Dell – Inspiron Mini Netbook (Obsidian Black) with Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB DDR2 SDRAM; 10.1″ screen; 160GB hard drive; webcam; Windows 7 Starter

Great Deal Dell – Inspiron Mini Netbook (Obsidian Black) with Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB DDR2 SDRAM; 10.1″ screen; 160GB hard drive; webcam; Windows 7 Starter

Rating :

Price on Oct 22, 2010 13:10:20 : $399.99

Offer Price : $300.00

Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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Tags: (Black), Drive, Inspiron, Netbook, Obsidian, Processor, Screen, SDRAM, Starter), Webcam, Windows

Lenovo Ideapad S10 10.2-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) White

Lenovo Ideapad S10 10.2-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) White Review

I’ve had this little gem for almost 5 months, and it’s become my primary computer. I’d been dreading an upgrade from Windows XP, which is compatible with everything I run – while Vista and Win 7 are not. This machine is much faster and roomier than the two computers I’d been using, and for the price I paid, has been an unbeatable deal. Thus far, I’ve no immediate plans to upgrade to a Win 7 computer (and there’s no reason to run Win 7 on this one).

At home, I use a full-size monitor and full-sized pointing devices (I alternate between a Kensington trackball – which would not have been compatible with Win 7 – and a Wacom pen tablet / mouse). Because I’m running XP and not Vista or 7, the machine has plenty of power for my needs, including graphics work and video editing (I use Windows Movie Maker, Paint Shop Pro, Koolmoves, and a bunch of other creative software). It’s also running OpenOffice and all my legacy software.

Performance is on par with entry-level desktops of several years ago, which is by far not bad if you don’t intend to run gaming or other CPU-intensive software. That said, I run some pretty demanding programs, and often have a bunch of them open at the same time without any problems. The computer doesn’t get all that hot, either. Most of the time, it runs pretty cool, much more so than my old Compaq notebook, with which you can iron a shirt after using it a while.

I purchased a padded carrying case especially designed for this model, an external DVD-burner, and an external hard drive. When I’m traveling, I find no need to bring the DVD drive. That makes for compact, light, and easy toting, whether I stow this computer in a backpack or carry-on bag.

The screen is brighter and easier on my eyes – even for text – than most of the larger laptop screens I’ve seen. Battery life is good; I get about 3 hours without having to dim the screen or make other power-management sacrifices. The webcam is much better than those you’ll find on most notebooks. And it’s no big deal about having only two USB ports; I have two USB hubs, one for home and one for travel, if and when I need to plug in more than two devices.

The small keyboard, however, does take some getting used to. I was originally going to buy a full-size keyboard for home use (and may still do so), but thus far I’ve gotten quite acclimated to this one. The shift key on the right is in a weird spot, so much so that you’ll probably keep hitting an arrow key when you first start working with this netbook, but now I’m no longer having that problem and can type just as quickly as ever – without looking down.

If this computer holds up, it may convince me to buy more Lenovo products (I know their desktops are good – they’re just like the IBM Aptiva I used for 8 years without any major problems – as are their Thinkpad notebooks). The build quality of this netbook is much better than I’d expected. Just be careful about buying one with Windows 7 Starter installed. That OS will probably slow down the computer while making it less functional (Win 7 Starter is a restricted OS, while XP is a complete one). So, get one of these with XP if you still can.

I gave this computer 5 stars because I got it at a great price. If it had another USB port and better placement of its right-hand shift key, that would be great, but I still think it’s an excellent value for the money.

UPDATE – July 30, 2010: one thing I forgot to mention is that the internal fan sometimes kicks in stronger and more frequently than I’d like. I did some research and found out that Lenovo S10s are known for fan problems. At its highest rpm, my S10’s fan sounds like it’s got a bit of dust in it, or maybe it’s just getting cranky from too much use.

So, I cleaned the vent area with some compressed air – and that seemed to help a little. I also bought a laptop cooling pad for around (see my review for that), and thus far, that seems to keep the internal fan quiet. Ironically, just as I ordered that cooling pad, my Lenovo started running cooler and more quietly. Go figure.

But the cooling pad, which is a compact model good for both home and travel, is a wise investment for any netbook or notebook, as all of them can get pretty warm from time to time.

Lenovo Ideapad S10 10.2-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) White Feature

• Ultra mobility, only 1.04inch and 2.4lbs, easy to take anywhere
• 10.2 inch size LED back light screen, comfortable and green
• Peace of mind, Reliable, affordable and easy to use
• Power by Intel Atom processor, powerful and long battery life together
• Battery:3 Cell Lithium-Ion

Lenovo Ideapad S10 10.2-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) White Overview

Lenovo Ideapad S10: 10.2″/Atom-N270/1G/160G/XP/10.2″/White

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 21, 2010 22:25:23

Tags: 10.2-Inch, Drive, IdeaPad, Lenovo, Netbook, Processor

Toshiba Portege 3500 Tablet PC (1.33-GHZ Pentium III, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive)

Toshiba Portege 3500 Tablet PC (1.33-GHZ Pentium III, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive) Review

When my company decided to spring for new laptops for engineers, I jumped at the opportunity to try something a little different. I’m a huge fan of Toshiba laptops in general (more reliable than a Dell, less expensive/pretentious than an IBM) and the ‘think in ink’ feature set of this baby seemed like a great meeting accessory.

Now, with three months invested, I like it for a totally different set of reasons than why I bought it.

First: It’s tiny. And light. One of my new favorite past times is putting it in “tablet” mode, hooking into my apartment WiFi, and browsing Amazon and web comics. It’s no paperback novel, but for a few hours of web browsing, it’s great. I also use it folded up with a USB bar code scanner for scanning serial numbers on my current project.

Second: It’s got a real battery! I think I was unfairly trained to the 30-minute lifespan of my previous (first Clinton-term era) laptop, but this baby gets every minute of the 3.5 hours advertised. The power saving tools are infinitely customizable and never intrusive.

Third: Limited peripherals will set you free. I don’t think it’s really designed to be your ONLY PC. No floppy. No CD. No DVD. No serial (I got an external USB-to-DB9 adapter since serial consoles are a big part of my job). No parallel. No big freaky docking station jack. Instead, when I’m on the road, I have a Kensington wireless/optical/travel mouse. When I’m at the office, I plug into power and a USB hub that connects me to my iPaq cradle, scanner, external CD drive, and a wired optical mouse. When I’m at home, I’m wireless to my home PC– that does all my DVD playing, CD writing, and floppy reading for me.

Do I use the writable screen? Heck yeah. There are a lot of times it’s easier to email a hand-sketch than do ASCII art or a five paragraph description. A picture’s worth a thousand words, etc. Plus, when your lap’s just not available, the tablet form factor is a touch of genius. I’ve passed it around in a meeting when I wanted to be able to update a worksheet on the fly. I’ll flip the monitor around backward to show the person opposite me what I’m working on. Have I eliminated the tree-killing scourge of paper from my life? I’d recommend “The Myth of the Paperless Office” if you think it could.

So, if I had to have just one computer… this couldn’t be it. But if you’re a geek like me, and you’re looking for a laptop to be king among your gadgets, toys, and existing computer menagerie, this is your baby.

Toshiba Portege 3500 Tablet PC (1.33-GHZ Pentium III, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive) Feature

• Is distinctively designed for on-the-go customers who rely on a combination of notebook PCs, planners, handhelds
• It is comfortable fit, complete with easily accessible ports for optimum functionality
• When converted to tablet mode, the Port?g? 3500 provides the same experience as an 8,5 by 11″ notepad
• Change screen orientation from portrait to landscape mode as often as needed to meet changing work environments & scenarios
• With its large display and digital pen, Toshiba’s Port?g? 3500 easily supports daily use as notebook

Toshiba Portege 3500 Tablet PC (1.33-GHZ Pentium III, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive) Overview

With all the functionality of today’s notebook computer, the Port?g? 3500 is distinctively designed for on-the-go customers who rely on a combination of notebook PCs, planners, handhelds, and post-it notes to conclude their work.Whether you’re right- or left-handed, Toshiba’s convertible tablet PC is comfortable fit, complete with easily accessible ports for optimum functionality. When converted to tablet mode, the Port?g? 3500 provides the same experience as an 8,5 by 11″ notepad. You can also change screen orientation from portrait to landscape mode as often as needed to meet changing work environments and scenarios.With its large display and digital pen, Toshiba’s Port?g? 3500 easily supports daily use as notebook, as well as the comfort of a convertible tablet PC for creating handwritten notes, drawings, or to annotate documents directly on the screen. Save them in your own handwriting or convert them to typed text!

Toshiba Portege 3500 Tablet PC (1.33-GHZ Pentium III, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive) Specifications

Blending the functionality of today’s top notebooks with the convenience of pen-based input, Toshiba’s Portégé 3500 Tablet PC delivers a possible glimpse into the future of mobile computers. Versatile and extremely compact but not particularly powerful when compared to standard portables, the Portégé 3500 is a great fit for those who are handier with a pen than a keyboard and value a truly petite profile.

The unit is most at home when used to enter, store and share notes and concepts that might otherwise be kept in handwritten format. In fact, measuring just 11.6 by 9.2 by 1.2 inches and tipping the scales at a scant 4.1 pounds, the Portégé 3500 is as comfortably portable as a conventional paper-based notepad. Users input data in one of two ways–either by sketching directly on the swiveling, double-duty 12.1-inch poly-silicon TFT color LCD (maximum resolution 1024×768) or via an 84-key keyboard.

Though the Portégé 3500 is not as powerful as a comparably priced notebook, it is faster than many competing tablets. Featuring a 1.33 GHz Intel Pentium III processor-M with enhanced SpeedStep technology for improved battery life, 256 MB SDRAM memory (expandable to a whopping 1024 MB), and a Trident CyberALLADIN-T graphics controller with 16 MB external memory, the unit will easily handle most day-to-day mobile computing tasks and many 3-D apps too. Serious gamers or 3-D artisans should look elsewhere.

Connectivity amenities include an RJ-45 LAN port for network and online access, an RJ-11 modem port for low-speed e-communication, and integrated Wi-Fi compliant wireless LAN support. The system also sports a surprisingly large 40 GB hard disk and facilities for an external CD and/or DVD drive, a pair of ultra-fast USB 2.0 ports for plug and play peripherals, an integrated TouchPad, 12 function keys, a speaker and microphone and full 16-bit stereo sound. Battery life is estimated at 3.5 hours under ideal conditions.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 09, 2010 06:20:17

Tags: (1.33-GHZ, Drive, Pentium, Portege, Tablet, Toshiba

HP TX2Z TouchSmart 12.1-Inch Laptop (2.2 GHz AMD Turion X2 Ultra RM-72 Dual-Core Mobile Processor, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Touchscreen, Vista Premium)

HP TX2Z TouchSmart 12.1-Inch Laptop (2.2 GHz AMD Turion X2 Ultra RM-72 Dual-Core Mobile Processor, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Touchscreen, Vista Premium) Review

HP TX2Z TouchSmart 12.1-Inch Laptop (2.2 GHz AMD Turion X2 Ultra RM-72 Dual-Core Mobile Processor, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Touchscreen, Vista Premium) Feature

• 12.1″ Diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Integrated Touch-screen, Convertible
• AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core RM-72 at 2.1GHz ,250GB Hard Drive (SATA), 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• Connectivity: 3 USB, 1 VGA, 1 ExpressCard 34, 1 headphone, 2 microphone, 1 S/PDIF out, 5-in-1 memory card reader
• Quad-mode Wi-Fi LAN (802.11a/b/g/n), 10/100 Ethernet, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200
• Pre-installed with Windows Vista Premium

HP TX2Z TouchSmart 12.1-Inch Laptop (2.2 GHz AMD Turion X2 Ultra RM-72 Dual-Core Mobile Processor, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Touchscreen, Vista Premium) Overview

PROCESSOR
AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core RM-72 at 2.1GHz

MEMORY
4GB DDR2 SDRAM  

HARD DRIVE
250GB SATA Hard Drive

DISPLAY
12.1″ WXGA BrightView w/Integrated Touch-screen

MULTIMEDIA DRIVE
LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVDRW w/Double Layer

VIDEO GRAPHICS
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200 w/ Webcam

DIGITAL MEDIA
5-in-1 media card reader

COMMUNICATION
802.11b/g WLAN

KEYBOARD
Full-Size

POINTING DEVICE
TouchPad with dedicated vertical & horizontal scroll pad

DIMENSIONS
8.82″ (L) x 12.05″ (W) x 1.23″ (min H)/1.52″ (max H)

WEIGHT
4.59 lbs.

PC CARD SLOTS
ExpressCard/34 slot

EXTERNAL PORTS
Expansion port 3 connector
Three USB 2.0
Headphones out
Microphone in
RJ-45 (LAN)
VGA port

SOUND
Integrated Altec Lansing stereo speakers

POWER
Standard Lithium-Ion battery

OPERATING SYSTEM
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

SOFTWARE
HP PhotoSmart Essentials
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Microsoft Works
Microsoft Windows Media Player
HP Games Powered by Wild Tangent

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jun 17, 2010 06:30:18

Tags: 12.1-Inch, Drive, Dual-Core, Laptop, Mobile, Premium, Processor, Touchscreen, TouchSmart, Turion