2nd Net-b - Asus 1000HE

So round one of my netbook experience was with an ill fated Lenovo S10. First the HD/Motherboard failure now the screen cracked and Lenovo informed me it is considered "user generated" which equals "voids warranty work". So to get the S10 mobile - $149 USD out of pocket. Hmmm, the economics don't really make a lot of sense - brand new S10 - $299 or $149 for new screen... Basically, my experience with Lenovo has been about a 6 - 7 out of 10. The S10 has not run nearly as well once it came back from the HD/Motherboard debacle and I would have to agree the construction is marginal. But I digress...

As I have now retired the S10 to the kids/desktop replacement machine, I needed a new and BETTER net-b. Enter the Asus 1000HE. I purchased this machine gently used about a week ago and I have to say, Lenovo - you've been served. The 1000HE is genetically similar under the hood - Atom N270, 10.1, 1 Gig RAM, 160GB HD, WinXP but that is where the similarity ends. The Asus has a much better build quality so far. The case is shiny not flat. It feels sturdier the 6 Cell battery slightly elevates the back like a regular keyboard so it is neither bulky nor uncomfortable. The keyboard it self has better tactile feedback. The touchpad is usable but no touchpads are what I consider "good". The fan is noticeable but not overbearing. Battery life is solid. Will probably look at a Win7 Upgrade at some point but so far, so good.

More to come.

Netbook/ULV/Ultrathin/Apple - Debate continues

And the battle continues - ULV/Ultrathin laptops vs netbooks. I think this homogenized view of the small laptop/netbook space generally misses the simple fact that they are niche markets.

• Some people want small/lightweight/long battery life/web based apps/inexpensive = netbook.
• Some want small/powerful (native app intensive)/inexpensive = Low priced laptop
• Some want super thin/super light weight/better performance/not price sensitive = Ultrathin
• Some want longer battery life/mix of cloud & native apps/small/lightweight/cost conscious = ULV
• Some want an Apple - Touch driven??? = TBD
  

But just for kicks - the debate continues from ZD:

Are netbooks too portable, inexpensive and popular to beat?

Brooke Crothers writes on his CNET blog that the netbook’s popularity is perhaps too great to overcome by the burgeoning ultrathin laptop market, and takes Apple COO Tim Cook to task for bashing netbooks in April for being too cheap, “junky” and slow for the upmarket Apple brand.

That Apple’s got a tablet PC in the pipeline is hardly a question at this point. But Crothers wonders: with lots of reliable, polished netbook models on store shelves, will a lack of a netbook take a bite out of ultrathins — and Apple?

He writes:

There is just too much marketing momentum now behind Netbooks at large PC makers–and in retail. Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Toshiba, Sony, and Acer all are pushing Netbooks. And in Japan, easily one the largest PC markets in the world, the Netbook is a hit–despite initial resistance from Japanese PC makers–for all of the same reasons cited above: small, light, inexpensive–and add fashionable.

Why the popularity? The same argument netbook proponents have made since the very beginning: though some may be disappointed by netbook performance, they’re sufficient for most consumers - home, educational or business — to accomplish basic, mostly web-based tasks.

Of course, no one’s more happy about that than Intel, which has a near-monopoly over the category thanks to its Atom processor. And since the $500 to $1,000 ultrathin, ultra-low voltage laptop segment hasn’t quite distinguished itself from traditional notebooks and netbooks (confused yet?), it’s hardly a threat to the diminutive netbook.

Meanwhile, it’s Apple’s loss, Crothers writes:

Apple’s products and marketing are good but not infallible. And the lack of a Netbook may come back to bite Apple at some point. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not next month. But maybe next year. One of the Best Buy customers eying a Netbook made a comment that was a powerful counterpoint to all the Apple Mac-PC ads. To paraphrase: “You have to pay an arm and a leg for Apple (pointing to the Apple corner), I’m trying to make a practical business decision here.”

The way I see it, there’s value in both a small form factor and a thin profile. In other words: I believe netbooks will remain reasonably popular and ultrathins will grow in popularity. Traditional laptops, on the other hand, will (for all but performance applications) be phased out of the market.