The situation is more obvious in developing countries, but it happens worldwide: the need to support LEGACY technical equipment. That means RS-232 serial ports, and (sometimes) even Centronics Printer ports.
With old equipment working, needing only minor repairs, it's ridiculous to suggest replacement. Consider thousands of dollars worth of gigaswitches / routers in a small business - with a serial port for diagnosis & configuration changes. This is an area where a Cheap Netbook could SHINE.
Personally, I'd prefer a 12-inch display to ease eye strain. Battery life is good, but nothing survives a 22 hour flight from Sydney to LA without a recharge. DVD burner - meh, that can go in checked luggage. Once I get to a remote site, however, that Serial port Absolutely Positively Has To Be There, or the netbook is worthless.
Discussion on:
Message 12 of 1
The best of ZDNet, delivered
ZDNet Newsletters
Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox
