Brian Jarvis, UMPC Geek

I have to begin by saying that I LOVE OneNote. It is a feature rich application that has some phenomenal features. It is a bit difficult to use across multiple systems if they aren’t on the same network (although you can use removable media, it’s a pain). In addition, OneNote mobile is a tragedy and Microsoft doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it. Evernote on the other hand is under extensive development and it seems that every time you turn around, they have added a new feature. I have tried to use it a couple of times in the past, but today I have decided to give it a one month challenge. From now until the end of September, I will only use Evernote for my note taking needs.

The driver behind this decision is in part due to my recent data loss when my laptop died. OneNote has a pretty nifty automatic backup function that saved most of my notes, but I was then out of sync between my different computers. It took me quite some time to get notes moved and reorganized. I love the concept of having the same Evernote data available on all my computers, my phone, and on the web. I feel like this gives me accessibility to my data that OneNote cannot deliver. We’ll see how this goes and I’ll certainly keep everyone updated.

I was talking to one of our mobility marketing managers at work the other day about wanting a small form factor laptop and told him that I was considering buying a Netbook. He suggested that I check out one of our Classmate PC’s from the lab to give the small form factor a test drive. “awesome” was my response and I ran off to the lab before he changed his mind. :^)

I’ve been playing with it today a bit and have some first impressions to share. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail here, but wanted to break down what I have experienced into four buckets: Things I love, things I like, things I’m not crazy about, and things I don’t like.

Things I love

• The portability of the device is phenomenal due to its light weight and compact dimensions
• This may be a sub-point, but this was the first notebook I have ever been able to use in the cramped space an airline seat provides (or doesn’t)
• The screen is wonderfully bright even at its lowest levels

Things I like

• The fact that I can touch type on it
• The keyboard has great travel and makes very little noise
• The performance of the Celeron processor in the Classmate is surprisingly capable
• Battery life is pretty good
• Web cam quality is at least as good as my Thinkpad
• The trackpad is large and very responsive
• The included microphone port is a nice touch
• Speaker quality is pretty darn good (not as good as the Q1, but better than a lot of small notebooks I have used)

Things I’m not crazy about

• The screen resolution is natively 800×480 and that is not high enough (my same gripe with my Samsung Q1)
• The handle is convenient, but a bit goofy

Things I don’t like

• The quotation mark key is in the wrong location
• Smaller shift and backspace keys are tough to get used to
• There is no option for an extended battery

Next steps for me will be to get my children’s impressions (since I am obviously not the primary audience for this particular device), and then to write up a more comprehensive review after a few days with the device. If there is something specific you would like to know about the Classmate, let me know in the next few days before I have to return it.

I have created a photo set for the Classmate on Flickr you can check out here.

When was the last time you backed up your critical data? My laptop hard drive experienced a spectacular failure Thursday night that wiped out most of my data.  I had a few files like PST’s and OneNote data files that were always in use when my backup ran that are now gone forever.  Learn from my mistake and go backup that crtical data today!

When I travel, I carry at least a Smartphone, iPod Touch, and Jawbone headset that all charge over USB (and occasionally several other devices). This translates to me leaving my laptop running all night while I allow these devices to charge . I know it’s a waste of energy, but it’s the only way I have to charge everything without carrying each product’s charger.

While on a layover in the Dallas airport yesterday, one of those crazy gadget vending machines caught my eye. Before I knew what was happening, I was swiping my debit card to purchase one of the Belkin Mini Surge Protectors that I had been wanting for a while. I wanted one not because I want to run my laptop through a surge protector (although I know I should), but because this particular surge protector also features two powered USB ports.

The product operates exactly as promised and gives me the ability to charge my laptop, UMPC, Smartphone, and iPod all off one socket and all at the same time. The fact that I’m protected from power surges is an added benefit. My only gripe is that the device is a little on the thick side, but I have found that it makes for a nice little platform to rest devices on while charging.

If you’re interested in purchasing a Belkin Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger and don’t feel the need to use a gadget vending machine (I have to admit that the novelty was amusing), you can purchase one at Amazon for less than $20 (affiliate link).

We’re not big TV fans in our house, but we have been glued to television watching the Olympics since they started.  Last night I broke out the Q1 to get some other work done while sitting on the couch.  I was able to balance our checkbook, do some online banking, read some gadget reviews during commercials, and check the Olympic stats/back stories.  Sure, I could have done all of this on a standard laptop, but not as comfortably as with the Q1.  As a matter of fact, I had turned on my Lenovo T61, but then shut it down because I didn’t want it on my lap and passing it back and forth to my wife was a pain.

I’ve never been crazy about the term “companion device” when people talk about UMPC’s, but last night the Q1 truly felt like my companion (as much as computer hardware can anyway).

Admittedly, I’m a bit caught up in the whole netbook movement right now.  With HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, MSI, and unofficially Toshiba all on board (representing more than 70% market share in the U.S.), there is only one major vendor missing.  Yesterday I commented on Gartner forecasting future sales of these very small notebooks, but this morning I came across a statistic that puts that 50 million number into perspective:  the total notebook market in 2008 is forecasted to be  228.8 million units.  If netbooks are incremental sales (which I believe they largely are), that means that netbooks could represent roughly 20% of the notebook market.  That’s something you can’t ignore.

Apple is going to have to join this game soon because they have way too much to lose.  Some might say that they have a lot to lose in average selling price by introducing a small, inexpensive notebook.  By the same logic, you could argue that an iPod shuffle is a threat to the iPod Touch or iPhone - it’s absurd.  The reality is that the Shuffle services a different segment of the market and acts as an expensive exposure to Apple’s MP3 player lineup.  [Raise your hand if you've ever upgraded your iPod to a newer, faster, sleeker model!]  It is only a matter of time before we see an Apple branded netbook on the market where Apple will hope to see the same upgrading consumer behavior.

Here is my prediction of what an Apple netbook will look like:

• Sleeker than everyone else - we’re talking about Apple here
• Available in black or white - they seem to be afraid of other colors
• Included Bluetooth connectivity - for the full lineup of Bluetooth accessories already available
• Solid web cam - expect to see iChat as a marketing angle
• 16 GB flash drive available - I believe this is why they are moving to Snow Leopard
• Intel Atom processor - although they might be talking us into a custom version
• Priced around the $600 mark - they always price at a premium

There you have it - my official prediction of Apple into the netbook market.  Honestly, I could be completely off the mark.  I know nothing more about Steve Job’s plans than he knows about what I’m having for lunch (Steve, it’s leftover stir fry if you would like to trade information).  I think there is some writing on the walls here that can’t be ignored though.  Heaven knows there is enough demand for the thing!

Today, Digitimes quoted Gartner as saying that “mini-notebook” sales could hit 50 million units by 2012.   I tend to take most of what I see from Gartner with a grain of salt, but it appears that I’m not the only person who wants one of these new devices!  I have also read reports from several people speculating that the economic slowdown in the United States could boost sales of netbooks significantly. Perhaps Gartner figured that into the 5.2 million devices they say will be sold this year.  As a secondary or tertiary computer in the home, they’re a great solution.

Like Kevin Tofel and Warner Crocker, I had to run down to my local Circuit City and check out the Acer Aspire One this weekend.  Unlike Kevin and Warner, I did not purchase one of the netbooks, but that’s not because I didn’t want to - it was only because I wasn’t quite ready to drop $379.  It was tough to walk out of the store empty-handed!

The size of the computer was awesome.  It was small and light, but I had no trouble typing on it even though ergonomics were criminal.  I could see myself surfing the web from the couch and traveling with the unit to compute remotely.  The screen was small, but adequately lit and very usable (although I’m quite disappointed by Kevin’s observation on the lack of external display capability).  I have been dreaming of adding something this size to my gadget arsenal for a while.

I was surprised by how well it performed.  The built-in applications launched very quickly and the unit went into standby and resumed in about one tenth the time my laptop takes.   I thought that 512MB of RAM was going to be severely limiting, but the Linpus installation made good use of the limited resource.  In all, I thought it was very usable.

For a geek who wants to play with something new, it was a very compelling device and I may return to purchase one in the coming weeks.  One of the things I really wanted to evaluate was whether or not I thought the Linux installation was ready for prime time usage by the masses.  We’ll have to wait and see.

The BBC web site ran an article this afternoon about e-books that made me wonder…what rock has the author been living under?  The title was “Is it time to embrace the e-book?” and the author’s approach would lead one to believe this is a brand new technology.  They focus on the tactile feedback of a paper book as if that’s the only factor to consider.  I personally think they really missed the boat.

I prefer reading e-books for a number of factors, but mostly because of convenience. I always have something I’m reading and can do so from my UMPC, phone, or iPod any time and anywhere.

I was recently frustrated when I was “forced” to read a dead tree version of a new release because the publisher delayed the release of the e-book version.  I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Breaking Dawn, so borrowed my wife’s paper copy and literally sat in the closet finishing the book at 4:30 AM so the light wouldn’t bother her (pathetic, I know).  See, if I had the e-book version, I could have stayed in bed comfortably reading on my iPod Touch and not disturbed a soul.

I had a junior high principal with handwriting so remarkable that I would ask him to write something just so I could appreciate his penmanship.  It was art.  When was the last time you saw someone with beautiful handwriting?  I think it’s becoming a lost art because of the digital environment we live in.

I love to write, but I have found myself struggling to do so well lately.  I’ve spent some time thinking about contributing environmental factors that could change forever how we think about well written text.  They include the following:

• Small keyboards translate into cool gadgets, but very inefficient input devices that encourage brevity. (Have you tried to type anything other than a brief response on an iPhone?)
• SMS, Twitter, and other services limit responses and encourage abbreviations and shortcuts (although I will admit that it makes you think twice about your writing).
• Due to the volume of material we are exposed to every day, communication has to be quickly digestible (giving way to bullet points and executive summaries).
• Instant messaging encourages the ultimate lazy writing where capitalization and punctuation are often omitted.  Sometimes I wonder if my12 year old could type a normal sentence. 

If there really is a change happening because of these factors, where is it taking us?  Will the talented authors of tomorrow be ones that type novels 140 characters at a time or will there always be room for the Tom Clancy’s of the world with their descriptive imagery?  I believe things are changing, but would love to know what other people think.