Memo to Intel: Netbooks morphing into notebooks
Looking for signs that netbooks are catching on? And even morphing into notebooks? Here's a few.
Netbooks were the big end-user gadget on display at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference that ended Friday.
And all the Netbooks at a Microsoft booth were running Windows 7, Microsoft's next-generation operating system due next year.
A Microsoft person on the floor said that a lite version of Windows 7 will run on 1GB of memory and 16GB of (solid-state drive) storage. Higher-end Netbooks will have a 160GB hard disk drive, according to Microsoft "guidance."
Microsoft displayed Netbooks running Windows 7 at WinHEC
(Credit: Brooke Crothers)This person also said something surprising. Dual-core Atom processors will be used in Netbooks. I tried to disabuse him of the notion that netbooks would get dual-core Atom processors. No, I said, it was Nettops (Atom-based desktops) that would get dual-core. But he assured me that vendors were planning to bring out dual-core Netbooks.
So, I contacted Intel. There are no immediate plans for dual-core Atom chips designed specifically for Netbooks, according to Intel. But what's stopping a netbook supplier from using a dual-core Atom 330 (designed for nettops) in a Netbook? Answer: nothing.
At 8 watts, the chip has a higher power envelope than single-core Atom processors, but 8 watts is still low compared with a mainstream Core 2 Duo processor. Other specifications for the Atom 330 include a core clock speed of 1.6GHz, 1MB of level-2 cache, and support for DDR2 667MHz memory.
Beginning to sound more like a low-end notebook? I think so.
Netbook market share appears to be growing too. A little more than 5 million Atom processors shipped in the third quarter of 2008, according to Shane Rau of IDC, a market researcher. "Will it add to the total market or will it eat into the total market? Another question might be is Atom eating into another processor brand such as Celeron (Intel) or Sempron (AMD)?"
Rau says that the total market can grow while Netbooks eat into notebook market share. "The TAM (Total Available Market) can grow even as Atom eats into another brand. But we don't know how it's shaking out yet," he said.
And here's evidence of Netbooks penetrating the consumer consciousness. Best Buy now has a separate category for Netbooks on its Web site. Right under laptop computers you'll see "Netbooks". Interestingly, the Netbooks category is ranked above desktops and most other "computer" categories.
Other signs. Dell has a 12-inch laptop, the Inspiron Mini 12 based on the Atom processor. Is this a Netbook or notebook? You tell me.
Brooke Crothers has served as an editor at large at CNET News, an editor at Dow Jones' Asian Wall Street Journal Weekly, and a senior editor at InfoWorld. His CNET blog covers chip technology and computer systems, and how they define the computing experience. He also contributes to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. Follow Brooke on Twitter @mbrookec. 
Listen up Microsoft. Killing XP is a bad idea. But, I don't expect you to listen to me. I've only been a software engineer in the PC industry since the original IBM PC. Just keep running your customers away.
Vista doesn't have the horrid security hole called outlook express, has a much better explorer, VERY good backup utilities in everything other than the stupid "home" versions. Vista DOESN'T BSOD from bad video drivers.
The "Vista SUCKS, XP Rules!" crowd are the same dolts that proclaimed "XP SUCKS, 2K Rules!" 7 years ago, and by the time Windows 7 releases will be yelling "7 SUCKS, Vista Rules!" too I am sure.
Yes, I also think Vista isn't nearly as bad as many people say it is. I find it to be a nice improvement over XP. Yet, my Vista machine -- and most machines with an nVidia chipset -- will BSOD when they go into hibernate. Vista still has a few hardware-related problems, but SP1 fixed most of these and SP2 will probably fix the remainder.
Having said that, when I do use Windows, it's only XP, and then as a VM running in OS-X. I do like the compactness, lightweightness, convenience of netbooks. The specs you specify are just right on. 10" , an atom dual-core (for halfway decent processing in that compact form factor), a 6-cell battery (at least), XP forget Vista (Amen!) and a decent sized keyboard. The keyboard is one of the more important considerations as it is the one component part that interfaces man and machine the majority of the time. If not touch-typable nor if the fingers do not naturally go to the backspace, delete, shift keys, etc.,then it is not a well-designed KB. HP's 10" model would be my choice at the moment if I were to make a netbook book choice at all.
I will hold off a bit longer on a netbook for the following reasons
- I am primarily an OS-X user not Windows.
- An Atom dual core processor. It's just a matter of time that one must come, if Intel wants to continue doing business. It's a matter of natural business progression and wanting to make money.
- Considering Apple decided to adopt the Intel core processor as it's central processor, there is nothing to stop them, say, to use an atom processor in a forthcoming but yet unannounced product. Given Apple's secretive nature, and progressive thinking in product design, I believe that sooner or later they will release something compact and akin to the netbook category but for OS-X.
So, for the above reasons, I will wait and hold off on a netbook purchase for the moment. There is a plethora of models hitting the market, one right after another, confusing the market, 'cheapening' the netbook, and all trying to get a piece of the action. And, pushing the netbook now to 12".... is it not getting ridiculous to continue calling it a netbook, rather then a full-fledged notebook? In any case, a well-designed keyboard with a max 10" screen is a good compromise on size, keyboard, useability, etc. I will wait. No need to rush. Sooner or later, someone is going to do a atom core processor in a notebook, mark my words. Furthermore, with Apple's Macworld 2009 Keynote address in San Francisco in January (5th - 9th) only a couple months away, I will wait until at least then to make any purchase decsions, netbooks or upgraded MacBook Pros. I will see what new products precipitate from the world of Apple as well before I jump onto the netbook bandwagon, If the netbooks ran OS-X, I might consider one almost in a heartbeat if well-designed. But, because the OS consideration transcends hardware considerations, all the more reason I can wait. And, just to run XP outside of a virtual machine in OS-X is not enough of a compelling reason. And to run Vista? Such bloatware is not even a consideration.
@dwinks - Yes, Vista sucks. If you have to turn off numerous functionalities of an OS just to make it work in lesser hardware considerations, then why build such functionality into the OS in the first place? All points to Vista being 'bloatware', period! And because of all these vast new hardware requirements Microsoft dictated for individuals and corporations alike, is why there is such a popularity of downgrades to XP, including many of netbooks. I did an installation of Vista, XP, and Linux (Ubuntu) as virtual machines in my OS-X environment. The space requirements worked out to roughly 25GB (Vista), 13GB-14GB (XP) 4.8GB (Ubuntu Linux). You go figure. And the Ubuntu Linux is a 64-bit version as well. And, all these base installations are without any applications installed. Every year, Microsoft continues to add in more bells, whistles and ornaments to make it more 'attractive' so to speak. To the contrary, OS-X continues to get improved every year. For one small example, the 'Mail' client component in the current Leopard is around 271MB. The Mail client in Snow Leopard (at least I read in Alpha stage) will be about 91MB, with improved functionality. As the processors get more powerful, OS-X is getting leaner, improved functionality and performance. Good luck waiting another couple of years for MS to release Windows 7 and recover from their mistakes with Vista. For that you have to wait a couple years, and then 'hope' it's better (otherwise wait longer). OS-X is here and now, today, runs very well, and will only get better in 2009 when Snow Leopard releases.
So your prepared to say that osx will run a netbook any better?
Leopard is just as bloated as vista was
I thought I'd add my wishlist. ;)
Why apple stopped making them I will never know.
QUOTE
So your prepared to say that osx will run a netbook any better?
Leopard is just as bloated as vista was
END QUOTE
Please reread above. A basic install of Vista (about 25GB) versus a basic install of Leopard (about 11GB, under 9GB if you cut out all the printer drivers and languages it includes that you won't need) yeah, guess then Leopard is surely bloated.
Obviously you have an extreme bias to Vista, or don't know anything about OS-X Leopard. Another qualification of that observation, OS-X does not run on netbooks.
At the end of the day, there's precious little difference between the 2 OS's. Which is hardly a surprise as they have been designed to perform similar tasks.It is also nice to see that OSX finally has been targetted by hackers (recently a trojan attack against OSX has been reported).
By comparison, a basic install of Ubuntu is just 3 gigabytes and includes noticeably more software than either OS X or Vista. And I'm talking about Ubuntu Desktop; the netbook edition uses less space still.
Small (10" or less screen)
Light (Remove heavy compoents like hard drives)
Cheap (Less than £200)
As with all computing over time you will get more power for the same price.
Obviously, Netbooks are going to have more memory, more storage, better screen and better processors.
@js.matrix Obviously OS X doesn't run on netbooks, and that was the WHOLE POINT of the comment that apparently went over your head. OS X is FAR FAR FAR more inferior than Vista on netbooks, since it doesn't even RUN on them.
@3rdalbum I've tried Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10 both recently on my dual-core, 2gb ram laptop, clean installs. Sure, they may have used a few less GB of disk space than Vista, but they took longer to boot to a log-in screen, took longer to finish logging in to a usable desktop from the log-in screen, both failed to hibernate. Neither one would browse to secured shares on Vista/Server 2008 (something that Ubuntu 6.06 DOES DO, before you say it's Microsoft's fault), it's stupid GVFS that causes that to fail, and it hasn't been fixed in over a YEAR. OpenOffice takes 4-5 seconds to launch, compared to under 1 second for office 2007, and provides only a sub-set of functionality and compatibility.
Oh, and the final nail-in-the-coffin for Linux for me, Firefox is HORRIBLY slow with any page open with any flash on it, especially flash video. I tried adobe flash, gnash and one other I can't think of the name of, and all 3 slowed down firefox to the point that scrolling was extremely jerky, switching tabs to 5+ seconds, etc.
These are real computers, and before Microsoft could fit into one of their small harddrives they needed a reason to separate them from what their over-priced cousins can do. Now that MS has an OS that can fit on this hardware and are actively pushing it, there is even less of a reason to differentite. Its like the "I'm a Mac; I'm a PC" baloney -- is the Mac not a Personal Computer (PC)? Or is it really that locked and limited??
Next are games. Cant even play Spore well. Hmmmm... one of the largest segments are casual gaming, cant play well on netbook. Battery life... pawned off as all day really means 3 hours. Class-action suit ready to happen. Maybe 5 hours "idle time" with screen turned off/down. Screen resolution a whopping 1027x768. Ever see a 1024x768 web site on a 1024x600 screen. Yeah.... you miss a lot of viewing and cant even play kid's games like Webkinz.
Oh then there is SSD. Because these netbooks are sold as real notebooks, what happens when the user loads their itunes library and runs out of space because an ipod nano has more storage in some cases. Real pissy users, thats what you get.
With that, if you MUST buy a netbook, get one with a hard drive, 10-12", 160gb hard drive, and upgrade to 2gb RAM. Be prepared to have a lousy web exoerience and NOT run HD content.
- by MrMe003 November 12, 2008 9:54 AM PST
- adding, so no reasson here to move from linux (ubuntu eee) to windows 7 or vista, why i need to?
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