netbooks

We recently got a chance to test and review a novel take on the Netbook category, with the Asus Eee PC S101. We're used to Netbooks being made of plastic and filled with low-end parts, but that's just part of their sub-$500 charm. But the Eee PC S101 replaces the chunky plastic body with a thin metallic one, while keeping the same basic Intel-Atom-based components.

Our takeaway was that this was a very nice reworking of the Netbook concept, and at $699, it wasn't even radically more expensive than a comparable plastic version. However, one thing … Read more

I've stated before on this blog that I think Netbooks will be very popular. The 25 best selling laptop computers at Amazon.com bears out this prediction. But, perhaps the most shocking thing about the list is how few computers have Windows Vista installed.

The top 10 consist of seven Netbooks running Windows XP, one Netbook running Linux and two MacBooks. No Vista.

As of 11 a.m. PT Thursday, here's the list of operating systems on the most popular laptop computers sold at Amazon.com.

1. Windows XP Home Edition 2. Windows XP Home Edition 3. Mac … Read more

On Tuesday morning, Fujitsu announced updates to two of its LifeBook lines, the UMPC-like U series and the tiny P-series tablet. Designed primarily for use in vertical markets (think health care and manufacturing), the systems are also sure to appeal to buyers who want something as portable as a Netbook but are willing to pay more for a more thorough feature set.

The 5.6-inch LifeBook U820 updates the U810 we reviewed last year, adding a GPS receiver, plus integrated Garmin Mobile PC software for driving directions and points of interest.

The U820 is built on a Z-series Intel Atom … Read more

We realize you probably spent a lot of time coming up with your Halloween costume this week (extra bonus points if your creativity went beyond a red power suit, pageant hair, and Tina Fey glasses!). So if you weren't able to keep up with all the goings-on in gadget land over the past five days, no worries, we've got what you need to know right here.

• Prison life just got easier--for the guards at least.

• MP3 player prices are sinking to the bottom of the iriver.

• Showing now, pretty much everywhere: Netflix.

• Hewlett-Packard makes your dream of … Read more

During its quarterly earnings call with investors, Asustek said it plans to drop the price of its already inexpensive line of Eee PCs even further next year.

Asustek President Jerry Shen said that by 2009 his company will offer an entry-level Eee PC beginning at $200.

The motherboard and notebook manufacturer also gave an accounting of how the Eee PC is doing.

The company shipped 1.7 million Eee PCs during the quarter, and expects to ship 1.8 million during the next quarter, which includes the holiday shopping season. In its first quarter on the market a year ago, … Read more

In honor of Halloween, the laptop world was full of spooky headlines this week. Taking a page from Dr. Frankenstein, OWC started hacking apart MacBooks and turning them into tablets. Deep in a secret laboratory, Psystar was reportedly preparing a laptop Mac clone. And through some sort of black magic (or, you know, manufacturing) eMachines brought its notebook line back from the dead with a new $429 laptop.

If smoke and flames are more your style, Sony also recalled another 100,000 laptop batteries, 35,000 of which were sold in the United States, after reports of some batteries overheating. … Read more

If you are in the market for a Netbook computer there are many decisions to be made. The pictures here may help with a couple of them. Shown below are an Acer Aspire One and an Asus Eee PC 1000.

The machines are as different as any two Netbooks can be. The Acer runs Windows XP, the Asus runs Linux. The Asus has an SSD, the Acer a traditional hard disk. The Asus supports Wi-Fi N, the Acer doesn't. The smaller Acer machine has a weaker battery and was significantly cheaper.

But the picture above points out other differences (see a larger version of the picture).

The smaller Acer has a 9-inch screen, the larger Asus is 10 inches (approximately). Measuring the other sides of the triangle, the Acer screen is (approximately) 7.5 by 4.5 inches, whereas the Asus screen is 8.5 by 5 inches. Both screens have the all-but standard Netbook resolution of 1024 x 600, which means that everything is just a bit bigger and easier to see on the Asus machine. … Read more

With all the mixing and matching Asus is doing with its Eee PC machines, pretty soon we'll need a full-size encyclopedia to decode exactly what each model number entails. The latest Asus Netbook to hit the headlines is the Eee PC 1002HA.

If you love the design of the Eee PC S101, but hate the ridiculous premium, the 1002HA may be the one for you. Slightly more costly than the Eee PC 1000H, it shares some design elements of the S101 minus the exceptional sleekness. But don't expect anything new under the hood as this Netbook walks the … Read more

A day after rolling out a new line of Netbooks, Hewlett-Packard says it's looking at selling them in conjunction with wireless service providers.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Kevin Frost, who heads up HP's consumer notebook division, said the company is considering selling Netbooks at a deep discount to customers who sign a wireless service contract.

On Wednesday, HP introduced a new line of Netbooks called the HP Mini 1000.

Frost said, "The big picture for these Netbooks is that kind of model," but described it as a "longer-term" plan. He … Read more