Sprint Launches The Dell Mini 10 Netbook

Topic: Notebooks and PCs

Alright, so the rumors were a day off. The Dell Mini 10 still launched today on Sprint's 3G network. Their press release makes this bog standard 10.1” Windows XP netbook sound much more exciting than it really is. The Mini 10 features an Atom Z520 processor, 160 GB HD, WiFi and 1.3 MP camera. That's about as 'run of the mill' as a netbook gets.

Posted on Mon, 2 Nov 2009 09:33:36 CST | by Robert Evans

Asus G51VX Gaming Notebook Computer Review

Topic: Notebooks and PCs

Today I am checking out the Asus G51Vx gaming notebook. The machine has a quad core processor, NVIDIA graphics and much more. The gaming prowess of the notebook is very good.

The notebook is heavy and sucks battery power quickly, but many gamers will be willing to give up battery life for performance. The real question is will gamers be willing to cough up the high price tag Asus wants for the machine. Read more

Posted on Mon, 2 Nov 2009 07:50:54 CST | by Shane McGlaun

Weird: Windows XP Netbooks Still Outsell Windows 7 Netbooks

Topic: Notebooks and PCs

For short time the HP Mini 110 Windows 7 netbook lead the Amazon Netbook sales charts last week. Now the first three places are taken up by Windows XP netbooks again. Why is that? Customers still prefer XP over Windows 7 Starter? Is it the price? Do customers do not know that there is a Windows 7 version available? Let’s have a closer look at this situation.

The bestselling netbook is again the Asus Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X like in the weeks before the Windows 7 launch.
Read more

Posted on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Android Smartbook Acer's Secret Weapon

Topic: Notebooks and PCs

Asus has delayed their Android-running Eee PC several times, but it now looks like they are getting ready to follow through with a launch early in 2010. This Android device will run with a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, and is being marketed as a smartbook. Asus has high hopes for the gadget, and called it their “secret weapon” in a statement to Shanzai (via Gizmodo).

The itty-bitty smartbook could be a breakthrough in the development of netbooks. With the introduction of CULVs and other ultra-portable notebooks, netbooks have shifted towards smaller, lower-priced machines. When consumers buy a netbook, they want a device that is good for browsing, word processing, and social networking. A netbook needs to boot fast and have great battery life. That is pretty much it.

Posted on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:55:40 CDT | by Robert Evans

Sprint Offering Dell Mini 10, November 1st?

Topic: Notebooks and PCs

Next month, Sprint will join the ranks of carriers that offer subsidized netbooks with a data plan subscription. TechVI.com reports (via Electronista) that the Dell mini 10 will be coming to the Sprint network on November 1st. The netbook will have a 3G modem, a 160 GB HD, 1 GB of RAM, and an Atom processor. The cost puts this mini 10 in line with a smartphone purchase; $199, after a $100 rebate.

You'll have to purchase the netbook with a subscription, of course. The plan for the mini 10 is set to cost $60/month for 5 GB of data. On the whole this deal sounds, well, perfectly inoffensive. The price is reasonable (though the rebate is annoying) and the mini 10 is a fine, if rather low-end, machine.

Posted on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:26:41 CDT | by Robert Evans

ASRock ION330 Gets Blu-ray

Topic: Notebooks and PCs

ASRock has announced that its ION330 SFF computer is getting an update. The machine was small in size already making it an appealing HTPC for home theater fans and now the device is gaining a Blu-ray player.

Other updates from the previous version of the ION330 include WiFi, DTS 7.1 sound, RAID support, eSATA connectivity, MCE controller, and a 500GB HDD for storage. The ION330 now comes in three models with the 330HT-BD getting the Blu-ray player. Read more

Posted on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Sony Recalls Computer AC Adapters Over Shock Risk

Topic: Notebooks and PCs

There have been several recalls in the last few week of products in the consumer electronics world. Today Sony has issued a recall of 69,000 AC adapters for various models of its VAIO computers. The specific adapter recalled is the Sony VGP-AC19V17.

The power adapter was supplied for use with the VAIO all-in-one computers, VAIO docking stations, VGC-LT, and VGC-JS2 series of computers and the VGP-PRBX1 and VGP-PRFE1 models. The adapters were sold at the SonyStyle store and website from September 2005 to October 2009. Read more

Posted on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Pictures of the Hot Lenovo ThinkCentre All-In-One PC Get Released

Topic: Notebooks and PCs

To know what products companies will release next you need to monitor all kinds of channels. For a while I have had the Lenovo Flickr account in my Update Scanner app on Firefox. Today a photo of the ThinkCentre All-In-One PC appeared.
The ThinkCentre All-In-One PC actually rivals the HP TouchSmart line in style. We do not know anything else as Lenovo did not announce any specifications for this All-In-One. Does it have a touchscreen? We do not know. Read more

Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Dell Unveils New 12.1-inch Rugged Convertible Tablet

Topic: Notebooks and PCs

Dell has unveiled a new rugged convertible tablet computer called the Latitude XT2 XFR. The machine is built to meet the needs of mobile field service workers, police, and military users. The machine is 1.5-inches thick and weighs 5.4 pounds when equipped with a 4-cell battery and an SSD.

The machine also has compression sealed and rugged IO doors to protect from dust and moistures. Dell built the machine to meet MIL-810G certification. Features include Intel Core 2 Duo processors and up to 5GB of RAM. Read more

Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:35:27 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

JPR Sees Market for Graphics Soar 21% for Q3

Topic: Notebooks and PCs

The GPU market is one of the sticks used to measure the PC market around the world. With all PCs having a GPU of some sort inside today, it's an easy marker for the industry to follow. Other devices also use GPUs as well.

Q3 shipments grew by 21% compared to Q2, a clear signal that more PCs shipped for the quarter. AMD grew the most with 30% growth compared to Q2 with Intel growing 21%. Intel shipped the most parts overall with 63 million GPUs shipped. Intel GPUs are commonly found in lower end machines with integrated graphics like netbooks and notebooks. Read more

Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

385 Million Ultra mobile Devices to ship by 2014

Topic: Notebooks and PCs

Well it seems that the ultra mobile market is only going to continue to grow and by 2014, ABI Research predicts that the market will ship 385 million ultra mobile devices. That number will be reached with a large diversity of form factors and device types with vendors trying to meet audience's preferences.

The research firm says that the MID is the most interesting product category to watch since the segments is still emerging. The most common product design will likely be the tablet form factor with other models with slider keyboards, clamshells, and touchscreens growing in popularity as well. Read more

Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:49:21 CDT | by Shane McGlaun