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Is the venerable ThinkPad name getting slapped on a large netbook/ultra-light notebook? All signs appear to be yes, although many of them are speculation and rumor. Most of these thoughts are coming from ThinkPadToday which states that Jan. 5, 2010 is the date we’ll see the ThinkPad X100e with these potential specs:

• 1.6 GHz AMD Athlon Neo or 1.4 GHz Intel CULV
• 12.1-inch display at 1280 x 800
• 3 GB of RAM
• Integrated mobile broadband options
• Corresponding Ultrabase

With Lenovo’s current IdeaPad line, I’d expect such a device to cost north of $600, if it does indeed appear. I’d chalk this one up to complete rumor except, there have been a fair number of photos floating around. With the legendary ThinkPad keyboards, I’m sure many would like to see this rumor come true.

We recently told you about Connectify, a beta program that turned any Windows 7 computer with Wi-Fi into a virtual hotspot. The program creates a hotspot that is easily shared with others. The company behind Connectify stated it worked on Windows 7 only. It turns out that the virtual router capability is baked right into Windows 7, and the latest Wi-Fi drivers from Intel enable the capability without any other software needed.

It is only logical, but we should point out that the Intel Wi-Fi components must support this capability. Intel’s latest components seem to support it just fine once the proper drivers are installed. You can see the virtual network connection appear once everything is in place. Just follow the simple three-step process outlined in the link above to get a virtual router up and running.

Image courtesy I started something

From a design and engineering standpoint, I’m totally wowed by Dell’s Adamo XPS. And after watching this Gotta Be Mobile inkshow of the device, I’m even more impressed. How did Dell cram an entire computer in such a thin product, I keep asking myself. It’s definitely a “head-turner,” if that’s what you’re looking for. But once the novelty wears off, I question how useful the $1,799 device will be while mobile.

You can see in the video that the standard battery only has 20 Whr of power, which Dell estimates will offer 2.5 hours of use. The device design worries me as well — how will the unit work on a lap based on the unique hinge that props the keyboard up at an angle? At this price, it’s not likely I’ll ever know the answer to that question firsthand, so I may watch the video a second time.

As a refresher, the base Adamo XPS offers the following specs:

• 13.4” HD WLED 720p display powered by integrated Intel graphics
• Intel Core 2 Duo ULV (1.4GHz)
• 4GB DDR3‐800MHz
• 128 GB Solid State Disk
• 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1
• Ports: DisplayPort, 2xUSB 2.0, audio, Ethernet via dongle
• Weight: 3.2lb (1.44kg with 20Whr battery)
• dimensions: 340 x 273.9 x 9.99 mm
• Windows 7 Premium 64‐bit

The discovery that developer builds of OS X 10.6.2 had removed support for the Atom processor kicked off a storm on the web. On the surface it seemed that the only reason for Apple to remove the hardware support that was already in the OS was to kill off the “Hackintosh” projects. Those are the projects that have hardy souls installing OS X on netbooks and UMPCs to fill the void that Apple is reluctant to fill.

Word has surfaced that the current beta build (10C535) of 10.6.2 has regained support for Atom processors. Whether this is due to the reaction to its removal, or to fixing an accidental removal we will likely never know. Of course, until 10.6.2 is finalized, we’ll have to wait and see if the Atom support stays.

While I’m more than happy with the Toshiba NB205 netbook I purchased in August, there are refreshed models out from Toshiba. The model numbers are different, but the hardware looks to be the same. Windows 7 Starter Edition is the big difference, since my device came with Windows XP. I have my netbook set to dual-boot in either XP or Windows 7 Ultimate for the moment, but for a true review of the Windows 7 experience, I recommend reading Brad Linder’s latest look.

Aside from the second opinion on the device, I was most intrigued by some Toshiba software that I don’t have on my device. And I can’t find it for download on the Toshiba site either. Specifically, there’s some nice power management bits, a PC health monitor and some diagnostic tools that I’d love to get on the Windows 7 partition for my Tosh.

I had a feeling that something was missing when I got the latest power management bits for Windows 7 from Toshiba directly. The XP version has a well-detailed graphical user interface that I lost with the Windows 7 utilities from Toshiba. I can’t even find the software available on Toshiba’s site under the new NB205-330 model that Brad reviewed. Bummer!

Say what you will about Sony, the company knows how to make appealing products. The super-thin VAIO X notebook is a case in point, as you will see in this unboxing video from NewGadgets.de. It looks absolutely as thin as possible, and very easy to handle as a result. The 11.1-inch screen makes it a very appealing size for the road warrior. The high price gets you in essence a very capable netbook, and a sexy one at that.

It’s time to let off a little steam about something I keep seeing over and over on the Interwebs. The growth of the subsidized netbook segment regularly has someone chime in that the “$300 netbook” is really a “$2,000 netbook” due to the cost of the data plan over two years. I understand the logic, but I’m going to call it for what it is — fuzzy math.

The fact of the matter is that the data plan is a separate item from the netbook, no matter the subsidy. Sure the carrier will knock off a few hundred dollars so you’ll buy the netbook, but the real product they are selling is the data plan. Subsidy or no, netbook or notebook, if you don’t need a two-year data plan then don’t buy it. If the data plan is important to your work or other need, then get it and view the netbook as a throw-in on that deal.

What most fuzzy mathematicians fail to note is that carriers will let you move the data plan to any other device, even if you bought a netbook from them. You can move the plan to a “full” notebook down the road if you decide the netbook is too restrictive. You can move the plan to one of those fancy MiFi devices, or even a USB modem. It’s your data plan for two years and you can do what you want with it (except cancel it without penalty).

So don’t buy a data plan to get a cheap subsidized netbook — they are all cheap already. Buy a data plan because that’s what you need, and if you get the cheap netbook so be it. It’s still a cheap netbook — not a four figure netbook no matter what anyone says.

There are notebooks and then there are notebooks, and the Acer Aspire AS8940G-6865 is definitely in the latter category. Acer’s new entertainment notebook has a whopping 18.4-inch screen (1920×1080) that is powered by the Intel Core i7 Quad-Core 720QM processor. The AS8940G packs in Acer’s CineSurround technology, composed of five speakers including the Tuba bass boost.

The graphics get the horsepower to drive the giant display from the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M with 1GB of video memory. It can be configured with a Blu-ray drive for total movie immersion on the go.

The giant Acer will be available in time for the holidays. A typical configuration with pricing looks like this:

• Intel Core i7 processor 720QM (1.60GHz, 6MB L3 cache, 1,333MHz FSB)
• 18.4″ full HD widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit display
  (1920×1080 Resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio)
• 4GB DDR3 dual-channel 1066MHz memory
• NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M with 1GB dedicated DDR3 VRAM
• 500GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive (1)
• 4X Blu-ray Disc/DVD SuperMulti double-layer drive
• Multi-in-1 digital media card reader
• Intel wireless Wi-Fi link 5100 802.11a/bg/Draft-N Wi-Fi certified
• Acer Crystal Eye integrated webcam
• Touch-capacitive media control interface
• 5 USB 2.0 Ports, 1 HDMI Port, 1 eSATA Port
• 8-cell Li-Ion Battery (4800mAh)
• Dolby home theater audio enhancement
• Acer CineSurround sound system (five built-in speakers)
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• MSRP $1,349.99

This is just a theoretical question for now, but would you pay $300 for a Sony VAIO P netbook, er lifestyle PC? When the VAIO P was unveiled at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, we were pretty excited to caress the device on camera. But after taking the price-tag into consideration, neither James nor I opted to purchase one. Recently Sony dropped the price by up to $500, but you’ll still find the base model running $849 direct from the Sony store. How would another $550 price drop grab you, though?

Actually, “price drop” is a bit misleading — subsidy would be more accurate. PhoneArea says that such a whopping subsidy is coming from Verizon Wireless; possibly bringing the initial out-of-pocket price of a Sony VAIO P to $299. The VAIO P already offered integrated 3G on Verizon’s network, so the technical pieces have been in place for a while. That’s a hefty subsidy to get a two-year contract from a customer and, if true, far more of a subsidy than I’ve ever seen on a netbook. PhoneArena thinks the pot may get even sweeter with a $100 rebate on top of the deal. With or without the extra $100, the deal is tempting.

My biggest concern with the VAIO P was the relatively poor battery life. Sony says on the default settings, you can expect 3.5 hours of juice. While that should be enough for a true companion device, it’s not enough for a “part time” computer will a “full time” wireless broadband bill. Personally, I’d rather see an solid ARM processor and a lighter operating system tucked inside a Sony VAIO P as an all-day smartbook.

As we head into the year-end holiday season, the companies that produce gadgets are working overtime to make sure that geeks like me are building a wish list. The problem is with holiday gift season drawing nigh, our own wishes are not something we can fill. Not and keep peace at home, anyway. With that in mind I present my current wish list full of gadgets. The list changes almost daily, and is subject to major revisions at a moment’s notice. That’s the legacy of being a geek. This is by no means the only gadgets I would like to have, just the major ones of the moment.

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