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Netbook buyers and enthusiasts should be happy to know that this coming Monday Intel will be releasing the Atom N470 Processor, which will be Intel’s most powerful chip yet for netbooks. The processor will enhance both the performance speed of the machine and longevity of the battery.

The chip will run at a speed of 1.83GHz and integrate a graphics processor and memory controller. These features will give netbooks superior graphics and processing performance compared to their predecessors. The fact that the new chips are also more efficient could result in an increase for some netbooks’ battery life performance. The chip’s integration also results in a decrease of size, which could allow smaller and lighter netbooks to be made.

Though this new chip is a great step, there are still strides to be made in the effort to increase efficiency and utility. For example, Nvidia graphics processors and Atom CPU will be coupled together to bring better high-definition video to some netbooks in early March, and it’s this kind of innovation that will drive the industry forward.

Via PCWorld.

Viliv has finally confirmed pricing and availability for the long-awaited S10 Blade netbook. The convertible tablet netbook is now available for pre-order in North America for $699, coming with Windows XP. This particular model won’t include three-point multitouch output as promised, but other models are on the way.

Later iterations of the S10 Blade netbook will share the same basic features – a 10.1-inch 1366 x 768 resolution resistive, multitouch touchscreen, 1 GB RAM, Bluetooth 2.0 and a webcam. It packs either a 1.6 GHz or 2.0 GHz Intel Atom CPU and a variety of storage options: a 60 GB HDD or SSDs in 32 and 64 GB versions.

A number of the models will get HSPA 3G modules. Expect battery life to run as long as 10 hours.

We’re still in the dark about shipping dates, so keep your eyes peeled.

Via Electronista.

Smartbooks will be making some crazy gains by 2015, according to ABI Research. But what the heck is a smartbook?

ABI Research analyst Jeff Orr has an answer that does a good job of distinguishing smartbooks from netbooks:

“As ABI Research defines it, a smartbook is a low-powered device running a mobile operating system that is always connected, either via Wi-Fi or (more often) using cellular or mobile broadband. Smartbooks can take many different shapes. They are a subset of MIDs (mobile Internet devices) and netbooks, and address the same potential users, usage, pricing, and market needs. The difference is that they don’t use x86 processors.”

ABI’s new research study claims that 163 million smartbooks will ship in 2015. It’s a pretty long bet, but considering that the first smartbooks appeared in 2008, it will be an ambitious target for manufacturers to hit.

If vendors bring smartbook prices below $200, the gains could be even greater.

Via ABIResearch.

Wow. The Associated Press is reporting that kids in Pennsylvania, having been issued laptops from their school, have allegedly been recorded doing “inappropriate things” in their own bedrooms – recordings taken at the directive of school administrators. Tech security personnel attempting to track down stolen machines activated the laptops’ webcams in order to find out where they had been taken.

This sounds like a poorly thought-out idea from school authorities with, hopefully, good intentions. Incompetence is the name of the game here, and considering the vast number of netbooks distributed to kids in the US and abroad, the problem could be broader than we think.

Check out the footage below for more on this story.

Via AssociatedPress.

The world’s PC market is experiencing a major shift in design focus from overwhelming computing power to efficient compactness and attractiveness. Rising Internet dependence make the ability to connect with people any time and any place more useful, and the increasing numbers of mobile operators mean that this option is becoming more and more available. Improvements in technology mean that more and more components can be fitted in the same space, while affordability brings this power well within the price range of the average consumers hands.

Thanks to these four major forces, netbooks have become quite popular among both professional and academic communities, and was the only segment to register double-digit growth through significant reductions of spending by enterprises and consumer segments.

Netbooks are also subject to large amounts of innovation with continuous introduction of new features such as touch screens, in-build 3D wireless broadband and improved resolution and operating systems. As a result of all of these factors, PRWeb says the global market for netbooks will blow past 54.3 million units by 2015.

Via PRWeb

T-Mobile USA could be sidling into the netbook market alongside competitors Verizon and AT&T, according to blog TmoNews. The new entrant to the netbook arena is expected to offer the Dell Mini 10 netbook by the end of March this year. The Dell Mini 10 has historically been sold by both AT&T and Sprint Nextel.

T-Mobile has been working hard to climb ranks in network buildout and 3G access, despite trailing behind bigger names. It’s making up the difference by deploying an HSPA+ nework upgrade. At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week, T-Mobile announced that its first HSPA+ device, webConnect Rocket Laptop Stick, will be available this March.

Lenovo has been taken to court by Smartbook AG, a German netbook vendor, over using the term “smartbook” to describe its devices, particularly the recently released Skylight. The Cologne-based company said after the court order, “Without approval by Smartbook AG, Lenovo must refrain from using the character sequence ‘Smartbook’ in all writing systems in association with mobile computers — such as laptops (notebooks) — as part of commercial correspondence in the Federal Republic of Germany.”

Lenovo can be fined up to €250,000, or $341,400, every time the term is used. Smartbook AG, which has been selling netbooks since 2006, has also sued Qualcomm for using the same term, and even sent Netbooknews.de cease-and-desist letters ordering the blog to delete the term from its site, including the English version that is hosted in the US outside of German jurisdiction. Good job, Smartbook AG. Sending angry letters to poor innocent netbook news sites is really going to help your image. No, really.

Back in 2008, Psion  sued Dell and Intel for using the term “netbook,” and also sent cease-and-desist letters to netbook blogs. These cases were eventually settled, and Psion has since withdrawn its trademark. Perhaps Smartbook AG will follow a similar fate.

Via PCWorld.

The recent media storm concerning one particular tablet has shifted the discussion regarding the role and future of netbooks.  Following Acer’s pithy rebuttal of the tablet trend sweeping manufacturers, ARM has announced to the world that, not only are netbooks here to stay, but they are destined to become the norm of the PC world.

Tossing out an astonishing estimate, ARM CEO Warren East stated in an interview with PC Pro that while netbooks may only compose 10% of the PC market now, we should expect that figure to reach 90% within the next few years. Now, as much as I love netbooks, this prediction certainly deserves a double-take, as it basically casts desktops and laptops into oblivion.  Also, there is no clear answer to whether East is referring to only the traditional netbook platform or if he means to include the entire mobile PC platform, including tablets.

East, of course, would have everything to gain from this arrangement.  While he may not have a stranglehold (or to be honest even a foot) in the netbook CPU market, he points out that every netbook released has at least several ARM chips powering various components of it.  However, he remains ambitious and announced earlier plans for the Cortex-A9 to be able to reach clock speeds of 2 GHz and a quad-core configuration.

Via Engadget.

The bestselling netbook on Amazon right now is the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE, retailing for $368.59. Why’s it so popular?

One reason could be the extremely classy ASUS Super Hybrid Engine, a tool that allows users to, upon the tapping of a hotkey, speed up the processor for performance or slow it down to extend battery life. This, combined with the ultra-efficient Intel Atom N450 CPU, allows users to get up to 14 hours of juice.

Also encouraging such efficiency is the LED-backlit 10.1″ screen, coming in at 1024 x 600 pixels. Other features include 802.11/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Windows 7 Starter, Bluetooth, a Plug-and-Play flash card slot, 0.3 megapixel webcam, 1 GB of RAM with the option to upgrade, and a massive 750 GB of Hybrid Storage (250 GB in the HDD and 500 GB on ASUS’ web servers.

What more needs to be said? Go get yours now for only $368.59.

Via I4U.

Word on the net says that MSI’s much-anticipated dual-monitor netbook, first seen at CES 2010, will be making an appearance on store shelves within a few months.

The netbook packs two 10″ monitors, one of which can be used as a keyboard with haptic feedback. While initial expectations were that MSI’s dual-screen netbook would run Windows 7, an interview with LaptopMag reveals that it could actually end up running the Google Chrome OS.

MSI says it will launch the netbook with 4.5 hours of battery life and e-reader capabilities. They may also add in a 7″ version of the tablet netbook by the time the original is released in Q3 or Q4.

As can be expected, info on pricing is not yet available, but I’m sure MSI will be doing its best to get the word out once a few more months go by.

Via I4U, image via Engadget.

Acer, already the second largest computer maker in the world, has ambitious plans for the future. According to Bloomberg, Acer is tossing its hat into the already over-saturated yet underdeveloped market of eReaders, facing off with the likes of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, and others. No specifics have been announced other than it will have a 6-inch, monochrome (assume E-Ink) screen and ship in Europe.

More surprisingly, Acer is announcing an online apps store. Jim Wong, president of the Acer IT product division, has stated it would contain hundreds of applications, “otherwise you can’t call it an app store.” It will likely be a cross-platform marketplace for Android, Windows Mobile, and ChromeOS.

However, Acer’s most stunning announcement is the fact it has announced plans to rush forward with a ChromeOS netbook to provide a “a change to the Microsoft-Intel environment,” according to Wong. The mention of Intel hints that this new product line might be ARM powered as an alternative to the standard Atom on-board most mainstream netbooks. Acer plans to release the netbook sometime around Q3 2010, on schedule with Google’s release date for ChromeOS.

Via Bloomberg, image via Wikipedia.

When Windows 7 was still in the works, many in the tech industry were eagerly anticipating a Netbook Edition of the OS. We were dismayed to see that Microsoft had ditched its plans in favor of the crappier Windows 7 Starter. However, it looks like many netbook users’ dreams have come true – a new, tweaked version of Windows 7 has been making its rounds on the Web under the moniker of Windows 7 Netbook Edition.

The OS is a customized version of Windows 7 Ultimate, ditching a lot of extraneous drivers, language packs, and additional features. It’s not made by Microsoft, but it’s expected to run on just about any netbook – even the oldest of the old.

Windows 7 Netbook Edition may be based on a pre-release version of Windows 7, so don’t be surprised if it implodes on you or kicks you out for not having a valid product key.

Via Liliputing.

MSI is planning to hit India’s netbook market hard in the near future, according to company representatives. It will deliver not only Atom netbooks but AMD-powered machines as well.

Their lineup is impressive – four netbooks, starting at Rs19,000, and ten notebooks starting at Rs38,000. MSI is adding hi-def displays to many of the netbooks, replacing the Intel chips with AMD CPUs to bypass Intel’s restrictions on certain displays used in netbooks. Samsung did a similar thing with its NC20 netbook last year.

Frank Hsu of MSI explained what MSI means to accomplish in India:

“We are targeting sales of around 60,000 to 80,000 units in India in 2010.”

MSI’s figures in India last year were between 12k and 15k.

Via DnaiIndia.

The Intel Classmate PC is getting some updates, including new Pine Trail CPUs and a sleek redesign by Intel. Designated the Convertible Classmate, Intel’s school-centric netbook currently features a 10.1-inch swiveling touchscreen.

The new Atom CPUs are 60% smaller and 20% more efficient than the old versions. The netbook will also feature optional 3G and WiMax connectivity. Larger screen sizes could be in the works for the Intel Classmate PC.

The Classmate PC began in 2007 as a response to and competitor to the OLPC XO netbook. It was redesigned once in September 2008, but this time around, the netbook could feature better graphics and 720p video.

Intel says Argentina is going to buy 250,000 Classmate PC netbooks later this year, to be delivered to 1500 schools by the UN. Brazil and Turkey have purchased Classmate PCs as well.

Via PCWorld, image via CrunchGear.

The Toshiba NB305 has been released with a price of $399. It’s essentially an upgrade to the NB205, coming with the same huge touchpad, metal keyboard, glowing power button and textured matte lid.

Toshiba has made this version a bit more attractive by tucking the battery underneath the chassis, rather than let it jut out the back. It tapers from 1.4 inches to 0.5 from front the back and is overall a slimmer version of the Toshiba build we’ve come to know and love.

Features include a 1.66 GHz Atom N450 CPU, Windows 7 Starter, a gig of RAM expandable to 2 GB and a 250 GB HDD. The NB305 has a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution on a 10-inch screen, Intel GMA 3150 graphics, three USB ports, VGA, Ethernet, and an SD card reader.

Toshiba has boosted audio quality and volume  as well. As we noted back in August, the NB205 was a fantastic netbook beset by crappy audio. Supposedly, this has all been amended in the new NB305 netbook.

The Toshiba NB305 has an 8.5-hr battery life and you can get it at Amazon now.

Via MobileMag.

MSI is planning to ship the MSI U135 netbook with Moblin, a version of Linux, according to a recent press release.

Moblin, like Android, was originally intended for mobile phones but netbooks have benefitted from its expansion into a netbook and tablet OS. Version 2.1 is the one we’ll be seeing in the MSI U135, the version that Intel and Novell optimized for netbooks.

Intel Business Director of Open Source Software Ram Peddibhotla says that “The Moblin project has the potential to become an accessible and widely used computing platform,” and we can’t help but agree, considering the wide variety of excellent features found in the OS.

The MSI U130 has a 10.1-inch screen and the Intel Atom N450 Pine Trail CPU, 1 GB of DDR2 RAM and a 250 gig HDD.

Shipping in February 2010, the MSI U135 running Moblin should cost less than its Windows counterpart.

Via Nexus404.

Samsung has announced at CES 2010 that the Samsung N127 netbook will come with SUSE/Moblin Linux as the OS. The system is going to be first released in India and Russia, and later in North American and Europe if all goes well.

The netbook’s OS will rest on the Moblin 2.1’s 2.6.31 Linux Kernel and feature software from SLED. However, the interface won’t be based on KDE, instead using the Moblin interface we’ve heard so much about.

The N127 uses a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU and a 10-inch LED screen as well as a 1.3 megapixel webcam. It sounds like a decent setup and a solid option for Linux netbookers who want in on the new Pine Trail processors.

Via ComputerWorld, image via NetbookChoice.

Sony’s been hard at work improving its netbook lineup and has come up with the new environmentally friendly Sony VAIO W Eco netbook, a new machine rocking a 10.1″, 1366 x 768 pixel LED screen.

The netbook is made of recycled materials. It has a white finish, green palm rest, and stylishly patterned trackpad. According to Sony, as much of 10% of the CO2 used to make most netbooks was eliminated from the manufacturing process.

The Sony VAIO W Series Eco netbook comes with a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU, Intel GMA 3150 graphics, a GB of DDR2 memory (expandable to two gigs) and hefty 250 GB HDD. This machine can stay awake for as long as 8 hours.

The Sony Vaio W Eco comes with a camera, microphone, Wi-Fi, card reader, Express Card slot and Windows 7 for the price of $479.

Via Waleg.

Toshiba and Gateway are both expected to announce new Pine Trail netbook selections at CES 2010 in a few days. Canadian reseller Future Shop shows the netbooks to have similar spec lists – 1.66 GHz Atom CPUs, a 160 GB HDD for the Gateway and 250 GB for the Toshiba netbook, 10.1-inch screens, a Gig of RAM and Intel GMA 3150 Express graphics.

Both machines will come with Windows 7, but they differ on one critical metric: the Gateway netbook is priced at around $285, while the Toshiba machine will sell for around $438 USD. There may be significant differences in the build quality or extra specs in the machines, so we’ll hopefully be able to explain this price difference by the time the Consumer Electronics Show rolls around.

Via CNet, image via Future Shop.