The end of an era: Dell stops making netbooks

Netbooks, once the cheap portables spotted at coffee shops everywhere, have become so uncool that they are near extinction. Case in point: Dell is saying sayonara to its consumer netbook business.

Dell will stop producing its Inspiron Mini line of netbooks and has no plans to release any devices in the mini notebook category, the company told The Verge.

The company is now focusing its attention on pricier Ultrabooks, the red hot new category of … Continue Reading

Asus looks to Chrome OS/Android for $200 netbook

Computer manufacturer Asus is betting there’s still a pot of gold to be found in the netbook market, despite decline due to growing competition from tablet computing devices.

The company will team up with Intel on a $200-$250 light-weight netbook featuring either Google’s Chrome operating system or Android Honeycomb 3.0, according to a Digitimes report based on sources from an Asus components maker.

The line of netbooks, the report states, will target people seeking a … Continue Reading

Dell is again number two in the PC market, with a little help from iPad

Dell CEO Michael Dell probably doesn’t mind the success of iPad. According to market analyst IHS iSuppli, strong iPad sales in the fourth quarter of 2010 helped Dell to overtake Acer as the number 2 PC maker in the world.

Acer was suffering from declining netbook sales — people who previously bought netbooks started looking into tablet computers such as Apple’s iPad. The momentum for consumer PCs, Acers strong segment, is waning. Meanwhile, corporate demand … Continue Reading

Acer's new tablets a step in phasing out netbooks

Goodbye netbook, hello tablet.

Taiwanese computer maker Acer is phasing out its netbook series of ultra-small computers with the forthcoming release of new Android tablets, which are due in the first half of 2011, according to a Computerworld report.

Acer’s announcement marks for the company a move away from the netbook-style computer — a category which helped fuel Acer’s rapid growth and profitability — in favor of the tablet.

Tablets are seen as a vital … Continue Reading

MacBook Air review: a laptop that blurs the line between work and play

The lines between work and play have blurred in the always-on, digital online age. Smartphones, netbooks, tablets, and other gadgets make it much easier to do work while you’re supposed to be on the run or taking it easy. And they also make it easier to goof off when you’re supposed to be working.

The new MacBook Air from Apple is one of the devices that sits right at this intersection of work and play. … Continue Reading

HP says rival tablet sales weakened laptop revenues; confirms HP tablet coming

During Hewlett-Packard‘s analyst conference call today, the company acknowledged that strong sales of rival tablet computers (such as the Apple iPad) have hurt sales of notebook computers.

HP hit its overall earnings, but the growth was driven by enterprise growth, not consumer sales.

Todd Bradley, head of the consumer-focused Personal Systems Group at HP, said on the earnings call that HP saw a slow start to the back-to-school season in consumer computer sales. He said … Continue Reading

Intel debuts new Atom chips for razor-thin netbooks

During Hewlett-Packard‘s analyst conference call today, the company acknowledged that strong sales of rival tablet computers (such as the Apple iPad) have hurt sales of notebook computers.

HP hit its overall earnings, but the growth was driven by enterprise growth, not consumer sales.

Todd Bradley, head of the consumer-focused Personal Systems Group at HP, said on the earnings call that HP saw a slow start to the back-to-school season in consumer computer sales. He said … Continue Reading

AT&T raising early termination fee to $325 for smartphones and netbooks

During Hewlett-Packard‘s analyst conference call today, the company acknowledged that strong sales of rival tablet computers (such as the Apple iPad) have hurt sales of notebook computers.

HP hit its overall earnings, but the growth was driven by enterprise growth, not consumer sales.

Todd Bradley, head of the consumer-focused Personal Systems Group at HP, said on the earnings call that HP saw a slow start to the back-to-school season in consumer computer sales. He said … Continue Reading

Steve Jobs is back — he's leading Apple's netbook efforts, says WSJ

During Hewlett-Packard‘s analyst conference call today, the company acknowledged that strong sales of rival tablet computers (such as the Apple iPad) have hurt sales of notebook computers.

HP hit its overall earnings, but the growth was driven by enterprise growth, not consumer sales.

Todd Bradley, head of the consumer-focused Personal Systems Group at HP, said on the earnings call that HP saw a slow start to the back-to-school season in consumer computer sales. He said … Continue Reading

Android netbooks on their way, likely by 2010

During Hewlett-Packard‘s analyst conference call today, the company acknowledged that strong sales of rival tablet computers (such as the Apple iPad) have hurt sales of notebook computers.

HP hit its overall earnings, but the growth was driven by enterprise growth, not consumer sales.

Todd Bradley, head of the consumer-focused Personal Systems Group at HP, said on the earnings call that HP saw a slow start to the back-to-school season in consumer computer sales. He said … Continue Reading