Netbook Prices

When I look at netbooks, I'm still amazed by their prices. You see, there was a time when I spent quite a bit of money to purchase a tiny little Sony VGN-T series that had a 10.6" screen and a built-in DVD drive. I didn't need the built-in DVD drive, so I would have been perfectly happy with a tiny device that had a 10.5" screen, a thin body, and no built-in optical drive.

Netbooks made by Asus, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Samsung, Acer, and other companies currently range between $300 to $800. The cloud computing revolution is here! Some of the most popular models are the Asus Eee (many different ones to choose from), the MSI Wind, the Samsung NC10, the HP Mini Note, and the Sony Vaio P (which Sony refuses to call a netbook).

Asus Eee PC 1000HE

PC Magazine rates this as "very good" and gives it the Editor's Choice. Have you taken a look at the new Asus EeePC 1000HE netbook? Is this a netbook or just a really small notebook? It has the specs of a regular laptop, so is the line between a netbook and a regular notebook PC starting to get blurry? Now if you could just flip that screen around and write on the screen. This would be an excellent tablet for electronic health records.

Excited about the Asus Eee 1000HE netbook

This netbook boasts truly long battery life. Some are saying over 7 hrs. Others are quoting over 9 hrs. What's the real deal? It probably depends on your power settings. However, this is a very impressive feat for such a tiny little device.

Are you happy with your battery life? Will this new netbook put some pressure on the Sony Vaio P series (that I still think is way too overpriced)?

Having owned several mini laptops now, I find that a full-sized keyboard with a screen that is at least 12" increases my productivity by leaps and bounds. I'm constantly typing and trying to multi-task, so a netbook would only serve me one main purpose: to browse the Internet. That's why they're called netbooks, right?

I'll stick with my Thinkpad X200 Tablet for now. I get so much more done on this fast machine and it has truly become my powerhorse when I travel.

Asus R50 UMPC

Asus has recently gotten a lot of attention because of their successful Eee netbook. Many people may not realize that Asus also makes UMPCs like the R50. This tiny device looks like a nice balance between size and functionality. As long as the battery life is respectable, doctors working in busy hospitals may be willing to slip one of these in their coat pockets.

Yet another upgrade for the Eee PC

People out there are modifying, tweaking, and upgrading the affordable Eee PC. They are adding touch screens, more memory, different operating systems, and internal GPS receivers. Take a look at some of the pictures here.

HP 'mini' PC - the HP 2133

HP is finally joining the mini PC, or pseudo-UMPC, or very tiny PC market. How does it compare with the Asus Eee? Reviews seem to indicate that the HP has a better build, a larger screen, but also runs very warm. Of course, Asus has other models coming out soon.

Do you think airports and coffee houses will start filling with people carrying these tiny computers? Will everyone have a computer in their bag?

In Asia, so many people use mobile devices and they are constantly connected. Whether it's a MID, or an UMPC, or a smartphone, or a micro PC, something is in the hands of people on the train, buses, cars, and streets. Will corporate America start looking like that soon? Or will the Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and iPhone suffice?