Acer AOD250-1613 Dual Boot Netbook Debuts
When it comes to netbooks, Windows and Linux are not the only games in town. That’s why the idea behind Acer’s latest netbook is so exciting. Instead of having to jump through hoops to set up a dual boot system on your netbook, Acer has already done the work for you. Acer AOD250-1613 Dual Boot Netbook is a brand new device from Acer that allows you to boot your netbook with Android or Windows XP. So whether you are looking to get the same old Windows feeling on your netbook or use Google Android as your main OS, Acer AOD250-1613 has you covered.
That’s not all. Acer’s latest netbook is pretty energy efficient as well. Getting 9 hours of battery life from a netbook is not something to easily ignore. The CPU has been upgraded to N280 as well, so you get a more speedy processor to go with your Android netbook (see the detailed specs after the break). (more…)
Nokia Booklet 3G To Debut
Is there any limit on how much netbook manufacturers can improve the battery life of their products? Nokia doesn’t seem to know any. Nokia Booklet 3G which will be released to the market in a couple of weeks will give you 12 hours of battery that should be enough for your longest trips. Nokia is known for failing to figure out a way to increase battery life for its top smart-phones. N95 was an amazing smart-phone but it had an awful battery life. Nokia Booklet 3G is the exact opposite. Not only it gives you a long battery life, but it’s powerful too. So you are not sacrificing performance for energy efficiency. (more…)
Michael Dell Not Fond Of Netbooks
For a CEO of a company that has tweaked its netbook design around to allow users to record TV shows on the go and enjoy a better mobile computing experience, Michael Dell doesn’t sound particularly excited about the future of the netbook market. No one can blame him really. The netbook margins are not as high as let’s say Dell Adam0′s and Dell doesn’t have too much wiggle room when it comes to playing around with the price.
Michael Dell reasserted his dissatisfaction with where the netbook market is heading just recently at Silicon Valley Dinner:
Take a user who’s used to a 15-inch notebook and then give him a 10-inch netbook. He’ll say ‘Oh, this is so cool, it’s so lightweight.
That is a fair point by Michael, but what he doesn’t take into the account is business users and people who don’t need the computing power of their 15 inch laptop during their trips. Besides, the weight difference could be huge if you have one of those top of the line 15 inch laptops. I do agree that a 15 inch Macbook may be hard to replace with a netbook, but if you happen to own a 6 pounder, you are going to appreciate taking your 3 pound netbook for a trip.
Netbooks are not made to be your primary computer. Yet, many consumers are using them for just that. Considering that the majority of computer owners don’t even use a fraction of their computer’s capabilities, it won’t matter at the end. Netbooks are going to get even more powerful in the near future, and Michael Dell and his company would be there to grab their piece of the pie. But nothing seems more popular than bashing netbooks these days.
Windows 7 Netbooks Are Close
In case you have been waiting for a Windows 7 netbook, rest assured that they are on their way. Companies are now starting to introduce their netbooks with the new operation system and with a new set of features. The current standard specification for netbooks is 1.6-160-1. So you essentially the average netbook today comes with an ATOM 1.6 CPU and 1 GB of RAM. But the new models are going to be taking advantage of those faster ATOM processors. Take Aspire One D250. Not only it comes with N280, it also has a higher resolution screen. (more…)
Sony VAIO X: New Beginning or Last Chance?
For an innovative company such as Sony, it’s very surprising to see such a fall from grace. The company is still very strong, but it doesn’t seem able to come up with products that people want to buy. Take PS 3.0 for instance. The company was visionary and came up with a device that is still relevant. But Nintendo and Microsoft did take away market-share from Sony. Did Sony have the best device a couple of years ago? Indeed it did. But poor planning and poor executing have dogged the console. The same can be said about Sony netbooks. Sony Lifestyle PC was certainly a niche device, but it didn’t have the success Sony was looking for in the U.S. Sony VAIO VPC-W111XX is actually a decent netbook, but why would anyone want to settle with 2.5 hours of battery life per charge is beyond me. (more…)
Kindle Goes International, Are Netbooks Next?
Yesterday, we talked about how netbooks and HDTVs will go against each other for this holiday season for the supremacy during the year-end holiday season. Amazon has just pushed itself into the discussion by introducing an international version its e-book reader (Kindle 2.o) that lets you connect to the Internet and download content whether you are in the U.S., the UK or a whole lot of other countries around the world.
It’s nice to see Amazon stepping up and introducing a service that will make Amazon Kindle a decent alternative to netbooks in the upcoming shopping season. But does this move open the market to International wireless netbooks? A lot of bundled netbooks come with limited wireless services. As long as you are in the U.S., you can get connected to the Internet using your adapter. But what if you decide to go to other countries? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get wireless coverage wherever you are. (more…)
Making Sense of ASUS 1005HA Netbooks
ASUS 1005HA is one of the best netbooks around. ASUS has so many netbooks that sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish among all these different models. Add to the fact that there are 3 different ASUS 1005 HA models up for sale and things get even more confusing. A lot of folks have told me that they often make mistakes when picking up an ASUS laptop and pay less for a model without realizing that they are getting less for their money as well.
If you are interested in purchasing an ASUS 1005HA netbook, here are the 3 models you should pay attention to:
These models do look very similar on the surface. They all have the same design and almost similar features. But they are some slight differences that shoppers need to pay attention to get the most for their money. PU1X is the top of the line model. You get a faster CPU and more battery life with this model. It is a bit heavier than the low-end 1005HA model, but you get about 5 more hours of battery life from your netbook (comparison chart after the break).
Holiday Season: Netbooks To Battle It out with Smartphones, HDTVs
The holiday season is fast approaching, and people are going to soon start shopping around for their friends and family members for the holiday season. Everybody seems to be into giving gadgets away these years, and there are plenty to choose from this season. We do have a number of decent netbooks that people can give away. Let’s not forget about Apple iPhone and other top smart-phones either. Add to the all that Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader, and shoppers have plenty to choose from. But can netbooks end up on top?
A recent study by Retrevo indicates that HDTVs, cameras, and netbooks will battle it out for the supremacy during the holiday season. While owning a new HDTV is always intriguing, it has to be said that HDTVs are more likely to lose their demand in a recession than netbooks and digital cameras. The prices have been coming down as far as point and shoot digital cameras are concerned. And netbooks are dirt cheap at this point. So the competition seems to be between these two. (more…)
Netbook Ratings – October 2009
September was another busy month as far as the netbooks were concerned. We had a couple of new netbooks released to the market, and a few more were announced for later this year. The netbook market is finally taking some shape, especially with the introduction of AMD netbooks to the market. With more companies entering the netbook business, you can expect to competition to get even more intense in the near future.
With that in mind, here are the top 3 netbooks worth considering for anyone looking to buy one:
Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 Netbook: comes with one of the fastest CPUs on the market. The battery life of 9 hours puts this netbook among the most energy efficient units on the market. The only downside to this unit is its lack of support for wireless N networking.
MSI U210-008US 12.1 Netbook: the most popular AMD netbook. It comes with a 12.1 inch screen, which makes it more attractive to people who don’t like tiny machines. The battery lasts you only 5 hours but the 2 GB RAM is a nice touch.
MSI Wind U110-031US Netbook: may look like your standard netbook on the surface but the battery can last you up to 15 hours. That blows the competition away.
The above machines have something for everyone. Whether you are looking for a fast CPU, a bigger screen, more RAM, or long battery life, the above machines have you covered. See the other 2 netbooks that made it to the top 5 list after the break.
Swordfish Net 102 Dual Netbook: 2 Heads Better than 1?
As someone who has been testing computers for a while now, I can tell you that I have seen all kinds of laptops and desktop computers in my time. But Swordfish Net 102 is one confusing laptop. It’s one thing to put a dual core CPU inside a netbook to improve its performance, but having 2 single core ATOM N270 CPUs inside a netbook is certainly an interesting approach to tempt people to purchase a netbook. What’s more interesting to see how much battery life you can get from a 3 cell battery with 2 CPUs. Not much one would guess. See the full specs after the break.
