21 ms·
Four years on we're buying better laptops than ever before and, with the netbook class now more or less dead I still cannot get over the second part of that se
by kleiba 14y ago
Four years on we're buying better laptops than ever before and, with the netbook class now more or less dead
I still cannot get over the second part of that sentence. It's true though, but I could cry bitter tears over it: when netbooks first arrived on the scene I felt happy like a little elf: small, light, cheap computers made to run Linux? That was exactly what I had been waiting for all these years.
And a netbook has been my main computer ever since I bought one. It's ideal for my personal usage in which I basically run four programs all the time: a browser, an email client, shells, and Emacs. Add a compile every now and then and you have a description of >95% of my computing time. I can code on the kitchen table or on the couch, on the bus, even in bed if I feel like it. It's fun.
I used to have a 12 inch laptop before but the netbook clearly beats it in terms of portability. And the battery life is decent too, even though the device is a few years old by now.
And I paid around $280 for the device.
And now the market for netbooks is dead. Taken over by tablets. Except, I have no use for them. I mean, it's a selfish way of looking at it because apparently many more people want tablets than netbooks. So let the market decide. Unfortunately for me, the perfect match will slowly but surely stop being available.
Ironically, I'm not even using a netbook the way it was supposedly designed to be used: for browsing the web anywhere. As I've outlined above I use it exactly like I use a desktop computer, except that I run heavier jobs remotely on other machines.
Anyway. I am not even sure what point I am trying to make. Probably none. But it does make me sad that a type of computer that is perfect for me is being replaced by another type of computer that is unusable for the same tasks.
- fpgeek 14y agoDo you object to getting a Transformer (or similar) dockable tablet and then putting, for example, Ubuntu on it (either completely or a variation of "Ubuntu for Android" when that's an option)? Or is cost part of the problem here?
- kleiba 14y agoThere is not really "a problem" here. It's just that there was a time where the consumer market offered a perfect sweet spot for my needs and it's not going to be there anymore. I haven't tried out the any dockable tablets but would you agree that it seems like a bit of a botch-up just to get what a netbook delivers at a much lower price tag?
- fpgeek 14y agoAs a happy Transformer owner, I'd disagree. Adding the touchscreen is both useful and surprisingly natural. Sometimes the easiest and most intuitive way to do something is to touch something. Other times it's using the keyboard and trackpad. Having both in one package is delightful - to the point where I'm not mad I paid more for my Transformer than what a netbook costs, I'm mad I can't pay more and get a touchscreen for my laptop (outside of some niche models that don't otherwise appeal to me) or, for that matter, my desktop. Then there's the insane battery life you get when you join the tablet and the keyboard dock. Aside from a time when I forced the screen to stay on (and didn't disable that later), I can't remember the last time it ran out of battery. Even undocking turns out to be more useful than I thought. For example, using the tablet while walking or handing it to my daughter for her to play with. No, I'm not unhappy I paid more than a netbook would have cost I'm getting plenty more than a netbook, too.
- nl 14y agoYou do realize that you can still get Netbooks, right? They are actually better than they used to be, and if you look you can find the ones sold to schools to run Linux (ie, with great Linux support)
- gurkendoktor 14y agoI don't see the 11" MacBook Air leaving the stage anytime soon. If anything, the average laptop is converging towards what you want. I am not sure about Linux drivers, but the main difference to a "netbook" seems to be the price point. For a few years' worth of computing, does it matter?
- kleiba 14y agoI think the price difference is not a small point. The Apple store has the 11" MacBook Air starting at $999. My netbook was around $280 and is a device that does exactly what I need.
- gurkendoktor 14y agoThe $719 difference is no small change for me either. But it's still easy to buy a well-supported 11" laptop. Truly replaced form factors have it even harder. Try to find a "dumbphone" that was designed with enthusiasm.
- listic 14y agoI would argue that Nokia 1208 is designed with enthusiasm. I'm afraid its kind are an endangered species too.