The netbook craze is anything but over
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| caitlyn Aug 26, 2009 2:22 PM EDT |
If nothing else this shows that netbooks are here to stay. Sales remain robust. People like itty bitty systems. They don't care that the CPU may be more powerful or that there may be more RAM in a desktop system or even a larger, more expensive notebook. They want small and portable so long as it can do what they want efficiently. |
| softwarejanitor Aug 26, 2009 2:40 PM EDT |
@caitlyn Although one would hope that people would start to get irritated at Microsoft's artificial shackles that they try to put on Netbook makers as far as system specs go. The limits on 1G of RAM, etc... should be driving more sales to Linux which has no artificial restrictions than it appears to be. I think the fact that Microsoft has been at least somewhat successful in their illegal (strong arming the vendors) efforts to keep Linux equipped Netbooks out of retail channels and hard to find in direct channels is what has kept Linux from having a larger market share than it has. |
| caitlyn Aug 26, 2009 2:56 PM EDT |
I agree with what you wrote. BTW, Microsoft relaxed the 1GB RAM limit, probably to make it possible to run Windows 7. The limit is now 2GB. |
| tuxchick Aug 26, 2009 2:57 PM EDT |
How nice of Microsoft. |
| gus3 Aug 26, 2009 3:04 PM EDT |
And Linux still has... NO LIMIT! (well, not from the OS, at least) |
| Steven_Rosenber Aug 26, 2009 3:11 PM EDT |
This is a category that is only going to continue to grow, and I hope FOSS gets a bigger piece of it. I think for habitual Windows users, having a netbook with Linux is a great way to get a feel for what else is out there, OS-wise, without fully committing (yet, anyway). So I hope that Ubuntu and others can start getting preloaded on these little machines and make it happen. |
| caitlyn Aug 26, 2009 3:14 PM EDT |
@Steven_Rosenberg: The good news is that systems preloaded with Linux are readily available. The bad news is that they probably won't be on store shelves this holiday season. Microsoft has done a very good job seeing to that. Asus was the one and only company that aggressively pushed Linux into retail last year and it does appear that Microsoft strong-armed them into dropping Linux as softwarejanitor suggests. @tuxchick: I'm going to ignore the sarcasm for a moment and point out that the change only benefits Microsoft. A streamlined Linux distro can run well in 512MB and can absolutely scream in 1GB. Windows can't. |
| dinotrac Aug 26, 2009 4:18 PM EDT |
Love me my netbook. I've got a short PHP-Joomla gig at the moment and run both an apache/mysql/php/joomla stack, and a Rails/mysql (reaaly need to get passenger going) on it, doing development with assorted handy tools including bluefish and screem... At home, I just let it hook into our wireless network and access it from my regular workstation. At the client's location, I do the same thing, except I use one of their Macs for the front-end. The only time I'm really aware of the little thing's teensy-weensy dimensions is when I pick it up for the train ride. Loverly. |
| rijelkentaurus Aug 26, 2009 4:58 PM EDT |
Well, if my BlackBerry had Wifi (Curve 8330 does not) I would just about never touch a computer outside of work. Little is great and can be easily taken with you, particularly for email and web browsing. Phone? Check. Email? Check. Web browser? Check...could be better, but it's fine for LXer and the like. Documents? Check. Google Apps? Check. Stability? Well, better than Windows, really hampered by rather low hardware specs. SD memory? Check. Media? Check, better for music than for video, again because of the lowish specs. Work is on the brink of getting us all new Tours, I am interested in that, perhaps performance will be better. I also find it far easier and faster to type on the BlackBerry keyboard (even on a Pearl) than on a netbook keyboard, which are too small. And I can't stand touch screen keyboards, be it Apple or Blackberry or anything else. I await the BlackBerry netbook. I just can't imagine they'll ignore it forever. For a good long while, yes, but their handhelds are too nifty as it stands now. Maybe a little something similar to the Nokia N810? I think they'll move that way also because of the success and sweetness of the Palm Pre. And the Pre is a great example of small and awesome, at least from reviews and speaking to some people who have one. If only Verizon had it already..... Just rambling, almost time to leave! |
| dinotrac Aug 26, 2009 5:09 PM EDT |
rijel - Netbook keyboards vary. My Dell mini 9, for example, has an, umm, odd keyboard that took some getting used to. The keys are good-sized, however, and, once you learn the oddities (all of the fkeys, for example, are fn-key combos) it's not bad at all. The netbook makes a better computer than a blackberry or iphone does, but would certainly make a crappy telephone, Skype or no Skype. Except when dealing with screens and keyboards, small is indeed good. |
| caitlyn Aug 26, 2009 5:19 PM EDT |
I agree that netbook keyboards vary and you do get used to them. I type very quickly on my Sylvania now. When I switch to a larger keyboard it takes a moment to adjust back to a "normal" size. :) I freely admit that I am a small person with small fingers so YMMV. I also agree that small is good. The one thing I miss about my Sylvania g (original model) with the 7" screen is how small and light it was. |
| tracyanne Aug 26, 2009 5:36 PM EDT |
The best netbook keyboard I've come across is the one on the BENQ. The mouse pad is also wel designed as well, with a nice strip on the right (for Right handed people) and a strip at the bottom for sliding - emulating the scroller on a mouse. The MSi key board is not as well laid out, but was easy enough to transition to. The keypad on the MSi is horrible the mouse scroller emulation requires that you locate an exact spot at the top right and bottom right of the mousepad and either tap it it, for slow scroll or hold it for fast scroll. The Pioneer is somewhere in between, the Mouse pad has the strip on the side, to emulate the mouse scroller. |
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