Toshiba's NB105 netbook less interesting than we'd hoped

Apparently the temptation to crank out low-margin, impossible to differentiate Atom netbooks is even greater than we thought -- here's Toshiba's new entry, the NB105. You might remember that back in July Tosh was showing off a nifty touchscreen UMPC and talking about how the "six or seven" netbook market segments it had identified meant that it wasn't going to compete directly with the Eee PC, but hey, it was summer, you know? We all say things we don't mean and then spit out the same 8.9-inch machine with a 1.6GHz Atom, 1GB of RAM and Windows XP as everyone else. No pricing details yet, but the NB105 should be out in Mexico in November.

[GON @ Sep 12th 2008 12:28PM]

The new iPods were less interesting than I'd hope.

[Wolfticket @ Sep 12th 2008 12:42PM]

You mean "hoped".
Also, your comment is inane and has nothing to do with the article.

[Andrew @ Sep 12th 2008 12:29PM]

why Mexico?

[bob @ Sep 16th 2008 6:11PM]

And why not?

[Nathan Dbb @ Sep 12th 2008 12:42PM]

Everyone is making the same product. The market is going to saturate, and companies will lose money.

Why do we not see more differentiation?
Who wouldn't like to see a half-dozen PepperPad3 and WiBrain devices?

http://www.wibrain.com/index.html
http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/17/hanbits-pepper-pad-3-returns-with-intels-atom-inside/

Split keyboard UMPC can be used like a PSP on the airplane, or in the car.

[JR @ Sep 12th 2008 12:53PM]

I'm betting the profit margin on netbooks is much higher than with umpcs

[Kris @ Sep 12th 2008 12:52PM]

To be honest, I like the looks of this one. Yes it's plain but it also looks more professional than most of the others.

Since it's Toshiba, expect it to cost $550+.

[kojo87 @ Sep 12th 2008 1:07PM]

im liking the look too. for some reason square does it for me. i like my Eee 701 but im starting to wish i had waited for some of these 9 inchers with the Atoms. theres a pretty big difference between 900MHz and 1.6GHz

[Nate @ Sep 12th 2008 1:19PM]

Same here. It doesn't look like a toy, like a lot of these other machines.

[ethana2 @ Sep 12th 2008 2:02PM]

I have to agree as well.

[Rhino @ Sep 12th 2008 12:53PM]

I'll but it for it's Toshi

[Stiv @ Sep 12th 2008 2:07PM]

Stiv the Pantomime Horse thinks your comment wasn't very well edited.

[Cybergypsy @ Sep 12th 2008 1:13PM]

i like sushi :)

[S @ Sep 12th 2008 1:19PM]

The Acer Aspire One costs about $420 USD in Mexico (Linux, 512 MB RAM, depending on the dollar's mood today) at Office Depot, which probably scared the pants off Toshiba... There's the "small" detail that any Toshiba in Mexico has thus far carried a price roughly twice that across the border in the US for the same model... They can still shoot themselves in the foot by offering a ridiculous price - or go head to head which Acer, which many still see as a subpar brand...

[Dee @ Sep 12th 2008 2:13PM]

Why won't some one release a netbook with descent specs for under $200! Until I see a decent (can be used for the basics: web surfing, document creation, multimedia playback) $100 laptop, netbook, or what ever name you want to call it I could care less what new version of the eepcs, msi winds, or Aspire ones that come out.

[Nick @ Sep 12th 2008 4:46PM]

I'd say that Lenovo, Dell, Acer, HP and now Toshiba are making something of themselves, sure they all have the same specs. but heck, any fanboy of one of these companies will surely get it. I'm getting the Dell Mini 9.. you can figure I just chose it due to the availability.

I think that yes it will saturate the economy in the long run if they continue to release netbooks like this for about another 6 years which I highly doubt.. I'm sure that they will be redesigning these babies.. Slimmer designs, CD-DVD bays, more features, etc. Things will change, so the risk of inflation caused by these netbooks is not very likely at all.

Cheers,
Nick

[GioNYC @ Sep 12th 2008 7:55PM]

What the F#@#K ??? It looks sooooo 90's. The Screen looks small, Why did they do that to the screen size?

Thats like have an Audi 2008 and then going back to a 1990 Jetta GL. Yuckkkkk

[Victor @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:11PM]

I´m in Acapulco Mexico and yesterday I got this Toshiba NB100 (in some stores it says NB105 but it´s exactly the same thing). Let me tell you it looks alot better in person, it doesn´t look like anything else, for good or bad it looks 100% Toshiba which in my case is good, I don´t understand all those reiews that critizise the looks of this little PC. It also performs like a Toshiba which is great. My main PC is a Sony Vaio AR series which is too large to travel with. I´m very satisfied with this Toshiba Mini-Me, get one, you won´t be dissapointed.