Looking for a light weight, ultraportable laptop that you can use to create, mix, and edit audio on the go? The Indamixx laptop is a $499 netbook loaded with a boatload of software for creating and editing audio. The netbook includes a custom Linux OS called Transmission 2.1, and software packages including:

• energyXT for music production
• Ardour for digital audio editing
• Preloaded with 2900 drum sounds and 350 samples
• Over 260 plugins
• Ardour Xchange which will import audio from other digitla audio workstation applications

The Indamixx is based on the same design as the Sylvania G Meso netbook. But in addition to the custom operating system and music software, you get a carrying case, a 1GB SD card, a free t-shirt, free shipping for US customers, and 30 days of software support.

The netbook is available for pre-order with a $99 deposit, and is expected to ship before Christmas.

via Create Digital Music

More than a year ago when Asus first started talking about building a low cost ultraportable laptop, there was a lot of talk about the e$200 price point. But by the time the Eee PC 701 4G was launched in October, 2007, the price shot up to $399. While that’s still cheap for a subnotebook, it’s still a sizable lump of cash. A year later, you can actually find a few netbooks with prices around $250. But a funny thing happened over the past 12 months. Not only did netbooks get cheaper, they also got more powerful. And if you’re willing to spend between $300 and $400, you can get a whole lot more laptop than you could just a year ago for that price. With that in mind, here are 10 netbooks available today for $399 or less.

1. Acer Aspire One (Linux, 3 cell battery) – $299: This netbook has an 8.9 inch display, 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 512MB of RAM, an 8GB solid state disk and Linpus Linux Lite. This is one of the cheapest netbooks with a 1024 x 600 pixel display you’re likely to find. This model comes with a 3-cell battery.
2. Acer Aspire One (Windows XP, 3 cell battery) – $349.99: This version of the Aspire One costs a few bucks more, but you get 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, and Windows XP instead of Linux. All the rest of the specs are pretty much the same. Update: Newegg has this model for $350: Acer Aspire one AOA150-1649 Intel Atom 8.9″ Wide SVGA Intel GMA950 Netbook
3. Acer Aspire One (Windows XP, 6 cell battery) – $379.99: Just barely squeaking in under the $400 mark, this netbooks is nearly identical to the one above, but it has a 160GB hard drive instead of 120GB and it has a 6-cell battery which should provide at least double the battery life.
4. HP MIni 1000 – from $349:  HP’s successor to the HP 2133 Mini-Note has a faster processor, a larger display, and a lower price. HP did make some compromises to keep the price down. The screen resolution is lower than previous models and the plastic case isn’t as sturdy as the HP 2133’s aluminum case. But this the HP Mini 1000 is one of the thinnest, lightest netbooks around. And the base model is quite affordable.
5. Sylvania G Meso – $369.99: 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB RAM, 80GB HDD, and an 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display. The link is to a black model, but it also comes in white, yellow, and pink.
6. Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Laptop Computer – $299: Dell offers two versions of the Inspiron Mini for under $400. The base model is just $349 and has 4GB of flash memory, 512MB of RAM, an 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, and runs Ubuntu 8.04 Linux. For another $50 you can get a version with an 8GB solid state disk and Windows XP.
7. Lenovo IdeaPad S10 – $349: This netbook has a 10.2 inch display, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 512MB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and a 3 cell battery. It’s also one of the more professional looking netbooks available, thanks to sharper edges and corners than you’ll find on some of the other netbooks in this price range which favor rounded off edges. The IdeaPad S10 is available in white and red. For some reason the red model costs $30 more.
8. MSI Wind U100 – $349: While rebates aren’t exactly my favorite way of bringing down prices, since they can expire and the price can shoot back up again, this one is too good not to mention. The MSI Win is one of the most popular netbooks around, with a 10.2 inch screen, 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 120GB HDD. This model has a 3 cell battery and normally sells for about $450. If you don’t like dealing with rebates, you can also order an MSI Wind U90. This model has an 8.9 inch display and runs SUSE Linux, but is otherwise quite similar to the U100. The U90 isn’t officially available in the US, but you can order one from Canada and have it shipped to the US for under $400.

After the page break, you can find a list of Asus Eee PC models with 9 inch or larger displays for under $400. I’ve left the Eee PC 701 and other 7-inch screen netbooks off the list. Read the rest of this entry »

The Sylvania G Meso netbook might not be available just yet, but you can now pre-order the laptop at J&R or Datavision. Both stores are charging $399 for the black version. While Datavision is charging an extra $50 for the white, pink, or yellow models, J&R only offers white for now.

The Sylvania G Meso sports an 8.9 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 512MB of RAM, and an 80GB hard drive. In other words, it looks a lot like pretty much every other low cost ultraportable hitting the market this summer. But the price ain’t bad.

[via Cloudbook UMPC]

The ECS G10IL laptop wil have a different name by the time it comes to the US market. ECS is the OEM behind these little laptops, but the company is partnering with other distributors to bring the computers to retail. But for an OEM device, the ECS G10IL has been getting a lot of buzz for the last few months. That’s partly because it offers a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 10 inch display and 120GB hard drive for somewhere around $500. But it also probably has something to do with the fact that this tiny computer looks really, really attractive.

Joanna Stern at Laptop Magazine has been making a habit of getting her hands on upcoming netbooks. First she offered a first look at the Sylvania G MESO, and now she has a hands-on look at the ECS G10IL.

As you can see from the image above, the computer looks a little smaller than the MSI Wind, but Stern says the keyboard is still pretty roomy and comfortable to type on. The trackpad is also significantly larger, but in a baffling design choice, the folks at ECS decided to create a wholly unique rocker button.

Not only do you get a single button that rocks back and forth instead of two distinct buttons. But ECS also decided it was a good idea to put LED buttons on the rocker instead of next to it. I’m all for LED status lights that let you know when the computer is on, when the wireless is working, or when the hard drive is active. But I don’t see any reason for the status lights to be directly under my thumbs while I’m typing.

You can find out more about the ECS G10IL and the Sylvania G MESO this afternoon at 1:00pm EST during a live webcast with Joanna Stern and guests.

Laptop Magazine’s Joanna Stern got to spend some quality time with the upcoming Sylvania G MESO laptop this afternoon. Her verdict? The keyboard is kind of small, the speakers are loud but tinny, and everything else is more or less decent.

There are a few things that make the Sylvania G MESO’s design stand out from the competition. It’s entirely up to you to decide whether it stands out in a good way or not. For example, the laptop has 3 USB ports, but unlike most other notebooks I’ve seen, all three ports are on the left side of the unit. If you have a chunky USB flash drive, it might cover part of the next port, making it hard to use all three ports at once.

The speakers are also located just under the screen, which makes the lid a bit large and adds some length to the computer. When you’re using a tiny laptop, it’s probably not a bad idea to elevate the screen a bit. But it still looks like wasted space.

You can find out more about the Sylvania G MESO tomorrow when Joanna Stern hosts a live video stream at 1pm. She’ll be taking questions and making room for special guests including my friends jkkmobile, Sascha from Eee PC News.de and jkOnTheRun. If I have time I might pop in as well, but believe it or not, I’m actually kinda sorta on vacation this week so I might be away from the “office.”

Joanna will also be taking a closer look at the ECS G10IL laptop during tomorrow’s web streaming extravaganza. Make sure to check it out.

Yesterday we discovered that there would be a new netbook bearing the Sylvania name this fall, the Sylvania G MESO. The MESO is an 8.9 inch sequel to Sylvania’s 7 inch Sylvania G notebook. But it looks like Sylvania ain’t stopping there, because Laptop Magazine reports there’s also a 10 inch model in the works, to be known as the Sylvania G MAGNI.

The computers aren’t actually being produced by Sylvania, a company best known for its lighting and electronics products. Rather, an OEM named Digital Gadgets is behind the low cost ultraportable computers. Laptop spoke with Paul Goldenberg, the managing partner at Digital Gadgets and came away with the following details:

• Both the MESO and the MAGNI will be out in August or September and will be available with either Ubuntu Netbook Remix or Windows XP.
• Both will use the Intel Atom CPU.
• The 8.9 inch version will start at $399 and will have an 80GB hard drive and come with either 512MB or 1GB of RAM. The Windows XP model will have 1GB of RAM and will likely cost around $499.
• The 10 inch version will have a 120GB hard drive and 1GB of RAM.

Check out Laptop Magazine for more details and photos.

The upcoming Sylvania G MESO won’t be Sylvania’s first foray into the netbook market. But the original Sylvania G is basically just an Everex Cloudbook knockoff (which is to say it’s based on the VIA NanoBook reference design and has a 30GB hard drive, 1.2GHz VIA C7-M CPU, 7 inch display, and a tiny, tiny trackpad). The G MESO, on the other hand actually looks like it’s designed to compete with the major players in the market like Asus and Acer.

Here’s the rundown:

• Display: 8.9 inch 1024 x 600 pixel screen
• Processor: 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU
• RAM: 1GHz
• Storage: 80GB hard drive
• Operating System: Windows XP Home or Ubuntu Netbook Remix
• Connectivity: Ethernet, 802.11b/g
• Expansion: multi-card reader, 3USB ports, VGA output
• Dimension: 9″ x 7″ x 1.25″
• Weight: 2.2 lbs

There’s no word on pricing or availability yet. But jkOnTheRun reports that Sylvania is hoping to ship these puppies for around $299. The computer should be available in black, white, yellow, and pink.