Notes on Netbooks
Image Credit: HP 2133 Mini-Note PC
Over the last few weeks I have been curiously studying the rise of netbooks - which could become this year's breakout category. As of this writing, six of the top ten laptops on Amazon's bestseller list are netbooks.
Since February I have been a dedicated Macbook Air user. I love the weight of the machine but have issues, particularly with the loud fan and heat. A chronic craver of all things new and shiny, I have been resitsting the emotional pull of netbooks, but I still may get one anyway. Hugh's account of the Dell Mini 9 didn't help. So far, I am resisting. (Note: Edelman, my employer, represents HP - a netbook manufacturer.)
When I can, I increasingly try to look at these technology trends in a more detached way without emotion and with greater reasoning. I am wondering if the netbook truly is a breakout category that's here to stay or something that's a stopgap. Is the category going to stick or is it just that smartphones are unsuitable for certain tasks and traditional notebooks are now serving the role desktops once did? Or is it that rising use of web applications reducing our day-to-day needs for a powerful computer? Further, then there's the recession. Why buy a laptop when you can get 90% of what you need from a $500 netbook and keep your old computer running a few more years?
Ultimately, what holds me back from jumping into the netbook fray is the size of the keyboard and screen. Jeff Atwood calls netbooks portable web browsers. However, I fear that the limited resolution may give rise to an entire new class of web sites much like the iPhone did when it launched last year.
What's your view of the netbook craze? Have you jumped in? Weigh in with a comment.
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