4 ms·

I'll tell you the real reason why netbooks are going extinct: because I like them. They're the ideal computing environment for me. And the world is designed in

by kleiba 15y ago

I'll tell you the real reason why netbooks are going extinct: because I like them. They're the ideal computing environment for me. And the world is designed in a way that I can never be happy. Sorry, fellow netbook users... When I first heard about netbooks, my jaw dropped metaphorically: this was exactly the kind of device I had been waiting for all these years: small, light, long battery life, GNU/Linux - and cheapo! Heck, I even had this secret fantasy in which netbooks would finally herald GNU/Linux on the desktop (I know, I should have been suspicious right then). I'm not a casual user. I'm a hacker, I spend more time in front of my machine then doing anything else (including sleeping). And yet I like being mobile! I'm not a gamer. I don't watch movies on my computer. My laptop is not a life style product, it's a tool, it's the tool, a Swiss army knife if you will. And let's be honest: you may call a netbook underpowered, but computers have been fast enough already a couple of years ago for almost all serious tasks. Sure, if a compile starts taking too long for my taste, I'll run it remotely on a compute server next time: that's what puts the net in netbook! So I really thought, for once, things went right. I'd never have to spent huge amount of cash on my next laptop again. From now on, it's only going to be netbooks for me. Life is great! Of course, that couldn't last. Did I cheer too loud? Did I dare smile happily in public? I don't know, but somehow the word must have gotten out: "Pssst! Did you hear? Kleiba seems to be happy!" -- "Oh, no worries, we can change that easily..." And the next thing I know, tablets are kicking netbooks' asses... I mean: tablets! What the heck? What am I supposed to be doing with them? Oh, oh, I see, I'm supposed to use all the great "apps". Yeah, well, you know what? I don't care about them. How can I write my own apps? Oh, too bad, for that you need a "real" computer (or be into BDSM)... Sorry for the rant, folks! But are there other fellow hackers on HN who find it ironic that while we are the backbone of the industry, while we are the ones who enable others to use all their beloved tech in the first place, while without us the big companies wouldn't see any dime - that the main stream market doesn't care about us? That we are pushed into a niche, instead of being pulled into the spotlight? (Nah, I'm only being half serious...)

watty 15y ago
Reminds me of the gaming industry where the "hardcore" PC gamers continue to get shafted by exclusive releases to consoles and gimmicky motion controls.
wladimir 15y ago
100% agree. The netbook is the perfect cheap portable hacking tool. You can certainly get some development done on them (as long as you don't use eclipse as IDE :-). Phones or iPads are generally more expensive and not nearly as suited to that. That's why I also get a bit sad at all the 'the netbook is dead!' posts. On the other hand, it'll probably remain a niche for a long time. I mean, if you believe the stories here, the phone is dead, e-mail is dead, the web is dead... and so on. It seems to be common here to forget that things can have a use and make some people very happy without being "the great next mainstream thing".
- rayiner 15y ago
  Cheap, yes, but I'm not sure "perfect" is the right word. Most netbooks are just a bit too underpowered to run a modern IDE comfortably, and at the same time they don't have particularly impressive battery life (3-4 hours of web surfing is typical). An MBA 11" has a bigger screen, is tons faster, and will get you 6+ hours of battery under similar circumstances. Sure it's $1000 versus $350, but are developers looking for a good portable hacking machine that price sensitive?
  - wladimir 15y ago
    For a lot of things I feel I don't need to run a modern IDE. Gcc + a text editor does fine, or something light like Qt Designer. This is why I explicitly added "if you don't use eclipse" :-) You have to be a bit creative with resources, if you expect a full high-profile dev machine you're indeed not well-off with a netbook. And indeed, finding one with decent battery life can be a bit of a challenge. And yes, $1000 versus $350 matters for a lot of people, we're not all silicon valley rock stars. Also if you, for example, use the device in risky/dirty/etc environments, you'd usually want to settle with something easily replacable.
Retric 15y ago
I think your missing the boat. The reason why netbooks had such a rapid rise and fall is early adopters liked them more than the average user and there is little reason to upgrade quickly. If you have an internet connected phone and a powerful PC adding a netbook or an iPad still has value. However, you can get a fairly powerful laptop for the 400$ so they don't really help people who only need one system.
51Cards 15y ago
I feel for you as you have the technological version of my curse. It is a standing joke among my friends that if I like a dish at any restaurant it will be stricken from the menu next time it is revised. Seems the same people also say "Ohhh Steve is happy, let's fix it..." That said I still love the netbook although I had to step up a little. I bought an ASUS One which was great but still a little under powered (even stuffed a touch screen kit into it)... from there I moved to a Sony TZ and now finally to a Sony Z. I love the compact form factor (though the Z really sits on the edge) but because I am on the road a lot I needed a bit more processing power than a true Netbook provided. I will suggest to anyone though to look for the Sony TZ series units used. Mine is a 390C, 1366x768 screen, SSD, 4 Gig RAM, wonderful keyboard and runs forever on a charge. If I hadn't needed a bit more horsepower I wouldn't have replaced it for a long time. I wish Sony hadn't killed the TZ but then again, perhaps because I liked it.
loup-vaillant 15y ago
You probably know that Richard Stallman is currently using such a dream machine: http://www.lemote.com/en/products/Notebook/2010/0310/112.html http://www.lemote.com/en/products/Notebook/2010/0310/112.htm... Small, cheap, cannot even run Windows…
- kleiba 15y ago
  Yeah, I know. He also finds it a bit underpowered, but is willing to live with it as long as it is able to run on free software only.

by kleiba 15y ago

watty 15y ago

Reminds me of the gaming industry where the "hardcore" PC gamers continue to get shafted by exclusive releases to consoles and gimmicky motion controls.

wladimir 15y ago

100% agree. The netbook is the perfect cheap portable hacking tool. You can certainly get some development done on them (as long as you don't use eclipse as IDE :-). Phones or iPads are generally more expensive and not nearly as suited to that. That's why I also get a bit sad at all the 'the netbook is dead!' posts. On the other hand, it'll probably remain a niche for a long time. I mean, if you believe the stories here, the phone is dead, e-mail is dead, the web is dead... and so on. It seems to be common here to forget that things can have a use and make some people very happy without being "the great next mainstream thing".

rayiner 15y ago
Cheap, yes, but I'm not sure "perfect" is the right word. Most netbooks are just a bit too underpowered to run a modern IDE comfortably, and at the same time they don't have particularly impressive battery life (3-4 hours of web surfing is typical). An MBA 11" has a bigger screen, is tons faster, and will get you 6+ hours of battery under similar circumstances. Sure it's $1000 versus $350, but are developers looking for a good portable hacking machine that price sensitive?
- wladimir 15y ago
  For a lot of things I feel I don't need to run a modern IDE. Gcc + a text editor does fine, or something light like Qt Designer. This is why I explicitly added "if you don't use eclipse" :-) You have to be a bit creative with resources, if you expect a full high-profile dev machine you're indeed not well-off with a netbook. And indeed, finding one with decent battery life can be a bit of a challenge. And yes, $1000 versus $350 matters for a lot of people, we're not all silicon valley rock stars. Also if you, for example, use the device in risky/dirty/etc environments, you'd usually want to settle with something easily replacable.

Retric 15y ago

I think your missing the boat. The reason why netbooks had such a rapid rise and fall is early adopters liked them more than the average user and there is little reason to upgrade quickly. If you have an internet connected phone and a powerful PC adding a netbook or an iPad still has value. However, you can get a fairly powerful laptop for the 400$ so they don't really help people who only need one system.

51Cards 15y ago

I feel for you as you have the technological version of my curse. It is a standing joke among my friends that if I like a dish at any restaurant it will be stricken from the menu next time it is revised. Seems the same people also say "Ohhh Steve is happy, let's fix it..." That said I still love the netbook although I had to step up a little. I bought an ASUS One which was great but still a little under powered (even stuffed a touch screen kit into it)... from there I moved to a Sony TZ and now finally to a Sony Z. I love the compact form factor (though the Z really sits on the edge) but because I am on the road a lot I needed a bit more processing power than a true Netbook provided. I will suggest to anyone though to look for the Sony TZ series units used. Mine is a 390C, 1366x768 screen, SSD, 4 Gig RAM, wonderful keyboard and runs forever on a charge. If I hadn't needed a bit more horsepower I wouldn't have replaced it for a long time. I wish Sony hadn't killed the TZ but then again, perhaps because I liked it.

loup-vaillant 15y ago

You probably know that Richard Stallman is currently using such a dream machine: http://www.lemote.com/en/products/Notebook/2010/0310/112.html http://www.lemote.com/en/products/Notebook/2010/0310/112.htm... Small, cheap, cannot even run Windows…

kleiba 15y ago
Yeah, I know. He also finds it a bit underpowered, but is willing to live with it as long as it is able to run on free software only.