It's been a hot year for Netbooks, but not so much for the rest of the portable PC market.
Netbook sales are likely to hit $11.4 billion this year, a 72 percent rise from last year, thanks to a 103 percent leap in shipments, according to a new report from DisplaySearch. But notebook revenue overall will be down around 7 percent from last year.
The latest DisplaySearch Quarterly Notebook PC Shipment and Forecast Report, released Tuesday, found that the surge in Netbook (mini-notebook) sales was not enough to offset declines for ultra-portables and larger laptops. Aside from Netbooks, annual revenue will likely be down in every portable PC category.
Though notebook shipments are expected to grow 5 percent for the year, average selling prices (ASPs) will show a 20 percent drop as vendors have slashed prices throughout the year, DisplaySearch has forecasted . Average prices for Netbooks and 13-inch to 16-inch notebooks will probably be down 15 percent for the year, a significant cut as these two categories make up 85 percent of the overall notebook market.
(Credit:
DisplaySearch)
For 2010, notebook shipments will rise by 16 percent, predicts DisplaySearch, thanks to better than average gains in Netbooks and ultra-portables. The CULV (Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage) market will drive growth with an array of new 11.6-inch and 12-inch portables sporting prices under $500. However, sales next year will likely be flat or down for most portable segments, except desktop replacement, which should enjoy growth of 21 percent over 2009.
The popularity of Netbooks may start to fade next year, DisplaySearch said. Shipments could rise 20 percent, but sales will flatten, and then drop in 2011 as prices come down and performance goes up for ultra-portables and larger notebooks.
(Credit:
DisplaySearch)
"Our long-term outlook is that the mini-note share of the notebook PC market has stabilized, and will remain at approximately 20 percent through 2011 before starting to erode," said John F. Jacobs, DisplaySearch director of Notebook Market Research, in a statement. "While mini-notes offer lower ASPs and are thinner and lighter than notebook PCs, the performance of larger notebook PCs continues to improve while prices continue to steadily decline, increasing the performance gap while narrowing the price gap."
Once Monster dipped its toes into the headphone market, there was no stopping the cable manufacturer from releasing a bevy of earphones on the unsuspecting masses. From in-ear to on-ear to over-the-ear, you shouldn't have trouble finding a pair of undeniably stylish Monster headphones to suit your needs.
The latest offering is the Beats by Dr. Dre Solo, an on-ear model that features ControlTalk, which is essentially fancy terminology for an inline mic and integrated controls for the iPod. This $200 set offers all the bass we expected from the first two Dr. Dre headphones in a slick, compact package. Unfortunately, while the low end is satisfyingly ear-shaking, it also tends to muddy up the overall sound space.
As we approach the longest break we get here at CNET, I'm preparing to head off for my annual journey to England to stay with the in-laws. These trips are marked by long, quiet afternoons in the countryside, and it's usually when I break out some portable games I've been stowing away all year.
You may have recently gotten or are planning to get one of the three big handheld game systems: the Nintendo DS, the PSP, or an iPhone/iPod Touch (yes, it deserves to be called a game system now). You may be wondering about a few good games to take with you. Well, I happen to own all three, and these are my recommendations. Feel free to take this little cheat sheet along.
(Credit:
CNET)
Nintendo DS
The DS actually comes in two versios: the DS Lite and the DSi. One has a Game Boy Advance cartridge slot, and the other can download minigames from Nintendo's DSiWare shop. Both can play Nintendo's tremendous collection of DS cartridges. For lovers of touch-screen puzzle games and lengthy adventures, or those who want family-friendly entertainment, the DS is perfect for you. Top games this holiday:
- The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks or Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story: a new Zelda adventure that's perfect for fans of the series, and a Mario role-playing adventure with a goofy style. Either one is perfect for long plane rides and snowed-in cabins.
- Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box: the Layton sequel has dozens of brainteasers and a relaxed pace.
- Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars: it came out back in March, but if you haven't played it, you must do so immediately. And, chances are, you still haven't unlocked everything in it yet.
- Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes: we hadn't even heard of this game until recently, but if you loved Puzzle Quest or enjoy adventure games with puzzle strategy, get this.
- If you have a DS Lite: save a few bucks and shop bargain bins for some used GBA titles like Super Mario 3.
- If you have a DSi: download some of Nintendo's excellent Art Style puzzles, or try one of the bizarre Electroplankton musical art-toys. ... Read more
HP's "lunchbox" photo printer churns out borderless glossies as large as 5x7 inches.
(Credit: HP)At this time of year, when the parties are nonstop and the shutterbugs are out in full force, nothing beats a photo printer. I've used one for years; they're great for churning out snapshots wherever and whenever you want.
A high-end model that normally sells for $150, HP's Photosmart A646, is on sale for $79.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code SVMY478761 once you get it into your shopping cart.
Also, that's two-day shipping, not the usual pokey 5-15 business days. Something to consider if you're scrambling for holiday gifts.
The A646 accepts SD, XD, and Memory Stick media, though you can also connect any PictBridge-compatible camera or even a USB flash drive. (It works with PCs, too, natch.)
Got Bluetooth? The A646 does, meaning you can wirelessly print photos from your phone. Sweet!
The printer sports a 3.5-inch touch screen for previewing your pix and adding creative elements like borders, clip art, and captions. It can crank out borderless prints as large as 5x7 inches.
CNET hasn't reviewed the Photosmart A646, but PC World has. They liked its versatility and feature set, but were less wild about the print quality. (I tend to find that very subjective.)
Ultimately, printers like these are just plain fun. Do keep in mind the ink costs, however: HP's 110 tricolor cartridges list for $23.99, but you can find them for as low as $19--less if you're willing to go the remanufactured route.
Backup deal: Today only, Staples has Norton Internet Security 2010 (one-user) for $9.99 shipped. It's normally $49.99. There's a mail-in rebate involved, and it nets you a prepaid Visa card, not a check. (I like the cards better, frankly.) In my experience, Staples' "easy rebates" do live up to their name.
On Sale Now: $98.49 - $99.98
View the latest prices for HP PhotoSmart A646
On Sale Now: $45.98 - $91.95
View the latest prices for Norton Internet Security 2010 (1 User, 3 PCs)
Tentatively known as The Cube, this concept from Mintpass puts a retro spin on a conventional MP3 player.
(Credit: Mintpass)If you love the look of old reel-to-reel tape decks, hi-fi receivers, and analog mixing boards, the latest MP3 player concept from Korea's Mintpass design team will probably leave you drooling.
The Cube MP3 player offers not one but three analog VU meters, capable of displaying volume, battery live, and FM radio frequency.
If the menage a trois of vintage analog gauges wasn't enough, the Mint Cube includes two rows of apologetically chunky buttons that hearken back to an era of cassette decks and bad hair. Other proposed features include Bluetooth audio, FM radio, A-B looping, shuffle, and a standard headphone output.
Of course, the whole thing is purely fiction at this point, with not even a hint of price or release date. Also, my gut is telling me that this thing would be wholly impractical to build. My retro nerd heart, however, is keeping hope alive.
(ViaTechfresh)
Technically, there's no reason the Zune couldn't have a huge game library.
(Credit: Microsoft)While there's no shortage of handheld game systems on the market--the Nintendo DS and DSi are still selling well and the PSP continues to hang in there, while the App Store expands its catalog every minute--one of the seemingly no-brainer bets in the mobile gaming realm hasn't happened yet: the Zune.
We say "no brainer" for several reasons:
- Microsoft has a successful gaming platform in the Xbox 360, emphasizing online and downloadable gaming.
- Microsoft, compared with Sony and Nintendo, is best able to take on Apple in terms of a media-management software store and the ability to build an equivalent music/games/movies catalog, and making that product PC compatible.
- The Zune HD now plays games.
The first point is obvious. The second is debatable, but we say this because Sony, while having a decent media library on PSN, just isn't historically great at building cross-platform software for syncing the PSP, and Microsoft's global software reach is simply stronger. The third is technically true--Microsoft launched a small collection of completely free-to-play, ad-supported games for its OLED-screened Zune HD last month, and one of them happens to be an adaptation of Project Gotham Racing.
It's an interesting prospect (and one we've wondered about before) because the Zune HD processor, an Nvidia Tegra, has both HD processing muscle and 3D graphics capability. We downloaded and played with all the Zune HD games currently available--all 12 of them--with some curiosity to see if the Zune could compete as a game device.
... Read morePortable speakers for your MP3 player are easy enough to come by, but the smaller of these often suffer from problematic audio. Every once in a while, though, we come across a supercompact speaker that surprises us. The X-Mini Max II Capsule Speaker is one such model, featuring an innovative, travel-friendly design and surprisingly good sound quality for just $49.95. One thing's for sure: we wouldn't complain if we found one of these under our tree this year.
Read the X-Mini Max II review.
Epson PictureMate Show
(Credit: Epson)Families around the world are sure to take tons of digital snapshots of loved ones for the holiday season, but how to get the photos off the camera? Epson's new PictureMate Show compact photo printer brings images to life with a dual purpose: you can also use it as a digital photo frame.
The Show works as both a digital photo frame and a compact photo printer thanks to its small size and 7-inch WVGA tilt screen that beautifully displays hi-res photos. Transferring pictures to the viewer is made easy using the 270MB of internal memory, but there's also a media card reader and a USB port on the side for downloading images from any digital camera.
Once you have the photos loaded, you can perform simple edits like cropping or resizing, but you can also set the device to automatically correct your photos before printing.
Unlike other portable dye-sublimation printers, the Epson PictureMate Show uses the company's own proprietary "Advanced MicroPiezo" technology, optimized for photo printing. Epson tells us the product produces vibrantly colored 4x6-inch photos in 37 seconds, but we'll need to put it to the test before we give our official review.
The Epson PictureMate Show is available now for $300. More pics after the jump.
... Read more
Is that a printer in your pocket, or are you just happy to see the $29 price tag?
Happy Black Friday, everyone! As promised, I spent the morning avoiding retail stores, though I did see a few advertised items that were mighty tempting. Anybody brave the cold, the crowds, the 4 a.m. alarm clock?
Anyway, remember the Dell Wasabi pocket printer from a couple months back? It was a killer deal at $29 shipped, but it sold out quickly.
Amazon is offering the Wasabi's kissing cousin, the Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer, for $29.99 shipped.
This is one of those zero-ink (a.k.a. ZINK) printers that made headlines last year. That means it uses, duh, zero ink, instead heating the crystals embedded in special photo paper (like this $8.67 30-pack, which is worth tossing in the cart).
Consequently, the printer itself is tiny, measuring just 0.9 inch thick by 4.7 inches long by 2.8 inches wide and weighing a mere 8 ounces (with its rechargeable battery installed).
So the PoGo can literally ride around in a pocket and churn out prints on-demand. Prints from where? Any PictBridge-compatible camera or, better yet, most Bluetooth-equipped camera phones.
I bought that virtually identical Dell Wasabi back in September, and while the reviewers are right that print quality is only so-so, I gotta say I love the little thing. (Just wish I could print via Bluetooth from my iPhone!).
Because the paper has peel-and-stick backing, my whole family is having fun pasting little photos all over the place.
Consequently, I think this makes a great gift. And it's available in black or red (oooh, red!) for that same price.
Like just about everything I've posted this week, it'll probably sell out fast (grrr), so if you want one, hurry up and get clicking.
On Sale Now: $31.49 - $99.99
View the latest prices for Polaroid PoGo Mobile Printer (black)
On Sale Now: $49.99 - $69.99
View the latest prices for Polaroid PoGo Mobile Printer (pink)
No ice needed.
(Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond)While nothing beats enjoying a cooler full of ice-cold beverages at the park, beach, or backyard barbecue, there is a bit of a downside risk: wet cans. As drinks are plucked from the murky depths of the ice chest, ice that is no longer ice clings to the can. It's something even cold-activated cans cannot fix.
Since the dawn of mankind (or at least the invention of the tailgate party), people have looked for a way to enjoy the crisp, clean taste of their favorite drinks without the inconvenience of wet fingers. Now, finally, there is a way.
The Wine Enthusiast Koolatron Rechargeable Bar On Wheels provides a way to cool your drinks anywhere, without the use of ice. The rechargeable cooler cools contents to a "near refrigerator" temperature of 40 degrees F.
Plugging into a standard home outlet, the 41-pound portable cooler also includes an AC/DC adapter for vehicle charging. One charge is good for up to four hours of active, quiet cooling, and for easy portability, two wheels are attached at the base.
With three removable shelves and space for in-door bottle cooling, the portable party-maker has a versatile interior capable of cooling all types of beverages. Complete with a flat work area on top and a hanging basket for accessories on the side, this cooling solution is sure to be a hit at your next outdoor event.
But it will cost you--$449.99 in at least one listing we saw. What do you think? Is saving the ice for putting in your drinks instead of on them worth that tag?
