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Reddit is testing a real-money tipping system
Reddit is testing a new feature that allows users to provide a monetary tip to others. For the time being, the tipping feature is active in a single subreddit and only one user on the entire site can actually receive a tip. For the time being, only subscribers to the subreddit r/shittymorph can give a tip, and only Reddit user shittymorph -- best known for creating the the Hell in a Cell meme -- can cash in.
Ask Engadget: What's the best netbook out there (redux)?
It's been just under half a year since we originally asked about the best netbook out there, and a lot has changed in the meanwhile. Thanks to some incessant begging from reader Chad (we kid, we kid), we're putting this out once more for an updated look at your best option for a minuscule lappie. "Hey guys. How about we pose the topic of best netbook once more since so many new models have arrived since the original? Much appreciated!" So, what netbooks have impressed you over the back end of '08? Are you still insistent that the first-generation Eee is the one to buy? Are closeout models a better option? Spill it all in comments below, then send us a question of your own at ask at engadget dawt com.
How would you change Lenovo's IdeaPad U110?
When Lenovo's oh-so-nimble IdeaPad U110 crashed onto the scene in January, intrigue was high. After all, it came packing a lightweight frame, a couple of longevous batteries, a respectable price tag and a decent list of specifications. After spending some quality time with the ultraportable, we came away less than enthused, but that's not the point here -- we're asking you, dear readers, to toss in your own two pennies and let us know how you would've done things differently on this here machine. Would you have stripped off a coat or two of that gloss? Shoved in a more potent processor? Pre-installed just a bit less bloatware? Wrack your brain and let us know, alright?
Ask Engadget: What's the best netbook out there?
This week's episode of Ask Engadget (you know you can submit your own inquiry at ask at engadget dawt com, right?) poses a beautifully simple, albeit timely question about those bantam laptops that have taken over the world in recent months. What was once a niche market is now a blossoming sector, and the choices are indeed overwhelming. "With so many netbooks now available, which is the best one out there? I'm mostly concerned with getting the best bang for my buck, so I'm not too interested in any of those higher-end units." For those of you who have bit the bullet on one netbook or another, what kind of taste has it left in your mouth? Would you recommend your current unit? Would you suggest looking elsewhere? Let the battle of the bite-sized lappies begin!
Gigabyte's swivel screen M912V netbook gets reviewed
There's a whole mess of netbooks out there, but if you're scouting one with a swiveling screen, chances are the M912V is sky high on your list. For starters, this one's pretty pricey at $699, and for that much change, you'd really expect the battery life to be better than "poor," the temperature to remain a few degrees below boiling and the keyboard to not be described as "cramped." Of course, not everything was a downer -- the speakers were strong, the port assortment was praised and the touchpad was smiled upon. Still, critics couldn't recommend procuring one without strong reservations, so unless you're just goo-goo for swivel, your dollars are probably better off spent elsewhere.
Lenovo's IdeaPad S netbook caught on video
We don't know what those cats in RTP are munching on, but Lenovo has been cranking out IdeaPads faster than people can wrap their heads around 'em. Ever-so-shortly after the IdeaPad G series was made official half a world away, the IdeaPad S family is apparently next in line for the immensely important stamp of public recognition. A smattering of the 8.9-inch netbooks were captured on video at a New York-based preview show, though we are told that the ones on display were merely "prototypes." Is it wrong that we're having a tough time getting excited about yet another underpowered, incredibly portable PC that will likely be priced a few Benjamins too high? On second thought, don't answer that -- just point your attention to the vid waiting after the jump.[Via jkkmobile]
6-cell battery emerges for Acer Aspire One: $119.99 for a few more hours
We fully understand that time is money, but damn. With quite a few folks up in arms over the $50 to $100 price hike on the 6-cell MSI Wind over the standard 3-cell version, we can only imagine the outcries that will come after seeing this. CDW has a product page up that describes an Acer Li-ion 6-cell 5,200mAh battery that's designed to fit snugly within the $379.99 Acer Aspire One netbook. Let's see here -- a $119.99 battery for a $379.99 computer. Is that the absurdity alarm sounding, or are our ears still ringing from all the weekend revelry?[Via TrustedReviews]
Video: SSD-infused Eee PC 1000 boots in 30 seconds
Even with Express Gate installed, it took ASUS' Eee Box a good 35 seconds before an application could be used. On this particular Eee PC 1000, it took around half a minute for the entire system to load. The secret? An ultra-speedy 40GB SSD packed within. Hop on past the break for proof of the feat, but don't blink for an extraordinarily long period of time.[Thanks, Roman]
New images point at Atom-based ASUS Eee PC 900A
Whoa, wait a second. Is ASUS about to plop another Eee PC onto the totally numb-to-this-brand public? As confident as we are that ASUS wouldn't dare hesitate to dilute its once meaningful Eee moniker even further, we're still taking this with a morsel or two of salt for now. Spotted on French site Blogeee, a host of new images depict the Eee PC 900 (with a design occasionally preferred over the 901) with an "A" bringing up the rear. It doesn't take an Intel engineer to guess what that might mean, now does it?[Via thegadgetsite, thanks K.C.]
MSI Wind with 6-cell battery to sell for $50 more
MSI told us that a 6-cell version of its briskly-moving Wind was on the way. What it failed to mention, however, was the $50 premium that would be tacked on. The units including a 6-cell battery have been popping up in a few e-tailers here recently, with prices ranging from $559 to $599. According to an MSI representative, however, the official MSRP for the 6-cell units is $549.99 (versus $499.99 for the 3-cell edition). As you can tell, it seems that some places are taking the liberty of bundling in a little profit while demand is high. Worse still, users who managed to get their orders in at Buy.com for a $499.99 6-cell unit are now receiving cancellation notices. So, is the more capacious battery worth an extra 50 bones (or more) to you?[Via jkOnTheRun]
Details surface on Lenovo's IdeaPad G430
We've been hearing the faintest of whispers that Lenovo had a new IdeaPad on tap, and while we haven't received any official confirmation just yet, we figured it prudent to pass along the latest. According to an anonymous tipster, the G430 will boast a 14.1-inch WXGA display, 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, Vista Home Basic, a DVD burner, NVIDIA's 256MB GeForce 9300M GS and a 6-cell battery. Furthermore, you'll find 802.11a/b/g WiFi, no webcam and an undisclosed array of ports. Your guess is as good as ours when it comes to pricing / availability, but surely we'll know something more soon. Surely.[Thanks, anonymous]
Keepin' it real fake, part CXXVI: Jointech's $99 JL7100 rips Eee PC in spectacular fashion
The Kira 100 was a decent Eee PC knockoff, but at just north of $475, there was literally no purpose in picking it over the genuine product. The Jointech JL7100, however, really makes ASUS' darling look mighty unnecessary. Okay, so maybe the fact that this thing relies on WinCE 5.0 rather than, you know, a bona fide laptop operating system is a bit disappointing, but there are sacrifices to be expected here. As for other specifications, you'll supposedly find a 7-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, Samsung chipset, 64MB (yes, megabytes) of internal storage, 64MB (yes, megabytes) of RAM, a VGA output and three USB ports. We can hear your stifled laughter from here, but your tune may change upon hearing the $99 (USD?) price tag. Told you so.[Thanks, Sean]
How would you change MSI's Wind?
Now that MSI's Wind has (finally) started shipping out to eager customers, we're anxious to hear how you all like them. As was the case with HP's heralded 2133 Mini-Note, we're confident that you early adopters are champing at the bit to let loose some opinions here. In the end, was it worth the wait? Was it worth the asking price? It is nimble enough? Even if so, what would make the Wind an even bigger threat in the quickly growing netbook realm? Take all the time you need to get it all our, we're here for you.
Intel's dual-core Atom 330 processor to ship in Q4 2008
Bad news, Atom fans. That dual-core nugget of netbook-powering goodness that you were so looking forward to seeing in Q3 won't begin shipping until Q4. According to some data picked up by Fudzilla, the Atom 330 will only be debuting in Q3 (September 21st, to be precise), but it isn't scheduled to get a shipping label until a few months later. Also of note, we're told that the chip will sell (at some place in the supply chain) for $43, but don't count on those savings being completely passed onto you.[Thanks, sinai]
HP mulling lower cost Mini-Note laptop
It was inevitable, was it not? With the success of HP's 2133 Mini-Note, it was pretty obvious that the outfit would be working up a second edition, and according to Jerel Chong, HP Australia's Market Development Manager for Notebook PCs, it's already "looking at a similar device but at a lower cost." Reportedly, the lower cost low-cost laptop will be ready for budget-conscience consumers sometime before 2009, though we have no idea what corners will be cut in order to hack down the price. Mr. Chong did mention that the cheaper edition would be less "durable," but considering that we never viewed the original as a Toughbook replacement, we're not so sure what he's really getting at. Nevertheless, those looking seriously at the more business-minded 2133 may want to hold off, but good luck suppressing that insatiable desire to be instantly gratified.[Via TheGadgetSite]
Gigabyte's M912 swivel screen netbook gets unboxed on video
If you've been patiently awaiting the arrival of Gigabyte's M912 convertible tablet / netbook hybrid, seeing some lucky fellow far, far from where you are unbox it isn't apt to make the wait any easier. Still, there's at least some level of comfort in knowing that these are indeed filtering out, and besides, it gives you a chance to really size up what you're about to get yourself into. Hop on past the break and press play whenever you're ready.[Via SlashGear]
MSI to reportedly build LG's X110 netbook
MSI has been pretty successful with the Wind, wouldn't you say? Yeah, so would LG. Reportedly, LG is hoping to solicit MSI's services in order to craft its own X110 netbook. The mini laptop will purportedly boast an 8.9-inch panel, 120GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM and Windows XP runnin' the show. Interestingly, the price is expected to hover between $625 and $790 as it focuses on "design and material quality" rather than low cost. Anxious to see how that move plays out, aren't you?
Kohjinsha SC3 convertible UMPC hits the test bench
Shortly after the Kohjinsha SC3 was removed from the comfy confines of its packaging and exposed for all to see, said UMPC has managed to get reviewed. Initially, impressions were quite positive, as the reviewer noted that build quality was "superb," the size was adorably small and the display satisfied all expectations. As for sheer performance, the Menlow-based rig excelled as it churned through applications with no huge lag issues; however, all that computing made the unit exceptionally warm, though it did remain quiet even when breaking a sweat. Battery life was shorter than advertised (only 2.5 hours), but aside from that, there wasn't a whole lot to gripe about. Think it's too good to be true? Head on down to the read link for videos, benchmarks and impressions.
Acer Aspire One gets reviewed, lost in the shuffle
At this point, it's pretty hard to figure out which netbook is better than another, but if you've been keyed in on Acer's version for whatever reason, Laptop has a review sure to pique your interest. The Aspire One was praised just as soon as it left the box for its classy styling and super portable design. After getting down to business, however, reviewers felt that the typing experience was only "decent" and the touchpad was "cramped" -- two things we actually would expect from a device of this stature. Nevertheless, the port selection was tolerable, the performance was passable and the battery life left a bit to be desired. As you can tell, this one seemed perfectly average on the whole, though it was deemed a "pretty good bargain" at $379. Huzzah?
Acer's Aspire One on sale in America, said to be shipping
Acer played it safe early last month by telling Americans to expect its Aspire One "later this year," but just a month and change after UKers had the privilege of toying with one on video, here she comes. So far, we're seeing a couple of variations for sale here in the US, two of which include the $399.99 A110-1295 (8GB SSD) and the $422.99 A150-1006 (120GB HDD). We're also hearing that select e-tailers are already slapping those shipping labels on there and moving 'em out to anxious consumers, so be sure and chime in when your confirmation arrives. Wait, what? You already own six netbooks? Ah well, what's another one amongst family?[Via AspireOne, thanks Tony and Timothy]
