ACER ASPIRE 1410 OLYMPIC EDITION NOW AVAILABLE IN JAPAN

The Olympic Edition of the 11.6 inch Acer Aspire 1410 is now available for purchase in Japan. It is priced at 79,800 yen. The netbook was first spotted in October. Unlike the regular edition, the Olympic edition is limited. Only 1500 models are available.

The Limited Edition Aspire 1410 has the same specifications as the regular edition. It has got an Intel SU2300 processor, 2GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive and integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics. The only difference between the regular and the limited edition is that the later has the Olympic rings imprinted on to the screen lid next to the ‘Acer’ logo.

Besides the Aspire 1410, the Olympic Edition is available for 1810T and a couple of bigger notebooks. But these models are yet to pop up.

ACER ASPIRE TIMELINE 1810TZ OLYMPIC EDITION NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

The Acer Aspire Timeline 1810TZ Olympic Edition thin and light notebook is now available for pre-order. It is essentially the same Aspire Timeline 1810TZ, but it has an Olympic logo on the lid. And while the standard Aspire 1810TZ goes for about $579.99, the Olympic edition costs about $30 more. The machine runs Windows 7 Home Premium.

The notebook is equipped with an 11.6 inch display with 1366 x 768 pixels. It is powered by a 1.3GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core SU4100 processor. Up to 3GB of RAM can be installed and up to 320GB of storage space is available. The Aspire 1810TZ Olympic Edition is now available for pre-order from Amazon. Interestingly, the standard Aspire 1810TZ is hard to find these days.

ARCHOS RELEASES SPECIAL DEVELOPER EDITION FIRMWARE FOR ITS TABLETS

Archos is known for its Internet media tablets known by the name Archos 5 and Archos 7. Both devices are capable of being the internet companion you can carry around. And they are relatively cheap. The Archos 5 starts at around $199, whereas the Archos 7 is available for $209.

But now more and more tablets are arriving. Apple has proposed one. Microsoft’s Courier may also come out next year. So does Archos stand a chance against these big rivals?

Well, the Apple and Microsoft tablets may hog all the headlines when they do arrive, but they will largely remain beyond the reach of the average Joe who just wants a device better than a 4-inch smartphone to browse the internet. And this is where Archos scores. The company recently released a new and special edition of firmware so that more developers can provide content and applications for its tablets Archos 5 and Archos 7.

COLLECTOR'S EDITION ASTRO BOY NETBOOK FINALLY ARRIVES

The Limited Edition AstroBoy netbook is finally here. It is kind of cartoony and armed with some special goodies. And at $900, it is pricey too.

The Astro Boy netbook has the regular netbook specifications. It runs on an Atom N270 processor with 1GB of RAM and Windows XP Home. It has a 10.1 inch display featuring 1024 x 600 pixels. Other notable features include WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth and a 1.3 mega pixel webcam.

But why would anyone want to spend close to $1,000 on a regular netbook? Well, the netbook is Astro Boy branded. And besides the regular hardware you also get some goodies in a briefcase: Astro Boy branded MP3 player, portable hard drive, 2GB flash drive and USB Hub / card reader. Is that all? Well, not really. You also get a certificate of authenticity which is a guarantee that you are one of the 1,000 people who will ever get to lay their hands on the device.

MSI WIND U100 GETS WINDOWS 7 STARTER EDITION

The MSI Wind U100 netbook was launched in 2008. Much like other netbooks released during that year, the MSI Wind U100 featured a 10 inch screen. It was powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. The machine ran Windows XP.

MSI updated its Wind netbook line which includes the Wind U120, U123, U110 and U115 several times over the past year. The Wind U100, however, remains to be the most popular. And now it has got even better. MSI has given its popular netbook a Windows 7 makeover. The new model runs Windows 7 Starter Edition. It still has 1GB of RAM, but the hard drive now comes in a 250GB capacity as against the 160GB the previous model had.

The new Wind U100 is available in two versions – one with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor and the other with a relatively faster 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor.

HP ANNOUNCES SPECIAL EDITION MINI 110 AND ION-BASED MINI 311

HP has announced two new netbooks – the Mini 110 Studio Tord Boontje special edition and the ION-based Mini 311.

The Mini 110 special edition is an update to the original Mini 110 netbook. It features a new floral design by Studio Tord Boontje. The netbook comes with StarDock MyColors theme. Tord Bontje also designed 15 new wallpapers for this netbook.
Hardware hasn’t changed. The special edition has the same specifications as the original Mini 110. Prices start at $399.

The Mini 311 is HP’s first Ion-based netbook. It has an 11.6 inch WXGA LCD screen. It is powered by an Intel Atom N270 1.60 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM and 160 GB Hard disk. The keyboard is nearly full-sized. Other features include an HDMI port and Wi-Fi b/g. The standard operating system is Windows XP. Prices start at $399.

WINDOW'S 7 STARTER EDITION MIGHT BRING SUB $200 NETBOOKS

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the different versions of Window's 7 that will be making their way to store shelves in the coming months.

PANASONIC ANNOUNCES TOUGHBOOK W8 PREMIUM EDITION

Panasonic has just announced an updated Premium Edition of its W8 Toughbook notebook in Japan. The major difference of this Premium Edition from the original is the introduction of an Intel X-25M 80GB Solid State Drive which offers 250MB/s reading speed and 70MB/s writing speed. The standard edition had a 120GB HDD.

This new addition of SSD makes the Panasonic W8 Toughbook Premium Edition 15 grams lighter and faster than the original edition that came with a HDD. This Premium Edition is encased in a high strength aluminum shell and comes in three colors, black, silver and an eye-popping pink.

The Panasonic W8 Primium Edition is packed with Intel Core 2 Duo SU9300 processor, up to 4GB of RAM and includes Bluetooth and WiFi.

As Panasonic has not given any other information on the specifications of its new Toughbook, we have to assume that it is similar to the standard edition in all other aspects. The W8 Premium Edition will be released in Japan on March 27th and will be priced at about $3,400. The release date for other markets is not yet known.

DELL STUDIO 15 SPECIAL EDITION RELEASES ITSELF

We really don't get the big deal with "special edition" version of basic or midrange laptops. Give us a special edition Mac or Voodoo PC and we'll gobble it up. But with all the netbook news around we're happy to be dealing with real laptops for a change.

SAMSUNG NC10 SPECIAL EDITION – HAS A SHINY AND LONGER LIFE

Amazon has started taking pre-orders for the new Samsung NC10-11PBK Special Edition. The major attraction is the 5900mAh 6-cell battery. Samsung claims that this higher capacity battery will last for 9.4 hours. Also, the NC10 Special Edition comes in a glossy black color and has a larger touchpad.

The touchpad definitely looks wider than the previous models and has no demarcations for a scrolling section. Hopefully it will have a multitouch function. Though the black color is coveted by many, the glossy finish is a definite fingerprint magnet, not to mention the glare it generates when used outdoors. Well to our utter disappointment, the NC10 Special Edition does not offer a choice of color or finish. So if you are looking for some hard core battery life and have no problem with shiny looks, the Samsung NC10-11PBK Special Edition is available for pre-order at Amazon for $499. And for those who are content with 7 hours of battery life(yes thats what the original model of NC10 offers) and a matte finish, the original NC10 is now available for $445 at Amazon.

ACER ASPIRE ONE IN THE BLACK EDITION

Netbook sale is still extremely good when the Christmas season,and the big hope for Netbook manufacturers leads to a further sales boost.

For the price of something around 449 euros with its special design, Acer Aspire one A110X is now in the stores. In return, buyers get a totally black-painted, well-equipped micro-computer with a screen diagonal of 8.9 inches. Thanks to a battery with a capacity of 5200 Ampere hours, the Netbook has very long life without an external power supply. The only drawback: The weight is increasing in draw conclusions on blogs that is now about 1.2 kilograms. The battery should run the LED backlight of the display contribute.

As storage is a brief 16-GB SSD there are o surprises that provide a view of the assembled Processor, as in the majority of currently available Netbook performed an atom processor from Intel under the black hood. The clock speed is 1.6 GHz. For the day-to-day tasks such as writing texts or surfing the Internet this is in any case. The processor is supported by a large one gigabyte of RAM.

MSI WIND U100 LIMITED VALENTINE EDITION

If you are embarrassed or bored with all the run-of-the mill lovey-dovey stuff that were your only choice for your valentine, then this year MSI comes to your rescue with its limited Valentine Edition of MSI Wind U100 just in time. Now you have the opportunity to say 'I Love U' with a hi-tech notebook that is wrapped up in pink love, perfect for a geek romance.

Other than the romantic cover, the MSI Wind Limited Valentine Edition is a standard issue with Intel Atom N270 1.6G, 1GB DDR2/533MHz, 160GB SATA, WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth. It has a 10-inch WSVGA 1024 x 600 LED display, 1.3 Megapixel webcam and packs a 6 cell battery. This Valentine Edition weighs 2.6lbs and comes preloaded with Windows Home XP Home Edition.

Now coming to the exciting news, MSI has decided to celebrate Valentine's Day by giving away 15 of its Limited Edition U100 models. To be a lucky winner all you have to do is fill up a form and upload your picture along with your Valentine's before 14th of February and then cross your fingers for the verdict which will be announced on 17th. If you are not that lucky you can pick one of these at www.msimobile.com for just $429.99. And there's more, the first 100 participants are assured a his and

MINI 1000 VIVIENNE TAM EDITION AVAILABLE NOW

You might remember that a few weeks ago when HP released their new Mini 1000 netbooks they also announced that sometime in December their would be a "Vivienne" edition that would cost an arm and a leg (not their words exactly). And true to their words they have delivered.

Meet the Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition. I will first state that all the specs mentioned below come standard on the original Mini 1000 (minus the fancy paint job) and for a lot less but anyways here they are.

Intel(R) Atom(TM) Processor N270 (1.60GHz)
10.2" diagonal WSVGA HP LED Brightview Infinity Display (1024 x 600)
1GB DDR2 System Memory (1 Dimm)!!
Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 950
16GB (Solid State Drive Flash Module) or 60GB 4200RPM PATA Hard Drive


Networking:

Wireless-G Card
Wireless-G Card with Bluetooth
Integrated WWAN

(Verizon) HP un2400 EV-DO/HSPA Mobile Broadband Module (Service Activation Required)
(Choose either Verizon or AT&T) HP un2400 EV-DO/HSPA Mobile Broadband (Service Activation Required)
(AT&T) HP un2400 EV-DO/HSPA Mobile Broadband Module (Service Activation Required)
Primary battery
The right battery can keep you and your Notebook PC working longer
Help me decide
Choices:
3 Cell Lithium Polymer Battery
Dimensions 10.3 in (L) x 6.56 in (W) x 0.99 in (H)
Weight 2.45lbs
Weight varies by configuration
Total memory slots 1 DIMM
Maximum memory expansion 1GB
PCI expansion N/A
AC adapter 30W
Front-side bus (processor dependent) Up to 533 MHz FSB
Expansion slots N/A
I/O ports 2 Universal Serial Bus, Microphone in
Speakers Integrated stereo speakers
Software - full versions Microsoft® Works 9
Windows® Internet Explorer 7
Windows® Media Player 11

In case you're wondering about the price its for $699, yes that is $300 above the original Mini 1000 MSRP.

MSI VR220 YA EDITION LAPTOP REVIEW

MSI was hardly known in the US before they released their ever popular Wind netbook. Ever since that they have been slowly gaining dominance in the US market so its with great expectation that they release their latest notebook the VR220.

COLORFUL MSI VR220 YA EDITION ULTRAPORTABLE

Glory doesn't last too long in the tech world and when you're dealing with people who are moving though gadgets faster than technology can provide you have to be real innovative to keep their attention.

I guess MSI got wind of that and especially since their Wind netbook is still not the Eee PC rival they wanted it to be they have released an even better deal. Meet the colorful MSI VR220 YA notbooks in selected colors including: Denim Blue, Coral Pink, Wasabi Green or Empire Black exterior.

As for specs you'll find a 12.1 inch 1280 x 800 inch WXGA panel, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 250GB HDD, 3 in 1 card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth, three USB 2.0 ports, dual stereo speakers, SuperMulti DVD drive, 1.3 MP webcam, optional TV tuner, Ethernet, 6 cell battery and all that comes in a 4 pound shell for a nice price of $699.99.

I'm not sure about you but that beats the Dell Mini 12. And did I say its available for your ordering pleasure?

DELL MINI 9 AND 12 ARTIST EDITION

Dell is determined to keep its Mini series at the top of the Netbook game, and what better way to do that than to give them artist makeovers. PC's have long been blasted for their lack of design and with that major PC makers have responded.

Now Dell has decided to innovate in the netbook scene and allow those interested in a Mini 9 or 12 to choose from five designs (three of them pictured above).

The only catch is that these "artistic" versions will cost an extra $50. That means $349 and $549 for the Mini 9 and 12 respectfully. And yes you can get them on Dell's website this very minute.

ACERS ASPIRING EDITION FOR HOME PC’S- ACER ASPIRE 2920 REVIEW

Aspire 2920 size is what first catches your eye. Measuring in at 304 x 223 x 32mm, it’s not exactly a Mac-Book Air class of breed, but the Acer is positively on the smaller end of the weighing machine. This intermediate cross breed between the ultraportable and the sleek builds is quiet an interesting swings of idea. Read further to know more.

Design
Primary impressions are very favorable but they take a bit of a knock on the head when you lift the lid and turn the notebook on. The screen only measures 12.1 inches on the diagonal conceivably the screen could have been a bit larger. The aesthetic side of things is a bit gloomy as the screen bezel, keyboard and keyboard surround are made from a pale stale and pale grey plastic that looks quite revolting in the flesh. The power button has a blue backlight and there’s another blue LED to steer you to the power connector.

Performance
The processor in this computer scheme is a Core 2 Duo T7300 that clocks at 2GHz, and it's ably backed up with 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 memory in 2 modules. The Intel GM965 chipset's integrated graphics influence the 1280 x 800 display. Wireless connectivity deals with an Intel 4965AGN 802.11a/b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth, although the lower end Aspire 2920 models lose the 802.11n feature. The higher ends has stacks of storage in the 250GB hard drive and LG DVD-RAM drive, but other models are less comfy, although the lower end variants are balanced by prices as low as £449.

The choice of Windows Vista Home Premium as the operating system is right for the mass of notebook users, particularly if you plug in a TV tuner, and the condition will cater for the needs of anyone who do not prefer to play games on their notebook.

The only obvious weak link is the Intel GMA X3100 graphics unit. However, they're flawlessly sufficient for day-to-day use. The screen is brilliant and clear with colors that are enhanced by the usual shiny coating so you’ll want to avoid any bright light sources nearby that might origin reflections.

The list of ports and connectors is standard, with 3 USB 2.0 ports, a 5-in-1card reader, Gigabit Ethernet for LAN connectivity, modem, VGA and s-video output. On the front edge of the Aspire there are headphones and microphone jacks along with a volume control wheel built in.

In our vigorous testing, the performance was exactly in-line with similar Core 2 laptops which are all that you can ask of a notebook. The 4800mAh battery life is fine for one hour 20 minutes of continuous use which is about 2 hours 40 minutes of regular use but let’s face it, the Aspire 2920 is never the one to be used more on the move too often so the battery life isn’t critical.

Conclusion
The Aspire 2920 is a decent conciliation of weight, size and features. While it’s not the perfect, the price makes it unbelievably tempting.

Pros
+ Decent performance overall
+ Acer’s trump that packs a good punch of features
+ Pricing that even tempting than the ice-creams of the BR’s

Cons
- Very basic graphics option
- Screen size could have been bigger.

Value For Money

Our Rating

APPLE MAC BOOK PRO (2008 EDITION) REVIEW

Apple has made its 1st update to the venerable Mac Book line since the introduction of the Mac Book Air. Regular 13-inch Mac Books get the regular CPU upgrade, but the Mac Book Pro line gets a prominent internal overhaul ,including new Penryn-class Intel CPUs, new touch pad shrugs lifted from the Mac Book Air and eventually a backlit LED option for the 17-inch models, something that is already a standard for 15-inchers. Let look more into the updated 2008 Mac Book Pro.

Design
Physically the revamped 15-inch Mac Book Pro is identical to its forerunners, still only 26mm thick, but now that we've got used to the thinner versions, lighter Mac Book Air, it feels comparatively huge in comparison. Open the bonnet and inside you'll reveal just a power button, a full-size keyboard, stereo speakers, a sizeable touch pad with a single mouse button and a built-in I-Sight camera. Despite our love for a cleaner look, we've also got acclimatized to having at least a few media control keys; an attractive touch-sensitive media controls now regularity even on the cheapest laptops.

Performance
With the all new Penryn processor, the Mac Book Pro offers an tremendous boost in performance over the previous mid-2007 Pro revised model, although a pre-Penryn 13-inch Mac Book from late 2007 was nearly as fast as the present. This underpins our opinion that Intel's Penryn’s, while more on the energy efficient front, don't offer much on a performance boost.

The Mac Book Air was well behind its conventional Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, designed to fit into the Air's extra-thin chassis, and is comparatively slower than the typical Core 2 Duos engrossed in most notebooks.

The Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics card encourages for some basic gaming incase if you plan on playing games on the Mac Book Pro, you will want to install Windows on a different partition through Boot Camp.
Despite some initial cramping the revamped Mac Book Pro offered lesser battery life, we got an impressive 4 hours 23 minutes with our battery drain test but that's 47 minutes more than the older version of the Mac Book Pro and 20 minutes more than the Mac Book Air.

Overall
As we expect, the new combinations hit the same price as the now-discontinued ones. More power for the similar money is always a great welcome, but at £1,599, we still think the cheaper 13-inch Mac Book is a better overall package, outsmarted only if you require either the bigger display or Express card slot, or you can never let live without the touchpad gestures.

Pros
+ Penryn Efficiency
+ Apples performance
+ More power same old pricing
+ Better battery

Cons
- Pricey

Value For Money

Our Rating

GATEWAY P-171XL FX EDITION

Gateway laptops can be better called as ‘game’ way laptops, because they accentuate the game notebooks in an effectual manner and effectiveness. Gateway P-171XL FX Edition is such a kind of notebook that screams out gaming as its important feature. Gateway has had FX-series desktops for some time now, and they are the company’s line of gaming products. The FX notebook is novel however, and is the company’s first attempt to compete in the gaming notebook market. The chassis itself speaks about the rocking and it’s straight away understandable that this laptop was designed with gaming in mind. The P-171XL has a glossy black shell with Halloween-esque orange, silver, and carbon fiber-colored accents.

The processor - Intel Core 2 Extreme X7900 2.8GHz, powers the CPU. The chipset is Intel PM965. The display is a 17 inch WUXGA screen with the resolution of 1920X1200 pixels. The storage capacity is 400GB 7,200rpm (two 200GB drives). The RAM is 3GB DDR2 667MHz and the Optical drives are HD DVD, DVD-R/RW, and CD-R/RW. The Operating System is Microsoft windows Vista Home Premium. Wireless Intel A/G/N, Gigabit Ethernet, enhances the connectivity and there is Bluetooth. The Webcam is 1.3MP and the ports are eSATA, 3 USB 2.0, FireWire. A 9-celled battery is present. The weight of the notebook is not more than 9.3 lbs.

You can find our Gateway P-171XL FX Edition review here

GATEWAY P-171XL FX EDITION REVIEW

The first proper gaming-oriented laptop by Gateway, this one speaks good design and definitely, a good performance + features for a decent gaming laptop. We put the product through our tests, and the results are more than satisfactory.

Design
The design and feel of the notebook is something which a gamer desires. The laptop is covered in black clothes, with sinister orange,silver and carbon fiber hinting along the cloak. The screen is a 17” widescreen, and a 1.3 MP web-cam sits right above it. A microphone, and a LED are present on the top of the screen, and the LED indicates web-cam usage. The web-cam deserves a special mention for the crisp quality of image that it provides. The keyboard is bordered by copper styling, and the keyboard and numpad both are large enough to satisfy gamers. Multimedia hotkeys for DVD, Media Center, music, quick launch are lined up just above the keyboard. A volume controller can be utilized for adjusting the volume anytime.

3 USB ports, HDMI, eSATA ports are provided along with the regular VGA, headphone/microphone, Ethernet, Express card slot, memory card reader slot. Thus, ample connectivity options have been provided.

Performance
The lappy performed well in the gaming department, achieving above average results in the recent games at med-high settings. It was able to get 17fps average in Crysis at medium, and 26 for COD4 at high, both of the scores being quite good for the laptop category. Equipped with Intel Core-2 duo extreme X7900 2.8 GHz processor, , 3GB RAM, 400GB 7,200 rpm hard disk, the laptop was able to extract 4,110 in 3DMark 06. The laptop comes with a HD-DVD drive , but the screen does not do justice to it. The picture quality was not good, and issues like clarity, reflectivity, and viewing angle problems marred a good viewing experience.

Conclusion
A good system, with ample connectivity options, huge storage space, commendable gaming performance, and a good price, this one is meant for gamers who would not like to empty their pockets on a machine. Competitively priced, the lappy only suffers in screen quality, and battery life, which is plain average at 2.5 hours.

Pros
+ Good performance-price ratio
+ Great looks

Cons
- Poor screen quality
- Average battery life.

Value For Money

Our Rating