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Concept art for an Apple touch-screen Netbook.

(Credit: Gizmodo)

According to various rumors and reports, Apple's got a new slate-style Netbook in the works that may be announced as soon as next month. While we have no confirmation from Apple--or anybody else--that such a product really exists, that doesn't mean we can't do a little market survey and ask you what the thing should be called.

If the rumors are at all on target, the final product will look something like a jumbo iPod Touch. However, what's interesting is that such a PC would most likely be a crossover product for Apple and straddle several product families, includes iPods, MacBooks, and maybe even Apple TV. So, is it part of one of those families or a whole new category unto itself?

Only time will tell, but for now you can cast your vote in our poll of popular candidates or write in your own choice in the comments section. We strongly doubt we'll have any influence whatsoever over Apple's decision, but, hey, people at Apple do read CNET. At least a couple do anyway.

In a recent MarketWatch article on Microsoft's struggling Zune portable media player, reporter John Letzing got an interesting quote from George Kurian, a vice president at Tradition Capital Management LLC, which owns Microsoft shares.

"Microsoft should abandon Zune and follow Apple's strategy to try to make its presence felt in the high-growth smartphone sector," Kurian said. He then went on to suggest that the easiest way for Microsoft to do that would be to buy Palm.

Palm and Microsoft have hooked up before, so why not quit fooling around and really tie the knot?

(Credit: Sprint)

"Microsoft might pay tens of billions of dollars for Yahoo; it could pick up Palm instead for just $1 billion or $2 billion and then spend several hundred million more on transforming the Pre's user interface into a mobile OS that can run on phones made by multiple vendors," Manjoo wrote. "Microsoft would also gain a loyal Palm audience--and a base of developers looking to create apps for the device. And then Microsoft would have money left over to buy other software companies--start-ups and established firms that power the next generation of devices, or that are pioneers in the selling online software to companies."

More recently, Gary Marshall over at Techradar.com took a whack at why Microsoft should ante up for Palm. He pointed out that buying Palm "would bring the Pre's designers to Windows Phone, and it would annoy Steve Jobs, too" because the Pre team includes Jon Rubenstein, former vice president of Apple's iPod division, and former Apple developers' champion Chuq Von Rospach. Also, in the same article, Andrew Kitson, senior analyst with Juniper Research, said that a WebOS-powered smartphone would be a nice item to sell in Microsoft's forthcoming retail stores.

What's interesting about this growing cry for Microsoft to buy Palm is that a lot of people seem to be rather dismissive of Microsoft's own smartphone operating system, Windows Mobile. ... Read more

The iPod Classic may be an endangered species.

(Credit: Apple)

If you've read the stories on Apple's latest earnings, you may have noticed that Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer took the time to break out the sales of each model in the iPod franchise, which is seeing year-over-year declines for the first time in its history. In her piece, our own Erica Ogg wrote:

"During the third quarter, Apple sold 10.2 million iPods, compared with 11 million a year ago. It turns out that the shifting appeal of the Shuffle, Nano, and Classic model iPods are to blame. But Apple apparently saw this coming." She then goes on to quote Oppenheimer, who says those declining sales are "the reason we developed the iPod Touch. We expect our traditional MP3 players to decline over time as we cannibalize ourselves with iPod Touch and iPhone."

As rumors continue to circulate that Apple will introduce new iPod models this fall (as it traditionally has), the big question is whether the iPod Classic becomes the odd iPod out. In a recent MP3 Insider podcast, CNET editor Donald Bell points out that orders for new Samsung hard drives that would go into an updated Classic appear to be nonexistent, according to Ars Technica and Apple Insider. And shortly after the earnings were posted, TechCrunch writer MG Seigler asked whether the iPod as we know it is dying.

The prevailing bet among iPod followers is that the Classic may stick around for a little while, but it probably won't be upgraded and will be quietly put out to pasture. ... Read more

I got an e-mail over the weekend from a reader who read my earlier post, "Does the iPhone need a real keyboard?"

Ed writes:

What I would like to see is a portable keyboard for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This would be very helpful in meetings and/or traveling.

For what's essentially a minicomputer, a compact external keyboard would seem like a simple and logical accessory and would be especially appealing to those who haven't mastered--or aren't comfortable--typing on the iPhone's virtual keyboard, as good as it is. Travel-friendly, fold-up keyboards are available for the old Palm Pilots and Treos, but a quick search on Google reveals precious little on iPhone keyboards.

The $100 BTKeyMini is still in limbo.

(Credit: MacAlly)

Way back in January 2008, Macworld wrote up some notes from the now-defunct Macworld Expo under the headline, "A Bluetooth keyboard for the iPhone?" The article referenced the small MacAlly BTKeyMini Bluetooth keyboard ($100). At the time, MacAlly reps claimed that when the BTKeyMini arrived in March of 2008, it would be compatible with the iPhone. But alas, Apple has never provided Bluetooth keyboard drivers for the iPhone and the BTKeyMini has never shipped. A note on the Web site AValive, which sells the BTKeyMini, says:

The BTKey Mini for the Apple iPhone will not ship until Apple updates the iPhone to accept Bluetooth input. No date has been given as of yet. THE iPhone 3.0 UPDATE DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS PRODUCT.

Of course, the lack of Apple support hasn't stopped hackers from getting Bluetooth keyboards to work with the iPhone. Back in January of this year, Ars Technica had a report on the Bluetooth keyboard hacking efforts of iPhone expert Ralf Ackermann. And more recently, in March of this year, a couple engineers at Perceptive Development managed to connect an infrared keyboard to an iPhone using a 1,200-baud modem via the headphone port. iPhone Central called it, "One of the most unnecessarily complicated hacks in iPhone history." Ars Technica described it as "clever," partially because it didn't require a jailbroken iPhone.

So, there you have it, Ed. Yes, it would be nice if there was an external keyboard option for the iPhone--wireless or wired--but it looks like you're going to have to wait for Apple to decide it's ready to supply the drivers for it. ... Read more

Now that the iPhone 3G S is officially behind us, let me be the first--or at least one of the first--to announce the countdown to the next new iPhone. If history is any indication, it should show up right around this time next year.

Interestingly, even though the 3G S is technically Apple's third-generation iPhone, some tech pundits were expecting the iPhone 3G S to be called the iPhone 4G. But you could also argue that the iPhone 3G S is more like the iPhone 3.5G, which doesn't have the greatest ring.

There's also a chance that in between the iPhone 3G S and iPhone 4G (or whatever it's called), we might see a totally new branch of iPhone, something akin to an iPhone Mini or Lite.

I'm not sure Apple needs to answer to the smaller form factor of the Palm Pre, but there are some people out there who think the iPhone's just a tad too big. And there are some people who want a physical keyboard, but don't count on Apple slipping in a slide-out keyboard anytime soon.

Gizmodo and other blogs posted this concept art for the iPhone 4G before Apple announced the 3G S.

(Credit: Rodolphe Desmare)

All that said, I do think next year's iPhone will feature a new design that also includes a new screen. Some mock-ups floating around have suggested the aluminum unibody design of the new MacBooks. That's possible, but so are a host of other innovative industrial designs.

The point is, the next go-round, it's probably not enough to just stick with upgraded internal components. Some significant cosmetic changes will be required to differentiate the generations and more easily entice upgrades by existing iPod owners. And I'm not talking matte vs. shiny finish.

Ultimately, however, it's what's inside that counts and consumers are always wanting faster, more powerful smartphones with more memory that somehow manage to be more energy-efficient and offer better battery life. There's already talk of the next iPhone having a dual-core processor and better graphics chips that can deliver higher video resolutions and better still images when taking pictures (read Brooke Crothers' story on new ARM chips here).

The question is whether Apple can continue to increase battery life at the same time. In fact, one big reason a lot of people are interested in upgrading from the 3G to the 3G S is because of the improved battery life.

Beyond the hardware, there are still features concerns to address (everybody has their wishlist) and more importantly, carrier and pricing plan issues. Someday, some other carrier, perhaps Verizon, which is preparing to build out a 4G network, will get the iPhone. And someone, maybe Apple, will declare that iPhone the iPhone 4G. Or maybe it'll just be the 3G V. All I know is that come this time next year, we'll most likely be seeing a new iPhone. And it will be here before you know it.

Comments? Aside from a carrier choice, what are looking for in a true 4G iPhone?

The iPhone's new video capture and sharing may be a double-edged sword for YouTube.

(Credit: Apple)

With the introduction of the the new iPhone 3G S, one of the features iPhone aficionados are most excited about is the addition of video recording. Never mind that this feature has been available in a lot of other cell phones for a while; the point is, it's finally here, and that's a good thing, especially when Apple has taken the pocket camcorder concept to a whole new level with the integration of some basic onboard editing tools, geotagging, and, most importantly, a wireless distribution system that allows you to easily share your iPhone clips via e-mail, MMS, or by uploading them directly to YouTube (and MobileMe) with a touch of a button (see Apple's demo).

On the surface, this would appear to be excellent news for YouTube and should rather frighten Flip Video, which has seen its YouTube-friendly pocket camcorders take a nice chunk of the camcorder market (recent sales figures indicate that digital pocket models like the Flip, the Creative Vado HD, and the Kodak Zx1, have captured over 25 percent of the camcorder market in the U.S.). ... Read more

I usually follow a simple rule when it comes to consumer electronics: I avoid buying any first-generation products. That doesn't mean I haven't ever done it, but I tend to wait for generation two or three before I plunk down my dough, particularly when it comes to heavily hyped stuff.

As I've written before, I'm a prime candidate to buy the Palm Pre. I'm a Sprint customer who has a contract conveniently expiring in June and I have a phone (the Mogul) that's on its last legs. Ideally, the Pre would cost $50 less and not have a mail-in rebate, but at least Sprint didn't price the thing at a pure $299, as I'm sure it would have preferred to do. Pricing aside, the biggest hurdle I'm facing is the fact that the Palm Pre is a first-gen phone--and platform--and I'm really not a first-gen guy.

By contrast, the iPhone will be on its third generation and its platform is already fairly mature. We'll find out exactly how the new third-generation iPhone specs out at next week's WWDC event, but it's safe to assume that many of the small, nagging kinks that were found in earlier editions of the iPhone will have been ironed out. I don't expect it to be perfect (no phone ever will be, because there's always something better around the corner), but I feel pretty good about getting a lot more iPhone for my $199 than those who purchased the original non-3G model (which was originally $599--with contract!) or even the iPhone 3G.

Sometimes, of course, a brand new product can come along that's so far ahead of the pack that even the introductory version is too tempting to avoid. ... Read more

Laptop Hunter Sheila finds fault with the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

(Credit: Microsoft)

As we all know, Microsoft has been running its Laptop Hunters series of ads knocking Apple for the high price of its laptops and the features you get for the money. Our laptop editor, Dan Ackerman, regularly gives high marks to Apple's wares, and the company's 13-inch MacBook sits at the top of our Best 5 laptops list. In short, we're pretty happy with what Apple has to offer. But as good as its laptops are, Windows-based PCs do have a few leading-edge features not found in MacBooks.

Here's the list we came up with:

• Blu-ray: Whether you think it's a worthwhile feature or not, no Macs currently offer a Blu-ray drive. Last year, Steve Jobs referred to Blu-ray and its licensing process as a "bag of hurt," but recent rumors suggest that Apple may make a Blu-ray announcement at its World Wide Developers Conference next month. We'll have to wait and see whether it applies to notebooks.
• Memory card slots: In our book, being able to toss a memory card from your digital camera or camcorder into your notebook is a big convenience. We're seeing this on more Windows machines and it should be a standard feature across all laptops.
• HDMI out: Apple has gone with a Mini DisplayPort, which doesn't carry sound, instead of standard HDMI. (A Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter is available for about $20, but that's just another thing you have to carry around). Premium notebooks should feature an HDMI port so you can easily connect to an HDTV sans adapter.
• Biometric security: This is better known as fingerprint recognition. The ThinkPad I'm typing this on has built-in biometric security. No Macs offer this feature.
• WWAN mobile broadband support: A handful but growing number of Windows machines offer built-in connectivity to cellular data networks (naturally, there's a fee involved for service). AT&T and Verizon are offering discounted Netbooks with built-in high-speed data connectivity as those companies try to apply the cell phone model to laptops.
• More USB ports: This one is definitely at the bottom of the list, but it's worth mentioning that many Windows notebooks now come with three USB ports. The MacBook and MacBook Pro only have two, and the Macbook Air only has one. This can become an issue if you opt to use one of the USB ports for a cellular data accessory (no new Macs have a PC card slot, though MacBook Pros do offer the newer and arguably superior ExpressCard slot).

The other day, as I sat waiting for Jeff Bezos to appear in an auditorium to announce the new Kindle DX, I was surrounded by iPhones. Literally. Two people to my right, two people in front of me, and three people in back of me were all tapping out IMs or e-mails on their iPhones. What struck me was how awkward most of these people looked, tapping away with a single finger, laboring to type sentences just a few lines long.

Now I know some people can type quickly using the iPhone's virtual keyboard. A week earlier I'd witnessed a woman, her iPhone sitting on a table, taping with two fingers at a highly elevated rate (the rat-tat-tat of her typing on the table was quite noisy, which drew onlookers). But there are still a lot of people out there who just can't get used to typing on the iPhone. And many a BlackBerry user has told me she will never be able to switch to the iPhone because she needs a physical keyboard.

My wife is a case in point. She lives on her Blackberry and can type emails with astonishing speed. When she was required recently to get a "personal" cell phone separate from her work cell phone, she opted to get the exact same BlackBerry Curve on AT&T that she used for work--even though she could have gotten the iPhone for the same price (at least in terms of hardware costs). She's a BlackBerry user through and through, even after a couple of her BlackBerries broke (more on that in a minute).

I wouldn't be the first to suggest that Apple make a slider version of the iPhone that would incorporate a physical keyboard. On a lot of levels, it would make a lot of sense. Apple could do a so-called consumer version of the iPhone, as well as a model that had a slightly more corporate bent to take on BlackBerry directly in that market. (The BlackBerry Curve did outsell the iPhone last quarter).

However, the iPhone's virtual keyboard is tied into an overarching Apple design philosophy for the device, and chances are very slim Apple will alter the iPhone hardware beyond a few small tweaks. From a software standpoint, where the biggest changes will come, one of the key additions in iPhone 3.0 OS is native support for a landscape (horizontal) virtual keyboard, which would allow you to go to a more ergonomic two-thumbed approach and should make the overall typing experience significantly better. True, that functionality has been available for a while--but only through third-party apps that only a small minority of users download.

The rumored Motorola Android phone looks a lot like my dream iPhone.

(Credit: The Boy Genius Report )

Will having a native landscape mode for the virtual keyboard satisfy BlackBerry keyboard aficionados? Probably not. As good as Apple's virtual keyboard might be for a virtual keyboard you'll still have millions of people who only feel comfortable with a physical keyboard.

Personally, I'm partial to hard keyboards and I initially liked the slide-out keyboard on my Sprint Mogul, though I still miss the feel of the Blackberry keyboard on my ancient, e-mail-only BlackBerry 857. However, there is one big strike against physical keyboards: because you have moving parts involved, they tend to be plagued by mechanical failures over time. My Mogul keyboard is on the fritz, and some days I want to throw the phone against the wall (my contract is up in June, which is when I will replace it). Fellow editor John Falcone, who got his Mogul at around the same time I did, is also having problem with his keyboard, which leads me to believe many physical keyboards simply have a limited lifespan. In the case of the Mogul, which is made by HTC, the problem may involve the sliding mechanism and the connection between the keyboard and the phone's motherboard--not necessarily the keys themselves.

Blackberry keyboards tend to be pretty durable. But my wife's scroll wheel on two her older Blackberries died from heavy use. Apparently, this problem was widespread because in future devices Blackberry moved to a trackball in the Curve. But it, too, can develop problems over time as dust and dirt from your fingers clog things up--just like with a computer trackball.

Clearly, by going with a virtual keyboard--and a pure touch interface--Apple and AT&T have managed to avoid customer-service headaches related to the breakdown of broken parts associated with physical keyboards, navigational joysticks, trackballs, or scroll wheels. When an iPhone gets screwed up, it tends to involve a bum battery, some form of mysterious internal glitch that causes intermittent freezes/shutdowns or battery drains--or someone just dropping the phone. At least those are the problems I hear about.

But even as I point out the downsides to physical keyboards, I'd still opt for an iPhone with a slide-out "hard" keyboard if given the choice. That's part of the reason why I'll take a long look at the Palm Pre when it comes out around the same time the third-generation iPhone does (both are expected to arrive in June) and anything new and interesting BlackBerry has on tap.

What do you guys think? Any iPhone owners still struggling with the keyboard? Or is it just fine the way it is and will only get better with a native landscape mode?