If you needed any more proof that Apple is confident you don’t need to use a hardware keyboard with the iPad, the tablet will start shipping on April 3rd. The official keyboard accessory won’t be available until a few weeks after that.

I’m still a bit skeptical that you’ll be able to write any lengthy emails, blog comments, or other text on the iPad display. While the on-screen keyboard is about the same size as a physical keyboard on a typical netbook, you’ll have to hold the iPad in an awkward angle to type with ten fingers. And while the on-screen keyboard looks a lot like the iPhone keyboard, it’s a lot easier to hold a smartphone that’s a few inches in both hands while using your thumbs to type than it is to hold a 10 inch tablet and stretch your thumbs across.

In other words, I think typing on the iPad will mean tapping away with one finger — or holding the tablet in one hand while using a few fingers on the other hand to type. But based on the fact that the hardware keyboard won’t even be available at launch, I’m guessing Apple knows something I don’t — or just really doesn’t care about the text entry experience on the iPad since the tablet is primarily designed for consuming media rather than creating it.

via SlashGear

Toshiba’s newest docking station features DVI graphics, 4 USB ports, audio, and Ethernet jcks. And it connects to your computer with just a single USB port, making it easy to connect a printer, mouse, monitor, and other goodies to your netbook or notebook with minimal fuss.

The Dynadock V can handle external displays with rsolutions up to 1920 x 1080. Of course, this ain’t the first docking station from Toshiba, but it’s one of the smallest to date, measuring just 6.13″ x 3″ x 1.31″ and weighing less than 10 ounces.

The dock will be available for $120 starting in February.

via SlashGear

Asus launches its first designer edition netbook this week. But it’s not just the Asus Eee PC 1008P which is getting a stylish makeover. The company is also introducing a new line of classy looking notebook cases, slip covers, lugage, mice, USB hard drives, keyboard, and other accessories.

Some of the accessories match the new Asus Eee PC1008P Karim Rashid Edition netbook, while others are just classier looking versions of existing products.

You can find out more about the new products at the Asus Collection web site. And you can find more photos after the break.

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Netbooks are smaller than most laptops, and as such, they need their own cases, slip covers, and other accessories designed to fit machines with 7 to 10 inch screens. So many slip covers, cases, and other doodads have come out in the last two years that yet another netbook case is hardly news. But the Everki Camber is hardly just another netbook case. No, this one’s got a bizarre trick up its sleeve: it’s designed to work as a netbook stand.

Here’s how it works. You can stuff your mini-laptop inside the case for safe keeping on the go, and the padded case will protect your computer from scuffs and scrapes. But there’s also a sloped edge on one side of the case. If you put the case on your lap or a table, you can place a netbook on top to take advantage of the 30 degree angle to prop up your netbook for comfortable typing.

You can also throw an AC adapter sloped portion of the case.

It’s an interesting gambit, and it certainly sets the Everki Camber apart from the competition. But so does the price tag: This netbook case will set you back $49.99.

You can check out a video of the bag in action after the break.

via Engadget

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The Asus CrossLink cable is designed to share data between computers. And when I say data, I don’t just mean you can copy files from one PC to another using the CrossLink Cable. you can also share internet access and optical disc drive functions using this device.

Say, for example, you have a netbook without an optical disc drive but you want to install software that’s only available on a CD. You would plug one end of the CrossLink Cable into your netbook and the other end into a full sized laptop or desktop with a disc drive. You can then use the disc drive on your netbook as if it were plugged directly into the mini-laptop.

You can slo use Folder Link software and the cable to keep folders on two different computers synchronized.

The CrossLink cable also functions as a standalone USB flash drive with 2GB of storage. It’s available for purchase from Amazon for under $40. But Asus will give a CrossLink Cable to one Liliputing reader.

In order to enter, please read the official contest rules and then leave a comment below letting us know what computers you plan to use this cable with. This particular contest is only open to residents of the USA or Canada.

The contest will end at 12:01AM Eastern on November 30th.

Looking for a netbook case with a little Geek Chic flavor? Check out the awesome handmade NES controller pouch Geeky Gadgets discovered on Etsy.

The cases are made by seller SplashingKoi, and they’re 8 bits of old-school gaming goodness. At $49.99, it’s a steal of a deal for a unique, hand-crafted portable pouch.

Now, I wouldn’t recommend using this as the only case you cart your netbook around in. It’s made of felted material, after all, not ballistic nylon. Still, I can’t think of a carrying case I’ve seen that would make your geeky friends at work drool more than this little baby.

Better hurry if you want one – I imagine SplashingKoi is about to see an inrush of orders as netbookers find out about the NES case.

The last USB DVD burner from Lite-On that I checked out was the slim, light, and USB bus-powered eTAU208. It’s a good solution for someone looking for a portable disc burner for under $50. The company’s latest entry into the USB DVD burner space isn’t as light, portable, or cheap. But it’s fast.

The new Lite-On eHAU424 can burn DVDs at 24x speeds, making it one of the fastest USB DVD burners around. It also includes LightScribe technology for labeling discs. But it doesn’t run on USB bus power, which means you’ll have to lug around a power cable. And it’s a bit chunkier than the eTAU208, which means you’re less likely to shove this drive in your bag on your way out of the house.

The eHAU424 has an MSRP of $69.99, but you can pick it up now for about $55.

Need an AC adapter for your netbook(s) and don’t feel like paying  Dell, Acer, Asus, HP, Samsung, or Toshiba for a replacement or spare? Belkin UK has launched two new AC adapters that are designed to work on a variety of netbooks.

The Belkin F5L065uk 40W adapter will charge netbooks from all of the companies above, while the Belkin F5L070uk 90W adapter has 8 tips and adds Fujitsu and Sony to the mix. They cost £39.99 and £49.99 respectively in the UK, and should be available internationally soon.

Of course, there are still no universal standards for laptop power tips. So there’s no guarantee that either of these AC adapters will meet your needs. But if you happen to have more than one netbook (and only need to charge one at a time), a universal adapter might be a good investment… assuming you can find out if it works with your particular netbook models first.

via Netbooked and Netbook Choice

The Lite-On eTAU208 DVD/CD Writer is a portable disc drive that’s pretty handy for folks who like to travel light. Not only is the DVD burner barely any wider than an optical disc, it also weighs just 0.77 pounds. And it draws power from you’re computer’s USB port, which means there’s no extra power cable to lug around.

The folks at Lite-On sent me a demo unit to review, and so far it seems to perform exactly as described. One thing I really like is that the disc burner comes with a short USB cable that can be tucked into a slot on the bottom of the disc drive for easy storage. It took a little bit of effort to cram the USB cable into place, but it sure beats misplacing the cable or having yet another separate item to throw in your bag.

When you plug the disc drive into a PC, it should be recognized almost immediately. If you want to shut down the drive while it’s still plugged in, just hit the Stop button and it will power down. You can power it up again by opening and closing the lid.

I was also pleased to note that when I plugged the disc drive with an HP Mini 5101 and powered up the netbook I was able to hit F9 and choose the eTAU208 from the boot options menu, which means that you don’t need to wait for your operating system to load before your PC will recognize the drive.

Lite-On ships the disc drive with Nero 8 Essentials disc burning software for Windows and Linux.

On the down side, the disc drive has a cheap plastic feel to it, but that’s probably because it is made of cheap plastic. But that’s also one of the reasons it’s so light weight.

The Lite-On eTAU208 has a list price of $64.99, but you can pick it up from Newegg for $49.99 + free shipping. You can check out some unboxing photos after the break.

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Most netbooks come with an SD card reader. Some can even handle Sony Memory Stick flash cards. But if you’re looking for a multi-format card reader that can handle SDHC, MicroSD, and several Memory Stick formats without taking up too much space, they don’t get much smaller than the MobiLite G2 USB card reader.

Basically, the the card reader is just a tiny bit larger than the memory cards it reads, measuring in at 2.45″ x 1.16″ x 0.65″. It also won’t cost you an arm and a leg. It runs about $11 for the card reader. For $28.50 you can pick one up with a 4GB SDHC card, and $46 will get you the card reader plus an 8GB SDHC card.

Of course, if you need a card reader that can handle CompactFlash, xD, or other flash media formats, you’ll probably need to look elsewhere.

via UberGizmo