Well, Laptop Pimps decided to start a DealPimp, giving you the latest underground deals, here’s some Dell coupons you might be in this week:

Only $79.99 for a WD 250GB My Passport Portable Hard Drive after $26 off w/ coupon code 47RSGPRJBHT1LL

Only $99.99 for a WD 750GB My Book Essential External Hard Drive after $50 off w/ coupon code 1Z5JB0QWTPVK9Z

$14 off Select Built NY 15.4″ Neoprene Sleeves - Black or Red - w/ coupon code PNC5D2RD4M$13N

Remember we Latop Pimps predicted that ASUS will soon come out with touchscreen versions of Eee PCs?

Well, it turns out that ASUS confirms a new line of Eee PCs with touchscreen and dual-core processors:

the company’s division manager Samson Hu said today. The executive now says the PC builder plans to unveil touchscreen Eee PC models at the Consumer Electronics Show in January; no details are available, but the company expects them to be catalysts for sales. It’s unclear whether they would be tablet models or traditional folding designs, though Fujitsu and GigaByte both already have early models of their own.

Of course, if you can not wait till January to see what’s up, then head to hacking your Eee PC to be touchscreen here:

ASUS Eee PC 900 with Touchscreen

ASUS Eee PC 701 with Touchscreen

ASUS Eee PC with Touchscreen

Another ASUS Eee PC 900 with Touchscreen

You might be wondering which Netbooks are the best to get these days, well let me explain what a “netbook” is in the first place.  Netbooks are laptops with smaller screen size of around 8.9″ or 10.1″.  Basically, you get a 1024×600 or 1200×800 resolution screen.

Should you get a netbook?

Well, netbooks are great for people who need something between a Blackberry and a laptop.  You can get a lot of things done on a netbook, but don’t expect super-fast blazing speeds or work on your latest Photoshop graphic project.

For older people who have hard time reading regular 15″ laptops, netbooks are going to be a pain, so don’t get one if you have to use your reading glasses.  (But if you must explore, go ahead, they are cheaper than most laptops)

For students who need a laptop for college classes, I think netbooks are great because most of them weigh less than 2.5 pounds and they will fit in your extra-large Louis Vuitton bag or your backpack too.

For bloggers and professionals who need a laptop to work on writing and images, netbooks are horrible as the keyboard is too small and on-board touchpad is too funky when you are trying to finish that job for your client.  If you still want to spend less money on laptops while getting the job done, I suggest you to get a nice 15.4″ Dell Laptop ($600) that also comes with a DVI output so you can show your client the finished project on a HDTV screen.  (Yes, gone are the days of projectors)  But if you do travel a LOT, getting a netbook might make some sense as long as you don’t need a big screen to get your work done.

Here’s review of netbooks now available at Amazon with our best choice to the worst:

Eee PC 1000H is probably the top-of-the-line netbook to get right now as it offers a 10″ screen,160GB hard drive, Windows XP, and Atom 1.6Ghz processor.  I like the fact that Eee PCs have been leading the netbook industry and you won’t be disappointed carrying this 3.1 pound beast in your bag. The battery life is estimated at 7 hours but I think as long as you get about 4-5 hours on this, that’s good enough.

There’s other models of Eee PCs, but this one is the that will give you bang for you buck as it has the largest harddrive.

Eee PC 1000H - $479 at Amazon

MSI Wind 10″ netbook is probably the 2nd best choice right now as far as performance and speed goes.  This MSI netbook comes with 10″ screen, 80GB harddrive, 1.6 Ghz Atom processor, Windows XP, and weighs just 2.1 pounds.  I do like it but I’d rather get the Eee PC 1000H which comes with larger harddrive and longer battery life.

MSI Wind 10″ - $549.99 at Amazon

Acer Aspire One 8.9″ netbook is next with 160GB harddrive, Atom N270 processor, Windows XP, and 1GB memory.   I think 8.9″ is too small for any netbook but if you must get an 8.9″ screen, get this one as it comes loaded with features you won’t see on the other 8.9″ netbooks.  The 5.5 hour battery life should last you at least 3-4 hours.

Acer Aspire One 8.9″ Sapphire Blue $429.99 at Amazon

Acer Aspire One 8.9″ White $429.99 at Amazon

HP 2133 Mini-note is also a good alternative if you need a slightly bigger resolution than all the other 3 above netbooks.  The HP 2133 netbook comes with 120GB harddrive, 1.6Ghz VIA processor, and 2GB of memory.  The worst thing about this laptop is that it comes with Windows Vista, power-hogging operating system that’s not a good fit for mini-laptops.  I do like is the 8.9-inch screen with WXGA (1280 x 768) resolution, webcam, and 92% full-size keyboard, which beats all the other netbooks.

But yes, this would still be my last choice as it costs as much as your 15.4″ laptops.

HP 2133 Mini-note - $640.98 via Amazon

Well, there you have the best netbooks Latop Pimp thinks.  If you really must get a netbook, get the Eee PC1000H, it’s the best value and performance for your money.

Now, if you think all these netbooks don’t live up to your standards, get a regular laptop or better yet, wait about 6 months and you should see 5 times better netbooks.

Netbooks are still in the early stages and you need to consider the fact that they are “beta” products that manufacturers are still testing.  After 6-12months, we should expect more netbooks that are faster and better.

If you got a Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and you want to use your netbook as a GPS navigation system, you can do so easily by installing a GPS unit right by your bluetooth internals.

I started by tearing the Mini down and seeing if it was even possible. Luckily, there’s a bit of space around where the Bluetooth adapter is located. It wasn’t much, but it looked like enough, so I ordered the smallest USB GPS receiver I could find. It’s a nice unit with a SkyTraQ chipset and support for AGPS. Once I used the included utility to download an AGPS update into the unit, it gets a location fix in about five seconds after a reset.

via engadget, Hack Page

By making use of Microsoft’s Live Search cashback program, you can easily get 20% off HP laptops and stuff bought on eBay.

One you enter your e-mail address, you will get the following:

There, now you can buy stuff for 20% less.  This should be great for any major purchases you make online.

I started my search at Live.com and searched for “cheap” along with some product name; I tried a few variations such as “cheap wii” and “cheap laptop” and both worked. (Nick pointed out in the comments that you should sign into Live before you search; I’d forgotten that I was signed into Live when I started. Thanks, Nick!)

Looked for the link titled “Buy A Cheap Laptop. You may get XX% off with PayPal if eligible.” (This morning, it was 30%. As I type this, it’s 20%)

Searched for the MSI Wind (Buy it Now items only), and purchased it using Paypal.

Made sure that at every step of the way, I saw the icon for “Microsoft cashback” at the top of the screen.

via hackszine

Here’s a good Eee PC hack that will allow you to run your Windows XP faster with SSDs.  This could probably apply to any netbook with SSDs.

Cheaper SSD drives like our Core V1 and Core V2 series have limitations with random writes filling up the write buffer on the drive and causing the SATA controller to pause while this is flushed. The reason for this is Nand MLC drives at present have to erase before they write…hence you get added latency. So every bit written to the drive has to be preceded by a bit erased, the drive can not write over the top of pre written data.

What we are trying to do here is limit how much XP writes to cache/database. many apps within XP do this, apps you add also do this (such as outlook)
The tweaks you will see listed may help with this, SSD’s do not take well to lots of tiny random writes.

via hackszine

MSI Wind 10-inch netbook will be available for you to walk-in and buy at BestBuy retail stores real soon.  The best part is that you can go to BestBuy and test the thing out yourself then order it cheaper via Amazon.

I am about to get a netbook and it’s either going to be this MSI or the Eee PC so we will see…

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – October 06, 2008 – MSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is excited to announce the MSI Wind U100 Netbook is now on sale at Bestbuy locations across the country. The Wind, an acronym for “Wi-Fi Network Device,” was the first 10″ netbook to feature the speedy new Intel Atom™ 1.6GHz processor

“We are excited to be able to reach our clients through this new channel,” said MSI’s Director of U.S. Sales Andy Tung. “By partnering with Best Buy we can introduce more people to the Wind, and meet the needs of the buyers who either don’t want to purchase online or would like to touch and try out our netbook before making a decision.”

Weighing in at just 2.3 lbs, MSI designed the Wind to be lightweight and ultra mobile, without sacrificing convenience or performance. The Wind features an ergonomically designed keyboard that is only 20% smaller than a full sized notebook keyboard, with the keys spaced a comfortable 0.68 inches apart. FULL SPECIFICATIONS BELOW:

MSI WIND NOTEBOOK SPECIFICATIONS

CPU	Intel Atom 1.6 GHz
Operating System	Genuine Windows XP Home Edition™
Chipset	Intel 945GSE, ICH7-M
Display	10″WSVGA (1024×600) LED
VGA	Intel® GMA950
Memory	1GB DDR2/ 667MHz
Hard Drive	120G / 2.5″ SATA
Battery	Lithium Ion 3 Cell
WLAN	802.11b/g
Webcam	1.3m
Dimension	10.23″ x 7.08″ x 0.748″ ~1.24″
Weight	2.3lbs
Colors	Black and White
Manufacturer Warranty	One Year

via engadget

Here’s a really cool DIY on how to run OS X on your Dell Mini 9 Netbook!  I guess this would be a cheap way of acquiring a MacBook really.

The steps to Leopard-ize the mini are actually quite simple and easy to follow. After you download the slipstreamed ISO and burn the 3.2GB ISO to a DVD you boot up the Dell mini off a external DVD drive (Press 0 (Zero) at the BIOS screen) and installed Leopard as usual.

via engadget, DIY Page

ASUS has another Eee PC 900 available now with model 900HA.

The 8.9″ PDA-killer is starting at $349.99 at Amazon.

Netbook Eee PC 900HA offers more options to users for unique user experiences. Long hours of battery life, built in high speed connectivity and exclusive 10GB file-encrypted Eee Storage with easy accessibility makes it the ideal traveling companion for outdoor activities. The 8.9 display provides comfortable viewing, and a full QWERTY keyboard makes for easier typing and relaxing usage. Built-in camera ensures users stay in touch with the important ones. User friendly XP pre-loaded. ZBD Guaranteed for best quality LCD. Content includes Eee PC, battery, AC Adapter, Sleeve Case, Manual and Recovery CD.

Eee PC 900HA specs:

8.9 inch 1024 x 600 screen
Intel® Atom N270 with 1GB RAM
160GB HDD
3x USB 2.0 Ports
Wifi and LAN
1.3M Pixel webcam
MMC / SD (SDHC)
Audio Jack in/out (3.5mm)
VGA out (D-sub 15 pin)
4 cell battery
225/170/35 mm 990g
Windows XP Home

via jkkmobile, buy at amazon

HP announces their new 13.3″ HP dv3500t.  Prices start at $999.99 for the most basic model.

Here’s the specs for the HP dv3500t:

Operating system The main control program of your system. See Productivity Software category for Office applications. Help me decide		Choices: Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit) Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit) Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Business with Service Pack 1 (32-bit) Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
Processor A faster processor supports more efficient operations and applications performance Help me decide		Choices: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T5800 (2.0GHz) Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P7350 (2.0GHz) Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26 GHz) Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53 GHz)
Display The window to applications, the Internet and more Help me decide		Choices: 13.3″ diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800) 13.3″ diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
Memory Use more programs at once and make them run faster with more memory Help me decide		Choices: 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) FREE Upgrade to 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) 8GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
Graphics card Bring your favorite applications and games to life Help me decide		Choices: 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS
Hard drive Store your applications, data, digital music and digital photos on your hard disk drive Help me decide		Choices: 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection 400GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Personalization Choose the way you would like your HP PC to look. Help me decide		Choices: Webcam + Fingerprint Reader [For LED Display] Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
Keyboard Stylish design that can meet the needs of your personal and professional lifestyle. Help me decide		Choices: HP Color Matching Keyboard Full Size Backlit Keyboard
Networking PC includes a network port for broadband Internet connectivity. Internet access sold separately Help me decide		Choices: Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth
Modem Port The built-in modem allows dial-up for internet connections. Help me decide		Choices: Integrated 56K Modem
Primary DVD/CD drive Optical drives can be used to store data, play music and movies, and burn your own CDs or DVDs Help me decide		Choices: SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
Primary battery The right battery can keep you and your Notebook PC working longer Help me decide		Choices: 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery One 4 Cell and One 6 Cell Lithium Ion Batteries
Productivity software Get the tools you need to save time and improve your productivity Help me decide		Choices: Microsoft(R) Works 9.0 Corel(R) WordPerfect Office(TM) X4 Microsoft(R) Office Home and Student 2007 Microsoft(R) Office Basic 2007 Microsoft(R) Office Small Business 2007 Microsoft(R) Office Professional 2007
Security software Stay protected from the latest online threats when connecting to the Web. Help me decide		Choices: Norton Internet Security(TM) 2008 - 15 Month Subscription Norton 360(TM) - 15 Months Norton Internet Security(TM) 2008 - 2 Year Subscription Norton Internet Security(TM) 2008 - 3 Year Subscription
Theft protection Protect your notebook from theft with Computrace LoJack Software. Help me decide		Choices: Computrace LoJack for Notebooks, One Year Computrace LoJack for Notebooks, Two Years Computrace LoJack for Notebooks, Three Years Computrace LoJack for Notebooks, Four Years
Photography software Software that helps you make the most of your digital cameras and brings your pictures to life! Help me decide		Choices: Roxio PhotoSuite 9 Deluxe Corel(R) Painter(TM) Essentials 4 Adobe(R) PhotoShop(R) Elements 6.0 Corel(R) Paint Shop Pro(R) Photo X2 + Corel(R) MediaOne(TM) Plus
Finance & accounting software Track your income and expenses with a financial software package for your home or business Help me decide		Choices: Quicken Deluxe 2008 QuickBooks Pro 2008
DVD/CD burner, movie software Feature-filled upgrades from the basic software included with your system Help me decide		Choices: muvee autoProducer Premium Cyberlink DVD Suite Premium Adobe Premiere Elements 4
Back-up & media management Protect your valuable files. Synch up with mobile devices and convert media. Help me decide		Choices: MigoMobile TUNES (+ Picts) ArcSoft Media Converter 2.5 MigoMobile MEDIA - Premier Roxio Backup MyPC(TM)
Dimensions		Std panel 12.59″(L)x 8.97″(W)x 1.23″(min H)/1.48″(max H) LED panel 12.59″(L)x 8.97″(W)x 1.15″(min H)/1.41″(max H)
Weight		4.12lbs (6 cell) Weight varies by configuration
Total memory slots		2 DIMM
Maximum memory expansion		8GB
PCI expansion		Expansion Port 3 Connector
AC adapter		65W
Front-side bus (processor dependent)		Up to 1066 MHz FSB
Expansion slots		ExpressCard/34 Slot
I/O ports		3 Universal Serial Bus (3rd shared with eSATA port), 1 Consumer IR (Remote Receiver),HDMI 1.3 connector, Microphone in, 1 Expansion Port 3 Connector, 1 RJ -45 (LAN), 1 VGA, HDMI 1.3b
Speakers		Integrated Altec Lansing stereo speakers
Software - full versions		HP PhotoSmart Essentials, Muvee AutoProducer Basic Edition 6.x (with 20-day-trial full version), Adobe Reader 8.x, Microsoft Works 9.0, Microsoft Windows Media Player 11, HP Games Powered by Wild Tangent, Cyberlink DVD Suite, Sling Player from Slingbox, the Sims Life Stories laptop edition, Slingbox Flash Tour (Desktop icon only), HP MediaSmart, Cyberlink DVD Suite
Software - introductory versions		Symantec Norton Internet Security 2008 (includes 60 days of complimentary live updates; subscription required to continue receiving updates)
Trial Internet service		Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition 60-day trial
Basic warranty		One year of hardware parts and labor coverage One year of award-winning, toll-free, 24 x 7 support 30-Days Free Software Support (Free 1 year Software Support with Product Registration) from date of purchase E-mail response in as little time as an hourLimited software technical support is available only for software preinstalled on the computer by HP/Compaq.
ENERGY STAR Qualified		Yes

via hp