Update: Forgot to mention. US model should come with a smaller chiclet keyboard, similar to the one on the Acer Aspire Revo. See pic here.

Finally got my hands on an ASUS Eee Box. The latest Eee Box 1501 (EB1501) that comes with an upgraded design and an optical drive (DVD). Of course this model still packs Nvidia ION graphics and a dual-core Atom 330 processor. Priced at $465 at Amazon.com and is available in black or white.

Comes with a decent wireless keyboard and mouse and a remote control.

ASUS Eee Box EB1501 specs:

• DVD burner
• Nvidia ION graphics
• Intel Atom 330 processor (1.66GHz, dual-core)
• 2GB RAM
• 250GB HDD
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• 6x USB 2.0, HDMI, eSATA, S/PDIF, audio jacks
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• Wireless keyboard / mouse / remote control

The video:

My needs are pretty simple when it comes to nettops. All I need is a quiet device that will play me HD video occasionally which covers pretty much most nettops except for the noise part. I’ll see how it performs over the week.

I’m a little late getting onto the Intel Pinetrail scene, but finally I have my hands on one of these new netbooks. The ASUS Eee PC 1005PE. I’ve got a Japanese model so I’m not sure whether I have the 14 hour or 11 hour battery just yet. I’ve got a white model with a white textured lid which you get on the Eee PC 1001P models though wish it came with the matte display from that model.

Not expecting much new with Pinetrail other than 10+ hours of battery life. Looks are identical to older models and I’ve been those those already. Chiclet keyboard brings me back to the 1000HE and it’s a little flexy.

ASUS Eee PC 1005PE

• Textured white (matte) lid
• Chiclet keyboard
• 10.1” 1024 x 600 display (glossy)
• Intel Atom N450 processor (1.66GHz)
• 250GB HDD
• 1GB RAM
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• 0.3MP Webcam
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Windows 7 Starter
• 6-Cell Battery

Watch the video:

Update: Brian tells me that the new model includes a VESA mount.

If you’ve been following the Acer Aspire Revo nettop, you’d know the single core R1600 version is easily obtainable but the availability of the dual-core R3610 version has been incredibly spotty at best. I’ve been keeping track of the latter’s availability ever since it came out and apart from when it debuted, only now do I see widespread availability.

This model is newer (AR3610-U9022) then the previous R3610 model that was on sale but the only difference I can see is a 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium. You’ve still got the same Atom 330 processor, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, Nvidia ION graphics, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and wireless keyboard / mouse set.

Here are some of the stores with it in stock, selling for $330.

Amazon.com, Newegg, B&H Photo Video, BuyDig

Update 2: Review now up. Read the Lenovo ThinkPad X100e Review.

Update: Added another video looking underneath the access panel.

My 11.6” Lenovo ThinkPad X100e notebook arrived today. First X100e models have the single-core AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 (1.6GHz) processor. Dual-core Neo and Turion models will be available at a later date.

Unboxing video below (available in 1080p HD):

A look at behind the access panel on the X100e (again, available in HD 1080p):

My ThinkPad X100e specs:

• 11.6” 1366 x 768 display (matte)
• AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 (single-core, 1.6GHz) processor
• ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics
• 1GB RAM
• 250GB HDD (2.5” SATA)
• 6-cell battery (57Wh)
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
• 282 x 189 x 26.5mm
• 1.5 kg / 3.3 pounds weight

So far, so good, for first impressions, apart from the battery sticking out. At least that makes it easier to slip into a sleeve / case. Keyboard has a tiny bit of flex if you press down hard enough but is not noticeable normally. Love the matte display. Really loving the lack of gloss which plagues most netbooks. Excellent slick trackpad and buttons are quiet and soft to press. All four.

Hoping that large access panel underneath is easily removable.

Already done with some battery test scores. Will post some further updates on the X100e tomorrow.

You can order the Lenovo ThinkPad X100e from Lenovo.com. Price starts at $449.

Lenovo ThinkPad X100e pictures:

Stay tuned for my full review early next week. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments, on YouTube or on my Twitter channel.

Lenovo has just released a new 11.6” Lenovo IdeaPad U150 notebook model in Black with an Intel Celeron SU2300 processor. It’s available for pre-order at Amazon.com for $549.99, but not on Lenovo.com.

So that’s three Lenovo IdeaPad U150 models:

Lenovo IdeaPad U150 - 6909-56U - $549.99
Black, Celeron SU2300 (1.2GHz, dual-core), 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi

Lenovo IdeaPad U150 - 690968U - $649
Red, Pentium SU4100 (1.3GHz, dual-core), 3GB RAM, 250GB HDD, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi

Lenovo IdeaPad U150 - 690969U - $749
Black, Core 2 Duo SU7300 (1.3GHz, dual-core), 3GB RAM, 250GB HDD, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

That puts it on par with the Acer Aspire 1410 with an SU2300 processor in terms of specs, but it is more expensive. If you’re new here, check out my Lenovo IdeaPad U150 review.

The dual-core Intel SU2300 (1.2GHz) model of the 11.6” Acer Aspire 1410 notebook may be hard to come by these days, and even if you can find one, pricing may reach far above the $400 mark that it initially sold for (BuyDig sells it for $489).

Well, it’s now back, with an larger sized 250GB HDD, just like the single-core Celeron 743 andCore 2 Solo SU3500 models. No mention of Bluetooth still, however.

Specs listed: 11.6” 1366 x 768 display, GMA 4500MHD graphics, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, HDMI + VGA out, Gigabit LAN, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi.

Available in black, red and blue at Amazon.com for $449.99 with free shipping. Blue is in stock, black and red are still on pre-order.

Thanks to RefCache for spotting this!

The pinetrail 10.1” Toshiba Mini NB305 netbook is now available to buy in the US. J&R.com has the Frost White and Java Brown models available for $399 with free shipping.

The Toshiba NB305 improves upon the previous NB305 with a sleeker chassis (rounded edges) and an integrated, more flush 6-cell battery. Toshiba rates the battery life at 11 hours.

Toshiba Mini NB305 specs:

• Intel Atom N450 processor
• 10.1” 1024 x 600 display
• 1GB RAM
• 250GB HDD
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• 6-cell battery
• Webcam
• Windows 7 Starter

Check out the Toshiba NB305 at J&R.com

The 10.1” ASUS Eee PC 1005PE Pine Trail netbook with a 14 hour battery is now available to buy at Amazon.com, in Black, for $379.99.

The ASUS Eee PC 1005PE tech specs:

• 10.1” 1024 x 600 display
• Atom N450 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 250GB HDD
• Bluetooth
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• 0.3MP Webcam
• Chiclet Keyboard
• Windows 7 Starter
• 6-Cell Battery (14 hours)

The blue model is still in pre-order mode.

Check out the ASUS Eee PC 1005PE at Amazon.com

The ASUS Eee PC 1005PE is also available at Newegg.

One of the upcoming Pine Trail netbooks in the ASUS Eee PC brand, the low end Eee PC 1001P is now up for pre-order at Amazon.com.

There are two models available, one for $299.99 and another for $339.99. Colors listed are Black, Blue, White and Pink models. The $299.99 model features a 160GB HDD and Windows XP Home while the $349.99 model has a 250GB HDD, Bluetooth and Windows 7 Starter. The rest of the specs for both, are as follows:

• 10.1” 1024 x 600 display
• Atom N450 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 0.3MP Webcam
• 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
• 6-cell battery (11 hours)

See ASUS Eee PC 1001P product listings at Amazon.com

The 10.1” Acer Aspire One 532H netbook with an Atom N450 processor is now up for pre-order at Amazon.com.

Available in the following colors: Onyx Blue, Matrix Silver and Garnet Red. Models rage from $299 - $349 with free shipping. The low end $299 model features a 160GB HDD and 8 hour battery while the high-end $349 model features a 250GB HDD and a 10 hour battery.

Other specs for both models include: 10.1” 1024 x 600 display, Atom N450 processor, 1GB RAM,802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, GMA 3150 graphics and Windows 7 Starter.

Check out the Acer Aspire 532H product listings at Amazon.com

Update 2: Added video below:

Update:
Ion has a link to the latest MPC-HC build which adds Broadcom Crystal HD support. You can download it below:
http://www.xvidvideo.ru/media-player-classic-home-cinema-x86-x64/media-player-classic-homecinema-x86-x64-svn-1453.html

With that latest build I have confirmed H.264 video plays back with around 30% CPU usage for 1080p / 720p video. Uploading a video right now…

—-
The latest drivers for Broadcom’s Crystal HD Video Decoder are out today and there is support for more media players including MPC-HC, XMBC and WMP 12 among others. Flash 10.1 is explicitly mentioned now (wasn’t mentioned previously). There are Linux drivers now available. 64-bit drivers also there.

XMBC has made an announcement today that Crystal HD Decoder support has arrived and is currently included in the nightly builds. They mention the broadcom card will soon be available in ExpressCard and PCI-e form factors (currently only in mini PCI-e form).

The previous Broadcom driver was dated 2009/08/10, version 2.36.0.0. The new driver is dated 2009/12/21 version 2.56.0.0, despite being version 3.1.0 on the product page.

I’ve had zero luck with the latest drivers. No Flash 10.1, no MPC-HC, no WMP12, nothing is working except ArcSoft TotalMedia which is the same state as the previous drivers. Perhaps I’m doing something wrong?
Download the latest Crystal HD Video Decoder Drivers.

You can pick up one of these mini PCI-e broadcom cards on Ebay (BCM70012) for just under $25 these days.

Anyone having any luck?

Thanks gozer!

While Amazon.com still has the 12.1” ION powered ASUS Eee PC 1201N up for pre-order, BuyDig has just got the black model in stock priced at $499 with free shipping and Newegg.com gets it back in stock for $499.99 with free shipping.

The specs: 12.1” 1366 x 768 display, dual-core Atom 330 processor, Nvidia ION graphics, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, 0.3M webcam, 6-cell battery (5 hour battery life) and Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit.

Check out the Eee PC 1201N at BuyDig.com or Newegg.com

When I got my HP Mini 110, one of the first things I wanted to do was install my Broadcom Crystal HD Decoder (Broadcom BCM70012) mini PCI-e card that I had laying around gathering dust.

Watch the video.

HP provides a manual for taking apart your netbook, and for the most part it is very straightforward, however I do point out some areas that you’ll need to be aware of in the first half of the video as I talk about taking the HP Mini 110 apart.

Didn’t have much time to show Flash 10.1 / 1080p playback but 1080p playback of non-flash videos works well, like we’ve seen before, using ArcSoft TotalMedia, the OEM version only available from HP. It’s still only available for Windows XP and I had some errors pop up during the install but it works fine playing videos. Depending on your video, you’ll need to hunt down codecs. I see that there is support for the Broadcom card with XBMC (along with one or two other players), not out of the box however. I was only successful with ArcSoft TotalMedia.

I’ve seen some feedback with Flash 10.1 working with the Broadcom card with Flash 10.1 pre-release but at least with Beta 2, as far as my tests go, I can’t get any sort of hardware accelerated Flash 10.1. Will have to wait until later Flash 10.1 releases.

Overall, a little disappointed with the state of the Broadcom card - very little support for for it, still, and Flash 10.1 working.

I am amazed with the screen on the HP Mini 110 - the matte coating is unlike anything I’ve seen before on a laptop / netbook (you get it on desktop LCDs though). It looks very similar to the one of the Sony Vaio X. There’s no texture or softening of the image like you get with the usual matte displays, and combine that with the 1366 x 768 display. This is my favourite netbook display to date.

Stuff you’ll need:

Flash 10.1 (currently Beta 2)
Broadcom Crystal HD Decoder mini-PCIe card (BCM70012) $25 on eBay.
Disassembly guide for HP Mini 110 (courtesy of MyHPMini)
Broadcom HD Video Decorder drivers - more recent than HP’s drivers.
ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre HP OEM version. - Windows XP - I don’t see any Windows 7 version.

So now that Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Beta 2 is out, I decided to give it a go on my Acer Aspire Revo AR1600 (single core Atom 230, NVidia ION) nettop. Through the first half of the video I didn’t notice any real improvement over Beta 1 (aside from slightly better performance in full screen mode perhaps) but then somehow CPU usage dropped below 50% instead of hovering at around 70% - 80% which was what I got with Beta 1 previously.

Watch the video.

Full screen mode doesn’t seem to be silky smooth though like in windowed mode, but is still very watchable. Overall I am seeing a drop from 70% - 80% to 40% - 50% in Beta 2. That’s a nice improvement, however I am not sure if I have followed steps correctly. I’m kind of expecting much lower CPU usages in future versions. Still, in the end, this is very usable as it is.

GMA 500 support may have been dropped or at least has taken a step backward. Trackmart has tried the new version on a GMA 500 device in IE and Google Chrome but unlike Beta 1, noticed more crashes and no hardware acceleration this time round. (see these comments)

Tested with:

• Acer Aspire Revo (single core Atom 230, NVidia ION graphics)
• Adobe Flash 10.1 Beta 2
• NVidia ION drivers 195.62 (dated 11/26/2009)
• Windows 7 early build (before RC)
• Google Chrome and Firefox 3.5.5 (worked same in both)

Prior results with version 10.1 pre-release.

Anyone else tested it out? What are your results?

Thanks to Ion for the constant driver updates!