How To Use Your Laptop as A Complete Media Center

>>It's interesting: netbooks would appear to be a fairly niche product — the are small, slow, and weak but highly portable. For years, people have always wanted more power with more mobility. But the netbook merely substitutes power for portability. As underpowered as they may be, people are still buying them.

Some have projected that 2009 was the climax for netbook sales, and that 2010 and beyond will be all down hill from there. But now others are predicting growth in 2010.

Needless to say, this is more complex than first thought.

As we previously covered, IDC predicted that netbook sales would slow down, and that 2009 was the "climax" of netbook sales.

But do not tell that to DisplaySearch: this leading firm for display marketing research. They are predicting that sales for netbooks will actually increase in 2010.

From 2009's 33.3 million netbook sales, DisplaySearch believes that 2010 could bring 39.7 million netbook sales — a substantial increase, although these numbers hint at a slowdown in growth.

The report also notes that netbook pricing will influence these numbers heavily:

The low prices of mini-notes [netbooks] make these products attractive to buyers seeking a secondary PC for the home, as well as making them more affordable for first-time PC buyers in emerging markets, who are less likely to require all the features available on a larger mainstream notebook PC. The relatively low ASPs also make mini-notes attractive to wireless service providers that hope to add to their revenue by offering subsidized mini-notes with data plan contracts.

Needless to say, Christmas season, as usual, will be a maker or breaker for these netbooks. Although, it is interesting to note that the netbook market is finally starting to bring quality netbooks to market.

It appears that 10-inch netbooks and larger are the most desired (and are the only ones I'm even able to type on, if barely). If we see a 10-inch netbook at around $200 for the 2010 holiday's, it will be quite a nice year for netbooks.

Back-to-school season is also a nice time for netbook makers to market their ultra-portable machines for students on the move.

Regardless, I still maintain a general distaste for netbook computers. Sure, they are ultra-portable, but they take away far too many features to make them worth it, and they still cost much more for the same power and performance you could receive in a 13-inch or larger notebook. I'm just not seeing the valuable.

If you want something very portable, purchase a smart phone or an MID — otherwise, why not stick with the tried and true notebook?

The Demand and Supply For Mobile Data Lncreses

If you are still one of those people who never step a foot outside your house and are always glued to a desktop machine, this article will, unfortunately, make no sense to you. However, if you are one of the millions of Americans who do manage to see the sun, then you'll be happy to note that there are more just like you connecting to mobile high-speed Internet.

Put simply, we've come a long, long way.

By the end of 2009, there were approximately 181 million HSxPA subscribers. Overall connections had increased to 271 million. That resulted in a 43-percent growth rate year-over-year.

Mobile subscriptions, however, surpassed 4.35 billion at 2009's end, with a 10.4-percent growth rate year-over-year. That puts global cellular penetration around 66 percent.

ABI Research predicts that 80 percent of the world's population will have access to cellular technology by 2014, which is pretty impressive when considering we are likely in the high 60s still.

On a global scale, the Asia-Pacific region is dominating in cellular penetration (45 percent) while Western Europe (13 percent) and North America (7.2 percent) lag behind.

However, when not considering global position, the Asia-Pacific region has only reached 52.5-percent penetration while Western Europe and North America have 140-percent and 93-percent penetration rates respectively.



Those numbers don't appear to be far-fetched either, and, if accurate, they will help drive many countries to faster and more reliable broadband on the go while providing access to people who have never had it.

Unfortunately — particularly for the U.S. — this data (still) isn't cheap for consumers, and competition is lacking.

In order to have further progression in mobile broadband, an understanding by the government and FCC that only competition can help resolve this issue is necessary; furthermore, definitive action from the government to promote competition is crucial. Rural market competition, in particular, could help plant seeds for future growth of smaller competitors.

That said, the future is looking bright for mobile broadband — consumers continue to be on the move while the demand for broadband in as many locations as possible grows. With 3G coverage constantly expanding and 4G coverage rolling out in many cities around the U.S., it is sure to be interesting to watch how companies cope with these various challenges in the future.

Home Sony VAIO E Series Gets 14 and 17 Notebook Options

>>)The Sony VAIO E Series has some new additions to the family — two new notebooks. There is a 14- and 17- inch notebook, and both pack some power in a small yet stylish package.

Both laptops are taking advantage of the latest technologies within the processor and graphics departments, and they are certainly well capable of accomplishing most of what needs to be done on your typical laptop. These notebooks are also fully capable of displaying HD video content.



The E Series brings with it some cool Sony-specific features: the WEB button allows users to start surfing the Web without booting into the PC's operating system with Quick Web Access and the ASSIST button gives users one-touch access to support for diagnosing and troubleshooting problems with VAIO Care.

The 14" laptop offers an Intel Core i3-330M 2.13GHz processor, 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (running at 1066 MHz), 14-inch 16:9 VAIO Display (1600 x 900 resolution) with LED backlight, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5145 graphics card with 512MB VRAM, and a weight in at around five pounds.

>>)The 17" laptop steps it up a bit with an Intel® Core i5-430M 2.26GHz processor with Intel Turbo Boost Technology (making it a max speed of 2.53 GHz), 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (1066 MHz), 17.3” 16:9 VAIO Display (1920 x 1080 resolution) with LED backlight, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics card with 1GB VRAM, and weighs around seven pounds.

Both laptops come with a 500 GB drive, but you could easily expand it to 1 TB if needed, as there are two hard drive slots.

Finally, these Sony laptops sport impressive designs that come in various color options: glossy black, glossy white, vivid pink, blue, and green.

Depending on your location, the VAIO E Series 14-inch notebook will be available beginning in April, and the 17-inch model will be available around around the end of March.

Dell's Precision M4500 Will Replace Your Desktop Computer

Dell is making some noise in the 15-inch range of laptop computers with the announcement of the Precision M4500. It promises to pack a powerful punch — so much so that it will easily become that desktop replacement you always wanted.

It might not be pretty to look at, but Dell has claimed that the Precision M4500 is the most powerful 15.6-inch notebook around, and they are not joking around. This is not your grandma's computer. It has the hardware (and the price tag) to make Apple's typical Macbook Pro seem like child's play.

Desktops? Seriously? Who needs 'em when you have hardware like this:

•Core-i7920XM Quad Core Extreme Edition processor
•Nvidia Quadro FX 1800m GPU video graphics
•15.6" HD+ sRGB LED display (1920 x 1080 resolution)
•Up to 16GB of RAM
•64GB SSD MiniCard
•Multi-touch support
•7+ hours of battery life
•3 megapixel webcam
•6 lbs weight
But consider that as merely base platinum edition. If you want to take it up a few more notches, you will be able to.



For under $2,000, you can get a less powerful model with options like the Core i5 processor and less graphics power, but if you want the full punch, you might want consider selling your car.

So save up! Later this March is when you'll be able to get take Dell's powerful Precision M4500 for a spin.

Dear Microsoft: Just Give Up On Touch Computing Alrerady!

Microsoft, why do you bother with touch computing? You haven't helped produce an impressive tablet even with years of experience in touch-based software development. Even worse, you let Apple come in and steal the show without much of a fight. So why do you continue to push this Windows 7 operating system, which is primarily intended for traditional mouse and keyboard usage, to touch devices? It makes no sense!

When will Microsoft learn from the past? Everyone knows that previous attempts to put Windows on touch devices ended up, at best, mediocre. Admittedly, Microsoft did put in a lot of effort into making Windows 7 a better operating system for the touch-happy among us. But what has that resulted in? Not much.

After reviews of various touch-enabled Windows 7 devices hit the newswire, the general consensus appeared that the overall experience is decent — but decent isn't quite good enough in consumer's eyes.

Same Old Story!

The reviewers have noted that the Windows 7 touch devices are decent, but not exceptional when it comes to touch responsiveness. This might be a result of the fact that Windows wasn't initially designed with touch in mind. When you look at the iPhone OS and Android, these systems have user interfaces that have been designed to use with fingers: featuring larger icons, bigger text, and intuitive navigation. These systems have the benefit of being created from scratch with touch interaction in mind — Windows isn't.

Another serious but expected point that has arisen in many reviews is that the applications developed for the Windows operating system do not necessarily translate well to touch interaction. Just as Windows itself isn't heavily integrated with touch, the applications are even worse in this regard. After all, when someone develops an application for an iPod Touch, they expect it to be used for touch, but when developing for Windows, developers can't invest the time and resources for touch-enabled applications just for the sake of it.

Toss in the fact that you now have many contenders wanting to get involved in touch-based devices, and you quickly realize that Microsoft could have a serious issue on their hands that needs to be resolved.

In truth, anything less than amazing from Microsoft should be highly disappointing, especially when considering that Microsoft has the Apple iPad and friends to compete with. This could end up as another market that Microsoft gets left behind, even though they have had all the opportunity in the world to create something magnificent.

Time For Change

Home .Dear Microsoft: Just Give Up On Touch Computing Already!Submitted by James Mowery on Wed, 05/19/2010 - 08:05
Login or register to post commentsMicrosoftSlateTabletTouch


Microsoft, why do you bother with touch computing? You haven't helped produce an impressive tablet even with years of experience in touch-based software development. Even worse, you let Apple come in and steal the show without much of a fight. So why do you continue to push this Windows 7 operating system, which is primarily intended for traditional mouse and keyboard usage, to touch devices? It makes no sense!

When will Microsoft learn from the past? Everyone knows that previous attempts to put Windows on touch devices ended up, at best, mediocre. Admittedly, Microsoft did put in a lot of effort into making Windows 7 a better operating system for the touch-happy among us. But what has that resulted in? Not much.

After reviews of various touch-enabled Windows 7 devices hit the newswire, the general consensus appeared that the overall experience is decent — but decent isn't quite good enough in consumer's eyes.

Same Old StoryThe reviewers have noted that the Windows 7 touch devices are decent, but not exceptional when it comes to touch responsiveness. This might be a result of the fact that Windows wasn't initially designed with touch in mind. When you look at the iPhone OS and Android, these systems have user interfaces that have been designed to use with fingers: featuring larger icons, bigger text, and intuitive navigation. These systems have the benefit of being created from scratch with touch interaction in mind — Windows isn't.

Another serious but expected point that has arisen in many reviews is that the applications developed for the Windows operating system do not necessarily translate well to touch interaction. Just as Windows itself isn't heavily integrated with touch, the applications are even worse in this regard. After all, when someone develops an application for an iPod Touch, they expect it to be used for touch, but when developing for Windows, developers can't invest the time and resources for touch-enabled applications just for the sake of it.

Toss in the fact that you now have many contenders wanting to get involved in touch-based devices, and you quickly realize that Microsoft could have a serious issue on their hands that needs to be resolved.

In truth, anything less than amazing from Microsoft should be highly disappointing, especially when considering that Microsoft has the Apple iPad and friends to compete with. This could end up as another market that Microsoft gets left behind, even though they have had all the opportunity in the world to create something magnificent.

Time For ChangeBut there is something Microsoft could do: Microsoft could create a dedicated operating system or user interface that runs on top of Windows 7 that is designed specifically for touch interaction. It would be a great move that gives developers a dedicated place to develop for while improving the user experience for consumers.

But it is easier said than done.

However, just look at Windows Phone 7 — it looks stunning, beautiful, unique, and, overall, amazing. Microsoft decided to tear down the walls and rebuild from within, and it looks like it could pay huge dividends in the future. The problem? It is coming several years late to the party. Where was this thing, say, three years ago?

So surely the tech giant can do the same for a touch-based operating system. But it would involve Microsoft investing millions of dollars to create a new platform that might not necessarily be a success.

Mobile

Apple and Google, for the sake of comparison, migrated their mobile application marketplaces from mobile devices to tablet devices, giving th e touch devices a head start. Microsoft, on the other hand, doesn't really have a rich mobile application marketplace to build off of, especially when considering that Windows Phone 7 hasn't even come out yet — and there are no guarantees that this will be a success either.

So, in the end, Microsoft faces a huge conundrum that isn't easily resolved. Surely touch-based interfaces are going to be something that peaks consumer interest in the future, especially as the thought of carrying around a dedicated keyboard becomes more foreign to us. But Microsoft is not prepared to take the battle to Apple and Google.

It's intriguing when you think about it: Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 might be the product that makes or breaks Microsoft's future in touch devices, let alone mobile.

thank for watch .

Lenovo Releases ideapadY460 Laptop

With all the hype surrounding tablets, slates, and all those other things that are not notebook related, Lenovo has managed to bust through the media fray to bring us yet another great product to market. This time it is the IdeaPad Y460. It is begging for wallets, shipping within days, and looking like a winner.

But before we get ahead of our selves, just look at this thing!
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It features a geometric sketch design that will surely turn some heads (but it's not quite a sex magnet). I like it. It can't beat Apple's simplicity and style, but, overall, I am very impressed by the design work.

Now for the details. There are two options for the Y460, but both come standard with a 14-inch HD LED monitor at 1366 x 768 resolution, 4GB DDR3 memory, a dual-layer DVD recordable drive, a 6-cell battery, Bluetooth 2.1, Windows 7 Home Premium edition. We should also point out that it weighs over 4.85 pounds.

The first option starts at $999, but you lose out on a dedicated graphics card, so no hardcore PC gaming for you:

— Intel Core i3-330M 2.13GHz processor
— 320GB Hard Drive
— Integrated Intel video graphics

But if you're willing to spend $1,199 for the second option — which seems to be the far better value — you get even more, including Intel's i5 chipset and dedicated graphics:

— Intel Core i5-520M 2.4GHz processor
— 500GB Hard Drive
— ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 video graphics





Home .Lenovo Releases IdeaPad Y460 Laptop, While Sporting A Kick-Ass DesignSubmitted by James Mowery on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 07:37
Login or register to post commentsIdeapadLaptopLenovo
With all the hype surrounding tablets, slates, and all those other things that are not notebook related, Lenovo has managed to bust through the media fray to bring us yet another great product to market. This time it is the IdeaPad Y460. It is begging for wallets, shipping within days, and looking like a winner.

But before we get ahead of our selves, just look at this thing!


It features a geometric sketch design that will surely turn some heads (but it's not quite a sex magnet). I like it. It can't beat Apple's simplicity and style, but, overall, I am very impressed by the design work.

Now for the details. There are two options for the Y460, but both come standard with a 14-inch HD LED monitor at 1366 x 768 resolution, 4GB DDR3 memory, a dual-layer DVD recordable drive, a 6-cell battery, Bluetooth 2.1, Windows 7 Home Premium edition. We should also point out that it weighs over 4.85 pounds.

The first option starts at $999, but you lose out on a dedicated graphics card, so no hardcore PC gaming for you:

— Intel Core i3-330M 2.13GHz processor
— 320GB Hard Drive
— Integrated Intel video graphics

But if you're willing to spend $1,199 for the second option — which seems to be the far better value — you get even more, including Intel's i5 chipset and dedicated graphics:

— Intel Core i5-520M 2.4GHz processor
— 500GB Hard Drive
— ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 video graphics

Either way, Lenovo is creating an army of notebook power, as evident from this past CES, and this company is going to be one to watch for as their assault on the consumer market continues.

Apple(s) Real Motivation Behind Creating the ipad

What was Apple's reasoning behind the creation of the iPad? Well, many have assumed that it was Apple's way of creating a device to fill the gap between the Macbook and the iPhone. But I got news for those people: they are wrong. I don't believe this was Apple's intention at all. I think there is something else to this — something big.

I am convinced that the iPad is a preview of the future that Apple envisions — a future where Apple has total control of the distribution of hardware, software, and everything in between on a full-blown computer platform.

In other words: I believe that Apple intends on moving all of their devices and hardware to an iPhone-like operating system that would unify all of Apple's products and empower the iTunes platform more than ever before, while also significantly reducing the control that any particular user has over his or her computer.

With the iPad, we are lead to think of as a tablet computer — when, in reality, it is an iPod Touch on steroids — but Apple seems to believe that this device could, with time, replace laptop computers for in-home usage. The iPad, like the iPhone and iPod Touch, is locked into the iTunes ecosystem. So we essentially have a locked-down computer that Apple has total control over. Well, the future has come early!



Think about it — what happens if Apple, in time, creates an operating system that is similar to the iPhone OS that runs on computers? Perhaps Apple could create a netbook-like device in the future that runs a custom version of the iPhone OS. This device would also be locked into the iTunes ecosystem as well, having users install traditional computer applications directly from iTunes.

Is it really that far fetched of an idea?

It makes sense (and it makes even more business sense). When you think about it, iTunes has really driven Apple to success. It is the platform that has started it all. There is also so much power and content within this platform that it can't be stopped. So, again, is it really difficult to imagine that Apple would envision having all of its hardware wired into this rich ecosystem of software and content? To have total control?

For yours truly, it would not be that difficult to imagine.

That said, it would be an incredible deviation from conventional operating systems. It would mean that Apple would have the total package with total control. Users would be buying into that ecosystem while being locked into it as well.

This would be the perfect scenario for a company like Apple.

The only question left is whether or not users would be willing to buy into this type of computing platform? (Actually, in retrospect, that is an absurd question.)

Will Mobile internet Devices Sell To Yunger

A Mobile Internet device (MID) is a blend between a tablet computer and a smart phone. At first thought, that doesn't seem that interesting. And, in truth, it might not be to many. However, there is still a market for this type of device, and the question is who is that market?

Well, the industry is betting heavily that consumers under the age of 30 are going to be the ones investing in MIDs.

From 30,000 sales in 2008 to over 1 million in 2009, MIDs are quickly growing in popularity. Yet, even as impressive as that growth is, only 15 percent of all MIDs make it to a consumer's home in North America. On the flip side, however, the Asia-Pacific region snatches up around 44 percent of all worldwide sales.

Is there room for improvement? Yes, there is. But this is good news — many companies are hoping to cash in on the potential for growth: Archos, BenQ, Dell, Samsung, Sharm, UMID, Viliv, Apple, Microsoft, and a few others are investing to bring in market share.



Armed with the latest in processor and graphics technology — courtesy of the Intel's Moorestown and Nvidia's Tegra 2 chips — these manufacturers are likely going to be strive for performance. They want to give users something more than a device that can only barely run a Web browser.

While many companies are expected to release some impressive MIDs with the power to back it up, others will attempt to win market share by waging price wars, and this is also good for consumers who are looking to purchase MIDs in the near future.



So is 2010 the year of the MID?

I think it is safe to assume this will be the breakout year for these types of devices. People are starting to realize that it is okay to have a device that isn't a laptop or a smart phone, and an MID can fill that void, offering convenience over form. But it is still a young market, and no company has stepped up to the plate and created a knock-out MID yet.

Interestingly, many will be looking towards Apple's iPad Tablet to see if there is interest in this general type of device. Unfortunately, when considering the negative reviews and less-than-brilliant sales numbers of Apple's tablet computer, I remain hesitant about the long-term future of MIDs.

But, again, this year will surely be a breakout year for these devices.

However, I also wonder if this year will also be the peak for these devices as well. As previously mentioned, the iPad is leading a rejuvenated market for tablet-based computers, and that type of device is what is receiving all the media attention.

With as many people that are developing MIDs, there are sure to be far more tossing their hats into the tablet arena.

That said, with so much focus being put into this broad category of device (a non-computer device that can browse the Web and view media) by the tech industry, a person would be silly to doubt that at least one a few of these companies will not get it right.

People will buy them, if even to simply keep up with the Joneses.