Netbook + Tablet = Touch Book
March 2, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Always Innovating has announced an intriguing new portable device called the Touch Book that works as both a netbook and tablet in one. How you might ask? Well it’s down to a detachable keyboard enabling the touchscreen to slide out of the keyboard dock.
The manufacturers really look like they are living up to their name given that other innovative features include internal USB plugs to cut down on dongle mess, and the whole screen is magnetic for mounting on a fridge!
The netbook attributes include a low price point ($299), a weight of less than two pounds and an impressive battery life of 10-15 hours. The battey life is down to the Touch Book being one of the first netbooks featuring an ARM processor from Texas Instruments. The Netbook runs on a Linux OS. We’ll see how well it lives up to its claims in late Spring, when the Touch Book is expected to ship.
Specifications:
- 9.4″ x 7″ x 1.4″ for 2 lbs (with keyboard)
ARM Texas Instruments OMAP3 chip
1024×600 8.9” screen
Storage: 8GB micro SD card
Wifi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth
3-dimensional accelerometer
Speakers, micro and headphone
6 USB 2.0 (3 internal, 2 external, 1 mini)
10h to 15 hours of battery life
Netbook growth won’t offset record PC decline
March 2, 2009 at 4:11 pm
The impact of the credit crunch is likely to see PC shipments falling more sharply in 2009 than in any year since its invention. This is according to the research firm, Gartner, who said that PC sales will total 257 million units this year, a fall of 11.9% over 2008. On the positive side, Gartner said that part of this decline was due to ‘longer PC lifetimes’, which is good news for the consumer.
However, it does expect that mobile PCs will rise by 9% to 155.6 million units in 2009. Most of this mobile PC growth is expected to come from netbooks, contributing 8% of total shipments. Gartner research director Angela McIntyre, said that “For the most part, users are moving toward systems with larger screens and greater capabilities; systems with 8.9in screens were the standard in the second half of 2008.”
“Naturally, systems with larger screens and greater capabilities cost more but prices in general continue to fall. In late 2008, the average price in the US for a mini-notebook with an 8.9in screen, Microsoft Windows XP and a 160 GB hard drive was around $450 (£317). We expect the average price of the same machine to drop to $399 by the end of this year.”
Welcome to Netbook Choice!
March 2, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Welcome to Netbook Choice! We aim to deliver the latest breaking news, information, and analysis on the latest netbooks and netbook technology. Netbook Choice caters to early adopters, mobile professionals, technology enthusiasts, and technology consumers alike. Founded in February 2009, Netbook Choice looks to serve a global audience looking for complete coverage on netbook technology.
In just over 18 months, the term netbook has become synonymous with low-cost, ultra-ultra portable laptops. With technology getting better all the time along with costs coming down, the netbook segment is predicted to grow strongly over the coming years. We aim to be there for the ride.
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