No question, the 12" PowerBook was a nice portable in its day. And the current MacBook Pro makes a good desktop replacement or a great, if heavy, portable.
Neither suits the purpose of a netbook quite as well as a netbook; a very lightweight and small portable that can do almost any computer task, if necessary. Apple should make one and charge $1000 for it if they have to.
I am sorry but I have got no idea what you are talking about here. I know people who are using netbooks now for their day to day business use and they are running XP or Vista perfectly fine. And running their usual applications no problem. In Fact they seem to run much better than my own XP Virtual Machine environment on my MBP.
You guys still don't grasp that the type of usage described above is LAPTOP usage not what is considered "netbook" usage.
In any event I have to reject the above comments simple because what is happening this month is not a trend. If all those people are using netbooks a year from now you may be on to something. I still maintain they are not a platform to support a business on.
Quote:
A netbook is a full blown notebook computer but just smaller in size. There is nothing scaled back about it, it can perform all functions of a 15" notebook.
You can try to redefine what the devices are all you want but that has never been their original focus. In fact in the USA these devices have only very recently come with a full OS. In any event it doesn't matter what the state of the OS is because they are not a platform to maintain productivity on.
Quote:
You said above that netbooks serve a small subset of the population who find the small screen and keys of a netbook rewarding and then go on to tell me that the iPhone is the best compact computing platform on the market. ??????
Yep.
Really I'm not entirely crazy here, most "netbooks" are referred to as mids so calling the iPhone a compact computing platform seems about right. As to the keyboards I'm not sure how one would even go about touch typing on the netbooks. So I'd be left to hunt and peck on both keyboards, this the iPhone wins over the netbook. This would be especially so in the easy chair, out in the field or even in parts of the plant. For portable computing iPhone wins hands down.
Quote:
So the iPhone does not have an even smaller screen and even smaller keyboard?
Sure it does! That is what makes the platform usable in places a mid isn't.
Quote:
Say I am away from the office for a day, there is a proposal that needs changing. Can I receive this proposal on my iPhone and review and edit it?
Well you would be able to recieve it and view it. That is if the format is supported. The key here is that you will be in the loop without lugging around a separate device. It is the closest thing to having 24/7 contact that we have right now.
Quote:
Can I have a browser window open and MS Word open at the same time and flick between the two?
See this is where you appear to be purposefully ignorant. You claim to know about iPhone then you post something like that. So are you full of BS or not? Because right now it looks like you don't know what you are talking about.
Quote:
Can I copy some text form a website and paste into a document or email?
Can I save an email attachment to the hard-drive, rename it and view it later. Can this attachment be a word doc, a pdf or an excel spreadhseet?
Can I run powerpoint presentations from my iPhone?
Can I plug in my USB hard-drive and back up all my important work data?
My iPhone gets backed up every time I plug I into my laptop.
Quote:
Can you say yes to any of the above?
Does it really matter to you? I mean if apps came out tommorrow that addressed Powerpoint or excel files would it make a difference to you. You are fixated on solutions of the past and haven't grasped that mobile computing will be dramatically different in the future.
Quote:
If not you cannot seriously say that the iPhone is the best compact computing platform on the market.
Sure I can. It is a new approach to computing besides you have appeared to confuse your favored mid devices with compact computing. There is a difference between a laptop and a compact computer.
Quote:
It is a phone for god sake, that's why it is called an iPhone and not an iCompact computer. A netbook is a full functioning notebook computer. There is just no comparison.
Then you admit that a laptop is not a compact computer? What about the handheld devices running Windows Mobile, are they not compact computers?
Your problem is that you want to smear the whole concept of compact computing by calling the various devices phones. You really need to sit back and take a look at where technology is going. IPhone is on gen one hardware that frankly could perform a bit better. Those performance problems will be addressed by Apple with either in house developed processors or purchased processors. It would not be unreasonable to exspect Giga Hertz processors and advanced connectivity in the near future. Along with that the development of advance apps will move forward nome of which will look like your precious Powerpoint. It is a new way of looking at portable computing needs that is web and communications focused.
Is this for everybody? Probably not but I see a rapid change over to leverage these advantages. Some will get it some will not. It kinda reminds me of the old advertisment that "the network is the computer".
Bah, I already have the Apple netbook - PowerBook G4 12".
And it already lets me surf the web, read email and do all those lightweight tasks that people claim Netbooks are perfect for. In fact, I've been doing 'em for years already...
I was hoping Apple would bump the G4 12" with an Intel processor, but after the air I gave up waiting. I need something with some extra GPU kick so I picked up a MacBook Pro - it runs Aperture like a dream, has a gorgeous screen and now that I've gotten used it it, I like the keyboard and love the gesture based track pad.
But I woudl still like to shave off 2" on each side
Didn't you already write this in another thread? And didn't people already point out that you're dead wrong? The Wind can do much more than a 12" PB. How do I know? Because I replaced my 7-year-old 12" PB with a Wind. Almost half the weight, which you obviously don't care about since you're happy hauling around an MBP. Most other people do care. Anytime I let somebody handle my Wind, the reaction is almost invariably along the lines of "Damn, that's light!" I don't understand why you even bother to bring up an MBP in a discussion of netbooks. Nobody who wants a netbook will even consider an MBP, no matter how great it is. It's almost 7x more expensive, more than twice as heavy and the 17" in the hand feels like it should have five commandments engraved on its face. Bully for you that you like your MBP, but what exactly does it have to do with this discussion?
My 12" PB choked on video encoded in H.264. The Wind not only plays it back fine, it can even handle fairly high definition video, like 960x400 movies ripped from Blu-ray. And that's with overclocking turned off. The LED backlit display just leaves the old PB display in the dust in terms of vibrant colors, contrast and brightness.
Maybe all you ever used your 12" PB for was "lightweight tasks," but I used it for serious work, just like I'm using the Wind, a much more capable machine than the 12" ever was at a fraction of the price.
Really I'm not entirely crazy here, most "netbooks" are referred to as mids so calling the iPhone a compact computing platform seems about right. As to the keyboards I'm not sure how one would even go about touch typing on the netbooks. So I'd be left to hunt and peck on both keyboards, this the iPhone wins over the netbook.
I'm not sure why you're pressing your iPhone points so hard here in a netbook discussion. However, I'm convinced you've never tried typing on a netbook, or perhaps any laptop for that matter.
Saying it's as easy to type on an iPhone as it is on a laptop is ridiculous. When I type on an iPhone, I have to stare at the screen and try my hardest to hit the right letters, while wishing I had the tiny fingertips of a child. You may be better at it than I am, but I'd love to have a word-per-minute race with you sometime; me on a netbook and you on your iPhone.
I can touch type on my 10" netbook with very few mistakes. It took maybe two minutes to get used to the fact that the keys are slightly closer together (93% of normal) than a full-size keyboard.
I will agree with you that the iPhone is a neat mobile platform. It certainly has its place. But it's not a full featured computer.
Downplaying the importance of the popular netbook category makes little sense. I think Apple is nuts not to embrace it. It used to be few people owned a very light and small laptop because they cost several thousand dollars. Well, manufacturers have figured out how to make them for less than $500 and now netbooks are taking off like wildfire! Every WinPC clone maker is jumping on the bandwagon because they're scared to be left out.
Oh, and this is the first time I ever heard a netbook referred to as a "mid."
You can try to redefine what the devices are all you want but that has never been their original focus. In fact in the USA these devices have only very recently come with a full OS. In any event it doesn't matter what the state of the OS is because they are not a platform to maintain productivity on.
No, what we are clearly talking about here is a netbook, i.e. a small notebook. It runs the same OS and all the same applications as a full size computer. As opposed to a smartphone that does not. And you are trying to say that an iPhone is a better small computer? Sorry I just cannot believe that.
Well you would be able to recieve it and view it. That is if the format is supported. The key here is that you will be in the loop without lugging around a separate device. It is the closest thing to having 24/7 contact that we have right now. Dave
My Blackberry Bold can do all that an iPhone can do and more. I would not dream of proclaiming it is a small computer better than any netbook. I still have a need for a notebook computer for my business life and have to take it with me everywhere I go despite having a BB. The iPhone will not help me out there one little bit, it will not replace a notebook. I also have a MBP for my personal use, I actually do have an iPod touch but to be honest it is pretty useless for anything other than playing media and using it as a remote control for my AppleTV.
So a netbook is an outstanding buy and is my next computing purchase, I honestly know many business people who have bought netbooks and are using them as their primary computer - one of them even has an iphone believe it or not. And If you have a monitor and keyboard on your desk then you have the best of both worlds.
For the vast majority of people the iPhone will never replace a computer, but netbook's on the other hand are selling by the boatload to do exactly that. But people will still want phones too, even iPhones. But for the foreseeable future the vast majority of us will own a phone and a computer. Only people who have no use whatsoever for a computer will see the iPhone as the only device they need and there are not many of them around.
However, I'm convinced you've never tried typing on a netbook, or perhaps any laptop for that matter.
I'm pretty sure this confirms that he doesn't know much about netbooks at all. Different manufacturers use different sizes of keyboards. Some are indeed too small to touchtype on. But others like the MSI Wind and the Asus Aspire One are only slightly smaller than full-size and most touchtypists can go at nearly full speed on them. I have no problems switching back and forth between my netbook and regular keyboards.
I'm convinced Wizard69 doesn't want to know anything about netbooks, like the fact that if you can't stand the small screen & keyboard and trackpad, you can always plug in an LCD and drive it at up to 1920x1200 resolution (even with extended desktop) plus a USB keyboard and mouse. He's just enamored with his iPod touch and thinks it's the only gadget that anyone could ever need to be "productive" despite the fact that productivity apps are nonexistent on that platform.
But a bar of soap is even cheaper, so why is everyone not just buying a bar of soap instead?
Nobody buys anything just because of price, what you mean is that the netbooks are priced at a point that makes them a must have item for many people. But they still need to give people what they want from a mobile computer otherwise they will just buy a 16GB iPod touch which is cheaper.
I'm not sure why you're pressing your iPhone points so hard here in a netbook discussion. However, I'm convinced you've never tried typing on a netbook, or perhaps any laptop for that matter.
It is sad you think that way. I've used various notebooks at both work and home, so I know where I'm coming from.
Quote:
Saying it's as easy to type on an iPhone as it is on a laptop is ridiculous.
Right now I'm laying flat on back watching Leno & Conan typing this reply. This wouldn't be happening with a laptop.
Quote:
When I type on an iPhone, I have to stare at the screen and try my hardest to hit the right letters, while wishing I had the tiny fingertips of a child.
Why not stop the whining right now. I wear size 15 shoes and get by fine. If I was sitting at a desk I wouldn't be Touch typing at a netbook either.
Quote:
You may be better at it than I am, but I'd love to have a word-per-minute race with you sometime; me on a netbook and you on your iPhone.
I'd be the first to admit that it is slower than be properly stationed at a keyboard. Away from a desk though the keyboards is an excellent solution.
Quote:
I can touch type on my 10" netbook with very few mistakes. It took maybe two minutes to get used to the fact that the keys are slightly closer together (93% of normal) than a full-size keyboard.
I will agree with you that the iPhone is a neat mobile platform. It certainly has its place. But it's not a full featured computer.
You can pretty much say the same thing about netbooks. By the way 10" is very large to be called a netbook.
Quote:
Downplaying the importance of the popular netbook category makes little sense. I think Apple is nuts not to embrace it. It used to be few people owned a very light and small laptop because they cost several thousand dollars. Well, manufacturers have figured out how to make them for less than $500 and now netbooks are taking off like wildfire!
Err not to take the train off the tracks here but the manufactures decided to stop ripping people off. Netbooks or more accurately smaller note books where available in Japan for a couple of years before they where available here at reasonable prices. The only reason prices came down was because EEEPC came out.
Quote:
Every WinPC clone maker is jumping on the bandwagon because they're scared to be left out.
Scared? Maybe it is more a case of trend following. I don't think Apple needs to follow trends, especially bad trends. Especially when there is no real innovation in a Netbook. Apple could do much more for the industry by coming up with a more mobile tablet that leverages new technology like Touch. These would shift focus to heavily to a constantly connected world.
Quote:
Oh, and this is the first time I ever heard a netbook referred to as a "mid."
That is OK because at times I'm not sure we are on the same page in this discusion. You seem to be focused on small notebooks which I see as larger and more capable than Netbooks. I'm not looking for Borg like connectvity either but I certainly don't want to carry around a 10" device either.
I'm pretty sure this confirms that he doesn't know much about netbooks at all. Different manufacturers use different sizes of keyboards. Some are indeed too small to touchtype on. But others like the MSI Wind and the Asus Aspire One are only slightly smaller than full-size and most touchtypists can go at nearly full speed on them. I have no problems switching back and forth between my netbook and regular keyboards.
It has become apparent that the term netbook is being used very loosely here. I'm seeing references to small devices that would have simply been called compact laptops a few years ago. I'd even go so far as to say if the user can touch type on the unit in a manner similar to a full size keyboard then we are not talking about a netbook. I mean really some of Apples older laptops would have passed as netbooks with the loose definitions being used here.
Quote:
I'm convinced Wizard69 doesn't want to know anything about netbooks, like the fact that if you can't stand the small screen & keyboard and trackpad, you can always plug in an LCD and drive it at up to 1920x1200 resolution (even with extended desktop) plus a USB keyboard and mouse. He's just enamored with his iPod touch and thinks it's the only gadget that anyone could ever need to be "productive" despite the fact that productivity apps are nonexistent on that platform.
It's more a question of the overblown utility of what I call netbooks. For what I need to get done a Touch based tablet is a better solution. It is also a bit frustrating to see people drop into the conversation and defend their machine with the ten inch screen as a netbook. Sorry guys they aren't netbooks but rather they are small laptops.
No, that is not true. Of course the price is a significant part of the huge success of the netbook form factor there is more to it than that. These netbooks are brilliant, very small, very light, highly portable but with all the functionality of a full sized machine. i.e. they run a real OS and the same applications you use at work and at home.
They are of course less powerful that a $3000 MBP, but to be honest even a standard netbook is probably as powerful as the most powerful notebook in the world a few years ago.
.
Totally agree!
A Mac convert of many years, I got myself an HP Mini 1000 for Xmas (which has the stylish looks of a Black MacBook). Its small, weighs 2lbs, convenient and works like a dream.
Oh -- and the keyboard is to die for. I really don't want to lug a 13" monster around my neck (or even a 12" powerbook).
Even XP is quite stable and bug free after all these years and I send less error reports to MS than I do to Apple.................
I think there are quite a few "converts" like me who Apple could have retained in this segment as their customers if they had not got their eyes blinkered.
Err not to take the train off the tracks here but the manufactures decided to stop ripping people off. Netbooks or more accurately smaller note books where available in Japan for a couple of years before they where available here at reasonable prices. The only reason prices came down was because EEEPC came out.
If you're talking about ultralights, they've been around for quite a lot longer than a couple of years. I wasn't aware that inexpensive, low power consumption CPUs compatible with regular OSs were available years ago.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wizard69
I mean really some of Apples older laptops would have passed as netbooks with the loose definitions being used here.
Is that so? I don't remember Apple ever making a sub 3-pound portable, unless you're including the Newton. Never mind anything affordable. Hand anyone a 12" Powerbook and tell them it cost $1799 new and they'll laugh at you for calling it a netbook. Well, there's always the Powerbook 2400c, right? Oops, that started at $3500 and weighed about the same as the 12" PB, roughly twice as much as an average netbook. Certainly a machine for the masses.
Quote:
It's more a question of the overblown utility of what I call netbooks. For what I need to get done a Touch based tablet is a better solution. It is also a bit frustrating to see people drop into the conversation and defend their machine with the ten inch screen as a netbook. Sorry guys they aren't netbooks but rather they are small laptops.
Amazing. Truly amazing. Listen up, one and all. Wizard69, a.k.a. Dave, is the sole arbiter of what gets to be called a "netbook." Every magazine out there, every retailer, every computing website and even the ones that focus strictly on netbooks are completely wrong for calling these devices netbooks. They know nothing! Dave is smarter than all of them combined. "For what I need" says it all. It's all about him. If he doesn't need it, it's worthless.
Comments
Neither suits the purpose of a netbook quite as well as a netbook; a very lightweight and small portable that can do almost any computer task, if necessary. Apple should make one and charge $1000 for it if they have to.
And what, pray tell, is a "Mac touch"?
I am sorry but I have got no idea what you are talking about here. I know people who are using netbooks now for their day to day business use and they are running XP or Vista perfectly fine. And running their usual applications no problem. In Fact they seem to run much better than my own XP Virtual Machine environment on my MBP.
You guys still don't grasp that the type of usage described above is LAPTOP usage not what is considered "netbook" usage.
In any event I have to reject the above comments simple because what is happening this month is not a trend. If all those people are using netbooks a year from now you may be on to something. I still maintain they are not a platform to support a business on.
A netbook is a full blown notebook computer but just smaller in size. There is nothing scaled back about it, it can perform all functions of a 15" notebook.
You can try to redefine what the devices are all you want but that has never been their original focus. In fact in the USA these devices have only very recently come with a full OS. In any event it doesn't matter what the state of the OS is because they are not a platform to maintain productivity on.
You said above that netbooks serve a small subset of the population who find the small screen and keys of a netbook rewarding and then go on to tell me that the iPhone is the best compact computing platform on the market. ??????
Yep.
Really I'm not entirely crazy here, most "netbooks" are referred to as mids so calling the iPhone a compact computing platform seems about right. As to the keyboards I'm not sure how one would even go about touch typing on the netbooks. So I'd be left to hunt and peck on both keyboards, this the iPhone wins over the netbook. This would be especially so in the easy chair, out in the field or even in parts of the plant. For portable computing iPhone wins hands down.
So the iPhone does not have an even smaller screen and even smaller keyboard?
Sure it does! That is what makes the platform usable in places a mid isn't.
Say I am away from the office for a day, there is a proposal that needs changing. Can I receive this proposal on my iPhone and review and edit it?
Well you would be able to recieve it and view it. That is if the format is supported. The key here is that you will be in the loop without lugging around a separate device. It is the closest thing to having 24/7 contact that we have right now.
Can I have a browser window open and MS Word open at the same time and flick between the two?
See this is where you appear to be purposefully ignorant. You claim to know about iPhone then you post something like that. So are you full of BS or not? Because right now it looks like you don't know what you are talking about.
Can I copy some text form a website and paste into a document or email?
Can I save an email attachment to the hard-drive, rename it and view it later. Can this attachment be a word doc, a pdf or an excel spreadhseet?
Can I run powerpoint presentations from my iPhone?
Can I plug in my USB hard-drive and back up all my important work data?
My iPhone gets backed up every time I plug I into my laptop.
Can you say yes to any of the above?
Does it really matter to you? I mean if apps came out tommorrow that addressed Powerpoint or excel files would it make a difference to you. You are fixated on solutions of the past and haven't grasped that mobile computing will be dramatically different in the future.
If not you cannot seriously say that the iPhone is the best compact computing platform on the market.
Sure I can. It is a new approach to computing besides you have appeared to confuse your favored mid devices with compact computing. There is a difference between a laptop and a compact computer.
It is a phone for god sake, that's why it is called an iPhone and not an iCompact computer. A netbook is a full functioning notebook computer. There is just no comparison.
Then you admit that a laptop is not a compact computer? What about the handheld devices running Windows Mobile, are they not compact computers?
Your problem is that you want to smear the whole concept of compact computing by calling the various devices phones. You really need to sit back and take a look at where technology is going. IPhone is on gen one hardware that frankly could perform a bit better. Those performance problems will be addressed by Apple with either in house developed processors or purchased processors. It would not be unreasonable to exspect Giga Hertz processors and advanced connectivity in the near future. Along with that the development of advance apps will move forward nome of which will look like your precious Powerpoint. It is a new way of looking at portable computing needs that is web and communications focused.
Is this for everybody? Probably not but I see a rapid change over to leverage these advantages. Some will get it some will not. It kinda reminds me of the old advertisment that "the network is the computer".
Dave
Bah, I already have the Apple netbook - PowerBook G4 12".
And it already lets me surf the web, read email and do all those lightweight tasks that people claim Netbooks are perfect for. In fact, I've been doing 'em for years already...
I was hoping Apple would bump the G4 12" with an Intel processor, but after the air I gave up waiting. I need something with some extra GPU kick so I picked up a MacBook Pro - it runs Aperture like a dream, has a gorgeous screen and now that I've gotten used it it, I like the keyboard and love the gesture based track pad.
But I woudl still like to shave off 2" on each side
Didn't you already write this in another thread? And didn't people already point out that you're dead wrong? The Wind can do much more than a 12" PB. How do I know? Because I replaced my 7-year-old 12" PB with a Wind. Almost half the weight, which you obviously don't care about since you're happy hauling around an MBP. Most other people do care. Anytime I let somebody handle my Wind, the reaction is almost invariably along the lines of "Damn, that's light!" I don't understand why you even bother to bring up an MBP in a discussion of netbooks. Nobody who wants a netbook will even consider an MBP, no matter how great it is. It's almost 7x more expensive, more than twice as heavy and the 17" in the hand feels like it should have five commandments engraved on its face. Bully for you that you like your MBP, but what exactly does it have to do with this discussion?
My 12" PB choked on video encoded in H.264. The Wind not only plays it back fine, it can even handle fairly high definition video, like 960x400 movies ripped from Blu-ray. And that's with overclocking turned off. The LED backlit display just leaves the old PB display in the dust in terms of vibrant colors, contrast and brightness.
Maybe all you ever used your 12" PB for was "lightweight tasks," but I used it for serious work, just like I'm using the Wind, a much more capable machine than the 12" ever was at a fraction of the price.
Really I'm not entirely crazy here, most "netbooks" are referred to as mids so calling the iPhone a compact computing platform seems about right. As to the keyboards I'm not sure how one would even go about touch typing on the netbooks. So I'd be left to hunt and peck on both keyboards, this the iPhone wins over the netbook.
I'm not sure why you're pressing your iPhone points so hard here in a netbook discussion. However, I'm convinced you've never tried typing on a netbook, or perhaps any laptop for that matter.
Saying it's as easy to type on an iPhone as it is on a laptop is ridiculous. When I type on an iPhone, I have to stare at the screen and try my hardest to hit the right letters, while wishing I had the tiny fingertips of a child. You may be better at it than I am, but I'd love to have a word-per-minute race with you sometime; me on a netbook and you on your iPhone.
I can touch type on my 10" netbook with very few mistakes. It took maybe two minutes to get used to the fact that the keys are slightly closer together (93% of normal) than a full-size keyboard.
I will agree with you that the iPhone is a neat mobile platform. It certainly has its place. But it's not a full featured computer.
Downplaying the importance of the popular netbook category makes little sense. I think Apple is nuts not to embrace it. It used to be few people owned a very light and small laptop because they cost several thousand dollars. Well, manufacturers have figured out how to make them for less than $500 and now netbooks are taking off like wildfire! Every WinPC clone maker is jumping on the bandwagon because they're scared to be left out.
Oh, and this is the first time I ever heard a netbook referred to as a "mid."
You can try to redefine what the devices are all you want but that has never been their original focus. In fact in the USA these devices have only very recently come with a full OS. In any event it doesn't matter what the state of the OS is because they are not a platform to maintain productivity on.
No, what we are clearly talking about here is a netbook, i.e. a small notebook. It runs the same OS and all the same applications as a full size computer. As opposed to a smartphone that does not. And you are trying to say that an iPhone is a better small computer? Sorry I just cannot believe that.
Like this Dell Mini 9 for instance, $549
http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/prod...hs1&l=en&s=dhs
Well you would be able to recieve it and view it. That is if the format is supported. The key here is that you will be in the loop without lugging around a separate device. It is the closest thing to having 24/7 contact that we have right now. Dave
My Blackberry Bold can do all that an iPhone can do and more. I would not dream of proclaiming it is a small computer better than any netbook. I still have a need for a notebook computer for my business life and have to take it with me everywhere I go despite having a BB. The iPhone will not help me out there one little bit, it will not replace a notebook. I also have a MBP for my personal use, I actually do have an iPod touch but to be honest it is pretty useless for anything other than playing media and using it as a remote control for my AppleTV.
So a netbook is an outstanding buy and is my next computing purchase, I honestly know many business people who have bought netbooks and are using them as their primary computer - one of them even has an iphone believe it or not. And If you have a monitor and keyboard on your desk then you have the best of both worlds.
For the vast majority of people the iPhone will never replace a computer, but netbook's on the other hand are selling by the boatload to do exactly that. But people will still want phones too, even iPhones. But for the foreseeable future the vast majority of us will own a phone and a computer. Only people who have no use whatsoever for a computer will see the iPhone as the only device they need and there are not many of them around.
However, I'm convinced you've never tried typing on a netbook, or perhaps any laptop for that matter.
I'm pretty sure this confirms that he doesn't know much about netbooks at all. Different manufacturers use different sizes of keyboards. Some are indeed too small to touchtype on. But others like the MSI Wind and the Asus Aspire One are only slightly smaller than full-size and most touchtypists can go at nearly full speed on them. I have no problems switching back and forth between my netbook and regular keyboards.
I'm convinced Wizard69 doesn't want to know anything about netbooks, like the fact that if you can't stand the small screen & keyboard and trackpad, you can always plug in an LCD and drive it at up to 1920x1200 resolution (even with extended desktop) plus a USB keyboard and mouse. He's just enamored with his iPod touch and thinks it's the only gadget that anyone could ever need to be "productive" despite the fact that productivity apps are nonexistent on that platform.
There were/are many models available since years.
Sony, Asus, Fujitsu and others provided 11", 12" laps ever since.
Weight, size, battery time and others comparable to netbooks, only price over $1500, often $3000.
I agree to Adjei
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showp...2&postcount=16
Does it mean they're of little use because they're cheaper than before?
I don't understand the point.
The only popularity point is price, that's it, no more.
There were/are many models available since years.
Sony, Asus, Fujitsu and others provided 11", 12" laps ever since.
Weight, size, battery time and others comparable to netbooks, only price over $1500, often $3000.
I agree to Adjei
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showp...2&postcount=16
But a bar of soap is even cheaper, so why is everyone not just buying a bar of soap instead?
Nobody buys anything just because of price, what you mean is that the netbooks are priced at a point that makes them a must have item for many people. But they still need to give people what they want from a mobile computer otherwise they will just buy a 16GB iPod touch which is cheaper.
"Small and light."
There is nothing special in netbooks. We got everything years ago, everything besides being cheap.
There is nothing special in netbooks. We got everything years ago, everything besides being cheap.
But not a Mac. That's what this discussion is about.
"Frankly I'm sick of all this netbook talk, what is so special about them besides being cheap?"
"Small and light."
There is nothing special in netbooks. We got everything years ago, everything besides being cheap.
Your logic is deeply flawed. I can tell you are not in business, you have no idea about how pr why things sell.
I'm not sure why you're pressing your iPhone points so hard here in a netbook discussion. However, I'm convinced you've never tried typing on a netbook, or perhaps any laptop for that matter.
It is sad you think that way. I've used various notebooks at both work and home, so I know where I'm coming from.
Saying it's as easy to type on an iPhone as it is on a laptop is ridiculous.
Right now I'm laying flat on back watching Leno & Conan typing this reply. This wouldn't be happening with a laptop.
When I type on an iPhone, I have to stare at the screen and try my hardest to hit the right letters, while wishing I had the tiny fingertips of a child.
Why not stop the whining right now. I wear size 15 shoes and get by fine. If I was sitting at a desk I wouldn't be Touch typing at a netbook either.
You may be better at it than I am, but I'd love to have a word-per-minute race with you sometime; me on a netbook and you on your iPhone.
I'd be the first to admit that it is slower than be properly stationed at a keyboard. Away from a desk though the keyboards is an excellent solution.
I can touch type on my 10" netbook with very few mistakes. It took maybe two minutes to get used to the fact that the keys are slightly closer together (93% of normal) than a full-size keyboard.
I will agree with you that the iPhone is a neat mobile platform. It certainly has its place. But it's not a full featured computer.
You can pretty much say the same thing about netbooks. By the way 10" is very large to be called a netbook.
Downplaying the importance of the popular netbook category makes little sense. I think Apple is nuts not to embrace it. It used to be few people owned a very light and small laptop because they cost several thousand dollars. Well, manufacturers have figured out how to make them for less than $500 and now netbooks are taking off like wildfire!
Err not to take the train off the tracks here but the manufactures decided to stop ripping people off. Netbooks or more accurately smaller note books where available in Japan for a couple of years before they where available here at reasonable prices. The only reason prices came down was because EEEPC came out.
Every WinPC clone maker is jumping on the bandwagon because they're scared to be left out.
Scared? Maybe it is more a case of trend following. I don't think Apple needs to follow trends, especially bad trends. Especially when there is no real innovation in a Netbook. Apple could do much more for the industry by coming up with a more mobile tablet that leverages new technology like Touch. These would shift focus to heavily to a constantly connected world.
Oh, and this is the first time I ever heard a netbook referred to as a "mid."
That is OK because at times I'm not sure we are on the same page in this discusion. You seem to be focused on small notebooks which I see as larger and more capable than Netbooks. I'm not looking for Borg like connectvity either but I certainly don't want to carry around a 10" device either.
Dave
I'm pretty sure this confirms that he doesn't know much about netbooks at all. Different manufacturers use different sizes of keyboards. Some are indeed too small to touchtype on. But others like the MSI Wind and the Asus Aspire One are only slightly smaller than full-size and most touchtypists can go at nearly full speed on them. I have no problems switching back and forth between my netbook and regular keyboards.
It has become apparent that the term netbook is being used very loosely here. I'm seeing references to small devices that would have simply been called compact laptops a few years ago. I'd even go so far as to say if the user can touch type on the unit in a manner similar to a full size keyboard then we are not talking about a netbook. I mean really some of Apples older laptops would have passed as netbooks with the loose definitions being used here.
I'm convinced Wizard69 doesn't want to know anything about netbooks, like the fact that if you can't stand the small screen & keyboard and trackpad, you can always plug in an LCD and drive it at up to 1920x1200 resolution (even with extended desktop) plus a USB keyboard and mouse. He's just enamored with his iPod touch and thinks it's the only gadget that anyone could ever need to be "productive" despite the fact that productivity apps are nonexistent on that platform.
It's more a question of the overblown utility of what I call netbooks. For what I need to get done a Touch based tablet is a better solution. It is also a bit frustrating to see people drop into the conversation and defend their machine with the ten inch screen as a netbook. Sorry guys they aren't netbooks but rather they are small laptops.
Dave
Right now I'm laying flat on back watching Leno & Conan typing this reply. This wouldn't be happening with a laptop.
Both shows? Nuff said.
I give up. I'm glad you like your phone.
No, that is not true. Of course the price is a significant part of the huge success of the netbook form factor there is more to it than that. These netbooks are brilliant, very small, very light, highly portable but with all the functionality of a full sized machine. i.e. they run a real OS and the same applications you use at work and at home.
They are of course less powerful that a $3000 MBP, but to be honest even a standard netbook is probably as powerful as the most powerful notebook in the world a few years ago.
.
Totally agree!
A Mac convert of many years, I got myself an HP Mini 1000 for Xmas (which has the stylish looks of a Black MacBook). Its small, weighs 2lbs, convenient and works like a dream.
Oh -- and the keyboard is to die for. I really don't want to lug a 13" monster around my neck (or even a 12" powerbook).
Even XP is quite stable and bug free after all these years and I send less error reports to MS than I do to Apple.................
I think there are quite a few "converts" like me who Apple could have retained in this segment as their customers if they had not got their eyes blinkered.
Err not to take the train off the tracks here but the manufactures decided to stop ripping people off. Netbooks or more accurately smaller note books where available in Japan for a couple of years before they where available here at reasonable prices. The only reason prices came down was because EEEPC came out.
If you're talking about ultralights, they've been around for quite a lot longer than a couple of years. I wasn't aware that inexpensive, low power consumption CPUs compatible with regular OSs were available years ago.
I mean really some of Apples older laptops would have passed as netbooks with the loose definitions being used here.
Is that so? I don't remember Apple ever making a sub 3-pound portable, unless you're including the Newton. Never mind anything affordable. Hand anyone a 12" Powerbook and tell them it cost $1799 new and they'll laugh at you for calling it a netbook. Well, there's always the Powerbook 2400c, right? Oops, that started at $3500 and weighed about the same as the 12" PB, roughly twice as much as an average netbook. Certainly a machine for the masses.
It's more a question of the overblown utility of what I call netbooks. For what I need to get done a Touch based tablet is a better solution. It is also a bit frustrating to see people drop into the conversation and defend their machine with the ten inch screen as a netbook. Sorry guys they aren't netbooks but rather they are small laptops.
Amazing. Truly amazing. Listen up, one and all. Wizard69, a.k.a. Dave, is the sole arbiter of what gets to be called a "netbook." Every magazine out there, every retailer, every computing website and even the ones that focus strictly on netbooks are completely wrong for calling these devices netbooks. They know nothing! Dave is smarter than all of them combined. "For what I need" says it all. It's all about him. If he doesn't need it, it's worthless.