Acer Review, Asus Review – Netbook 10

Here’s my long awaited post on netbook semantics!

What’s the difference between netbooks, notebooks and ultraportables? Size, shape, color? How strong the processor is, whether it comes with an optical (DVD) drive, how much power it uses? Why do this writer care so much, should *I* care?! So let’s get started!

Why I’m bringing this up

After denying the Vaio P was a netbook, then embracing the netbook market with it’s Vaio W, Sony is now introducing it’s 11.1″ ultra-slim Vaio X ultraportable… Rumor is it might come with the new Intel PineView processors which haven’t been released yet, but the demo model being shown off was sporting a regular meant-for-netbooks Atom processor. And  Sony isn’t the only manufacturer coming out with ultra thin computers, Samsung, Dell and Acer each have their own versions as well.

Let’s analyze this. Here are some factors that supposedly serve to differentiate between netbook, notebook and CULV.

• Size – anything less than 12″ can be technically be considered a netbook

• Processor – an Intel Atom? That’s like the tramp stamp of netbooks! Intel is said to be phasing out the Atom line in favor of the PineView/PineTrail line, so maybe we’re looking at netbook 2.0?

• Battery – the new line of ultraportables fall under the CULV or Consumer Ultra Low Voltage category. This refers to how much energy the processor and chipset utilize. This is also where it gets blurry because we have netbooks like the Asus 11o1 HA which is 11.6″ ‘big,’ equipped with netbook-Atom processors but last for 11 hours.

• Specs – If it weren’t for Microsoft’s restrictions, we’d be having this discussion months ago. In order to get Windows XP for free, netbook manufacturers had to limit the specs of their machinces ( not more than 1 GB and x GB of storage etc.) Then to harbor better specs manufacturers turned to the more expensive Windows Vista, and now we have Windows 7 coming out. That and an onslaught of 12″ machines which are sporting 2GB memories and 250GB hard drives.

• Price – welcome grey-ville. With traditional netbooks costing around $300, you have premium netbooks like the Vaio P that cost nearly $1000 and you have Acer that constantly produces affordable decent netbooks. There’s also the ranger of CULVs that cost less than $500 and pack in the full might of a notebook – like the Acer 1410.

• Variety and Innovation – There are also netbooks that well, are actually twistable-touch-tablets like the Asus T91 and some managed to fit in optical drives as well, like the 12″ Kohjinsha netbook. Innovations that don’t really blend with the netbook’s original austerity  – they began by cutting out all the features (HDDs, optical drives, heavy duty graphics etc) that would make them power hungry hummers. Nonetheless, netbooks have evolved into tiny affordable power machines.

I think it’s inaccurate to call this line of computers notebooks (which they’re not), and it doesn’t help to call them CULVs either (especially not from a marketing stand point). But netbooks. I think the word netbook could evolve to be synonymous with tiny affordable power machines. Essentially, it already has.

What do you think?

UPDATE 9/20/09 – Check out how Intel distinguishes between netbooks and laptops

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2. Dell Mini 10 Netbook – Dell’s 10 inch 720p Screen netbook
3. Top 5 Features of the Perfect Netbook
4. Upcoming Netbook Related Launches, Netbook Release Dates
5. Samsung NC10 Netbook Review – Samsung 10″ Netbook

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