Laptop Thoughts: News & Reviews on Laptops, Netbooks, Slates, and More.

"Then there’s the NF210 with a 10.” 1024 x 600 display, Intel Atom N455 processor, integrated graphics, 1GB DDR3 RAM, 250GB HDD, 0.3MP webcam and Windows 7 Starter and a whopping 8850 mAh, 66Whr 6-cell battery good for up to 14 hours. I wouldn’t doubt it with that capacity. Priced at $379 and will be exclusive to Sam’s Club."

While I'll give them credit for trying something new on the design front, I'm not a fan of the "fins". But if they are your aesthetic thing the above model is the mid-range model and there is a lower and higher spec model to meet your needs.

""How do you tablet?" Oh yes, that's Archos' new tag line when it comes to its growing number of Android tablets. Good timing since, you know, it just went ahead and released a quintuplet of new gadgets. The offerings range from small PMP-like devices with 2.8- and 3.2-inch screens to higher-end 4.3-, 7- and 10.1-inch tablets. All will ship with Android 2.2 "Froyo" and will include accelerometers, while only some have capacitive touchscreens, front-facing cameras and 1GHz processors."

OK Archos, it looks like you've got the hardware down. The 7" tablet is at a price point I'm comfortable with. But, I'm spoiled. At this point, I'm going to require the Android market on any device I buy. So, this leaves me with fingers crossed that Gingerbread opens up the market to tablet devices.

"For the past few months I have had incredible back pain that has led to many trips to the chiropractor. Even after adjustments the pain would return by the end of the next day as I slowly hunched closer to my computer. The pain lessened when I stood and worked at a countertop so I decided to create a standup desk with materials we had lying around the office."

We had a little debate going in the Thoughts Media back offices with regards to how prevalent standing at ones desk is. Personally, I've got a bar-height counter at work that I'll periodically stand at to work. Standing for a bit does wonders for the back as well as for my alertness. So, lets hear from the rest of you. Any other fans of the stand-up desk?

"We just got to handle the Folio 100, after witnessing it bolted to a wall earlier, and we have to admit that it's lighter and thinner than it looks at first glance. Unfortunately, it still feels pretty cheap, and we're not sure how much we trust ourselves one-handing something this large and fragile seeming. Our brief glimpse of Toshiba's custom skin on here was most depressing -- it's not final, but we're not sure why Toshiba is even bothering showing anything in this abysmal state."

Toshiba appears to want some of the hot Slate action that has been sparked by the release of the iPad. The Toshiba Folio 100 (Not to be confused with the failed project known as the Palm Foleo) seems to be rushed and the lack of the Android Market pretty much makes the Folio a really limited device. Granted, the Android Market still has a lot of catching up to do when compared to the App Store. Still, I think manufacturers are missing out on the point that the hardware and pre-loaded software alone is not good enough in today's environment. The whole package, meaning hardware, software and online stuff (Apps, browsing, etc.) need to all blend together into a compelling experience. Until someone else comes out with a competing device that takes all of these into account, Apple will continue to dominate the headlines and sales for these kinds of devices.

I'm thrilled to announce the newest member of the Thoughts Media family: Android Thoughts. As you can guess, this site will be covering Android in all it's forms - phones, slates, etc. The site is being led by none other than our very own Jon Westfall; he'll be handling all editorial duties on the site, similar to how Apple Thoughts works. Android has exploded in popularity over the past 12 months, surpassing even the mighty iPhone in terms of daily activations according to some. It made sense to cover Android as part of what we do here at Thoughts Media, but I wanted to find someone who was passionate and interested in all things Android...and that person is Jon Westfall. Please go read his welcome message on the site to find out how Android Thoughts was born - and subscribe to the RSS feed and Twitter stream. And, above all, if you're interested in Android as a platform, contribute, share, comment, and become a part of that new community.

"The ASUS Eee PC 1215N comes the closest yet to that ideal of a sub-$500 machine that performs like systems that cost more--yet lasts even longer on a charge. That's because it's packed with a dual-core Atom processor and Nvidia's Optimus graphics-switching technology. Not only that, the 1215N features an improved design that makes it more comfortable to use for extended periods of time."

At 12 inches, the 1215N straddles the fence between being a netbook and a notebook. While Intel has recently released a dual-core Atom CPU specifically for netbooks, the 1215N sports a dual-core Atom that is designed for nettops or low end desktops. The result is a notebook that offers the best of both worlds at a competitive price. I just hope this is the first of many notebooks that offer this kind of configuration. These 16" and 17" laptops that weight half as much as a Hummer are becoming a strain on my shoulders. Is anyone else hoping to get this soon?

"This month we reviewed 17 notebooks and netbooks, including the newest edition to HP's Envy line, the second generation VAIO P from Sony, and Lenovo's first foray into 3D. Six of these systems earned 4 star ratings and two even snagged the coveted Editor's Choice."

Laptop reviewed 17 notebooks and netbooks in August 2010, and six (6) of them earned four-star (out of five) ratings, and two (2) received Editor's Choice awards (the ASUS Eee PC 1215N and the Panasonic Toughbook C1). The Asus 1215N appears to be one of the first netbooks to offer laptop-class performance for under $500. On the other end of the spectrum, the sub-$300 HP Mini 100e gets four-stars in the K-6 Student category, offering decent performance and long battery life. August's review offers some excellent choices, regardless of your needs.

"That's all going to change starting next year. This time it's the masses that get the upgrade first. While Nehalem launched with expensive motherboards and expensive processors, the next tock in Intel's architecture cadence is aimed right at the middle of the market. This time, the ultra high end users will have to wait - if you want affordable quad-core, if you want the successor to Lynnfield, Sandy Bridge is it."

The huge force that is Intel continues moving along at a steady pace. While AMD is fighting back with its Bobcat and Bulldozer chips, Intel's Sandy Bridge seems to be a continuation of moves first seen with the Core i3 and i5 processors. Processing power is increasing, as expected, but the integrated graphics are what have caught my eye. While integrated graphics offered low power consumption and great 3D performance at a great price, its 3D capabilities were laughable at best. While Sandy Bridge will not be toppling the discrete GPU market, it is edging into the lower end and that means that the lowest bar for computing will offer something worthwhile. Programs like Google Earth will run even more smoothly, and 3D accelerated browsers are right around the corner. We might be watching the next push in computing fads!

"The new Acer Aspire 5745PG notebook is a sleek and sexy looking notebook on the outside, but like so many things in life it’s wahts on the inside that really counts. In this case it’s not just the Intel Core i5 processor and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M GPU with 1GB RAM and CUDA — it’s a multitouch screen."

It looks like Acer is offering a laptop that has just about everything a typical user could want. A competent CPU, a decent discrete GPU and a multi-touch screen. Notebooks.com is promising a full review soon though some details are missing. Having an NVIDIA GPU, it makes me wonder if the laptop is of the Optimus variety and there's no word on whether the touchpad is multi-touch as well. I do have to wonder about this craze for 1366x768 screens though. It seems as if every manufacturer and their mother have decided that that is the optimum resolution for anything with 12" to 16" display. For smaller displays, I can understand, but when you have something as spacious as a 16" screen, would it not make more sense to pack a few more pixels? Maybe I am just picky and want to pack too much information on my screen at once.

"When you think about how much laptops have evolved over the past couple of years, it's staggering. You can now get screaming-fast quad-core power inside a machine that weighs less than 4 pounds. Many notebooks can switch between integrated and discrete graphics on the fly. You'll even find some models with 3D displays or tech that lets you stream video wirelessly to your HDTV. Yet even with all of these advancements, notebooks have taken serious steps back in some ways. The "evolution" of the touchpad seems to have moved from a utilitarian pointing device to a mere decoration."

Mark Spoonauer over at Laptop Magazine has a point: touchpads are still a real hit or miss affair on laptops. I reviewed the dm3 just like Spoonauer did, and both of us had the same conclusion: how could HP release something so shockingly awful? What were the designers thinking, and more so, how did such an obviously awful implementation make it into a shipping product? I've seen some truly awful touchpads, but I've also seen some really great ones. I don't think it's a matter of personal opinion: a touchpad should be responsive, easy to use, not interfere with you when you're typing (even if you brush the touchpad surface), and have buttons that are easily clickable.

I part ways with Spoonauer when it comes to his praising of pointing sticks - I've always found them to be more of a hassle than anything else. Where do you stand on touchpad versus pointing stick? And what's the worse, or best, touchpad you've had on a laptop? I thought that the touchpad on my Dell XPS M1330 was perfect - I had zero complaints with it.