The Netbook Conundrum - 12/16/2009
Awhile back, in mid 2007 if memory serves a new class of notebook computer was brought out by ASUS that has come to be known as the "netbook". As originally designed, the netbooks had small 7 to 9 inch screens and reduced size keyboards. They also as a class had very small solid state "hard drives" that in reality were nothing more than flash memory chips/cards and usually a customized version of one or another Linux distribution for an operating system. One other characteristic was their price - compared to their nearest existing competition in the computer world of the time - the Ultra Mobile PC or UMPC - they were quite inexpensive. And people bought them as fast or faster than the makers could produce them. Sounds like a real success story and it was that indeed - the market for high priced UMPC's just about dried up overnight.
In the time since then they have started to morph into something very close to the UMPC in form factor. First screen sizes increased to 9 or 10 inches from 7 inches. Then they started to acquire real storage either as SSD's (solid state drives) or regular hard drives. The operating system changed to Windows XP on the majority of them - either full size or with a reduced footprint for the smaller machines. Then larger batteries and faster processors that have all but taken them to the size, weight and bulk of a UMPC. Unfortunately they have not acquired the one thing that a UMPC has that would make them truly useful for everyday work. And that is a decent full size keyboard that doesn't require Hobbit size hands to use for long periods or when you really need to get useful work done. On the netbooks I've had and used it has been necessary to carry a full size USB keyboard and mouse to use when anything beyond a quick email or web address need be typed. Now admittedly it lives in the car, not the case for the computer, but this still sort of defeats the whole reason for having and using a netbook.
This was brought home to me in the last few months after I found on Ebay several laptops of the UMPC breed and acquired a couple of them so cheaply as to be almost a joke. Both are from IBM in their X series - laptops that originally sold for $2500 to $3500 and up that went for $25 to 75 at auction. The difference in everyday usability is quite apparent the first time you use one and it didn't take long to decide to sell off my netbooks. With new installs of Windows XP or Ubuntu and some minor upgrading in terms of hard drives and RAM they are every bit as usable as the netbooks and a pleasure to work on. They are well worth taking a look at before you go out and buy a new netbook if more than casual work is on your agenda.
I guess you could say that smaller ain't always better. Enough for now - it's time for me to get back to work.
In the time since then they have started to morph into something very close to the UMPC in form factor. First screen sizes increased to 9 or 10 inches from 7 inches. Then they started to acquire real storage either as SSD's (solid state drives) or regular hard drives. The operating system changed to Windows XP on the majority of them - either full size or with a reduced footprint for the smaller machines. Then larger batteries and faster processors that have all but taken them to the size, weight and bulk of a UMPC. Unfortunately they have not acquired the one thing that a UMPC has that would make them truly useful for everyday work. And that is a decent full size keyboard that doesn't require Hobbit size hands to use for long periods or when you really need to get useful work done. On the netbooks I've had and used it has been necessary to carry a full size USB keyboard and mouse to use when anything beyond a quick email or web address need be typed. Now admittedly it lives in the car, not the case for the computer, but this still sort of defeats the whole reason for having and using a netbook.
This was brought home to me in the last few months after I found on Ebay several laptops of the UMPC breed and acquired a couple of them so cheaply as to be almost a joke. Both are from IBM in their X series - laptops that originally sold for $2500 to $3500 and up that went for $25 to 75 at auction. The difference in everyday usability is quite apparent the first time you use one and it didn't take long to decide to sell off my netbooks. With new installs of Windows XP or Ubuntu and some minor upgrading in terms of hard drives and RAM they are every bit as usable as the netbooks and a pleasure to work on. They are well worth taking a look at before you go out and buy a new netbook if more than casual work is on your agenda.
I guess you could say that smaller ain't always better. Enough for now - it's time for me to get back to work.