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Mobile phone maker Nokia is jumping into the Netbook pool with its recently announced Booklet 3G laptop (as seen in the video). We've just gotten our hands on the final version of the system, and here are our initial impressions.

The Booklet 3G is easily one of the most upscale-looking Netbooks we've seen. It feels solid and well-built in your hands, without being too heavy. The screen hinge in particular feels pleasingly tight, while the slightly too thick keyboard tray has zero flex even when pressing down firmly on the keyboard.

Unlike the gently tapered sides of many other Netbooks, designed to create the illusion of slimness, the Booklet has sharp, angled edges. True to the name, there is a booklike squareness to it. The inside is devoid of quick launch or shortcut keys, and even the power button is relegated to the right side edge, next to a tiny hatch covering SD and SIM card slots.

Unfortunately, the keyboard itself is cramped, with tiny keys that are hard to hit accurately. Considering the strides other Netbooks have made with creating very usable keyboards, it was a letdown. The touch pad is large and easy to use, even though we had to crank up the pointer speed in the Windows 7 options.

The 10.1-inch display has the higher 1,366x768-pixel resolution found on many high-end Netbooks, and a single sheet of glass covers the screen and much of the screen bezel, but there's still a separate outer lip, so it's not quite what we call edge-to-edge.

The AT&T mobile broadband service connected automatically, and the process was wonderfully transparent, especially compared with the software setup and manual log-ins required by other mobile broadband laptops. The option to manually join a local Wi-Fi network is also available. Our review unit lacked the final versions of the Nokia and Ovi networking and connectivity software, but we did fine with Windows 7's built-in versions.

Despite an excellent design and well-integrated mobile broadband, the Booklet 3G hits a rough patch as as an actual Netbook. Using the slower Z530 version of Intel's Atom CPU (instead of the more common N270 or N280 versions) means that performance was generally sluggish, especially with only 1GB of RAM.

Opening windows and navigating around the Windows 7 environment led to some stuttering and slowdown. Even something as simple as running multiple Web browser windows and a Microsoft Office doc at the same time slowed the system in our anecdotal hands-on testing.

With a two-year AT&T contract, the Booklet3G costs $299, and its excellent design and build quality puts it miles ahead of other $299 Netbooks. But keep in mind that you're then tied to a monthly fee--usually around $60--for data. The Booklet is also available sans contract for $599, but that's both largely pointless and way overpriced.

We will conduct our usual battery of benchmark tests and report back with a full review next week.

Hands-on with the Nokia Booklet 3G

Correction: this article was updated at 1:30 p.m. PDT on June 4 with the correction about the upload and download speeds of the module.

Netbooks, such as those AT&T is bundling with its data plans, are about to get a new module that helps connect to the Internet via cellular networks.

The Ericsson F3307 module installed in a Netbook.

(Credit: Ericsson)

Ericsson is expected to launch on Thursday its latest mobile broadband module, called Ericsson F3307, specifically designed for mini laptops. The module is pre-certified with major cellular networks in 75 countries.

This means Netbook manufacturers can quickly equip their Netbooks with this new integrated wireless connectivity.

The Ericsson F3307 enables users to directly access the Internet through the HSPA standard, similar to that used by AT&T's 3G network. The HSPA standard is the most popular mobile broadband technology in the world with more than a billion subscribers in more than 100 countries.

Optimized for Netbooks, the new module combines performance and low power consumption. It offers download speeds up to 7.2Mbps and upload up to 2Mbps. It's about the same size as a Wi-Fi module currently used in many laptops.

In addition to the existing Netbook platforms, Ericsson is working closely with Intel to validate the F3307 module with Intel's next-generation netbook platform, the Pine Trail-M.

Ericsson estimates that more than 300 million Netbooks will be sold between 2009 and 2014, with a majority having mobile broadband capabilities.

Sprint

(Credit: Sprint)

Now Sprint's Simply Everything plan truly has, well, everything. Sprint has announced a new plan that adds mobile broadband to existing Simply Everything plans, so not only can you get unlimited messaging, e-mail, and Web surfing on your phone, you can add 5GB of Internet access on your laptop for a grand total of $149.99 a month. That may sound like a hefty amount, but if you're always on the road and depend on being connected, that may not be too much to pay.

Though a DIY route was recently discovered to bring mobile broadband to the Mini 1000, HP now saves you the effort by offering 3G connectivity out of the box on its Netbook. You can select the HP un2400 mobile broadband module ($199) for service on either AT&T's or Verizon's network. The price seems a bit steep, considering you can find the un2400 module for $149 elsewhere. Also, choosing mobile broadband forces you to opt out of either SSD offered in favor of the 60GB 4200rpm drive, which adds $55 from the default 8GB SSD option. Why an SSD and WWAN are incompatible is a mystery to me. While I await an answer from HP, care to posit a theory below?

(Credit: LG Electronics)

Quick quiz. What has an Intel Atom processor, a 10-inch screen, and weighs less than three pounds? A not small number of Netbooks.

What has the above specs, plus 3G mobile broadband? The LG X110 Momo Netbook. The addition of integrated HSUPA 3G connectivity helps separate the X100 Momo from the rest of the Netbook pack. (Momo = More Mobility, in case you're wondering.)

A ship date and pricing remain mysteries, but a product page for the X110 has popped up on LG's United Arab Emirates site. Other specs listed include the now-ubiquitous 1.6GHz Atom N270 CPU and either 512MB or 1GB of RAM. Hard drive options include 80GB, 120GB, or 160GB capacities, but no sign of solid state drives. Also unique is the choice of OS--Vista Home Basic instead of XP Home. When not connected to a cellular network (LG has yet to list the carriers it'll offer), you can use the X110's b/g Wi-Fi or 10/100 Ethernet connections. A multiformat media-card reader and a 1.3-megapixel Webcam come standard, and Bluetooth is listed as an option.

Unfortunately, a three-cell battery is the only battery option listed. We tested the MSI Wind with a three-cell battery, which conked out before the two-hour mark. Such underwhelming battery life would decrease the benefit of onboard 3G connectivity and detract from LG's "More Mobility" claim.

The LG X110 Momo looks very similar to the MSI Wind, which isn't surprising given the rumor earlier this year that LG had tapped MSI to build its Netbook. We've not confirmed that report, but both Netbooks are similar in size and shape and come in black, white, or pink. The LG Netbook looks to taper a bit more toward its front edge, and as Wired's blog points out, the arrow keys are shifted down a bit to make room for other keys, including what looks to be a full-size Shift key. Sometimes these little touches can make a huge difference in everyday use.

We'll keep our eyes open for if and when the LG X110 nears U.S. shores, in our continuing quest to find the perfect Netbook.

It hasn't quite hit the mainstream sweet spot yet, but adding a mobile broadband connection to your laptop is easier than ever. Many PC makers offer built-in mobile broadband options in their laptop lineups, and aftermarket USB or Express Card solutions are available from your preferred service provider.

Dell's Inspiron 1525.

Most service plans generally run from $59-to-$79 per month depending on bandwidth, and there are often partial rebates available to cover the cost of adding a mobile broadband modem to your laptop (usually a $150 option, if it's not already included in the laptop's price). Like a free shipping promotion from Dell, if you miss a rebate offer, wait a week, or two, there's bound to be another one.

Current rebate offers found on Dell's Web site include a $100 rebate from Verizon Wireless, a $170 VISA card from AT&T, and a $100 rebate plus a free month of service from Sprint. All require a one or two-year service contract.

Now for the bad news. You're still stuck with a choice of proprietary hardware for different service providers. Get your laptop built with a preinstalled Verizon mobile broadband modem, and if you switch to Sprint, you're out of luck. That may be an argument for using an expansion card or USB modem instead, although they can be cumbersome and stick out from the laptop awkwardly.

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-W7.

More bad news--some of the most popular laptops around don't offer mobile broadband options (we're looking at you, Apple), so a USB dongle may be your only choice. Besides Apple's MacBook and MacBook Pro lines, popular new laptops such as the Asus Eee PC and HP 2133 Mini-Note (both in the new netbook category), don't offer built-in mobile broadband--even though it seems like a natural match for small, highly portable computers like that.

We took a look at the most popular laptops on CNET right now to see what kind of mobile broadband options are available. We'll kick it off by pointing out that the current top two laptops in terms of reader popularity right now are the Asus Eee PC and HP 2133 Mini-Note, so we're off to kind of a slow start as it is.

1. HP 2133 Mini-Note
No built-in mobile broadband options offered.

2. Asus Eee PC
No built-in mobile broadband options offered.

3. Lenovo ThinkPad X300
Verizon or AT&T--Verizon included in the preconfigured $3,300 model, extra $45 for AT&T.

4. Dell XPS M1530
Sprint or Verizon--$150, but rebates are available.

5. Dell Inspiron 1525
Sprint, AT&T, or Verizon--$150 ($170 for AT&T), but rebates are available.

We also looked past the current Top 5 and picked a few other popular ultraportable laptop models:

Sony Vaio TZ 2000
Sprint included in systems starting at $1,799. Some older Vaio models have AT&T antennas.

Toshiba Portege R500
No built-in mobile broadband options offered.

Panasonic Toughbook CF-W7
Sprint or Verizon--but only though resellers, for an exaggerated $235.