Lenovo Ideapad S10-2

Lenovo today officially announced the IdeaPad S10-2, an improved version of their 10.1-inch S10 netbook.

The S10-2 is 0.2kg lighter and 4mm thinner than the S10 and includes a slightly larger and improved keyboard and larger touchpad, a 6-cell battery for “up to 30 percent more battery life than before”, an additional USB port for a total of 3 ports, and a new cover pattern and color design. The netbook’s sound system is upgraded with Dolby headphone technology, while select models also include a built-in 3G mobile broadband module.

A same as the S10, the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 features the Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of DDR2 memory, a 160GB hard drive, a built-in 1.3MP web camera, and 802.11b/g WiFi, and a 4-in-1 media card reader.

The netbook will come in white, black, grey, or pink.

The IdeaPad S10-2 will be available beginning at the end of this month on the Lenovo website and through business partners beginning at the end of June. The netbooks start at $349, whereas the models with 3G support are $50 pricier.

Dell Inspiron Mini 10V

Instead of the Intel Atom Z520 1.33GHz/Z530 1.6GHz processor in the standard Mini 10, the Mini 10v includes the Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz CPU. The Z-series Atom chips are paired with the Intel GMA 500 integrated graphics, whereas the N270-based 10v features the GMA 950 IGP.

Another difference is the video output – the Mini 10v has a VGA port, while the Mini 10 has an HDMI port. Also, the only display resolution when configuring the 10v is 1024×576, while the Mini 10 optionally comes with a 1366×768 screen.

As same as the Mini 10, the Inspiron Mini 10v comes with Windows XP or Ubuntu Linux OS (no difference in price), 1GB of RAM, up to 160GB of hard drive space, a 3- or 6-cell battery, a 1.3MP web camera, stereo speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth Ethernet LAN port, 3 USB ports, a 3-in-1 card reader.

The new netbook is available in seven different colors, including white, black, red, pink, blue, green and purple.

Its base price is $299 with a preliminary ship date of 06/02/2009, whereas the Mini 10 starts at $399.

 Dell Latitude 2100

Dell has launched the Latitude 2100 educational netbook, featuring a 10.1-inch display, Intel’s Atom CPU and a ruggedized design.

The Dell Latitude 2100 is aimed at K-12 students, as we as “any business or public institution that needs affordable, durable, Internet-ready devices for e-mail and collaboration”.

Along with the 10.1″ 1024 x 576 display with optional touch-screen functionality, and the Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, the 2100 includes 512MB or 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 16GB solid state drive or a traditional HDD with a capacity of up to 250GB, the GMA 950 integrated graphics, and a three- or six-cell battery.

The netbook also sports an optional web cam, stereo speakers, 802.11g or 802.11a/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, a Gigabit LAN port, three USB ports, a 3-in-1 media card reader, and a VGA output.

The Latitude 2100 starts at 2.9 pounds with a 3-cell battery. The ruggedized and ‘rubberized’ netbook is able to absorb “daily bumps and bruises of a crowded playground or backpack” and comes in five colors – School Bus Gold, Chalkboard Black, Ball Field Green, Blue Ribbon and Schoolhouse Red. Its bottom is vent-free to avoid intrusion from spills.

The 2100 is available with a personalized window on the back of the battery pack where the school logo or name can be displayed, allowing schools to personalize or easily identify systems. In addition, there’s a Network Activity Light on the netbook’s lid to help teachers monitor network use and “identify students who may be surfing the Internet”.

Available operating system choices are Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows XP Home, and Ubuntu Linux.

The Latitude 2100 has a starting price of $369 at Dell.com.

Dell has announced that customers can also purchase a custom-built Mobile Computing Station, which equips classrooms with a cart to store, manage and network up to 24 netbooks.

Asus Eee PC 1005HA

Asustek has revealed details of the Asus Eee PC 1005HA netbook, featuring company’s new Seashell design.

The Eee PC 1005HA sports a 10.1-inch LED backlight 1024×600 display, the Intel Atom N270 or N280 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive with Windows XP Home or GNU Linux preloaded, a 3- or 6-cell battery for “up to 10.5 hours” of run time, and a built-in 0.3MP or 1.3MP web camera.

Other features include stereo speakers, 802.11n wireless connectivity, Bluetooth, an Ethernet LAN port, three USB ports, an MMC/SD media card reader, and a VGA output.

The Eee PC 1005HA is thicker (25.9mm ~ 36.5mm) than the 1008HA (18mm ~ 25.7mm), but it has a user replaceable battery, whereas the 1008HA has a fixed battery and one USB port less.

The netbook, which comes in white, black, pink, and blue colors, starts at 2.4 pounds.

We have no info on pricing and availability for the US market, but Slashgear reports that it will start at $405 in Europe.