The Family.

 

NetBooks

Disclosure : I own a Netbook. I have owned one since the earliest models (the Asus EEE 901 with the horror keyboard). I didn't expect much when i purchased it, a brief Google for specs and comparisons with laptops I have already owned revealed they would not be up to much in terms of performance. They did however scream convenience, and were 30% of the cost of a full lappy. I planned no video editing or gaming, but very quickly started to appreciate the sheer convenience of something that is quickly powered on, immensely easy to carry and BUILT FOR SURFING WEB. the clue is in the name.

So Netbooks have become unfashionable, and we are firmly in the Gartner trough of disillusionment. People are returning their Windows (we will ignore the UNIX factor) Netbooks in droves. Who? What did they expect? How quickly can you return a Netbook and have the supplier happily return your money, based entirely on the fact you think it doesn't perform as well as you like? Presumably you have to do it pretty quickly. I would be interested to know what these people do in that presumably short period of time to decide they aren't satisfied - I guess they get the thing home, immediately attempt to whack out a Video edit of last years Hols and realise its going to take about 6 months. And I would love to know where they go next. Presumably they stump up 3 times as much money, buy some mid range lappy (with integrated graphics) and accept its weighs a ton and takes 20 minutes to be up and running. Do they then open a browser and spend 90% of the remainder of the laptops life simply browsing the net I wonder?