netbooks - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Sony pushes portability with its latest Vaio P

  Sony's small, light, and pocketable Vaio P laptop is getting an update.

• Ubuntu 10.04 'Lucid Lynx' released for social desktop, netbook

  Canonical has released the next version of its Ubuntu Linux operating system, which takes aim at netbooks and social networking integration.

• Why aren't SSDs getting cheaper?

  Solid-state drives (SSD) have been among the hottest hardware products for more than two years, with a good deal of uptake within the consumer PC, notebook and netbook markets in response to a precipitous drop in pricing in 2007 and 2008.

• Nvidia's Ion 2 brings HD video to netbooks

  Nvidia is launching the Ion 2 graphics platform, which could potentially turn netbooks into full-fledged multimedia boxes that can play back high-definition video.

• HP adds touchscreen to Mini netbook

  Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday revamped its line of Mini netbooks, also introducing its first model with a touchscreen that supports multitouch finger input.

• MSI to show 3D laptop and dual e-reader, netbook at CES

  Micro-Star International (MSI) plans to show off a netbook with dual 10-inch touchscreen displays, one meant for computing and the other for reading e-books, at the International Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas.

• Netbook shipments jump 103 percent in '09, research says

  Netbook shipments worldwide are expected to have jumped by 103 percent this year compared to last year, although the fast growth rate could slow down in 2010 as prices for portable PCs fall, research firm DisplaySearch said on Tuesday.

• Google's Chrome OS Aims to Speed Up Netbooks

  A few weeks ago, Google unveiled what it's hoping will be the new standard in netbook operating systems: Chrome OS. Based on Linux, Chrome OS is a fast, low-overhead OS that boots directly into a Web browser to get you online with as little waiting as possible. We've been running an early version of Chrome OS on our test systems since Google released the code to the open-source community. Here's a peek at what you can expect to see when preinstalled systems debut for the 2010 holiday season.

• ARM, MIPS accelerate Android push

  Processor makers ARM and MIPS Technologies are both aiming to simplify and accelerate the use of netbooks, MIDs (mobile Internet devices), set-top boxes and picture frames that run on Google's Android software platform.

• Google goes for speed, security in Chrome OS

  Google released its Chrome operating system to the open-source community on Thursday and said it has designed the netbook OS to be faster, simpler and more secure than existing ones.

• Netbooks in the enterprise: Get ready

  Netbooks in the enterprise are coming, some observers believe. And whether it takes a year or five for netbooks to catch on in Corporate America, it behooves IT managers to get ready sooner rather than having to clean up a mess later on.

• Acer Aspire swivel screen due soon, Liquid out in November

  Acer showed off two of its newest products on Friday, and said they'd be on global markets soon.

• Canonical matures Linux-based netbook OS

  Canonical on Thursday updated its Linux distribution for netbooks, simplifying the interface and adding new programs that the company says will make it easier for users to access and use Web content.

• Apple bucks netbook trend, Gartner says

  Netbooks were instrumental in the increase in PC shipments for most manufacturers during the third quarter, but Apple defied the trend despite offering standard laptops at premium prices, according to figures from analyst firm Gartner.
  

• Windows 7 to go: New portables for the new OS

  Despite its valiant attempts at creating a carnival atmosphere, when Microsoft launches a new operating system, it seldom feels like a world-changing event in the world of design. Even the considerable hoopla surrounding the introduction of Windows XP was hardly like the introduction of the bikini or the Volkswagen Beetle - or, dare we say it, the iPhone.