Netbookist: Netbook Games, Tweaks, Challenges » Hardware

Being away and the end of the netbook

Corporal — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 04:17:51 +0000

Hey loyal Netbookist readers,

It seems I have run dry of ideas for a while, ever since my netbook went kaboom. The battery ran flat and I had to find a replacement. That took a while.

Add work in… and I haven’t had time to do any extra work on this website. I’ll try to get it updated over the holidays!

Meanwhile, I went to Best Buy and realized that netbooks have all but disappeared! It seems that nobody sells low-powered, Intel Atom netbooks anymore. It’s all either tablets, or some hybrid tablet-netbook, or a netbook with a more powerful AMD processor.

Is this the end to the netbook?

TreeSize Free: running out of hard drive space?

Corporal — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:10:06 +0000

123Gb taken by Users. What a revelation!

Netbooks are not known to have massive hard drives that you’ll automatically get when you buy a full-sized computer. No doubt, one of the biggest reasons for this is probably because when you buy a netbook, you’re buying something which is supposed to be as cheap as possible. My theory is that they use parts that can no longer go into their main-tier laptops, which is why most netbooks come with 1Gb RAM and lesser-than-standard hard drive sizes.

Now, that’s not exactly the point of this article. The problem with small hard drives are that sometimes we go on an installation rampage, such as what I did when I installed Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops. A complete waste of space, since these games are pretty much unplayable. However, the problem with some games are that they hide themselves well within some nook and cranny of your hard drive which is not immediately apparent to the default Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel. You might have to open up Steam to realize how much space is being wasted on games that you cannot play.

Enter TreeSize Free. TreeSize Free is a free program that does a simple job very elegantly. By using bar graphs, it shows you how much space a certain folder is taking up, such that you will be able to determine what’s taking up space and it allows you to determine potential space-wasting software, unnecessary downloads and torrents that should be moved to an external hard drive.

TreeSize Free can be downloaded from here.

Wind Infinite Laptop Plan with Windspeed Data Stick E1691

Corporal — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:29:24 +0000

Rollercoaster graphs reflect unreliability

If you’re like me, and have moved to Canada for a long stint, and need your own private internet connection, then you might want to consider Wind Mobile’s Infinite Laptop Plan, going for around $29 a month and “promising” speeds of 7.2Mbps on the Huawei-made E1691 data stick, and even more on the 4G-capable stick. Of course, if the price difference is $70 (E1691 at $29, E366 at $99), then it would make more sense for you to try the cheap way out first – since reception can vary in different areas.

As it is right now, Wind has provided highly satisfactory service. If you searched the web, you’ll see various claims such as,

Throttling after 5Gb
Frequent drops (defined as moments of no internet access)
Higher speed than Mobilicity

I cannot confirm the last two points as I have only been on Wind for a few weeks but what I can say is that while throttling might be happening to me, it has not been as obvious as some have claimed it to be – 256kbps up/down. So far, I have downloaded around 10Gbs of data – including a game off Origin and I am still getting 250Kb/s download speed. Others claim that Wind might throttle depending on how hard the cell tower is worked – guess it’s a good thing of living far away from the crowds, while still being near a Wind cell tower.

Some tips that I would share is that you’ll get higher reliability if you attempt to get 5-bars worth of signal quality. This can be achieved by using an extension USB cable and leaving the modem out of your room. Wrap it in a plastic bag if you are afraid of rain. Also, forget the $129 hotspot that Wind sells – you don’t have to spend extra money to buy a router that can share your connection at home - just follow this guide.

One month’s of experience has shown that the connection varies from time to time, however, it seems to have degraded over the course of the month – perhaps that is throttling in action? Either way, towards the end of the month, I have not been able to get 300kb/s download rate, and I have gotten a few (less than 10) 10-minute drops which are times where the modem cannot connect to the internet. This is highly frustrating, especially since it spoils your momentum when doing work. The connection is terrible when it rains. I would say uptime is 90% of the time, though I would expect 99%.

However, I wouldn’t stress too much about it because the Huawei modem can be easily unlocked. At this website, you simply need to enter your device’s serial/data and it will spit out an unlock code. This unlock code will be needed when you are using another SIM card that is not from Wind. The next best alternative is, without doubt, Mobilicity.

Netbook processor performance, an overview

Corporal — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:52:01 +0000

Fusion: the anathema of an Atom

In the realm of netbook processors, the more GHz does not imply more power. Just think of it this way: a dual-core AMD E-350 running at 1.6GHz can beat the top-of-the-line (as of now) Intel Atom N570, which is also dual-core, and on the surface, faster than the E-350 because of an extra 0.06GHz. Not at all – in fact, the performance of the E-350 outstrips the N570 by a long shot.

Below will list various processors and their processing power. The following list ranks from the most powerful to the weakest,

AMD E-series processors (dual-core)
AMD C-series processors (dual-core)
Intel Dxx processors (dual-core)
Intel N5xx processors (dual-core)
Intel N4xx processors (except N-435)
Intel N2xx processors
Intel N435 processor

However, the major difference between the Atoms and the AMD processors is that the latter has discrete graphics by default. All AMD processors come with a HD-capable Radeon graphics processor, which guarantees you smoothness when playing HD-videos on a 1920×1080 external monitor.

On the other hand, Intel N-series processors, for now, are still plagued with the extremely weak Intel GMA integrated graphics which is pretty decent for sub-HD videos, but once you try 720p and above, it is tested to its limit. While the N570 can render 720p quite well, the single-core N4xx or N2xx struggle to play HD movies well.

If you want powerful graphics while on a N-series processor, you’ll need to get a netbook with Nvidia ION on it. Nvidia ION is a discrete graphics processor supplanted on the integrated Intel GMA which will allow you to switch between power-saving internal graphics and the 1080p-capable Nvidia ION. Do note that Nvidia ION 2 has an eight-core version that comes in netbooks while 16-core versions are only available on nettops or other, larger (generally =>11.6″) netbooks.

The best processors are generally the E-series netbook, which generally are borderline notebooks. In fact, in North America, certain manufacturers make full-size notebooks with these processors which you can get for around $350. The latest AMD E-450 promises to be better and still be energy efficient while being capable of playing hardcore games such as Battlefield Bad Company 2 on low settings.

Battery life is generally best on the Atom.

Netbook-tablet and Acer’s Ultrabooks: bling on the horizon

Corporal — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:45:00 +0000

Liliputing reports that there will be two new systems that will be released this year.

Acer’s Ultrabook

Acer will release at least two Ultrabooks this year, going by the name Ultrabook S3 for the 13″ version and a 11″ version as part of its Aspire S series.

The Acer Ultrabook S3 will come with these specs:

13.3 inch display

Intel Core i5-2467M processor

4GB of RAM

320GB hard drive

20GB SSD

13mm (0.5 inches) thick

€ 786.19 price tag

Liliputing states that while prices will be US$1134, but he expects that the prices will fall once it moves stateside.

An Ultrabook is a ultra-thin, ultra-portable and ultra-light notebook that aims to be, at the same, time, powerful and costing less than $1,000. So far, the two main proponents of Ultrabooks, Acer and Asus are making headway to achieving that $1,000 price point without compromising on performance. However, I suspect that if prices are above $999, manufacturers might have a problem. The Macbook Air is still the king of the hill in the Ultrabook arena, not less because it is an Apple product.

Netbook-Tablet from Netbook Navigator

Netbook Navigator is producing a new slate PC capable of running Windows called the Nav 10i. It will pose as a serious competitor to the other netbook-tablet from Acer, the Iconia W500. The Nav 10i will have the following specs:

• 10.1″ Multi-Touch Capacitive LCD Display
• 16GB SSD
• 1GB DDR2 RAM
• Intel 1.66GHz ATOM N455 Proceesor
• Front-side 1.3MegaPixel Webcam
• Integrated WIFI, Bluetooth and optional 3G*
• 2 USB Ports, 1 MicroSD, 1 MiniHDMI Slot, and more

Interestingly, for the $549 you pay, you’ll get a blank slate. The Nav 10i will not come with a Windows 7 operating system nor will it come with a wireless keyboard.

I was at the store and I saw a Iconia W500 going for around $599. It seemed to be a better choice because, even if it were a blank slate (i.e. no OS, nor keyboard), it would be a better performing netbook-tablet by simple virtue of it having a AMD C-50 processor, and discrete graphics.

Source: Liliputing

Netbooks dying? Not in the Hong Kong International Airport

Corporal — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:29:27 +0000

Let's see... how many netbooks do I see here?

There has been some talk that netbooks are going to die. I’m not too sure about that because I am happily using a netbook and I have no intention of changing my de facto travel computer. It seems to be true in the dining area in the Hong Kong airport.

Walking around, not everyone has a computer with them, but when I do see a computer, it will, in order of popularity be: a tablet, a netbook, a regular-sized notebook, a Mac, a large 15″+ notebook.

Nom and watch a video

What I noticed was really writing on the wall. Tablets are really outstripping the netbook as the travel… entertainment device? One thing that is certain is that I won’t trade the convenience of a netbook for the portability and ease of use of a tablet, but it seems that for casual surfing and time-wasting on long transits to somewhere, people really love their tablets. For every netbook I see out there, there’s probably 2.5-times the amount of tablets out there. And when I talk about tablets, I refer solely to the iPad. Not one Android tablet was seen, even though you can legally buy a Samsung Galaxy Tab here.

On the other hand, the margin between regular-sized notebooks and netbooks is one that is a close match. I’d say it’s near 1:1 ratio. However, netbooks really are used by people here – I saw Samsungs, Acers, the HP Mini 110 (that I had and broke), and a Reddit Alien-branded… oh wait, that’s my Asus. Everything that people on tablets are doing, people who have netbooks are doing too. They’re time-wasting on Youtube, entertaining themselves on Farmville, or WordPressing this article out while looking at a Hong Kong girl with a University of Toronto shirt.

Om nom nom and read email

Another notable thing is the users of Macs. I saw an Asian girl who had an American accent with her MacBook Air as she was sending her luggage through the X-Ray, as well as a middle-aged, Australian-accented, Susan Boyle-lookalike that is on the standard size Macbook. Don’t know much about Macs, but are Macs a feminine thing?

Over time, I realised that netbooks are particularly useful for backpacking travellers, or even travellers in general, as netbooks offer computers that are fully functional, albeit a bit slower than normal laptops, but they are really extremely portable, extremely cheap and quite light. When baggage space is a luxury and weight is costly, netbooks make a lot of sense. Whether netbooks will die or not, I’m not sure, but as far as I understand, the death of netbooks have always been predicated on technological grounds, and that’s just not relevant for people travelling.

ASUS to launch $899 Ultrabook; up to 6 models in the pipeline

Corporal — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:47:13 +0000

Up to 6 of these will be coming out in October

Asus reports that it will be launching five to six Ultrabooks in October in New York, when it will display its full range of Ultrabooks that will be priced from $899 – $1,999. The Ultrabooks will have screen sizes of 11.6″ to 13.3″ and will be ultra-thin and ultra-portable. Publicly-known models are the 11.6″ UX21 which was displayed at Computex 2011 and the UX31, which will be the 13.3″ model. It’s unfortunate that I find the Asus logo so ugly.

While Intel has envisioned that an Ultrabook should be powerful and ultraportable, they have also demanded that the Ultrabook be under a thousand dollars, which was rather impossible up until now. The first few prototypes by Acer and Asus both had mid-$1,000 price tags. However, Intel has been willing to help manufacturers to design Ultrabooks that are below $1,000, and also have invested money via they investment corporation to find innovative technology and cost-efficient methods of productions.

However, the Ultrabook has its critics. To me, an ultrabook is a very expensive laptop, and unless it were as slick and ‘cool’ as the MacBook Air, I don’t really see too much point to buying one, especially if I had to pay a premium and not get a significant performance bump. On the other hand, manufacturers have also been wary of the Ultrabook. While HP was supposed to unveil an Ultrabook, it decided to pull out of the PC market completely. The only people left in the market is Asus and Acer, and their move will be closely watched by their competitors

Source: Digitimes

DIY decorative stickers for your netbook: how-to.

Corporal — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:41:43 +0000

As you might know, I recently bought a new Asus netbook. I don’t like the Asus logo – it’s probably one of the ugliest out there. While Asus does make great computers at a very competitive price, their chief problem is that their designs tend to be a bit lackluster. And then there’s the indescribable ugliness of the silver Asus logo.

And then the other day, I saw my friend bringing his Sony Vaio to get ‘skinned’. He paid $65 for it, and I thought that was pretty expensive. He said that the skin cost $25, while the labour cost $40 or so. He argued that while it’s a lot more economical to do-it-yourself, he doesn’t mind paying the extra cost for someone’s steady hands.

Personally, I find skinning to be one of the most expensive things to do to your computer – even if it’s for ‘protection’. I argued that it made no sense to protect your computer from scratches and dings, because after all, it is a depreciating liability. Once it goes out of date – and gaming notebooks will definitely go out of date since games are merciless on old technology – you basically have a very fast and very large netbook.

Nonetheless, I have recently figured out how one can make your own stickers to cover up things that you don’t like – be it blemishes, scratches or ugly logos. You can stick anything you want, and it is actually very easy to remove if you want to change whatever you’ve stuck.

Tools of the trade

Photo paper – preferably non-smudge, matte or glossy as preferred.
Penknife – X-acto penknives preferred for curve-cutting
Spray glue – 3M Super 77 preferred.
Black permanent marker
A high quality photo – low-res photo makes it hard to cut

Step 1: find picture and cut

Reddit alien doing the "seriously?" face, me gusta. Taken via Reddit

I decided to use this picture for this project, because it is unique, and because it might help identify me as a redditor. I found this to be the cutest version of the Reddit Alien, and it’s also quite easy to cut out because the edges are very well defined.

As to paper, a matte surface does fine with either matte paper or glossy paper. However, glossy surfaces tend to blend better with glossy paper. But it is all up to your preference.

Tip 1: if your picture is low-res (such as this), and you need a high-res pic, you can take the original image and drag it into the search box at Google Images. Google will then try to find other images similar to this, and using the filters, you can find the highest-res version.

All cut out, with a cheap penknife. Try an X-Acto for an easier time on the curves.

Once you have printed it out – just cut it along the edges. If you have a more complex picture, you’ll just have to use your intuition on what to cut. When cutting, try to use a sharp knife – once you feel that the slicing is not smooth, immediately break a section off or change a blade.

Step 2: blacken edges and spray glue

Once you have cut the image out, you must remember to blacken the edges of your image, as a white edge can be seen very obviously at certain angles. Use your black permanent market and paint the edges black. You can avoid touching the image by painting perpendicularly to the edge (i.e. don’t use the tip to paint), so your marker glides long the edge.

Nice black edges

Tip 2: If you ever botch up and accidentally draw on the image, you can remove the streak by dipping a fine-point paintbrush in thinner and carefully removing the ink away.

The ultra-useful glue: 3M Super 77.

Once you have satisfactorily blackened the

edges, you can now spray 3M’s ultra-useful, multipurpose craft glue – 3M Super 77. Of course, any other spray glue works too, but 3M 77 has proven to be easily removable.

Hold the image at arm’s length and spray. This ensures evenness in the glue. A light coat with small dots on the surface is enough. Best done in your backyard to avoid sticky floors.

Step 3: Stick it on

Yep – the final, glorious moment is here. Stick it on!

If your image requires precise alignment, you can stack rulers or set-squares to align it to the netbook.

Ready to be stuck!

Netbook folded. Cool picture, no ASUS logo.

When does the narwhal bacon?

Let me know what you think, of if you face any problems, and I will try to help you!

E-450, Atom N2800, N570 benchmarked.

Corporal — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:20:57 +0000

The latest benchmark shows what’s to come in the future. Both the Atom and Fusion line are being upgraded and just like all upgrades, both will feature improvements in processing power

AMD’s next-gen Fusion line will feature the C-60, E-300 and E-450 processors while the next line of Atoms will be codenamed Cedar Trail, with the fastest of them being the N2800, clocking in speeds of 1.86GHz, dual-core, 1MB cache, hyperthreading and with a better graphics chip that is now DirectX 10.1 compatible and HD-output ready – a critical difference if you compared today’s Pine Trail Atoms to the upcoming Cedar Trail Atoms.

According to Blogeee.com, they made three benchmarks as follows,

Test results

For a person seeking performance, the answer is clear. AMD still triumphs as the king of the netbook processors, although its most likely that the E-450 chip will end up in larger netbooks (11″ and above), as per historical trends. It is unfortunate that the C-60 chip was not benchmarked, as this chip will likely be the one which ends up in smaller netbooks.

One critical flaw with the Atoms is that they cannot match up with AMD’s chips in terms of performance. While the N2800 might put up a good fight with the C-50/C-60, it still lacks the graphics processing power that all AMD chips have, and the only way to beef up the graphics processing power of an Intel chip is to buy one with ION in it. That said, ION 3 is in the works and might prove to be something even more powerful.

The key attraction to having an Atom processor has to lie in the fact that you can get extremely long battery life. With a TDP of 6.5W, it promises to be one of the most energy efficient processors out there, as compared to the 9.0W C-50/C-60s or the 18W E-350/E-450.

AMD officially launches C-60, E-300 and E-450 chips, take heed!

Corporal — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:05:11 +0000

Fusion: the anathema of an Atom

If you didn’t know already, the Dell Inspiron m102z is the first netbook to have the newest Fusion chips by AMD, but only today did AMD officially launch the new C-60, E-300 and E-450 chips, all designed to be the highest-end netbook chips.

These high-performance chips will all be dual-core and have a discrete graphics processor from the Radeon family. It promises enhanced performance and better battery life when compared to the older generation.

According to Liliputing, the specs of each chip is as such,

AMD C-60

Clock speed: 1 Ghz to 1.33 GHz
GPU clock speed: 276 MHz to 400 MHz
TDP: 9W

AMD E-300

Clock Speed: 1.3 GHz
GPU clock speed: 488 MHz
TDP: 18W

AMD E-450

Clock Speed: 1.65 GHz
GPU clock speed: 508 MHz to 600 MHz
TDP: 18W

The chief benefit of getting a later-gen C-class or E-class AMD CPU lies in having more power, Turbo Core, DirectX 11 support and a bit more processing power while retaining the same TDP. AMD promises greater battery life and guarantees that this is a good choice for people seeking mobility as the E-series will give a user up to 10.5-hours of unplugged rest-state battery life, while the C-60 will provide up to 12-hours of unplugged rest-state battery life.

In addition, the update will provide certain new advances such as the ability to use DDR3 1333 RAM, as well as an updated HDMI 1.4a output on the E-series. DisplayPort is also something new that will be supported by the new Fusion chips.

Thinking about AMD and the netbook category of portable computers reminds me of the days when AMD used to dominate the desktop market. Indeed, that was a time when Intel was not favoured by gamers. To be exact, I would point to the year when AMD decided to leave the “more megahertz” race. Back then, if you were a serious gamer, you would have an AMD. What is happening here is exactly reminiscent of the days when AMD was dominating high-performance computers, only this time, it applies to netbooks. Perhaps this is because Intel is pursuing an alternative strategy, after all, a netbook sells well because it is cheap, but for anyone who requires HD-capability and moderate gaming abilities on a netbook, the way to go is the AMD way.