Why your next laptop should be a netbook

One of the featured articles in this month's Wired is about the rise of netbooks, which are miniature notebook computers that mostly do one thing: get you connected to the internet.  

Which is all you really need at this point.  

From Gmail to Google Documents to Shutterfly to Youtube, almost everything you do now can be done with only a web-browser.  In today's economy, why shell out $1700 for a Macbook when you can get an HP or Dell netbook for $300 or less.  You can even run Windows XP if you want, though I'd probably just stick with Linux Ubuntu (you'll save about $25-50), since you don't need to run anything complex.

Since you'll be saving $1400 or more, you can take that money and buy a nice desktop for home use, and take the $500 netbook on travels.  Keep in mind these netbooks have very small hard drives, so you'd want to have some type of a network drive option at home (do-able considering the cost savings).

Wired has some interesting observations.  When is the last time you remember technology getting less powerful?  Netbooks are far less powerful than "mainstream" laptops.  But with the rise of cloud computing, what we've been able to do is distribute the large processing tasks to servers located thousands of miles away, so the small computer that you use doesn't need to be very powerful.

Free song on itunes - A good one

I usually will download all free songs on iTunes, just because they are free.  But a band I've been listening to has a free song on there this week, so thought I'd post the link.  You'll like it:

GM admits it is on the edge

From GM's annual report (all emphasis added is mine):

There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our independent public accounting firm has issued an opinion on our consolidated financial statements that states that the consolidated financial statements were prepared assuming we will continue as a going concern and further states that our recurring losses from operations, stockholders’ deficit and inability to generate sufficient cash flow to meet our obligations and sustain our operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our plans concerning these matters, including our Viability Plan, are discussed in Note 2 to the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements. Our future is dependent on our ability to execute our Viability Plan successfully or otherwise address these matters. If we fail to do so for any reason, we would not be able to continue as a going concern and could potentially be forced to seek relief through a filing under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

The Market Today: 3/5/09

The stock market is at a 12 year low.  It is completely fucked at this point.  Just take a look at your 401k or IRA statement.  Looking at specifics, Citi fell under $1 at some point today, GM is on the edge of bankruptcy, GE ends at $6.66, and every single sector was down big.  

To put this all in perspective, it is if all the gains that have been made since the dawn of the cell phone age have been erased.  12 years ago, Apple was not very cool, Bill Clinton was the president, and the things were moving up.

Despite all of the above, there are some bright spots.  Ford is restructuring its debt in a positive way (albeit by deferring my dividend* for up to 5 years, but not the tax liability..), several companies (such as Kimberly Clark*) raised their dividend, and the stimulus is just getting started.  Yesterday President Obama said it is a good time to buy stocks, and that very well may be true, but you won't hear that on Bloomberg or CNBC.

*Disclosure: I am long KMB and F-S

Environmentally friendly ammo

The NRA apparently does not like the new "green" bullets, which are made from copper instead of lead.  Not sure why they are all up in arms (pardon the pun) about this issue.  Using safer materials makes sense, even if the cost is slightly higher.

Quite possibly the worst job in America

Calling people whose family has died and collecting on debts... just so you know, you don't have to pay them.  But apparently, many do.

Obama and endangered species

Score one for the polar bears.

The Limbaugh Strategy

Rush Limbaugh is now the de facto leader of the Republican Party.  While Michael Steele may actually lead them, nobody is paying attention.  And independent minded voters like myself are not fans of Rush.  I think that if the GOP continues down this road, it may be 2024 before a Republican runs competitively again.

The Coverup Exposed

Bush's CIA has now admitted to destroying almost 100 interrogation (i.e. torture) tapes.