Cute 8.9″ netbook: Mini 9 from Dell
Dell’s much-awaited entry into the netbook market has finally happened as buyers in U.S., Japan and a few other European countries can now purchase the Inspiron Mini 9 netbook (a.k.a Inspiron 910). Available in both Ubuntu 8.04 & Windows XP flavor, the 2.2 lbs Inspiron Mini 9 is powered by Intel’s N270 1.6GHz Atom CPU, GMA 950 Graphics and 8.9? glossy LED-backlit LCD (1024×600). The unit also supports up to 1GB DDR2 533MHz RAM, optional Bluetooth 2.1; 802.11g WiFi, trio of USB 2.0 ports, Card Reader, VGA/1.3MP WebCam and free 2GB online storage from Box.net. Primary storage is handled by 4/8/16 GB solid state drives whereas the battery is a 4-cell 32Whr one.
Dell rarely disappoints when it comes to accessories and the Inspiron Mini 9 is no exception. There’s a whole new line of custom “Designed for Dell” backpacks, messenger bags, convertible cases from brands like Timbuk2 and others for their first netbook. Dell has priced the Inspiron Mini 9 with Ubuntu 8.04 and Windows XP starting at $349 & $399 respectively. Alpine White version is always an $25 upgrade. Windows XP pre-loaded units are shipping immediately whereas the Ubuntu 8.04 Mini 9 featuring customized interface would be available after a couple of weeks.
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The Ferrari 1100 from Acer
THE 1100 is the latest Ferrari-themed notebook from Acer and I have to say that it hits all the right gears from a design standpoint. While it eschews the famous scarlet Ferrari colour scheme for a more subdued black finish with gunmetal silver trimmings, there’s no mistaking the iconic prancing horse logo that is displayed firmly in the centre of the lid.
The Ferrari 1100 is encased in a carbon fibre chassis with a racing check pattern on the lid which is also extended to the touchpad.
Ultraportable notebook PC
Processor: AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-66 (2.3GHz)
Memory: 2GB DDR2
Monitor:12.1in LCD with LED backlight (1,280 x 800pixels)
Graphics: Integrated ATI Radeon X1270
Storage: 250GB, slot DVD burner
Operating system: Windows Vista Ultimate edition Read more
Hewlett-Packard Pavilion HDX9013TX
THE Hewlett-Packard Pavilion HDX, nicknamed Dragon, is not notebook-sized by any stretch of the imagination.
And it certainly doesn’t qualify as a “laptop” – having this beast on your lap is likely to stop all blood flow to your legs after an hour or so.
So, what is it?
Well it’s probably best described as a portable high-definition entertainment centre, and it is geared towards giving you a movie-watching experience in a relatively small package – of course relative is the operative word here, since the Dragon weighs nearly 7kg!
However, with the ample room available inside the casing, HP has shoehorned in hardware that is truly worthy of the term, “desktop replacement.”
Our review unit has a speedy 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (and you can configure it with the top-of-the-line 2.4GHz version), 2GB RAM and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD2600 XT graphics processor (with an option for an nVidia GeForce 8800M GTS if you have more cash to spare).
These specifications mean that the Dragon is quite capable of not just high-definition video playback, but can also run some of the latest graphics-intensive games.
Way of the Dragon
In case you’re wondering why this notebook is called the Dragon, it’s actually because HP has a special pattern on the lid with a stylised dragon pattern on it.The design is pretty subtle and unless you’re looking at it under strong lighting the lid actually looks black.
The overall finish is actually quite nice and other than the black glossy finish, the notebook has a huge silver hinge connected to the lid.This heavy-duty hinge actually allows you to tilt the display forwards and backwards to get the optimal viewing angle for your seating position.The black and silver colour scheme continues on to the inside of the notebook too where the keyboard is black with a silver palm rest that also has the dragon pattern.
Talking about the keyboard, it’s huge – in fact, there’s so much space that HP has a full-sized keyboard with a numeric keypad and there’s space left over for the remote control.Yes, this being a multimedia notebook, HP has kindly provided a cool remote control for navigating when using Windows in Media Centre mode.
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