NetbookShow

Fujitsu has introduced a new 10 inch netbook running MeeGo Linux in Malaysia. The Fujitsu Esprimo MH300 will run about $322 and feature a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N455 processor, 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display and a 3 cell battery. The only thing that really makes this little guy stand out from the netbook crowd is the open source operating system.

The MH300 has 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and weighs about 2.4 pounds.

Lowyat has a run-down of several other Fujitsu notebooks that are heading to Malaysia, including the Fujitsu LifeBook PH521, an 11.6 inch notebook with a 1.6 GHz AMD E-350 Fusion processor with Radeon HD 6310 graphics. There’s no word on how much this model will cost, but it’s a much more powerful machine with a faster processor, HD capable graphics, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a 6cell battery. It also runs Windows 7 Home Premium.

The LifeBook PH521 weighs about 3.1 pounds.

While you won’t find a lot of netbooks with MeeGo Linux preloaded in the US right now, Russian PC maker DNS is showing off a 10 inch mini-laptop powered by the open source operating system. The folks at Netbook News got a chance to check it out recently.

The specs aren’t anything to write home about. The DNS netbook has a 1.5 GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core processor, Intel GMA 3150 graphics, a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. It supports WiFi and Bluetooth and weighs about 2.4 pounds with a 3 cell, 24Whr battery.

MeeGo is a Linux-based operating system for phones, tablets, netbooks and other devices. It’s backed by Intel and Nokia, although Nokia has scaled back its MeeGo ambitions a bit since shifting its smartphone focus to Windows Phone 7.

The Apple iPad is the first blockbuster tablet computer. While companies have been pumping out Windows tablets for the last 10 years or so, none has gotten as much attention as the iPad, and while I don’t have the sales numbers, I’m not aware of any other model that sold 300,000 units on the first day either. And Apple’s success in building hype for the iPad has led dozens of other companies to prepare similar machines with touchscreen displays and no physical keyboards. The problem is that many of them are missing the thing that makes the iPad work: A truly touch-friendly user interface.

Latest case in point? The Hiton HT-960. This 8.9 inch tablet has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, an 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel touchscreen display, 802.11b/g WiFi and a SIM car dslot for an optional 3G modem.

Unfortunately, the tablet also runs Windows XP, which is an operating system that wasn’t really designed with touch in mind. In fact, you could make the case that even Windows 7 which has touch-friendly features like simulated right-click feels like touch was thrown in as an afterthought. Some software takes advantage of Windows 7 touch features, but most apps simply don’t.

Anyway, the long and short of it is, I can’t see why users would be happy with a tablet like the Hiton HT-960 which is basically just a Windows XP netbook without a keyboard and touchpad.

On the bright side, at $418, the tablet is a little cheaper than an iPad plus it can run Windows apps, has 16GB or more of storage, an SD card slot, and 3 USB ports for peripherals. It also has a 0.3MP webcam. On the less bright side, shipping is $69, which kind of eats into that price advantage.

One nice feature in Windows 7 is that it gives users a bit more control over their power settings. But in some cases, even without tweaking your PC to adjust the CPU clock speed, shut down the hard drive, display, or other tweak other features Windows 7 may still help you squeeze more life out of some batteries — either that, or Asus decided to throw a higher capacity in the Windows 7 version of the Eee PC 1008HA. Either way, Chris Guthrie at Netbook Reviews decided to compare battery performance on a Windows XP version of the Eee PC 1008HA and a new model running Windows 7.

The result? The Windows 7 model ran for more than an hour longer. With the brightness set to full, WiFi and Bluetooth on, and the processor set to run at 1.75GHz, the computer ran for 6:07:30. The Windows XP version ran for just 5:03:18 under the same conditions.

Chris used Battery Eater Pro for his test. I’ve stopped using that particular test, since it taxes the CPU non-stop until the battery dies which doesn’t really provide a good picture of real world usage. In other words, it’s quite likely that you may be able to get another hour or two of battery life out of the new Eee PC 1008HA. I haven’t had time to test the battery on my review unit, but you can be sure I’ll be paying close attention to battery performance in light of Chris’s findings.