The decision to freeze new netbook releases is likely due to the fact the Intel is releasing the Atom N550 dual core processor for netbooks in the third quarter of this year.  Asus and Acer need to liquidate excess inventory to make room for future netbooks with the N550 processor.

The faster N550 processor will increase performance but also the cost of the netbooks that carry them.  The cost increase will be minimal so current Asus and Acer netbooks with slower processors will be harder to sell.  Because of this it doesn’t make much sense for the companies to produce many new netbooks with the slower processors prior to the A550 processor release.

Via http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2010/07/acer_and_asus_stops_netbook_releases.html

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There has been no official announcement from Dell or Google about a deal but “talks” are underway. If an agreement is reached Dell would be the third manufacturer to build a future netbook with Chrome OS. The other computer manufacturers that plan on releasing netbooks or other computers with Chrome OS are Acer and HP.

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The Toshiba T215 and Toshiba T235 will have less gloss, raised keys, and a larger touchpad.  The T215 will come with an 11.6 inch screen and the T235 will feature a 13.3 inch display.

The base price of the Toshiba T215 will be $470.00 and the Toshiba T235’s $550.00.

T215 Specs and Information:

• AMD Athlon II Neo single or dual core processor
• Up to 2GB of DDR3 RAM
• Up to 320 GB HB
• 3.3 lbs
• 11.6″ screen
• HDMI Port
• Built-in Webcam
• Preloaded with Windows 7 Home Premium

T235 Specs and Information:

• AMD Athlon II Neo, Turion™ II Neo, or Intel Pentium dual-core processor
• Up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM
• Up to 320 GB HB
• 3.9 lbs
• 13.3″ screen
• HDMI Port
• Built-in Webcam
• Preloaded with Windows 7 Home Premium

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Now that the ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005PE-PU17-BU has been out for awhile many customers have reported very good battery life during normal use. One could expect 10 – 12 hours of battery life while consistently using the netbook.

The ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005PE-PU17-BU comes with Windows 7 starter, 1 GB of RAM, an Intel Atom N450 CPU, and a 250 GB HD.

The Toshiba Mini 300 Series NB305-N310 netbook also boasts a long battery life. It’s advertised battery life is 11 hours. Customers have reported an actual battery life of 9-10 hours while surfing the internet and checking e-mail.

The Toshiba Mini 300 Series NB305-N310 netbook comes with Windows XP, 1 GB of RAM, an Intel Atom N450 CPU, and a 160 GB HD.

The HP Mini 210-1084NR netbook falls just short of 10 hours of advertised battery life. With a price tag under $300 it still offers fierce competition to other netbooks with long battery life.

The HP Mini 210-1084NR comes with Windows XP, 1 GB of RAM, an Intel Atom N450 CPU, and a 160 GB HD.

Comparing all three the ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005PE-PU17-BU delivers the best battery life and is the most popular among consumers. For those on a penny pinching budget that don’t need more than 9 hours of battery life the HP Mini 210-1084NR offers similar specs for $65 less.

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One thing is certain, tablet PC’s and netbooks both have advantages and disadvantages over each other and do in-fact serve slightly different purposes. The tablet PC is built for content consumption and very light content creation. With it a consumer can read books, check and send e-mail, watch movies (even in HD), and play games. The netbook on the other hand is built for content creation as well as light content consumption. A standard windows operation system allows the netbook to create most content a standard laptop can create and edit.

Pricing is another factor worth considering. Netbooks can be purchased for $250 – $300 while Ipads are in the $500+ range. Those looking for a cheap mobile computer will have to spend about twice as much for the tablet PC unless prices come down.

In my opinion there will likely be a device in the future that is more content creation friendly than the Ipad but also has the content consumption features that make it appealing. I do not believe tablet PC’s will replace netbooks until a college student can realistically bring a tablet PC to school as an all-in-one solution for their computing needs.

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HP and Fujitsu have both announced their intentions to use the Atom N455 and N475 in future netbooks. HP will be updating their mini 210 netbook and Fujitsu will be updating their MH380-1A netbook. Pricing for neither netbook has been released at this time.

The Fujitsu MH380-1A will be available June 17, 2010. It is still unknown when the HP mini 2010 netbook will be available.

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Cheap netbooks will see price increases because the system requirements for Windows 7 are much more demanding than windows xp and the cost to the manufacturer for the operating system itself will go up $15 – $25. Because of this consumers seeking the cheapest possible option will likely order netbooks available from manufacturers outside of the U.S.

Microsoft currently has a windows 7 upgrade for netbook users currently using Windows XP. The upgrade can be downloaded directly so netbook users without CD-ROM drives can still use windows 7. The windows 7 netbook upgrade comes in both 32 and 64-bit versions.

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The 12.1″ (1366×768 resolution) Eee PC 1201PN netbook is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor and a Nvidia Ion 2 graphics chipset, and is equipped with 2 GB of RAM and a 250 GB hard drive.  The netbook also features HDMI and VGA output and runs on the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.  The standard battery is a 6-cell, with 47Whr power consumption.

The current price for the 1201PN is $499.

Via EeePC.

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The new M11x gaming netbooks will have the same graphics cards (Nvidia GeForce GT 335M) as before, as well as feature new Intel Core i5-520UM and Intel Core i7- processors.  Of course, the options now are also more expensive — $949 for the i5 model and $1,099 for the i7 model (versus $799 and $899 for their predecessors).

Both netbooks will feature TurboBoost technology, as well as an integrated Intel HD Graphics Media Accelerator.  The M11x netbook definitely is a heavyweight performer in its 4.4 pound weight class and doesn’t totally break the bank.  If you’re interested in gaming and on the market for a netbook, get out there and check it out!

Via ZDNet.

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Via Gadgetmix

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Via Liliputing

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Some other tech specs of the Fujitsu PH520 Lifebook netbook include:

• 11.6″ screen display with 1366 x 768 resolution
• AMD M880G chipset
• ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics
• 2 GB of RAM
• 320 GB hard drive
• Ethernet
• b/g/n/ Wi-Fi
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• HDMI, VGA, card reader, audio jacks
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
• 1.3MP Webcam

This Lifebook netbook also comes with a six-cell battery, which is expected to last for about 6.2 hours.  The netbook weighs in at 1.4 kg — pretty standard for a netbook.

There’s another similar Fujitsu netbook that is powered by an Intel Celeron SU2300 processor.  It features a similar shape, but the chassis has a larger keyboard and trackpad.

Via PCWatch.

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The Notino mL100E netbook also features a couple USB ports, an external VGA port, 10/100Mb/s Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, the Windows 7 Starter OS, and a webcam.  Something unique about this netbook is that instead of having the trackpad buttons located underneath the trackpad, they’re located to either side of it.

The netbook is now available at a price of £279, including VAT.

Via PCAdvisor.

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Regardless, they are sold out of the EVO 4G and analysts estimate that it sold a not too shabby 150,000 on launch. Nowhere near a 1 million unit iPhone kind of launch, but an achievement for Sprint and Android nonetheless.

via cnet

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Unfortunately for Sony, there is nothing all that notable about its specs: 1.60GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor, 2GB of RAM, and choice of 64GB or 129GB of storage. It also comes with WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1,and Windows 7 operating system.

Via Netbook-Planet

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