Lenovo Yoga Pocket Netbook Sneak peak

Talk about a super portable netbook. This released netbook concept from Lenovo is not only portable, it fits in your back pocket as well. Now to be honest I wouldn’t even think about putting it in my back pocket (for security reasons), but it’s good to know that you have a computer that is so small it fits almost anywhere. As you can see in the image below, Yoga Pocket netbooks is covered by a leather skin which makes the device warm and attractive.

Now check this out. In 360 mode, you can use the Lenovo Yoga Netbook as a tablet. And you wonder what that belt is around your netbook? That’s actually a mouse!

Lenovo did truly hit a big grand slam with this latest design. The Yoga netbook is a tablet, a netbook, and an ultimate mobile PC all in one. And according to the guys in the know, this concept was test 2 years ago! Talk about being an early innovator.

Nvidia To Enter the Netbook Market?

If you have been following the CPU market, you have probably heard about the struggles of AMD. AMD has been a worthy competitor to Intel in the past few years and has given Intel something to think about with some of its products. But Intel has the upper-hand on AMD now, and many are wondering whether the industry is big enough to have two giants.

No need to worry about AMD getting out of this market (let’s hope they don’t). Nvidia seems to be planning to enter the CPU market to produce chips for Netbooks and mobile devices. The netbook market has caught fire and what a better way for Nvidia to grab marketshare than entering a market that is super hot.

Details on this development are still unknown. It does seem logical for Nvidia to expand its reach in the computer industry by producing x86 chips that can be used on GPS, smartphones, and netbooks. But if I am AMD or Intel, I wouldn’t like this idea a whole lot. Then again, the industry needs some competition.

What Will Apple Netbook Look Like?

This week we have heard more about Apple netbook that we have in years. Something must be up! In fact, most analysts are now sure that Apple has indeed been working on another revolutionary device. Asian reporters have been all over this story. It seems Apple employees have been scanning books in Apple headquarters, and Apple has worked on a touchscreen device with its Asian partners.

An Apple netbook can accelerate the growth of this market. The netbook market is one of the fastest growing segments of the computer industry, but it can move to the next level with the introduction of a game changer from Apple. The latest rumor that is going around the web is the possibility of Apple releasing an “iTouch” or what I would like to call iPod XL. I do like the concept of having a bigger iPod Touch, but I am not sure that would address Apple’s need to make a move in the netbook market. An iPod Touch is a great gadget, but it’s certainly not a netbook.

I wouldn’t put it past Apple to try to milk the iPod Touch product line even more, but what the netbook market needs right now is a real netbook and not an iPod XL. People need to be able to type with their both hands and get work done while they are on the go. That’s why I see a keyboard on this mystery device, which means it will be more of a Macbook and less of an iPod.

What’s your take? Could an iPod XL compete with netbooks?

How To Buy a Netbook Like a Pro

Not all netbooks are created equal. Companies such as MSI, Acer, Asus, and Lenovo are trying very hard to outdo each other in this market. And while the prices are very close, you still have to pay attention to the smallest details if you want to get the biggest bang for your netbook buck. Netbooks may be cheap, but that doesn’t mean you should settle for low-quality ones. Here is how you should compare netbooks to find the one that is right for you:

• Performance: most netbooks use an Atom N cheap. There are a few netbooks that use other CPUs. Either way, you want to make sure you know what you are getting with your netbook. Don’t expect your netbook to be as fast as a Quad-core PC, but 1.6 Ghz CPUs provide you with enough power to get work done on your netbook.
• Screen: we’ve got tiny netbooks (10″ screen size) and super-tiny netbooks (8″ screen). I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine using an 8″ netbook. Know what you are comfortable with before buying your next netbook.
• Weight: while all netbooks are designed to be highly portable, some are more portable than others. Take time to find out how much your netbook weighs before spending money on it.
• Wireless: most netbooks come with wireless G connection these days, but if you are looking for speed, you may want to go for those few that have wireless N adapters.
• Battery: netbooks are designed for folks who are constantly on the go. You should shoot for netbooks that can go for 5 or more hours without needing you to recharge.

You should also take time to review what others have to say about the netbook you intend to buy to make sure you are not getting a netbook that looks good on the paper but performs terribly. Customer reviews are extremely important when buying electronics and netbooks are no different. The price can also be a factor here but thankfully most netbooks are affordable.

Your take: what do you look for in your next netbook?

Netbooks + Data Plan: a Match Made in Heaven

I remember the first time that I saw a netbook. I was very impressed with its tiny design, and I loved how portable it was. It had decent CPU power and enough hard drive capacity to let me store all my business documents on it without too much trouble. It even had a wireless G adapter, which made it easy to connect to hot-spots and Wi-Fi networks around the globe. But what if you needed Internet at all times?

Netbooks may be portable and shiny but without the power of the Internet, it is not that valuable. That is why it is necessary for wireless companies to offer data plans for netbooks as well. We all know that top phones such as the iPhone do come with killer data plans. But as much as I like the real web experience on my iPhone, I still prefer to use my netbook to get my work done when I am traveling. With a proper data plan, business professionals and folks who are constantly on the go can stay connected at all times.

The netbook market is exploding, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see netbook-specific data plans offered by carriers in the future. What I would like to see is free netbooks with those expensive data plans. If phones can be subsidized by these carriers, there is no reason netbooks shouldn’t.

Your take: how much would you be willing to pay for a netbook-specific data plan?

Apple Netbook Rumors Continue On

For a company that didn’t seem too interested in the netbook market, Apple has had so many rumors going on about its imminent release of a netbook computer. We are hearing now that Apple is working on a netbook-iPhone hybrid. Not only that, even the guys on theStreet.com have caught on with these rumors.

Apple may not release its netbook till early 2010, but the fact that it is planning to enter this market should strike fear in its competitors’ hearts. We all know what happened when Apple decided to get in and crush the competition in the mobile market. If the rumors about a touchscreen tablet-netbook hybrid are true, then it will be mightily tough for other companies to compete with Apple.

Your take: would you like to see tablet features on your netbook?

Microsoft Looking at Netbooks as Its Next Cash Cow

If you have been following the news about Microsoft, you probably know that Vista has been a disaster. Microsoft is desperate to make Windows 7 a success. The easiest way to do that is to make netbook owners want to upgrade to Windows 7 premium. Microsoft plans to include Windows 7 starter edition on new netbooks. But that comes with serious limitations. For starters, you won’t be able to run more than 3 programs. That means you are not going to get much done with the starter package. This is clearly another devious effort by Microsoft to box in the consumers and force them to commit to premium versions of Windows.

The better option at this point is to stick with Linux. Linux is a more stable and cheaper option for netbook owners, and you can get your work done without any limitations. A lot of netbook owners don’t feel too comfortable with Linux, but there is nothing to be scared about. Linux is fun, secure, and free! It is time to dump Windows.

Apple Netbook: When Will We See One?

Apple has arguably the best and most popular laptops on the market. Macbook and Macbook Pro are great laptops for folks who want portable computers for business or college student work. But what Apple hasn’t done so far is enter the netbook market. Steve Jobs and other top Apple executives have been clear about what they think of the netbook market. But the iPhone is not a netbook. It’s a great gadget but is not designed to get office work done. Macbook Air is a decent laptop, but that is not a netbook either. It’s way too expensive for that.

Apple has argued in the past that they can’t imagine themselves offering a $500 Mac netbook. It’s easy to see why offering a device that cheap can go against the image that Apple has tried to project in the past. Apple is a premium brand, and there is nothing premium about a $500 laptop. The trouble is, the netbook market is outpacing all other segments of the computer industry. Apple may not want to make a netbook, but at some point they will be forced to reconsider their decision. Let’s face it: An Apple netbook completes the company’s product line. As much as Apple hates to sell cheap laptops, a $500 netbook is anything but cheap in this market. So I expect Apple to enter the netbook market in early 2010 at the latest.

Your take: will we see Apple netbook anytime soon?

Asus’ Ultra Thin Netbook: Eee PC 1008HA

It seems Asus has finally decided to take a page out of Apple’s book by introducing a Macbook-Air like thin netbook in Eee PC 1008HA.  The new Eee PC is not only ultra thin, but it weighs only 2.4 lbs. It also supports 3G and Wimax connections which is a big plus.

It’s not really hard to see where netbooks are going at this point. They are going to become thinner and lighter. Yet, you can except netbooks to pack more punch and come with more features in the future. With Apple’s rumored entry into this market, you can expect the competition to move a whole new level.

Battle for “Netbook” Intensifies

The word Netbook… It surely means a portable laptop that is designed for mobile always-on-the-go folks, right? Not according to a UK company that owns the trademark to that name. Psion has officially filed a lawsuit against Intel for the use of netbook.com. The guys at Intel argue that netbook is a term that folks have come to use on a consistent basis for ultra portable laptops. Dell is also using the term for its own line of mobile notebooks. Who’s right here? I have to side with the trademark owner. I do believe that the term netbook has now become synanymous with super portable laptops, but that doesn’t mean Psion doesn’t deserve to get compensated for its trademark being used by some very powerful companies.