Yes, you heard it right; Acer and Asus have halted the release of any new netbooks until sometimes mid of August 2010, reliable sources report. Some background knowledge — both Asus and Acer are recognized and well respected brand names in the laptop and netbook industry, thanks to the many products and netbook models they have constantly supplied to their potential consumers without fail. This way, consumers have always felt that they are getting the best and latest netbook in the market, even if it is a simple upgrade of a previous version already in the market.

This marketing ploy has hugely awarded both companies as currently they are the leading netbook dealers globally and are a household name whenever netbooks are mentioned. That aside, despite this well known fact, the companies have decided to halt on new releases. This move is likely because of the fact that the Intel is planning to release a new product in the market – the Atom N550 dual core processor, which is slated for release sometimes in the third quarter of this year.

It is in light of this that Acer and Asus needs some time off to liquidate excess inventory and create room for future netbooks which will be powered by the N550 processor, meaning the performance of netbooks would be better and faster. Despite this positive attribute of a fast processor which means task will be completed easily unlike with the predecessor processors, it is to be noted that the upgrade will also see an upgrade in the cost of the netbooks that will be carrying the new N550 dual core processor.

It is however projected that the cost increase will not be very significant meaning that the current netbooks from Asus and Acer with slower processors will be difficult to sell, no wonder the window period of about a month for stock clearance. Further, it doesn’t make any sense for the companies to continue manufacturing any netbooks that would be hard to market and sell and are waiting for the release of the processor. It is only a matter of wait and see as we hold our breathes that the new netbooks powered by the new processor will be affordable to the average citizen.

Less than one month since the Acer Aspire one D260 was rolled out at Computex, it looks like the company is not yet fully contented with the products already out, hence the follow-up with the Acer Aspire One D255. Apparently, this netbook is almost identical to its predecessor the D260 in terms of internal features and specs such as Wi-FI, 6-Cell battery, Bluetooth, and up to 250GB of hard disk space.

Notable alterations are some negligible design tweaks that dropped the chrome accents and fleck paint options noted on the D260. Not to worry though as the impossible to Miss Aspire one logo on the lid of the netbook is still very present. This upcoming model is getting lots of internet buzz as it will be the first of Acer’s products to be powered by the Intel Dual Core Atom N550 processor, so you should expect some better performance.

Even though the market has seen dual core Atom processors previously, in nettops such as the ASRock ION330, this processor is the first to be designed specially with netbooks in mind. Note however that the clock speed on this processor is a little lower than its predecessor, at 1.5GHz. Even though it is effective in most cases as it has two cores instead of one, performance is bound to suffer significantly if an application doesn’t make use of the two cores i.e. a CPU exhaustive single threaded application like Adobe Flash within the browser.

Still on point, as with all other Atom processors, this N550 processor fully supports hyper-threading meaning that Windows will note you have 4CPUs even though you don’t have them physically. Even so, the hyper-threading ought to give you a significant boost when multitasking.

Apart from the notable CPU change, it is still very early to report whether the Acer Aspire one D255 will outshine the other best netbooks in the market currently, but your guess is as good as mine, we have to wait and see. Unfortunately, no word is out yet regarding its pricing nor its availability but be sure to check this page regularly because once the information is out, you will be the first to know!

The Samsung NP-N150-JA09US netbook is one of the few netbooks that brings in value without making any compromises on the performance and features. Suitable for light-computing activities such as email, wireless web access, web cam etc, this matte black Samsung NP-N150-JA09US delivers perfectly. At only 2.7lbs, you can be able to pick it up and go at a second’s notice and with a battery life of up to 7 hours, you can rest assured that whether you find yourself somewhere short on any power outlets or whether you are on a long flight, you can always break free from external power.

The 6-cell battery will keep you running all day long meaning you can send those important emails, chat on Facebook, and upload photos without having to worry about getting shut down. Boasting a 10.1’ non-glare screen brings to the table all the high-end style you ever wanted minus a high price tag. Valued at only £273, this budget-friendly ultra portable netbook in-cooperates up-to-date communication technologies such as an 802.11b/g/n wireless modem that gives you high-speed internet access and access to your data anytime. Further, with a horde of advanced connectivity tools including 3 2.0 USB ports and a 3-in-1 memory card reader, you can be able to move data easily from a camcorder, digit cam, PDA, or MP3 player straight to your netbook.

Other notable features of the Samsung NP-N150-JA09US include:-
- Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz processor
- 1GB of DDR2 memory
- 160GB hard drive
- 10.1-nch screen with 1024 x 600 resolution (integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics)
- Built-in 802.11b/g/n wireless
- Windows Starter Edition

If you have recently been keen on technology news, you will realise that most consumers of Toshiba products, more specifically Toshiba netbooks and notebooks, have been complaining about the satellite 115 and satellite 135 notebooks. It is in light of this that the company has finally listened to its most treasured consumers and delivered a new and upgraded line of notebooks — the new T200 line of notebooks.

This line of new notebooks is set to address key consumer grievances about the satellite 115 and satellite 135 notebooks. You will realize that most complaints dealt with the physical characteristics of the products in question and not the performance per se. For instance, the glossy texture of the notebooks scratched easily and showed blotches quite clearly. The slick keys on the other hand were troublesome to a good number of consumers.

In light of this, the Toshiba T235 and T215 will have less gloss; will feature raised keys, and a superior touchpad. The T215 is powered by an AMD Athlon II Neo processor and features an ATI integrated graphics, 2GB of DDR3 memory and up to 320GB of HDD. It weighs only 3.3 Pounds. Its T235 counterpart, which slightly weighs more than the T215 by 0.4 pounds, will be available in an AMD Athlon II Neo, an Intel Pentium ULV, or a Turion II New processor. It will further have 4GB of DDR3 memory and a 320GB hard drive.

Both of these notebooks will further feature an integrated Webcam, Ethernet LAN, Wi-FI 802.11n, 3 USB ports (where one will be shared with an eSATA port), Bluetooth, multi-card reader, and HDMI output. They are currently available in colors white, red, and black and feature a dual-tone fusion chrome exteriors. Further, both notebooks will come preloaded with Windows 7 Home Premium.

Watch out for these notebooks which are about to hit the UK market in a matter of weeks having been released as of June 20th 2010. Price for the T215 is set to start at 380 Euros and the T235 to start at 445 Euros.

Which team are you rooting for in the 2010 FIFA World Cup going down in South Africa? If you are like many people in the UK it will be England. Well, luck has it there is a netbook specially designed to let you show the whole world just how patriotic you are. The Hi-Grade Notino Ml100E is the super ultra portable netbook to have which comes embellished with imagery intended to warm the cockles of an ardent England fan.

The netbook was released in an effort to keep up with the World Cup theme set by the Hi-Grade’s new Notino W5900E laptop. While previously seen that themed case designs would more often than not estrange as many people as they would attract them, the Hi-Grade Notino ML100E’s optically arresting decoration possesses rather more panache than the simple England-strip design noted in the W5900E laptop.

At the core of this ‘England Red’ netbook is the 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor which has been the backbone of many a netbooks in the market. Actually, the Hi-Grade Notino mL100E has so much in common with the Samsung N210 and Eee PC 1008P. It further boasts a 10.1” (1024X600 resolutions) which is in line with other 10.1 inch netbooks, 1 GB of DDR2 RAM and a 160 GB Hitachi hard drive.

The netbook further features a couple of USB ports beautifully built into the side, an external VGA port, microphone and headphone sockets. There is a memory card drive slot that allows for extra storage facilities which facilitates the extension of the RAM in Windows 7 Starter. Of course the Operating System is Windows 7 Starter, and connectivity options include 10/100Mb/s Ethernet, WI-Fi, and 802.11n. There is a webcam in place onto the top of the LED display screen.

Perhaps the most unique feature of this netbook is that unlike in most netbooks which have trackpad buttons located beneath the trackpad itself, the official England netbook, which costs circa £ 311.38 inclusive of VAT, has its trackpad buttons located to each side of the trackpad.

Getac Inc is a leading manufacturer and innovator of rugged computers designed to meet the demands of field-based applications. Having been in existence for quite some time now, Getac Inc has managed to swim over turbulent and competitive technology waters and stay ahead of the competition, thanks to its long standing tradition of providing excellent devices to its consumers, such as the upgraded Getac E100.

This lightweight E100 packs quite remarkable features in the 3-pound chassis and as mentioned, it is designed to meet the rising demand for practical, all-in-one solutions for utility workers, customer service, and general field use. Featuring an improved Central Processing Unit, expanded storage capacity to hold more digital files, and a very solid state drive, this power machine has been designed as a real power tool.

Securely nestled in its craggy magnesium alloy chassis lies some of the most advanced technologies fundamental to offering maximum security, productivity, and connectivity all in a device that attractively balances at the palms of your hands.

First things first, the Getac E100 fully meets the MIL-STD-810G and IP65 standards for protection against dust, dirt, motion, water, vibration, temperatures name them all – all factors that are likely to severely disable or spoil a commercial-grade computer device. It also meets the standards for longevity and durability.

Features include:-
- 812.11a/g/n wireless LAN
- Bluetooth 2.0
- Built-in microphone
- 1.6GHz processor providing up to 5 hours of battery life
- 2 USB ports
- RS-232 Serial port
- 3G network connectivity

Further, the standard solid state drive provides advanced protection to documents and files against accidental drops, vibrations, and such like abuses normally encountered in the field. The device further boasts anti-reflective and advanced LED backlight thanks to the 800NITs sunlight readable display with a touchscreen that offers effortless readability of content on the screen even when under direct sunlight.

The other notable essential feature that field workers would love is the new embedded backup battery that facilitates rapid hot-swapping with spare batteries meaning you can be able to replace battery packs safely without having to shut the system down.

The much awaited Computex 2010 at Taipei finally arrived, and taking a walk through the show floor offered quite an amazing experience. If not for anything else, because for every few blocks you walked, you could stumble upon a booth of a company never heard before, displaying tablet designs or notebooks that you might never have heard of or seen before. Most of the time, such companies are ODMs (Original Design Manufacturers) working backstage to produce great devices for other companies and don’t really want to appear public and be known as the masterminds behind the curtain of wonderful brands.

It is no wonder consumers were cordially surprised at the Computex 2010 when Manli Technology, a fairly unknown company, had a booth for … you guessed it right – marketing very colorful netbooks directly to consumers worldwide. Some bit of history, Manli is a manufacturing company that is actually run by Malata, the Original Design Manufacturer who is currently promising to bring on board Windows 7 tablets. Ironically though, there were no Manli tablets on display yet at the Computex 2010.

Manli Manufacturers, who are famous for manufacturing graphics cards and motherboards, is hoping to make a brand name for itself in the ultraportable and netbook consumer space. Its first netbook, the M3, was uncovered at the 2009 Computex Show. Computex 2010 has seen the unveiling o the company’s first 12-inch notebook, the M7, which is said to feature 2GB of RAM, 1.2-GHz Intel Celereon SU2300, and a 160,250, or 320GB. Even though the device was first announced in January of 2010, not many had seen it, and its many attractive colors of deep red, deep blue, and black.

Apart from the Manli M7, there was a 10-inch screen display netbook, the Manli M5 on display too. This one spots 160GB hard drive, Atom N450 CPU, and IGB of Random Access Memory. It is available in attractive red, black, pink, white, and lime green. Little is told about the availability of this newest addition but one thing that is for certain is that the company is hoping to woo buyers into buying this device, if not for anything else, for the vibrant colors it has.

At the forefront of hot netbook/laptop news is the upcoming release of DDR3 chips available in mobile netbook/laptop formats. DDR is short for double data rate of random access memory or RAM. Up until now DDR2 has been the ultimate RAM achievable in a netbook or laptop but the Acer Aspire One 533 netbook is about to change all that. In layman’s terms, DDR3 RAM will be able to run twice as fast as the previously speeds of DDR2. That means lower power usage and higher bandwidth performance.

For those of you with a life outside of computers asking why this matters and why should I care… it does and you should. If you are dependant on your notebook for work, school or pleasure DDR3 is going to change how much you love your netbook! DDR3 RAM will mean a faster and smoother ride for whatever applications you’ve got running on the netbook and in the case of the Acer Aspire One, the specs are so impressive that driving this Acer shouldn’t feel much different from driving a home PC.

The Acer Aspire One 533 is a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 screen with 1GB of DDR3 RAM, a 250GB HDD, 10/100 LAN, WiFi and a Bluetooth 3.0 supporting netbook – which means achievable speed and storage previously foreign to netbooks. While lower power usage isn’t a biggie for PC users it is something netbook users are constantly aware of. This netbooks 6-cell battery should provide a healthy 10 hours of operation before a recharge is necessary. No doubt we will see another flurry of activity on the netbook market with new devices carrying DDR3 on board. Combined with all the new hardware and software innovation coming on line this should be fun!

The New Version of Linux for Netbooks which was first announced back in February has finally been released. After 3 solid months of testing, retesting, and testing again, the 1.0 release of this open source Linux Operating System for netbooks, mobile applications and other hand held devices has been welcomed with open arms. The OS dubbed MeeGo, is a joint effort between Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) and Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and is set to revolutionize all Intel based netbooks.

MeeGo combines specific elements of Nokia’s Maemo Linux with Intel’s Moblin Linux to come up with the new OS whose initial release on handheld and mobile applications is set to be in June. Its release on netbooks provides developers with a more stable and reliable core basis for application development and an overall rich user experience.

At the centre of the MeeGo release is the Linux 2.6.33 kernel which ironically was the first kernel to withdraw support for the competitor Google Android OS and its related drivers. The new MeeGo 1.0 utilizes the next generation Btrfs technology as the default file system. This new technology was first initiated by Oracle and made its first appearance in the Linux 2.6.28 Kernel. The main goal with this Btrfs is to offer a more efficient and scalable filesystem reliable and stable data access.

MeeGo 1.0 further utilizes the open source QT framework for the user interface, and for the Web Browser, it is available with Google Chrome which happens to be the default for all Google’s Android devices. Another notable contributor to the MeeGo project is Novell bringing in the open source Banshee application which provides the default media player for these devices.

In the open source Banshee application in the MeeGo 1.0 integration extension, one gets a user-friendly panel that integrates the entire toolbar meaning you will have very quick and easy access to your music and all play queue sources. It is to be noted that even though Intel and Nokia are the leaders in the MeeGo project, the project is officially run under the sponsorship of the Linux Foundation.

Generally, tablets are very cool, but not all tablets get the ‘respect and appreciation’ manufacturers expect from the market. Take for example convertible tablets; they are simply the old tablet PCs with a simple twist in the sense that the hardware is updated but the concept remains the same, of course with a very expensive price tag on the new updated device.

Despite this well known fact, Gigabyte has decided to give a try and introduce something new to the convertible tablet target audience market — the new Gigabyte M1125 model. This 11.6 inch powerhouse is powered by the Core-i-series line of processors which needless to mention are more powerful than the Atom processors that is normally found in your everyday netbook, no wonder this new device has been dubbed the powerhouse.

Further, it will have a high resolution 1366X768 pixel touchscreen display and will come fully equipped with a full-size chiclet keyboard for all your typing needs, of course when you will not be using it as a tablet.

Additional features include:-

Intel Core i3 ULV CPU

USB 3.0 ports

11.6 inch screen, HD Ready (1366 x 768 pixels)

Docking station when working at the office

VGA and LAN ports

Those are the few features already revealed to the market as of now. However, Computex Taipei 2010 is the place you ought to be if you are really interested in checking what Gigabyte M1125 convertible tablet has in store for you. It seems so much will be going on down in Computex Taipei 2010 and we can only wait in curiosity and see whether Acer and HP will update their rival models – Aspire 1825PT/PTZ and the Touchsmart TM2.

If the current info that has been leaked to the media about the Gigabyte M1125 is anything to go by, HP and Acer had better have something new as the M1125 looks very nice. Details about shipping and pricing and additional features will also be released then, so keep it here for more information about this powerhouse of a device.