AND then there are days I really love my netbook. Today just happens to be one of those days. I’m sitting in complete darkness thanks to a blackout that seems to have decided to hit a large swath of West LA. No power translates to nothing operational at home which also means I’ve got no Internet connectivity at home..

Ah but wait.. there are two devices that are indeed working for me – my iPhone and my Samsung NC10 netbook. The iPhone has several hours of charge on it assuming I use it sparingly right now and my NC10 has approximately three hours of power left – primarily because I was using it for a few hours the other day and I forgot to charge it back up. Darn ME!

But wait. I digress.. This is where my love affair for my netbook is renewed once again. You see surfing on the net via the iPhone is fun to a certain extent. However after the umpteenth time of resizing a web page to fit nicely into the small display, it gets rather old rather quickly. This is where my netbook with lots of hours of power comes into play. I’m sitting here in pitch blackness with my NC10 connected to the net via AT&T mobile broadband service and I’m loving it! THANK YOU GOD!

Of course being the proprietor of NetbookTech means I have several netbooks on hand to use. Once the NC10 goes down, I’ll switch over to my new Gateway LT3103u which should have about 4 hours of power. After that’s done.. well then I believe it’s time to sleep.

So.. lesson learned: Always have a netbook fully charged. Always have a netbook with loads of battery life. TRY to have mobile broadband handy.. AND MAKE SURE TO HAVE CANDLES WHEN THERE’S A BLACKOUT!

Setting a new standard for ridiculously thin systems is the new NEC Versa Pro J UltraLite Type VS netbook (Say that name fast five times in a row!). Measuring a mere 15.8 mm thick and weighing around 725 grams, the NEC system features an Intel Atom Z540 processor clocked at 1.84 GHz, Intel GMA500, and a 64 GB Solid State Drive. Crazy huh?

On top of this, the lucky folks over at Akihabara News have one of these netbooks in house for testing right now. Not sure when the review will come out but darn it.. can NEC send one to us say.. now?

[Check it out]

No this is not another Acer Aspire One netbook. This is in fact a new model of the Acer Timeline series called the 1810T. Based on the same form factor as the Acer Aspire One AO751h, the Acer Aspire Timeline 1810T is a 11.6 inch system featuring a faster Intel ULV SU3500 1.4GHz processor, Intel GS45 Express chipset with Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics, HDMI output, Gigabit LAN, 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, optional 3G and optional Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. The system will supposedly have an eight hour battery life and Windows Vista Home Premium with a free upgrade to Windows 7 once the OS comes out in October. No word on pricing or availability.

[Check it out via lilputing.com]

Google announced Tuesday night that they were indeed working on a new operating system, separate from the Android OS, called the Google Chrome OS. Targeting initially the netbook market, the new Chrome OS will be available to consumers in the second half of 2010 and will be Google’s attempt to “re-think what operating systems should be.”

In a posting on the official Google blog, Sundar Pichai (VP of Product Management) and Linus Upson (Engineering Director) laid out the key aspects of Chrome OS - “speed, simplicity, and security”. The new OS will be “fast and lightweight” from the get go; have a minimal user interface that’s designed to “stay out of your way”; and a redesigned security architecture that eliminates the need for users to worry about “viruses, malware, and security updates.”

In other words - “It should just work.”

Continuing on, the two of them describe additional features that will be a part of Chrome OS including:

• Support for both x86 and ARM processors
• Running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel
• It’s all about the web – the web is the platform with Chrome OS
• Designed for a range of devices – from netbooks to full-sized desktop systems

With this announcement, it’s clear Google sees an opening here in the world of operating systems. Netbooks have allowed Google and many others to promote the notion of all-day computing as well as cloud computing. Ironically enough, it’s the low-power nature of netbooks that has finally made the late 90’s idea of thin-client PCs a reality. When consumers are at home, they typically want the best in a computer system. Yet when they’re on the road, things change. People want long battery lives, instant-on capabilities, and the ability to access their content no matter where they are. To that end, a new OS that delivers on speed, simplicity, and security makes a great deal of sense. Combine that with cloud computing and web applications, and you have a powerful platform in the making. Why work on Microsoft Word when you can stay within Google Docs? Why deal with Outlook when you can send and receive email through Gmail?

This all leads to the inevitable question of “why do we even need Windows?” And yes.. this is where Google Chrome OS comes in. If done correctly, Chrome OS has the potential of supplanting a decent portion of the netbook market away from Windows. It surely won’t eliminate Windows simply because there will still be a large populace that insists on familiarity and Windows, love it or hate it, provides that familiarity.

Google will open-source Chrome OS later this year and is already actively talking to partners about this project. It’ll be interesting to see what Chrome OS ultimately looks like for netbook systems. We’re certainly excited! In the eyes of Google, the future is indeed the web (and ultimately cloud computing).

[Check it out]

Of course the real delights to the NB205 boils down to the amazing battery life (PC World got a whopping 9 hours and 53 minutes on their tests), the full size keyboard, and the large touchpad. All excellent features to have on a netbook system.

Here’s their final paragraph from the review:

“considering all the features packed into the N310–and how well it performs in a pinch–this is an easy-to-recommend netbook that’s perfect whether you are a budget-minded businessman or you just need a flexible minimachine for a long day of note-taking.”

[Check it out]

In the case of netbooks, the top 10 list for vendors isn’t very surprising at all. You’ve got the likes of ASUS, Acer, Samsung, and now Toshiba (which just entered the field late last month).

From a product standpoint, the popular ASUS Eee PC 1000HE netbook has now been surpassed by the newer ASUS Eee PC 1005HA netbook with a whopping 10+ hour battery life. Note to Sony – how you win a consumer’s heart is by creating a netbook with a super long battery life!

Without further ado, here is the current crop of top 10 netbooks from Amazon.com.

• ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 10.5 Hour Battery Life
• ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BU 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook - 10.5 Hour Battery Life
• Acer Aspire One AOD150-1165 10.1-Inch Sapphire Blue Netbook - 6.5 Hour Battery Life
• ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10-Inch Black Netbook - 9.5 Hour Battery Life
• ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10-Inch Blue Netbook - 9.5 Hour Battery Life
• Acer Aspire One AOD150-1920 10.1-Inch Ruby Red Netbook - 6.5 Hour Battery Life
• Samsung NC10-14GB 10.2-Inch Blue Netbook - 6 Cell Battery
• Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life
• Acer Aspire One AOD150-1577 10.1-Inch Diamond Black Netbook - 6.5 Hour Battery Life
• Acer Aspire One AOA150-1635 8.9-Inch Sapphire Blue Netbook - 2.5 Hour Battery Life

CompUSA is back with their Acer Aspire One AOA150-1887 Refurbished Netbook for a mere $219.99. The specs to this netbook are as follows:

• Intel Atom N270 processor
• 8.9 inch dislpay
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB HDD
• Intel GMA 950 graphics
• 5 in 1 media card reader
• stereo speakers
• 3 cell lithium ion battery for around 2.5 hours of power
• Wi-Fi and Ethernet
• Acer CrystalEye webcam
• Windows XP Home

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CompUSA is also selling a Case Logic PLS9 Black Netbook Sleeve which fits netbooks ranging from 7 inch displays to 10 inch displays for a mere $19.99.

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As a reminder – today’s the last day to HP’s 4th of July sale. You can find several pre-configured HP mini netbooks on sale there including:

• HP Mini 1110NR Netbook with Mi for $279.99
• HP Mini 1120NR Netbook with Mi for $299.99
• HP Mini 110-1030NR – XP Edition for $349.99
• HP Mini 110-1050NR XP Edition for $449.99

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Computer Geeks.com has an Everex CloudBook CE1200V netbook on sale for a mere $129.99. The specs to this 7 inch netbook are as follows:

• VIA C7-M 1.2 GHz processor
• 512MB RAM
• 30GB HDD
• VIA UniChrome Pro IGP graphics
• Built-in webcam
• VIA HD audio with speakers
• 7 inch WVGA display
• 4 in 1 card reader

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Buy.com has a refurbed ASUS Eee PC 1000H netbook available for a mere $249.99  with free shipping. Specs include:

• Intel Atom N270 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 10 inch display
• 160GB HDD
• 2 in 1 memory card reader
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• Ethernet and Wi-Fi
• Windows XP Home

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PC Mall has a couple of interesting netbooks available. Check out the

• G Netbook Meso - Intel Atom 1.6GHz Netbook PC – Onyx for $299.99
• Mini 1010NR Intel Atom N270 1.60GHz Netbook for $299.99
• Wind U120-024US Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz Netbook for $339.99

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If you’re a fan of (PRODUCT) RED products, you’ll want to consider the Dell Inspiron Mini 10.1-Inch (PRODUCT) RED Netbook now available at Amazon.com for a mere $352.71 along with free super saver shipping.

Sony’s finally come to their senses with the announcement of the new VAIO W Series mini-notebook lineup. Available in three colors (berry pink, sugar white, and cocoa brown), the W Series comes with a 10.1 inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 – easily breaking the standard mold used in nearly all other 10.1 inch netbooks out there. 

Other notable features of the W series include a keyboard with “springy and responsive keys”; loads of “greenness” thanks to  ENERGY STAR 5.0 compliance, EPEAT Gold registered and a mercury-free LED backlit LCD display; and multimedia streaming to DLNA enabled devices thanks to VAIO Media plus Multimedia Streaming software.

Sounds fine and dandy right? Well there’s a downer and it’s pretty lame if you ask us. The standard battery that comes with the W Series has an estimated battery life of get this.. 2 hours. Yup. Two hours. You’d think that after studying the market for so long, Sony would get something like the battery right on the first (or really second) try. Oh well..

Here’s the rest of the specs:

• Intel Atom N280 processor (tho it’s not explicitly stated. Sony says “Intel Processor 1.66GHz. We read that as Intel Atom N280).
• 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• 160GB HDD
• QWERTY keyboard – 86 keys with 1.2 mm stroke and 16.5 mm pitch
• Built-in MOTION EYE Camera and microphone
• Electro-static touch pad
• Memory Stick PRO Duo with MagicGate functionality
• SD memory card slot
• Atheros 802.11 b/g/n
• Integrated Stereo A2DP Bluetooth
• 10.1 inch 1366 x 768 resolution LED backlit XBRITE-ECO LCD display
• Intel HD Audio
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• 2 USB 2.0 ports
• Windows XP Home

You can pre-order the Sony VAIO W Series now for $499.99. Expect them to hit the stores by next month. The question is – with a mere 2 hour battery life, does anyone really care about the Sony VAIO W?

[Check it out]

The solution is powered by both Broadcom’s A-GPS solution as well as Skyhook Wireless’s Wi-Fi position solutions. According to Lionel Menchaca of Direct2Dell, here’s how the Wireless 700 works:

“The Dell Wireless 700 uses Wi-Fi access points and Long Term Orbit (LTO)-based Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) technology to determine location information. It provides a fast, accurate and reliable location source to applications and services by leveraging the strength of each underlying position technology …

The Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS) can determine the location of Wi-Fi enabled devices. All Wi-Fi Access Points broadcast a signal beacon known as a MAC address, notifying nearby devices of their presence. WPS refers to the mapped locations of millions of Wi-Fi MAC addresses to pinpoint the device location. WPS is complementary to GPS. It works best indoors and in urban areas, while GPS is limited by physical obstructions of ceilings and tall buildings”

On the software side of the equation, Dell will be packaging CoPilot navigation software which provides turn-by-turn navigation, 2D/3D map views, and trip planning (allowing you to save up to 50 addresses at a time for the trip).

The Wireless 700 will initially support Windows XP only although Vista and Windows 7 is planned for later.

[Check it out]

Sprint and Best Buy have hit a new low (price wise that is) when it comes to netbook/mobile broadband bundles. In this week’s circular, Best Buy is offering the Compaq 1040DX netbook for a mere 99 cents if you also purchase a new Sprint two year Mobile Broadband agreement. Not a fan of Sprint? Not a problem – you could go ahead and shell out $199 for the netbook and new two year accounts at either Verizon Wireless or AT&T.

Those of you not familiar with the Compaq 1040DX, here are the important specs for you to consider:

• Intel Atom N270 processor clocked at 1.6GHz
• 1GB RAM
• 10.1 inch 1024 x 576 (couldn’t even give us the 600 ??) LED display
• 160GB SATA HDD
• Intel GMA 950 graphics
• Built-in HP webcam
• 5-in-1 media card reader
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• 802.11 b/g and Ethernet connectivity
• 3 hour battery life
• Windows XP Home Edition

So, if you’ve been thinking about getting a mobile broadband account, this might be a sweet deal to consider this week. If you don’t want to get a bundled netbook system, then also consider the Verizon Wireless MiFi 2200 Mobile Hotspot. With this single device, you can share your mobile broadband connection with up to 5 devices at a cost of $99.99 for the device and a new two year agreement with Verizon Wireless. (the device normally goes for $299.99)