ASUS Eee PC 1000H and MSI Wind Compared
June 27, 2008
LAPTOP Magazine has put together a head-to-head comparison of the Eee PC 1000H and the MSI Wind NB.
Both of these ultraportable laptops feature 10-inch widescreen displays (with a resolution of 1024×600) as well as 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPUs and 80GB hard drives.
They also have “over-clocking” modes (or “Super Hybrid Engine switcher” when it comes to the 1000H and TurboDrive for the Wind) that allow you to bump the CPU speed up from 1.6GHz to 1.8GHz for the EEE PC 1000H and 1.9GHz for the MSI Wind (keep in mind they have to be plugged into an external source when overclocked - otherwise the feature is used to slow the CPU down to save on battery life).
Even putting aside the price (the MSI Wind is $150 cheaper), the Wind came out on top, with a much better battery life (40+ more minutes than the 1000H even with the 1000H’s 6-cell battery, 5+ hours total).
Read: LAPTOP Magazine
Acer Aspire One Review (CNET.co.uk)
June 27, 2008
Last week, CNET Uk published their review of the 8.9-inch Acer Aspire One. The Acer Aspire One (not available in most markets just yet) is one of the cheapest Intel Atom-powered mini-notebooks in its category.
While it’s slightly larger than the 8.9-inch Eee PC 901, that allows for a keyboard that Acer claims is 95% the size of a regular laptop keyboard.
As the review notes, the Aspire One (or “One” as they are calling it) has a feature or two that sets it apart from the others in its class (in addition to the keyboard) - it’s got a SIM card slot that allows you to plug a SIM card in, and assuming you have the service, use the Aspire One with 3G or HSDPA networks.
They gave it an 8.8 out of 10, citing its low capacity 2200mAh battery as one of the negatives (of which there weren’t many). There is a 4800mAh battery available for an additional cost.
Read:
- CNET UK Review
- Crave.co.uk - Photo Comparison of Eee PC 901 and Acer Aspire One
Toshiba Satellite Pro 400 Hands-On (SlashGear)
June 27, 2008
Bree over at SlashGear has posted their hands-on experience with the Toshiba Satellite Pro 400, Toshiba’s latest 13.3-inch laptop. The unit reviewed had one of Intel’s latest CPUs, the Intel T8100 Penryn 2.1GHz processor.
They compared it to a regular Toshiba Satellite, and while it lacked some of the multimedia features of the regular, the non-glossy finish held up much better - it looked more “professional” and more importantly, hid fingerprints (something that bugs a lot of people).
They found the keyboard to be sturdier than others in its class, and felt the price was a good value (in fact, the price for non-Penryn models at some online retailers such as Amazon has dropped to $877).
Read:
- SlashGear - review
- SlashGear - Unboxing
ECS: G10IL Sales, European Mobile Connectivity
June 27, 2008
PC World is running a couple of articles about the ECS G10IL, which is the netbook entry from Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS). It’s a 10-inch or 8.2-inch ultraportable notebook powered by an Intel Atom CPU and either Microsoft Windows XP or Linux. They expect to ship one million ECS G10IL units along with Intel Classmate PCs (which they are under contract for). August or September are the earliest some versions of the G10IL will be shipping.
ECS is branching the G10IL into two lines - one is the “G” series that will come with a 3G mobile/wireless module that allows for decent speeds over mobile phone networks. It will have a 6-cell battery, 2GB of RAM, and an 80GB Hard Drive. The G version is going to be distributed through mobile phone providers (they are looking at a September or October timeframe for G10IL’s with 3G options). They are looking at around $500 for the G series, but that may vary - it could be lowered / subsidized depending on contracts signed by mobile phone customers.
The “J” series will offer, in addition to the 10.2-inch version, an 8.2-inch version (that’s not a typo, it’s 8.2 inches), along with smaller hard drives and lower-capacity batteries. It might start out at around $400.
Read:
- ECS Eyes 1M Netbook, Intel ClassMate PC Sales
- ECS Signs Netbook Deals With European Mobile Operators
MSI Wind Roundup, Availability in the US
June 27, 2008
Almost two weeks ago, the online MSI store was listing the 10-inch MSI Wind as being available today - June 27th - in the US but that’s not going to happen, unfortunately. Originally it was scheduled for June 16th, 2008. Now it’s looking like the week after next, July 7th or July 8th (coincidentally around the same time as the Eee PC 901 and 1000 launch).
An email was posted to the MSIWind.net forums (via liliputing) from MSI (a North American contact) stating that it would the week of July 7th, “due to the industry wide battery shortage“. The good news (if you want to call it that) is that shipping for the MSI Wind NB from the MSI Online Store will be upgraded to overnight shipping, free of charge. Contact numbers are listed at the link above.
Asus Eee PC 900, 901, 1000 Roundup, Availability
June 27, 2008
First up, some news on the battery issue with the Register hardware is reporting that Asus will be contacting owners on July 1st, about swapping their 4400mAh battery for a 5800mAh battery. That doesn’t mean they’ll be shipped immediately - there appears to be a delay while Asus UK waits to physically get the batteries (and not just on paper), but it looks like the situation will be soon resolved.
Next up, Liliputing mentions that Asus has told some customers that the 10-inch Eee PC 1000 / 1000H and the 8.9-inch Eee PC 901 would be available in the US on July 8, 2008. This would put the Eee PC 1000 / 1000(H) in direct competition literally with the 10-inch MSI Wind, which is powered by the same Intel Atom CPU (albeit slightly cheaper).
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