It's not Microsoft's cap.
The Atom line of processors are only x86, 32-bit processors. Either way I can't imagine needing more than 2GB of RAM for browsing the web (even with a ton of pages open at once), and editing documents.
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Are Netbooks pointless or is it just me?
- Thread starter Old Wembley
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The Atom line of processors are only x86, 32-bit processors. Either way I can't imagine needing more than 2GB of RAM for browsing the web (even with a ton of pages open at once), and editing documents.
It's too bad that so far, there's just not the perfect notebook for osx. Either the screen is a touch too small, the keyboards are unusable (right shift key, damn you!) or the touchpads are wonky or too small to use.
I'm contemplating the dell mini 10v, but even with that there's complaints about the touchpad design and its a true PITA to update the ram. 😡
I'm contemplating the dell mini 10v, but even with that there's complaints about the touchpad design and its a true PITA to update the ram. 😡
For some like me who is a commuting student, my macbook is too heavy to carry around campus and I don't want to damage it.. I wouldnt feel bad getting scratches on a cheap ol windows laptop and its so light weight, i can fit in my purse. Can anyone recommend a good, cheap one?
No it is MS cap, they will only allow XP to be installed on netbooks with 1GB of RAM or less.
Netbooks are great, anybody saying otherwise has misunderstood the niche.
Oh. So I guess I dreamt installing XP (and then OSX, and now Win 7) on my NC10 with 2gb of Ram.
I can read the comment from windywoo two ways, the first and most likely interpretation is that it is a cap in the sense that Microsoft does not want Vista installed on an underpowered Netbook at the OEM level (ie by HP, Dell etc) but an end user can install anything they want assuming of course that they bought the product 🙂
The 2nd and less likely but easily interpreted this way would be suggesting that Microsoft is capping in the sense of prohibiting the install through hardware detection means.
Regardless, the Windows 7 release will be good for the netbook market.
The limitation is on manufacturers who pay mass license fees to MS with contract provisions that forbid distribution of XP on machines above a specified memory installation, not end users . . . except for the OS X part, of course.
I've been running 10.5.7 on a Mini 9, which has a smaller screen and keyboard than the 10v, for months and have no problems with the keyboard or touchpad. Frankly, it's not much different than when a PC person encounters the Apple keyboard, or vice versa.
Try it, you'll like it.
I bought a HP netbook for my wife for mothers day (that is what she wanted) and I thought about getting one until I used it. The screen and keyboard are way too small. Although the size is right, it is not worth the sacrifice in those areas. I in turn, bought myself a macbook air for my travels, and absolutely love it!
It's just you.
I'd say that Netbooks are the perfect little device for anyone who just wants a full-featured computer on the go. If you don't like it, don't buy it. My dad picked up an N280-powered netbook from Taiwan, and it's a great machine with very solid battery life.
We could also extend this argument to "are macbook airs pointless or is it just me", and "is spending $1000 more on a laptop pointless or is it just me?". it's the same coin but you're presenting different sides. I shelled out the apple tax for some great creature comforts, and a netbook is just another extension of that sentiment.
I'd say that Netbooks are the perfect little device for anyone who just wants a full-featured computer on the go. If you don't like it, don't buy it. My dad picked up an N280-powered netbook from Taiwan, and it's a great machine with very solid battery life.
We could also extend this argument to "are macbook airs pointless or is it just me", and "is spending $1000 more on a laptop pointless or is it just me?". it's the same coin but you're presenting different sides. I shelled out the apple tax for some great creature comforts, and a netbook is just another extension of that sentiment.
Sorry, but I think calling a netbook a "full-featured computer" isn't quite true. Full featured compared to what? A cell phone? A netbook is just about the most stripped down computer you can get.
The MacBook Air is a Netbook
Although priced higher than typical netbooks, the MBA is by all other measures, a Netbook...
Wikipedia...
I love my MacBook Air and I think it's the perfect Netbook. It's surprisingly capable and is a great travel, couch potato, and bedtime companion to my Mac Pro.
Although priced higher than typical netbooks, the MBA is by all other measures, a Netbook...
Wikipedia...
I love my MacBook Air and I think it's the perfect Netbook. It's surprisingly capable and is a great travel, couch potato, and bedtime companion to my Mac Pro.
MBA is not a netbook by definition. A netbook is optimized for basic computing tasks and Internet access. And it's based upon the Atom CPU. I think of the MBA as an ultraportable, balance of power versus portability.
Anywho, netbooks are perfect for little kids (<13). Cheap, durable, and stuff you don't care about, like say your iMac or MBP. Netbooks have its niche market, but until then, my iPod touch does everything I would need to do in a netbook. And it has 60,000+ apps custom built for it and a custom built OS.
Anywho, netbooks are perfect for little kids (<13). Cheap, durable, and stuff you don't care about, like say your iMac or MBP. Netbooks have its niche market, but until then, my iPod touch does everything I would need to do in a netbook. And it has 60,000+ apps custom built for it and a custom built OS.
Yes, those darn sub-$350 devices with their SSD or drives . . . WiFi . . . bluetooth . . . webcams . . . SD card slot . . . multiple USB 2.0 ports . . . touchpad . . . speakers . . . audio in/out . . . monitor out (no dongle required like some laptops) . . . what a horror.
Will somebody tell me where I can buy a new Apple portable computer for under $500 that has better specs? Anyone?
iPod Touch? Anyone that complains about the keyboard size of a netbook keyboard would likely rather chew glass than be stuck with the virtual keyboard.
It seems that everybody forgot the whole jonesing over the "subnotebook" that eventually became the MacBook Air. At times, I keep wondering what the heck the difference between a "subnotebook" (I do hate that term) and a netbook is.
I still have no interest in a MBA and would never until it drops in price a ton. A lot of power was sacrificed just to get all of that stuff into a thinner case. Then you don't include an optical drive and make it (at first) about $800 more than a MacBook. Now, I think the difference is $500.
If Apple wanted to really make a netbook, it would've been the MBA. Apple won't make something fugly enough to get near the price of netbooks with their jutting-out batteries and god-awful trackpads. As others have said, the keyboards are a nightmare and the screens really are too small.
This just demonstrates that there's very little agreement in the industry, and these forums, as to what a Netbook actually is and is not.
Of course, if you define a Netbook to have an underpowered processor, a tiny screen, and a cramped keyboard, it's easy to argue that they are pointless. However, if you define a Netbook by the tasks for which it is optimized, then you can definitely find examples that are stellar executions of the concept (eg. MacBook Air).
Why the apparent hesitation to include the descriptors "popular, affordable, convenient and excellent value for the price" to your list?
Oh, sorry . . . you were trying to make a biased and deragatory point . . . carry on.
They do kind of look like kids toys to me but some people do not have the need for a computer that is as powerful as a complete laptop. I personally would never get one. It is kind of funny to see people use them with their crammed keyboards and limited capabilities. To each his own I guess.
As much as i love my white macbook.. sigh..
It's heavy and my campus is huge and sometimes i have classes in different faculties! Tired much to carry.
And besides sometimes i have classes from 9AM till 7PM(With breaks somewhere in between..) My macbook definitely doesn't even have enough juice to run maybe up to 4 hours?
I did turn off bluetooth but my wifi is still on so it can instantaneously upload notes taken via dropbox and i can view it at home on my iMac 😀
Still i did consider getting a netbook, i saw like ASUS netbook that claims to last up to 9 hours... and the lightweight is definitely a plus!
I finally decided to save and hopefully get a apple tablet instead? 😀
It's heavy and my campus is huge and sometimes i have classes in different faculties! Tired much to carry.
And besides sometimes i have classes from 9AM till 7PM(With breaks somewhere in between..) My macbook definitely doesn't even have enough juice to run maybe up to 4 hours?
I did turn off bluetooth but my wifi is still on so it can instantaneously upload notes taken via dropbox and i can view it at home on my iMac 😀
Still i did consider getting a netbook, i saw like ASUS netbook that claims to last up to 9 hours... and the lightweight is definitely a plus!
I finally decided to save and hopefully get a apple tablet instead? 😀
PRICE.
Prive vs. Utility.
Though these netbooks seem like tinkertoys or happy meal bonuses, they allow people with little money to connect to information highways.
How can anyone NOT understand that??? Would people rather be unconnected or ignorant, or connected, entertained, and aware? It's better to have a tiny window to the world rather than being windowless and in the dark.
Well said. Just for giggles, some of these anti-netbook folks should compare the "street" price of some netbooks against a 16GB iPod Touch, which really doesn't have a "street" price. Talk about your keyboard and screen size issues . . . 😉