Posted on 09 August 2009
I think most of us realize at this point that netbooks have gone mainstream. While most consumers probably still couldn’t tell you the difference between a netbook and a more powerful, full fledged laptop, that hasn’t stopped companies from taking advantage of the term ‘netbook’ as a buzz word. Case-in-point, Comcast and Verizon are now both offering deals which provide their customers with a ‘free’ netbook. Each company offers a different netbook to new customers:
Verizon has teamed up with HP owned Compaq to provide the Compaq Mini 110, which is essentially just a rebranded version of the HP Mini 110 [Portal page]. Of course it is just about the most stripped down version of the computer and comes with a small 3-cell battery, and a slow 16GB SSD.
And what good would marketing be if they were just giving these things away without any hassle? There is definitely some tape you need to run through before actually receiving your Compaq Mini 110. Verizon requires that you claim your prize at least 60 days after your instillation, but no later than 90 days after instillation. If you don’t claim your prize within that 30 day window, you are no longer eligible for the ‘free’ netbook. I mentioned ‘free’ because they also charge you $50 for shipping and handling.
Meanwhile, Comcast has jumped on board with Dell to offer customers the Dell Mini 10v [Portal page]. I have been unable to track down the exact specs of the Mini 10v that Comcast is offering, but we’ll assuming that it is one up from least equipped model: 16GB (instead of 8GB) SSD, and 3-cell battery.
So who emerges victorious in the battle to win customers over with a netbook? If we look just at the netbooks that each is offering, its actually a really tough call simply by the fact that both netbooks are so similar. I don’t think there is any differentiating factor that would make me pick one of these over the other, if not simply by brand. I would personally stick with Dell, but hey, maybe you are a die-hard Compaq fan? In the end, these netbook offers really aren’t adding that much value to your purchase. Sure they might make a nice computer for the kids, but if you are really in the market for a netbook, you should buy some of the value packed netbooks that are available these days. You wouldn’t sign up with one of these companies if they were offering a free TV and expect to get a nice TV would you?
Posted on 27 July 2009
Welcome to this week’s netbook roundup. In this space every Monday I’ll highlight netbook news items from around the web.
Posted on 20 July 2009
Welcome to this week’s netbook roundup. In this space every Monday I’ll highlight netbook news items from around the web.
Posted on 17 July 2009
Many sites are talking about how the Eee T91 [Portal page] is the one first tablet netbooks to be released, but the reality is that there have been several before it, and it is really only a first for Asus. Case in point, the Gigabyte TouchNote T1028M [Portal page], which Chippy has spent a good amount of time with, has been around for a while, though it is just now heading for the US.
One of the reasons that some sites covered the T91 as one of the first tablet netbooks is because Gigabyte doesn’t quite market their T1028M as a netbook (which is one of several similar devices that have come before the T91); instead referring to it as a TouchNote. Though just because they don’t market it with the netbook term doesn’t mean it isn’t priced and built to compete. In fact the TouchNote has a faster CPU, and an optional 1366×768 screen resolution (among other things) making it a worthy contender, and it looks like you can start to buy them for $599 in the US.
While the Gigabyte T1028M more directly competes with the upcoming Asus Eee T101H [Portal page] with its 10.1 inch screen, you can always look toward the Gigabyte M912X [Portal page] if you really want an 8.9 inch screen and Dynamism can hook you up here in the US.
[Liliputing]
Posted on 13 July 2009
Welcome to this week’s netbook roundup. In this space every Monday I’ll highlight netbook news items from around the web.
Posted on 11 July 2009
As just revealed by our short little poll, many of you really looking forward to the Asus Eee T91 (so are we!). Asus just recently officially announced that the Asus Eee T91 would be released on the 15th and Dynamism says that they are expecting their shipment on the 31st. The first model available will have a slick black casing and will cost $499 from Dynamism. Seems like the T91 will be in high demand and low supply upon initial release, Dynamism recommends pre-ordering quickly if you want in on the first batch.
See the Asus Eee T91 Portal page for full specs, details, and news links.
Posted on 10 July 2009
Several days ago I put up a post asking which device was most anticipated by readers of our site. 648 of your responded and I’m here to share the results. Take a look at the graph below:
For readers who didn’t have a chance to participate in the poll from the previous post, here is the list of devices which readers could have chosen from (click the link to be taken to the product’s Portal page).
Crunchpad | Asus Eee T91 | Archos 9 | Always Innovating Touchbook
As I watched the results roll in, the Eee T91 stayed the leader for nearly the entire duration of polling. The CrunchPad came in second, followed by the Archos 9 and then the Always Innovating Touchbook. There was a good amount of ‘other’ responses. in fact enough to tie the CrunchPad for second place (I’ll add more devices to the poll next time!). What I found interesting was that some people filled in the ‘other’ dialogue with existing devices, and some filled it in with devices that they would like to have, but might not be products at this point. Here is a short list of ‘other’ entries for existing products:
And a short list of ‘other’ entries featuring devices that don’t yet exist:
- Apple tablet
- Archos 5 inch Android device
- LG ultra mobile PC (this person must be old school!)
- Next Nokia Internet Tablet (several people called this the N900)
- Viliv S5 with keyboard
Interesting suggestions everyone. Thanks for participating in this poll. Its good to know people are looking forward to these devices. We have quite a few nice products lined up that we’ll be reviewing for our readers. Chippy has the Viliv S7 coming eventually, and we’ll also hopefully have our hands on the Asus Eee T91, and the Always Innovating Touchbook in the near future.
Posted on 10 July 2009
Nothing like waiting months for an official announcement only to get two sentences through twitter! Oh well, I suppose this is as official as Asus will get for now. As you can see above, the Asus North America twitter account has tweeted to let us all know that the T91 [Portal page] will be available on July 15th in limited quantity. And I suppose that’s really all there is to it. Good luck securing one from the ‘limited quantity’. (Points for the video game allusion in the title)
via [Liliputing]
Verizon has teamed up with HP owned Compaq to provide the Compaq Mini 110, which is essentially just a rebranded version of the HP Mini 110 [Portal page]. Of course it is just about the most stripped down version of the computer and comes with a small 3-cell battery, and a slow 16GB SSD.
Meanwhile, Comcast has jumped on board with Dell to offer customers the Dell Mini 10v [Portal page]. I have been unable to track down the exact specs of the Mini 10v that Comcast is offering, but we’ll assuming that it is one up from least equipped model: 16GB (instead of 8GB) SSD, and 3-cell battery.
