Asus is to take on the $199 OLPC XO laptop with a $200 Small, Cheap Computer for the developing world.

The company's keeping mum about the details of the machine, saying only that it'll debut in Q1 2009 for $200 (£134/€159).

Asus Eee PC and friend: even cheaper next year

Asus is scheduled to once again host a big launch event at January's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Last year, it focused on the already shipping Eee PC 4G - its first, 7in netbook - and the company's WiMax plans.

The anticipated second-gen Eee PC - later to debut as the 901 - was, however, a no show.

The 4G is still available, as is a cut-down version, the 2G, which retails from $240 (£161/€190) upward. The 2G has a 571MHz Celeron M processor, 512MB of memory and 2GB of solid-state storage.

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Songbird, the open-source, media focused web browser, has launched its 1.0 milestone release to the public. The browser, which we've covered extensively since it was first announced back in 2005, offers a number of features that make it an appealing alternative to music players like iTunes, including a feature called mashTape will automatically cull the internet for relevant content for each song you play, using sources like YouTube and Flickr. The app also includes integrated support for Last.fm, concert ticket purchases, and add-ons to further enhance the browser.

In practice the browser works well (not much of the interface seems to have changed since the .7 release that I covered in August). Since .7, most of the changes have been under the hood, enhancing music playback and performance along with a few minor tweaks (for example, users can now use keyboard shortcuts).

The experience may seem odd for first time users, as it presents a strange fusion of iTunes with Firefox (the two browsers share the same Mozilla engine). But after a few minutes the foreignness wears off and the benefits become clear, though I suspect that some people will never get over the hybrid nature of the feature-set.

The app does have some acknowledged shortcomings - you can't rip albums using Songbird, and there's no way to sync an iPhone to the app. These pitfalls would probably be enough to put off most casual users, but Songbird appeals to a more hardcore listening demographic that is more willing to embrace emerging software (90% of the app's users are on Firefox, and 80% have music libraries over 10 gigs in size).

Lots of people think Netbooks are the next big volume market because they allow people who previously couldn't afford computers to own one. People got so bullish on the devices that sales projections reached 50 million units by 2012.

I've had a chance to test many of the units, though, and I can say that the promise is much bigger than the payoff. Perhaps that's why Intel is rethinking whether the devices are as great as everyone's expectations.

A typical Netbook has a 7 inch screen, an Intel Atom or Via Nano processor, a solid state (flash) hard drive and a keyboard that's 80-85% standard size. Most have Wifi. Some have other bells and whistles like bluetooth, a camera, etc.

I find Netbooks unusable for three reasons: they're underpowered as PCs, the screen is too small for web surfing, and the keyboard is so small that effective typing is impossible.

November 28, 2008 4:00 AM PST

Intel rethinks Netbooks: 'Fine for an hour' but...

Posted by Brooke Crothers

The Netbook, take two: When Advanced Micro Devices said it wasn't going to focus on Netbooks, as Intel and its partners defined them, maybe it was on to something.

Intel is re-evaluating the Netbook market as possibly not The Next Big Thing. This from the company that makes the Atom processor and accompanying silicon that go into most of the Netbooks sold today.

HP Mini Netbook 1030NR: the next big thing?

(Credit: Best Buy)

At a recent Raymond James IT Supply Chain Conference (streamed via this Intel page), Stu Pann, vice president in the sales and marketing group at Intel, said his company sees the Netbook differently now.

"We originally thought Netbooks would be for emerging markets and younger kids, and there is some of that. It turns out the bulk of the Netbooks sold today are Western Europe, North America, and for people who just want to grab and go with a notebook," Pann said. "We view the Netbook as mostly incremental to our total available market," he added.

And the most revealing statement? "If you've ever used a Netbook and used a 10-inch screen size--it's fine for an hour. It's not something you're going to use day in and day out."

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"Contrast that with Free Software. By its nature Free Software is ethical: it is completely open, nothing is hidden, there are no sneaky backdoors, spyware, rootkits, or any of the other vile crimes-that-are-not-punished perpetrated by commercial software vendors. Nobody goes to jail for exposing flaws or talking about how the technology works. There are no EULAs or NDAs. There is little closed-door plotting; most discussions are out in the open for anyone to see, or even participate in. That is why people like me get so impatient with the demands to make Linux more friendly to closed-source proprietary software-- it is fundamentally opposed to what Free Software is all about. It's like saying that a little toxic waste in the water is OK, a little more air pollution isn't a problem because it's 90% pure, and only zealots and purists want 100%."

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Samsung demos amazing folding phone

A video has appeared online of what's claimed to be an OLED display able to fold itself in half to become a mobile phone.

Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com

Initially, the phone - which it's thought was recently seen on a Samsung stand at a display tech trade show in Japan - looks more like a portable media player because of its large - 5in or so - display.

But suddenly the phone automatically folds itself in half, revealing a secondary - yet much smaller - screen on the opposite side. After a few seconds the device then opens itself up again.

When closed, a Samsung emblem can clearly be seen underneath the smaller screen. A menu of icons can be seen on the smaller screen, suggesting the front panel is touch-sensitive. What appear to be the usual call make and break buttons are also built into the unit's front.

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Dell adds $100 32GB SSD option to Inspiron Mini 9

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 23rd 2008 at 7:34PM

Microsoft and Novell Mark Two Years of Interoperability Progress

Strong customer demand, technical collaboration and commercial success affirms strategy and partner model.

-- Marking the two-year anniversary of their agreement to build a bridge between SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and Windows, Microsoft Corp. and Novell, Inc., today are celebrating strong customer demand for their business model and strategy that provides interoperability and intellectual property (IP) peace of mind. The companies are announcing two significant milestones resulting from the Microsoft and Novell technical collaboration: the coming availability of an Advanced Management Pack for SUSE Linux Enterprise for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 and a free beta download of Novell's Moonlight rich media application. The companies are also reinforcing the fact that Novell's new SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Subscription with Expanded Support program will be supported through Microsoft's sale of certificates for Novell service.

"Customer interest and uptake has far exceeded our expectations," said Susan Heystee, general manager for global strategic alliances at Novell. "This continued momentum from our strategic relationship with Microsoft is the catalyst driving the innovative solutions and technologies our two companies are announcing today. We're seeing especially strong demand in the datacenter, where a mixed-source environment is increasingly the norm and where our delivery of true interoperability is compelling."

In the second year of their business collaboration agreement, Microsoft and Novell have added more than 200 new joint customers, including Alticor Inc., BP Oil International Ltd. and China Mobile Ltd., which are receiving certificates from Microsoft for three-year priority support subscriptions for Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. When the five-year agreement was signed in November 2006, Microsoft purchased certificates to sell to customers, which then redeemed those certificates with Novell for a subscription to SUSE Linux Enterprise. In the first two years of the agreement, Novell has invoiced more than 70 percent of the original certificate purchase.

"The interoperability and IP peace of mind that our agreement provides is clearly resonating with customers," said Susan Hauser, general manager of strategic partnerships and licensing at Microsoft. "After two highly successful years, we've demonstrated that our business model works, and we will continue collaborating to provide innovative solutions for our customers. And with our sale of certificates for Novell's new Expanded Support program, even more customers, including those running Red Hat Enterprise Linux, will be able to access the benefits of our relationship with Novell."

As part of today's announcement, Microsoft and Novell are revealing the details of two new offerings resulting from the joint technical collaboration. Novell is announcing the general availability release of its Advanced Management Pack for SUSE Linux Enterprise for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2, available in the first half of 2009. A technical preview of the Advanced Management Pack was shown earlier this month at the Tech•Ed EMEA IT Professionals 2008 conference in Barcelona, Spain. The timing of the Advanced Management Pack coincides with the release of Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2, also slated for release in the first half of 2009. Microsoft and Novell's collaborative work in systems management aims to ease customers' management of mixed IT environments.

The Advanced Management Pack for SUSE Linux Enterprise for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 extends the cross-platform Linux monitoring capability of Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 and enables the assessment and management of Windows- and Linux-based servers from a single, unified console, eliminating the costs and complexities of having multiple management consoles. It also reduces training costs and optimizes staff resources, because individuals need to be trained on only one management tool. In addition, one team can manage both Windows and Linux environments.

The other new initiative the companies are announcing is the upcoming beta availability of Moonlight, an open source implementation of Microsoft Silverlight that provides Linux-based users with the same rich, high-definition media capabilities currently available for the Windows and Apple environments. Moonlight will be provided as an open source plug-in for the Firefox Web browser.

In the two years since signing their original business and technical collaboration agreement, Novell and Microsoft have continued to make significant investments in their relationship. Novell's Expanded Support program includes a three-year subscription to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server that also allows customers to transition to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server over a two-year period while receiving technical support for their existing Linux deployments. Based on its strong relationship with Novell, which is built on a commitment to meeting customer demand, Microsoft is supporting the new program through the sale of certificates for Novell technical support. As a result, even more customers will be able to access the benefits of interoperability and IP peace of mind provided through the Microsoft and Novell relationship.

Reseller distributors for the two companies are quick to point out the advantages of the Microsoft and Novell business model.

"The cooperation between Microsoft and Novell to deliver expanded support for SUSE Linux Enterprise users is a breath of fresh air," said Joe Szalkiewicz, western region vice president for The Pinnacle Group. "The ability to transition from other Linux deployments, including Red Hat, while redeeming subscription certificates purchased from Microsoft for Novell's Expanded Support, is remarkable -- something you can't get anywhere else. This is exactly what our customers have told us they are looking for to help make the transition from other forms of Linux to Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server."

Independent Television PLC (ITV), a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, also was quick to express support for the new offering.

"At ITV we are increasingly standardizing on both Microsoft Windows Server and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server as the key components of our enterprise server strategy," said Nick Leake, director of operations and infrastructure for ITV. "We did not want to get into a situation where we had a huge variety of different Linux distributions installed as we wanted to minimize our Linux operational risks and costs by standardizing on just one widely supported distribution. The Microsoft and Novell partnership agreement means we can now concentrate on Microsoft Windows Server and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server across our enterprise and have greater assurance that these platforms will be optimized to interoperate with each other, particularly in respect of virtualization. The additional intellectual property warranties provided by the agreement are a bonus and contribute to the effective positioning of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server as an enterprise-class Linux distribution. The recent extension of the agreement shows this was not a one-off transaction but is part of a longer-term arrangement between both Microsoft and Novell. Long may it continue, as it is setting the new benchmark in the technology industry that other suppliers must now work to meet."

More information about the Microsoft and Novell agreement can be found at http://www.moreinterop.com.

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Why Google Must Die