Attempting to scroll with two fingers on a Windows laptop trackpad after using a MacBook makes you feel like a right fool, I know. It’s not the end of the story though, with Lifehacker revealing two hacks for Windows users. More

18 hours. EIGHTEEN HOURS. Imagine what sort of fun you could get up to, being on your laptop for that long. Those of us clever enough to stay plugged in each day know what I’m talking about. More

If you’re in the market for a netbook—the gimpy kittens of the laptop jungle—know this first: on the inside, they’re all basically the same. Making the little differences all the more important! And yes, they do add up. More

Wires. Lame, right? Always getting tangled up, keeping you tethered to your desk. But! We’ve hit the age of wireless USB . Now Macbook and PC alike can connect cordlessly to any desktop setting through products like the Warpia Easy Dock

If Dell’s Vostro V13 was Batman’s laptop , it looks like the new Vostro 3000 series might just be Bruce Wayne’s. They’re portable, powerful, and sleek rigs for professionals. But are they a value play, or a luxury item? That’s the big unanswered question right now, though we’ll know soon enough; they go on sale today in the US. If the pricing is in line with the V13, though, these could be worth a closer look. The Vostro 3300 , 3400, 3500, and 3700 range from 13-inches to 17-inches, and all offer Core i3 and Core i5 processor options

We’re starting to bank on the small business-oriented Vostro for a really compelling blend of features and price. Sure, it’s usually not the sexiest kit on the block (though the Vostro V13 would beg to differ), but it’s hard to argue with the stellar pricetags. Dell’s just thrown down a big 3000 series refresh to the Vostro lineup, with the Core i5 and Core i7 options across the line, and even a Core i7 Quad Core option for the 17-inch Vostro 3700. And it isn’t just spec upgrades — the 13-, 14-, 15- and 17-inch boxes all are available in silver, red or bronze, and are made of fairly sturdy stuff. Though the 17-inch 3700 is the mightiest of the bunch, we’re particularly taken with the 13-inch 3300 which starts at $699 and boasts a rather thin chassis, onboard optical drive and Core i5 power.

MSI has updated their netbook line once again. While the U130 and U135 already packed Intel’s latest Pine Trail processor, the U160 is throwing down the battery gauntlet. Fifteen hours on one charge? That’s nuts. Of course, it’s not really fifteen hours, since actual battery life is never anywhere close to listed. And the claim only applies to when the netbook is in “Eco” mode, which undoubtedly requires a significant performance trade-off.

Curse the fact (again) I don’t live in Japan! Akihabara News has greased their mitts all over Hanwa’s dongle , which upgrades the audio on your laptop to that of DTS surround sound sensation. After admitting they were—understandably—skeptical about what the dongle would do to a laptop’s audio, the Windows-only peripheral comes with DTS headphones, an installation CD and detachable USB port. Akihabara News says the dongle is “stylish and well-built,” but “you won’t get a sound like that produced by a real tube headphone amp since it’s not a real vacuum tube.” While the dongle may’ve gone down well with the site, the headphones were derided as being “cheap” (though with the whole bundle costing the equivalent of $45 it’s not surprising really), so they used their own headphones instead. After installing the software, you have to set the surround effects for either music or movies, with both formats working well—”the result is far from being bad,” though it’s “more of an amplification of the sound than a surrounding simulation.” It may only be available in Japan so far, but with Akihabara News saying it “may be the best alternative to your laptop built-in audio system,” I can already sense all the Japanese export sites buying up stock. [ Akihabara News ]

Were you as impressed with the Pixel Qi display as we were? Good news: There’s a DIY kit coming late this year that will allow you to swap out 10-in. laptop screens with a transforming Pixel Qi transflective combo screen. Better news: The folks at Pixel Qi content that switching out the old display with a shiny new one is only “slightly more difficult that changing a lightbulb.” Naturally, you’ll be voiding whatever semblance of a warranty you may have had on your present laptop by doing this, but for many the sunlight-friendly transflective e-ink-like/LCD combo displays Pixel Qi provides might make it worth the headache should things go awry down the road. We just hope you can un0install the screen just as easily as it goes on however, should our concerns about this tech being “one or two generations” from true usability pan out when the kit launches later this year. Watch for the kit in Q2.

Most netbooks are fairly thin and fairly light, but the Averatec N1200 happens to be both the thinnest and the lightest 10-inch netbook on the market. Less than an inch thick and just 2.2lbs, the stock (aka cheapest and lightest) N1200 features an Atom N450 processor (that’s the new, more energy efficient model), 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM (expandable to 2GB), webcam, and 802.11n Wi-Fi. It runs XP or Win 7 Starter for an admittedly scant three hours per charge. Such is the price of weight.