Next month Asus is set to add a new member to its Eee PC line, the Eee PC 1225B which runs Windows 7 Home Premium, features an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) LED-backlit display, and is powered by an AMD Brazos APU, either the 1.0 GHz C-60 or the much more enticing 1.65 GHz E-450.

The incoming netbook weights 1.4 kg and also has 2/4 GB of RAM, up to a 750 GB hard drive, integrated DirectX 11 graphics (Radeon HD 6290 for the C-60 version, Radeon HD 6320 for the E-450 unit), a 0.3-megapixel webcam, LAN, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 (this is optional), stereo speakers, an SD/MMC card reader, D-Sub and HDMI outputs, and a 6-cell battery allowing for up to 7 hours of operation per charge.

The Eee PC 1225B will be available in five color versions - gray, red, silver, black and white, and is supposed to start at 349 Euro.

In Dell's eyes, the age of netbooks is drawing to a close, and because of that, the company has already stopped selling consumer netbooks (the Inspiron Mini is now history), and decided against developing new (Cedar Trail-based) 10-inch machines powered by Intel Atom processors.

Despite the thumbs down given to netbooks, Dell is still selling Atom-based products like the business-oriented Latitude 2120 and the display-flipping Inspiron Duo, but their days are numbered. According to Dell, low-cost solutions like netbooks are no longer of interest, the focus now being on 'thin and powerful' machines like ultrabooks. Of course, ultrabooks are somewhat premium products but they should go mainstream in 2012 when cheaper, Ivy Bridge-based models will come about.

Ok, let's get what's sort of good-ish about this netbook out of the way: the Pixel Qi's screen allows it be viewed easily in bright sunlight, which seems great - if you don't mind washed out colours and poor contrast under normal room conditions. The bad? Everything else. This Netbook isn't even made by Sol Computers. It turns out to be just a rebadged, refurbished Samsung netbook with a Pixel Qi panel in it. And get this: Sol Computer doesn't even hide the Samsung logo under the screen proving this is just a repackaged netbook, yet, it costs a hefty $749.00! Yes, Sol Computers' sole achievement is to have made something that is both cheap and overpriced. Amazing. Now, their Tablet PC is even worse: it's a rebranded "Alibaba special" i.e. generic Chinese tablet that doesn't even appear to support multitouch interface - yet it costs a staggering $1,099.00. It costs more than a high-end Macbook. I do wonder who their target market is for these products.

Acer unveiled its latest Aspire One netbook, the AAO Happy 2. Priced at the lower-end of the spectrum at 299 Euro, the AAO Happy 2 is an entry-level 10.1-inch netbook with conventional AAO styling, including the water-drop graphic. It is available in a variety of lid colors, including Banana Cream, Blueberry Shake, Papaya Milk, Strawberry Yogurt, as Acer puts them. It is driven by Intel Atom N570 (1 MB L2 cache, 1.66 GHz, DDR3 667 MHz, 8.5 W), or N455/N475 (512 KB L2 cache, 1.66/1.83 GHz, DDR3 667 MHz, 6.5 W) processor, with 1 GB or 2 GB of single-channel DDR3 memory.

The 10.1-inch screen provides resolution of 1024x600 pixels, and is LED-backlit illuminated. Storage is care of a 250 or 320 GB HDD, and a multi-format card reader. Connectivity is care of WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0+, and optional 3.5G HSDPA. A VGA webcam, and 6-cell 48 Wh 4400 mAh battery top up the list. The Acer Aspire One Happy 2 netbook starts at 299 Euro.

Jon Peddie Research (JPR), the industry's research and consulting firm for graphics and multimedia, announced estimated graphics chip shipments and suppliers' market share for Q1'11. We found that shipments during the first quarter of 2011 behaved according to past years with regard to seasonality, and was nominal on a year-to-year comparison for the quarter. The situation changed over the course of the year and Q4'10 did not conform to the normal seasonal cycle, but was down a bit compared to previous years, so the growth in Q1 was a welcomed change. Our forecast for the coming years has been modified since the last report, and is less aggressive on both desktops and notebooks.

PC giant Acer is ready with a new uppish netbook, the Aspire One 722. This 11.6-inch nebook runs on AMD's Fusion C-50 accelerated processing unit (APU) clocked at 1.00 GHz, and embedding an AMD Radeon HD 6250 DirectX 11 compliant graphics processor. The 11.6-inch screen packs a decent resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Most other features are identical to those of the Aspire One 522. The 722 feature an aquamarine color tone, with "drop ripple" design on its lid. Battery life is improved by an hour, now up to 7 hours on a full charge. Windows 7 Home Basic is the OS of choice. Price and availability details are not known.

Intel Corporation today announced that the Intel Atom platform, formerly codenamed "Oak Trail," is now available and will be in devices starting in May and throughout 2011. Over 35 innovative tablet and hybrid designs from companies including Evolve III, Fujitsu Limited, Lenovo, Motion Computing, Razer, and Viliv are based on "Oak Trail" and running a variety of operating systems.

In addition, at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing, the company will give a sneak peak of its next-generation, 32nm Intel Atom platform, currently codenamed "Cedar Trail." This solution will help to enable a new wave of fanless, cool and quiet, sleek and innovative netbooks, entry-level desktops and all-in-one designs.

Seagate today announced the availability of its new GoFlex Slim portable hard drive -- a svelte, 9mm, 2.5-inch external drive designed for the latest trend of portable, thin, stylish laptops and netbooks. Initially showcased at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics show in January of this year, the new GoFlex Slim performance drive is now available on Seagate website, in-store and at select online retailers. A 320GB version of the GoFlex Slim drive can be purchased for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $99.99 USD.

At an ultra-sleek 9mm-38 percent leaner than the current GoFlex ultra-portable drives-the new GoFlex Slim drive is roughly the width of a pencil. Sliding effortlessly into a pocket, purse or messenger bag, the GoFlex Slim portable drive enables transport, access and enjoyment of personal digital content from anywhere, making it the perfect complement to today's mobile lifestyle. Equipped with a 7200RPM drive and a USB3.0 interface to accelerate transfer speeds up to 10x faster than USB2.0, this attractive super-slim drive delivers quick access to large, multi-media files such as HD movies and video games. The faster drive speed takes full advantage of the included plug-and-play USB 3.0 interface, while still maintaining compatibility with USB 2.0 ports. The GoFlex Slim portable drive also allows for use between Windows and Mac computers, interchangeably, without formatting or performance loss. Additionally, the drive's included p remium backup software provides automatic and continuous backups and encrypts files and folders.

Toshiba joined the small but growing group of PC manufacturers ready with a netbook powered by AMD's upcoming Fusion "Brazos" platform. Revealed by Toshiba Germany, the NB550D is a 10.1-inch netbook driven by AMD C-50 Fusion APU with two processor cores clocked at 1.00 GHz, carrying AMD Radeon HD 6250 DirectX 11 compliant graphics. It is backed by 1 GB of memory, 250 GB of storage, connectivity that includes WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and gigabit Ethernet. The unit itself weighs 1.32 kg, comes in three bezel color options: orange, green and brown. It embeds a VGA webcam, and is powered by a 6-cell battery. At full charge, the battery can run the netbook for up to 9.5 hours. It comes with Windows 7 Starter pre-installed. It should be released along with most other Fusion Brazos netbooks, in Q1-2011.

Gigabyte rolled out the new Q2005 10.1-inch netbook. Based on the Pine Trail platform, the Q2005 is driven by Intel's dual-core Atom N550 processor, aided by up to 2 GB of memory, Intel GMA 950 graphics, HDD options including 250, 320, and 500 GB; and connectivity including WiFi b/g/n, optional Bluetooth 3.0, and gigabit Ethernet. Other features include an 8-in-1 card reader and VGA webcam. The 3-cell battery is standard, but a longer-lasting 6-cell battery can also be opted for. The company did not give out pricing.

Acer will be one of the first adopters of AMD's "Brazos" Fusion platform for its netbooks. The company is developing a new 10-inch Aspire One model, the Aspire One 522, which makes use of AMD Fusion C-50 "Ontario" dual-core processor clocked at 1.00 GHz, with TDP of under 9W, and AMD Radeon HD 6250 graphics embedded. The x86-64 processor cores are based on the "Bobcat" architecture, feature the latest instruction sets, while the graphics core supports DirectX 11 and UVD 3.0 video acceleration.

The 10.1-inch screen features a native resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, which can be extended onto a HDTV or a monitor using HDMI. Most other features including connectivity are similar to existing Aspire One netbooks. The battery can provide 6 hours of usage on full charge. Acer is expected to unveil this powerful netbook in early 2011.

LG made its latest netbook, the X-Note X170, official today. This 10.1-inch netbook is based on Intel's Pine Trail platform, and makes use of a dual-core Atom N550 processor clocked at 1.50 GHz, aided by 1 GB of memory, embedded GMA 3150 graphics, 250 GB of storage, and connectivity features which include 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, WiFi b/g/n, and Bluetooth 3.0. The screen resolution is 1024 x 600, but the buyer can opt for a 1366 x 768 pixel display, too. The proprietary SmartPOP connectivity feature makes it easy to sync data, calls, and messages with smartphones. Available in two lid color options (silver and red), the X-Note X170 may cost the equivalent of $566 to $602 (depending on the display choice, perhaps).

Verbatim is cashing in on the netbook (ultra portable) phenomenon with its latest USB flash drives being tailored for netbooks. The Store 'n' Go Netbook USB drives from the company measure 17.15 (L) x 14.85 (W) x 7.7 (H), offering capacities of up to 32 GB, with read/write speeds of 11 MB/s and 3 MB/s. Other capacities available are 8 GB and 16 GB. Prices are expected to start at £12.43.

Bringing you rich, stereo sound for your compact laptop or netbook, today Logitech unveiled the Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550, a comfy lapdesk that creates a theatre-like entertainment experience around the home. A follow-on to the popular Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700, which is designed for laptops up to 16-inches, the Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550 delivers premium sound and comfort to people with laptops that are 14.1-inches or smaller.

"Lapdesks are the unsung heroes of the laptop and netbook world," said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for laptop accessories. "The Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N550 solves the two complaints people most often report about their laptops and netbooks - poor audio quality and laptop heat. Using this one product can dramatically improve the experience people have with their laptops."

Lenovo today announced the new ThinkPad Edge 11-inch laptop, the smallest and lightest member of the ThinkPad Edge family. Created for small-to-medium businesses (SMB), the laptop packs ultraportable-like performance and features into a small form factor PC at an affordable price.

"Just like large businesses, small business customers want laptops that perform without skimping on features that at the same time, fit their unique style and come at the right price," said Dilip Bhatia, vice president, ThinkPad Marketing, Lenovo. "That's why we've created the ThinkPad Edge 11-inch laptop with the latest processors for multitasking, 3G and WiMax for anywhere connectivity and included extra business-focused features like a standard low light sensitive webcamera."

HP introduced the new HP Mini 5103 - HP's latest touch-enabled mini notebook, designed for mobile professionals. From a starting weight of 1.2kg, the HP Mini 5103 incorporates Intel's latest Atom N550 dual-core processor, in addition to the new Atom N455 and N475 processors, all of which support DDR3 memory. Available in standard or touch-enabled versions. the HP Mini 5103 features a sturdy, lightweight, anodized-aluminum display enclosure with a brushed finish in three colors - red, blue and espresso. It also comes with an optional handle for easy transport.

Acer rolled a new variant of its recently released Aspire One D255 netbook called "Happy". The D255 Happy features a pleasant looking white and olive-green color scheme on its body. Other than this, it's the same exact on the inside as the Aspire One D255. The netbook makes use of Intel's new Atom N550 dual-core processor, has a 10.1" 1024x600 display, 1 GB of DDR3 memory, integrated GMA 3150 graphics, 250 GB HDD. Connectivity includes 10/100 Ethernet, and WiFi b/g/n. Other features include a 4-in-1 memory card reader, webcam, a multigesture touchpad, and a 6-cell, 8-hour battery. There is no word on the pricing, but we don't see why it shouldn't carry the same price as the other D255s, that's $399.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the launch of the SF series of ultra-portable notePCs and NF series netbooks. Without compromising on powerful performance and enhanced features, the Samsung SF Series notePCs and NF Series netbooks set a new standard for design in mobile computing.

Coupling a unique, streamlined design with optimal features for mobile convenience, the new lineup of SF series notePCs and NF series netbookshave been designed to match the dynamic and ever-changing lives of mobile users. Smooth and refined body design attracts the most sophisticated of today's computer users.

Following Intel's announcement of the new Atom N550 dual-core processor, Lenovo is one of the first to be out with an IdeaPad netbook model that makes use of it. The 1.50 GHz clocked Atom N550 is based on the second-generation Atom architecture. The new IdeaPad S10-3, is a 10.1 inch netbook with a display resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The Atom N550 processor is aided by 1 GB of DDR3 memory, 250 GB of storage; and connectivity that includes 10/100 Ethernet, WiFi b/g/n, a number of USB 2.0 ports, and Bluetooth 2.1. The only removable storage device is a 5-in-1 card reader, while a 1.3 megapixel camera decks up the screen. Windows 7 Starter is the OS installed. The IdeaPad S10-3 is expected to be priced under US $500.

Intel Corporation announced today that a dozen of new netbooks based on its new mobile dual-core Intel Atom processors are available in stores today. The netbooks - available now and through the end of the year from manufacturers including Acer, ASUS, Fujitsu, Lenovo, LG, Samsung, MSI, and Toshiba - enable new levels of support for applications like games, as well as Adobe Flash technology for access to a number of Web pages including online hotel booking systems and multimedia sites such as YouTube and Hulu.

"Acer strives to continually improve on our customers' total mobile experience, whether it is increased responsiveness or extended Internet interactivity through longer battery life," said David Lee, associate vice president of Acer's Mobile Computing Business Unit. "We are pleased to select dual-core Intel Atom processors for Acer netbooks, helping to empower netbook users achieve even more - both at work and at leisure."

Gateway today introduced the new Gateway LT32 Series netbook line that provides great performance and HD entertainment capabilities for consumers that want to take their fun to go in a compact, highly-functional device. The new line uses amd Athlon II Neo processors and ATI graphics for enhanced responsiveness and smooth video playback.

The Gateway LT32 has an 11.6-inch HD LED-backlit display, so HD video and other digital media content is stunning and vibrant. Additionally, the new Gateway LT32 line has HDMI 1080p output, which lets customers use a convenient single cable connection to deliver HD video and audio to an external source such as a home entertainment system or lcd display.

Acer is readying a stylish new netbook in its Aspire One series, the D255. This 10.1 inch netbook has a 1024x600 pixel LED-backlit CrystalBrite display, and is powered by the Intel Atom N550 processor clocked at 1.50 GHz. The D255 uses the same chassis design as the D260, except for the different processor. The processor is aided with 1 GB of memory, Intel GMA 3150 graphics, 250 GB storage, a 6-cell battery to keep it powered up, and connectivity which includes 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth. There is no word on the pricing.

The air circulation and heat dissipation of netbooks is often restricted by the limited space in and around the small casing. Therefore, many manufactures develop active or passive cooling systems, which, under normal conditions, offer an acceptable cooling performance. Since summer is here and the ambient temperature is rapidly rising, even the best cooling systems can reach their limits. As a consequence, essential components like CPU or graphics card have to struggle at unusual high temperatures.

Netbook temperatures can be significantly reduced by the use of a cooling pad. While there are many notebook coolers currently available on the market, most cannot be easily adapted for small-size notebooks or compact netbooks. With its Aeolus N14, Enermax has developed a cooling pad, which is specially designed for these small-size mobile computers. The virtually silent integrated 14cm fan ensures a steady stream of fresh air. The wide-area steel mesh offers not only an excellent thermal conduction, but also an unrestricted air circulation and well-balanced cooling performance.

Meticulously crafted, MSI's Wind U160DX netbook has received Germany's iF Product Design Award and drawn attention from all quarters around the world. Boasting a leap in performance capabilities, the Wind U160DX supports DDR3 system memory and comes with the Intel ATOM processor N455 with MSI's own TDE (Turbo Drive Engine) technology. Sheathed in MSI's own Color Film Print technology, the Wind U160DX is less than one-inch thin and tips the scales at a mere 1kg. Slender, feather-light, beautiful, and perfect in every detail-the Wind U160DX was crafted to steal your heart and soul.

MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern points out that the experience and craftsmanship that went into MSI's chic, easy-to-use Wind U160DX has created a product with all-new features, including a 10.1" power-saving LED screen with a refresh rate of 8 milliseconds-twice as fast as similar products on the market, an independent chiclet keyboard, a seamless touchpad, a striking exterior, and a battery that holds a 15-hour charge-enough for all day.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the latest addition to its N-Series netbook range - the N230. With a sleek profile, stunning premium black finish and ultra-convenient features, the N230 will appeal to design-conscious consumers looking for the ultimate experience in mobile computing.

No effort has been spared in designing the exclusive N230, with its well-harmonized finish of glossy, mat and patterned black surfaces. Weighing less than 1kg and just 23.2mm thick, it is a super-slim and ultra-portable netbook, perfect for the go-anywhere mobile user. It also features an ergonomic island keyboard, increasing the stylish looks while reducing users' wrist strain when typing for extended periods.