Fall 2010 Lineup: Seven Netbooks, Strutting Their Stuff
The current generation of most, if not all, 10.1" netbooks is based on the Pinetrail platform, utilizing a processor from Intel's Pineview series (Atom N4XX, D4XX, and D5XX). Start flipping through the selection at Best Buy and Newegg, and it becomes easy to see that Intel has all but cornered the market on netbooks. Because these subnotebooks are often price-focused, the single core 45 nm Atom N450 (1.6 GHz) remains the most popular choice for system builders.
Announced in late Q4'09, the major improvements over Atom N2XX are the added on-chip GPU, on-chip memory controller, 64-bit capabilities, and a lower platform TDP. In the end, this means a more capable CPU, more capable graphics, and better battery life.
It is important to note that there are two versions of the Pinetrail platform. When system builders switched from Diamondville to the Pineview processor, all new netbooks were granted new model names. However, a few months back, Intel quietly rolled out a minor upgrade to its Pineview processors by including DDR3 support, and several netbooks retained their model names, while including these new processors. In what we are referring to version one, the N4X0/D4X0/D5X0 are from the first iteration of Intel's Pineview series and feature DDR2 support. And in what we are calling version two, denoted by a "5" at the end of their model name, the new N4X5/D4X5/D5X5 have moved to DDR3.
Remember, it doesn't matter that the newest Atom processors still employ single-channel memory. Even with dual-channel configurations, it is hard to see any performance difference between DDR2 and DDR3. In fact, as far as buying goes, it really doesn't matter if it is a version one or two platform. At the end of the day, it doesn't change battery life, performance, thermal characteristics, or anything else important about these netbooks, except one field in the spec list. So strike that off your shopping criteria.
| Market Price | $339.99 | $299.99 | $349.99 | $299.99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Acer | Asus | Dell | Gateway |
| Model | AO521 | Eee PC 1001P | Inspiron Mini 10 (1012) | LT21 (LT2120u) |
| CPU | Athlon II Neo K125 (1.7GHz) | Atom N450 (1.66GHz) | Atom N450 (1.66GHz) | Atom N450 (1.66GHz) |
| Display Type | Glossy | Matte | Glossy | Glossy |
| Display | 10.1" WSVGA LED | 10.1" WSVGA LED | 10.1" WXGA LED | 10.1" WSVGA LED |
| Native Resolution | 1024 x 600 | 1024 x 600 | 1366 x 768 | 1024 x 600 |
| Graphics | Mobility Radeon HD 4225 | GMA 3150 | GMA 3150Crystal HD (BCM970015) | GMA 3150 |
| Memory | 1GB DDR3 | 1GB DDR2 | 1GB DDR2 | 1GB DDR2 |
| HDD | 250GB 5400RPM | 160GB 5400RPM | 250GB5400RPM | 160GB 5400RPM |
| Wireless | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | No | No | Yes | No |
| Card Reader | SD/MS/Pro/MMC/XD | SD/MMC | SD/MS/MMC | SD/MS/Pro/MMC/XD |
| Webcam | 1.3 MP | 0.3 MP | 1.3 MP | 0.3 MP |
| Battery | 6 cell (48WHr) | 6 cell (48WHr) | 6 cell (56WH) | 6 cell (63WHr) |
| Length (in)* | 10.2 | 10.31 | 10.52 | 10.17 |
| Width (in)* | 7.4 | 6.95 | 7.88 | 7.28 |
| Height (in)* | 1.1 | 1.51 | 1.38 | 1.45 |
| Market Price | $329.99 | $299 | $374.99 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | HP | Lenovo | MSI |
| Model | Mini 210 HD | Ideapad S10-3 | Wind 160 |
| CPU | Atom N475 (1.83GHz) | Atom N450 (1.66GHz) | Atom N450 (1.66GHz) |
| Display Type | Glossy Glass Panel | Glossy | Glossy |
| Display | 10.1" WXGA LED | 10.1" WSVGA LED | 10.1" WSVGA LED |
| Native Resolution | 1366 x 768 | 1024 x 600 | 1024 x 600 |
| Graphics | GMA 3150 Crystal HD (BCM970012) | GMA 3150 | GMA 3150 |
| Memory | 1GB DDR3 | 1GB DDR2 | 1GB DDR2 |
| HDD | 250GB 7200RPM | 160GB 5400RPM | 250GB 5400RPM |
| Wireless | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | No | No | Yes |
| Card Reader | SD/MS/Pro/MMC/XD | SD/MS/Pro/MMC/XD | SD/MS/Pro/MMC/XD |
| Webcam | 0.3 MP | 1.3 MP | 1.3 MP |
| Battery | 3 cell (28WHr) | 6 cell (58WHr) | 6 cell (64WHr) |
| Length (in)* | 10.55 | 10.55 | 10.24 |
| Width (in)* | 6.9 | 6.6 | 7.94 |
| Height (in)* | 1.11 | 1.45 | 1.45 |
*Measured for largest value.