Netbooks

Every sit around worrying that 10-inch Netbooks too small for you, but 12-inch models are too big? We thought as much. Still, the option is always there with the new 11.6-inch Gateway LT3100, most notable for its 1.2GHz single-core AMD Athlon 64 L110 processor. We've previously seen AMD's 1.6GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 in the 12-inch HP Pavilion dv2.

While we're still firmly in the Intel Atom camp until a competing Netbook CPU proves to offer a better overall value, the Gateway LT3100 scores points with a higher-resolution 16:9 display, at 1364 x 768 (… Read more

Through a partnership with XPAL Power, Energizer has expanded its Energi to Go line of portable battery packs in a big way. The newly branded chargers run the gamut from an iPhone 3G/3G S battery sleeve to a couple of solar chargers to a larger lithium ion charger that can juice up to three devices at once, including a laptop.

Most of the chargers include cell tips for various makes and models of cell phones, and you can get free new tips online as future phones come out.

Many of the battery packs are available already under the XPAL brand, but the new packaging should be appearing very soon in stores.

Here's a look at the line and check out the slideshow above:… Read more

Episode 37of the Digital City, where we discuss the new Apple iPhone 3Gs and the Palm Pre; the best of E3, according to Nielson; a record legal judgment against online music sharing; and why you can't trust anyone's laptop battery life tests, except ours.

You'll notice that we're also part of the new CNET Live slate of programs, and you can catch the Digital City every Friday at 3pm EST at cnet.com/live, or just catch up on it later right here on our blog.

[Note: As Joseph is obsessed with the idea of doing … Read more

You say you want value in your mobile computer? You say you want something super cheap? Not one year ago, we visited a very similar subject and found most Netbooks averaging $499. Now Netbooks are available for $299 or less, thanks to incredibly affordable new offerings from Acer--the just-reviewed Aspire One AOD250--and Dell's Mini 10v. A line has been drawn in the sand, and now we answer the question: what can $300 get me in a new Netbook?

The Dell Mini 10v was the first mainstream Netbook to come out of the starting gate at this sub-$300 price, followed by the new Acer Aspire One AOD250 and the HP Mini 1115NR. Below, check out our chart comparing the features each will give you in terms of CPU, hard drive, RAM, screen size, and other basic specs.

Dell Mini 10v

Acer Aspire One AOD250

HP Mini 1115NR

CPU

Intel Atom N270

(1.6GHz)

Intel Atom N270

(1.6GHz)

Intel Atom N270

(1.6GHz)

Hard drive

120GB (5600rpm)

160GB (5600rpm)

80GB (4200rpm)

RAM

1GB

1GB

1GB

OS

Windows XP

Windows XP

Windows XP

Screen

10.1 inch

10.1 inch

10.1 inch

Battery

3-cell (not tested)

110 (minutes)

150 (minutes)

Network

802.11 b/g, Bluetooth

802.11 b/g

802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, Verizon 3G broadband modem

Price

$299

$298

$199 (with a 2-year Verizon mobile broadband contract)

First off, you might notice a lot of similarities between devices. Might we say nearly identical specs?… Read more

With back-to-school planning practically around the corner, it's a good time to start thinking budget. Acer has already beat you to the punch, releasing the latest version of their extremely popular 10.1-inch Aspire One Netbook in a quartet of new colors, a thinner chassis, and a price point that's pretty impressive: $298. We used to spend more than that on RAM.

As prices keep dropping in the Netbook Wars, staying competitive among a slew of me-too Atom-powered mininotebooks is a challenge. Acer's Aspire One helped define the Netbook to the masses by undercutting the competition at $350, … Read more

Ultramobile PCs have always found themselves to be the tweeners of the mobile world: too large to be easily pocket-size, yet too small to be usable as full-fledged computers. While the landscape just a few years ago was marked with products ranging from Samsung's Q1 to the OQO, often costing way too much money, now cheaper smartphones and Netbooks have crowded in on either side with portable power to spare.

The Viliv S5, currently an import-only product, returns to the scene of the crime with a lower-cost Atom-based touch-screen device that runs full Windows XP, has Bluetooth and GPS … Read more

Disney and Asus have teamed up to do something others have been doing wrong for a long time: they've developed an affordable and functional portable kids' PC, according to USA Today. It comes in the form of a Netbook with an Intel Atom processor; a small, 8.9-inch screen; parental control options; and desktops with customizable themes that revolve around the likes of Cars, Toy Story, WALL-E, and Hannah Montana.

The Netpal Netbooks will have an unknown clock speed (our guess would be 1.6GHz-2GHz) and will have a 16GB SSD or 160GB HD based on parental preference. They'… Read more

Back in January, Phoenix Technologies launched a lightweight instant-on platform named HyperSpace. Designed primarily for Netbooks, the little low-power mobile computers that they are, it allows users to immediately access the Web, e-mail, and IM, among other benefits. And thanks to Adobe, it now includes photo editing.

HyperSpace customers will have instant access to Photoshop.com for organizing, editing, storing, and sharing photos. There is also support for Adobe AIR, Adobe Flash Player, and Adobe Reader on the platform.

The Adobe additions follow the March announcement of the Phoenix partnership with ThinkFree for its Office apps, which let users of … Read more

Episode 36 of the Digital City, where Dan reports back from the E3 video game trade show, we check out the new MacBook laptops, and Joey jumps on the Palm Pre bandwagon.

Note that there are two versions of the show available now, the traditional audio stream, and our exciting, new video version -- check out both below.

>>Subscribe to video version of the Digital City on iTunes >>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page >>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter!