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MSI WIND
from www.shoppingsquare.com.au
One of the largest netbooks, the MSI Wind has as much style as the Aspire One, with the usability of the considerably more expensive HP Mininote. It weighs slightly over the magic 1kg, but for that weight, you get a sturdy, well-built computer with a keyboard capable of effortless touch-typing. Not only that, but it has by far the best trackpad of the Netbook set, and a 10in screen to make everything legible. Neworking is available via 802.11bg and Bluetooth 2.0, as well as 10/100 ethernet. Three USB ports and a 4-in-1 card reader provde enough expansion for basic needs. All up, it’s the current winner in the Netbook ergonomic stakes. read full review
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ASUS EEE PC 701
from www.shoppingsquare.com.au
The Eee PC 701 is the gadget that started the Netbook revolution, and at just 7in, it now looks like a tiny minnow in what’s become a very big pond. Its strengths are the customised Xandros build that offers simplicity and usability, with OpenOffice 2 and Firefox 2 preinstalled, its bright, clear screen and of course, its price. It’s short on printer support, and the 800 x 480 screen fits just for just 18 lines of 12pt text in OpenOffice. The tiny keyboard also has drawbacks: each the keys are small and it takes a while to get up to full speed using it. The trackpad is restricted, too, but works perfectly well. Build quality is excellent Ethernet and 802.11bg wireless provide connectivity. Performance is good, but the supplied 4GB flash disk is consumed by 2.5GB of OS and bundled applications leaving little room for any videos or audio, but enough space for office documents. read full review |
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ASUS EEE PC 900
from www.techbuy.com.au
The Eee PC 900’s improvements over the original version are predominantly about the specifications. An 8.9in, 1024 x 600 screen, a more sensible 1GB of RAM, and up to 20GB of solid-state storage provide what most people clamour for in a mini-laptop.. But with a 900MHz Intel Celeron processor under the hood, and disappointing battery life, the price tag is steep. Even the Mac-style multi-touch trackpad doesn’t entirely soften the blow. read full review |
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ASUS EEE PC 901
from www.techbuy.com.au
The Eee PC 901 has a smoother chassis, glossed and rounded to make it more attractive with a more solid hinge mechanism for added sturdiness. The mouse buttons have a full silver frame now surrounding the pad and they’re responsive and quite firm, but a bit too clicky for our liking. The real improvement is the Atom processor, though; it improves power consumption and adds extra performance. As well as the Atom processor, Asus has also fitted a new 802.11n wireless module and a Bluetooth adapter, both of which extend the Eee’s appeal to those on the move. The physical ports haven’t changed, so you get VGA, three USB ports, ethernet and a memory card reader. The biggest improvement, though, is the battery. The 901 has a 6600mAh capacity to the 900’s 4400mAh, and it managed a minute short of six hours’ web browsing with Linux, and a stunning 8hrs with XP.
The Eee 901’s improved battery life, sleek styling and the efficiency of the Atom processor make the it the best Eee PC yet. read full review
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ASUS EEE PC 1000H
from www.penta.com.au
The most recent revision of the Eee PC is by far the most mature, building on the original design with the addition of a larger keyboard and screen.
It’s hard to deny the appeal, even though the extra weight and higher price will push it out of the bounds of many shopping for an appliance PC. The battery life is also slightly less stunning than the 901, but in all other respects, this is the best Eee PC yet. read full review |
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HP MININOTE
from www.dealsdirect.com.au
The limitations of the netbook format – Microsoft will license XP only for laptops under a certain size range, and with specified limits for RAM and processor – have meant that some companies eschew them in favour of a true mini-laptop. HP’s Mininote is the standaout; it looks and feels more like a notebook than a netbook. It’s simply beautiful , with a classy magnesium alloy chassis . Weighing 1.27kg, despite its petite size, the 2133 feels sturdy and has the largest resolution 8.9in monitor, with a glossy 1280 x 768. The keyboard has the best feel and layout we’ve encountered in a netbook, but, like the Aspire One, the mouse buttons sit uncomfortably on either side of the trackpad. The upmarket feel is matched by the operating system – the 2133 comes with Windows Vista Business. The 2133’s principal weakness is not its software, however, but its limited processing power. A low-voltage 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor, a gigabyte of memory and a 120GB hard disk are impressive on paper. But in use it’s sluggish and the battery life doesn’t make up for the lack of performance. Great in some areas, it misses the mark for a netbook. We’re hoping for an Atom version to take the Eee’s crown. read full review |
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ACER ASPIRE ONE
from www.shoppingsquare.com.au
Acer’s Aspire one offers an extra inch of width and a slightly larger keyboard. This, coupled with a VAIO-style lid, makes it look more like a proper laptop than the Eee. And with prices starting from a staggering $533, it’s closer to the Eee’s original remit. Acer gets one other vital thing right too: the Aspire one is simply gorgeous. Our review unit came in pearly white, the smooth lines and the little flash of colour on the lid’s hinges all coalescing into a surprisingly attractive whole. What’s more it feels sturdy and, at 980g, it’s enviably light.
The basic specification consists of one of Intel’s Atom N270 processors running at 1.6GHz, 512MB RAM, an 8GB solid-state drive and 802.11b/g networking. Linpus Linux Lite is the OS of choice.
It isn’t a specification to get the pulse racing – we’d have liked draft-n and Bluetooth, too – but given the modest demands of the Linpus OS, it’s enough for the core tasks expected of it, such as email, word processing, internet browsing and music and video playback. read full review
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PIONEER DREAMBOOK IL1
from www.pioneercomputers.com.au
The IL1 is a whitebox netbook – you decide the specs you want and pay from $499. We built up a basic IL1 on the Pioneer site with 40GB HDD, 1GHz CPU, a 7in screen, and the total came to $609. Overall, the IL1 works fine as a cheap email and Web browsing laptop - just don’t expect anything more. The processor’s a Via C7-M, (up to 1.2GHz), versus the 1.6GHz Atom for the new generation of Eee machines. There’s 1GB of RAM and the screen is 7in, though there’s an 8.9in option.
You can opt for an 80GB HDD and battery life compares favourably to the equivalent Eee PC. read full review |
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DELL INSPIRON MINI 9
from www.dell.com.au
Dells new Mini 9 is the baby of the Netbook set, and it’s inexpensive as well as well-featured. It’s more compact than the Aspire One, but still packs an 8.9in screen. The Dell doesn’t have the now-expected custom Linux OS; instead, it’s Windows XP all the way, although its one of the few that combine XP with a flash drive – 16 GB in this case. XP with flash isn’t a perfect combination – it’s less responsive than we’d like, but it does help battery life and overall robustness. The keyboard features well-sized keys which are comfortable to use but it’s not up to the Aspire One or Wind. The Dell comes with more apps stuffed into the system tray than we’d like in a netbooks – perhaps an attempt to overcome the lack of optical drive for those switching from a more fully-featured system. Nice, but not a winner. read full review
Buy your Inspiron 9 now at www.dell.com.au
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