Price Trends: 10" Windows Netbooks

We railed on netbooks during this week's podcast. In the face of the iPad and all these do-it-all smartphones, we generally felt you could get by without one.

That said, it's interesting to see that deals on netbooks have hit an all-time low (matching the best deal we saw during Black Friday). Prices have hit the $200/$199 mark consecutively for the past three months, and early June data shows the trend will continue. I'd still pass on a netbook, but like I said — that's an all-time low. So if you're in the market, now's the time to look.

Tablet Wars: Everyone vs Apple

I've never been a fan of tablets. In fact, when Microsoft and Toshiba first launched their Tablet PC I remember attending the launch event and thinking — why? That said, I never wanted Apple to make a tablet either. Tablets were just awkward in my opinion. And then of course I spent a few minutes with the iPad and found myself more open to the thought of owning one. Don't get me wrong, the iPad has some serious limitations, but it's fun to use.

So naturally, all of Apple's competitors are now suiting up for a full-on tablet war. Dell has been working on its "Streak" device while this week Asus debuted its Eee Pad EP121. This 12" tablet will pack an Intel Core 2 Duo ULV processor and run Windows 7. It's intended to be a hybrid e-book/entertainment device and it'll even pack a 2-megapixel webcam, but unfortunately those are the only details Asus is releasing. For me, that's just enough info to say "pass." I like the design of the Eee Pad, but the last thing I want is a tablet with Windows 7. For me, Microsoft will only taint someone's tablet. They had their chance. Unless they have something new to offer (and Windows 7 doesn't count), step aside.

If anything, I'm more excited about the news that the Lenovo Skylight will be paired with Google's Android OS. That's another tablet I could see myself buying and one that I think could better challenge the iPad. So what it boils down to is this — I don't want a slow, pokey OS on my tablet. I want it to be fast and do as many things as I want it to do (understanding that there might be limitations). So far Apple has shown what it can offer. Now it's time for Google's Android to take the spotlight.

Netflix on Roku Update

Roku has officially started rolling out its new Netflix update for its Roku family of players. What's cool about this update is that it finally allows you to browse, search, and add streamable Netxlix movies to your Instant Queue directly from your Roku box. (Prior to the update, you had to log on to your Netflix account via your desktop/laptop and add movies that way, which was a bit of a hassle — especially if you don't have your computer in front of your TV.)

Now with the update, you can just browse movies and add them straight from the Roku box. This gives the Roku boxes (and the Xbox 360) the upper hand in Netflix streaming, since they're the only devices that allow you to do this.

The update is expected to roll out to all Roku players this week and next week. Here's a quick video I shot of the dashboard. (Sorry for the film grain, shot this using the Motorola Droid.)

Price Trend: 55" LED LCD HDTVs

The final installment in our LED LCD Price Trend feature, today we're taking a look at price trends on 55" LED LCD HDTVs. But first a quick note. If you're wondering what happened to our price trend on 52" models, well, the truth is there just weren't many deals on 52" LED LCDs. Deals on 55" models, however, are everywhere.

That said, this past March 55" LED LCDs hit an all-time low of $1,575. Prices crept up a bit in April, but still remained under $1,800 for the fourth consecutive month. So if it's a large-screen HDTV you're after — this is the category you'll want to keep an eye on.


Price Trend: LED LCD 40" - 42"
Price Trend: LED LCD 46" - 47"

Price Trend: 46" - 47" LED LCD HDTVs

Continuing yesterday's price trend on 40" and 42" LED LCD HDTVs, today I'm posting the price drops on 46" and 47" LED-backlit LCDs.

Deals on these TVs have been on a steady decline since April 2009. We saw a slight uptick shortly after the holidays (typically bad months to purchase a new TV), but then immediately fell into another steep price drop. Early May data shows that prices will drop by at least another $70, putting these TVs comfortably under the $1,000 mark. (Something tells me we can also thank the recent flood of 3D HDTVs for the price drop on LED LCDs.)

Deal of the Day: Sony Dash for $180 shipped

Good through May 31, Crutchfield is offering the Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer for $180 with free shipping. That's the first deal we've ever posted on the Sony Dash (which I've been coveting since CES). I almost pulled the trigger, but then realized it's only $20 off Sony's price, which is great (money saved is money saved, right), but I'm personally hoping for at least $50 off before I bite the bullet.

On the flip side, if you want to spend even less, HP is offering its 10" DreamScreen for $150 shipped. This model is older than the Dash, so I'd personally go for the Dash, but either way, both are on sale at the moment.

Price Trend: 40" - 42" LED LCD HDTVs

Unless you've purchased a new TV in the past few weeks, chances are your current set is starting to show its age. Built-in apps, wireless streaming, and touch-screen remote controls are just a handful of new features you'll find in today's TVs.

TV technology has also changed. By now you might have heard of LED LCD TVs. This LCD backlighting technology is better than traditional cold cathode fluorescent lamp-based backlighting (CCFL) because it allows for thinner TVs, it's more energy efficient, and it results in better picture quality. (Check out our HDTV primer for further details on these TVs.)

Initially, LED-backlit sets were broken into two camps: Full-array LED-backlit sets with local dimming and edge-lit LED LCDs. Full-array LED sets with local dimming allow the individual LEDs (which are arranged throughout the entire back panel) to turn on or off as needed. This luminance control greatly improves the TV's contrast ratio.

Meanwhile, edge-lit models, which feature LEDs only along the edges of the screen, don't offer local dimming, but do allow for extremely thin cabinets (since the LEDs are only along the edges of the set). Although many people loved the thin designs, some consumers complained that edge-lit LED LCDs suffered from poor color uniformity. As a result, full-array LED sets with local dimming provided the better picture, even though they were slightly thicker than their edge-lit counterparts.

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show both Samsung and Sony unveiled edge-lit LED LCDs capable of local dimming, marrying the best of both technologies. These sets have yet to be put to the test, but it's something to keep in mind as you browse through LED LCD HDTV deals.

That said, above we listed the best deals (shipping included when applicable) on all types of 40" and 42" LED LCD TVs. As you can tell, the first steady stream of deals hit in September. Prices are currently falling and early May data shows they will fall at least another $50 next month.

Click to see the latest deals on all 40" and 42" LED-backlit LCD HDTVs.