42 Reasons Why Netbooks Are Better Than the Apple iPad

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2358590,00.asp

Of course I haven't read a single one yet.

Even the French can find sticks to beat the i-Pad with.



http://www.examiner.com/x-3118...etbook-functionality"

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These iPad-like thingys just won't stop multiplying.

Call the EXTERMINATOR!  Call Arnold Schwartzneggar!



http://www.liliputing.com/2010...ming-next-month.html

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Top 10 netbooks

{{{{  Netbooks are perfect travel companions and meet basic computing needs, including e-mailing, Web surfing, and simple document creation. Best of all, these low-powered machines cost less than the standard-issue laptop
By PC World staff | PC World

Windows XP, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard disk, and a 10-inch screen are almost standard features of the netbook class. And so is an Intel Atom processor, though one of models we review here sports a Via Nano CPU. With any device that attempts to shrink a PC into an ultra-portable three-pound package, you can expect compromises. That said, many of these netbooks boast quite usable keyboards, decent performance, and excellent battery life (as long as 10 hours!). You'll even find features such as dual-boot Android, TV tuners, and gaming-capable GPUs in the mix. Prices range from $300 to $500-plus.

Acer Aspire One 751h

Acer Aspire One D250-1613

ASUS Eee PC 1005HA

Dell Inspiron Mini 10

HP Mini 311-1000NR

HP Mini 5101

Lenovo IdeaPad S12

Samsung Go

Samsung NP-NC20

Toshiba NB205-310    }}}}

http://www.infoworld.com/d/har.../top-10-netbooks-936

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PeeWee Kit — Children’s PC Sans the PC

{{{ The security portion of the PeeWee Kit is designed to provide parents with peace of mind with Junior traipsing all over the big, bad Internet. It couples parental control with the ability to monitor computer usage remotely to provide a safe environment for the little ones. The included software is rounded out with a solid list of educational programs and games to keep the kid’s attention on the learning experience:

• Science House
• Bailey Book House
• Trudy’s Time & Place House
• Sammy’s Science House
• Millie’s Math House
• Thinkin’ Things
• Mighty Math Carnival Countdown
• Zoombinis Mountain Rescue
• Reader Rabbit
• Where in the World in Carmen Sandiego?
• Oregon Trail

The PeeWee Kit sounds like a solid investment for those wishing to get the kiddos familiar with using a computer, while doing so safely and with good purpose. The CD version of the kit only includes some of the programs listed and is $19.99, while the USB flash complete version is $29.99. }}}

http://jkontherun.com/2010/02/17/peewee-kit-childrens-pc-sans-the-pc/

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Coby $85 smartbook feels like a hundred bucks (hands-on)

{{{  Funny how our tune on smartbooks totally changes when one's got an $85 price tag. We happened upon Coby's booth at CeBIT this morning and of all the fairly cheap feeling laptops the company had on display it was its 7-inch NBPC722 smartbook that cozied right up to us. Okay, so it isn't as thin or attractive as the $499 Lenovo's Skylight, but again let us remind you that it costs about as much as a couple of new printer ink cartridges. Inside the little guy packs a 624MHz Marvell PXA303 processor, 2GB of flash storage and runs Windows CE which all should be good enough for some light Web browsing and e-mail writing. There was actually a YouTube shortcut on the desktop, but the NBPC722 wasn't connected to try it out. Apparently this inexpensive laptop should be making its way stateside this spring, but until the flowers start blooming you've got the video below.  }}}
http://www.engadget.com/2010/0...dred-bucks-hands-on/

I have found 21 megabytes of decent science fiction in Project Gutenberg but there is more than 5 times that much.  Today a 500 page paperback is 1 megabyte and costs $8.  So that 21 meg could be worth $160.  But that smartbook is just a little over half that much.  So just buying that thing for a kid to read SF off the internet is worth the money.

The problem is the time to find what is worth reading.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files.../24161-h/24161-h.htm

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