data files installed. Unless you are installing large video or music files, your data files are not likely to occupy a lot of storage space. Remember, the Eee PC is for productive work, data communications, and Internet access, it is not your game PC and I wouldn't use it like an iPod either.
Battery life: I have been able to get slightly over 3 hours of battery life out of the Eee PC when I turn wifi off.
A handy mobile notebook for the money (March 19, 2008) By Michael J Edelman (Huntington Woods, MI USA) For the last year or two I've been using two computers for mobile web access and note taking. One is an aging iBook that's starting to develop keyboard and battery problems, and is heavier than I'd like to carry in a backpack or camera bag. The other is my Nokia 770, which is cute, but slow and very limited when it comes to typing or writing notes. I thought about buying a Nokia 810, but the reviews I've read suggested the Eee would be better for my uses. I decided to risk a purchase.
So far, I'm pleased. The Eee boots fast, it's quiet, the screen is more than adequate, and it's very light and compact. True, the keyboard isn't great, but I found it reasonably easy to adjust to. Installing other apps isn't easy, and the 800MHz processor doesn't support graphic editing, but that's not what this machine is intended for; if you want to run the Gimp, get a faster machine. The same goes for running Windows. I thought about installing XP, but that's really stretching the capabilities of this machine, and trying to make it into something it's not.
The Eee is at its best providing a light, inexpensive and very portable platform for basic web activities and simple office tasks. The screen is bigger than any of the pocket-sized computers, the keyboard is better than anything you'll find on a web-enabled phone or Nokia WiFi terminal, and it's a fraction of the price of the more powerful hand helds. As a student computer it's the perfect combination of portability, function, and low cost. If you keep its limitations in mind, and use it for what it's intended for, I think you'll be very happy with it.
- Specifications: ~ Weight : 922g (2.04lbs) ~ Processor : Intel® Celeron M 353 ~ Memory : 512 MB DDR2 RAM (Onboard) ~ Storage : 4 GB Solid State Disk ~ Display : 7" 800x480 LCD monitor ~ Battery : 4400mAH - 5200mAH Battery (4 cell) ~ OS : GNU Linux / Windows XP ~ Webcam : 0.3M Pixel ~ Colors : Pure White, Galaxy Black, Blush Pink, Lush Green, Sky Blue
- Reviews:
Great little laptop for basic work (May 6, 2008) By Richard L. Searfoss Jr. (Aliso Viejo, CA United States) "I already have a desktop computer together with a larger laptop. I was looking for a small and light computer which I could take on trips (I travel frequently) to check e-mail and access the internet. This little computer is perfect for these tasks. I specifically wanted this version since it has Windows XP installed (rather Linux) and is compatible with work-related software which I installed. Getting started was easy and setup is a breeze. On the downside, the screen is rather small and the keyboard is also very small. As I said, for basic e-mail and internet access, this handy little computer is wonderful. However, it is not designed for heavy duty business usage due to the small screen."
It is what it is ... (May 12, 2008) By Frank P. Rocha (San Antonio, TX) "Two things the eee PC is NOT: 1) It is not a desktop replacement. Silly to even consider it. 2) It is not a replacement for your personal laptop. (You'll never watch DVD's or load your iTunes library on it.)
OK, what good is it? I travel quite a bit on business and always have to lug my business laptop around and you know what a pain that is. But when I travel all I really need is: 1) Internet access to check-in for my flight. 2) Need access to the web for my email. 3) Need to do some lite editing on Excel, WORD, and Powerpoint. 4) Need to be able to read PDF documents. 5) Need an external video port and USB connection to run my Powerpoint presentations.
Given those requirements, this little guy is great! Plus, it supports my air card, and the preformance of my Slingbox player is really good.
Now that I have it, I wish I had spent the extra $150 and got the eee PC 900, but for what I need, it's awesome. To be fair, I've only had it a week, and haven't loaded MS Office (need to buy a USB CD/DVD drive), but I'm not anticipating any issues. (I'll update if my opinion changes after this.)
The 4G-XP (there is also a linux version) has: 512K Memory 4Gb solidstate flash drive XP Home Edition External video port 3 USB connections Ethernet connection Builtin webcam Mic & earphone jack Also, can be upgraded with a SD storage card.
The only cons are that the keyboard is a little small (that's why I say only "lite" document editing, but you could add an external full size keyboard.) Battery life is probably not stellar, and keyboard "sounds" a little fragile.
So, as the title says, "it is what it is". Nice little package for traveling around. It weighs next to nothing and not much bigger than a paperback novel. Just manage your expectations, and you'll probably be very happy."
Amazing little computer! (July 8, 2008) By J. Preece (Sacramento, CA United States) "I ordered the Asus Eee-PC to try out for our engineering department, which travels a lot. Having lugged 'huge' laptops around the planet, we're all looking for something a little less cumbersome to go through airport security and to lighten our load.
This little computer is amazing. It's very fast, boots up within a few seconds, and is no different than any other PC-based computer. The solid-state (ie: flash) hard drive is small and only has about 1/2 the 4G space open because of WinXP and the pre-installed programs, like Internet Explorer, MS Works and Acrobat Reader. But for $40 you can pick up an 8G SD card and have plenty more space to add programs and files. In fact, you can carry a few SD or USB Flash sticks and have as much storage as you could ever want!
The Pros: Tiny - almost a "palm-top". Fits anywhere; about the size of a book Beautiful screen, very readable Very fast for a Celeron with 512M RAM Hooks up to WiFi very easily and without hassle Built in Speakers and Webcam... sweet! 3 USB ports, an RJ45 LAN port, external monitor port and SD card slot Charges quickly, and battery lasts for a couple of hours Great for checking email on the go; web surfing and listening to music.
The Cons: The keyboard is tiny and you have to hunt-and-peck to type. Gets a little warm after a few hours of use A little straining to use for long periods because of the screen size and tiny keys, but that is to be expected of something this small.
All in all, for the price, you cannot go wrong!! I really love this little guy and will happily be toting it through the airports not having to worry about a big, heavy laptop bag as my carry-on any longer! "
The Asus Eee PC is one of the America’s most wanted Christmas gift in 2007, and we predict that this will still be the case in 2008. The blush pink Eee PC is especially getting a lot of demand. If you are planning to get a blush pink Eee PC for Christmas gift this year, be sure to act fast before it's out of stock!
Update: Acer Aspire One pink is now available. Read
Acer Aspire One, a simple yet solid miniature laptop, has entered the crowded netbook market with an original starting price of only $379. It was then announced to have a price drop of $50 yesterday, touching $329 from $379. If compared to the Asus Eee PC 901 model, the Aspire One seems to be a pretty good bargain.
Overview of Acer Aspire One Models The available models for the Aspire One are: the AOA110-1722, AOA150-1570, and AOA150-1447(recently anounced).
All of the three models run on the Intel Atom N270 processor at 1.60GHz, with 8.9" WSVGA 1024×600 display, Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi wireless LAN, Ethernet LAN, a built in web camera, a multi-in-1 media card reader, three USB ports, SD Card reader, and VGA output. The netbooks weight 2.17 pounds and are available in four different colors: pink, white, blue and brown.
What make the price different for these models are the Operating System (Linux/Windows), and the disk & RAM capacity:
Acer Aspire One AOA110-1722: $329 – Linpus Linux Lite, 512MB RAM, 8GB SSD, 3-cell battery
Acer Aspire One AOA150-1570: $349 – Windows XP Home, 1GB RAM, 120GB HDD, 3-cell battery
Acer Aspire One AOA150-1447: $399 – Windows XP Home, 160GB HDD, 6-cell battery, probably 1GB of RAM
The Review Roundup There are quite number of reviews for the Acer Aspire One on the Internet. First, check out the video reviews:
From Shiny Tech TV:
A 26-minute geek review from jkOnTheRun for the Aspire One.. starting from unboxing the machine to showing everything you could want to know about the Aspire One.
Also, checkout the following reviews from the experts:
~ Review from PCWorld (Given rating: 80)
"..the machine isn't perfect. The important part is that Acer gets more than enough right to hit the mark for basic use. And, considering the low costs to own this li'l laptop, you could get a lot of mileage out of the Aspire One. If you have simple needs, this is your notebook."
Conclusion In terms of performance and features, the Acer Aspire One is not the best in the market, but it does exactly what they want and they will save significantly on the price.
The Studio Laptop is the latest product lines from Dell, which represents the convergence of the Dell Inspiron and XPS. It combines the bargain pricing of the Inspiron, and the stylish design from the XPS. If you have been hesitating to make a choice between the Inspiron and the XPS laptop, Dell has now given you another ultimate choice which is the new Studio line laptop.
There are two models currently offered in the Studio line: the Studio 15 and the Studio 17, which are named after their respective screen size. Several laptop expert sites have done their reviews on the Studio line laptops, and Dell scores great result from each of them.
Dell Studio 15 Review The stylish 15" Studio line laptop passed several laptop expert's reviews with flying colors. Most of the reviews are giving the Studio 15 laptop a pretty high rating:
CNet (Rating 7.3 out of 10):
The good: Borrows some of the best design features of the more expensive XPS line; built-in media remote control.
The bad: Bulkier than the 15-inch XPS model; just under the wire for new Centrino 2 chips.
The bottom line: Dell's first release from its new Studio line, the Studio 15, sits between the Inspiron and XPS lines and offers a good mix of features for the price, but we'd be tempted to save up a few extra dollars for a thinner, lighter XPS.
The 15 outperforms many of its toughest competitors and has the potential to inflict even more damage when upgraded. The only competitor with a richer feature set and just as many upgradable options is the HP Pavilion dv5t, but undercutting Dell's current price will be a monumental task for HP.
Dell Studio 17 Review Similar to Dell Studio 15, the Studio 17 laptop score pretty high rating from the experts.
Laptop Mag (Rating 3.5 out of 5):
Sometimes you want more performance than what a typical big-screen machine offers, and on that front the Dell Studio 17 delivers. You get a fast dual-core processor, discrete graphics, a humongous hard drive, and a beautiful high-res display.
As we can see, Dell Studio line laptop is getting a thumbs up from all these reviews. If you have been hesitating to buy Dell's laptop either because the bulkiness the Inspiron or the expensive price of the XPS, the Studio line laptop should give you the answer.
for $499.99. It comes with a 10.1-inch screen, 1.66GHz Intel N280 Atom CPU, 1GB RAM, and 160GB HDD. One of the great feature of this netbook is the display that supports up to 1368 x 768-pixel resolution, making it a great choice for viewing HD movies. The downside however is the short battery life which supports only up to 2.5 hours of usage.
is currently available for $363.35 on 
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for $417), I have made some analysis on this netbook. Below are the summary of good and bad for this netbook after reading several reviews across the web.
for $399. In terms of internal parts, it is similar to most of other netbooks in today's market. Here's the rundown of the NB205's specs and features:
is currently available for order on Amazon for $329.99, and will comes with 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB 5400rpm hard drive, and 6-cell battery.
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while UK version (NP-NC10-KA04UK) is available on 
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