Sep 6, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Netbooks with Windows 7 : An answer to enterprise needs??

In less than three years, Netbooks have been rapidly evolving as category of small, light and inexpensive laptop computers and winning over consumer hearts. However, netbooks have not impressed the enterprise segment as many consumer products like iPhone does.

But, can enterprises adopt the netbook for its usage or will they remain a consumer-only product? Here, the feature discusses various reasons, why netbooks should be considered for enterprise use.

Netbooks are characterized by small display, power saving processors and lack of internal CD or DVD optical drives. They are very light and provide long battery life, therefore people are now opting for such devices which are handy, cheap and loaded with necessary capabilities. Recently, after the announcement from Microsoft has announced Windows 7 Starter edition especially for the netbook segment, the scene has changed.

Windows 7 Starter

Windows 7 starter edition lacks the Windows Aero theme and would not be available in a 64-bit variant. It also imposes a restriction on all users and will allow three simultaneous applications. However, Microsoft stresses that Windows 7 will run perfectly fine on netbooks.

Now various analysts predict that new netbooks with new operating system will certainly target the enterprise segment. Also, it is assumed that the new netbooks with Windows 7 will only costs $15 more than the netbooks with Windows XP. Besides pricing, other reasons for its success in the enterprise segment could be support for Wi-Fi and 3G wireless broadband.

Benefits of Netbooks over traditional laptops and PCs

1.    Netbooks generally have 8.9-inch to 10.2-inch diagonal screens, which makes them smaller and lighter than their peers. It increases portability as the devices can even fit in briefcases, and went unnoticed. Despite its small size, many models boast battery life of five or more hours, due to the presence of Intel Atom processor.

2.    Many models cost less than $400, therefore netbooks are less expensive than the standard enterprise laptop. Hence, it seems that the enterprise sector can bear $15 extra cost for netbooks with Windows 7 cheerfully. But, if the consumers want higher version of Windows 7, better graphics and more features then they have to pay the price accordingly.

3.    The people who want easy access to apps and data while on move, netbooks are made for them. All netbooks in the market today support Wi-Fi wireless networking and 3G network.

4.    Enterprise-level management and security: Various security software providers assured that their software will support the netbooks as similar to other PCs, without any changes. However, the Atom processor does not have the management features of Intel’s vPRO technology, but if the netbook has an enterprise operating system, the security vendors have no problems.

Some constraints

Netbooks generally have low RAM and storage, which limits its usage for applications those demands powerful processor and more RAM. Sources suggest that without TPM (Trusted Platform Module) successful netbook deployments in the enterprises are unlikely, as it is a secure crypto-processor added to enterprise class laptops by many manufacturers. Also, the installation of TPM will increase the cost of the netbooks.

Conclusion

According to latest figures, netbooks are moving toward 5% of the market now and will attain double digit figure soon. Consumers love netbooks, and analysts encourage enterprise IT departments to accept a growing number of products first adopted by consumers. Also, with the introduction of new operating system from the software giant will certainly ignore the IT guidelines of enterprise sector and they will adopt the netbooks for their usage.

Sep 1, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Which is the Best Netbook?

Netbooks are gaining great acclamation to techie buyers because of its highly commendable qualities – portability, light weight, compact, low cost, and low power systems. No wonder it is the hottest thing to hit laptops since the touchpad. But among the countless brands and models on this device, which one really is the best netbook? This is a tricky question because every netbook maker sees to it that their product is unique and they ensure that it is the best netbook. If you are searching for help or guide on what is the best netbook, read on…

Netbooks, subnetbooks, mini laptops, whatever you call it, this device is so popular because it is less expensive than laptops and highly portable. They are good secondary computers for people who travel and people who need to stay connected. For starters who want to learn, the best netbook are great as it offers the same base features of a full-blown computer. To give you a list of the best netbook, here are some of models that will suit certain tasks or features that buyers might be looking. Here are some of the best netbook so far…

Among the best netbook that will provide great value for your money is the Dell Mini 10v 10.1 inch netbook. It costs less compared to other netbooks available in the market. This 10-inch mini netbook is built from less pricey plastics yet offers robust body and good overall mix of functions and features. These qualities are what make it among the best netbook choice of buyers. Its compact size allows maximum portability and efficiency however the 3-cell battery gives it a shorter running time. Other than that, it can be considered the best netbook. It can cost around $300.

For anyone looking for long battery life, the best netbook would be the Toshiba NB205-N210 10.1-inch. More and more netbooks now now promise an all-day computing. Of course everybody wants a device that is usable for long hours. The Toshiba NB205-N210 spans over 9 hours of total use. Its six cell battery pack will enable the user to enjoy video playback test and all other functions. What is even more impressive is its Intel Atom B280 that powers it and allows it to achieve maximum performance. This best netbook costs around $350. Other best netbook that offer long battery life are the Asus Eee PC1005HA and Samsung NP-NC10.

For the best netbook with comfy keyboards, the HP Mini 110-1050NR is a great choice. HP is known to manufacture hiogh quality keyboards with spacious keys and well engineered layouts. The HP mini 110 is one of the latest and has best netbook keyboard design that is 92% in suze and sports a full size shift key. This netbook works well when it comes to internet connectivity. Thanks to its built in WWAN adapter that functions with a CDMA cellular network or GSM. Thisbest netbook runs around $450.

There are lots of other amazing and state of the art netbooks today. You can find them at popular online stores. With the vast array, you sure will have the freedom to choose which will fit your needs.

Aug 22, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Best Netbook On Sale To Buy

Obviously, with a compact product size and low-price market such as that of the netbook, there can only be so many variations that companies can make to try differentiate their products, this point was proved by the Nokia 3G Booklet 3G and HP Touchsmart TX2 as they showed that to make something different in the netbook form-factor, you do end up having to raise the selling price!

So here we have an updated list of the best netbooks that we’ve found from doing a bit of research on the topic of top netbooks…

MSI Wind U160

Perhaps one of the most aesthetically pleasing of the lot, the latest installment from MSI is the Wind U160. Continuing with the latest trend of PineTrail netbooks, the MSI Wind U160 features a 1.6GHz N450 processor and the usual 1Gb of RAM. Perhaps this is not too impressive, but there are a couple of things that make this otherwise run of the mill netbook, stand out from the massively congested crowd. The 250Gb Hard Drive is also a little more than the standard 160Gb option found in far too many netbooks.

Firstly, the astonishing battery life which is claimed to be anywhere up to 15 hours. Streets ahead of many recent netbooks and even exceeding the top of the range ASUS models. Of course, it is unlikely that many people will experience such endurance, however anywhere close would be pretty formidable.

Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, is the aesthetic appeal of the machine. With a glossy brown lid, it immediately brings it away from the ordinary and into the ‘actually pretty appealing’ category. In addition there is a spacious trackpad and a near full size chiclet keyboard which in my opinion is a must for any new machine as it looks professional as well as being cool and comfortable. Lastly, the form factor is important, being a lot slimmer and a little lighter than many other netbooks in the range, this is a serious competitor.

Packing Windows 7 Starter is disappointing, but not uncommon. If i were to be interested in a netbook, the MSI Wind U160 is a strong favourite. Let’s hope it doesn’t price itself out the market.

ASUS 1201n

This option for me, is a bit of a gamble. It is really an in-betweener. The ASUS 1201n sits/asus laptop battery right at the top end of the netbook market, but not quite a proper notebook. This is largely down to its insides as it packs a pretty much unheard of Dual-Core Atom N330 clocked at 1.6Ghz as well as a 2 separate memory slots for expanding the RAM from the 2Gb that is built in. Also, the inclusion of the NVidia ION graphics platform means this machine is easily powerful enough for full HD movies as well as some lightweight 3D gaming.

Also, what pulls it away from the standard netbooks even further, is the 12.1″ display, which is not huge by any means, but is inching ever closer to the realm of the full size notebook. For example, the standard MacBook Pro’s are just over an inch bigger. It also provides a good HD resolution at 1366×768.

Again, aesthetically this is a fantastic machine. An extremely slim aluminium look body and full size chiclet keyboard which stretched almost edge to edge, as well as an extremely spacious trackpad creates a quality looking product which definitely appeals to those with a taste for more luxurious machines.

The ASUS 1201n comes at a cost, pricing at around £400 however it does include the full version of Windows 7 Home Premium which is much more appealing than a starter edition.

HP Compaq Mini 311(compaq laptop battery)

Again, this features the same old specs on the face of it. 1.6Ghz Atom N270, 1Gb DDR2 RAM and a 160Gb Hard Drive. All in all pretty standard, however the inclusion of the NVidia ION graphics adds a lot of extra capability which certainly makes it appealing particularly at the price of around £300.

The HP Compaq Mini 311 is fairly lightweight and slim netbook in comparison to many, whilst keeping a 11.6″ HD screen, utilized properly through the ION’s capability. Flawlessly playing 720p movies is fairly impressive considering the extreme restrictions on early netbook models, however in the others within this list, HD playback is hardly scarce.

Aesthetically, it is pleasing but far from the best. Available in a couple of colour options, it varies from model to model, but the lack of chiclet keyboard and cramped trackpad means that it doesn’t stack up compared to its competitors in this department.

Also, the roughly 6 hours of battery life is good, but not exceptional for a modern device which is why that this model is less appealing to a potential netbook buyer such as myself. However, as I said, the price of the HP Compaq Mini 311 is certainly a redeeming factor.

Samsung N220

Each of these netbooks has something which makes it stand out a little from the rest. To be considered the best, in truth they have to because the netbook market is just so crowded and quite frankly boring. So, to continue the tradition, the Samsung N220 has managed to feature a keyboard which is 97% of full size which is something pretty much no other netbook can boast as far as I know.

In terms of spec though, it is not exactly a mind blower. With a traditional 1.6Ghz Atom and 1Gb of RAM. However unlike several other of the netbooks including the HP Mini 311, it has built in 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity.

Coming in at just £330 (ish) these are certainly competitive and judging by Samsung’s previous ventures into the market, they are undoubtedly good performers. The 250Gb hard disk drive is another indication of the difference between entry level and top of the range within this market.

Last but certainly not least, the battery life. A 12 hour life is not to be sneezed at particularly in what is in all honesty a budget netbook. Aesthetically pleasing if not exceptional, but the Samsung N220 is let down a little by the Starter Edition of Windows 7 packed in.

Sony X Series

If money is no object, then the Sony Vaio X Series Netbook(sony laptop battery) is definitely the one for you. Ludicrously expensive, but it really does put luxury into netbooks. Made from Carbon Fibre and Aluminium, this is the lightest computer in the world to date and is incredibly thin and stylish.

The processor inside the thing lets it down in terms of performance. The Atom Z550 is just an ordinary single core processor which doesn’t exactly make this stand out. However, with 2Gb of RAM and a 256Gb Solid State Drive, it does have some tech specifications which make it a powerful contender as well as a beauty.

In addition, it as an 11.1″ LED display at 1366×768 which is again, something a little different. However when spending nigh on £2k on a netbook, you do expect at least something a little special.

A spacious chiclet keyboard coupled with a multitouch trackpad means that input is comfortable, simple yet extremely functional with the added multitouch capabilities.

Also, the 8 hour battery life in addition to the 0.7Kg weight means mobility and endurance is no problem at all.

OK, so in terms of value for money the Sony Vaio X Series Netbook is absolutely nowhere compared to the others in the list, however bearing in mind that the general purpose of a netbook is mobility, it really is the best that money can buy.

 

Aug 3, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

Netbook Buying Tips

Netbook Structure: Most netbooks sport small LCD screens, 8.9-inches to 10-inches, versus an average of 15.4-inches for normal laptops. Netbooks generally weigh around 2.2 lbs (1 kilogram) each, far lighter than most laptops, and carry batteries that last up to 8 hours. They cost between US$199 and $799 and lot more benefits.

Here are useful tips for your first netbook:

1. Make sure you want a netbook and not a full-fledged laptop computer.

What do you want to use this netbook for? Do you want a lightweight device for easy Internet access? Or are you really looking for a device to carry around that you can edit video on, play games, or use for other applications that test the computing limits of a netbook?

Don’t buy a netbook if you’re really looking for a laptop, it would be a mistake.

To ensure longer battery life, some key components on a netbook, such as the microprocessor, are less powerful than common laptops. That’s why they’re good for surfing the Internet, sending e-mails, or doing homework.

2. Buy a netbook with an 8.9-inch screen or larger.

Tested an Eee PC with a 7-inch screen, the Surf, and found screen too small. I was not able to view an entire Web page on the cramped display. On a screen that small, you have to scroll left and right as well as up and down to see an entire Web page. Scrolling up and down is normal, but left and right was annoying.

That’s less of a problem on the slightly larger-sized screens and, in the 8.9-inch screen size, the weight and size of the netbook is nearly the same as devices with 7-inch screens.

The 10-inch screens are even better, yet add size and weight to the netbook.

3. Make sure you get a 6-cell battery for your netbook, although you may have to pay $50 more and the device will weigh more.

Most companies started out offering netbooks with 3-cell batteries as the standard, but that doesn’t offer a whole lot of run time, just 2-3 hours. A 6-cell battery doubles that, and in some devices designed around a 6-cell battery, such as Asustek Computer’s Eee PC 901, you can get up to 8 hours.

Another benefit of the larger battery is that it props up the back of the device, putting it on a slight angle that makes typing easier. Keyboards on netbooks are smaller than normal keyboards, and comfortable typing was one area I was not willing to compromise on.

4. Try out the keyboard and make sure it’s right for you.

None of the devices, I tested had a better typing pad than Intel’s ClassMate PC, which has a keyboard far smaller than the Eee PC 1000. Keys on the ClassMate PC’s keyboard are raised and there is a lot of space between them, making them easy to find by touch.

I really liked the keyboards on Acer’s Aspire One, Hewlett-Packard’s Mini 1000 and Everex’s CloudBook Max, but the best keyboard was on HP’s Mini-Note.

5. Software: See what comes preinstalled and consider trying the Linux OS.

There are two lessons on software.

First, some vendors have skimped on including software in their netbooks on the pretense that users can download a lot of free software on the Internet. That’s true, but it’s a bad excuse for not going the extra distance for customer satisfaction.

Who wants to spend time downloading when many netbook makers have added lots of software so users can play with their new netbook right away?

Second, it may be time to the give the Linux OS a try.

Most of the netbooks I tested with Linux booted up far faster than Windows XP or Windows Vista. Which reminds me, don’t buy a netbook with Vista — it’s just too slow.

There are also free Linux-based word processing programs and spreadsheets available on the Internet such as Open Office, Sun’s inexpensive StarOffice and Web-based software such as Google Apps.

Google also offers a nice package of free software, Google Pack, which includes several popular applications such as Adobe Reader, Skype, RealPlayer for music and video, Norton Security Scan and two browsers, Google’s Chrome and Firefox.

6. Price: if it costs more than $500, start looking at a regular notebook computer.

Companies have started promoting a wide range of netbooks at ever higher prices, but once you pass $500, netbooks start to compete with laptops, and a laptop will almost always give you more value for your money.

Laptop computers have far more powerful microprocessors and other components than netbooks, and sport DVD drives. BTW, there are no DVD drives on netbooks.

7. Look around at what’s available.

Many new netbooks have come out. There are a lot of look-alikes since newcomers have copied what the pioneers found to be the most popular configurations. The net effect is to put more good devices out there from a number of competitors. You may be able to pick up a nice machine for a very low price.

In any case, the 10-inch screen devices are a little bigger and more expensive than what I was looking for. Size is important to consider in terms of weight. Ten inch screens, hard disk drives (HDDs) and 6-cell batteries add a lot of extra weight to a netbook.

Several netbooks are now on sale with built-in 3G modules and mobile phone service providers are offering them with 3G (third generation telecommunications) contracts, so people can access the Internet from anywhere on their mobile phone network.

People can also buy add-on 3G or WiMax cards for any netbook.

Jul 3, 2010 Posted by admin in Articles

The Most Recommended Netbooks

We’ve reviewed the experts’ recommendations and users’ comments on a wide range of netbooks, and here we recommend 4 highly rated ones.

Firstly, what are netbooks? Like the meaning of “responsible” (as in “who really is responsible for the deep economic mire we find ourselves in – greedy bankers or incompetent ministers?”) everybody seems to have a different point of view.

For the non-techy they are small, very portable laptops which are more likely to be used for basic wordprocessing, emailing, surfing the net, and watching and listening to video, pictures and songs on the move. Later models are now able to play more sophisticated games, and even do some video editing, though this is still best left for a more powerful laptop or desktop. They are at the smaller end of the screen sizes, up to 11 inches (measured diagonally), though there are no hard and fast rules.

Don’t get confused with notebooks – notebooks a bit bigger, and less portable, lying between the netbook and the laptop; nor are they “tablets” – the most famous of which is the newly launched iPad. Tablets have no keyboard and are principally for playing media and surfing the web, not more serious multi-tasking.

The important thing is that netbooks are designed to be very portable laptops – though a recent survey of US owners found that 60% never took them out of the house! Most have inbuilt wifi to connect to wireless internet wherever you are, or have the capability to link to the internet via a 3G link (like a phone).

Why would you want one? Apart from establishing your IT revolution credentials on the 7.36 from Tring, it could perfectly adequately satisfy your general computing needs whilst on the move. Battery life of the more modern netbooks is between 6 and 8 hours.

However, the basic fact is that you trade off convenience for power – ie what the thing will do for you. For example, they are unlikely to do lots of tasks at the same time, or even a single, power hungry application such as video editing. Also, one of the key things to bear in mind is the size of the screen – its small size may mean that it’s easy to slip into a large pocket or bag, but as a result it may be less easy to see what’s on it. Nevetheless, you just have to read a few user reviews to see how popular they are, and how they fulfill most users’ computing needs.

The other thing you are unlikely to find in a netbook is an inbuilt CD/DVD player – though a reasonable solution is to buy a seperate player (or “drive”) for around £30.

So what netbooks do the experts recommend? We’ve scanned the web to find their recommendations, and have found suggested best buys listed by Cnet, PC Advisor, Netbook Review, Budget Netbooks, TechRadar, Stuff.tv, Pocket Lint, Trusted Reviews, and we’ve also reviewed user comments in Revoo, Review Centre and Amazon. We’ve aggregated the rankings, and come up with our own definitive list of best buy netbooks – ones we would happily buy ourselves.

One thing to bear in mind is that manufacturers are developing their products all the time – new versions are being released regularly. This means that reviews and recommendations may be out of date after a short while. However, where a notebook has been around a while, and there is an updated version, we’ve mentioned it as worth checking out.

We’ve looked at the budget end of the notebook spectrum – under £260. You can spend more – over £400 – and you will generally get a more powerful machine, with more features. However, we think, for general use, you can buy an excellent notebook for under £300.

Here are the 4 top recommended netbooks in priority order, best first. To get more detail and the price, click on the name of the netbook. To see a particular review, check out the full article at 1.Samsung NC10 Netbook

Possibly the most recommended netbook is the Samsung NC10. Described as “Most Popular” byBudget Netbooks, given 10/10 by Trusted Reviews, 4.5/5 by PC Advisor, 5/5 by TechRadar,  5/5 and a “Hot Buy” by Stuff.TV.

In terms of user reviews, it gets 4.5/5 (11 reviews) at the Review Centre, and 5/5 (22 reviews) at Amazon.

Unfortunately, this notebook is getting a bit old now (though still available and still getting excellent reviews), so you may also wish to consider a newer netbook from the same stable, such as the Samsung N120 (TechRadar gave it 4.5/5 ) or the Samsung N130 (TechRadar gave it 3/5 and 52 users gave it an average of 4.5/5 at Amazon). They all seem great notebooks!

2. Asus 1005HA 10-inch Netbook

This netbook is highly recommended by Netbook Review (2nd out of 5), and is considered “Good Value” by Budget Netbooks. It gets an average of 4/5 in 7 reviews at Amazon

It supercedes the highly acclaimed Asus 1000 HE. A good alternative, though more expensive, is the Asus Eee Asus PC 1008HA, which is ranked 9/10 by Trusted Reviews, and 5/5 by Stuff.TV, and rated 4.5/5 on average by 12 customer reviews at Amazon
.

3. Toshiba NB200-10z 10.1-inch Netbook

Highly recommended netbook, by Netbook Review (5th out of the top 10), Cnet (8th out of the top 10), Trusted Reviews (9/10), PC Advisor (4/5), and Stuff.TV (4/5).

9 customer reviews average 4/5 at Amazon

4. Acer Aspire One D150

Whilst this notebook is getting a little long in the tooth (relatively!), and has been updated during 2009, it is still rated very highly by the experts and users. Budget Netbooks said it was “easy to use”, PC Advisor gave it 4.5/5, as did TechRadar. Stuff.TV rated it slightly lower at 4/5, but still recommended it. 33 customer reviews at Amazon rated it 4 /5 on average.

You might equally consider the Acer Aspire One Pro 531 which is rated  4/5 by Stuff.TV, and gets rated 5/5 by 1 customer at Amazon.