Lenovo was kind enough to send me two of their most current netbook models and this video is a tour of both models. The S10-2 is as small as netbooks go while retaining full usability in my view and the S12 pushes the limits of netbooks with a 12-inch screen.

The video gives an overview of both netbooks and shows the size comparison of the two models. This gives a glimpse into how little additional size and weight you gain with the larger S12. The higher screen resolution of the S12 (1280×800) is a nice benefit for such a small size penalty over the S10-2.

The S10-2 is currently $350 and the S12 is $499 from Lenovo so the extra size and screen resolution comes at a price.

This afternoon I had the pleasure of being a guest on Randall Bennett’s TechVi video show. I worked with Randall back in the old AOL / Weblogs days and I enjoy talking tech with him. TechVi uses a two-guest format so I always get to chat with new folks in this space. Today it was Ross Rubin from The NPD Group, whom I generally only see once a year at CES. Besides being an analyst at The NPD Group, Ross authors the weekly “Switched On” column for Engadget.

Today’s chat was focused on Google’s Chrome OS announcement, but not from a nuts and bolts standpoint. Since details are scarce on how Chrome OS will actually work, Randall focused today’s TechVi show on the business side of the news. We briefly tackled questions on the impact to Google’s search efforts and on whether or not the creation of Chrome OS would be a distraction to Google as they grow their business. It was a fun experience as always, and I’m appreciative that Randall offered me the opportunity. You can catch the 7-minute spot right here on TechVi to see and hear how Ross and I view the Google Chrome OS news.

We’ve long felt that Wi-Fi is a must for smartphones, and while some of you disagree, Sprint’s on board. Fierce Wireless is reporting that the carrier will require Wi-Fi in their “PDA equipment,” which sounds like smartphones to me. Sprint is introducing RIM’s BlackBerry Tour this weekend, and like Verizon’s edition, it isn’t equipped with Wi-Fi. That will change next year as Sprint is reportedly planning a version of the Tour that includes a Wi-Fi radio.

Some dissenters in the past felt that their 3G radio is more than enough signal. Not to harp on a hot topic again today, but it’s in areas where carriers have those pesky bandwidth caps that Wi-Fi can be a huge lifesaver. Aside from gaining faster throughput, you’re not hitting your data cap when using a Wi-Fi network for voice, data, or media. Verizon hasn’t yet made the commitment to include Wi-Fi on every handset, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them to follow suit at some point.

This may be another one of those U.S. challenges, so if any readers outside of our country can share the Wi-Fi handset landscape with us, please do.

I have been using the MiFi for weeks now, and it still thrills me to do so. There is something liberating about pushing the MiFi power button, waiting a few seconds, and then getting any Wi-Fi enabled device onto the web. No wires, no fuss, simple elegance. The MiFi I own is from Verizon, and what sets it apart from those USB modems of the past is the ability to get up to five gadgets online with a single connection. Even when I am working on a laptop, I always have the Palm Pre or the iPhone 3G sharing the connection, too. I share that connection with others rarely, and then usually only family members. I realized today that I actually share the MiFi connections less than I have shared the old, USB connection in the past.

So why don’t I share the connectivity more often than in the past, given the easy ability to do so with the MiFi?

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The timing of this news is quite ironic, but Appmodo reports that AT&T will charge $55 extra to tether an iPhone to a laptop for modem use. The irony is that I just used the service on my iPhone 3GS and we’ve had some good debate and commentary on what, if anything, this should cost. With the adamant “$55 extra” claim, two words come immediately to my mind: no way.

Let’s think about this for a second. Folks who would likely want, need or use such a feature probably already have an idea of what 3G data plans do or should cost.

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MoTR 177 is 34:30 minutes long and is a 31.7 MB file in MP3 format.
CLICK HERE to download the file and listen directly.

HOSTS: James Kendrick (Houston), Matthew Miller (Seattle) and Kevin C. Tofel (Philadelphia)

TOPICS:

Does Google’s Chrome OS have a chance?
T-Mobile unveils the myTouch3G, but Matt can’t pre-order one.
Happy 1st Birthday to the iTunes App Store.
Internet Tethering saved the day. Will it be worth the price?
Sony joins the netbook game with a $499 VAIO W. But Y?
Freeware of the show: RunKeeper for iPhone tracks activity with GPS.

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Today is going to be a busy day as the FedEx guy, Clyde, just brought me a small box. What makes this small box so unusual is that it contained not one netbook, but two! Lenovo was kind enough to send over two review units of their current netbooks, the S10-2 and the S12. Some folks may find the 12-inch S12 stretches the definition of a netbook with its larger size, but it is configured similarly to the smaller S10-2, so I guess it’s OK to call it a netbook.

The rest of my day is going to be filled with the fun of discovering two new devices, so I’ll throw a couple of photos up to give you a taste. I’ll be giving some in-depth thoughts on both the S10-2 and the S12 soon.

The S10-2 is a refreshed model of the original S10 that I reviewed when it was first released. The video I shot of the S10 may tide you over until I get more time with the S10-2. Note that Lenovo fixed the problem I had with the original S10 keyboard by moving the right-shift key into the proper place.

Just when I thought I could give up on Fantasy Football, something has lured me back in. Honestly, it’s probably easier for me to just donate my $50 entry fee than actually spend time and effort playing the game. No, I’ll be hooked again and it’s all Pre Central’s fault. They were tipped off that Sprint’s NFL Mobile service hits the Palm Pre on August 1. A Sprint support page confirms the info: The NFL Mobile app is slated for over-the-air delivery to existing Palm Pre owners, while all new Pre handsets sold after that will have the software pre-loaded.

There shouldn’t be an extra charge based on the NFL Mobile product page, as the service should work with Sprint’s Simply Everything data plan. That’s good, since I’m already contributing to my local league, not to mention the time, effort and anguish invested in sad results on a weekly basis. How could I have had the No. 1 pick last year and blown it on an underperforming LaDainian Tomlinson? Ugh. In any case, I’ll be watching live NFL Network games, listening to game audio of other games and getting Red Zone alerts right on my handheld. Maybe that will offset the pain and misery of my poorly performing team?

The week is almost over, and it’s the time to look back on how the week went down and share it with you. The big holiday weekend in the U.S. started the week off on a good note. It was good to spend time with friends and family, and it drove home to me how important it is to unplug from the grid once in a while. The work week following the holiday made for a busy time, with less downtime, which countered the holiday goodness. I spent some time thinking about cheap netbook alternatives and found quite a few of them. Come on in and share my week with me.

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