You can now pick up the 10-inch Agora, which features the gOS Linux operating system and 1GB RAM, for just $399, while the Agora Pro – which bumps up the RAM to 2GB, includes a little USB Bluetooth module and a six-cell battery – can be picked up for $439.

Whether or not you want to tackle the questionable Wi-Fi and the OS difficulties I experienced when reviewing it is completely up to you.

[Kogan]

That’s right—it can access your Twitter, Flickr and Facebook accounts via Wi-Fi in addition to features like an 800 X 600 LCD display, the ability to email photos to and from the frame, RSS support and smart photo playlists. Personally, I think the PC and my iPhone provide all of the Twittering my fragile sanity can handle, but if you can’t get enough, the Kogan frame will be available starting in July for $169 AUD. [Kogan via PC Authority]

And therein lies the biggest problem for the Agora – I spent hours trying to find a solution to the wireless problem. I essentially gave up, knowing that if I were to ever purchase the Agora myself, I’d end up sticking Windows 7 on there to avoid the problem. But most people wouldn’t do that, more likely to return the product within the first week, although aside from the wireless issues, gOS was quite a solid alternative.

Plugging in my wireless USB modem gave me the same sort of frustration – it didn’t just work – it was a long and complicated process of Google searching, downloading drivers, finding that the drivers didn’t work, trying again, etc, so forth, ad infinitum. I don’t hold this against Kogan as such – it’s more just an explanation that using Linux as your OS is great when it works perfectly, but when it doesn’t, the average punter’s going to be stuck.

As far as build quality goes, I was content with the Agora. It wasn’t the nicest machine I’ve held in my hands, or the best performing, but it was cheap – much cheaper when you consider the 10 inch screen, which had a matte finish that - while not the greatest for video – did a good job in direct sunlight.

I didn’t get to install Windows 7 on my review Agora, but from accounts online, it seems to be quite speedy, especially with the Agora Pro model’s 2GB RAM. The 3-cell battery in the Agora test unit was fairly average – I’d definitely spring for the 6-cell option if I was buying.

Even though I really, really wanted to like the Agora netbook, in the end it just frustrated me – mostly because of the use of gOS. And frustration isn’t the path to Nirvana. Hopefully Kogan’s second-gen products will address these issues and we’ll see a faultless laptop at the end of it.

Without having seen the TV with our own eyes, it’s hard to recommend unconditionally, but for $900, 37 inches of 1080p is about as cheap as you’re ever going to get. And previous Kogan TVs we’ve tested perform solidly, so there’s no reason to expect any different from this one.

[Kogan]

KOGAN TECHNOLOGIES LAUNCHES AUSTRALA’S CHEAPEST 10″ NETBOOK

MELBOURNE, Australia, 17th March 2009 – Kogan Technologies today launched the Kogan Agora Netbook range, Australia’s cheapest 10″ mini laptop.

The Agora Netbook (AU$499) comes with a 1.6GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 3-cell battery, gOS operating system, and weighs only 1.2kg.

The Agora Netbook PRO (AU$539) includes 2GB RAM, a Bluetooth module, and 6-cell battery.

Both models are available for sale today from www.kogan.com.au, and will ship to customers on April 10th.

Ruslan Kogan, founder and director of Kogan Technologies, said customer feedback was essential in designing the best value netbook in the market.

“Through our blog we directly asked our customers what sort of features they wanted to see in the Kogan netbook.

“We had tremendous feedback, with many of the suggestions making their way into the final product. We worked hard to balance the desires of our customers with the ongoing need for value for money.

“We’re very proud that we are the first company in Australia to crack the $500 barrier for a 10-inch netbook.

“The Kogan Agora brand is based on open source principles. I’m a strong believer in the values of an open market place, which is where the Agora naming originates. As such, the Agora Netbook range will ship pre-installed with an open source operating system.

“By using the gOS operating system, we are bringing our customers one step closer to cloud computing. The operating system facilitates easy access to a number of Google services, as well as a host of easy to use, powerful open source programs.

“Most importantly, gOS is extremely easy to use. It’s a very aesthetically pleasing, powerful, intuitive, and fast operating system. One thing we’re hoping to do is make Linux less daunting for everyone, including casual computer users.”

The Kogan Agora Netbook range will come pre-installed with gOS, a variant of Ubuntu Linux, but the support team will happily guide customers through the process of installing other operating systems. The team has tested several alternatives, all of which worked very well, including Ubuntu Netbook Remix™, KDE4™, Windows XP™, and Windows 7™.

All trademarks are property of their respective owners.

There will be two models available – both will come with a 10-inch screen, Atom processor (N270), and Wi-Fi. The difference is that the cheaper option (which costs $499 – the only 10-inch netbook with an RRP under $500) only comes with a 3 cell battery and 1GB RAM. The Pro model has 2GB RAM, and a 6 cell battery.

Bluetooth isn’t built in to the netbook itself – Ruslan said that their research showed that everybody wanted Bluetooth but rarely used it. Instead, in an effort to save battery life, Bluetooth comes in the form of a tiny USB dongle, which comes included with the Pro unit, or an extra $10 for the basic model.

The netbook will come in black, although the design on the lid will be slightly modified. We also saw a white version, although there aren’t any plans to release that at present.

Typing on the keyboard, in the brief time I had, was actually really comfortable, even though the keys looked a little small. The keyboard’s design reminded me of a Lenovo Thinkpad, without the red nipple sticking out in the middle. And right next to the power button is a Wi-Fi toggle switch to switch Wi-Fi on and off.

The Agora netbook will come with a whole raft of free apps including Open Office, and because of the gOS operating system, getting more programs and widgets is incredibly simple. And Kogan plans on being extremely flexible with the OS as well – even though the Agora netbook will come with gOS installed, they’re also planning to provide support for anyone wishing to install a different operating system, although they won’t go so far as to actually provide the software.

We’ve booked in to get a proper hands on, to see if this is the laptop to take us to Netbook Nirvana at the end of the month. In the meantime, enjoy the eye candy of the prototype version.

[Kogan]

KOGAN TECHNOLOGIES LAUNCHES “KEVIN37″ HD LCD TV
High Definition Stimulus

MELBOURNE, Australia, 5th March 2009 – Kogan Technologies today unveiled the KEVIN37, a $900, 37″ high definition LCD TV to coincide with the Australian Government’s stimulus package.

The high definition TV will ship to customers in April – as Australians begin to receive their Government tax bonuses – and is available for purchase today on www.kogan.com.au.

The Kogan Technologies KEVIN37 LCD HDTV will also ship with a free promotional t-shirt.

Ruslan Kogan, founder and director of Kogan Technologies, said the product is another example of the company making consumer electronics affordable for all Australians.

“While big name technology vendors are raising prices, we’re introducing new products at prices that undercut the market significantly.

“Our unique business model, which cuts out all the middlemen and sells direct to customers, means we’re able to offer the best value 37 inch LCD TV in the market.

“Many Australians have been waiting for an opportunity like this to bring their living rooms into the digital age with a big screen high definition set. The KEVIN37 in conjunction with the tax bonus is a great combination for Australians looking for an affordable home entertainment solution.

“The government bonus is intended for local spending, which will in turn stimulate economic growth. The KEVIN37 is designed specifically for this stimulus package.”

Kogan Technologies is a 100% Australian owned and operated business. Profits are reinvested into the Australian economy.

For more information on the tax bonus visit the ATO website.

Kogan Technologies is not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, the Government of Australia, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, or the Australian Labour Party.

The KEVIN37 LCD TV has a built in high definition tuner, 6ms response time, and HDMI input.

[Kogan]

In case my poorly lit photos didn’t quite convince you that the Kogan Agora prototype I got to play with the other night was real, Seamus grabbed it after me and filmed it working for Midnight Update. The money shot of the phone is at the 5:25 mark, but you should watch the whole thing to hear Shay’s interview with Ruslan Kogan.

[Midnight Update]

The prototype, meanwhile, actually felt really comfortable in the hand. The software was obviously pre-production, being slow and a bit unresponsive. The keyboard doesn’t compare with the likes of a Blackberry Bold for comfort, but then again the proposed price wouldn’t have really compared either. The design was reminiscent of a Samsung Blackjack, and the version of Android running looked familiar after my recent HTC Dream experiences, but different at the same time.

Ultimately, the hands on experience left me lusting for an actual Kogan Android handset. Which shouldn’t be too far away either, from all accounts. Stay tuned for more…

[Kogan on Giz]

One of the potential issues is that developers could produce applications at a higher screen resolution than the Agora was destined to have, meaning the programs wouldn’t work on the phone.

I’m not sure where I sit on this issue – on the one hand, it’s good that a company isn’t just becoming another part of the Beta culture by releasing sub-par products, while on the other hand, they made such a big deal about it being cheap, open and soon to be available. There’s no timeline on when we actually will see the phone now. All the people that ordered from around the world are going to be mighty disappointed.

Have a read of the press release below, then tell me what you guys think.

Kogan Agora to be delayed

Melbourne, AUSTRALIA, 16th January 2009 – Kogan Technologies’ Agora phone will be delayed indefinitely due to potential future interoperability issues.

Kogan Technologies founder Ruslan Kogan said the phone will undergo a significant redesign in order to ensure its compatibility with all future Android applications.

“The Agora reached a very late stage of development, manufacturing had commenced and we were within days of shipping the product to customers. But it now seems certain the current Agora specifications will limit its compatibility or interoperability in the near future,” Ruslan Kogan said.

“One potential issue is that developers may create applications for the Android operating system at a higher resolution and screen size than the Agora provides in its current form.

“I am sorry for this delay, but in the interests of proving the best possible product at the best possible price, I cannot disappoint my customers by supplying a product that I am aware will shortly have significant limitations.

“My priority is to release a phone that will do justice to the Kogan brand and offer great value to our customers. Since the design of the Agora, the Android community has been growing quickly, with new developers setting out their objectives to create a host of feature-rich applications. I now believe that in order to access all the Android platform has to offer, the Agora must be redesigned.

“The Kogan team is already hard at work designing a new phone that will be better suited to the needs of Android application developers and our customers.”

All customers who pre-ordered the Agora will receive a full refund.

Ruslan Kogan will continue to blog about and discuss the redevelopment of the Agora at www.kogan.com.au/blog

[Kogan]