AT&T releases Dell Mini 9 netbook with 3G

A few weeks ago, we reported that AT&T would begin selling Acer Aspire One netbooks on a two year contract for only $99. After CES, they released news that the Dell Mini 9 would be available as a post-holiday follow-up to their Acer deal.

The netbook operates on the 3G network with connectivty on Wifi 802.11 b/g as well. That way, you could be connected to the internet almost everywhere, with 3G becoming a somewhat ubiquitous standard among wireless carriers.

Dell's Mini 9 carries the standard specs of most netbooks, wielding a 1.6Ghz Atom procesor, an 8GB solid state drive, and a skimpy 512MB of RAM.

The offer will be valid until the end of January, and after CES, I suspect that AT&T will draw more interest in their netbook offerings. There is no word yet on the pricing of the data plan, but it will most likely resemble the $60 a month pricing for the Aspire One.

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Microsoft holds back full Netbook potential

Dave Methvin of Information Week recently published a piece that discusses how Windows XP is bad for the netbook market. He points out that Microsoft put a strict limitation on the manufacturers, stating that they are only allowed to install XP on machines with 14" diagonal screens or smaller. While that is not an issue for most netbook producers, the hardware limitations are. Machines with XP Home installed must not exceed 1GB or RAM or a 1Ghz CPU. I mentioned XP Home because XP Pro is not allowed on the netbooks, restricting their use in a corporate setting.

The problem, of course, is that most users feel comfortable with Windows and are hesitant to switch to a speedier operating system (cough Linux cough). Right now, Windows is not the best operating system to run on netbook machines because Microsoft is limiting the computing power that each machine can carry. In light of this, most people will care more about the $299-$399 price point of most netbooks and care less about small lapses in performance.

Hopefully Windows 7 will bring a new, infrastrucuturally stable computing environment to the netbook, but until then I would advise you to install Linux!

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Android for Netbooks not on the Horizon

As a Google addict, who frequently uses almost all of their services and trusts them with gigabytes of data, I always expected that Google would eventually create a desktop environment in which to run their cloud applications. The main reason why I purchased a netbook in the first place is because most of my data lives in the cloud, and all I need is a terminal through which I can access this data.

Enter: gOS. Good OS is a lightweight Linux-based operating system that utilizes a Google Chrome-esque browser to facilitate applications, which are all web based. The beauty of gOS is that you can switch into Windows at the click of an icon. To me, gOS is the perfect model of what a Google operating system would look like. But there are other opinions.

Mike Jones, who is quoted over at Google Watch on eWeek, explains that a) Ubuntu and Xandros can already do anything that an Android operating system would want to do and b) Android applications are not designed for the platform of a personal computer. The solution to this would be to port these apps as applets over a linux based operating system that falls somewhere between Ubuntu 8.04.1 and gOS.

With the release of Google Chrome, however, the boys in Mountain View are trying to send a clear message: the browser is the future. So, they really have no reason to release an "operating system" because, as far as they're concerned, Chrome is the most advanced way to implement anything that comes off of their production line.

So, don't expect an Android powered netbook any time soon, but do keep an eye out for some sort of Google insertion into the netbook market in the coming year.

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Touchscreen Netbooks to be all the buzz of CES

As CES 2009 approaches, the rumor mill is exploding with anticipation of what major netbook manufactures will release. When the doors open on January 8th, expect to see new products from both Intel and Asus, who are slated to release the Classmate and the Eee PC Touch respectively. While the Eee PC Touch is not a complete garauntee, as Asus promised the product in "early 2009," the Intel Classmate will surely make its debut in Las Vegas.

The Classmate joins the Gigabyte M912V as a pioneer in bringing tablet style to the netbook market. The Gigabyte gained fame when it partnered with gOS to bundle the Google-based operating system in with its hardward straight out of the box.

What many analysts are anticipating, however, is that Samsung, MSI, and Acer will either release similar touch screen devices, or blow the crowd away with something revolutionary. While we shouldn't expect the new NVidia chips to be dropped into the chassis of a netbook just yet, CES will surely have its fair share of shocking releases.

At any rate, expect to the see the now explosive netbook market take a turn towards tablets, as many companies prep such devices. I do not anticipate this move gaining too much popularity, as tablets just never exploded as a niche the way netbooks have. I have no doubt in my mind that a touchscreen netbook will sell, but I'm just not sure that progressing as far as a tablet, which insinuates alternative operating systems, is completely necessary. At this point, there really is no market for tablet devices.

Do you think tablet-izing netbooks makes them mroe appealing to the consumer? Sound off.

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HP Mini 1000 armed with 3G slot, but lacks antenna

When Laptop Magazine found the 3G SIM card slot on the HP Mini 1000, the blogosphere had a mini heart attack. But, it seems that most blogger neglected to read the article in full. While Laptop Magazine confirms that they did indeed find a 3G SIM slot that confirms HP's statement to incorporate everywhere-on connectivity into their netbooks, the current models of the Mini lack a 3G antenna.

This apparatus would be completely essential for the wireless capabilities to function.

Eeepc.net claims that you can enable your Wi-Fi antenna for connection to carrier networks by downloading this driver. The question remains, as to whether or not most 3G cards were built for this purpose.

As many people know, AT&T in particular has been very closely monitoring its bandwidth usage, preventing most cellular subscribers from "tethering" their devices for connection to the network. Instead, they promote USB and PCI antennas which they charge enormous monthly rates for.

So, this leads me to one of two conclusions. Either the antenna in the current Mini 1000 can be modified to run on the carrier networks, or future models exclusively will have this capability. Either way, right now is the wrong time to begin removing your SIM card and popping it in your HP Mini. If HP had struck a deal yet, the capability would be highly publicized, and would be a main selling point.

For now, keep your SIM card in your phone to avoid unbelievable monthly rates and banishment from your current cellular provider's network.

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Netbooks snag 15 spots on Amazon's Top 25 Bestsellers

If anybody still doesn't believe that netbooks are the most important trend of the 2008, the numbers on amazon speak for themselves. After this Christmas' shopping craze, netbooks stole 15 spots on Amazon's Top 25 Bestsellers in Computers & Hardware.

Of these 15 spots, Acer Aspire One variations held 7, Asus Eee PC's took 4, Samsung's NC-10 took 1, MSI Wind held 1, and the OLPC held 1 as well.

As we reported earlier in the week, Acer and Asus combined are looking at $237.5 Billion in revenue this quarter. These bnumbers are strongly supported by their unbelievable performance in the Amazon market, but it is also important to realize that millions of units were sold on the floor and at other online retailers.

If anything, this proves an irrefutable trend towards netbooks and barebones computing. Consumers will be pleased to know that in the coming monthes, as netbooks become respected as a dominant force in the PC market, technological resources will be committed to the development of these small machines.

What we can look forward to is stronger, faster machines coming off of the Acer and Asus supply lines, and other popular retailers breaking into the market for a share of the cash.

Did you buy a netbook this holiday season? Let us know in the comments.

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$299 Aspire One foreshadows Race to the Bottom for Netbook Pricing

Until tomorrow, Best Buy and Fry's are both offering the Acer Aspire One netbook for only $299. For the consumer, this a dream come true. According to analysts, however, the low price of netbooks is becoming a problem for some manufacturer because the margin on each sale is so low.

For the consumer, this means one of two things. First, it means that we shouldn't expect the price of netbooks to dip far lower than $300. Second, it means that we should not expect the specifications of lower range netbooks to be anything eye-popping.

Particularly, if you are looking for a netbook with an SSD (greater than 8GB) and a distribution of Microsoft Windows, expect to pay at least $400.

In a report by Internet News, an analyst comapred the netbook to Frankenstein: "You created it, you hate it but you cannot kill it because that's what selling."

While some might be applauding the extreme drop in netbook prices, it is also important to consider value. Using the example of Acer netbooks, you could purchase an Aspire One for $299 with an 8GB SSD and a three-cell battery. However, for on $50 more, you can get an Aspire One with a 120GB HD and a six-cell battery, which more than doubles battery life.

So, in the end, its all about what you value as the consumer. But, don't expect to get too much value, because the race to the bottom for netbook prices has to end sometime.

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Sony teases with "Sony Pocket" listing, looks like a Letdown

After weeks of suspense, Sony has finally released what seems to be its latest venture into the netbook market. Dubbed the "Sony Pocket," this machine was thrown up on the Sony website for a few hours before later being taken down.

From the teaser, though, we can gather some of the specs that this beast will be wielding. Packed with a 1.33Ghz Intel processor, probably the Atom, and an available 128GB SSD, this 8" netbook could make a real impact on the netbook market. Although it ships with Vista, which is never a good sign, its 8" LCD puts you somewhere between an Asus 700 series and the 1000H. In other words, the screen sounds pretty damn small

Another drawback is, coming from Sony, this netbook definitely will not be cheap. Sony is notrious for overpricing its computers even moreso than Apple, and unless their entire business model has been restructured in the last few weeks, expect this puppy to cost around $600.

Interesting too is the screen resolution, a daunting 1600x768, which is a much higher resolution than most bigger 10" displays. That should provide for crisp graphics and whatnot, but if it makes an impact on price than I would label it overkill.

Overall, I would say I am now less excited for this netbook than I was a week ago. From what I can see, it doesn't seem like Sony will get off of its high horse and enter the netbook market at a reasonable price-point. What they don't understand is that while there were such things as luxury notebook users, there is no such thing as a luxury netbook user.

I suspect that the "Sony Pocket" won't be half of the moneymaker that Sony wants it to be, and I can already tell that Acer, Asus, and HP will sit on top of their piles of money laughing at the stupid Sony dev team from above.

Do you think Sony will even make a dent in the Acer/Asus netbook empire? Sound off.

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Notebook Sales overtake Desktop thanks to Netbooks

Last week, we reported that Asus and Acer combined were set to earn about $237.5 Billion this year combined. Now, stats have been released that suggest that Notebook PC sales will, for the first time, exceed desktop PC sales this year. According to iSuppli, a California market research firm, notebook PC sales rose almost 40% in Q3 of 2008 when compared to the same time period in 2007.

The significance of this data, however, is that the netbook business has been the backbone of notebooks' rise to popularity. iSuppli reported that "Acer shipped almost 3 million more notebooks (a value of almost $1 billion) than is did in the preceding quarter, a majority of which were netbooks."

From the data provided by iSuppli, Acer seems to have really made a breakthrough in the notebook market this year, mostly thanks to its netbooks. They report that Acer took a 12.2% market share in Q3 2008, shipping about 9.7 million units during this time. iSuppli also reports that a majority of these sale were netbooks.

(via news.cnet)

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Qualcomm Announces Gobi Chipset, 3G for All!

With Qualcomm's release of the Gobi Chipset, the netbook industry could be turned on its head. The new chipset comes integrated with a 3G chip that is built to operate on the networks of all carriers. The chips is both CDMA and HSPA compliant, so it can be configued to run on almost any network with minimal set-up.

The product is not strictly conceptual either. HP has announced that it will incorporate the Gobi chipset and Seadragon technology in its 2008 line of netbooks, reports GigaOm.com.

Luckily for Qualcomm, their rights to the CDMA network as intellectual property will prevent most popular carriers from running their own competitive service, which means Qualcomm will absorb a majority of the mobile internet business.

The only problem, as Om Malik points out, is that Qualcomm is not a cheap partner to work with, so it might scare away some potential business from big name telecommunications brands.

Will this make a difference in your decision to purchase a netbook?

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