In my last article I briefly mentioned my Netbook, saying “I was using Ubuntu intensively on my Netbook.” The more attentive readers of this blog might have been wondering why I was using past tense there.
To put it simply, I got rid of it and Apple was always right.
There have been rumours about an Apple netbook for a long time now, and I was sure they would not offer one, considering what the current state of affairs of netbooks was.
Netbook definition
An economical laptop computer
Or being more sarcastic: Take one of the more expensive computers like a laptop, which are expensive for a reason, because all the parts have to be somewhat optimised for low power consumption, miniturisation and lightness, and make it cheap.
The only choice you have to achieve this is make them crappy. Smaller keyboards, less technology, cheaper and worse displays, less battery life – I mean, a 10” screen that really should be draining little power, a 1.5” harddisk and you still only get a measly two hours of battery life out of it?
Although the aspire one doesn’t underdeliver, I was just expecting a laptop from a netbook and that was my fault. I ended up with a bad experience, because I thought I could use a netbook for actual work rather than just playing with it. And I found that the keyboard is really terrible for writing anything longer than your occasional twit.
I found that a maximum of 2 hours of battery life is really stupid, because I might as well bring my laptop and get a bit more life out of it. And the screen is just so cramped that looking at any page that was made for an actual computer and not a mobile device would just mean that you feel like peeping through a letter-box hole or a medieval knight’s armour.
Even after using add-ons for Firefox to reduce the menu-bar of it to a single button the screen would look cramped, and switching Firefox to full-screen didn’t really help much either.
The days of even 1024×768 screens are a thing of the past and working at such a resolution or below nowadays is just absurd. So I drew the conclusion and sold of the thing.
Netbooks are toys. Get over it.
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from monologue to dialogue
If you say so…
Sorry to disagree, but my experience is a bit different.
Thinking that I would use a notebook only during travel and only for certain purpose I realized that a today typical 15” Display notebook would be a waste of weight, space and money.
So I bought my netbook1 for 45000Yen and it is even a convertible (to a Tablet) which is hard to find at prices below 150000-250000 yen and it serves me well.
Important was the analysis for what I would use it during a travel. – Checking mail – Browsing – Chatting via various messenger – Using Skype for Telephone
(Which works perfect especially with my bluetooth headset) – Working with some “Office”-software. – Reading E-Books (where the Tablet-feature and light weight comes real handy) – and even sometimes watching a video. – Working on Photos and videos and if it is only to copy and store them from their SD-Cards used in the Cameras.
In addition I this one has an included GPS feature (with Navisoftware) and the 1-Seg TV… well it was not optional in that case so I took it.
The GPS is a bit of a toy for future purpose, because I go sailing now and then and I would like to try, if I can use it with typical navisoftware for boats.
And yes in all points it serves well and as a E-Book reader I can use it for up to 3h roughly (Remember the e-Book reader from Sony costs about the same and works only with proprietary software for uploading books. AND is ONLY a e-Book reader, no real PC!)
For me it is not a replacement for a Desktop PC but a very useful Add-on.
And if I have some time (and after research) I will try to use a Linux on it.
No advertisement intended only for people who are interested in my choice.
[1] http://jp.kohjinsha.com/models/sc/feature/index.html
Yes, you can do many things with a netbook but none of them really comfortably and well. It always feels like a compromise to me.
YMMV.
Unfortunately I’ve read that the kojinsha netbooks seem to be pretty tough to get Linux running on them properly. Maybe an acer aspire one, eeePC or even MSI wind might have been a better choice given that they’ve been around for a while and there’s excellent support in some major distros for them (mainly my favourite Ubuntu that is ;-)
Sure it is a Compromise.
One main feature which was important to me, because I use it very often as reading device, is the ability to convert to a tablet PC.
The mounting of the display is not shaky or susceptible to get easy broken. (Everything brakes with the right amount of Force)
The next non tablet choice would have been the Acer the eeePC Display was IMHO way too dark even under full power and it made somehow a very small physical impression.
Well if Linux is not easy to install I will swallow the fish and stay with the includes japanese XP version, which runs so far quite stable on it.
For fun I tried to install the Windows 7 RC, which worked surprisingly well… but for a permanent solution it would be changing the Devil against the Beelzebub. ;-)
I love to have the last word:
According to a survey by NPD – not the German party (FSM forbid!), but the research firm – most netbook users are actually disappointed.