Can we all agree on something? There's no longer a difference between a Netbook and a notebook. Thanks to Netbooks' move to more features and larger-size screens, the distinction between the two can now be considered little more than marketing speak.
We recently wrote about the fall's coming battle between Netbooks--a category now 2 years old--and thin and light notebooks with consumer ultra-low voltage (CULV) processors. In theory, the value of a Netbook--with its small keyboard, small screen, and lack of an optical drive--vs. an ultralight laptop with a long battery life and a full-size keyboard for roughly the same price was very low.
But now that we're actually seeing how PC makers are packaging and selling CULV notebooks (take Dell's recent introduction of its Inspiron 11z notebook) it's obvious: Netbooks are nothing more than smaller, cheaper notebooks.
Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Netbook
(Credit: Dell)The distinction made some sense early on. The first Netbooks were very small, around 7 or 8 inches, and were used for little more than getting online. They were marketed by smaller brands such as Asus and MSI as super portable, inexpensive notebooks that ran Linux, cutting out much of the cost tacked on with a Windows license. But they didn't really take off until Microsoft began offering Windows XP specifically for Netbooks, long after it was no longer available on new laptops and desktops.
The big PC makers, understandably, wanted a piece of the action too, but not at the expense of cannibalizing their budget-conscious traditional notebook lines. So Netbooks were sold as a "companion device." As in, if you keep some of your data "in the cloud" as with e-mail on Yahoo or Gmail or pictures on Facebook or Picasa, and you stream music on a service like Pandora or Last.fm, you can use your regular notebook at home and use something smaller on the road that still affords access to a lot of your stuff.
... Read moreDell has partnered with Nickelodeon and Whyville.net to give life to its latest version of the Mini10v. According to Dell, the kids' Netbook has been designed with safe computing, education, and entertainment in mind. At a glance, Dell is only trying to reach another market (children), but if you look a little closer, the Netbook may represent a change in the way the next generation of preteens and children will learn to socialize and develop their decision-making skills.
(Credit:
Dell)
The Netbook comes with desktop animations which link to Whyville.net, a virtual world where kids of all ages chat, shop, and visit places in town that engage them in science, nutrition, art, and business activities.
One of the most interesting locations is the cafeteria, where Whyvillians can pick a food item, view its nutritional facts, and select a meal based on an educated decision. If their character eats more fattening, high-calorie items, the cartoon character will see the effects as it becomes fatter and unhealthy. Likewise, if the character doesn't eat enough, he will become frail and sickly. A lack of vitamin C will cause scurvy sores, and a lack of calcium will cause weak bones and a bandaged head. As a result, the child may be advised that his Whyvillian should see the Whyville nutritionist.
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It's a price worth fighting for!
(Credit: Warner Bros. Entertainment)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.
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| 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
Dell execs show off new thin and light Inspiron laptops at an event in Paris Tuesday.
(Credit: Nate Lanxon/CNET)
PARIS--CNET got a "world first" teaser at a Dell keynote here in Paris, when Dell execs Michael Tatelman (pictured right) and Phil Bryant surreptitiously showed off two new laptops coming to the company's Inspiron lineup--both described as belonging to the "thin and light" category (as opposed to fat and clunky, one trusts).
Similar to the stunt the PC maker pulled at CES in January with the Adamo, nothing was revealed about specs. We were able to talk with Tatelman after his keynote, where he confirmed both models would launch in "late summer" this year. He didn't reveal what lost bet caused Bryant to appear with the pink version.
The most interesting of the two models is the one on the right-hand side in the photo above. It appears to be a thin, much sleeker 15-inch Inspiron. The model on the left, also an Inspiron, is possibly a thinner, lighter Mini 10.
Look for more news of these notebooks over the coming weeks.
A closeup of one of the new laptops coming this summer from Dell.
(Credit: Nate Lanxon/CNET)(Source: Crave UK)
Care for a Dell Cupcake? We knew you would. Credit to Dell for not only listening to reader suggestions, but for doing their own video hacking. At their own labs (hey, those kinda look like ours), they demonstrate the newest Android update, "Cupcake," on a Mini 10v, being quick to announce that "they have no plans" to announce such a thing...but that it "runs really nicely." So says Doug Anson, a technology strategist who works at the office of the CTO, who demonstrates.
We see no sign of it running nicely on the video--in fact, all we see is a semi-squished clock and some icons. But if Dell is already playing with Android, wouldn't that mean Cupcake...er...Android Netbooks in the very near future? (Of course, we already knew that, though, didn't we?)
Despite all the grumblings about Android being less than ideal for Netbooks, if Google were to release an Android-upgraded Google Office suite, we'd sit up and pant just a little bit.
Also demoed (or briefly shown, should we say) is a Dell Mini 10v running Ubuntu Netbook Remix...a far less exciting reveal.
So, the 10v runs a myriad of operating systems, and is a friendly development platform. Note to all OS makers out there: Dell wants to catch your eye. After all, says Anson, they've got a nice "notebook...er...Netbook."
Dell has released a revamp of its Mini 10 Netbook, that "delivers on value," says the company. Accordingly, the new product's name is the Dell Mini 10v. Starting at $299, the Mini 10v is a bold shot across the bow of the competition, notably Acer's $349 Aspire One. We've seen talk of $199 or cheaper Netbooks bundled with mobile phone company contracts, but nothing this inexpensive as a stand-alone product.
The $299 base price Mini 10v includes An Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, a 3-cell battery, and Windows XP. That makes for a perfectly serviceable Netbook experience, and Dell's cost-cutting seems to revolve around replacing the Intel Atom Z520 and Z530 processors used it the previous Mini 10 systems with the more common N270 (which is found in virtually every other Netbook). Interestingly, you can swap in Ubuntu Linux instead of XP, but the cost is the same.
Trading up to a $350-399 system from HP, Acer, or others would get you a 160GB hard drive and a 6-cell battery, and Dell offers those as options as well (brining the total cost to $354). The base model is Obsidian Black, and other colors (Alpine White, Cherry Red, Promise Pink, Ice Blue, Jade Green,and Passion Purple) add $40.
According to Dell's online configurator, the preliminary ship date for the Mini 10v is June 2.
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While the new Dell Mini 10 is still not shipping (the site currently promises a prelimiary ship date of April 15), there is a new option available in the online configurator.
Users who want a little more screen real estate than the typical 1,024x600 found in most Netbooks (Dell's standard is actually 1,024x576) will appreciate the new 1,366x768 option, which is high enough to natively display 720p video.
It's a $35 add-on to the Mini 10's $399 base price, and while we haven't seen this new screen in person yet, it would be the highest resolution we've heard of on a Netbook display to date.
It's 35 bucks if you want a high (for a Netbook) screen resolution.
You better clean up your act, random gadgets and services! That's right, we're talking to you. You can't escape our scorn, because you JUST...DON'T...GET IT! Don't think we won't continue to use you, though. Cold turkey was never our strong suit.
Listen now: Download today's podcast
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EPISODE 125 |
Today’s episode inspired by Tributes.com
Dell’s Mini 10 Netbook debuting on…QVC?
Wheego Whip electric car coming to America in May for $19K
All the DJ’s in the house say “OW”--the Samsung Beat DJ has arrived
Bear sleeping bag will keep you safe from bear attacks, I assume
The eagerly anticipated MP3 speaker/perfume convergence
A propos (of) nothing
... Read more
We've been waiting for a 10-inch version of the Dell Mini 9 Netbook (still one of the most popular product pages on all of CNET) for some time now, and after a sneak peek behind closed doors at CES, it's finally here. Sort of. Dell says:
The Mini 10 is scheduled to debut for advance orders (February 19) on QVC at 9 p.m. Eastern. A full Mini 10 overview is available at Dell.com, and the system will be available for purchase directly from Dell in the U.S. and other countries beginning February 26.
Yes, that's right--if you want to be among the first to preorder the Dell Mini 10 (which starts at $399), you'll have to tune in to QVC.
Here is a slide show showing off the system, and some of the available color options. Click through to read up on the relevant specs, direct from Dell.
... Read more
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