Palm, Inc. recently released its newest handset, the Pre, which is a gorgeous touchscreen phone that rivals the iPhone and the Android platforms. With the positive buzz the unit is currently generating in the web space, this could be the next big hit for Palm and can possibly be the real “iPhone killer”.
A blog on Yahoo! has praises for the Pre and a main reason for this is Palm’s new platform dubbed as the WebOS. The Yahoo! blog has these nice things to say about the handset:
Running Palm’s gorgeous (if belated) new platform, dubbed WebOS, the touchscreen Pre could well be Palm’s savior, and perhaps its biggest hit.
So, as for the Pre itself: It’s got a big, 3.1-inch 480 by 320 touch display (yes, with multitouch and an accelerometer), weighs in at 4.8 ounces, and comes with a curved, slide-out keypad. Yes, it does Wi-Fi and 3G (EV-DO Rev. A, to be exact), as well as GPS (with turn-by-turn directions courtesy of TeleNav), stereo Bluetooth, 8GB of internal storage, a 3MP camera, a 3.5mm headset jack, and a removable battery.
But the key to the Pre is its OS, and WebOS—previously code-named “Nova”—is one of the hottest mobile platforms I’ve seen yet, rivaling both Android and Apple’s iPhone OS.
But Palm’s done a few key things differently here, starting with the “gesture” area at the bottom or side of the screen (if you’re, say, surfing the Web in landscape mode).
More importantly, though, is WebOS’s way of letting you handle and sort all your open applications like a deck of cards. If you’re composing an e-mail, for example, you can flick up, call open a new application, and then return to your e-mail at any point. All open applications appear as windows (similar to the windows in the iPhone’s Web browser), and you can flick back and forth, reorder them, and discard them at will.
WebOS also introduces a concept dubbed “Synergy,” which all applications can continuously get info from the Web. The best example: WebOS’s unified contact list, which seamlessly displays all your contacts and grab their e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and IM handles from Facebook, Gmail, Exchange, you name it.
And then there’s the WebOS “Dashboard”: a flexible space at the bottom of the screen for calling, messaging, and appointment alerts. As you’re working in other applications, you might see the first line of a text message or IM, or the Dashboard might open a bit bigger for a calendar alert, complete with “dismiss” and “snooze” options. When alerts appear, you’re free to keep working in your open application, or you can go ahead and open the alert—and if you want to answer an IM, you can swipe to that “card” in WebOS, and then return to your previous application card. Great stuff.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention “Touchstone,” a little hockey puck of an accessory with a killer feature—wireless charging. Just place the Pre on top of the Touchstone device to power it up. Awesome.
Expect more internet buzz as soon as the Pre gets officially released in the market.
The HP Mini 1000 is Hewlett Packard’s second weapon in the netbook wars. The HP Mini-Note 2133 was arguably the best looking netbook in the market, with its nice aluminum case and high resolution screen. What kept it from becoming a hit was its slow VIA C7-M processor and its expensive price. Luckily, HP listened to the critics and came up with a hit in its second try in the netbook space.
The unit I bought (officially labeled HP Mini 1001TU) has a 10.2 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1GB of RAM and a 60GB HDD. It has an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, Bluetooth, WiFi, webcam, 3-cell battery and runs on Windows XP Home SP3.
Overall, the HP Mini 1000 is one of the nicest looking netbooks I’ve seen thanks to its slim design and the attractive pattern on its glossy lid. The HP Mini 1000 is one of the thinnest and lightest netbooks around, weighing just 2.25 pounds and measuring just 1 inch thick.
For me the only serious drawbacks to this excellent product are its hard drive, which is the 4200 RPM kind and therefore slower compared to the standard hard drives which spin at 5400 RPM, and the limited USB ports (just 2 for all models), when most other netbooks have three. There’s a proprietary HP jack which means you’ll need to purchase a separate VGA adapter if you want to plug in a monitor.
If you can get past the thought that the HP Mini 1000 only comes with a 4200 RPM hard disk and has limited number of connection options, then this notebook is currently the best choice in the market. With its excellent design, large keyboard and competent hardware, the HP Mini 1000 is surely a winner.
I’m in search of a good mini-notebook (others call it netbook), one that will give me the most bang for my money. I own a trusty HP Pavilion notebook but it has a 15-inch screen and weighs a couple of kilograms, which make lugging it everyday a real burden. I am therefore in need of a much smaller notebook that can do the simple tasks of word processing and internet surfing, which prompted me to search the internet for reviews on mini-notebooks. Notably, there has been a recent surge in the production of mini-notebooks after Asus became extremely successful with its first Asus Eee PC. By far, the mini-notebook models that caught my attention are the MSI Wind, the HP 2133 Mini-Note, the Asus Eee PC 1000 and the Acer Aspire One. These mini-notebooks create so much buzz in tech sites and forums I was compelled to do my own research on them.
THE HP 2133 MINI-NOTE
The HP 2133 Mini-Note is the prettiest in the bunch. If not for its smaller screen (8.9 inches) and its processor (a Via C7-M processor), i would have easily picked this over the others. The Via C7-M processor used by the HP 2133 Mini-Note, based on almost all reviews I’ve read, is a rather slow processor compared to the Intel Atom processor used by the other mini-notebooks in the pack.
Here are the specs of the HP 2133 Mini-Note:
VIA C7 M 1000MHz
VIA Chrome9
Various DOS Options (Linux / MS Windows / MS Vista)
8.9in. 1280 X 768
1.0Gb RAM-120Gb HDD-USB2.0 (x2)
VGA Ethernet 10/100/1000 Line-out-SD card slot
802.11b/g BT 2.0 (Optional)-Built-in camera
Prices:
PhP 24,950.00-Linux OS, 1.0GHz Processor, 1.0Gb RAM, 120Gb HDD
PhP 29,950.00 -Windows Vista Basic OS, 1.2Ghz Processor, 2.0Gb RAM, 120Gb HDD
PhP 34,950.00-Windows Vista Business OS, 1.6GHz Processor, 2.0 Gb RAM, 160Gb HDD
THE ASUS EEE PC 1000
The Asus Eee PC 1000, a model yet to reach the Philippine market, is comparable to the MSI Wind in terms of specs and performance. It has an Intel Atom processor, a 10-inch screen, and a big hard disk space. It slightly looks better than the MSI Wind but its price tag makes the MSI Wind a more practical choice.
THE ACER ASPIRE ONE
The Acer Aspire One, on the other hand, boasts of an attractive finish, a highly dependable Linpus Linux operating system, and a cheaper price tag. However, it only has an 8.9 inch screen and has a limited disk storage capacity.
Below are the features of the Acer Aspire One:
Intel Atom Processor (1.6GHz, 512Kb cache, 533MHz FSB)
Mobile Intel 945GSE Express Chipset
802.11b/b Wireless Network Connection
Linpus Linux Lite OS
1Gb Memory (512Mb + 512Mb Module)
8.9 in. TFT CrytalBrite LCD (1024×600 pixel)
LED Backlight
8Gb SSD (with One slot for SD card storage expansion)
Webcam
Multiple card reader
89% full size keyboard
Price: PhP 18,800.00
THE MSI WIND
After comparing the specs and respective price tags of all four models, the MSI Wind easily stands out from the pack. It is a well-designed netbook (available in white, black and pink packages) with a lid that features a low-luster finish resistant to fingerprint smudges (according to those who have actually tried the unit). It has a full-sized keyboard (92%), which will make typing a less daunting task (a big improvement from the smaller keyboard of the Asus Eee PC 701). It already employs the Intel Atom which runs at 1.6Ghz and can be overclocked up to 1.9Ghz at a single touch of a button. It has a huge storage capacity (the cheapest configuration has 80Gb of hard disk which goes up as high as 320Gb for the more expensive models) and runs on a Windows XP operating system. There are reports from websites that Windows Vista and Apple’s Leopard OSX runs on the the MSI Wind.
Below are the basic features of the MSI wind:
10-inch 1024×600 LCD display
1.6-GHz Intel Atom processor
80/160/320 Gb hardrive
1GB RAM (up to 2GB)
Intel 965GMS+ICH7M chipset
802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
three USB ports
4-in-1 memory card reader
1.3-megapixel webcam
TurboDrive button (for 20% overclock, or 1.9GHz)
MS Windows XP Home Edition
2.6 pounds overall weight
Prices:
PhP 23,999.00 – 512Mb / 080Gb / No OS
PhP 24,999.00 – 1.0Gb / 080Gb / No OS
PhP 25,999.00 – 1.0Gb / 080Gb / with Windows XP Home Edition, SP3
PhP 26,999.00 – 1.0Gb / 080Gb / with Windows XP Home Edition, SP3 (with external 60Gb Mobile HDD)
PhP 29,999.00 – 2.0Gb / 160Gb / with Windows XP Home Edition, SP3
PhP 31,999.00 – 2.0Gb / 320Gb / with Windows XP Home Edition, SP3
With just the right combination of good looks, great features and reasonable price, there is no doubt in my mind that MSI Wind is the mini-notebook that will give the most bang for my money. I’m just waiting for the black version to arrive in the Philippines.
