Tag Archives: netbook

The Register is reporting today that Michael Dell doesn’t think you’ll like your little netbook.

“If you take a user who’s used to a 14- or 15-inch notebook and you say ‘Here’s a 10-inch netbook,’ they’re gonna say ‘Hey, this is so fantastic. It’s so cute. It’s so light. I love it,’” Dell told Silicon Valley’s tech-obsessed Churchill Club during an appearance Tuesday night. “But about 36 hours later, they’re saying ‘The screen’s gonna have to go. Give me my 15-inch screen back.’”

Right. I’ve had my netbook for exactly a week, which is longer than 36 hours, and I beg to differ. The only thing I dislike about my Dell Mini 10v is the trackpad, and that’s easily fixed with a tiny wireless mouse.

First off, I can’t imagine marketing these little machines as primary machines. If that’s been Dell’s strategy, then they’re nuts. These are not good primary machines unless you a) need very little computing power and b) intend to hook it up to an external monitor, mouse, and keyboard.

Now, Michael Dell does mention that these are good as secondary machines, and that is indeed how they should be marketed. If I know I’ve got an hour between appointments, I’ll make sure to grab my Mini on the way out the door to spend working wherever I can find some Wi-Fi. When I travel (and it does seem to be my Year of the Suitcase), I intend to take only the Mini. It’s a huge weight difference from my 15-inch Macbook Pro and much, much easier for me to deal with in my carry-on. I chose the 10v over the 10 because the “low-end” 10v has a VGA port, making it my primary machine for the countless PowerPoint presentations I give. It’s just easy to deal with on so many levels.

Is it my primary machine? Of course not. The trackpad is a pain and it’s got a 10-inch screen. I’m not crazy. But while I was killing time in the salon while my hair color baked onto my head, I was able to get a little work done on the Mini I pulled out of my purse. When I’m in my family room watching a movie and I need a quick answer from IMDB, the Mini is a lot easier to deal with than my large Mac.

So, Michael Dell, I respectfully disagree with you. I love my Mini, but I love it for all the reasons it should be used, and not the reasons it shouldn’t.

__

Cheers!
Tweet Michelle @writetechnology, send her technology news at michelle[at]writetech[dot]net, visit her wine blog when you’re thirsty, and drop by her day job.

by Brian Solis

Dell hosted a press conference in the Fantasy Suites of the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas where they announced a series of new products. Perhaps the real news and excitement at the event wasn’t what was announced, but what wasn’t announced.

The much-rumored Dell Adamo made a brief, but very real, in-person appearance this morning and it sent waves throughout the consumer electronics press and blogosphere. It’s the company’s first foray into the luxury electronics market and it has already been positioned as the Macbook Air killer.

It features some truly stunning design features that are indicative of the company’s commitment to innovation inside and out. They’re strikingly beautiful, subtly bold, stylish, elegant, and they’re definitely make a statement. And, the Adamo is thinner than the Macbook Air.

Perhaps it was my charm, pure luck, or serendipitous timing, but I was given exclusive permission to not only shoot the Adamo, but also visually confirm that there are both black and white models queued up to hit the market soon. In fact, these are the first pro-quality public shots available of the Adamo and also the first pictures allowed of the white version.

I’ve uploaded all of the pictures on flickr and they are freely available for use as (CC) with credit. Digg the story here.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story…

Connect with me on:
Twitter, FriendFeed, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pownce, Plaxo, Plurk, Identi.ca, BackType, Jaiku or Facebook

by Brian Solis

ITWire ran an interesting story that spotlights a new take on the netbook that may hit the market soon. Unlike most netbooks that are powered by either Linux or Windows XP, this netbook is powered by an iPhone.

What can only be described as the Palm Foleo 2.0, but for iPhones and not Treos, this interesting OLO device is rumored to use the OS of the iPhone to enable a more productive, notebook-friendly experience associated with Web browsing and day-to-day data entry in applications ranging from blog posts, online docs, email, and notes.

With OLO, the iPhone not only provides the OS, but also serves as the device’s trackpad.

While the Palm Foleo never made it to the market, I hailed it as a trendsetting device that would inevitbly force the migration and evolution of the phone becoming the central hub for all of our mobile communications and computing needs. It suffered from the right idea, but the wrong engineering and execution.

With the mass proliferation and enthusiasm of iPhones and their owners, the OLO may pave the way for a more successful venture in placing the phone at the center of everything.

Time will tell however, as will the specs and details of the OLO iPholeo (not the real name) when they’re available.

I am intrigued.

Larger View

Connect with me on:
Twitter, Jaiku, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pownce, Plaxo, FriendFeed, Plurk, Identi.ca, BackType, or Facebook