The answer just landed in my inbox courtesy of a representative of Hard Candy Cases who alerted me on the company’s cool cases for netbooks and select MacBooks.

They claim to be “The first company to design fashionable snap-on protective cases for the top-selling Asus and Acer netbook models” and whether that’s true or not (I don’t have the time nor inclination to  verify and legitimize the claim), the bubble shell netbook cases that they have for sale are kinda sexy and useful.

If you remember, in previous posts I once asked about the usefulness of netbook bags but I am more in favor of netbook cases because they accomplish two tasks beautifully: protect your baby and make it look hot!

About Hard Candy Cases:
Founded in 2009, Danville, CA-based Hard Candy Cases is a new company from computer accessory veteran, Tim Hickman, who started and ran Speck Products. The company merges fashion and function to distinguish and protect mobile computers from the wear and tear of daily use.  Additional information can be found at http://www.hardcandycases.com.

Two years ago no one knew what this netbook craze was all about. Today, they say that the trend towards netbook like laptops (laptops that are standard size aka 13-15″ but with netbook features) will ultimately demise these ultra portable computers that we love so much.

Truth of the matter is that netbooks are just getting started. Most computer users do two things with their laptops: check emails and surf the web. Most times all this is done from an Internet browser. Yes, they do listen to music and work on the odd document file but all those tasks can be handled by a netbook without out it going bezerk.

Add the small size and portability factor coupled with the low prices and you have a winning combination.

If you’re still sitting on the fence, go ahead and buy your netbook. It’s no fad. Happy shopping!

Another week, another Acer vs Asus netbook battle analysis… 

It really has nothing to do with quality, performance, price or raving reviews. The simple reason why the Acer Aspire One is the most popular netbook over Asus’, its’ chief contender, is because Acer has one netbook in the race for market dominance while Asus has three or more netbooks.

Of course, there are some variations of the Acer Aspire One netbook out there but the model is pretty much the same. Also, in recent time, a new Aspire One was announced and rumour had it that the previous model would be phased out which in my opinion is a brilliant decision.

What happens if you use all your resources to market one product while your competitor uses more or less equal resources to market three or four? Well, it goes without saying that the most popular netbook will be the one that comes in one model.

Notice however that in the Acer vs Asus battle, no one ever tells us who has the most popular netbook brand. I am sure that numbers on this one, would be completely different.

Oh happy morning for those in the US who have been impatiently waiting for the 10″ Acer Aspire One netbook. It has just been announced that as from today, you can get your hands on the upgraded most popular netbook for only $350. You can find your Aspire One AOD150 netbook at any authorized reseller and retailer.

See the press release: Next Generation Acer Aspire One Netbook Now Available for U.S. Customers

Acer has decided to drop the 8″ netbook version and only market the 10″. I really think that it’s a good idea because 8″ netbooks are really small compared to the 10″ and yet the 10″ are still portable, light and you can actually type on the keyboard without finding it awkward and browse the net like you would on a laptop.

I have written before that 10″ netbooks are the future. For Acer to drop the 8.9″ sometimes this year allows it to market one model only and retain it’s sales leadership over Asus. It would be hard to sell two different versions that do not seem to have any differences.

I hope that all netbook manufacturers are paying attention and will follow lead.

See more pics: 10-inch Acer Aspire One breaks cover: Photo Gallery

Acer is on a roll wanting to keep the pole position in netbook sales. The latest deal on the Acer Aspire One netbook is $299.99 for a few days. That’s an enticing sales promotion that will have people rush to Best Buy to grab their own mini laptop but like everything in life, it seems that there’s a catch.

See: Acer, Best Buy Slash XP Netbook Price to $299

You hear that Sony and Apple? Your other computer products will not be cannibalized. 

See: Acer and Asustek gain more than they lose from netbooks, says Digitimes Research

Netbooks are positioned as cheap laptops so naturally Walmart and other discounters are going to start selling them. It’s a good deal for Acer as the more Aspire Ones are sold, the cheaper they will get and the more popular they will get in return and so on. Eventually, the Acer Aspire one netbook can be king with the mere fact that most people tend to buy a best selling/cheap item.

See more: Acer Aspire One Mini laptop at Wal-Mart for $419.00

Netbooks are no fad. I have said it many times (Are Netbooks a Fad?). This new category is just a niche that may one day overtake the full-fledged notebook category.

One of the proofs (another one being corporate adoption. See: Prediction: Why Netbooks Are Going Corporate in 2009) that the netbook movement is going to really explode in 2009 and beyond is the fact that there are now many offers that promise a netbook for a really low price in exchange for a subscription to a mobile broadband plan just like it’s done in the mobile phone industry.

While this concept is still new, it’s not very difficult to figure out if it’s worth it from a buyer’s perspective. It’s just a matter of looking at the mobile phone situation.

The first of such deals include a netbook for about $99 and a commitment to sign-up for a two year contract. In Australia, some offers actually give away the netbook for free! (See: At Last, One Way to Get a Free Dell Netbook. Yes, There’s a Catch)

Is it worth it?

Like most things in life, it depends.

People are saying that in the case of the Radio Schack deal (where you get a $99 Acer Aspire One netbook with integrated 3G wireless technology if you sign-up for a two-year plan AT&T mobile broadband plan that start at $60/month), ultimately the netbook will cost $1540. (See: How to Buy an Acer Aspire for only $100. But there’s a “But!”)

Such observers say that you will be spending $1540 while you could get the Acer Aspire One netbook for around $300. In their opinion, it’s a total rip-off.

While it may look so, it’s really not because at the end of the day, it’s not as if you’re not using your mobile broadband. In other words, you are getting an Internet service on top of a mini-laptop.

If you’re always on the move and want Internet access everywhere and are comfortable with owning a computer for two years without needing an upgrade or replacement, this deal is worth considering.

On the other hand, if you find yourself changing computers like you change, err, socks and you really don’t need mobile broadband because everywhere you go there’s a Wi-Fi signal that you can tap into, these types of deals are not worth your consideration.

In my case for instance, I know that 2009 will be the year of the netbook where new faster models will be introduced that feature longer battery life, better design, better prices (ie: cheaper than what’s found today) and with more hard drive space.

As a computer user, I replace my machines every year. I am also lucky to live in a city where there’s free Wi-Fi almost everywhere I find myself daily so while I am on the move, I can always stay connected.

So, the thought of being stuck in a contract with an Acer Aspire one netbook or other ultraportable notebook that I got for a “deal” in exchange of a two year marriage, does not appeal to me at all.

A) I want to be able to replace my netbook without being forced to pay for the older one B) I am not that much in a hurry to be needing mobile broadband (another consideration: the more popular data plans get, the cheaper they will get).

Should you seriously consider the Radio Shack type deals?

Yes if you’re comfy with using a netbook for two years and if you really need the mobile broadband and find the prices fair.

No if you don’t need mobile broadband after all and if you want the freedom to change netbooks whenever you want.

Is this a good or a bad deal btw? It depends really. If you plan on using and owning the netbook for more than two years then it makes sense. If you replace your netbook each six month, you may have a little situation in your hands.

Netbook Era will sure update you with some pics and reviews when they surface. In the meantime, I am just going to say that it’s another step that shows that netbooks are becoming more and more important for manufacturers to ignore.

Oh by the way just in case you did not know, Gateway got acquired by Acer last year so it’s no wonder that netbooks and notebooks released under these two brands are going to start looking the same and priced alike too.

For now, Acer has a powerful marketing weapon as the company can go out there yelling: “We’re the most popular netbook on the market”, a bragging right that consumers seem to seriously consider during the shopping process. 

See how everyone else such as Dell and HP fared: Acer beats arch-rival Asus in Q3 netbook match

"Netbooks" by Dell (from left), Asus, Acer, MSI and Lenovo. (By Rob Pegoraro -- The Washington Post)

This cool pic was taken from a Washing Post article on netbooks. It answers two questions: How little laptop is enough? And how few dollars will it cost you? 

All the tech bloggers and journalists can spend all of their days praising netbooks or proclaiming their uselessness as much as they want but the final rests with people who actually shelled out their hard earned money and are actively using their netbooks. That’s where the buck should stop and all the experts should just hush and lend a listening ear. 

Jeff Atwood is a software developer who decided to purchase a (pink) Acer Aspire One netbook for his wife. He played around with it and wrote about his experience hence the quote above. 

He is pretty impressed with the netbook and is hopeful about their future as they get more powerful and yet become cheaper.

Are any of the pundits, manufacturers or other industry experts paying attention to users who publicly declare their love for netbooks? Jeff Atwood has a large following. At this time of writing, there are hundreds of comments to the post.

When manufacturers released netbooks they had one thing in mind. But it turned out that the marketplace adopted them for different reasons.

I actually see a day when all web designers may be forced to create versions of their sites that are netbook friendly because these babies are selling like crazy!

To keep up with Asus, HP and all other mini-laptop brands, word is that Acer is planning a 10″ netbook that’s a bigger brother or sister to the best selling Acer Aspire One that’s 8.9″.

Why the larger screen? It’s not only because the competitors are offering them but surfing the net with a 10″ still allows the user to go browse a site without scrolling from left to right. That’s on bit that seems to annoy current owners of smaller netbooks.

No has any pics yet but the minute Netbook Era spots some, you will be among to check them out.

Source: Acer to deliver 10.2-inch model 

Previous coverage: 10″ Acer Aspire One to Be Available in Feb 2009, Acer Aspire One’s Bigger Bro Coming in 2009

Top Tech News reviews the Acer Aspire One A110 netbook and concludes: “Overall, the A110 will meet the needs of users who want a quick Internet access device. It is not really meant to be your primary workstation, but if you need to use the A110 extensively for more than one hour, it would be good to install Windows XP. “. Read the rest of the Aspire One A110 Netbook review

Product Reviews alerts us on the Acer Aspire One A150-1672 pink netbook. I will admit that them saying that it makes a perfect gift for this holiday season is a pretty good idea that I will cheer on.

“the main features on this cute netbook include Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz, 1GB, 160 GB (5400 RPM) SATA Hard Drive, 8.9″ WSVGA display, 802.11b/g, Webcam, Multi-in-one card reader, Microsoft XP Home, 1024 MB DDR2 (PC2-4200) RAM, 3 x USB 2.0,...” Acer Aspire One A150-1672 Netbook in Pink

“Acer, the world’s third largest PC vendor, is planning to launch a netbook next year with a 10.2-inch screen, the largest netbook screen from Acer so far, a company representative confirmed” - Acer Plans Netbook With 10.2-inch Screen

“For the past week I’ve been working on an Acer Aspire One running Linux and I have to say that it hits most of the right notes.” - Acer’s impressive One

“Newegg has revealed a list of their Black Friday deals. Guess what, there is a discount on the 8.9″ Acer Aspire One Netbook from Newegg. The price has been dropped to $249.99 from the usual $299.00.” - Newegg: Black Friday netbook deals

“We have been reporting for most of this week the stores that are now showing their Black Friday deals, and Sams Club is the latest to show what they will have on offer. The one day deal which happens one day after Thanksgiving is for their members only.” - Unveiled: Sam’s Club Black Friday Sale

“Just a size comparison between a Dell Inspiron 700M 12.1 inch subnotebook and the (ASUS) Eee PC 1000H, Medion Akoya Mini E1210 [Jay's note: a rebadged MSI WInd really], HP 2133 Mini-Note, Acer Aspire One, [ASUS] Eee PC 900 and [ASUS] Eee PC 701 netbooks”

AnthonyGF, a viewer of the Acer Aspire One netbook review on YouTube writes in the comments section: “My squirrel friend just bought one for $600 and got a $100 rebate. It is cool because you can take it places easily. It has a camera, it’s pretty fast and has good power.

It came with a memory pen and can do all that she and I want to do, such as storing pictures, taking pics, holding songs, keeping some documents, etc. We mainly just get on line with it. I think it’s good and I’d like to have one of my own. So far so good, it has a warranty as well.“

To entice you, dear consumer, they’re running a few competitions with an Acer Aspire One netbook as one of  the ultimate prizes. You don’t even have to buy anything. You just have to be at the right mall at the right time and just text something to some number and wait to see if you go home with a brand new netbook. Good luck!