Daily deal – HP Mini-Note 2133 ultra portable notebook for $299

by Scott Carmichael on

My daily deal for today is for the HP Mini-Note 2133 “Netbook”. This ultra portable computer was featured in one of my reviews back in August where it got my 2 thumbs up. The version on sale today has pretty lightweight specifications, but still offers the same great screen and keyboard of the review model.

The HP Mini-Note 2133 has a 1.0GHz VIA C7 processor, 512MB of memory, a 4GB SSD drive and comes with Linux. It is priced at a very reasonable $299. There are other netbooks out there with similar specifications at the same price, but none of them come with the large high resolution screen and full size keyboard of the Mini-Note 2133.

The machine is on sale at Amazon.com, which of course means free shipping and no sale tax for many buyers.

If you really dislike Linux, and want a machine with a little more “oomph”, then check out the Mini-Note one step above the machine on sale today. It comes with a 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of ram and a 120GB harddrive for $404.

Product review – Celio Redfly mobile companion

by Scott Carmichael on

My product review for today is of the Celio Redfly “mobile companion”. The concept behind the Redfly is surprisingly easy, yet not always easy to explain, so I’ll do what I can to keep things simple.

The Celio Redfly works in conjunction with many Windows Mobile powered PDA’s and smartphones, and essentially provides a large display, keyboard and trackpad for your device. What you normally see on the small screen of your PDA, will appear on the high-resolution 8″ display of the Redfly. Still with me?

You can connect to your PDA using a USB cable or Bluetooth. What this combination delivers, is a large screen and keyboard that lets you work with the applications on your PDA, without having to carry a large laptop, or work off a 3″ screen.

How does this work in real life use? Surprisingly well actually.

I’ve been using the Redfly with my PDA for a few weeks now, and it has become quite an invaluable little machine.
Of course, when you look at what the Redfly does, and at the price ($199 till October 31st, normally $399), you’ll be forgiven if you thought that a regular small laptop would be a better solution, even I assumed that when I first read about the Redfly. In reality, the Redfly does several things much better than most ultra portable laptops on the market.

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  • The device is “instant on” – within 4 seconds it is on and connected to your PDA
  • You can use the Internet connection on your PDA without having to add a tethering plan or invest in a 3G modem
  • The device has no drivers or settings that can become corrupted or that require updating
  • There is no need to synchronize with your PDA, as you are working with information from just one source
  • The Redfly has no moving parts and a low power CPU, so battery life is outstanding (up to 8 hours)
  • Theft is not a concern as the Redfly does not store any data

If the concept sounds familiar, it is because it is almost the same idea behind the canceled Palm Folio mobile companion, don’t let that put you off though, Celio really have managed to develop a winning machine with the Redfly.

The hardware is nice and sturdy; the case is deep red (of course) and has a rubbery texture. On the right hand side is the power button and 2 power status LED’s, on the back is a VGA port and 2 USB ports for connecting to your PDA. The USB port can also charge your device when connected.

Before you can connect to the device, you have to install the Redfly client. This app can thankfully be downloaded directly when you point your mobile browser to Celio’s website. The client application is pretty straightforward and offers several handy features like the ability to connect automatically when you plug your PDA into the Redfly.

In the client application you can also configure the Bluetooth connection and program the home, mail and web hotkeys on the Redfly keyboard.

For my review, I used the Redfly with all the same applications I use on a regular basis on my PDA (the Sprint Mogul). During the review, I did discover several applications that did not work right. The first of them is the newest Opera browser (version 9.5). The previous version (8.65) works perfectly so this was not a major problem. I also ran across several games that did not like being used on the Redfly. Surprisingly, graphics intensive apps like Google Maps functioned perfectly. Celio have published a list of recommended (and tested) applications on their site.

Other than that, it ran everything perfectly, including the popular mobile office package Softmaker. Being able to switch from the tiny screen of my PDA to a comfortable 800×480 display for word processing or spreadsheet editing is fantastic, especially when combined with the keyboard of the Redfly.

Email and Internet browsing are equally impressive, but if you value a comfortable online experience, you’ll want to stay away from Pocket Internet Explorer and switch to Opera 8.6 instead.

One of the other advantages of the device is its external VGA port; with this port, you can connect your PDA to the Redfly, and connect the Redfly to a larger monitor or video projector. The Redfly even has support for a USB mouse. Once you install Pocket Powerpoint or any other presentation application of your choice, you suddenly have access to a 2lb portable presentation companion.

The Celio Redfly is currently being sold for just $199; at that price point I really can recommend anyone with a compatible Windows Mobile device to consider ordering one. After October 31st it goes back up to $399.
That price is a little trickier as it enters the realm where it is no longer an impulse purchase, and really only becomes suitable for people who actually need it, and not just those that want it. I have already managed to convince several of my friends to try it out, and not one of them has been disappointed with their purchase.

The device is not without a few minor flaws; the USB connectors on the back look pretty cheap, and they could use a little plastic to surround them. The device does not have a replaceable battery, which could prove to be annoying for long trips. And finally; there is very little information about the availability of spare parts or accessories for the device. I have not been able to find a car charger or spare AC adapter.

Despite those minor shortcomings I have been very impressed with the device. To steal a phrase from Apple; it just works. It always works, and it has never let me down. I’ll be the first to admit that it is logical to compare the $399 Redfly with a $399 Netbook and assume the Netbook would win, but if you just need something that you can bring along without having to worry about poor battery life or software issues, then you really should check out the Redfly. And remember, if you order by October 31st, you’ll be able to get one for just $199!

Belkin announces a lineup of “netbook” cases

by Scott Carmichael on

There is no denying it; the netbook is the new hot seller in the world of portable computers.

For those that have not been paying attention; a netbook is a small notebook with a screen between 7 and 10 inches, often running a slim version of Linux or Windows XP.

The craze started last year with the Asus Eee PC, and currently every major PC maker has at least one netbook in their lineup. Netbooks even make up 15 of the top 20 selling computers on Amazon.com at the moment. With prices as low as $300 and at around 3 pounds, they are the perfect machine to carry on a trip.

One thing that was missing for the longest time, were accessories for these computers. Most netbook users had to improvise using portable DVD player cases or even a toiletries bag. That has now changed, thanks to a new lineup of netbook cases from Belkin.

The Belkin 7″ laptop cases are, as the name implies, designed for most small netbooks like the Asus Eee. There are 3 different 7″ cases, available in up to 4 colors per model. The first case is a fairly basic neoprene case, the second case is a very cool looking carrier with 2 large handles and the third one is a “quilted” carrying case.

The neoprene case retails for $19.99, the other 2 cost $29.99. Belkin even designed some portable computer accessories in matching colors, like this mouse with retractable cord ($14.99) and this wireless travel mouse ($24.99).

The accessories are currently listed as “coming soon” on the Belkin web site, but I have noticed that many Target stores have them in stock along with the $299 Asus Eee 900 that hit Target shelves last week. If you carry a netbook, and would like to keep it shiny and new, then I highly recommend placing an online order, or popping into your local Target store to check them out.

Update: A quick word of warning for those planning to purchase these cases for the Acer Aspire One netbook; the machine will not fit! The same probably goes for similarly sized machines like the MSI Wind, Lenovo S10 and the HP Mini-Note.

Daily deal – Asus Eee Surf 2G mini laptop for $235

by Scott Carmichael on

My daily deal for today is for the Asus Eee Surf mini notebook. This first generation version of the Eee may not have the high specifications of the current versions, but that does not make it less useful for getting some work done on the road.

Inside the Asus Eee is an 800MHz processor, 2GB of storage and 512MB of memory. The machine comes with a portable version of Linux which includes most of the applications you’d need. You’ll find the Firefox web browser, Thunderbird for your email and even some open source word processing applications and multimedia players. You can expand the storage by installing a cheap SD memory card.

The Asus Eee Surf 2G has Wi-Fi built in, so you’ll be able to connect to hotspots where available. The machine is on sale at Geeks.com, and is a refurbished model, which means it was once returned to Asus for whatever reason, and was restored to its “as new” condition. It comes with a 90 day warranty. Included in the box is the machine itself, a Lithium-Ion battery pack, a soft carrying case, an AC charger and the required manuals and CD.

Small machines like this are becoming increasingly popular, and are quickly replacing the large and bulky laptops we used to carry on a trip. Geeks.com only has a limited stock of these cheap machines, so don’t wait too long if you are thinking of buying one!

Daily deal – Acer Aspire One ultra portable notebook – $399

by Scott Carmichael on

My daily deal for today is a bit different from my other “hot” deals. The Acer Aspire One is an ultra portable notebook (the new name is “netbook”) and on the inside you’ll find an Intel Atom processor, 1GB of ram, a 120GB hard drive and Windows XP. On the outside, you get a nice 8.9″ display, a fairly spacious keyboard, a webcam and a memory card reader.

The deal itself isn’t extremely hot, but it is being sold at one of the only stores that actually has this new machine in stock, plus it is currently the best value for money of any Netbook on the market (in my personal opinion of course).

The Acer Aspire One (model AO-A150-1570) costs just $399, and while that may be more than some of the regular sized notebooks on the market, it does offer a great value for money compared to other ultra portables. If you are lucky enough to live anywhere near a Microcenter store, you can take a closer look at one in person, and buy one right away, or you can place an online order and the machine will ship in 1-3 business days.

If you plan to do some comparison shopping, be aware that there are two different versions of this computer; one is in stock at several other (online) stores, and costs $379, but it only has 512MB of memory and just 8GB of hard drive storage, plus it runs a special version of Linux instead of Windows XP. At just $20 more, you’ll understand why the version I am posting here is such a “hot” deal – until the next model Netbook comes along of course.