New iPhone Is Better Model–Or Just Get OS 3.0
Apple’s new iPhone 3G S and OS 3.0 offer plenty of new features. But the software may be enough of a boost to keep many users from buying the new model, Walt Mossberg writes.
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Little Laptops With Linux Have Compatibility Issues
The companies behind Linux netbooks have made great strides in improving user interfaces, but until they can achieve similar breakthroughs in how the machines work with other devices, Windows netbooks are still a better deal.
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.
Computer Buyers Have to Consider System Upgrades
This year, with Microsoft and Apple set to upgrade operating systems, Walt Mossberg’s spring computer buyer’s guide focuses on buying a machine for the new OS you may soon want.
Network Hard Disk by Western Digital Offers Easy Backup
Western Digital’s My Book World Edition is a new networkable hard disk that is simple and effective for anyone with a modern operating system.
Clickfree Backs Up Your Files Easily, So You’re Not Toast
If you got a new computer over the holidays, you’re probably focused right now on enjoying all its cool features, or savoring how much faster it is than the old warhorse it replaced. The last thing you want to dwell upon is the chore of backing up your data. Still, backing up your files is important.
BlackBerry’s Storm Presses Into the Touch-Phone Fray
Walt reviews the hotly anticipated BlackBerry Storm, the first BlackBerry model without a physical keyboard. Typing and navigation require tapping on glass, just as users do on the iPhone. Verizon will be selling the Storm for $250 with a two-year contract, though a $50 mail-in rebate can bring the price down close to the $199 that Apple charges for the base model of the iPhone.
Wi-Fi on Wheels Is Steady, but Has a Speed Bump
Wi-Fi wireless Internet connectivity has become nearly ubiquitous. Whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or even on some commercial airliners, you can get online with a Wi-Fi-equipped laptop, smart phone or portable game machine. Now, Wi-Fi is making its way into your car.
Netbooks Come Into Their Own
Walt reviews the latest entrants in the “netbook” category–devices that are between a laptop and a smart phone in size and versatility–and finds some compelling choices.
Shopping for Basics and Saving Money on Your Next PC
In his annual fall PC buyer’s guide, Walt focuses on computers and laptops for consumers whose budgets have been shrunk due to the global economic slowdown.
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.
First Test of Google’s New Browser
Google’s new Chrome Web browser will make using the Internet faster and less frustrating, but this first version is rough around the edges and lacks some features, says Walt Mossberg in the first hands-on review.
The TouchSmart Has Improved–But Not Enough
Hewlett-Packard is rolling out a new TouchSmart, a desktop computer with touch-controlled software. The hardware and software are better. It’s attractive, more versatile and fun to use. But the latest effort still has some problems.
Samsung’s Instinct Doesn’t Ring True as an iPhone Clone
The parade of iPhone lookalikes continues, and the latest to arrive is the Samsung Instinct. While it isn’t a bad phone and has some features the Apple product lacks, it’s no match for the iPhone.
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