It’s a fact that from time to time you will encounter problems with your netbook, even top of the range Sony or Toshiba netbooks. Just because you’ve encountered a problem with your netbook is, however, no need to dash out and buy a replacement new netbook as, more often than not, most netbook problems can be easily fixed with just a little know how. So, here’s the first of our two part series on netbook troubleshooting tips!

Before anything goes wrong.

Of course prevention is always better than cure and so not ignoring any warning messages or odd behavior from your netbook is important. Paramount in prevention is, of course, having good anti-virus software on your netbook. Also, simply by keeping all the data on your netbook backed up can save you hours of heartache if your netbook really does ‘die’ on you – not to mention hours of labor retrieving files that have become corrupted. Needless to say, if you’re working ‘in the cloud‘ as you really should be these days with a netbook – then that all important data back-up is already there. There’s one more thing you really must do before anything goes wrong – create a system repair disc. We’ve all done it, putting off creating the emergency system repair disc – after all you’ve only just bought the new netbook and it can wait … until you forget all about making an emergency restore disc until it’s too late! So, take heed of those warnings when you’re installing the operating system onto a new netbook and create those system repair discs, even if you have to buy a USB DVD/CD drive to do so.

Netbook fatalities!

Most netbook problems can be solved … even this!

Even if you’ve been a complete dummy and forgotten to create those system repair discs don’t forget that Windows will create restore points for you anyway. So, if you encounter systems problem try reverting to an earlier restore point, at which the error wasn’t occurring – you can easily find restore points in the Windows menu under Accessories – System Tools. However, if the system error was due to malware/infection – don’t restore that too! The one thing no one wants to see on a Windows netbook or computer is – the Blue Screen of Death. Fortunately this occurs far less often than it used to with the older incarnations of Windows, but it still hasn’t been completely eliminated. If does happen to you – don’t panic. Download a really useful little program from the internet called ‘BlueScreenView’, which will find the offending driver(s) for you to deal with.

Netbook Troubleshooting 1 is a post from: Netbook Laptop Reviews

No matter which model you look at you can expect to pay around $100 more for the new iPad HD compared to the previous model – the Apple iPad 2. So, for your extra dollars just what exactly will you be getting? We’ll look here, for comparative purposes, at just four iPad models, two each from the new HD and the older iPad 2 range. They’re all the base 16GB storage options and we’ll compare those with just wifi and those that also have 3/4G.

Size matters?

For some people size really does matter and, for some people when it comes to technology, a smaller size is really important. If that’s you – then you might have difficulty reconciling yourself with the fact that iPad 2 is actually smaller than iPad HD. Although both the iPad 2 and HD models have the same height and width (241.2mm and 185.7mm respectively) their depths and weights do vary. The wifi iPad 2 is 8.8mm deep and weighs 601g, whilst the wifi + 3G is 613g. iPad HD is 9.4mm deep and the wifi model weighs 652g whilst the wifi + 4G weighs 662g. Now then, to the naked eye you really won’t notice those dimension differences and weight wise – you’ll have to be pretty sensitive to weights to able to tell which was which in a blindfolded test. Plus, of course, with the HD model you are getting the latest technology – which has to be accommodated somehow. Another size related issue is, of course – batteries. No worries here as the battery life in the new HD is as good as the iPad 2 at 10 hours in wifi mode and 9 hours on a mobile data network.

Under the hood and prices.

iPad 2 or HD?

iPad 2 Or HD is a post from: Netbook Laptop Reviews

Although we’re not absolutely wild about tablet computers here at Netbook Laptop Reviews – we’re not against them either. After all, they’re here to stay and to ignore them would be like saying to Gutenberg back in the 1440s that his printing press would never catch on! So, we thought it’d be an ideal time to look at what one of the quality computer manufacturers is doing in the tablet market and take a Sony tablet to see what’s on offer. Sony have two tablets at present and here we’re going to look at the games focused Sony Tablet P.

Sony Tablet P.

Great for games – that's it really!

We thought the Sony Tablet P would be an interesting one to look at as, surprisingly, it uses Android 3.2 (Honeycomb). Hardware wise you get a 1GHz nVidia Tegra 2 processor and two 5.5 inch screens giving 1024×480 – yes 2 screens and that fold on top of one another like a clam-shell. Although there’s 1GB of RAM, Sony really could have pushed the boat out a bit more on the very lightweight 4GB of flash storage. Integrated wifi, Bluetooth, modem, GPS, digital compass etc are all there, as too are audio and two cameras. A 0.3Mp web-cam and a 5.0Mp rear camera. Needless to say, from Sony, the build quality is excellent. One thing in the Sony Tablet P that you won’t find on many Android tablets is 3G connectivity as well as wifi!

Should you buy one?

The inevitable $64,000 question is, of course, should you buy one? Well, if you’re looking for a tablet on which to play games anywhere/anytime etc – then at £499 this could be the machine for you if you’re addicted to Sony games. Apart from the PlayStation Network, you’ll get access to unlimited video and music streaming from the Sony Reader Store. However, one note of caution here is that the claimed battery life by Sony of 7 hours per charge, is not realistic – especially when playing graphics hungry games. Having said that, the screen is fantastic – showing images every bit as good and possibly better than your main TV at home. So, as a bottom line, Sony PlayStation games addicts will love it – everyone else should really shop around for something else.

Take a Sony Tablet is a post from: Netbook Laptop Reviews

It never ceases to amaze me how many articles you’ll read these days announcing the demise of the netbook. Of course these articles are invariably written by either folk with the attention span of a gnat, who get all too easily distracted by something new and sparkly or by manufacturers/stores keen to sell a new product. Nothing wrong with new products or wanting to sell them – but they really shouldn’t underestimate the market that’s still out there for netbooks and that netbooks are staying alive!

Tablets are not a netbook replacement option for schools.

Netbooks – ideal for students.

In their favor it has to be said that tablets are lighter and that bit smaller to carry and hold – which must make them attractive to the Elementary and Junior High schools. However, the one thing they lack is the integral keyboard – which is so essential to students work and, let’s face it, compared to a netbook there cost is prohibitive. So, whether its schools looking to buy equipment for internal use or parents buying a computer for a child to use at school – the netbook will remain King for many years to come. Saying that, of course, as a tool for studying, researching and writing assignments all the way to college level – the netbook is a fabulous option to consider.

Netbooks the new notebooks?

As the laptop market re-invents itself with the rise of the ultra-laptop, the netbook is enjoying a resurgence in interest and could yet become the ‘new’ notebook. Why, well as laptop manufacturers concentrate on ultra-book sales netbooks with a larger screen, say the 11.6inch models that are becoming more and more common now, could easily supplant the notebook at the budget end of the laptop market. Add to the larger screens the fact that netbooks are now offering dual-core processors and can still keep their costs below $250 – and the netbook truly is ‘staying alive’. In essence the key to the netbook market is really in keeping prices down, preferably even below $200. How might they do that? Well, given that no one will be using a netbook to edit hours of video etc – massive hard-drives above 100GB are not required, so one way to keep prices down is to not get dragged into a hard-drive size war.

Netbooks Staying Alive is a post from: Netbook Laptop Reviews

Available from this week is the latest release of the highly successful tablet computer from Apple – the new iPad, which is being commonly referred to as iPad HD. Since the first iPad was launched much has happened in the tablet computing market – so has Apple produced a new machine here capable of commercial success in a market that is currently awash with tablet computers of all manner of specifications?

The eye catching things about iPad HD.

The two of the eye catching things about iPad HD are simply that – they’re all to do with the eye. First up there’s the truly astonishing screen resolution that Apple has built into this machine at 2048×1536 pixels Retina display – making it an infinitely better screen than most of us watch TV in our homes on giving 1 million more pixels than HDTV! Secondly, there’s a new camera on the back of the iPad HD, upgrading it to the same as iPhone 4S – 5 megapixels with infra red filter etc allowing video recording at 1080p. Regarding that HD screen, if you’ve had the privilege seeing the iPad artwork in David Hockney‘s “A bigger picture” exhibition, at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, you’ll appreciate how powerful an iPad can be in the hands of an artist. Using Autodesk Sketchbook Ink on the iPad HD can make even a doodle by you or I look as if you’ve been working professionally on paper with paints.

Also on iPad HD …

iPad HD storage options.

Even though iPad HD includes SiRi technology, it isn’t just about the aesthetic. The processor it’ll use is the A5X with quad-core graphics, whilst the memory and storage options are anticipated to be the same as iPad 2, which will be left on the market for the time being. Dimensions wise – you’ll need engineers tools to measure the differences between iPad2 and HD. The budget version of iPad HD costs $499 and $629 to get it with 4G LTE – which opens up 21Mbps on HPSA+, 42Mbps on DC-HPSA and a full 73Mbps connectivity on 4G itself. The top end machines, maxed out on storage and memory, will be $699 and $829 respectively.

iPad HD is a post from: Netbook Laptop Reviews

Not exactly a ‘catchy’ name for a new netbook, so we’ll just refer to the HP Mini 210-3002sa as the new HP mini from now on. Having said that, as the latest edition in a long line of HP minis – this netbook is an admirable little machine and great value for money at around $300.

What you get.

So for your c. $300 what do you get? The processor is the Intel Atom N570 1.66GHz, which has a standard 1GB of RAM and a 250GB hard-drive. As always for netbooks, the hard-drive seems to be a complete overkill when you think of how much data people actually store on their netbooks. There are 3 USB ports, Bluetooth and the obligatory WiFi for connectivity. The standard 10.1 inch screen has an anti-glare coating and delivers 1024×600 pixel resolution from the Intel GMA 3150 graphics card. A battery life of 7.5 hours is claimed, so that should mean you can get about 4 hours from it in reality, when used under ‘normal’ conditions. Windows 7 (32 bit) is included in the price and the unit itself is 268x191x32mm and weighs in at 1.4kg.

Is it any good?

The latest great value netbook from HP.

We said in the introduction this HP mini is an admirable machine – and we’ll stand by that comment. The bright casing colors help to keep you feeling cheerful when using it, but you might want to seriously consider if you really want the pink version which is a bit garish,the battery life means you won’t have to search for a power input at inconvenient moments and the on-board hardware gives you a good standard of performance. Having a keyboard that’s 93% the size of a laptop one helps to reduce typos and helps to keep your productivity level high, although being a netbook this isn’t really a machine for the office. However, for a student needing to write up assignments and research on the internet or perhaps even a home worker – this is a low cost machine capable of delivering what you need.

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Leaving aside the incredibly catchy name that Acer have come up with for one of their early forays into the ultrabook market (mmm) the Acer Aspire S3-951-2634G24iss is truly in the ultrabook category. We’ll now just refer to this as the Aspire ultrabook for the rest of this review which, even though it’ll currently set you back at least $1200, is one of the machines for the rest of the industry to base its ultrabooks on and, if you can wait, prices for ultrabooks are expected to tumble as 2012 progresses and the market becomes more competitive.

The facts for the Aspire ultrabook.

Acer Aspire S3-951-2634G24iss – an ultrabook of desire and quality.

First of all we’ll dispel any doubts you might have about this being a true ultrabook that’s 100% comparable to the Mac AirBook, by stating that this Acer machine is 323x218x18mm and weighs in at just 1.34kg. As sold the basic model is a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor (options on the processor are currently up to 1.7GHz Core i7) with 4GB of RAM on-board and, at least until later in the year, it has Windows 7 Home Premium as standard. The screen is a 13.3 inch1366x768 pixel glossy LCD one. Also on-board are Bluetooth, HDMI, USB and HDMI interfaces, headphone jack, webcam and stereo speakers. Data storage is currently capped at 240GB through A-Data SSD. If that’s a problem to you – get over it, its something just to get used to regarding ultrabooks – if you want the thinness and lightweight, then compromise on the storage technology.

Ultra value for money?

Although netbooks will, for some years to come, maintain a share of the market, even in the face of aggressive marketing of tablets – ultrabooks will ultimately supplant them. However, for the time being Intel is keen to encourage sales of ultrabooks and so is said to be currently allowing up to $100 per machine off the cost of their processors to encourage manufacturers to develop ultrabooks. So, bearing in mind that this Aspire ultrabook could have been discounted by $100 before it even reached the store – is it good value for money? Well if you want a style statement – “hey, look at my sleek laptop – then yes, this will fit the bill and, in terms of computing/processing ability it is good. However, at $1200+ the screen, only capable of 16:9 and not the 16:10 aspect ratio of the Mac AirBook, really is a let down and not Windows 8 ready, by any stretch.

Acer Aspire Ultrabook is a post from: Netbook Laptop Reviews

Never mind all the hype about tablet computers – the one thing seems set to be the talking point of computing in 2012 is the rise of the ultrabook, from a relatively niche market into the ‘must have’ device going in to next year. So, we thought we’d spend a little time looking at just why it is that ultrabooks becoming the ultimate must have computer will be so.

Thin, light and beautiful.

Why are Apple products so appealing to their customer base – simple because they’re beautiful objects of desire, being sleekly thin and light. Needless to say that point hasn’t been lost on the old PC manufacturers and, for a few months now, there have been one or two ultra thin and light laptops on sale. However, the recent CES in Las Vegas has revealed that the PC manufacturers are now geared up to go ‘head-to-head’ with Apple on the design front having come up with a selection of their own thin, light and beautiful laptops which they are calling ultrabooks, on account of them falling in between netbooks and laptops on screen size, whilst offering the performance of a full laptop. We’ll look in more detail at one or two makes of ultrabooks in the coming weeks, but the bare-bones for an ultrabook is being less than 0.8 inch thick, weighing barely 3 pounds, 5 or more hours of battery life and having a screen between 11 and 13 inches.

Made for Windows 8.

Windows 8 and Ultrabooks

Bearing in mind Windows 8 will soon now be upon us it’s only right that ultrabooks will seek to maximize their ability to use all the features available in it. Consequently most ultrabooks will at least have a touch-screen capability, with many of them also being convertible, by folding or twisting the screen, into a tablet. Purists might huff and puff at that idea, or even of ultrabooks incorporating a touch-screen, but the truth is that at least having a touch-screen facility is the way forward for all sorts of organizational and display work on computers. Also, expect ultrabooks to make full use of the progress that’s been made in voice recognition by Windows. Which unlike ‘Siri’ and all the hype surrounding it – does actually work in Windows 8.

Ultrabooks Becoming The Ultimate is a post from: Netbook Laptop Reviews

With much of the computing world trying to pre-guess what’s going to be on show or released at CES 2012 – apart from a big push for ultra-thin laptops and notebooks using the new Intel Cedar Trail processors; it’s little wonder that Apple has been keen to make sure it doesn’t get pushed out of the limelight and so has pumped up the rumors surrounding the upcoming release of iPad 3.

What’s new in iPad 3?

iPad 3 expectations.

In truth the answer to that is very little and you have to wonder, mmm, why Apple think this iPad release is needed – but then just read the next section if you can’t guess. The move to a 7.85 inch screen seems to have been abandoned in favor of sticking with the 9.7inch screen so as to provide a 1536×2048 QXGA resolution, with dual-LED light bars for panel brightness -whoopee. However, in fairness, the introduction of the quad-core A6 processor will be a boost to the machines performance. Also, that processor news can only fuel the speculation that a MS Office app for iPad 3 will be released alongside the new hardware.

Early release date.

There surely has to come a point where the long held view in the computing industry is also seen by the buying public. Namely that Apple think that by releasing a new and shiny, but only slightly improved, version of something that works perfectly well – they can keep the dollars rolling in as anything new from Apple is a “must have” item. The reality is, of course, that by constantly modifying the iPad, and iPhone etc, and then quickly discontinuing the previous versions – they can keep charging the highest possible price. So, although the release date for iPad 3 was intended to be what would have been Steve Jobs birthday, February 24^th, perhaps their coffers are running low – as that now seems to have been brought forward to January 26^th. Which brings with it the suspicion that Apple are finally becoming rattled by the growing number of Windows and Android tablets on offer that are capable of competing for market share with Apple – so what better to do than release the iPad 3 two weeks after CES finishes!

iPad 3 News is a post from: Netbook Laptop Reviews

A big welcome to 2012 and let’s hope it’s a good one. Of course the big question here is whether or not it’ll be a good one for netbooks, which really means will tablets completely overtake netbooks as the portable computing device of choice – or can netbooks hold or even improve on their market share?

Netbooks in 2012.

In all honesty 2012 can’t do any worse that 2011 was for netbooks, with manufacturers like Dell pulling out of the netbook market. One problem was that they were caught flat-footed by the launch of the iPad, 2 years ago, and spent most of 2011 trying to produce their own tablets – resulting in netbook innovations being put on the back burner, with the notable exception of the Google Chromebooks. However, towards the end of the year they finally realized that they can’t produce a tablet capable of delivering iPad functionality and quality for the price of a netbook – and that price bracket needs to be catered for. So, we think there will be a resurgence of interest in netbooks as the economic squeeze continues, as folk needing a low cost computing facility/internet connection will see the netbook as formidable value for money. However, and being aware that the price of memory is rising at the moment, one thing we would like to see netbook manufacturers do is to offer 2GB of RAM as a manufacturers/factory upgrade.

Netbooks and “the cloud” in 2012.

Cloud computing – the saviour of netbooks?

One thing to definitely watch out for in 2012 is the growth of “Cloud computing” with netbooks. One reason for this is that educational establishments, from Junior High to University research institutes, all use MLEs (Managed Learning Environments) meaning that very few students are growing up with the concept of storing their work on their own devices. ie. There is a whole generation growing up completely at ease with storing and accessing not just content and data online – but their own work too. Now when it comes to viewing content/data online a tablet is fine – but if you want something that’s light, small, portable and has a key board then you really do need a netbook to do your work on. Don’t forget too that the only option here isn’t using Chrome from Google, as Apple and MS both have their own “Clouds” – along with a host of other platform independent ones.

Here Comes 2012 is a post from: Netbook Laptop Reviews