September 22nd, 2010
Gamers looking to buy a portable computer often fumble over a simple choice: netbook or tablet? Tablets are flashy and fun, with touch-screens that make online casino games more fun to play. Netbooks on the other hand are good for business too, and the fact that they have a keyboard makes them more versatile than tablets.
“There are times that you have to do work. Tablets are great for entertainment, but they aren’t exactly conducive to productivity,” said Dell executive Dave Zavelson as he revealed the new device at the Intel Developer Forum on Tuesday.
The new Dell Inspiron duo is a device for people who can’t make up their mind. A unique swivel-screen design lets it transform from a standard netbook to a fancy tablet with little effort. From tablet mode, users pop open the case and flip the screen to transform the device into a netbook.
“There are times that you have to do work. Tablets are great for entertainment, but they aren’t exactly conducive to productivity,” said Dell executive Dave Zavelson as he revealed the new device at the Intel Developer Forum on Tuesday.
The device will sport a 10 inch display and a dual-core Atom processor. Details about connectivity, memory, and storage have not yet been revealed. The price is also being held back, though the device should be ready to ship before the end of the year.
“What makes the Inspiron duo unique is its dual personality – it transforms seamlessly between a tablet that delivers an immersive entertainment experience to a ultra-mobile laptop with a keyboard enabling instant productivity on the go,” a Dell spokeswoman said.
While the device will likely come with a hefty price tag, it is sure to appeal to casino players, who can switch between the fun tablet mode and the more productive netbook mode with little effort. It’s basically the perfect gaming netbook!
Tags: Dell Inspiron duo, gaming netbook, netbook computers
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September 14th, 2010
A recent market report from UBS Investment Research has estimated that Apple will sell 28 million iPads in 2011. Maynard Um, the author of the report, believes that this boom in iPad sales will do great harm to the notebook PC industry, and that tablet PCs like the iPad are soon going to take over as the world’s most popular mobile computing devices.
Is there any truth in this claim? More importantly, if the iPad becomes king, what does it mean for future netbook gaming?
First of all, the iPad is a specialized device. It’s pretty, it’s shiny, and nice to play with, but when it comes down to just getting things done, it’s really not so useful. The lack of a keyboard alone cuts productivity quite a lot, making it a poor choice for people who want to use their mobile computer for both work and play.
As for iPad casinos, they are virtually non-existent. The iPad doesn’t run Flash, so most no-download online casino games don’t work on it. Instead, it can only run specially-designed casino games, like the ones found at All Slots Mobile Casino. Overall, the iPad’s casino gaming capabilities are extremely limited.
Netbook casinos, however, are very flexible, running on virtually any PC, laptop, and netbook computer in the world, including Mac and Linux devices. This means one thing: they are here to stay. Even if the popularity and availability of netbook PCs declines over the next few years, netbook casinos will stick around, and netbook users will still have access to their favorite no download slots and other instant play games.
Tags: casino, iPad, netbook computers
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September 8th, 2010
Pharmacy chain CVS started selling a $99 netbook on Sunday, and most stores sold out within hours. The device is manufactured by Sylvania, and while its price is definitely right, it’s really not worth buying.
Here is a run-down of what this machine has hiding under its admittedly sleek exterior:
• Via 8505 processor
• 128 MB of internal memory
• 2 GB of NAND flash
• 7 “ 800×480 display
• Weight: 2 pounds
• Windows CE 6.0
The components are mostly off-brand, and the specs are pretty bad, but what is really discouraging is the operating system. Windows CE was designed for use with mobile phones, not with netbook computers. It severely limits what this little guy can do.
The netbook comes with an app that can play YouTube videos, but according to reviews that are popping up, it doesn’t even do this very well. If it can’t handle a basic video, then the $99 Sylvania netbook doesn’t stand a chance at running online casino games.
If anything positive can be said about this device, it’s this: it has better specs than last year’s $119 Kmart netbook! Beyond that, it’s a machine to avoid. Anybody serious about picking up a netbook for playing at the top online casinos, it is worth spending a little extra to get a proper device.
Tags: netbook computers, Sylvania
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September 2nd, 2010
Hewlett-Packard has broken their own speed barrier with the announcement of a huge upgrade to the current HP Mini 5103 line, making it the fastest netbook they have ever produced.
This powerhouse sports an N550 dual-core processor, which runs at a speed of 1.5GHz, giving the netbook a 20% boost in speed over all current HP netbook computers.
The netbook will have intense graphic capabilities, making it great for gaming. The standard model will offer 720p playback, while an optional video acceleration card will give the machine the ability to play 1080p video. A 10.1-inch display is perfect for showing off what this little guy can do.
The best part about this new netbook is its price: the line will start at just $399 (but this is for a weaker single-core version). While a dual core netbook is probably overkill for playing online casino games, a little extra computing power never hurt anyone! Plus, with a battery life of between 10 and 11 hours, this is definitely a netbook to look forward to.
Tags: HP Mini 5103, HP Mini 5103Hewlett-Packard, netbook computers, online casino games
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August 26th, 2010
A new gadget has just hit the internet that turns an Apple iPad mobile device into a basic netbook computer. One of the iPad’s most exciting features is its multi-touch display, but because it has no keyboard to speak of, all typing has to be done on the touch screen, which can be a bit cumbersome.
This new device is called ClamCase and it will be available for purchase soon. The device is totally wireless, and communicates with the iPad using BlueTooth. Users just slide their iPad sideways into the shell, and watch as the iPad becomes the screen of what looks like a standard netbook computer.
In truth, the ClamCase is no more than a BlueTooth keyboard with an iPad holder built in. While it offers a more tactile typing experience than the iPad’s touch screen can provide, it does little to enhance the device.
This is especially true of online gambling with the iPad. In fact, mobile casino games don’t make use of a full keyboard, since most mobile devices don’t have one. Instead, games available in an iPad casino are played using the touch-screen, so a device like the ClamCase would just get in the way of having fun gambling on the go.
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August 18th, 2010
It’s sleek, it’s light, it’s ultra-portable – the HP Mini 1137NR seems like a winner. It’s powerful enough to run the toughest no download casino games flawlessly, and sexy enough to look good on anyone’s desk. But all these good things fall away once you notice that its battery life is limited to a mere 2 hours. Netbook computers are meant to be used on the go, but this machine will only last about as long as the average movie.
The HP Mini 1137NR does have some nice features. Its 10.1 inch screen is bright and sharp. It weighs just 2.45 points and is less than an inch thick, making it one of the slimmest netbooks on the market today. An 80gb hard drive offers plenty of storage, and a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor packs a nice punch. Its 1gb of RAM is a bit slim, and the machine has a fairly limited integrated graphics processor, but it’s still plenty strong for running online casino games.
The price comes in at around $500, which is a lot for a machine with these specs. It bills itself as being light and portable, and as long as you never need to use it away from a power outlet for more than 2 hours, it certainly fits that description. But for users who expect to play the best online slots on their netbook computer for a whole afternoon, the HP Mini 1137NR isn’t worth the price.
Tags: hp mini 1137nr, netbook computers
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August 12th, 2010
Now this is a mobile computer! The swivel display on the Lenovo S10-3T multi-touch device lets it play the role of both a netbook and a tablet. Strong specs make it a powerhouse for both work and play, and an overall excellent design gives it a “wow” factor that many devices these days just don’t seem to have. One question remains: is it worth $500?
First, a quick look at what’s under the hood:
• 1.66GHz Intel Atom Processor
• 1GB 204 Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM Memory
• 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
• 802.11 b/g/n Wireless Adapter
• 10.1″ 1024×600 LED Multi-Touch Display (16:9)
• Intel GMA 3150 Graphics
• Windows 7 Starter
A large display and strong graphics adapter make this device excellent for use with netbook casinos. The hard drive is big enough for most purposes, and while it could do with a little more RAM, 1GB is plenty for tackling even the most demanding online casino games. Windows 7 Starter edition doesn’t come with fancy Aero effects, but it gets the job done.
This netbook’s best feature is its multitouch display. Combined with the touch features in Windows 7, the Lenovo S10-3T is sure to be a lot of fun to use. It will let players take control of their favorite online slots, blackjack, and other casino games by simply touching the screen. Overall, this tablet/netbook makes an excellent iPad replacement. If you ask me, the price tag is more than reasonable.
Tags: netbook computers, online slots
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August 6th, 2010
The buzz around the tech blogs this week is that HP is working on a new model in its business line of netbook computers. It’s called the HP Mini 5103, and judging by the specs, it looks like it will be a perfect netbook for online gambling.
Of course, the machine will be great for general business too, offering enough power to get just about any job done. But business isn’t everything, so it is good to know that a machine like this will also give you a chance to kick back and relax with some online slots or blackjack.
Here’s what the HP Mini 5103 will offer:
Processor: 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 or 1.86GHz Intel Atom N475
Memory: Unknown, but will support high-speed DDR3 RAM
Video: Broadcom HD video accelerator for ultra-sexy visuals
Hard drive: Shock-proof 7200RPM HDD or a solid state drive
Shell: Tough yet light magnesium alloy case
OS: SUSE Linux, Windows 7 Starter, or Windows 7 Home Premium
Optional: Touchscreen display
All of this power will be packed into a sleek, professional system that is sure to turn a few heads. The machine’s fast processor and HD graphics accelerator will let it run no-download casino games flawlessly, while the optional touchscreen display will add a new layer of fun to the mix.
The machine is only on sale in Italy at the moment, but it will soon be rolled in other countries around the globe. Its price? Somewhere in the neighborhood of €550 ($725). This is a small price to pay for so much power packed into a netbook.
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July 29th, 2010
US retailer Kmart has begun to sell ultra-cheap Android tablets and netbooks manufactured by a company called Augen. They are not yet available in all stores, but stocks should be arriving over the weekend. The devices are definitely not powerhouses, but for $99, that is to be expected. Here are the specs of one Augen device that a customer recently purchased from his local Kmart:
Augen GenBook 74
• 400MHz CPU
• 7 inch, 800 x 480 pixel display
• 128MB of memory
• Android 1.6 OS
The user reported that the machine comes with Android pre-installed, along with a web browser, a Gmail app, Google Maps, and a few other programs.
It is hard to say how this ultra-low-budget netbook would handle no download casino games. The specs are about the same as you would find in a ten-year-old desktop computer, so don’t expect much. The tiny screen, slow processor and miniscule amount of memory probably won’t run the average online casino game. In fact, users won’t be able to do much at all these days with such a slow computer.
Our advice? Skip these dirt-cheap Augen netbooks and spend a few hundred more to get an entry-level Asus Eee PC or one of our recommended netbooks. These $99 Kmart netbooks just aren’t worth the money.
Tags: android netbooks, netbook computers
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July 22nd, 2010
While Apple’s iPad offers beautiful touch screen support for all its apps, the device does not run Flash, which is the technology that powers most no-download casino games. This means that iPad users can’t simply log-on to their favorite instant play casino and start enjoying touch screen slots, blackjack, and other games.
Fortunately, there are alternatives. News has just surfaced of an upcoming Hewlitt-Packard touch screen tablet PC that will be powered by Windows 7. This means that the device will run all no-download casinos without problems. Basically, anything that works on your netbook computer will also work on the new HP Slate 500.
While touch screen tablet PCs are nothing new, most are powered by Android OS or other mobile operating systems, and are therefore unfamiliar to Windows users. The comfortable Windows 7 interface on the new HP Slate 500 means users won’t have to learn anything new, other than getting used to using their fingers to control online casino games instead of a mouse or trackpad.
Full specs for the HP Slate 500 are not yet available, but according to Netbook Updates, the device will probably offer the following:
• 8.9 inch display
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• Two cameras for shooting photos or video and web conferencing
• 1.6GHz unspecified processor (probably Intel Atom)
HP says the Slate 500 in customer evaluation phase, and no release date has been given.
Tags: hp slate 500, netbook computers
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