Samsungs N510 and HP Mini 311 - 1st Generation Nvidia Ion Notebooks Specs

Remember everyone, you heard it here first! (Not even those popular tech news/blogs have this posted yet! Most sites claim: "Full specs aren't available...")

Well since this is a "simple" tech blog, I'll break it down to you very easily. These netbooks are going to be the first to offer playable gaming and HD playback to those mini-netbooks that everyone seems to be picking up nowadays. It's the next evolution of netbooks. First it was the atom chip that allowed netbooks even be possible. Now, it's "gameability". However, the ION is not for everyone. It's a waste of money if you're not planning to be playing any games or watching any HD content. Check out the specs for each below.

The Samsung N510

Specs:

Processor	Intel® ATOM™ Processor N280 (1.66GHz, 667MHz, 512KB)
Main Chipset	Nvidia MCP79-D9
System Memory	1GB (DDR2 / 1GB x 1)
Memory Slot	1 x SODIMM
LCD	11.6" LED HD (1366 x 768) 16:9
Graphic Processor	Nvidia ION LE (Int. Graphic)
Graphic Memory	Shared Memory (Int. Grahpic)
Sound	HD (High Definition) Audio
Sound Effect	Mic Noise Suppression
	SRS 3D Sound Effect
Speaker	3W Stereo Speaker (1.5W x 2)
Integrated Camera	1.3MP Web Camera
HDD	160GB (5400rpm S-ATA)
ODD	No
Wired Ethernet LAN	10 / 100 LAN
Wireless LAN	802.11bg/n
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
VGA	Yes
S-Video (TV-out)	No
HDMI	Yes
Headphone-out	Yes
Mic-in	Yes
Internal Mic	Yes
USB	(Chargeable USB included)
	3 x USB 2.0
Multi Card Slot	3-in-1 (SD, SDHC, MMC)
RJ45 (LAN)	Yes
Keyboard Type	83 Key (Anti-Bacteria Keyboard)
Security	BIOS Boot Up Password
	HDD Password
AC Adapter	40W
Standard Battery	6 Cell
Dimension (W x D x H mm)	289 x 199.5 x 26.5 ~ 30.3mm
Weight (kg)	1.41kg
Standard DVD	OS CD
	System S/W Media

HP Mini 311

Specs

Product Number	VT111PA
Microprocessor	1.66 GHz Intel Atom Processor N280
Microprocessor Cache	512 KB Level 2 cache
Memory	1024 MB (1 x 1024 MB)
Maximum Memory	3 GB
Video Graphics	NVIDIA ION LE
Hard Drive	160 GB (5400 rpm)
Keyboard	92% Full size keyboard
Pointing Device	Touch Pad with dedicated vertical Scroll Up/Down
Display	11.6” Diagonal HD LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1366 x 768)
Network Card	Ethernet 10/100BT integrated network interface
Wireless Connectivity	802.11b/g WLAN Bluetooth
Sound	Altec Lansing speakers
Keyboard	82 key (92% Full size)
Pointing Device	Touch Pad with dedicated vertical Scroll Up/Down
External Ports	3 USB 2.0 HDMI VGA RJ-45 Headphone-out/Microphone in combo jack AC adapter
Dimensions	28.9 cm (L) x 20.4 cm (W) x 1.98 - 3.06 cm (H)
Weight	1.46 kg
Power	65 W AC Power Adapter 6-Cell Lithium Polymer (26Whr)

more Mini 311 models here.

To control my obsessive gaming behavior in the past (hehe), I have limited myself by having my gaming computer as a notebook. Limited upgradeability, compared to a desktop, so I'm saving a lot of money by not buying a new upgrade every week! But I'm considering selling all the computers I have just to buy one of these... We'll see

Consumer Value & Smart Shopping

Some guy on a forum I go to said this:

once again, people fail to realize mobile graphics cards are MUCH weaker than desktop graphics cards of the same model number...

I responded with (there are some geek references but you'll get the point):

It's all relative. if you're comparing mobile graphics to desktop graphics, then ya, the 9600m is crap. if you're comparing the 9600m to most integrated laptop solutions like the 4500hmd or the Radeon 3200, then yeah the 9600m is appealing (especially at $585).

It's like comparing apples to oranges, it's like saying you wear clothes for it's function alone. Mobile graphics categorization does not equal desktop graphics categorization, duh. Laptops with discrete chipsets aren't just for gaming, it's a compromise of portability and power. Everyone has their needs, whether it be mobility, space constraints, style, functions, etc... And saying that the 9600m "is actually a very weak card" and that "people fail to realize" it, are very ignorant assumptions.

What you guys "fail to realize" is that you're enveloped in the marketing ploy set forth by these genius marketing campaigns that cause you to focus only on the speed and power of computing these days, that you've become critical of those not meant to be the fastest and most powerful. You don't see the computer as a whole, only what they want you to see.

It's the same thing with anything else we buy. Wake up.

But really, we all need to wake up as consumers and do some Smart Shopping. It's not about jumping on the newest sale or always using a coupon, it's about the value in what you are getting.

We buy to fulfill a need, whether it's "to be cool with my ipod, because everyone else has one", "to buy a netbook to lighten my luggage when I travel", or to "replace my 10 year old computer". Let me tell you what consumer value really is, it's:

1. Timing. Buying what you need, when you really need it.
2. Research. Knowing exactly what you need and what you don't.
3. Perseverance. We are all different! What works for some, won't work for others. Know what you need first, and then take into consideration what other people say, but don't let those smooth talking salesmen/woman, or even a cheap price, fool you!
4. Price gauging. To really understand a good monetary "value", you'll have to watch market trends in any industry. In fashion: what's in style for the season is what is going to be higher priced, and last seasons leftovers are what's on sale. It's the same thing with technology. Although the trends aren't easily marked from season to season, you can read about the up-and-coming technologies and then see the other side of the spectrum, what products are on constantly on sale (which usually marks the end-of-life of a product).

Apply this knowledge to any item you buy, and that should be a good start for smart shopping. I think 2) and 4) go hand in hand, but for the most part, I organized these aspects by level of importance, to me. Remember, everyone is different, so feel free to change or even construct your own ideology and criteria for smart shopping. It's just important that you have something to buy by.


A reflection of my perspective of smart shopping

Please view my previous, relevant postings about smart shopping (it seems that I talk about this subject a lot. I think I'm just tired of repeating myself to those who I help shop for):
Bargain Online Christmas (actually anytime) Shopping
Mechanics of buying for the future (and now)
DVDs & Blu-Rays: who needs em?

It seems that I was pretty adamant back then on my shopping ways, but I have grown. I respect other peoples values now (haha, I'm such a jerk). If you can afford the luxury of a high-priced Blu-Ray collection, by all means! I'm just the kind of guy who knows what he wants and has the patience to wait for it.

My friend Jeanne, asked me in 2002, "You're into electronics. Out of all people, you should have an Ipod!" I told her, "I'm going to wait. There will be a time, very soon, when they'll have a device where it'll be your camera, your phone, your mp3 player, and web browser." I knew exactly what I wanted. Then the 1st generation iPhone came out... but it was a touch screen (I'm a clutz) and it used iTunes to manage it's music (which was very anti-pirate/secure at the time). So I waited some more, until the Blackberry Curve came out, and I was in love! My criteria for my next mobile device:

• Mp3 player
• GPS
• Web Browser/IM
• Phone
• Integrated into a car console to replace the radio.

C'mon iPhone, I'm willing to give you a chance if you're the first on this bandwagon.

Quick Blackberry Tips

1. Always close your programs using Menu => Exit. If you don't the open programs will eat up memory on your blackberry. It will slow your BB to a crawl if you have multiple programs installed, especially on the old 83xx series.
2. When in doubt, pull the battery. Sometimes your BB gets clogged like a toilet full of crap and the only way to fix it is to pull the battery out.
3. Alt + L + G + L +G. This will bring up the device log. Sometimes a large log will slow down your BB, so make sure you hit Menu => Clear log. I do this before I do a battery pull to insure freshness!
4. Alt + Rt. Caps + Del. Same thing as a Ctrl/Alt/Del. Will soft reboot your BB in case of freezes.
5. Sync it to your PC at least every couple months. That way if you break or lose it, you can do a recent restore.

Must haves (IMO)

• Google Maps
• Google Sync
• Viigo
• Bolt Browser
• BPhone Theme
• BBFileScout (for advanced users)