The Netbook Market

The Netbook Market has recently taken the decision to end our relationship with eBay and switch to Amazon listings for our netbooks. We feel this will be benificial to all parties and would like thank eBay for their cooperation.

Visitors should notice only minor differences, but please bear with us as we make the transition.

Laptopmag have done the first benchmarks of the HP Mini 311 with the Nvidia ION LE chipset.

As the first netbook with the Nvidia ION and Geforce 9400M graphics the Mini 311 looked like it could be the fastest netbook yet released.

Well we can confirm that it does score very well in the standard PC Mark 05 and 3D Mark 06 tests:

Read the rest of this entry »

UMPC Portal has posted an interesting article with some details on the Intel Atom Roadmap that have come out of the recent Intel Developers Forum.

Intel have four Atom platforms in the works with each to be targeted towards a specific market sector:

• Pinetrail – Netbook platform. Atom CPU + GMA500 GPU
• Menlow – MID platform. Atom ranging from 800Mhz-2.0Ghz + GMA 500 GPU (with PowerVR SGX core)
• Moorestown – Smartphone platform. Atom CPU (clockrate unknown) + GMA 500 GPU (With PowerVR SGX core)
• Sodaville – Set Top Box/CE platform. Atom  CPU + PowerVR SGX core.

Interestingly each platform will use the GMA500 or PowerVR GPU core. As noted in our GMA950 VS GMA500 article, even though the GMA500 has the more recent technology the current GMA500 netbooks are slower than their GMA950 counterparts.

This speed deficit is believed to be entirely driver related however, and if the software has matured by the time Pinetrail is released then it could well be a faster platform overall.

We also see that Intel have designs on entering the mobile phone market. Each new platform will be making the Atom+GMA combination smaller and more power efficient (albeit at the cost of overall performance). Time will tell if it can compete with the ARM and Samsung processors already holding the lion's share of the market.

The world's first ION netbook, the HP Mini 311 has just been released and there are a few models available for sale on eBay!

Head to our HP Mini 311 page to get yours now!

NVIDIA ION is a small but powerful graphics processing unit (GPU) that works together with a low-power CPU to generate exceptional performance for compact, energy-efficient systems. 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. ION’s highly-integrated, energy-saving design delivers the extended battery life mobile customers demand.

Official HP Mini 311 Specifications:

• Intel Atom N270 1.6Ghz or Atom N280 1.66Ghz
• Windows XP Home Service Pack 3
• 1GB DDR3 RAM
• 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• NVIDIA Geforce 9400M Graphics
• 11.6" HD LED Widescreen Display (1366 x 768)
• HP Mini Webcam
• Options for Wireless G, N and Bluetooth
• Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)
• Optional 3G
• 6 Cell Battery
• 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader
• 3 x USB
• HDMI and VGA Out
• Built-in Altec Lansing stereo speakers
• 11.4 in (L) x 8.03 in (W) x 0.78-1.20 in (H)
• 3.22 lbs

Engadget has reported that the first generation of Intel's upcoming  'Pine Trail' Atom CPU will not be capable of full high definition playback.

The new processor, which integrates the GPU and CPU on the same die, was demonstrated at the recent Intel Developers Forum playing video content in 480p. When asked if it could handle Full HD (1080p) Intel responded that the first generation is not intended for Full HD, that sort of performance is on the roadmap for future versions.

What is the point then of Pine Trail? By placing the CPU and GPU on the same die Intel is able to make the entire platform more power efficient, and also smaller. This will enable it to be placed into even smaller devices than netbooks, possibly even mobile phones. There would also be some speed benefits in the way of latency as data has less distance to travel between the CPU and GPU.

All indications however are that the first generation of Pine Trail may in fact be slower than the current Atom + GMA combination.  We won't have solid performance figures until it is released and benchmarked but in Netbook Market's opinion: don't hold your breath for Pine Trail...

The MSI Wind U210 is now available and can be purchased here.

The MSI Wind U210 is the first Netbook from MSI to feature the Athlon NEO MV-40 1.6Ghz Processor.

It also features a class leading 12.1" Display with a High Definition 1366x768 resolution and 16:9 Aspect Ratio.

See the full specs on the MSI Wind U210 page.

Notebook Italia has posted a number of photos of the upcoming HP Mini 311. This could be the first ION netbook that makes it to market with the previously slated Lenovo S12 and Samsung N510 both being delayed until later in the year.

There has been no official word from HP on when this will be released but it has shown up on their support site which would suggest an imminent release.

HP Mini 311 Specifications are said to be:

• Intel Atom N270 1.6Ghz
• Nvidia ION Chipset with 9400M GPU
• 11.6" Screen with 1366 x 768 resolution
• 1GB DDR2 667
• 5400RPM 160GB Hard Disk Drive
• 5 in 1 Card Reader
• Bluetooth, 802.11 b/g wireless, Ethernet
• HDMI Out, VGA
• 3 x USB2.0
• Webcam and Microphone
• Windows XP Home

The 11" screen and HD resolution are a nice touch but take these specs with a grain of salt. These things always tend to change before the release date!

Rest assured we will be listing the HP Mini 311 and other ION netbooks as soon as they are available.

*UPDATE* - The HP Mini 311 is now available and can be purchased from eBay here!

Toshiba's latest and greatest Netbook is now available on the site.

With a sleek and sexy design and the class leading Intel Atom N280 1.66Ghz processor, the Toshiba NB205 is quickly becoming one of the most popular Netbooks available!

Head over to the NB205 page to get yours now!

The EEE PC T91 is officially available but with only a limited number of units available in the first run.

We will have the T91 listed on the menu bar when units are available but will remove it when out of stock to avoid confusion.

There are a few currently in stock so head to the EEE PC T91 page now to get yours!

ASUS Tablet reports that ASUS UK has confirmed the specifications for the upcoming T101H, the 10" version of the T91, as well as a release date of late August or early September.

It is said to be sporting almost the exact same internals as the T91 with an Atom Z520, 16GB SSD, GPS, 3G, Multi-Touch and a TV Tuner. The TV Tuner seems to be additional, and it is uncertain if there will only be one version of the T101H with all of these features or multiple versions like the T91.

These specs should probably be taken with a grain of salt however, as a lot of the current information seems to be conflicting. Some have listed the device as having the Atom Z520 and the Intel 945GSE chipset but as anyone who has read our Intel Atom Series article will know, the Z series processors come with the US15W or 'Poulsbo' chipset.

The 'H' in T101H was also said to stand for 'Hard Drive' as it does with all other EEE PC models.

Hopefully these specs are wrong as a 1.33GHz processor and a 16GB SSD hardly make this device a stand out from the crowd!

EEE PC T101H Specs as listed by ASUS Tablet:

• Screen: 10.1? LED Backlight / Resistive Multi-Touch Panel
• Enabled for Microsoft Windows 7
• Resolution: 1024 x 600 (WSVGA)
• Battery: Li-polymer, 5.4 hours runtime
• Processor: Intel Atom Z520 - 1.33GHz
• OS: Windows 7
• Memory: 1Gb (DDR2); 2Gb Maximum
• Storage: SSD 16Gb + 16Gb SD Card (included)
• Online Storage: 20Gb (free for 18 mos.)
• Audio: HD / Stereo Speakers / Digital Array Mic
• Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Camera: 0.3 Megapixel Built-in
• Color: Black / Silver
• Weight: 1.50 kg
• GPS: Yes
• 3G Module: Yes
• Digital TV Tuner: Yes