Now that Windows 7 is available, we’re seeing more and more demand from customers, OEMs and telcos to include the new OS on their PCs. I’m excited to announce that later this month; AT&T is offering subsidized mobile broadband plans on the Acer Aspire One and the Samsung Go Netbook PCs, featuring Windows 7. More info can be found here.

This is the first time AT&T will be launching its 3G service for Windows 7 netbook PCs; it’s a great pairing given these devices are used primarily by people on the go for work, school, travel or just moving from room to room in the house.

Many telecommunications companies are joining this trend – in fact, more than 50 providers in the US and internationally will be deploying Windows 7 PCs by 2010. They’re seeing that Windows 7 supports netbook PCs in a way that offers a better experience than ever before. Why?

• Windows 7 netbook PCs are the perfect companion device and are familiar and easy to use. People don’t want “complicated” when they’re moving around – they need an OS that’s simple, works the way they want and opens doors to new possibilities in computing.
• Customers want a complete, connected experience across their phones, netbook PCs, laptops, desktops, and TVs. They want connectivity everywhere regardless of device; this makes that possible.
• In the same way that Windows XP made Wi-Fi mainstream for the first time, Windows 7 has the potential to do the same to 3G and at the same time redefine what people come to expect from their PCs while they’re on the go.
• Customers like that they’re seeing cost reductions through data and voice bundling on netbook PCs and they’re seeing lower-cost PCs through subsidization.

In addition to AT&T’s announcement, you may have heard recently at TechEd Europe that UK-based Vodafone announced support for Device Stage. Canadian telecommunications company Sierra Wireless is doing the same. You can find more information about Device Stage in a previous blog post, but suffice to say that this is a positive step toward providing even more connectivity possibilities to the Windows 7 experience.

Mobile storage solutions are coming out like crazy and here is another one from Samsung. In a move that is obviously aimed to give Western Digital’s My Book a run for their money, the Story hard drive is something that serves as a great back up device.

The brushed aluminum slab with “passionate red lines” plays host to your choice of 500GB, 1TB, or 1.5TB 3.5-inch disks. The Story Station can backup your data in “real-time” or be setup to backup on a set schedule of your choosing. Data is secured via password with an optional SecretZone virtual drive setup for encrypting all your swine-flu conspiracy data. This device is single-port, USB 2.0 only so you’ll have to take your dreams of network attached storage, eSATA, or FireWire 800 elsewhere.

Use it either for audio, video or pictures, the Story Station will surely come in handy for people who want to make sure that all their data and files are safe and secure. With an easy plug n play interface via the USB, expect this mobile hard drive to be a hit for people who value their backup and storage needs.

Available in Europe first sometime in May for an undisclosed price.

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Samsung adds a couple of new notebooks to its product lineup with the N110 and N120. The N110 and N120 are both currently available through Samsung.com and online retailers with an MSRP of $469 and $459, respectively.

The N110 mini notebook’s compact design, 10.27” (W) x 1.19” (H) x 7.3” (D), is lightweight, only 2.78 lbs, and capable of being stowed in a briefcase or travel bag. Despite its size, the N110’s keyboard has an ergonomic-friendly 93% full-size keyboard and a 10” LED SuperBright© Glossy Backlit Display, along with a 6-cell (5900mAh) lithium battery providing battery life up to 9 hours of continuous use. With a 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive, this mini notebook is functional for browsing the internet and software applications.

The N120 mini notebook caters to those looking for a richer multimedia experience. While also compact, 10.71” (W) x 1.71” (H) x 7.4” (D), and weighing only 2.8 lbs, the N120 features the convenience of a 97% full-size keyboard with trackpad, along with a 6-cell (5200mAh) lithium battery providing battery life up to 6 hours of continuous use. Its SRS 2.1 channel system, featuring two 1.5 watt stereo speakers and a dedicated subwoofer offers a high quality sound and integrated 1.3 megapixel digital motion camera provides video-conferencing capabilities.

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This new notebook from Samsung, the Samsung NC10, has been leaked in the past weeks and for Russians, they get the first chance to check out just how good it is. Add to the fact that it supports Wimax technology and you will certainly get other people craving in envy as to when they can get their hands on this laptop locally.

Samsung NC10 adheres to a class of netbooks - light, compact and inexpensive computers that simplify the usage of the Internet. Weighting just 1.33kg, NC10 is capable to run up to 9 hours 40 minutes on battery power. An integrated 1.3 megapixel digital motion camera allows NC10 users to hold video conferences backed by a high-speed (up to 10 Mb/s) Yota network.

Samsung NC10 4G netbook features a 10.2″ widescreen display (WSVGA 1024×600 SuperBrightc) of the highest quality and a normal-size, notebook PC style ergonomic keyboard. NC10 has a durable scratch-resistant case built using an innovative Samsung Duracase technology. The keyboard of NC10 coated with nano-sized silver ion powder, which prevents living and breeding of bacteria.

NC10 incorporates the smallest and lowest power processor, Intelr AtomT, which makes it capable to tackle the majority of modern computing tasks while keeping an ultra-compact size and small weight. The pre-installed MicrosoftT Windowsr XP Home operating system and 160Gb hard drive make NC10 a powerful instrument, while the built-in Mobile WiMAX module allows unlocking the full potential of the device.

In addition to WiMAX support, Samsung NC10 4G netbook comes with a vast set of networking capabilities - both wireless and wired. The device carries a number of modern networking technologies, such as Atherosr 802.11b/g, 10/100 Ethernet LAN and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. NC10 packed with a 3-in-1 multimedia card slot, VGA output, microphone-in, headphone-out and three USB ports.

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Samsung is not really a major player in the world of notebooks but apparently this new development that they have released in the market is bound to get them noticed. Samsung has apparently come up with a 12.1 inch notebook to adopt VIA’s hot, hot Nano platform, announcing today the 12″, fat-batteried NC20.

The demand for laptops has evidently been growing. Most people are turning to mobile solutions to aid them in their daily needs, both personally and professionally. And with these added features that Samsung has infused in their new line of laptops, don’t be surprised if people suddenly demand for them despite the price that many are expecting to hit the roof.

Catered to a niche well above its 10″, Atom-powered NC10 stablemate, the NC20 is has decidedly un-netbooklike specs. Aside from the 1.3GHz VIA Nano ULV U2250 processor and the choice of XP Home (wise!), the list is straight laptop: 1GB of RAM, a 160GB HDD (with an SSD option), a generously resolved 1280X800 LCD, a 6-cell battery that promises more than 6.5 hours of operation and an uncompromised set of ports, adapters and inbuilt accessories. No price has been announced yet, and therein lies the rub: it’s almost certainly going to be expensive.

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Samsung has released a new external DVD writer in the market, the SE-S084B series. This is a tray-type DVD writer that comes in seven color choices, and was specially designed to meet market demand for external DVDs particularly for lacking laptop requirements that need the assistance of backing up files and making more space for files.

The SE-S084B series uses a solitary interconnect cable for both data transmission and power supply, and weighs less than 0.4kg for easy transportation. It also adopts a lead-free soldering technology to further reduce the carbon footprint while making it safer to dispose of a few years down the road.

With this new release, expect other storage solutions to follow. We have seen a lot of them in the market today but until now, the marketability and feasibility of turning to external drives has not been realized until now. With larger files and embedded storage space on the PC or the usual notebooks, these external writers are not being groomed as the solution to address the said needs.

You can pick up the SE-S084B series in a 8X DVD+R and DVD-R writer, a 6X DVD+R and -R Dual Layer writer, and a 5X DVD-RAM writer models, with each of them retailing for $79.99.

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