The Four-eyed Journal » Netbooks

Google Chrome OS Demo

jhay — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:00:27 +0000

Google has just introduced Google Chrome OS, it’s Chrome running on top of a Linux kernel intended for use with netbooks and netbook users who do everything on the Internet.

Here’s a demo video of Chrome OS, I suggest using your headphones because it’s an 11-minute video and the audio volume is quite low.

I have just one question, what happens if lose my connection to the Internet?

Sony Vaio PCs come with Google Chrome

jhay — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:42:53 +0000

In its latest effort to gain a bigger share of the web browser market, Google has forged a partnership with Sony in which the latter’s PCs will ship with Google Chrome pre-installed, instead of Internet Explorer. The Financial Times reports:

Google confirmed that Sony PCs carrying Chrome had started to go on sale and said it was in talks for similar deals with other computer makers. It said the arrangement was “experimental” and part of wider efforts to boost distribution, including a deal to make Chrome available to internet users who download the RealPlayer software and the company’s first use of television advertising.

Who could resist the world’s most powerful web right? With a reported 2% share of the current web browser market, Google definitely needs to step up its efforts it if wants to dethrone IE as the world’s number web browser.

But what really interested me is this remark by Google executives as mentioned in the FT report:

Google executives express frustration at what they consider a lack of interest among internet users about browsers. “Awareness is shockingly low” given how much people rely on browsers, said Mr Rakowski. “It’s absolutely a problem that people don’t know what a browser is, or how to evaluate one.”

I believe this could be attributed to the fact that IE has been shipped with almost every version of Windows for years which gave Microsoft all the leverage it needed to capture the web browser market from the beginning. Others simply needed to be bold, creative and daring to be of serious competition to IE.

Will this partnership with Sony help Google Chrome grow its share of the web browser market? It remains to be seen, but for now, it is a step in the positive direction.

512GB SSD from Toshiba

jhay — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 02:23:03 +0000

Netbook lovers would rejoice about this news. The Inquirer.net reports an announcement from Toshiba that they would soon be releasing solid-state drives with a capacity of 512GB, an industry-first according to experts.

The company’s NAND flash SSD series built using 43nm technology will also include 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacity devices that will be available as both SSD Flash Modules and 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch drive enclosures.

Toshiba says its second generation MLC SSDs have an advanced controller that achieves higher read/write speeds, faster parallel data transfers and better wear leveling than first generation SSDs to optimise performance, reliability and endurance.

It claims its latest drives offer maximum sequential read speed of 240MBps and maximum sequential write speed of 200MBps to enable faster system booting and application loading times. The drives also support AES data encryption to prevent unauthorised data access.

512GB of storage for your netbook, that would be suweet! However, netbook lovers would have to wait for a little while because Toshiba will make the new SSDs available in 2009.

Question now is, how much would these drives cost? More so, what response would be coming from chip-maker Intel about this new high-capacity SSD?

Win an HP 2133 Mini Notebook with Smart Bro

jhay — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:24:24 +0000

Here’s something that may influence the choice others in choosing which mobile internet solution to sign up for, Smart Bro is giving an HP 2133 Mini Notebook via raffle.

All you have to do is simply load up Php30.00 into your Smart Bro account and this will earn you 1 raffle entry. Of course the more you load the more raffle entries you earn, like Php60 load gets you 2 tickets; Php100 for 3 tickets; Php300 gets you 10 tickets and Php500 for 16 raffle tickets.

If you don’t have a Smart Bro prepaid kit you could get one for Php2,500.00 which is half of what it used to be.

Raffle draws will be done weekly with one daily winner until December 13, 2008.

To join, subscribers must first activate and register their SMART Bro Prepaid account in SMART Web Connect.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 coming this October

jhay — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:06:32 +0000

Dell laptop lovers will definitely be happy now that the company has entered the netbook segment with their own Dell Inspiron Mini 9.

Dell Insipiron Mini 9

Atom 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM and 16GB SSD
Windows XP Home or Dell customized Ubuntu-Linux
8.9-inch display screen (1024×600 pixel resolution)
Bluetooth
1.3MP Webcam
Built-in WiFi
2.2lbs

Price ranges from Php20,000 to Php25,000 according to upgrades and various specs. The Dell Inspiron Mini 9 will be launched this coming September 17, 2008 at the Ayala Museum in Greenbelt 4. The netbook itself will be available in local stores this coming October.

Here are more photos: