netbook
Sony Vaio M Series Netbook Announced
March 21, 2010
So here we are again, another netbook. This time from Sony which I have to say always makes it a little more intriguing. Described by the company as bringing ‘light, convenient, anytime computing’ and making it easy. The Sony Vaio M series netbook is yet another competitor, in an already overcrowded market. However with Sony, I doubt they’ll allow it to be left behind by its rivals, they may have taken their time to get into the netbook market, but they’ve now had a few models with the likes of the Sony Vaio W Series and Sony Vaio X Series.
I’ve written several articles about the best netbooks in the past, and every time it seems I list the same old spec. In this instance though… it’s no different. Intel Atom Processor (N450) coupled with, you guessed it 1Gb of DDR2 RAM. There’s no NVidia ION here, integrated Intel GMA will suffice to provide 1024×600 resolution on an LED backlit 10.1” display. In this department, it’s hard to be complimentary, but as I have found in the past, there is usually something to catch the eye.
In this case, it’s the aesthetics and portability which make this one a winner. It weighs in at just 1.3Kg which is pretty similar to the latest popular offerings from ASUS. The 10.1” display is a perfect size for those who want a machine capable of surfing the net, checking e-mails and such, as well as one they can just slip into their bag and be on their way. The slim nature of the machine also helps in that department.
Continue reading »Linux Training Week: Which Distribution To Choose?
February 21, 2010
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Linux in the past week of using it is how versatile it is. I’ve concentrated on using Ubuntu 9.10 and found it to excel, in many ways, further than Windows and Mac OS X.
Of course Ubuntu is just one of the many distributions available out there, and Linux comes in many forms, including ones you may not expect; even Google’s Android OS runs off a modified version of the Linux kernel.
So with so many distributions to choose from, which should you go for? There are too many choices to cover, but there are definitely some main contenders. If you want an experience close to what you’re used to with Windows, you may want to consider openSUSE – an easy to use distribution with great hardware support and a Windows-esque start menu to match.
Continue reading »Sony Vaio E Series Laptop Launched
February 4, 2010
In a world that is already full to the brim of laptops it is often quite difficult to make an impact if you are simply making an ‘all rounder’, which is somewhat ironic as that is the type of laptop that most people buy – the markets for the thinnest, biggest and most powerful of anything is normally relatively small!
But that is not to say that they can’t be good, and this week has brought the latest of Sony’s multimedia laptops the Vaio E series which promise to have “power, looks and multimedia performance”. So nothing really important then!
The fact that the Sony Vaio E Series is not focused on any particular thing makes it difficult to pick out any real big points to start with, so it makes logical sense to start on the outside with the ‘looks’ and as per usual with Vaio laptops it looks sleek, stylish and comes ready emblazoned with ‘VAIO’ and ‘Sony’ in big silver letters on the lid, just in case you forgot! Admittedly it does look pretty much like every other Vaio laptop such as the Vaio NW Series, Vaio F, S & Y Series and even the Sony Netbook (W Series). Although that said, given what the others do look like that’s not necessarily a bad thing!
Continue reading »Apple Tablet Preview & Consumer Survey Results
January 26, 2010
Just a quick reminder for those Apple fans out there! Apple (and presumably Steve Jobs) are holding a press event tomorrow, 6PM GMT, to show off its ‘latest creation’ to the world. You can get all the news from the event as soon as it’s over, as Zath will be covering the main stories of the day!
Everyone will be hoping that we finally see the much rumoured Apple tablet or slate product that these rumours have been teasing us about for so long, but will you buy one?
Continue reading »New Sony Vaio Laptops (F, S, Y Series) & Netbook (W Series) Announced (CES 2010)
January 7, 2010
Sony have been out in force at CES 2010 with a number of announcements about new Sony Vaio laptops that they’ll be releasing in the coming months. There would appear to quite a selection to choose from in their various different model series of Sony Vaio branded notebooks and also includes a Sony netbook, a market in which they’ve made a late entry into in the last year.
LG’s CES Press Event Roundup (CES 2010)
January 6, 2010
LG held their CES press event earlier today, and after moving past sales figures for the past year (yes, LG are still booming in the recession), we got to some pretty interesting technology…
LG TVs
A particular point of interest was wireless technology in TV’s. All LG TV’s will be wireless ready in 2010. If you’re not familiar with wireless TV, it does what it says on the tin, allowing you to stream 1080p video to your HDTV remotely without the need for a host of wires ruining the view. It’s certainly a promising technology, and definitely beats the good ol’ cable organiser!
To go along with this, LG also announced improvements to their ‘Broadband Services’, bringing 35 different internet services directly to LG TV’s and hard drive equipped Blu-Ray players. They call this ‘DivX TV’, and I love the idea, as it helps cut out the set top box or PC you’d normally use and allow you to bring these directly to your TV.
Continue reading »ASUS Eee PC 1008P Netbook is Officially Announced (CES 2010)
January 6, 2010
ASUS officially announced their latest netbook offerings yesterday, with a refreshed line up of Eee PC’s to choose from. The model was leaked at the beginning of December, but we’ve now got official specs from the company themselves.
Powered by the new Atom N450 with 1GB of DDR2 RAM and a 250GB hard drive to match, you’ll also get 802.11n Wi-Fi with Bluetooth 2.1 in tow. There’s also a 1.3MP camera for various video conferencing activities and a 3-cell battery for power, which offers up to six hours of use on the go.
Continue reading »Apple Tablet Update: To Be Named The iSlate?
January 3, 2010
A week’s a long time in technology, and it’s one hell of a long time when it comes to Apple rumours… Naturally, since 28th December 2009 when we posed the question of the Apple Tablet appearing in 2010?, more rumours have been making their way across the net and a January 26th release looks very likely, even if we still have no idea what the damn thing will be called! There’s quite a few suggestions going around…iTablet, iSlate, iGuide?
Nokia Booklet 3G Review (Mobile Internet Netbook)
January 3, 2010
You may have seen my article not so long ago regarding the latest best netbooks (Winter 2009/2010) available on the market. Within that list I included the new Nokia Booklet 3G; a netbook aimed at the higher, more luxurious end of the market. Now it has been released and consumers have had their chance to get their mitts on one, does it justify its somewhat extortionate price tag? Or is it just over priced and overrated?
The netbook retails for anything between about £600 and £800 which does seem ludicrously expensive when compared to other netbooks on the market today, of which there are an ever increasing amount.
Continue reading »Looking Forward To 2010: The Year Of The Smartbook?
January 2, 2010
Netbooks have really taken off in the past few years, sporting Intel’s Atom processor and Windows XP or Linux and being sold cheaply to consumers. At the same time, smartphones are getting faster, being seen with processors capable of speeds up to 1GHz and running very capable operating systems. But what if a netbook’s too big for you? Is a smartphone too small for your needs? Then worry no more; 2010 is going to be the year of the smartbook!
So what exactly is a smartbook? To put it simply, it’s a smartphone in the body of a small netbook, running a smartphone OS such as Android or Windows Mobile. If you cast your mind back to the original Asus Eee netbook, it consisted of a 7” screen and the Atom processor was still on the drawing board.
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