Author: Greg

It’s Been a Long Time…

…since I have written a post, and a VERY long time since I’ve written about my personal passion, the net book.

Without being too cocky I do believe that I called this one right.  The net book (or as they call it on BuzzOutLoud the not-book) has taken the market by storm and is quickly populating Starbucks everywhere.

I’ve been asked by several teachers and parents to recommend a netbook.  Though I don’t feel comfortable recommending a specific product, I want to write a scenic overview from which you can take whatever you want.

Though several companies make these machines (I am waiting for the Fisher-Price netbook any day – the Pampers netbook?) i think there are three main players and two alternates in the field. Here are the big three in no particular order:

1.  The Asus eee PC

eee

Asus was first to the game and have developed the form to where it is now.  The most confusing thing about the eee is that they have released SO MANY MODELS!  One needs to look at the stats very carefully when ordering in order to get what you want.

The eee is available at Amazon, where you can probably find the best selection and good prices.  If you are impatient, it is also available at Target, though they will only have one or two models

2.  The Acer Aspire One

acer
Acer Aspire One

Full disclosure here, I have not yet touched an Aspire.  I have included it in this discussion based primarily on reviews I have read and the general reputation of the machine. Depending on model, the Acer is probably the least expensive for a quality product. The Acer can be purchased online and at Walmart stores as well as all the usual online sources.

3.  The Dell Latitude Mini

Dell Inspiron Mini
Dell Inspiron Mini

Dell was later into the netbook field, but they have entered with a strong machine.  The keyboard is probably the most comfortable of the three.  It is slightly more expensive than the others, but still a great deal.  I haven’t seen this machine available anywhere but directly through Dell, so you can’t try before you buy (of course we have one here if you want to look at it).

There are two other names in the field, the MSI Wind and the HP Mini-note. I


Two Interesting Developments

I regularly follow about a dozen technology-related blogs. Most of it is a mind-numbing bore (I can’t bear to read another analysis of the Microsoft/Yahoo deal!). However, occasionally I see something of interest. This week I saw two things that might have real future implications for our program at Mater Dei.

  • I’ve actually been hearing about this for a while, but this week I saw this short video demonstrating a projector built in to a cell phone. I’m not sure about the classroom implications for this, but I like the idea that presentation will become more portable and less formal. Here’s the link (luckily this video doesn’t get blocked by school filters!
  • There are rumors going around that HP is going to release an ultra-mobile PC similar to the eee. Here’s the link.  Though the article discloses no details, I was intrigued by this quote from a source at HP, “you won’t even need to consider this purchase. You’ll buy it like a handphone without a thought”. If we get to that price point (probably between $200-$300) the computer becomes a “disposable” commodity. The other interesting thing for me was the claim that this new machine will offer significant improvement in battery life; music to my ears!

Well, I’ll be watching for these products. If you see things that you imagine having a school-side application, post the URL here or on the Ning site.