Acer has introduced three updated laptop models in Japan with built-in support for 4G WiMAX mobile broadband.That includes versions of thr 13.3 inch Acer Aspire AS3820, the 11.6 inch Aspire AS1830, and the 10.1 inch Acer Aspire ONe AOD255.
As far as I can tell, that makes the Acer Aspire One AOD-255-A01B the first netbook from the company to include WiMAX… although you can clearly add WiMAX to any notebook by using a USB dongle or a mobile hotspot from your WiMAX provider. Personally I don’t really see the point of purchasing a laptop with built-in 3G or 4G unless you know you’re going to be using the same computer for the length of the contract, and that you don’t plan to switch carriers.
Anyway, the netbook has a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. It has 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, a 6 cell battery, and runs Windows 7 Starter Edition. While some versions of the Aspire One AOD255 come with a dual core Atom N550 processor, this version has a single core 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU.
There’s no word on whether this model will eventually be sold in the US or other countries.
Ever wonder what where notebooks go when they die are discontinued? Sure, it’s possible that manufacturers could actually sell out of some units, but there’s usually some stock leftover. Sometimes they get sold off at retail. Other times they’re repackaged and sold as if they were new thanks to a new feature or two — like the addition of 3G or 4G modems. That’s eactly what’s happening with the Dell Inspiron 11z.
Dell stopped offering this 11.6 inch mini-laptop earlier this year, but now you can pick one up from Sprint with a mobile broadband module that lets you access 4G WiMAX and 3G EVDO networks around the US. TheInspiron 11z has also received a CPU boost. The new version has an Intel Core i3 processor. Earlier models shipped with Intel Pentium or Celeron processors. The new model will likely run Windows 7 Home Premium.
Sprint is also offering the Dell Inspiron Mini 10, a 10 inch netbook with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, a Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator, 1GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. The Mini 10 runs Windows 7 Starter Edition. It’s still available from Dell without the mobile broadband option.
Sprint will begin taking orders for the new models in the coming weeks. The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 will be free after rebate for customers who sign up for a long term service contract, while the Inspiron 11z will run $150 with a contract and rebate.
September 6th, 2010
Tanya
Samsung is showing a netbook called the Samsung N350 at IFA in Berlin this weekend.
The mini-laptop looks like a rebranded version of the Samsung N210, which has your typical netbook specs but which is the thinnest Samsung netbook on the market today. But the name change isn’t the only thing different about the Samsung N350.
The N350 also features both 3G and 4G modems. The unit on display at IFA has an HSPA+ 3G modem and an LTE modem for connecting to 4G networks.
The laptop has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 CPU, 1GB of DDR3 memory, a 250GB hard drive, and WiFi.The netbook also uses Samsung’s new Easy Share system for streaming content from a Samsung computer to a DLNA capable device such as a TV.
As far as I can tell, that makes the Acer Aspire One AOD-255-A01B the first netbook from the company to include WiMAX… although you can clearly add WiMAX to any notebook by using a USB dongle or a mobile hotspot from your WiMAX provider. Personally I don’t really see the point of purchasing a laptop with built-in 3G or 4G unless you know you’re going to be using the same computer for the length of the contract, and that you don’t plan to switch carriers.
