HP shooting for the low end of the notebook market with new $199 notebooks

We're at an interesting place right now with Windows 8.1-based systems. Many users and potential buyers seem to be waiting out until the next revision (Windows 9, Codenamed 'Treshold') becomes available. Many of the recent hybrids, convertibles and ultrabooks have failed to gain much traction. Trying a different tact, it seems manufacturers like HP are going the Chromebook route. That is, offering cheap hardware to help push the OS. Revealed today is the colourful consumer focused US $199 HP Stream notebook that's geared to compete with similarly affordable Chromebooks. Interesting features include fanless design, 8-hour battery life and an HD screen.

Featuring modest Intel Celeron processors, an 11.5-inch non-touch display and 32GB of SSD memory. Each of these new-age netbooks will get access to a year subscription of Office 365, 1 Terabyte of OneDrive storage plus a $25 Microsoft Store gift certificate. The Stream notebooks accompany low-cost Stream tablets that offer Windows 8.1 functionalty starting at $150. No Canadian availability or pricing has been released but these will likely find their way to our shores for the holiday season.

Preview: Dell Inspiron Duo is more than meets the eye

Well what have we here! Another tablet? No, wait it's a netbook or something in between. This is Dell's Inspiron Duo and it looks good. The hybrid device is expected to hit the usual Dell outlets in December, hope it comes to Canada.

Hands on with Asus Eee PC 1000HA

The ASUS Eee PC model 1000HA (without the Wireless N and Bluetooth) was a revelation in terms of netbooks. Compared to the smaller, SSD-toting Eee PCs, this one can really be an all day machine. Costing $480 from Canada Computers - this is one netbook that can replace your laptop if you don't mind the missing optical drive and the smaller 10' inch screen. There are a number of features that make the Eee PC 1000HA a compelling netbook option. The 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor is a sprightly beast that can apparently be tuned down to 1.2Ghz on economy mode and boosted to 1.7GHz using the included Super Hybrid Engine application. Running it on power saving mode for this review was just fine. More on the Eee PC 1000HA after the Jump A tiny computer that can easily switch gears is great to have, you can downclock the processor for those long haul flights and kick it into overdrive when trying to beat a deadline or when it is plugged in. We also like the size of the keyboard which is very usable unlike other netbook keyboards which are absolute hell to type on. The keys themselves could be a bit stiffer but everything else about the keyboard is spot on except for the nagging placement of a page up button where the shift button should be. The touchpad is too sensitive and we managed to click and close browser windows we were still reading. Still it is of ample size and works well. Atom inside Running Windows XP, we popped in a 2GB RAM stick and the Eee PC seems to be snappier than a similar spec ThinkPad X60s which has a low power 1.6GHz Core Duo processor. Is the Atom Processor really that much faster? Its doubtful but we're more concerned about the battery life and the alleged 6-7 hours squeezed out of the Eee PCs 6 cell battery. We'll have more info on that as we put it through its paces. With Windows XP, this netbook runs efficiently and is fast for most uses. We threw on Google Chrome and it just flew, loading websites quickly and with minimum fuss. It is also whisper quiet, we have to glue our ears to the vents to hear if the fan is on at all. Same with the heat generation, the Atom processor seems to run cucumber cool while maintaining performance expected of its Pentium pedigree. Look and Feel Although plasticky with a godawful glossy finish, the Eee PC 1000HA feels more substantial and less toylike than the Eee 700. The 10 inch screen, I think, Is the sweet spot for actually getting stuff done. Fit and finish is not bad, nowhere near as solid as the HP netbooks but still pretty good for what you are paying for. The black model can certainly make you feel at home in a corporate setting and it could actually pass for a higher end Fujitsu or even a VAIO subnotebook. Upgrading the RAM is dead easy, two screws allow you to lift a panel that accesses the RAM (one slot only) and the Hard Drive. With the cheap cost of RAM these days, we suggest bumping up your spec to 2GB since this also shares the load of the integrated graphics card. You get three USB 2.0 ports and a card reader which we think should come standard on any notebook since its so convenient to work on your photos when you are travelling. Black Eee PC Conclusion Its hard to pry us away from our new MacBook but this Eee PC is just so darn light and such fun to use. The LED screen on this is gorgeous and makes the purchase price totally worth it. We have brightness down to 1/4 on the dial and it is still brighter than our ThinkPad on full setting. This means turning down the brightness to save battery life won't come at the cost of our eyesight. Yay! The styling is a bit fancy albeit still generic, the construction is solid enough but the battery seems not to lock into the body completely which makes it feel a tad flimsy. Still, for the price, this is one netbook we wouldn't mind taking out for lattes or to long flights. We'll have more info and photos in the coming days as we use the Asus Eee PC 1000HA as our daily driver. ---- UPDATE Read the Full Review on the Asus Eee PC 1000H here!

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