Rumor mongering website DigiTimes is reporting that Google and its initial manufacturing partner Inventec could begin shipping Chrome OS netbook as early as this month. The report also details the manufacturers Acer and HP will be releasing their Chrome OS offerings in December. “The Google Chrome notebook will feature an ARM-based platform and will not be selling through retail channels,” reports DigiTimes. The Taiwanese site has an extremely mixed record when it comes to product prognostications and predictions. Hit the read link to check out the original article.

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According to Deutsche Bank in a note sent out to clients, Apple’s combined iPad and MacBook / MacBook Pro market share puts them right ahead Asus, Toshiba, Dell, and Lenovo globally. Obviously you have to be willing to classify iPad tablet devices in the category as laptops and notebooks, but it isn’t exactly far-fetched. Especially when customers are buying iPads over a new netbook or in some cases laptops. The jump to the #3 spot (again, if you classify iPads as portables) pulls Apple up from the #7 slot globally, and it doesn’t look like Apple’s piece of the pie will be sliding any time soon. “Retail checks suggest this share shift continues in July.” The only two companies in front of Apple in this non-standard market share survey? Acer and Hewlett Packard. Let’s see what a Retina display-equipped, FaceTime-toting new iPad will do the market then, shall we?

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We gave you advance warning that the Samsung N150 was slated to land with Verizon Wireless and now it has finally arrived. Starting today, you can snag a a Sammy netbook with an Intel Atom N450 1.66 GHz processor,10.1 inch 1024×600 LED backlit display, 1GB DDR2 memory, Intel GMA3150 graphics, 160GB HDD, Bluetooth 2.1, Windows 7 Starter, and most importantly, integrated 3G (CDMA/1X/EV-DO Rev. A: 800/1900 MHz; UMTS/HSPA: 850/1900/2100 MHz; GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz) with SIM support for international travelling. As always, a mobile broadband plan is required for the N150 and will set you back $60/month for a 5GB, $40/month for 250MB, or between $15-50 for a prepaid plan. The N150 can be purchased fromVerizon Wireless retail stores for $49.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement or online for a promotional price of $29.99 fter a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.

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We have got our hands on some Verizon Wireless docs today, and they range from pricing changes on handsets, to new netbooks, to new handset launches. First up on chopping block is the Samsung N150 netbook which will officially debut on July 8th. If that’s not good enough, it will also launch in Best Buy stores starting tomorrow, ahead of Verizon Retail channel availability. If you’re not familiar, the Samsung N150 netbook comes with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 10.1″ display, 160GB HD, Bluetooth, Windows 7 Starter, and is a Global netbook. We’re not sure on pricing, but we’d wager it won’t break the bank. Make sure to check out the full leaked document in our gallery!

Click on over to our Verizon Wireless Samsung N150 netbook gallery!

Intel confirmed that it is close to bringing Android 2.2 to the Intel Atom and other x86 platforms. According to Renee James, Intel’s VP of Software and Services, Intel will be releasing its x86-friendly port of Froyo to the masses via the Android Open Source Project sometime this summer. This will open the door for manufacturers eager to release Android-powered netbooks and tablets, while also allowing developers to design apps for the x86 platform. Rather than pulling out your hair trying to create an Android-powered Dell Mini 10, you will soon be able to purchase one directly from Dell. Sounds like an Android lover’s dream come true.

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Sony’s first VAIO P was a was quite a disappointment considering how poorly it performed and the huge price tag it carried, but Sony seems to be confident that its second-gen VAIO P will right the wrongs of the past. Shipping one week ahead of schedule, the “Lifestyle PC” comes pre-loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium and has an Intel Atom Z530 processor and 2GB of RAM to help keep things flowing. Apart from that, the $900 rig has a 8″ 1600×768 display that’s straddled by optical trackpads, Everywair 3G, GPS, digital compass and an accelerometer. Of course if you lived elsewhere you’d have a lot more options than that to chose from, but who needs that much stress in their life?

[Via Pocketables]

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According to market research firm IDC, 2010 will see shipments of PCs rebound in 2010 and erase the terrible sales figures seen in 2009. Overall sales are expected to rise 19.8% YoY with a total of 354.8 million units shipped. Notebook sales are anticipated to be the largest contributor to higher sales with growth targeted at 28.6% versus the 8.2% of desktops. As for netbooks, previously said by many to be the next big thing in personal computing, IDC believes that their sales will max out at 12% before tapering off. Why? Because everyone seems to want a tablet instead.

[Via Electronista]

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The Register is reporting that Chrome OS — Google’s netbook operating system that is completely browser based — may in fact gain access to legacy desktop applications. Using a technology the Register identifies as “Chromoting,” Chrome OS will “enable you to access legacy PC applications right within the browser.” The Chromoting feature is described as a Remote Desktop like experience, and “will let you access applications running on your existing Windows, Linux, or Mac desktop.” The Register sources an email correspondence with Google software engineer Gary Kačmarčík, who — curiously — would not “responded to requests for comment” from the publication. We hope the prognostication is true, more functionality is always better…no?

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Have you been dying to know when you’ll be able to get your hands on Google’s Chrome OS? Well according to Sundar Pichai, the head of the project and Google VP of product management, the OS will be making its debut in the “late fall.” There’s presently no more information to report on the matter, but rest assured that we’ll be back as soon as we hear more.

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Retrevo has a new study out that suggests 1 in 3 potential U.S. netbook buyers opted for the iPad as opposed to the keyboarded alternative. The study — whose “sample size was over 1,000 [and] distributed across gender, age, income and location in the United States” — asked: “Did you hold off on buying a netbook after the iPad was announced in January?” Thirty percent of those 1,000 respondents answered: “Yes. And I bought an iPad.” Of those who were contemplating a netbook or iPad, 78% said they were leaning towards an iPad, while the remaining 22% said they were leaning more towards a netbook. The study is obviously not definitive. A 1,000 person sample is enough to be statistically significant; however, questions about how many of the respondents already own a laptop or smartphone, or how many of these respondents (if any) plan to use the iPad or netbook as a primary computing device were not asked — these factors would, undoubtedly affect a respondents answer.

The study concludes:

… don’t expect to see the record growth continue for netbook sales in the U.S. As consumers find the iPad irresistible and inexpensive laptops more practical we predict netbook sales will get squeezed from two sides and will not be able to maintain past growth rates. That said, netbooks should continue to get cheaper and faster and will continue to be an attractive alternative to laptops or other mobile Internet devices.

What say you? If you had the choice between a netbook or an iPad/iPad-like Android device, which one would you pick and why? Do you think these new slab-lets will seriously cannibalize netbook sales?

Note: As a contrast, see Retrevo’s February poll which asked 1,000 “randomly selected Retrevo users” if they were interested in buying an iPad. That pole had only 9% of respondents indicate they were interested in an iPad purchase.

[Via Venture Beat]

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Some might argue it’s a case of too little, too late, but Sony looks to have a pretty darn good “don’t call it a netbook” netbook on its hands with its much-needed and long-rumored upgrade to the VAIO P. Featuring a “new design for two-handed operation while standing or walking”, the refreshed VAIO P has a built in optical trackpad to the right of the 8″ 1600×768 display which neighbors the left/right mouse click buttons on the left. Thrown in for good measure is an an accelerometer which allows you to shake and flick your way around the internet, Everywair 3G, GPS, digital compass and support for PS3 Remote Play (provided you’re running firmware 3.30 and up). Running Windows 7 Home Premium with an optional upgrade to Professional, the entry-level model features an Intel Atom Z530 clocking in at 1.6 GHz while the top-of-the-line model packs an Atom Z560 at 2.13 GHz. RAM tops out at 2GB, and you have your choice of either a 64, 128, or 256GB SSD. The new VAIO P starts at $799.

Catch the PR after the break.

Sony delivers a smarter on-the-move computing experience: Ultra-portable, easy to carry new VAIO P Series
10 May 2010

• Colourful ultra-portable PC weighs just over 600g
• New design for two-handed operation while standing or walking
• GPS and Digital Compass
• Accelerometer sensor
• Built-in Everywair 3G
• Clear, bright, widescreen VAIO Display Plus
• Easy to use with Quick Web Access

It’s smaller than a notebook and smarter than a smartphone: the colourful VAIO P Series from Sony is your perfect partner for on-the-move computing.

Weighing just over 600g and slipping effortlessly into a bag or jacket pocket, new VAIO P Series gives you all the power of a fully-featured Windows computing experience… and so much more.

Ideal for busy people who can’t sit still, it’s the first VAIO designed for simple operation if you’re standing or walking. The central trackball is complemented by an additional touchpad and mouse buttons. Duplicating the main controls, they’re located at either edge of the screen for comfortable operation with both thumbs while you’re holding the computer in two hands.

VAIO P Series is the first notebook computer from Sony with built-in GPS and a new Digital Compass. Perfect for telling you where you are and what’s happening around you, they can help you find your hotel or a nearby restaurant if you’re standing on the street corner in an unfamiliar city.

A brand-new VAIO Location Search software offers a real-time map view without tying up your web browser. Your map position and orientation are displayed along with nearby Points of Interest and even local weather conditions.

The ultra-light notebook’s ‘on-the-go’ credentials for travellers are boosted with Everywair 3G on-board, giving high-speed connectivity to mobile networks (where available).

New VAIO P is the first notebook from Sony with a built-in accelerometer that responds to physical movements. Just give VAIO a gentle shake to ‘flick’ through pictures or the pages of a PDF document, or navigate back and forth through your web browsing history.

The sensor also recognises when VAIO P Series is turned on its side, automatically ‘flipping’ the screen for easy reading of documents or web pages in portrait mode. The notebook’s additional mouse buttons are perfectly placed for comfortable page-turning when you’re reading in portrait position – just like a paperback book or magazine.

New VAIO P Series is beautifully designed for easy operation, with a comfortable full-pitch keyboard for easy typing, plus a bright, extra-wide VAIO Display Plus that’s ideally proportioned for viewing movies or two web pages side-by-side. There’s also an ambient light sensor that dims screen illumination for comfortable viewing while saving power.

For extra convenience, dedicated buttons are provided for Quick Web Access and one-touch access to VAIO Care. There’s also a handy new Change Resolution button: instantly select a larger font size for easy on-screen reading, or choose maximum detail for HD movie viewing.

Available in five vibrant colours (black, white, pink, green and orange), the new VAIO P Series is complemented by a choice of stylish accessories that includes a distinctively perforated silicone slip case and carry strap.

The new VAIO P Series ultra-portable notebook computer is available from June 2010.

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Whoops. While speaking about the future of its netbook platform, Samsung inadvertently detailed a handful of unannounced ARM mobile chipsets that it plans release over the next three. The chipsets start off with the Taurus (S5PV210), a single core Cortex-A8 CPU that clocks in at 1GHz, and culminate with the heavy hitting Aquila which boasts of a quad-core Cortex-A9 running at 1.2-GHz. According to the roadmap, the rest of the eight chipsets include the following:

• Taurus (S5PV210): Single core Cortex-A8 at 1GHz. Due out in Q3 2010.
• Mercury: Single core Cortex-A5 (Sparrow) at 600MHz. To debut late 2010.
• Orion: Dual Core Cortex-A9 Dual Core at 800MHz which offers software compatibility with the Taurus. Expected to enter into production in Q1 2011.
• Pegasus: Single core Cortex-A9 1GHZ. Set for Q4 2011.
• Hercules: Dual core Cortex-A9 at 1GHZ. Scheduled for Q1 2012.
• Venus: Another Cortex-A5 based endeavor which will double the fun of the Mercury by offering a 600-MHz dual-core processor. Expected to hit production in late 2012 or early 2013.
• Draco: A 1.2-GHz Cortex-A9 dual-core expected to enter mass production in late 2012 or early 2013.
• Aquila: Doubles the Draco with its quad-core, 1.2-GHz, Cortex-A9 processor. The Aquila is also slated to enter mass production in late 2012 or early 2013.

Samsung didn’t not pair these mobile powerhouses with any GPUs or mobile operating systems, but we’re assuming we’ll see them alongside Android, Chrome and Ubuntu devices.

[via Notebook Italia]

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Having sold some 1.5 million Windows-based computers, Toshiba saw it’s U.S. PC sales grow an impressive 50% in Q1. The sales, which were greatly aided by a recovering economy, were also accelerated thanks to interest in Windows 7. Toshiba is now the 4th largest mover of PCs in the U.S. As for the future, Toshiba’s GM of digital products has said the company is planning on introducing a series of tablets this year, with some running Microsoft’s Windows 7 and others Google’s Android. Some analysts have predicted that such a move would do nothing but throw a wrench into Toshiba’s netbook sales, but the company is confident that the two categories of devices can be sold side by side with minimal cannibalization. The U.S. market for tablets is expected to swell to 50 million units by 2014.

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According to a rumor from the Wall Street Journal, Sony may be taking aim at the Apple iPhone, the Apple iPad and Microsoft’s Zune Phone Windows Phone 7 Series with two upcoming multifunction, multimedia-centric devices. Sony is reportedly developing a portable multimedia device bundled with online services that will rival the iPad. This rumored portable device will be part netbook, part e-reader, part gaming machine and will connect to the new Sony Online Service which will offer, music, movies, television episodes, and games. The bulk of the games available through the Online Service will be recycled PlayStation games and will be made available to wide range of portable and mobile devices. Sony promises to have this iPad killer in the hands of the masses sometime in 2010. The second and the smaller of the two multifunction devices is a smartphone, developed in conjunction with Ericsson, that will download and play PlayStation games. Sound familiar? It should as this idea of a PlayStation phone has been bouncing for almost three years now without any concrete evidence that the project has been moving forward. Will 2010 be the year Sony delivers the PlayStation phone and finally puts an end to this seemingly endless rumor? We hope so at this repetitive reporting is getting a bit long in the tooth.

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Dell’s popular Mini 10 netbook may be adding WiMAX to its long list of connectivity options as the latest iteration, model 1012, was spotted at the FCC rocking the Intel WiMAX/WiFi link 6250 chipset. The Mini 10 is highly customizable with the base computer including a 10.1 inch widescreen display with an HD resolution option, an Intel Atom processor, 1GB DDR2 SDRAM, Integrated Intel graphics, Wi-Fi, Qualcomm GOBI chipset with AT&T 3G or Verizon Wireless 3G, optional GPS, optional TV tuner and Windows XP or Windows 7 Starter edition. The FCC documentation does not hint at any exclusive WiMAX carrier but it would be nice to see the netbook offered by Clear, Sprint or one of the other WiMAX resellers with a generous subsidy.

[Via Liliputing and Wireless Goodness]

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