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Imagine the HP Mini 311 with a new Atom...

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

With CES coming in January and Windows 7 computers already everywhere to be found, a casual observer might assume that Vegas' annual consumer electronics extravaganza might not be as exciting for laptops. For Netbooks, at least, that seems to be completely untrue. Although Netbooks have seen an across-the-board upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 and, in some instances, boosts like HD-resolution screens, added RAM, and discrete Nvidia GPUs, Netbooks still tend to run variants of the same N270/280 Atom processor we've seen since 2008.

Intel has been readying its newer Atoms, including a dual-core D510, for a while, but a rumor of a leaked document suggests that Intel might be unveiling the new Atom N450 (the successor to the N270), and even new Netbooks and Nettops containing it, at CES. The report also suggests a possibly quick decommissioning of the old Atom N270s. Intel's new Atoms are supposed to provide better battery life as well as smoother video playback.

We've already found some great new Netbooks recently (check our 2009 Holiday Tech Guide for suggestions), and this should only drive the new wave of Netbooks ever forward.

We're excited about seeing some of these future Netbooks. As long as they stay affordable, that is.

(Via Engadget)

Episode 52 of the Digital City, where we talk about the latest Apple tablet rumors, dissect Kindles on campus, bemoan the use of single-core CPUs in 13-inch laptops, and worry about NYC's growing rep as a surveillance state.

The 404's Jeff Bakalar pops by to fill the absent Joseph's seat, as we compare notes on Uncharted 2 and complain about how hard it is to actually get any content onto a PSPgo.

Related links:
>>Newly revealed Apple patent application
>>Do Kindles really work on campus?
>>Hands on impressions: Is Uncharted 2 worth the wait?
>>Special pre-Halloween bonus: Dan as Kratos; and Dan as Marcus Fenix

>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter!

(Atom Netbooks not included)

(Credit: Microsoft)

(Note: please see our updated correction on this story.)

Now here's an oddity: Microsoft's "Windows 7 compatible" sticker that will be affixed to nearly all Windows computers around Windows 7 launch doesn't seem to include current Atom Netbooks.

The reasoning, according to Microsoft's page and an Engadget report, is that these stickers will indicate that the computer in question can run all versions of Windows 7, including 64-bit. Says Mark Relph, Senior Director of the Microsoft Windows Strategy Group: "To be granted the Logo, products are tested to work with all versions of Windows 7 including 64-bit. This is an important change since 64 bit systems are becoming more mainstream." While future Atom processors will be 64-bit capable, current Intel Atom Netbooks with processors such as the Atom N270 can't run 64-bit Windows 7, and are thus off the list for this sticker.

Without a doubt, 64-bit operating systems are the future of mainstream. But to deny any system that can run Windows 7 in a non-64-bit environment a compatibility logo seems like absurdity at best, and a push to make consumers buy more expensive laptops at worst. This could create a scenario where a shopper goes looking for a Netbook, doesn't see a "Windows 7 compatible" sticker, and suddenly gets worried. Fear not, we say.

Microsoft has been in this logjam before with Windows Vista, except back then people were suing because their laptop said "Windows Vista Capable" and yet couldn't run the Aero graphics necessary for certain multimedia software. Microsoft had created a second logo sticker called "Vista Premium Ready" that indicated multimedia-friendliness, but it seemed to be way too confusing for consumers.

Perhaps that's what we're dealing with here as an aftermath: Microsoft being overly cautious not to market full Windows 7 capabilities in a lower-end machine.

Regardless of the reasoning, we're here to tell you that while Intel Atom Netbooks, of which there are many, won't be able to go 64-bit, they can still run Windows 7 just fine. We know, because we've tried. We hope Microsoft puts some kind of Windows 7 label on Netbooks to let people know they won't be stuck in Windows XP-land forever. May we suggest "Windows 7 copacetic?" You can have that one for free, Redmond.

UPDATE: Microsoft has since confirmed that "Windows 7 compatible" is a logo for peripherals only, and not desktops or laptops. Future stickers will address Windows 7 computers. See our updated story.

Will HD video make your Netbook?

(Credit: Nvidia)

We're weeks away from the Windows 7 launch, which is bringing along with it a collection of souped-up laptops and Netbooks that have been waiting for Microsoft's new operating system as their coming-out party.

In particular, this means that Netbooks paired with Nvidia Ion GPUs are going to be on their way soon enough. We've heard about these devices endlessly in teases from Lenovo, HP, Samsung, Asus, and of course Nvidia. The mobile GPU is essentially a GeForce 9400M processor--the one that's in Apple's MacBook lineup--but rebranded for Netbooks. This sounds great on paper, but for Netbooks it's being paired with an Atom processor, not a Core 2 Duo.

In demos we've seen, it will enable Netbooks to play HD video and even some mainstream 3D games. The Netbooks that will get Ions will all largely have the same Intel Atom N-series processors that current Netbooks have, but will benefit from added processing in some instances on the GPU, as well as the graphics boost. At the prices some of these new Netbooks are claiming they'll sell for--$399, for instance--it sounds like a decent deal.

But is a graphics boost the missing link for you, the laptop consumer? Is the Ion in fact a way to solve any frustrations you may have had with Netbooks up until this point? Or are you looking for better CPUs, keyboards, or other features? A few months ago we guessed at what future Netbooks could bring, and graphics certainly loomed large. But will a video-friendly Netbook provide enough oomph to be anything more than a secondary computer, and will such a device begin to supplant video-savvy smartphones as a traveling companion of choice? On the other hand, is the growing trend of thin-and-light laptops with ULV non-Atom processors of more interest?

We ask because we wonder if 11.6-inch Ion-powered Netbooks will in fact be the Holy Grail of the holiday season, or are simply a clever marketing campaign. Once we get our hands on a few, we'll let you know soon enough.

Is this the 12-inch Asus Eee PC 1201n?

(Credit: pcpop.com)

Several eagle-eyed bloggers noticed a new Eee PC from Asus popping up on a Chinese online retailer's storefront. The purported new model is called the Eee PC 1201n, and a rough translation of the product page indicates it will include Nvidia's Ion graphics.

That long-hyped new GPU should help with HD video streaming and media playback, an area your average Netbook struggles with. Other than that, the Intel N270 CPU, 2GB of RAM, and 1,366x768 display seem fairly standard for a 12-inch Netbook.

Obviously there's no price or US availability info yet, but we've seen similar configurations coming from other PC makers for around $399.

We've known for a while that updated versions of Intel's Atom chips for Netbooks (code-named Pineview) are slated to appear in the near future, probably around the beginning of next year. Now we may have some new specifics on a previously unknown model.

According to online leaks, a new, higher-end Atom is also joining the party in the form of the Intel Atom N470 (we've alreayd heard about the slower N450 version). The N470 will run at 1.83GHz. It's still a single-core chip, so don't expect a radically different Netbook experience, but it will purportedly integrate graphics and memory control functions, rather than having that built into a separate chipset.

On the plus side, that should help with power efficiency (even though the entire package will have a higher TDP than the current stand-alone N270 Atom), but at the same time, this may cause trouble for those who want to pair an Atom with a different graphics solution, such as the Nvidia Ion.

Of course, this is all speculation based on translated docs, so your millage may vary.

These allegedly leaked roadmap documents from Asus purport to show the company's Netbook plans for the rest of 2009. The systems and specs indicated aren't terribly surprising, and are in line with what we expect to see from various Netbook makers around the Windows 7 launch.

The most noteworthy is a system called the Eee PC 1201N, which according to the chart below, has a 12-inch display, Intel Atom N270 CPU, 2GB of RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium, and Nvidia's long-promised Ion graphics chip, for $499.

Also listed for sometime in October are two new versions of the popular Eee PC 1005, with Windows 7 Starter and N270 ($349) and N280 ($399) processors.

All three of these new Netbooks have larger 250GB hard drives, a step up from the current 160GB standard. It's also worth noting that Asus, at least according to this roadmap, is staying out of the very bottom of the barrel $299 price territory inhabited by Acer, Dell and others.

Keep in mind this is a leaked roadmap, originally found on the forums of eeeuser.com (and subsequently noted by netbooknews.de and engadget), so like all leaked documents, your mileage may vary.

(Credit: eeeuser.com )

Dell's Netbook line, creatively called the Mini, has seen a few lineup swaps recently. While most of the Netbook market has gravitated to 10-inch screens, Dell was one of only a handful of PC makers simultaneously hawking smaller 9-inch Netbooks, as well as (relatively) massive 12-inch ones. Now that 12-inch model has officially been given the boot, while the 9-inch, which had been pulled off Dell's official list of systems in June, is still available in a handful of configurations (as noted a few weeks ago by our own Sharon Vaknin).

Of the Mini 12, which never really hit its stride, Dell says on its corporate blog:

So, should you read anything into this as far as Dell's commitment to the Netbook space? Nope. It really boils down to this: for a lot of customers, 10-inch displays are the sweet spot for Netbooks. That's why we offer two different 10-inch Inspiron Netbooks for Mini 10 and the Mini 10v. And on the Latitude side, the Latitude 2100 Netbook is finding a home in schools all over the place. Portability is one of the key points for Netbook customers. Larger notebooks require a little more horsepower to be really useful. More to come from Dell on that later.

Bottom line, if you're a customer in the United States who wants a brand new Mini 9, you can order it from this link. Also, both the Mini 9 and Mini 12 are still available for U.S. customers through @DellOutlet. Click on the respective product links to see what configurations we've got on hand.

Lenovo and Samsung also have 12-inch Netbooks (and HP has the Netbook-like HP dv2, with AMD's Neo processor), but we've always felt that when a Netbook moves up to the 12-inch size, there's a psychological difference in consumers' expectations. When you have a chassis that gets closer to the look and feel of a regular dual-core laptop, you expect it to behave like a standard laptop, and the performance limitations of Netbooks are harder to overlook.

Additionally, Dell saddled its Mini 12 with Windows Vista--a kiss of death for a Netbook if there ever was one.

A good point is also made by TechCrunch's Michael Arrington, who writes that, "Dell may also be seeing customers who would otherwise buy a dual-core 13-inch or 14-inch Inspiron choosing the lower priced (and less profitable) 12 inch Netbook instead. That's something they aren't going to be happy about."

Will we see a move to bigger Netbooks in the future (11.6-inch models are starting to trickle out), or have we reached the perfect balance with the 10-inch screen? Or perhaps new developments such as Nvidia's Ion GPU and Intel's next-gen Atom processors will clear the way for a entire class of laptops of all sizes, powered by low-cost hardware. Weigh in in the comments section below.

When we heard that HP was making some big changes to its small business Netbook, we were worried. After all, the current version--the Mini 2140--is probably our all-time favorite Netbook, thanks to an innovative keyboard (since adopted by HP's consumer Netbooks), full ExpressCard slot, and solid metal construction.

This new version, the Mini 5101, is indeed a stylistic departure from the 2140, trading the gently rounded silvery metal look for a sharp-edged black brushed-metal chassis. It's a little bigger than its predecessor, and also a little less expensive, at $425.

But since the start of 2009, we've seen a radical shift in Netbook prices, with entry-level models coming in under $299, for essentially the same combo of an Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP, and a 160GB hard drive (in this case, you get the slightly faster N280 version of the Atom).

Still, if you can spend a little more for your Netbook, you'll find that the Mini 5101's keyboard and touchpad are hard to beat, and the rugged metal construction screams quality.

Read the full review of the HP Mini 5101.