Makes a very interesting read

Saundie · 30 Dec 2009 at 07:57

Evidently I'm in the minority, as I find netbooks to be hateful little things. Admittedly, the only netbook I've used for an extended period is the Dell Mini 9, which I found to be extremely tiresome. Given that they all have essentially the same hardware specification and keyboard sizes, I can't imagine there is much difference between netbooks. For much the same price as an average netbook, I was able to buy a used HP NC2400 with a proper dual core CPU, 2GB RAM, 1280 x 800 12" display and most importantly, a comfortably sized keyboard. For an extra £70, I was then able to pick up an extended battery, taking the battery life to 8 hours (plus 4 more with the original battery).

Of course, now that netbooks such as the NC20 are available with almost the same spec as my NC2400 (albeit with a slower CPU and less RAM), perhaps my problems with them are no longer relevant. To me, it seems you have to sacrifice far too much in the way of usability in order to get minimal gains in battery life and portability. Still, it's hard to argue with the success they've enjoyed.

Markachy · 30 Dec 2009 at 13:33

Reading stuff like this is making me doubt my decision to buy the HP mini 311...but then I just think about being able to slip it into my bag, snuggled up to a few textbooks and notes in uni, or a book/newspaper while travelling.

I can fully understand a netbook not making sense to someone in full time employment, who probably just drives to work and has their own desk they won't move from all day. But for a student who is lugging their bag around various lecture halls and the library it makes perfect sense. The added benefit of watching HD movies and playing games while travelling is icing on the cake! Especially ever since my x1800 mobility melted and refuses to display 3D beyond Total Annihilation levels without crashing.

I have tried lugging around a 17" lappy, and it is hell. I can't wait for an 11" which fits tidily in my bag!

bigredshark · 30 Dec 2009 at 14:52

While I see some of the attraction, personally I've always regarded them as a product for people who didn't fancy paying for a proper ultraportable. I've always had an ultraportable of some description so I've never been interested. While it's a bit bigger and heavier (marginal compared the latest netbooks though), it's better built and faster.

Every netbook I've ever used has felt cheap and plasticy unfortunately, I kinda understand why you would buy one if you only have a desktop and couldn't justify buying a proper laptop for browsing but even then smartphones are catching up for on the move browsing and email.

I do somewhat agree it's a niche product which has been pushed to the mainstream by manufacturers and it'll likely slip back to being niche with time, don't think they'll cease to exist though (though cheap 11-13" laptops with the CULV chips might change that)

BananaDunka · 30 Dec 2009 at 16:46

Certainly the 10" netbook is on the way out, well the 1024x600 resolution ones anyway but there are exceptions such as the new Mini 10v from dell that is 10" but 1366x768 so perfectly capable of daily tasks, something the lower res versions are not suited to such as quick photo editing and when saving in dialogues that get chopped off at the bottom on the lower res screens. 768 pixels really is a must.

But then again for those who don't mind a better option is the newer phones coming out with 840x480 screens mainly the Android 2.0 phones coming in January, these devices are fast enough to load webpages swiftly and with the release of Flash 10.1 imminent it also means these non GPU accelerated netbooks will perform poorly on HQ Flash content while the Snapdragon powered phones plow through Flash powered media sites thanks to the GPU acceleration.

Faustus · 30 Dec 2009 at 18:27

I have tried lugging around a 17" lappy, and it is hell. I can't wait for an 11" which fits tidily in my bag!

Lordy you modern student types aren't very rugged are you? Go on crush a grape, I know you can do it.

Faustus · 30 Dec 2009 at 18:32

Here's another link.

There are lots of these on the net and either they are all wrong or you guys know something they don't?

Moeks · 30 Dec 2009 at 18:50

eee by gum! ...when I were a student laptops really were ...laptops, except they'd cook your knees and you could forget about much more than an hour and half battery life, they weighed a fair bit and really you just couldn't/wouldn't carry one in a bag full of text books, unless it was a big bag and you were training for Mr. Universe ...and then there was the price, you'ed need all your student loan to buy something that was basically crap, and weiged 30lbs.

But back then men were men, women were women, dogs were dogs and laptops really were laptops ...oh and Psion made the only thing smaller that one could feasibly find any use at all for.

By ekk, students tut’day, don’t know how easy they have it!

Markachy · 30 Dec 2009 at 21:56

My laptop is a desktop replacement, an absolute brick that I paid for with a bursary from Manchester Uni. Trying to get on a "Magic Bus" (aka tin cans they cram with students until no-one can move) with both a 17" laptop bag and another bag packed with books will put hair on anyones chest!

As for the burning the lap thing, its a good source of heat in winter

daz · 30 Dec 2009 at 22:28

Faustus said:
Here's another link.

There are lots of these on the net and either they are all wrong or you guys know something they don't?

Manufacturers have an agenda, and most would love to see the end of netbooks and their razor thin margins.

beermonster · 30 Dec 2009 at 22:51

Figures would suggest sales are strong though.

Link

Faustus · 30 Dec 2009 at 23:17

beermonster said:
Figures would suggest sales are strong though.

Link

But that they will peak in 2010, and what do you get after a peak? Smart Phones and Tablets are the next big thing and that is pretty unanimous from all the pundits. Now these pundits don't just come up with this info off the top of their head, they are fed it from the manufacturers, just like when the news says "sources close to the government"

Collider · 30 Dec 2009 at 23:26

Guess someone didn't inform this writer then;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/nov/25/netbooks-smartbooks-smartphones

I agree with the tenet of this article myself. I look forward to the next thing without getting obsessed with hating what's here now. I like my netbook but don't intend to marry it.

Anyway, this is a good point, in my view.

Either way, it's not worth having a pseudo-religious war about smartbooks and netbooks: people should just buy whichever device suits their needs, and respect other people's freedom to do the same. That's not too hard, is it?

Amen to that, chuckle.

beermonster · 30 Dec 2009 at 23:36

But there is so much wrong in that in that article regards pricing and sales waning I just can't take it seriously.

True all new products go through "fad" phases and everyone jumps on the bandwagon, but I still don't thinks its the end of netbooks as we know it.

They will be updated just like any product, they want you to buy the latest thing. Better res screens and faster processor are being delevoped for these platforms, big manufaturers wouldnt pump money into R&D if there were no buyers.

Lakeland · 30 Dec 2009 at 23:50

The issue is manufacturers developing netbooks too far. The clue is in the name, they are for browsing the net / light document work.

Sounds like they are just trying to push the next big thing onto us so they can make more money. Well I for one wont be replacing my nc10, it does everything I want it to, I already own it and so I won't be wasting money on something else.

The nc10 is only £220, id call that extreemly cheap when you think the iphone and hd2 for example are around £400. Unless they can create something better than the netbook and for cheaper nothing much is going to change unless they stop making netbooks. Maybe this is just a marketing stunt to promote sales..

Puzzled · 31 Dec 2009 at 00:16

I'd say that for the netbook to stay what it was originally designed for, it will have to continue to evolve.

Web content is changing all the time and is getting more and more system intensive. With the amount of media content that is being made available online, netbooks will have to be able to view it for them to be of any use.

I'm not saying they need the same power as laptops, but Intel seriously need to upgrade their integrated graphics chips or manufactures need to drop it all together.

olivier renault · 31 Dec 2009 at 11:35

I don't really see the netbook dying. Maybe morph into something more versatile, with a bit more power, but there is a market for a £250 PC. I really like my NC10, however I was more looking for a cheap laptop form factor, with great battery life. Netbook are unbeatable in that department, and far more comfortable to use than mobile phones and the likes, while powerful enough to do all kinds of PC stuff, and they will get better at it without a price compromise. I think the netbook is safe, the notebook however is in danger. The line is kinda blurred at the moment anyway, but there will always be a place for cheap netbooks.

Faustus · 31 Dec 2009 at 20:31

but there will always be a place for cheap netbooks

Yes the recycling centre

I think this is one instance where the car analogy works very well. Over the last decade the trend has been for downsizing e.g. families with family saloons have gone to compact family hatches and those that were in family hatches have gone to the super mini. The result of all this change has been the super mini and family hatch have grown in size weight and spec and so we are almost back to where we started. Take the VW Polo - now slightly larger than the original MK1 Golf. The netbook has gone is going the same way, people who have bought them have found how poor they really are so demand more from them. Result - manufacturers are increasing the spec and size and so we are back to Notebooks again which in the meantime are being made super slim, convergence = extinction of the Netbook.

craptakular · 1 Jan 2010 at 18:46

I got my Toshiba NB100 netbook for £150. Netbooks for me shouldn't be priced above £200. a lot are now to big or made out of gold and cost £500 ala Sony netbooks.

bigredshark · 1 Jan 2010 at 19:38

Faustus said:
But that they will peak in 2010, and what do you get after a peak? Smart Phones and Tablets are the next big thing and that is pretty unanimous from all the pundits. Now these pundits don't just come up with this info off the top of their head, they are fed it from the manufacturers, just like when the news says "sources close to the government"

Tablets have been the next big thing for the last ten years. I have a friend who's in RD for HP and he's been looking at tablets and related HID tech forever more. I'm not sure it'll catch on this time either.

That's not a say an Apple media tablet won't sell incredibly well but I don't think it'll necessarily mean the form factor is suddenly successful. Windows just isn't a good tablet OS unfortunately IMO and a proprietary OS limits the software you can run on it and hence usefulness (unless it's got a massive app store and zealous fan base like apple)

Faustus · 1 Jan 2010 at 23:27

bigredshark said:
Tablets have been the next big thing for the last ten years. I have a friend who's in RD for HP and he's been looking at tablets and related HID tech forever more. I'm not sure it'll catch on this time either.

That's not a say an Apple media tablet won't sell incredibly well but I don't think it'll necessarily mean the form factor is suddenly successful. Windows just isn't a good tablet OS unfortunately IMO and a proprietary OS limits the software you can run on it and hence usefulness (unless it's got a massive app store and zealous fan base like apple)

I would refer you back to my post 37 plus the original news article - netbooks will be the authors of their own demise and good riddance too.