The low-cost low power systems commonly known as Netbooks or mini laptops, has hit the market popularly. The usual sought after systems are 1 GB of Ram, a 160 GB or larger drive an Intel Atom N270 CPU and windows XP or Windows 7, with option of Bluetooth for mobile Broadband excess. The graphics hardware from Nvidia’s Ion GPU, gives high screen resolutions on 11.6 inches screen display. The prices for the higher grade systems are going over the usual $300 to $400 range.

Asus EEE PC 1000 HE

Asus EEE PC 1000HE is the improved model of previous EEE PC 1000. The CPU and keyboard have been upgraded by better design. It now carries the price tag of $400. The new model PC 1000HE has higher frequency of 1.66GHz using atom N280 CPU with front-side bus speed of 667MHz while the last one used Atom N270 CPU at frequency 1.6GHz and with slower bus speed of 533MHz. The netbook was rated with score 35 on WorldBench 6 tests, which is the usual average of netbooks.

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Acer Aspire One AOD 150

Acer has also improved its Acer Aspire One model into, Acer Aspire One AOD 150. It was lacking in some features and this netbook now has a slight edge over other systems in performance.  The well balanced good looking 10.1 inch screen is bigger than previous 8.9 inch screen. The compact keyboard now looks better but is still shorter than full-size keyboard. The system constitutes 1 GB of Ram, an Intel Atom N270 Processor and frequency 1.6GHz. With all its good points, it scored the average 35 on WorldBench 6 tests.

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Lenovo IdeaPad S10

Lenovo IdeaPad S10 is in fact a bigger and better system with definite edge over all its competitors. The bigger and roomy platter-based hard-disk drive of 160 GB and 5400 rpm is so far the largest in a netbook in the laptop market. The 10.2 inch screen gives 1024 x 600 resolution display. The very resounding high performance of S10 is far better than comparative models in the market. It derives great appreciation from laptop users.

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The components installed are Intel Atom CPU, 1 GB of Ram and 1.6 GHz. Lenovo IdeaPad S10 works at faster speeds than other giving affective performances. IdeaPad S10 has the highest score 41 on WorldBench 6 tests.  When one is looking for long lasting performance, IdeaPad S10 is the best solid pick.

Acer Aspire One

Acer Aspire One is a Linux-based first model that is being appreciated despite its composition of slower components than usual. This swift Aspire One laptop is selling for $349 only. Aspire One’s Windows XP Home version is offered with a larger Hard-disk drive. The screen display is 8.9 inches accompanied by a well-designed keyboard. The Linux models 8GB solid-state drive has been replaced by much improved 120GB hard-disk drive with better 1 GB of Ram. All the above improvements could get its rating to score 34 WorldBench 6 tests, which is lower than what the users look for. Another setback is its 3 cell battery cost $100 that boosts longer use but makes the package cost heavy.

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Asus EEE PC 1000H XP

Asus offers variety mini laptops in the market since its first machine Asus EEE PC 4G netbook. EEE PC 1000H XP is a far better version and its performance is also upgraded by removing all problems that handicapped its early models. The components are Intel Atom N270, 1 GB of Ram and 80GB hard disk. The 10 inch screen display is relatively roomy. The compact set measures 10.5 inches by 7.5 by 1.5 inches, the size of a book. It has a good sized keyboard. The EEE PC 1000H XP has a high scores 37 on WorldBench 6 tests, which is an above average rating.

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Asus EEE PC 1000H XP has a solid screen. The large size makes it an ultra portable device but its compatibility helps it to lead the laptop market.

HP Mini 2140

The HP Mini 2140 is composed with Intel 1.6 GHz Atom N270 processor, 1 GB of Ram, and 160GB hard-disk drive 5400 rpm. It also offers Windows XP. It includes a 3 cell battery that can be changed to a 6 cell battery by extra $30. The HP Mini 2140 is affording at a comparable high price of $529. HP Mini 2140 carries an overall good appeal. The metallic laptop is somehow a poor scorer 26 on WorldBench 6 tests. The biggest advantage of HP Mini 2140 is its wonderful battery that lasts almost 7 hours on each charge. This fantastic battery life is probably the main consideration of frequent laptop users.

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The HP Mini 2140, in spite of the high price, still enjoys preference to many comparable models in the market.

Asus N10Jc

Asus N10Jc is a bigger than usual size of a mini laptop. It is almost ultra portable netbook. In other words this large model seems something outside the mini laptops configuration. It resembles Asus EEE 1000H XP netbook but with design and better components advantage. It is quite expensive at a price of $650 for a mini laptop series.

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The components are as usually used Intel Atom 1.66GHz, N270 processor and 1GB Ram with 160 Hard Drive, the same as IdeaPad S10. Its superiority lays in the graphics processing unit, Nvidia’s GeForce 9300M GS, that allows workup/manipulate between GPU and integrated graphics on the motherboard. A fascinating facility not commonly found in the mini laptop market. Asus N10Jc at its peak performance setting scored 36 in WorldBench 6 tests. It is above than the average rating.

HP Mini 1000

Hewlett Packard’s second-generation mini laptop is a far better upgraded version of their previous model HP 2133. The HP Mini 1000 has now incorporated Windows XP. The other components include 1GB of Ram and 60 GB PATA hard-drive 4200 Rpm.

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This mini 1000 netbook score 30 on WorldBench 6 tests, a low figure much below average. HP Mini 1000 still retaining all the facilities provided by the earlier model HP 2133. Mini 1000 performs better in the low price range and that is what the users look for and gives good turnover.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 is regarded a basic learning composites netbook available at an affordable price of $474. This compact machine is just the size of a notebook. The components include Intel 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 1 GB of Ram and solid state 8GB drive. It also operates Windows XP Home. It becomes more versatile with preinstalled software that includes Microsoft Works. Dell Inspiron Mini 9 has a big setback that it does not provide enough open space to work. This is the major reason why WorldBench 6 tests could not be performed to ascertain its true performance for comparison with other netbooks. However, its working is definitely reasonably satisfactory as often confirmed by users.

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The solid Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook is particularly popular among children for its easy operation style, appealing design and very reasonable good price.

MSI Wind NB U100

The MSI Wind NB U100 as its market established with the price tag of $550, the main factor being, it was the first mini laptop with Atom base CPU system. Other components include 1 GB of Ram, and 80 GB 2.5inch hard drive and Windows XP. The rated score 36 on WorldBench 6 tests is about the average of the mini laptop netbooks.

The Wind’s main differential is its Turbo Drive over clocks at the slightest touch of a button. Turbo drive helps to power initial torque to put the Atom processor in full mode instantly. The main setback is the battery supplied with the system. The three cells last only about 2.5 hours on each re-charge. It is known for its light weight and as a tough built body.

You believe it or not, but well-known PC heavyweight Acer has done this by revealing an array of refreshingly new systems, two netbooks, a new laptop line as well as new version of its 3935G, 5935G and 8935G media center series.

Let’s try to find out what these new Acer’s paraphernalia have something worthwhile for you.

The Acer Aspire Timeline series

This utterly new Timeline series has been developed under the very chants of revolutionizing the IT world. No more heavier and bulkier batteries, but they are quite efficient this time with the latest existing technology that promises a real longer battery life. The nicest thing is that all has been done without breaking their $1,000 limits. Acer says that the new series also features its latest air flow technology that is quite handy to redirect their cool air of these laptops bottom side.

The series consists of 13.1”, 14.1” and 15.6” models and each of them houses Intel ULV processors, LED 16:9 displays, standard SSDs and several energy efficient techs that you can find in most of laptops available in the market these days.

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Netbook line updates

The company has also updated its well-known netbook line, as a thinner version of their Aspire One has also been that is less than one inch thick this time, but most the other features and specs are almost the same as you have seen in the previous 10” model.

Acer Aspire One (11.6-inch) was the other model that Acer launched at the event. It has 11.6-inch screen that can’t be reckoned as the widest screen on some netbook, as Dell’s Mini Insiprion has a 12” screen. However, there is a full size keyboard that with its nice screen may change game in the netbook category.

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Gateway EC

Acer seems to emphasize a lot on green aspects with the launch of its Gateway EC 13.3” laptop. It features swithcable graphics, a 16:9 LED display and SSDs, low-power mode and its compliance of Energy Star 5.0. No word about availability or price of the new Gateway.

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Media centre series update

Aside from these netbooks, the company has also updated its 18-inch media centre dubbed as the Aspire 8935G. Acer seems to put some more thoughts to redesign the series, this redesign is quite evident their interiors, as you would find chiclet keyboard instead of traditional ones. The Aspire 3935G and Aspire 5935G are other smaller versions in their media center laptops.

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Other models

eMachines series

With Pentium or Intel Celeron processors, 16:9 aspect ratio, added AMD Athlon option for G and E, wide keyboards, DVD drive, webcam and Wi-Fi and five-in-one card reader, Acer makes the eMachines series quite charming. The D (14-inch) and G (17-inch) models have half TB HDD and 4GB of RAM.

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This project has taken time of a year and a half. The company told that this Linux based operating system is meant for netbooks. Reason thereby, it takes low power to run, making it best for small portable computers and netbooks.

Windows was a bit heavy operating system to run low cost and low power computers, especially for netbooks.

Now with the release of Moblin, people who had problems with Windows on their small computers will be greatly relieved.

Moblin has been designed to run on Intel Atom processor initially, we can’t say that it is not compatible with other processors. Yet the officially confirmed compatibility is the Acer Aspire one and Dell Mini.

It is told on the project website that Moblin can run on Eee PCs easily. But there are minute problems in running Moblin on Eee PCs; it has some problems with the wireless networking systems.

We hope that after Moblin takes flight of liking and success, it will be developed for Core 2 CPUs and other makes too. It is a great deal of work on Intel’s part as it has been refining Windows since its release without thinking of developing any other operating system.

Now with Moblin, Intel will be able to grab the market of netbooks and low power devices which were hungry for a quality operating system.

There is a clear cut firestorm in the new breed of small, but so-called netbooks, but the question rises how many of them have been sold by Asus.

Market researcher IDC says that data for Europe, Africa and the Middle East show that more than two million netbooks has been sold in those regions during the third quarter of this year.

While in the total computer markets there is only 28 million sales in that period with a healthy seven percent share of netbooks and that is indeed quite impressive for a category that didn’t have existence 18 months back.

It’s not surprising at all that Ausu and Acer have a lion share of 80 percent of those mini laptop sales. It seems that HP, Samsung and others are also getting ready for the big fight in the coming months.

According to IDC, the laptop manufacturers may see a sharp rise in sales (up to four million) in the last quarter of this year. The important thing is whether any room will there for full-sized laptops in the coming days.

Similarly, downloads have become much faster with them and the purchases of such devices feel more satisfying. These are the factors that more and more software makers are turning to USB drives for distribution.
Source Next from Japan is one of such companies as are quite popular because of its CD-free laptops. In Japan CD-free laptops are gaining much popularity these days and more than 30 software titles of Source Next are available as downloads or on flash drives,

These are available in different prices that start at ¥3,970 (£20) and most of them are consisted of anti-virus software, phone utilities and different PC productivity applications. These are found in 1GB drive that weighs 7g and can be reused after installing the software.

According to Source Next, it aims to sell more than one million USB drives in the first year of its arrival and it has really serious designs on the USB installation market.