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BenQ's Joybook Lite U101 delivers smileys on the lid, frownies on the keyboard
We hope you've forgiven us for being somewhat less than enthused when we got word of BenQ's Joybook Lite U101 being launched, as at the time we didn't quite see the need for another "me too" netbook. After reading Laptop Magazine's first impressions we're still not quite getting the point. While this little lappy is something of a looker, with a lid festooned with cute emoticons, on the other side of that lid is a glossy, 10.2-inch LCD that sheds 24 vertical pixels just for the sake of being 16:9 -- your average 1024 x 600 netbook doesn't exactly have any to spare. The keyboard, too, is said to be a bit cramped, but, for those who just can't leave anything stock, the U101 does have the rare distinction of being a "modder's paradise," offering easy access to RAM, storage, and an unoccupied mini PCIe slot that's just waiting for a 3G modem. Of course, HP's Mini 1000 comes with one out of the box, so again please forgive us for the lack of interest.
Toshiba's gigabeat U gets social with FM transmitter
If you're the type to shun audio trend in favor of audio quality then be sure to give a glance in the direction of Toshiba's latest audio player. The new gigabeat U series of music players comes in 1GB (U101) and 2GB (U201) flavors and features Toshiba's new high-quality, 1-bit TC94A82XBG DAC. Otherwise, the most notable feature is the integrated FM receiver/transmitter allowing you record FM broadcasts to MP3 and even share your audio collection with your car audio system or any other DAP equipped with an FM receiver -- pretty much all of them these days. The player sits 11.9-mm thick with a 1.1-inch organic EL display sporting a 96x96 resolution and graphics reminiscent of nascent web interface design. A 20-hour battery and support for Windows Media DRM10, MP3, and WAV (PCM) round out the specs with a full Japanese launch by April 7th -- ¥13,800 ($118) for the 1GB player or ¥16,800 (about $142) for the 2GB model. Not cheap, but not too beaucoup either.
