If you are still one of those people who never step a foot outside your house and are always glued to a desktop machine, this article will, unfortunately, make no sense to you. However, if you are one of the millions of Americans who do manage to see the sun, then you'll be happy to note that there are more just like you connecting to mobile high-speed Internet.

Put simply, we've come a long, long way.

By the end of 2009, there were approximately 181 million HSxPA subscribers. Overall connections had increased to 271 million. That resulted in a 43-percent growth rate year-over-year.

Mobile subscriptions, however, surpassed 4.35 billion at 2009's end, with a 10.4-percent growth rate year-over-year. That puts global cellular penetration around 66 percent.

ABI Research predicts that 80 percent of the world's population will have access to cellular technology by 2014, which is pretty impressive when considering we are likely in the high 60s still.

On a global scale, the Asia-Pacific region is dominating in cellular penetration (45 percent) while Western Europe (13 percent) and North America (7.2 percent) lag behind.

However, when not considering global position, the Asia-Pacific region has only reached 52.5-percent penetration while Western Europe and North America have 140-percent and 93-percent penetration rates respectively.

Those numbers don't appear to be far-fetched either, and, if accurate, they will help drive many countries to faster and more reliable broadband on the go while providing access to people who have never had it.

Unfortunately — particularly for the U.S. — this data (still) isn't cheap for consumers, and competition is lacking.

In order to have further progression in mobile broadband, an understanding by the government and FCC that only competition can help resolve this issue is necessary; furthermore, definitive action from the government to promote competition is crucial. Rural market competition, in particular, could help plant seeds for future growth of smaller competitors.

That said, the future is looking bright for mobile broadband — consumers continue to be on the move while the demand for broadband in as many locations as possible grows. With 3G coverage constantly expanding and 4G coverage rolling out in many cities around the U.S., it is sure to be interesting to watch how companies cope with these various challenges in the future.

To all who thought the iPhone was the greatest achievement in the '00s, I think you are somewhat wrong. Instead, I believe it is Apple's App Store that deserves a majority of the credit. The App Store is the platform that really enabled the iPhone to shine, and, without it, the world might be very different.

ABI Research is predicting that 5 billion smart phone applications will be downloaded worldwide by 2014. To compare, there were 2.3 billion mobile applications in 2009. This means that in 4-years time, mobile application downloads will be double what they are today.

That's a pretty big leap.

With that, you would have to assume that smart phone sales would possibly double as well.

If data and voice pricing for mobile phone providers grew more affordable in the near future, I could see this number growing even faster.

But let's get back to Apple's App Store, the platform that really kicked this into high gear.

The App Store is the platform that allows developers to create applications for the iPhone (iPod Touch and iPad too). Without it, the iPhone would be nothing more than a pretty looking phone. With it, however, the iPhone becomes the device that opens the door to a rich, social, interactive, and engaging experience — it opens the door for users to do things on their phones that were once thought meaningless or impossible.

Granted, the App Store is also a centralized place for application management and distribution, and that can sometimes cause problems. Specifically, it creates a gatekeeper, and if you don't play by the rules, you could get kicked out of this ecosystem. Some applications and developers have been mistreated, and that isn't fair.

This is why other ecosystems are being created. Google now has its own marketplace — Google Apps Marketplace — that enables developers to freely create, manage, distribute, and charge for their applications, without the interference from a gatekeeper.

But what about Windows Mobile and BlackBerry? Weren't they the ones that kicked off the mobile application craze? Well, there is no doubt that other companies did this before Apple. There were already mobile application marketplaces and devices that utilized applications. However, they were not nearly as successful as Apple's App Store.

So, Apple and the App Store, in particular, has to receive the credit for propelling these technologies forward.

Apple has not only pushed mobile technology forward, but it pushed our interests in mobile technology forward as well. As a result, hardware manufacturers, software developers, mobile technologies, and consumers are all benefiting from their efforts. And, depending on how Apple's iPad fares, that 5 billion number could be a gross underestimate.

It's interesting: netbooks would appear to be a fairly niche product — the are small, slow, and weak but highly portable. For years, people have always wanted more power with more mobility. But the netbook merely substitutes power for portability. As underpowered as they may be, people are still buying them.

Some have projected that 2009 was the climax for netbook sales, and that 2010 and beyond will be all down hill from there. But now others are predicting growth in 2010.

Needless to say, this is more complex than first thought.

As we previously covered, IDC predicted that netbook sales would slow down, and that 2009 was the "climax" of netbook sales.

But do not tell that to DisplaySearch: this leading firm for display marketing research. They are predicting that sales for netbooks will actually increase in 2010.

From 2009's 33.3 million netbook sales, DisplaySearch believes that 2010 could bring 39.7 million netbook sales — a substantial increase, although these numbers hint at a slowdown in growth.

The report also notes that netbook pricing will influence these numbers heavily:

The low prices of mini-notes [netbooks] make these products attractive to buyers seeking a secondary PC for the home, as well as making them more affordable for first-time PC buyers in emerging markets, who are less likely to require all the features available on a larger mainstream notebook PC. The relatively low ASPs also make mini-notes attractive to wireless service providers that hope to add to their revenue by offering subsidized mini-notes with data plan contracts.

Needless to say, Christmas season, as usual, will be a maker or breaker for these netbooks. Although, it is interesting to note that the netbook market is finally starting to bring quality netbooks to market.

It appears that 10-inch netbooks and larger are the most desired (and are the only ones I'm even able to type on, if barely). If we see a 10-inch netbook at around $200 for the 2010 holiday's, it will be quite a nice year for netbooks.

Back-to-school season is also a nice time for netbook makers to market their ultra-portable machines for students on the move.

Regardless, I still maintain a general distaste for netbook computers. Sure, they are ultra-portable, but they take away far too many features to make them worth it, and they still cost much more for the same power and performance you could receive in a 13-inch or larger notebook. I'm just not seeing the valuable.

If you want something very portable, purchase a smart phone or an MID — otherwise, why not stick with the tried and true notebook?

Many of us are forgoing the days of owning desktop computers and working primarily with mobile laptop computers instead. However, the old-school desktop computer still has its uses: particularly as a media center. But what if you don't own a desktop yet still want to stream media to a television? Simple: use your laptop!

I regularly talk to people who have no idea of the true power their laptops have. They don't know that these mobile machines are media centers in their own right. Many can easily output 720p or 1080p video to that HDTV sitting in your living room.

The big question is, of course, how could you do this. Well, first off, you need to check on a few things to make sure it is possible. Mainly, you need to ensure that your laptop has the necessary outputs to render a picture to your television.

You will want to check your computer's ports, as there should be either a Mini-DVI, DVI, VGA, Mini-VGA, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, or Mini-HDMI port (yeah, lots of possibilities here) located on the side or rear of your laptop. Having one of these is crucial in being able to use your laptop as a media center. Barring that, I am going to assume you have one of these ports (if not, it might be time to consider an upgrade).

Once you have found one of these ports, you are in business. The only thing left is to connect your computer to your television. This is where it can get a bit complex, and you will probably have to spend a few bucks or do some online shopping, but it isn't as bad as it sounds.

First off, I prefer purchasing a computer port to television port cable with the adaptation built into the cord, but sometimes this is not possible. However, if you are able to find one of these cables (as apposed to purchasing a stand-alone adapter and having to attach it to your television or laptop), it will make things much simpler.

As for audio, you need to read the instruction manual on how your laptop computer outputs audio, and you might want to look up how many channels it outputs as well. Many laptops offer audio output directly from the headphone jack or even a dedicated port.

In my case, I own a two-year-old Macbook, and it has a Mini-DVI port and it outputs surround sound from the headphone jack. After determining this, I went onto Amazon and purchased a Mini-DVI to HDMI (female) adapter, 3.5mm to Digital Fiber Optic Audio TosLink cable, and HDMI cable. The total cost, at the time, was around $16 for for everything, so that wasn't bad at all.

In any case, I would opt for HDMI, but for older televisions, this might not be an option. Choose to your own needs accordingly.

All recent laptops should be capable of outputting 720p or 1080p video as well as 5-channel surround sound.

All you need to do is ensure that you have the proper ports and that the computer actually does output these signals.

Once you get everything setup, you might need to tinker with the settings in your display preferences for both Mac and Windows, but you should have a picture on your television. After that, you could simply play your movies from the laptop and maximize the screen, or you could install media center software like XMBC or Boxee.

So, you finally have everything running now, right? However, let me quickly mention some of the pitfalls of using a laptop as a media center.

The first issue is that you'll need to have the laptop wired up in a hackish fashion. You'll likely need to have it plugged into a power source, the video converter, the audio converter, and, even then, you'll need to run these wires to the display. It is not going to look pretty, no matter how you handle this. Again, it won't be pretty, but it will work.

Another issue that became quickly apparent is that this will make your computer run hot — very, very hot. I have seen my Apple Macbook approach 85-degrees celsius when it normally runs, at max, at around 72-degrees celsius. It is sometimes concerns me that I am somehow reducing the life of the laptop at temperatures that high. So, this is something worth thinking about.

The final issue with using your laptop as a media center is that, quite simply, it isn't convenient. Does the thought of having to pull out a few cables, connecting them to your laptop, finding a place to put your laptop, setting up your laptop to play the movie, and then potentially having to stand up and come to the laptop to control it (if you don't own a remote) sound appealing, especially when wanting to just sit down, relax, and enjoy a movie at that very moment?

Those are some pretty big tradeoffs, but, again, you don't own a dedicated media center, this laptop solution could be for you.

I currently do this as I don't own a dedicated media center, and didn't feel the need to buy a media center extender — although I eventually plan on purchasing one. This solution is very affordable, and, as I've said numerous times before, it isn't convenient, but it works!

Many laptops can now be ordered with
different casing colors. From deep navy blue to hot pink, any of the
new colored laptops will really turn some eyes when you use your
laptop in the wild.

However, it's not necessary to purchase a
pre-painted laptop; if you're fairly competent with Do-It-Yourself
(DIY) culture--and can handle a screwdriver without scratching your
case--then you'll be able to paint your laptop casing. In fact,
everything you need can be found at your local hobby store.

What You'll Need

• screwdriver (size depends on size
  of laptop screws)

• two cans of spray paint (one
  primary color plus one secondary color, if desired)

• one can of clear latex spray paint
  (optional, if above cans are not latex)

• thick construction paper

• painters tape

• notepad/writing instrument

• sandpaper (1000 grit)

• safety mask for use while painting

• cardstock, scissors, and design
  for secondary color (if secondary color design is desired)

What to Do

1. Find a place the laptop can sit
   for over a day. It must not get wet nor disturbed for the entire
   time it is drying. It must be over 68 degrees, and be well
   ventilated.

2. Remove the casing from the
   electronics, making sure to keep track of which screw goes where,
   and what order you removed each part. Under no circumstances should
   you ever start a painting job on your laptop if you are unable to
   remove the part you will be painting from the important part of your
   laptop. Ignoring this step risks getting paint particles inside the
   casing, which could devastate your computer. The only exception to
   this is the screen, which will be very difficult to remove. If you
   do not feel comfortable removing the screen, do not attempt it.

3. Use thick construction paper cut
   to slightly larger than your screen dimensions to cover the screen.
   Keep in place using painters tape.

4. Use tape on the ends of all wires
   still connected to the casing. You must ensure that every part of
   the computer that will be anywhere close to the spray paint will be
   completely covered. The only parts that do not need to be covered
   are the case itself and LEDs, which can easily have paint removed
   afterward with a smooth knife. Clean completely, removing all grease
   from your touch, as well as all dust.

5. Put on the mask, then spray the
   primary color, holding the can ~14 inches from the surface. Cover
   with a thin coat, then let dry for 6 hours. Repeat after it is dried
   for a second coat of the primary color. Let dry 6 additional hours.
   Repeat again and again for a total of four coats, leaving 6 hours
   drying time between each. (If you have previous experience painting
   plastics, you may be able to get away with two coats; the extra
   coats are to ensure that you put enough paint on the case. Plastics
   always look like they're covered with paint even when not enough
   paint has yet been applied.) If any one coat is uneven, consider
   sanding it down to level before applying the next coat.

6. If you want a secondary color
   design on the laptop, place the cardstock template of the design on
   the laptop in the appropriate place and tape it securely. (An easy
   way to do this is create your design in Fireworks or Photoshop,
   print on regular paper, tape the paper to cardstock, then cut them
   out very carefully with very sharp scissors.) Mask off the rest of
   the laptop to ensure you do not paint over your primary color job.
   Spray with the secondary color and let dry for 6 hours. Repaint a
   second coat and let dry for an additional 6 hours.

7. The feel of the laptop with it's
   new paint job may not be ideal. Non-latex spray paint has a slightly
   coarse feel to it that not everyone appreciates. If you dislike the
   feel, go ahead and put on a coat of clear latex paint. This will not
   always be needed; some spray paints leave a coarser finish than
   others. Paint, then let dry 6 hours.

8. Put the laptop back together.
   Follow the directions you wrote in the notebook when you first took
   it apart. Be aware that laptops often have screws that look like
   they are the same size, but aren't quite identical. You must put
   each screw back in the same place it was originally removed from.

A note of caution: do NOT try this with
a MacBook. MacBooks, unlike PCs, are specifically built so as to make
it very difficult to open the casing without specialized equipment.
If you want a colored MacBook, consider looking into a specialized
MacBook painting service.

Another warning: following through with
this procedure will most likely void any and all warranty you have on
your laptop. I must highly recommend that you not attempt this for
the first time on an expensive new laptop. If you really want to
paint your new laptop, make sure you try a practice run on an old
laptop first. First hand experience will be invaluable in ensuring
that you do a good job on the second run.

Okay, your laptop is dead. That's frustrating. You've tried everything, but it's time to give up. You're then faced with getting rid of your laptop. You have several options at hand.

The batteries and circuit board of your laptop are made out of metals that need to be disposed of properly. Failure to do so is illegal in most industrialized nations, and in many states of the United States. Although not rigorously enforced, it is important to dispose your laptop safely for the sake of the environment.

One way to get rid of your non-functioning laptop is to sell it to a disposal service. While many of these services are technically legit, be aware that they will be selling your usage data to advertisers later on. For example, Cash4Laptops will purchase your broken laptop for $100 to $300, depending on what you send in. They pay this much not just for component parts, but also for the data on your browsing history and installed programs. If you do not want them to have access to your files, you will need to delete them first. Of course, to delete them, you'll need to be able to boot up the hard drive, which might not be possible with your broken laptop. One alternative is to open up your case and physically remove the hard drive, though this will likely cause the price you receive to be far less than it otherwise would be.

You can also donate your used laptop to a needy organization. Do not assume that they will want the donation; check first to ensure they have the capability to deal with a donation of a broken laptop. If you do not want them to have access to your data, be sure to either delete the data or physically remove the hard drive from your computer before donating. After donating, you may be able to get a tax break for the good deed.

 It should be noted that if you decide to sell or donate your computer and only deleted the data from your hard drive first, they may be able to recover that data later on. It is certainly not cost efficient for them to do so; recovering deleted data is a nontrivial procedure. Yet, it is definitely possible. If you have data on your hard drive that must be kept private at all costs, but do not want to destroy the hard drive, you will need to reformat the drive, fill the drive with random data, then reformat the drive again. Assuming you reformat twice and use genuinely random data to fill it to capacity, it will no longer be possible to read old data on the drive, yet will still be usable later on. A single reformat can be undone, though only with extreme expertise.   If you decide to just trash the laptop, be sure to dispose of your laptop battery safely. Most electronics stores are required to have a free laptop battery disposal service available for public use. The circuit board will also need to be disposed of safely; the store will be able to take it as well. Because you're throwing away the rest of it anyway, you may as well enjoy yourself while taking the circuit board out: try taking a sledgehammer to your computer just to see how it feels. The circuit board will be easily accessible after a few good smashes. Everything other than the batteries and circuit board can be recycled or trashed with little concern.

It appears that the computer industry is emulating the apparel industry, and trying to make your choice of a new laptop or netbook a fashion statement by offering a wide variety of case colors and patterns. Dell, Sony, and now Samsung have all jumped on the fashionable case design bandwagon.

Yesterday, Samsung announced that its popular N150 netbook will now be available in Flamingo Pink, Caribbean Yellow, and Bermuda Blue.  These tropical choices come at a premium of $10 over the current price tag of $329 - pretty reasonable for a netbook with a 1.66 GHz Intel processor, plenty of hard drive and seven hours battery life. 

Sony has offered fashion choices in case design for quite some time, and even organizes them into "Collections", such as the Signature Spring 2010 Collection. Colors such as Crystal Rain White, Glossy Carbon Fiber, and Caribbean Green form part of this collection, arrayed in a Dior-like manner on the company website.

Not to be outdone, Dell offers its popular Studio model laptop in five colors with a selection of over 200 designs to choose from.

When mobile phones crossed the chasm from the realm of working professionals to teens, they morphed into fully personalizable fashion statements as well as being functional phones.  It appears that laptops and netbooks are following suit, as more and more young teens use them for surfing, Facebooking, and just about everything besides homework (although some homework gets done...)

One advantage of this new trend is that there will be no more mistaking your machine for someone else's at Starbucks - it will be distinctive, and truly yours. 

It's no secret that Apple is one of the few hottest companies in the world right now. Their products are praised around the globe, and they are declared as a leader in design and innovation.

So it makes sense that some smart financial folks on Wall Street have Apple pegged to do some serious damage in China, and I think they could dominate. However, I think they must be careful about how they do this, as expanding too fast could be dangerous.

That said, China is a gold mine for Apple; this is true for all companies. The country is developing quickly and dripping with opportunity, and if a brand isn't present in China, its future is certainly questionable (yup, we're talking about Google).

That brings us back to Apple.

There is a distinct correlation between Apple stores and Apple market share. Over the past seven years, Apple has opened over 120 stores, and, with that, their market share grew by several percentage points.

This correlation is even more apparent in Western Europe, where over 30 stores were opened and market share grew from 1.5% to 5% within a few years. While appearing insignificant, these numbers huge in terms of growth — this is why we have Apple constantly breaking new all-time highs on Wall Street.

Good for Europe and America, but how many stores should Apple plan for China? Well, I believe Apple should open 12 additional stores: one for each of China's largest cities to serve as a test of market interest. That would add up to 100,000,000 potential consumers in those 12 cities alone — that is around a third of the entire U.S. population. Apple would then have a pretty decent idea of where to expand next.

It should be noted, however, that Apple already has two stores in China: one in Beijing and one in Shanghai. Furthermore, the company has plans to open 25 stores throughout China within the next two years.

Unfortunately, I think that is a mistake. I would have been much happier if they cut that number in half, and the reason is that there are many uncertainties about the Chinese and American economies (both of which rely on each other so heavily). The threat of an economic failure is still apparent, and political struggles are growing in both countries as well.

With that in mind, if Apple turns out to be a hit, it could have a dramatic impact on the competition.

For example, Microsoft is already heavily embedded in China, yet Microsoft operates at a loss with in the country. The reasoning for this is that Microsoft has been unable to adapt to Chinese consumer and enterprise behavior.

Apple, on the other hand, is a much smaller company with a more distinct focus — consumer electronics, mobile, and computer technology — and with those specific niches, Apple can better target their products for Chinese consumption. This could allow Apple to build up in China slowly, and eventually expand with better a much better understanding of Chinese culture.

Either way, Apple has a golden opportunity here. China is the market that every company in the world wants to be invested in, and I think it is time for Apple to make its presence felt. That said, Apple should tread lightly at first, as the Chinese market is a tricky place — American companies are struggling to adjust. But if Apple properly adapts, it could make the Apple investors very happy and very rich.

Palm has come a long way — it was one of the first entrants into PDA technology. After the '90s, Palm continued its dominance with the evolution into smart phones, but they were eventually dethroned by BlackBerry and then iPhone, with others, followed suit in surpassing Palm's inability to fix itself.

The primary issue with Palm was that the world changed, and the company failed to change with it. Relying on older hardware designs, older operating system code, and poor interaction with third-party developers

Palm failed with their marketing tactics: to put it simply, they sucked. Commercial advertising for the Palm Pre failed to inspire, and, if anything, made people shy away from the product. It was creepy, and it certainly didn't require a genius to figure this out — everyday consumers were complaining about these marketing efforts as well, yet Palm didn't respond. In fact, they ignored it and stated that they were effective.

Really?

Yet the most concerning part, and the one that is really the dagger in the chest, is the the fact that developers were not interested in Palm's efforts. The Web OS needed that support from developers for it to go anywhere, but the company really failed to bring those developers in and provide them with the tools necessary to do that.

While Google and Apple were constantly generating excitement and opportunity for their platforms, Palm seemingly did little, if anything at all— almost like they were expecting developers to flock to their platform on their own.

Without third-party developers, any platform, no matter how amazing, is utterly pointless. It makes me question why Palm even went through the effort of creating this amazing platform if they had little drive to follow through with it? It doesn't make sense.

Perhaps one of the last saving graces for Palm's 900 or so employees would be for the company to be acquired by its competition. It would not be the slightest bit surprising if it was Google that made an offer, especially when considering how much effort Palm put in to create their operating system with Web technologies in mind. Plus, it is very likely that Palm's woes will be continuing for quite awhile.

Before that, though, the company should move to Google's Android operating system and put up a fight by creating a unique interface over the OS while designing amazing hardware (let's not forget that the Pre was born from the minds of former Apple employees).

After all, I would be quite interested in picking up a Palm Pre that featured the Android OS. It would have the backing of third-party developers, an excellent keyboard for typing, and a unique design that, while not perfect, is very good.

The issue is that, unfortunately, the company has showed no interest or willingness to move to Android, a move that could really help the company to get back in the black. What executives need to realize is that it is all about survival now, and sometimes that requires putting aside pride, especially if it is the best thing the company can do to survive another day.

But, until that day, we are left with a broken and battered company that lacks direction, focus, innovation, and everything else necessary for a company to succeed.

Disappointing? You bet. Also, criticizing others and analyzing the past isn't going to make things any better.