MSI X340 Slim

MSI’s new X340 Slim Netbook is now in stock and shipping from several different merchants.

The X340 is one the new class of mini-laptops that blur the boundary between netbook and ultraportable notebook.  With a 13.4″ display with 1366×768 resolution, the X340 is larger than traditional netbooks.

The X340 also is packed with other innovative features like:

• 1.4 GHz Intel CULV SU3500 Processor
• 2 GB RAM
• 320 GB Hard Drive
• Intel GMA 4500MHD
• 802.11b/g/n
• Bluetooth
• 4-Cell Battery
• Microsoft Vista Home Premium

Best of all, the X340 is only 0.8″ thick and weighs 2.8 lbs.  That is comparable to the sexy, ultra-thin Apple MacBook Air.  LaptopMag.com recently published an article comparing the two laptops.  They name the X340 as the winner.

Of course, the price is a bit higher than the typical netbook as well.  But, you get a lot for your money.

It is available from the merchants listed below.

MSI X340 Slim 320GB Vista HP
	13.4" Display (1366x768), 1.4 GHz Intel CULV SU3500 Processor, 2 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, Intel GMA 4500MHD, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 4-Cell Battery, Microsoft Vista Home Premium
Black Preferred Merchants Merchant Rating Price Shipping Stock Action Click to see price Free! In Stock Go! $599.96 Free! In Stock Go! $599.96 Free! In Stock Go!

Related posts:

1. Low-Cost Ultraportables
2. Falling Netbook Prices – 5/3/09

Here are the ones that we like best:

• HP Pavilion dv2
• Asus N10J
• Dell Inspiron Mini 12
• MSI Meron VR220

Read more about each in the tabs below.

HP Pavilion dv2

I am really intrigued by the HP Pavilion dv2.  It certainly stretches the concept of a netbook to encompass a whole range of enhanced features.

HP Pavilion dv2 320GB 6-Cell VistaHP
	12.1" Display (1280x800), 1.6 GHz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 Processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410 graphics accelerator, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, SuperMulti 8x DVD+/-R/RW, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 6 Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit		Today's Best Deal Expresso $629.00 Go!
	Comes in: Expresso (DV2-1030US) - from $629.00

For example, it does not come with the standard Intel Atom processor.  Instead, there is a AMD Athlon Neo underneath the hood.

Then there is the graphics processor.  HP has packaged the dv2 with an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3140 GPU that contains 512MB of memory.  That’s as much memory soley dedicated to video as many netbooks have for the entire system!

Speaking of memory, the dv2 sports a whopping 4GB!

How could I have gotten this far into the article without mentioning the 12.1″ display?  With a maximum resolution of 1280 x 800, it is sure a treat for those accustomed to the netbook standard of 1024 x 600.  The dv2 has a display that manages to be glossy without creating a lot of distracting glare.

All this does not come without some tradeoffs.  The battery is a 6-cell battery.  For many netbooks,  a 6-cell battery will last for 5 or more hours.  In the dv2,  it lasts only about 2 1/2 hours.

Still, the dv2 comes packed with such a rich assortment of features that you might be willing to charge more often or pack an extra battery.

There are a lot more unique features that I have not mentioned, like a 320 GB hard drive, a rewriteable DVD drive, 802.11n Wifi…  (Excuse me while I clean the droll off my keyboard.)

All this for only $729.95 (today’s best price)!  I know that $700+ dollars is outside the normal netbook buyer’s budget.  But it’s an attractive alternative than spending $500 for a top-end “standard-feature” netbook.

HP Pavilion dv2 320GB 6-Cell
Preferred Merchants
Merchant	Rating	Price	Shipping	Stock	Action
		$629.00	Free!	In Stock	Go!
		$759.97	Free!	In Stock	Go!

Other Merchants
Merchant	Rating	Price	Shipping	Stock	Action
		$754.99	$15.59	In Stock	Go!

Asus N10J

The Asus N10J series packs a whole lot of power into a traditional 10-inch netbook size (10.8 x 7.6 x 1.4 inches) weighing only 3.4 lbs.

Asus N10J A2 320GB 6-Cell VistaB+XP
	10.2" Display (1024x600), 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 2 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS/Inte; GMA950 (switchable), 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 6-Cell Battery, Microsoft Vista Business+XP Downgrade		Today's Best Deal Silver $826.95 Go!
	Comes in: Silver (N10J-A2 ) - from $826.95

While the processor is still a 1.6GHz Atom N270, it has two graphics accelerators.  The NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS accelerator provides a big boost in graphics performance.  When conserving battery power is important, you can switch back to the traditional Intel GMA950 adapter.  (Switching adaptors does require a reboot.)

Asus has also packaged the N10J series with 10.2″ display that LaptopMag.com calls bright and glossy and a solid audio system.

The N10Js come with 6-cell batteries which get good life (about 4 1/2 hours in real-life environment).  The 802.11b/g/n support is better than b/g support offered in most netbooks.

One of the most unusual features of the N10J netbooks is the inclusion of an HDMI port – signifying the strength of the video system.

The N10J is available today in two versions.

The N10J A1 will appeal more to home users.  It is packaged with a 160 GB hard drive and Windows XP Home Edition.

Asus N10J A1 160GB 6-Cell XP
Merchant	Rating	Price	Shipping	Stock	Action
		$726.95	$17.00	Not In Stock	Go!
		$701.99	$79.99	Not In Stock	Go!
		$701.99	$94.56	Not In Stock	Go!

The N10J A2 offers features that are, perhaps, more geared to corporate users.  The A2 comes with a 320 GB hard drive and Vista Business (downgradeable to XP).

Asus N10J A2 320GB 6-Cell VistaB+XP
Merchant	Rating	Price	Shipping	Stock	Action
		$826.95	$17.00	Not In Stock	Go!

MSI Meron VR220

MSI also offers a top-end netbook call the Meron VR220.  While the Meron netbook does not get the fanfare that the Wind netbook line receives, it certainly is not due to the set of features.

MSI Meron VR220 250GB 8-Cell Vista P
	12.1" Display (1280x800), 2.16 GHz Intel T3200 Dual-Core Processor, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW, 802.11n, Bluetooth, 8 Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows Vista Premium		Today's Best Deal Green $676.99 Go!
	Comes in: Black (VR220-004US) Blue (VR220-012US or VR220-033US) - from $754.95 Green (VR220-017US or VR220-005US) - from $676.99 Pink (VR220-030US)

The Meron VR220 offers a 12.1-inch display in an attractive case that is only 1.2″ thick.

The 2.0 GHz dual-core Intel Pentium processor is a big step up from the typical 1.6 GHz Atom procesor found in most netbooks.

The Meron comes with 2GB of RAM as standard.  A 320 GB hard drive provides double the storage space compared to a typical netbook.  802.11n Wifi + Bluetooth support is a nice step up.  In additon, the Meron VR220 comes with a built-in DVD drive.

The 8-cell battery adds the extra power required to drive these enhanced features.  In real world use, the battery lasts about four hours.

The weight of the Meron VR220 is quite a bit hefty for a netbook.  At 4.4 pounds, it is significantly heavier than the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 which weighs only 2.7pounds.

All this for about $700.  A lot more for a little more money…

MSI Meron VR220 250GB 8-Cell Vista P - Blue
Merchant	Rating	Price	Shipping	Stock	Action
		$754.95	See Site	Not In Stock	Go!
		$754.95	$17.00	Not In Stock	Go!

Dell Inspiron Mini 12

The Dell Inspiron Mini 12 is a little less ostentatious than the other netbooks mentioned in this article.  It is more like a traditional netbook with a really big display.

Dell Inspiron Mini 12 40GB 3-Cell XP
	12.1" Display (1280x800), 1.33 GHz Intel Atom Z520 Processor, Intel GMA500, 1 GB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, 3-cell battery, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
	Comes in: Obsidian Black (DNCWYA1)

The first you will notice when you look at a Mini 12 is the how thin it is.  At 0.92 inches, the thinness is striking.  It reminds one of the Apple MacBook Air (at a lot less money).

The 12.1-inch, 1280 x 1024 pixel display is a significantly larger than a typical netbook.   This makes showing two pages side-by-side practical.

The keyboard is much larger than its smaller sister, the Inspiron Mini 9, making touch-typing a cinch.

The larger case permitted Dell to locate the speakers across the top of the keyboard, which produces a much better sound.

The standard processor in a Mini 12 is a 1.33 GHz Intel Atom Z520, which is a bit slower than the typical netbook’s 1.6 GHz Atom N270.

On the downside, the 40MB hard drive is rather diminuative and somewhat  slow.

As always with Dell, you can upgrade almost all of these features.  With the price of the “basic” Inspiron Mini 12 only $434.00 (currently), you can add a few features without breaking the bank.

I like the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 so much, that I bought one ( a Linux version).  It arrived yesterday.  We shot an unboxing video last night, which we will post later today.  I’ll be writing more after I have a chance to use it for a while.  Stay tuned.

None of our merchants currently stock this item.

Summary

These new netbooks offer features well outside those typically offered by netbooks.   It is really refreshing to me to see products that break the  mold.

Some argue that these are not true netbooks.  At Netbook Scoop we are *not* purists, we don’t care what you call them, we just want one.

What do you think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Related posts:

1. Netbooks for Father’s Day
2. Netbook Buyers Guide Updated with Dell Netbooks
3. Falling Netbook Prices – 5/3/09

Overnight, there was a lot of  pricing activity on netbooks, so today’s article is way longer than normal.  So, here we go…

If you’ve been salivating over the hot new Samsung N120, then put your bib on and get your wallet out.

J&R Electronics now has it in stock and their prices are way lower  ($439.99 for the Black model and $439.00 for the White).

Samsung N120 160GB 6-Cell XP
	10.2" Display (1024x600), 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, 6 Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Black Preferred Merchants Merchant Rating Price Shipping Stock Action $314.95 Free! In Stock Go! $324.98 Free! In Stock Go! $369.00 Free! In Stock Go!

Samsung N120 160GB 6-Cell XP
	10.2" Display (1024x600), 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, 6 Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
White Preferred Merchants Merchant Rating Price Shipping Stock Action $319.00 Free! In Stock Go! $329.95 Free! In Stock Go! $329.96 Free! In Stock Go!

If you like the smaller size of the Samsung N110, then you’ll want to know that Super Warehouse has set a new lowest price mark at $446.99.

Samsung N110 160GB 6-Cell XP
	10.2" Display (1024x600), 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, 6 Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Black Preferred Merchants Merchant Rating Price Shipping Stock Action $349.00 Free! In Stock Go! $375.99 Free! In Stock Go! $379.99 Free! In Stock Go!

The Asus Eee PC S101 is one of the most visually appealing netbooks around.  If you are considering an S101, then you’ll want to know about the huge cost savings if you purchase the Graphite-colored model.

NewEgg’s new price for the Graphite model is $499.99.  That’s in a completely ballpark than the Bronze version where the best price is $649.95.

Asus Eee PC S101 16G XP
	10" Display (1024x600), 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1.0 GB RAM, 16 GB Solid State Drive, 6-Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
None of our merchants currently stock this item.

The HP Pavilion dv2 is a high-end netbook that crams in a whole lot of features in a small and light package.  If you are looking for a netbook with a larger display and more horsepower, then this might be exactly what you want.

B&H Photo just made it a lot more affordable at $729.95 (which is more than $20.00 lower than the competition).

HP Pavilion dv2 320GB 6-Cell VistaHP
	12.1" Display (1280x800), 1.6 GHz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 Processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410 graphics accelerator, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, SuperMulti 8x DVD+/-R/RW, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 6 Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
Expresso Preferred Merchants Merchant Rating Price Shipping Stock Action $629.00 Free! In Stock Go! $759.97 Free! In Stock Go! Other Merchants Merchant Rating Price Shipping Stock Action $754.99 $15.59 In Stock Go!

And finally, MSI has a high-end netbook as well.  Their Meron VR220 netbook features a dual-core Intel processor and lots of other goodies in a netbook form factor.

Amazon.com now has the Pink version priced down to $699.99 (pushing the previous lowest price down by $10.00).

MSI Meron VR220 250GB 8-Cell Vista P
	12.1" Display (1280x800), 2.16 GHz Intel T3200 Dual-Core Processor, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW, 802.11n, Bluetooth, 8 Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows Vista Premium
None of our merchants currently stock this item.

Finally, if you are shopping for a solid netbook at less than $300, the HP Mini 1115NR is hard to beat.  BuyDig.com has made the 1115NR even more attractive by cutting the previous lowest cost by $20 to $279.00.

HP Mini 1000 16 GB 3-Cell XP
	8.9" Display (1024x600), Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz Processor, Intel GMA 950, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB Solid State Drive, 802.11b/g, 3-Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, 2.25 lbs.
Black Preferred Merchants Merchant Rating Price Shipping Stock Action $314.23 Free! In Stock Go! Other Merchants Merchant Rating Price Shipping Stock Action $315.99 $13.99 In Stock Go!

Well, that is it for today.

As always, the widgets shown above are dynamic.  That means, as soon as pricing and/or availability changes, they will automagically updated.

Related posts:

1. Falling Netbook Prices – 4/3/09
2. Falling Netbook Prices – 6/5/09
3. Falling Netbook Prices – 5/31/09

Some need an internal CD/DVD drive.  Sure you can use a external drive.  But if you need it frequently, it is a pain to haul around.

Others need more power.  If you are doing sophisticated spreadsheets or editing videos or performing some other CPU intensive tasks, then a netbook is simply too slow.

Of course, those editing photos or graphics may need a larger screen with higher resolution.

For these the light weight and small size of the netbooks is attractive, but won’t meet their needs.

Ultralight Notebooks, also known as ultraportables, are the solution for these users.  However, the price of ultraportables was skyhigh… until recently.  Now, we are beginning to see low-cost ultraportables.

We think our visitors may also be interested in these.  So, beginning today, we are going to begin covering low-cost ultraportables.

The first is one we have added to our Price Comparison section is the MSI VR220.

MSI Meron VR220 250GB 8-Cell Vista P
	12.1" Display (1280x800), 2.16 GHz Intel T3200 Dual-Core Processor, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW, 802.11n, Bluetooth, 8 Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows Vista Premium
	Comes in: Black (VR220-004US) Blue (VR220-012US or VR220-033US) - from $754.95 Green (VR220-017US or VR220-005US) - from $676.99 Pink (VR220-030US)	More Info

The VR220′s 12.1″ screen features a resolution of 1280×800, which is certainly an improvement over the 1024×600 resolution that most netbooks offer.

The Intel dual-core T3200/3400 processor offers a substantial performance improvement over the Atom N270 processor that powers most netbooks.

And the internal DVD-RW drive eliminates the need to haul and external drive.

But the most impressive feature is that all of this fits into an attractive case and still weighs less than four pounds.

Related posts:

1. Falling Netbook Prices – 5/3/09
2. Netbooks Get Bigger, More Powerful
3. MSI X340 Slim Now In Stock and Shipping