I have been tempted by the MSI Wind for quite a long time and if it can run OS X then it just makes it even more tempting.
Although saying that I already have a laptop.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Inexpensive Atom-Powered 'Netbooks' Popular at Launch
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have been tempted by the MSI Wind for quite a long time and if it can run OS X then it just makes it even more tempting.
Although saying that I already have a laptop.
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.
A Netbook = 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 10" or smaller screen, and Windows XP Home SP3.
But why wouldn't there be hype? Just about all of these machines are lighter and have better specs/expandability (with the exception of screen size and processing power) than a MacBook Air. And just about all of them can be upgraded to a max of 2GB of RAM.
$1800 vs $400 -- it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the appeal for those that want a lightweight, highly portable machine that can handle everyday tasks.
I've been on the verge of buying an Acer Aspire One twice in the last month, but have held off. It's fair to say that I'd buy an Apple one for a 50% premium, providing battery life was up to scratch.
My only concern is that OS X too power-hungry for the Atom to cope with. I admit that I speak here not from experience, but every video I've seen of OS X running (as a hack) on the Wind, Eee or Aspire One is not entirely unusable, but certainly not a great advert for the OS. These netbooks only tend to come with 512MB or 1GB of RAM, which these days can be considered a bare minimum for Leopard.
As we know, OS X can be scaled (cf. the iPhone). I am wondering if this drastic change in the market that the last earnings called referred to is going to be a release of an 'OS X Lite' style OS for the PC market, including the core features of OS X, suitable for this kind of usage.
If it performed well, I'd buy it.
My only concern is that OS X too power-hungry for the Atom to cope with. I admit that I speak here not from experience, but every video I've seen of OS X running (as a hack) on the Wind, Eee or Aspire One is not entirely unusable, but certainly not a great advert for the OS. These netbooks only tend to come with 512MB or 1GB of RAM, which these days can be considered a bare minimum for Leopard.
As we know, OS X can be scaled (cf. the iPhone). I am wondering if this drastic change in the market that the last earnings called referred to is going to be a release of an 'OS X Lite' style OS for the PC market, including the core features of OS X, suitable for this kind of usage.
If it performed well, I'd buy it.
To paraphrase the old internet meme, your ideas are intriguing and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter....
Seriously, I may look into this OSX/Wind combo. Low price, portable, and I bet it even competes well with my G4 Mini in processor power.
I would love something like a Touch netbook/pad. It could be an Uber-iPod or a basic OS X portable, all at the same time. A larger screen would make it much more appealing for video content than a regular Touch. But it can't be more than $499-599 unless it totally kicks butt, and I mean it would have to be amazing.
I myself have been looking at the HP mini 2133. 1.2 Processor/2GB ram/120 HD and they can come in OS-LINUX under $500. Check ebay.
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF25a/321957-321957-64295-321838-306995-3687084.html
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF25a/321957-321957-64295-321838-306995-3687084.html
Actually, the 8 or 16gb SSD models running linux with a 8.9" screen is where there netbook market is. SSD for fast booting, better battery life and quieter, and Linux because the machine is £40-£50 cheaper.
The most popular netbook at the moment seems to be the Acer Aspire One, at just £190 with the above spec. It's all about price.
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.
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.
To keep the price down, Apple could easily build a sub-notebook with a dual-core ARM processor, and bundle it with the iLife applications recompiled for ARM. That should be a significant saving in the cost of the processor, and in battery usage. Slash down MacOS X to the minimum like they did for the iPhone, and this should be a decent little computer.
I gathered this....
But i said it SHOULD have been a netbook to compete with others that were appearing on the market around the same time the MBA was released.
In its current form even little less then a year later i still can't see the point of it and with the MB/MBP only going to get thinner and lighter the purpose of the MBA will reduce even more, so hopefully Apple will redesign it into a netbook or more likey become a 13 MBP.
I think the failure of the Air will prevent apple from experimenting with anything under the MacBook unless it is a smaller touch-screen similar to a larger iPod touch.
the Touch is a fantastic pocket-sized Internet-Capable machine. Not the fastest typer in the world, but works great as a bathroom-level browser
I agree with this. I think what hurt the Air sales was that its not really THAT much smaller then the MacBook and the MacBook is capable of so much more for so much less money.
the Touch is a fantastic pocket-sized Internet-Capable machine. Not the fastest typer in the world, but works great as a bathroom-level browser
I agree with this. I think what hurt the Air sales was that its not really THAT much smaller then the MacBook and the MacBook is capable of so much more for so much less money.
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.
Article Link
I do think it would be good if Apple tapped into this market. Maybe not because of the current economic conditions, but because I think it fair to have an Apple notebook that's maybe not as high end as the MBP or MB and certainly not as expensive as them and the MBA but still would have all of those Apple features that distinguish the product from windows based laptops.
I would like for Mac to be seen less as "elitist" and "high-end" or only for "gadget guru's". This might be a good start.
$1300 IS a big chunk of money for "regular" laptop users.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I think the failure of the Air will prevent apple from experimenting with anything under the MacBook unless it is a smaller touch-screen similar to a larger iPod touch.
the Touch is a fantastic pocket-sized notebook. Not the fastest typer in the world, but works great as a bathroom-level browser
Is the Air really considered a sales failure? I haven't heard any sales metrics from Apple.
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.
This would be pointless, I feel. That means all Mac OS Xdevelopers would have to recompile to run on ARM. It would be another architecture to support. The beauty of Atom is that it's instruction set compatible with x86.
I think the appeal is a full Mac OS X mini laptop.
arn
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)
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)
i do alot of traveling..and I have been seeing more and more of these mini computers all over the place...as well as the base model macbooks. $1000 or so.
It is very very tough to justify spending more than $1500 or so for a laptop even if it can do everything including slicing bread in these tough economic times.
True..the ipod touch/iphone are something like "mini computers" but the comparsion ends there. Try typing a paper with a touch screen keyboard..yeah not fun.
Apple will lower their macbook prices..they kinda have too. With a 8-10% market share currently...they cant really grow more than that charging so much for its laptops.
It is very very tough to justify spending more than $1500 or so for a laptop even if it can do everything including slicing bread in these tough economic times.
True..the ipod touch/iphone are something like "mini computers" but the comparsion ends there. Try typing a paper with a touch screen keyboard..yeah not fun.
Apple will lower their macbook prices..they kinda have too. With a 8-10% market share currently...they cant really grow more than that charging so much for its laptops.
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.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
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 hope Apple holds true to their long-standing philosophy of "we don't sell junk". A big part of the Apple lure is the high end luxury aspect of their products. To own an Apple product it own something of the likes of a Rolex, or BMW. It's something you can feel proud of, something you can hold and say "I earned this." ...Something you can be passionate about. I can't and never will feel passion for a Dell, HP, or the like.
Back to my original point, I hope Apple doesn't cheapen their line for the sake of market gain. If they were to become just another cheap commodity, that would be a damn shame. I hope Apple knows that it's not all about OS X.
Back to my original point, I hope Apple doesn't cheapen their line for the sake of market gain. If they were to become just another cheap commodity, that would be a damn shame. I hope Apple knows that it's not all about OS X.
Most Apple-like design of current netbooks
The Mini-Note is my favorite. The keyboard design is the most important feature I look at, and the Mini-Note has the best one I've tried. Nearly full-sized and great action. The screen is very nice, but maybe TOO high of resolution.
The metal construction and "look and feel" had people comparing it to an Apple design when it first came out.
It is not without it's problems. They need to get rid of the Via C7 processor and either use a Via Nano (which is pin compatible with the C7) or ditch the Via chipset altogether and go with Intel Atom. They use mostly Windows Vista - Basic on the low end and Business on the higher end - and they're resource hogs. XP runs better on it, and thankfully it's now an option. I don't like the buttons on the side of the mousepad, but you can tap and double-tap to simulate mouse clicks.
They are coming out with a 10" screen version "very soon" which would make it nearly perfect with that keyboard.
The Mini-Note has sold very well worldwide, even though it's a higher-end product and more expensive than most when fully configured.
I haven't bought one because I'm waiting to see if Apple does something in this market, and if HP fixes that processor.
IMO, this is the new "switcher" battlefield to win over the hearts and minds of Windows users. Makes no sense to have potential customers buy $400-$600 XP portable machines and have nothing to offer. The Mac Mini is the only product in that price range, and it's not a portable. When you consider that most of these devices are second or third computers, I can't see how Apple would completely ignore this market as either somebody's introduction to a Mac, or as a companion to a Mac they already own.
The Mini-Note is my favorite. The keyboard design is the most important feature I look at, and the Mini-Note has the best one I've tried. Nearly full-sized and great action. The screen is very nice, but maybe TOO high of resolution.
The metal construction and "look and feel" had people comparing it to an Apple design when it first came out.
It is not without it's problems. They need to get rid of the Via C7 processor and either use a Via Nano (which is pin compatible with the C7) or ditch the Via chipset altogether and go with Intel Atom. They use mostly Windows Vista - Basic on the low end and Business on the higher end - and they're resource hogs. XP runs better on it, and thankfully it's now an option. I don't like the buttons on the side of the mousepad, but you can tap and double-tap to simulate mouse clicks.
They are coming out with a 10" screen version "very soon" which would make it nearly perfect with that keyboard.
The Mini-Note has sold very well worldwide, even though it's a higher-end product and more expensive than most when fully configured.
I haven't bought one because I'm waiting to see if Apple does something in this market, and if HP fixes that processor.
IMO, this is the new "switcher" battlefield to win over the hearts and minds of Windows users. Makes no sense to have potential customers buy $400-$600 XP portable machines and have nothing to offer. The Mac Mini is the only product in that price range, and it's not a portable. When you consider that most of these devices are second or third computers, I can't see how Apple would completely ignore this market as either somebody's introduction to a Mac, or as a companion to a Mac they already own.
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.