October 26th, 2009

Planning to install Windows 7 on your netbook, here's a couple tips

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 9:10 am

Categories: Microsoft, Netbook, On the road, Ultra portable PC

Tags: Microsoft Windows XP, Netbook, Microsoft Windows 7, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Microsoft Windows, Hardware, Operating Systems, Software, Matthew Miller

The computers in my office run Windows XP and there are no current plans to upgrade to Windows 7 anytime soon since XP provides a stable platform for us to run our engineering programs. I have a MacBook Pro I use as my primary writing and photo/video management computer and have been thinking about upgrading to the latest version of Parallels to run Windows 7 since the dual boot solution supporting Windows 7 is not yet available from Apple. I also have a MSI Wind netbook that I use primarily for my Zune and Nokia syncing needs. I previously tried a very early beta of Windows 7 on the netbook and understand the final release version of 7 runs quite nicely on these Intel Atom powered computers. I plan to install Windows 7 on this netbook soon, but there are a few steps to take before doing so that are made a bit more difficult for these computers without an optical drive.

Since Windows 7 offers no real upgrade path from XP and you have to wipe out everything, the first thing I need to do is backup all the Zune music I purchased using my monthly 10 free song credits. I plan to use my external Maxtor 750 GB drive to transfer the music from the Wind to this drive and then back again after installing Windows 7. I do not use the Wind for photo editing or storage so there is really not much else I care about wiping out on the device. I also want to caution you that many services have a limited number of PCs you can use to manage devices and wiping out XP and installing Windows 7 will in most cases count as two separate computers. I have seen this with the Sony Reader desktop software, iTunes, and Zune Marketplace so make sure you go through and deauthorize your existing computer with all of these services before you wipe it clean.

I then plan to use a USB flash drive to install Windows 7 following Kevin’s guidance on how to install Windows 7 on a netbook with no optical drive. I recommend you check out Sascha Segan’s recent article on Five Key Tips for Installing Windows 7 on Netbooks, since he also mentions installing from a USB stick and troubles he had with this method and with using an external DVD drive.

If you buy a new netbook, you are most likely to find it loaded with Windows 7 Starter Edition and as pointed out on the Windows Team Blog there are a few limitations with this version compared to Home, Professional, and Ultimate. These include no support for Aero Glass, limited personalization of the desktop, no multi-monitor support, no DVD playback support out of the box, no XP mode, and no remote media streaming. For netbook users these may not be limitations at all and honestly I could probably live with them all as well. I do have a copy of Ultimate though so plan to try that out on the MSI Wind.

Have any readers installed Windows 7 on their netbook and if so, are you finding it is worth the upgrade from XP on these small notebooks?

UPDATE: I backed up all my files and then installed Windows 7 Ultimate on my MSI Wind via my USB DVD drive and it was a flawless and simple installation experience. I now have my Zune software up and running and am finishing up the Office 2007 install. So far it looks great on my MSI Wind U100 with 2GB of RAM.

October 23rd, 2009

MobileTechRoundup show #187, Windows 7, B&N Nook, Nokia N900

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 7:39 am

Categories: Gadgets, Kindle, Linux, Microsoft, MoTR podcast, Mobile software, Netbook, Nokia, Ultra portable PC, ebooks

Tags: MobileTechRoundup, Nokia Corp., News, Microsoft Windows 7, E-books, Microsoft Windows, Personal Technology, Operating Systems, Software, Matthew Miller

Listen here (MP3, 30.4 MB, 33:05 minutes)

Subscribe to the show with this link (RSS)

Windows 7 was the big news of the week and James, Kevin, and I started off MobileTechRoundup show #186 talking about this latest Microsoft operating system. Hopefully James doesn’t really go try to eat a Burger King Whopper 7 today. I talked a bit more about the Nokia N900 now that I have had this mobile Linux computer for almost 2 weeks. The other big news of the week was the Barnes & Noble Nook and James sounds like he is as excited as me, although I am the only one who placed a pre-order so far. Amazon didn’t want to be left out of the ebook news and also announced Kindle for PC this week.

October 14th, 2009

Dual boot Android/XP Acer netbook available for pre-order

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 8:00 am

Categories: Gadgets, Linux, Microsoft, Netbook, Open Handset Alliance, Ultra portable PC

Tags: Dual Boot, Netbook, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Hardware, Matthew Miller

I’ve been pretty pleased with my MSI Wind netbook and use it to manage my Zune content and sync up devices that do not work natively with my Mac. I am also a fan of the Android operating system so I was intrigued to read over on Android Central that the dual boot Acer Aspire One D250 is now available for Amazon pre-order for $349.99. This 10.1 inch netbook can be booted into either Windows XP or the Google Android operating system and has a reported 9 hour battery life (with wireless and in “normal” working mode you will probably see 5 hours or so).

I have not yet seen the Android OS running on a netbook device and am interested in seeing how it will be presented and used on such a form factor. I know on my T-Mobile G1 and the HTC Hero it is highly focused on the connected data of the phone and am not sure how that will play out on a notebook. The Aspire One D250 has great specs for a netbook and is priced quite reasonably. Some of the specs include:

* 10.1-inch LED-backlit CrystalBrite screen (1024 x 600 resolution)
* Unique dual-boot operating system lets you choose between Windows XP (SP3) or Google Android
* 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 processor
* Up to 9 hours of battery life with included 6-cell battery
* Multi-gesture Touchpad for circular-motion scrolling, pinch-action zoom, and page flip
* 160 GB hard drive (5400 RPM)
* 1 GB DDR2 RAM (533 MHz; 2 GB maximum capacity)
* Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 video processor
* Crystal Eye webcam supports Acer PrimaLite technology
* 84-key keyboard, 89 percent of standard-size with 12 function keys, WLAN switch
* 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
* Bluetooth 2.1 radio
* 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals–from digital cameras to MP3 players
* Analog video output: 1 VGA
* Multi-in-1 memory card reader compatible with MultiMediaCard, Reduced-Size MultiMediaCard, Secure Digital, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO or xD-Picture Card
* 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
* Stereo speakers and optimized Dolby Headphone technology for 5.1-channel audio
* Dimensions: 10.17 x 8.04 x 1 inches (WxDxH)
* Weight: 2.79 pounds

The multi-gesture touchpad looks interesting and I look forward to reading reviews to see if that is supported in both Windows XP and the Android OS. At this price I am seriously thinking of moving from my MSI Wind to this dual boot setup, but first want to see if there is any benefit to having the Android OS on a notebook device.

October 13th, 2009

Nokia Booklet 3G coming mid-November for $299 and $599

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 8:53 am

Categories: Gadgets, Microsoft, Netbook, Nokia

Tags: Nokia Corp., Battery, 3G, Engineering, Cellular Phones, Wireless And Mobility, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Matthew Miller

As I posted back in August I am not much of a fan of Nokia getting into the PC market with its Booklet 3G. I am sure it will be a rock solid piece of desirable hardware, but it will also be very expensive. Today, Engadget posted news from Nokia and AT&T that the Booklet 3G will come in at $299 with a 2-year contract and $60/month data plan. There should be shorter term higher prices being announced eventually, but for now they are trying to focus on the $299 price. Engadget stated that the non-subsidized price is going to be $599, which is actually lower than I thought it would be by a couple hundred dollars.

While $599 is on the high end for a netbook, the Nokia Booklet 3G has a rated 12 hour battery life and Nokia states that this is a real battery life number and not just one for the books. You should be able to pre-order pick up the Nokia Booklet 3G on 22 October to coincide with the launch of Windows 7. With the larger display than my MSI Wind, I may actually have to check one out to see if selling my Wind and picking up a non-subsidized Booklet 3G makes sense.

UPDATE: I received the official press release and the Booklet 3G is expected to be in stores mid-November with preorders starting on 22 October.

August 24th, 2009

Is Nokia losing focus by now expanding into the PC market with the Booklet 3G?

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 7:35 am

Categories: Gadgets, Microsoft, Netbook, Nokia, Ultra portable PC

Tags: Nokia Corp., PC, Netbook, Nokia World 2009, Nokia Booklet 3G, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, 3G, Cellular Phones, Wireless And Mobility, Hardware

Nokia World 2009 is being held in Germany next week and to whet your appetite Nokia just announced the upcoming Nokia Booklet 3G, a Windows netbook competitor. We have seen rumors about Nokia coming out with some kind of notebook device with speculation that it could be running Android or even Maemo. The Nokia Booklet 3G is a Windows netbook powered by an Intel Atom processor.

Other known specifications include:

• 12 hours of battery life
• Integrated 3G/HSPA and WiFi connectivity
• HDMI video out port
• Front facing webcam
• Bluetooth radio
• SD card reader
• 10-inch display
• Integrated A-GPS receiver
• Ovi integration

More specifications, availability, and pricing will be announced next week so we will keep an eye out on this news.

This mini-notebook appears to have specs similar to most other leading netbooks and I will be very curious to see where pricing comes in and if it is too high I can’t imagine it doing very well, even if it is built with outstanding Nokia quality. I would rather see Nokia devote resources to making capacitive touch screen smartphones with a user interface to compete with the iPhone, Android, and WebOS devices since the netbook market is already flooded with competitors at very low prices. Nokia’s worldwide smartphone market share has been falling every quarter for quite some time and it would be nice to see them focus on their core market. What do you think about this device?

August 3rd, 2009

Always Innovating Touch Book hybrid device now shipping

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 9:49 am

Categories: Gadgets, Netbook, Ultra portable PC

Tags: Touch Book, Tablets, Keyboards, Notebooks, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Peripherals, Matthew Miller

I have jumped between slate Tablet PCs, convertible Tablet PCs, and netbooks in the past and it really came down to the familiar form factor and easy text input of a physical keyboard that won me over with my MSI Wind. If you are one of those that sees the benefits of both form factors and can’t decide then you may want to pick up the Always Innovating Touch Book device that is now shipping to buyers. The Touch Book is a hybrid device that appears to be a netbook, but transforms into a slate tablet when the display is lifted up and off of the cradle.

Specifications of the Always Innovating Touch Book include:

• Custom Linux-based operating system
• Texas Instruments OMAP3530 with Micron 256MB (RAM) + 256MB (NAND) Memory
• 8.9 inches 1024×600 pressure sensitive touchscreen display
• Main storage: 8GB SD card — we decided to change from Micro SD to standard SD, so that you can easily upgrade it
• Internal USB wifi 802.11 b/g/n powered by a Ralink 3070 chipset
• Internal USB bluetooth class 2.1
• US Qwerty 24cm-large keyboard — around 95% of the size of a standard keyboard
• Cirque Touchpad
• Two Owolff high-quality internal stereo speakers
• 3D accelerometer
• Two internal batteries 6000 and 12000 mAh — it can be replaced with a screw driver
• 7 USB ports: three external, four internal, three of them may be reserved for wifi, bluetooth and keyboard
• Bi-color silver/black case with a dark-red back cover
• Secured attachment system of tablet into keyboard
• Independent magnet system for the tablet

As you can see on their site there is a large backlog so those who first pre-ordered the device will get it while others may have to wait longer.

The device sells for $299 (for tablet only) and $399 (with the keyboard).

July 7th, 2009

Google Chrome OS announced, It should just work

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 11:04 pm

Categories: Linux, Mobile software, Netbook, On the road, Ultra portable PC, mobile services

Tags: Google Inc., Operating System, Google Chrome, Netbook, Google Chrome OS, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Operating Systems, Hardware, Software, Matthew Miller

We knew it was only a matter of time before Google launched their own competing operating system and with all of the applications and services they have it was a fairly natural progression. Tonight, Google announced the upcoming Google Chrome OS is an open source operating system primarily intended to be rolled out on netbooks. Google stated that netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available the second half of 2010 so we still have about a year before we see it in action. I have a MSI Wind netbook and enjoy running Windows XP on it, but since I also thoroughly enjoy the Google Chrome browser and many of their services I am very interested in seeing Google Chrome OS running on this device.

Google stated that the OS is designed to be fast and lightweight so you can get to the Internet in seconds. It appears to be highly focused on the “cloud” which makes sense given that Google provides so many cloud services at this time.

I particularly like to hear this statement, “We are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.” Isn’t that what we all want?

Google also made sure to mention Android in their announcement and attempts to distinguish it from Google Chrome OS. Even after reading their statement (copied below) a few times I still don’t really see much of a difference between the two. It seems to me that people with Android smartphones spend most of their time on the web too.

Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android. Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks. Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems. While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google.

Competition in the mobile space is usually always good since it makes everyone who wants to compete push to turn out better products and I am excited to see what the Google Chrome Operating System brings us in 2010, are you?

July 7th, 2009

Sony announces $499 Vaio W netbook

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 6:50 am

Categories: Netbook, On the road, Ultra portable PC

Tags: Sony Corp., Sony Vaio, Netbook, Sony Vaio W, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Desktops, Hardware, Matthew Miller

Andrew wrote about the arrival of the 99 cent netbook yesterday and today we hear about the $499 netbook from Sony. The 99 cent netbook really is the much pricier model because you have to combine that with a whopping $60/month data access fee (you do get wireless data access from a carrier too). While the new Sony model is a bit expensive for a netbook today, it is actually the lowest price Sony laptop available. Sony previously launched their Vaio P ultra portable notebook, but that was priced at $899 and had a rather unique form factor.

The Sony Vaio W has the following specifications:

• 10.1 inch 1366×768 LED backlit display
• 160GB hard drive
• 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor
• 1GB RAM
• Windows XP operating system
• Bluetooth
• 802.11 b/g/n WiFi
• VGA out port
• Two USB ports
• Ethernet port
• Integrated webcam
• MemoryStick/SD card reader (of course)
• 3-cell battery good for reported three hours

The keyboard is listed as 86% full size. While Sony is known for high quality products, I am not sure the price will be competitive given that there are so many other high quality alternatives available in 2nd, 3rd, and more generation from ASUS, MSI, and others.

The Sony Vaio W should be available in August for $499 and available in pink, white, and brown. Thanks to Engadget for the press release and press image.

April 29th, 2009

Try the REDFLY Mobile Viewer software and you may fly to Hawaii

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 8:36 am

Categories: Mobile software, Netbook, On the road, Ultra portable PC, Windows Mobile

Tags:

I mentioned the public beta availability of the REDFLY Mobile Viewer software that allows you to control and access your Windows Mobile device on your PC. If you download the REDFLY Mobile Viewer software and complete their survey you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win 2 free round-trip airline tickets from anywhere in the continental US to Hawaii.

If you download the software from now until 1 June, then an email with the survey invitation will be sent to you within 7 days of downloading the installer. If you have already downloaded the beta, then you should received an email with the survey invitation before 6 May. Check out the Celio blog for all the contest details.

Have any readers tried this on their netbook or Windows PC and if so, what do you think about it?

April 8th, 2009

CTIA 09: REDFLY Mobile Viewer free beta available now

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 9:25 am

Categories: Gadgets, Mobile software, Netbook, On the road, Smartphone, Windows Mobile

Tags: Microsoft Windows Mobile, Mobile, PC, Beta, CTIA, Windows Mobile Client, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Tools & Techniques, Handhelds

Back in January, Celio Corp showed off their up and coming REDFLY PC software that would let you use your existing PC to connect to your Windows Mobile device and access it just like you would from the REDFLY Mobile Companion. I was at CTIA last week and Celio announced that the REDFLY Mobile Viewer software is now available to download for free public beta testing. I plan to take it for a spin on my MSI Wind and will post a video of it in action here soon. Prior to attending CTIA and seeing the software in action first hand and talking with the folks at Celio I have to say I wasn’t quite sure why someone would want or need this on a laptop or PC, but I had a moment there were I “got” it and think there are some benefits to the software for Windows Mobile owners.

The REDFLY Mobile Viewer runs on Windows XP and Vista computers and lets you fully control your Windows Mobile device. Now, for things such as web browsing and Office documents it doesn’t seem to make much sense to use a less powerful software application from your phone. However, it will help me with my work Exchange account since there is currently no way for us to setup Outlook on our home computers to access our Exchange server and you either have to VPN in or use the OWA version in a browser. The Windows Mobile client is much more convenient and powerful (compared to the OWA functionality) so I plan to use my Windows Mobile phone and the REDFLY Mobile Viewer to handle work email with a full sized keyboard at home.

I also have teenage daughters and text message quite a bit with them. While the keyboards on my Treo Pro and HTC Fuze are quite good, it is still easier to use a full sized PC keyboard to enter text quickly. With the REDFLY software I can connect my Windows Mobile device and run text messaging in a small window on my PC and keep my work and personal lives separate.

People have also been asking Celio if this software would cannibalize REDFLY Mobile Companion sales and they answer this in a new blog post.

Can you think of other scenarios where the REDFLY Mobile Viewer software will useful for you?