Topic: Netbooks

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open episode 372 of the No Agenda show from Austin, Texas and Northern Silicon Valley. Dvorak reports persistent Skype crashes on his Windows 7 netbook despite performing no recent software changes. The hosts welcome listeners from the live stream and recount an anecdote about gaining a new listener via a shelf installer.

The T-Mobile G-Phone is praised for its functionality, though concerns are raised regarding battery life issues following the 1.5 firmware update. One host checks their device to find it is still running version 1.1. The conversation also touches on the potential for Android-based netbooks and a minor mystery regarding a sudden increase in Twitter followers.

Curry recounts a failed shopping excursion in San Francisco where his G-Phone directed him to a Circuit City location that had already gone out of business. He also discusses the unreliability of high-capacity Compact Flash memory cards, noting frequent data corruption issues. The episode concludes with the hosts planning their next recording session following the Dutch holiday festivities.

Technologists are successfully loading the Android operating system and Apple's Mac OS X onto various netbook hardware, such as the HP 1000 and Asus EeePC. While Apple reportedly has mechanisms to "brick" unauthorized installations, the portability of these small devices makes them attractive targets for OS experimentation.

Gateway is offering full-featured 15-inch laptops for $599, challenging Apple's premium pricing in a down economy. Meanwhile, the first Google Android phone (T-Mobile G1) is criticized for poor battery life and hardware design, though its open-source operating system is praised for its potential. Android is seen as a possible "PC-like" competitor to the "Apple-like" closed ecosystem of the iPhone.