I agree with him, netbooks are nice, I would love one to take on the go and have internet connection wherever, but I wouldn’t work on a screen so small (without taking into consideration the tiny keyboards which I am sure would give me carpal tunnel syndrome on a blink)

@Martijn:

Two points:

1. You can surf the web, read emails, play youtube and divx videos, write office documents and view pdfs perfectly fine on a 3 year-old machine. What keeps us chasing the newer and better specs all the time?

2. There are linux distros that I) perform better II) have a smaller disk footprint III) use much less cpu and RAM IV) have better and shinier GUI than either XP or Vista and V)
can run on a netbook no problems. In fact, buying a netbook gave me the opportunity to try Linux for the first time. So much for being stuck on XP.

I think that one of a the testaments of a better OS is that it can run on a less capable machine (maybe with fewer graphics effects and such but nevertheless). So one doesn’t need to be stuck on XP/Vista with a netbook.

“Maybe Steve Jobs was right when he said “We don’t know how to build a sub-$500 computer that is not a piece of junk.””

But they sure know how to build a $2500 computer that is a piece of junk…

Well, a netbook may be useable for more than an hour, but I’d like to offer the opinion that anyone who voluntarily uses one for more than an hour if there is any other alternative with better ergonomics is downright stupid.

Repetitive strain injuries and the “laptop hunch” you see people doing constantly is an ergonomics nightmare already if you would prefer to be able to use computers well into your retirement years. Normal laptops are already awful from an ergonomic point of view – now take that and compound it by having a tiny screen and an even more cramped keyboard and what you have there is a recipe for guaranteed work-related injury disasters down the line.

Personally I even developed issues with my hands while typing on a full-size straight “plank” desktop keyboard, and I see more and more co-workers getting carpal tunnel symptoms from sitting hunched over their laptops, arms close to the body trying to keep their wrists straight and failing.

So yeah… netbooks are fine for an hour, sounds very plausible to me.

@EngineDale I don’t know what you consider a “suit” but I spend all my free time tinkering with systems and my business life trying to make great technology for consumers and businesses. And, like you, communicate my opinion. I don’t hide under an avatar or veil either, like most. No one at work considers me a suit. You don’t know me so don’t call me a suit. Why don’t you take off the costume and let’s have a productive conversation on emerging trends and technology.

Maybe Steve Jobs was right when he said “We don’t know how to build a sub-$500 computer that is not a piece of junk.”

Many of the issues people raise with netbooks aren’t issues for me. I type fine on the little keyboard and the lack of power is no issue when running a browser and one or two other apps. As far as the screen goes simply putting firefox into Fullscreen mode solves the issue of size.

While I think netbooks are nice new small and cost effective laptops. I do think Intel has a point. These netbooks are exactly the type of computers that will leave us stuck with windows XP or vista for years.

So it looks like Pat Moorhead from AMD and Stu Pann from Intel can agree on one thing – that netbooks need to be more expensive and use faster processors.

Hey guys, why don’t you rope in MS and the OEMs too, they’d love to get in on the “more expensive” bandwagon.

It is not by accident that Intel wants netbooks to grow “just a tiny bit” – just beyond the ULCPC license requirements of Windows XP. After that, its a vicious circle – bigger displays and faster processors will require Vista, Vista will require faster processors and more RAM, et cetera ad nauseum.

enginedale makes a good point, you corporate types need to give up on “spin”, just set your products out and let things take their natural course. relax, grab a cup of coffee and let enlighted types like dale dictate the course of your products.

suits have always been the last to catch on & the 1st to fail, & always will be. thats why their jobs have a higher turnover rate than fastfood employee’s.

None of this debate is new. Netbooks have plusses and a lot of minuses. I have tested 7 mini-notebooks and believe we need two distinct designs, one that is more portable than today’s current models and one really optimized for entertainment around the house.

I cover this in detail on my AMD blog:
http://blogs.amd.com/patmoorhead/default.aspx

@ John in Norway

Yea, that was my first thought too. Only I’m looking at it from the point of view of the PocketPC – The uptime meter on my Toshiba e800 was ticking over 5500 hours just before she finally died on me.

People will buy the best tool available; and that is a function of different form factors at different price points. You’ll find the mix that works for you. Producers should keep that in mind and not try to foist their own biases and suppositions on the market. Let the consumers decide what they want; they’ll sell more that way.

I’ve still never bought a tablet. When I can buy a decent tablet computer with essentially the same specs as a netbook (including sub $400 price) I’ll probably snap one up for my portable use. A slate would be fine for much of the reading and research that I do.

“Mind you, I’m not trying to diminish the market or their use, and to each their own, but I’m very disturbed by this love-affair with netbooks and the claims that they can be the end-all-be-all for everyone.”

Thank you! Some common sense.

One thing that is rarely, if ever, discussed is how support costs factor into the equation for manufacturers. I haven’t seen any evidence that netbooks require any less support for issues (whether hardware or software) that will develop over the life of the device compared to full-blow laptops.

Considering that support will be just as expensive for a netbook as it will be for a laptop, I predict it will be another year before manufacturers stop making them, or they will be out of business. Either that, or support will be super expensive or non-existent.

I can already predict the gnashing-of-teeth that will result a year from now from netbook proponents over support issues. It’s like there is this wide-eyed religious belief that netbooks are perfect and will never fail….

And whatever the issu

Oh come on… all this netbook support from a bunch of us who constantly talk about how we’re taking Device X to Event 1 because it suits a function and yet we’re taking Device Y to Event 2 because we need another feature.

I don’t think the guy is too far off the mark. There are very few ultra-portable devices that I can stand to use for extended periods of time or would even consider using for extended times, but then I do more than just surf too, and I expect high-resolution and performance, so I am happy to pay the premiums for a high-end laptop or desktop.

Mind you, I’m not trying to diminish the market or their use, and to each their own, but I’m very disturbed by this love-affair with netbooks and the claims that they can be the end-all-be-all for everyone.