ASUS INTRODUCES 12 INCH UL20AT THIN AND LIGHT NOTEBOOK

The specsheets for a number of new and existing Asus notebooks have been unearthed by a forum member at Notebook Review. One of the new models, the UL20AT, seems to be an update to the UL20A-A1 already available on the market.

There isn't much difference between the UL20AT and the current UL20A-A1 models. Both new and existing models appear to be of the same size and weight and sport 12.1 inch displays with 1366 x 768 pixels. But while the UL20A has DDR2 memory, the UL20AT seems to have up to 4GB of DDR3 memory.

The Asus UL20AT will be available with a choice of processors including a 1.2GHz Intel Celeron 743, a dual core SU2300 processor or a 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor. The hard drive comes in 250GB, 320GB and 500GB capacities. All models in the series ship with integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics.

Besides the UL20AT, Asus has also introduced a 13.3 inch notebook called UL30JT. This model will be available with Core i5 or Core i7 processors.

IBUYPOWER BATTALION TOUCH CZ-11 NOTEBOOK GETS CORE I7

iBuyPower has updated its 15 inch touchscreen gaming notebook. The new model dubbed Battalion Touch CZ-11 is an update to the previous Battalion Touch CZ-10.

The Battalion Touch CZ-11 is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor, DirectX 11 capable ATI Radeon HD 5650 discrete graphics, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. Other specifications include WiFi b/g/n and optional Blu-ray. The 15.6 inch multi-touch display has 1920 x 1080 pixels. A gaming-ready configuration starts at $1,299, but iBuyPower says that buyers can customize the notebook for as little as $1,100.

The iBuyPower Battalion Touch notebooks are the only multi-touch gaming notebooks currently available.

SAMSUNG N210 NETBOOK REVIEW

The Samsung N210 probably isn’t the thinnest or lightest netbook on the market. It’s specs aren’t particularly impressive either. Still, the N210 has a few features that set it apart from other netbooks. For example, it has great looks, a gorgeous display and a decent keyboard. It also sports a finger print resistant case. So if you are in the market for an affordable netbook with decent features, the N210 is definitely worth considering.

Samsung N210 specs
Processor: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor
Memory: 1GB of RAM
Storage: 250GB hard drive
Display: 10.1 inch display with 1024 x 600 pixels
Operating system: Windows 7 Starter
Battery: 6-cell, 48Whr battery

Price as configured: $379.99

Keyboard and TouchPad
The Samsung N210 has a chiclet-style keyboard with flat keys. There is a decent amount of space between each key. The keyboard is quite usable but you may take a little longer to get used to it because the keys appear to be a little too small and the distance between them a little too large. The touchpad supports multi-touch gestures such as pinching to zoom. It has a single button below the touch surface with a rocker in the middle. The touchpad offers decent sensitivity, but it could have been a bit wider.

Display
The display is simply great. Unlike most netbooks on the market, the Samsung N210 has a matte, non-glossy display which is quite viewable in bright settings. Viewing angles are also great. Glossy displays look better than matte displays, but you can’t use them outdoors or in well-lit office surroundings because reflections will turn the displays into mirrors. A matte display, on the other hand, doesn’t cause reflections and is quite usable in all surroundings.

Performance
The Samsung N210 has regular netbook parts. It is snappy for a netbook and has no problem handling most day to day tasks. You can even watch some low-resolution Flash videos. You may also perform some light image editing. But gaming is out of question. You won’t be able to watch 720p or higher resolution Flash videos either.

The Samsung N210 comes pre-loaded with the Phoenix HyperSpace quick boot software. HyperSpace boots in about 10 seconds allowing you to get online and perform a handful of other tasks without having to wait for Windows to boot.

Battery
The Samsung N210 gets around 7 hours of runtime during normal usage. Watching videos or playing games will easily reduce the battery life. While 7 hours isn’t very bad, many netbooks with similar price points and specs offer nearly twice as long.

Verdict
Netbooks have never really been performance machines and the Samsung N210 is no different. It has enough power to handle day to day tasks, but if gaming is your priority, you need to look elsewhere.

Another problem is the $379 price tag. At that price, the N210 is costlier than competing netbooks from Asus, Acer and MSI. But if Samsung can reduce the price a bit, you have no reason not to consider this netbook.

Pros
Great display
Attractive looks
Nice keyboard
Snappy for a netbook

Cons
Pricey
Average battery life