Dell cans its Mini 9 Netbook

Dell has stopped selling 8.9-inch Netbooks, focusing instead on ones with slightly larger screens.

Visitors to Dell's UK Web site earlier on Monday found the Mini Netbook page displaying the phrase "Available in 8.9" but no actual options for buying the Mini 9 model. The site focused instead on Dell's Mini 10 and 10v Netbooks.

US-based tech site Engadget noted that a customer service representative in the U.S. had confirmed the "end of life" of the Mini 9.
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Asus shows off Android Netbook and CULV laptops

PC maker Asus was spotted demonstrating an Eee PC at the Computex Taipei tradeshow that bears little resemblance to the current crop of Netbooks. Instead of an Atom chipset, this minilaptop runs off a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with an Android OS (pictured).

While some may ask why all the bother with a Netbook that can't run their favorite Windows applications, having a smartphone operating system actually has several advantages. For one, since the machine sips so little power, it need never be turned off but can remain in standby mode and be turned on instantly. Moreover, emails and updates can continue to be received without having to switch on the display, saving loads of power while increasing productivity. Mobile broadband connectivity also allows the unit to remain online without relying on wireless hotspots. And despite the low-power Snapdragon processor, this machine can run 1080p videos smoothly, a feat which still eludes most current Netbooks.

The Taiwanese company also chose Computex Taipei to announce its first Intel CULV-based laptops. Based on the Core 2 Duo SU9600/SU9400, Core 2 Solo SU3500/SU3300 and Pentium SU2700 processors, these machines not only have slimmer profiles than their full-powered cousins (thanks to the low thermal signature of the chips), they are significantly cheaper as well. Two models were showcased at the event, the 13.3-inch Asus UX30 and the 15.5-inch UX50V.

The Asus UX30 competes with the likess of the recently launched MSI X-Slim X340, with a 1.6kg heft and a thickness of only 23mm. Based on the Centrino 2 platform with integrated video processor, this machine does not sport an internal optical drive. The UX50V has a similar chipset as its smaller sibling, though this model sports a slot-in DVD writer as well as a discrete Nvidia GeForce G105M graphics card. At only 28.6mm thick, the UX50V is one of the thinnest in its class.

Pricing and availability of the new Asus machines are not provided at press time.

Nvidia makes a strong showing at Computex

With its major competitor in the graphics arena swallowed up by AMD, Nvidia had to do something drastic before it got edged out of the market. Sure enough, the video card manufacturer started dabbling in the Netbook arena last year with its Tegra and Ion platforms. Despite a slow start for the past year, at this week's Computex Taipei tradeshow, the Santa Clara company showcased a range of Ion-based machines, stealing some of Intel Pine Trail's thunder.

So what's the deal with the Nvidia Ion? Despite its low power consumption, this platform is able to render full-HD 1080p videos smoothly, a feat none of the current crop of Intel Atom Netbooks or Nettops have been able to replicate (save for units which hold power-guzzling discrete graphics cards). We sent our assistant editor to the booth to grab some photos, but in the meantime, you can check out a list of the new Ion-based machines and mainboard below:
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SanDisk homes in on Netbook spotlight at Computex

The Computex trade show, which today in Taipei, Taiwan, could also be known as Netbook-pallooza. It seems as if every tech company has something related to the rapidly growing category of mini-notebooks to announce there.
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SSDs to hit new price lows this holiday season?

From an exorbitant S$1,000 (US$711.74) for 32GB of storage just a couple of years ago, SSDs have become more pocket-friendly with some online vendors selling 64GB units for under S$300 (US$213.52). However, Taiwanese manufacturer JMicron intends to unveil its latest flash controller and 32nm NAND flash at the Taipei Computex show this week that could cut SSD prices by half.

Due to the inherent differences between solid-state storage (pictured) and traditional magnetic platter, controllers and certain operating system functions optimized for the latter have resulted in poor performance for SSDs.
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