Everun: The Latest UMPC Challenger

This little UMPC is causing quite a stir on the low cost, low performing laptop market. Although the price is not yet out for this laptop, if it can stay in the low $300 to $400 range, I think we will see a change in direction from the current trends, including small scale, low energy processors.

The specs below are from Gizmodo:

• CPU: AMD Turion 64x2 Dual Core 1.2GHz, 1MB L2 Cache

• Graphic: ATI RS690E +64MB DDR2 Side port Memory, Full DirectX 9.0 support

• Memory: 1GB DDR2

• OS: Microsoft Window XP Home

• Display: 7-inch

• Dual monitor: supporting external display up to 1920x1200

• Storage: 60GB 1.8 inch HDD/UDMA100

• Wireless Connectivity: 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR

• Camera: 1.3M pixel CMOS

• Media Card: SD/MMC Slot

• Audio: ALC262 HD Audio

• Expansion Slot: 2xUSB host, 1 x USB mini, 1x mini PCIExpress Slot, USIM card slot

• Battery life: 2.5 Hours for web-surfing

• Size: 7.87 x 4.65 x 1.08 inches

Lenovo's Ideapad S10 Ultra-Portable Notebook PC Gets Official, Due in September

Looks like Lenovo is fully getting into the UMPC low cost laptop market.

The specs on this forthcoming machine are on par with what we have seen before: "...Windows XP pre-installed, measure 9.8 x 7.2 inches, weigh just 2.4-pounds in its lightest configuration, and pack in a LED back-lit 10-inch screen. Powered by Intel Atom N270 and 945 GSE express chipset..." [Gizmodo]

It's nice to see all the competition and such for Asus, but when will someone be able to compete price wise with them (i.e., a model that is decent, yet under $250.) Around $300 is still the bench mark. That, I believe, is still too high for most PC users. Again, I can add $100 to it and get a real PC or low end laptop.

Asus Eee 1000H On Sale!

We knew it would eventually happen. The inevitable fall of Asus prices for their over priced laptops.

According to Gizmodo, Newegg has dropped the price of the Eee 1000H by $100. That's not too bad, but still not as good as a brand new Compaq or Dell.

Asus Eee 901 Now Available

The Asus Eee 901 is now shipping, according to Gizmodos' website. The specs are as follows:

Atom processor

1GB of RAM

12GB of SSD

Linux Distro (Have yet to see a XP version.)

This will cost you $599.99. Hmm...That seems kinda steep for such a small spec'd laptop. If you go to Amazons' website, you can find the same model minus the Linux distro, plus XP Home for the same price.

You can also get the 900 20G for $549 and the MSI Wind
MSI Wind 10" Mini Laptop (1.6 GHz Intel Atom Processor, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, XP Home, 3 Cell Battery) Black for $499.

I am not saying just because it has better specs and is cheaper that it is better...I am just saying shop around!

Asus Prices the Eee PC Out Of Its Own Market

I had a feeling this was going to happen given the trend of Asus's pricing on newer models.

According to Gizmodo's site, the new Asus Eee PC is gonna run you about $600 for XP or Linux models. That's the start of the price mark, going up to around $650 for the 1000H model.

At this price, why not buy a nice HP or Compaq or shoot, even Dell laptop? I am not sure what Asus's game plan is, but I think it's mildly ignorant of what the original 2G Surf was designed for.

Maybe it's just me. What do you think?

AMD Jumps Into Ultraportables With Low-Cost and High Performance Models

According to Gizmodo's site, AMD will be jumping into the low cost UMPC market with a model of their own.

The specs are as stated on the Giz site "These versions include a white 8.9-inch version with an AMD CPU, ATI's RS690 chipset, 1GB RAM and the Linux operating system along with a 7-inch black XP version featuring a 1280 x 600 display (possibly touchscreen) a 60GB or 80GB hard drive, and 1GB of RAM. Details are still sketchy at the moment, but more should be revealed in the next few days." [Gizmodo]

This market is getting pretty exciting pretty fast. I expect Intel to make a new formal announcement in the near future. Can't be outdone by AMD now can we!

Acer Gets Ready To Kick Asus!

These sweet looking UMPC's are on the ballot to challenge the current "King" of the UMPC and low cost laptop world...Asus.

The specs are nice (8.9" display, 1GB RAM and either 8GB Flash or 80GB HD) and a price tag that's' sweet to, around $380.

The system runs Linpus Linux Lite. Hopefully there will be an XP model eventually.

Gizmodo Link.

MSI Wind Reviewed

The MSI Wind was recently reviewed and put through it's paces. According to an article posted on Gizmodo, it seems to have performed very well.

Article here.

Subnotebook vs. UMPC vs. Netbook: What Is the Difference?

For those of you, like myself, who have asked this question, here is a good Gizmodo answer!

Asus Notebooks Getting Splashtop Instant Boot Linux OS

According to Gizmodos' web site, The Asus laptops shipping will get the Splashtop Linux OS. This is a RAM based OS so that means better boot time, less power draw and better reaction time.

Check the article out here.

Check out SplashTop here.

Is Via's OpenBook the Next (Little) Big Thing in UMPCs?

This new entry into the UMPC market may well surprise some other manufacturers...as well as consumers. This UMPC is "open", which means that pretty much every aspect of it, including the casing shells specs, are available for people to get.

While that may not seem too interesting, imagine this. A company doesn't do almost any design work, they get the specs for this puppy, they do a tweak here and there, they make their own low cost laptop...quickly. Interesting yet?

Gizmodo link.

Bestlink Alpha 400, The $250 "Eee"

Yup, theres another UMPC in the ol' Eee rat race. This one has low specs and an even lower price...$250! That's not too bad. The question is can you upgrade the pitiful 128MB RAM? That's' interesting...

Gizmodo Link

Asus Eee 900 Available For Pre Order

According to Gizmodos' website, the Asus Eee 900 is available for preorder...or has been for a day or so.

Anyone gonna drop $549 on this bad boy?

Asus Competitor...The CTL IL1

It looks like Asus may be getting some more competitors...and at a lower price.

The CTL IL1 has some decent stats. Gizmodos site states, "A 1GHz Via processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB SSD or 60GB HDD plus an SD card reader, with Linux or Windows XP." [Gizmodo] And this model is supposed to run about $50 less than the base Asus 4GB model.

This race could get interesting soon.

My Vista Preium Review - Day 1

So yesterday, my wife and I got our first look at Windows Vista Premium SP1 via our new Dell Inspiron 1525s'. I have shown the hardware specs as well as they tend to be pertinent when it comes to how well Vista runs.

Hardware:

Inspiron 1525, Intel Core 2 Duo T5550, 1.83GHz, 667Mhz, 2ML2 Cache
1GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm
15.4 inch Wide Screen WXGA LCDTrueLife for Inspiron 1525
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100

120G 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, English
DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP INSP 1525

Icon Consolidation Application
Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
DELL SUPPORT CENTER 2.0
Media Direct 3.5

Integrated 10/100 Network Card
Integrated 56K Modem
ADOBE ACROBAT READER 8.1 DIM/INSP
8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive
Roxio Creator DE 10
Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g Mini Card,for Insp 1525
Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam
Creative Earbud EP630
Software for Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam
56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery, for Inspiron 1525
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
DataSafe Online Dim/Ins/XPS
DataSafe Online Dim/Ins/XPS 1YR-FREE
Insp Datasafe 3GB,1YR(Incl in price),DHS

Overall Rating (Day 1): 3.0 / 5.0

In General: As far as first impressions go, I was impressed with the visual effects, such as the Aero Glass, and desktop layout. The desktop looks similar, but better, than the traditional XP desktop. The sidebar widgets are a nice touch, but I am not sure how truly useful they will be. The Dual Core processor seems to hum along quite nicely and makes large tasks seem relatively easy.

The Good: Aside from the before mentioned look and feel of the desktop, there are several features that make this version of Vista a good OS. The instant on wireless manager (via the side sliding switch) makes wireless network monitoring pretty easy. Also, connecting to the wireless network was pretty easy, at least for my wife's laptop. for me it took a few tries.

The network connections folder has been replaced with a "network control panel" of sorts. Although this is nice to keep related tasks together, it does not clarify how to do some basic tasks (i.e., set up a local network or home office network.)

Speed; I was surprised at how quick things ran, installed and un-installed on Vista. This could be based on the processor or the fact that I have little installed on the machine. I installed Microsoft's' Visual Web Developer 2008 Express quickly and easily without issue.

The Bad: As I stated earlier, my wife's wireless connection took mere minutes to get running...mine took about an hour. It may have been where I was physically located, or it may be the fact that my wireless router is an 802.11b router. I was frustrated for a bit until I finally got connected.

The fact that similar tasks are grouped together may be a good idea later on when I am more used to the system, but for now it is a burden. I am used to things being in specific places, and they are not where they used to be. Chalk this up to a lack of experience on my part.

The lack of knowing how-to" is a key limiting factor in the Vista experience. I need to be able to VPN and Remote Desktop to my work PC. I am assuming that this is possible because I can set up a VPN and there is Remote Desktop capability in this version of Vista, but I am at a loss trying to get it to work Like I am used to, or at all.

All in all I believe that my first impressions and experience with this version of Vista have met if not exceeded some expectations. I am still not sure how or why people bash the OS so much. I may find that out in a few days or weeks. But until then, I am impressed with it.

More to come as the days go by...

Lightning Review: HP 2133 Mini-Note

The peeps at Gizmodo have handed down the verdict on the HP 2133 Mini Laptop. Click here to get the full deal.

The Price seems a bit high (for the $750 model) but it does seem to be a good fighter against the Asus Eee!

Computer Dimentia aStore From Amazon

This is not a sales pitch, but rather a place to find a good portion of the items reviewed and listed here on Amazon.coms' website.

There are a lot of good items at the store, some you can seemingly only get online. I would suggest using ProceGrabber.com as well to ensure you are getting the best deal!

The site link is here.

Thanks and happy shopping!

Asus' VX3 Lamborghini Laptop Arrives, Costs 2% of Real Lambo

This new Asus laptop is stylish, but with a price tag of roughly $3,300, it should have more power and speed.

Currently it features 4GB RAM, and an Intel dual core processor. For that chunk of change, why not have a Quad Core processor?

Maybe it is just me, but that seems a bit extreme for a model that just looks cool and has some pretty upgrades, such as the "sapphire-crystal lens on the built-in camera, a handmade leather palm rest and a titanium alloy hinge."[Gizmodo]

Gizmodo link here.

When Asus Eee Laptops Go Bad

This article on Gizmodo.com shows some crooks rigging an ATM to steal peoples personal information, like credit card numbers, via an Asus Eee PC.

Obviously, it is not as easy as buying an Asus PC, but this was the tool they decided to use! Not a good marketing ploy, but it gets the Asus name out there!

Possible 10" Asus Eee On The Way?

According to the Gizmodo article (link here,) it seem that the Asus Eee 900 may be getting a 10" screen.

While this is great news for the die hard Asus Eee peeps, I wonder why. All this does is drag the cost up at least $100, if not more. So if this model is already selling for $550, this would make it around $650.

This is where loyalty and consumerism divide me! I would love to have a 4G or 8G tiny Asus Eee, but I can't justify dropping over $600 on an unproven market when I can get a nice, faster and more powerful model for the same money.

I am assuming that there is a market for laptops where the Eee is the top dog (or close to it), but until that happens here, I am squeamish of anything above the $400 mark...