Manufacturers are already gearing up for a holiday season, planning to issue an array of new phones, netbooks and toys for consumers. Many of these devices, of course, can also serve a dual use within the corporate world, especially as their form factors become more portable and processing power increases. Hewlett-Packard, Palm, 3M, Asus, Samsung and others recently rolled out a selection of their holiday-targeted gear at a Pepcom event in New York City. Among the trends: more powerful (and more expensive) netbooks, ruggedized and smaller smartphones, and an emphasis on multitouch screens.
– …
Apple’s Tim Cook Knocks Netbooks, No Comment on Tablet Rumors
Apple COO Tim Cook used Apples earnings call to talk down mini-notebooks – known popularly as netbooks – that have buoyed earnings for the rest of the PC market. According to Cook, price point and computing power are major factors in Apples decision to stay out of the space. However, he also refused to comment on rumors that Apple is developing a tablet PC that would bridge the product gap between the iPod Touch and Macs.
–
Despite rumors of a mini-notebook in development, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook took some time during the companys July 21
earnings call to disparage the devices – although he also refused to comment on
whether Apple was developing a tablet computer that would serve a similar
function….