Quoting an official recent press release from Dell:

As today’s workforce becomes increasingly dispersed and mobile and organizations work to balance data protection with mobile access for its end users, Dell today launched new additions to its portfolio of Latitude E-Family laptops, giving users an enhanced security and mobile experience.

The ultraportable Dell Latitude E4310 is built for the executive and frequent traveler and combines sleek looks with remarkable durability and advanced wireless connectivity. The 13.3-inch Latitude E4310, available now, starts at $1449 USD. Enhanced features include:

• A new Fast Response Free Fall Sensor and StrikeZone™ shock absorber that can help prevent data loss from drops;
• Latitude ON – Reader & Flash Version for instant access to e-mail, calendar, contacts and virtual desktops without booting the system;
• New architecture includes Intel Core i technology, Windows 7 and WiMax support;

The new Latitude 4310 joins other Dell Latitude and Precision systems that support Latitude ON | FLASH. Now both corridor and road warriors can enjoy the benefits of Instant, secure access and remain productive even in the event of a windows or hard disk crash. DeviceVM partners with Dell to deliver the software stack for Latitude ON | FLASH and Latitude ON | Reader.

For more information on Latitude ON | FLASH check out the special dedicated site: www.latitude-on-flash.com

More information on the Latitude E-Family is at www.dell.com/latitude

Splashtop has been named a winner of the 2010 Mobility Awards - Technology Innovation and we could not be more excited. Especially, when some our awesome partners like Acer, HP, and Lenovo which ship Splashtop on their netbooks and notebooks, are also recipients of awards too.

Thanks Mobiletrax for the honor. You can check out the full list of recipients here.

HP has introduced the new Mini 210 Vivienne Tam special edition netbook. We are happy to be contributing to the QuickWeb software of such a beautiful product. Here is how QuickWeb looks on the Mini 210 Vivienne Tam edition:

Notice the Mirror app in the application dock - a must for a true fashion product.

To see lots of gorgeous runway photos and videos, make sure to visit the special site HP and Vivienne Tam put together for this product.

2009 was a busy year for netbooks. According to Display Search worldwide shipments are expected to hit 33 million units, that is a 103% jump from 2008. Even the very definition of a netbook is jumping around with each manufacturer molding the netbook in its own way. LG, for example, is differentiating itself through software: The LG X-120, one of the first netbooks to boast 3G cellular connectivity, includes Smart ON that’s powered by Splashtop. Engadget did a great review of it and ended up calling Splashtop “LG’s biggest asset” – we were proud to say the least.

Thanks to AT&T and Radio Shack (The Shack), the X-120 is now available in the U.S. for the first time for $179.99 with a 2-year contract. For those not interested in a subsidized netbook, I picked mine up today for $399 off contract.

If you want to learn more about the X-120 you can take a virtual demo of it on LG’s site.  I’ll leave you with this video I took of Splashtop booting up for the first time on the X-120.

LG X-120 booting Splashtop

HP has just announced their new lineup of netbooks and notebooks. We at DeviceVM are excited to point out that a number of new systems feature HP QuickWeb functionality, powered by Splashtop. As HP explains:

“QuickWeb allows users to access the web in seconds when the notebook is shut down. The application resides outside the notebook’s operating system, so there is no need to wait for the computer to boot up.”

With the world’s largest PC maker fully embracing instant-on technology, the day when all of us can browse the Web instantly is now upon us. Here is a screenshot of the new QuickWeb browser in action:

A number of publications have covered the announcement and are reviewing the products:

• Computer World
• jkOnTheRun
• Laptop Magazine 
• eWeek
• Notebook Review

The singular goal of DeviceVM and the Splashtop technology is to get you to whatever you’re looking for, quickly and efficiently. We’re the inventors of this space and continually think of ways to innovate. Sometimes we innovate by solving large technical problems like getting your machine up and functional in a matter of seconds. Other times, we observe how people are using technology and attempt to make interface changes that improve the experience of using Splashtop.

Sometimes a small shift in an interface can create a revolution and open up a world of possibilities. That’s why our adding instant search to our list of features is a huge step for Splashtop. Here’s an understatement: people do a lot of searching. We all know this but we didn’t realize how many people use search as a tool for navigating the web. Many of us open a browser check our email, news and Facebook. But a lot of people put the word “Facebook” in a search box and click on the result. Are you one of those people?

Whether or not you use search as a tool for navigating the web, instant search is something we can all appreciate. Where was that restaurant? What was the name of the guy in that movie? What time does the hardware store close? Answers to these questions and more are now seconds away from your inquiring mind.

Our first partners on instant search are very exciting too! Yahoo, Baidu and Yandex have all jumped on board. When we set out to provide this feature it was important that we didn’t let one search engine be the only dominant player. We really wanted to give people a choice as search can be very regional. That’s why we picked partners who had incredible regional relevance. Splashtop users also have a choice as you can switch up the default Search Engine to whatever you prefer. Everyone wins with Instant Search!

Check out some great coverage:

BBC News - Push for ‘instant-on’ web search
CNET - Instant search comes to Splashtop
ComputerWorld - Eyeing Google, Splashtop partners with Yahoo for instant-on web search
Ubergizmo - (Yahoo) Search becomes a priority in Splashtop
VentureBeat - DeviceVM brings search to its ‘instant-on’ Splashtop software
jkOnTheRun - Splashtop Gains Instant Search on Netbooks, Notebooks — Expects User Base of 130m

In its corporate blog post, Google outlined the vision for the Google Chrome OS. This is an exciting development, and validates and reflects what we have been seeing with Splashtop - people want instant-on computing; an easy-to-use interface; and a secure environment with no worries about malware or viruses. Here is how Google explains the motivation behind Chrome OS:

We hear a lot from our users and their message is clear — computers need to get better. People want to get to their email instantly, without wasting time waiting for their computers to boot and browsers to start up. They want their computers to always run as fast as when they first bought them.

We could not have said it better! Of course, the market has been moving towards instant-on computing for a while now, and DeviceVM has already seen tremendous success in the space: tens of millions of PCs already shipped with Splashtop, and our announced and shipping customers include HP, Acer, Sony, Lenovo, ASUS, and LG. By the end of 2010,  Splashtop will be in the hands of more than 150M desktop, nettop, notebook, and netbook users.
 
Instant-on became possible because of the web. In the past, computing was all about heavy native applications. Today, most of what we do is in the browser, and “applications” are things like webmail, Twitter, listening to Pandora or watching YouTube. By focusing first on the web, unlike traditional operating systems, Splashtop gets you started in seconds. This also appears to be the direction Google is taking with Chrome OS: “For application developers, the web is the platform.”

The world of web content and apps is diverse. Most popular services in China, for example, are quite different from those in the US (check out http://www.alexa.com/topsites/countries/CN - Google.cn is in fourth place there). To that end, we have been working with a number of leading regional brands to bring more relevant web services to Splashtop users around the world. Stay tuned for more to come on that!

Updated July 9, 2009

It’s hard to keep up with all the great new devices out there by OEMs who are doing truly innovative things to make the consumer experience better and better. Every day I drool at all the shiny new devices featured on my favorite gadget blogs. It’s nice to see Splashtop showing up on more and more of them. We’re excited to announce a couple of new OEMs using Splashtop to bring instant internet to millions more consumers out there. This week we get to debut two! One by Acer and another by Sony.

The AspireRevo by Acer

This is a great device! This is, of course a growing category - that of the nettop. Nettop gets its name from Netbooks and is the Desktop equivalent. Thus, it’s a great value in a convenient package. I’ve seen a bunch of reviewers stick this thing right on their TV. It features some amazing hardware, some hot design and, of course, Splashtop. On the AspireRevo Splashtop is called, “RevoBoot.” Check it out more here.

Sony Vaio NW Series

Sony makes beautiful notebooks. I remember my very first Sony Vaio - it was super small, thin, light and felt like a piece of science fiction. Sony has continued a great tradition of building awesome, consumer and business focused notebooks that often excel in design and functionality. Just as with Acer we’re very proud that Sony has included Splashtop on a platform such as this. It’s cool to think of consumers powering on Splashtop under the famous Vaio logo.

When netbooks first came out, we were looking at them through the prism of the One Laptop Per Child project. They were expected to sell in developing countries, and become the first PCs for people who could not afford a regular notebook. Things turned out very differently.

Research from DigiTimes indicates that 40% of netbooks shipped in 2008 went into Western Europe, while 26% were bought in North America, and 7% in Japan. Developed countries add up to some 73% of netbook shipments. The share of netbooks sold in developed countries turns out to be greater than that of notebooks, reported at 62%.

The implications for netbook usage models are enormous. For most users in developed countries, netbooks are mobile companions purchased in addition to the owner’s primary PC – perhaps a full-size notebook they got from work, or a desktop at home with their media library. Sol, one of our own, swears by his Lenovo S10, although it is not his only PC by a long shot (read more about Sol’s netbook experiences).

Data from a research subsidiary of Yahoo Japan confirms this companion usage: 78% of netbooks purchased in Japan are a second PC for the purchaser. This companion usage, by the way, is exactly what Splashtop excels at – we are an instant-on web-centric complementary environment, rather than a general-purpose OS.

We have not seen good world-wide data on netbook usage patterns yet, but here are a few comparisons between netbook and notebook users in Japan:

• 40% use netbooks in cafes (compared to 4% for notebook users)
• 28% use netbooks while commuting (compared to 1% for notebooks). Remember, this is a country with good public transport.
• In the living room, on the other hand, 61% of notebook users do their thing, but only 43% use netbooks. Kind of makes sense – living room couches are stationary, you are not in a rush, and the power outlet is near.

Given how much of netbook usage is mobile, things like 3G connectivity are a big deal. Today we are welcoming into this world a new 3G-enabled netbook from Lenovo, the S10-2, which has Splashtop-powered Quick Start feature, and will ship worldwide. Whether one sells in Europe, the US, Asia Pacific or, perhaps, the “rest for the world”, we are happy that people will be enjoying the instant-on connected experience of Splashtop in the cafes, on public transport, and in their living rooms.