Josh Smith

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Introducing The One Second Boot Screen! (video)

When Xavier was at the Intel Developer Forum yesterday he had a chance to see a cool new bit of tech from Phoenix Technologies that makes booting your computer faster. How fast is it? Well in case you miss it in the video below the bios boot screen is visible for about a second and Windows 7 is running within 13 seconds...from a cold boot.

Intel Demos 4 Screen Laptop Prototype

If you thought a two screen laptop was impressive then the Intel prototype laptop with 4 screens code named Tangent Bay is poised to blow you away. Instead of sliding, folding or otherwise adding to the width of your laptop the prototype integrates 3 OLED Touch Screens above the keyboard which can be used to control the computer and display media.
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Do Netbooks Help You Work Distraction Free?

Last week Farhad Manjoo wrote in the NY Times about the troubles of working on "the most distraction machines ever invented", providing links to many different tools to "tame" your digital distractions. Some of the biggest distractions users like myself face when connecting to the Internet to get work done are time-sucks like Hulu, Instant messaging, Twitter, Flickr, and any number of flash games. It seems that Farhad is right, this blasted notebook is the most distracting machine invented. While I find myself drawn to these time-wasters as soon as I sit down at work in the morning or drop in behind a widescreen monitor at home I noticed there's one place where I don't feel the same pull; on my netbook.
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HyperSpace: Instant on Coming to Nettops

How often do you sit there waiting for the Windows Boot Screen to disappear, just wishing that you could be happily on your way to Twitter or watching a TV Show on Hulu over your lunch break? My guess is pretty often. One of the biggest complaints that people have with their computers is that they take "forever" to boot up and let them do something. While each version of windows boots faster if you really want instant on access you need to have an operating system like Phoenix Technologies’' HyperSpace.

Review of the Skype Everyman Headset

EverymantinySkype is a great way to stay in touch with people without maxing out your cell phone bill every month. Thanks to the inclusion of a webcam and microphone on almost every notebook sold these days getting started with Skype is but a download away. Still if you're going to use Skype every day or to chat with co-workers like we do at Notebooks.com you'll want to invest in a headset to provide a better chatting experience.
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Should I Stay Or Should I Go? Reasons to upgrade to Windows 7

As with every software release the question of whether or not you should upgrade surfaces. Windows 7 is no exception and there's no shortage of pundits weighing in on whether or not you should upgrade to Windows 7 on October 22nd. In an effort to help you make a more informed decision Notebooks.com has pulled together a listing of reasons why you should and why you shouldn't upgrade to Windows 7 as well as our take on the matter.

Photos of the New HP Vivienne Tam Digital Clutch

Last night on the catwalk of New York’s Fashion Week at Bryant Park, Vivienne Tam and HP debuted the new HP Vivienne Tam Digital Clutch. The new clutch which complements Tam's spring line of clothes has a champagne gold background with butterflies emblazoned across the front.

Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 Announced

Given the fact that more and more of our communicating is done with a keyboard and that we write more than any other generation, it's no surprise that keyboards are the focus of many of our notebook reviews at Notebooks.com. We're always asking ourselves. Is it springy? How big is it? Does it feel "right"? Many times the answers to these questions are disappointing which is what Microsoft aims to address with its new Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000.

The 2009 Black Friday Predictions Have Arrived

As Xavier mentioned in his hands on look at the new Dell Inspiron 14z it's almost time for the Christmas shopping season. For dealseekers that means but one thing, Black Friday! It's only September but there's already a collection of 2009 Black Friday Predictions to help you make your shopping lists.

A Closer Look at the New iPods

Today at Apple's "It's only Rock and Roll" event the company announced several changes to the popular iPod line of mp3 players. While the event didn't lead to a camera for the iPod Touch, like many had suspected, the upgrades and price cuts keep Apple competitive with the forthcoming Zune HD. Keep reading to find out more about the iPod Nano 5G, iPod Touch 3G and updates to the iPod Classic and iPod shuffle lines.
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Do You Need a GPU? It’s For More Than Gaming!

When looking for a new computer a lot of people ask their technologically inclined friend what options they need and which ones to pass on. One question that comes up more often these days from notebook shoppers is, "Do I need a GPU?" It used to be that any question about graphics came back to whether or not the purchaser was a gamer but anymore adding a GPU or Graphical Processing Unit to your notebook is about more than gaming.

Microsoft Offering 7 Weeks of Prizes On Twitter to kick of Windows 7

Just in case you don't have the party throwing skills needed to host a Windows 7 Launch Party you can also score free Windows 7 swag and goodies by following @MSWindows on Twitter. Over the next 7 weeks, until Windows 7 launches on October 22nd, users can vie for a chance to win prizes by responding to challenges put forth by the Windows 7 Launch Team.

SurfShelf: From Treadmill to Treadputer in $40

One of the most frequent problems that plagues heavy computer users like office dwellers and bloggers is that time spent in front of the computer is for the most part motionless. One solution to the problem of stationary computing is to combine a treadmill and a notebook to make what is commonly referred to as a treadputer.

Sony Vaio Notebooks To Ship With Chrome. Does it Matter?

google chromeAccording to Beta News, Google representatives have confirmed that the Sony Vaio Line of notebooks will be the first computers to ship with the Google Chrome browser. This partnership offers Google Chrome, which currently has a 2.6% market share amongst browsers, an opportunity to catch up to major competitors like Safari, Opera and Firefox.

Liliputing Reviews The Samsung N310 Go Netbook

The rubberized Samsung Go Netbook first caught my attention when it was released in Europe and the unique form factor still has my attention now that it has hit the American shores. While other netbooks and small notebooks attempt to be the next cheap Macbook Air; the Samsung Go is decidedly different and that plays into its favor. Brad Linder at Liliputing recently had the opportunity to review the Samsung Go and has provided a full report on the pros and cons of Samsung's design choices.

PCmover Makes In Place Upgrade To Windows 7 Easier

This October Windows 7 will be released to the public and unlike past upgrades most users, including those who are using Windows XP, won't be able to upgrade to Windows 7 without backing up data to an external hard drive and reformatting their computer. For novice computer users this can be a tricky process but thanks to PCmover, upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 is simple.

Gscreen’s Dual Screen Spacebook Expected by Year End

Two screens, count them; 1, 2. That’s right folks; gScreen, a new manufacturer from Alaska, showed off the gScreen Spacebook which will soon be one of the few dual screen laptops available and possibly the only one to feature 2 full size screens. While the product has been talked about for a while, Gizmodo was able to get details and pictures of the dual headed beast and well, it’s impressive – and huge!
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Verdict’s In: Snow Leopard Review Roundup

OSXEven though it’s not quite cold enough for snow in most of the U.S. Apple’s latest upgrade, Snow Leopard, has arrived on store shelves and will be hitting the doorsteps of Mac owners in what’s sure to be a busy day for UPS and FEDEX. So how does the big cat upgrade stack up? The good news is that most of the reviews agree that Snow Leopard is a solid upgrade and despite its lack of major changes to OSX the little tweaks and behind the scenes changes – coupled with the low upgrade price – earn it recommendations from across the web.