Acer Aspire One gets pricing details in UK

If the pricing details on UK site Cclonline are any indication, the Acer Aspire One could be the low-cost 8.9-inch Netbook people are waiting for.

The low-end model with an 8GB SSD, 512MB RAM and Linux OS will retail at £220, while the top-of-the-line configuration with 80GB HDD, 1GB RAM and Windows XP Home Edition is priced at £299.99. Compared with the Eee PC 901, the Acer has a much more comfortable keyboard, though the SSD option is capped at a mere 8GB (the Eee PC has a 40GB SSD).

While we are still awaiting news on the cost and configuration for Asia, our sources indicate that it will be priced very competitively. We can expect the first units to arrive sometime late next month for this region.

Laptop desk caters to lazy gamers

It may not fit the standard definition of ideal ergonomics in the HR handbook, but this looks like something that would fit right into our style of work. Especially for those times when the Geek Cushion results in the inevitable crick.

LapWorks' new lap board is aimed at gamers, but we see it as perfectly suitable for all manner of slothful computing. The Gamers Desk is designed to follow the migration of play from the desktop to the living room, with a 26.75-inch wide platform roomy enough for controllers, keyboards, mice, and other gaming gear.

There are scads of other laptop desks, of course, but this one tries to cater specifically to gamer needs, from its gun-metal design to ventilation slots to avoid overheating. And as Engadget suggests, its abundance of non-skid rubber pads would come in handy for the inevitable Red Bull spill.

Via CNET Crave

Intel's Classmate PC adds some Sugar

The inventor of the Sugar user interface used in the One Laptop Per Child's XO says his company is developing a version for Intel's own low-cost laptop.

Walter Bender said in an interview Thursday with PC World that "a community volunteer is working with Intel on Sugar for the Classmate PC. Sugar Labs helped to expedite the relationship".

Bender is the inventor of the kid-friendly interface, which sits on top of a computer's operating system. His company, Sugar Labs, was spun off from OLPC in May. At the time of the announcement, Bender said Sugar Labs was already talking about sharing the UI with at least four other low-cost laptop makers, including ASUS.

He described OLPC as the "primary, but not exclusive, downstream project" for Sugar Labs, and confirmed that the two companies continue to work together on further development of the UI.

That Intel will be working tangentially with OLPC again is notable. The chipmaker left its position as board member of OLPC in January, citing "fundamental differences" between the two companies' visions for low-cost computing. Previous to that, OLPC's founder Nicholas Negroponte had asked Intel to stop selling their Classmate PC platform because it was interfering with sales of the XO. Unsurprisingly, Intel declined his request.

Via CNET Crave

Lenovo 3000 refuses to die, but Y will perish

Though Engadget has sounded the death knell for the Lenovo 3000 branding, it seems the logo will get a reprieve in Asia. Despite the fact that the Y series will disappear for good and return in the form of an IdeaPad, the Lenovo 300 G, N, C and V series will retain their own identities.

This move may actually simplify choosing a Lenovo laptop. The Lenovo 3000 series will remain as budget/entry-level models, while the IdeaPad will represent the fashion/multimedia segment. The ThinkPad range, as always, stays as premium corporate laptops.

Looking for some good economic news? See laptop sales

Odds are the last computer you purchased was not a desktop but a laptop. Laptops have outpaced desktops in total units sold since 2005, and that trend seems to be only escalating. According to DisplaySearch, all the major laptop vendors save Sony enjoyed double-digit growth in the first quarter of this year compared with Q1 2007. Total units sold in Q1 2008 were 31.1 million, which represents 35 percent growth over the 23.1 million laptops sold in Q1 2007. The nine largest vendors accounted for more than 85 percent of the laptop market share, with an annual unit growth rate of 39 percent for the quarter. Here's how they stacked up for Q1 2008:
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