NetbookShow

Last month I got a chance to check out one of Samsung’s newest mini-laptops, the NF210. Aside from a few snazzy design choices which probably make the NF210 a love it or hate it machine, the Samsung NF210 doesn’t have much to set it apart from earlier Samsung netbooks. It has the same display, processor, and other specs as pretty much every Samsung netbook launched this year.

But it turns out the Samsung NF210 has a bigger brother. Today the company officially launched the Samsung NF310 in the US. While it has the same case design as the Samsung NF210, this $399 model has some premium specs, including:

• Dual core 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 processor
• 10.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel HD display

The rest of the specs are pretty much par for the course:

• Windows 7 Starter Edition
• Intel integrated graphics
• 1GB DDR3 memory
• 250GB hard drive
• 802.11b/g/n WiFi
• 6 cell battery (Samsung promises 9 hours run time)
• 2 x 1.5W speakers

The Samsung NF310 weighs 2.87 pounds. The company says it should be available this fall in the US. The good news is that when I met with Samsung last month a rep told me this laptop would run $429. It looks like the company has decided to offer it at a lower price.

Unlike the Samsung NF210, which is exclusively available from Sam’s Club in the US, the NF310 should be generally available soon.

NEC is the latest PC maker to get in on the dual core Atom action. The company has just introduced a new netbook in Japan with a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core CPU, 2GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive. The NEC LaVie Light BL550 netbook also has a 10.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel HD display and runs Windows 7 Home Premium.

As you’d expect from a netbook with those specs, the LaVie Light BL550 comes with a premium price. It’s expected to sell for about 85,000 yen, or about $1010 US. Even when you consider the fact that notebooks typically cost more in Japan than the US, that’s still an awfully expensive netbook.

NEC is also luanching a new single core model called the LaVie Light BL350 which will have a 1.83GHz Intel Atom N475 CPU, 1GB of memory and a 250Gb hard drive. This model will run Windows 7 Starter Edition and run about 70,000 yen or about $832 US.

Mouse Computer has a tendency to release netbooks in Japan that are never seen outside of that country. And that’s kind of a shame, because every now and then, the company manages to pump out a model with features you don’t see very often in the US and Europe. That’s the case with the Mouse Computer Luvbook M netbook which features a 10.1 inch HD display.

The notebook has a 1280 x 720 pixel screen and a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor. The base model ships with Windows XP Home or Windows 7 Starter, 1GB of RAM, and a 120GB hard drive, although Mouse is also offering a higher end version with Windows 7 Home Premium, 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive or an optional 40GB solid state disk.

The Asus Eee PC 1005PR looks exactly like the Eee PC 1005PE — until you turn it on. That’s when you’ll find out that the netbook has a high resolution 1366 x 768 pixel HD display and it can handle HD video playback thanks to a built in Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator.

Asus first showed of the Eee PC 1005PR in early March. Now it’s available for pre-order from Amazon and B&H. Both retailers are charging about $400 for the laptop.

Here’s a rundown of the specs:

• CPU: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450
• Display: 10.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixels
• Graphics: Intel GMA 3150plus Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator
• OS: Windows 7 Starter Edition
• Memory: 1GB DDR2
• Storage: 250GB, 5400rpm hard drive
• Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, Ethernet
• I/O: 0.3MP webcam, 3 USB ports, 1 VGA port, SDHC card reader, mic, headphone jacks
• Battery: 6 cells (Asus claims up to 11 hours of run time)
• Dimensions: 10.3″ x 7″ x 1.5″
• Weight: 2.8 pounds