Of notebooks, netbooks, smartphones and smartbooks

If you are thinking today that you won't mind having a lighter, yet cheaper notebook, feel free to go out right now and grab yourself a netbook. In fact, Toshiba and Fujitsu have new devices slated to enter the U.S. market in time for the holiday season--making them the most recent additions to a segment already bustling with devices from Acer, Lenovo, Dell and others.

But what if you require constantly switched-on mobile connectivity? Well, have you considered getting a smartphone in that case?  Indeed, there are so many smartphone makers at the moment that I won't even bother listing them here, though the majority of them revolve around only about five or six platforms; "only" is a relative word here, of course.  

What if you need slightly more processing power, yet more portability than afforded by a typical netbook? Well, in such a scenario, a smartbook will probably fit the bill for you...

If you find yourself getting really confused, don't fret. The good news is that you are probably not alone. In fact, there's room for even greater change (and confusion), with the unveiling of Nvidia's Trego "computer-on-a-chip" processor. This piece of silicon translates into cheaper, longer-lasting gadgets with superior graphics and HD video capabilities.    

I'm not sure what this new class of devices will be called eventually, but I know I am all out of names. What is certain though, is that mobile enthusiasts will have a lot to look for in the next half of this year, regardless of the recession. And who knows the effect that will have on the enterprise? So let's sit back, and enjoy the ride, shall we?

And oh yes, did I mention that Psion has decided to drop its trademark case against Intel (and the rest of the world)? At least now, I can go back to figuring out what a netbook really is, for a start. Wish me luck, will you? - Paul