MSI is about to start a new round of  the “How Should We Define Netbooks?” debate with its new Wind U230 machines. The company is calling the 12-inch replacements for the  Wind U210 netbooks, but they have awfully ultraportable-ish leanings.

To start, they have 12.1-inch screens — not unheard of for netbooks, but rarer than the more typical 10-inch LCD. Then there’s 2GB of RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium (instead of Starter), and, oh yeah, the dual-core processor inside. Not a dual-core Atom as we saw on the Eee PC 1201N, but an AMD chip coupled with an ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics chips are responsible for processing all images sent to your computer?s display.
Learn Moregraphics card.

I can hear fights breaking out already. “Netbook!” “Notebook!” “Dessert Topping!” “Floor Wax!”

These new Winds, whatever they are, come in two models: the U230-033 has an AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 CPU and a 250GB The storage device that holds your OS, programs, and data.
Learn Morehard drive; the U230-040 has an AMD Athlon X2 L335 CPU and a 320GB drive. Otherwise, the two models are identical from their HD displays (16:9, 1366 x 768 WXGA), b/g/n wi-fi, 1.3MP webcam and 6-cell batteries. And, of course, HDMI out amongst the usual ports.

Lest this sound too exciting, there’s a fly in the ointment as concerns that battery: it’s rated for only 4 hours of life by MSI. I imagine that size display combined with the power-hungry AMD chip makes for an ultraportable that won’t want to stray too far from an outlet.

The MSI Wind U230-033 will set you back just $429 and the beefier Wind U230-040 ups the price to $479. They’re available now at Newegg.

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When we reviewed the Toshiba E205 a few weeks ago, we were really impressed with Intel’s Wireless Display (WiDi) technology and its ability to transmit 720p video and quality audio to a home theater across the room. And last week, when we reviewed the Sony VAIO S Series, we liked the way it combined a slim, attractive design with WiDi support. But now that we’ve reviewed the Dell Studio 15z, our third notebook with WiDi, we’ve realized that not all of these systems are created equal.

Sure, the Dell Studio 15z has a powerful Core i5 CPU and it outputs 720p video flawlessly to your TV using WiDi, but is that enough to recommend it? At $949, it’s not cheap and, at 5.4-pounds with 15.6-inch screen, it’s not exactly portable either. With its Graphics chips are responsible for processing all images sent to your computer?s display.
Learn Moreintegrated graphics chip, it’s no gaming phenom either.

The notebook does have a strong keyboard and loud, clear speakers, but is it worth the money? Read our full review of the Dell Studio 15z and decide for yourself.

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Today’s featured deal is a 14-inch Dell Inspiron 14 (1464) for the sweet price of $499 with this coupon from LogicBUY.  This preconfigured system comes in Obsidian Black, but it’s also available in Ice Blue and Promise Pink for $40 more. This Intel Core i3 model of the Inspiron 14 is usually $654. Plus, the deal includes free shipping.

The full specs on the Dell Inspiron 14 (1464): Intel Core i3-330M processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 250GB 5400RPM The storage device that holds your OS, programs, and data.
Learn Morehard drive, Windows 7 ($77.54) Home Premium 64-bit, 8X Dual Layer DVD+/-R drive, 802.11g wireless, 1.3MP webcam, and a 6-cell battery.

Dell Inspiron 14 (1464) 14-inch Core i3 laptop for $499 via LogicBuy.

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One of the best perks of working in the tech biz is that we get to see, handle and review all kinds of gadgets and devices before they hit the market. Sometimes, we get to do a little something special by giving away some of our favorite gadgets to our readers and fans. With the HTC HD2 just weeks away from hitting the market, we figured it would be a great time to give one away.

Click here for all the details. All you have to do is answer a few of our questions, then cross your fingers!

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I’m sensing a pattern here. After Steve Ballmer showed off a mysterious HP tablet during his CES keynote, HP released more details in late January, on the eve of the Apple iPad’s debut. Today, as the world re-watches the first iPad commercial, which aired during last night’s Oscars, HP is again showing off the Slate, this time running Adobe Flash.

In a five-minute promotion video, helmed by Adobe and HP, the Slate is on display, playing videos from sites such as MTV and running AIR apps, such as a New York Times app, complete with crossword puzzles.

While the Flash playback is smooth and useful, making it a not-so-subtle argument against the forthcoming iPad, the onscreen keyboard looks cramped compared to the iPad’s, and doesn’t take advantage of the entire width of the screen. The good news is that HP seems to have been tweaked the Windows 7 ($77.54) UI a bit to include touch-friendly shortcuts to apps.

Intrigued? Check out Adobe and HP’s walk-through video, along with a short HP promo reminiscent of Apple’s ad.

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Between the Toshiba Satellite E205, the Dell Studio 15z, and, now, the Sony VAIO S Series, Best Buy has a triumvirate of sleekly designed laptops that you can only buy through the big box retailer, and all of them come with Intel’s Wireless Display technology. WiDi lets you stream content from the PC to a big screen TV using the included Netgear Push2TV adapter. With a 13-inch screen and a chassis that’s a little over an inch thick, the Vaio S is the thinnest and lightest of the bunch, while still offering performance that blows away most other notebooks in its weight class. At $1,049, though, it isn’t exactly cheap for a laptop these days, and it’s the most expensive of Best Buy’s newest exclusives. Are those extra couple hundred dollars worth it? Find out in our full review.

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On the heels of Apple announcing imminent availability of the iPad, someone at Microsoft, ahem, “leaked” more details about the Courier, Microsoft’s own tablet/e-Reader project. The dual-screen tablet, long rumored to be as much of a digital journal as an e-Reader, has a smaller-than-expected size and, contrary to speculation, will not run Windows 7 ($77.54).

The Courier, said to measure less than an inch thick, will have dimensions similar to a 5 x 7 photo when closed. New details also suggest that the Courier will run on Nvidia’s Tegra 2 platform, and that its OS will be the same one found on the Zune HD.

As we’ve heard, the Courier will be pen-based, with an emphasis on writing and drawing.

Leaked screenshots show a consistent visual theme: a Zune-like interface on the left-hand side, including functionality such as contacts and calendaring, with plenty of space on the right screen to scribble related notes– say, a to do list alongside your calendar for the day.

However, there will also be an eBook ecosystem that would allow users to use it as an e-Reader (no word yet on publisher agreements, much less an eBook store). Like the iPad, it will attempt to appeal to multimedia junkies as well; so far, we know it will have a webcam and a headphone jack for music playback. We’ll be curious to see if or how it supports videos and games.

According to Engadget, the Courier will launch in either the third or fourth quarter of this year, with no word on pricing. Color us curious.

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First it was Google Maps Navigation (Beta), which at first brought free spoken turn-by-turn directions to only the Motorola Droid (and later devices running OS 1.6 and up). Then came Google Buzz for mobile, the controversial social networking service, which is currently available for those Android phones running 2.0 and up. And just yesterday, the search-giant-turned-smart-phone-mogul released the very cool Gesture Search app, which allows users to look up contacts and locate applications just by scribbling a letter on the screen. Have a Motorola Cliq or a HTC Droid Eris or a Samsung Moment? Sucks to be you, because this app is also limited to Android 2.0 or above. It’s clear that Google is favoring the newer versions of its OS. This unfairly punishes both owners of devices running older flavors of Android, as well as Google’s partners.

Let’s start with the impact on users.  Right now, T-Mobile sells four Android phones. Guess how many run Android 2.0 or higher? Zilch. The only 2.0 device you can use on T-Mobile’s network that offers all of the above goodies is sold directly through Google, the Nexus One. Sprint doesn’t sell a single Android phone running 1.6 or higher, although it promises to upgrade its devices. Verizon Wireless has one phone that runs 1.6, the Motorola Devour, so you can download the beta of Google Maps Navigation, but not Buzz for mobile or Gesture Search. The Droid runs 2.0, and will be upgraded to 2.1 soon. The only AT&T Android phone, the brand-newMotorola Backflip, runs 1.5.

Historically, consumers haven’t paid attention to what OS their smart phone runs, nevermind the specific version. But it matters when you can’t access certain features and apps that other Android device owners can. Even first-gen iPhone owners can upgrade their devices to run the latest software.

On the other hand, most of the Android phones that run an older version of the OS have a more compelling user interface, such as Motorola’s social-networking themed Motoblur or HTC’s Sense. What shoppers can’t have—at least for the moment—is the best of both worlds. Why shouldn’t a Droid Eris or myTouch 3G be able to use Google Buzz or Gesture Search? And why is it taking so long for handset makers to upgrade their wares to the latest OS? Diversity can be a good thing for consumer choice, but shoppers shouldn’t have to choose between a slicker UI and being able to take advantage of Google’s latest features.

Some might accuse Google of forcing Android phone makers to think twice about adding their own skins and services to its OS. Fragmentation is bad for software developers because they have to ensure that their apps work across multiple versions of the OS. Google is sending a message by only releasing its own latest apps for the newest versions of its platform. And if the likes of  HTC, Motorola, and others can’t keep up with the latest releases, they might feel pressure to drop their own services in favor of the stock Google experience. That might be good for developers, but not for competition and differentiation.

Not long ago I said that Android was the new Windows Mobile. But, at least based on its recent behavior, it looks as though Google wants its OS to become the new Windows Phone 7 Series, with a much more unified user experience. In the meantime, Android phone buyers will continue to be confused by a seemingly artificial barrier that prevents their “old OS” devices from enjoying Google’s own innovations. Google needs to either work with its partners to make sure that all new Android phones going forward run its latest OS (regardless of the UI) or create different tiers for phones with different capabilities. Android Starter, anyone?

Editor-in-chief Mark Spoonauer directs LAPTOP’s online and print editorial content and has been covering mobile and wireless technology for over a decade. Each week Mark’s SpoonFed column provides his insights and analysis of the biggest mobile trends and news. You can also follow him on twitter.

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lthough the eBags new backpacks looks like it would be right at home on campus, it has the features to please both students and business travelers alike. Appropriately named the TLS (Tough, Lightweight, Smart) Workstation Laptop Backpack, the bag has three main compartments and many interior pockets, enough to comfortably tote your laptop, as well as all your gear.

Your laptop, is securely encased in a padded compartment at the back of the backpack. Ebags claims that removing the extra padding at the bottom of this compartment can accommodate laptops as large as 17 inches, but none of the 17 inch laptops we tried, in would fit. In addition, eBag’s online application for checking the fit of your laptop was a bit inaccurate. Ultimately, the laptop must be less than 11 x 15.5 x 1.5 inches to fit inside the bag.

We were intrigued by the main compartment because of its removable hard case, padded shelf, and velcro book strap. If you ever need to carry those pesky cables and power cords around (why do we still have so many cables in a wireless world?), you can take the hard case with you. Although you can put other items such as art supplies in this pouch, its large size and cumbersome shape make me wonder if anyone ever would do so.

The padded shelf neatly divides the main compartment into two sections. You can secure your books below with the bookstrap and put your gloves on the shelf. But if you don’t appreciate any of this design you can collapse the shelf and flatten the book strap, converting the main compartment into one large storage area.

The inside face of the main compartment has several large storage pockets, but none were deep enough for a magazine or newspaper. In the front of the backpack you’ll find pen holders and several zippered pockets, along with a place for your smartphone or eBook reader and a chain for your keys.

An extra zippered pocket on the outside allows easy access to items such as a map or boarding pass, but the vertical zipper doesn’t guarantee that your travel documents won’t fall out. If you need a place to put your water bottle, one of the two large zippered side pockets has an additional elastic strap to keep the bottle in place.

On the back side, the straps are contoured and padded so you don’t strain yourself. The two adjustable sternum straps can be easily removed – if you slide them off at just the right angle.

Though its appearance is a little plain, the TLS Workstation comes in five colors (Blue Yonder, Sinful Red, Green Envy, Grey Matter, Pitch Black) and may be purchased directly from eBags for $99.99.

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Ohmigodohmigodohmigod, Apple just announced that the iPad will go on sale in the U.S. on April 3, and that U.S. consumers can pre-order the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/3G models starting March 12. That’s next Friday, folks! Unfortunately, only the Wi-Fi model will be available for purchase on the 3rd; the Wi-Fi/3G version won’t be ready until late April.

Also on April 3, Apple will launch its iBooks app and iBookstore, available as a free download from the App Store in the U.S. It will feature books from the New York Times Best Seller list from both major and independent publishers, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster, according to Apple’s press release.

As we noted in our hands-on time with the device, the iPad is a slick device, and should be great for surfing the Web, but it’s no netbook killer. Then again, it doesn’t have to be to be successful.

In case you forgot how much you need to start socking away for the device, here’s a rundown of the different models and their prices:

Wi-Fi only iPad:
$499 (16GB)
$599 (32GB)
$699 (64GB)

Wi-Fi + 3G iPad
$629 (16GB)
$729 (32GB)
$829 (64GB)

PollWhich iPad are you going to get (if you’re going to get one?)16GB (Wi-Fi)32GB (Wi-Fi)64GB (Wi-Fi)16GB (Wi-Fi 3G)32GB (Wi-Fi 3G)64GB (Wi-Fi 3G)None; Steve Jobs has enough money already. | Results

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