Linked by the_randymon on Wed 2nd Jan 2013 22:01 UTC
Asus is the company that shook up the laptop market a couple of years ago with their introduction of the EeePC netbook. And with their announcement that they will no longer be producing netbooks in 2013, Charles Arthur over at the Guardian UK has declared that the netbook era has now come to an end. Sad news for those of us who still love our netbooks! Harry McCracken over at Time Mag thinks they'll be back. Anybody who spends time wiping the smears off their tablet's touchscreen might agree.
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RE[2]: Yes, the netbook will be back, and better than ever..
by wannabe geek on Thu 3rd Jan 2013 16:38
in reply to "RE: Yes, the netbook will be back, and better than ever.."
Member since:2006-09-27
I need the size of the transformer and the functionality of a laptop.. oh wait.. it exists, it's called a netbook.
Yes, but my point is about the near future.
Take a netbook, make the screen a touchscreen (with no loss of functionality as a regular screen) and make the keyboard detachable (again, with no loss of functionality), what do you get? Now take a tablet, add a detachable keyboard and the ability to install and use any regular PC operating system, what do you get? Same device!
I'm not saying the netbook is gone forever. I'm saying that the distinction between tablets and netbooks might soon be erased.
RE[3]: Yes, the netbook will be back, and better than ever..
by Gusar on Thu 3rd Jan 2013 21:59
in reply to "RE[2]: Yes, the netbook will be back, and better than ever.."
Member since:2010-07-16
You're focusing on the hardware here. But there's a big difference in software: Tablets are generally locked and are using a "mobile" OS. Installation of other OSes is difficult at best, if not impossible.
Netbooks are open. Even if one came with Win7 preinstalled, you can remove that or in addition to it install your choice of Linux/*BSD/Haiku/other. And these are "full" OSes. I run on my netbook the exact same system as on my desktop.
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2008-11-29
I do use my ASUS transformer a lot and it is almost always docked. We do mail, some browsing, im, irc, .. using the tablet with keyboard.
But when I want to search something on the internet I notice I almost always use the laptop. It is just so much easier and faster. Also for office stuff I always power up the laptop.
I need the size of the transformer and the functionality of a laptop.. oh wait.. it exists, it's called a netbook.
My netbook did everything it needed to do with ubuntu as main os and a virtual xp install. When running the virtual xp it still worked better/faster than another similar netbook running only a clean win 7!
There certainly is a market, only they should add an OS suited for the job, so no blown up win or linux or ..