Netbook Archive
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First Chrome OS netbook coming this fall
Posted on June 3, 2010 | No Comments
Google's planning on launching Chrome OS this fall. We found that out yesterday. We also speculated that it's likely that there will be hardware partners in place with Google Chrome OS tablets or netbooks ready to go as well. It seems that's probably what's going to happen.
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Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text
Posted on May 27, 2010 | No CommentsWould you believe us if we told you that that rubber bracelet-looking thing is actually going to have a built-in SIM card and bring voice / text capabilities to Android tablets, e-readers and netbooks via Bluetooth? Yeah, it sounds super crazy, but that's exactly what it'll eventually do. Convinced that 2G capabilities like talking and texting should be easier to add to MIDs, tablets and netbooks, Seattle-based startup Iota has come up with the Flex. It's definitely in the early stages of development, but in essence they see people clipping the bendable device to a bag, pairing it to an Android tablet, e-reader or MID, and then making calls from said devices.
We caught some time with Iota and the prototype at the Netbook Summit this week and were told that they plan to sell the Flex through retailers for under $100 -- and that would actually include unlimited calling and texting thanks to a partnership with Simple Mobile. Here's where we say we wouldn't hold your breath for this thing to hit the market -- though if they can pull it off, it'll certainty be an interesting solution for adding voice and text to those hoards of incoming Android tablets. After you're done wrapping your brain around this wearable voice and text accessory, check out the hands-on pics and hit the break for a hacked together demo of the dev kit they've been selling.Continue reading Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text
Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 20:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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MeeGo 1.0 for netbooks and N900 now available to download
Posted on May 26, 2010 | No CommentsYou've seen it teased, and now it's time to shelve whatever you had planned for this evening (or morning, depending on your current coordinates) and slap the first bona fide 1.x MeeGo release onto whatever device you've got handy. As of right now, MeeGo v1.0 for Netbooks and v1.0 for Nokia N900 are available for download, with the former supporting Atom-based machines and the latter supporting... well, we'll let you take a stab there. The API that's being released includes Qt 4.6, and while the current SDK is tailored for netbooks, the next version -- slated to hit devs in June -- will support "touch-based devices, such as handsets and tablets." We're also told that v1.1 will be outed in October, with the development tree already being open. We're certainly digging the layout shown here at a glance, but why not give that source link a visit and find out how it suits you in real life? We heard Snooki totally digs it, too.
[Thanks, Ernst]MeeGo 1.0 for netbooks and N900 now available to download originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 May 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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PTPT shows off wild Android UI skin, we go hands-on
Posted on May 26, 2010 | No Comments
Last time we heard about ExB's PTPT (pronounced "petite petite"), the software startup was just beginning to show off the basics of its touchscreen interface; since then, the small German company has been polishing up the UI and prepping it for Android phones and tablets. According to the CEO Ramin Assadollah, the company is in talks with a "major hardware manufacturer" that's planning on skinning its Android products with the incredibly unique software. We got to see PTPT running on an Android 1.6-powered Acer Liquid while at the Netbook Summit, and though it took us a few minutes to understand how the interface worked, it's definitely interesting and responsive. The input starts with three circular icons representing people, places, and things and then a bar that represents time.
You can simply select an individual person -- you can import contacts from a variety of sources, including, Twitter, Facebook, and so on -- from the halo that appears, and then drag them up to a specific time to get various updates or e-mails from that person. The custom predictive text keyboard in the e-mail interface was very snappy -- it's also just nice to see a change from the stock Android input. Then, you can drag that person to things to see pictures of them. And just like in the original demo, you can then move the pictures icon to a point on the timeline to see pictures from that time. Though the phone and tablet demos we saw didn't have widgets on the homescreen, we were assured that they can be added. We promise this is all better explained in the demo video below, so mosey on down after the jump. We'll be here, wondering what Android devices this software may pop-up on.Continue reading PTPT shows off wild Android UI skin, we go hands-on
PTPT shows off wild Android UI skin, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 May 2010 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This Sony Vaio P takes the style to another level
Posted on May 25, 2010 | No Comments
Maybe the standard Sony Vaio P is a bit pedestrian for your taste. It's just not enough, right? Well then. How about one covered with crocodile skin? It's supposed to be a digital clutch anyway.
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Report: Laptop sales are rocking fueled by netbooks sales
Posted on May 25, 2010 | No Comments
People might not be buying houses and cars at the pre-recession levels, but laptops are flying off the shelves led by netbook sales. (Quiet, don't tell John. He hates netbooks.)
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Sales of netbooks and CULV notebooks expected to increase this year
Posted on May 7, 2010 | No Comments
It looks like people are still buying computers. Research firm iSuppli Corp believes that netbooks and Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage (CULV) notebooks are poised for significant growth in 2010. Notebook PC shipments overall are expected to hit 209.5 million this year, up 25.5% from last year. In particular, sales of netbooks, or smaller and cheaper versions of a notebook, are expected to grow 30% to 34.5 million units. Meanwhile, CULV notebooks are expected to reach sales of 14.5 million units this year, a whopping 93% increase.
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Intel reaches for the ’smartphone zone’ with Moorestown-based Atom Z6, comes up shorthanded
Posted on May 5, 2010 | No CommentsWe've seen the future of Intel's mobile platform, and it isn't all roses and sunshine. Three years after the chipmaker told us Moorestown would reduce Atom's energy consumption by a factor of 20, company execs told us earlier today that they've more than reached that goal with the new Z6xx series. Problem is, in the smartphone realm Intel's competitors haven't been sitting idle; according to one of Chipzilla's cantaloupe-and-magenta bar charts, it seems the company has merely caught up in terms of battery life. That's not to say the chips aren't worlds better than previous Atoms -- Intel sees 1.5GHz smartphone processors that slay Snapdragons and up to 1.9GHz in a tablet PC variety -- but 5 hours of web browsing is most decidedly not the 24 hours of productivity Intel previously promised. Besides, who knows: Qualcomm also has a 1.5GHz SoC in the works, though it may not be available by the time Intel's chips ship in the second half of the year.
None of this is to say that Intel won't continue to dominate in the netbook marketplace -- we shudder to think at the potential when combining a nice, chunky battery with Intel's nearly leakproof new chips, and perhaps a small serving of switchable graphics while we're at it. But without a single new MID or smartphone to show us this morning -- Aava Mobile and OpenPeak's offerings seemed unchanged from our previous encounters -- we're not sure if the company's other mobile ambitions have any sway. Not technical enough of a discussion for you? Peruse our gallery for the nitty-gritty.Intel reaches for the 'smartphone zone' with Moorestown-based Atom Z6, comes up shorthanded originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 May 2010 02:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The netbook, she is dying
Posted on April 27, 2010 | No CommentsDear people who yelled at me when I said netbooks were garbage: I was right. IDC is reporting that sales of netbooks running the Atom platform are flat. Why? Well, first off people have a little cash so they want to buy something nice for themselves instead of a $350 junkbook. Competition from Netbooks that use [...] -
CrunchDeal: Upgrade Windows 7 starter for $50
Posted on April 2, 2010 | No Comments
If you bought a netbook recently, it probably came the decidedly hampered Windows 7 starter. You might have eyed the other version of Windows, but maybe you didn't want to shell out the $79 for the Home 7 Premium. Good news for you, Microsoft is running a special promotion that will allow you to upgrade for the low low price of $49.99.
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Acer preps its second-gen Android/Win netbook
Posted on April 1, 2010 | No Comments
Not long after Acer announced last year that it was launching an Android netbook did the company unveile the first-of-its-kind Acer Aspire One D250. Then just yesterday Acer’s mobile product manager Martino Mombrini let slip that an updated model is on its way. The D260, like its predecessor, will also be able to dual boot Android and Windows. Not much else is currently known about this netbook, except that the chassis is getting a redesign. But wait, there's more.
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Review: Psyopper Netbook Sleeve
Posted on March 30, 2010 | No Comments
There's lots of mass produced, low quality, netbook sleeves and bags out there. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for. But what about something made by one guy, his sewing machine, and a dream? Can a home made product sold on the internet hold up to the same standards as products made by Crumpler, or Timbuk2? Can the little guy be competitive in the market with companies that spend more on staples then what he spends on materials a year? I say: yes.
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The $65 Creation Tech netbook. You know it’s going to be great!
Posted on March 25, 2010 | No Comments
I'm not sure how useful this will be, but it sounds interesting. Chinese manufacturer Creation Tech is selling a 7 inch ultra mobile PC for $65. The specs aren't very impressive, but for that kind of money what do you expect?
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MSI Wind series netbooks go multi-platinum. So here’s another one.
Posted on January 26, 2010 | No CommentsMSI has sold millions of their Wind series of netbooks. Let’s all give them a round of applause shall we? But what does this mean for you guys? Good things, as luck would have it. Instead of some useless, commemorative award, they roll out the U135 model. And unlike most “Yay us!” products, this one [...] -
The fastest netbook in the world
Posted on January 21, 2010 | No Comments
This is technically a DIY project, but I don't know how many people are actually capable of doing this modification. What's so scary about it? I dunno, shoehorning a Core Duo processor into a Sony Vaio UX17, one of the smallest netbooks available. Obviously this is a one off, so don't expect to see it for sale any time soon.
