One does not have to think too hard to realize why devices such as netbooks have been falling. For starters, the rise of budget tablets has been quite harmful for these tiny gadgets. With Android and iOS becoming more popular everyday, people are spending more money on tiny smartphones than computers. According to Canalys, over 487m smartphones were shipped in 2011. That beats tablets, netbooks, notebooks, and desktops by a whole lot.

These numbers are not all of a sudden going to change direction. The future of computing is mobile. With the era of netbooks over, smartphones and tablets will take their place. We don’t expect these stats to look drastically different at the end of 2012.

The name Netbook Navigator suggests that we are talking about a netbook product. In reality, it is a tablet that happens to run Windows 7. This does have some similarities with classic netbooks. It has an ATOM N570 dual core processor with a 10.1 inch display at 1366 x 768 resolution. You also get 2 GB RAM and a 16 GB solid state disk., A 1.3-megapixel front facing camera is also included. The tablet does have two USB ports, a SIM card slot, and provides support for microSD cards. It will set you back $499.

[via Ubergizmo]

Netbooks may be underwhelming for many adults. But they are great educational tools for kids. The fact that they don’t cost a whole lot of money makes these devices quite intriguing for parents. The Samsung NC110-Pororo targets the children’s market. Pororo, which is a popular cartoon character from South Korea, is available on the lid of the netbook. A total of 114 episodes of the cartoon series, puzzles, and games will be preloaded on the netbook.

Samsung NC110-Pororo will have a 2nd generation dual core ATOM processor inside with a 10 inch display. It will also offer HDMI connectivity. The device will start shipping on February 6th, 2012. It will go for about $450 though.

Trent IMP38B Airbender iPad 2 case: a case/keyboard hybrid kit for your iPad. It not only holds your device in position, it has got a responsive keyboard too.

Rocketfish – Advanced Series iCapsule Keyboard: turns your iPad into a netbook. It protects your iPad and is quite portable too.

Apple Wireless Keyboard: does not need any introduction. It is a super sleek keyboard that works with your iPad and your Mac too. It is battery friendly too.

Samsung ECR-K10AWEGSTA Galaxy Tab Full Size Keyboard Dock: want to use your Samsung Galaxy Tab like your netbook? This keyboard dock has you covered.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 Keyboard/Docking Station: adds extra ports and battery life to your ASUS tablet. It has got a decent keyboard too.

Motorola Wireless Keyboard for XOOM: a stylish keyboard for XOOM or Motorla ATRIX. Uses your tablet’s Bluetooth system to connect.

Acer Iconia Tab Bluetooth Keyboard: Acer Iconia is not iPad but is a decent Android tablet in its own right. This keyboard is perfect for those of you who want to type on your device without having to use your fingers.

Hip Street Mini Bluetooth Keyboard for Playbook: a mini bluetooth keyboard with a decent rechargeable battery. It works from within 10M of your tablet.

HP TouchPad Wireless Keyboard: have invested your hard-earned money in a HP TouchPad tablet? This sleek keyboard is worth checking out. It weighs less than 1 lbs.

If you own an iPad, XOOM, TouchPad, or other top tablets, these keyboard kits are worth checking out.

In the past few months, we have talked about how netbooks will need a game changing development to become popular again. Netbooks with Kinect technology on-board could certainly make a splash. As the Daily Claims, netbook prototypes with Kinect sensor on-board have already been spotted. It is interesting to note that ASUS has not announced any Kinect-powered product yet. But it very well might in the near future.

We are building the Kinect for Windows platform in a way that will allow other companies to integrate Kinect into their offerings and we have invested in an approach that allows them to develop in ways that are dependable and scalable

explained Craig Eisler, General Manager, Kinect for Windows. So the idea of netbooks with Kinect technology on-board does not seem too crazy. How popular these netbooks will be? It will come down to their prices. But Kinect could breathe new life into netbooks in the short term.

Netbooks became very popular in such a short period of time. It was only after Apple revolutionized the tablet business that the demand for netbooks started dropping. Of course, netbooks were underpowered and left a whole lot to be desired as computing devices. So tablets should not get all the blame for the fall of netbooks. Recently, we have been hearing more about the rise of Ultrabooks. These ultra thin tablets offer more power than netbooks and are very thin. Those of you who have had a MacBook Air in the past, know what Ultrabooks will be all about.

Netbooks in their current form may be dying a slow death. But considering that Ultrabooks are not that cheap, we could see the rise of budget-friendly ultra-thin laptops in the future. There will always be demand for cheap laptops. With the decline of netbooks, it is only natural for something else to fill that space.

If you are looking for a messenger bag for your mini laptop, here are 10 products worth considering:

Mobile Edge Ultra Portable Messenger Bag: can handle your netbook or even your Macbook. Has pockets all over the place, giving you the flexibility and space to take as many things as you need with you.

Case Logic XNTM-4 Messenger eSling: a compact and attractive messenger bag that keeps your netbook secure against accidents and has plenty of space for your accessories too.

Mobile Edge Eco-friendly Canvas Messenger Bag: a stylish and eco friendly messenger bag for laptops as large as 16 inches. It has an all cotton exterior.

Kroo Brown Messenger Bag for 10″ Netbook: it’s made out of nylon with cushioned laptop compartment and reinforced frame to protect your laptop on the go.

Rothco Classic Heavyweight Messenger Bag: a large but decent messenger bag that works for your laptops and netbooks. It has space for your accessories too. Pretty affordable too.

Sumdex Netbook Messenger Bag: has the looks of a classic messenger bag. It not only allows you to take your netbook and accessories with you, it is also made of water repellent material to provide maximum for your device.

Mobile Edge Mini Messenger Bag: a pretty cool messenger bag that keeps all your belongs safe and has a media pocket for headphone pass-through. It’s made out of durable material as well.

Timbuk2 Slingshot Shoulder Bag: a versatile shoulder bag for your netbook that keeps it protected without you having to handle a lot of load on the go.

Targus CityGear Netbook Case: fits netbooks as large as 10.2″ in size. It has space for accessories such as adapters.

Belkin 8.9-Inch Messenger: this comes handy if you have one of those smaller netbooks (8.9 inch in size). It has space for your accessories too.

If you are looking for a messenger bag for your small laptop, you can’t go wrong with these netbook bags.

The netbook era may be over. But there is still value in playing with Linux-based, open source netbooks like the one Pandora is planning to bring to the market. The netbook ships with a 600 MHz ARM-based TI OMAP3 SoC and plays Quake 3 and Mario 64. This netbook does have a Nintendo DS look and feel to it. Here are the specifications for this device:

• 600 MHz TI OMAP3530 SoC
• 256 MB of DDR-333 memory
• 512 MB storage
• dual SDHC card slots
• 43-button QWERTY keyboard

The device will be available for $485 for international customers. The fact that this is open source is a plus. But the price is too high.

While netbooks are falling, ultrabooks are rising. They are expected to be the future of laptops in the next few years. How big this market is going to get? According to Juniper Research’s forecasts, 178m ultrabooks could be sold per year by 2016. That would still not top tablet sales, which could reach 253m units. There is no question that ultrabook prices are a bit too much for consumers at this point.

While Intel’s control of the brand ensures that Ultrabooks stand out from traditional notebooks, vendors face a balancing act in terms of product strategy… Meeting Intel’s specification secures brand status and funding, but the step-change from notebooks means many of today’s Ultrabooks are too expensive for many consumers

Juniper Research explains. Manufacturers are expected to turn to cost-cutting hard drives and parts to keep their prices competitive. Unfortunately, netbooks are going to be the real victims here. With ultrabooks becoming popular over the next few years, it is doubtful netbook makers will continue bringing these devices to the market.

HP is not in the business of releasing new netbook models as often as it used to. But it does bring new models to the market once in a while. The HP Mini 1104 netbook is designed for professional and educational users. It has an ATOM N2600 processor inside with 2 GB RAM. Just like most netbooks, this device will have a 10.1 inch display at a resolution of 1024 x 600.

The HP Mini 1104 netbook has Intel GMA3600 inside with optional HSPA+ support. At $399, we don’t expect HP to sell a ton of these netbooks.