Hasta La Gadget!

Taiwanese company Mobinnova announced a new netbook that it claims is the size of a hardcover book, weighs less than 2 pounds and can offer five to ten hours of high-definition video playback.

The netbook called élan has an 8.9-inch screen and includes Nvidia’s Tegra computer-on-a-chip platform that promises to significantly boost audio and video capabilities.

“It offers 720p high-definition video playback, full Internet browsing and an impressive battery life,” said KC Kuo, chairman and CEO of Mobinnova in a statement. “It’s a real game changer.”

Tegra, targeted at cellphones and mobile internet devices, has multiple processors including a 800 MHz ARM CPU, a HD video processor, an imaging processor, an audio processor and an ultra-low power GeForce GPU in a single package, says Nvidia.

The élan netbook also includes 3G and Wi-Fi capability. But no word yet on pricing or availability.

Mobinnova Press Release

Photo: Mobinnova

MSI said Wednesday it has started shipping its ultraslim notebook computer that weighs just about 2.86 pounds and is priced nearly half of that of Apple’s MacBook Air laptop.

The X340 notebook from MSI had a public showing at the CTIA mobile conference in Las Vegas in April but MSI did not reveal the complete specs or the price tag.

Now word from the company is that it will cost $900. Apple’s MacBook Air starts at $1800.

The X340 notebook will be about 0.78 inches thick at it’s widest point, compared to MacBook’s 0.76 inches at its thickest. It will run Intel’s ULV SU3500 processor, Windows Vista,  a 13-4- inch display, a HDMI input, 320 GB storage and 2GB memory. The notebook will also come with Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi capability and a 1.3 megapixel camera.

While Apple clearly has set the benchmark for ultralight notebooks with the MacBook Air, the MSI X340 seems like it could be a potentially strong rival. Laptop Mag, which reviewed the X340 earlier this month, liked the battery life and the number of ports that the X340 offers. But they found the the lack of powerful graphics capability and the build quality–my biggest peeve with most MSI computers–to be the drawbacks.

Still the MSI X340 carries a recession-friendly price tag for road warriors and can be an alternative to easy-to-carry but light on features netbooks.

See also:

MSI X340 review [Laptop Mag]

Photo: MSI X340/MSI

Lenovo has introduced a  new netbook with a 12-inch display that will also be the first netbook device to include Nvidia’ s new graphics platform, Ion.

The IdeaPad S12 from Lenovo will have a 100 percent full-size keyboard, weigh about 3 pounds, run on Intel’s Atom processor, include up to 160 GB of storage and 1 GB of memory.

“Most 10-inch netbook models only have 89 percent sized keyboard in them and we have seen users complain about the keyboard size,” says Charles Farmer, consumer products marketing manager for Lenovo. “The 12-inch netbook gives users a more comfortable experience.”

Lenovo’s latest product speaks to the trend of netbooks getting bigger screens. The earliest Asus netbooks had a 7-inch screen. But recently it has made the move towards larger displays. About 95 percent of Asus’ netbook shipments have a 10-inch display, the company has said.  Recently Samsung introduced its NC20 notebook with a 12-inch display and a VIA Nano CPU.

For Lenovo’s IdeaPad S12, the Nvidia Ion platform is expected to be a big draw. Intel’s Atom processor isn’t suited for high-definition video or gaming, which restricts netbooks to just email, word processing and web browsing. Nvidia is looking to change that with its Ion graphics platform targeted at netbooks.

“NVIDIA Ion graphics help deliver the same features found in premium PCs at a lower price points and new form factors,” says Rene Haas, general manager, notebook GPUs for Nvidia in a statement. “With enhanced graphics, the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 netbook is perfect for watching movies, playing popular games like Spore, flipping through vacation pictures or enhancing family videos.”

The IdeaPad S12 netbook will offer up to six hours of battery life and will have WiFi and 3G connectivity. It will be available in two colors, black and white.  The netbook will start shipping in June and is priced at $449.

Lenovo also plans to introduce two new notebook models including the ultra-thin IdeaPad U350. The laptop weighs 3.5 pounds has a 13.3 inch display, and be available with either the Intel Core2Solo or the Pentium ultra low voltage processors. The U350 will also offer up to up to 8 GB memory and up to 500 GB of hard drive storage. The notebook will be available in July and will be priced starting at $649.

Photo: Lenovo IdeaPad S12/Lenovo

Asus’s new 1008HA “Seashell” netbook is an attractive cosmetic update to its earlier 1000HE. And, if we believe Asus’ promotional video on the site linked below, it’s skinny enough that you could use one to cut through video cables tied around your wrist and set yourself free from the company storeroom.

OK, so it’s not really that sharp. But it does trade its predecessor’s somewhat ordinary-looking netbook exterior for a clean, tapered, rounded, white covering. It’s one of the better-looking netbooks we’ve seen this year.

Spec-wise, it’s nothing exceptional: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, 10.1-inch screen, built-in Wi-Fi (802.11n) and Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel webcam, and the obligatory Windows XP.

It’s available for pre-order now, and if you order it before May 25, retailers will knock $20 off its somewhat steep list price of $429.

We spent a few minutes with the 1008HA recently; scroll down for the photos.

Photos: Jonathan Snyder / Wired.com

Introducing the Eee PC 1008HA Seashell from ASUS.

The 1008HA has an unusual video-out port: It's a dongle tucked into a notch on the underside of the case.

USB, audio, and a pop-down Ethernet port are along the right edge of the computer's slim profile.

Inside, the Eee PC 1008HA is almost identical to its predecessor, the 1000HE.

AT&T has announced plans to offer subsidized netbooks nationwide, which include access to its 3G data network.

The company in April was testing subsidized netbooks in Atlanta and Philadelphia, and soon the devices will be offered in 2,200 AT&T stores throughout the United States, as well as through att.com.

AT&T also plans to offer additional model choices, including netbooks from Acer, Dell and Lenovo. The company has not yet specified which models.

The growth suggests that the subsidized-netbook pilot program went well for AT&T, meaning consumers are actually buying these.

We’re surprised. As I pointed out months ago, buying an AT&T-subsidized netbook for $100 requires committing to a 2-year broadband plan. The plan costs $60 per month, amounting to $1,540 over two years.

On the plus side, you do gain internet access anywhere you can get a cellphone connection. But that’s $60 per month to use the internet on one computer — an extremely limited, low-powered netbook at that, which is typically a companion device.

Why not purchase a smartphone with a tethering plan? That way you’d be able to use the internet on various computers as opposed to just one. Plus, you’d be able to simply add on to your smartphone monthly plan. The idea of another data contract on top of my two-year smartphone commitment is a huge turn-off to me.

Other than that, netbooks are cheap to begin with. On average a pretty decent netbook costs no more than $350, so why pay $100 for a netbook and agree to a $60-per-month, two-year contract?

What do you think, readers? Would you commit to one of these?

Press release [AT&T]

See Also:

• The Next Netbook Trend: Cellphone-Like Contract Deals
• The Netbook Effect: How Cheap Little Laptops Hit the Big Time
• RadioShack’s $100 NetBook Costs $1500 Over Two Years