Ubuntu Unity is a cool feature of Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook edition (or Ubuntu 11.04), but it doesn’t do justice with netbooks that are really low on CPU, graphics. Unity 2D is lighter version of the interface that should fix most of the jitters. Unity 2D is still in early phases, but does the job quiet nicely coz the fact it has actually reduced a bit of 3d eye candy, but adds significant boost in return.

Install Unity 2D (Qt) on Ubuntu 10.10, Ubuntu 11.04

Simply run the following commands in Terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:unity-2d-team/unity-2d-daily
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install unity-qt-default-settings

The above commands would point to the right PPA and install Unity 2D. You will have to Logout and select “Unity Qt” instead of the “Ubuntu Desktop” or “Netbook edition” while logging back in.

On a typical 1.5Ghz Atom netbook, a lot of difference was observed. What’s your experience?

Related: Tweak Windows 7 for Netbook

For Latest Tech updates in Open Source, Programming, Java, Tech News find us on Twitter @taranfx or subscribe below:

Some one rightly said, iPad is a golden calf of DRM for which Apple wants us to fall for. Well, it won’t happen, Open software will always rule. With a number of Tablets coming to the market, Apple will find it hard to survive. The best one I see around is called “Touch Book”.

It’s developed by a company called “Always Innovating“. Well, company  claims that the purpose of the device is “to achieve a breakthrough in both architecture and design. The result: a revolutionary device that works as both a netbook and a standalone tablet thanks to a detachable keyboard and a 3D touchscreen user interface.”

Apart from what company claims, this device is really gorgeous in almost every sense. It’s powered by ARM TI OMAX3 chip which is very nice on the battery. Infact, it is he first ARM device to propose all major distros: Ubuntu, Android, Mer, Gentoo, Chrome OS, more

Touch Book comes with an optimized home-made Linux-based OS, and multibooting is no problem. Company has plans to run Google Chrome OS and Maemo plus Flash 10.1 Touch support soon.

The specifications

• 9.7″ x 7″ x 1.3″ for around 3 lbs (with keyboard) [Double the weight on iPad]
• ARM Texas Instruments OMAP3 chip 600MHz with a Numonyx 512MB (RAM) + 256MB (NAND) Memory
• 1024×600 8.9″ pressure sensitive TouchScreen
• 512MB RAM – 8GB SD card for storage
• Wifi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth
• 3-d accelerometer
• Speakers, micro and headphone I/O
• 7 USB 2.0 (4 internal, 3 external)
• 10 hours of battery life [Two batteries 6,000 and 12,000 mAh, replaceable]
• GPS & 3G dongle [Accessory]

don’t underestimate the capability, this processor can do decent 3D Gaming too. Also, being powered by flash-drive, boot-ups are going to be pretty fast.

Since it has no moving parts (no Hard disk, no fans, no optical disks) it is pretty efficient on battery and operates in Always-ON just like your cellphone or even iPad to compare.

The best Feature of this device is pull-off the Touchscreen and carry it along or attach it in your kitchen.
Watch it in action:

Touchscreen “3D interface”

You can endup using it  via keyboard and touchpad (yes its inbuilt)  OR as a  touchscreen-only like a  Tablet. The screen has decent response to touch (ofcourse not as good as iPad) decent enough for surfing (Mozilla Fennec), reading books.

And yes, most important, Total cost of ownership is much lower ($299 for tablet, $399 with keyboard) and can do more than you think it could. Checkout FAQs.

It may not be the best device, but definitely a lesson for Apple to learn. We ain’t falling for shiny stuff.

We write about Open Source, Gadgets, Apple, iPhone, Android, and latest in Tech @taranfx on Twitter.

Luckily, the idea created a new Niche though was exaggerated by several big brands. Watching the growing success, Intel now upgrades existing line of Atom Processors. Intel’s latest offering is N450 processor and NM10 Express chipset also referred to as “Pine Trail”. Intel Plans to debuts this in CES 2010 January. Side-by-side HP, Acer, Dell, Asus, Toshiba, Lenovo and others are expected to announce new systems with the latest chips.

The single-core Atom N450 chip is 60 percent smaller than existing Atom processors, and consumes close to 20 percent less power. The resultant chip draws about 5.5 watts of power, that’s crazy low!

The Atom N450 will run at a clock speed of 1.66GHz, which is the same as an existing Atom N280 netbook chip. However, the improvements in the N450 come from the smaller chip size, achieved by integrating the graphics and memory controller into the CPU, which makes it one step closer to System on a Chip.The new processor is supposed to process multimedia faster and free up bandwidth for the processor to communicate with other components and have 512KB L2 cache, Hyperthreading, and 64-bit support.

The graphics improvement will come as relief to netbook users who have criticized the chipset in current Atom netbooks for its limited graphics compared to Nvidia’s Ion platform, which plugs a GeForce graphics core into an Atom chip to deliver full 1080p graphics.

The integrated graphics processor in N450 is capable of 720p high-definition graphics natively, but Intel claims that the N450 processor is meant to consume Internet content, not to play graphics-intensive games or view high-definition movies. However, different vendors will integrate broadcom cards to get FullHD and BluRay playback.

Netbooks powered by Atom N450 will run Windows 7 out of the box.

Android-x86 Features
- Version: The latest version is based on Google Android v1.6 Donut and is optimized for x86 netbooks (Android 2.0 is coming soon). It includes support for OpenGL on Intel 915 and 945 chipsets (Intel Atom). The good: It’s not restricted to low screen resolutions like the official Google Android.
- Connectivity: Ethernet, WiFi, and Bluetooth is supported and if you own an EeePC, the function keys will work out of the box.

- App Store: Starting with build 20090916, Android-x86 is shipped with AndAppStore client which shows you the latest and hottest applications available for your Android device.

- Supported FileSystems : EXT3, EXT2, NTFS and FAT32. This means Android-x86 can co-exist as dualboot with Windows.

Here are some screenshots I’ve just taken with Android running in VirtualBox:

If one screen suffices the requirement, you can slide the other one behind the main one hiding it for good. What’s good is the base can rotate horizontally.

Specs: The Netbook has an onboard DirectX 10-compatible graphics powered by AMD Athlon MV-40 1.6Ghz, with a 2.5-inch SATA HDD, up to 4GB DDR2 memory, and Windows 7 Home Premium

Price was it’s bit hefty will cost something around $560 in the U.S, when released. There is no word on the battery life, I’m really not sure what kind of battery can power two 10″ screens for long. All in all, first Netbook with dual screen and good specs. Checkout the Video Below.

via Engadget

[engadget]

Specs: This sleek device has a remarkable 5-inch touchscreen and Ultra Wideband HDMI (with receiver) to connect to your HDTV.

The Eee Keyboard’s netbook-like specs also include a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 16- or 32GB solid-state hard disk, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, Wireless HDMI, a USB 2.0 and ofcourse battery (of unknown capacity). And of course standard stuff – Ethernet, audio, etc.

It would be priced bit on the higher side – $400-$500. And with Windows 7 debuting on October 22, hopefully the Eee Keyboard will ditch XP altogether or may be Linux to cut costs ont hat front.

A PC in a Keyboard?

The idea is new and will prevail for a new segment in the market. A segment which would go mainly with the multimedia and Internet freeks. Playing a HD movie wireless from your keyboard(oops PC) to HDTV, streaming online content, browsing the web would be a new experience altogether.

The built in screen is good, features full 16bit colors, though resolution is still unknown. It shouldn’t be less than that of iPhone (320×480). Though you can’t do much over the 5″ touch display, Asus has still smartly added a Cellphone like interface which runs apps like Doc, Facebook, browser just like your iPhone. I’m not sure how much will that be of utility, since it’s not a phone-like gadget. But still, it will primarily serve as Info and Media controller.

Fair deal. The only thing that remains in question is How far will battery’s juice last when you are streaming HD movies to your TV? If Asus does well over this, we are sure, they got it all.

The October launch is set for U.S and Europe. Meanwhile, get the feel by watching this Hands-on Video (via netbooknews.com)

Let us know what you think.

Nokia unveiled its first netbook. Called the Nokia Booklet 3G, the long-rumored device features a 10-inch screen, weighs 2.75 pounds, runs Windows, and has Wi-Fi 802.11g as well as to cellular 3G wireless networks.

Throw a stone in the dark with All Electronics companies around and chances are high that you will hit a company who has a Netbook  released or upcoming. Whether it’s a Graphics leader like Nvidia or a small computer manufacturer like CompuTex any brand can have a Netbook.

All you need is marketing and a supplier. This Finland based comapny already has a Big Marketing thick on the ground.

Specs:

You could call it a fancy netbook, what with its Atom processor and 10.1-inch display, but that screen is higher res than your average Eee, and it also sports integrated 3G wireless and a hot-swappable SIM card, so it’s definitely trying to define its own niche. It looks to be running Windows 7, which isn’t particularly netbooky, and also has integrated A-GPS with a copy of Ovi Maps, HDMI output, a rated 12 hour battery life, and the usual Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, all in Dimensions of 2cm (.78 inch) and weight of 2.7lb aluminum body that’s understated, sophisticated, and should make most Nokia fans very happy.

There’s a fancy promotional video after the break, and while we don’t have any anticipated release date or price just yet, we’ll be learning more at Nokia World 09 on September 2.

Here’s what distinguishes this Netbook from others -

1. It’s a HD Multimedia Netbook
A 10.1-inch screen is par for the netbook course, but a glossy screen promising HD isn’t. Nokia hasn’t said what the resolution is, but we reckon it’ll spit out 720p no problem – unlike the Sony VAIO P, which bucks the low-res trend too, but can barely handle video at all. Though Nvidia TEGRA Netbook would be even better but since that will run windows CE, Nokia takes advantage over here.

The Nokia Booklet 3G will be one of a select few 10-inch laptops to pack HDMI, so you’ll be able to hook it up to your flatscreen and playback hi-deffy video on it whenever the urge grabs you – and since it’s so small you know it’ll be ninja silent too.

2. Great battery life
When Nokia says the Nokia Booklet 3G will run for 12 hours, you know it means it. The chaps at Espoo are legendary for cranking out phones with battery lives that last longer than most celebrity marriages – don’t expect the Nokia Booklet 3G to be any different.

3. Hot swappable SIM slot
So you pick up the Nokia Booklet 3G subsidised with a 3G mobile broadband bundle. Imagine the horror when you turn it on one day to discover no signal where you are. The horror! Not to worry though, you can just swap it out for your phone’s SIM card instead and you’re away surfing.

4. GPS
The Nokia Booklet 3G comes with it out of the box. Add that to Nokia’s powerful Ovi Maps service and you’ve got one convenient way to get around. Nokia says an Ovi Maps “gadget” will be included – we’re hoping that means as an instant-on app. Though there exists other Netbooks which have it too.

Who could beat this Netbook?

1. Nvidia Tegra

2. MacBook Air look-alike Alternative – iiView

Nokia’s Plan

This may be a move by Nokia to grab initiative from rival Apple. In the past several years, the iPhone maker has managed to grab significant share in the lucrative, fast-growing market for smartphones away from Nokia. Apple is also rumored to be developing a tablet netbook. With this announcement, Nokia may be trying to beat Apple to the punch.
Netbooks should help fuel Nokia’s growth, which has slowed down in recent months. The cell phone business is not what it used to be. Amidst the global economic downturn, the industry’s sales of handsets should decline 10% this year, according to Nokia’s forecasts. Meanwhile, netbook shipments should double this year, according to analyst estimates.
Many netbooks are sold through traditional Nokia customers, carriers, and, thus, represent a natural extension of the company’s business. In Europe, wireless service providers account for more than 25% of all netbooks sold, according to consultant IDC. The carriers typically sell the small, cheap notebooks bundled together with Web connectivity services.
Carrier subsidies on netbooks are roughly similar to those for smartphones, which is why, for Nokia, entering this market makes perfect sense. Nokia is entering a market that offers fairly good margins.

In Nokia’s case, to sell it’s Ovi data services, Maps, photo exchanges, data syncing — sure sounds like PC data. So why not put it into a PC while you work on a handheld people will buy?

It’s the connection between hardware and services that makes this story of interest to open source users. Services are the key open source business model. You can’t make someone buy a support subscription, but if they are buying the services provided by your software their checkbook is open to you.

“Learn from Nokia – meld a kick ass, industrial design with customized software experience and have it subsidized by an alternative business model, be that subsidy or services offering, movies and entertainment – that’s a better way to skin this cat,” Zemlin told in March.

This is what Moblin is about, what Android is about, and what Nokia’s own open source Symbian is about. Service revenue driving open source adoption.

That netbooks would offer good margins may seem counterintuitive. After all, traditional PC industry’s margins are razor thin. But consider: In its latest, second quarter, Nokia’s devices and services business’s margins hovered around 4.3%. PC maker Hewlett-Packard’s operating margins in personal systems, which encompass PCs and notebooks, fell to 4.6% in the quarter ended July 31. So, in actuality, Nokia’s and H-P’s financial metrics are not that different.
Meanwhile, netbook margins should be fatter. Here’s one reason: Nokia’s Booklet comes bundled with Nokia’s Ovi services, which will, in the long run, allow Nokia to make additional revenues on mobile e-commerce and extra features.
The big question that remains: Will consumers love Nokia’s netbook? Nokia has a strong brand and a loyal following in most global markets, except for the U.S. The netbook comes equipped with Windows, which consumers want.

But it’s going to be a multi-corner race among open source, Apple, Microsoft, and RIM. The Netbook gets Nokia into that game.

But can everyone afford a shiny notebook that starts from $1500 ?

Answer is NO. That’s why, here is an alternative for you, which ofcourse doesn’t match Hardware configuration of Air, but somehow manages to live upto the expectations of design.

iiView, a Singapore based manufacturer, comes with something that can replace Air, atleast design wise. iiView is actually a Intel Atom Based Netbook.

Cyril Alonzo, CEO of iiView, said that instead of making just another Netbook to feed into the already saturated market, he aimed to create a desirable product. Taking a page from the Apple MacBook Air, the iiView A2 is a sleek Atom-based minilaptop, but at an affordable price of around S$699 (US$467.78). In fact, the design is so similar that even the monitor-out and USB port are hidden within a flip on the side.

iView’s iiView A2 is hitting Singapore market next week and, running Windows 7 RC 1.

Sleek and sexy, this Netbook looks good enough to slice cake with just like Air. Its design mimics that of MacBook Air right down to hidden monitor-out and USB ports. No word on how the lack of an optical drive is being dealt with though.

Brief look at both -

iiView

MacBook Air

The specifications don’t have anything special except for that last item:

• Atom 1.6GHz processor
• 2GB RAM
• Intel 945 chipset
• 12.1-inch 1,280 x 800-pixel resolution
• 320GB HDD
• Two USB ports, mini-HDMI port, 2-in-1 headphone/mic jack
• 802.11b/g, 10/100 Ethernet
• Six-cell battery
• Windows 7 RC1 with Vista Home Premium license

Yes, the iiView A2 runs Windows 7 RC1, but comes with a Vista Home Premium license so that you can upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium when the time is right. iView explains that this OS decision was made because Vista just doesn’t “provide an adequate experience” on netbooks. (Does it provide an adequate experience on anything? I haven’t seen adequate experience even on quad cores!)

This is the sexiest netbook I’ve seen so far and a great deal for those craving the style of Apple’s line, but dreading the price tag. All that’s left is the wait until the iiView A2 hits US shelves.

Tegra is a huge strength for portable gadgets like the upcoming Zune HD, and series of other portable gadgets demoed last year. But in a full-sized Netbook, it’ll have a hard time running media or multitasking. OS is a problem too—does anybody actually like Windows CE? Running Windows 7 or XP won’t be possible since they don’t have ARM distros.

What would have made more sense would be a Linux distro or Chrome OS, but even that’s kind of limiting the scope of the platform.

Anyways, Let’s look at what Nvidia has to offer with their powerful Smartphone Platform:

The Size: The “computer” itself is the size of a DIMM memory module and the Idea: Use powerful handheld technology to drive a Netbook experience. The Result: Ultra-thin form factors and an uber-long battery life expressed in days, rather than hours.

Overview of What you would get:

• HD movie playback
• Ultra Small computer platform
• Utra-low power
• Runs on Windows CE (Android is on the horizon)
• Full support for Internet Graphics

“Days of battery life”?

Yes, NVIDIA claims that its Tegra platform can play an audio file continuously for 600 hours (25 days!) assuming that the display is turned off.

Other smartphone-based platforms like Snap Dragon from Qualcomm would last only 60 hours, says NVIDIA.

The current proposed model is 13.3″, but expecting smaller in future won’t not wrong.

The Purpose: (Why Smartphone Platform on Netbook?)

Imagine things like real Instant-ON computers, just like you would get from a phone. That would work because the computer is never actually off. It consumes so little power that you can leave it in standby mode for a very long time. The whole computer system consumes 1W (cpu, graphics, motherboard), which is really small compared to even Netbooks, more of a comparable to gadgets like iPhone(if you include LCD too).

Of course, most of you would not expect to experience the same level of performance than you would from more familiar computers. It’s partly true. From what we’ve seen, application can load slower and overall, the early prototype seemed slower than a Netbook, but in some ways, the Tegra platform is more powerful than Netbooks.

The graphics sub-system is capable of playing 720p and 1080p movies at full speed a feature that only another NVIDIA powered Netbook can do. Most importantly, this graphics muscle is used to accelerate Adobe Flash, which is a critical component of a good web experience.

The only bad part, it runs Windows CE, which is arguably no one’s first choice, rather the last one. Because you cannot install Windows apps, NVIDIA presents Tegra and Windows CE as a web-apps friendly platform. Android and Android market might alleviate this situation later, but that’s far away (Android does not support high-resolutions like 1280×720).The prototype that I have seen runs Firefox with full Adobe Flash support. I have not had time to test some apps, but at the moment, I will assume that this version of Firefox can handle it.

If you rely on many desktop apps, this will be a serious issue.

NVIDIA is betting that the “low-power” value will outweigh the inconvenience of not having a “first choice” OS like Windows XP or OS X (Linux Netbooks have staggering customer return rate).

To help overcome this, the price will be very low: $199 range.

Questions: We will see how this will behave in the real world, where the display consumes many times the power than Tegra. How long will the battery life really be when tested in the field? Is the speed good enough? Is the experience good enough? Can we live with Windows CE?

Chrome OS: May be this is the best combination with Chrome OS. First developer test versions of Chrome OS will land around October end, just around the launch date of Tegra netbooks. If Chrome OS runs on Tegra ARM, it would be a remarkable success. When you get the best grpahics, Multimedia architecture for Chrome OS, the combination could be a Other-Netbook-killer.

Currently as per the Facts we know about Chrome OS, we don’t know if there be any support for ARM, specially Tegra ARM. But I heard that Nvidia would partner with Google for Chrome OS for Netbooks, we can’t really say what the plan is, but atleast Nvidia will get it running on their Tegra, after all Google is serious on getting the popularity that was once just hyped

Some Blogs like Gizmodo totally rejected the idea, quoting:

“Hey, Nvidia, just keep the Tegra in the industry where it suits the best, smartphones! “

But I would rather be positive, as the platform is promising. Chrome OS could make it a GO.

Vendors have not ignored this, they are closely watching and now we have netbooks with better power than before. Now we see a new rising trend, its about packaging more into the Netbooks.

The ultra-thin laptops based on Intel’s ULV processors or AMD’s Athlon Neo are an obvious alternative to netbooks. Dell took a different approach with the Vostro 1220, which it announced earlier this week. The Vostro 1220 is also based on a 12.1-inch display, but it uses standard Intel mobile processors. At 0.9-1.5 inches thick, it’s not as thin as the HP Pavilion dv2, for example, but it is still highly portable weighing 3.4 pounds (with the 4-cell battery). Interestingly, Dell claims the 6-cell is good for 9 hours of battery life despite the fact that the Vostro 1220 does not use the ultra low-voltage chips.

The Vostro 1220 starts at $729 with a 2.2GHz Intel Celeron 900, 2GB of memory, Intel GMA 4500M HD integrated graphics, 160GB hard drive and Vista Home Basic. The 6-cell battery adds $60. That’s more expensive than a 12-inch netbook–the Dell Mini 12 starts at $500 with Windows XP–but you also get more, including an internal DVD drive. There aren’t many standard 12-inch business ultraportables in this price range, so Dell deserves some credit for trying this out. I haven’t seen any full reviews yet, but it will be interesting to see how the Vostro 1220 stacks up.

Meanwhile plans to boost the performance of netbooks are in full force. Lenovo had already announced plans to offer a version of its IdeaPad S12 12-inch netbook with Nvidia’s Ion chipset. Now Samsung will soon release an 11.6-inch netbook, the N510, with Ion later this year. Nvidia’s chipset promises to improve the performance of Atom-based PCs by replacing the integrated graphics with the GeForce 9400M GPU, but to date it has largely been confined to nettops such as the Acer AspireRevo, not netbooks. Samsung already sells a 12.1-inch netbook, the NC20, for $510 with a 1.3GHz VIA Nano U2250, 1GB of memory, 150GB hard drive and Windows XP Home. I’ve also seen the Samsung N10 and N20 10-inch netbooks, which have received positive reviews.

Future could be a high performance Net-Note book combination like the one we see MacBook Air today.

Like many of you I loaded Windows 7 on my netbook and it performed just OK.  The key to speeding up Windows 7 on a netbook with limited resources is to turn off and disable features that you don’t need. After all, it’s a netbook and there are many Windows components that will never be used. Additionally, disabling un-needed components will extend your battery life since fewer processes will be using the CPU running in the background.

1. Fine Tune Visual Graphics/Animation Settings

The Windows 7 eye candy is the main cause of GUI slowness. While my netbook has a decent graphics card that can display Aero Glass it can be choppy at times.

Click on the Start Button and type in adjust the appearance and hit Enter. This will load the Visual Effects performance options.

On this screen I suggest disabling the following settings by removing the check:

• Animate controls and elements inside windows
• Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing
• Fade or slide menus into view
• Fade or slide ToolTips into view
• Fade out menu items after clicking
• Show window contents while dragging
• Slide open combo boxes

Click OK when you are finished.

2. Remove Startup Programs

Nothing wastes resources more is startup programs that you don’t need. Click on the Start Button and type in msconfig and hit Enter.

When the System Configuration utility is loaded click on the Startup tab.

Remove the check next to any applications you don’t need and click OK.

3. Disable Services

Now it’s time to trim the Windows services running in the background of your computer.

Click on the Start Button and type in services.msc and hit Enter.

When the Services management console is shown you can stop and disable services by selecting the service, right clicking and selecting Properties. Then change the Startup type to Disabled and hit the Stop button. Finally click OK to return to the Services management console.

I recommend disabling the following services on a netbook:

• Block Level Backup Engine Service
• Certificate Propagation
• Homegroup Provider
• Offline Files
• Portable Device Enumerator Service
• Software Protection
• SSDP Discovery
• Windows Defender
• Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service
• Windows Search

Other services you can play around with:

1. Application Experience
2. Computer Browser
3.Error Reporting Service
4. Desktop Window Manager Session Manager
5. Diagnostic Policy Service
6. IP Helper
7. Offline Files
8. Portable Device Enumerator Service
9. Print Spooler
10.Distributed Link Tracking Client
11. Protected Storage
12.Secondary Logon
13. Server (If your computer do not connect with any network)
14. Tablet PC Input Service
15. Themes
16. TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
17. Windows Media Center Service Launcher
18. Windows Search
19.Remote Registry
20. Windows Time
21. Windows security center
22. Windows updates
23. Windows firewall(Provided you have a security software installed)
You can disable more services which you feel you won’t use. Keep in mind that if you use any of these services or applications that depend on them they will no longer function. E.g. if you are a homegroup user don’t disable the Homegroup Provider.

.

4. Turn off Windows features

Microsoft gives you much more flexibility with Windows 7, allowing you to turn off Windows components — such as Internet Explorer, Windows Search, the Gadget platform, and media features — that you couldn’t disable in earlier versions of Windows. Here’s how:

1. Click Start | Control Panel and select Programs And Features.
2. In the left pane, click Turn Windows Features On Or Off.
3. Simply select or deselect the check boxes to enable or disable the various Windows features then click OK.

You can easily turn Windows features on or off in Windows 7.

5. Turn off Aero Snap (optional)
A new feature in Windows 7 is Aero Snap, which causes your application windows to automatically snap into a preconfigured place when you move them to the edges of the screen. Drag a window to the far right, and it will size itself to fill exactly half the screen. Drag it to the top corner and it will maximize to fill the whole screen. This can be handy, but it can also be annoying if you prefer that your windows stay the size you made them. Luckily, you can easily turn Snap off. Here’s how:

1. Click Start and select Control Panel.
2. Click Ease of Access Center.
3. Click Make the Mouse Easier to Use.
4. Select the Prevent Windows From Being Automatically Arranged When Moved To The Edge Of The Screen check box and click OK.

6. Install More RAM (optional)

There is really no good substitute to having plenty of ram in a computer. You can use ReadyBoost but with memory prices so cheap why not just buy more. I purchased a 2GB chip for my netbook for $16 (hopefully the mail-in rebate will come through).

The popular Intel Atom processor netbooks use the Mobile Intel 945GSE Express Chipset that has a max of 2GB of ram supported. The amount of expansion slots or if your netbook even has one depends on the vendor and model of your netbook.

Finally, Your  Netbook is snappy and you are happy!

I doubt it will be so easy to get consumers to give up on the idea of buying a device costing $200 or $300, rather than $500 or more. Once established, new low price points rarely just disappear.

We could see from all this, Microsoft is not bothered about small scale cheap market alternatives. they know what is wise, the mid-end and high-end hardware market.

While the battery aspect of this netbook will interest most, I’m personally more interested in the actual hardware that powers the device. It’s powered by an x86 system-on-chip called the Vortex86MX from Taiwanese company DMP Electronics. Its processor is an x86-compatible with ARM-like power consumption (1.2W!) which runs at 1.0Ghz.

The Gecko EduBook has other goodies too, such as an internal SD card for storage (it also has an IDE slot) as well as internal space for a Bluetooth or WiFi dongle. It has an 8.9″ 1024×600 display, and the CPU/RAM module is removable, and can carry anywhere between 256MB and 1GB of DDR2 RAM.

The cool stuff is of course that it can be powered by a set of 8 NiMH AA batteries, which can power the netbook for 4 hours; you can also buy a normal battery pack which will power it for 6 hours. This makes the machine ideal for environments where AA batteries might be all you can buy, for instance in emerging markets.

By default it comes with Ubuntu Linux, but it can also run Windows XP and Windows CE. It will become available in July for 200 USD, with an 8GB SD card and a WiFi module. Barebone models will also be available for 110-130 USD.

The new Asus Eee PC-in-a-Keyboard is exactly what it sounds like, an entire PC fitted inside of a keyboard. It also has a small touchscreen display in place of the number pad on the right.

The specs include:

• 1.6Ghz Atom Processor
• 1GB of Ram
• 8GB or 16GB SSD Drive
• 5″ Touchscreen display
• VGA and HDMI output (optional wireless video capability)

Two new Eee PC-in-a-Keyboard models will be available in May for around $400 and $600 each. This is a nice twist on the usual all-in-one pc.

via Wired

Wired magazine took note in its February article, in which it said that netbooks “violate all the laws of the computer hardware business.” These small computers, designed mainly for e-mail and Internet use, are not potent systems. With smaller and slower hard disks, little RAM, energy-sipping processors, tiny keyboards, and inexpensive price tags, netbooks can’t even run many mainline applications (such as graphics arts programs, audio/video editing applications, and numerous 3D games).

Yet manufacturers are discovering that many users don’t care. Sales are up, and the category’s hot, with companies tripping over themselves to introduce new netbook models.

Why? Many users seek simple devices they can use to access the Internet, send and receive e-mail, and edit basic office documents and spreadsheets. That’s it. They don’t need expensive features they’ll never really need or use. They just want access to the much heralded “cloud.”

However, not every netbook is right for every user. Before you join the ranks of 8.9-inch, 1.33GHz-CPU, 1GB-RAM netbook users, here are 10 elements to consider.
1: Operating system

To cut costs and enable aggressive pricing, many netbooks are powered by Linux. Stable and reliable, Linux is also less expensive than Windows. With many netbooks selling for $400 or less, and OEM copies of Windows XP still selling for approximately $100 or more, it’s easy to see how many manufacturers are tempted to pad margins by replacing Windows with Linux.

Further, many of the netbook models featuring Windows have XP Home builds. Those systems can’t host remote connections using Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection technology, nor can they properly join Windows server-powered domains, as can Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista Business systems.

2: Display size

Netbooks are designed to be small, lightweight, and portable. One significant tradeoff is screen size. Many of the most popular models feature only seven- or nine-inch screens. Your best bet, before committing to a purchase, is to test using a sample or evaluation unit at a local retailer. Otherwise, you may be underwhelmed when such a small box arrives in the mail.

Many users find ~nine-inch displays the smallest they can comfortably use. Dell’s Inspiron Mini 9- and Asus’ Eee PC 8.9-inch screens, for example, support 1024×600 resolution. While that doesn’t match the 1024×768 resolution that has essentially become the de facto standard for PCs, it’s a tolerable exchange for portability and convenience.
3: Battery life

Netbooks grew from initiatives to build simple laptops that could be used by children in developing countries. As a result, these systems have an energy-conscious heritage, which is doubly important considering most netbooks are used away from homes and offices.

Due to differences in batteries, CPUs, hard disks (solid state versus traditional hard disk drives), and display technologies, battery life varies widely by manufacturer and model. For example, Asus Eee PC 1000HE users can receive as many as five hours of service from a single charge, whereas Wired tests found the HP Mini 2140 lasted only 2.5 hours.
4: Keyboard and pointer buttons

Small is the resounding netbook theme, and that applies to keyboards and track pad options, too. Don’t expect systems with 8.9-inch displays to include full-size keyboards. Keys can actually prove alarmingly small (yet another reason you should test a potential new purchase before buying).

When trying to stuff critical features inside small footprints, designers’ pointer (integrated track pad) options are limited. Most leading netbook brands (Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and MSI Wind) feature reasonably sized, well-working track pads. Don’t assume, though, that all models’ pointer options or selection buttons are well-designed. Be sure to review a netbook’s pointer configuration carefully to make sure it meets your preferences.
5: Storage space

Many users are accustomed to 80GB, 160GB, or even 250GB notebook hard drives these days. With such vast storage capacity, they haven’t had to limit the number of songs, graphic files, and videos they store on their personal computers. But netbooks are different. Some leading styles include only 16GB solid state drives that, once Windows is loaded, don’t leave acres of space for file storage. Consider your needs and plan accordingly.
Netbook analysis and reviews

* Are netbooks quietly driving us to thin clients and cloud computing?
* Three reasons to pause before deploying netbooks in business
* Product Spotlight reviews:
Lenovo S10 netbook
HP Mini 2140 Notebook PC
Acer Aspire One
ASUS N10 ultraportable notebook
Eee PC 900 netbook running Eeebuntu

6: Optical drive

Remember how a netbook’s theme is small and portable? One of the casualties of the low-cost/lightweight/small form factor profile is the loss of the optical drive. Most netbooks don’t have a CD-ROM or DVD drive. Instead, users must purchase a standalone USB optical drive or transfer CD or DVD images to flash memory drives or over a network to install software on a netbook.
7: Weight

Portability is the key with netbooks. Many of the most popular 8.9-inch display models weigh only two-and-a-half pounds or so. But some may sneak up on you. Rethink machines weighing more than three pounds — too many sub three-pound options are available for you to settle for needless deadweight.
8: Expansion capacity

Many users, when not traveling, want to leverage their netbook as another office system. Some netbooks are more cooperative than others. Review the specifications of the models you’re considering to verify that they have sufficient USB ports and the appropriate video and network connections for your needs.
9: CPU

Don’t be distressed when you review a netbook’s technical specs. The CPU details are not misprints. While your desktop PC may boast a 2.83GHz quad-core CPU, netbooks are anemic by comparison.

The Intel Atom is often the CPU of choice. The Z520 (1.33GHz) and Z530 (1.60GHz) CPUs are among the most popular. Although these chips can’t power demanding graphic editing programs, most 3D games, or engineering applications, they’re more than adequate for accessing e-mail, surfing the Internet, and reviewing and editing most documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

When reviewing CPU specifications, keep in mind that faster-running chips typically diminish battery life. Thus, it’s a never-ending tradeoff: performance versus battery service.
10: Integrated wireless options

If netbooks are to connect you to the cloud, they must have wireless connectivity. Any more, that doesn’t just mean connecting to 802.11g Wi-Fi networks. Many users require 802.11n or Bluetooth connectivity, while still others need their netbooks to connect to cellular networks.

Fortunately, netbook manufacturers are paying attention. Most leading brands include Bluetooth connectivity, at least as an optional component. Still others offer customers the choice of adding integrated cellular mobile broadband adapters.

If these options are important to you, hold out for a model that has the proper wireless options. The alternative is to become dependent upon a bulky dongle, and that’s quickly become old-fashioned.

The responses by these high-tech companies will be a hot topic at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show. They include not only new netbooks — which typically cost $300 to $500, and often use Intel Corp.’s Atom chip — but products that address shortcomings of the new category and other portable PCs.

Netbooks, for example, tend not to be very good at displaying graphics and playing videos. So Hewlett-Packard Co., for example, on Tuesday introduced a $699 laptop that beefs up those capabilities with chips from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. H-P’s new dv2 model is less than one inch thick and offers many features found in higher-end products such as Apple Inc.’s MacBook Air, which starts at $1,800.

Hewlett-Packard

Hewlett-Packard’s thin new dv2 has features of high-end laptops but a price closer to low-end netbooks

Another problem with netbooks, and other laptops, is that they tend to start up too slowly and run out of power too quickly. Phoenix Technologies Ltd. is trying to address those issues with a downloadable layer of software, called HyperSpace, that lets users do simple chores such as calling up Web sites without waiting for an operating system to boot up.

The activity is the latest sign that technology segments are converging at an accelerating rate, driven by competitive pressures that the recession is amplifying. Companies including Phoenix are trying to help netbooks and other portables work as simply as cellphones, just as makers of those pocket-size devices are improving their ability to tap into the Web.

In another tactic, Qualcomm Inc. and Freescale Semiconductor Inc., which make chips for cellphones, are discussing plans at CES to offer their technology for netbooks, too. Henri Richard, Freescale’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer, predicts that new entrants such as cellphone makers will join the race to make portable computers. “Netbooks change the paradigm for how you enter the computing space,” Mr. Richard says.

The new products, sometimes called mini-notebooks, were exemplified by the success of the Eee PC that Taiwan’s Asustek Computer Inc. introduced in 2007. Its initial models started at $299, had a seven-inch screen, used Linux rather than Windows and had no disk drive. The portables stored a small amount of data on flash memory chips.

Since then, companies such as H-P, Dell Inc. and Acer Inc. have introduced machines with a range of features, including larger screens, disk drives and Microsoft Corp.’s Windows XP software.

One of the biggest cheerleaders has been Intel, which helped popularize the term netbooks and this past spring introduced the low-priced Atom chip as a calculating engine for the new devices. “Suffice it to say, demand turned out to be much larger than we anticipated,” says Bill Calder, an Intel spokesman.

Gartner analyst Mika Kitagawa estimates that more than 10 million netbooks were sold in 2008, surpassing the research firm’s earlier estimate of eight million — and leaping from the hundreds of thousand believed to have been sold in 2007.

Some companies initially predicted that netbooks would find their biggest audience as a first computer purchase for customers in emerging economies. Now, though, many industry executives agree that netbooks are mainly being purchased as a second or third computer in more affluent households — good for quickly checking Web sites, but not powerful enough for chores such as burning DVDs.

Another issue has been whether netbooks are expanding the PC market, or taking sales from more expensive laptops. “This is a class of PC devices that is much more incremental than it is cannibalizing,” argues Brad Brooks, corporate vice president of Windows consumer product marketing.

Mr. Brooks estimates that more than 80% of netbooks now ship with Windows, compared with less than 10% when the devices first went on sale. But most run XP, and analysts believe that Microsoft receives less revenue and profit from that product than the newer Windows Vista software that comes with other laptops. Intel has said its prices and profit margins on Atom also are lower than on some other chips.

Any line between netbooks and higher-end laptops stands to get even blurrier, as competition causes companies to add more features to their products. Dell, for instance, now sells a $499 netbook with a screen measuring 12 inches, essentially a scaled-up version of an earlier product with an 8.9-inch screen. H-P, in addition to its higher-priced dv2, at CES is introducing a $499 extra-durable netbook with a 10-inch screen that is aimed at business customers.

Jonathan Kaye, the marketing director for H-P’s consumer notebooks division, said that until recently, PC companies have been building machines that conform to “a fairly strict definition of what a netbook is,” set largely by Intel’s specifications. But, he adds, “that could change over time” as manufacturers add more sophisticated features.

Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates, says H-P’s new laptop is evidence that netbooks and the competition they have spurred are dragging down PC prices and taking sales from more-expensive models. PC makers are “eating their children,” he says.

Chip makers certainly don’t intend to let Intel run away with the market. Via Technologies Inc. is expected to discuss its competing microprocessors for netbooks at CES.

AMD, though not selling a chip for netbooks, says that most consumers will prefer machines like the dv2 that use its microprocessors and more powerful graphics circuitry, in a combination code-named Yukon that it is announcing Tuesday. Nvidia Corp., another maker of graphics chips, wants to convince netbook makers to use one of its graphics chips alongside Intel’s Atom — providing what it estimates to be 10 times the performance of the accessory chips Intel offers with its microprocessor.

Then there is the issue of the time it takes to start Windows. Phoenix, which sells PC makers built-in programs that control the boot-up process of their systems, estimates that its HyperSpace software can let users start surfing the Web in a few seconds, save energy and avoid security problems associated with Windows. The software comes in two versions, priced at $39.95 and $59.95 for a year of use.

If you are in the market for a Netbook computer there are many decisions to be made. The pictures here may help with a couple of them. Shown below are an Acer Aspire One and an Asus Eee PC 1000.

The Acer Aspire One (left) and the Asus Eee PC (right)

The machines are as different as any two Netbooks can be. The Acer runs Windows XP, the Asus runs Linux. The Asus has an SSD, the Acer a traditional hard disk. The Asus supports Wi-Fi N, the Acer doesn’t. The smaller Acer machine has a weaker battery and was significantly cheaper.

But the picture above points out other differences (see a larger version of the picture).

The smaller Acer has a 9-inch screen, the larger Asus is 10 inches (approximately). Measuring the other sides of the triangle, the Acer screen is (approximately) 7.5 by 4.5 inches, whereas the Asus screen is 8.5 by 5 inches. Both screens have the all-but standard Netbook resolution of 1024 x 600, which means that everything is just a bit bigger and easier to see on the Asus machine.

And, the picture points out a sometimes often overlooked aspect of the screen, a matt versus glossy finish. It’s fairly obvious that the Acer has a glossy screen whereas that on the Asus has a mat finish (you also see this in the picture below). Personally, I prefer the mat finish, but this is a matter of opinion. Cheaper machines will tend to have glossy screens because they’re cheaper to manufacture.

Another difference between the machines is the placement of the mouse buttons. On the smaller Acer Aspire One, they are on the side of the trackpad; on the larger Asus Eee PC they are in the more traditional location, underneath. Using the Acer machine, I have found the placement of the right mouse button to be an annoyance, but, this too, is a matter opinion.

Netbooks compared to VHS video tapes

If you haven’t seen a Netbook in person, then perhaps the picture above (larger version), with a VHS video tape in front of each machine, can help put the size in perspective. It offers an even more dramatic example of the mat versus glossy screen.

Taking a step back, my opinion is that a 9-inch screen is too small. While the smaller screen allows the machine to be smaller, I don’t need my Netbook to be that small. Plus, smaller Netbooks have smaller keyboards. Anyone with adult hands and less than perfect eyesight is better off with a 10-inch model Netbook. Children may have a different perspective.

From a woman’s perspective, the 9-inch Acer Aspire One could fit in some pocketbooks, whereas the 10-inch Asus Eee PC 1000 is likely to be too big. From a man’s perspective, each will easily fit in any briefcase.

When the Asus Eee PC 1000 was first released, way back at the end of August, it sold for $700. Now, the price is around $500 and I’ve seen it on sale for even less.