As we start to see new models of netbooks coming out we have come to realize that a more general resource is required. It’s starting to look like netbooks will bea big as notebooks and just a varied it is because of this that we have created a set of forums for the discussion of netbooks so that members of the community can help each other out with what is very similar hardware.

Via has released the details of its successor to the Nanobook, called the Openbook.

It’s a reference design that will be re-badged and tweaked by manufacturers just like the Nanobook was (Belinea’s S.book 1 and Packard Bell’s Easynote XS used Via’s older design).

Powered by the VIA C7-M ULV processor and the VIA VX800 digital media IGP chipset, the VIA OpenBook mini-note reference design is a small, 1kg, 8.9″ mini-notebook form factor design that supports screen resolutions of up to 1024×600 and high performance VIA Chrome9â„¢

DirectXâ„¢ 9.0 3D graphics. Advanced video acceleration for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9, VC1 and DiVX video formats, a VMR capable HD video processor and 8-channel HD audio make it a highly media rich mini-notebook platform.

 

http://www.viaopenbook.com

 

Engadget is reporting on new rules for the UMPC XP market, From the article;

While Microsoft has seen it fit to keep XP around as its “relatively non-bloated OS” alternative to the Linux that has dominated this new category of “ultra low-cost PCs” (ULPCs), they’re certainly not giving away the farm. Microsoft doesn’t want this version of XP Home creeping into mainstream laptops and desktops, where it might compete with Vista sales and high-margin machines from PC manufacturers. To that end, Microsoft is setting the limits for ULPCs at 10.2-inch screens, 80GB of storage, 1GB of RAM, 1GHz processors (with some exceptions) and no touchscreens. The upshot is that licenses for XP will go for $26 in developing nations and $32 elsewhere. Too bad the XP faithful among us will need to try a bit harder to wrangle XP onto new machines of theirs that don’t fit these narrow specifications.

What does this mean for the Mininote if it gets the new VIA Isaiah CPU?

We all know that being able to replace the HDD/SDD drive in the mini-note is a big plus and today I have lots of news about that. First of all Chris posted a blog entry (with pictures) on how you replace the mini notes hard drive. This has been added to the wiki;

Earlier in the week Tigger1 posted about replacing the HDD with a 10,000 RPM Drive and I’m pleased to say that he has reported a big improvement in the overall speed of the mininote;

About the same time Biohazard reported that A new Compact Flash drive that is compatible with the SATA interface (used in the mininote) is coming out. The key thing with this is as many forum members pointed out, it’s small and makes more space in the HP2133. Space that could be used for hacks.

Pictures of the minnotes insides have been posted on the forums thanks to following members, parishm and barcher; who were brave enough to open their mininotes;

Pictures