10 ms·

Ask HN: Do any netbooks still exist?

• carbocation 13y ago
  What about a Chromebook? The Samsung version costs $250 (and there is an Acer model for $199). http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/ http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/
  • andrewcooke 13y ago
    the ubuntu on chromebook thread is what made me ask here, but the chromebook isn't a 10" screen, is it? i thought it was much larger. but i will check your link - i didn't realise there were multiple models. [update: the acer and samsung are 11.6" and i can find a bunch of similar notebooks with that size screen. what i really wanted was a 10" screen. but thanks!]
    • dragonwriter 13y ago
      Okay, if you want 10" screen that's a bit hard to find, but "netbooks" were never limited to 10" screens (11.6" was a fairly common screen size for products sold as netbooks.) The role seems largely to have been taken over by Chromebooks -- Microsoft never really wanted the market to exist and the hardware vendors seem to prefer having an OS vendor to work with. But among notebooks (including ones that are similar to netbooks, whether they are sold as "netbooks" or not) 10" screen size seems to have died off because at that size, the preference is for tablets (possibly with keyboard cases to let them be used like a netbook) rather than traditional notebook form factor.
  • voidz 13y ago
    No, because Google. Nuff said.
    • thejosh 13y ago
      why?
      • iso-8859-1 13y ago
        While it may be efficient to have companies this large, it does not serve society's interests regarding privacy.
        • thejosh 13y ago
          OK, but using foreign hardware which you have no control over, made in chinese countries is safer?
          • iso-8859-1 13y ago
            Spy-hardware is nowhere nearly as prevalent as spyware (software), because you'd need hardware TCP/IP implementations and so on. I never heard of this happening to common people in real life. Unlike data privacy, which is almost too easy to disrespect.
            • tptacek 13y ago
              Done a lot of research on backdoored hardware?
• dchest 13y ago
  Acer One?
  • keithpeter 13y ago
    OP wants 10" screen. The Acer Aspire One that I can see seems to be an 11.6" screen machine.
    • D9u 13y ago
      The Acer Aspire One comes in different sizes and configurations. https://www.google.com/search?q=Acer+Aspire+One+for+sale https://www.google.com/search?q=Acer+Aspire+One+for+sale
• keithpeter 13y ago
  As the Chromebooks are too big, UK ebay shows plenty of second hand and some new/refurbished 10" netbooks (usually 1024 by 600) around with XP. Linux works fine on most makes. I have a Samsung NC10 with mechanical hard drive and a surprisingly good keyboard that just chugs away endlessly, but the NC10 seems to develop screen 'jitters' as the hinges age.
• mikecane 13y ago
  There are bound to be overstock netbooks that never sold available on ebay. But if you're asking does anyone make them anymore, No. Tablets killed them.
  • discostrings 13y ago
    > No. Tablets killed them. I'd argue that Microsoft and Intel killed them with their arbitrary restrictions on what could be a netbook.[1] I imagine they realized netbooks would put a huge dent in their sales of more expensive systems, so they effectively put a stop to them. I'm sure tablets didn't help at all, but the limits kept netbooks just below the edge of usefulness in many cases. So they developed the reputation of being slow and people stopped buying them. [1] http://www.itexaminer.com/microsoft-adds-to-atoms-restrictions.aspx http://www.itexaminer.com/microsoft-adds-to-atoms-restrictio...
    • charlesray 13y ago
      I highly doubt that had much, if anything, do with the netbook's decline. From the beginning it was just a cheap, small laptop. Tablets are as cheap, smaller, and run operating systems that are designed for low-power systems, so they feel faster. The few people (e.g. me) who actually wanted a keyboard moved on to low-end ultrabooks.
      • discostrings 13y ago
        A lot of people would love a cheap, small laptop. That's what they wish an ultrabook was. Unfortunately, they're only getting the small, not the cheap. If the specs could have been a bit higher and increased in a timely manner, netbooks would have been perfect for a lot of the market. They were limited in speed just below the edge of what most people would consider to be capable.
        • jdjb 13y ago
          The specs only need to be higher if you want to run modern Windows on it. If Ubuntu netbook edition was more user friendly and more windows-like I'm sure a lot of people would've been very happy with a low specs machine that ran smooth enough for the kind of tasks you'd want to do on a <= 10'' screen.
• awda 13y ago
  Yep, my girlfriend's mother still has one. It's... slower than you'd want, unless you're used to a pentium 4.
• SamReidHughes 13y ago
  Instead of worrying about how power hungry the CPU is, worry about the actual battery life numbers. The 1015E gets more battery life than some other netbooks, and maybe less than others.
• gte910h 13y ago
  A used 11" macbook air also fits your requirements. It runs windows or linux just as well as mac os x http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-MacBook-Air-11-120GB-Flash-4GB-RAM-1-6-GHz-Intel-Core-2-Duo-Late-2010-/181201945728?pt=Apple_Laptops&hash=item2a307a4480 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-MacBook-Air-11-120GB-Flash-4GB...
• area51org 13y ago
  iPad with a keyboard-case?
  • lucb1e 13y ago
    The iPad is a consumption device, not good for work. Even with a keyboard, most available applications are geared towards touchscreen and consumption. I much prefer laptops for this reason: they run a desktop OS.
  • scholia 13y ago
    It's worth considering but it depends what you want to do. An iPad can't easily do a lot of the things a netbook can do (or can't do them at all), and vice versa, of course. Also, for the same screen size, it's more than twice the price. #generalization
• thu 13y ago
  I am pretty sure I have seen a 10-inch netbook recently (less than one/two months ago), maybe on Engadget. Otherwise there is still the tablet/keyboard combo. I liked the netbook form factor; I am still using my Samsung n220 everyday.
• happycube 13y ago
  Don't write the Celeron 847 off - it is actually quite efficient! Sandy Bridge has quite good (not Haswell good) idle power consumption, and it's performance is much better than Atom. And if you're running Linux, you need to avoid the Atom N2xxx at all costs, the graphics are useless. The C847 graphics are good for desktop use (but not for anything more than light gaming) If you're worried about battery life and heat, trade out the HD for an SSD right away. I did that with an Acer Chromebook and it's quite nice - and the trade will probably make up for any increased CPU power draw at idle.
• ucha 13y ago
  There are still a few netbooks available on amazon. For example this Acer 10". http://www.amazon.com/Acer-AOD270-1375-Netbook-Processor-Espresso/dp/B007582KGM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1377441864&sr=8-2&keywords=netbook http://www.amazon.com/Acer-AOD270-1375-Netbook-Processor-Esp...
• froseph 13y ago
  I think most new "netbooks" have been converted into 11.6 form factor to include a proper full sized keyboard. The only real reason netbooks had 10" displays was because intel required it when purchasing an atom (along with their 2gb memory limit). Atoms haven't gotten any real architectural (IPC) changes since their release and Intel has been repositioning the brand/hardware towards tablet/phone devices. Since manufacturers have been freed from the 10" constraint, such most manufacturers have been building larger screened low end laptops which is really what the market wants. As such you might want to reconsider your options. Depending on the architecture of the Celeron, it may actually be faster and more battery efficient than an Atom. The options seem to be: 1/ Deal with an extra inch of real estate 2/ Buy a 7/10" tablet & add a keyboard. Some like the Asus transformer pad includes a keyboard dock. You can also try rooting/chrooting a linux distro onto the tablet all the bells and whistles. 3/ Buy used from e-bay
  • captainmuon 13y ago
    An extra inch of screen diagonal is great, of course. But it usually means an extra inch of notebook. They should just take the old netbook form factor and build in a screen that goes to the edge (keeping the bezel very thin). Also, I think vendors used the switch from 10" netbooks to what we have now to raise the price tag unproportionally. They could probably build something with a touch screen, detachable keyboard, HD video playback, all day battery life, that could run circles around every netbook, and sell it at around $350 (or even cheaper without touchscreen, and with a fixed keyboard). Instead, they slap in a i7 and 8 Gigs of RAM, that most people won't use anyway, and sell it for twice as an "ulrabook", because there's more money in "premium"...
• PaulHoule 13y ago
  I have an HP Mini that I absolutely adore. I've upgraded it to Windows 8 (thus losing the limitations of the Starter Edition 7). I also upgraded the ram to 2 GB which was cheap. I started using it to do wearable computing experiments and found that the self-protection system of the hard drive would go into action whenever I went faster than a slow walk, so I replaced the HDD with a SSD. The new Windows 8 store and all of those apps don't work on it because the screen size is too small, but the desktop is fine for web browsing, Cygwin, etc. If I fold the machine up and use it to play music, do GPS navigation and some other data collection in the car, it runs 6-7 hours. I get 4-5 hours of tablet-like service if I use it to watch video. Even though the screen is not HD resolution it plays HD files just fine.
• scholia 13y ago
  It depends where you live. There are certainly new netbooks available in the UK from, for example, Amazon.co.uk. Asus and perhaps others still supply them in markets where there is demand, but I guess those are mostly poor countries. Asus Eee PC X101CH 10.1-inch Netbook (Purple) - (Intel Atom N2600 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM, 320GB HDD, LAN, WLAN, Webcam, Integrated Graphics, Windows 7 Starter) First available 30 Oct 2012 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-X101CH-10-1-inch-Netbook-Purple/dp/B00A15DDKS/ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-X101CH-10-1-inch-Netbook-Purple... However, the netbook specification is very limited (by Intel and Microsoft), and you get better screen resolution and more memory by buying a very slow laptop. This very slow laptop may even be called a "netbook". However, if it uses an AMD chip (ie not an Atom), then it is not bound by Intel's netbook specification. This is basically a netbook with an Atom-speed AMD CPU: Acer Aspire V5-121 11.6-inch Laptop (Blue) - (AMD C70 1GHz Processor, 2GB RAM, 320GB HDD, LAN, WLAN, Webcam, Integrated Graphics, Windows 8) First available 17 April 2013 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-V5-121-11-6-inch-Laptop/dp/B00CFHP6FU/ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-V5-121-11-6-inch-Laptop/... The price difference is £13 ($21) which gets you Windows 8 instead of Windows 7 Starter, and 2GB instead of 1GB of memory. Weight is the same (998g vs 1kg). Microsoft basically killed the netbook market when it stopped selling Windows XP Ultra Low Cost PC edition for peanuts ($15 or less). Windows 7 Starter was offered very grudgingly at much higher cost, and I suspect most netbook buyers would prefer XP. All the OEMs knew this was coming. Microsoft said the ULCPC offering would be "available until the later of June 30, 2010, or one year after general availability of the next version of Windows." (ie Windows 7) http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/2008/apr08/04-03xpeos.aspx http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/2008/apr08/04-0...
  • nkorth 13y ago
    Silly computer manufacturers still haven't figured out that they can preload Ubuntu for $0 per device... :P
    • scholia 13y ago
      Acer, Asus and MSI all tried pre-loading Linux on netbooks. It caused them no end of pain and cost them loads of cash, so they mostly stopped. I did actually suggest to all three that they should combine and pre-load a common version of Ubuntu but they weren't interested. In 2008, in Taiwan, Asus's netbook boss Johnny Chen told me that part of the appeal of Linux was that they could control their own OS. However, at the time, they didn't know how much pain there was in getting Linux drivers for, for example, a couple of dozen USB modems to work with dozens of ISPs in 32 languages across 50 countries, or whatever. (I'm quoting from memory.) They also didn't know how much money they would lose trying to support Linux for non-technical buyers. Netbook prices included so little profit that every support incident put you deeper and deeper into the red. It was actually much cheaper and more profitable for them to install XP ULCPC than to install Linux. With XP they got marketing support (money!) from Intel and Microsoft plus cash-in-hand for installing crapware. They also knew just about every new peripheral in the universe would work out of the box, and that if it didn't, most buyers would get support from friends, the people next door, the IT guy at work etc. So maybe they're not actually as silly as you imagine ;-)
• nkorth 13y ago
  I actually just recently looked in to the 1015E, and I almost bought one but then decided to get a Samsung Chromebook. My top requirements were battery life, portability, and at least a 1366x768 screen (so that ruled out most 10" systems). The Chromebook is working out really well; its 7-hour battery life is awesome. The 1015E probably would have been OK too, but its battery life wouldn't have been as great. Kudos to Asus at least for loading Ubuntu on the 1015E-DS02.
• SkyMarshal 13y ago
  These might help: http://www.reddit.com/r/netbooks http://www.reddit.com/r/netbooks http://www.reddit.com/r/suggestalaptop http://www.reddit.com/r/suggestalaptop
• gregjor 13y ago
  Plenty of netbooks for sale in Asia.
• mikecane 13y ago
  Somewhere in Redmond, someone is gnashing their teeth, muttering, "Why isn't anyone mentioning Surface?" [typo edit]
  • captainmuon 13y ago
    Because the Surface RT 474 € with a keyboard cover+, and it only runs silly Metro apps, making it useless for many people. (+ Quick check on Amazon Germany (where I live), probably cheaper in the US but still around $450.)
• 6ren 13y ago
  Maybe android tablet + ubuntu + keyboard?
• D9u 13y ago
  I'm still using my 5 year old Acer Aspire One, and I've seen them for sale in a few of the big box stores. I paid $99 for mine. (Intel Atom N270, 1GB RAM, 160GB hdd, built-in 3G modem, WiFi) I've been really happy with this netbook, and the price was unbeatable. https://www.google.com/search?q=Acer+Aspire+One+for+sale https://www.google.com/search?q=Acer+Aspire+One+for+sale
• eksith 13y ago
  The tablet has pretty much taken over the netbook niche, it seems, so your options are fairly limited. I have a Sony Vaio E series 11.6" that I take around, but it's not a great option. For what I do on the road (email, some VS work and Photoshop), it's OK. Unfortunately, it too seems to be going out. You can still get a fairly decent Acer : http://www.amazon.com/B007582KGM http://www.amazon.com/B007582KGM Acer AOD270-1375 10.1" Netbook (Intel Atom Processor N2600, 1GB DDR3 SDRAM, 320GB hard drive Or Asus (still with Celeron): http://www.amazon.com/B00COQK8QY http://www.amazon.com/B00COQK8QY Intel Celeron 847 1.1 GHz 2 GB DDR3 10.1-Inch Screen and Ubuntu
• BerislavLopac 13y ago
  I'd like to try Lenovo Yoga: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/yoga/yoga-11s/ http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/yoga/yoga-11s/
• devb0x 13y ago
  Get an hp mini. I have a 210 and i love it. Running ubuntu in case you want to know. I'm writing this comment on my mini.
• rtcoms 13y ago
  Check Sony vaio pro 11. It's weight is even less than 1kg with 11.6" full HD display. http://www.sony.co.in/product/svp11213sn http://www.sony.co.in/product/svp11213sn