Target + Netbooks

Recently it seems, that Target has started selling and pushing Asus Netbooks. The models in stores tend to be older, more out dated ones, but decently priced (for Netbooks.)

According to their website, rraget now sells several brands and configurations of Netbooks. This is a delighfully surprising find. 

Some of the manufacturers listed were Asus, HP and MSI. Their Prices are competitive, but not a major under cut of current market rates.

As far as can be seen, most of the new Netbook models and styles can only be found via the online store.

It tends to make one wonder if this is a play at the market share of Amazon. Amazon has long since sold countless varieties of Netbooks, even before they were popular.

Uber Cheap Netbooks? There Will Be a Catch!

Ever since the birth of the Netbook, or rather the classification of sub notebooks as Netbooks, many including myself have asked the question: Why are they still so damn expensive?!?

As far as overall pricing some Netbooks range from $300, for the older model Asus Eee, to $600 for a HP Netbook that is the same as a Celeron laptop.

While there is speculation that these costs will be coming down with newer and cheaper chip sets and the falling price of RAM, to believe that any of these Netbooks will ever really be below $200, to me is folly. 

LCD's simply can't come down that low and there is still a lot of electronics in the machines. So when I hear, or see someone offering or talking about an $99 Netbook, I am skeptical at best.

It seems that to get the cost low enough that the average person would look twice at a Netbook, they have to come with a "data plan." This is like your typical cell phone cellular minutes and data plan where you sign up for 1 - 2 years and get deep discounts on the hardware. I can't imagine who, aside from the heavy traveler, would ever need this kind of deal.

It is of my own personal opinion that the best way to get Netbook costs down is to stop trying to make laptop spec'd Netbooks, and make less powerful devices.

Samsung Joins Netbook Makers With NC10

Yet another pretty entry in the competition for the best Netbook, this time by Samsung. So far, the specs I have found are:

"A 10.2-inch offering, the WSVGA LED display has a resolution of 1024 x 600, the NC10 weighs in at 1.33kg with a 6 cell battery (that claims up to 8 hours juice) and boasts a "normal-size, ergonomic" notebook PC style keyboard. 

With an Intel Atom processor, the netbook will offer Microsoft Windows XP Home and either an 80GB or 160GB hard disk drive. 

The NC10 offers 802.11b/g wireless LAN, 10/100 Ethernet LAN and optional Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. 

Others specs include webcam, 3-in-1 multi-memory card reader, a VGA connection, mic in, headphone out and three USB ports. " [Pocket-Lint]

Sounds like a goody, but still on par with everyone else. Estimated price: around $590.

Toshiba's New Netbook

According to a post on Gizmodo, Toshiba is entering the Netbook, or UMPC, market. The specs look decent, and the price tag is comparable to every body else's, around $500, but to me, that's not the issue.

If one were to look at the name of the post itself, "Toshiba Releases Their Obligatory Netbook", one would see the word obligatory. This word seems to reference that they  must sell one of these Netbooks'.

That in itself is my issue. Why must every computer company sell the same hardware at the same price in the same market? If I was designing a netbook, it would be quite a bit different in hardware specs and price compared to the ones being sold now, which are nothing more than glorified laptops.

Anyone who has read my earlier posts on how Netbooks are just cheap laptops knows where I am coming from. For those who don't, search the blog and it'll give you a better idea. If you still don't follow, ask me!

Video of The New LG X110 Netbook

Here is a video clip of the new LG X110 Netbook.