Inexpensive Atom-Powered 'Netbooks' Popular at Launch

[MacRumors]

CultofMac reports on the relative popularity of recently introduced "Netbooks" from Asus, Acer and Dell. Amazon's top laptop sales list is now dominated by the $400-$600 devices, with Apple's $1299 MacBook being the notable exception in the top 10.

Netbooks refer to a class of laptops that are small-sized, low cost, light weight and optimized for internet usage and word processing. While versions of these laptops have previously existed, Intel is once again pushing this form factor with the recent release of the low-powered Atom processor. These Netbooks typically have 9-10" screens and can cost as low as $329. Analysts believe that a large part of their popularity is due to their lower costs during worsening economic conditions. It has been suggested that Apple may drop the price of the upcoming MacBooks to try to counter this trend.

It has also been rumored that Apple will eventually adopt Intel's Atom (formerly "Silverthorne") processor in an upcoming device. While talk of an Apple sub-notebook has died down since the release of the MacBook Air, at least one analyst expects that Apple is still planning on another sub-notebook.

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[barcodebawtv]

I consider the iPhone and the Touch to be their "compact laptop" They can do more, and have more storage than the Asus Eee PC - plus they're cheaper

[arn]

Originally Posted by barcodebawtv

I consider the iPhone and the Touch to be their "compact laptop" They can do more, and have more storage than the Asus Eee PC - plus they're cheaper

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-8-9-inch-...1?ie=UTF8&s=pc

$399. 160GB hard drive. 1GB RAM. 8.9" screen.

I'm not saying it's the same market. But they are more robust than you think.

arn

[137489]

Originally Posted by arn

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-8-9-inch-...1?ie=UTF8&s=pc

$399. 160GB hard drive. 1GB RAM. 8.9" screen.

I'm not saying it's the same market. But they are more robust than you think.

arn

Looked at it breiefly, seems to pack the power for such a small device. Screen would be to small for everyday use, but for college students who needs a laptop in class, this sure would fit on those small desks. $399, hmm.... I am in need of a cheep windows laptop as a backup work computer and because livescribe is still working on the native mac desktop app.

However, I am not sure I could justify a second laptop in this economy... And it runs XP home, most apps require atlease XP pro.

[AidenShaw]

Originally Posted by shervieux

And it runs XP home, most apps require atlease XP pro.

Huh? Where'd you pick up this bit of misinformation?

Very, very few apps are even aware of the difference. Home is missing a few management and networking bits, that's all.

You can also easily upgrade to change Home into Pro without losing anything - in case you need the full set of tools.

[137489]

Originally Posted by AidenShaw

Huh? Where'd you pick up this bit of misinformation?

Very, very few apps are even aware of the difference. Home is missing a few management and networking bits, that's all.

You can also easily upgrade to change Home into Pro without losing anything - in case you need the full set of tools.

I had a few compatibility issues with some 3rd party apps and when I called support; they stated it must run on XP pro. XP home and Media Center editions are not compatible. It should have said that on the package, package just said Windows XP or greater.

Before anyone goes off, and this forum is great for that I had an XP Home Toshiba laptop since 2001, gave it to my pastor in 2006 as I needed something more powerful (it had a celeron pentium iii 900mhz class cpu). I had upgraded the machine to 1.5 gb ram and a 100gb hard drive. If it was not for the CPU and lack of a burner (only had a DVD rom could not burn CD's), I probably would've (and should've) kept it. the Dell I bought as a replacement was nothing but trouble and it dies 2 years to the date of purchase.

Ok back on subject.... XP home did run a lot of things greatly. Yes it lacked the networking capability I needed for work, but I did even have it plugged into my work's network and it ran nicely. I guess the compatibility issues I had where specific to apps and they did not list specifications properly.

[Mazda 3s]

Originally Posted by shervieux

And it runs XP home, most apps require atlease XP pro.

Who told you that?

[ChamFan]

Originally Posted by barcodebawtv

I consider the iPhone and the Touch to be their "compact laptop" They can do more, and have more storage than the Asus Eee PC - plus they're cheaper

Originally Posted by MikeDTyke

All the people i know that use one, have either a desktop or full size laptop as their primary machine.

I agree - mostly!

I have a MacPro under the desk and take a 1st gen MBP to college. The MBP is a bit too large to lug around all day and doesn't fit well on aircraft/train tray tables. The iPhone is great for watching movies on the go and obviously is a phone as well, but isn't great for all websites (notably ebay uk and java-heavy ones like autotrader). Plus sometimes I do need to type reasonably long documents and a decent sized keyboard and editing functions would be a big help. Something in-between the two form factors and performance levels of the iPhone and MBP would be perfect.

(Personally I'm hoping for macbook-like performance in a 10" shell - touch-screen keyboard of course, and an optional dock for synching everything with the macPro! )

[tirant]

I got a netbook, not because it was cheap, but because it was an affordable ultraportable.

900g-1Kg ultraportable laptops tend to cost around €1500-€2500.

[starman0147]

The Macbook air should have been a netbook, its really a missed opportunity to get ahead in the market.

Hopefully Apple will rethink their ideas for it and the direction it going in and reduce its form factor so it competes with other netbooks.

[Apple Ink]

So direly that I want it to happen..... the 12.1" form..... I dont see it happening any time soon as in this year!

Apple has never really focussed on any Mac ranging below $1000 and the ini is a good example!

Starman: The MBA was NEVER EVER meant to compete in that category! It is, was and will always remain a luxury portable device and nothing more and nothing less! Proof: Of many many proofs... a 13.3" screen, an SSD BTO and a $1600 price tag (comparatively cheaper than most others in its class) doesn't figure as a netbook!

[a456]

Well someone has been forward thinking enough to reserve MacAtom.com - looks like it was only done a week or two ago. Atommac.com is still available but not as attractive as a name.

[Mazda 3s]

Originally Posted by barcodebawtv

I consider the iPhone and the Touch to be their "compact laptop" They can do more, and have more storage than the Asus Eee PC - plus they're cheaper

A device with a 3.5" screen and soft keyboard can do more than a $399 netbook which has an 8.9" or 10" display, 80GB+ HDD, 1GB of RAM, usually three USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth, a 95% full size keyboard, trackpad, and can run Windows XP, Vista, or Mac OS X (yes, Mac OS X has been hacked to run on the MSI Wind and other netbooks).

http://forums.msiwind.net/mac/first-...wind-t857.html

Stop being delusional

[nickXedge]

Originally Posted by Mazda 3s

A device with a 3.5" screen and soft keyboard can do more than a $399 netbook which has an 8.9" or 10" display, 80GB+ HDD, 1GB of RAM, usually three USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth, a 95% full size keyboard, trackpad, and can run Windows XP, Vista, or Mac OS X (yes, Mac OS X has been hacked to run on the MSI Wind and other netbooks).

http://forums.msiwind.net/mac/first-...wind-t857.html

Stop being delusional

I'm glad I read some posts before making my own because you stated exactly what I wanted to say except you said it way better. Thanks. There's no way a smartphone of any type will eventually replace notebooks.

[Evangelion]

Originally Posted by barcodebawtv

I consider the iPhone and the Touch to be their "compact laptop" They can do more, and have more storage than the Asus Eee PC - plus they're cheaper

That's a load of crap. For starters, you can cut and paste on the EEE. Other things that you can do on the EEE (or any other netbook) that you can't do on the iTouch include:

- Run proper applications. And I mean stuff like office-suites, audiotools, programming-tools, Photoshop etc. etc.

- Open tabs in the background in the browser. I can' believe the iTouch STILL doesn't have this!

- Run a proper multitasking OS

- type with a proper keyboard

- Have videochats using Skype

- Upgrade the machine to something better

- Install apps with no limitations. And by apps I mean something else than "yet another tip-calculator".

Now, don't get me wrong. I have an iPod touch and I love that thing. I never leave home without it. But I also understand the fact that it does NOT in any shape or form replace a laptop, even a tiny "limited" laptop like the EEE. I don't have a netbook either, but I have been thinking about getting one.

If you can do more with an iPhone/touch than you can do with a laotop, why aren't people replacing their laptops with iPods? Because they are not alternatives to each other, and anyone who claims that they are, is deluding themselves.

[mkrishnan]

I own one of the first ones out of this generation of small notebooks (EeePC 701) ... I think there is sort of a divide in that, last year, when I got this thing, there were some users who were buying them because they cost so little, but a lot more were buying them because they were interested in the SSD and/or the fact that it weighs 2 lbs.

Since then, a lot of them have gotten quite a bit bigger, and I think there's hardly anything in the market now that actually weighs 2.0 lbs or less, although there are some that are close and certainly they're much more powerful than my Eee is. But the push since then has definitely been oriented at cost.

I love mine... the iPhone does take up a lot of my on the road usage needs, but the Eee can do essentially all the basic computing tasks I need except the ones that need lots of mass storage (and the newer ones with magnetic drives can do fine in that area) and high speed computing (this is kind of a sticking point... right now, with an iMac G5, an Eee, and an iPhone, I have nothing that can transcode video reasonably quickly. But I don't perceive the iPhone (which I use extensively) as squeezing the Eee out that much. In fact I use it predominantly in places where an EDGE signal is available but wifi is not -- so the choice to use it and not the Eee has nothing to do with size/performance and everything to do with data service availability.

The Eee squeezes out the iMac much more, on the other hand. Since I got it, my iMac usage has plummeted.

[Evangelion]

Originally Posted by mkrishnan

Since then, a lot of them have gotten quite a bit bigger, and I think there's hardly anything in the market now that actually weighs 2.0 lbs or less, although there are some that are close and certainly they're much more powerful than my Eee is. But the push since then has definitely been oriented at cost.

The netbooks weighted around 2lbs since the start, and they still do. Yes, some of them have gotten bigger (especially the more hi-end EEE's), but there are still plenty of tiny netbooks. Like Aspire one, Dell Mini E and the like. And even the bigger units still weight around 2lbs, maybe a bit more. But they are still very very small and light when compared to "normal" laptops.

[Super Geek]

Apple did not release a Netbook yet because it would have had to add support and recompile full OS X and apps (not iphone version) for ARM

Now that Atom is becoming a viable solution (power consumption/speed) it could well be that we see something special.

(darn not quick enough, Arn is on the case)

[Lancetx]

Originally Posted by Evangelion

If you can do more with an iPhone/touch than you can do with a laotop, why aren't people replacing their laptops with iPods? Because they are not alternatives to each other, and anyone who claims that they are, is deluding themselves.

No offense, but just because you aren't doesn't mean that nobody else out there is. I quickly found after buying my iPhone that I was rarely ever using my MacBook anymore, so I sold it as opposed to letting it continue to sit at home and collect dust.

Sure, I'd be more than willing to take a look at a "netbook" if Apple decides to ever release one. However, it's not something I'm just dying to run out and buy or anything, as I'm getting by just fine at the moment with nothing more than an iMac at home and an iPhone for when I'm out.

[Evangelion]

Originally Posted by Lancetx

No offense, but just because you aren't doesn't mean that nobody else out there is. I quickly found after buying my iPhone that I was rarely ever using my MacBook anymore, so I sold it as opposed to letting it continue to sit at home and collect dust.

Of course there are individuals out there that have no need for anything more than an iTouch, but fact remains that the two devices are not alternatives to each other. You don't write texts with an iTouch, you don't program with it, you dont copy/paste with it, you dont give presentations or create them.

If you only used your laptop for music, email and web, iTouch MIGHT be enough.

[puffnstuff]

Originally Posted by Evangelion

Of course there are individuals out there that have no need for anything more than an iTouch, but fact remains that the two devices are not alternatives to each other. You don't write texts with an iTouch, you don't program with it, you dont copy/paste with it, you dont give presentations or create them.

Wait you program with netbooks? YOU CAN do all those things with the touch. It's just that nobody has taken the time to design the software.

If you only used your laptop for music, email and web, iTouch MIGHT be enough.

Isn't that the whole point of a netbook anyways? Something small and light you can do simple tasks with?

Any netbook that Apple does come out with I bet it's getting to have the ipod touch's hardware and software in it. Just a larger screen and a keyboard for starting at $600 the LEAST.

[knightlie]

Originally Posted by Evangelion

That's a load of crap. For starters, you can cut and paste on the EEE. Other things that you can do on the EEE (or any other netbook) that you can't do on the iTouch include:

- Run proper applications. And I mean stuff like office-suites, audiotools, programming-tools, Photoshop etc. etc.

- Open tabs in the background in the browser. I can' believe the iTouch STILL doesn't have this!

- Run a proper multitasking OS

- type with a proper keyboard

- Have videochats using Skype

- Upgrade the machine to something better

- Install apps with no limitations. And by apps I mean something else than "yet another tip-calculator".

Now, don't get me wrong. I have an iPod touch and I love that thing. I never leave home without it. But I also understand the fact that it does NOT in any shape or form replace a laptop, even a tiny "limited" laptop like the EEE. I don't have a netbook either, but I have been thinking about getting one.

If you can do more with an iPhone/touch than you can do with a laotop, why aren't people replacing their laptops with iPods? Because they are not alternatives to each other, and anyone who claims that they are, is deluding themselves.

Agreed. I have an Asus EEE 900 that has replaced the MacBook as my couch-based internet device, I never even considered an iPod Touch for that purpose. The Eee is a great little device.

[khunsanook]

Originally Posted by barcodebawtv

I consider the iPhone and the Touch to be their "compact laptop" They can do more, and have more storage than the Asus Eee PC - plus they're cheaper

Really? Try typing up a 15 page report in the field on a Touch or giving a Powerpoint or collaborating on a Word document while flying between meetings or...

The iPhone and Touch are turning out to be great for games though.

[Carniphage]

The MSI wind has a 10" screen.
An almost full-sized keyboard.
You can plug in the Apple 802.11n board for 270Mbit WiFi
Can have 2GB Ram 80GB hard drive (or use an SSD)

And as has been said, it runs OS X beautifully.

Here's what it looks like in a shop.


On the downside, the trackpad is pretty poor. And the 3 cell battery only lasts 2hours.
I am sure Apple could make it sweeter still.


C.

[jzuena]

Originally Posted by Carniphage

The MSI wind has a 10" screen.
An almost full-sized keyboard.
You can plug in the Apple 802.11n board for 270Mbit WiFi
Can have 2GB Ram 80GB hard drive (or use an SSD)

And as has been said, it runs OS X beautifully.

Here's what it looks like in a shop.


On the downside, the trackpad is pretty poor. And the 3 cell battery only lasts 2hours.
I am sure Apple could make it sweeter still.


C.

That's pretty bold of the shop to actually call it an Apple Macbook Nano. Are they selling it with Leopard already installed? I'll go out on a limb and guess it is in a country outside of Apple legal's reach.