Netbooks: The road ahead

Netbooks: The road ahead

Rohan Naravane, Jan 02, 2009 1750 hrs IST

We take a look at how the Netbook has evolved and what will be added to it this year.

We recently compiled a list of the best Netbooks that are currently available in the market and what we realized was that most Netbooks has common specifications. The only real differences are in the physical aspects and some unique features thrown in to add value.

In this article we see the progression of the Netbook in 2009 with some of the models that try to break traditional barriers.

HP Mini-Note 1000

HP's first Netbook (the Mini-Note 2133) had won a fair amount of attention, thanks to its fair share of pros (for instance, solid build quality and the best keyboard anybody's seen till date on a Netbook). But it definitely wasn't perfect. A major issue with it was that HP used the VIA line of processors, which didn't provide enough punch, especially to run the resource-heavy Windows Vista pre-loaded in it.

Now HP is trying again with its newly announced Mini 1000. Dressed in a sexy black casing, it will feature an Intel Atom 1.6 GHz processor (instead of the VIA). Secondly, it will be available in two rather common screen specification; 10.2 inches with a 1024x600 pixel resolution. That's actually lower than the Mini-Note 2133 screen-spec (1280x768 pixels in an 8.9-inch screen).

The great large-keyed-board we saw in the earlier Mini-Note has made its reappearance in this model. This keyboard is probably fit for those who hate Netbooks for their comparatively smaller keyboard."

It comes with 1GB RAM and a 1.8-inch 60GB hard-drive. The hard disk is probably one of the major disappointments; since Netbooks today feature at least 80GB+ capacity. Also, it will be somewhat slower, spinning at 4200 rpm, as compared to standard 5400 rpm drives placed on other Netbooks. An optional 8/16 GB SSD is also available for primary storage; should you fancy your Netbook to be free of any vibrations.

Graphics duties are handled by the typical Intel GMA 950, which should take care of basic tasks. There's an SD card slot, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth and a VGA Web-cam. It has only two USB ports and an eSATA port to hook up your mammoth external hard disk to it. One thing missing from the mini-Note 2133 is the ExpressCard slot.

With its default 3-cell battery (that belts out around 2:40 hours), it weighs a modest 1.31 kilos. Unfortunately, there's no upgrade to a high-capacity 6-cell one.

Lastly, it is appropriately pre-loaded with either Windows XP Home (instead of the resource-hungry Vista). The HP mini 1000 is just started selling for a cool Rs. 25,000. That's not exactly cheap...but i believe this netbook deserves one hard look thanks to the tempting keyboard and design.

Do you agree with this aritcle?

Netbooks: The road ahead

We take a look at how the Netbook has evolved and what will be added to it this year.

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