Results from "Do You Think You Can Tell The Difference Between Standard Def, 720p and 1080p?"

I can tell the difference between 720p and 1080p. 42%
I can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p, but I know HD when I see it. 44%
I can't tell the difference between standard def and high def. 4%
It depends. 6%
I'm not sure. 5%

[Image via sparktography]

The 3G Aspire One goes on sale December 14th, and it looks to be a Radioshack exclusive for the time being. Packed with the standard 8.9" screen, 1GB of RAM, and 160GB of storage, this Atom-powered 3G laptop looks attractive at $99...until you realize that eligible AT&T plans start at $60/month.

Over the course of two years with service, this system will cost the user a total of $1,540. Internet access or not, I draw the line at my underpowered laptop purchases when they hit the triple digits.

The Acer Aspire one netbook with integrated 3G wireless technology, is available starting Dec. 14 exclusively at RadioShack stores nationwide for $99.99 when combined with qualifying AT&T mobile broadband service. (PRNewsFoto/RadioShack Corporation)

FORT WORTH, TX UNITED STATES

Innovative portable notebook technology for $99.99 when combined with qualifying AT&T mobile broadband service

FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Starting Dec. 14, RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) becomes the first major U.S. retailer to offer an ultra-lightweight, mobile netbook Internet device with integrated 3G wireless technology. Netbooks, designed to fulfill people's growing needs for mobile access to Internet applications, are widely expected to be a hot growth area for the computer industry. The unique combination of technologies created for this launch to help people stay connected enhances RadioShack's reputation for offering innovative solutions at affordable prices.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081211/LATH540)

The Acer Aspire one netbook is priced at $99.99 for customers who sign up for a qualifying two-year AT&T DataConnect mobile broadband service agreement with plans starting at $60 a month. Once activated, this netbook allows people to easily access the Internet anywhere within AT&T's wireless network. The offer is available in 4,400 RadioShack company-operated stores through Dec. 24. Prices may vary outside the continental U.S. See stores or visit http://www.RadioShack.com for complete offer details.

"Many people internationally are already enjoying the portability, on-the-go connectivity and affordability of this emerging new technology," said Peter Whitsett, RadioShack's executive vice president - merchandising. "We are proud to introduce this concept in the U.S. by offering a netbook with integrated 3G functionality in addition to full Wi-Fi capability.

"RadioShack is offering this innovative technology solution at a very attractive price through our collaboration with Acer and AT&T," he continued. "Helping people stay connected during these challenging economic times illustrates our continued commitment to meeting their personal technology needs affordably."

The lightweight, 2.44-pound netbook includes 1GB memory, 160GB hard drive, built-in memory card readers and Windows XP software that supports the portable connectivity needs of commuters, students, travellers and mobile professionals. This allows everyone to keep in touch via email, participate in social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter, use the built-in Web cam and crystal-clear LCD screen for video conferencing with family, friends and business associates, conduct online research, and a host of other online functions.

The Acer Aspire one 3G netbook comes equipped with the following features:

— Weighs 2.44 pounds
— Ultra-compact size measuring 9.8" x 6.7" x 1.1" (W x D x H)
— Stylish piano-black finish
— Built-in 3G capability
— 802.11b/g wireless (Wi-Fi)
— 8.9-inch LCD screen
— Built-in Web cam
— Intel(R) Atom(TM) processor
— Windows XP(R) Home
— 1GB memory
— 160GB hard drive
— Built-in memory card readers (dedicated SD and 5-in-1)

But rather than focus on philosophy, I'll say that the Inspiron Mini 12 feels better than any netbook I've used to date...even if it cheated a bit in the process.

Design
The build of the Mini 12 is excellent. Even with the extended battery, it feels light and easy to toss around. But it's more than the weight that makes it so comfortable to carry. Its bottom has a sandpapery texture, which grips a hand with confidence.
You'll also notice that the side profile is tapered along the bottom edges. I don't know that it makes any difference in how the computer actually rests on a table, but it looks nice enough.
The Mini 12's keyboard is still not full-sized, but it's adequate to feel comfortable and satisfyingly clicky. Meanwhile, the trackpad does leave something to be desired. The texture is simply off to me, simultaneously smooth and bumpy, it almost feels like a skin rash. The right and left mouse buttons below tend to recess when pressed more than any laptop I've ever used. It's and off-putting sensation at first, but I grew to appreciate the mechanical feel.
As for the screen, it's a luxury to use. The experience is completely different than an 8.9-inch display that you find in most standard netbooks nowadays (including own Dell's Mini 9). There's decent color, solid contrast, and sharp 1280X800 resolution...but just moderate brightness. The max setting was just adequately bright, which considering the fact that LCDs fade with time, is something to keep in mind-especially if you like to fry your eyes like I do.

The biggest surprise of the testing had to be how cool the system ran. The bottom didn't heat my lap at all, feeling only lukewarm to the touch. I can only assume that the larger case mixed with a low wattage processor dissipates heat very well. However the engineering worked out, I'll take it.
But if there was one thing I would change, it would be the charging and power light. It sits on the hinge in a prominent position that you can see even when closed, but it's far too dim, and it's viewable from a very limited range of angles. Put it this way, for the first day I had the system, I thought Dell had omitted this light altogether.

Ultimately though, it's just a nice looking machine that feels great to put your hands on, a far cry from the humble original Eee and something you'll be proud to pull out at board meetings and pretentious coffee shops alike.

Function
So here's the rub: While I love the Dell design, the hardware/software combination has slowed the Mini 12 to barely usable levels. The model I tested was the $550 base system with a 1.33GHz Atom, 1GB of RAM and 40GB hard drive. That system should be alright for XP (though we'd love to see a 2GB RAM upgrade option), but it's just not enough to power Vista. And you can only buy the system with Vista. The system crawls with constant multi-second stalls, and effective multitasking is pretty much impossible. Sadly, there's not much more to say on the topic. Simple mental math tells us that this system shouldn't be running Vista as it skirts the minimum requirements of Home Basic, and our real world testing shows us the same thing. Of course, Vista alone doesn't mean you should pass over the Mini 12. Just expect to reinstall the OS with the purchase and come to terms with the fact that your paying licensing rights for an OS that you won't use.

Battery Life
I tested the battery life through MPEG4 video playback with the default processing settings and the screen at max brightness (max, to me, is the ideal viewing brightness).

Base 3-cell Battery - 1 hour, 20 minutes
Extended 6-cell battery - 4 hours, 2 minutes

At a glance, this 12-inch Dell system looks to about as power efficient as the 10-inch MSI Wind, though it loses about 20 minutes on the 3-cell battery (we're guessing through a combination of more computational rigorous testing methods and a larger screen). Keep in mind that if you expect to hang out around a plug, the AC adapter is quite light, lacking any big power brick to speak of.

Back to Square One
Without opening the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 box, I would have expected exactly what I encountered-a solidly built system that shouldn't be running Vista. But even loaded with XP, and even in the $600 configuration that we'd recommend (1.6GHz Atom, 60GB hard drive, 1GB RAM and 6-cell battery), the system still begs the question of value. A slightly smaller, equally powered MSI Wind will run you $350. And you can get a slightly bigger Core2Duo Dell laptop for $600 easy.

It's true. From a performance standpoint alone, there's almost no question that the Dell Mini 12 isn't "worth it." But if you don't want to squint at a screen yet you still want a system that breaks the 3-pound barrier, then it's hard not to be a little infatuated with the Mini 12. Just rip Vista off that thing as quickly as possible. [Dell]

We're ignoring the Netbook phenomenon—just thinking about PC form factors above that form factor.

AMD also claims that the public has been unhappy with the tiny machines and cite high return rates as proof of dissatisfaction.

It'll be interesting to see how things play out...but if netbooks do stick around in their current form, it's too bad that AMD won't be there to keep Intel on their toes. [CNET]

In speed tests around Baltimore, the netbook was able to hit 6.7Mbps down and 2.8Mbps up. The New York Times started loading in 7 seconds, taking 15 seconds to fully display. And Hulu video streamed solidly after buffering for 20 seconds.

But I don't think anyone is questioning whether or not WiMax works, even on low-powered netbooks. The question is whether or not people will pay $30-$40 a month to connect to the internet on what's basically a secondary computer—especially if they already pay for 3G access on a smartphone or high speed at home. Would you spend the money?

To see the speed tests with your own eyes, hit the link for video of the testing. [LaptopMag]

• Nicer than most netbooks, not as polished as a Sony product
• Keyboard/monitor identical to that on the Eee PC 1000
• Almost four hours of run time under heavy use
• Near silent operation, possibly no fan inside
• Typical Eee performance
• Lacking premium features, 64GB version still technically a rumor

The only real complaint Mobile Computing voices is the S101's alleged price. Because really, the system is just an Eee 1000 in a moderately nicer package. [Mobile Computing]

If you've got a Mini 9 you'd like to load OS X onto, hit up the link for, not quite step-by-step instructions, but probably enough to get the job done. [UneasySilence]

No extra media keys here, just the basic meat and potatoes spacious QWERTY that you need. [whatlaptop and pocketables via engadget]

The $850 fully loaded N10J-B1 will pack an Nvidia GeForce Go 9300M GS 256MB graphics card. That's pretty good for this 3.5lb computer. (We're not sure what's coming in unspecified $750 and $650 configurations.) Users on the go will be able to turn off said discrete graphics to conserve battery life. According to Asus, it make the difference between about 6.5 hours and 4.7 hours of runtime—we're a little skeptical of those big numbers—and it should give us a tiny computer that doesn't act so much like a tiny computer anymore. [BGR]

Netbooks are torture.

The poor fool. Like the midlife crisis guy sold a car too small for his rump and too young for his hairline, Asus or MSI or someone had convinced this slovenly coffee drinker that hunchbacks were in this year.

And this scene—one I've witnessed on more than one occasion—confirmed my suspicions. The small laptop was a failure, a marketing ploy manufacturers were not incapable of implementing before, but simply too kind to do so.

For one, these computers aren’t cheap. Sure, the price may start at $350 or $400, but you’ll need to upgrade to 2GB of RAM if you'd like to run XP in the fashion you’ve become accustomed to. And you may want to buy the larger battery too (every manufacturer lies about their mini laptop’s battery life to conspiracy levels worthy of their own Oliver Stone tribute).

Now, with that snazzy $500 to $600 machine, let’s do some browsing! Surely, this will be way better than on my phone! Unfortunately, such is not the case. While mini-notebooks have bigger screens than smartphones do, smartphone browsers and news applications are often designed around their limitations. Yet architects of XP and Firefox simply never took 5" to 8.9" tiny screens into account. If one's choice is tiny text on a premium OLED phone screen or a bottom-dollar LCD, there’s no comparison. I’d rather read the headlines through the New York Times app on my iPhone than the browser on my Eee any day.

Oh, and then there's the typing situation. Don't even get me started.

The end result of using any mini-notebook is a complete loss of comfort coupled with the guilt of not enjoying the experience more. Plus, while you might not be bringing your full-sized laptop to the coffee shop, you’ll still need your briefcase to lug a mini-notebook, no matter how small.

Netbooks are like feral cats. They look cute at first, but put one in your lap for a bit and you’ll learn real quickly why you stayed away in the first place.