Gear Diary » Netbooks http://www.geardiary.com Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:00:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Gear Deal: Dell Inspiron 620s Slim Tower Pentium 2.6GHz dual-core Desktop w/20″ LCD and Inspiron Duo Netbookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/08/gear-deal-dell-inspiron-620s-slim-tower-pentium-2-6ghz-dual-core-desktop-w20-lcd-and-inspiron-duo-netbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/08/gear-deal-dell-inspiron-620s-slim-tower-pentium-2-6ghz-dual-core-desktop-w20-lcd-and-inspiron-duo-netbook/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:15:15 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=167848 Today's deal is a double deal that gets you the Dell Inspiron 620s Slim Tower, a 20" LCD, AND an Inspiron Duo Netbook. Better still, they all ship for free. That's right, you get a desktop, a 20" monitor AND a netbook and you save big in the process. The base configuration starts at just $699.99. It comes with 4GB RAM, a 500GB Hard Drive, Intel HD graphics, Wireless-N, 15 Months McAfee, Keyboard and Mouse, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS and more. It is also available in the Inspiron 620 Mini Tower form factor. A desktop and a netbook for under $700. Now that's a Gear Deal! Gear Deal: Dell Inspiron 620s Slim Tower Pentium 2.6GHz Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/08/gear-deal-dell-inspiron-620s-slim-tower-pentium-2-6ghz-dual-core-desktop-w20-lcd-and-inspiron-duo-netbook/feed/ 0 New Gear Daily Deal: Dell Vostro 3550 PLUS Inspiron Mini 1012http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/30/new-gear-daily-deal-dell-vostro-3550-plus-inspiron-mini-1012/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/30/new-gear-daily-deal-dell-vostro-3550-plus-inspiron-mini-1012/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:30:58 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=158791 Safari Dell Vostro 3550 PLUS Inspiron Mini 1012

One of our all-time favorite New Gear Daily Deals is back!! For a limited time you can get a powerful Dell Vostro 3550 laptop AND an Inspiron Mini 1012 netbook at a huge savings. The market value is just under $1600 but you'll pay hundreds less with this deal AND you'll have a small, light netbook to grab and take with you on the go. It is a great productivity combination for work, school or just about anything else. The Vostro™ 3550 laptop is designed for small business and
packed with the features you need to stay connected and in control. Its 15.6"
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/30/new-gear-daily-deal-dell-vostro-3550-plus-inspiron-mini-1012/feed/ 3 Linux Netbook Review: ZaReason Teo Pro Netbookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/01/linux-netbook-review-zareason-teo-pro-netbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/01/linux-netbook-review-zareason-teo-pro-netbook/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 22:00:31 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=155489

It has been a while since I looked at ZaReason's Terra HD Netbook.  I liked that one, but the integrated Intel graphics still held it back from those netbooks that are now shipping Nvidia Ion or Ion 2 cards for graphics.  Today I am checking out one of ZaReason's smaller netbooks, the Teo Pro. The Teo Pro is yet another netbook running Ubuntu Linux and equipped with the venerable Atom N450.  In fact, spec wise the Teo Pro is almost identical to the Terra HD except that the Teo Pro has a 10.1 inch 1024x600 LCD and one less USB port.  Everything else in the loaner they sent me is equivalent to the Terra HD Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/01/linux-netbook-review-zareason-teo-pro-netbook/feed/ 4 Gear Winner: Judie Attended Intel’s Upgrade Your Life Event and Someone’s Getting a Netbookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/01/gear-winner-judie-attended-intel%e2%80%99s-upgrade-your-life-event-and-someones-getting-a-netbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/01/gear-winner-judie-attended-intel%e2%80%99s-upgrade-your-life-event-and-someones-getting-a-netbook/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:00:42 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=155371 Judie attended Intel’s Upgrade Your Life event last week and wrote all about it in this post: Intel’s “Upgrade Your Life” Event. She came away from the event with an Acer Aspire One Happy Netbook. The Netbook has a 10.1″ screen, an N570 Atom processor, 1GB DDR3 RAM and a 250GB drive. We asked readers to pick three posts and retweet them. We picked one comment from among those "retweeters" as our winner. And the Acer Aspire One Happy Netbook is going to… MarioBrotha Congrats MarioBrotha. Contact us here with your address and other contact information and we'll get it to you!! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/01/gear-winner-judie-attended-intel%e2%80%99s-upgrade-your-life-event-and-someones-getting-a-netbook/feed/ 1 New Gear Daily Deal: Vostro 3550 with Inspiron Mini 1012http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/22/new-gear-daily-deal-vostro-3550-with-inspiron-mini-1012/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/22/new-gear-daily-deal-vostro-3550-with-inspiron-mini-1012/#comments Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:45:44 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=154451 Safari New Gear Daily Deal: Vostro 3550 with Inspiron Mini 1012

It is time to start thinking about going back to school and with this New Gear Daily Deal you can make sure you or the student in your life has all the tool s/he needs. Imagine this- you are working on a paper in your dorm on your blazing fast Vostro 3550. Suddenly you need to get to the library fast. Sure, you could grab the Vostro but with its 15.4" screen it is more computer than you need and, well, it isn't exactly light. Instead you grab your Inspiron Mini 1012. It is small and light but still has all the power you Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/22/new-gear-daily-deal-vostro-3550-with-inspiron-mini-1012/feed/ 0 Gear Deal: HP Mini 110 10.1″ Intel Atom N455 Netbookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/18/gear-deal-hp-mini-110-10-1-intel-atom-n455-netbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/18/gear-deal-hp-mini-110-10-1-intel-atom-n455-netbook/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:15:28 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=140166 For a brief time it looked like netbooks would own the computing world. After all, they were small, light, inexpensive and "fast enough". Then the iPad came along and ruined their day. Yes, the iPad did a number on netbook sales (and it looks like "standard" laptops are now being hit too!). That does not, however, mean there isn't a place for netbooks. After all, they are still "small, light, inexpensive and 'fast enough'". And HP's Mini 110 is today's Gear Deal. Yes, the updated 10.1" HP Mini 110 Atom Netbook is normally $299.99 but thanks to our Gear Sponsor you can get it for just $224.99. In addition, the netbook will ship for free and Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/18/gear-deal-hp-mini-110-10-1-intel-atom-n455-netbook/feed/ 2 New Gear Daily Doubleheader- Latitude E5510 with an Inspiron Mini 10http://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/04/new-gear-daily-doubleheader-latitude-e5510-with-an-inspiron-mini-10/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/04/new-gear-daily-doubleheader-latitude-e5510-with-an-inspiron-mini-10/#comments Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:55:13 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=138620 Why buy a laptop when you can get two laptops for the price of one? That's today's New Gear Daily Question. That's right, this deal will get you a powerful 15.6" Dell Latitude E5510 laptop AND a Dell Mini 10 Netbook. That means you can work on a nicely sized powerful computer at home or the office and then grab the Mini 10 when you need to run. OR You can keep the Latitude E5510 and give the Mini 10 to someone and make their day. Either way you get a great deal. How great is this deal you ask? The Latitude E5510 and Inspiron Mini 10 Netbook have a starting cost of Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/04/04/new-gear-daily-doubleheader-latitude-e5510-with-an-inspiron-mini-10/feed/ 1 Gear Deal: Motorola Atrix 4G Tegra 2 Dual-Core Smartphone:http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/25/gear-deal-motorola-atrix-4g-tegra-2-dual-core-smartphone/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/25/gear-deal-motorola-atrix-4g-tegra-2-dual-core-smartphone/#comments Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:20:01 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=133617 The impressive Motorola Atrix just launched on AT&T. To refresh your memory, the Atrix is the phone Francis and I saw at CES and I (embarrassingly) gushed over. The Atrix features a Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor, has a 4' glass 540 x 960 display, and runs Android 2.2 Froyo and Webtop. The super-phone has an accelerometer, dual cameras (VGA front, 5MP back), 1GB RAM and up to 48GB storage. Talk time is expected to be 9 hours. All of that makes the Atrix impressive, but what makes it truly "gush-able" are the laptop and desktop docks that turn the phone into a netbook or a desktop computer. That's right, plug the phone into the Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/25/gear-deal-motorola-atrix-4g-tegra-2-dual-core-smartphone/feed/ 4 Intel’s AppUp Reviewed: So Many Apps, So Little Time; Intel’s Here to Helphttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/11/so-many-apps-so-little-time-intels-here-to-help/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/11/so-many-apps-so-little-time-intels-here-to-help/#comments Sat, 12 Feb 2011 04:15:29 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=131572 Intel AppUp SM Center 2

These days it is all about the apps. There are apps for iOS. There are apps for Android. There are apps for Windows Phone 7. Now there are apps for Macs, and thanks to Intel, there are apps for netbooks ... and a great new way to find what's out there.

Intel's AppUp is "Your source for netbook apps". It is a great resource for anyone who has a netbook, and it is worth checking out even if you don't.

Learn about the Intel AppUp SM Center

AppUp is

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/11/so-many-apps-so-little-time-intels-here-to-help/feed/ 6 Looking Back at the Week that Was:http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/29/looking-back-at-the-week-that-was/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/29/looking-back-at-the-week-that-was/#comments Sat, 29 Jan 2011 17:15:49 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=129385

Did you miss something over the past week? As things slow down for the weekend, here is your chance to catch up on some of the posts you might have missed that we thought might be of interest...

Our Review Entries

The Wilson Electronics SignalBoost DB Pro Cell Phone Signal Amplifier Review Checking out the ASUS Eee PC 1008P Seashell Karim Rashid Collection Netbook Review: i.Sound Portable Power Max 16000 mAh External Battery Review: Tom Bihn Ristretto Bag for 11" MacBook Air iPad App Review: Interruption Review: HanDBase for Android

Our Editorial Entries

Power of Tech Shown by
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/29/looking-back-at-the-week-that-was/feed/ 1 Gear Deal- Sony VAIO P-series 8″ 1.6GHz Atom Netbook with 128GB SSDhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/26/gear-deal-sony-vaio-p-series-8-1-6ghz-atom-netbook-with-128gb-ssd/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/26/gear-deal-sony-vaio-p-series-8-1-6ghz-atom-netbook-with-128gb-ssd/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:45:12 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=129012 Today's Gear Deal brings us the 8" Sony VAIO P netbook. The Vaio P is small in size but big on features. It has an LED-backlit LCD with 1600 x 768 resolution, a built-in webcam, a card reader, 802.11n WiFi, 128GB of SSD space, Bluetooth, 2GB RAM, and more. Its long, thin design allows it to have a generous keyboard with isolated or "island" keys and, of course, it runs Windows 7. The Sony VAIO P Series Lifestyle netbook is...
so light and slim, you might not even know it's there. About as thin as most cell phones, this 1.3-pound (with standard battery) PC is a cinch to tote. And though it may be small
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/26/gear-deal-sony-vaio-p-series-8-1-6ghz-atom-netbook-with-128gb-ssd/feed/ 0 “The Netbook Gamer” Becomes “GearGames Retrospectives”http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/25/the-netbook-gamer-becomes-geargames-retrospectives/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/25/the-netbook-gamer-becomes-geargames-retrospectives/#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:00:01 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=98762

While I still have a few netbook games to finish up reviewing, I have come to realize something: between the iPad and the Alienware m11x I no longer have any interest in using a netbook. Indeed, I have handed off my last netbook, the Lenovo s10 I have been using for the entire Netbook Gamer series. One reason I started The Netbook Gamer was misinformation from folks saying two different things: first that 'it played on my old Compaq laptop so it should play on your netbook' when in fact the netbook presents a unique set of hardware and screen resolution challenges that really needed to be explored. And second I wanted to combat the idea Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/25/the-netbook-gamer-becomes-geargames-retrospectives/feed/ 4 Checking out the ASUS Eee PC 1008P Seashell Karim Rashid Collection Netbookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/22/checking-out-the-asus-eee-pc-1008p-seashell-karim-rashid-collection-netbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/22/checking-out-the-asus-eee-pc-1008p-seashell-karim-rashid-collection-netbook/#comments Sat, 22 Jan 2011 21:00:18 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=128541

I was selected to be one of a group of bloggers who'll get the use of an ASUS Eee PC 1008 netbook for a year. This isn't quite the typical netbook though, as this is a "Seashell Karim Rashid Edition" ... and before you ask, no -- I had never heard of Karim Rashid until I saw his name attached to this netbook. With that said, this is easily one of the most intriguing case designs I've ever seen. The entire surface of the netbook is covered in Karim Rashid's soft-touch "Techno-chic Digi-wave design", and instead of being the type of shiny finger-print gathering plastic laptop case that I can't stand, this Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/22/checking-out-the-asus-eee-pc-1008p-seashell-karim-rashid-collection-netbook/feed/ 4 Review: MeeGo 1.1http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/10/review-meego-1-1/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/10/review-meego-1-1/#comments Mon, 10 Jan 2011 23:00:25 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=125318

It's been a little while since Intel and Nokia came together to merge Moblin and Maemo together to create the MeeGo project.  Moblin started out as a project by Intel and the Linux Foundation to produce a Linux-based OS, interface and application stack for mobile internet devices.  In February of 2009, they merged with the Maemo project that was used by Nokia in the Nseries tablets like the N770, N800, N810 and the N900 smartphone.  Intel was nice enough to send me a Lenovo S10-3t convertible netbook with MeeGo preloaded so I could get a look at the state of MeeGo in version 1.1.  MeeGo has

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/10/review-meego-1-1/feed/ 5 Gear Diary 2010 Gear of the Year and Predictions for 2011http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/02/gear-diary-2010-gear-of-the-year-and-predictions-for-2011/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/02/gear-diary-2010-gear-of-the-year-and-predictions-for-2011/#comments Sun, 02 Jan 2011 21:00:52 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=124256

The past year has seen interesting developments in the gear we all use: the term iOS replaced iPhone OS as the OS that started on iPhone was also on the new iPad when it took the world and Gear Diary writers by storm, Android phones blossomed and became real competitors to the iPhone, and the iPad got its first real competition in the Samsung Galaxy Tab just a few months before 2010 drew to a close.  While there's much more that happened in the past year, I thought let's ask the following questions of the Gear Diary Team. 1. What was your favorite gear in 2010 and why? Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/02/gear-diary-2010-gear-of-the-year-and-predictions-for-2011/feed/ 5 Netbook PC Review: Hewlett Packard Mini 5103http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/14/netbook-pc-review-hewlett-packard-mini-5103/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/14/netbook-pc-review-hewlett-packard-mini-5103/#comments Tue, 14 Dec 2010 23:00:19 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=119520

I recently reviewed the Hewlett Packard (HP) Elitebook 8440w and loved it, so when I had the chance to look at the recently released HP Mini 5103 my thought was: 'take the 8440w and shrink it to netbook dimensions and you have the PERFECT business netbook'! At first glance that seems to be exactly what they did, but of course I needed to put it through the day-to-day paces of my work life to see how it did. And since I have an unhealthy obsession with trying to shoehorn 'big PC' games onto netbooks, naturally I had to see how the hardware performed as a portable gaming system. Read on Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/14/netbook-pc-review-hewlett-packard-mini-5103/feed/ 1 The Games Creators & Intel Crown ‘Games for Netbooks’ Winnershttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/11/01/the-games-creators-intel-crown-games-for-netbooks-winners/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/11/01/the-games-creators-intel-crown-games-for-netbooks-winners/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:09:23 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=116051

I have made clear my passion for playing games on netbooks through my Netbook Gamer series or reviews, but for the most part those have involved older games or smaller 'indie' games not designed to require heavy hardware. Many times I have heard people ask 'where are the new games for netbooks'? The Game Creators and Intel have sponsored a contest to create great games capable of running on netbooks, and have just announced the results! Categories included Best Graphics (winner Last Stand is shown above in a screen cap from the YouTube video that doesn't do it justice), Best Gameplay, Standout Game Element, and Best All-around Netbook Game. Before getting to the Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/11/01/the-games-creators-intel-crown-games-for-netbooks-winners/feed/ 5 Linux Netbook Review: ZaReason Terra HD Netbookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/10/26/linux-netbook-review-zareason-terra-hd-netbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/10/26/linux-netbook-review-zareason-terra-hd-netbook/#comments Tue, 26 Oct 2010 22:00:26 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=114786

It's been a couple of years since I reviewed a laptop from ZaReason, the UltraLap SR.  Now I'm reviewing something a bit smaller -- the ZaReason Terra HD. ZaReason is a different type computer company; every single computer they sell runs Linux, and they only ship Linux (or no operating system at all) on all of their machines.  They care about this to the point where they even include a screwdriver in the box of every machine they sell.  That is because any system you buy is your system, and they feel that you have every right to look at what makes it tick.  That's one of the Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/10/26/linux-netbook-review-zareason-terra-hd-netbook/feed/ 11 MacBook Air 11-inch First Impressionshttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/10/23/macbook-air-11-inch-first-impressions/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/10/23/macbook-air-11-inch-first-impressions/#comments Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:00:26 +0000 Mitchell Oke http://www.geardiary.com/?p=114791

When Apple announced the new MacBook Air, I knew that I would be buying one. It looked to fix the issues that I had with the first one and fitted into my current situation better than my 13” MacBook Pro. I purchased the 13” MacBook Pro as soon as it came out. At the time it combined the right size, performance and battery life that I needed whilst at uni, catching the train every day, and needing to do a bit of video editing at home and on the move. That has changed however, since I no longer use my laptop for video editing, and in a lot of cases I want to be Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/10/23/macbook-air-11-inch-first-impressions/feed/ 1 Gear Deal- Lenovo IdeaPad U160 11.6″ ULV Core i5 Ultra-portable Laptophttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/10/11/gear-deal-lenovo-ideapad-u160-11-6-ulv-core-i5-ultra-portable-laptop/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/10/11/gear-deal-lenovo-ideapad-u160-11-6-ulv-core-i5-ultra-portable-laptop/#comments Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:10:23 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=113276 We start the week with a Gear Deal on the 11.6" ultra-portable Lenovo IdeaPad U160. The U160 weighs a mere 2.9 pounds and gets as thin as .9". It features an Ambient Light Sensor, Active Protection System and data recovery tools. At first glance the U160 might appear to be a netbook but this small computer is anything but a netbook. No, the U160 can be configured with a Core i5-470UM ULV processor and 4GB of DDR3 RAM and that puts it squarely into the "Don't Call Me a Netbook" territory. The IdeaPad U160 with a Core i5-470UM ULV processor has an MSRP of $999. Our Gear Sponsor has found it with $250 off PLUS Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/10/11/gear-deal-lenovo-ideapad-u160-11-6-ulv-core-i5-ultra-portable-laptop/feed/ 3 Backups and Recovery Are Your Friends…A Cautionary Tale!http://www.geardiary.com/2010/09/12/backups-and-recovery-are-your-friends-a-cautionary-tale/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/09/12/backups-and-recovery-are-your-friends-a-cautionary-tale/#comments Sun, 12 Sep 2010 18:00:17 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=109388

A few weeks ago I made a really dumb mistake. One of those, “I have been a geek for far too long to forget this” kind of mistakes. The easy to avoid, harder to fix kind...what happened? Read on and find out. It all started during a discussion in the “back room” here at Gear Diary, regarding Linux on netbooks and whether the OS really matters anymore.  Joel and Doug were arguing OS is less important these days, while Michael and I were of the opinion the learning curve and unfamiliar quirks would drive users into the loving arms of Windows 7 (and Mac OS X). Being the adventurous sort, I figured I’d install Ubuntu on my Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/09/12/backups-and-recovery-are-your-friends-a-cautionary-tale/feed/ 1 The Netbook Gamer: Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura (2001, RPG)http://www.geardiary.com/2010/09/10/the-netbook-gamer-arcanum-of-steamworks-magick-obscura-2001-rpg/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/09/10/the-netbook-gamer-arcanum-of-steamworks-magick-obscura-2001-rpg/#comments Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:00:41 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=78809

Imagine a world in which the mythical creatures of the middle age mythology - elves, orcs, etc - were real, and that magic existed. Now imagine it is the 1880's and the industrial revolution in in full swing, but causing a conflict with the worlds of magic and knights of honor. That is the setting of Arcanum, and you are the hero. And that is the premise of the first game from Troika Studios. Troika Studios is worth mentioning alongside their games more than just about any other developer: the studio was formed by three people who left Interplay after completing the game design for Fallout 2 and being unable to come to an agreement Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/09/10/the-netbook-gamer-arcanum-of-steamworks-magick-obscura-2001-rpg/feed/ 2 The Netbook Gamer: Din’s Curse (PC/Mac RPG, 2010)http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/27/the-netbook-gamer-dins-curse-pcmac-rpg-2010/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/27/the-netbook-gamer-dins-curse-pcmac-rpg-2010/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:00:19 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=100986

I have consistently sung the praises of Soldak Entertainment since their first game released in 2007, which they have earned by consistently serving the RPG community with well-made, fun and interesting games. The most recent release from Stephen Peeler and crew is Din's Curse - but let's take a quick look at their earlier releases. The first Soldak game was Depths of Peril (DoP), which was interesting because it featured a dynamic game world. At the core was an action RPG, but DoP offered much more than a simple Diablo-esque experience. As a player you head up a faction charged with protecting the city of Jorvik from invading forces, and have the goal of becoming Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/27/the-netbook-gamer-dins-curse-pcmac-rpg-2010/feed/ 10 The Netbook Gamer: XIII (2003, FPS)http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/15/the-netbook-gamer-xiii-2003-fps/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/15/the-netbook-gamer-xiii-2003-fps/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:00:01 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=98793

Wait - wasn't XIII called out specifically in this article a couple of months ago? Yep - but through perseverance I managed to get it uninstalled and re-installed and properly running ... so naturally I played it again and am here - well, quite frankly I'm here to stop you from bothering! XIII is one of those milestone games that tells a good and bad tale from my gaming life. I was very interested in this game based on what it offered - a quality FPS presented in a stylistic graphic novel presentation with a compelling story of mystery and intrigue that would require gamers to use their brains as well as their trigger Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/15/the-netbook-gamer-xiii-2003-fps/feed/ 2 The Netbook Gamer: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (2003, RPG)http://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/17/the-netbook-gamer-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-2003-rpg/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/17/the-netbook-gamer-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-2003-rpg/#comments Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:00:02 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=96731

I made a big deal in my Neverwinter Nights Netbook Gamer about how that game had reignited my love for role-playing games after nearly a decade away. But I also mention that there was a reason I picked up Neverwinter Nights in the first place - I was enjoying the recent Star Wars games and was really looking forward to the promise foretold in Knights of the Old Republic previews, but wanted to get a feel for the state of the RPG again to see if it was even worthwhile for me to give the upcoming Star Wars RPG a try. Folks on the Bioware forums recommended that I try NWN, and the rest Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/17/the-netbook-gamer-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-2003-rpg/feed/ 3 Apple’s iPad Already Eating Netbooks’ Lunch … Or Is It?http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/27/apples-ipad-already-eating-netbooks-lunch-or-is-it/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/27/apples-ipad-already-eating-netbooks-lunch-or-is-it/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 17:30:37 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=92073

I remember many years ago an impassioned speech from a new Director of Engineering about how a former colleague who had become a VP at a competitor said they were opening a manufacturing site in the US and were going to 'eat our lunch'. And while the symbolism and tactics used were generally less effective as a motivator than as years of joke fodder ... the core issue remains: there is always some product / company / market that is getting ready to eat your lunch.

Electronista reports on a study by Morgan Stanley that says this is being played out now: the iPad being the lunch eater, and netbooks being the Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/27/apples-ipad-already-eating-netbooks-lunch-or-is-it/feed/ 5 5 Ways iPad is Better Than Netbook … and 5 Ways it is Worsehttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/24/5-ways-ipad-is-better-than-netbook-and-5-ways-it-is-worse/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/24/5-ways-ipad-is-better-than-netbook-and-5-ways-it-is-worse/#comments Tue, 25 May 2010 01:01:47 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=91958

Prior to the release of the iPad, there were a multitude of articles - some touting 15 ways the iPad was better than a netbook, and others talking about the 42 ways the netbook was better than the iPad, and so on. As my Netbook Gamer series indicates, I am a netbook lover. I am also a proud iPad owner, and have had a few weeks using them both to look at the strengths and weaknesses of each. So here are 5 ways I feel each is better than the other ... and I leave it to you to decide whether any of these matter! 5 Ways the iPad is Better 1 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/24/5-ways-ipad-is-better-than-netbook-and-5-ways-it-is-worse/feed/ 12 KidComputers.com Introduces The Kids Classmate Netbookhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/13/kidcomputers-com-introduces-the-kids-classmate-netbook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/13/kidcomputers-com-introduces-the-kids-classmate-netbook/#comments Thu, 13 May 2010 14:00:47 +0000 Travis Ehrlich http://www.geardiary.com/?p=93130

As a father of 5 and 2 year old boys, I have been amazed at the ability for kids to learn how to use a computer.  Both of my sons can pick up an iPhone, browse the pages for their favorite apps and play away.  My five year old likes to sit in my lap and help me play games and work.  When is it time for them to get their own computer?  This question is something I ponder often.  Using today's devices are second nature to them and just part of the world around them.  With the release of the Kids Classmate netbook, there is now a viable option for the boys to

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/13/kidcomputers-com-introduces-the-kids-classmate-netbook/feed/ 3 The Netbook Gamer: FastCrawl (2006, RPG)http://www.geardiary.com/2010/04/30/the-netbook-gamer-fastcrawl-2006-rpg/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/04/30/the-netbook-gamer-fastcrawl-2006-rpg/#comments Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:00:28 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=90090

Got any plans for lunch hour? Let me show you one of the best dungeon crawlers you can start and finish before going back to work!

It seemed that 2006 was the 'year of the casual game' ... everyone was attributing the success of the DS and the allure of the Wii to the desire for quick, simple and fun gaming experiences. That isn't a new thing, really - just ask anyone who has missed lunch playing Bejeweled or Zuma or Minesweeper.

Now you can add FastCrawl to that list.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/04/30/the-netbook-gamer-fastcrawl-2006-rpg/feed/ 4 Is the ‘Netbook Era’ Drawing to a Close?http://www.geardiary.com/2010/04/28/is-the-netbook-era-drawing-to-a-close/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/04/28/is-the-netbook-era-drawing-to-a-close/#comments Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:00:05 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=90414

According to a report from CNET, an IDC report this week will show that sales of Intel's Atom processor - which is dominant force in the netbook space - represent a smaller overall share of the company's mobile processor space. The implication in the article is that since the Atom powers most netbooks, netbooks themselves are on the demise. The obvious question is ... what does it all mean? Here are the basic details:
In the first quarter of this year, Atom processors as a percentage of Intel mobile processors fell to 20.3 percent, compared with 24.3 percent in the fourth quarter of last year and 23.5 percent in the third quarter, according to Rau
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/04/28/is-the-netbook-era-drawing-to-a-close/feed/ 3