Netbook or Laptop?

You decide.

The ASUS Eee PC 1201N blatantly flaunts the conventional netbook format but it is one of the increasing number of crossover machines which seeks to blur the line between the pile em high, sell em cheap ethos of the netbook and the more mainstream laptop market.

We gave house room to the Samsung NC20 last year so we are feeling comfortable inviting the 1201N into the fold.

Bigger is better

So firstly, lets take a look at what separates the 1201N from the minstream netbook crowd.

The first obvious thing is it’s size. The 1201N sports a 12.1 inch TFT display with WXGA resolution (thats 1366×768 to you and me). The extra real estate means a weight penalty over a 10 inch netbook but it is not really much extra at a skinny 1.5Kg.

Having broken free of the dimensional restrictions it opens up the way for an all round specification improvement.

The hard drive is 250Gb spinning at 4200RPM, 2Gb of DDR2 RAM finds its way under the bonnet and the operating system is windows 7  home premium.

Another nice touch includes an HDMI out.

All the netbook usuals are present:

3 USB 2.0 Ports

802.11n Wifi

0.3 Megapixel webcam

Bluetooth

10/100 ethernet

VGA out

Any old Ion

The biggest departure from the netbook spec is in the inclusion of a Dual Core 1.6Ghz Atom 330 processor. This is coupled with NVIDIA Ion technology for superior graphics performance.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Ion platform it incorporates the NVIDIA GeForce 9400 graphics chipset so you can expect a much improved graphics performance and acceptable 1080p video playback.

If glossy screens aren’t for you then watch out, this one is as reflective as they come and the available brightness will cause issues outside in bright sunlight.

The little Ion does have its limits though so don’t expect to blazing your way through Crysis any time soon. Likewise save serious video editing for the big boys, Ion won’t cut it.

The dual core Atom processor provides broadly double the performance of the old Atom chips and coupled with a double helping of RAM everything runs very smoothly and Windows 7 Home Premium runs like a dream.

All this extra performance of course requires power but the Asus 1201N manages a respectable four and a half hours battery life.

Asus have always been keen on making their machines as stylish as possible and the 1201N is no exception. The lid has a deep gloss shine with slightly less glossy but still shiny plastic inside. The keyboard borrows design cues from the Macbook where the keys protrude through holes cut in the chassis. This has the dual benefit of placing the keys further apart and reducing the amount of dust, rubbish and general detrius that can find its way inside the machine.

Asus Eee PC 1201N Conclusions

Overall this machine is a hit with us.  From the netbook spec looking up it does everything better and whilst it is considerably more expensive you can still spend almost as much on a 10 inch model.  We like the extra hard disk space, windows 7 premium and the extra performance that the Dual Core Atom and Ion chips provide.  We don’t much like the reduction in battery life (the Asus Seashell 1005p can soldier on for upto 11 hours!!) or the increase in weight. One of the main benefits of a netbook is the ability to carry it around almost anywhere and not think about it. Bigger means more awkward.

If on the other hand you are looking for an ultraportable laptop and are considering the 1201N then you might be disappointed about the overall performance of the package compared to other ultraportables. It does however compete very favourably on price.

So depending on you standpoint it is either a super netbook or a cut down ultraportable. It is certainly a worthy addition to the market but its failure to put a foot firmly in either camp may limit its appeal to the masses.

Windows 7 Netbooks at under £200 have been very thin on the ground so far but we have just come across a cracking deal on the MSI Wind U130 which is worth checking out for more reasons than it’s low price.

2nd Generation N450 ATOM processor

The MSI Wind U130 is based around the next generation Intel Atom N450 (Pinetrail) processor running at 1.66Ghz.  This coming monday (1st March 2010) sees the launch of the Atom N470 which runs at 1.83Ghz, we’ll have more news on that next week.  The N450 Pinetrail promises a 20% reduction in power consumption as well as new new chipset which contains a revised graphics chip the NM10 which should provide us with an improved graphics performance into the bargain.

The MSI Wind has long been a favourite of the netbook buyer but has always been at the top end price wise.

The opportunity to bag a Wind with the new Atom N450 and Windows 7 starter seems just too good to miss. Ours is on the way so expect a full review by the 8th March.

Ok so the 8th March was a little optimistic. We do have it and are currently in the process of reviewing it, suffice to say first impressions are very good so keep checking back for the full rundown.

In the meantime the specification is as follows:

• Intel Atom N450 processor.
• 1.66GHz processor speed.
• 1GB DDR2 RAM.

• 10in screen size.
• Resolution 1024 x 600 pixels.

• 160GB SATA hard drive.

• Intel NM10 graphics.

• Multi card reader.
• 3 USB ports.

• Bluetooth.
• 1.3MP webcam.
• 802.11 b/g/n wireless enabled.

• Windows 7 Starter operating system installed.

• Up to 4 hours battery life.
• Weight 1.2kg.

If you think that this is the netbook for you then take a closer look below

For netbook users Vista in any guise was a complete no no and with the low cost XP version taking hold there seemed little point anyway.
Windows 7 is a whole different proposition though. We have used it on a number of ancient laptops which don’t nearly meet the minimum specification and have had very few problems. Our long term Compaq mini 700 has recently been upgraded to Windows 7 Home premium and whilst the next thing on the list is an upgrade to 2Gb RAM it runs even better than it did with XP. Zero compatability issues so far and it isn’t really all that different in use from XP but it does start up and shut down an awful lot quicker. We haven’t done any battery life comparisons yet but will get round to it soon.
The upgrade from XP or Vista to Windows 7 Home Premium is in our opinion well worth the asking price especially if you are lumbering along with the monster that is Vista, what were you thinking?

If you a looking for a new year bargain then we have a couple for you to take a look at today.

Firstly the Acer Aspire One D250.

This great little netbook has all the usual features you expect from a 10″ form factor netbook such as Intel Atom N270 processor 160Gb HDD, 1Gb RAM, Webcam and Windows XP home.

Like the rest of the insanely popular Acer netbook range the D250 is well put together with a responsive keyboard and an active gesture trackpad which is great when you get the hang of it!

What sets the D250 apart from the rest of the under £250 netbooks is battery life.

Netbooks are forever stretching their legs with battery life but this tends to occur further up the price ladder.

The Acer D250 claims upto 7.5 hours. You can take that with a pinch of salt but neverltheless 6 hours is easily achievable which makes the D250 a great choice for those who spend significant time away from the mains electricity.

For this week only the D250 is available for £219.99 including delivery and in a choice of four colours. Black, White, Red and Blue.

Don’t miss out!

The second amazing netbook deal this week is the king of the budget netbooks:

the Samsung N140

The N140 is the big brother to the N130 and shares the same chassis as well as most of the running gear. XP Home, 160Gb HDD 802.11b/g wifi etc. What the N140 has over its sibling is a whopping 5900Mah battery giving upto 9 hours of battery life. The one misgiving we had about the N130 in our review was a lack of bluetooth. The N140 doesn’t us let us down here either.
The icing on the cake is a preinstalled 12 month trial version of Microsoft Office 2007.
Yes thats a whole year!
All this can be yours for less than £290 which is a significant saving from the usual mark of around £330.

OK, So we finally have our hands on the Samsung N130 netbook.

Competition is ever growing in the 10” netbook market and whilst on the face of it the N130 has nothing new to offer it has been a good seller for Samsung due to a few key features and the usual Samsung build quality.

The N130 Weighs just 1.2kg, and whilst perhaps not the most stylish the smart chassis is slim and tough. The plastics are a matt finish which should protect it from scuffs, scratches and of course endless fingermarks.

Battery life

The sleek design is somewhat let down by the bulky 6-cell battery that protrudes awkwardly from the base of the chassis. It’s not all bad though. A 6 cell battery means approaching 5 hours of battery life and the raised battery does lift the N130 into an acceptable typing position.

As expected from Samsung the keyboard is a delight (for a netbook anyway). The keyboard makes full use of the available chassis and the keys are nicely tapered with a positive return when typing.

The 10.1-inch screen features the usual 16:9 aspect ratio so is great for movies but the resolution is the standard 1024×600 which means lots of scrolling when browsing.

As veteran netbook users we are well used to this but like the smaller keyboard it can take some time to get used to.

The display has a matt finish which significantly reduces reflections which is a big bonus if you use the N130 outside often.

The downside to the matt display is that you don’t get vibrant colours that you would from a glossy screen and therefore the images can seem a little flat but you pays your money and you takes your choice. A glossy screen is great but what use are vibrant colours if you can’t see the screen for reflections?

A standard 1.3 megapixel integrated webcam is fitted above the screen. Somewhat annoyingly the camera is set to the right rather than the middle which makes you either sit with the N130 to one side or you have to lean across. Why it couldn’t go in the middle we have no idea.

The N130 ships with the ubiquitous but well suited Windows XP Home for netbooks so there should be no issues there.

Also included is a Microsoft Office 60 day trial which is enough to get you going.

As we said at the beginning the Samsung N130 wasn’t designed to break any boundaries in the netbook market and once again storage is taken care of with a standard fare 160GB hard drive and a 3-in-1 card reader in place. There are the expected 3 USB ports to connect your gadgets and gizmos, while 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi keeps you connected at the best possible speeds.

In 2009 the netbook market seems to have got considerably more pricey as well as a lot more crowded.

The N130 wants to reverse that trend. Whilst there is nothing amazing about it in any real sense it does exactly what it says on the box and does it well. The 6 cell battery gives a very useable 5 hours in favourable circumstances.

Even at this price point we would have liked to see Bluetooth included but that is really the only glaring omission.

The greatest selling point for the Samsung N130 however is the price. All of this Samsung build quality is yours for well under the £250 mark. In fact as we write the N130 is available from Amazon for only £218!

The Christmas offers keep coming and in a bid to keep up with the massive gulf between online and internet prices Comet have come up with a cracker!

The ever popular Samsung N130 10″ netbook with 160Gb HDD 1Gb RAM and up to 6 hours battery life (well more like 5 really) has been reduced to £219. Not only that but they are throwing in a pre payed mobile broadband dongle with 3Gb of data on it for nothing.
The dongle is from the 3 mobile network and they have some of the best 3G coverage around.
If you have been toying with the idea of getting a cheap netbook but don’t want to be tied to a mobile broadband contract then this is the ideal way to dip your toe in the water and see how it works for you.

Read our Samsung N130 review.

It seems that the general public have drunk comet dry of this great deal. If you look at our N130 review linked above then you can find great in stock deals on the Samsung N130.

The N140 is pretty standard netbook fare with Intel Atom, 10.1 inch screen, 160Gb Hard drive, bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and windows XP Home.

Where the Samsung N140 really scores is in battery life. It has a high capacity 5900mah 6 cell battery which gives an astonishing 9 hours of battery life.

Once again this is a 11th December only deal so don’t miss out on this fantastic bargain.

The NC10 normally £269 has been reduced to £259 and with an additional £20 cashback that makes a sensational £239 for an extremely capable netbook.

You could do a lot worse than check it out here

3 mobile have reintroduced the £17.50 laptop deal with the superb Samsung N130.

Read our Samsung N130 Review

Intel Atom N270 (1.6 GHz)

10.1”XD LED(1024 x 600)

1GB Memory

0.3 MP Webcam

160 GB Hard Disk Drive

Wi-Fi

Microsoft Windows XP Home

Ergonomic Keyboard High Definition (HD) Audio 3 in 1 Card reader (SD, SDHC, MMC) Microsoft Office Trial version McAfee Virus Trial version.

Battery life is claimed at upto 6 hours so expect 5 and you shouldn’t be disappointed.

The N130 is available on a 24 month contract with 1Gb data per month for £17.50 or if you want 15Gb of data then you pay a little more at £25 but 15Gb is a hell of a lot of data!

Looking for the perfect Christmas present for your kids?

Are they desperate for a laptop for Christmas?

A budget netbook from netbookplanet.co.uk could be the answer to your problems.

Many of the lesser specced netbooks are now available for under £200 and even bigger discounts can be had from graded models.

Many people are instantly put off graded goods but there is a strict order of grades so that you know exactly what to expect.

Goods that have been Graded A1 must be in as new condition with no defects or faults.  They may be in plain packaging or missing driver disks or instruction manuals but basically you get a warranted as new product for a significant discount.

There is a great selection of budget and graded netbooks below under £200.  I have also included the fabulous Samsung NC10 (see our review) which is a bit more expensive but worth every penny.

If you can’t find what your looking for here then try Cheapest Netbook. They have over 100 netbooks from under £100 up to £250.