What's The Big Deal With Netbooks?

[madcow]

A friend bought a netbook. I'm glad I have my X61. I watched him play with the netbook..painfully. The screen is just too small to do any real work. It's nice for emailing, and maybe browse this forum.

[dstrauss]

I guess I must fit in the "tweener" category, and that's why I'm so hyped on the x61s and dismissive of netbooks.

I don't want to have multiple computers and all the attendant synchronizing headaches (okay, is the file on my netbook, laptop, desktop, or the office server?) I started out years ago with a Toshiba 1000 (the first 6 lb "laptop" with a miserable screen and one 3.5" floppy) that had the the very first digital "ramdisk" as a second drive which made WordPerfect 4 and Lotus 123 fly faster than a hard drive desktop. Since then, I've always stayed with the smallest and lightest laptop/notebook that would handle productivity apps and limited MP3/video requirements (Toshiba 3480; ThinkPad 4x/6x lines). So I sacrifice some size and whiz-bang gaming and video for the convenience of all in one (thanks to docking stations; port replicators, etc.). No doubt the Ion video wil be a great addition to the S12, but as long as it's an Atom processor (remember the wonderful 386SX processor days) it won't grace my lap. \

This is probably where a MacBook Air type Win7 machine with Core 2 Duo ULV, 4gb ram, 320/500 hard drive or 160 SSD, sufficient ports and replaceable battery will sweep out the netbook mania in the near future, despite the obviously high price. True, a netbook is a great option for a 18-30 year old college/young business person with impeccable eyesight with the need for email, twitter, light wordprocessing, and now video (with Ion); but give me more muscle in a small package.

[archer6]

This is probably where a MacBook Air type Win7 machine with Core 2 Duo ULV, 4gb ram, 320/500 hard drive or 160 SSD, sufficient ports and replaceable battery will sweep out the netbook mania in the near future, despite the obviously high price. True, a netbook is a great option for a 18-30 year old college/young business person with impeccable eyesight with the need for email, twitter, light wordprocessing, and now video (with Ion); but give me more muscle in a small package.

I certainly respect and appreciate your points, for those of us with a lot of experience and a clear picture of our needs, your assessment is quite fitting. That said, I also see and appreciate what Netbooks represent, and so does the public as the sales numbers have been staggering. It is my opinion that there is plenty of room in the marketplace for both. In fact just as there are a multitude of choices when it comes to cell phones, smart phones et al, I believe we are seeing a shift in mobile computing and communication where the masses are concerned. Who knows exactly where this is going? And speaking for myself who cares? The bottom line is it's a very interesting trend to watch and see where it goes. Progress tends to be like this as we all know. What is a trend today may be a standard tomorrow (or not). I'll sit in the theater and watch this movie play out, as I also try some of the new devices just for the fun of it.

Cheers...

[dstrauss]

That was a bit of hyperbole on my part (sweeping the field).

You are right, these are interesting times. I'll bet I was even one of the few folks who bought one of those "pocketable" WinCE devices with the lousy non-backlit mono-LCD's and tiny keyboards, and wished they were as small and good as the 1989 Poqet. Here we are 20 years later and the technology is in hand (literally).

[NorrisCell]

I can see how they fit the needs of some people. A coworker of mine recently bought one, and it has been a nice novelty to toy with during downtime. However, it shall remain as just that; a novelty. It falls very short of being able to do what I would need it to do.

As a decently knowledgeable computer user, a nice X series is a far superior beast for the compact but functional market. As mentioned above though, many people want the security of having something that is brand new, with a place to take it if something goes wrong. I could say the same thing about cars. Having a basic knowledge of repairs, I see no need to get a brand new one, as the cost difference is substantial. Some people don't want that. There is a certain comfort level associated with knowing exactly where your car/computer has been, what it's done, and who has done it.

Also mentioned above, people have no concept of the alternative, such as an X series. Even having been a member of this forum, the first time I had the opportunity to handle an X series, there was still that initial "Wow, this IS tiny!" going through my head. The X series Ultrabase bridges the gap between ultra-portable and regular laptop as well, so very little has to be sacrificed.

All in all, I have to chalk Netbooks up as another item on the list of things I don't necessarily need or agree with, but obviously fill a need. Sales numbers don't lie.

[archer6]

As a decently knowledgeable computer user, a nice X series is a far superior beast for the compact but functional market.

Please note that I'm not being critical of your comment, but rather using it as an example of the confusion that exists amongst the general population of notebook users.

I agree with you that the X series is a great thin, light and small computer. I've used one for years and it's a favorite.
But to compare it to a netbook is inappropriate. They are two different machines designed for two distinctively different purposes. They may look the same, and be of similar size but it begins and ends there. An IdeaPad S is a netbook. A ThinkPad X is notebook.

It would be like comparing a 2009 M5 BMW to a 2009 Toyota Camry and complaining the Camry is underpowered. They're both 4 door sedans of the same basic size, but I doubt that anyone here would compare the two. A high performance German Touring Car, compared to a basic family sedan, is hardly a fair comparison.


Cheers...

[pianowizard]

I have never owned netbooks and am planning on buying one in about a year. I wonder if I will still need my current laptops (T43p, T42 and 240Z) after getting a netbook. The T43p and T42 are too heavy to carry around, whereas the 240Z is too slow. So, for me, netbooks may actually be better than laptops as secondary machines.

I finally received my first-ever netbook several days ago, the HP Mini 5101, and I fell in love with it immediately. So, I started searching for old threads about netbooks and was amused that I had participated in this one even though I didn't have any recollection of it!

This purchase confirms that my May 2009 prediction (quoted above) was 100% correct: netbooks serve me better than laptops. Right after my T42's screen died almost two months ago, I started searching diligently and continuously for a replacement that met these requirements:

1) Light (<< 4 lb), because I wanted to carry it around frequently;
2) Small footprint (screen no larger than 13.3"), which is also important for portability;
3) Very cheap (under $300), because any computer that is moved around often may get damaged or stolen easily;
4) Powerful enough to run Windows 7 and play YouTube videos;
5) HDD or SSD with at least 64GB capacity; and
6) At least 1280x800 or 1366x768 resolution.

While lots of laptops satisfy requirements #1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, the inclusion of #3 presented a huge challenge. After spending weeks researching and browsing eBay for bargains, I came to the conclusion that searching among laptops was futile and that netbooks were my best bet. This $237 near-mint HP 5101 met all six requirements, and has one additional feature that I didn't look for, namely Bluetooth which is so convenient for transfering files to and from my HTC Touch Pro2 smartphone. I like it so much that I may be in the market for one more netbook, to replace my ancient Thinkpad i Series 1124. For this second netbook, the Asus Eee PC T91 may be an interesting choice. Though its screen resolution is only 1024x600, I like its superlight weight of 2.1lb, and I think I will like its tablet functionality for scrolling PDF documents.

[IvanAndreevich]

So how is your netbook a better deal than an X60s machine for around the same price off eBay? You can find one with BT as well.

[pianowizard]

So how is your netbook a better deal than an X60s machine for around the same price off eBay? You can find one with BT as well.

The X60s has 1024x768, which is unacceptable for such a large screen. Before I discovered the advantage of high-res screens, I was a huge fan of the X** Thinkpads and I owned the X20, 21, 22, 40, 41 tablet, 60x and 61 tablet. Now I avoid them.

There's also a secondary reason: I prefer using touchpads over the TrackPoint.

[IvanAndreevich]

The X60s has 1024x768, which is unacceptable for such a large screen. Before I discovered the advantage of high-res screens, I was a huge fan of the X** Thinkpads and I owned the X20, 21, 22, 40, 41 tablet, 60x and 61 tablet. Now I avoid them.

There's also a secondary reason: I prefer using touchpads over the TrackPoint.

That's one advantage, and a whole lot of disadvantages

[pianowizard]

That's one advantage, and a whole lot of disadvantages

For me, the HP Mini 5101 has only two small disadvantages when compared with the X60s: no ThinkLight, and the keyboard is not as good, though good enough. But of course, for some users, these (and the lack of a TrackPoint) could be huge disadvantages.

[IvanAndreevich]

For me, the HP Mini 5101 has only two small disadvantages when compared with the X60s: no ThinkLight, and the keyboard is not as good, though good enough. But of course, for some users, these (and the lack of a TrackPoint) could be huge disadvantages.

What about the most obvious drawback - a CPU which is 3-4 times slower? Single-core Atom vs dual-core Core Duo or Core 2 Duo - it's not even worth comparing them.

[pianowizard]

What about the most obvious drawback - a CPU which is 3-4 times slower? Single-core Atom vs dual-core Core Duo or Core 2 Duo - it's not even worth comparing them.

That difference has zero impact on what I do on this machine or any other laptop, i.e. casual web browsing, MS Office, reading PDF files, and Solitaire and FreeCell. In general, I use my laptops only for such simple programs, so CPU speed rarely matters. By contrast, display real estate affects my productivity infinitely more. Thus, when shopping for laptops, resolution is ALWAYS the first thing that I look at. CPU is last, and sometimes even ignored.

For serious work, I use desktops. In my office, I use the 3.4Ghz Pentium4 Dell GX280 listed in my signature (look at how many pixels the monitors have! 11.0!). And in my lab, I have a Core i5 desktop for the most demanding data processing.

[dorronto]

"The X60s has 1024x768, which is unacceptable for such a large screen. Before I discovered the advantage of high-res screens, I was a huge fan of the X** Thinkpads and I owned the X20, 21, 22, 40, 41 tablet, 60x and 61 tablet. Now I avoid them.

There's also a secondary reason: I prefer using touchpads over the TrackPoint"

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Now me on the other hand, even though I'm using a 14.1" sxga+ home laptop, the 12" xga screen is fine for me. I've had a couple of Lenovo S-10 netbooks and the resolution is a little too small for my eyes.

And, I enjoy and like trackpoints over trackpads anytime. period...

I am enjoying reading this thread on netbooks..I'm still considering buying another one..

Ron