The MSI Wind U100 Plus is basically a modest upgrade to the classic MSI Wind U100. Both netbooks have the same keyboard, case design, and screen. But the Plus version has an ever-so-slightly faster processor. It replaces the Intel Atom N270 CPU with an N280 processor that runs at 1.66GHz and which has an FSB of 667MHz. The N270 chip runs at 1.6GHz and has a 533MHz FSB.

Last I heard, the Wind U100 Plus was set to begin shipping in Europe soon, but as Netbook News discovered recently, the netbook has already hit the streets of Taiwan.

It’s selling for the equivalent of about $400. Since it looks pretty much identical to the U100, there’s not really that much to see, but if you’re curious, you can check out a video after the break. Bear in mind, Sascha says the netbook has an Intel Atom N270 CPU, but I think that he misspoke. You just get so used to saying that number over and over, it’s hard to force the words “N280″ out of your mouth sometimes.

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Intel could begin phasing out the Atom N280 chip and GN40 graphics chipset. Digitimes reports the move is  due to low demand. The Intel Atom N280 CPU runs at 1.66GHz, which is only moderately faster than the 1.6GHz clock speed of the older Atom N270 CPU. The N280 also has faster bus speed and the GN40 chipset is designed to offer somewhat better graphics performance. But while, Acer, Asus, and a few other companies have opted to use the newer chips in their latest mini-laptops, many other companies continue to pump out machines with the older Intel Atom N270/945GSE chipset. 

That’s not to say that Intel won’t eventually replace the Atom N270. The Atom N280 was actually an off-roadmap chip that was designed to help fill the demand for netbook processors while Intel prepared its next generation Pineview processors and Tiger Point chipsets, which are due out this fall. This new chipset will feature a faster processor and GPU while using even less power than current chips.

DigiTimes also reports that Intel has put together a netbook reference design for white-box vendors. It has an 8.9 inch display, Intel Atom N270 CPU, 945GSE chipset, 512MB of RAM, and 8GB or 16GB of flash storage. In other words, the only thing that really sets it apart from every other 8.9 inch min-laptop on the market today is the fact that it will run on Moblin Linux. This white-box netbook could go for as little as $256.

The Intel Atom N280 CPU is showing up in more and more netbooks. The Asus Eee PC 1000HE, Acer Aspire One D150, and upcoming MSI Wind U123 all use the latest generation version of the Intel Atom CPU. It’s a little bit faster than the N270 that has been on the market for about a year. The N280 runs at 1.66GHz while the N270 runs at 1.6GHz. And the newer chip has a front side bus speed of 667MHz compared with 533MHz on the older model. But what exactly does that mean?

I’ve already shown that you can easily overclock the Intel Atom N280 processor to run at 1.75GHz on Asus computers. If you use third party overclocking software you could probably go much further. But the folks at ComputerMonger decided to pit the Intel Atom N270 and N280 processors running at their stock speeds against one another. The results? Yeah, there’s not a huge difference between these chips. But there is a little difference.

To make as close to an oranges to oranges comparison as possible, ComputerMonger used an Acer aspire One D150 with an N280 CPU and Acer Aspire One A150 with an N270 chip. The D150 scored a few points higher in a series of benchmarks. But the differences were pretty slim. The long and short of it is that you shouldn’t expect miracles from the Intel Atom N280 processor, or even a noticeable performance boost over the Intel Atom N270. We’ll probably have to wait for next generation chips or the NVIDIA ION platform which bundles the Atom CPU with an NVIDIA GPU for that.

The Intel Atom N270 CPU has become pretty popular since it launched in mid-2008. Nearly every major computer manufacturer has put out a netbook powered by this 1.6GHz chip in the last half year or so. And it looks like an increase in the number of white-box computer makers in China placing orders could lead to a shortage of Atom N270 chips.

According to DigiTimes, Intel is looking at raising the price of the Atom N270 processor to help stave off a shortage (or to make a few extra bucks of the high demand for the processor). By pricing the CPU at the same level as the newer Intel Atom N280 processor, Intel could possibly get some customers to choose the N280 instead, which would help the company keep up with demand for both chips.

Intel is also reportedly pushing back the launch of its new Z550 and Z515 processors until mid-April. The Z550 will be the first low power Atom processor with a clock speed of up to 2GHz.

via SlashGear

People have been overclocking the Intel Atom processor used in netbooks ever since it was first released last summer, with some people reporting clock speeds of higher than 2GHz. But Asus has always gone one step further – by offering Eee PC users a handy utility called the Super Hybrid Engine that lets you overclock or underclock the CPU with the click of a button.

The ubiquitous 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU runs at three speeds on most Eee PC models: 1.2GHz (Power Saving), (High Performance) 1.6GHz, or 1.7GHz (Super High Performance). Asus includes the same Super Hybrid Engine with the Asus Eee PC 1000HE. But this netbook comes with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor.

I just fired up CPU-Z to see  what the clock speeds are with the newer chip. Here are the results:

• Power Saving Mode – 1.25GHz
• High Performance Mode – 1.66GHz
• Super High Performance Mode – 1.75GHz

I’m sure you could get even better ressults if you used a third party overclocking utility like EeeCtl. But I’m not going to give it a try on my demo unit just yet. If you feel like experimenting with your netbook, let us know how it goes in the comments.

Intel’s upcoming GN40 chipset is designed to provide improved HD video playback. But what exactly does that mean? You can already watch plenty of 720p content on a netbook with an Intel Atom N270 CPU and 945GSE chipset.

According to Fuzilla, an Intel product manager says the new Intel Atom N280/GN40 chipset will be able to handle 1080p playback. But it is not designed to decode Blu-Ray discs. In other words, you’ll be able to stream 1080p videos over the internet or watch high quality files stored on your hard drive. But the chipset won’t be able to keep up with Blu-Ray playback.

If you’ve got a netbook, that’s probably not a big deal. After all, most netbooks don’t have optical disc drives at all. And were you really planning on carrying around a USB Blu-Ray drive to plug in?

But if you were planning on picking up a nettop (or low power desktop) with the N280/GN40 combo and using it as a video player, you might want to hold out for NVIDIA’s ION platform to arrive. NVIDIA plans to pair a GeForce graphics processor with an Intel Atom CPU to deliver higher performance graphics. Machines with the ION chipset will probably cost a bit more than Intel-only hardware. And they’ll consume a little more electricity. But they should also be able to handle Blu-Ray playback.

via Netbook News.de

Taking a page out of the Asus playbook, MSI seems determine to flood the market with netbook models this year. The MSI Wind U100 was a pretty big success for the company last year, and the new MSI Wind U120 basically takes the same components and puts them in a shiny new case with a 3G modem option. 

Now Laptop Magazine reports that MSI will also be putting out a Wind U123 netbook soon. Superficially, it will be a lot like the U120, but it will have a slightly faster processor, and upgradeable RAM. The MSI Wind U123 will use the new Intel Atom N280 CPU, which runs at 1.66GHz. And users will be able to upgrade the RAM to 2GB, although it’s likely MSI will only sell the netbook with up to 1GB preinstalled. 

The MSI Wind U123 is due out in April. The company expects to release the Wind U115 with an intel Atom Z530 CPU and combo hard drive/SSD storage system in late March. 

If you’re wondering what’s up with all the different model numbers, keep in mind the fact that MSI, like Asus, doesn’t have a system in place to let buyers customize their orders at checkout like HP and Dell do. That means you can’t just have a single unit with multiple storage and CPU options. So every incremental change winds up getting  its own model number.

Lenovo IdeaPad S10

Computer makers seem to be trying to find a middle ground between pint sized netbooks (1o inches or smaller) and full sized laptops (usually 14 inches or larger). Notebooks with 11 and 12 inch screens have existed for a while, but they typically carried high price tags. But today Dell and Samsung are offering 12 inch notebooks with low power, low cost processors that help keep the price down.

Now it looks like Lenovo is getting in on the action. DigiTimes reports that the company is planning an IdeaPad S20 notebook which will apparently bear a more than passing resemblance to the Lenovo Ideapad S10 netbook.

The Lenovo IdeaPad S20 will reportedly have a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 CPU and GN40 chipset, and would ship with Windows XP… at least until Windows 7 is ready. DigiTimes suggests the computer could retail for $20,000 Taiwanese, or about $586 US. But it’s worth noting that these computers are usually cheaper in the US, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the price is closer to $400 or $500 in the US.

via NetbookTech

When I spotted one of the first netbooks with the new Intel Atom N280 at CES, it was paired with Intel’s new GN40 chipset which provides hardware decoding for 720p HD videos. And so I, like a lot of other people, assumed that the N280 chip would always be bundled with the GN40 chipset. 

But the folks at Laptop Magazine have gotten their hands on a pre-release Eee PC 1000HE with an Intel Atom N280 processor and it uses Intel’s older 945GSE chipset. The CPU is .06MHz faster than the Intel Atom N270 that’s used in most HP, Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Dell, and MSI netbooks today. And it has a faster front side bus. But without the new chipset, that’s about it.

Still, according to Laptop Magazine, the Eee PC 1000HE is capable of playing 720p videos without any problems.

So for now it looks like Intel will be shipping the Intel atom N280 processor with two different chipsets: 945GSE and GN40. HKEPC has posted a product roadmap that seems to confirm this. It also indicates that the GN40 chipset may be consume more power than the 945GSE chipset, which shouldn’t be surprising as it’s designed for improved multimedia performance.

via Fudzilla

Intel is confirming that the new Intel Atom N280 processor with the GN40 chipset is now shipping. The news shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, since the Asus Eee PC 1000HE which uses the new chipset is already available for preorder.

The new CPU has a top clock speed of 1.66GHz, which makes it a tiny bit faster than the Intel Atom N270 CPU which tops out at 1.6GHz. But the real news is that the GN40 chipset is designed to add better support for 720p HD videos than you get with the current Intel 945GSE chipset thanks to a hardware based video decoder.

The Intel Atom N280 also has a faster front side bus speed than the original Atom chip, but draws about the same amount of power.