NetBook Roundup
GigaOm has a short but informative overview of currently available NetBooks. Which one do I want? I’m leaning towards the Acer Aspire One, even more attractive after a recent price cut:
This 2.1-pound netbook approaches more of a sweet spot in terms of pricing: The Linux version is $329, while the XP model is only $20 more. Acer includes a lite build of Linpus Linux, which I found to be great for quick, out-of-the-box computing, but most people would be better served with the XP edition. The incremental extra price also includes twice the memory (1 GB vs. 512 MB) and a faster 120 GB hard drive instead of the slower 8 GB of flash memory.
It’s pretty, too:

Amazon: We’ve Got The XP
What hot new operating system is Amazon pushing? Windows XP, of course!
Permalink | Make a Comment ( Comments Off so far )Retro-Futuristic Watch Design From Casio

Boing Boing Gadgets’ John Brownlee discovers the coolest $99 watch ever! The Casio G8100A-5 invokes a retro-futuristic aesthetic that Brownlee likens to Star Wars. Others are noticing a steampunk look and feel. Whatever the design influence, it’s a nice looking watch — and I really want one.
Permalink | Make a Comment ( Comments Off so far )Asus eee Refurb Deal
You can get the Asus eee 4g for $299 from Geeks.com. It’s refurbished, but priced $100 less than new — the same price as the much less desirable 2G model, in fact. The 4G has a 4gb ssd for storage, 512 mb ram, and a 900 mhz Celeron M processor.

Android Coming Soon To T-Mobile
T-Mobile may launch the first Android-based smartphone this year, according to a report in the NY Times:
The phone will be made by HTC, one of the largest makers of mobile phones in the world, and is expected to go on sale in the United States before Christmas, perhaps as early as October.
T-Mobile will be the [...]
Palm Treo Pro Leaked
The Palm Treo Pro appeared briefly on Palm’s website this week, and leaked images and specs of the attractive device are making the rounds. Reported specs: 400Mhz CPU, 256MB ROM, 128MB RAM, 320 x 320 touch screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR, HSDPA, camera, SDHD expansion slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The OS is [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( Comments Off so far )Chaos Manor
The latest installment of Jerry Pournelle’s Computing at Chaos Manor column is up, and worth reading (as always).
Chaos Manor was a monthly column in the print edition of Byte magazine back in the 80’s and 90’s, and the main reason I bought the magazine each month. Now it’s online and free — although Dr. Pournelle [...]
Free Commander – Windows File Manager
Back in the MS-DOS days, Norton Commander was the file manager to beat. Having two panes makes file copying and moving much simpler, and the keyboard shortcuts quickly became second nature to power users.
You can get similar functionality, including keyboard shortcuts and two-pane navigating, with the free Windows program Free Commander.
I’ve replaced the [...]


