The nation’s “fastest” (and often most frustrating) 3G network (i.e. AT&T) is adding another netbook to its lineup of 3G portable devices, the Samsung Go. So what exactly is said Go? Well, according to Sammy, it’s “a compact and lightweight netbook with instant access to broadband speeds powered by the nation’s fastest 3G network and the Microsoft Windows 7 Starter Edition operating system.”

Don’t you just love the redundancy – “compact and lightweight netbook.” Ahem, isn’t a netbook compact and lightweight by definition?! Anyhoo, the creatively named Go weighs in at 2.8 lbs. and features a handsome midnight blue “soft texture” design, complete with rounded corners and a pebble-style keyboard.

Not to be confused with those old-school netbooks of yesteryear, the Go comes with a LED-backlit, borderless glass display that is purportedly “scratch resistant and provides users with photo-like image quality, greater viewing angles and better text legibility, reducing eye strain and boosting productivity.”

Here are the rest of the Samsung Go’s specs:

• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Starter Edition
• Processor: Intel® Atom™ processor N270
• Webcam: 1.3 MP
• Storage: 1GB of system memory, 160 GB HDD
• Battery: 4-cell (4000 mAh) – up to 4 hours on a single battery charge
• I/O Ports: 3 USB 2.0 ports, external VGA port, headphone/speaker/line-out port, microphone-in jack
• Communication: WWAN: Option GTM382W module (based on Qualcomm MSN 7225) / HSPA (7.2/5.1 Mbps): 850/1900/2100 MHz / GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz / SIM lock (device locked to AT&T network)
• WLAN: 802.11 b/g WiFi
• Other: Ethernet (10/100 Mbps)
• Display: 10.1” 1024 x 600 pixel resolution
• Dimensions: 10.3” x 7.3” x 1.1”

But enough about the sexy Go for the moment…how ’bout we take a look at the AT&T side of things. With regards to data plans, AT&T offers two DataConnect plans for netbooks: a 200MB plan option for $35 / month OR a 5GB plan for $60 / month. Like the rest of AT&T’s DataConnect plans, Go owners will also get free access to AT&T’s more than 20,000 Wi-Fi hot spots nationwide.

Finally, the info you’ve all been waiting for: The Samsung Go will be available starting November 22 through AT&T retail or online at www.att.com/netbooks for $199 (after MIR and purchase of a 2-year AT&T DataConnect service agreement – prices start at $35 per month).

This is a dramatic about face from what was stated previously, I wonder is Asus perhaps underestimated the demand for small, lightweight, Android based products when they made their previous statements. Mr. Shen also said that Asus R&D has been working quite hard, and we should expect to see quite a few new products from them in the next 6 months. Asustek’s first smartbook is expected to retail for about $180.

[via Shanzai]

The $616 special edition kit comes with a lunch box-like case, USB hard drive, flash drive, external optical drive, MP3 player, and portable speakers. Keep the netbook and external optical drive and give the rest to your 10 year old for Christmas. He’ll love ‘em. An Astro Boy MP3 player! Alright! To bad it’s only in Taiwan. [via Blogeee.net]

This Frankenstein handheld is half 9.7″ 1200 x 825 e-reader, half 10.1″ 1024 x 600 netbook. It runs Android, has a touchscreen display, WiFi networking, 3GB of usable memory, a six hour battery life, etc etc. Unlike the Amazon Kindle, cellular networking is not supported internally, but it can be accessed with the help of an external modem.

The enTourage eDGe™ is the world’s first dualbook, combining the functions of an e-reader, netbook, notepad, and audio/video recorder and player in one. It’s a comprehensive device that lets you read e-books, surf the Internet, take digital notes, send emails and instant messages, watch movies and listen to music anywhere, at any time. This is nothing you’ve ever seen before! Get books wirelessly, move files onto your enTourage eDGe™ using an SD card or a USB flash drive. And with a netbook built in, you can forget the limitations of other e-readers, the enTourage eDGe™ does it all!

This thing ships February 2010, but you can pre-order now! It’s $490 USD for the midnight blue model, shown above. An extra $40 will fetch the sporty Ruby Red, Glacier White, or Ice Blue colors.

enTourage eDGe™ Specifications

• Dimensions: 8.25″ x 10.75″ by 1.0″ (closed)
• Weight: 2.5 lbs.
• Internal Memory: 4 GB (3 GB for user) up to 3000 books
• E-reader File Formats: ePub, PDF
• LCD Touchscreen Display Size: 1024 x 600 (10.1″)
• E-paper Display Size: 9.7″ e-Ink®(1200 x 825), 16 shades of gray
• E-paper Input: Wacom® Penabled®
• Operating System: Linux with Google® Android®
• Connectivity: 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth capability
• Battery Life: Up to 6 hours
• Battery Type: Lithium-ion polymer
• Mobile Modem (optional): EVDO or HSDPA
• External Memory: SD card slot, 2 USB ports
• Audio and Microphone Jack: 3.5 mm each. Includes internal microphone and speakers.
• Audio playback: MP3
• Video playback: MP4, 3GP
• Input: Stylus input on e-paper and touchscreen. Virtual keyboard. Bluetooth keyboard (optional)

Toshiba’s 18-4-inch laptop Qosmio G60, which the company announced today, is quite cool, but at $3,200, it may be a bit too pricey for most of us. And sometimes, a smaller laptop does the job, too. So it’s good to know Toshiba has some (relatively) affordable netbooks among the dozens of new computers the company announced today for the Japanese market.

The MX/43 has the following features:

• 13.3-inch LCD screen with 1,366×768 resolution (yes, Toshiba still calls this a netbook)
• size: 323×223×22.2〜34.2mm (weight: 1.76kg)
• Core 2 Duo SU9400(1.40GHz) processor
• Intel GS45 Express chip set
• 2GB RAM (8GB max)
• 250GB HDD
• 3 USB slots, 1 HDMI port, SD/memory stick slot
• Ethernet and IEEE 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Windows 7 Home Premium (32bit)
• 10.5 hours of battery life

Toshiba plans to roll out the MX/43 in Japan on October 22 for $1,330. There’s also a trimmed down version with a weaker CPU (Celeron 743 at 1.30GHz), shorter battery life (9.5 hours) and a 11.6-inch screen. The so-called MX/33 (not pictured) will set you back $1,000 and goes on sale at the same day as the 43.

Toshiba hasn’t said yet whether these netbooks will ever be sold outside Japan as well.

The Deimos does look promising. BFG has three levels of hardware available, the “Performance”, the “Advanced”, and the “Elite”. The Elite is the top of the range, with an Intel Core 2 Extreme 2.53GHz, and 8GB of RAM with a GeForce 280M. The Advanced has a Core 2 Quad 2GHz CPU and 8GB of RAM and a GeForce 280M, and the Performance uses a Core 2 Duo 2.53GHz CPUT and just 4GB of RAM and a GeForce 260M. All three models have an 18.4-inch screen, which is slightly larger then the competition’s.

This brings us to price. BFG lists the starting price of the Performance at $2299, the Advanced at $3699, and the Elite at $4499. And the price goes up from there based on your custom build. They are announcing the Deimos today, however it won’t actually ship until October 30th. BFG is offering a 10% discount on pre-orders until the end of the month, but it still seems like quite a bit for a gaming notebook machine considering the competition.

So I have been using the Viliv S7 regularly for about a week now and I have concluded that it is the best netbook I have ever used. But yes, it’s a netbook. The S7 might have a touchscreen, convertible design, super long battery life, and a modest size SSD, but at the end of the day, it’s a luxury netbook.

I guess that a lot of people might have concluded that just after looking at the pictures, but somehow I guess I was expecting more after spending some time with the fantastic Viliv X70 tablet UMPC. It’s not that the S7 isn’t a quality kit with built-in 3G and a touchscreen, but it lacks a lot of the sex appeal of the X70 – and some key components like GPS.

The good news is that I have finally gotten use to the tiny keyboard and trackpad. Although I haven’t tested this, I believe I should be able to pound-out 25-30 WPM. The trackpad is just fine now after I turned up the sensitivity, and it’s location is rather handy as you can even use your thumb if you’re gripping the computer by the sides.

But I have found that I don’t really use the touchscreen all that much. I’ve never swiveled the screen out of necessity, and the lack of built-in on-screen keyboard kind of limits the touchscreen’s usefulness a bit. It’s not that the touchscreen isn’t quality. It’s just fine.

In fact, the screen is bright, crisp, and just fine even though Gizmodo’s Mark Wilson thinks differently. The screen is coated in something that’s somewhat of a cross between a matte and glossy layer so glare isn’t really a factor any more than most LCD screens. The touchscreen is accurate enough too. I can’t find one thing wrong with the screen and originally stated that I thought it was one of the best features.

Don’t think this is my final review, but I think it’s going to conclude something like this: The Viliv S7 is the best, and most expensive at $799, netbook I have ever used.

Think that the Viliv X70 is hot? (It is.) The unreleased S7 is shaping up to be even hotter with a 9.5 max battery life, physical keyboard, and convertible design. Our review model is currently somewhere over the Pacific so until we can post some hands-on images and first impressions, head over to Dynamism. The retailer just posted the S7 product page that not only lists all the specs but also the price and a whole bunch of photos.

I can tell you right now that Dynamism is going to have just as hard time keeping this model in stock as it does with the S5 and the X70 with this model starting out at $629 and the high-end model fetching $799 thanks to the 3G wireless and 32GB SSD. Plus, chances are that Dynamism will do a special pre-order event and throw in some extra goodies too.

NokiaBlog has some red hot photos of the Nokia netbook. His thoughts:

I suggest picking it up from a table to really appreciate the Nokia Booklet 3G. It feels and looks like a lighter, smaller version of Apple Macbook. Even the keyboard and battery feel similar. That’s not definitely a bad thing because I love my Macbook.

There you have it, folks – the man loves his Macbook. The netbook should be priced at about 600 euro if and when it comes out.

UPDATE – More specs:

Windows 7, 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, 120GB hard disk, 1GB RAM, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and HDMI, 720p screen and a 1.3-megapixel camera.

Just in case you needed another netbook option, Hannspree is here to help. The company’s first entry into the netbook contest comes packed with the standard fare besides the somewhat large and sexy 10-inch LED-backlit LCD.

You can probably guess the rest of the specs:

• Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz CPU
• Windows XP
• 1GB of RAM
• 160GB 5400 RPM SATA HDD
• 802.11b/g/n, 10/100 LAN
• Bluetooth
• 1.3MP webcam
• 3-1 card reader
• 6-Cell Li-Ion battery
• 2.9 lbs. with battery attached
• Black model -  SN10E11BUF
• White model - SN10E11WUF

Interested? You will be able to find the netbook online with a MSRP of $379.

Hannspree Introduces HannsNote 10″ Ultra-Mobile Laptop PCs

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Hannspree North America, Inc., a leading developer of lifestyle and design-centric consumer electronic products, today announced its new line of 10″ ultra-mobile laptop PCs to the US market at $379.99 MSRP. The HannsNote is ideal for those that are always on-the-go and is offered in two colors: High-gloss Pearl Black and Pearl White.
With a footprint smaller than a letter-sized sheet of paper, the HannsNote fits easily in a backpack, briefcase, or even a handbag. And with the battery attached, it only weighs 2.9 lbs. The HannsNote includes a 6-Cell Lithum-Ion battery that will last up to 5 hours on a single charge. The HannsNote packs a big performance punch using latest technology, including Intel(R) Atom processor, Windows(R) XP operating system, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.0, 1.3MP webcam, 3-in-1 card reader, and full-function keyboard. A protective carrying sleeve and cleaning cloth are included with the HannsNote, providing additional value to the user.
“We are entering the mini-laptop market with a strong product. The HannsNote offers many benefits to the consumer. This mini-laptop is ideal for business or school use, or for anyone who is always on-the-go because of its ultra-portability and performance. We are very confident not only in the quality and performance of the HannsNote, but also in the service we provide,” said Wynn Yiu, president of Hannspree North America, Inc.
Pricing and Availability

MSRP: $379.99
Online: tigerdirect.com and other fine e-tailers
Distribution: D&H
Pearl Black Model Number: SN10E11BUF
Pearl White Model Number: SN10E11WUF

Technical specifications and features:

10" LCD with LED backlight
Intel(R) Atom(TM) N270 1.6GHz processor
Windows(R) XP Home Edition SP3
1GB RAM (Expandable up to 2GB)
160GB SATA HDD (5400 RPM)
802.11b/g/n, 10/100 LAN
Bluetooth(R) 2.0
1.3MP webcam
Built-in mic/stereo speakers
Full-function keyboard
3-in-1 card reader
6-Cell Li-Ion battery
Protective sleeve and cleaning cloth included
2.9 lbs. with battery attached
10.2"(w) x 1.8"(h) x 7.1"(d) with battery attached
Energy Star and RoHS compliant
1-Year Parts and Labor Warranty / 6-Month Battery and Power Supply
 Warranty

Nothing particularly revelatory, but it’s always fun to look at the innards of something without having to take it apart yourself.

HP announced the Mini 5101 back in late June and we just got one into the ‘Gear office for review. As John noted back when it was announced, the 5101 isn’t a netbook and it’s fallen into the relatively new category of ultralights. I really liked the Mini 1000 and 2140, but the 5101 might be my new favorite.

Here’s a quick rundown of the specs for the review unit we were sent:

• Windows XP
• 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor (512KB L2 cache, 533MHz FSB)
• 1GB of RAM
• 160GB HDD
• 10.1-inch LED WSVGA
• 6-cell battery

HP tells me this particular setup runs about $425 with the 6-cell battery, but I haven’t been able to replicate it on the HP site.

First Impressions

The all black magnesium and brushed aluminum shell is gorgeous. However, it appears to be prone to smudges so you’ll want to keep a cloth handy to wipe it down. The (almost) full sized keyboard is leaps and bounds better than the Mini 1000 or 2140. I love the keyboard. Love it. I dislike the trackpad at the moment. It’s a bit too sticky for my tastes, but better than other HP laptops that I’ve had in the past. Two quick launch buttons (Internet, E-mail) are located near the power button, which is now located above the keyboard.

So far, so good. The 5101 ultralight is a gorgeous little laptop. It’s lightweight despite the 6-cell battery and HP really nailed it in the looks department with this one. We’ll have a full review in a week or so.

What makes you think that this small tuner will pull in ATSC signals better than your HDTV with just a tiny antenna? Go try it. I’ll wait. Just hook up a small wire to your COAX tuner and see what happens. Nothing, right? Yeah, the same thing is going to happen with these tuners. It sounds great on paper, and will probably work great with DVB-type signals that aren’t used here in the States, but ATSC is notoriously hard to pull in without a good antenna. And a little cell phone-ish expandable antenna isn’t a good antenna.

Data plans for the netbooks are as follows: 200MB for $40/month, 5GB for $60/month. AT&T is also offering three tiers of ConnecTech services for your brand new netbook.

• AT&T ConnecTech Remote Advanced Set Up and Service for $99. With this plan, customers can select installation of a new netbook to a secure wireless network, or PC notebook performance and optimization service, or PC notebook diagnosis and toubleshooting.

• AT&T ConnecTech In-Home Advanced Set Up and Service, available for $149. This plan offers the choice of next day in-home set up, optimization and security for a new netbook purchase or configuration of an existing PC with an AT&T LaptopConnect card purchase.

• AT&T ConnecTech Ultimate In-Home Experience, at $199, which offers assistance with a customer’s choice of any or all of the following: new netbook installation and optimization; optimization for an existing PC with a data card purchase; peripheral installation and configuration for up to two wireless devices; wireless network installation for up to two devices; configuration and set up of a personal PC with a new device; and a 10-point security audit and optimization of existing or new wireless network and all connected devices.

AT&T Netbooks

Ready? The LT2000 has a 1.6GHz Atom N270 CPU paired with GMA950 graphics, 1GB of RAM, 160GB HDD, and a 10.1 1024×600 screen. See what I mean? This netbook is nothing special at all. Good thing it’s MSRP is only $299.

If for some reason this netbook gets you going where others haven’t, you will probably be able to pick it up by the end of the month. The rest of us though could care less about this netbook along with all the other underpowered computers even if it’s packing the Nvidia Ion.

A Japanese company called Marshal (yes, one “l”) announced [JP] the MAL 1925 today, a netbook stand that doubles as a DVD super multi drive, has room for a second HDD and comes with an extra USB 2.0 port. Century’s stand, which I blogged in April, is pretty similar but lacks the slot for an alternative 2.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD.

Dubbed DVD Power Up Dock, the Marshal model is sized at 227×180×16mm and weighs 453g. It’s compatible with Windows 2000/XP and Vista.

The netbook stand will be available only in Japan where it will hit stores in the middle of this month (price: $95). I suggest you contact the Japan Trend Shop or Geek Stuff 4 U if you live outside Nippon and are interested in the device.

In case you didn’t know, Apple refreshed its notebook lineup a few weeks back and rebadged the 13-inch unibody Macbook as a Pro model. Apparently the masses like it as that model now occupies the top spot in Amazons best selling laptop computer list and number four overall. It wasn’t that long ago that netbooks ruled that second list and the white 13-inch Macbook was the top selling Apple computer at number 14.

But as Fortune’s Apple 2.0 blog points out, netbooks are returned nearly 30% of the time and most people don’t understand the difference between a netbook and a notebook. Maybe Apple actually knew what it was doing by not jumping on the underpowered, small screen notebook bandwagon. Anyone else glad that this fad is finally winding down?

I’ve been rounding up a lot of ultralights – I wouldn’t call this a netbook – and this looks to be one of the purdiest of the bunch. The 5101 will cost about $449 and runs an Atom processor. It has a 10-inch screen and full keyboard.

Look for more of these “ultralights” to pop up this year. Notebook manufacturers have realized that selling a tiny laptop for $5 and a few bottle caps was not a very good strategy and so they’re rethinking this whole “netbook” moniker. You’ll see ultralights – smaller notebooks with more powerful hardware – and MIDs like the iPod Touch or whatever Nokia is planning.

HP Blends Functionality, Durability and Style with New HP Mini PC

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 24, 2009 – HP today unveiled its top-of-the-line Mini PC for on-the-go professionals who demand a stylish, yet durable fully functional companion PC.

The HP Mini 5101 features a sturdy, lightweight anodized aluminum display enclosure with a black, brushed finish. Complementing the aluminum is the use of magnesium alloy in the lower case of the Mini frame. Soft-touch paint on the base and palm rest further advance the PC’s look and feel. This combination of materials, an industry first in the netbook category, not only delivers an eye-catching design, but also improves durability.

Furthering the stylish look of the HP Mini 5101 is a newly designed, spill-resistant keyboard that is 95 percent of a full-size QWERTY keyboard. It features a visually open and spacious keyboard design with keys raised from the surface. HP DuraKeys, a clear coating over the keys, makes the keyboard 50 times more resistant to visible wear than keyboards without it.(1) In addition, the mouse buttons are located in the traditional space below the touchpad, making for a familiar user experience.

“HP Mini PCs have no equal when it comes to industrial design, use of innovative materials and overall feature sets,” said Ted Clark, senior vice president and general manager, Notebook Global Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. “The HP Mini 5101 is truly a work of art, a sophisticated companion PC crafted for the trend-savvy mobile professional who needs functionally, durability and style.”

Starting at 2.6 pounds,(2) the fully functional and durable HP Mini 5101 is an ideal companion PC for the on-the-go professional. It features a large 10.1-inch diagonal LED display available in either WSVGA or high-definition (HD)(3) resolutions. Customers can also choose either the four-cell battery for lighter weight or six-cell battery for longer battery life. When configured with the optional six-cell battery, the HP Mini 5101 delivers up to eight hours of battery runtime.(4)

Mobile professionals can stay ultra-productive with the HP Mini 5101 PC’s small, low-power Intel® Atom processor, which enables the unit to run cooler, use less power and improve battery life. A fast-performing 7,200 RPM hard drive comes standard with the unit. Alternatively, an optional Solid State Drive (SSD) is available in either 80 or 128 gigabytes.

An optional, integrated Gobi-powered HP Mobile Broadband module allows users to conveniently access the Internet, corporate intranet, email and other critical information around the world.(5) Other wireless technologies include integrated Wi-Fi Certified WLAN(6) and optional Bluetooth® 2.0. An integrated 2-megapixel webcam allows for easy still-image capture, web-conferencing or video-enhanced instant messaging(7) with no additional hardware.

HP QuickSync software, planned to be available as a web download in September, allows quick synchronization of the HP Mini with notebooks or desktops so users can avoid maintaining multiple documents, media files and email. Information also can sync to portable storage devices.

The versatility of the HP Mini 5101 can change how students learn and is the practical answer to providing each student continuous access to a PC in one-to-one computing. Its suite of wireless, (6) multimedia and security capabilities allows students to learn wherever they have Wi-Fi access – from the classroom, to the library, to their homes.

The HP Mini 5101 is built to last, featuring HP 3D DriveGuard, which offers a three-axis digital accelerometer chip that sends a signal to shut down the hard drive upon sudden movement or shock. The HP Panel Protection System includes a scratch-resistant acrylic LCD cover and magnesium hinge bracket for added durability in demanding environments.

The HP Mini 5101 has been engineered for reduced impact on the environment by eliminating or reducing substances of concern, using fewer resources and reducing energy consumption. Configurations of the HP Mini 5101 are ENERGY STAR qualified and are identified as HP Mini 5101 ENERGY STAR on HP websites and on www.energystar.gov. In addition the Mini 5101 is EPEAT Gold registered in the United States.(7)

New accessories designed for use with the HP Mini include a USB 2.0 port replicator that adds a variety of audio, networking and USB ports to allow greater productivity. A lightweight, functional messenger bag designed specifically for the HP Mini or a neoprene slip case offer added protection for professionals while on the go. Other accessories available for the HP Mini include a USB 2.0 docking station, external optical drive and USB-powered external speakers.

More information on HP Mini 5101 product specifications, images and other HP mobility solutions is available in an online press kit at www.hp.com/personal.

Pricing and availability
The HP Mini 5101 starts at $449(8) and is expected to be available in late July.

via Giz