ECS is showing off a new 10 inch Olivetti netbook with a super-slim design. Netbook news got a chance to check the netbook out at Computex last week, and while it doesn’t look all that exciting on paper (1024 x 600 pixel display, Intel Atom N270 processor, 2 USB ports, 1.8 inch hard drive), it looks awfully nice on video.

The reason for the 1.8 inch hard drive is because you just can’t easily fit a 2.5 inch hard drive in a laptop this thin. The Olivetti netbook also has very few physical ports. There are 2 USB ports on the back, as well as what looks like a proprietary port that may work with a VGA adapter. The sides are almost bare, with only space for a power adapter, headphone jack, and flash card reader.

ECS also incorporated the status LEDs onto the button below the touchpad, which looks pretty cool — until you actually start using the laptop. Still, it’s an interesting design decision and it’s nice to see a netbook that doesn’t look like every other mini-laptop on the market.

There’s no word on pricing or availability.

Bild: MSI

MSI GT 660

Das 16-Zoll MSI GT660 Notebook besitzt eine HDready Auflösung (1366×768 Pixel). Es sollte nicht verwunderlich sein, dass nahezu alle Spiele auch bei maximaler, nativer Auflösung flüssig laufen, da diese für ein Gaming-Notebook eher klein ausfällt.

Befeuert wird das MSI GT660 von einem Intel Core i7-720QM. Dieser Prozessor hat sich neben dem i7-820QM bereits in vielen Spiele-Notebooks als effizient erwiesen. Des Weiteren lassen sich im Notebook bis zu 12 GB Arbeitsspeicher verbauen, welche auf 3 Speicherslots verteilt sind. 2x 500 GB Festplatten bzw. 500 GB + 64 GB SSD sind mit an Bord.

Bild: MSI

MSI GT 660

Des Gamers bester Freund, die Grafikkarte, muss in einem Gaming-Notebook immer besonders stark sein. Hier greift MSI zur Geforce GTX 285M von Nvidia. Man findet diese Karte nur selten in Gaming-Notebooks, da die aktuellen ATI 5800-Karten mehr Performance zum günstigeren Preis mit sich bringen. Dennoch zeigt die Nvidia-Karte der letzten Generation eine sehr gute 3D-Leistung.

Als Besonderheit kann bei diesem Gerät auch das Anschluss-Portfolio angesehen werden. Neben HDMI, Multikartenleser und 2x USB 2.0 verfügt das MSI GT660 auch über 2 USB 3.0-Anschlüsse. Für den Gamer, mit entsprechender externen Festplatte, ein Kaufgrund. Die Netzwerkverbindung wird beim MSI GT660 über WLAN, sowie Gigabit Ethernet LAN geregelt.

Bild: MSI

MSI GT 660

Weiterhin wirbt MSI beim neuen GT660 mit einem „revolutionärem Soundsystem“. Dabei kooperiert der Hersteller mit dem Lautsprecher-Vertrieb Dynaudio. MSI verspricht beim GT660 ein „einzigartiges Klangerlebnis“.

Bild: MSI

MSI GT 660

Der Preis des MSI GT660 variiert je nach Konfiguration sehr stark, fängt jedoch bei ca. 1499 Euro an und gipfelt hin bis zu 2299 Euro. In der gleichen Preisklasse liegt z.B. auch ein Asus G73 für 1499 Euro mit gleichem Prozessor, aber größerem Display mit höherer Auflösung und einer ATI Mobility Radeon HD5870.

Ende Juni soll das MSI GT 660 verfügbar sein.

MSI Wind Pad 100

Asus ain’t the only company launching a few tablets at Computex this week. MSI just unveiled two new models, the MSI Wind Pad 100 and Wind Pad 110. Both feature 10 inch touchscreen displays, but under the hood they’re two very different machines.

Wind Pad 100 Windows 7 tablet

The MSI Wind Pad 100 packs a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor and runs Windows 7 Ultimate. MSI has developed a finger-friendly program luancher called Wind Touch.

The tablet has 2 USB ports, a webcam, and an HDMI output for handling 720p HD video. The tablet weighs 1.7 pounds and has a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel capacitive display.

Engadget reports the Wind Pad 100 should hit the streets later this year for about $499.

MSI Wind Pad 110

Wind Pad 110 Android tablet

The folks at Engadget also spied an MSI tablet with a NVIDIA Tegra 2 chipset. This one is called the Wind Pad 110 and it also has a 10 inch capacitivie touchscreen display, USB ports, and video output.

The Wind Pad 110 runs Android 2.1 and is somewhat stylish thanks to a design that lets you replace the back panel with a more colorful or stylish design. According to Engadget the Android powered Wind Pad 110 will either be available for $399 by year’s end… or it might never make it to market.

Asus N10
The N10 was designed by the laptop division within Asus, rather than the company’s Eee PC team. It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that it makes use of laptop components and looks more like one of the company’s sexy ultra-portables than a traditional netbook.

Design and usability
The N10 is slightly larger than most netbooks, but its glossy champagne end makes sure that it’s something of a head-turner. We also like the keyboard. It’s one of the best you’ll find on any netbook, as the keys are well spaced out and have excellent travel. The trackpad is impressive too. It’s super-smooth, so your finger glides across it effortlessly, and there are dedicated scroll strips for speedily scrolling through Web pages and documents.

Connectivity
If there’s one area where the N10 can’t be faulted, it’s connectivity. The standard netbook staples are covered, so you get wireless-n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, three USB ports and a VGA socket. There are also some clean extras, such as the HDMI socket that makes it simple to hook the N10 up to a flat-screen TV, and the headphone jack that doubles as an S/PDIF socket, so you can connect it to a set of surround-sound speakers.

Performance and battery life
The N10’s inner gubbins also represent something of a departure from the netbook norm. Along with standard netbook components like an Atom N270 processor and GMA 950 graphics chip, Asus has added a second laptop graphics chip that you can switch on and off via a button on the front. This Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS chip is powerful enough to handle games like Half-Life 2 and allows the netbook to play high-definition video. What’s more, instead of the usual 1GB of RAM, Asus has kitted the N10 out with 2GB, which gives the Windows Vista Business OS room to stretch its legs. All this extra grunt shortens battery life slightly, but the N10 still lasted for a respectable 2 hours and 48 minutes in Battery Eater’s Classic test.

Should I buy it?
If you want a netbook that offers significantly more power than your average model, but don’t want to go up to a traditional ultra-portable, the N10 is a cracking choice.

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Asus Eee PC S101 With the Eee PC S101, Asus has tried to bridge the gap between netbooks and more upmarket, business laptops. The excellent news is that the company has largely succeeded. This model’s combination of a large keyboard, top-notch screen and gorgeous design makes it stand out from the netbook crowd. Design and usability The S101 ditches the toy-like styling of previous Eee PCs and instead is decked out in a rather fetching, and more professional-looking, brown colour scheme. It feels much more like one of the company’s slick ultra-portables than a traditional netbook. That’s an impression that’s reinforced by the brilliant keyboard, which is only a shade smaller than those found on standard laptops. We’re also huge fans of the 10.2-inch screen. It’s bright, but uses a matte coating that’s simpler on the eyes than a glossy one when you’re working with it for long periods. Connectivity On the connectivity front, the S101 features the usual suspects. You get an Ethernet socket, VGA connector and three USB ports for hooking up peripherals like cameras and external hard drives. There’s also wireless-n Wi-Fi for connecting the S101 to your router at home or hotspots when you’re out, and Bluetooth so you can easily transfer pictures and other files to and from mobile phones. Performance and battery life The S101 has the staple netbook innards of a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor and 1GB of RAM. As you’d expect, its performance is pretty much in line with other netbooks in the Asus stable, such as the 1000HE. It handles day-to-day tasks without any problems and will even comfortably play 720p high-definition videos, although 1080p files are a step too far. When it comes to battery life, the S101’s slim, four-cell, 4,900mAh power pack makes it more of a sprinter than a marathon runner. In Battery Eater’s Classic test, it managed to keep running for just 3 hours and 23 minutes. Should I buy it? It’s pricy and its battery life isn’t wonderful, but the S101 isn’t so much about performance as looks. If you value gorgeous design, you’ll find it hard to resist.

Asus Eee 1018p has 2GB RAM, a 10-hour battery, and a 250GB hard drive in its stock configuration. The 1018p runs on the Intel Atom n455 and n475 processors, which haven’t been out that long. This means quicker Netbooks, running at an apparent 1.83GHz, up from the 1.6GHz typical of the current crop of Netbooks.

Because the 1018p runs on Atom processors, there’s a possibility the hackintosh community can find a way to run Apple’s OS X on them. Asus Netbooks are well loved among OS X fans for just this reason.

The 1018p should be available in May for about $500 in the U.S. And if it can indeed run OS X, then that, combined with the design, makes it look a lot like Asus is trying to covertly court Apple’s portable customers away from the MacBook Air, which many find to be a gorgeous but expensive alternative. And if Apple decides that’s the case, look for the rumored changes in the next version of OS X, which would disable support for Atom processors, to come to bear.

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                                     It seems everyone is enamored with the Nvidia Ion-powered HP Mini 311–and rightfully so. This Graphics chips are responsible for processing all images sent to your computer?s display.
Learn Moregraphics chip has changed the game for mini-notebooks, enabling full HD video playback, mainstream 3D games, and even video editing chops without adding too much cost. And while we’ve yet to review the Ion-enabled Samsung N510 or Lenovo IdeaPad S12, ASUS’ new entry could trump them all.

The port spread is standard but includes HDMI for attaching the 1201N to a high-def monitor or TV. With this GPU and the addition of Flash 10.1, owners will be able to output full 1080p video from the 1201N and watch full screen HD Hulu and YouTube clips without a hitch, as we’ve proven.

In addition to the Ion GPU there’s an intriguing CPU: a dual core Intel Atom N330. This processor is usually found in nettops, and we’re psyched to see how this processor will affect performance and battery life. Add in 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive and you have a very well equipped machine for $499. In fact, the 1201N costs $80 less than a similarly configured HP Mini 311, and that netbook has a single-core processor.

This is shaping up to be one compelling Ion netbook.

ASUS Eee PC 1201N Specs:The storage device that holds your OS, programs, and data.
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• Display size/resolution: 12.1 inches/1366 x 768
• CPU: Intel Atom 330 dual core processor
• Memory/Expandable to: 2GB/3GB
• Graphics: Nvidia Ion
• Hard drive: 250GB (plus 500GB online storage)
• Ports: VGA, HDMI, 3 USB 2.0, Ethernet, headphone/mic
• Card Slots: MMC/ SD(SDHC)
• Wireless: 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Size: 11.7 x 8.2 x 1.3 inches
• Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Battery Life: Up to 5 hours with Super Hybrid Engine
• Available colors: Black, Silver

The 1201N will also come with ArcSoft SimHD, which upscales standard definition video content to high definition, according to the ASUS press release. What remains to be seen is how energy-efficient the 1201N’s Atom 330 processor is; the Mini 311’s single core Atom N270 processor  saw 4 hours and 45 minutes of runtime on Windows 7 Premium.

Check out the images and hands-on video below and tell us how you think the 1201N stacks up to the Mini 311. Update: the full review of the Eee PC 1201N is now live. The short verdict? Fastest netbook ever.