What Smartbooks Must Offer to Succeed
The Snapdragon Smartbook that Qualcomm is readying for mass distribution has me excited, I must admit. The early looks we’ve gotten of these new mobile devices show a great deal of promise for the mobile worker who needs a light but capable tool for working on the run. Having a good premise is not a guarantee of success in the mobile world, as we’ve seen time and again, so here are my thoughts on what Qualcomm and their partners must do to ensure Smartbooks make the jump from good idea to successful product.
To understand what Smartbooks must offer, you first must understand what they are. I like the term Smartbook to describe the product — it’s new and differentiates it from netbooks. The Smartbook is a companion device that is not intended to replace a main computer. It is a highly mobile notebook-like device that has a totally different hardware base that can work in a mobile environment much better than conventional netbooks. The Snapdragon engine is similar to that in high-end smartphones in that it is basically always on, yet is designed to run for long periods due to a good standby mode. It is the first notebook engine that has a real shot at all-day use without having a massive, heavy battery inside. The Snapdragon-powered Smartbook can easily have thoroughly integrated communication functions, making these true mobile workstations that need nothing else to be connected to our online life.
The communication ability of Smartbooks is, thus, key to making them have a shot at succeeding in areas where even netbooks fail. They can be a true highly mobile notebook that can be opened and on the web in just a few seconds. This is the primary area that Qualcomm must perfect to give Smartbooks a real chance at success. This means that, no matter what OS is used to run the Smartbook, the online experience must be bullet-proof and free of compromises compared with other devices already available.
Key to this communication function — the Smartbook browser must be as good as those found on the desktop. Firefox would be the obvious way to go, but it must be the full desktop version, complete with the ability to handle all add-ons. This is critical to make sure that the Smartbook can be a full mobile tool for getting online. I have seen many mobile devices that fail in this area, and it is a real killer as a result. The online experience of the Smartbook must be as robust as that on the desktop, and it shouldn’t be that hard to do, given the tools are already available today. The online environment should be fully integrated with the major social networks, Twitter, Facebook, and the like. People need to see the Smartbook as just like their phone, only more capable.
The basic operating environment of the Smartbook is also important to how well it will be received. It doesn’t need Windows compatibility, as far as programs are concerned, but it does need a solid package that provides all of the common functions that consumers need from a notebook. This package should allow light document work out of the box, word processing, spreadsheet and presentations at a bare minimum. Microsoft Office compatibility is crucial in this regard, so users can take the Smartbook out of the box and get stuff done.
While Linux is a solid platform that can provide these necessary duties, for the Smartbook to succeed, the OS must be fully self-contained and ready to roll from first boot. Techies will certainly be adding features and programs to the Smartbook, as they do with every device they use, but regular consumers need it to be fully functional from the get-go. It must be “power and play” for mainstream acceptance, and I can’t stress strongly enough how important this is. Users should be able to get fully productive in just minutes of getting a Smartbook turned on, and they shouldn’t need to do anything else to get there.
NEC Handheld PC
This analysis is by no means complete; it’s intended to put forth what I feel is the bare minimum a Smartbook must offer to have a chance in the market. You have to remember that this type of gadget is actually nothing new — the old Microsoft Handheld PC of years past had a similar form factor and attempted to do the same things the Smartbook will try to do. Where the Handheld PC failed was in the platform shortcomings. Windows CE was not robust enough back then to do what users needed to do, and the devices were too expensive considering they were less than full computers.
That brings me to the final thing that Smartbooks must offer to have a chance — low price. I’m talking in the $200 range, as netbooks are already approaching that low price point and consumers will be making that comparison. Should they buy a netbook which is a full computer, or should they take a chance on a new type of device like the Smartbook? A low price is vital for making them take a good, hard look at the Smartbook over the netbook. Once you have them hooked on value, you can make the case for the advantages.
Here’s my prediction. Consumers will ignore these because they don’t run Windows. It’s as simple as that.
People will accept a dumbed down OS in a smartphone but will expect something that looks like a laptop (no matter how small) to work like a laptop.
As we’ve already seen with Netbooks, nobody’s interested in Linux – they just want Windows.
If these devices include all the other “typical” smartphone hardware (GPS, accelerometer, digital compass, etc.) and are running an OS like Android, you will be able to use location-based apps, make cell phone calls, send SMS, etc.
On top of that, you will have features like: always on operation, super long battery life, no fan noise, a touch-optimized UI and an app store for free/paid apps.
It all the other features that will REALLY differentiate “smartbooks” from “netbooks” (which are basically just small & cheap notebooks).
I have to agree with Jake. I don’t believe the average person is going to think of this a companion device. They are going to think cheap laptop and then be disappointed.
I’m interested in getting one. I miss my Mobilepro 790. It was one of the most productive mobile devices I had. Vista just left it in the dust. I’m hoping this is a similar type of device.
I hear what you are saying but given the low price I believe if a proper marketing campaign is done they can show consumers how useful such a Smartbook could be. If expectations are removed by marketing about Windows by showing how useful these could be I think they could sell a lot of these at $200.
I don’t think it’s just expectations though. People want a mixture of familiarity and the ability to run software that they already own.
Having said that, the expectations aspect is fascinating. Netbooks were originally designed for web access as the name implies. However as we’ve seen, most people see them as cheap ultraportables and try to run as much Windows-based software on them as they can. This then leads into the discussions about the pros and cons of the limitations imposed in Windows 7 Starter that are going on at the moment.
I can see your argument about price but I think trends in the netbook market show us how this works as well. Netbooks started off at about $300 in the US (I think) and were really only capable of accessing the internet. As demand for more powerful machines capable of running Windows with greater storage increased, the price went up and that’s when netbooks really took off. I guess I’m just saying that people would rather pay more for something they’re going to get greater value out of.
Oh and one more thing. The idea of a small, 3G connected, web device in a small laptop form factor isn’t new. One (I can’t remember the name now) has been marketed here in the UK reasonably heavily for some time now. I don’t believe many have sold though.
They can certainly sell them to ME!!!!
What is really missing is “net” factor, that is the option of real unlimited flat rate internet on multiple machines bundled to one single account (something similar to Windows Mobile App store buy-once-use-on-five). Untill mobile companies don’t offer that kinds of bundles smartbooks don’t have too much incentives.
Imagine shooting 720p video on your Samsung Omnia HD, uploading it directly to distant storage station and editing it on your Smartbook or Netbook via web video editing tool like that from Maximum Throughput: http://www.max-t.com/products/maxedit_web_overview.html
Now that is a usage i could appreciate!
forgot to add on that example.
“Imagine shooting 720p video on your Samsung Omnia HD, uploading it directly to distant storage station and editing it on your Smartbook or Netbook via web video editing tool like that from Maximum Throughput” AND HAVING JUST ONE 3G INTERNET BILL for those two or more devices!! I know someone will say that there is Novatel MiFi but to be honest that device sucks.
these kind of gadgets may be to sell in continental china , india or africa … see all these razor books clones. in developed countries markets the compagnion pc concept sucks nowadays as it sucked some 10 or more years ago. no matter if with or without 3g. its a freaks dream, no more.