NetbookBoards.com
Netbook, Netbooks, Netbook Reviews, Acer Aspire One, Lenovo S10, ASUS Eee PC, HP Mini-Note PC, MSI Wind PC

Even before the iPad has been released, Apple has detailed a replacement policy if the battery goes bad. It seems rather simple and straightforward: for $99 plus shipping, users can send their device to Apple to get not just a new battery, but a brand-new iPad.

Though it seems like a great policy, some analysts are speculating that this policy could be a foreshadowing of potential iPad problems. Previous products from Apple, like the iPhone and iPod Touch, have reportedly overheated, caught fire, or even exploded due to battery problems. In an attempt (arguably a very successful one) to preserve its public image, Apple has covered up such incidents by requiring customers to sign non-disclosure agreements if they received replacement products.

Apple may be anticipating problems with the iPad. Unfortunately, customers have little choice in the matter (other than not buying an iPad). Apple is the one who really benefits in this situation: it will earn money on defective products when they go bad.

Via Top Tech Reviews, image via Apple.

Apple’s iPad looks set to be a huge success, and this has competing companies worried. If competing companies do not improve their products that are meant to compete with the iPad, these products simply won’t sell and will be overshadowed by the iPad. Obviously they do not want this to happen, so companies such as Amazon, HP, and Microsoft are hard at work creating products that will be able to compete with the iPad.

Amazon wants to hire a software developer to improve its Kindle by adding web browsing capabilities to it. HP has been heavily promoting its Slate tablet, especially the fact that it will support Adobe Flash (Apple’s mobile devices famously do not support Flash). Even Microsoft has said it intends to make a tablet called the Courier.

This has all happened before the iPad has even been released. After April 3, once we know definitely what the iPad is really like, more companies will offer iPad competitors.

Via ZDNet, image via Apple.

Apple began taking orders for the iPad, which is to be released on April 3, this past Friday. By all accounts, the device now looks set to become a huge success. Estimates say that Apple received 120,000 pre-orders for the iPad on Friday alone.

Apple has not released any actual statistics yet, but analysts estimated the number of iPads sold by subtracting Apple’s typical online daily sales from Friday’s online sales. Of course there has been no official confirmation from Apple, but the estimate is probably reliable.

The purchasing appears to be evenly split between the 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB models. Seventy percent of the orders were for the WiFi only model, which is the model being due to be released on April 3 (the 3G model comes out later in April).

Via Examiner.com, image via Apple.

Steve Jobs with an iPad

Batteries are always an issue when you begin to talk about portable devices. They go bad so easily that users always want to know (and rightfully so) how to get their batteries replaced. Though Apple has not yet shipped its newest product, the iPad, it has released the details of how an iPad user would go about getting a battery replaced.

The process is apparently similar to what happens with an iPhone that needs a new battery. iPad users will have to pay $99, plus $6.95 for shipping, plus whatever local tax is, to get a new device. And apparently when you send your iPad to Apple for a new battery, you do not get the same exact one back. Instead, you receive a refurbished one, so it goes without saying to make sure to back up all data on the iPad.

This is the same process that iPhone users go through to get new batteries (luckily for me, I wouldn’t know because so far, my iPhone’s battery has behaved itself).

Via PC Magazine, image via Apple.

The day that so many Apple fans have been waiting for has finally arrived. This morning, Apple started taking orders for the iPad, which is due to be released on April 3. The device, which has been extremely anticipated, was introduced on January 27 and is described by Apple as being between the iPhone and MacBook. The device itself is still a bit of a mystery since Apple hasn’t really made it available for review or testing.

Nevertheless, many people have taken the plunge and ordered an iPad in hopes that it will provide a very new and different type of computing experience. Apple has a history of releasing innovative products and many future iPad owners have said they think the new device will be no exception.

Though analysts have predicted that iPads will not be widely used at corporations, some employees at companies have ordered them. Developers who hope to create applications for the iPad have also ordered the device.

Apple has not responded to requests for comment about the pre-orders, but according to some Apple watchers, the pre-orders were coming in at an impressive rate of 20,000 per hour.

Via PC World, image via Apple.

The next iPad competitor?

Dell, with some help from Amazon and Google, may be releasing an iPad competitor called the Dell Streak. The Streak will be a tablet that will have access to all of the e-books in Amazon’s Kindle store and everything in Amazon’s MP3 download store, which includes songs as well as TV shows and movies. This is a comparable to what the iTunes store offers.

The Streak allegedly will have a five-inch screen, which would put it between the iPhone and iPad in size. It is supposed to offer access to the Kindle store through 3G with no extra fees. This is an advantage over the iPad, which requires a data plan for 3G access. The Streak is supposed to be Android-based.

Both Amazon and Dell refused to confirm if this rumor is true or not. No one has speculated about the ship date or price of this unannounced product. A tablet processor manufacturer has said that it expects over fifty iPad competitors to be released this year.

Via Wired, image via Wired.

Apple is a notoriously secretive company. Usually the rest of us have no idea about its upcoming products until they are released, and we know even less (that is, nothing) about the inner workings of the company itself.

But thanks to the cleverness of an organization, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the rest of us have been allowed a glimpse into the inner workings of Apple. Basically, the Electronic Frontier Foundation used FOIA to force NASA to release Apple’s nondisclosure agreement for iPhone developers. Developers have to sign the agreement before they can access the software development kit for the iPhone OS.

It does not really come as a surprise that Apple very strongly regulates what programs are allowed to run on the iPhone OS. Some analysts have expressed surprise that people are so enthusiastic about products that are so heavily regulated by their manufacturer, but they underestimate Apple’s appeal to the public.

Via Wired, image via Apple.

The iPad is almost here. It has an official release date (April 3) and a pre-order date (the first day users will be allowed to pre-order the much-anticipated device will be March 12). Now, the iPad has a commercial.

The commercial debuted during the Oscars, which I didn’t watch (I know, I’m lame, but I was trying to make my way through the plethora of reading I’ve been assigned for my classes). If you missed the commercial, you can watch it here.

Yes, I know I expressed disappointment when Apple first announced the iPad. But it looks pretty amazing in the commercial (of course, Apple would go out of their way to make a product look amazing in a commercial so they can sell more).

Steve Jobs also reportedly made an appearance at the Oscars, as demonstrated in photographic evidence from a Twitter user.

Via PC Mag, image via Apple.

Immediately upon first glance, Lenovo’s IdeaPad S10-3t and Apple’s iPad share a resemblance in names. The similarities, however, extend further than simply their titles; both the form and the function of the two products parallel each other as well.

First off, the “innovative” touch-screen technology that make the iPad so highly anticipated also are seen on the IdeaPad. Although there have been complaints concerning lag on the IdeaPad’s touch-screen, Lenovo can potentially compensate by offering the classic netbook interface on the IdeaPad as well. With a simple swivel of the screen, the IdeaPad consequentially becomes a netbook/iPad hybrid. Sporting a full keyboard and mouse pointer, the IdeaPad seems to be a potential competitor towards the Ipad.

Unfortunately, the IdeaPad also has a few significant flaws: in an attempt to keep the size of the netbook at a minimum, Lenovo sacrificed the crucial handrest one constantly utilizes while typing. Furthermore, the battery life on the model is a mere 3 hours. Both the iPad and IdeaPad will be released at the similar price range from about $549-$649.

Now, consumers are left to decide whether the IdeaPad is a strong competitor against the iPad despite of its flaws, or is it interesting concept that requires more polishing?

Via CNet.

Remember the TabletPCs at the beginning of the millennium?  Yeah, we’re not sure we want to either.  You would think that with rise of new slate tablets (the stereotypical suspect being the iPad) the convertible form factor would be on the retreat. Well, Panasonic obviously didn’t get the memo, as the Toughbook C1 is keeping it real, 2003 style.

Like the rest of Panasonic’s bricks with buttons – that is, the Toughbook line – the C1 is not supposed to be a stunning statement of style.  It is a rigid box of functionality.  Here is the spec listing:

• Intel Core i5-520 @ 2.4 GHz
• Up to 8 GB DDR3
• Shock-Mounted, Flex-Connect 250 GB HDD
• 12.1” LED-backlit screen with multitouch
• WXGA 1280×800 Resolution
• 10 Hour Claimed Battery Life
• 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi
• Optional Gobi 2000 mobile broadband card
• Triple hinge design designed to survive a 30-inch drop (they are called Toughbooks for a reason)

Still interested?  It comes at a $2499 starting price, so if you are lucky enough to have plenty of money to burn at the bank, feel free to pick one up.

Via Engadget.

This will come as disappointing news to those who are eagerly awaiting the iPad. Analysts are speculating that Apple may be delaying the iPad’s launch, or limiting the iPad to the United States only. March is here already and Apple has not released any information about a specific release date or pre-order options, which has led analysts to say that the iPad may not be available until April.

The cause of production delay is allegedly the iPad’s manufacturer, where there is supposedly a manufacturing bottleneck that will limit the number of iPads initially sold to about 300,000.

Right now, all of this is simply a rumor from an analyst whose predictions in the past have not always been correct. Apple has not said anything about a delay or manufacturing problems.

Some readers commenting on websites concerning the iPad have suggested that Apple is delaying the iPad on purpose to create more hype. After Steve Jobs announced the iPad back in January, there was widespread disappointment concerning its features.

Via The Money Times, image via Apple.

HP isn’t pulling any punches with EliteBook 2740p.  Targeted at wealthy businessmen and high-end loving executives, it is designed to meet the highest workspace standards.

Those whose hearts are weak to gadget envy, stop reading.  The specs are outlined as follows:

• Intel Core i5/i7 CPU
• Up to 8 GB DDR3
• Intel HD Onboard IGP
• 320 GB HDD or 160 GB SSD
• 12.1” Screen w/ 1280×800 Resolution
• Multitouch capacitive and pen input
• 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1
• 3 USB 2.0 Ports
• 2 MP Webcam
• 5 Hour Claimed Battery Life
• Windows 7

It is indeed a very nice convertible tablet/ultrathin.  And to make up for that, it comes at a $1599 starting price.  It is worth a look, and surely if you can afford it I must imagine it will serve you quite well.  The rest of us will have to survive without it.

Via Slashgear.

Android’s beauty as an open-source operating system is that it allows any random manufacturer to develop a product and slap Android on top of it.  This does, however, allow for some issues in terms of legitimacy of manufacturers.  Case and point: The Haleron iLet Mini HAL.

If you want a tablet with groundbreaking features or earthshaking specifications, look elsewhere.  If you want a quaint little tablet that does its job, stick around but don’t buy this.  Why? I’ll tell you in a bit.  Here come the somewhat interesting specs:

• VIA ARM Processor 600 MHz
• 7” TFT LCD Touch Screen w/ 800×480 Resolution
• 128 MB RAM
• 2 GB Flash Memory
• Up to 32 GB SDHC
• 16 Hour Active Battery
• Android 1.6, Upgradable to “Windows CE 6.0”

Amazing? Far from it.  But still it’s not a bad tablet per se. And it is a pretty sweet deal given the $200 price tag and March 1st shipping date.  So why did I warn against buying this?  Quite simple. It’s a scam.

Indeed, since the news hit the internet there was some wariness in trusting this random French company named Haleron. One commenter over at Pocketables did some research and couldn’t find much to back up their image as some sort of legitimate tablet maker.  The only picture of the iLet Mini HAL is a render found at some other French forum, and they clearly stated they did not license the design to Haleron.  Other attempts to find copyright information and company registration have ended up dry.  Unless we get any reports stating otherwise, then we will have to assume it is fake.  So  stay safe, and do your research when purchasing.

Via Gizmodo.

Apple’s Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook said last Tuesday that Apple considers the Apple TV to simply be a hobby. Judging by how competing companies are treating streaming video, this is completely the wrong attitude to have. Netflix offers streaming video (that, last time I tried, did not work out so well on Macs). Wal-Mart has announced its intention to distribute video over the Internet. And what does Apple do? Basically nothing, at least relating to streaming video.

Of course Apple sells a lot of laptops, which people do use to watch streaming video. But research has shown that people prefer to watch movies on a real TV screen.

Though Apple is now conspicuously absent from the streaming video market, this could easily change. Apple acquired Lala, a streaming music service, at the end of 2009. Apple is also building a massive data center in North Carolina. We also cannot forget about the iPad—it may prove to be a revolutionary device for streaming video.

Via CNET, image via Apple.

The Associated Press (AP) has said that it will charge iPad users for access to its stories with an app.

There has been a trend for news websites to offer subscription plans for their content. The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times both offer premium access to their news stories to paying subscribers, both on the Internet and through iPhone apps. Reuters and the New York Times are both planning to introduce paid access to their websites in the next year.

The chief executive of AP, Tom Curley, said that he wants his company to “seize this opportunity to reinvigorate our business models as well as our journalism.” Apparently, this new business model involves charging for access to its stories.

Will iPad users embrace paid subscriptions for news? The iPad itself is not cheap, but if enough news companies offer paid subscriptions, many people probably will.

Via AppleInsider.

Fusion Garage appears to have made a mistake when it earlier announced its plan for the JooJoo Tablet to be shipped by the end of February.  With only 2 days left in the month, they have pushed back shipments a whole month back to March 25. Here’s the full release:

“Earlier this month, Fusion Garage’s JooJoo Internet tablet went into full production with an anticipated on-time delivery to consumers at the end of February. Last week, the company became aware of a manufacturing issue involving JooJoo’s industry-first 12.1 inch capacitive touch screen which Fusion Garage was quickly able to diagnose and rectify. The company now forecasts the JooJoo will be sent to consumers on March 25.

The manufacturing issue centers on fine tuning the touch sensitivity of the capacitive screen. Fusion Garage will be providing all pre-order customers with a free JooJoo accessory to compensate for the delay in the delivery of their JooJoo.”

It must be highly awkward when your main (and possibly only selling point) is holding you back from delivering your product.  Given all the other problems surrounding the CrunchPad-turned-JooJoo, you can’t help but wonder if Michael Arrington is sitting at home smirking.

Via Gizmodo

In an ideal world, executives wouldn’t feel obligated to make outrageous claims and justifications for their product’s shortcomings. However, in an ideal world, the iPad would also have Flash support.  So we know we don’t live in an ideal world.  And here is the corresponding outrageous claim: Steve Jobs has told the Wall Street Journal that Flash would reduce the iPad’s battery life to a pathetic meager 1.5 hours.

There are so many things wrong with this assessment that it would be laughable if it wasn’t for the fact Jobs seems serious to stand by this justification.  First off, this metric is highly deceiving, as simply supporting Flash would have no effect whatsoever on battery life. Only usage of Flash would cut down on battery performance, a reality I am sure most users could come to terms with.

The other question we are forced to ask is by what standard was that original 10 hour figure measured.  If continuous Flash usage causes an 85% drop of  the supposed battery life, then the odds are that the original battery life is only in terms of very non-intensive usage (i. e. sitting on the home-screen).  This would really come to no surprise to anyone, but it ultimately means his point regarding a decreased battery life is moot.  Either way, it would be better for all parties involved if Jobs were honest regarding this matter, instead of childishly deriding any prospects and treating his end-users like children.

Via Gizmodo

According to the latest rumors, Apple may be letting customers pre-order the iPad as early as this Thursday, February 25. The device itself will not be available for another month, but the Wi-Fi-only versions could be available for pre-order. The 3G versions are supposed to be released in mid-April, and no one knows when they will be available for pre-order.

If the rumor proves to be correct, users will be able to order the 16 GB model for $500, the 32 GB model for $600, or the 64 GB model for $700. These models will not have 3G connectivity on them. The 3G versions are each $130 more expensive, respectively.

The iPad is designed to be Apple’s answer to netbooks. It is for users who want a device that is more than a smartphone and more portable than a laptop. It will run apps on the iPhone OS.

Via Brighthand, image via Apple.

Probably one of the most popular requests for new features on the iPhone or iPad from Apple customers would be video chat. According to the latest rumors (Apple has not confirmed any of this), there may be possible video support coming in the future to the iPhone and iPad.

The SDK contains icons that seem to accept video chat, or decline and/or end it. The code also contains evidence of possible video chat features in the form of certain strings of code.

Of course, this makes one wonder about the effect video chat would have on the AT&T network. AT&T’s 3G network is already strained due to the iPhone, and it will probably only get worse once the iPad is released. Will it be able to handle the extra strain of video chat? Or will Apple be forced to switch to a different service provider for its devices?

Via Coated, image via Coated.