For Some, Move To Windows 7 Will Be Tough
While Microsoft’s Windows 7 stresses simplicity, the upgrade process will be anything but simple for consumers using XP.
Personal Technology
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Verizon Now Sells Subsidized Netbook With Cell Service
Verizon’s H-P Mini netbook is an adequate light-duty computer for a low price, but the charge for Internet service is high if used as a main online connection.
Dell Aims for Style With New Laptop and Family Model
Dell’s new Adamo laptop and Studio One 19 desktop are attractive and functional, but neither is ground-breaking, says Walt Mossberg.
Weighing Devices for Your Netflix Delivered via Web
By Nick Wingfield
Netflix was a pioneer in the business of movie rentals — getting consumers to rent DVDs online and mailing them out in cheery red envelopes. Recently, it has put a lot of effort into a service that delivers movies digitally over the Internet to subscribers, preparing for a day when getting movies on a physical disc will become outmoded.
Apple Polishes Popular MacBook for a Higher Price
Apple’s MacBook laptop, the company’s low-end portable computer aimed at average consumers, isn’t just any old product. It’s the best-selling Macintosh in history, at a time when Mac sales are growing much faster than sales of PCs in the U.S. overall. And, according to the sales-research organization NPD Group, the midrange model of the MacBook has been the single best-selling laptop of any brand in U.S. retail stores for the past five months.
New Amazon Service Streams TV Shows And Films to PCs
Amazon Video on Demand is a good service for people who prefer paying for ad-free TV shows and films.
Sony and Roku Try To Join TV to Web, But No Merger Yet
Two set-top boxes have been launched to try to marry the Internet and the TV. Both adapters, from Sony and Roku, worked well in tests, but each has limitations.
SnagFilms Finds Virtual Theaters for Documentaries
SnagFilms is a great idea for getting documentary films in front of more people, writes Walt Mossberg. It’s a new service that allows anyone with a blog, a Web site, or even a page on a social-networking site, to open a virtual movie theater and show these documentaries, free.
Price May Be Steep, but Thin ThinkPad Has Abundant Features
Lenovo’s thin and light ThinkPad X300 is an innovative laptop that will be perfect for many mobile PC users. But its file-storage capacity is low and its price tag is high.
Apple’s MacBook Air Is Beautiful and Thin, but Omits Features
Apple’s MacBook Air is a beautiful, amazingly thin computer, but one whose unusual trade-offs may turn off some frequent travelers. It’s impossible to convey in words just how pleasing and surprising this computer feels in the hand. But there’s a price for this laptop’s daring design: Apple had to give up some features road warriors consider standard in a subnotebook, and certain of these omissions are radical.
If You Are Drowning in Remote Controls, Harmony Is a Lifesaver
Two new Harmony remote controls help to reduce living room clutter by replacing multiple remotes and make it much easier to use an entertainment system.
Linux’s Free System Is Now Easier to Use, But Not for Everyone
Walt reviews Linux’s relatively slick Ubuntu variation and finds the alternative operating system too rough around the edges for the vast majority of computer users. (Video)
These Two Laptops Are Small and Sleek, But Come With Flaws
New laptops from Toshiba and Dell tackle the design challenge of being both small and powerful. Both machines are stylish and worked fine in the tests, but Walt finds flaws that might give a buyer pause.
Buying a Laptop Means More Attention to Special Features
Walt provides some tips for making laptop purchases. First, you may want to wait to get that new laptop until later this year or early in 2008. There are a number of interesting new hardware features coming.(Video)
Don’t Get Caught In a Losing Battle Over DVD Technology
LG’s new combo player can handle both new formats vying to replace DVDs — Blu-ray and HD-DVD. At $1,200, it’s only for videophiles with deep pockets, but Walt hopes it’s the start of a trend that will end the DVD format war.
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