Reviews, Reviews, Reviews

A couple of interesting articles about 10 inch Netbooks and a 24 hour "test drive" of a Dell Mini. Good information and views on the netbook experience. Although there is some slant to the articles, overall it is a good place to start gathering information if you are in the market for a new net-b (that's right - net-b - you heard it hear first - the name needs to be smaller since the product is all about size)!! Let me know your thoughts on anything listed and your feedback is always the most important!

Movie Quote:

"First of all, don't be callin' here like you some straight up G, cause I'll cut ya balls off and hand 'em to ya, patna. I had to warn you too many times about my money, Smokey. You see, it's the principal. There's principalities in the whole thing."

Netbook - its all in the name...

According to court documents, Intel and Dell are trying to force a company called Psion to cancel its trademark on netbook. The company trademarked the term for a product line they no longer manufacture and released back in 03 - 04. Not really all that newsworthy other than the fact that trademarks are a fascinating beast.

Movie Quote:

Kate: I'm curious, is it strictly apathy, or do you really not have a goal in life?

Peter: I found that if you have a goal, that you might not reach it. But if you don't have one, then you are never disappointed. And I gotta tell ya... it feels phenomenal.

Hackintosh anyone?

Nice walk-thru from the folks at Gizmodo on how to "hackintosh" a dell mini to run OSX. EULA implications aside, very straightforward and compelling if you don't like the Win/Lin options currently available on Netbooks today. Personally, I have a MacBook and a Netbook and enjoy having both OS avail. I currently have XP on the Netbook and let's face it, if you have been in the corporate world at all - you have familiarity with XP so why fight it?

As for Win 7 - waiting and watching to see what the pro/con list shakes out to be. Any thoughts, questions, comments or anyone who has actually run the Hack???

Movie Quote:

"Oh, you... You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You are truly incorruptible, aren't you? Huh? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever"

Android Netbooks???

It appears ASUS is looking to release a Netbook running the Android OS from Google. You can view the article here I don't know exactly what this means other than more flexibility from the Netbook platform. Why not?

Imagine a future where you have all the options below:

OSX

Win

Linux (in all its itireations)

iPhone

Once you throw in WiMax - It's a whole new ball game. The convergence machine is grinding forward albeit ever so slowly. I think good things are on the horizon, economy be damned!

Movie quote:

I am reality. There's the way it ought to be, and there's the way it is. Elias was full of s. Elias was a crusader.
Now, I got no fight... with any man who does what he's told. But when he don't, the machine breaks down. And when the machine breaks down, we break down. And I ain't gonna allow that... in any of you. Not one.

Fresh from my inbox

We all knew Wally World was getting in the netbook game (no suprise). Now it appears Sam's is running a special for the Dell Mini (here) $245 shipped!

Wow, now more than ever there is no reason not to get yourself one of these.

Movie quote:

"Wow. Mr. Environmental is also a hunter. That's got to be an interesting combination."

"I hunt quail. They're overpopulated in this region and they're decimating the grubworm population. You got a f'ing problem with that?"

"Not nearly as much as I do with the attire that you have on, or just your general point of view towards everybody. But hey, let's go kill some birds. I'm psyched"

$100 Netbooks - Coming soon???

A new player says they are jumping in the ring with a ~$100 netbook running Android. The company Freescale (a wireless chip manufacturer) says it will run open source OS and is aiming for a $100 pricepoint. Read more here.

Hmmm, the market keeps getting more interesting.

As I continue on this trek, I will close each post henceforth with a movie quote - DO YOU KNOW IT?? If so, lmk...

"What are they gonna say about him? What are they gonna say? That he was a kind man? That he was a wise man? That he had plans? That he had wisdom??? Bullshit man"

(btw, this is a gimme)

More on the "$99" Netbook...

According to the article on laptopmag.com (here), AT&T is offering an Asus Netbook for $99 with a 2-year data plan (~$60). I am sure you have already done the math and said - wow what a great deal!! Thanks AT&T!! But if you dig deeper, I believe the underlying positive is that the adoption rate for Netbooks is accelerating. Sure, there are some issues to be addressed (primarily battery life and video performance) but the pricing, functionality and accessability is a getting the attention of more than just the enthusiast.

But before I veer to far off topic, what are your thoughts on the data plan disconnect? You have this great portable tool and granted there are hotspots available but sometimes you're just not in range. What to do? When will the may ballyhooed Wi-Max step up? Or when will the mobile carriers offer affordable data plans (the agrument can be made that $60/month isn't TOO bad if you are able to access it almost anywhere - which is true - IF - you don't need voice service (with email) Otherwise - tack on an additional $70+ for voice and data on your phone) That all adds up to a $120-$130+ monthly and that is tough to stomach for anyone - especially if you were frugal enough to save on the hardware to begin with...

Currently, I have been a couple of rounds with Sprint trying to figure out how I can leverage a phone data plan on my Netbook but the answer is - the PAM (Phone As Modem) or tethered solution is not available for most voice/data plans. In order to get the connectivity on your Netbook... it is - BRACE YOURSELF - $60/month - WOW! shocking I know (ever heard of price fixing or collusion???)

What are your thoughts, experiences and most importantly SOLUTIONS?

Netbooks and Wal-Mart

Quick blurb about Acer and Asus selling Netbooks @ Wallyworld (not surprising but should definitely lead to more adoption)... You can check out the story here. I have included the text below:

Acer and Asustek continue expanding shares in US notebook market in 4Q08, says IDC Yen Ting Chen, Taipei; Steve Shen, DIGITIMES [Monday 9 February 2009]

Despite a drastic slowdown of global PC shipments in the fourth quarter of 2008, Taiwan-based Acer and Asustek Computer managed to continue expanding their shares in the US notebook market in the quarter, according to data from IDC.

In the fourth quarter, Acer shipped 1.4-1.5 million notebooks and netbooks in the US market, taking up third place with a 16% share; whereas Asustek shipped about 300,000 portable PCs, positioning itself at eighth in the rankings with a 3% share, the data indicated.

Acer's fourth-quarter notebook shipments in the US represented a 57% increase from the same quarter of a year earlier, compared to an 8% on-year decline recorded by Dell, the top PC vendor in the US.

Acer shipped a total of over four million notebooks in the US in 2008, trailing Dell's 8.8 million units and HP's 8.77 million units, the data revealed.

Asustek is expected to start marketing its notebooks through Wal-Mart in the second half of 2009 aiming to push its notebook shipments in the US to over one million units compared to 650,000 units it shipped in 2008, according to market sources in Taiwan.

NExG V2 live on LI

Wanted to re-post the group I started on linkedin to expand the knowledge base for netbooks. You can check it out (and more importantly JOIN!!) here:

Netbook Experience Group

Learn it, Know it, Live it (all right Hamilton)!!

OSX on S10

Did a little reading over at wired.com and noticed another hack for loading OSX - this time specific to the ol' S10. You can check it out here.

Also, faithful and fearless reader(s) - what are your thoughts on running OSX? There are the obvious caveat/downside of potential crashes, no support, limited functionality and no advisable way to update software.

That being said, what is the upside? - Just to see if you can do it? An undying hatred of all things MS and Linux? The ain't it cool factor? The fact that OSX kicks a**? Or the obvious answer (for all the philosophy majors out there) - to the question of - "Why?" simply "Why NOT"?

Fire away!!

Pimp yo' Netbook

According to Wired, there is a large set of Netbook upgrades and hacks as these low-cost, accessible and highly customizable proliferate into Americas homes. There are many "upgrades" from backlit keyboards, GPS, longer battery life and even an OSX hack. Check out what they dropped back in 08 on the "Joy of Netbook" as I call it...

Valentines Day Specials

I was doing some more research and found a site that seems to have a pretty good aggregate of Netbook selection and pricing - just in time for Valentine's Day. The site is Onsale.com Another site to take a look at is J&R The prices are dropping - albeit slowly but anyone looking for a second (or third, fourth etc) computer should at least review the options out there.

Since I have been tracking Netbooks, the prices have continued to fall (which is good since the cost of a $400+ Netbook with lower cpu power and capacity provides little value add over a low end laptop) I don't know where the prices will level off but unless smart phones fall in pricing, (and I feel laptop pricing had already hit its floor) then Netbooks are a very good option.

Keep em mobile and keep em comin!

*Update!*

I just ordered a Swiss Gear Computer Backpack and will post pics/feedback once I have it in house. It is a little larger than the 2 major Netbook backpack options I was able to find but it looks to be significantly more functional and a better solution to meld both business professionalism and quintessential coolness. Keep you posted...

Top 10 Netbook Accessories

Ok, so now you have your new Netbook. Learning the ins and outs - likes and dislikes... Loading your favorite apps. After a few days of this, you start to pull together a list of wants, needs and gotta haves. As such, I have included a link to PC Mags list of Top 10 Netbook Accessories for you to peruse. Although these are just suggested items, some are very relavent to your Netbook Experience - (my list - in no particular order):

Samsung SE-S184M DVD Writer LightScribe
Targus Laptop Chill Mat
Belkin Swivel Hub
Belkin Laptop Hideaway

on the last item, I am still undecided. The site lists a sleeve and a case but neither of those really struck me as functional and fashionable (if you are gonna grab the newest gadget, gotta represent)! That being said, I did some research and found there is a decent variety of cases, sleeves, hideaways and carrying cases. However, I did notice a lack of backpack offerings that were economically priced and ergonomically designed.

Any thoughts, questions, comments, concerns or feedback??

Welcome!

Netbook owners unite! I look forward to tips, tricks, do's and don'ts, product feedback, peripheral suggestions, and how these portable devices are changing the tech/business/consumer landscape. A world of new possibilities are now available.

Netbook Experience Group

I also started a group on linkedin to expand the knowledge base for netbooks. You can check it out here Netbook Experience Group Let me know your thoughts!