Perhaps the better question is, "Who isn't getting into mini-notebooks these days?"
The latest rumor floating around is that Korean electronics giant LG has asked MSI to build for it a tiny notebook based on Intel's Netbook reference design containing an Atom processor.
This one was started by Digitimes, and it says that MSI will make a Windows XP-based mini-notebook with an 8.9-inch screen, 2GB of memory, and a 120GB hard drive.
The Mini-Note from HP is a full-featured notebook in a tiny package.
(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)Those specs are closer to Hewlett-Packard's mini-notebook, the 2133 Mini-Note, released this spring, than MSI's much-talked about Netbook, the Wind. (MSI and LG couldn't be reached for comment, but we'll update if we hear back.)
HP's machine has a 9-inch screen, 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive or 64GB SSD, and comes with the option of Windows XP or Vista. It's also got a pretty hefty price tag--it starts at $499 and can get above $1,000 depending on the configuration.
The Digitimes report pegs the price for an LG Netbook in the same range, from $625 to $790. If true, this would fit in with the idea mentioned in April with the launch of the Mini-Note that there's a fork developing in the tiny-notebook segment.
Acer Aspire One is a low-cost, Linux-based Web companion.
(Credit: Acer)Asus has pretty much got the low-cost notebook market covered with its Eee PC. They're small, cheap, run Linux, and basically are good for surfing the Web and checking e-mail. There are mainstream PC makers already playing in that realm too, like Acer's Aspire One.
The Mini-Note and the description of LG's potential entry in the category have greater ambitions: they're really just full-featured Windows notebooks cut down to size. Though HP has defined its market (it says the Mini-Note is for mobile executives and the education market), it's unclear who LG would be targeting with such a notebook.
PC industry analysts continue to say there's limited appeal with these types of devices because the mainstream consumer can't use it as a primary computer. And PC makers are more or less unenthused since all they do is drive down prices on full-size notebooks. But most are jumping in anyway. With margins thinning out on PCs, even the big guys like HP and Dell--which will release a mini-notebook next month--can ill afford to leave any potential revenue on the table.
The MSI Wind won't land until June 27 at the earliest.
(Credit: Micro-Star International)Scheduled to start shipping today, the MSI Wind has been delayed--blown off course, if you'll forgive the unavoidable pun. Citing battery shortages because of the fire at LG Chem's Ochang plant this past March, MSI has delayed the launch of its mininotebook until June 27. On that date, the company will begin shipping an XP version of the Wind with a 3-cell battery for $479. In July, MSI will start shipping the Linux version for $399 and an XP version with a 6-cell battery for $499. All models will feature an Intel Atom CPU and 10-inch screen.
Note: this post has been updated. We had previous written that the Linux version would ship on June 27, followed by the XP version, which was incorrect.
(Credit:
First International Computer)
First International Computer, a Taiwanese computer manufacturer and the parent company of U.S.-based Everex, announced two new mininotebooks at Computex this week. The field of tiny laptops is already starting to look crowded (with the HP 2133, Eee PC, and MSI Wind--heck, even Dell's working on an mini-laptop), but FIC has a distinguishing characteristic right out of the gate: the otherwise identical systems can be configured with either a C7-M processor from Via Technologies or Intel's new Atom CPU.
Both the Via-based CE2A1 and Intel-based CW0A1 feature an 8.9-inch screen and a 1.3-megapixel Webcam. Around the case are VGA, Ethernet, and two USB 2.0 ports, plus an ExpressCard slot. Networking connections include 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0. Regardless of platform, the laptops can incorporate up to 2GB of RAM and up to 160GB of hard-drive space.
The manufacturer promises up to 5 hours of life with the included four-cell battery and up to 8 hours of life with the optional six-cell battery. Both models will also offer a choice of operating systems, with the CE2A1 supporting Windows Vista Basic, Windows XP, or Linux, and the CW0A1 supporting Windows XP or Linux. The starting weight is listed as 2.1 pounds.
Pricing and distribution plans have yet to be announced, but our money's on the two mininotebooks being released under the Everex brand in the United States sometime this summer.
(Credit:
Crave UK)
Earlier we brought you details on the Aspire One--Acer's rival to the Eee PC 900. While you've been reading that, we've been hanging with our chums at Acer, getting a proper hands-on, and taking pictures. Lots of pictures.
Feel free to click through to the images now, but you might want to stick around for some details. Specs-wise, Acer's supplying both Linux and Windows XP versions of the One. Both models will use an 8.9-inch 1,024x600-pixel screen, the same 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom CPU that you'll find in the MSI Wind, and a 0.3-megapixel Webcam. Take a tour of our gallery here.
(Source: Crave UK)
(Credit:
Crave Asia)
Qualcomm has introduced a mini-notebook made by Taiwan-based Inventec that costs around $299 and is equipped with 3G connectivity, according to IDG News Service.
Unlike the ASUS Eee PC, which comes in both Linux and Windows XP operating systems, Qualcomm's mini-notebook will initially run on Linux, though the company is also looking at using Windows Mobile 7 with its Snapdragon chipsets.
All these are still on the drawing board, but "similar products could be out by the end of this year," said Luis Pineda, senior vice president at Qualcomm. The company hopes to make a big bang with Snapdragon-based devices at next year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
(Source: Crave Asia)
The MSI Wind comes in white, black, and, pink.
(Credit: Expansys)MSI put out a vague news release today that details some, but not all, of the specifications of its upcoming and unfortunately named Wind mininotebook. At the top of the release, it states the 10-inch notebook will "feature the new Intel Processor," but it fails to explain what that processor might be. An Intel Atom processor is a safe bet; the chips are expected to be released this summer.
The only mention of pricing in the release states that MSI Wind configurations will start at less than $500 in early June. The MSI Wind is available, however, for preorder at Expansys, which lists a $560 price for a Linux-based model and a $605 price for a Windows model (and a ship date of June 24--decidedly late June). Expansys lists the processor as a 1.6GHz Intel processor. I'd hazard a guess that the Wind will use the 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 chip. Available colors for the models on Expansys are white, black, and pink.
The MSI Wind news release does reveal that there will be two configurations, one based on Novell Linux and another based on Windows XP Home. Both models will feature a 10-inch, LED-backlit screen with a 1024x600-pixel resolution, the Intel 945GMS chipset, and an 80GB hard drive. Common features also include three USB ports, a card reader, an integrated Webcam, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi.
The Linux version serves up 512MB of RAM and a three-cell battery, which MSI estimates will run for 2.5 hours. The Windows version doubles the memory to 1GB and the battery to a six-cell unit, which it equates to 5.5 hours of running time. The Windows version also adds Bluetooth. With its smaller battery, the Linux-based MSI Wind weighs 2.3 pounds to the Windows version's 2.6-pound weight.
Asus offers the both versions of its Eee PC 900 at the same $549 price, but it supplies a larger hard drive in the Linux version--your bonus for skipping the fee for the Windows license. MSI is taking a different approach, outfitting the Windows version with better specifications and more features, which means the sub-$500 price it quotes will almost certainly apply to only the Linux model.
Perhaps the most interesting detail included in the release was how MSI arrived at the Wind moniker. Wind = Wi-Fi Network Device.
We've seen a lot of activity lately around the concept of low-cost laptops powered by Intel's upcoming Centrino 2 and Atom CPUs, which promise decent performance and small sizes. Now DigiTimes is reporting that the CPUs to power these systems will be priced very aggressively by Intel, which means we should see these new systems at a fraction of the prices we're seeing in the current $2,000-plus UMPC market.
According to the DigiTimes report, "The CPUs include the Celeron 585 with a core frequency of 2.16GHz priced at US$107 in thousand-unit tray quantities, and Celeron 575 at 2GHz and US$86...Intel has also set the price for its Atom N270 notebook CPU (Diamondville) which forms part of the company's Basic Mobile Platform at US$44."
Earlier today, Matt Elliott told us about the just-announced Atom-powered ECS G10IL mininotebook, and we snuck a peek at some leaked shots of Intel's NetBook yesterday--which looked suspiciously like Intel's Classmate PC (although we now hear the Classmate itself will be available to retailers in the near-future). All these systems, including some not-yet-announced mininotebooks from major PC makers, should fall somewhere in the $300-to-$900 range.
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