Have Laptop Will Travel

Switcher lets you use Mac OS X Exposé on Windows

Originally posted on March 2, 2010 @ 7:39 am

I have to admit, I like playing around with my computer’s settings whenever I get myself a fresh install of Windows. Since Windows XP’s default blue Luna theme isn’t really much to look at, I usually install the Zune theme first before anything else. However, Windows 7 was so amazing that I actually decided to keep it vanilla for the longest time.

Until now I haven’t tweaked Windows because I actually love how the Superbar and all the other changes work. I can say that this is the first version of Windows I was practically very satisfied with. [Read more…]

Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Smartbook

Originally posted on January 6, 2010 @ 8:55 am

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I’ve always had a soft spot for Lenovo products. They’re well-designed, and they are what you can call sturdy. So when Lenovo unleashed a torrent of new products at CES 2010, I eagerly checked out their new offerings. This new smartbook, called the Lenovo IdeaPad U1, is still being developed, but I’d like to get my hands on one when it comes out. You see, the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Smartbook is a clamshell laptop that can actually split in two. [Read more…]

Joojoo Tablet now in production

Originally posted on February 4, 2010 @ 12:12 am

Hey guys, remember the CrunchPad? Remember how it got killed even before it went into production? Right now, Fusion Garage is still pushing through with the much-delayed tablet computer, and they’ve called it… Joojoo. Yeah. I know, it’s not really the most appealing name for a product, but it’s still the same old CrunchPad everyone’s been looking for, save for the name and the fact that TechCrunch is suing Fusion Garage’s pants off in an attempt to get their product back.

In spite of the delays, Fusion Garage is finally putting the CrunchPad – wait, sorry – the Joojoo tablet in production. I think that releasing tablet computers in this post-iPad world would be a bit of an uphill battle, but Fusion Garage seems to be very confident that their tablet can go and take on Apple’s mythical tablet. Anyway, the Joojoo can handle Flash. [Read more…]

Is 2010 the year of the smartbook?

Originally posted on December 28, 2009 @ 9:17 pm

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We’ve seen netbooks flourish for the last two years. These cheap and relatively underpowered mini-laptops have been super portable. Add the fact that they can do almost all the basic computer user’s needs at an affordable price, so it’s really no surprise that netbooks have been the number one product for many computer manufacturers.

But it looks like in 2010 we’ll be seeing the portable computing landscape changed yet again. Lots of talk about a new class of mini-laptops running ARM-based processors have been on the news a lot lately. Since they’re running ARM, they won’t be able to run Windows XP or Windows 7. They’re all going to be on Linux. However, they’ll be able to last for a long time on a single charge, and some will be featuring integrated 3G connectivity and HD video acceleration features.

You also get the ability to receive emails, instant messages, and other data even while the computer is in sleep mode. Basically, you are going to get the best of both worlds in terms of notebooks and smartphones, hence the name “smartbooks.”

From Liliputing:

The president of ARM Korea says that as many as 20 ARM-based smartbooks could hit the streets in the first quarter of 2010.

Most, but not all of these devices will likely be sold by mobile broadband providers at subsidized prices. That means you may be able to pick up a smartbook for less than $200 up front. Some might even be free. But you’ll probably end up paying up to $60 per month to actually use the 3G wireless capabilities, which means that over the course of a 2 year service contract you could end up paying between $1400 and $1600 for a device that looks like a laptop, but which has a slower processor and won’t run Windows.

Are you willing to put up with Linux if it means that you’ll be able to get more out of a single charge? Give me your thoughts!

Opera Mobile 10 Beta Ready For Download

Originally posted on November 7, 2009 @ 6:09 am

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I know, I know, this isn’t laptop related news at all, but I would just like to let you guys running Symbian S60 on your phones know that Opera Mobile 10 Beta is out.

The new mobile browser borrows a lot from its java-based sibling, Opera Mini 5 Beta. However, from using the two browsers side-by-side for a while now, I can say that Opera Mobile 10 is the snappier of the two. It obviously benefits from being a native Symbian app. It features touch screen support, speed dial, and a password manager. However, it’s still a bit buggy. (Just now, Opera seems to have misplaced the upper half of mobile Plurk’s screen.)

Either way, when I’m on the go and I don’t have a laptop with me, I’ll just grab my E63 and open Opera Mobile. It’s awesome that way, really.

Download it here.