Dell on Thursday formally announced its exit from the netbook category as tablets and smartphones continue to grab an ever increasing share of the market.

A quick search on the company’s website reveals that they are no longer offering the Mini 10 with the suggestion that buyers choose the much larger and more expensive Inspiron 14R.

In the meantime the company’s closest offering, the Dell Inspiron Duo, is listed as not available until near the end of the holiday shopping season.

In an interview with The Verge Dell marketing lead Alison Gardner revealed the company’s desire to focus on slim notebooks and ultrabooks.

The once hot Netbook market has been hit in recent years as Apple continues to define the market with their iPad and iPad 2 tablets while Google Android tablets including the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook have also managed to recently steal away market share from the once popular netbook product line.

Dell follows in the footsteps of Samsung who recently announced their own pullout from the netbook market.

In the meantime the company is hoping that slim notebooks and the new ultrabook class of notebooks will allow the company to show users how a slim design that doesn’t sacrifice speed and other laptop features can be beneficial in the workplace and for everyday use.

Do you think the tablet market is going to completely destroy the notebook segment or will certain demographics of users continue to provide the demand necessary to sustain the aging notebook market.

Dell Shuts Down Netbook Division, Announces A Brand New Focus is a post from: The Inquisitr

Introducing The Google Cr-48, The First Chrome OS Based Netbook is a post from: The Inquisitr

Samsung has announced that their new N230 Netbook features a 6-cell battery, but this isn’t last years model of power source, it’s the 66Wh 6-cell battery which is promising up to 13.8 hours of continuous use time.

Sure nearly 14 hours of battery life is great to have, unfortunately it comes on an Intel Atom N450 or N470 processor setup with integrated GMA 3150 graphics, hardly a powerhouse of a system.

The computer also features 1GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, WiFi with wireless N and built-in 3G. Throw in Bluetooth 3.0 and the system at least offers plenty of connectivity.

You can pick up the Samsung N230 for $400. [SlashGear]

Samsung N230 Netbook Brings 14 Hours Of Battery Life is a post from: The Inquisitr

HP has brought the Google Android OS to their newest netbook the Compaq Airlife 100 and with it comes a bunch of other cost saving and performance ready options.

According to Engadget, the company is using a Snapdragon CPU (although still unconfirmed by HP) alongside a 16GB solid state disk (SSD), high speed internet via both 3G and WiFi connectivity and a 10.1 inch touchscreen display.

Users will also be happy to learn that the device can operate for 12 hours on a single charge, with a huge 10 days of standby time, better than most Smartphones currently found on the market.

The Compaq Airlife 100 has already been announced as a subsidized device on Telefonica in Europe and Latin America, although no U.S. partnerships or a release date have been announced at this time. There’s a good chance that it will be rebranded under the HP Mini name when it arrives on the U.S. side of the pond.

Compaq Airlife 100 Delivers Android Goodness And SSD To 10.1″ Netbook is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Asus Eee PC 1001P with the Intel Atom N450 processor is debuting on January 6th 2010 and pre-orders are already under way through Amazon Germany.

Asus Eee PC users will be well aware of the device, which features the same specs of last generation units, wrapped up with the new, faster and more efficient Intel processor.

The units start with a 160GB Hard Drive, 1GB RAM and Windows XP…that’s right…Windows XP.  They also feature a slim-fitting 4,400mAh battery, WiFi b/g, three USB 2.0 ports, a multi-card reader and in/out ports for audio.

The units are currently priced by Amazon Germany at €267.70 ($384) and ship in both black and white color schemes. No word on release dates and pricing for other countries at this time. [SlashGear]

Asus Eee PC 1001P Arriving On January 6th With Atom N450 Processor is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Google Chrome OS centric Netbook won’t release until sometime in late 2010, however specs for the device have been revealed, although not yet confirmed by Google.

According to Gizmodo, the netbook will come equipped with an ARM-based CPU and NVIDIA Tegra chipset, while also featuring a netbook standard 10.1 inch display. The netbook is also apparently slated to feature a multitouch-capable touchscreen, 720p HD video and a 64GB Solid State Disk (SSD) plus 2GB RAM.

The unit will also offer a ton of connectivity in the form of 3G, WiFi, Ethernet and Bluetooth, alongside an audio in/out port, card reader with various formats supported and a webcam.

If those reports are in fact correct, the below $300 price tag may also stick, but only if users are willing to sign a subsidized contract with whichever mobile carrier decided to pick up the Chrome OS netbook. [Via Gizmodo]

Google Chrome OS Netbook Gets “Unofficial” Specs Confirmation is a post from: The Inquisitr

I sure hope that this doesn’t happen to you as you play with your new Dell laptop that you got for Christmas. Unfortunately though for one woman her Dell Mini 9 started making popping sounds, then began to hiss and sizzle – not good – and the room filled with smoke.

Just to ease your mind Dell has replaced the laptop.

hat tip to Mike Elgan

Dell laptop gets all hot and bothered – burns the floor is a post from: The Inquisitr

Verizon Wireless is October added the HP Mini 110 netbook to their lineup of offered devices and proceeded to subsidize the device to any data seeking users who came their way. Now AT&T is following suit, offering the same exact Netbook with built in AT&T 3G data connectivity, opposed to Verizon EV-DO service.

The netbook arrives on November 22nd for a price of $199 after a mail-in-rebate, 2 year contract and minimum monthly data plans.

The Mini 110 features Windows 7, a 10.1 inch LED backlit display with anti-glare and 1GB RAM, plus the already mentioned 3G service and a 160GB hard drive. Everything is pretty standardk  netboo fare right down to the Intel Atom processor.

You’ll need to sign up for at least an AT&T DataConnect plan which provides 200MB of data per month for $35 or you can grab their $60 plan that provides 5GB monthly transfer rates.

Then again you could just go drop $300 on a decent netbook with the same or even better pricing and specs over Black Friday and not have to worry about shoddy 3G service you’ll experience in many 3G areas or for that matter a 2 year contract.

HP Mini 110 Arrives At AT&T, Gets Subsidized, Offers Same Specs As Verizon Model is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Menq EasyPC E790 is currently running Windows CE, but the company has announced plans to push out a Google Android update in the next month and at a very reasonable $80.

So what does $80 buy you these days? How about a 7 inch display that pushes out 800 x 480 pixels of resolution, a full qwerty keyboard and an all around netbook design. Sure the Samsung ARM926EJ-S3C2450 processor isn’t going to give you gaming power at your fingertips, but it’s enough to give users quick access to browse the web and open basic programs.

Future units are expected to carry an ARM Cortex A8 option for an extra $10-$20, which in our opinion is well worth the upgrade, especially considering that the price will still come in at under a Benjamin.

There’s no official word on when or where you’ll be able to pick up the Menq EasyPC E790. [SlashGear]

Here’s a video of the E790 in action:

Menq EasyPC E790 Wants You To Have A Netbook For $80 is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Google Android powered Acer Aspire One just went on pre-order at Amazon. The netbook is one of the first to announce the Android OS and the first we’ve seen go on pre-order.

The netbook is available at Amazon.com for $349.99 and includes free shipping. Much like most of the recent notebooks released to the consumer PC market if features an Intel Atom N280 processor , 1GB RAM and a 160GB hard drive, pretty standard fare if you remove Android from the equation.

I do however appreciate the 6 cell battery with 9 hours runtime and the rather lightweight 2.8 pounds.  The Android Acer also features a rather small footprint in terms of dimensions at 8 x 10.2 x 1 inches. [Amazon]

Android Powered Acer Aspire One Now On Pre-Order At Amazon is a post from: The Inquisitr

Lenovo and DeviceVM, Splashtop’s manufacturer, will announce plans this morning to ship Lenovo IdeaPad S10e netbooks with integrated Splashtop functionality. The program will be branded as “QuickStart,” but it’ll function essentially the same as any other Splashtop configuration — allowing users to run applications such as browsers, e-mail clients, and other Internet-based utilities right after hitting the power button, before the operating system even loads.

This is DeviceVM’s second big portable computing deal for Splashtop in recent months. The company secured rights to feature its program in ASUS’s Eee Box B202 Nettop systems back in August. At the same time, it announced $15 million in new funding, which was marked to be used for expansion into more global markets.

Silicon Valley-based DeviceVM has been around since 2006. Its first Splashtop-enabled machines shipped in October of last year as part of a previous deal with ASUS.

Splashtop Set to Reveal First “Instant-On” Netbook is a post from: The Inquisitr