Review Lenovo Ideapad S10

The ultra-portable laptop market has never been more active than it has in the last year. Since the introduction of the "netbook" category of small budget notebooks last year our office has been flooded with at least a dozen compact laptops priced well below $500. With so many manufacturers scrambling to create their own "netbooks" it was only a matter of time before Lenovo came to the table with their own value-priced IdeaPad S10.

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10 is a 10-inch netbook with a $439 starting price and some impressive features that help place it a step above the competition. Does the S10 have what it takes to stand out in a market that is becoming increasingly more crowded? Let's take an in-depth look.

Our Lenovo S10 features the following specifications:

* 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor
* 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz
* Windows XP Home Edition (SP3)
* 10.2" WSVGA AntiGlare TFT with integrated camera 1024x600
* 160GB 5400rpm hard drive
* Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
* Broadcom 11b/g Wi-Fi wireless and Bluetooth
* 4-in-1 Media card reader and ExpressCard slot
* 3-Cell Li-ion battery
* Size: 9.8" x 7.2" x 1.2" (including feet)
* Weight: 2.64 lbs (with 3-cell battery)
* Starting price: $439 (with 512MB RAM and 80GB hard drive)

Build and Design

The design of the IdeaPad S10 is unsurprisingly similar to other netbooks we've seen in recent months, but Lenovo has managed to include a few pleasant surprises. The exterior is covered in white "pearl-like" plastics with a slight glossy finish. The interior keyboard and palmrest surfaces are covered with matte white plastics with reasonable durability and only a minor bit of flex around the palmrests when you press firmly on those surfaces.

What first appears to be a giant beefy hinge for the 10-inch display is actually the 3-cell battery with a small hinge on either side of the tiny laptop. Overall, the look is quite nice, but the white plastics do give this netbook a slightly "toy like" appearance. When I took the S10 with me and was using it in public with my 2-year-old daughter nearby several other parents asked me if the S10 was a toy laptop for my daughter. That is unfortunate since, as we are about to mention, the S10 is a remarkably capable ultraportable laptop.

The build quality of the IdeaPad S10 is extremely solid for a subnotebook of this size and weight. The construction is mostly plastic but all of the plastics feel strong enough to handle being tossed around inside a bookbag.

In terms of upgradeability, the S10 is much easier to upgrade than many netbooks currently on the market. Some of the netbooks we've seen to date require complex disassembly in order for you to get to the storage drive, system RAM, or wireless cards. Even worse, some other netbooks have slots for upgrades but no connections on the motherboard so it is impossible to upgrade them. This is not the case with the S10.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Most low-priced, full-size notebooks currently on the market feature poorly built keyboards that show significant flex/bounce when typing pressure is applied. Thankfully, most netbooks have remarkably firm keyboards due to the fact that the chassis is so small there isn't much empty space inside the notebook for the keyboard to flex or bounce.

The keyboard on the IdeaPad S10 is less cramped than what we've seen on most 7-inch and 8.9-inch netbooks, but the S10 keyboard is still extremely compact. Most touch typists will probably need some time to figure out proper finger placement on the keyboard in order to avoid making typos. Again, this is nothing new for netbooks, which usually require you to use a "hunt and peck" style of typing rather than traditional touch typing methods. Bottom line, this keyboard isn't designed to be used as a primary/main computer. For users who are considering the S10 as their "main computer" in their home or office, a full-size external keyboard and external mouse are recommended.

The touchpad design, while smaller than a traditional laptop touchpad, is surprisingly nice for a budget netbook. The touchpad in our review unit was a Synaptics touchpad with excellent sensitivity, responsiveness, and smooth tracking. The touchpad buttons are located in the correct position and have nice, deep, well-cushioned presses with a satisfying "click" when pressed. A nice addition to the touchpad was support for Synaptics multi-touch gestures which allow you to do things such as zoom in or zoom out simply by "pinching" or "spreading" the touchpad with your fingertips.

Display

The matte 10.2" WSVGA (1024x600) AntiGlare TFT display on the S10 is nice and vibrant with rich colors and good contrast. The white levels are very clear and the matte surface prevents glare and reflections which help make the screen easier to read outdoors under bright sunlight.

Horizontal viewing angles are good, so you and a friend won't have trouble watching a movie on the 8.9-inch screen at the same time. Vertical viewing angles are acceptable, but colors do tend to become darker and slightly inverted when viewed from below.
Ports and Features

Port selection was pretty impressive on the S10 compared to other netbooks, with the standout features being an ExpressCard slot for additional expansion and built-in Bluetooth for using an external mouse and keyboard without needing to sacrifice one or more of the two USB ports.

In fact, if there isn't much to complain about here other than the fact that the S10 has only two USB ports. However, if we had to choose between a third USB port or an ExpressCard slot and Bluetooth we will gladly sacrifice the third USB port. Here is a quick tour of what you get:

Performance

This Intel Atom based netbook won't be breaking any speed records, but it performed more than adequately for normal activities. Windows startup took less than 30 seconds and internet browsing, word processing, and even photo editing tasks were downright "snappy." While the 3D graphics benchmark numbers aren't particularly impressive, it's important to keep in mind that netbooks are not designed for playing computer games. The S10 and similar netbooks are mobile internet portals and productivity tools for getting some quick work done without needing to carry a giant laptop.

Speakers and Audio

The speakers on the IdeaPad S10 are reasonably impressive for a budget netbook. While the two tiny stereo speakers located on the front edge of the netbook produce good volume levels with minimal distortion and acceptable range, it's worth mentioning the somewhat odd placement.

Since the speakers are located on the front edge of the notebook the sound isn't being directed up and toward the user when the S10 is used as a laptop. In fact, our staff usually refers to laptop speakers with this type of placement as "crotch speakers" because the speakers are directing sound to your waist rather than your ears. Given the compact design of the S10 there weren't many other places for the speakers to go, but we'd like to see a different speaker location on next year's model.

The headphone jack on the S10 works well with the three different brands of earphones I used during the test. No static or other noise was noticed through the jack besides imperfections in the audio source itself.

Heat and Noise

As we continue to see in our labs, nearly all of the Intel Atom-based netbooks produce a reasonable amount of heat while running. The IdeaPad S10 remained on par with the competition in this regard. Even under normal conditions such as surfing the web, typing documents, or downloading email attachments, exterior temperatures peaked above 100 degrees Fahrenheit after more than 25 minutes of use. Granted, this level of heat isn't horrible by any means, but it might be a little uncomfortable on your lap after an hour.

The hottest spot on this netbook was the area around the hard drive and RAM. The external temperature readings below (listed in degrees Fahrenheit) were recorded while browsing the Web and running two HDTune tests in a row after approximately 30 minutes of use:

In terms of noise, our review unit of the S10 remained quiet during most of the testing period ... except during graphics benchmarks. When the relatively weak integrated graphics were stressed during our review the internal cooling fan kicked into high gear. The fan noise wasn't horrible by any means, but it would be loud enough to get a teacher's attention in a quiet classroom. Again, this only happened when stressing the S10's graphics, so it shouldn't be an issue for casual web browsing.

Battery

Under normal use, backlight at 100 percent and using wireless for web browsing and watching several streaming videos at 75 percent volume, the S10 managed to deliver three hours and 43 minutes of battery life. This is similar to what we've seen from Atom-based netbooks with 3-cell batteries, so there isn't much to complain about here. However, as we've said in the past when reviewing other netbooks, these tiny laptops would make excellent mobile companions if they just had an option for a 6-cell or 8-cell battery for all-day use. In any case, lowering the screen brightness and turning off the wireless card should provide enough battery life for prolonged use with the 3-cell battery.

Conclusion

Is the Lenovo IdeaPad S10 the best netbook currently on the market and the best value for your dollar? Well, the answer isn't simple, particularly considering the way that new netbooks seem to arrive every week. The S10 does several things right that we wish more manufacturers did with their netbooks.

First, Lenovo was smart enough to realize and ExpressCard slot is important if you want to make a netbook useful. The ExpressCard slot gives you the option of adding more USB ports, Firewire, eSATA, or any number of other ports to the S10. More importantly, the ExpressCard slot makes it easy to add a broadband modem to the S10 so that you can stay connected to the internet anywhere with cell phone reception.

Second, the S10 has built-in Bluetooth. Frankly, we're amazed that every netbook doesn't come with built-in Bluetooth since it allows you to connect devices to the netbook without using one of the USB ports.

Last, but certainly not least the S10 combines the surprisingly capable Intel Atom processor with a standard hard drive. While budget SSDs are nice, most consumers can't get over the limited storage capacity of SSDs and that is why hard drives still have a place in netbooks.

On the other hand, the S10 still suffers from some of the same limitations as other netbooks: relatively high temperatures, small battery, and a cramped screen and keyboard.

Ultimately, the Lenovo IdeaPad S10 is a great ultra-portable laptop priced below $500. However, if you're willing to put up with a bulkier notebook then it's still possible to find a computer with more features and performance for almost the same price on sale.

Pros

* Small and light
* Easy to use
* Very well built and durable
* Easy to upgrade RAM, and hard drive
* Comes with Bluetooth
* ExpressCard slot offers extra expansion options

Cons

* Gets a little hot
* White plastics give this serious computer a "toy-like" appearance
* Only two USB ports
* 3-cell battery is nice, 6-cell battery would be better

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Review Acer Aspire ONE

The Acer Aspire One is a 8.9" netbook with a starting price that is aimed to undercut nearly all the current market competitors. The base Aspire One, which includes an 8GB SSD and Linux starts at $329, which is far under anything else that has the Intel Atom processor. The big question running through everyone's minds is if this model is built like a budget computer, or if it has what it takes to go up against some models that sell for nearly double the retail price. In this review we cover all aspects of the Acer Aspire One, and let you know if this is a netbook you should consider purchasing.

Our Acer Aspire One specifications:

* 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor
* 1GB DDR2 533MHz
* Windows XP Home SP3
* 8.9" 1024 x 600 WSVGA glossy LED backlit display
* 120GB 2.5" 5400RPM Hitachi Hard Drive (with SDHC storage expansion slot)
* 802.11b/g Atheros Wireless
* 3-Cell 23Wh battery
* Size: 9.75" x 6.625" x 1.28"
* Weight: 2lb 5.0oz

Build and Design

The design of the Acer Aspire One is very sleek with softly rounded edges and a smooth glossy surface that is comfortable to hold when closed. The look is fairly basic, but it does have a few chrome accents here and there which add a bit of spice into the look of the netbook. Glossy plastic is found on the top of the screen cover, as well as around the entire LCD. At times the reflective boarder does get on your nerves if you are in a brightly lit room with many sources of glare.

Build quality looks solid for a subnotebook and the construction feels strong enough to handle being tossed around inside a bookbag without much concern for its safety (well apart from the glossy surfaces). Holding it while it is folded in half is similar to holding a hard cover book, having a good amount of rigidity to resist flex and compression. The screen cover feels especially strong, which is important for protecting the relatively fragile LCD panel.

From an upgrading perspective, the Acer Aspire One is a very difficult netbook to make enhancements to. The case does not separate as easily as others to access vital components like RAM or the hard drive. While most users won't touch the insides, it is worth mentioning it for those thinking about upgrading to Vista which enjoys additional RAM, or something looking to install a faster drive. Another disappointing aspect about the Aspire One is the open Mini-PCIe slot which is lacking any connector. This area is prepped with a SIM-card port for obvious 3G features, but unless you can solder on your own connector you are out of luck.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard is spacious as far as netbooks go, since the Aspire One is a 9" netbook inside the body of a 10" model. You have the slight disadvantage of having huge screen borders, but you get some much needed keyboard real estate. The keyboard is cramped compared to a fullsize notebook, but is easy to get the hang of with enough practice. The typing surface feels strong with no keyboard flex and individual keys feel strong with no wobble. One aspect that I really enjoy about the keyboard layout is the dedicated page up and page down buttons. For scrolling through long webpages, especially with mini touchpads, page up and page down keys can provide a more accurate way of navigating a webpage or document at a fast pace.

The touchpad design is slightly unique compared to other netbooks and notebooks in general, with the buttons on each side of the touch surface. The only other notebook we have seen with this layout is the HP Mini-Note 2133. The layout is a bit tricky to get used to, as you click on the hard palmrest surface, and try to scroll on the touchpad button. The surface is easily to slide your finger on and the sensitivity easily tracks your finger with light pressure. If you are able to get used to the touchpad button layout ends up not being that bad at all.

Display

The LED backlit display on the Acer Aspire One is very bright and vibrant. The white levels are very clear, leaning towards the cooler or bluer side. Colors look excellent with the glossy screen, but at the cost of increasing screen reflections and glare. The screen might be bright enough to view outside, but with all the bright reflective surfaces outside, the screen is nearly impossible to view comfortably. Viewing angles are better than average, with a broad sweet spot. Horizontal viewing angles are excellent, to the point where you could be looking almost perpendicular to the screen and still see accurate color. Vertical viewing angles are good, but they do find their limit at +/- 15 degrees forward or back.

Performance

This Intel Atom based netbook won't be breaking any speed records, but it performed more than adequately for normal activities. Internet browsing, word processing, and even photo editing tasks were handed in a very snappy environment. The most surprising thing from a reviewing standpoint was this subnotebook giving benchmark results in every program we could throw at it. This is not par for the course though, as many other netbooks have limited resolutions or other odd quirks that prevent most of the standard benchmarking programs to give valid results.

Gaming performance is limited with the low-end Atom-based system, but some games can still be operated at decent framerates. The original Half-Life at 640x480 runs at 20-40FPS, which is more than playable, and a great alternative to just playing Solitaire on a boring day.
Using the latest Xvid codec and Media Player Classic we tested out multiple ripped video sources. The average load on the processor was 10-14 percent. With this type of load, battery life was decreased enough that watching a movie barely more than two hours might be pushing it.

HD video content was also out of the question, even with highly optimized video codecs such as CoreAVC. Dropped frames and slower framerates were noticed in some movie trailers that we tested, and high action scenes were out of the question completely.

One unique feature of the Acer Aspire One is the dual card readers, which one is aimed for storage expansion. While the extra SDHC-only reader doesn't show up as installable space for an operating system, it is handy if you have one card for storage and another that you just pulled out of a camera. You don't have to swap back and forth; you can just use the open slot.

Speakers and Audio

The speakers on the Acer Aspire One make lowend notebook speakers sound great. Peak volume levels are low, and there is no hint of anything but higher frequencies coming from the small speakers. Trying to pay attention to dialog in a game or video was difficult enough that I just brought out my headphones after a few minutes.

The headphone jack on the Aspire One worked very well, driving my Senneiser HD280 headphones to above comfortable listening levels. No static or other noise was noticed through the jack besides imperfections in the audio source itself.

Ports and Features

Port selection was better than average for a netbook, with two card readers, plus the standard three USB ports, LAN, VGA, and audio jacks. My only complaint was the removable of the additional Mini-PCIe slot which could have been used for future 3G upgrades without purchasing a completely new machine.

Heat and Noise

Nearly all of the Intel Atom-based netbooks fall into the reasonably warm while running category, and the Acer Aspire One is no different. Under normal conditions such as surfing the web, typing a document, or chatting on an instant messaging client, surface temperatures stay within reasonable levels. The keyboard maintains a temperature a bit above room temperature and the bottom is slightly warmer. The temperatures in the images below are listed in degrees Fahrenheit:

Noise is the one category where the Aspire One stands out, and not in a good way. Almost as soon as the netbook is turned on the cooling fans starts at a low droning speed. It barely moves any air out of the device, but it is louder than fans found in full-size notebooks. As the One warms up and needs more cooling the fan speed increases to a very annoying level. It stands out in a busy office setting and in a quiet classroom would get even the teachers attention.

Battery

With our official battery test with screen brightness at 60 percent, wireless enabled, and mild website browsing taking place, the Acer Aspire One managed 2 hours and 23 minutes before it had to shutdown. This is with the commonly available 3-cell model, which seems to be common for Intel Atom devices on the market right now. Acer does have plans to release a 6-cell model with a larger harddrive for an additional $50, and the additional battery life would be worth every penny.
Conclusion

For those looking for an even lower cost budget netbook, the Acer Aspire One is a worthy candidate to think about. This computer has solid build quality to handle being tossed around in a backpack or purse, and modest performance to handle common software applications with ease. Battery life isn't the best with the 3-cell model, so if you spot the 6-cell/160GB version in stock, it is highly recommended that you pick that. While it is not the easiest netbook to upgrade, it does offer a large storage drive to start with and an SDHC expansion slot. Starting as low as $349 it is no question that it blows the socks off the current competing models, which are priced at $499 and up.

Pros

* Very low price, undercutting nearly all Intel Atom-based netbooks
* Good performance
* Dual card readers
* Responsive Synaptics touchpad

Cons

* Hard to take apart for upgrades
* Noisy cooling fan

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Gary's Debate

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Review Asus Eee PC 1000 XP

Ever since the Eee PC 4G opened up the mini-notebook market last year, Asus has been pumping out different flavors of the Eee, including versions of the original with XP and models sporting slightly larger screens and a multitouch pad. With the $460 Eee 1000H 80G XP, though, Asus addresses many of the previous problems we've had with earlier mini-notebook models--and it creates a solid second-gen machine in the process.

The newest member of the Eee family offers the same Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and 80GB hard disk as MSI's Wind NB U100. It has a 10-inch display and measures 10.5 by 7.5 by 1.5 inches (about the size of a hardcover book, and only slightly larger than the MSI Wind). The is also fairly heavy for a mini-notebook, weighing about 3.6 pounds including the six-cell battery packed underneath. (On the plus side, the battery lasted about 4 hours, 32 minutes in our tests.) With the Eee 1000H's design the way it is, you might as well call it an ultraportable--in heft, if not performance.

The Atom processor may be passable for last-gen apps and small devices, but it's downright mopey if you're hoping to run Vista. And it isn't exactly a speed demon in XP, either: On our WorldBench 6 tests, the Eee 1000H received a score of 37, a point higher than MSI's Wind got. For the most part, though, this model's performance is consistent for what we're finding with XP-based mini-notebooks running an Atom processor and 1GB of RAM.

One thing that sets the Eee 1000H apart from the other mini-notebooks we've seen is its spacious, comfortable keyboard. I'd probably put it on a par with what you'd expect to find on a full-featured ultraportable laptop. The keyboard, coupled with an array of useful shortcut keys, makes this mini-notebook very easy to use. One key turns off the monitor, another switches the resolutions, the third changes the performance settings, and the last is user configurable. And the keys aren't the only things that work well: The touchpad offers a sensual feel and is fluidly responsive, and the mouse buttons are firm, metallic, and well mounted.

The display's native 1024 by 600 resolution looks reasonably sharp on the 10-inch screen. With a quick toggle of the shortcut key, you can pop through a number of "optimized" resolutions. The only real use I've found for the resolution gear-shifter is that it's helpful for trying to fit some oddly formatted Web pages to the screen; otherwise, you can always output video through the VGA port. A firm, flush bezel surrounding the screen and the 1.3-megapixel camera securely locks everything in place. The case has a smooth yet slightly textured feel.

Suprisingly, the Eee 1000H's audio sounded crisp, and richer than I had expected. Maybe that's the result of Dolby Sound Room technology (which Dolby says extends the speakers' bass response up an octave, and widens the sound space that the speakers project). Elvis's "Suspicious Minds" rang clear; Run DMC's "Walk This Way" sounded a little tinny, but good enough that I was able to forgo plugging in headphones. I'd even say that the Eee 1000H can fill up a small room (or office cubicle) with tunes.

One other unexpected twist: Asus preinstalls some handy software, including Microsoft Works, StarOffice, and Skype.

In other respects, the Eee 1000H provides exactly what you might expect from a mini-notebook in expandability and layout. It includes three USB ports, an SD Card slot, VGA-out, headphone/microphone jacks, and an ethernet jack.

I liked the thorough manual, too. It's funny, really: Many makers of high-end notebooks don't even bother--simply tossing a PDF in the box--and yet this well-laid-out book covers all the bases.

Asus' Eee 1000H is among the leaders in the mini-notebook market. This model offers a sizable keyboard, a solid screen, and a clean and comfortable layout, just beating out the MSI Wind. Buyers beware, however: It's a device that's roughly the size of an ultraportable yet has half an ultraportable's power (albeit at more than half an ultraportable's price).

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Review HP Mini 2140

The low-cost ultraportable notebook or "netbook" market might have exploded in 2008, but HP plans to take the top spot in 2009 with the all new Mini 2140. This business-grade netbook features a 10.1-inch screen, a remarkably large keyboard, a high capacity hard drive, and plenty of impressive specs. Did HP learn from the mistakes of the past? Is the Mini 2140 this year's ultimate road warrior machine? Keep reading to discover the answers.

Our pre-production HP Mini 2140 features the following specifications:

* Operating System: Genuine Windows XP (Vista or SUSE Linux also available)
* Processor: Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.60GHz (512 KB L2 cache, 533 MHz FSB)
* Memory: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM, 800MHz, one SODIMM memory slot, supports up to 2GB
* Internal Storage: 160GB 5400 rpm SATA HDD with HP 3D DriveGuard (also available with 160GB 7200 rpm SATA with HP 3D DriveGuard or 80GB Solid State Drive)
* Display: 10.1-inch diagonal (1024 x 576)
* Graphics: Intel GMA 950
* Wireless: Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.0, HP Wireless Assistant
* Expansion slots: (1) ExpressCard/54 slot, Secure Digital (SD) slot
* Ports and connectors: (2) USB 2.0 ports, VGA, power connector, RJ-45/Ethernet (Gigabit), stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in, VGA webcam
* Input device: 92% full-sized keyboard, touchpad with scroll zone
* Dimensions (H x W x D): 1.05 (at front) x 10.3 x 6.5 inches
* Weight: 2.4 lb with 3-cell battery and hard drive, 2.93 lb with 6-cell battery and hard drive (not including weight of AC adapter).
* Power: 6-cell (55 WHr) or 3-cell (28 WHr) Lithium-Ion battery, 65W HP Smart AC Adapter with HP Fast Charge
* Warranty: One-year standard parts and labor warranty, pick-up or carry-in, and toll-free 7 x 24 hardware technical phone support.

Pricing for the HP Mini 2140 starts from as little as $499 for the base configuration.

Build and Design

The HP Mini 2140, like last year's Mini-note 2133, has a great design. Everyone in our office agrees that this ultra-mobile laptop has a solid chassis and attractive look. The brushed aluminum and plastic casing is durable and hides fingerprints well. It also keeps the Mini 2140 lightweight; only weighing in around 2.4 lbs as configured. The sleek business appeal feels at home in the corporate world, but the Mini 2140 is targeted toward students as well. One look at this machine and you can see why. Who wouldn't want an inexpensive mini notebook to toss in a backpack between classes, especially one that pretty much has a full-size keyboard?

HP was smart to keep the design of the 2140 mostly unchanged from the 2133. Nothing about the Mini 2140 feels cheap. The chassis is solid thanks to a combination of aluminum, plastic, and a magnesium alloy support structure inside. The larger 10.1" display is beautiful and easy to read indoors despite putting off some significant glare outdoors because of the protective coating. The Mini 2140 also comes with enough ports and storage capacity (thanks to the 160GB hard drive) that you might even consider using this business-grade netbook as your primary computer.

As I mentioned above, the keyboard is almost full size. It is 92% of a full sized keyboard, which is quite impressive for such a small form factor. It is much more comfortable to type on compared to the keyboards found on most 10-inch netbooks. However, the touchpad can be awkward since the placement of the right and left touchpad buttons are on the right and left sides rather than beneath the touchpad. As you can see from the pictures in this review the Mini 2140 also has neat power and Wi-Fi switches that light up and change from blue when on to orange when off.

Screen

Compared to the screens on other netbooks with 10-inch screens, the screen on the HP Mini 2140 is a bit of a mixed blessing. On one hand, the screen is nice and large with bright colors and good contrast. The screen doesn't offer wide viewing angles so people sitting around you won't have the best view of your screen. However, the biggest annoyance with the screen is the meager resolution of 1024 x 576 in the base configuration. This is actually lower resolution than the 8.9-inch screen used on last year's Mini-note 2133 which featured a 1280 x 768 resolution. The lower resolution on the Mini 2140 makes it easier to read small text, but the tradeoff is you can't fit as much text on the screen at one time. This means you have to scroll up and down more when viewing websites and some software menus might not fit on the screen as they should (since many software designers assume a modern computer screen has at least 600 pixels worth of vertical resolution.

Beyond the limited resolution the only additional issue that caused concern with the screen on the Mini 2140 was the use of an additional protective layer of glossy plastic over the screen. While this extra layer of plastic helps protect the display, the unfortunate side effect is significant reflection. We're not talking about a typical glossy screen you might have seen on notebooks prior to 2008. We're talking about a screen with a completely separate glossy layer applied over (and in front of) the actual display surface.

The reflections on the screen aren't noticeable at all in a dark room, but most people don't use their notebooks in the dark unless they're just watching movies. If you aren't sensitive to reflections then the screen is beautiful when viewed from straight ahead.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard on the Mini 2140 is simply fantastic. Last year we said the keyboard on the Mini-note 2133 "is the best keyboard we've seen on a notebook this small." That statement holds true for the new Mini 2140 as well. Sure, you can find better keyboards on larger notebooks, but HP currently has the best keyboard we've tested on 10-inch and smaller netbooks. The keys have the silver "HP DuraKeys" finish that makes them resist dirt and makes the letters printed on the keys last longer over time. The surface of the keys are also smooth to the touch.

Regardless, the most important thing to remember about this section of the review is that the Mini 2140 has the biggest and best keyboard you will find on any netbook or notebook with a 10-inch screen. It is literally almost a full-sized keyboard, so writing papers for school or reports for work is a breeze. You won't see spelling errors due to hitting the wrong keys as often as you might with the tiny keys on most netbooks. I didn't notice any signs of keyboard flex and really liked that most of the keys were full sized except a few. The tilde (~) key and the number "1" key are smaller than the rest of the numbers, which was quite odd. The space bar was also a little smaller than normal.

As mentioned previously, most people find using the touchpad on the Mini 2140 a little awkward. The right and left click buttons are what catch you off guard. The buttons are located on the sides of the touchpad and it's easy to forget where they are located if you're used to a regular touchpad. I would have liked the palm rest area to be a little bigger so the buttons could have been relocated below the touchpad like on standard notebooks and most netbooks. The button above the touchpad is a convenient feature that turns the touchpad off and makes it inactive when you are typing or using an external mouse.

Input and Output Ports

Every netbook on the market requires one minor compromise due to the ultra-mobile form factor: limited port selection. You simply cannot accommodate the standard array of ports you'll find on larger notebooks in a computer this small. That said, HP did a remarkable job packing as many ports as possible into the Mini 2140. The complete list of ports includes:

* One ExpressCard/54 slot
* Secure Digital (SD/SDHC) card reader
* Two USB 2.0 ports
* VGA out
* Power connector
* RJ-45/Ethernet
* Stereo headphone/line out
* Stereo microphone/line in

Overall, the port selection is amazing for a notebook this size. However, we would have like to see one of the USB ports replaced with a combo USB/eSATA port. HP uses combo USB/eSATA ports on almost all of their larger notebooks and the combo port allows you to use either USB devices or eSATA devices such as high-speed external storage drives. Considering how easy it would have been to make one of the USB ports a combo port, we're a little surprised HP didn't do that.

One additional thing worth mentioning regarding ports is that HP doesn't offer built-in 3G WWAN (mobile broadband from a provider such as AT&T or Verizon) with the Mini 2140. If you want to stay connected to the internet via WWAN you have to use an adapter card in the ExpressCard slot or one of the USB ports. It's sad to see that HP doesn't offer the option considering that smaller netbooks like the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 offer built-in WWAN.
Performance and Benchmarks

If you've read our reviews of other netbooks that use the Intel Atom processors then you know that overall performance with the Intel Atom platform is very reasonable for most daily activities like web browsing, email, using Microsoft Office, listening to music, and even watching movies. You can even use photo editing software like Photoshop Elements or GIMP. That said, the Mini 2140 doesn't make the ideal photo editing tool because of the low-resolution screen and the fact that the Atom processor is slower than a faster notebook or desktop when editing large image files. You can play some basic games on the Mini 2140, but don't expect to play Crysis or Left 4 Dead at 60 frames per second ... or at all.

Audio

The built-in speaker performance on the Mini 2140 was nice, but not as impressive as the superior speakers on last year's HP Mini-note 2133. In order to accommodate the larger screen in the 2140, HP removed to large speakers next to the screen and used a pair of smaller speakers integrated into the chassis of the netbook. The end result is the speakers produce weak sound that's good enough for basic web browsing and online chats but doesn't provide a satisfying entertainment experience.

The best possible audio performance with this netbook comes via the use of external speakers or headphones. The audio output from the headphone jack is quite good and provides excellent, distortion-free sound for headphones or external speakers.

Heat and Noise

The ultra low voltage VIA processor in last year's HP Mini-note 2133 generated far more heat than we typically expect from ultra low voltage processors. Temperatures on the new Mini 2140 are thankfully much, much more comfortable thanks to the use of the Intel Atom processor. Temperature readings taken from the outside of the aluminum and plastic chassis rarely spiked above 95 degrees Fahrenheit ... compared to well above 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the previous generation.

The cooling fan was usually running at low speed during our tests and rarely increased to full speed. Most of the time the fan can't be heard even in a perfectly quiet office environment ... unless you put your ear next to the fan exhaust.

Below are images indicating the temperature readings (listed in degrees Fahrenheit) taken inside our office where the ambient temperature was 74 degrees Fahrenheit:

Battery

Overall, the HP Mini 2140 did a reasonable job in terms of power management. With the Mini 2140 connected to a Wi-Fi network and browsing the web with the display at about 80 percent brightness, we obtained 2 hours and 21 minutes of battery life with the standard 3-cell battery. Using the same settings we obtained 4 hours and 15 minutes of battery life with the 6-cell extended life battery.

Bottom line, the Mini 2140 makes an excellent mobile business companion with the extended life battery. The only possible negative to using the extended life battery is that the larger 6-cell battery sticks out from the bottom of the notebook adding both size and weight. However, this also has the advantage of providing a more ergonomic angle to the keyboard for typing.
Conclusion

The HP Mini 2140 proves HP can make a serious netbook for business professionals and students alike. Unfortunately for HP, the amazing design and solid range of features are diminished by a low-resolution screen. That said, there is a silver lining to this stormy cloud. HP informs us that the 2140 will be offered with a higher resolution screen (1366 x 768) later in 2009 for a modest price increase, and we're glad to hear that.

Last year after we reviewed the HP Mini-note 2133 we said, "If HP decides to replace the VIA processors with the new Intel Atom processors or alternative processors from Intel, the Mini-Note would become the undisputed champion of the subnotebook market." The truth is the Mini 2140 comes very, very close. If HP hadn't lowered the resolution of the screen in the base configuration of the new Mini 2140 this netbook would easily be an Editor's Choice.

As it stands now, if you're willing to put up with the lower resolution screen the Mini 2140 is probably the best netbook on the market. However, if you're willing to wait for HP to offer a higher resolution screen later this year you will be even happier.

Pros

* Excellent build quality (BEST in class)
* Great keyboard (BEST in class)
* ExpressCard slot offers fantastic expansion possibilities
* Multiple configuration options

Cons

* Base configuration has low-resolution screen
* Strange location for touchpad buttons
* Screen is too reflective due to second glossy protective layer

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Review Asus N10JC

Asus has come up with the new Asus N10JC to help it regain its lost glory. It is very strange of Asus to not have released it under the EEE branding considering that it had been obsessed with it and had released scores of products under the EEE branding. It is aimed at the corporate segment and touts much better specifications and performance as well as reliability than the EEE netbooks. It is the first notebook to sport Nvidia’s discrete graphics and sports a configuration powerful enough for most users.

Asus N10JC Specs:

* Dimensions: 10.8 x 7.6 x 1.4 inches
* Weight: 3.4 pounds
* Processor: Intel Atom N270 clocked at 1.6 GHz, 512 KB cache
* RAM: 1 GB DDR2 RAM
* Hard Drive: 160 GB SATA HDD, 5400 RPM
* Display: 10.2 inch LCD display, 1024 x 600 pixels
* Graphics Card: Nvidia 9300 M GS, 256 MB VRAM
* Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
* Operating System: MS Windows XP Home
* Ports: 3 USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, HDMI, Headphone, Microphone, VGA out, 8 in 1 card reader, ExpressCard

Design and Build Quality:

The Asus N10JC sports radically different design than the whole EEE PC range. It sports a more corporate look which is much more professional than the amateurish look of the EEE PCs. It has a metallic feel and the body is composed of black and silver. It looks much better and masculine then the supposedly stylish EEE PC S101 we reviewed earlier.

Measuring 10.8 x 7.6 x 1.4 inches in dimensions and weighing about 3.4 pounds, it is the bulkiest 10 inch ultraportable but the superior performance makes it worth the extra bulk. It is very portable compared to a standard notebook though, much more suitable for frequent travellers who need a laptop on their journeys.

The metallic body feels sturdy and durable and can easily withstand a few light bumps. The Asus N10JC definitely is near the higher end of the spectrum when it comes to design and build quality.

Display and Speakers:

The Asus N10JC sports a 10 inch glossy LCD display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The display quality is superb with perfect brightness levels. The screen also offers good contrast. The screen has nice horizontal and vertical viewing angles. The glossy screen slightly decreases visibility in direct light. The display is perfect for watching videos and movies. Above the display lies a 1.3 MP webcam which has decent recording quality. It is nice enough for video conferencing.

It also sports Altec Lancing speakers which have good volume and sound quality. The volume is loud enough to fill a small room completely, and the quality better than most netbooks.
Keyboard and Touchpad:

The Asus N10JC sports a superb keyboard, definitely among the best in netbooks. It is adequately sized and doesn’t feel cramped at all. The key spacing and travel is perfect. The keys provide nice tactile feedback and a distinctive click. There is zero flex on the keyboard. The keys are positioned according to standards except a few. It is good for touch typists and takes very less time to get used to.

The Asus N10JC also sports a full size touchpad with nice sensitivity and response. The touchpad is smooth and the textured feel offers for good navigational capabilities. There are two mouse buttons exactly below it and they are nice and easy to click with nice feedback. There is also a fingerprint reader located exactly between the two mouse buttons. The keyboard and touchpad coupled together are one of the best combos found in netbooks.
Performance:

The Asus N10JC is powered by the standard Intel Atom N270 processor clocked at 1.6 GHz and comes with 1 GB DDR 2 RAM like most other netbooks, the RAM being expandable to 2 GB. It comes with a 160 GB SATA 5400 RPM HDD. It is adequate for most normal computing tasks. What N10JC betters the others is in the graphics department. It comes with discrete graphics - Nvidia’s 9300 M GS with 256 MB V RAM. The discrete graphics can be switched with the onboard GMA 950 by the flick of a switch. You can easily switch between better graphic performance and better battery life. The 9300 M GS highly improves the gaming capabilities of the Asus N10JC. It is suitable for moderate gaming. It comes bundled with Windows XP but is also capable of running Vista. It also comes with Asus Express Gate - its homegrown version of Splashtop linux for fast and easy access to basic functions like internet, email, music etc. All in all, when it comes to performance, the Asus trumps all the netbooks in its category.
Battery Life and Other Features:

The Asus N10JC manages around 4.5 hours with a 6 cell battery and the onboard graphics enabled and with moderate usage. With the Nvidia 9300 M GS enabled, the battery life drops to about 3.5 hours. The battery life is a lot less than the endurance king Samsung NC10. It can be switched between different modes - power saving and performance modes to strike a balance between performance and battery life.

The Asus N10JC features a wide range of ports like 3 USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, HDMI, Headphone, Microphone, VGA out, 8 in 1 card reader and an ExpressCard slot. The Wi-Fi works good, has nice speeds and offers a decent range.

Pros:

* Nice Build Quality
* Superb Display
* Discrete Graphics

Cons:

* Bulkier than other netbooks

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The IdeaPad Y450

Did you think it was impossible to find an reasonably inexpensive, big screened laptop with a full size keyboard and loads of multimedia features? Well, Lenovo has changed that train of thought with their IdeaPad Y450.

The IdeaPad Y450 has a different look than any previous laptop. It sports a black cover like many other laptops on the market, except for the fact that the cover is not the traditional glossed-over top but instead a textured honeycomb pattern that gives the lid a coarse, grainy feel. This will certainly assist in promoting less fingerprints and smudges on the laptop’s cover. The edges of the lid are trimmed in a copper tone, while the inside is a stark white. This all unites to produce a stylish, modern looking laptop.

The Y450 measures 13.4 x 9.2 x1.4 inches (HWD) and weighs about 5 pounds. It features a 14-inch widescreen with 1,366 x 768 resolution. It also includes three USB ports, FireWire, Ethernet, a built-in webcam, and excellent speakers. Added bonuses not normally included in laptops in the Y450’s price range are the DVD burner, eSATA, and HDMI-out ports. Another important fact to consider is the Y450’s 2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 processor.

This impressive, budget-friendly laptop can be purchased in retail stores for around $599. Yes, there are plenty of other thinner and lighter laptops on the market, but they will dig a lot deeper into your pocket. The IdeaPad Y450 has excellent features, a slick design, and a heart-warming price tag. I think this is certainly a laptop that can satisfy most average people laptop needs.

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Review HP mini 1000

The HP Mini 1000 is the much hoped for Intel Atom based update to the VIA platform Mini-Note 2133. With a complete refresh this netbook is thinner thanks to a smaller hard drive and lithium polymer battery but still keeps the same great full-size (or "nearly" full-size) keyboard. Offered with two screen sizes, 8.9" and 10.2" the Mini 1000 has a configuration for any budget and including WWAN 3G capabilities for users on the go.

HP Mini 1000 specifications:

* Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor
* 60GB 4200 RPM PATA Hard Drive
* 1GB of DDR2 RAM (667MHz)
* Windows XP Home operating system
* 10.2" WSVGA LED-Backlit 1024 x 600 LCD
* Ports: 2 USB 2.0, 1 VGA monitor out, headphone/mic jack, SD card reader (SDHC compatible), Ethernet 10/100
* Webcam (1.3 MP)
* Battery: 11.1v 26Wh 3-cell battery
* Wireless: 802.11b/g, Bluetooth
* One-year warranty
* Size: 10.3 in (L) x 6.56 in (W) x 0.99 in (H)
* Weight: 2lbs 7.7oz, 3lbs 1.8oz with AC adapter
* Price as configured: $499

Build and Design

The HP Mini 1000 looks just like a condensed Pavilion notebook, with a sleek and smooth body, glossy Imprint Finish, and color coordinated design. Compared to the older Mini-Note 2133 HP took extra steps to reduce the thickness of the body; removing the VGA port in favor of a thin proprietary connection, using a 1.8" hard drive instead of a 2.5" model, and switching to a lithium polymer battery instead of the older lithium-ion cylindrical pack. HP also reduced the number of external connections, removing the ExpressCard slot, combining the microphone and headphone jack, and even hiding the LAN connector under a soft rubber cover. Compared to the other netbooks on the market, the Mini 1000 easily wins in the design category.

Build quality is above average with high quality plastics used throughout the body. The plastics don't creak or squeak when you are carrying it around, and when closed it has a very solid feel. The display cover provides more than adequate protection for the LCD, which can help out if you like to store heavy books in the same bag as your electronics. When open the palmrest and keyboard section are very stiff, but with thin notebooks this is normal with the reduced internal space.

When it comes to upgrading a netbook on your own there are netbooks that make it difficult and there are netbooks that make it easy ... and then there's the Mini 1000 that makes it ridiculously easy. While some netbook and notebook manufacturers go the route of "warranty void if removed" stickers HP goes the extra mile with a special spring-loaded RAM cover. After you slide over the battery lock switch, you expose a hole big enough for a pen tip. Simply flick it over to the side and the RAM cover pops up with no extra tools needed. This is one of the coolest things we have seen on a notebook and a first for netbooks. The other internal components take a bit more work to get at, needing two screws under the battery removed before the keyboard can pop off.
Display

The BrightView Infinity panel on the 10.2" Mini 1000 model has very good color and contrast, but at the cost of being overly reflective in anything but a dark room. This style of screen is becoming more common on multimedia notebooks, but on a netbook which might be used while traveling or outside it adds a level of annoyance that is hard to overcome. Black levels are good in the optimal viewing range, fading slightly to a light grey as you tilt the screen closer or farther away. Backlight intensity is strong to be viewable outside but easily overcome by glare from the Infinity panel. Viewing angles rate average, with an acceptable viewing sweet spot before colors start to invert. Horizontal viewing angles are better, but at the steeper angles the screen fades out and all you see is the reflection of the surrounding area.

One thing that cropped up is small marks on the plastic layer over the screen from the keyboard keys pressing on it with the lid closed. This is caused from oil on your fingertips, but most notebooks have a panel is recessed far enough to prevent the keys from touching.
Keyboard and Touchpad

By far the best feature of the HP Mini 1000 is the keyboard, which is the most comfortable compared to any other netbook we have reviewed. The key size and shape is very close to what you would find on a fullsize notebook and you just don’t feel cramped while typing. With most netbooks it takes time getting used to the smaller keys, which if you have large fingers can be difficult to accurately type on. HP first released this keyboard on the Mini-Note 2133, which would have been a hit if it wasn’t slowed down by the early VIA platform.
Key spacing is minimal to fit the full-size keys into the small area, but once you get your palms aligned properly on the small palmrest it is a breeze to type on. Individual key action is smooth with a barely audible click when pressed. The keys feel very solid and durable, something that you would expect from a great keyboard. Keyboard flex is non-existent because of the tight clearances in the super thin chassis.

The Synaptics based touchpad is easy to use once you get used to the buttons located on either side of the touch surface. Sensitivity is great with the default settings, leaving the only adjustment of narrowing the scrollbar area. The surface has a semi-gloss paint which is easy to slide your finger around, but really shows off the accumulated oils from your fingertips. The buttons are easy to trigger, with moderate feedback and a short throw.
Performance and Benchmarks

The Intel Atom-based netbook platform gives a speedy user experience, handing everyday applications with ease. Everything from web browsing to movie watching can be handled with little effort, leaving only HD content and gaming to your larger machine. On the Mini 1000, with the slower 4200RPM 1.8" PATA hard drive, some disk intensive applications were sluggish at times. Boot times felt slower than what we were used to and moving files around from external drives took longer than expected. Looking at our HDTune image below you can quickly see the problem, with much slower data transfer speeds than what you would find on a 5400RPM 2.5" SATA drive.

Speakers and Audio

The speakers on the Mini 1000 sound very nice, and easily win out over other netbook models. They are located right underneath the screen, so they don't get blocked with your hands on the keyboard. Bass and midrange are weak, but this is common even on much larger notebooks. Peak volume levels are adequate to fill a small room with a movie or podcast, but headphones might be the better alternative out in public.
Ports and Features

Port selection is sparse from what we have seen on most netbooks, with only two USB ports, LAN, one combo headphone/mic plug, and a proprietary VGA connector. To have video output the purchase of a separate adapter to get VGA is required. The Mini 1000 also has an SD-card reader and for models that do not have a hard drive, a special USB port for storage expansion.

One odd feature is a missing Kensington lock slot related with a proprietary connector that looks more like a lanyard hook than a security attachment point.

Heat and Noise

While the older Mini-Note 2133 with the VIA platform that scorched pants and fingertips the newer Atom-based model is cool to the touch. The palmrest and keyboard are slightly above room temperature and the bottom panel is finally lap friendly. The only hotspots were above and below the stick of RAM, which included the touchpad, since it is right above that area. Noise from the cooling fan was minimal even under stress. The temperature readings below are listed in degrees Fahrenheit:

Battery Life

With the screen brightness set to about 60 percent and wireless active the HP Mini 1000 managed 2 hours and 55 minutes of battery life before it had to go into sleep mode. This is a big step up when you look at the Mini-Note 2133 which only managed 2 hours and 15 minutes on the same size battery. The downside to the slim battery design and location on the Mini 1000 makes it nearly impossible to design an extended battery for it. For travel use, especially with 3G WWAN, you are really living life one outlet at a time. Conclusion

The HP Mini 1000 is a clear winner on the netbook front, offering a great design and being very user-upgrade friendly. It offers the best keyboard out of the entire netbook crowd, only matched by the earlier Mini-Note 2133 which uses the same design. We are delighted HP finally decided to refresh their netbook with the Atom platform since it increased battery life over the VIA model and greatly reduced the amount of heat thrown off the processor. With great build quality, a spring-loaded RAM slot, awesome keyboard, and super slim design it is easy to give the HP Mini 1000 our Editor’s Choice award. We feel it is well deserved even with the missing VGA port and limited battery options.
Pros:

* Best netbook keyboard
* Upgrade-friendly spring-loaded RAM slot
* Good looking design with excellent build quality
* Very good speakers for a netbook
Cons:

* Highly reflective screen if you have the Infinity 10.2” panel
* Proprietary adapter needed for VGA out
* No clear option for an extended battery

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Review Dell Inspiron Mini 9

Last year, the world of budget notebooks was turned on its head with the introduction of the ASUS Eee PC: A 2-pound laptop with a 7-inch screen and a starting price below $300. Prior to 2008, "budget notebooks" were bulky, overweight 15-inch laptops while "ultra-portable" notebooks commanded a premium price well above $1,000. In no time at all terms like "budget ultra-portable," "subnotebook," and "netbook" became part of the techno-geek vocabulary. Every notebook manufacturer on the planet (even some that you might not know) scrambled to create their own "netbooks" ... and Dell has finally joined the party.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 is an 8.9" netbook with a $349 (Linux) or $399 (Windows XP) starting price and some impressive features. Dell was kind enough to supply us with a pre-production copy of the Inspiron Mini 9 so that we can conduct in-depth testing and let you know if this netbook really is "your new best friend" ... or just the weird kid you try to avoid on the bus.

Our pre-production Inspiron Mini 9 features the following specifications:

* 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor
* 1GB DDR2 533MHz (1 DIMM)
* Ubuntu 8.04 Linux with Custom Dell Interface (Includes Open Office)
* 8.9" 1024 x 600 WSVGA glossy LED backlit display
* 8GB miniPCI SSD card
* Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
* 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
* 4-in-1 Media card reader
* 1.3 Megapixel webcam, Dell Video Chat application, Dell Support Center
* 4-Cell 32Wh Li-ion battery (14.8V)
* Size: 9.2" x 6.8" x 1.3" (including feet)
* Weight: 2lb 5.5oz (with 4-cell battery), 2lb 11.6oz (with battery and AC adapter)
* Price: $434 ($474 with Windows XP)

Build and Design

The design of the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 is quite similar to other netbooks we've seen in recent months. The exterior is covered in glossy plastics with smooth lines, rounded edges, and a style that looks like it's trying to strike a balance between "fun" and "functional." The look is pretty basic, almost like a miniature version of the Inspiron 1525 notebook. Glossy plastic is found on the top of the screen cover as well as around the entire LCD and palm rests. Matte black plastic is used on the base of the netbook and on the keyboard. Overall, the look is quite nice, but the glossy LCD lid is a magnet for fingerprints and makes the new netbook look a little tarnished after just a few minutes of use.

The build quality of the Mini 9 is amazingly solid for a subnotebook of this size and weight. The construction is mostly plastic but all of the plastics feel strong enough to handle being tossed around inside a bookbag. Even the glossy plastic surfaces seem to resist minor surface scratches. However, the most impressive build quality element in our pre-production unit was that the inside of the chassis is reinforced with magnesium alloy in at least one location (behind the keyboard and in front of the battery). This helps the Mini 9 withstand much more abuse than a typical all-plastic netbook.

In terms of upgradeability, the Mini 9 is much easier to upgrade than most netbooks currently on the market. Many of the netbooks we've seen to date require complex disassembly in order for you to get to the storage drive, system RAM, or wireless cards. Even worse, some other netbooks have slots for upgrades but no connections on the motherboard so it is impossible to upgrade them. This is not the case with the Mini 9.

Dell engineers were wise enough to place all key upgradeable components in one area directly beneath a simple access panel that you can remove with a regular Phillips screwdriver after removing two screws. The Mini 9 uses standard notebook DDR2 RAM (800MHz underclocked to 533MHz), standard wireless mini cards, and a mini PCIe SSD card.

Operating System and Software

As mentioned, Dell offers the Mini 9 with either Windows XP or a customized Ubuntu Linux operating system. Our pre-production unit came equipped with Ubuntu, and the Dell-developed custom interface is point-and-click easy and acts similar to Windows ... only easier (if you don't try to install new applications).

The Mini 9 comes preloaded with dozens of useful applications for everything from work and email to listening to music and watching movies. Unlike the many free applications that come preinstalled on Windows-based computers, almost none of the applications on the Ubuntu operating system should be considered "bloatware." In fact, almost every application on this netbook is both useful and easy to use.

Click on the "Web" icon and you can select from one of multiple bookmarks or just open the Firefox web browser. Click on the "Productivity" icon and you'll have instant access to the Open Office application (compatible with Microsoft Office) or Adobe Reader for PDFs. Click on any standard movie file and the video plays in either the Media Player application or inside Firefox ... you don't need to spend hours searching for video plugins and codecs, the movies just play. Don't waste time downloading iTunes. Just plug in your iPod and the Music Manager detects the music player and begins importing the songs. It's all part of the beauty and simplicity of Linux. Things just work.

On the other hand, if you ever find that you need an application that isn't already installed in Linux then you need to be familiar with the console and typing strange lines of code like "sudo dash" and "apt-get." In other words, it's not as simple as just downloading a Windows program installation file from a website and clicking "install."

If you're concerned about Linux, don't worry. Dell is also offering the Mini 9 with Windows XP, so the Microsoft faithful can breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Most low-priced, full-size notebooks currently on the market feature poorly built keyboards that show significant flex/bounce when typing pressure is applied. Thankfully, most netbooks have remarkably firm keyboards due to the fact that the chassis is so small there isn't much empty space inside the notebook for the keyboard to flex or bounce.

The keyboard on the Mini 9 is less cramped than what we've seen on the 7-inch and 8.9-inch ASUS Eee PCs, but the Dell keyboard is still very compact. Even though I've gotten used to typing on netbook keyboards, the first few hours I spent typing on the Mini 9 were quite frustrating as the small footprint and tiny keys require you to use a "hunt and peck" style of typing rather than traditional touch typing methods. This means that passwords get mangled, emails look like gibberish, and playing games that require keyboard commands becomes quite aggravating.

Of course, once I got used to typing on the tiny keyboard the keys felt just fine ... but this keyboard isn't designed to be used as a primary/main computer. For users who would buy this notebook as their "main computer" in their home or office, a full-size keyboard and external mouse are recommended.

The only "major" complaint I have about the keyboard on the Mini 9 is that the function keys are all located in the middle of the keyboard rather than the top row. Also, there is no F11 or F12 key ... which is bad for people who use F11 to maximize their web browser window or use F12 as a programmed shortcut key. Please, Dell, give us F11 and F12 on the next generation of this netbook!

The touchpad design is surprisingly nice for a budget netbook. The surface isn't exactly "large" but it is larger than what we see on most netbooks. The touchpad in our pre-production unit was a Synaptics touchpad with excellent sensitivity, responsiveness, and smooth tracking. The touchpad buttons are located in the correct position and have nice, deep, well-cushioned presses with no annoying "click" when pressed.

Display

The glossy LED backlit display on the Mini 9 is nice and vibrant with rich colors and good contrast. The white levels are very clear, leaning towards the slightly warm/orange side. Colors look excellent with the glossy screen, but at the cost of increasing screen reflections and glare. The screen might be bright enough to view outside, but with all the bright reflective surfaces outside, the screen is nearly impossible to view comfortably. Indoors the reflections are not a problem at all.

Horizontal viewing angles are good, so you and a friend won't have trouble watching a movie on the 8.9-inch screen at the same time. Vertical viewing angles are acceptable, but colors do tend to wash out from above and become inverted when viewed from below.

Performance

Our regular selection of performance benchmarks can't be used with the pre-production Inspiron Mini 9 given the fact that it is a Linux-based notebook. We will be publishing a follow-up in the coming weeks with details of how Windows XP performs on the Mini 9, so please keep an eye open for that.

In the meantime, we can measure the time it take to perform a number of simple procedures in order to give you an idea of how the Mini 9 performs. Please keep in mind that the speeds listed below will vary depending on the number of applications you have open at any given time (multitasking always slows things down).

* Startup: ~20 seconds
* Opening and loading the NotebookReview.com website in Firefox: ~3 seconds
* Starting playback on a 700MB AVI video file: ~3 seconds
* Starting the Open Office application: ~5 seconds
* Opening a 3.84MB PDF document: ~3 seconds
* Opening a 2.51MB PowerPoint presentation: ~10 seconds

For those interested in the speed of the 8GB SSD, hdparm benchmarks the SSD buffered read speed at 26.91MB/sec. For comparison, the 4GB SSD in the ASUS Eee PC 4G performs at 21.78 MB/sec. Meanwhile, a Lenovo ThinkPad T60 with a fast 7200rpm Seagate hard drive has a buffered read speed of 54.62 MB/sec and a Toshiba Tecra A9 with standard 5400rpm hard drive has a buffered read speed of 44.87 MB/sec.

While the Mini 9 won't win any awards for performance within applications, startup is quite fast and overall performance is fast enough to keep most users happy.

True 1080p HD video content might be out of the question based on the specs of the Mini 9, but the pre-production unit used in this review was able to handle up-scaled standard-definition video with stable frame rates and smooth sound.

Speakers and Audio

While we're on the topic of sound, the speakers on the Inspiron Mini 9 are reasonably impressive for a budget netbook. While the two tiny stereo speakers located beneath the screen can't compete with the audio quality found on larger multi-media notebooks, the speakers are perfectly capable of playing short video clips or system sounds. As long as you don't make the mistake of trying to listen to old-school hip hop on the built-in speakers you might never notice the lack of bass.

The only strong negative I have against the built-in speakers is the fact that the maximum volume level doesn't get as loud as I like without distortion creeping into the sound.

The headphone jack on the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 works well with the three different brands of earphones I used during the test. No static or other noise was noticed through the jack besides imperfections in the audio source itself.

Heat and Noise

As we continue to see in our labs, nearly all of the Intel Atom-based netbooks produce a reasonable amount of heat while running. The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 is no exception to this rule. Under normal conditions such as surfing the web, typing a document, or downloading email attachments, exterior temperatures remained at acceptable levels. The hottest spot on this netbook was the area around the wireless card, so if you're on a flight or away from a WiFi connection it might be a good idea to turn off the wireless card to keep temperatures even lower. The external temperature readings below (listed in degrees Fahrenheit) were recorded while browsing the Web and watching an AVI movie file for approximately 30 minutes:

In terms of noise, our pre-production Mini 9 is quite remarkable in that it makes literally no noise. There are no cooling fans or spinning hard drives to bother you (or the people seated next to you) while you work. Of course, the fact that the Mini 9 lacks a cooling fan is likely why the temperatures on this netbook are slightly higher than what we've seen on some other Atom-based netbooks. Still, the Mini 9 never becomes unacceptably warm, so we accept this minor heat increase in exchange for absolute silence.

Battery

Under normal use, backlight at 100 percent and using wireless for web browsing and watching several DivX movies at 75 percent volume, the Mini 9 managed to deliver three hours and 38 minutes of battery life. This is similar to what we've seen from Atom-based netbooks with 3-cell batteries, but we were hoping for more given the 4-cell battery in the Mini 9. Hopefully battery life will improve when we test Windows XP on this machine. Still, even with only 3+ hours of battery life, the Mini 9 provides a reasonable travel experience for a netbook priced below $400. Lowering the screen brightness and turning off the wireless card should provide enough battery life for prolonged use.
Conclusion

Dell wants you to believe the Inspiron Mini 9 is "your new best friend." Well, kiddies, the Mini 9 is a fantastic mobile companion that helps you stay connected and makes your life easier without breaking the bank. However, I can't shake the feeling that the Mini 9 is more like "the kid you're friendly with at the lunch table, but isn't your BFF."

Yes, the Mini 9 is a great netbook. Yes, it has a great price. Yes, it will probably sell very, very well for Dell. No, this won't change the world as you know it. The truth is that at least a dozen other manufacturers have released or announced similar netbooks before the new Inspiron Mini 9 arrived. Dell had all the time in the world to develop something that slaughters the competition in a way that only Dell can. Unfortunately, while the Mini 9 is great, it still suffers from a few of the same problems we've seen in other netbooks (heat, annoying glossy plastics, bad keyboard, and a small battery that could have been bigger without sacrificing much size or weight).

Ultimately, the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 is a fabulous netbook that is sure to end up on many Christmas lists this year ... but it's only "your new best friend" if you're willing to overlook a few flaws.

Pros

* Small and light
* Easy to use
* Very well built and durable
* Responsive Synaptics touchpad
* Easy to upgrade RAM, SSD, and wireless cards
* No noisy cooling fan
* Low price for an ultraportable
Cons

* Gets a little hot
* Glossy plastic lid is a magnet for fingerprints
* No F11 or F12 keys, other function keys in strange location
* 4-cell battery is nice, 6-cell battery would be better

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Review MSI Wind U100

The MSI Wind U100 is a new subnotebook in a field originally started by the Asus Eee PC. It has one significant advantage that makes it stand out in an increasingly crowded market: it is priced well under the equivalent Eee PC.

Now having a better price doesn't always mean you are going to win in any given market, but MSI really outdid itself and created a great mini notebook. Read on to see just how much Asus should fear the Wind.

Build and Design

The MSI Wind really has a great look and feel to it. The soft rounded edges coupled with the glossy texture make it easy and comfortable to grip onto, while also giving the mini notebook a very professional look.

Another great aspect of the U100 is that nothing appears "look at me" flashy, making it very appealing to business professionals, as well as children and teenagers alike. No chrome is found anywhere, and all the labeling and branding is a light grey which really goes well with the pearl white finish.

Build quality is excellent, and reminds me very much of the HP Mini-Note. Fit and finish is top notch, with smooth and tight plastic seams, beveled edges, recessed hinges, and plenty of touches here and there that make you feel as if you are getting every penny's worth of notebook from MSI.

The quality of the plastics used is top notch too, and mostly thick enough to prevent flex even under a firm grip. The LCD cover and palmrest show no flex under heavy pressure, but the bottom panel is thin in a few spots and easy to bend. Not a deal breaker by any means, but I'm just saying it might not hold up well to being run over by a car.

Display

The Wind has a 10-inch, 1024-by-600-pixel display.

This is a LED backlit matte-textured LCD that is very bright and easy to read. It stacks up very well to others screens I have used, as colors are vibrant and contrast is excellent.

On the flip side, the screen does have the infamous sparkly texture to it, giving solid colors a dirty look, and on high-backlight settings you can see some backlight bleed and almost make out each individual LED. None of those drawbacks would be enough to make me not buy one, but it might be enough for someone to give it a second thought it they were more on the obsessive side of things.

Viewing angles are just how I like them, wide in both vertical and horizontal planes. I have always found it kinda funny that "cheap and affordable" subnotebooks can always manage to beat out multimedia powerhouses in this screen aspect. With some screens inverting colors or going distorted with minimal vertical movement, the U100's LCD keeps colors true until much steeper angles. I could say you could probably go 45-50 degrees above or below the screen before you might want to reconsider your seating position. Horizontal viewing angles were not as good as the vertical, with the screen appearing much darker in side viewing positions. The colors didn't exactly invert, but screen was dark enough to become unwatchable for secondary viewing buddies who you might be sharing a movie with.

Sunlight readability for those who might adventure into the wilderness on occasion is fairly good. At full brightness the screen should still be readable.

I did a comparison between the MSI Wind, Lenovo T60, and Dell D630 at maximum brightness, and the Wind is a good deal brighter than the other two notebooks (see here).

Keyboard and Touchpad

The Wind really shines with its keyboard, and taking up almost every inch of space side to side to have the largest possible keys on such a small device. The keyboard takes all but 2-3 mm of space going side to side, and is really great to type on even with large hands.

The only big flaw I can find with the keyboard is the super narrow ",", ".", and "/" keys which are 2/3 the width of standard letter keys. This threw me off at first trying to type in websites, and hitting the "/" key instead of a period. Once you got used to the layout it wasn't as much of a problem, but come on, why ruin such a good thing? The shift keys on both sides should have been reduced in size by half and still been perfectly fine, and you wouldn't have to have 2/3 size symbol keys.

The touchpad is slightly recessed from the palmrest by about 1mm, giving a defined lip around the entire perimeter. For small touchpads like this one, this can be very handy, letting you keep your finger inside the detection zone, and not always slipping out accidentally. The sensitivity is great, letting you slide your finger along without excessive pressure for perfect tracking. At times the preset vertical and horizontal scrollbars messed with that perfection, making the mouse veer far from the intended path, but with a few adjustments peace was restored.

The touchpad buttons consist of a single see-saw bar, ala early Eee PC, with shallow feedback and a semi-soft click. The clicking noise could probably best be described as a Microsoft Intellimouse clicking inside a sock.

Ports, Networking, Etc.

The MSI Wind U100 has a laundry list of features, including everything you would expect to find on a full-size notebook. Key features include 802.11b/g wireless, Bluetooth 2.0, with USB, VGA-Out, Ethernet, and audio making notable appearances.

There's even a 1.3 MPx Webcam and a 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MSpro).

While FireWire would have been nice to see, it was understandable to be missing, with an already crowded port selection on each side.

Audio

Speaker quality on the Wind makes most full-size notebooks sound like full surround-sound systems. It works well enough if you have to watch a YouTube clip or listen to system sounds, but it doesn't have any purpose beyond that.

Buying Choices for the MSI Wind (black, Windows XP)
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Volume levels can't get high enough, and you are missing all midrange without even a hint of bass. The headphone jack provides a great alternative though, and comes highly recommended.

Missing Features

After my hands-on time with the ASUS Eee PC 901 and the Hybrid Engine that allowed you to overclock the Intel Atom processor for a boost in power, I really wanted to see what the MSI Turbo feature could do. Those who managed to get pre-release models of the MSI Wind saw gains using it, but as luck would have it MSI pulled this feature out before it started shipping to consumers.

The FN+F10 overclocking feature is no more, and replaced with a simple "ECO feature" that switches between battery saver mode at 800 MHz and normal mode which dynamically switches between 800 MHz and 1600 MHz depending on processor load.

Performance

System performance -- with great help of Intel Atom processor -- was stellar. Boot times into Windows XP were on par with many full-size notebooks, and casual use programs opened up without any lag.

The subnotebook experience is basically identical to what you would find on a regular notebook, minus the gaming or fast photo editing. Programs like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Pidgin, Word, and Excel all open up just as fast and work just as well as you would expect on a modern computer.

Items that fall into a more intensive category like Gimp, Half-Life 2, or 720p video content don't work as well. Gimp worked great for basic photo editing, but some tasks took much longer than they did on my Core 2 Duo system. Half-Life 2 and the HD video content played between 1-5 FPS and were quite horrific. The Wind just doesn't have the horsepower for really intensive activities.

The normal benchmarks I use for notebooks were thrown out of the window for the MSI Wind because of various problems associated with the platform, so I chose to use a few creative alternatives. Futuremark 3DMark03 made a short comeback, as well as FPS tests inside the original Half-Life.

Since Half-Life was released in a time when system requirements were laughable by today's standards, it ended up working great on the Atom-based Wind. A frame rate of 59-61 frames per second (FPS) were common in most situations with the system setup in "normal" mode, and 25-30 FPS in "eco" mode.

High Definition video playback is not really possible on the Intel Atom processor besides select movies. Most sources have bitrates that are too much for the processor to handle when decoding, and I barely broke over 6-8 FPS throughout my video collection. Regular 480P video played just fine, so all hope was not lost. It will probably take a significant speed bump or new video chipset before these subnotebooks can handle HD content without stuttering.

While the Wind doesn't have the low latency SSD advantage of the Eee PC, it does come out on top with higher overall transfer speeds with the spinning drive. U100 users also have an advantage with nearly quadruple the storage space, and an easy and cheap upgrade path if they so chose.

What Heat and Noise?

For a user who has put up with super hot keyboards and bottoms of subnotebooks for far too long under the excuse of "it's small and space cramped," the MSI Wind was a huge surprise. After sitting on for a couple of hours in normal mode while plugged in, the bottom of the notebook was 90-94 degrees Fahrenheit, and the keyboard was below that.

Compared to the Eee PC 900 which broke 100 degrees on the bottom and 105F on the keyboard, this is a huge advantage. For someone like a writer who might spend hours on a keyboard typing away on the road, not having your fingertips sweat like crazy is a incredible feature.

Fan noise is completely silent at best and minimal at worst... and seemingly always running in the background. This is probably one of the big reasons the MSI Wind runs at reasonable temperatures, as it always has some air flowing through to carry away excess heat.

Battery Life

Currently only the 3-cell battery version of the MSI Wind is shipping, and I would barely call the Wind travel friendly because of it. At lowest screen brightness and the processor locked in ECO mode, the Wind almost broke 3 hours with wireless enabled but no activity taking place.

When I turned the backlight brightness up to reasonable levels -- which range between 60-70% and leave the processor in the normal mode -- battery life plummeted to 2 hours and 6 minutes under "normal" conditions. This includes heavy web browsing, installing a small application, and viewing images off of a memory card. For something a business user might want to take with him or her on the road, this is unacceptable, even compared with gaming notebooks.

When the 6-cell battery starts shipping as a standard item, my harsh opinion will change as you might be able to break 4-5 hours depending on usage, since the battery is twice the size. This is basically the only option for road warriors, besides packing an AC adapter and extension cord at all times to gain outlet access.

Ease of Upgrades

Currently any upgrade beyond swapping the battery for one with a larger capacity will void your warranty.

For those who accept that risk, popping open the bottom half of the MSI isn't that hard at all. Remove all the exposed screws on the bottom (including the one under the warranty void sticker), and use a fingernail around the perimeter to release the plastic clips.

I found it easier to unlatch the rear portion first, lift up the left side, and wiggling the right side free. To clear the VGA port on the right side you need to slide the bottom half in that direction, instead of lifting directly up.

Once the plastic shell is removed you have full access to any component that could be swapped out. This includes the wireless card, 2.5-inch SATA hard drive, and adding additional RAM to the open DDR2 slot. The included 1 GB of RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, so you are stuck with that for the life of the subnotebook, but the free RAM slot does make some expansion possible.

Specifications

* 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Processor
* 10" WSVGA (1024 x 600) LCD
* Windows XP Home Operating System
* Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
* 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 Memory
* 80 GB 2.5" SATA Hard Drive
* Wireless: 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 2.0
* 3-Cell 11.1v 2200 mAh Battery
* Size: 10.2" x 7" x 1.3"
* Weight: 2 lbs 8.6 oz

Conclusion

The MSI Wind U100 is one of the best subnotebooks I have seen come out of the mini notebook storm that has hit us the past few months. It offers a 10" widescreen, 2.5-inch SATA hard drive, Intel Atom processor, and Wi-Fi with Bluetooth for well under what some of the other mainstream competition charge.

All all of this seems to come with a small caveat right now: horrible battery life. MSI is only selling the 3-cell version of the Wind, which averages just a hair over 2 hours of mobile use. This is unacceptable for a travel companion device. Good news is sometime in the future: a configuration will be sold with an extended battery, and early adopters should wait for it.

For the $500 price you really can't ask for much more. The screen is great, the keyboard is great, build quality is top notch, and above all the thing doesn't light your pants on fire... at least not due to heat.

Pros

* No heat to ignite pants or palms
* Super bright LED backlit screen
* Near perfect keyboard
* Storage device offers an easy route of upgrade

Cons

* Battery life is abysmal with the 3-cell
* Limited supply at release, hard to acquire

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