First look of Acer Aspire One 532 spotted

The Acer Aspire One 532 will be the company’s first Intel Pine Trail netbook. We’ve already come across the specifications that include a 10.1-inch high-resolution (1280 x 720) display and 1.66GHz N450 Atom Pineview processor. The first pictures of the AAO 532 have been spotted at a couple of retailers. Check out a few larger pictures after the break. The Aspire One 532 will come with 1GB RAM, a 160GB/250GB HDD and Windows 7 Starter. Other features include a 3-cell battery, 5-in-1 card reader, 0.3MP webcam, Wi-Fi (b/g/n) and three USB ports. It will be available in four different colours (Blue, Red, Black and Silver). It has dimensions of 22.9 x 31.5 x 11cm and weighs 1.25kg. Via http://www.netbookchoice.com

ASUS Eee PC 1005P/PE PineTrail Netbooks

EeePC 1005P & 1005PE Netbooks to Feature Atom N450 CPUs & 12.5hr Battery A lot of netbooks are coming out this holiday season, making for one of the most sought-after gadgets this year. However, if you’re in the market for one these days (maybe as a Christmas gift), there is a high chance to end up kicking yourself, maybe a month later. Why? Well, in January a whole range of new netbooks based on Intel’s new Atom PineTrail platform will be coming out, bringing more performance at a lesser price. Among those to bring the new systems to the market, ASUS is set to release new PineTrail models in their EeePC range of netbooks. We’re talking about the new ASUS EeePC 1005P and the EeePC 1005PE. Both units will be powered by an Intel Atom N450 1.66 GHz processor, have 1GB of DDR2-RAM and will come preloaded with Windows 7 Started Edition. They also pack and Intel GMA 3150 GPU, which is a slightly improved version of Intel’s G31-based GMA 3100. The 1005P will be the lower end model with a 160 GB hard drive while the 1005PE model will have a 250GB hard disk along with a 6-cell battery which is supposedly capable of providing up to 12.5 hours of runtime. The Asus Eee PC 1005P was listed early on a UK webstore for £242.95 (some $395 at today’s rate) while the 1005PE was listed at £270.94 (~ $440). More details about the availability as well as confirmed pricing should be announced at CES 2010. by Alex Ion

Review - ASUS N61VN

The N61VN is a new 16-inch gaming and multimedia notebook from ASUS designed to compete against systems like the HP Pavilion dv6t and Dell Studio XPS 16. It includes a built-in Blu-ray player and NVIDIA GeForce GT 240M graphics meaning it can handle the latest HD movies and newest games. Just how well does the N61VN stack up against the competition? ASUS N61VN-A2 Specifications: * Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) * Intel Core 2 Quad Q9000 (2.0GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 6MB Cache) * 16" WXGA HD LCD display at 1366x768 * NVIDIA GeForce GT 240M 1GB GDDR3 memory * Atheros AR9285 BGN Wireless, Bluetooth * 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM (2GB x 2) * 320GB Seagate 7200.4 Hard Drive * Blu-ray/DVD SuperMulti * 1.3MP Webcam, Included Slipcase * 90W (19V x 4.74A) 100-240V AC Adapter * 6-cell 48Wh 10.8v 4400mAh Lithium Ion battery * Dimensions (WxDxH): 15.4 x 10.6 x 1.5 * Weight: 6lbs 6.6oz * 2-Year Global Warranty/1-Year Accidental damage * List Price: $1,299 Build and Design The ASUS N61VN has a rather inconspicuous outside appearance that doesn’t really hint at the multimedia and gaming beast housed within. I actually prefer this semi-professional look since it gives the impression you could be typing an essay or surfing the web instead of actually killing zombies or battling other online gamers. The contrasting textures inside and outside the N61VN are great in both form and function. The outside shell is finished with a glossy paint and a very subtle zen garden style design. The interior switches to an almost rubbery finish similar to the outside paint on a Lenovo ThinkPad. To your wrists it feels soft and it still retains traction even if your hands aren’t dry. The finish also resists fingerprints and most smudges which helps to keep it looking clean longer than a glossy finish. The only time you really start to notice marks on the rubbery paint is when oil from your hands start to build up in spots you frequently touch. This cleans off well with a microfiber cloth. Build quality is excellent with a solid chassis, durable paint, and strong screen hinges. The glossy and rubbery paint resists most wear and tear very well. It was no problem keeping the notebook looking brand new after wiping down the glossy front and palmrest every few days. The notebook body is constructed in such a way to prevent most flexing and creaking sounds when carried. On a flat desk surface the palmrest has basically no flex at all and the keyboard only shows minimal movement from the tray itself under strong pressure. The thick screen bezel protects the display from front or rear impacts and doesn’t show any screen distortions from strong pressure on the back side. Even the screen hinges feel strong, requiring two hands to open the display. When close they have enough tension to keep the screen snug against the body without falling forward if you have the notebook standing up vertically. Users looking to upgrade components will find it no problem with the complete access ASUS provides. The hard drive, system memory, wireless card, processor, and heatsink are all replaceable with the two access panels removed. Usually most systems only give a glimpse of the processor or heatsink through the main access panel, requiring you to fully disassemble the notebook to reach those parts. To save space ASUS used an integrated graphics card soldered to the motherboard instead of the MXM-standard which is sometimes user upgradeable. The only component with a "warranty void if removed" sticker is the processor which is normal for the majority of notebooks. Another item worth noting is the unused mini-PCIe slot has no header soldered to the motherboard. This means users thinking about adding a WWAN card or other device won’t be able to. Keyboard and Touchpad The ASUS N61VN offers an island style keyboard with four-row numberpad. The wide 16” chassis gives plenty of room for non-condensed keys while still maintaining a good border around the perimeter of the keyboard. The keyboard is very comfortable to type on and once you get used to the Chiclet-style keys it is very responsive. You can notice some minor flex under strong pressure but it was only the tray moving, not the underlying structure. Individual key action is smooth with a quiet “clack” emitted when fully pressed. Multimedia keys are limited to mute, volume up and down, and play/pause. Another thing missing from this notebook is a backlit keyboard which seems to be standard on most ASUS models in this pricerange. ELAN touchpads have come a long way since I first started to see them introduced in popular notebooks. The first generations had trouble with lag and finger tracking, but now they are on par with the latest Synaptics touchpads. The ASUS N61VN includes a multitouch enabled ELAN touchpad that is very intuitive in use. It supports two-finger scrolling, zooming, rotating, as well as three-finger magnifying, swiping, and window selection. The ELAN utility also supports multi-finger clicking to emulate a middle-button click and pop-up menu by default. These can be changed to other options including (but not limited to) start menu access and return to desktop. Lag is minimal at worst and only noticed under very fast repetitive motions. Touchpad sensitivity is excellent but it can’t be adjusted through the software interface. Below the touchpad is a single rocker-style button for left and right click. It has shallow feedback and gives off a solid "click" when pressed. Screen and Speakers ASUS includes a WXGA resolution screen with this configuration of the N61VN. This is very disappointing given the built-in Blu-ray player and gaming nature of this notebook. At a minimum for the 16” screen size they should have offered a 1600x900 panel… especially with its $1,299 price tag. The display rates average in terms of color saturation and contrast. Viewing brightness was adequate in our bright office but with an all-glass style screen cover outdoor viewing would be difficult. In the office I found the comfortable viewing brightness level to be 90-100% and 60-70% in my home. Viewing angles were average for a screen of this resolution but weaker when compared to notebooks of this price range. Vertical viewing angles showed some color distortion in as little as 10 degrees forward or back. Horizontal viewing angles were better as colors stayed accurate even at steep angles. The onboard speakers were average compared to other 16” notebooks, with good high notes but weak midrange and low-frequency response. Peak volume levels were fine for watching a movie or listening to music in a small room. For watching movies the volume was set to 100%, as any lower would be hard to understand if there was too much background noise. Headphones or listening through a stereo connected over HDMI would really be the best option for this notebook. Ports and Features Port selection on the ASUS N61VN was great with three USB-ports, one eSATA/USB combo port, LAN, VGA and HDMI-out, and two audio jacks. Additional features include an ExpressCard/34 slot, a SDHC-card reader, and a quick access wireless on/off switch. While the system includes a Blu-ray drive it doesn’t include anything to decode Blu-ray movies. ASUS includes a crippled version of PowerDVD 9 that prompts you to upgrade to a better version to play Blu-ray movies when a disc is inserted. The Acer 8940G was another notebook that didn’t include Blu-ray software even though it included the drive. These days it seems like manufacturers are trying to find new and inventive ways to save money, even if it passes unexpected costs onto the consumer. Performance and Benchmarks Since the ASUS N61VN was released around the same time as the G51J we were partially expecting Intel Core i7 processors in both systems. Even though each system is quad-core, the N61VN comes equipped with the older Q9000 Core 2 Quad processor. With that said the notebook still performs quite well in a wide range of tasks. With the help of the 7200RPM hard drive startup and shutdown times were excellent and programs load without any lag. Gaming performance is very good with the NVIDIA 240M, handling many of the latest games with ease at the system’s WXGA resolution. Playing through a level of Left 4 Dead with FRAPS running in the background we saw an average of 66FPS, a peak of 107FPS, and a minimum of 35FPS. This was with all detail settings set to high and anti-aliasing turned to its lowest setting. HD movie playback was no problem either, with 1080P video barely bringing the system load above 10%. wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance): PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance): 3DMark06 comparison results against netbooks @ 1024 x 768 resolution (higher scores mean better performance): HDTune hard drive performance test: Heat and Noise The N61VN handles its heat output very well when performing low-stress activities like browsing the web, typing documents, listening to music, or watching movies. The palmrest and keyboard stay just above room temperature; which is great if you sit at your notebook for hours. This changes while gaming though as the system warms up considerably within the first 10 to 15 minutes. With the processor and GPU tasked the palmrest and keyboard measured around 90 degrees, with a hot spot on the bottom measuring nearly 100 degrees near the exhaust vent. If you were playing a game with the notebook sitting on your lap this would probably get pretty uncomfortable. Noise from the cooling fan was minimal under normal conditions. With the processor near idle the fan stayed off most of the time and occasionally spun up briefly. While gaming, noise increased with the spinning faster and it staying on longer. Battery Life The N61VN performed quite well on battery even though ASUS only includes a 48Wh battery standard. In our tests with the screen brightness set to 70%, wireless active, and Windows 7 on the Balanced profile the N61VN stayed on for 3 hours and 22 minutes. During the test power consumption varied between 12 and 14 watts. Considering the battery had to power a quad-core processor, mid-range graphics card, and 7200RPM hard drive, getting above 3 hours was very good. Conclusion The ASUS N61VN works very well as an entry-level gaming system with media playing capabilities. The NVIDIA 240M graphics paired with the Intel Q9000 processor handled modern games at a lower WXGA resolution without completely destroying battery life. The system has a slimmer design compared to a true gaming system like the ASUS G51J and it also weighed a good deal less. With that said the system does have a few limitations, including a lower resolution WXGA panel and no included Blu-ray decoding software. For most buyers when they see that their notebook includes a Blu-ray drive they generally assume the system can read and play movies. That wasn’t the case with the limited version of PowerDVD 9 that was included. Besides the screen and limited software the N61VN still has quite a few things going for it. It has a good design, a very solid chassis, and a great keyboard. Given the missing Blu-ray software I think the best advice I could give people looking to purchase this system would be to checkout the N61VN-A1. It offers the same features as the N61VN-A2, but instead of a Blu-ray drive it has a standard DVD-multi drive and costs $100 less. Pros: Responsible looking design Great build quality Good gaming performance Cons: Limited WXGA resolution No Blu-ray decoding software BY: Kevin O'Brien, NotebookReview.com

Great Deals on Fully Loaded Laptops

Fully loaded laptops for less than $700 Competition from netbooks is driving down prices. Netbooks -- those mini portables with small screens and compact keyboards -- are cute. But they're not for everyone. Disk space is limited, keyboards are cramped, and they're no good for watching movies. To remedy all that, you need a full-size laptop. The good news is that for about $600 you can get a lot of portable-computing prowess: a 15-inch or larger display, a full-size keyboard, and enough processing power for movies, games and, of course, boring stuff such as word processing. You'll get from four to eight hours of battery life, too, depending on your usage. One caveat: The deals are on PCs running Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system. (Sorry, Apple fans. Mac laptops still start at $1,000.) Slim and Light Tipping the scales at 5.3 pounds, the Acer Aspire Timeline AS5810TZ-4784 ($650) may seem gargantuan next to a netbook weighing 2 to 3 pounds, but it's a lightweight compared with the 7- to 9-pound luggables of old. The Timeline features a colorful 15.6-inch display and a full-size keyboard, but it'll still fit -- albeit snugly -- in a backpack or briefcase. This portable, with its Intel Pentium Dual Core SU4100 processor, 4 gigabytes of memory and a large, 320GB hard drive, packs plenty of punch. The Timeline adds a few clever touches -- literally. Its "multi-gesture" touchpad permits iPhone-like finger commands. For instance, to browse photos or Web pages, you slide two fingers horizontally across the pad. The keyboard is spacious, although the spacing between keys may actually be too wide for some users. And if you eat while you type -- as I often do -- crumbs of food may get lodged between the keys. (Yes, there's an etiquette lesson in here somewhere.) Power Bargain Dell has perfected the art of build-it-yourself PC purchasing, which makes it tempting to scrimp a little and buy a stripped-down model. For example, you can buy a no-frills Dell Inspiron 15 for $400 with 2GB of memory and the much-maligned Windows Vista operating system. But a better bet is the upgraded Dell Inspiron 15 ($550), which has Windows 7, an Intel Pentium Dual Core chip, 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive. The Inspiron 15 is a reliable workhorse, and its 15.6-inch display is crisp and colorful. The keyboard is roomy but lacks a dedicated numerical keypad (the Timeline and Hewlett-Packard's Pavilion dv6z both have one). The 5.8-pound Inspiron is a bit bulkier than the Timeline, particularly with its lid shut, and its basic black shell is a tad drab; you can jazz it up by adding an optional color or custom-design top ($40 and up). Big and Brawny The HP Pavilion dv6z ($600) isn't svelte like the Timeline and, at 6.5 pounds, it's the heftiest full-size laptop in the group. But if your portable spends most of its time sitting atop a desk or table, what's an extra pound or so? The version available at HP's online store is nicely configured: It has an AMD Athlon II Dual Core chip, 4GB of memory, a 250GB hard drive, a 15.6-inch display and Windows 7. In terms of appearance, the Pavilion dv6z falls somewhere between the Timeline and the Inspiron. It lacks the Timeline's slim fashion sense, but it's hipper than the stodgy Inspiron. The standard espresso-black case features an imprint that resembles large raindrops. If that's not your thing, you can upgrade to moonlight white for an extra $25. Jeff Bertolucci

Acer, Dell and HP Are Sabotaging Ultra-Thin Laptops

According to DigiTimes, Wang says HP and Dell aren't pushing the ultra-thin category hard enough, particularly in the United States. Instead, they're slashing prices on mainstream notebooks, selling them for as little as $400. Wondering why thin and light laptops with monster battery life haven't been a smashing success? Acer chairman J.T. Wang says Dell and HP are to blame. As a result, Intel's not seeing good enough sales on its consumer ultra-low voltage, or CULV, processors, Wang argued. In 2010, the chip maker plans to mainly push mainstream notebook platforms, possibly investing less in ultra-thins. Ultra-thin laptops, such as Acer's Aspire Timeline 3810T and Asus' UL30a, tend to measure an inch thick or less, can last an entire work day on a charge and forgo an optical drive to trim down on bulk. They're larger and more powerful than netbooks, but they can struggle with gaming and 1080p HD video, partly because many ultra-thins lack dedicated graphics cards (Asus' UL80vt, on which I'm typing this, is an exception). Wang believes that interest in ultra-thin laptops is stronger than HP and Dell would have Intel believe. At a recent trade show in Taiwan, ultra-thins accounted for half of Acer's laptops sold. Wang didn't say how Acer ultra-thins fared in 2009, but expects that they'll account for 30 percent of sales next year, backed by new models in March or April. Wang's take on the ultra-thin market seems convoluted to me. HP and Dell aren't totally ignoring the category, with HP's ProBook 5310m and Pavilion DV2 (using AMD's Athlon Neo processor) and Dell's Inspiron 11z and the new Vostro V13. But Wang is essentially saying the competition isn't focusing on the laptops he wants to compete with, but that's of course their prerogative. And just last month, Wang was hinting at faster Intel chips on the horizon, presumably to power Acer's upcoming models, so the situation doesn't sound all bad. In any case, Acer is the second-largest PC maker now. If ultra-thin notebooks haven't flourished, it could just be because Acer's offers haven't been attractive enough. Jared Newman

Lenovo IdeaPad U350

IDEAPAD U350 (Lenovo) Slim notebook Processor: Intel ULV SU2700 (1.3GHz) Memory: 3GB DDR3 RAM Graphics: Intel GMA 4500M Storage: 250GB hard drive Operating system: Vista Home Premium Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth Other features: Card reader, 1.3-megapixel webcam, VGA out, HDMI port I/O Ports: Three USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet port Battery: Four-cell lithium-ion Dimensions (W x D x H): 32.8m x 22.9m x 2.5cm Weight: 1.6kg Website: www.lenovo.com Price: $940 When you first set your eyes on the Lenovo IdeaPad U350 you will probably be charmed. It is a sexy little 13.3in laptop. It looks like an Apple Macbook, not that silverish chrome and black is a revolutionary colour contrast. But if Lenovo intends to attract working executives then the U350 is a handsome business accessory that will turn heads at meetings and in boardrooms. The backpanel of the LCD is the eye-catching centrepiece and its matte black criss-cross embossed finishing brings a touch of class to the U350, something that is rarely found in this price range. It is also very slim and lightweight. This may be a welcome change from the desktop replacements of old where heavyweight features took precedence and broke our backs in the process. This being said, the U350 is not a power-packed hunk of a machine. On the contrary, it reminds one of nonchalant cattle grazing rather than charging. Before we launch into the sluggish performance of the laptop, we need to finish admiring the U350. It does not feel like cheap plastic and neither does it feel flimsy or poorly made. The keypad sits well and typing is quite fun. Also the keys seem well spaced and they are laid out slightly differently. The U350 is solid and it looks like something you could tote into meetings. One can be forgiven if they want to go paperless and use this laptop to replace their notepads and pens instead. It really is that portable and stylish. Lacking punch Although on first impressions the U350 wins, the moment you start it up is when the disappointment sets in. The U350 uses an ULV (ultra low voltage) processor and you can tell straight away it is a gentle, docile machine because it takes awhile to start up. ULVs are mainly found in netbooks and the U350 is one step up from a netbook because of its 13in screen which is really helpful. With the U350 you save on carrots because you will not be straining your eyes as much. So if you are looking for a netbook with a bigger screen then the U350 is your new best friend. It does come with a generous helping of RAM, 3GB to be exact, but this is unnoticeable in the greater scheme of things as the U350 still underperforms and is laggy. Programs take ages to load but once they are ready to be used performance picks up somewhat. If you are one of those who open multiple tabs in Internet browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome simultaneously then you will not have to worry too much except for some pauses once in awhile. It can get annoying but is tolerable if you have time. Do not expect to multitask though because if you open another program or two in addition to the web browsers, the U350 will slow down. Also, with progressive use, the laptop deteriorated in speed and performance but this could be due to the rigorous stress we put the laptop under with background programs running and web browsers perpetually open. Software overload Lenovo's tagline for the U350 is 'light and loaded' and it is true to a degree. It is lean on the outside and loaded or bloated with all sorts of programs inside. The review unit comes with Windows Vista Home Premium but we expect new machines to ship with Windows 7. Lenovo decided to pack the U350 with its proprietary software such as Veriface login, which is a security feature, and other nonsensical and memory hogging programs. It is not worth the hassle and soon enough, you will find yourself uninstalling these programs to try and get the notebook to work faster. It does come with WiFi which is sufficient for our needs since so many of us live on the Internet. The U350 also comes with three USB 2.0 ports and a HDMI port which is great for playing videos on your big screen TV if necessary. The U350 supports Dolby surround sound but the effect felt tinny and spaced out - not very good for heavy bass music or for listening to music in general. It could be that the thin U350 body cannot handle sound so headphones or external speakers are best used with the notebook. Let us not forget the U350 also comes with a webcam for video conferencing and is very helpful. However, webcams are a standard accessory with most notebooks now. Conclusion Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad U350 has a very masculine appeal but will not look out of place if carried by a woman too. It looks professional and serious, very much suited for business users who want something thin and portable. The speed leaves much to be desired but it will complete the tasks at hand, just slightly slower than usual. Pros: Lightweight and slim; 3GB RAM. Cons: Slow; unnecessary software. Source: digital.asiaone.com