Anyone know when netbooks are due to get upgraded?

[luciusad2004]

Does anyone here know anything about when the current batch of netbooks are due to get updated? I mean like, do you know when manufacturers will start putting in dual core Atoms, or the Nvidia ion deal?

I had a netbook and I broke it. I think I want another one but I don't want to get one and then have it outdated it a couple months. If Ion is coming to netbooks soon enough I will definitely wait.

Thanks for any input.

[crenn]

Pinetrail is at the end of the year early next year.

[luciusad2004]

Pinetrail is at the end of the year early next year.

Ohhh, I never heard of Pinetrail. Im not sure if it sounds as nice as the Ion platform though. Maybe If I want more power I should just get a real laptop lol.

[Zephik]

I thought Microsoft was limiting hardware specs on netbooks? Is that no longer true or are manufacturers going to start using Linux or some other OS?

[luciusad2004]

I thought Microsoft was limiting hardware specs on netbooks? Is that no longer true or are manufacturers going to start using Linux or some other OS?

I thought that was just if they still wanted to get copies of XP or copies of that crappy version of 7 that has all the fun stripped out.

[slaveofconvention]

There are limits on the spec of netbooks if the manufacturer wants to qualify for the uber-cheap copies of XP MS offered as a way to get XP on netbooks instead of windows (or there was at one point) but there's nothing stopping them putting whatever hardware they want in and paying full OEM rates. The money is there to do the full OEM as the vast majority (I think all) manufacturers just pocketed the discount and didn't pass it on - thats why there's still a big difference in price between the linux and xp versions of netbooks when the difference SHOULD be $10-15

[luciusad2004]

There are limits on the spec of netbooks if the manufacturer wants to qualify for the uber-cheap copies of XP MS offered as a way to get XP on netbooks instead of windows (or there was at one point) but there's nothing stopping them putting whatever hardware they want in and paying full OEM rates. The money is there to do the full OEM as the vast majority (I think all) manufacturers just pocketed the discount and didn't pass it on - thats why there's still a big difference in price between the linux and xp versions of netbooks when the difference SHOULD be $10-15

Ah, thanks for clearing that up. Of course the Manufactures will probably still want to pocket that money... I hate when progress gets held back for a little bit of money.

[Zephik]

Damn. I'd much rather pay more to continue progress than pay less and be stuck in a stagnant pool of technology.

Here's hoping manufacturers will smarten up and offer higher spec'd netbooks even if they have to transfer the extra cost of the full OS to consumers.

[x88x]

Yeah, hurrah for MS singlehandedly halting the development of the netbook platform. I'm hoping that once 7 gets released, manufacturers will just use that instead of XP (yes, yes, I know, all sorts of Linux distros run great on the hardware currently used, but I've come to peace with the fact that the average consumer doesn't give a rats ass; they just want their Windows)

EDIT:
also, Progress Suckas! (http://maemo.nokia.com/n900/)

[crenn]

Yeah, hurrah for MS singlehandedly halting the development of the netbook platform. I'm hoping that once 7 gets released, manufacturers will just use that instead of XP (yes, yes, I know, all sorts of Linux distros run great on the hardware currently used, but I've come to peace with the fact that the average consumer doesn't give a rats ass; they just want their Windows)

EDIT:
also, Progress Suckas! (http://maemo.nokia.com/n900/)
Hard to use platforms with limited "average-joe" support won't do as well as a well known and relativally easy platform with lots of support. I use both Windows 7 Ultimate RC1 (will move to Windows 7 Professional later) and Ubuntu (in VirtualBox) and I see why people would prefer windows. Yes I am a windows user mainly, but linux is not quite ready for the average joe.

EDIT: You do realise that is a phone right?

[The boy 4rm oz]

Windows 7 will be the flagship OS for netbooks, it has been designed to run from the ground up on netbooks pretty much. I have just done a whole training course to get myself a free copy on release lol :D. I'm guessing CPU speeds will stay the same but duel core will become the standard with more RAM and bigger HDDs.

[x88x]

EDIT: You do realise that is a phone right?

Yeah, I was just using it as an example of technological progress; the thing that is almost completely absent from the current netbook scene.

[Xpirate]

Ohhh, I never heard of Pinetrail. Im not sure if it sounds as nice as the Ion platform though. Maybe If I want more power I should just get a real laptop lol.

That is true. You would get more for your money with a lower end laptop. It would not be as light an portable, but it would be faster and have a larger screen.

Pine Trail is new Atom platform, Pineview is the combined Atom/GPU chip. The new Atom is supposed to be more efficient instead of more powerful, but some news reports claim that the included GPU will be faster than the current 945 graphics chip. The Ion platform is probably more powerful with graphics.

[slaveofconvention]

Samsung N510-KA02UK Netbook - Black (http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=36306&utm_source=eshot0271&utm_medium=eshot&utm_campaign=NOT4905) - They're out - just a case of finding them local to you I guess...