Here’s something you don’t see everyday. We like it. Samsung has launched the ND10 netbook and is allowing you to purchase it OS free. By being free and unshackled of any OS, it allows the buyer to choose what ever OS they want to install, whether it’s XP, Android or Linux.

The ND10 is pretty similar to the NC10 in specs and sports a 10.2 inch screen, an Intel Atom N270 processor and over seven hours of battery life. They are pretty much the same, with you saving $50 by installing your own OS.

Supposedly Microsoft is working on a Google Chrome OS counter. This could be the Gazelle browser, which wants to treat the browser itself more like an OS. The Gazelle prototype supposedly will to do things like protect webapps from each other, and isolate different browser tabs (like Google Chrome does and Firefox is going to do).

It’s just one of many research projects Microsoft is working on, but it would make sense for them to unveil this one next week, to show that they’re not taking a backseat to Google. It won’t replace IE, at least not for awhile.

It’s finally here. Chrome OS will be an open source platform that can “power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems,” and they claim the OS will be virus free and run a newly-designed windowing system on top of a Linux kernel.

It will be capable of running on x86 and ARM chips. It’s separate from Android, but there will be some overlap in concept and functionality between the two platforms. A large chunk of its Google Apps suite already supports an offline mode, so it’s all ready to go. The company says it’s currently working with several OEM manufacturers and it will initially appear on a number of netbooks coming to market sometime in the second half of 2010.

Android is the hottest netbook OS around. All the cool kids are doing it. And today it looks like we can add another cool kid to that list. Averatec CEO Tae-Hyun Cho says that the company will ship a new netbook with a “surprise” OS.

One that combines “cell phone and PC technology”, which we should see in August or September. That’s all we know, but it looks like it will be cheap since Averatec is positioning itself to take advantage of thrifty consumers.

If you own a MAC and enjoy it, make sure you do not download Apple’s iWork 09 from any bit torrent client. The torrent has been infected with the first ever MAC OS X botnet. It was detected by Symantec and a copy of the bot was also reported in the Photoshop CS4 torrent.

The author of the malware introduced the bot in the downloaded copy of the software. But as you Mac guys have always said, you don’t have to worry about such things. So you’ll probably be fine. This kind of stuff just plagues PCs.

According to the WSJ, HP is looking at what Netbooks can do running Android, the operating system that Google created for mobile phones. It’s been confirmed by HP’s VP Satjiv Chahil. Whether or not this will become an actual product, no one knows.

If HP released some netbooks running Android, it would be a whole new a new battle between the Internet giant and Microsoft.

Apple has reportedly been working on this new interface since day one, even though publicly claiming that Snow Leopard would be more about performance and stability enhancements than sweeping feature changes. Even so AppleInsider claims that an upcoming 10.6 developer beta could feature a new UI codnamed “marble.”

Apparently it would be sleeker than the current look, and there’s some speculation that the new scrollbars in iTunes and iPhoto offer a glimpse into the future, along with the mockup of the new QuickTime X player above.

There are always rumors of a new iPhone model, but how about two new iPhone models and a couple of new iPod touches? It looks like a deconstruction of the beta 3.0 build provided to developers this week has uncovered product code “iPhone2,1″ found before plus a newer, “iPhone3,0.”

The iPhone 3G is identified as “iPhone1,2,”. The current iPod touch is “iPod2,1″, but models “iPod2,2″ and “iPod3,1″ have both been rooted out of the binary. We would likely see new iPhone models in June.

At frakkin last! Cut and paste. Apple fans have something to be happy about this afternoon with the news of the iPhone 3.0 update. The new OS delivers a number of features Apple iPhone users have been waiting for since the iPhone’s launch.

It adds features like cut and paste, turn-by-turn navigation, MMS, 3G tethering, shake to shuffle music, voice memo application. And a whole lot more too. There’s peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connectivity, maps inside other applications, a rumbling for games, and even audio recording.

It’s been long overdue and at long last Microsoft has redesigned the Windows Mobile interface. No doubt users will like the honeycomb layout and the Zune-like feel. There’s more to like with no-waiting voice mail, cloud-syncing MyPhone online service, and a new app store. Hey, where have I heard this before?

Things are not only meant to be finger friendly, but are designed to be used with one hand. The design on some of the screens has clearly been inspired by Windows Media Center and much of the information can be accessed by simply swiping up/down, left/right.

Check out that pic. This is an OS that could find it’s way onto your netbook very soon. Tariq Krim created this Jolicloud operating system, which is an OS designed specifically for netbooks. As we all know, netbooks are fitted with underpowered CPUs and not nearly enough RAM. That calls for a new kind of OS that will make things easier under those conditions.

Jolicloud is basically a modified version of Linux that will give you faster boot times compared to other Operating Systems, and as you might expect from the pic, it seems to be all about icon-based navigation. There isn’t a ton of info at the moment, but it looks promising.

Remember the Compulab Exeda? It sports a great design and can support multiple operating systems like Android and Windows Mobile, which is a rare treat. We like it more everytime we see it. It’s making news again because it has been seen running Windows Mobile 6.5. You can spot the upcoming OS because of the hexagonal buttons that are easier to use compared to Windows Mobile 6.1.

According to the company, this is an alpha build of the OS, and word is that it takes full advantage of 6.5’s inertial scrolling as well as other touch improvements. So, you get a phone that can run on either OS, that also has an Ethernet port, and both left/right click buttons. What’s not to like?

Feeling a tad nostalgic for Windows 3.1 after some Vista crashes? Then this is for you. It’s an actual Windows Window. Just gaze outside and relive the good old days of Bill Gates’ fortune and your old 286 PC. These conceptual window coverings give your home large Windows 3.1 screens. You’ll notice in the second picture, the guy is battling with the Blue Screen of Death via the scroll bar!

As far as we can tell these aren’t ready for production just yet, and that’s probably a good thing. Because I think most everyone prefers Windows XP. These would go great with the web 2.0 blinds.

Earlier this week Microsoft announced that it is delaying the release of Windows XP SP3 because of some bugs it caused with the database server with Microsoft Dynamics. Last night I went home and was looking for the automatic update bringing SP1 to Vista and found that it wasn’t there either, much to my dismay as there are a number of issues I have on Vista that I was hoping to see corrected.

Today we find out that Microsoft has indeed delayed the release of Vista SP1 to Automatic Updates as well, due to the same issue. It sounds like some of found the problem has to do with SQL Server with Dynamics. It’s unlikely that the problem is with SQL Server alone since MS is surely to have tested that at some point, but the relatively few that are out there running Microsoft Dynamics are holding it up for the rest of us.

If you’ve been eagerly watching your Windows Update on XP waiting for SP3 to show up your wait is over; it’s not coming, or at least not quite yet. At what seemed like a very last minute decision, Microsoft on Tuesday delayed the launch of Windows XP Service Pack 3 due to a compatibility glitch with Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System software. The release was scheduled to be available through Windows Update on Tuesday and has already been released to manufacturing and volume customers last week.

“In the last few days, we have uncovered a compatibility issue between Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) and both Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1),” said the firm.“In order to make sure customers have the best possible experience, we have decided to delay releasing Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to the web.”