Is the future of Netbooks something smaller, or is that all in the past?

The Viliv S7: ahead of the curve, or missing the point?

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

The Yukyung Viliv lineup ultraportable of mini-computers is, in a way, a bit of a throwback to the days when UMPCs and MIDs ruled the pocket-gadget landscape and laptops were bulky and expensive and didn't have any great battery power to speak of. Back in the days of the OQO and the Samsung Q1, you didn't expect an ultraportable to have the same productivity power as a full-fledged computer...you were, in fact, happy when it just did one or two things right. Those days are over, though. For $300 you can now get a Netbook which, while lacking the horsepower that modern PC users expect, can still run rings around laptops from the days when the Patriots still won Super Bowls.

On the other hand, portables are also the future. From flip-keyboarded smartphones to tiny clamshell "smartbooks" running smartphone processors and mobile operating systems, the old-fashioned concept of a flip-up laptop is bound for a change.

This is where the Viliv devices lie: one foot in the past, one foot in the future, they're transitional evolutionary devices. In some ways, their tablet forms are refreshing. In others, they're less functional than basic Netbooks. And that's a shame, since they also happen to cost significantly more.

Viliv S7 and X70EX

The Viliv S7 and X70EX are two different form factors with the same internal components: both have Intel Atom Z520 processors and 7-inch resistive touch screens, 1GB of RAM, and a smaller-size hard drive or SSD. The X70EX, however, takes the form of a tablet computer, a bigger-screened improvement on the S5. The S7 breaks the mold a little more by adding a convertible laptop/tablet swivel screen to the equation, much like the Asus EeePC T91.

Would either of these be appealing to someone looking for mobile horsepower, or is a smartphone like an iPhone still the way to go? Can either of these Vilivs provide a compelling amount of Netbook in their small-form style, or are these higher-priced items stuck between a phone and a hard place? And here's another question: would you rather see Netbooks get back to these 7-inch sizes, or are you happier with the move to 10 inch and larger Netbooks with better graphics and HD screens?

Or is the future in fact something else entirely--custom-designed tablets like the ones that seem to be around the curve from Apple and Microsoft?

Read our X70EX and S7 reviews.

[rgathright]

Hmm... a 7" screen is just to small to use. Although, the touch screen would be real handy for business use as an inventory checking software suite.

I like the processor though, because the Intel Atom N270 in my ASUS 1005HA eeePC is just to darn slow. http://bit.ly/44CHFm

[josh81]

"because the Intel Atom N270 in my ASUS 1005HA eeePC is just to darn slow. "

Amen, amen. That's the entire reason I just sold my HP Mini. The thing was just about useless, even for its "intended" purpose.

[rgathright]

@Josh81, but the ASUS netbooks are faster than the HP Mini's by a large factor because of better chip layout. I have some benchmarks at this url: http://bit.ly/44CHFm

[mjw149]

"can still run rings around laptops from the days when the Patriots still won Super Bowls. " Nice drive-by sports comment there. Sir, I applaud you.

[Nick.Kentros]

I agree that netbooks are getting too big. I think the problem came from the rampant success of the eeepc 1000 series. Those were just too chunky, but had great performance, so it became accepted to have netbooks about that big. Now with 11" and 12" screens, they are just far too big.

I want to see a company bring back a 9" model that is significantly smaller....and still cheaper

[Rod Roddy]

I think it's rediculous to continue to shrink these devices. How small are these manufacturers willing to go? Besides the iPod Touch is kinda sorta like a small computer right?

[Brent212]

If it can't fit in my pocket, I'm not sure what benefits I get from making a laptop/netbook smaller. I guess if I were a girl and carried around a purse, I could carry around a 6-7 inch MID/UMPC/netbook and that'd be kind of cool.

[passingthrough]

Traveling. I took my eee netbook country hopping recently and it was perfect. My cell phone was useless in Africa, although I suppose you could use your iPhone to at least get on wireless, but no keyboard and no way to upload your pics from flash.

I don't use the eee so much at home, but do take it to work if I need to for light work moving from workspace to workspace- way easier to deal than my Dell laptop. Plus, if you get your 300 dollar netbook stolen, there won't be as much crying.

[mtf612]

To me 12 inches is a laptop.

11inches is a mini laptop.

10 inches is a big net book

9 inches and smaller are ideal

6 inches and smaller are UMPC

3.5 inches and smaller...get an iphone

[zmjman08]

what he said.

[QA_Tester]

I don't completely agree with under six inches still being internet appliance. Archos internet tablet is 4.8 inches. Internet appliance is a better term. 7- I2 inches is a laptop 12 inches and up Laptop. I think that 12 inches is perfect spot to devide to go either way depending on processor, memory, etch.

[importgamefan]

To be honest, I want a pocketable clamshell style laptop, like the UMID M1, which I have to mention all too frequently because it's the closest thing to what I want. The same thing with SLIGHTLY more power (mainly a non-intel integrated graphics card would do it for me) and SLIGHTLY more RAM (1GB is enough, 512MB just isn't) and turned into a convertible tablet is probably my dream computer right now. Yes, I know it would be expensive, and no, it wouldn't suffice as my only computer, but I want the ultimate in portable computing, and a capable, pocketable, clamshell or convertible laptop is what that is for me.

[johnb6597]

10" is the sweet spot...at least, my wife thinks so. :-)

[StevieD377]

That's not what she told me...

haha ok seriously, I think Microsoft's "Courier" device is ideal. The traditional laptop concept is great for the traditional use of pc's. However as customers begin carrying these devices around with them everywhere and are becoming acustomed to using their fingers instead of a trackpad, it's time to come up with a new design.

[Vepar_S]

I think 7' inch screen net-book is rather ridiculous.I would use a Iphone/smart-phone or just go with a lightweight laptop. The features are rather nice but after my experience with the eee PC and that awful Atom N270 cpu, I ran back to my laptop..LOL

[dave_p_1]

The question is, what benefit a small form factor provides. 7" is too big for a pocket PC and not significantly lighter than an 8" or 9" netbook. I would see the following breakdown:

Laptops - essentially desktop replacements, designed to be moved from a cube to a conference room to a home office.

Netbooks - 8" to 10" lightweight traveling portable PCs, designed to be used on a plane or a couch for lightweight computing tasks.

Pocketable PCs - 5" PCs that can fit in a pocket, designed to be carried all the time like a phone but with a full OS to run enterprise applications.

Smartphones - 3" phones with a custom (or customized Linux) OS, designed primarily as a voice phone with limited PC capabilities.

A better target for Viliv would be a more powerful S5 with a slide-out keyboard. The UMID M2 seems to have the right internals and overall form factor but I don't thing the clamshell design is optimal for this size device because the keyboard is a bit too large for thumbing and the screen ends up too far away from the keyboard to conveniently use the touch capabilities.

[MikeDS_1]

i thought about getting a netbook but as a cheap computer t have around but when i compared it to my Iphone it just didn't do much more than what I can do with the phone and I can and do take it everywhere with me. A powerful computer at home and a smartphone are all i need.

[eeepcKenya]

I travel all over Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia.......I love my eee pc 1000he, loved my eee 701 until my buddy had to have it,sold it. Notebooks have there place. Try traveling in rural Africa with a huge laptop!!! Im using my eee now hooked up to a cell phone as a modem!!!


mini laptops rock in the jungle!!!!!

[Proud_Geek]

And for this reason, I bless the rains down in Africa...

[ericslick]

Something like this would just be to small for me. I have larger hands and my eyes aren't getting any better either.

When getting to this size of things wouldn't it be smarter to just incorporate more things into smartphones?

[QA_Tester]

Frankly I don't see a point of netbooks. 12"-13" are light enough and small enough for travel. Anything smaller and it's either a smart phone or internet enabled appliance ala Archos style devices (except maybe as a tabler

[joefosho619]

Smaller??? Why? Now we need contact lenses that are capable of magnifying everything.

[C433Z]

I want something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-TouchNote-TFT-LCD-1-66Ghz-1366x768/dp/B002HP5X3U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1253925667&sr=8-3

only with win7, Nvidia Ion, better battery life, and it needs to be less chunky.

[setjeff15081947]

Reminds me of another Transitional-Period ---Poratble, Digital Word-Processors just beginning to replace Electric-Typewriters. Those prices were exorbitant too, and I didn't bite then, so I ain't going to bite now. Patience can be its own reward, and I can wait for that portable device that can manage all the functions I need on a Computer that merely weighs a couple of ounces
If you want to buy these new Thingies, I've got a "Bridge-In-Brooklyn" I'm sure you'll enjot purchasing as well.

[Dan7637]

hahaha - not funny about the sports comment you dumb sh*t

well what should i have expected from a retarded jets fan

[JeffTL123]

I'm using a Samsung Netbook right now and I love it. I'm a big guy with larger hands and I can type on the keyboard just fine. Its light weight and has a 6+hour battery life. I think it has a place if you want computing ability and portability. To those having trouble with the computing power of netbooks maybe you're trying too much or you just didn't pay for the best (Samsung!) but mine does the things its suppose to do just fine (internet, word processing, etc). I bought the Samsung because it had the largest keyboard of the netbook options at the time. I don't think these smaller devices are going to catch on with the masses. The netbook craze pushed into the 10" realm because that's the sweet spot, enough screen and keyboard space to make them lightweight capable light duty computers for cheap. These other devices are just gimmicks. By the way Sony's had a ultra small netbook type device for a while that was very sleek and it just doesn't have the sales the netbooks do. I agree with most of the posters here and the public, smaller than a 10" netbook and you should get a iphone/ipod touch. With them you can do most of your basic net enabled applications and its really pocketable by most people's standards...oh and if you're carrying the iphone that cuts the number of devices most of us carry in half! Want a cheap lightweight computer capable of most basic computing needs? Get netbook. Want a small truly pocketable internet/media device? Get an iphone. These other devices won't catch on in my opinion.

[bornlikethis38]

the screen on that netbook likes crappy, like an old portable dvd player

[renzenkuken]

why would anyone get this device over a asus t91?