Update: Apple touchscreen Netbook rumors heat up

Take this for what you will, but the Apple rumor mill is churning with word that the company has a touchscreen Netbook in the works that will hit the market in time for back-to-school sales later this year.

Updated at 4.09am PDT March 10 with new information from Dow Jones Newswire. This story was originally posted at 9.44am PDT March 9.

Citing an article by the Chinese-language Commercial Times, DigiTimes reported Monday that "Taiwan-based Wintek will supply touch panels for Apple's new Netbook, and shipments will start in the third quarter this year". DigiTimes also claimed that Quanta Computer will manufacture the new device.

Now, Dow Jones Newswire has posted an updated story that expands on the DigiTimes report. "The mini laptop computers will likely have monitor screens that are between 9.7-inches and 10-inches," an unnamed source told Dow Jones. Another person added: "Other specifications and functions are still under evaluation." The report also claimed Wintek would make the touchscreen displays and Quanta would assemble the new computers.

Chiming in on the rumor, Engadget posted a mock-up of an Apple Netbook that has a keyboard. Meanwhile, Silicon Alley Reporter stuck with its earlier speculation that Apple will simply do a larger version of the iPod touch (it's calling the device the iPod touch HD).

Personally, I'd rather see Apple go with a more straightforward Netbook approach that simply adds some Apple design flair to 10-inch Netbooks already on the market, with three models ranging in price from US$599-US$799.

Of course, Apple could just bring the price down on the MacBook Air and, indeed, bulk up the iPod touch to differentiate its "Netbook" from other Netbooks already flooding the market.

Thoughts?

Via CNET Crave

Analyst sees Windows 7 done by summer

Although slumping PC sales will certainly hurt Microsoft, the software maker's year could be better than expected, according to one financial analyst.

In a research note on Monday, Collins Stewart analyst Sandeep Aggarwal projected that Microsoft will finalize the code for Windows 7 by June or July and also suggested that a search deal with Yahoo is likely to happen sooner rather than later. And, although it won't be here this year, Aggarwal said that the next version of Office, codenamed Office 14, should come early next year.

Officially, Microsoft has said only that it will have Windows 7 on the market by next January, the three-year anniversary of Windows Vista's mainstream launch. However, the company has been aiming to have it out in time to be on PCs that ship during this year's holiday shopping season. PC industry sources told CNET News last month that Microsoft continues to push toward that goal.
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MSI launches new 16:9 aspect ratio laptops

It may be called the Classic series, but the new laptop range from MSI is anything except antiquated.


The Classic laptops use 16:9 aspect ratio displays in 17.3-inch (CX700), 16-inch (CX600) and 14-inch (CR400) screen sizes. The CX700 and CX600 are based on the new 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD4330 graphics card, while the CR400 has an Nvidia GeForce 8200M video engine under the hood. Created for the budget entertainment crowd, we were a little disappointed that Blu-ray was not an option for these laptops.
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New keyboard and battery for the Asus Eee PC 1000HE

Asus deserves credit for practically inventing the Netbook market with its original 7-inch Eee PC, and its 9- and 10-inch follow-ups. In the year-and-a-half since then, other companies have done much to add functionality (ExpressCard slots on the Lenovo S10) and refine the design (the big keyboard on the HP Mini 1000), leaving the original Eee PCs looking a little dated. At the same time, competitors such as Acer's Aspire One have come in at hard-to-beat prices as low as S$498 (US$353.82), stealing away the entry-level part of the Netbook market.

With the 10-inch Eee PC 1000HE, Asus has given the Eee PC line an overhaul, rolling out an improved keyboard and adding a newer version of Intel's Atom processor. While the faster processor doesn't add much in the way of performance, the Eee maintains its excellent reputation for battery life and is competitively priced, making a great step up from the slightly cheaper Acer model.

Via CNET Crave

Asus to nix 7-inch Eee PC Netbooks

HANNOVER, Germany--Asus is to phase out its 7-inch-screen Eee PC Netbooks in mature markets, company chairman Jonney Shih said on Tuesday.

During a press conference at the CeBit technology show here, Shih told ZDNet UK that the manufacturer would concentrate on its 10-inch Netbooks, which he said customers preferred. He denied recent reports that Asus would phase out its 8.9-inch Netbooks. However, he did say that it would cut 7-inch Eee PCs--the original size for the line--from its catalog.

"It seems that customers prefer to have a greater screen, which also means a larger keyboard," Shih said. "I still believe we have a good opportunity in 8.9-inch for kids, telecoms (providers) or emerging markets. The 7-inch (Netbook) is going to be phased out, although some emerging countries may still have some demand."
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