notebooks

Odds are the last computer you purchased was not a desktop but a laptop. Laptops have outpaced desktops in total units sold since 2005, and that trend seems to be only escalating. According to DisplaySearch, all the major laptop vendors save Sony enjoyed double-digit growth in the first quarter of this year compared with Q1 2007. Total units sold in Q1 2008 were 31.1 million, which represents 35 percent growth over the 23.1 million laptops sold in Q1 2007. The nine largest vendors accounted for more than 85 percent of the laptop market share, with an annual unit … Read more

Worldwide PC shipments are on pace to grow 15.2 percent in 2008, according to IDC. That's above the analyst firm's March prediction of 12.8 percent growth. But laptop shipments, which have become an increasing force in the PC market, will peak.

Shipments of portable PCs should grow 34.5 percent this year, according to a PC shipment tracker that IDC released this week. That's up from 33.9 percent in 2007 and way above the projected 13.4 percent for next year. By 2012, according to the firm, portables will increase by only 9 percent. … Read more

It may be sitting pretty atop the PC market, but Hewlett-Packard isn't going to sit still.

The world's largest PC manufacturer plans to roll out 50 new products Tuesday at a conference in Berlin, the largest such product refresh in the Personal Systems Group's history. Of those products, HP added new touches to just about everything, freshening up its TouchSmart all-in-one desktop, commercial and consumer notebook lines, as well as two machines within its high-end gaming brand, Voodoo PC.

While it's that time of year for product refreshes, this is more than the usual speed bump … Read more

For notebook users, a cordless mouse is essential gear. If your notebook has Bluetooth, by all means go for a Bluetooth mouse. If not, you can't go wrong with the Logitech V320, which Buy.com has on sale for $10 shipped (after a $15 mail-in rebate). Sign up for Google Checkout and the price drops to zero (after a $10 instant rebate).

The V320 relies on a USB dongle for 2.4GHz wireless communication with the notebook, which is a bit of a hassle. But at least you don't have to worry about losing it: The dongle tucks … Read more

At Computex 2008 in Taipei, the biggest buzz is about the developing new market for mini-laptops, sub-notebooks, "netbooks"--whatever you want to call them. They're smaller than traditional laptops but larger than PDAs. Tech hearts are also going "buh-boom" over the revolutionary new chips running these tiny PCs of joy. To see what's being shown off at the international trade show, click here.

The proliferation at Computex of ultra-small, inexpensive netbooks poses this pesky question: why are traditional ultra-compact laptops so expensive?

The Asus Eee PC 1000 debuted this week with a 10-inch screen, 40GB solid state drive, and Windows XP. Pricing has been rumored at between $600 and $700.

Features and size threaten to push the Eee PC 1000 netbook into a category traditionally referred to as subnotebooks--with one glaring difference: price.

Subnotebooks like the 11-inch Lenovo IdeaPad or Sony Vaio TZ series typically start at above $1,500 and go up from there, ranging up to $3,000.

But as netbooks … Read more

Earlier we brought you details on the Aspire One--Acer's rival to the Eee PC 900. While you've been reading that, we've been hanging with our chums at Acer, getting a proper hands-on, and taking pictures. Lots of pictures.

Feel free to click through to the images now, but you might want to stick around for some details. Specs-wise, Acer's supplying both Linux and Windows XP versions of the One. Both models will use an 8.9-inch 1,024x600-pixel screen, the same 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom CPU that you'll find in the MSI Wind, … Read more

Qualcomm has introduced a mini-notebook made by Taiwan-based Inventec that costs around $299 and is equipped with 3G connectivity, according to IDG News Service.

Unlike the ASUS Eee PC, which comes in both Linux and Windows XP operating systems, Qualcomm's mini-notebook will initially run on Linux, though the company is also looking at using Windows Mobile 7 with its Snapdragon chipsets.

All these are still on the drawing board, but "similar products could be out by the end of this year," said Luis Pineda, senior vice president at Qualcomm. The company hopes to make a big bang … Read more

After months as the subject of speculation in the media, Acer will introduce its own low-cost mini-notebook PC at the Computex trade show in Taipei on Tuesday.

The device will be called the Acer Aspire One, as expected. It will come with an Intel Atom processor, and run Linpus Linux Lite, with Acer's own user interface. Other specs include: an 8GB solid-state drive, 512MB of RAM, 802.11 b/g WiFi, an 8.9-inch screen, and a standard 3-hour battery.

The Aspire One will be available beginning July 2 for $379. Later that month, a version running Windows XP … Read more