Please Don’t Call It A Netbook, Psion!

As I type this on my Eee PC, I really think it’s time to say,  Netbook, Netbook, Netbook, cause that name for the little laptops we’ve come to love, is not ours to use. Well that’s not exactly correct, we are not allowed to profit from the use of the term. This is probably one of the  most bizarre turns of events in internet glossary editing I’ve ever come across.  The range of little notebook/laptop devices that have come under the “netbook” label recently is enormous.  Many hardware developers, from Asus to Dell to Acer to MSI, Lenovo, to name a very small few, have picked up the form factor that we’ve been called “netbook” for quite a while now.

Apparently though, long time hand held device manufacturer Psion, actually coined the phrase/name, a long time ago, and are taking umbrage at the use of the term, a little late. I mean, that netbook was not made famous by Psion, I actually believe that the advent of full featured itty bitty laptop devices, focused on the main functions utilised by everyday PC users, brought the name to a globally recognised term.  Before that. I hadn’t heard of a netbook. Had you? The legal ramifications of something like this are, well, Psion are telling people to “Cease and Desist” but it’s evolved since then, and it seems you are not allowed to gain profit from using the term netbook.

Eee Pen#*% Envy, is your Drive Big Enough!

 

One of the things that put me off getting a netbook, was storage, will it be big enough to do what I want to do with it? Will it provide satisfaction?

a lot of the earlier EeePc models, offered limited SSD storage, which leaves you dependent on memory card expansion, for a real storage solution.

Well now there’s a real Viagra solution for your EEEPC that wont get you the little finger flip, and will up your size for a reasonable price as well!

These drives will come in 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB capacities, selling for $53, $79, and $149 respectively. They will offer a maximum read speed of 40 MB/sec. and a maximum write speed of 15 MB/sec.

Unlike some other NetBooks, you can upgrade a Eee without voiding your warranty.

Increase the Storage Capacity of an Eee PC to 64 GB

Windows 7 for Free… Well some pain included!

Everyone’s waiting for the new version of Windows to emerge, and hoping it will erase the Vista fiasco, as XP did to ME. Recently it came to light that if you attended certain conferences, you would go home with an advance copy of the operating system.

Who isn’t ready for Windows 7? That wiser, stabler, more streamlined OS with Vista’s good looks but an even prettier Start button and an alleged 15-second boot time? Heck, even Bill Gates is excited to get on to the next version. You can get your hands on a “pre-beta” version of Windows 7 by attending the Professional Developer Conference (PDC) in LA October 27 to 30, or the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC), also in LA shortly after, from November 5 to 7. Go get them, and then report back to us with some new info. [Vista Blog;]

So if you’re available, and have the connections, you can get your Windows Fix. Although what sort of fix it is I can’t say, cool or retro, I am really hoping that there’s a light at the end of this tunnel.

Whether this be an alpha or beta, it’s going to be a coup for Microsoft, but will the OS live up to the hype? With the advent of the “netbook” and a move by Apple to run one OS on all of it’s devices, will Windows 7 be the Windows Lite that has been rumoured. A Microsoft OS with a much more efficient and compact core. I suppose we’ll find out next month, but if you had the next big thing, how would you present it. I hope this is an example of how not to do it!

Will a corny video be the herald of the newest Windows OS?click the image above to go to the you tube page. Microsoft’s not really calling us all Kevin Bacon wannabe’s!

Via Gizmodo

Asus EeePC Ultimate… Brown?

Now I don’t know about you, but the Eee PC, is a really attractive unit. For me I’m very close to the 901, I’ve sized it up I like the specs and I’m almost ready to flash the cash.

The Windows XP Home version is equipped with a 12GB SSD, while the Linux version comes with 20GB SSD.

The Asus Eee PC 901 weighs 1.1kg and has 802.11n WiFi connection. The RAM, which was initially rumoured to be 2GB, is actually just 1GB. The most notable spec, however, seems to be the mini-note’s battery life which registers at an astonishing 7.8 hours. The lengthy battery life is attributed to the new Asus Super Hybrid Engine GUI technology which provides the laptop with three different modes that vary based on LCD brightness, voltage, and CPU frequency. Via Mr Gadget

One of the things i find attractive about the Eee is the sleek design, although some may say it’s boxy, I like the symmetry of the design, and the simple black/white colour scheme. So when it comes to the top of the range Eee PC, the ultimate, I find myself wondering… Why change it?

Enter the Eee Ultimate, It’s a slightly bigger in size and specs, but there’s been no great designer input on this one, it’s brown?