CES 2009- state of the netbook
MSI U115 Hybrid netbook
We’re here in Las Vegas for the CES and while the show proper has not begun yet there have already been some press events. These pre-show events are designed to give journalists a preview of what will be making an appearance at the show and they give us a pretty good idea what to expect.
Netbooks are still a hot ticket item and we are keeping our eyes peeled for anything new that might come along. We’ve already seen what the biggest netbook players will be dishing up for the starved masses and it’s clear there is only so much that can be done with a limited form factor like a netbook.
What we can expect to see is more of the same for the most part. More models, Atom inside, 8 – 10-inch screens, etc., etc. Asus is pushing the limits a bit with the touchscreen convertible T91 we spied last night but no word is being shared on pricing for this little netbook. Little it is too with the 8.9-inch screen meaning the keyboard will be on the small side for touch typists.
MSI is offering up the U115 Hybrid as yet another model to the Wind line and while hybrid storage technology is interesting it will certainly come at a price. Price is the bugaboo that these OEMs have to contend with as it is a primary factor in which netbooks jump off the shelves and which don’t. We’ve said it many times the more features you add the higher the cost soars and this is a problem in the netbook market.
HP will be showing off their new HP Mini 2140 and we are looking forward to seeing that in the flesh. We expect they’ll also be showing their Mini 1000 Mi with the fancy HP Linux shell.
Via may be showing some netbooks with the Nano processor inside. We’re going to check these out and see what we can share about these as the Nano looks like a pretty good netbook option. There’s also the Snapdragon stuff that should be floating around and we’ll see what we can find out about these.
We have the majority of the CES to cover so maybe we’ll be surprised and see some cool netbooks surprise us. We’re hoping anyway.
Nice to see Asus working on convertible tablet netbooks with the T91 and the T101H. Fujitsu’s gotta be looking over its shoulder now. They have rethink it’s pricing with the P1630; albeit yes it has a core 2 duo processor and all. But still…it probably has them thinking a bit.
Whither the nVidia Ion chipset?
When you look at the mininote, can you check if the 2140’s screen is as reflective as the mini 1000 (I had to return a mini 1000 since I couldn’t read it under the office’s lights)? Also, does the 2140’s trackpad support multitouch? Thanks!
It would be interesting to know more about the heat & battery life of the Nano netbooks, as I seem to recall that the Nano processor uses many multiples of power more than the Atom.
Great question Rick and one that’s on our minds as well. Last summer, we heard that the 1.8GHz Nano maxed out at 25 Watts TDP. We’ll need to see less power consumption and heat for netbooks.
Any word on Dell’s Adamo?