NettopReviews UK covers this new nettop launched by Asus, and currently selling in the UK for about 330GBP (~$500).  It features a super-multi DVD burner, dual-core Atom 330 processor and NVidia ION graphics.

Other specs are: 2GB RAM (4GB max), 250GB HDD, Gigabit LAN, 802.11n Wi-Fi.
Ports: 1x LAN, 1x eSATA, HDMI, VGA, 6x USB, S/PDIF, Mic and headphone, Card Reader and built-in Antenna.

Check out the hands on video after the break.

Foxconn Qbox Nettop

NetbookNews.de reports on this new nettop by a relatively unknown manufacturer – at least on the consumer side of things.  Foxconn produces the Qbox, but more usually, they are the company that builds products for other large PC venodors like IBM, Apple, etc.  So for now, this super slim nettop is called the Qbox, but don’t be suprised if you it sold under another brand name in a store near you.

On to the nettop – is a tiny!  The Qbox measures just under an inch thick. It’s about 9.8″ x 6.6″ in length and width and weight just under 1.5lbs.  Under the hood, it features pretty standard specs;  a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1G of RAm, a 250GB hard drive, 5.1 channel audio, Ethernet, and 3 USB ports. It has a card reader, audio jacks, and a VGA port.

Reports are that it will sell for about $299 when launched.

Haleron H-BOX Nvidia Ion Nettop

A PC maker called Haleron is launching a new dual core, Nvidia Ion powered nettop.  The Haleron H-BOX is powered by a dual core Intel Atom 330 CPU and NVIDIA ION graphics – all in a slim line case and a weight of 2.2lbs.

The PC features 5 USb ports, an HDMI output, Ethernet, VGA, mic and headphone jacks and a flash card reader. It users 20-25 watts of power and sports a 320GB hard drive and 2GB of RAM. It’s available with Windows XP, Linux, or Windows 7.

No word yet on a release date, but we say, bring on the dual core, Nvidia nettops!

via Liliputing

Windows 7, coming to a nettop near you

With the launch of Microsoft’s new operating system just days away, we though it fitting to dedicate a post.  Windows 7 is the follow up to to the not so well received Windows Vista, and actually spells even better news for nettops and netbooks in particular.  That’s because many parts of this new version of Windows were written with netbooks and their nettop cousins in mind.  The result – better performance and lower power consumption.

Our friends at Netbook Review UK have put together a comprehensive page on their site with information on the different versions of Windows 7, and an FAQ.  It’s definately worth checking out.

Unboxing the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q100

We first reported on Lenovo’s IdeaCentre Q100 and Q110 nettops back in August, and now we have one from Lenovo to put through its paces.  This Q100 is powered by a single core 1.6ghz Atom 230 processor paired with 1gb of RAM and a 160gb hard drive and comes in at $299 from Lenovo.  Unlike its more powerful Nvidia Ion powered brother (the IdeaCentre Q110) the Q100 has graphics powered by SiS Mirage S3.  The form factor of the IdeaCentre Q series is ultra-slim, only a little larger than a double CD case.

So, that’s all the technical stuff out of the way, click past the break to see what’s in the box and my first impressions.

IdeaCentre Q100 Box Contents (CD for scale)

The box for this nettop is suitably small, and not a lot is contained within.  We have the Q100, with a cd on top for scale.   A small-ish power brick, the Q100’s stand, and a pack of user manuals, warranty cards and software restore CD.  That’s it.  Short but sweet and you’ll need to supply your own keyboard, mouse and monitor cord.

Lenovo IdeaCentre ports and stand

My first impression  – this is a tiny nettop! It feels more like a slim external DVD drive – although the Q100 does not have an optical drive. The outside finish is a glossy piano black  which hopefully won’t get as greasy as its netbook counterparts. There’s a power button on the front, that doubles as a bright blue power LED and a small panel that flips open to reveal 2 usb ports.

IdeaCentre USB ports can get cramped

The back of the Q100, from the bottom up, has 3.5mm audio out, power input, 4 usb ports and a VGA out port.  As you can see, the  USB ports are spaced very close together, which can make plugging in your flash drive and wireless keyboard dongle challenging.

The Q100 connected to my 32" LCD

Up and running, I can really appreciate that this nettop is fanless – it’s completely silent.  Only the bright blue LED gives away that it’s running at all.  And that LED is bright!  If I continue to use this as a HTPC, my first mod would be a piece of black electrical tape over this LED.  Now, however, after being pleasantly surprised by its small size and lack of noise, comes my first real let down.  There’s no integrated Wifi.  Yes, I repeat, no WiFi included at all.  I couldn’t realyl believe it, so I checked the hardware specs in ‘My Computer’ and yes, only the Gigabit LAN card is listed.  So, for now, I’ll need to get back to you on this nettop’s performance until I can find a USB Wifi dongle.

Sony Vaio L

Just like Sony’s Netbook, the Vaio P, the 24″  Sony Vaio L all-in-one, is priced at the very top end of the ‘all-in-one’ market, and can only arguably be called a nettop with it’s 2.7ghz Dual Core Pentium CPU, NVIDIA GeForce G210M graphics, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB display and DVD burner.  It also runs 1080p without any issues.  The options differentiate it further, with a 2.66GHz Core 2 Quad processor, 1TB of storage, a Blu-Ray drive, and an integrated ATSC tuner available.

The computer is up for pre-order now, and should be available in November.

LG Xpion X30 Nettop

We’re happy to see the new LG’s first nettop, and packing Nvidia’s Ion graphics to boot.  The LG XPION X30 also features Intel’s Atom 230 1.6GHz CPU with 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard-drive.  It’s also VESA-mountable XPION X30 to be hidden around the back of your LCD.

There are also six USB 2.0 ports and the whole thing weighs 1.1kg and uses just 40W of power.  There’s no  optical drive but we’re it will have WiFi and perhaps an HDMI port. The LG launches with Windows Vista which we hope will be swapped for  Windows 7 when the new OS drops in October.

LG Xpion X30 Nettop

MiNEW A10 nettop gets the Hello Kitty treatment

Moneual’s new nettop featuring bright pink Hello Kitty graphics is hard to miss.  The MiNEW A10 is available for ₩540,000, or about $443 in USD.   Specwise, this nettop is relatively uneventful,  using an Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, GMA950 and a 160GB SATA HD.

[Via Akihabara News]

The Linutop 3 Nettop

The new Linutop 3 nettop runs a custom Linux operating system on a 1ghz Via C7 processor, 1gb of RAM and a 2gb hard disk drive.  The upside of those miniscule specs are an equally miniscule power consumption of just 20watts.  You can expand the disk drive storage of this mahcine by using a memory stick in one of its 6 usb ports.  Pricing is said to come in at around $485, making this seem expensive for what you’re getting.

The Shuttle X500V All-In-One nettop

Long time portable desktop pc maker Shuttle has brought a new nettop all-in-one to the mraket called the X500V.  The X500v is powered by a dual core 1.6GHz Intel Atom 330 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive and instead of the ubiquitous Windows OS, this Shuttle runs OpenSUSE 11.1 Linux.

The small all-in-one computer measures about 15.4″  12.9″ x 1.4″ and has a 15.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel touchscreen display, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Ethernet, and 5 USB ports. It costs about 500 Euros in Europe but we don’t know about pricing and availability in the States yet.