'Gorgeous' Vaio P Frustrates

44% said they bought tablet over netbook

(NEWSER) - Netbook mania has hit the wall hard, and Apple's shiny new tablet could be to blame. Digging through some recent Morgan Stanley research, Fortune found some interesting charts showing that the growth of netbook sales took an abrupt dive in January—a victim, the researcher concludes, of the iPad's much-hyped announcement. More»

From the improbable to the top secret, it takes all kinds

(NEWSER) - The Business Insider figures you've also wanted to know how your favorite high tech concern got its name. Well, you're in luck! Here goes:

1. SUN Microsystems: It's actually an acronym for Stanford University Network, the school where the founders met.
2. Cisco: Actually not an acronym, as often assumed. It's just San Francisco without the San Fran, which is why the "c" was not capitalized originally.

Portable devices to use iTunes-esque service

(NEWSER) - Sony is preparing to challenge Apple's dominance of the handheld gadget market with a slate of new portable devices. Sony's planned products include a cell phone that can download and play PlayStation games and an iPad-esque multifunction device that will be both an e-reader and portable game console. More»

Facing Microsoft, search giant aims to expand market for Chrome

(NEWSER) - Google Chrome, languishing in the browser wars, will get a substantial boost thanks to a deal with Sony—which is shipping new Vaio PCs with Chrome pre-installed. Google is also talking to other computer manufacturers, the FT reports, as it attempts to weaken the dominance of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which commands 68% of the field. Google Chrome, despite good reviews from techies, has only a 2% share after a year. More»

(NEWSER) - Nokia is charging into the mobile computing market with its first netbook, PC World reports. The phone company’s Booklet 3G features 3G connectivity for Internet access and packs a healthy 12 hours of battery life. The tiny laptop—10 inches—runs Windows and has Nokia’s Ovi mobile apps and communication service built in. The device, which also boasts an HDMI port, is poised to do battle with the rumored Apple tablet expected to be unveiled soon. More»