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.

Looking for the love-child of a netbook and notebook? Acer seems to have bred one behind closed doors with the Aspire Timeline 1810T. Macles says it looks like the Acer Aspire One 751 netbook, but only from the outside. Instead of an Intel Atom, Acer shoved an Intel ULV SU3500 CPU running at 1.4GHz. That’s a chip from the Consumer Ultra Low Voltage line that’s surely going to appear in many more devices over the next six to 12 months.

Gone also is the Intel GMA 950 for graphics. Instead, the CPU is paired with the Intel GMA 4500MHD chipset, which can handle up to 4GB of memory. That’s double what most netbooks can deal with and should offer decent HD video decoding. The 11.6-inch display can handle it, thanks to the 1366 x 768 resolution. Using the HDMI port, you can pump the video out to an HD television set in a pinch, too.

With this platform, Macles expects an eight-hour battery life, even with the bigger jolt of the CULV platform. So what happens to the traditional netbook Atom platform when manufacturers start offering large netbook form factors with decent notebook power? It’s likely that cost will play a big part here, and there’s no price yet for the 1810T. If consumers could get greater performance with solid battery life in a light package for only $100 to $200 more than a netbook, they could be drawn to devices like this.

Looking back to an NPD report on netbook satisfaction last month, two data points support that thought:

• 60 percent of netbook owners expected the device to have the same functionality as a notebook.
• 65 percent of the 18- to 24-year-old demographic expected their netbook to perform better than a notebook. Only 27 percent of those felt that the netbook performed better than expected.

With a CULV, the device comes closer to offering the same functionality of a notebook and might perform closer to what consumers expect. On the other hand, if these devices command a $300, $400 or more premium over a netbook, they won’t likely compete for the same consumer decision.

Verizon MiFi- 3G router

I had a good holiday this weekend past and participated in a great conversation about 3G in the U.S. There were a bunch of people over to the house and the conversation started out about the various phone carriers and 3G. A number of my friends are beginning to become aware of 3G and have been thinking a lot about what it could do for them. This is a recent change, as most folks not involved in the tech industry don’t think much about 3G in my experience. This is changing, if the chat with my friends is any indication.

What I found particularly interesting about this 3G conversation was that it had nothing to do with smartphones. No one was asking which phone had good 3G capability, or even which carrier network was good for smartphones. No, the question floating around was if 3G could be used to replace home Internet connectivity. This set me back, I must admit, as I never would have guessed that folks were thinking of 3G along these lines.

As the discussion unfolded, I realized that many now understand that laptops can be outfitted with integrated 3G. Everyone seemed to be aware of this, a new finding for me. What was a bit surprising was how no one wanted integrated 3G in their laptop, or even in their phone; instead they wanted 3G to blanket their home so that all of their laptops could use it. They weren’t even concerned about connectivity outside the home, just at home, as that’s where they all stated they used the web.

I was amazed to hear that folks are looking at 3G to use strictly at home and to replace their expensive home Internet service. That was the main reason given for the questioning: price. They also could see a benefit in having a service that did not require a wire to come into the home. So given this change of attitude towards 3G, what do the carriers need to do to capitalize on it? Could WiMAX be the technology to push the wireless web into the mainstream? It’s good food for thought, that’s for sure.

An analyst tells CNET that some new, thin notebooks are showing cracks in the base due to the construction with plastic. OEMs are being advised that thin notebooks and netbooks should be made entirely out of metal cases to avoid these design flaws that are being seen.

This is not surprising, as thin notebooks are pushing the envelope as far as sturdiness is concerned, and with netbook makers trying to keep costs as low as possible, thin plastic is being used for many cases. There is a reason that Apple and others are using metal for thin notebook construction.

“Early production units being built in plastic, with the bottom case being plastic, are cracking,” said Broadpoint AmTech analyst Doug Freedman, in a phone interview, referring to discussions he had with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and and original design manufacturers (ODMs). Typically ODMs don’t market under their brand name but supply devices to OEMs, which then slap on their own brand.

Metal cases drive the cost of notebooks up over plastic, and this may make it difficult for a thin netbook to be price competitive. In other words, cheap notebooks make for cheap quality.

(via Liliputing)

HP and Dell have enjoyed the No. 1 and No. 2 spot in computer sales globally for a while. Dell’s recent concentration on the consumer market is an acknowledgment that consumers now buy more computers than businesses, a phenomenon that is worldwide. Dell may soon be losing its No. 2 spot to Taiwanese company Acer, which is likely going to surpass Dell this year in sales. In 2008, Acer’s market share jumped 3 percentage points, to 10.9%. Dell barely showed growth last year: up only 0.1 percentage point, to 15%, and the trend for both has continued into 2009. Acer has narrowed the market share gap to an even 2% in the first quarter.

Acer has done a good job appealing to the consumer market with lots of low-cost notebooks to address that market. It was early to the netbook game, and its Acer Aspire One netbook has been a consistent high seller. The company made some solid business moves with the recent acquisitions of Gateway, Packard Bell and eMachines. All of these brands address different markets, and Acer has leveraged them all to produce good sales numbers. The system Acer uses to fulfill customer orders ensures its prices are as low as can be:

“We collect the order from the customer, place the order with the manufacturer and they ship it,” Mr. Lanci says. “We don’t touch the goods.”

(via New York Times)

The companion notebook, or netbook, has made clear how important it can be to have a simple method to keep data on two computers in sync. There are ways to do this manually, but a simple method is always a better way to ensure that users actually put in the effort required to keep them all synced up and ready to go. The Cool Drive U360 looks to be just such a simple method.

The Cool Drive is a little USB stick device that when coupled with a simple USB cable connects two computers together for the syncing process. The flash drive has software loaded onto the stick that can copy files, keep folders synchronized and even sync Outlook data. The software works with Windows PCs running versions from Windows ME to Vista.

(via TRFJ)

It is the end of the week and that can only mean it’s time for my favorite thing, to share my week with you once again. This is the 45th week, which is almost a year of sharing the goings on at Mobile Tech Manor (MTM) with you. Wow, that’s a lot of sharing. This week has been busy on a lot of different levels and it’s kept me from playing with the toys as much as I like to. There was a new ThinkPad in the house, a new Android phone announced that looks incredible, and I spent quality time with the Palm Pre. Come on in and let’s talk tech.

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HP wasn’t just exciting the netbook crowd with its new Mini 5110; it also announced a 13-inch notebook in its relatively new ProBook line, the 4310s. The ProBook 4310s is aimed at serious users who may not fit the enterprise mold but who need a notebook that is configured the way they want (prosumer). The options available on the 4310s are actually overwhelming, as just about every aspect of the notebook can be configured to order.

A number of operating systems can be preinstalled, and even the graphics can be tailored to the needs of the buyer. Several different processors are available, and six different HDDs can be chosen. The heart of the 4310s is the 13.3-inch LED-backlit screen (1366×768) (three different options available), and either dedicated graphics or integrated graphics can be chosen. The 4310s should be available on July 20 at a starting price of $799.

I am working away in my local coffee shop and thought I should share additional impressions of the ThinkPad T400s. You can check out the video done earlier, but this is a more user-oriented set of impressions in no particular order.

ThinkPad T400s (taken with Palm Pre)

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“L” is for “Laptops,” says Toshiba. The company just launched its new Satellite L Series devices, which start at $549.99 and are aimed at back-to-schoolers and those on a budget. That price begins to approach the netbook market, although these devices aren’t quite as portable. There are four sizes in the series: 14″, 15.6″, 16″ and 17.3″, with MSRPs ranging up to $699. The smaller screens offer 1366×768 resolution while the bigger models go up to 1600×900. All use what Toshiba calls an HD TruBrite display offering a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio.

Toshiba calls the 14-incher “lightweight,” but it starts out at 5.06 pounds. That might be light compared to the 17.3-incher at 7.7 pounds, but it’s no light-and-thin device. I’d put these more in the realm of everyday use or desktop replacements.

The L Series can be configured in a number of ways with CPUs from AMD and Intel, integrated or discrete graphics, different wireless options, optical drives, RAM and storage capacity. All of them feature a graphite colored Fusion Finish and Toshiba’s Eco Utility with one-touch power saving features.