Michael Mrozek, the Germany-based creator of the DragonBox Pyra has raised a big pile of cash to rekindle the fire in the netbook market. The question is: will anybody actually want one?

Dear Lifehacker, I have an old laptop running Windows XP, and I love it. I've upgraded my other machines to Windows 7 and 8, but this laptop is too old to do so. Now I'm hearing Microsoft will stop issuing any updates at all for XP next year. What does that really mean? What will happen if I continue to use XP, will it get hacked or viruses without Microsoft's "support"?

I recently pointed out that Microsoft's current requirements for Windows 8 don't make it a great choice for older netbooks. Despite speculation, it doesn't seem like Microsoft will be doing anything to make Windows 8 more effective on those devices.

Whatever Windows 8's virtues on a touchscreen device or a 17-inch notebook, there's one clear lesson from the newly-released consumer preview version: there is no point in trying to run it on most of the netbooks on the market. And unless Microsoft outlines some plans to fix that pretty quickly, it is effectively conceding the netbook market to Linux or to oblivion.

We've shown you how to turn your netbook into a Chromebook with Chromium OS, but if you found that your laptop's Wi-Fi or graphics card wasn't supported, there's a good chance Chromium Lime -- Hexxeh's new build of Chromium OS -- could work.

Netbooks aren't the fastest computers, but they can be useful -- as long as they're usable. If you want your netbook to work and feel like a real computer rather than a toy, I can't recommend Lubuntu enough -- it makes my netbook feel like a whole new machine.

Netbooks run basically the same OS as your desktop PC, but their portability and low cost mean that they're made to run a bit slower. By overclocking you can push it just over the speed bump to where it's a bit more usable. Here's how to overclock your Atom-based PC or netbook.

Google recently released its own line of Chrome OS-clad netbooks, but with only a few choices, a somewhat high price tag and no clear Aussie release plans. As such, you might be more comfortable running Chrome OS on your own machine. Here's how to install it on your current laptop or netbook.

If the standard trackpad just isn't doing it for you on your laptop or netbook, and you've got the itch to do a little modding, blogger Pierre Vernaeckt shows us how to replace its display with a touch screen.

We still don't have Australian launch dates for Google's officially-licensed Chromebooks. However, if you're happy to settle for a device based on the Chromium open source project rather than the Google-sanctioned version, Kogan is listing a 12-inch screen model which is set to ship on June 7, a week ahead of the official overseas Chromebook release.

Netbook users rejoice: Google Chrome's Canary build recently added a new feature that completely hides the URL bar for serious vertical space savings. It's still there, you just have to click on a browser tab and it'll drop down, floating over your webpage.

Google announced yesterday that they'll be releasing their Chrome OS-equipped netbooks later this year, dubbed Chromebooks. If you aren't a fan of their hardware (or you don't want to pay $US500 for one), you can easily make your own.

Google is releasing its Chrome OS-clad netbooks, called "Chromebooks", mid-year, and bringing a few new features to the platform. The new Chromebooks will have a better file browser, a new media player, and offline access for Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Docs.

Last week, we made the case for why tablets can be a great productivity tool. However, if you want portability and need to do a lot of typing in your job, then netbooks are a better -- and more affordable -- option than ever before.

There's pretty much no question that you'll want a portable computer for use at university, but should you go the cheap and cheerful netbook route or splurge on a powerhouse that will see you through your degree? Lifehacker student readers weigh up the alternatives.

Dear Lifehacker, I just figured out how to install Windows 7 on my new eMachines/Acer 350 netbook. Problem is, it's kinda sluggish. Even though I'm only using it for the internet in my lounge, both Firefox and Chrome run sluggishly.

A netbook bundled with 3G broadband is a cheap way of getting on-the-go internet access for a flat monthly fee. Planhacker rounds up the deals currently available in Australia.

Jolicloud, the netbook OS we thought was an awesome mix of Chrome-like cloud and desktop apps, had started rolling out a much-improved 1.0 version last month, but with prior subscribers first on the list. Now anyone can grab version 1.0 and install it, whether through Windows or as a separate partition.

Jolicloud, the netbook OS that mixes web connectivity with desktop apps, is rolling out its 1.0 release, and there's a lot to like. Chief among the new stuff is a new, HTML5-based dashboard and synchronised, auto-updating, add-from-anywhere apps.