Netbooks Not for First Time Buyers?
We keep hearing that the netbook market is growing fast and is expected to continue its fast growth in the upcoming years. But in reality, netbooks are not for everyone. When Intel’s officials came out and claimed that netbooks are not that appealing to first-time laptop buyers, a lot of people dismissed the talk. But there is some truth in that. Netbooks are designed for folks who already have a laptop/desktop PC at home but need a portable solution to take with them all the time.
Here is what an Intel official had to say about this:
don’t think first-time buyers are going to buy netbooks. The first time you buy something you want the real deal. It’s consistent not just in China, but all around the world. If you’re going to spend your hard-earned money for the first time, you’re going to put a computer in your house
It’s only logical if you think about it. If you have never owned a Desktop PC or just want to replace your old laptop, you shouldn’t go with a netbook. The problem with netbooks is that they are not designed to handle highly complicated tasks. Sure. If you only plan to check your e-mails and do some shopping online or maybe just blog from the comfort of your garden, netbooks come in handy. But if you are a web developer or a graphics designer, there are better laptops out there.
I do believe that CULV laptops will address this issue while providing developers and designers with the performance they need. Netbooks are wonderful gadgets and very portable. But they are not for everyone, and they can’t do everything. So don’t spend your hard-earned money on a netbook, if you don’t have a desktop or laptop PC at home already.
Netbooks on TV: The Art of Deception
Everybody likes a bargain. There is no doubting that. Every retailer that you visit wants to give you the impression that it has the best prices on the items you are interested in buying. The same applies to TV shopping companies. They go out of their way to twist things around and make things look more tempting that they actually are. Recently, I had a chance to watch an infomercial on a netbook model on TV. If you have watched shopping channels in the past, you know what I am referring to here. The way the netbook was presented was very impressive. The sales people went out of their way to portray netbooks as these killer machines that can be used for gaming, e-mail, website design, and graphics manipulation.
Watching a netbook in a BestBuy store and playing with it first hand is much different than having someone tell you how great it is. Personally, I wouldn’t mind listening to sales content if that means I could get the lowest price on things I want to buy. But in reality, you can’t expect to find a good deal on electronics on TV. You almost always end up paying more for a device that is not as good as advertised.
It’s good to know salesman who understand the power of ATOM processors and beauty of having more RAM in a netbook, but to advertise a netbook as one of few that come with an ATOM processor is plain deceptive and wrong. At the end of the day, you are always going to have an easier time finding the best netbook for yourself by comparing them in a BestBuy shop or better yet on Google (or on this site for that matter). Don’t believe everything you see on TV. But you already knew that.
Is CULV The Future of Laptops?
The netbook market is growing fast. There is no questioning that. But many major companies are starting to shift their focus a bit on CULV laptops. Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage laptops are not only more energy efficient than their regular laptop counterparts, but they are powerful enough to address the needs of business individuals. A lot of people have complained about netbooks not being powerful enough for those complex business tasks. Top CULV laptops are just the opposite. Now before we jump on the bandwagon, it’s interesting to note that Acer, Asus, and HP are all working on their new CULV laptop models to be released in late 2009 or early 2010.
Macbook Air is already taking advantage of a low voltage system, so CULV laptops will essentially enable companies such as HP, Acer, and Asus to develop their own Macbook Air type laptops. High prices may have kept these laptops to hit the market sooner, but we seem to be at a point where the prices will be low enough for these laptops to gain traction. And thankfully, these laptops will come with a different set of features than netbooks. Here is what Intel’s Chief Executive had to say about this issue:
And we’re expecting (there will be) a more clear distinguishing set of characteristics between Netbooks and notebooks
As someone who’s been around the industry for years, it’s not hard to see why CULV laptops play a big role in the laptop market for the next few years. Netbooks are growing and more people are going mobile, but there is still need for CULV laptops, and there is no reason CULV laptops and netbooks can’t co-exist. What CULV laptops do is force netbook makers to keep their prices in check. We have seen too many netbooks that cost close to $600. That price point would not be acceptable if CULVs that are arguably more powerful than their netbook counterparts go for the same price. CULV laptops and netbooks can both co-exist but only if the lines don’t become too blurry.
Recommended CULV Laptops:
Sony VAIO VPC-W111’s Shipping Date Set
Sony’s first real adventure in the world of netbooks may come sooner than a lot of expected. A few days ago, we announced that Sony VAIO VPC W111 was expected to be released sometime in the fall 2009. It seems it’ll be sooner than we thought. Amazon has set the release date for Sony VAIO netbooks at maximum 2 months. That means these machines could potentially ship in as early as August, though it’s doubtful.
Sony VAIO VPC-W111XX product line is Sony’s first real crack at the netbook market. Sony LifeStyle PC, which is considered by many experts as a netbook, has been around for a while, but in reality it’s not designed for serious business. Sony VAIO VPC W111 is a decent sized laptop so you don’t feel as though you are working with a miniature netbook. The fact that you can stream content to your PS3 from your laptop is a great plus. The battery life could be better, but since we have not tested this unit yet, we can’t tell whether you get even 2.5 hours from this device. Looks, on the paper, a long way away from ASUS 1005 HA’s 10.5 hours battery life.
Still exciting to see more netbook options on the market.
Apple Netbook Rumor: $800 Tablet Coming?
We have been hearing about Apple netbooks for months now. Since the market started heating up, many consumers started asking Apple to release a netbook to give them more options when it comes to netbooks. There are many netbooks already available on the market none come with Mac OS and Apple’s world class design. Unfortunately, Apple has rejected the idea of being associated with the netbook brand time and time again. Apple is a premium laptop manufacturer, so it doesn’t make sense for the company to create confusion for its customers.
The good news is that Apple is indeed working on a netbook-like device. It’s in fact an iPhone/Tablet hybrid that many analysts expect to revolutionize the way people consume content on the go. The device comes with a 10 inch screen and is super slim, so you can take it with you as you would your Kindle DX. From the images that have been leaked online, you can assume that the device will be a giant iPhone than a small Macbook. So you are going to be able to enjoy all the cool apps that you see in Apple iTunes as well.
A tablet with a large screen can make it much easier to watch videos online and read books as well. And while there are no plans to use E-ink technology on this gadget, we wouldn’t be surprised if that happened someday. Even without E-ink, you can still read your books without putting too much strain on your eyes. Apple is certainly upping its game for the holiday season. Not only are we going to get iPod Video, but now it seems we will be getting an iTablet also. Very exciting.
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Netbook Showdown: NB205 vs. GO N310 vs. Mini 110
The netbook market is heating up for the summer and even more manufacturers are releasing their own netbooks to get a piece of the market. But you don’t have to guess too hard to find out what companies are dominating at the top of the game. HP, Toshiba, and Samsung have been consistently competing for the top spot in our charts. If you take a look at what these companies have to offer, you realize that their laptops are at the top of the line when it comes to performance, battery life, and weight.
Samsung GO N310-13GB
Samsung GO N310-13GB Netbook is Samsung’s most recent netbook. It comes with the standard features that you get with many other netbooks. But Samsung has the best battery life in the business, and the systems are well designed and very powerful. Samsung Go N310 is the closest a netbook comes to a regular laptop.
HP Mini 110-1030NR
HP Mini 110-1030NR Netbook is a very sleek HP netbook that is not only portable but also very good in power management department. HP netbooks are known for not being decent in that area, so it’s refreshing to see a model that can last you for more than a couple of hours.
Toshiba Mini NB205-N210
Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 Netbook is arguably the best netbook in the bunch. Not only it comes with the best features in the bunch, but it’s energy efficient as well. And who can complain about the battery life. It’s not that expensive either.
Overall, all these netbooks come with their strengths and weaknesses. Samsung GO N310 comes with the best design while Toshiba Mini comes with the best features. HP Mini is a decent laptop but it’s clearly the third best in this bunch. Samsung netbooks are a bit more pricey than their competitors but they do give you a good bang for your buck. Toshiba Mini and Samsung GO are both decent, but here is where design beats power.
Introducing Disney Netpal by ASUS
A few weeks ago, we had a piece on how netbook manufacturers are going after the niche markets by introducing models that address the needs of a certain demographics group. Disney Netpal by ASUS is one of those netbooks that is designed to help kids have a richer experience on their mini laptop.The device comes with standard features you get on most netbooks. You get ATOM N270 as your processor and 1 GB RAM to go with it.
Disney Netpal by ASUS is not that different from other netbooks on the surface, but it does come with security features to keep your kids when they are online. The design has been reinforced to help your kid get the best out of her netbook without damaging the device in the process. As you can guess, Netpal does come with parental control features that put you in charge of what your kid can or can’t see online. You also get various themes and kids friendly apps to make things much more fun for your kid.
Netpal is a cool netbook that comes with the standard features you get in many other netbooks on the market. But the device is more durable and can take a beating. And it does protect your kid against inappropriate content online. If you are looking for an affordable solution to get your kid started in the world of Internet, Netpal is a good option.
Apple Says No To Netbooks, For Now
Many gadget fans have been dying for Apple to announce its own netbook line. Apple has proved in the past that it won’t do anything to damage its brand, and it does not consider netbooks as a real way for it to move forward. Netbooks may be portable, energy efficient, and affordable, but that’s not the business Apple is in. Apple is in the business of producing some of the best premium computers on the planet. So it was no surprise to hear Apple COO squash the rumors about Apple working on its own netbook:
Our goal is not to build the most computers, it’s to build the best. At this point, we don’t see the way to build a great product for this $399, $499, this kind of price point unit.
Sad but everyone needs to hear it to get some closure on this issue. As much as I want to believe that Apple may change its mind, this whole netbook issue is a big dilemma for it. Apple is not a recession-friendly brand. It’s not part of Apple’s strategy to develop affordable, cheap devices. In fact, with $500, you may not even be able to get an Apple Macbook’s parts, let alone a fully-fledged netbook. But there is good news here as well. Apple has been rumored to be working on a MediaPad for a long long time, and Apple’s COO is not willing to discount the idea:
I never want to discount anything in the future, and never want to specifically discuss new products.
As I have mentioned in the past, the problem for Apple is not creating a light-weight, energy efficient product. It’s all about the pricing. Netbook is a brand that is associated with cheap laptops. Apple is not into that market, and I am not sure it’d make sense for the company to enter this business now. It only creates brand confusion for the consumers and not a smart move in my opinion. However, introducing an iPod DX could be a good move for Apple and the fans. Who knows. iPhone DX may actually outperform some of the netbooks already available on the market.
Gateway Introduces LT2001 Netbook
Count Gateway among computer manufacturers that are hoping to grab a piece of market with their netbooks. Gateway’s LT2001 netbook is a standard mini-laptop that comes with the oh-so-standard set of features you get on most entry level netbooks on the market. You get the good old N270 to power up your netbook. Add 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, and three USB ports, and you’ve got one standard netbook.
Gateway LT2001 netbook with all the features we have come to expect from a regular netbook. It doesn’t set the world on fire and doesn’t aim to be a market leader. But it does come with a webcam and a killer multi-touchpad. If you are hoping to manage data on your netbook with your hands, you are set with this netbook.
LT2001 mini-laptop is priced at $300, which is pretty average. This device gives us consumers yet another option to choose from. I am not a fan of Gateway products but for those of you who are, Gateway LT2001 netbook is an interesting netbook to try.
Samsung GO N310-13GB: A Glimpse
Samsung has some of the best netbooks on the market. Samsung netbooks are known for their solid design and high performance. Samsung Go N310 picks up where other models left off. The device comes with all the good features from its predecessors but improved dramatically when it comes to battery life. And who can forget about the curvy shell that covers Go N310’s outside:
As far as the general specifications are concerned, you get the standard CPU and memory that you get with other top netbooks. ATOM N270 is not particularly fast but is used on most netbooks. 1 GB RAM is a good start but you want to add another 1 GB to improve performance on your gadget.
Samsung Go N310 comes with a 1.3-megapixel webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth, MMC/SD card reader, and a chiclet keyboard as well. It’s a bit pricey due to its design but is still manageable at $450. All in all, if you are a fan of Samsung netbooks, Samsung GO N310-13GB is another solid option to consider.
