An article at Laptop Magazine hammers consumers calling them clueless” and asking, Notebook buyers, what are you thinking?” Instead of getting the more mobile and lighter models, consumers focus on what the author calls heavy clunkers” buying them up and leading manufacturers to ignore the more attractive 13- and 14-inch notebooks”. He also said the 15-inch size is a form factor that no one needs.”

As you can see from the chart published by Laptop Magazine, the number of smaller form factor notebooks (12-14 inches since smaller are considered netbooks or tablets) is less than a quarter of the total. The models in the 15.x range alone trump the smaller sized models everywhere in the world except in Asia, where 14.x-inch models are nearly 40% of the total.

Larger screens require more power resulting in lower battery life. They are also heavy. Laptop Magazine has reviewed many such notebooks and the average weight is a hefty 6 pounds. 14-inch models weigh on average on ly 5 pounds and 13-inch are 4.4 pounds on average. 12 and 11-inch models average about 3.5 pounds.

The other problem is that the larger screen size is not resulting more screen real estate, measured in resolution. The following chart shows that the sweet spot is 1366×768 even though a larger 15-inch screen could do much more and still be readable.

So why is this trend taking place? The main reason is that buyers don’t’ really want a portable. Sixty percent usually set their notebook on a desk and leave it there. Others are fooled into believing that if it’s bigger, then it is better ignoring other factors like battery life, heft and screen resolution. The sad result is that knowledgeable road warriors are stuck picking between far fewer models. Just walk into a Best Buy or office store and ask for a 13 or 14-inch notebook. There will not be that many amidst the sea of netbooks and 15-inch laptops.

15-inch Notebooks Most Popular at Expense of Smaller Notebooks is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Laptop Magazine has just shared a review of the MSI X-SlimX350 notebook, giving it a slightly above average 3.5 out of 5 stars. The MSI X-Slim X350 is a new ultraportable from MSI that has over 7-hours of battery life.

The most pertinent details from the review of the 13.4-inch computer are the long battery life and comfortable and responsive” keyboard. Laptop Magazine also said the X350 has a roomy touchpad with a black surface and chrome outline and buttons. Laptop Magazine noted that the touchpad gives you a little trouble when typing since it doesn’t have palm rejection, but turning on typing detection fixes this. The  touchpad also boasts multi-gestures support.

The reviewer liked the screen and said the overall performance was adequate.” Not a ringing endorsement. It has a 1.3  GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor and integrated Intel GMA 4500 graphics. So this is  primarily a basic PC for Internet, document editing and occasional multimedia use.

The thing that jumped out to me was the battery life. It has a strong 7 hours” on a single charge making it comparable with the Apple MacBook.

Their final verdict:

At first blush, the $899 ($999 MSRP) MSI X350 seems rather expensive by today’s standards, particularly when you compare it to faster competitors such as the Apple MacBook or the ASUS U30Jc-1A. However, for its premium price, MSI provides a notebook that’s easier to carry. We also appreciate the comfortable keyboard and long battery life. Though we wish the MSI X350 achieved better performance and included 64-bit Windows, this fashion-forward ultraportable is a strong contender. If you crave more speed, hold out for the X360, which will feature a Core i5 processor.

Be sure to read the full review and go to the last page for the full specs.

MSI X-Slim X350 Ultraportable Reviewed is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

HP TouchSmart tm2: This slimmer, cooler update to HP’s tx2z tablet shines both aesthetically and performance-wise. Not only does it boast HP’s latest TouchSmart software (complete with Twitter, Hulu, and Netflix apps) but also the BumpTop 3D touch-enabled desktop and Corel Paint It Touch for the fingerpaint demon inside you.

Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid: The idea of a tablet with a keyboard dock isn’t new, but Lenovo makes it feel fresh with its IdeaPad U1. Not only does the hardware do double duty as a notebook and a slate, it has both an Intel and ARM processor. Looking to get the best of both worlds? The U1 might be it.

MSI X350: The newest 13-inch model in MSI’s svelte X-Slim line impressed us with more robust specs (finally a dual-core ULV processor) and better design. We’re particularly glad to see the improved chiclet keyboard and the rubberized look of the textured deck.

Samsung NB30: You take your netbook everywhere, so why not get one that can stand up to some abuse? Samsung’s new NB30 offers plenty of protection along with Intel’s N450 Atom CPU. It’s built to withstand drops from 30 inches and has a spill-resistant keyboard. Definitely check out the video.

Toshiba Satellite E205: Even though this sleek, electric blue Best Buy exclusive has a lot going for it both inside (Core i5 CPU) and out (a futuristic design), it stands out for one reason. Thanks to Intel’s new Wireless Display technology, users can beam whatever they’re watching to their big screen with the push of a button.

Viliv S10 Blade: This thin convertible netbook is the natural evolution of Viliv’s smaller mobile internet devices. It offers a 10-inch multitouch display with a touch-friendly UI and a good size keyboard. Plus, it promises up to 10 hours of battery life. We can’t wait to review it.

There are 4 more notebooks that make their list, but these 6 devices represent to me the really cool ones I saw on the showfloor. Granted if you’re a gamer the 11″ Alienware notebook will be on your list as well but I keep my games on the Xbox so I’m more concerned with other devices; like slates that undock, notebooks that convert to tablets, netbooks that can withstand spills and of course the Wifi HD video streaming Toshiba E205 that even has — wait for it — backlit keys!

Laptop Magazines Top Notebooks of CES 2010 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

We’ve gathered up the HP Mini 311 reviews and hands on experiences to give you a good look at what you can expect from the little powerhouse.

The HP Mini 311 looks impressive but how does it actually stack up to real world tests? Our own Xavier Lanier had some hands on time with the HP Mini 311 and provides a good introduction to the new HP Mini 311 netbook.

Reviews:

CNet: “The real payoff is in the Nvidia Ion, which, while not a true discrete GPU, offers enough power to play HD video files smoothly (a sticking point for Netbooks), as well as do some basic gaming. For nongraphics tasks, it won’t affect performance much (and GPU support for Flash video, such as Hulu, is still a work in progress), but it does solve some of the frustrations associated with Netbooks, without driving up the price.” – Dan Ackerman

PCWorld: “By netbook standards, the HP Mini 311 is reasonably priced and offers features most netbooks lack. You’re paying a small premium for a netbook that has an HDMI port and can drive 1080p resolutions to a bigger display. Though it didn’t deliver on 1080p playback, it handled 720p and 1080i videos better than netbooks with Intel-based graphics. For those who were hoping to make a gaming netbook out of this, think again. High-end 3D games are still best played on full-fledged laptops.” – Cisco Cheng

Blog.laptopmag.com: “The design, the bright and beautiful screen, and the price all make this netbook a head-turner.” … “The trackpad is very smooth and our fingers glided easily across it. We also like that the two mouse buttons sit underneath instead of on the left and right sides. The bottom of these buttons is flush with the edge of the chassis, a nice design touch.” – K. T. Bradford

LaptopMag official Review: “With the Mini 311, HP has broken the netbook mold; no longer will users be limited to simple activities on these small systems, nor will they have to pay upwards of $600 for portability and performance. At its $399 price, consumers in the market for an inexpensive system can’t go wrong with this notebook. While we would have liked a better touchpad, the Mini 311 offers dramatic performance benefits in comparison to traditional netbooks while still offering nearly six hours of battery life.” – Michael A. Prospero

Laptop Magazine was so impressed with the HP Mini 311, that despite having issues with the trackpad, it was given an “Editor’s Choice Award”.

If you want to know exactly how the Mini 311 stacks up to the competition in all kinds of benchmarks including 3dMark, battery life, file transfer speed and much, much more be sure to hit up the detailed comparison at LaptopMag.com.

Notebooks.com: The Nvidia ION GPU that earns the HP Mini 311 high marks from pretty much anyone who lays hands on it also gives the Mini the ability to transcode files much faster than similarly spec’d netbooks without the Nvidia Ion. In this video you can see just how fast the mini transcodes a movie file compared to a Lenovo S12 without an ION GPU.

The Mini 311 is already impresses reviewers with Windows XP installed and it looks like things will only get better when Windows 7 arrives.

According to Liliputing.com on October 22nd you will be able to purchase the Hp Mini 311 with an 80 GB SSD 2-3GB of Ram and a full Nvidia ION GPU. By replacing the Nvidia ION LE, which is available now, with a full version users should experience better HD processing and will gain DirectX 10 support which will bring greater game compatibility.

Another improvement coming to the HP Mini 311 in the near future addresses the ability of the HP Mini 311 to play Flash video without looking like a bad kung fu movie. When Adobe releases Flash 10.1 this year it will be able to use the Nvidia ION GPU to provide stutter free streaming HD Flash Video.

Overall the reviews are positive with the trackpad being a point of contention between the Laptop Magazine blogger and the official reviewer. Even with shorter lasting battery life than many competitors the ability to do more including watch HD content, play games and, when Flash 10.1 comes out, watch Hulu more than makes up for this shortcoming.

This is one netbook I can’t wait to get my hands on once Windows 7 and the additional options come out, even if they do bump the price up into notebook range.

HP Mini 311 Review Roundup is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.