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Netbooks dead? Yes, in the student market at least

By | March 9, 2010, 5:06am PST

Summary: Netbooks and students don’t go together, and with IDC’s predictions that netbooks have hit a sales growth wall, perhaps we should write off the netbook altogether?

The netbook is dead, according to my editor-in-chief Larry Dignan. I’m inclined to agree with him frankly; as Gartner and IDC project that netbooks will not sell as many as they have done before, or even ever.

Chris Dawson, education enthusiast, to some extent disagrees and sees the wide opportunity for younger users to easily get themselves into technology. Plus, on a strange level, netbooks are mini-laptops for smaller people - children in particular. Still, Chris hopes netbooks won’t go away any time soon. Again, I’m inclined to agree but for the student market, there is not much place for netbooks.

I could walk into any lecture theater on campus and pick out from the 200 students in there around 50 of them are using laptops, and only 1 or 2 are using a netbook. Students don’t see a benefit in getting a netbook, with the exception of the compact size and lighter weight.

Netbooks are smaller, thinner, more “lightweight” (in more ways than the obvious) laptops. The screens are tiny, the keyboard is - well, the same size - but there isn’t much room for error, the memory capacity is low and there’s nothing more than an on-board graphics and sound card. They’re not meant to be fantastic, but should bridge the gap somewhat between a smartphone and a laptop.

But Steve Jobs says that’s what the iPad will do. And though I hate to admit it, he has a point when he said, “…but netbooks aren’t good at anything”. Maybe battery life - I’ll give you that one - but nothing else.

Instead, I see more and more students opting for the middle ground between a fully fledged laptop and a netbook - the ‘in-between area’ which hasn’t been defined properly yet; not slate PC’s and not necessarily touch-screen computers, but small and powerful laptops like the HP Touchsmart tx2 to throw in a random example.

It’s small, it’s light, it’s powerful and it’s flexible. It isn’t the greatest student laptop in the world, but it surely won’t be outweighed by the netbook in any case. But even taking the tx2 out of the equation, I’d prefer my BlackBerry to a netbook. At least you can fit it in your pocket…

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Topics

Laptop Computer, Netbook, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Hardware, Zack Whittaker

Zack Whittaker, a criminologist who studied at the University of Kent, Canterbury, is a journalist, writer and broadcaster.

Disclosure

Zack Whittaker

I worked briefly with Microsoft UK in 2006 but no longer have any connection with the company. Regardless, I remain impartial and unbiased in my views.

I don't hold any stock or shares, investments or industrial secrets in any company, but have signed confidentiality agreements with a number of UK and U.S. organisations, whose names I am not at liberty to disclose.

I was involved with Kent Union, the University of Kent's student union, undertaking voluntary, non-salaried, elected positions between early 2009 and mid-2010.

No other company, body, government department, non-governmental organisation or third sector organisation employs me or pays me a salary in any capacity whatsoever.

As a freelance journalist, whenever expenses are given and taken by a company that is not CBS Interactive, these will be disclosed in each relevant post to ensure transparency.

I currently work with a UK law enforcement unit, but this is an entirely separate position which bears no connection to other work.

(Updated: 23rd October 2011)

Biography

Zack Whittaker

Zack Whittaker, criminologist who studied at the University of Kent, UK, is a journalist, writer and broadcaster.

After studying criminology at university, though still in his early-20's, he has already had a series unconventional work and voluntary positions. He has worked with researchers studying neurological illnesses like Tourette's syndrome (which he suffers from), has given lectures on the nature of disabilities in the public community, and occasionally ends up speaking on television and radio discussing the events of the day.

He first had academic work published at the age of 22, then still an undergraduate, and has been cited by a wide range of publications: from the Huffington Post, Business Insider, AllThingsDigital, The Atlantic Wire and CBS News.

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Sorry, but you don't get it
MacNewton Updated - 24th Mar 2010
Until you have one in your hands. Sometimes it takes more then words
and photos to convince some people. You, my Friend must fall into
3 or more of the following.

Still using Windows XP.
Thinks all US Patents are fakes & should be copied
Never backs up.
Does't understand why the iPad has't got a mouse port.
Finds all his web sites by typing it into "google search".
Thinks Windows was invented by Microsoft.
Never reads the instruction manuals before calling tech support.
Can't read anything without pictures
Always the last one to get a "joke"

So James, how many of the listed categories did you pick? Have you got one
to add?
View in thread
0 Votes
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wrong students
ajbird@... 9th Mar 2010
I think you are looking at the wrong student
sector.. for schools (read aged 5 - 16) looking to
roll out 1:1 devices netbooks are perfect.
0 Votes
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You got it
ParrotHead_FL 9th Mar 2010
I was about to post the exact same thing; this article assumes a rather narrow definition of "students." There are far more students at the younger grade levels--students for whom netbooks are ideal--than there are in universities.
0 Votes
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Even at Universities
rarsa 10th Mar 2010
There are more students in areas that do not require high processing power than those that do.

Psychology, Liberal arts, Biology, Chemistry.

Of course a Computer Science or a Graphic design major may require serious CPU but I think that the author of the blog considered a narrow sample.
0 Votes
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Exactly what I was thinking...
mnemennth 10th Mar 2010
... but I'll take this one step further.

These assumptions of "sales growth will plateau" in the netbook market are completely moronic; remember, this time a year ago they were GROWING in market share at 10-25% a month. Not KEEPING a 10-25% market share, but GROWING at that rate. That rate of growth is simply unsustainable; it is an entrepreneur's wet dream, but it simply CANNOT continue.

Why? because the product WAS BRAND NEW; and here's how this applies to today's college students:

While there are some who can afford the newest and greatest out there, by and large, your average college student will get their computer kicked down by an older sibling or by a parent. This product is TOO NEW to have made it through that process; THAT is why you see so many fullsize notebooks out there, NOT because netbooks aren't useful.

Most college students keep EVERYTHING they need on a thumbdrive nowadays (my wife is a perfect example) because they often HAVE to work on school hardware at some times and their own at others. NOBODY NEEDS an optical drive anymore; all they NEED is a Browser, an Office Suite, Network/WiFi, and a USB port.

Netbooks have that IN SPADES, and they offer the portability and battery life students NEED. If it weren't for the fact that I built my wife a refurbished HP 12" ultralight over 2 years ago, she would be ALL OVER the new Dell & HP Netbooks.

Manufacturers have heard the call as well; this last year's models have high resolution (though STILL compact) brilliant screens, nearly full-size (HP's 92% scale version is SWEET) keyboards, and are even sporting multi-touch pointing devices with full version OS on a 160GB HDD.

All for less than $300, with refurb units available at the major online chains right around $220, shipping included.

Bottom line:

It's not that students don't WANT or NEED a Netbook; it's just that they haven't had time to trickle down the supply chain yet.
0 Votes
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Personally, I think you're wrong.
vulpine@... 10th Mar 2010
While I will accede that a netbook is all that most students up to and
including college needs, it is not all that they want. Most
students want the best possible computer they can get for their
money--at least a fair proportion of these use MacBooks and MacBook
Pros. The rest want something they can view and web browse easily
and, if possible, do some gaming. These factors alone require a
significantly larger screen than any netbook carries, and more video
power, too.

Netbooks are cheap enough that any student can afford one with only a
week or two's pay from working at the nearest fast-food joint. About
the only time you'll see a student buy a netbook is if the full-sized
notebook their parents gave them dies for whatever reason, then they'll
buy the cheapest they can get away with. It also doesn't help when
many colleges have minimum hardware specifications that go far
beyond a netbook's capabilities.

Bottom line, they've already trickled down--sales have to plateau,
especially when you consider that for most of last year, Acer and
Toshiba both were seeing a full 50% sales growth of netbooks year
over year while almost all other PC platforms (not including Apple) were
seeing only 5% growth or less. And this, by no means, takes into
consideration the new generation of slate-type touch tablet machines
that should provide all the capabilities of a netbook in a much more
usable form factor.
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I don't see what you're taking issue with...
mnemennth 10th Mar 2010
... in my statement; for the most part, you are saying exactly what I just said in different words.

Except for the part about WANTING more capability, that is.

Sure, everybody WANTS the full-bling every extra goodies in anything they buy. Who wouldn't?

Oh, wait... maybe the guy who has to carry it around on his back along with a dozen textbooks any two of which cost more than a modern NetBook. Or the girl who doesn't use their portable that much anyways, so why carry around the desktop-replacement model at 4 times the size & weight just to type out an eMail at lunch which, BTW, the NetBook actually FITS on the table...

Or maybe... the person who knows EXACTLY what s/he needs in a portable computer and realizes that s/he can get it all in a package the size of a paperback novel, and still have money left over to fill it up with eBooks and movies & music off of iTunes...

Naaah... no student would ever WANT what a NetBook has to offer.
0 Votes
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Are you actually a student, yourself?
kingtj 10th Mar 2010
I find your comments to be patently ridiculous, and I say that as someone who recommends portable computers to students all the time.

Most students I've encountered are NOT looking for the "full bling" in a portable computer at all. In fact, they usually have an "under $1000" price limit they're willing to spend on one. That means at the high-end, they can barely squeeze in a purchase of an Apple Macbook (NOT a Pro or Air). And if they go for PC/Windows notebooks, they tend to buy those $400-600 models from Toshiba, Gateway, Lenovo or HP that offer "middle of the road" processor and video capabilities. What they're usually concerned about, however, is screen real-estate and comfort in use. Netbooks, for lack of a better word, suck - because their screens don't even draw enough vertical pixels to conform to one of the monitor display standards that's been around forever. (Instead of 800x600, or even the lowly 640x480, you tend to get an oddball resolution with them like 640x400.) You're forced to scroll your application window up and down to see/access all of it. HIGHLY annoying and counter-productive!

Their keyboards are improving, but again, they're rather cramped compared to a standard notebook. They throw off your typing speed if you switch often between one of them and a regular desktop or laptop.
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Point
aussieblnd@... 10th Mar 2010
They are way to slow, more ram more processing power and I would get one!
0 Votes
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Of those four fields ...
mwagner@... 10th Mar 2010
Three of them can be extremely compute intensive at the college level. Of the four, only Liberal Arts lacks any serious mathemetical modelling needs.

The more important issue than raw computing power is screen size. College students spend far more hours per say behind a backlit screen than so K-12 students. They also need to work on multiple assignments throughout the day.

Typical college students might have their e-mail open all day long, as well as their facebook pages, and their iTunes player. Oh, and they are likely surfing other web pages as well.

Their computing needs (or should I say WANTS) are just not as baseline as the K-12 student whose computing environment is tightly controlled.
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Students - or pupils ?
perronne Updated - 10th Mar 2010
Outside the United States, the term 'student' is usually only used to mean
students in tertiary education.

Students in primary and secondary schools, including 21-year-old kids at
Sixth Form College, are called pupils.
0 Votes
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Why?
Jeremy-UK 10th Mar 2010
The support issues are the same as laptops, and the prices are similar.
Apart from weight, what have NetBooks got over the new wave of
"cheap" laptops?

Once you start looking at a NetBook you'd actually want to use, there
is no price differential.

The iPad at least won't cost as much to support (and its restricted
nature will actually help quite often - not to mention Apple have some
damn good tools for supporting "Enterprise" iPhone's - I see no
reason why the iPad will be any different.

I know the "fanboys" will see it differently, but the iPad has some
serious chops as an educational computer. It is far cheaper to support
than a traditional laptop, and that's a lot more important than initial
purchase cost (which isn't too horrific - assuming you stay away from
the 3G version).
0 Votes
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Before you praise iPods and iPads...
luxapan 10th Mar 2010
...not to mention Apple have some
damn good tools for supporting "Enterprise" iPhone's - I see no
reason why the iPad will be any different.

You're kidding, right?

I'm taking it you haven't attempted to manage a cartload of these in a classroom. ...or attempted to deploy them.

Apple's configuration tool is little more than a 1:1 interface for pushing a profile -- there are no initial image based tools and absolutely no method nor mechanism for simultaneously touching 5, 10 or twenty of these units in sync.

Don't even get me started with the lackluster, 'on or off' nature of many of the features. Until you can at least get more granular with editing profile restrictions or Apple provides an educational gateway to the iTMS, these devices have some pretty serious pitfalls in the "my kid saw what?!? in the classroom!"

While I do not disagree that there is a great amount of potential for both the iPod Touch (and, ostensibly, the iPad) in a learning environment; the ability to properly fine tune content for age level and the deplorable management tools are a serious hindrance.

On a personal side; I'm looking forward to an iPad. On the professional side, I really hope I wrap my Mac deployment contract up before the school district attempts to deploy a couple hundred of them...
0 Votes
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The weight factor
pjotr123 9th Mar 2010
One of my kids is studying at university, and simply loves the netbook. It weighs far less than a laptop and has superior battery life.

The weight factor is very important, as university students generally have to carry a lot of heavy books with them.

The small screen size is no problem, als long as the netbook is running on an operating system with a specially adapted user interface, like Ubuntu Netbook Remix.
0 Votes
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Contributr
Don't get me wrong - I agree
zwhittaker 9th Mar 2010
Maybe it comes down to marketing at the end of the day. One could argue that Windows is no different to Linux - it's just been marketed in a far different way - making it the "industry standard". Netbooks haven't in my opinion been commercially plugged as much as their predecessor laptops. If students like netbooks - great. But it's just they're not that popular. I'm not saying they're unpopular, but there aren't many of them.
0 Votes
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The cost factor, too.
John Zern 9th Mar 2010
If for long term project, or other such uses, a laptop is much more suited to them.

And for others, a netbook is perfect.

And on the go everyday, a smartphone works just fine.

So which do you give up if you can't afford all three?
0 Votes
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That's an easy one ... the netbook! (nt)
mwagner@... 10th Mar 2010
.
0 Votes
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Try an 11.6" netbook for a weight/screen size compromise
thealias38 9th Mar 2010
I have an 11.6" HP Mini 311 netbook that cost $399. It's a shame there aren't many 11.6" netbooks on the market because they are a good compromise if you want a lightweight laptop with a larger screen compared to the full-size laptops and the 10.1" netbooks. The 10.1" screens are too small, and many full-size laptops are too heavy. The price and the weight were major deciding factors for me. I already have a desktop as well as a 15.4" laptop that has become my second home computer. I bought the netbook just before I went on a trip last year because it was lightweight and didn't take up too much space in my carry-on luggage. While away from home, I wanted to access the internet, compose documents, download photos, load and interface with my MP3 player, print boarding passes, and other such computing tasks. Since I got back, I find that I carry the netbook everywhere. I don't need an optical drive often, but I can always carry one if I need to install software or burn an occasional music CD.

Contrary to some opinions posted here, not all netbooks are powerless "toys." Mine has a 160GB hard drive and 1 GB of memory (which I plan to upgrade to 2 GB), an Nvidia Ion LE graphics card, and an HDMI interface. Netbooks may not be the solution for those who need or prefer heavy-duty hardware like multi-core CPU's, powerful graphics cards and sound cards, etc. for serious gaming, graphics work, drafting, video/music editing, etc. However, they are perfect for many students and travelers. The price point is also great for the poor college student, low-income person, family that wants an inexpensive first computer for their kids, or anyone else with simple computing needs.
I, for one, hope netbooks will be around for awhile, or at least that tablet PC's will become more affordable and less bulky. From what I've read about the iPad, it wouldn't meet MY needs, at least not at an affordable price. Can't speak for others; and I am NOT criticizing the iPad--it just wouldn't work for me.
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I second that - 11.6 is ideal for netbook
corleya@... 10th Mar 2010
I have a 15" laptop also and tried a 10" netbook. I returned that for the 11.6 and have been happy since. The extra screen space is just enough to make it a great compromise. I didn't expect as much of a difference it made when I bought it. Was mainly going for the increased memory (mine came with 2GB) and the larger battery (came with a 6 cell). even with the increased weight form the battery, it's still a lot lighter than the 15" laptop and not much heavier than the 10". With that said, netbooks are here to stay. They will find their niche and rule it. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
0 Votes
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*Cough*SubNotebook*Cough*
mnemennth 10th Mar 2010
The 12" models have always been the domain of the "Ultraportable" or "SubNotebook"... exactly NOT a Netbook. 0.4" doesn't make enough difference to not call it a Notebook; anything at or around 11" or larger really isn't a Netbook anymore.

Don't get me wrong; The "A4" size machines have a lot to offer - that's why I built one for my wife. But once you get in that range, you're really not talking NetBook platform and you're NOT paying NetBook prices, either.

It's a Notebook, not a NetBook.
0 Votes
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Sales figures say otherwise. nt
T1Oracle 9th Mar 2010
nt
0 Votes
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Netbooks Are Fashion, Not Function
brianpeterson@... 9th Mar 2010
Until they get more powerful processors and better peripherals (i. e. - become smaller notebook computers), they are just an approximation of a real computer. Eventually, notebooks will be available in that format the crippled Netbook format will be assimilated except for the kiddie market. Nobody will make them except Hasbro.
0 Votes
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I disagree
thealias38 9th Mar 2010
If I had to choose between the inexpensive notebook computer and a netbook at the same price, I'd choose the netbook. For my discussion, let's say the "same price" is ~$300 - $500 since that's the average in my area for netbooks and low-priced notebooks. The netbooks are lighter weight, have longer battery life, and have storage, memory, and processors that typically are equal to a notebook computer at the same price. True, netbook processors arent as fast and they may have less memory and storage than most mid-priced notebooks, but many users don't need more anyway. Netbook users aren't just kids, and netbooks aren't just "fashion" without function. They meet the computing needs of the on-the-go person (travelers, students, etc.) and anyone with basic computer needs; and they are more affordable. As I understand it, (and there may be disagreement on the definition here), the netbook is just a small notebook computer without an optical drive. If that's the case then we're just mincing semantics, because the next "smaller notebook" or "larger netbook" will be the same thing--a smaller, lighter laptop computer with more powerful hardware. Incidentally, (and I posted this somewhere else in the threads of this article) my netbook is 11.6" rather than the standard 10.1", so it looks a little more serious. They also come in 12". I'll grant that the 10.1" netbook LOOKS like a toy even if it isn't.
0 Votes
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Your premise is flawed ...
mwagner@... 10th Mar 2010
Windows Netbooks typically cost $350 and have an a single-core Atom processor, 1GB of RAM and a 10" to 11" screen.

Windows Notebooks typically start at $500. For that $150 up-tick in price, you typically get a dual-core processor, 2GB to 3GB of RAM, and a 14"-15" monitor.

First and foremost, that extra RAM will make a HUGE difference when running Windows.

For that $150 then, you are getting an screen whic is at least 62% larger and you are getting at least twice as much RAM. And, for that you are losing some battery life.

The unanswered question is whether that $350 netbook will be as functional to you in three years as that $500 notebook.

Only you can determine that but, as my father taught me, you get what you pay for.
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And you repeatedly make one critically flawed assumption...
mnemennth 10th Mar 2010
... in this post, and your response to my post.

That the NetBook is a user's ONLY PC. I have just recently taken a break in my college career pursuing my 2nd Technical degree to allow my wife to complete her Music Education degree.

What I've seen in BOTH environments is that more and more students are using a PC with a large screen at home for both work and recreation and want something LIKE an "Ultraportable" or "Subnotebook" to take WITH them, but are NOT impressed with the large pricetag that comes with one of those tiny machines.

Every time I cracked open my Mini-110 classmates were asking where I got it, how much and when they hear that, what can it do? I show them a full version of XP, with Firefox open, Trillian open, switch to VLC Media Player & play an MP4 or watch something on Hulu, all while connected on the caf's WiFi... and they invariably say "I WANT ONE!"

You talk about them as if they were garbage because of the Atom processor(which, incidentally, is STILL more powerful than the single-core processors being used EVERY DAY in millions of XP-based machines STILL DEPLOYED); they're NOT. They have enough power to play a DVD through a USB DVD drive in Fullscreen mode; I've done it with mine. That's more than enough power for many users in a portable PC that can be bought for a little bit more than many portable DVD players.

What they are for many is JUST WHAT THEY WANT... a cheap, lightweight 2nd or 3rd machine.

And there's NOTHING wrong with that.
0 Votes
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However...
pghammer21@... 10th Mar 2010
The netbook was great when you had to choose between them and vastly more expensive subnotes. However, the subnote has dropped in price (now they are approx. $600USD) and risen in features (in fact, I just had my hands on a truly frightening HP Pavilion subnote with AMD's Turion DC processor, AMD Mobility Radeon HD4200 graphics, a 14" 1440x900 screen, wireless b/g/n built-in, HDMI-out, two USB ports, DVD DL burner with LightScribe, and that aforementioned $600USD (retail, not SRP) price tag). Why is it frightening? It's a subnote that is quite capable of taking on, and whipping, new budget desktop PCs (and it costs little more, or, if you include the monitor, no more, than an identically-equipped desktop). For full-time, and even most continuing education/graduate students, such a subnote makes more sense than a netbook, especially now that pricing is not only reasonable, but downright cheap. (Further, it can even replace a desktop PC.)
0 Votes
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Your assumption is still that it must be one or the other...
mnemennth 10th Mar 2010
I'm seeing more & more of the "disposable income" being used to buy "disposable technology" like NetBooks... and that is the American way.

As I said, I've long been a fan of the A4 size Subnotes... but even at $600, I'd still rather have my NetBook for $225 AND a new Desktop for $379. In two years, I can kick them down the family line and be under warranty again on my new el-cheapo stuff, which will STILL be higher on the food chain than that $600 Subnote.

PCs are no longer an investment; they are, whether we want to admit it or not, just another form of "Bic" lighter to use up & replace. I'm not wasteful; I don't throw it away. I pass my good luck on to others, and keep feeding the economy as I see fit. It's that whole circle of life thing; only with tax write-offs.
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What is it with all the Education blogs?
voyager529 9th Mar 2010
I don't mean to go postal on all the education blogs,
but it seems that they have continually gone for "more
[expensive] tech for diminishing returns".

Netbook sales are down, especially in the student
demographic because...wait for it...IT'S MID-MARCH!
The semester is in progress, so you won't be getting a
whole lot of sales. But let's go over your why's...

-You'll find a higher netbook>laptop ratio for a while
because there *are* in fact, several dealbreakers for
some people. Some students need an optical drive,
making a netbook an impractical choice. Some students
need a larger keyboard or screen, again making a
netbook an impractical choice. However, you'll also
find students with long schedules and otherwise heavy
backpacks. It really can go either way.

-Integrated audio and sound cards are problems? Yeah,
maybe in a media design class, but for the masses?
it's the rare laptop south of the $1,000 price point
that has any kind of dedicated GPU or audio
processing. How many students do you think really care
about X-Fi accelerated audio, especially given that
speakers on laptops have sucked since the first time
they were implemented? (note: exception for the HP
zd7000 series; those speakers were quite impressive)
Sure, you'll find some students in IT classes who will
play Crysis on their laptops, but 9 times out of 10,
gaming isn't a consideration. I don't mean to pick on
Apple here, but when I was in college, the entry level
and midrange Macbooks were the most common machines in
my Photoshop classes. Feel like asking any of them if
the lack of a discrete GPU was a purchasing
consideration?

-Virtually every tablet PC released to date has had a
swivel screen and a keyboard; HP, Toshiba, and Fujitsu
have had them for some time. While I always thought
that they were the ultimate college computer,
apparently very few other people felt the same way.
The swivel hinge that screamed "you'll be needing this
serviced by the end of the year" didn't help matters
much, especially with the hit-or-miss nature of HP
support. Bonus points for the killer app being
OneNote, which was never really marketed properly. FAR
too many students don't have the slightest idea as to
what OneNote does, but if they did, I'm certain that
they'd use it.

-Netbooks aren't good at anything? Interesting, 'cuz I
bought my mom one for her birthday, and she types her
documents, prints out coloring pages for the young
kids she teaches in Publisher, writes her e-mails, and
is ALWAYS streaming Pandora. All of that it done well
enough for both of us that she's happy and doesn't
have to learn new software. It prints to my network
printer, later this month we're driving a distance
that merits using DeLorme Street Atlas and EarthMate
GPS, it saves things to her USB flash drive, plays
videos being streamed from my server, has a six hour
battery life, 140GBytes of storage free...and cost
less than either the iPad *or* the Slate. I must be
missing something, because that's a pretty solid list
of EVERYTHING that she does on her machine, which it's
able to do well enough that she doesn't complain about
anything. There are items on that list that neither
the Slate nor the iPad will be able to do, a few more
that will be time consuming and convoluted, still more
that require the purchase of additional software that
duplicates functionality I've already paid for. Yeah,
it's just one anecdote, but if netbooks weren't really
good at anything, they wouldn't sell.

It all boils down to what you ultimately need to do.
About the only thing I liked my Blackberry for was
reading e-mail, after that it was an annoying piece of
crap that I couldn't WAIT to get rid of. I couldn't
wait to get rid of my iPhone, either. About the only
'data gathering' I saw in the article was based on a
quick peek in a classroom. Have you talked to any of
the students that owned one vs. the other? Have you
asked why they chose one over the other? There may be
more factors at play than either one of us can
speculate about.

Joey
0 Votes
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Not much thought here
Economister 9th Mar 2010
"Students don?t see a benefit in getting a netbook, with the exception of the compact size and lighter weight."

Well, I think that is what the netbook is all about, plus lower cost.

"I?d prefer my BlackBerry to a netbook"

Sure. I guess you take notes on your Blackberry.

This whole contrived argument is ridiculous. People buy what meets their needs. If I had to go back to university I would have two computers: A 15 or 17 inch notebook as a desktop replacement and a 10 or 11 inch netbook with a SSD to take to class.
0 Votes
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Desktop & a Netbook
monsterdog 10th Mar 2010
I'm a grad student in computer science. Use a blackberry to take notes? Get real, not even for biology (and I did major in that in a previous lifetime). I use a netbook, boosted the memory, replaced the hard drive and made it dual boot Ubuntu & Windows - we're good to go.

At home use a desktop with a 20+ inch widescreen monitor for reading downloaded documents and saving large PDFs. Not so hard to understand.

But I meet a lot of student who want to use storage space for their MP3s...
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RE: Netbooks dead? Yes, in the student market at least
david@... 9th Mar 2010
Netbooks are essential. When mine died last month, I first thought I'd save some money and use the laptop that became a bookend after I got the netbook. Wrong, under 24 hours, I was in the store getting another one. The window 7 starter was stupid and never should have been put on the netbook, and should have been the home edition like it was with XP.

I still do a lot of typing and have yet see a touch tablet of any make or model that will enable me to type at speeds comparable to a netbook or laptop or regular size keyboard. You waste too much time looking at the screen to see if you are typing the right letters. No key feel means you wander all over the page.

And besides, you can close the netbook and protect the screen and keyboard. I wonder how many tablet computers will become toast when something dings off the screen.

For me, it's a netbook over a tablet any day, with the money saved for other things.
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Got a much higher ratio than my college.
CobraA1 9th Mar 2010
"I could walk into any lecture theater on campus and
pick out from the 200 students in there around 50 of
them are using laptops, and only 1 or 2 are using a
netbook."

Got a much higher ratio than my college. I don't see
that many notebooks at mine.

"And though I hate to admit it, he has a point when he
said, '?but netbooks aren?t good at anything'."

The iPad is good at even less than a netbook!

The netbook may not excel at much, but it's still a
general purpose machine that runs a full OS. I've done
videoconferencing via Skype, I can read e-books via
Kindle for PC, I can surf the Internet via a variety
of browsers, I can edit docs with Office. I can
take notes with OneNote! Big student feature
there. What can the iPad do that the netbook
can't?

Really?

You serious?

Nah, this has to be a joke.
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"What can the iPad do that the netbook can't?"
vulpine@... 10th Mar 2010
How about using it as you're walking between classes?

How about having tens of thousands of different apps available that are
specifically aimed at education one way or another?

How about giving a screen that's really big enough to see without
hiding the student from the instructor?

How about avoiding all the Windows malware?

Personally, I can't see where the netbook truly serves a viable purpose
for anyone who can afford more.
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You obviously own a Blackberry helmet
mheartwood 11th Mar 2010
"How about using it as you're walking between classes?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdzUZDDi5aM

All those tens of thousands of apps specifically aimed at education were first and primarily developped for a laptop such as the MacBook. And a Netbook can easily run pretty much all of them.

The iPad screen is not very different in size to a netbook screen and as a one-time professor, I'd rather have my sudents looking past their screens at me than glancing down at their desk or laps at their iPads.

My netbook runs Linpus. No Windows Malware there.

Plus my netbook has an SD slot, a VGA port, and 3 USB ports. The iPAD has none of these. If I'm making a presentation, I load it onto my netbook at home, take it to wherever, and plug it into the display system there. I can't do that with an iPad.

Sorry. A netbook, and especially a netvertible, can do anything an iPad can, and more, for less $.
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Wrong type of students
kvolkan 9th Mar 2010
I don't think college students are a good benchmark. They are much more the demographic to use high powered laptops. Why? They don't have a lot of fixed space, and move around campus a lot. But they also don't commute long distances like a business traveler. I find that my netbook is essential for me when I am going on trips. It takes up little space and has a long battery life and I use it almost every time I travel now. However, when I am not traveling my 7 year old uses the netbook all the time. It is the perfect size for him and as long as it plays flash games from the internet he is happy. He is also now doing powerpoint for school on it. Much more useful than an iPad.
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thoughts
CobraA1 9th Mar 2010
"I don't think college students are a good
benchmark. They are much more the demographic
to use high powered laptops."

The ones with rich parents, maybe. But I see a
lot of students on shoestring budgets.
Most of them simply can't afford a big power
machine.

So yeah, I see a few college students
(including myself) with netbooks. They're
pretty common where I go.

In Zack's case, I think he's simply working at
a University with a much larger budget than
most.
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Depends on the college
aep528 9th Mar 2010
Many colleges, especially engineering schools, now
require students to have laptops, and the cost is
built into tuition.

Here's a link from my alma mater in the US:
http://www.rpi.edu/laptops/overview.html
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Don't think so...
no_axe_to__grind 9th Mar 2010
I comfortably connect with all my company data, from Help desk tickets through Contacts and Activities, all my email - everything I need to communicate and collaborate with my co-workers - all through my HP Mini 10.1".

It has a great keyboard, much better than the slippery Acers, and I can get work done, cruise the net from my couch, commuter train or coffee shop. It's light with huge battery power, easily fast enough (since everything I do is through Qasper's SaaS solution) and small enough to drop into my briefcase.

It's on and running in less than 15 seconds (Win7 sleep mode), lasts all day and was $349...

Just my experience, of course, but until the iPads and other in-between solutions can offer similar functionality (particularly keyboard entry of some fashion), I'm hooked on the netbook.

We are doing mini-presentations with it, it's easy to pass around a meeting table.

It boils down to the applications, though, and, as I said, because my company is running Qasper online, we are fully web-based.
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Don't be too hasty, .
sysop-dr 9th Mar 2010
My wife has a netbook, aspire 1, and it has 1.6 GHTz processor, 1 gig ram, 160 gig hard drive. It can do everything she needs, and she's taking computer courses. An iPad just won't cut it for her.
My oldest is going to chef school, and the iPad might just be enough for her, she can take notes, snap a few pics with her phone if she needs a pic and she might just be OK with that, but I will probably get her a netbook as well.
My son, still in elementry school has to have his Laptop, but he opted for Linux because he does most of his work in Open Office anyway and he can play with python for most of his projects, robotics and the like. So we got the bits off the net and built him a laptop.
The middle child uses a Ubuntu desktop system, she preferes to use pen and paper at school.
I use multiple computers, from my Windows Mobile phone to a Linux workstation, windows development systems (the second one has a bunch of virtual systems on it from Windows XP to Win 7, QNX, Solaris...), a dual boot Laptop (Win XP/Linux) and a small cluster(MPI/Mozix.)
From this and talking with/supporting neighbours computers, my take is that the netbook catagory is here to stay. It may not grow as much as it did the last few years but it's not going away. It will evolve and may merge with other emerging catagories but there is room for a wide variety of system types and form factors. Pronouncing any of them dead is folly, just look at the pronouncements that the tablet form factor was still-born just a short year or two ago. Hey we still can buy paper, pens and pencils and I saw a slide rule for sale just a few days ago, although I haven't seem any abbacus lately.
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Looking for a slide rule?
Economister 9th Mar 2010
I've got one happy
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I just got 6
oldbaritone 10th Mar 2010
from my Grandfather's estate!

Even a log-log-duplex-deci-trig!

(These young pups won't even know what that is...)

:-P
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Netbooks NOT dead for education
tgschmidt 9th Mar 2010
My 18 year old daughter & 16 year old son have Acer Aspire 10.1 inch netbooks with 160gig hard drive, webcam, wireless, bluetooth, multi card reader, 4 USB ports etc. My Daughter is in college, my son in high school. I bought these for $279 each. They both constanty get compliments from students & teachers are asked where to buy them. This pricepoint & functionality cannot be overlooked.

My sister in law works at MS so I got cheap copies MS Office Pro & it is loaded on them too. So they ahve Project, Word, Power Point, Excel....

They do everything most students could need & are priced very nice. Both my kids live on these things. My doughter uses Skype on hers constantly & is a facebook junkie. My son tethers his to his mobile phone & uses it everywhere. He video chats with it allot & is on Youtube all the time.

Netbooks better not be dead! They are not perfect, but they fit a broad set of needs & are very affordable. Not everyone can afford a 400 - 500 dollar laptop that really does not do much more than a good netbook at $300 or less.

Add a $50 wireless keyboard/Mouse setup for home use & you are set!
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Price rules!!
jscott418 9th Mar 2010
I think the Netbook craze has always been about their low price. I am sure it has attracted many new computer user's.
But if your needs are definitely in the laptop range and you end up with a Netbook you will be disappointed eventually.
I have one as a bedroom web surfer but that's the extent I use it. Otherwise I have a large screen desktop or my laptop. Especially if you are choosing to have just one computer I recommend something other then a Netbook or a iPad.
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Definitely.
CobraA1 9th Mar 2010
Definitely. Price rules. I think some people here
underestimate the kind of impact even $100 can
make in the decision to buy or not buy an item.
The netbook hit a low price point that really made
it feasible for a lot of low-income people.
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Maybe so but penny-wise is sometimes ...
mwagner@... 10th Mar 2010
... pound foolish. One needs to look at the cost-benefit over the lifetime of the device.

Is a brand-new $350 1.6GHz Atom, 1GB Netbook going to still be functioning in three to five years? Maybe.

The $500 2GHz, dual-core AMD or Intel with 2GB+ of RAM definitey will be.

I ran Windows 7 on a seven-year-old laptop with 2GB of RAM for months. Granted it was "sans AERO" but I am sure it would out-perform any 1GB Netbook sold today and it was certainly built sturdy enough for the average road warrior. I doubt that you could say the same for any Netbook on the market.
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Netbooks are tougher than you think
mheartwood 11th Mar 2010
My EeePC fell off of a roof. It's fine, not even a scratch.

My Acer Aspire one fell down the stairs. It got scratched but it's still the one I use the most (better keyboard and bigger screen than the older Asus).

My Dell Latitude got knocked out of the seat of my parked car. A broken screen and a dead hard drive.
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To me, yes
Cylon Centurion Updated - 9th Mar 2010
I just wasn't as productive on my EEE PC as I am on my Hp Laptop. The slower CPU and small screen space really kept me from doing a lot of work.

But I also agree with the first talkback here. I would have LOVED to have an EEE PC in elementary school, and I think they would fit great in there.
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RE: Netbooks dead? Yes, in the student market at least
primartcloud 9th Mar 2010
I really think that many people suffer from lack of vision and perspective. I recently read the blog of Rohan Shravan. Founder and Director Creatives at Notion Ink, where he gives his insights that let to the creation of the Adam. His perspective on personal computing is insightful and so dead on. The Adam, which should come to market in June/July is everything the Ipad should have been and really is the next step in the tablet form factor and the replaccement for the netbook. The courier will be the first step in the demise of the laptop/desktop in their present permutation.
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The Adam is an intriguing device...
vulpine@... Updated - 10th Mar 2010
... though one drawback hit me right in the face--no backlight. Or did I
overlook that? Yup, I overlooked that.

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It's the price. Same for iPad.
gmeader 9th Mar 2010
Netbooks sell because they are inexpensive. AS long as they are $100 cheaper than a laptop, they'll continue to sell well -- unless those buyers prefer an iPad.

The iPad will sell well at $500 or less, where it would not have sold well at $800 or $999.

Cheaper clones of iPad may not sell well (like clones of iPhone) because the software (Win7) is not as easy-to-use (not touch-only finger friendly) Even Android is not as good as iPhone OS - although it is open...
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Netbook will sell more than laptop
kind999 9th Mar 2010
Netbook will sell more than laptop, just like laptop sell more than desktop now, because the Mobile Internet Generation coming.
Do people remember performance complain at laptop compare with desktop years ago?
Though desktop perfomance is higher than laptop, and price is lower than laptop,
but why more and more people choose laptop not dasktop?

These organization and news-bloggers insulting netbook, they just can see things at present; just can see the job salary or (*** pay); just can feel what they can fell;
they can't see the history, they can't see the future, they can't see other perple needs and feelling.

Please looking to future, netbook have a 2GHz CPU; 11 inch screen; 100% full-size keyboard; and size small than netbook now, more power, more portable and a 100% full size keyboard. It will replace laptop just like laptop replace desktop today.
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Sorry, but you don't get it
MacNewton Updated - 24th Mar 2010
Until you have one in your hands. Sometimes it takes more then words
and photos to convince some people. You, my Friend must fall into
3 or more of the following.

Still using Windows XP.
Thinks all US Patents are fakes & should be copied
Never backs up.
Does't understand why the iPad has't got a mouse port.
Finds all his web sites by typing it into "google search".
Thinks Windows was invented by Microsoft.
Never reads the instruction manuals before calling tech support.
Can't read anything without pictures
Always the last one to get a "joke"

So James, how many of the listed categories did you pick? Have you got one
to add?

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