Follow us on TwitterNetbooks Are Here To Stay
Posted by Tom Greer on December 9, 2009 in Netbook Market
A few days ago, I discovered that the search volume for “netbook” had exceeded “notebook” for the first time. I have to admit, I was surprised. When I performed my query on Google Trends, I thought search volume might be going down.
I have had a running dialog with friends over whether the term “netbook” will turn out to be a fad. Some of them argued that netbooks were tied to a specific mold: small, cheap laptops designed around Atom processors. The fad proponents forecasted that Microsoft would prod the laptop manufacturers to move away from netbooks (because Microsoft can’t make money on Windows 7 Starter Edition) – and that the manufacturers would gladly comply because margins on larger laptops were better. In other words, everyone wins – except the consumer.
I was starting to buy into this concept. With the introduction of Windows 7, we have also seen a slew of new and different small laptops based on different CPUs, different graphics adapters, more memory, larger disk drives – and many of these are being called laptops (not netbooks) by the OEMs.
So, what changed my mind?
“Netbook” USA Search Volume Exceeds “Notebook”
Posted by Tom Greer on December 7, 2009 in Netbook Market
During November, more the volume of searches on the term “netbook” exceeded the volume of searches for “notebook” for the first time.
Here is a chart from Google Trends.
Google Trends 2009 USA Only Chart
It appears that the crossover took place around Black Friday and is tied to a surge in search activity related to the increase in shopping.
Of course, the search volume on “laptop” (not shown here), still exceeds these.
What make this interesting, is that it occured at a time when Microsoft and PC manufacturers are working hard to move the focus away from netbooks to laptops, where the margins are better.
One other observation, this trend is only local to the USA.
Laptop Reliability Comparison
Posted by Tom Greer on December 4, 2009 in Netbook Market
In my last article, I discussed a study on laptop failure rates published by Square Trade, an independent warranty provider that compared netbook reliability to laptops.
Included in the same report, was a breakdown of the reliability of laptops across all of the major brands. Here is a chart included in the report (click to expand).
What Is Future for Netbooks?
Posted by Tom Greer on September 2, 2009 in Netbook Market
At Netbook Scoop, we’ve been spending some time contemplating what the future holds for netbooks. We thought we’d share our thoughts with you.
A Quick History of Netbooks
You can’t divine the future without an understanding of where have been and where you are. So let’s do a quick recap on netbook history.
Asus Eee PC 700-Series Netbook
While the inspiration for netbooks can be traced to the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative, the first commercial netbook was the Asus Eee PC 700-series. With a 7-inch display, underpowered Celeron M processor, 2-4 GB solid state drive, a tiny keyboard and a price around $300, it was an instant hit when it was first shipped in early 2008.
All of the early netbooks had Linux operating systems. When it became obvious that netbooks were going to be hugely popular, Microsoft responded by announcing a special licensing program of Windows XP for Ultra-Low Cost PCs (April 2008). To qualify for this special XP license, Microsoft placed restrictions on the hardware. Over time, Microsoft has expanded the list of qualifying hardware.
Around mid-year 2008, netbooks with Intel Atom processors were introduced. These netbooks were much more powerful, ran cooler and required less power. Intel also placed restrictions on the hardware in which Atom processors could be used.
Why do Microsoft and Intel restrict netbook hardware? Profits, of course. Microsoft is rumored to be making only $15 per netbook XP license. Intel makes a lot less profit from Atom processors and chipsets compared to full laptop CPUs.
Today’s Netbook Market
Our short history lesson explains why almost every netbook has the same basic configuration: Intel Atom N270/280 processor, Intel GMA 500/950 graphics, 160 GB hard drive, 1 GB RAM, etc.
Netbooks have been artificially constrained to these specs for over a year. It is obvious to us that this situation can’t and won’t last much longer.
Buy.com giving away Samsung N310
Posted by Steve Greer on August 26, 2009 in Netbook Market, Netbooks
Are you interested in the Samsung N310? I was out on Buy.com today and noticed that they are giving away a Samsung Go. The offer expires on October 16, 2009.
Samsung N310
Just click on the link below to see more details.
Unboxing the Toshiba Mini NB205
Posted by Steve Greer on August 26, 2009 in Netbook Market
We just received the Toshiba Mini NB205 netbook. I’ve heard so many good things about this netbook that I just had to do an unboxing video.
I must say that I’m very impressed with the Toshiba NB205. I’ve personally always favored the Samsung Netbooks. This will be my first personal netbook that is not a Samsung.
Check out the video and stay tuned for a review in the near future.
Acer Aspire One AOD250 Unboxing Video
Posted by Steve Greer on August 26, 2009 in Acer Netbooks, Netbook Market, Netbooks, Videos
A few weeks ago Tom finally got his chance to do his first unboxing video. I apologize for the delay in getting it posted. Check out the video and see the Acer Aspire One AOD250 for yourself.
Moblin 2.0 Review
Posted by Steve Greer on August 20, 2009 in Netbook Market, Operating Systems, Reviews
At Netbook Scoop, we have been testing various new operating systems on our netbooks over the last week.
Earlier we reviewed Google Android as a netbook OS. We also published tutorials on installing Android and Moblin on bootable USB memory sticks so that you can test these OSs without actually installing them on your hard drive.
Today I’m going to show you Moblin 2.0 Beta running on an Asus Eee PC 1008HA.
Booting Moblin
I decided to install Moblin 2.0 to the hard drive of the Asus Eee PC 1008HA to give the operating system a true run. The boot time was about 45 seconds. Not bad for a Linux based OS (note that I did not install the quick boot option).
Once I was booted into the Operating System I come right into the MyZone Screen.
Android As A Netbook Operating System
Posted by Tom Greer on August 17, 2009 in Netbook Market
At Netbook Scoop, we are doing a series of articles on new netbook operating systems (OSs).
In an earlier article, we explained how to download Google’s Android OS and install it on a bootable USB stick. That way, you can test Android on a netbook with out disturbing the existing operating system.
In this article, we will take a look at Google’s Android and decide whether it is a worthy contender as a future netbook OS.