The Pixel Qi 10.1-inch outdoor readable display is now available, allowing netbook owners to upgrade their screen to a dual-mode display. The bad news is that the first batch of the $275 DIY upgrade kits have already sold out, less than 24 hours after their release.

The Pixel Qi display has successfully been tested on the Samsung N130 and Lenovo IdeaPad S10, making these two netbooks the only ones that Pixel Qi is guaranteeing compatibility with. However, it should work with many other 10.1-inch netbooks.

The advantage of the Pixel Qi display is that it offers dual modes. In full color mode, the display looks like any other LCD display, offering backlighting for low-light environments. When switched to the e-paper mode, the backlight is turned off and you are left with an energy-efficient display that can be easily viewed in direct sunlight. This is very similar to the screen found on eBook readers such as the Amazon Kindle. This mode increases the contrast of the screen and converts the picture into a near black and white mode, achieving nearly five times more battery life. See the demonstration of switching between the two modes in the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m0RHQuP7IU

Though currently sold out, the Pixel Qi DIY display upgrade is available from MakerShed for $275.

Via Liliputing, Engadget

Pixel Qi DIY Upgrade Provides Outdoor Readable Netbook Display is a post by Carter Sprunger from Notebooks.com.

The first thing that struck me about the N130 as I removed it from the Samsung box was the color scheme; blue and white. I didn’t like it at all; the two tone color combination gave a “leapfrog-like” look to the netbook that made me a bit self conscious carrying it into the local Panera.

Despite my dislike of its two tone paintjob, the build of the Samsung N130 is top notch. During day to day use it is light enough that it is portable but you don’t worry that a bump or a flex will cause it to fall apart. The first thing I noticed when I lifted the N130 out of the case is how well it fits into your hand. Not only does it fit well, thanks to the battery which bumps out slightly, but the cover isn’t a glossy fingerprint magnet like the lid of my HP Mini. The matte cover keeps the exterior of the netbook looking clean and feels nice to the touch too. Another nice touch is the small lip in the middle of the lid which makes it easier to open N130.

Once you open the Samsung N130 you’ll notice that the cover isn’t the only thing that’s matte. The N130 comes with a 10.1″ matte screen capable of 1024×600 resolution. I can’t express how happy I am to see a matte screen on a netbook instead of the glossy finish every manufacturer feels compelled to include. This option, combined with the ability to open the lid further than my Mini 1000, made working on the go much easier; even in the car on a sunny day.

During my normal usage of writing, surfing the web, working in Word and recording some video with the built in webcam I found that the battery lasted right around 5 hours. To achieve this battery life I used the standard battery model that the netbook shipped with which had a dimmed but still usable screen on battery power. One little touch I liked here was that if I stopped using the N130 for a short time the screen would dim to the lowest setting but not turn completely off. This saved the battery at times when I was brainstorming or was interrupted by conversation.

Aside from my issues with the paint job I had some trouble adjusting to the keyboard and the trackpad. I’ll admit that after typing several hundred thousand words on the Mini 1000′s keyboard switching to anything else presents a small challenge but even after extended use I found the placement of the Page up and Page down keys to be troublesome; I also found out that Ctrl+Page Up or Down switches tabs in Firefox. The page keys are located above the small right and left arrow keys which meant that I often found myself accidentally skipping to the end of a document or jumping to a new tab in Firefox. On a small keyboard like this moving the page up and down keys to a function key-combo would be much better. The second problem I had with the keyboard is that the backspace key (one I use a lot) is smaller than on other netbooks. This led to more than a few “=” being typed when I wanted to delete an item. The rest of the keyboard performed well with plenty of tactile confirmation and spacing to type comfortably.

For the most-part I liked the trackpad; I found it responsive, of usable size and the buttons are on the bottom where they belong. The only issue I had was that there is little difference in the palmrest and the touchpad which makes finding the pad troublesome at times.

It possible that both of these issues could be overcome with practice and in the case of the trackpad a bit of clear nail polish to mark the edge of the palmrest, but you may want to take a look at your typing style or practice before purchasing the Samsung N130.

Pros

• Solid Build
• 5-Hour battery life
• Matte screen
• Matte cover
• Responsive trackpad; mouse buttons at bottom

Cons

• Two tone paint job
• Small backspace key
• Page up and Down key placement
• Hard to know where trackpad starts

The Samsung N130 is available at Amazon.com for $279.99 and thanks to the battery life, matte screen and others is an attractive entry level netbook.

As tested the Samsung N130 was running Windows XP and had the following specs.

• 1.6GHz Intel N270 Atom Processor
• 1GB Memory
• 160GB Hard Drive
• 10.1″ LED Widescreen Display
• Intel GMA 950 Graphics
• No optical drive
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• 1 VGA port
• Ethernet port
• Headphone port
• Microphone port
• Webcam
• Microsoft XP Home (SP3)

Additional images:

Samsung N130 Netbook Review – Very Usable, Long Lasting Netbook is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

As we mentioned prices have dropped on many computers and new advances have lead to a wide range of notebooks being available under $600. This guide will span the range form your basic netbook, which is great for portability, all the way up to 17″ entertainment notebooks. We’ll also show you an ION netbook that has more graphical power than its peers and a few other notebooks that run from 11.6″ to 16″ and offer options like a full number keypad, thin and light styling and the ruggedness of a ThinkPad.

While there are many improvements in the capabilities of sub $600 notebooks today compared to in years past you still need to sacrifice some features to get below $600. For the most part these notebooks will not offer high end processors, beefy graphics cards, 8GB of Ram or blazing fast SSD hard drives. But, with that warning aside, these budget notebooks do offer a tremendous value for many users including students, small businesses and home users.

Whether you’re looking for a gift to give away or a gift for yourself here are 10 notebooks under $600 that fit the bill.

Basic Netbook: Samsung n130 with Failsafe

Price: $299

A basic netbook is great to toss in a bag and take wherever you are going. Whether you’re heading to school, the coffeeshop or across the country the small size and sturdy build of the Samsung N130 make it a great choice. Unlike many other netbooks the N130 has a matte screen which makes it easier to use outside and cuts down on glare from overhead lights. You can also purchase the Samsung N130 with Failsafe, a service that lets you track down a lost or stolen laptop and even recover files, which makes it perfect for a forgetful person on the go.

Entertainment Netbook: HP Mini 311

Price: Starts at $399

Basic netbooks often choke when you try to perform a demanding task, like watching HD video, but the new ION powered netbooks like the HP Mini 311 make use of a new graphic processor to do provide a better computing experience. An ION powered notebook such as this can watch HD videos, edit photos faster and even handle Call of Duty (if you turn the graphics settings WAY down). When Flash 10.1 comes out netbooks like the Mini 311 will be able to stream Hulu without you feeling like you’re watching a poorly dubbed kung-fu flick. For more information check out our HP Mini 311 review roundup.

11.6″ Thin and Light Ultraportable: Acer Aspire TimeLine AS1810

Price: $599 ($549 model also available)

If a netbook is too small, but you don’t want to jump up to a full size laptop than the Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810 may be the perfect fit of form and functionality. Without adding significant size or weight to your bag the TimeLine AS1810 gives you an Intel Core 2 Duo processor which is more powerful (and will let you do more than a typical netbook. The trackpad on this model also allows you to use gestures to pinch, flick and swirl for easier navigation. Keep reading for detailed specs and reviews of the Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810.

13.3” Ultraportable Notebook: HP dm3z

Price: Starts at $529

The HP dm3z’s brushed aluminum chassis and slim shape may give off the appearance that it couldn’t possibly fit into a gift guide for notebooks under $600 but HP is able to sell this notebook for just $529 and it typically includes 3GB of Ram and a 320 GB hard drive so it isn’t skimping on features. Aside from the aluminum chassis, another feature that sets this notebook apart from the others on this list is that the dm3z is powered by a mobile AMD processor. Even though the dm3z has left the netbook screen size, like the smaller computers, it lacks an optical drive so if you may need to purchase an external one.

14″ Notebook: ThinkPad SL410

Price: $499

If you’ve had the pleasure of using a ThinkPad at work you know that, as a whole, the ThinkPad line of notebooks are sturdy and provide a user friendly layout. The ThinkPad SL410 shares these same attributes with its big business brothers, but what is different about the SL line of ThinkPads is the price. Aimed at a small business buyer these ThinkPad’s start at $499, yet still retain many of the features you have come to love. If you want a ThinkPad, whether for work or play, this is the cheapest you’ll find one.

15.6″ Budget Notebook: Gateway MD 7309u

Price: $399

Notebooks in the 15.6″ screen size are quickly becoming the new budget notebooks, and that’s the category that this Burgundy colored Gateway MD 7309u falls into. With a Dual core processor, 3GB or Ram and a 320 GB hard drive it isn’t a screaming machine but it will fit the needs of many computer users. One area that you sacrifice when purchasing a budget 15.6″ notebook is portability. Sure, it won’t throw your back out to take it from place to place, but if you really need a big screen to haul around town then a thinner lighter notebook would be a better buy.

15.6″ Thin and Light: Dell Studio 15z

Price: $599

If you want a decent sized screen and portability than the Dell Studio 15z is just right for you. Following the tradition of the Z line computers, like the Dell Studio 14z we reviewed, the Studio 15z offers a lighter notebook and better battery life thanks to a low voltage processor ($30 will get you a faster Intel Core 2 Duo processor if you need the speed). The Studio 15z differentiates itself from the other thin and light notebooks in this list by including an optical drive so that you can watch a DVD or backup your files to disk without the need for an external drive.

16″ with Blu-Ray: MSI CR600-017

Price: $599

If you’ve been holding out for a good deal on a Notebook with Blu-Ray than the MSI CR600-17 is the notebook for you. Packing a 16″ screen this new notebook from MSI offers the cheapest portable Blu-Ray experience to date. While the retail price of this notebook is $649 and technically places it above our $600 limit it is routinely available for $599 from retailers like Fry’s. The only downside is the lack of a Core 2 Duo processor, but if you want Blu-Ray and a big screen than this is a small sacrifice to make.

Big Screen: HP G71 17”

Price: Starts at $569 ($589 with HDMI out)

The HP G71 notebook is a great find for anyone who wants a big screen on their notebook but doesn’t want to pay an arm and a leg for all the extra room. When it comes to big screen notebooks they aren’t meant to hauled around all the time, but as a desktop replacement the G71 works well. For an extra $20 you can add an HDMI connection which will make it a snap to hook up to your HDTV giving you an even bigger screen to use. Keep your eye open on Black Friday when you can find the HP G71 at Staples with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor for $598 and at Walmart with a slower processor for $398.

Affordable Power: Toshiba L505-S5993

Price: $579

The Toshiba L505 is available in several configurations, but the current model on sale at Amazon offers the best value for your dollar. The Toshiba Satellite L505-S5993 comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor (2.1GHz), 4 GB of RAM, 500 GB Hard Drive and a 15.6″ screen. One little plus to the L505 that most notebooks don’t have is a full size number keypad, making this a good gift for an aspiring accountant or number cruncher in your family. The only thing you need to consider before buying the L505 is that it only has a 2-3 hour battery life so if you are on the go for extended periods you may want to put an extra battery in the stocking.

Holiday Gift Guide: 10 Notebooks under $600 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.