For a company who’s CEO thinks netbooks are about as useful as steel wool underpants, Dell sure is pumping out its fair share of Google Chrome OS news.

Yes, Doug from Dell has been hard at work (though arguably not as busy as Hexxeh) and has now released an updated version of the Chrome OS build originally released for the Mini 10V. The new version adds support for Dell’s Mini 9 and Latitude 2100 systems.

It’s also been trimmed down to 300MB – which Chrome tells me will download in about 25 minutes. That’s a nice improvement over the 8GB all-day job they released the first time around. Of course, Hexxeh’s latest build is smaller and probably supports all these Dell models anyway and there’s a torrent available.

Probably worth noting: your Dell may boot in 15 seconds, but if it’s running a Broadcom wireless card you’ll have to wait 5 minutes before the connection manager sees it.

Dell has also shared a video clip, in case you want to see how speedily Chrome OS boots on the three systems. Check it out after the break).

Hey, isn’t it too bad they didn’t bother to see how fast Moblin, xPud, or Jolicloud boots on them?

Read the rest of this entry »

The Dell Latitude 2100 is a rugged netbook designed for children. It’s already one of the thickest and netbooks around, measuring 1.4 inches at its thickest point. But a Chinese manufacturer apparently decided the at the laptop wasn’t quite wide enough and decided to design a clone with room for an 11.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display.

The laptop is from a manufacturer based in Shenzhen, China and it has a 1.66GHz Intel Atom n280 processor and a 160GB hard drive and sells for about $250. Oh yeah, and it probably won’t be available outside of China anytime soon.

via Shanzai.com

A number of PC makers are targeting netbooks at schools. But one of the most education-oriented netbooks around is the Dell Latitude 2100 which features a rubberized case, optional anti-bacterial coating, an optional shoulder strap, and bright, kid-friendly colors. Dell put together an interesting promotional video for the netbook a while back, showing a theoretical school where all the kids and teachers seem to have the laptops.

The vision is pretty cool, and showcases why some of the features are useful, like the network activity light that lets a teacher spot if a kid is goofing around online when he’s supposed to be doing something else. But there’s something a bit creepy about watching a bunch of young children interact with computers instead of one another.

Check out the video for yourself after the break and let us know what you think. Is this a Utopian or Dystopian idea?

via NetbookNews.de

Dell’s education-oriented Latitude 2100 netbook is already available for order in the US, but it has a preliminary ship date of late July. But Netbook News blogger Sascha isn’t in the US, he’s in Germany. And he got a chance to snag a Latitude 2100 and he’s posted an unusual outdoor-style unboxing video.

Here are some of the highlights:

• That is by far the thickest netbook I’ve seen to date
• There’s an optional strip that you can attach that lets you carry the netbook around your neck
• There’s a spot for kids to put their names on the back of the battery
• The chassis comes in several bright colors and has a ruggedized rubber feel
• There’s a touchscreen option available

You can check out the complete video after the break.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dell

The order page for the Dell Latitude 2100 is now up and running. Keep in mind, this netbook is designed for educational markets, but if you’re looking for a mini-laptop with a rubberized design and don’t mind if it’s 1.6 inches thick and weighs more than 3 pounds, you can order one for yourself.

The base configuration with Ubuntu 8.10 Linux is $368. I believe this is the first time Dell has offered a netbook with Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex. The Inspiron Mini netbook line still ships with Ubuntu 8.04.1 Hardy Heron, which was an LTS (long term support) release. A Latitude 2100 netbook with Windows XP costs $30 more, and Windows Vista prices start at $483.

You can configure the netbook with 512MB to 2Gb of RAM, a 16GB solid state disk, or hard drives ranging from 80GB to 250GB. 3 and 6 cell battery options are available. An 802.11b/g WiFi card is included in the base price, but you can also upgrade to an 802.11a/g/n card and/or optional Bluetooth.

The netbook is also available with an optional touchscreen display and webcam. All told, if you deck out the netbook with all available bells and whistles (not counting an extended warranty, battery protection, or external accessories like monitors or USB DVD burners), you can easily wind up spending over $750 on this netbook.

via Portable Monkey

Dell is launching a new line of netbooks, aimed squarely at the educational market. The Dell Latitude 2100 features the same Intel Atom N270 CPU we’ve come to know and love, and other standard netbook components, including an optional solid state disk and a low starting price of $369. But it also has a few kid-friendly features like rubberized cases in a variety of colors (including yellow, green, blue, and red), and an optional handle and shoulder strap. Dell is also offering an optional docking cart that schools can use to store and charge up to 24 netbooks.

Information on the Latitude 2100 first leaked out in March. But with today’s official launch comes one of the first detailed reviews of the new netbooks. Our friends at Laptop Magazine have posted a review of a Latitude 2100 that’s configured at the $499 level with a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 576 pixel display, 16GB SSD, and Windows XP Home.

It’s interesting to note that at 10.4″ x 7.4″ x 1.6″ and weighs 3.4 pounds with the optional 6 cell batter. In other words, the Dell Latitude 2100 is one of the thickest, bulkiest netbooks around. Typically mini-laptops designed for children are small and have cramped keyboards. But thanks to its larger sized, Laptop Magazine reports the Latitude 2100 has a roomy keyboard and touchpad, even for people with adult-sized hands.

The Dell Latitude 2100 will be available with a number of options including storage ranging from a 16GB SSD to a 250GB hard drive. The laptop is available with Windows XP, Vista, or Ubuntu Linux. Dell will even offer a touchscreen option.

Sure, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is still warm, having just started shipping a few weeks ago. But it appears Dell is already looking ahead to its next low cost, 10 inch mini-laptop. And this time, it’s not part of the company’s Inspiron series.

Gizmodo is running a photo from a tipster that claims it’s a leaked image showing an upcoming Dell Latitude 2100 netbook. It’ll reportedly have a 10 inch screen and a price tag of $600 or less.

These machines are aimed squarely at the educational market, not consumers. Colors include School bus Orange, Red Apple, Blue Ribbon, and I can’t quite make out what the black color is called… other than black. The computers will have solid state disks, and perhaps hard drive options, up to 2GB of RAM, and 1.6GHz CPUs. I’ll assume we’re talking about Intel Atom N270 processors until proven otherwise.

The computers will have 3 USB ports, an SD card slot, 802.11a/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, and 3 or 6 cell batteries, while weighing less than 3 pounds. A touchscreen version may be available as well. These laptops could see the light of day in May… if they’re real.