Have Laptop Will Travel

Google Chrome OS: First Look

Originally posted on November 20, 2009 @ 3:43 am

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I’ve been totally excited about Chrome OS for some time now, and I was eagerly looking forward to the big yesterday. But the screenshots that came out left me with a feeling of “that’s it?!”

Okay, I knew all along that Chrome OS will be cloud-based and that you won’t be able to do much with it without an internet connection. Fair enough. I just wasn’t expecting that they’d turn out this uninspired design that looks no different from Chrome, the browser. [Read more…]

MSI Wind U230 rocks a dual core AMD Neo CPU

Originally posted on November 4, 2009 @ 10:00 am

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Aha, looks like my dream of owning a netbook running a dual-core CPU is slowly coming true. You see, the MSI Wind U230 was quietly released, rocking a 12.1-inch screen and a dual core AMD Neo X2 processor.

Specs, you say? Here you go:

  • Display: 12.1 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel screen
  • CPU: AMD Yukon MV40/L335 dual core processor
  • Graphics: AMD Radeon HD3200
  • RAM: Up to 4GB of DDR2 667/800MHz RAM (2 DIMM slots)
  • Storage: 160GB/250GB/320GB HDD
  • Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Ethernet, optional Bluetooth
  • I/O: HDMI, 3 USB ports, mic, headphone, VGA, 4-in-1 card reader
  • Webcam: 1.3MP
  • Battery: 3 or 6 cell options
  • Dimensions: 11.7″ x 7.5″ x 1.2″
  • Weight: 2.9 pounds (with 3 cell battery)

Okay, I’m not too hot about the battery life, but everything else about this netbook looks fine.

Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 now available for download

Originally posted on November 1, 2009 @ 6:09 am

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If you haven’t heard yet, Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 is now available for download. To be honest, I’ve stayed away from Firefox for some time now because of the darned 3.5 version. It’s just too crash-happy on my Asus Eee PC.

I’m using it, and so far so good. Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 incorporates the following new features:

  • Users can now change their browser’s appearance with a single click, with built in support for Personas.
  • Firefox 3.6 will alert users about out of date plugins to keep them safe.
  • Open, native video can now be displayed full screen, and supports poster frames.
  • Support for the WOFF font format.
  • Improved JavaScript performance, overall browser responsiveness and startup time.
  • Support for new CSS, DOM and HTML5 web technologies.

Web developers and Add-on developers should read more detail about the many new features in Firefox 3.6 for developers on the Mozilla Developer Center. For the full list of changes since the alpha release, see this list (it’s big).

Please use the following links to download Firefox 3.6 Beta, or visit the beta download page:

Since this is a beta release, the usual caveats apply of course. For those using netbooks, how is Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 doing so far for you?

Lenovo Ideapad U150 11.6 inch netbook unboxing video

Originally posted on October 26, 2009 @ 7:05 am

Lenovo’s made some pretty solid netbooks in the past, and here’s an unoxing video of their latest offering: the Ideapad U150.

The Lenovo Ideapad U150’s specs are: 1.2GHz Intel CULV SU2300 processor, 11.6 inch glossy 1366 x 768 pixel display, GMA 4500MHD graphics, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 and a Multitouch touchpad with two distinct buttons for left and right clicks. The laptop has a 6 cell, 57WHr, 7 hour battery and runs Windows 7 Home Premium.

Check out MSI’s new dual touchscreen netbook running Windows 7

Originally posted on January 15, 2010 @ 1:33 pm

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Sure, Asus conceptualized the idea first, but MSI beat practically every netbook manufacturer for doing this. MSI is showing off a netbook prototype with twin 10 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel touchscreen displays and no physical keyboard. However, you can bring up an on-screen keyboard which, when pressed, actually vibrates the netbook. The haptic feedback is a nice touch, if you ask me.

Though MSI is calling this dual 10-inch screen device an e-reader, it’s really a netbook with two screens since it’s got an Atom Z Series processor and Windows 7 Home Premium. Again: Windows 7 Home Premium! I wonder what hardware is running under the hood. So far details regarding the hardware have been scant, except for the processor: an Intel Atom Z-series. [Read more…]