Follow us on TwitterDeal of the Day – 12/9/09 – Fujitsu M2010: $289.99
Posted by Tom Greer on December 9, 2009 in Falling Prices, Fujitsu Netbooks
While supplies last, J&R Computer World is offering a super deal. They have slashed the price on the Fujitsu M2010 netbook, which lists for $399.99, down to $289.99.
Fujitsu laptops are highly regarded for the robustness of their build quality. Their products normally are priced accordingly, above the average price of competitors – which makes this an especially, special deal.
| Fujitsu M2010 10.1" N280 160GB 6-Cell XP | |||
 | 10.1" Display (1024x576), 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 Processor, Intel GMA945GSE, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 1.3 MP Webcam, 802.11b/g, 6-Cell Battery, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, 2.8 lbs. | Today's Best Deal Red  $289.99 | |
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Netbooks Are Here To Stay
Posted by Tom Greer on December 9, 2009 in Netbook Market
A few days ago, I discovered that the search volume for “netbook” had exceeded “notebook” for the first time. I have to admit, I was surprised. When I performed my query on Google Trends, I thought search volume might be going down.
I have had a running dialog with friends over whether the term “netbook” will turn out to be a fad. Some of them argued that netbooks were tied to a specific mold: small, cheap laptops designed around Atom processors. The fad proponents forecasted that Microsoft would prod the laptop manufacturers to move away from netbooks (because Microsoft can’t make money on Windows 7 Starter Edition) – and that the manufacturers would gladly comply because margins on larger laptops were better. In other words, everyone wins – except the consumer.
I was starting to buy into this concept. With the introduction of Windows 7, we have also seen a slew of new and different small laptops based on different CPUs, different graphics adapters, more memory, larger disk drives – and many of these are being called laptops (not netbooks) by the OEMs.
So, what changed my mind?
“Netbook” USA Search Volume Exceeds “Notebook”
Posted by Tom Greer on December 7, 2009 in Netbook Market
During November, more the volume of searches on the term “netbook” exceeded the volume of searches for “notebook” for the first time.
Here is a chart from Google Trends.
Google Trends 2009 USA Only Chart
It appears that the crossover took place around Black Friday and is tied to a surge in search activity related to the increase in shopping.
Of course, the search volume on “laptop” (not shown here), still exceeds these.
What make this interesting, is that it occured at a time when Microsoft and PC manufacturers are working hard to move the focus away from netbooks to laptops, where the margins are better.
One other observation, this trend is only local to the USA.
Falling Netbook Prices – 12/5/09
Posted by Tom Greer on December 5, 2009 in Falling Prices
Here is today’s list of netbooks where the price has recently dropped by $5.00 or more. For each one, we will show you who has the best deal today.
Think Twice Before Buying a Netbook with Windows 7
Posted by Tom Greer on December 4, 2009 in Operating Systems
The introduction of Windows 7 has complicated the choices when purchasing a netbook. It used to be a simple choice. Want a netbook with Microsoft Windows? The only choice was XP Home Edition.
If you look at the today’s netbook offerings, you will find three groups:
- Windows XP Home Edition
- Windows 7 Starter Edition
- Windows 7 Home Premium Edition (of which there are 32 and 64 bit flavors)
Why two different versions of Windows 7? Price, of course!
Laptop Reliability Comparison
Posted by Tom Greer on December 4, 2009 in Netbook Market
In my last article, I discussed a study on laptop failure rates published by Square Trade, an independent warranty provider that compared netbook reliability to laptops.
Included in the same report, was a breakdown of the reliability of laptops across all of the major brands. Here is a chart included in the report (click to expand).
Study: 5.8% of Netbooks Fail During First Year
Posted by Tom Greer on December 2, 2009 in Netbooks
Square Trade, an independent warranty provider, has published a study on laptop failure rates. The study, which includes netbooks, concludes that netbooks fail at a rate of 5.8% during their first year. They say that this is is about 20% higher than the laptop failure rate during the same period.
I am always a bit skeptical when a study is published by a company who stands to benefit from the conclusions. After all, if Square Trade can make the failure rates sound scarily high, then they can sell more warranties. So let’s look at this in more depth.
What Is Future for Netbooks?
Posted by Tom Greer on September 2, 2009 in Netbook Market
At Netbook Scoop, we’ve been spending some time contemplating what the future holds for netbooks. We thought we’d share our thoughts with you.
A Quick History of Netbooks
You can’t divine the future without an understanding of where have been and where you are. So let’s do a quick recap on netbook history.
Asus Eee PC 700-Series Netbook
While the inspiration for netbooks can be traced to the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative, the first commercial netbook was the Asus Eee PC 700-series. With a 7-inch display, underpowered Celeron M processor, 2-4 GB solid state drive, a tiny keyboard and a price around $300, it was an instant hit when it was first shipped in early 2008.
All of the early netbooks had Linux operating systems. When it became obvious that netbooks were going to be hugely popular, Microsoft responded by announcing a special licensing program of Windows XP for Ultra-Low Cost PCs (April 2008). To qualify for this special XP license, Microsoft placed restrictions on the hardware. Over time, Microsoft has expanded the list of qualifying hardware.
Around mid-year 2008, netbooks with Intel Atom processors were introduced. These netbooks were much more powerful, ran cooler and required less power. Intel also placed restrictions on the hardware in which Atom processors could be used.
Why do Microsoft and Intel restrict netbook hardware? Profits, of course. Microsoft is rumored to be making only $15 per netbook XP license. Intel makes a lot less profit from Atom processors and chipsets compared to full laptop CPUs.
Today’s Netbook Market
Our short history lesson explains why almost every netbook has the same basic configuration: Intel Atom N270/280 processor, Intel GMA 500/950 graphics, 160 GB hard drive, 1 GB RAM, etc.
Netbooks have been artificially constrained to these specs for over a year. It is obvious to us that this situation can’t and won’t last much longer.
Buy.com giving away Samsung N310
Posted by Steve Greer on August 26, 2009 in Netbook Market, Netbooks
Are you interested in the Samsung N310? I was out on Buy.com today and noticed that they are giving away a Samsung Go. The offer expires on October 16, 2009.
Samsung N310
Just click on the link below to see more details.