With HP losing profits, it certainly makes sense to focus on the segment of the tech industry that’s actually doing well. Two new variants of HP’s Mini series are on the way, including one model breaks the $300 barrier. The new Mini 110s are a lot like their predecessors, but you can add a widescreen display and optional Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator for watching high-definition video. The Mini 110 starts at $330 with Windows XP, but you can save $50 by fitting it with Linux instead (it goes great with the Pink Swirl model). For the business set, HP’s Mini 1101 has optional mobile broadband and a six-cell battery, and can be equipped with Windows XP Home, XP Pro or even Vista, though we’re not sure why you’d want the last option. The price begins at $329. Look for the Mini 110 on June 10 and the Mini 1101 on June 1. [via InformationWeek]
Around here, we see enough carefully-timed press releases and slowly trickling droplets of information that it’s worth a laugh when a company’s spot gets blown up. So here we have a Dell netbook that runs on Google’s Android operating sytem, being announced by a company responsible for the porting of Flash Lite onto the computer. That Bsquare then tried to pull the press release in hopes that people wouldn’t notice (they did) makes the situation more comical. Being an announcement related to Adobe Flash, there’s really no other substantial information except that the netbook will be called the Mini Inspiron 910, but hey, now you know. [Yahoo! Business via Gizmodo]
Have you ever been in a restaurant and thought the kids menu looked more appetizing than the adult offerings? That’s how I feel about the PeeWee, which looks pretty great despite its kid-centric design and features. The PC has a ten-inch touch screen and a swiveling display, but also includes parental lock software and a bundle of other age-targeted childrens’ programs and games. All it really need was a copy of Crayon Physics Deluxe and all ages would be satisfied. Other features include a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 60 GB hard drive, a 1.3-megapixel camera and Windows XP Home. It also has a carry handle and spill-resistant shell, which, let’s face it, we could all use. The PeeWee’s available now exclusively on its Web site, for $599.99. [via Engadget]
OEM hardware manufacturer OCZ just launched the Neutrino, a new Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz netbook. The netbook features a 10-inch backlit LCD display with 1024 x 600 resolution, 2 Gigs of memory and a 250 GB hard drive standard. A 250 GB SSD hard drive is available for an additional cost. Of course, this is a netbook so you get WiFi, ethernet, 1.3 MP web cam and 4-in-1 card reader. Operation will be handled by buyer’s choice of Windows XP or Linux. Pricing and availablity not yet announced. [Geeky Gadgets]
If you’re a third-party software developer with an Intel Atom-based netbook and some time to play around, consider giving the company’s Moblin operating system a whirl. The open-source based Linux OS is in alpha stage now, allowing users to check out its “Fastboot” feature, networking functions and development tools, among other things. The desktop image seen above looks fairly Windows-esque, but it’s just a placeholder, as a more mobile-friendly interface is on the way for Moblin’s eventual introduction to the average consumer. For now, Intel is just trying to draw in software makers in hopes that they’ll target Moblin for future applications. [Ars Technica via Wired]
While Apple has started to lose sales, netbook creator Acer has started to gain in its place. The computer maker grew it’s shipment market share by a whopping 49 percent in the fourth quarter. Even more impressive is that the company grew an astounding 79 percent over last year. Acer shipped close to three million– thats right, 3 million more notebooks in the third quarter of this year than they did in the 2nd quarter. The company is now only two percentage points in sales behind Dell for the market share of all PCs. [iSuppli via BoingBoing]
