Windows XP Available Through 2010 for New PCs?

AppleInsider claims that a source at Hewlett-Packard has told them that Microsoft has agreed to allow Windows XP as an option on new PCs/laptops through at least April 30, 2010. They reference an internal memo/email discussing Microsoft’s plans in regards to XP and Windows 7 even though, as the memo points out, mainstream support for Windows XP Professional ends this month (April 14th). Currently Windows XP Pro and Windows XP Tablet PC are bundled as restore options (or “XP downgrade”) for Windows Vista licenses on new PCs. That is supposed to expire July 31, unless they reach an agreement with Microsoft.

They also mention a Computerworld article from a few months ago discussing how important downgrade rights would be, even with Windows 7 alleviating many of the issues that people had with Windows Vista.

Windows XP Home is still sold on various laptops/ultraportables in the “netbook” range from all of the mainstream manufacturers, due to performance issues with Windows Vista. Windows 7 addresses many of the performance issues, and that wasn’t mentioned. Ideally, at least as far as Microsoft is concerned, many of the manufacturers would switch to Windows 7 after OEM versions become available. Right now Microsoft is having to sell Windows XP Home at a heavy discount, and it is depressing their revenue/profit. Windows 7 on these devices would be a huge revenue boost for Microsoft, however if they price it too high, thereby taking away a part of the appeal of these devices (low pricing), manufacturers might push back and either install Windows XP Home or some form of Linux.

Read:
- AppleInsider
- Computerworld

AT&T to Offer Acer Aspire One, Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and 12, and LG Xenia with Mobile Data Plans

Looks like the reports from the middle of February concerning AT&T offering multiple netbooks/sub-notebooks, or “mini laptops” as the AT&T press release calls them, are indeed true.

AT&T will be offering the Acer Aspire One, Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and Mini 12, and LG Xenia (aka X110) in prices ranging from $49.99 USD to $249.99 when purchasing an appropriate mobile broadband package (along with the contract). If you want something more powerful, such as the 12-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X200, you are looking at $750 to $850 depending on the plan.

AT&T has put together what it’s calling an “Internet at Home and On the Go” plan that covers several situations (mixing mobile data and DSL), and included with that is access to AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots. The standard 5GB a month for $60 plan is still available for those who don’t need DSL.

In the reports from February, the HP Mini 1000 was mentioned in that mix of devices, but it’s been left out for now.

There is a catch to all of this (besides the standard contract) - for now, it’s only being offered in select stores in the Atlanta and Philadelphia areas, but it looks like it will be nationwide later this year.

Read:
- Press Release (AT&T)
via GigaOm

HP, Acer, and CULV Notebooks/Laptops

Last week it was reported that Intel would be aggressive with it’s CULV platform (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage), and it looks like HP and Acer could play a large part of that plan.

DigiTimes is reporting that Hewlett-Packard plans on introducing multiple 13.3-inch CULV-based devices sometime this quarter. They list Quanta Computer and Compal Electronics as being the providers.

DigiTimes also mentions that Acer is looking at 13.3-inch CULV laptops as well, and that Quanta has received orders for 11.6-inch CULV-based laptops that might be introduced this month. Given that we have 12″ netbooks (Samsung NC20, Dell Inspiron Mini 12), it’ll be interesting to see the pricing and features, since a CULV device should out-perform Intel Atom-based netbooks.

Taiwan Economic News is also reporting that Acer will be launching CULV devices, and mentions April as a possibility for introducing them. They go on to say that it won’t be just 11.6-inch devices, but will include 13″, 14″, and 15″ devices. They list Quanta Computer as the provider for the 11.6″ device, Inventec Corporation for the 13″, and Winston Corporation for the 14″ and 15″ models.

They also mention the 13″ models will have a magnesium/aluminum alloy chassis/case. Some of the analysts they mention claim that CULV devices will be responsible for up to 20% of total sales in the notebook market.

Read:
- DigiTimes
- Taiwan Economic News (cens.com) (via Fudzilla)

HP Studying Google’s Android Platform for Ultraportables

How about Google’s Android operating system/platform for a notebook/laptop or even a netbook? Would you believe HP is taking a look at it?

It’s no April Fool’s joke. Reuters is reporting that Hewlett-Packard is looking at various ways that Google’s open-source operating system could be used. The article also mentions that the Wall Street Journal has sources claiming that HP is looking at Android as a platform for future netbooks.

Right now, Android has mainly been seen on mobile phones (or smartphones).

An HP spokeswoman declined to comment on any specific products, and only said that HP was studying Android in order to “understand all of the OS choices in the marketplace that might be used by our competitors, or that might possibly be of value to our customers too…..We want to assess the capabilities that Android might present for the computer and communications industries.”

HP is not the first to consider this, mind you. Back in February, the head of Asustek’s Eee PC line stated that Asustek had assigned engineers to look at Android-based netbooks and other Android-based devices, for a product that might be designed and finished by the end of this year. At the time, Asustek had not committed to a production run of any such devices, and as of now, they still haven’t, but it raised a lot of eyebrows.

Android is appealing - it’s free, it’s lightweight, has a large development community, and there are plenty of applications beginning to roll out for it, and being that it’s Google, an Android-based laptop/ultraportable will have access to most of the Google apps that many people use on a daily basis. People have been making Android run on non-mobile phone devices as well.

Given the “race to the bottom” as far as pricing, it could very well present a viable alternative to Linux on the $300 and lower devices.

Read: Reuters

Verizon to Offer HP Mini 1000 with Mobile Broadband

Boy Genius Report has information and a screen capture purporting to show that Verizon will be offering the HP Mini 1000 netbook with mobile broadband/data plans.

Earlier this week, Verizon confirmed that they would be selling a netbook through corporate Verizon stores sometime in the second quarter (starting possibly in April).

If the information is correct, this would follow potential plans by AT&T’s to offer the HP Mini 1000 and other netbooks at subsidized prices with data plans. AT&T already offers a plan with the 8.9″ Acer Aspire One through Radio Shack.

Specifications:
- HP Mini 1151NR aka NM123UA#ABA
- Intel Atom 1.6GHz N270
- 1GB RAM
- 4200rpm 80GB HDD (probably 1.8″)
- 10.1″ 1024×576 display
- 802.11b/g Wireless
- Bluetooth
- 3-cell Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery

Verizon already has a working relationship with HP/Compaq - HP ultraportables/laptops such as the Pavilion TouchSmart TX2/TX2Z have optional Verizon wireless mobile broadband/data plans.

Read:
- Boy Genius Report
via CrunchGear
Also: Reuters

HP Mini 2140 Review (liliputing)

On Sunday, Brad at liliputing published his review of the professional/business-oriented 10.1-inch HP Mini 2140 netbook.

HP has included better webcam software than most manufacturers, including the ability to record audio-only, as well as controlling the webcam itself (resolution, zoom, backlight levels, output format).

With the default 3-cell 28WHr battery, he was able to get longer battery performance than the HP Mini 1000, although he noted that there is a 6-cell 55WHr battery available.

He points out the appeal of the 2140:
- Sturdier magnesium alloy case/chassis
- spill-resistant keyboard
- Accelerometer to protect the HDD in case of a drop/bump
- ExpressCard slot (something that few netbooks have outside of Lenovo’s S10)
- The upcoming 1366×768 HD-capable display (available in April)

Read: liliputing

Microsoft’s Windows 7 Netbook Challenge

Netbooks, Sub-notebooks, ultraportables, whatever you want to call them, Microsoft is trying to figure out how to maximize their revenue from potential Windows 7 sales, without causing the manufacturers to go with an alternative. This is an issue that Microsoft has been looking at for a while now, going back to last november and beyond. Microsft has already had to relax some hardware restrictions on initial limitations they imposed with Windows XP Home licensing, as well as extending sales of Windows XP Home in general.

Given the low price and rapid growth in the market of these devices, Microsoft faces the situation of trying to get people to buy the more expensive versions of Windows 7. Having to offer Windows XP Home on literally millions of machines last year ate into Microsoft’s revenue stream - they would have preferred people buy the more expensive Windows Vista, however Vista did not perform well on many of the machines, plus the pricing was unattractive.

Last week, Bloomberg.com published an article concerning how Microsoft sees the situation and what they plan on doing both from a technical and from a financial point of view:

“The challenge for us clearly is to get the average selling price up,” Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell said last week. “We see Windows 7 at as an opportunity. We’ll have the ability for people to trade up, which would give us a price more similar to what we would normally get for a consumer.”

To push customers to pricier versions of Windows 7, Microsoft is limiting the features of the cheaper edition. The most basic, called Starter Edition, can only run three programs at a time.

Microsoft will make it easy for consumers to quickly upgrade to more advanced versions, as all the required software will already be installed on the machine and it just takes a few minutes to switch from one version to the next, said Parri Munsell, a director at Microsoft’s Windows business.

“If you look at Starter Edition, I really don’t think Microsoft wants to sell that at all — it’s pretty crippled,” said Michael Silver, an analyst at Stamford, Connecticut-based Gartner Inc. “It’s really there just so they can say they have a really low-priced offering.”

If the pricing is too high, they also face the situation of Linux potentially gaining ground - the next major release of Ubuntu has some major enhancements for netbook performance, and Hewlett-Packard and others are offering custom interfaces for Linux (this review of the Mini 1000 discusses it). These devices are actually one area where Linux can do a lot better than other markets, given that the main uses have capable equivalents on both Linux and Windows platforms (Skype, web browsing, etc.).

Read: Bloomberg.com
Thanks to Tony

HP Mini 2140 Review (Pocket-lint)

Pocket-lint has published their review of the 10.1-inchHP Mini 2140. The latest netbook in HP’s education/business/professional-oriented line (the HP Mini 1000 line is geared towards consumers) is powered by an Intel Atom CPU, and because of its 16:9 display, the resolution is 1024×576.

Besides the aluminum casing and solid keyboard, it has one feature that just about every other device in its class is lacking - an ExpressCard slot. Even more interesting, it’s an ExpressCard 54 slot. The 10-inch Lenovo IdeaPad S10 has an ExpressCard 34 slot, for comparison (the 54 handles both the smaller 34 as well as 54).

They mentioned that HP has the “HP Fast Charge” feature which will charge up your battery to 90% capacity in 90 minutes. They gave it a good score - 8 out of 10.

Read: Pocket-lint

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