PC World Philippines

Posts Tagged ‘ netbook ’

Laptop buying advice

By Fei on March 28, 2011

By Andrew Harrison
March 28, 2011

LONDON – If you’re on the lookout for a new portable PC, it pays to pay close attention to the specifications on offer before you get out your credit card. Not all laptops are equal, and we’re not just talking about the inherent differences between different laptop formats, such as netbooks and more powerful desktop-replacement laptops.

Check out our laptop buying advice below to get to grips with the specs on offer and learn the bare minimum requirements for today’s portable computers, and then head to our laptop reviews to check out the latest models.

Portability and a lower price tag are the netbook’s main attraction. Speed and comfort are their main problems.

Initially conceived to run Linux from a small internal solid-state drive, the netbook category was soon overrun with near-identical designs locked-down by processor and OS suppliers Intel and Microsoft.

Essentially all netbooks now take an Intel Atom, run Windows 7 Starter; and have a 10.1in low-resolution 1024×600 screen, 1GB memory, 160GB/250GB hard disk, and three USB 2.0 ports.

Following the success of the Apple iPad since its launch in 2010, the category is on the wane, and may decline further, especially if other types of tablet PC prove popular.

Processor: Intel’s Atom is the de-facto netbook processor. It consumes little power and gets the job done eventually. Expect sluggish navigation and slow startups. Look out for AMD’s new APU chipsets in 2011, a combined CPU/GPU solution that fianlly promises competition for Intel in this low-power processor class.

Storage: Early models had small flash-based drives up to 8GB. Now, effectively all netbooks come with either 160GB or 250GB 2.5in SATA hard-disk drives.

Memory: Windows/Intel (Wintel) netbooks are restricted to 1GB of RAM, but you can easily upgrade this yourself to 2GB for around £25. That’s our recommended minimum for running Windows 7, and will help prevent the netbook slowing further as apps are opened.

Wireless: 802.11b/g was the original standard wireless card in netbooks, but most newer models support 802.11n now too. Faster Wi-Fi technology won’t affect browsing speed but will come in handy when transferring large files. All the models currently in our chart support 802.11n

Bluetooth can be useful but is not always a standard fitting. Some netbooks also include built-in 3G modems, needing just a 3G SIM card to gain wireless internet outdoors.

Operating system: Earlier netbooks were equipped with a Linux operating system. Windows 7 Starter Edition is now standard, with slightly reduced performance compared to Windows XP.

Display: Dependence on slower integrated graphics means netbooks are not great for gameplay. The Atom processor allows standard-definition video playback, but to play HD video, you’ll need a netbook that can offload this duty to the graphics processor (‘hardware-accelerated video’).

Keyboard: Cramped keyboards go with the territory, and it’s useful to try out typing on a netbook before you buy it. For keyboards on the smallest netbooks (9in screen in less) touch-typing will be impossible. Watch out for non-standard layouts of some keys; and netbooks sometimes sacrifice dedicated function keys.

Extras: You’ll find few extras – don’t expect to find a DVD drive, FireWire port or ExpressCard slot, nor recent additions like USB 3.0. You’ll find three USB 2.0 ports, often crammed closely together. This can prevent two larger thumbdrives from being inserted alongside each other, for example.

Netbook reviews

Processor: Intel chips remain the dominant force. While some Intel Core 2 Duo processors are still in circulation, most modern laptops currently take Intel Core series chips. Quad-core processors are becoming more acceptable since the arrival of the latest second-generation Core series (Sandy Bridge) processors. Efficiency has improved enough that they’re no longer crippled by heat and battery-life problems.

Processors in Intel’s Core i5 and i7 (and also the i3) families include performance features such as Turbo Boost, for short-term overclocking; and Hyper Threading, which makes a dual-core processor perform more like a quad-core processor. There’s no logic to which processors contain which technology; and beware that some older Intel Core i7 mobile chips are only dual-core. Check specs first if you need a certain feature.

AMD also makes processors for mobile computing, often found in budget full-size laptops. Efficiency tends to be lower, meaning more heat and noise and shorter battery life.

Memory: The minimum amount of RAM commonly fitted is now 2GB. Aim for at least 4GB, although Windows cannot use more than 3GB in its 32-bit versions. If you have 4GB or more of memory, go 64-bit.

Hard drive: The hard disk is still the most popular storage type for laptops, even if solid-state storage is the preferred solution for portables.

A 5400rpm drive from 250GB to 750GB capacity is typical, although capacities of the smaller 2.5in SATA disk drives now reaches 1.5TB. A faster 7200rpm drive improves performance, at the expense of slightly higher heat and noise, and lower battery life. It can be awkward to upgrade a laptop’s hard drive, so get as much storage space as you can.

For best performance and increased reliability, look out for a solid-state drive (SSD). Prices remain much higher than hard-disk drives, but if you have the budget the offer of silent operation, greatly increased performance and resistance to shock make the SSD the best choice for mobile computing. SSDs can be found in 60GB to 500GB sizes. If you can afford it, look to 128GB or 256GB capacity. The 500GB remains a four-figure luxury.

Screen: Laptop screens were once all 4:3 ratio, until 16:10 widescreen became popular. Now most laptops take 16:9-ratio displays. Size of screen dictates the overall size of notebook. If you want a small and easy-to-carry ultraportable laptop, look for a display of 11in to 13in.

The 15in screen size is very popular, offering a good balance between available working screen space and a still-luggable notebook.

At 17in or 18in screen size, the laptop becomes more of a static fixture, better suited for designers or for home entertainment use.

Increasing the resolution of the display means more can be crammed into the screen, at the expense of legibility as screen elements reduce in size. A full-HD 1920×1080 resolution on even a large 17in screen can make work difficult due to tiny text and icon size.

For screen backlighting, white LEDs are now popular, reducing power consumption and reaching full brightness instantly on demand.

The issue of gloss or matt finish can be divisive: shiny screens look initially impressive, thanks to their bolder colours and deeper blacks, but their reflectivity causes visibility problems when used in rooms with windows or overhead lighting. Matt screens appear duller but have better off-axis visibility and are unlikely to cause eyestrain.

Also watch out for cheaper screens with severely restricted viewing angles.

Graphics card: For the smallest or cheapest laptops, the graphics processor will be soldered to the circuit board or even built into the main processor chip – both options are so-called integrated graphics.

Integrated graphics solutions such as those from Intel remain popular, as their power consumption is low and they take little space inside small portables. The latest Intel Core series processors’ integrated graphics are sufficient for very basic gameplay; for more realistic gaming, you’ll still need a decent graphics card. There’s no clear choice between AMD (formerly ATI) and nVidia, as performance varies depending on product. For gaming use, look for at least 256MB of graphics memory.

Some laptops feature switchable graphics, using an integrated chip to preserve battery life, and a dedicated graphics card for maximum performance. You’ll find such switching tech available with both AMD and nVidia processors, and for Windows and Mac notebooks.

Operating system: Windows laptops are less predictable when recovering from sleep and usually appreciate shutting down then restarting on each use, a process typically taking several minutes.

For instant-on accessibility, look to Apple’s MacBook portables with their Mac OS X operating system. These also require less maintenance such as file defragmentation, and do not demand resource-hogging anti-virus software.

Interface devices: the rubber-tipped trackpoint was once popular, a small steering stick lying flush within the keyboard. These only tend to feature on some business laptops now. Most notebook computers use trackpad/touchpad sensors to allow the finger to control the motion of the on-screen cursor.

Multi-touch control, once only found on Apple portables, is now appearing on Windows laptops too in basic form. To make comfortable use of muti-touch, look for a decent size touchpad, at least 100 x 45mm.

Beware of low-cost trackpads fitted to budget laptops which can make cusor control difficult. Also consider the click buttons, which may be ill-placed or too stiff for easy use.

Samsung N150: A Netbook that Keeps You in Style, Powered Up and on Budget

By Fei on January 17, 2011

January 17, 2011

Consider Samsung N150, which offers all the key netbook features you’re looking for, sans the high price tag. It delivers premium style at a great value, with up to 12 hours of battery life to extend your enjoyment. The durable casing reduces the risk of scratches and fingerprints, ensuring it stays stylish. Featuring an LED anti-reflective display, it lets you enjoy your favourite movies and photos, even in direct sunlight, and you know you have true value at your fingertips. You’ll see movies and images that are clear and picture perfect, even in bright light. And you’ll get more mobility with an LED display that uses less power.

It is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processors and runs Windows 7 Starter Edition. The netbook also has WiFi 802.11b/g/n, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and a flash card reader. The Samsung NP-N150 puts email, the web, social networking and even multimedia entertainment right in your hands. It incorporates advanced communications technologies, including and 802.11bgn wireless and 3G modem (HSPA* and WiMAX*), to provide high-speed access to the Internet and your data anytime and anywhere.

Quick Specs:
Windows® 7 Starter
Intel Atom N455 (1.66GHz, 512KB, 667MHz)
Intel NM10 Chipset
1GB DDR3 Memory
10.1″ WSVGA (1024 x 600), Non-Gloss, LED Back Light
Intel GMA3150
Internal Shared Memory
250GB SATA HDD

For product availability and information, please contact MSI-ECS at 688-3749. Look for Danz Orobia or email marketing@msi-ecs.com.ph.

Are Tablets Really Killing Netbooks?

By Fei on December 3, 2010

By Jeff Bertolucci
December 3, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – For months we’ve been hearing that tablet computers–led by Apple’s iPad–are hurting netbook sales in a big way. But are they really? It depends on whom you ask. For now, touchscreen tablets do appear to be luring consumers away from netbooks. In the long term, however, netbooks will likely hold their own in an increasingly fragmented mobile device market, particularly as computer makers address user complaints by enhancing netbooks with faster processors and new capabilities.

Dueling Data

Tech industry analysts can’t seem to agree on whether tablets are harming netbook sales. Changewave Research in October surveyed more than 3100 consumers and found that only 14 percent of those who planned to purchase a laptop within 90 days would get a netbook–a significant drop from 18 percent at the start of 2010, and 24 percent in June 2009.

But ABI Research says the netbook market will not be “gravely injured” by the iPad and similar tablets, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab and Research In Motion’s BlackBerry PlayBook. “This is a rumor perpetuated by Apple fanatics,” wrote ABI Research mobile device analyst Jeff Orr in an e-mail to PCWorld.

Orr points out that annual netbook shipments continue to grow, and that the top isn’t in sight. Specifically, about 36 million netbooks shipped worldwide in 2009, and an estimated 43 million will ship in 2010. The netbook is the first ultramobile device to reach “mass-market appeal,” which Orr defines as a product that ships 40 to 50 million units annually. He acknowledges, however, that netbook sales are slowing, and says that today’s shipments don’t match the “meteoric growth” of the past two years.

Blame the iPad?

Netbook shipments in the United States fell 34 percent from the third quarter of 2009 to the same period in 2010, according to research firm Gartner. The likely culprit? A certain tablet from Apple comes to mind.

“Yes, there was some displacement of mini-notebooks by the iPad in the U.S., but determining how much is not an exact science,” wrote Gartner client computing research director Angela McIntyre via e-mail. She estimates that Apple’s bestselling tablet “displaced” 10 to 20 percent of netbook shipments in the United States in the third quarter of 2010, which suggests that a sizable number of consumers chose the iPad over a netbook.

Consumers appear not to be as enamored of netbooks as they once were. But tablets aren’t the sole cause.

In fact, netbooks weren’t the only computer devices to suffer from sluggish back-to-school sales in the third quarter of 2010. “Many factors contribute to this, such as the down economy, few new compelling PCs on the market, and a wait-and-see attitude about new PCs and media tablets coming to market next year,” wrote McIntyre.

Twice the Price

“We are seeing a slowdown–a pretty dramatic slowdown–in the netbook market. And a reasonable amount of that is from the iPad,” says IDC computer analyst Bob O’Donnell. Netbooks and touchscreen tablets are both secondary computing devices, and the consumer’s dilemma is deciding which gadget to buy.

However, the disparity in netbook and tablet prices makes the iPad-is-killing-the-netbook argument “a little hard to swallow,” says O’Donnell. For instance, the average selling price for netbooks is under $300, according to IDC. But for the iPad it’s $630–more than twice as much.

“Right there’s a big disconnect between [average selling prices]. That’s why it’s hard to say that there’s a direct, one-for-one knocking off, because of that huge price gap,” adds O’Donnell, who sees a correlation between today’s tablet-versus-netbook battle and the netbook-versus-laptop debate of 2008.

“This is sort of a netbook redux. Two years ago, netbooks were going to cannibalize notebooks,” he says. “There was a period when a whole bunch of people bought netbooks, and it somewhat skewed the view of the notebook market. But at the end of the day, when people needed to upgrade a notebook, they did.”

Even if the iPad-induced sales hit proves to be temporary, the bigger issue is how netbooks will rise to meet the tablet challenge. “Nobody is saying that a netbook or a tablet is a must-have, primary device. That’s where desktops and laptops fall,” says Cindy Ng of Intel’s netbook marketing team. “It’s a similar market because they’re both companion devices and nice to have. But at the same time, I think there are different types of consumers who value different usages.”

Netbook users, for instance, really want a physical keyboard. “For doing Twitter feeds and social networking updates on Facebook, clearly the netbook with a physical keyboard really enables that ease of use much more than a tablet would with a virtual keyboard,” says Ng. And for frantic classroom note-taking, a netbook usually tops a tablet.

Netbooks, Phase II

Intel Atom processors power many netbooks, and the chipmaker predicts that a netbook renaissance will occur in the first half of 2011.

A new crop of netbooks will add wireless syncing capabilities that allow users to sync data easily among multiple devices, such as their smartphone, laptop, and desktop. Intel’s new dual-core Atoms are more powerful and allow netbook makers to build sleeker, slimmer devices that are “potentially as thin or comparable to the new MacBook Air,” says Ng. Another as-yet-unnamed feature would make it easier for netbooks to stream music to a home stereo or speaker system.

AMD’s upcoming Brazos-platform processors will combine low-power dual-core and single-core CPUs together with a DirectX 11-capable GPU on the same chip. If it ends up as good as it looks on paper, it should provide better performance than today’s Atom-powered netbooks do, while still preserving battery life and allowing for small and thin laptops. We should see premium netbooks and inexpensive ultraportable laptops in early 2011 with the new chips.

Acer’s Take

Few computer makers in the United States are more closely associated with the netbook than Acer, which helped define the genre with its Aspire One netbooks in 2008. Not surprisingly, the company believes that the tiny portables will thrive even as tablets take hold.

“While the netbook market has matured and is no longer experiencing the explosive growth we saw initially, it is still a key product category that will generate significant sales for consumers looking for both productivity and entertainment in a mobile device,” wrote an Acer spokesperson in an e-mail to PCWorld.

Acer, which in November announced plans to enter the tablet market, sees a clear distinction between slates and netbooks. “Tablets…represent a different product segment that caters primarily to gaming and content consumption in the $400-$600 range,” the Acer representative wrote.

But netbooks typically sell for less. Most cost between $300 and $350, says Intel’s Ng, though new features and innovations may cause prices to inch closer to $400.

In the coming years, tablets and netbooks will take divergent paths–the former focusing on entertainment, communications, and convenience, and the latter adopting a more work-friendly role. Each will carve out a niche in the personal computing landscape. One will not kill off the other, however. After netbooks succeed in boosting their processing power and adding new capabilities, they’ll appeal to users who want a lighter and smaller version of a full-size laptop.

Give Your Netbook an OS Makeover with Jolicloud

By Fei on August 6, 2010

By Rick Broida
August 6, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – I know a handful of people who suffer from netbook-buyer’s remorse: they bought one of the inexpensive little machines, then stuck it in a closet when they discovered how sluggishly it ran Windows.

If you’re in the same boat, you might be able to give that system a new lease on life. Jolicloud is a free, Linux-powered operating system designed specifically for netbooks. It’s fast (way faster than Windows), easy to use, and better optimized for cloud computing.

The OS offers just the basics, without the clutter. It comes with about a dozen apps already installed (Facebook, Dropbox, Gmail, Google Docs, etc.), but you can browse a library of hundreds more–all of which are free to download. I think it’s safe to say that virtually everything you can do with Windows, you can do with Jolicloud.

The OS comes in two flavors. The first installs alongside Windows, creating a dual-boot configuration. That’s great because it leaves your existing Windows installation alone, allowing you to return to it as needed (and uninstall Jolicloud as easily as uninstalling any piece of software).

You can also load Jolicloud on a CD or flash drive, then boot from either one (keeping in mind that netbooks don’t have CD drives). Unless you’re a tech-savvy user, I recommend going with the Windows installer.

Either way, Jolicloud is currently available only via Bittorrent. That might prove a hassle if you’re not already familiar with it (in which case I recommend this beginner’s guide).
I installed it on an aging Acer Aspire One. After a few confusing moments with setting up a Jolicloud account and activating the computer, I found myself navigating a speedy, stylish, mostly intuitive interface that never once left me longing for Windows. Admittedly, there’s a learning curve, but I think most users will figure out the basics fast enough.

Speaking of fast, I can’t say Jolicloud booted significantly faster than Windows on my Aspire, but overall operation was definitely zippier.

I’m not 100% decided I’ll stick with Jolicloud, only because it still seems a bit buggy, but I like what I see so far. It’s a lovely, simple operating system, one that can breathe new life into old or unloved netbooks. If you own one, this is definitely worth a look.

Can non-Apple tablets compete against the iPad?

By Fei on June 3, 2010

By Curtis Franklin Jr.
June 3, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – Get ready for the iPad clones. In a week that, according to Apple, saw iPad sales hit the two million unit mark, IDG News Service reports that the Computex Taipei trade show is anticipating demonstrations of a dozen or more rivals to the iPad.

While the announced tablets differ in specifics, they share two major features: they don’t run the Apple iPhone operating system, and they don’t have access to the Apple AppStore. The question for manufacturers and consumers alike is whether a different set of hardware and software features can rival the iPad experience for users.

ASUS will be showing Eee Pad EP101TC and EP121 tablets which use different versions of Windows to hit different market segments. According to the IDG News Service, the EP121 aims at the laptop world, with a 12-inch screen, Intel Core Duo processor and Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. The EP101TC is more netbook-like, with a 10-inch screen, Windows Embedded Compact 7 OS and NVidia Tegra silicon on the inside.

Engadget has a preview of the LG UX10 tablet, another Windows 7 Home Premium device with webcam, SD card slot, micro-HDMI output – essentially all the hardware pieces reviewers have said were missing from the iPad.

Acer and MSI are expected to show tablets at Computex joining, according to Gearlog, companies like Dell and Sony that have already announced plans for tablet computers this year. All the tablets showing and announced follow a theme of using Windows software and filling perceived holes in the hardware specs of the iPad.

While reviewers and power users have pointed out the iPad’s lack of a camera, SD memory card slot, USB port and other features, two million sold units in under 60 days indicates that many don’t see these shortcomings as fatal. The iPad does have an operating system with a user interface designed for touchscreen use, a user interface that Windows 7 can support but only as a secondary method of control and input.

Apple’s competitors are betting that a rich hardware feature set and (possible) lower price will attract users who see the potential in an ultra-portable tablet but aren’t ready to join the Apple universe. The iPhone has shown that, while Apple can make a market that includes rivals, the Cupertino tech giant will keep most of the market for itself, leaving competitors to pick up the price-sensitive or Apple-averse for themselves.

The tablets of Computex may move the market forward, but for now it’s Apple’s market that everyone else is trying to play in.

Dell Leak: Coming Tablets, Netbooks Named Sparta, Athens

By Fei on April 28, 2010

By Alessondra Springmann
April 28, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – Hot on the heels of last week’s Dell Streak leak, Android Central claims to have obtained Dell’s “roadmap” for tablet releases, which shows not only the Streak tablet and the Lightning/Thunder/Smoke/Flash quartet of smartphones, but also two new netbooks, “Sparta” and “Athens”.

Sparta is a “netbook tablet”, while Athens weighs in at less than 2 pounds as a “true” tablet netbook. Both these devices have ARM processors, 11-inch touchscreens, and optional Bluetooth, 3G, and WiFi.

The 7-inch Looking Glass (with wireless, Bluetooth, and a camera) is also on the roadmap, along with a Looking Glass Pro with an HD screen and digital TV capability.

When will these devices arrive in the US? The roadmap seems to indicate that Sparta and Looking Glass will hit stores sometime around August, and that Athens will follow shortly after that–so you’ll probably have to wait until August to grab the tablet off the shelf and scream, “This… is… Sparta!”

Lenovo unveils next-generation netbook

By Fei on April 27, 2010

April 27, 2010

Lenovo’s new IdeaPad S10-3t combines portability, style and cutting-edge technologies. Built with Lenovo NaturalTouch responsive fingertip touch screen technology, it is the industry’s first multi-touch capacitive convertible netbook tablet. Its 10.1-inch screen can swivel 180 degrees and fold over to transform into a touch tablet. Equipped with Intel Atom N470 processors and 320GB HDD memory storage, IdeaPad S10-3t netbook has stereo speakers and Dolby Headphone audio. It also features DirectShare, which allows users to quickly and easily synchronize files with another laptop without having to connect to the Internet.

IdeaPad S10-3t is now available in the Philippines through Lenovo business partners, Lenovo Exclusive Stores and www.lenovo.com. The suggested retail price for IdeaPad S10-3t is P29,900.

iPad vs. Netbook: It’s a Close Call

By Fei on April 6, 2010

By Jason Cross
April 6, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – Ever since Steve Jobs got on stage to announce the iPad, actual and prospective users have been comparing it to a netbook. Will the iPad replace netbooks? Well, a netbook has a full keyboard, runs complete operating systems, and can basically run any application you choose–so it has to be the superior PC companion device, right? We pitted the iPad against the netbook in a number of important categories, and found that the contest is closer than people might expect.

Surfing the Web

One major use of these “companion devices” is to hop online quickly and surf the Web from the comfort of your couch, or on the bus, or anyplace where you’re away from your primary PC.

iPad: The iPad’s lack of Adobe Flash support is definitely a problem for browsing. For every site that now offers HTML5-based video as an alternative to Flash, there are still scores of sites containing Flash ads, navigation, and applications that will simply break on the iPad. Aside from that, though, the browsing experience on an iPad is pretty great. You don’t have tabs in the browser, but you can open several pages at once and flip between them much as you can on an iPhone. Text and images look superb, and the ability to rapidly zoom and rotate the screen orientation makes reading large pages a breeze. Unfortunately, you’re stuck with using Apple’s Safari browser.

Netbook: Since it’s a PC, a netbook gives you access to any browser you choose. You get full support for Flash, Silverlight, and the like. On the other hand, the screen is small and you can’t easily rotate or zoom it the way you can the iPad’s display. Sites that don’t work well with a netbook’s smallish screen and unimpressive resolution are more difficult to view and read than they are on the iPad. And many netbooks, though they support Flash, don’t offer enough performance to permit the user to watch high-def video smoothly or to run demanding flash games without bogging down.

Advantage: Netbook. The ability of netbooks to see “the whole Web” and to run any browser you choose give them the advantage, but the iPad’s smooth zooming, rotating, and scrolling make the contest on this measure surprisingly close.

Getting Work Done

You’re on the road and you have to edit a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet. Or you’re sitting in class and want to take notes. Will the iPad get the job done, or do you need the full PC application access of a netbook?

iPad: Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are fairly good applications on the iPad–though you have to pay $10 each for them. Unfortunately, the iPad offers no local storage, so moving documents around is a real pain. Basically you have to e-mail them to yourself and open them from the Mail program or from your favorite Web mail client, and then e-mail them back when you’re done (you can mail documents from within the iWork apps). Many features within Excel and Word (such as macros and drop-down boxes) won’t work properly, either. The on-screen keyboard is good enough for hunting and pecking, but taking lengthy notes or writing long papers or articles is a chore: You can’t really touch-type on the new keyboard. A number of iPad-compatible productivity apps are available, and things like Evernote work great; but if you want to get any real work done, this is not the device for it. Though you can sync with Exchange, the Mail, Contacts, and Calendar apps are missing features that business users rely on.

Netbook: As much as we dislike most netbooks’ keyboards, they’re infinitely more usable than the iPad’s on-screen keyboard. Because netbooks let you run full-blown versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, you can do everything you need to do for business or school on one of these devices. Sure, the limited screen resolution is a drag at times, but that’s a problem with the iPad, too (especially with spreadsheets).

Advantage: Netbook. It’s not even close on this measure: Netbooks have the clear advantage. The iPad needs a better keyboard or text-entry method, better spreadsheet support, and local storage–not to mention built-in, system-wide network printing. Customized apps like Evernote are great productivity tools, but if you want to do real work you’ll want a netbook.

Portability

People love netbooks and tablets because they’re small, lightweight, and portable (they fit almost any bag), and they have long battery life. Which on-the-go device makes the better travel companion?

iPad: You’ll certainly want some sort of cover and/or stand to protect the iPad; but beyond that, it’s a great travel companion. In the first place, it’s smaller and lighter than even the smallest netbook. And the IPS display delivers a wider range of viewing angles, so it’s easier to get a clear view of what’s on screen when you prop it up on your lap, hold it in one hand, or share it with someone sitting next to you. We don’t have solid battery life numbers yet, but the range we’ve been hearing reported elsewhere (7 to 10 hours, depending on how you use it) is comparable to that of a good netbook.

Netbook: Netbooks are far easier to carry around than full-featured laptops, but even the small ones are twice as heavy and twice as thick as the iPad. Many of them have poor displays with washed-out color and bad viewing angles, which can make them hard to see clearly if you don’t position the netbook firmly on a hard surface.

Advantage: iPad. The iPad wins with its slimmer design, lighter weight, equivalent battery life, and superior screen.

Video and Audio

Consumers like netbooks because they can use them to watch TV shows, Web video, and movies on the go. Neither netbooks nor the iPad have an optical drive, so everything you watch has to be synced from your primary PC, downloaded to the device, or streamed. The same goes for music. But which machine offers the better overall experience?

iPad: Video certainly looks better on the iPad’s IPS display. Obviously, the lack of Flash support hurts your ability to view a lot of Web video, but the built-in YouTube app, the free Netflix and ABC apps, and the growing support for HTML5 video on key Websites help alleviate the problem. If you want to watch your own videos, you have to convert them to a compatible format in advance, which can be a drag. Of course, consuming video from the iTunes store directly on the iPad is easy to do. Audio quality through the built-in speakers is a bit weak, but better than we expected.

Netbook: In theory, by virtue of being complete PCs, netbooks support any format out there. In practice, most of them struggle with high-def video and don’t play Flash (even the standard-def stuff) well when expanded to full screen. On the other hand, most netbooks have far more storage space than even the 64GB iPad for storing your music and video library, too. But the screen quality on netbooks is almost universally poor. The color, contrast, and viewing angles of the iPad absolutely kill any netbook screen we’ve ever seen.

Advantage: Tie. It’s a tie. Netbooks are more flexible, but they have performance problems and worse screens. iPads are limited and more difficult to get content on unless you already do everything in iTunes, but the quality of the viewing and listening experience is much better.

Playing Games

If you’re going to carry your computer adjunct along with you everywhere, you’d better be able to get your portable game on.

iPad: Considering the way that the iPhone and iPod Touch took off as game devices, the strong support for the iPad from game developers is hardly surprising. Sure, you can play your iPhone/Touch games in an enlarged mode, but that’s not a great experience. Games optimized for the iPad are, so far, a huge leap over their iPhone/Touch brethren. The bigger screen and superior performance make possible a whole new class of games. Though the games often carry higher prices than do games for the iPhone or Touch, they’re still quite inexpensive in comparison to most standard PC games.

Netbook: When it comes to games, netbooks leave a lot to be desired. Netbooks can run any PC game that is playable without an optical drive, but their performance is so poor that all the best high-end games are out of reach. Premium netbooks equipped with nVidia’s Ion graphics or those built on AMD’s platform fare better, but they still force users to accept too many compromises. Here, the fact that the iPad is a separate platform requiring specific support works to its advantage. Even Flash-based Web games can be difficult for a netbook to handle: Many won’t fit in the limited-size browser window, and others often bog down when the game’s action gets hectic.

Advantage: iPad. Despite the huge potential library of PC games that a netbook gives you access to, we think that the iPad has the gaming edge. By developing games specifically for that platform, developers are creating an excellent experience that you just can’t get from most PC games on a netbook.

And the Winner Is…

The choice of a winner isn’t as clearcut as you might suppose. The better choice for a PC companion really depends on what you want to do with the device. If your primary need is a system for work, the netbook’s superiority is indisputable. For entertainment, however, the iPad has the edge, thanks to its superior overall gaming experience and better-quality audio and video–despite its lack of flexibility. Netbooks have the advantage in browsing the Web, but the iPad is a surprisingly capable and enjoyable Web browsing device even though it doesn’t support Adobe Flash. At this point, with iPad prices starting at $500, we think most users will get more for their money from a $350 netbook. But if Apple chops a couple hundred bucks off the price of its iPad, the decision would be much harder to make.

10 mobile technologies to watch in 2010

By Fei on March 31, 2010

By Nick Jones
March 31, 2010

LONDON – There’s no doubt mobile technologies have already made a big dent on our lives.

Whether its checking is surfing the web from your netbook while at the airport, updating your Facebook status from your smartphone, or even reading a novel on an e-book reader.

According to research firm Gartner, the impact of mobile technologies on our lives looks set to continue to surge in the next couple of years too.

Gartner says investments in mobile applications and technologies will increase through 2011 as organisations emerge from the recession and begin spending again.

With this in mind, the research firm has picked out the 10 mobile technologies to watch in the coming years.

“We are highlighting these 10 mobile technologies that should be on every organisation’s radar,” said Nick Jones, vice president of Gartner.

Jones said the technologies were selected “because they will evolve in ways that affect corporate strategies, significant numbers of customers or employees will adopt or expect them, or they will address particular mobile challenges that organisations will face through 2011″.

Bluetooth (3 and 4)

Two new Bluetooth versions will emerge by 2011: Bluetooth 3 will introduce 802.11 as a bearer for faster data transmission, and Bluetooth 4 will introduce a new low-energy (LE) mode that will still allow communication with other Bluetooth devices.

Both versions will include other technical improvements to improve battery life and security.

Gartner believes that Bluetooth 3 will be employed for activities that need a lot of bandwidth, such as downloading images and videos from handsets).

Bluetooth LE will offer functions, such as the ability to lock down a PC automatically as soon as the user moves away from the machine.

The mobile web

Gartner says that by 2011, over 85 percent of handsets shipped globally will include some form of browser.

Furthermore, in Europe and Japan, smartphones with sophisticated browsing capability and the ability to render conventional HTML sites in some manner will make up around 60 percent of handsets shipped.

The growth in smartphones with relatively large and high-resolution screens will encourage greater numbers of people to access conventional websites on mobile devices.

Mobile widgets

Widgets are web apps that use technologies such as JavaScript and HTML.

Many handsets support widgets running on their home screens, where they are easily visible and accessible.

Gartner says that despite the lack of standards, widgets provide a convenient way to deliver simple, connected applications, especially those involving real-time data updates such as weather forecasts, email notifications, marketing, blogs and information feeds.

“Because widgets exploit well-understood tools and technologies, they have lower entry barriers than complex native applications, and thus can be a good first step to assess the demand for an application on a specific platform before undertaking expensive native development,” the research firm says.

Platform-independent mobile AD tools

Gartner believes mobile platforms will become more diverse through 2012.

“Therefore, tools that can reduce the burden of delivering installable applications to several platforms will be very attractive,” the research firm says.

Gartner says the while platform-independent application development (AD) tools cannot deliver a ‘write once, run anywhere’ equivalent to native code, they can significantly reduce the cost of delivering and supporting multi-platform apps that provide will run even when there’s no signal coverage.

App Stores

According to Gartner, app stores will be the primary (and, in some cases, the only) way to distribute applications to smartphones and other mobile devices.

Gartner believes that app stores will play many roles in an organisation’s commercial strategies.

“They will be a distribution channel for mobile applications and a commercial channel to sell applications and content (especially in international markets), and they will provide new options for application sourcing. Many applications will exploit ecosystem cloud services. ”

Enhanced location awareness

By the end of 2011, over 75 percent of devices shipped will include a GPS.

GPS will be the primary, but not the only, means of establishing handset location.

However, Wi-Fi will remain important in situations where GPS is unavailable or unreliable.

Gartner said the popularity of location-aware handsets will lead to a wide range of location-aware apps that will serve as a foundation for more-sophisticated apps in the future.

“However, organisations must be sensitive to local privacy regulations, ensuring that apps are ‘opt in’, and remain on alert for new risks and concerns that will be raised by location awareness.”

Mobile broadband

During 2010 and 2011, the availability of mobile broadband will continue to grow as mobile networks enhance their offerings.

Gartner says improvements in wireless broadband performance will mean an in the nukber of devices and activities that no longer require fixed networking, making mobile broadband a more effective fallback when fixed connections fail.

The firm also believes embedded mobile broadband technology will become a standard feature in many laptops, as well as e-books and media players.

Touchscreens

Touchscreens are emerging as a dominant technology. They will appear in over 60 percent of mobile devices shipped in Western Europe and North America in 2011.

“Touch-enabled devices will also make increasing use of techniques such as haptics to enhance user experience,” Gartner says.

According to the research firm, organisations developing native handset apps may need to exploit single and multitouch interfaces and haptics to give their apps a compelling and competitive user experience.

M2M

Many network service providers increased their commitment to machine to machine technology (M2M) or remote monitoring of devices in 2009, which according to Gartner means a range of M2M service options will be available in the coming years.

Gartner says key applications that will use M2M technology include meter reading, security/surveillance and track and trace functions.

Device-independent security

This isn’t strictly a single technology, but refers to a collection of security technologies that enable the use of apps, which are not tied to specific devices and platforms, and, in many cases, do not require security tools to be installed on the client.

Gartner says this includes thin-client architectures, applications as a service, platform-independent forms of network access control (NAC), portable personality, virtualisation, and hosted security services, such as ‘in the cloud’ virus scanning.

“Device-independent tools cannot provide the rigour of fully installed security, but a blend of several of these tools can enable CIOs to deliver applications that can run on a wider range of devices while reducing security risks.,” Gartner says.

iPad ‘Magic’ Won’t Hurt Netbooks

By Fei on February 26, 2010

By David Coursey
February 26, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO – “The netbook is not an experience people are going to continue wanting to have,” Apple COO Tim Cook said Tuesday at an investment conference in San Francisco. “When they play with the iPad and experience the magic of using it… I have a hard time believing they’re going to go for a netbook.”

Magic, huh? So that’s how Apple says its iPad is going to best much more functional business netbooks in the marketplace.

I’d been wondering, since the iPad’s specs and features won’t do it. Instead, Apple says a “magic” user experience will convince netbook users to dump those machines and use an iPad instead.

Well, I guess once you believe in magic–as Tim Cook apparently does–anything seems possible. And if the iPad doesn’t sell, I suppose Cook could create some zombie customers to make purchases. Based on initial consumer response to the device’s announcement, that’s what it may take for iPads to replace business users’ netbooks.

Cook does make one good point, that once people play with a netbook they like the reality less than the concept. Of course, the same may be said about the iPad, given that people liked it less after it was introduced than before. The Apple tablet is scheduled to ship next month.

Personally, I find this whole iPad vs. netbook comparison more than a little specious. A netbook is a real computer, if an underpowered one, that benefits from having a keyboard and the same operating system as most users’ desktops.

Most netbooks lack touch screens, but many can show a motion picture in 16:9, something the iPad cannot do. Some netbooks are getting improved graphics, which should help them outperform an iPad, too. Overall, netbooks are becoming more attractive as they evolve, not less.

But, the comparison between iPad and netbooks really doesn’t make sense. While there is an overlap in some functionality, my bet is that users will choose the tool they need, iPad or netbook, magic or no.

I’d be very surprised if iPad sales came at the expense of netbooks, or vice versa. In some ways, a netbook can do a lot more than the iPad, but the experience will certainly be different. If a supersized iPod Touch can do it, then the iPad might make sense.

But, real business users want real business computers, which may be a netbook and probably won’t be an iPad. If Apple wants to compete with netbooks, it should just build one. I’d probably buy it.

Page 1 of 2 1 2 »