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PC shipments are the latest tech sector showing signs of life.

For the third quarter, worldwide computer shipments rose 2.3 percent from the same quarter a year ago, their first gain after three consecutive quarters of declines, according to IDC's latest Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker report released on Thursday.

Hot back-to-school demand boosted overall shipments. Portable PCs enjoyed a 33.5 increase from a year ago, but desktops continued their descent reflecting the consumer drive to mobile computers.

The decline in commercial PCs also began to slow in the third quarter, indicating to IDC that IT spending should gradually revive over the next few quarters, with a solid rebound expected in the second half of 2010.

Thanks to the latest results, PC shipments are expected to show gains of 1.3 percent for 2009, rising to 10.3 percent next year. The total number of shipments is likely to hit 291.4 million units this year and 321.4 million next year, up from 287.6 million in 2008.

(Credit: IDC)

Much of the growth will come from emerging regions, which now account for half of the market. Portables should enjoy an 18.1 percent gain in shipments in 2010, but desktop shipments are likely to be flat. Netbooks will grow, but at a slower pace, due to the appeal of new ultra-thin portables. Overall, IDC forecasts double-digit gains in PC shipments each year to 2013, when the number of units could reach as high as 444.4 million.

"Once again, the PC market shows its resiliency," said Loren Loverde, program director of IDC Worldwide Trackers, in a statement. "The speed of market stabilization and growth in key segments reflect the essential role of personal computing today. Technology evolution and falling prices remain a compelling combination. As commercial spending recovers in 2010, we expect to see robust growth over the next several years."

With its attractive deep-red finish and roomy 10-inch screen, this Asus Netbook is a tough bargain to beat.

Update (10:55 a.m. PT): Sorry, folks, looks like the Netbook's already sold out. Stay tuned for a new deal later today! (In the meantime, the two backup deals below are still good.)

When it comes to super bargains, I have to confess I rarely think of Best Buy. But the store's been rocking some pretty solid deals of late.

For example, today only (and while supplies last), Best Buy has the 10-inch Asus Eee PC 1005HAB Netbook for $229.99. That's not including sales tax or shipping (the latter will run you $11.50).

This isn't your average, boring, black Netbook: the sale model has a stylish "deep red" lid and wrist rest.

Other than that, however, the specs are pretty standard: Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, and the aforementioned 10.1-inch screen. The OS: Windows XP Home, not Windows 7.

That's the only real bummer here. On the plus side, you get 802.11n Wi-Fi and a full one-year warranty (you'd expect a Netbook at this price point to be a refurb, but this one's brand new).

The 1005HAB weighs 2.4 pounds and measures 1.4 inches thick. Asus claims a runtime of nearly 4 hours from its three-cell battery.

That sounds about right: CNET reviewed this model with a six-cell battery, and it lasted nearly 7 hours on the grueling battery-drain test. Verdict: four stars for the Asus and an Editors' Choice award.

Needless to say, if you're in the market for a Netbook, here's a top-rated model for a bottom-basement price.

Backup deal: Today only, you can get IObit Security 360 Pro absolutely free. This antimalware suite normally sells for $29.95. Interestingly, the always-free, non-Pro version earned a five-star rating from CNET.

Backup deal No. 2: Newegg has the Energizer AP1500 iPhone case/charger for just $19.99 (plus $1.99 shipping). I reviewed the AP1500 back in July, when it sold for $80. At this price it's a steal--and a perfect gift.

On this week's Digital City, we discuss Google's rumored new phone; get to the bottom of the current iMac shipping delays, and go over the best games you can play on a Netbook (all after Dan had to get up at 5am to shoot a local news TV segment on his favorite holiday games).

Then, things take a turn for the weird with a solid gold PlayStation 3, rumored to be under Jay-Z's Xmas tree; and a surprising NYC find -- a Mario-themed pizza place that is calling out for a visit from the ghost of intellectual property lawyers past (see below).

Related links:
>>Is Google making a phone?
>>Top 20 Netbook games
>>Top 5 Holiday Game Picks (CW11 morning News)

>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter! And Scott!

Spotted on Houston street in NYC.

(Credit: Dan Ackerman)

Not so long ago, buying a laptop was as simple as deciding whether you wanted a Netbook (11 inches or smaller) or not (12 inches and larger). Suddenly, however, it's getting to be a fairly confusing time to be in the market for an 11-inch laptop. Why do we say that? Simply put, this size used to be considered a "Netbook" category, mainly populated by Intel Atom processors. With the rise of ULV (ultra low-voltage) processors, however, a number of small-screened laptops--anywhere from 11 to 15 inches in size--have emerged, all thin and light, generally lacking optical drives, and running one of a variety of single- or dual-core ULV processors.

You need to know that the laptop you choose can have a greatly varying performance depending on the type of ULV processor it has. Take, for instance, the Toshiba Satellite T115-S1105. With an 11.6-inch screen, it's roughly the same size as the Nvidia Ion-toting HP Mini 311 Netbook we've been so bullish oabout, which costs only $399. The T115-S1105, however, starts at $449 and doesn't have a discrete GPU.

Here's the good news, though: the Toshiba Satellite T115-S1105 has much the same performance and specs as its bigger-screened cousin, the T135-S1300. With a single-core Pentium processor, it's not going to blow you away with lightning fast speed, but on the other hand, this is a better-featured and generally faster-performing machine than most Netbooks, while still coming in at Netbook size. At $479 for our configuration, it's also more expensive than the average Netbook, which could be the drawback for many potential customers. Another upside is its very strong battery life.

While the Satellite T115-S1105 is cheaper than the T135 series, and a single-core Pentium processor seems like a more logical fit here than in a 13-inch, with faster Atom processors on the horizon, it might simply be worth waiting for next year's Netbooks instead.

Read our full review of the Satellite T115-S1105.

Toshiba Satellite T115-S1105 - photos

The new Momentus Thin laptop hard drive.

(Credit: Seagate)

At only 9.5mm, the regular 2.5-inch laptop hard drive is already very thin compared with the 25.4mm of the 3.5-inch desktop hard drive. But Seagate, one of the bigger hard-drive makers around, just decided to go even slimmer.

The company announced Monday the Momentus Thin, a new 2.5-inch-based laptop hard drive that's 25 percent thinner, at only 7mm. This reduction in thickness makes the new hard drive comparable, in physical size, to that of most solid state drives (SSDs) used in Netbooks and ultraportable computers. However, it retains the advantages of regular hard drives, which include much higher capacities and, most importantly, a much lower cost per gigabyte.

The Momentus Thin offers the same performance as a regular SATA 2.5-inch hard drive, which is faster than most low-end SSD used in Netbooks. The new drive comes in two capacities (250GB and 160GB); sports 8MB of cache memory, supports a SATA 3Gbps interface, and spins at 5400rpm.

The Mometus Thin uses the same type of cable and ports as a regular SATA 2.5-inch hard drive. This means it will also fit in any application where a 9.5mm hard drive is used. This makes it possible for users to upgrade their existing storage by themselves.

The new Momentus Thin 2.5-inch SATA hard drives will be available in January, with the 250GB version costing only $55. It's unclear how much the 160GB version will cost, but it will obviously be cheaper than its larger counterpart.

Win an HP Mini 311 Netbook!

We're quickly heading toward the finish line of our daily Crave holiday giveaway extravaganza and to kick off the week we have a nice prize courtesy of the folks at HP: The HP Mini 311 Netbook.

I've personally had my eye on this one because it has Nvidia's Ion graphics, which give you HD video and basic gaming capabilities. And laptop guru Dan Ackerman says in his four-star review, "HP's Mini 311 adds a larger, high-definition display and advanced graphics to a basic Netbook, while keeping the price very appealing." (Read the full review).

We'd like to thank HP for offering up this prize and also want to give a shout out to Shopper.com for helping out with the Crave giveaway. Shopper.com powers CNET's price-comparison engine and it's a great site for finding the best prices on products. (See all of Shopper's deals, coupon codes, and rebates).

Normally, the HP Mini 311 would cost you about $399, but you have the chance to get it gratis.

So, how do you try to win this Mini 311 Netbook? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a test.

• Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the "Join CNET" link to start the registration process. If you're already registered, there's no need to register again.
• Leave a comment below. You can leave whatever comment you want. If it's funny or insightful it won't help you win, but we're trying to have fun here, so anything entertaining is appreciated.
• Leave only one comment. You may enter this specific giveaway only once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified.
• The winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive (1) HP Mini 311 Netbook. Approximate retail value is $399.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
• Entries can be submitted until Tuesday, December 15 at 6:59:59 a.m. EST.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes ends at 7 AM ET on December 15, 2009. See official rules for details.

Good luck.

Come back tomorrow for our next holiday giveaway. Tuesday's prize will be an Energizer goody package.

The game Torchlight even includes a "Netbook Mode" in the settings.

(Credit: Runic Games)

Like just about everyone else on the planet, you broke down and purchased a Netbook. After all, these low-cost, low-power laptops are great for tossing in your bag for a trip, working at the coffee shop, or just taking to class.

You knew all along that these systems were not made for gaming, and obviously you planned to spend all your time doing Netbook-like things such as Web surfing and working on office docs. Still, somewhere along the way, the thought crept in--maybe I can find some games that'll run on an Intel Atom processor and integrated graphics...

In the name of science, we loaded up a wide variety of games and asked friends and associates what games they had successfully played, all to help us compile this list of Netbook-friendly titles. They range from free to around $20; some are re-released PC classics, some are Web-based casual games, and a few are even from that fast-growing social-gaming genre found on Facebook (such as FarmVille).

Browse through the slideshow below to see our current favorites (and links to where you can download or play them). Bookmark this page for periodic updates as we find new games, or suggest your own Netbook favorites in the comments section below. Most of these will run on any Netbook with Windows 7 or XP, 1GB of RAM, and an Intel Atom N270 or 280 processor. A handful are recommended only for Netbooks with Nvidia's Ion graphics.

Twenty great games you can play on a Netbook (photos)

Note: If you dig into your old dusty CD and DVD binders, there's no doubt you can find a ton of great classic PC games to try (we just found our original discs for both Grim Fandango and System Shock 2), but since your Netbook doesn't have an internal optical drive, we're restricting this list to games one can download from legit online sources, such as Steam or GOG.com.

> Need more? Follow me at twitter.com/danackerman.
> See our Holiday laptop picks in the CNET Holiday Tech Guide.
> Get a Netbook primer in our Netbook Quick Guide.

Just in time to round out your holiday shopping season, we've consulted the Web traffic oracles and compiled a list of the most popular laptops of 2009.

Based on which system reviews CNET readers clicked on most often, this list shows what's on the minds of laptop shoppers -- and the emphasis is clearly on value over all else.

We've got six Netbooks in the top 10, including the Asus Eee PC 1005HA, which we've held up as a classic example of a Netbook done right. Apple, and 13-inch laptops in general, are also well-represented. Interestingly, while five major PC brands are represented, there are a few big names missing in action, including Gateway, Lenovo, and Toshiba.

To see what the most popular laptops of 2009 were, based on reader interest, click through to the slideshow below.

Top 10 most popular laptops of 2009 (photos)

On this week's Digital City, we tackle one of the most contentious issues of our time -- Mac vs. PC -- as Dan offers an enlightened path to peace for both camps. We also hear about some free municipal Wi-Fi for the new Times Square pedestrian mall; a sweet TV/PS3 combo deal at Best Buy; and discuss the fate of the vaporware-like CrunchPad.

Later, Scott laments the lack of Microsoft synergy in the Zune gaming business model; we check out some new game releases, including Zelda: Spirit Tracks and The Saboteur; and debate the ethics of adding adults-only DLC to games.

Quick note: tune in next week for a chance to win a Zune HD!

Related links:
>>A modest proposal: Detente between Mac and PC laptop fans
>>Can Zune gaming compete?
>>Times Square gets free WiFi

>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter! And Scott!