Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 12th Aug 2008 00:00 UTC
There's a new hype going on in the world of computing. I used to call them 'tiny laptops', but somewhere along the way, Intel's marketing got at me and now I call them netbooks. Every self-respecting manufacturer has a netbook product line, or is about to introduce one (Apple?), so I figured I would take a look at what all the fuss is about: I bought a netbook.
Thread beginning with comment 326687
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:2008-05-26
I love it when people say "What can you do with a 900MHz processor, a mere 8 gigabytes of storage and 512 megabytes of RAM?". They can't remember when they happily did everything they do today on computers with similar specifications. I've done 3D rendering and video editing on computers with worse specs than that!
What can you do on such a limited computer? Anything! :-)
Member since:2007-02-17
I love it when people say "What can you do with a 900MHz processor, a mere 8 gigabytes of storage and 512 megabytes of RAM?". They can't remember when they happily did everything they do today on computers with similar specifications. I've done 3D rendering and video editing on computers with worse specs than that! What can you do on such a limited computer? Anything! :-)
Almost anything.
It is very tough, for example, to run Vista on such a machine.
To get processor grunt, you need power. To get enough power for long enough in a portable machine, you need battery capacity. To get enough battery capacity, you need both weight and volume (the other possible tradeoff is to sacrifice battery time). To get weight and volume, you need to sacrifice portability.
The "netbook" class of machines make a different set of compromises in these trade-offs than conventional laptops and notebook machines do. Netbooks make less compromise on portability, about the same compromise on battery time, and they heavily compromise processor power as a consequence ... compared to laptops and notebook machines.
Hence ... not enough CPU & video-card grunt to run Vista. Not even a good idea to bog it down with XP plus antivirus & antimalware scanners.
What can you do on such a CPU/GPU-grunt limited computer?
Anything that deosn't require Windows!
Member since:
2007-02-17
Netbooks are the real notebooks, the way all notebooks should be. I'm happy they exist, and I'm happy this niche of the market has finally shown up.
Precisely. exactly. Spot on.
The primary exciting thing about these netbook machines is their small size and low weight ... ultraportability. The fact that they are cheap is also a huge enabler.
Having a pre-installed Linux giving an open system with access to a full repository (heaps of additional software at zero extra cost) rounds out a VERY impressive feature set. Excellent value for money.
Getting one with a 6-cell battery should yield 6 or 7 hours battery life.
Ultraportability. Convenience. Security. Stability. Power. Flexibility. Control of your own machine. Access to a vast array of software ... extensibility. Connectivity. Affordability. Compatibility.
These machines (with a proper Linux installed) are a game breaker.