Tag Archives: netbooks
Best Buy VP: Content Important to Putting Tablets on Shelves
Posted on 22. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 
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Best Buy’s Vice President of computing Jason Bonfig recently spoke with Laptop Magazine about what it’s going to take for him to put tablet that compete with the iPad in stores. Yes, things like form factor are important, but the real driving factor will be content for the device. Not just applications, but the ability to use a tablet as a portal for all sorts of things: music, movies and the web along with apps.
It’s true. We’ve seen some tablets come out running Android, and at Computex there were a ton of Windows tablets on display. But people don’t want another computer, one that doesn’t have a keyboard. They want a new experience, one that is different from possibly even the iPad. Although Bonfig didn’t talk about Chrome OS specifically (he name dropped MeeGo instead) the reality is that an interesting new device that takes advantage of the web’s potential is the future of tablet computing.
Bonfig doesn’t even see that great of a future for netbooks, either. The way he looks at it, netbooks all seem the same to him. They do all seem to have the same specifications, and if they aren’t using ARM or something like that, why bother? Netbooks are going to have to innovate to keep their place in the gadget world.
Sub-$100 Netbook Maker Switches from Linux to Android
Posted on 11. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 3 Comments
In a press release that went out a few hours ago a company called Cherrypal has announced that it will be offering a 7″ product for only one hundred dollars. What is even more interesting is that the netbook, called the Cherrypal Asia, will be using Android 1.6 which is a switch from a version of Linux or Windows CE that the past product line used. Here is a picture of the model:
All jokes about the massive bezel aside (you can get a 10″ for $148) this shows how Android is quickly becoming the operating system of choice in the mobile market. And although you cannot access the Android Market without a smartphone for now, there have been ways to get around that tiny little annoyance.
Featuring an ARM A9 processor, 256 MB of RAM and 2GB of storage, the Cherrypal Asia isn’t exactly a screamer. But with 3 USB ports and a regular keyboard, it would be a great product for kids or developing countries. We’ll see how well this product can do.
Is Dual-Boot the Best Option For a Google Machine?
Posted on 06. Apr, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Last year, Acer debuted a rather intriguing device: it’s a netbook that with dual-boot capabilities. The operating systems that the Acer D250 runs is Windows and Android. With the dual-boot configuration you could jump into Android real quick and do what you need to do on the fly, like mail or a bit of info. If you require the ability to perform more intensive tasks, Windows is available:
Like most netbooks, the D250 in the video above has most of the standard specs for this type of device: Intel Atom processor, 1GB ram and 160GB hard drive.
I bring this up because Acer is planning to soon launch a new netbook called the D260 that has the same functionality but with updated hardware, Windows 7 and a newer, more sleek chasis. Electric Pig is also reporting thatthe D260′s mobile product manager Martino Mombrini says that they are “working with the guys at Google”, with a launch “likely” in Q3 or the Christmas period for a Chrome OS machine.
It make me wonder whether the D250 and D260 are placeholders for a future netbook that has both Chrome OS and Windows. Although surely Google does not want to stop manufacturers from putting Android on netbooks/laptops, it was really meant to be for smartphones with screens that are less than four inches in size. The goal is to keep displays optimized, and to allow Chrome OS to fill in the gap for gadgets that are larger than that – which would be netbooks and tablets.
Of course, a machine that dual-boots would cost slightly more because of Microsoft’s operating system licensing fees but there is no doubt that those looking for a complete all-in-one package may want to consider a dual-boot machine. Many routine tasks can be done via the web, but as the transition to cloud environments continues, it may be best for the power user to think about a machine that is capable of dual-boot functions right out of the box.
