Apple shouldn't make a netbook

thttht
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
As soon as I write this, Apple probably will come out with a netbook. I'm defining a netbook as a notebook computer without an optical, with Atom processor, a less 10" screen and running a full OS; the Dell mini 12 notwithstanding.



After some quality time with a Lenovo IdeaPad S10, I don't think this is a market that Apple needs to serve. At least a Jobsian Apple. A post-Jobs Apple, who knows. To me, I don't think it solves a lot of problems other than affordability. In the end, you get what you pay for. With its 1024x600 screen resolution, subscale keyboard, small small small trackpad, I felt it was just on the edge of usability. It was too much of a tweener device, especially with UIs being designed for 1280x800 screens, which I think is minimum for basically all productivity apps. Maybe 1024x768. Those 200 vertical pixels are huge. It just wasn't that comfortable to use. It wasn't wide enough to fit on my lap, the screen and keyboard kind of small. Apple understands this pretty well and thats why they made the MBA a 13.3" laptop. For it to work, some UI work has to be done. (Never mind that I think some UI work needs to be done on OS X for big screens too!)



One thought experiment we can make, or test case, is to guess how well the Sony Vaio P will sell for $1200 pretty easy, or the Dell mini 12 which can go for $600 pretty easy as well. I'm thinking not since there are so many good alternatives at $600+ price points. After using the Lenovo, I know I would not buy such a device at $600 (got it for $400). The Vaio P is essentially selling its design advantage for $600+. I don't think I would buy it for what I'm getting.



One way Apple can increase its MacBook market is to add to the bottom of the line and to the top of the line. They can make a MacBook 12" with 1.86 GHz C2D, 9400M IGP, 160 GB HDD, optical, unibody design and sell it for $1099. It needs to be 0.95" thick, 12" wide, and 8.5" deep or so. The planform of piece of paper. I know I'd buy this over the Vaio P as it would be about 4x faster in CPU and GPU, play DVDs, have a normal sized keyboard with an Apple big trackpad.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    I tinkered with an Asus Netbook and found the cramped keyboard to be horrible for my typing and just too small to run an OS that isn't properly tailored for the size differences.



    Perhaps when we get Rez Indy and other features that will change. I'd rather Apple make something like a Motion computing tablet where it docks into a keyboard and stand.



    Netbooks, in their current incarnation, are largely hype.
  • Reply 2 of 7
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hmurchison View Post


    I tinkered with an Asus Netbook and found the cramped keyboard to be horrible for my typing and just too small to run an OS that isn't properly tailored for the size differences.



    Perhaps when we get Rez Indy and other features that will change. I'd rather Apple make something like a Motion computing tablet where it docks into a keyboard and stand.



    Netbooks, in their current incarnation, are largely hype.



    You could say that but Acer sold 13 million Aspire one's last year, 500,000 in the US in December alone.



    Asus say they sold 7 million Eeee PC's.



    To Put that into perspective how many notebooks did Apple sell last year? Maybe 4 Million in total? Is that a good guess?





    Forecasters say this is just the beginning of the netbook craze with Sony, HP, Elonex, Dell and HP all releasing high profile models this quarter and are all expected to fly off the shelves.





    Not bad for something that is largely hype heh?
  • Reply 3 of 7
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Murphster View Post


    You could say that but Acer sold 13 million Aspire one's last year, 500,000 in the US in December alone.



    Asus say they sold 7 million Eeee PC's.



    To Put that into perspective how many notebooks did Apple sell last year? Maybe 4 Million in total? Is that a good guess?



    Forecasters say this is just the beginning of the netbook craze with Sony, HP, Elonex, Dell and HP all releasing high profile models this quarter and are all expected to fly off the shelves.



    Not bad for something that is largely hype heh?



    Who said that they don't sell?



    The issue is to ask what problem do they solve? And to me the only problem they are solving is affordability. That sells a lot of units. Apple don't do that. Their entire computer lineup costs $999+ save for the Mac mini (which isn't a cheap computer).



    Then there is the smallness. The netbook falls into a tweener category that is very difficult to get right. Too small to be really useful, too big to be pocketable. The difference today is that this tweener device is remarkably affordable. Apple doesn't play in the affordable game.
  • Reply 4 of 7
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by THT View Post


    Who said that they don't sell?



    The issue is to ask what problem do they solve? And to me the only problem they are solving is affordability. That sells a lot of units. Apple don't do that. Their entire computer lineup costs $999+ save for the Mac mini (which isn't a cheap computer).



    Then there is the smallness. The netbook falls into a tweener category that is very difficult to get right. Too small to be really useful, too big to be pocketable. The difference today is that this tweener device is remarkably affordable. Apple doesn't play in the affordable game.



    Of course, there are 20,000,000 people who last year decided to spend $500 on something that was not useful.



    The reason why I was quoting sales figures was to show you that many people obviously do find them useful. I know quite a few people who bought netbooks last year, all in business and all use them regularly as their main business computer. They are excellent for carrying with you all day, using in meetings, checking mail, running presentations etc.. Then when you get back to the office you plug in your monitor and external keyboard and you now have a desktop.



    The keyboards are brilliant for typing, nearly full size and does not take long to get used to one. Netbooks are as powerful as a top of the range notebook from a few years ago.



    I really fail to understand anyone who does not see the usefulness and beauty in having such a small portable that runs a full OS with full application support.



    It has nothing to do with hype, it has everything to do with the perfect package for an affordable cost.
  • Reply 5 of 7
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    From Apple's perspective it really doesn't matter if they're selling like hotcakes. What matters is the potential for profit and few articles are discussing the huge profit potential of Netbooks.



    Apple loves making cool product but they have to make the right money to justify the effort.
  • Reply 6 of 7
    vineavinea Posts: 5,585member
    I'm waiting to see what the Mini 10 is like from Dell.



    The issue with more expensive netbooks is that once you get into the $600 range you can get a 12"-13" notebook from HP or Dell for $100-$200 more that's a couple pounds heavier, has a more or less full sized keyboard, has built in DVD and is almost as portable.



    4.9 lbs - 13" Inspiron 13 with C2D: $799

    4.65 lbs - 12.1" Hp TouchSmart tx2z (w/ coupon): $799



    At the outlet store I can get an Inspiron 13 with 2Ghz C2D for $519.



    The atom based netbooks really aren't desktop replacements unless all you do is surf the web and check email. Office is a tad sluggish even if the Atom is about as fast as the same clock P4. Running Office 2007 on a 5 year old P4 box is "sub-optimal" to put it politely.



    A mobile dual core Atom is really desirable paired with some kind of GPU better than the X3100 like in the Asus N10.
  • Reply 7 of 7
    If Apple makes a portable laptop replacement device, it will be primarily a touchscreen device.



    A 7" screen, like a giant iPod touch. Expect this with the introduction of full touch OS X on mac computers (which I have no doubt will happen soon). Gestures are becoming more and more important in Apple's design... solid state keyboards are a part of the paradigm at this point and Apple may replace these with handwriting recognition, voice recognition, etc. Or maybe a slide-out keyboard. Or a bluetooth keyboard.



    Bottom line, they have the Macbook Air. They won't make a netbook. They'd be shooting themselves in the foot.
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