12-inch Netbooks to Go Mainstream in 2010

instead of getting the best netbook, you can just get an average laptop and have something that is better and cheaper. what's wrong with people?

its mind boggling. a netbook IS JUST THAT! surf the web. write a document. now you're just giving us an expensive low range laptop not high end netbook. all these companies just fail big time.

How about this- a netbook is a relatively small machine, single core processor, and no optical drive.

I'm only interested in tablets besides your average laptop or desktop. Netbooks don't bring anything new to the table.

^Agreed. You can get a $400 laptop with a 14" screen with a ~2GHz pentium dual core cpu which offers 3 to 4 times more performance on single-threaded apps, plus it has an additional core which blows any virtual core away. On top of that, you get enough ram and graphics power to run a modern OS.

It's just another way to force us to spend more money. If oems want to make bigger netbooks, let them. If they want to use real cpus, let them pay for real ones. And if the atom is going so fast that it's enough, then maybe their is no need for budget notebooks and they should focus on performance more.

This is only of course if it's enough and no one wants to buy them. Forcing atoms to 10-inch is just stupid, let the computer draw all the power out of the cpu it has.

Whats the point of a discrete graphics card if you are coupling it with a weakling Atom Processor?

Netbook? Good Luck!

WTF is wrong with people... there is a reason 14" was the minimum size. Damn marketing can convince people to buy any crap.

I mean holy crap, could you see yourself using a 14" monitor? You think the mainstream is going to have a 12" laptop and a desktop? Hell no, they are going to use the 12" as their 1PC.

Freaking morons.

Note/netbook What about battery life?
And where exactly will these fit in?

I'm sorry but 12" is where I draw the line. 12" is a notebook, not a netbook. This whole netbook/notebook thing has gotten completely out of hand.

It seems that the "portable" computer industry is taking a page from the cell phone industry, where you need a Cray supercomputer working 24/7 to figure out whether you are getting screwed or not. The "packages" offer you long battery life in place of computing power, or computing power in place of monitor size, or monitor/package size in place of battery life and computing power, etc. etc. So, the average consumer is probably getting ripped off, or maybe not, well, or maybe, depending on the day of the week and who is selling what. As "netbooks" get more expensive, people should be judging them as if they were laptops. As laptops get cheaper, people should be judging them as to how light, portable, and energy efficient they are. The whole netbook phenomenom has just created a confusing mess for the average consumer. All the more reason to have decent, impartial websites that analyse the performance, cost effectiveness and reliability of various hardware options. Just like Tom's Hardware used to be. Before the corporate bean counters eliminated all independent thinkers like Rob Wright and Ben Meyer from the payroll.

How about they cut the marketing BS and go back to calling them all laptops like they use to.

I don't konw where this huge "division" between notebook, netbook & laptop sprung up from.
But back when I was using a laptop in early 00's you bought your laptop computer depending on wheather you wanted a more compact model or something more powerfull but bigger.

Do they actually expect you to have 3 different sized laptops that you use depending on the situation?
Most people just buy what they can afford and are happy with it, I don't see why everyone is so worried over such trivial marketing shenanigans.

"Beefier graphics"

Why on earth would you think Pinetrail was offering "Beefier Graphics"? I thought it was the same shit-tastic IGP moved to the processors packaging.

I've just returned with my TARDIS from 2020 and I saw people with 30" netbooks.

Yeah, why can't anyone else see this. Net. Book. It's not a Gamebook or a VideoEditingbook or anything similar.

By my reasoning it could have a 52" screen and an Atom CPU and it would still be a netbook. I have a netbook. I use it primarily for the net. I work away from home and it fits in the same bag as my clothes and toiletries and weighs sweet F.A. For anything that requires more power I use a desktop PC. To me, a 'netbook' has a value. If I needed something bigger and with more power that's what I would have bought.

However, I must concede that it'd make life a lot easier if it was referred to as a 'small, low powered portable notebook suitable for surfing the net on the move'.

Actually this is bullshit, but if it's portable and low powered it's a netbook. A 52" screen isn't portable unless you are The Rock.

seems the o.e.m.s lost the point. they were supposed to be cheaper versions of laptops. they are supposed to get cheaper and smaller. it's all going the wrong way!

Actually this is exactly what I want.

I want a $500 laptop/netbook that is very thin and 12 inches. 4GB of RAM, 160GB or so of space, and a 2.0Ghz or more dual core.

Really, it's nearly 2010. This isn't far-fetched at all. Especially when my ZuneHD probably has a better graphics chip then all the netbooks out there.

As of today I officially disown the term "netbook"

I want a netbook (or laptop or whatever) wiht 24hr battery life so that i can watch movies on a plane when traveling to Asia or camping, or lying on my bed. Traveling with my Aspire 8920 is kind of like using the "brick" for a cell phone. And, YES! Big screen for HD movies.

well that was...random

hehe..Guys let's mix it up a little bit more. If this whole thing about netbook is like this...What do you think about NetTops

Let's see Nettop - computer with an intel Atom or low power AMD alternative with 1 GB and maybe a 160 GB . They're sold as all-in-one computers systems or small cases like the Wii. Oh yeah and a couple are equipped with ION. Best of all you can buy them separated and connect them to your 52 inch display.

That has the power of a netbook, but it is called a nettop. Damn it. Guys...I think we all Agree in something..the marketing for such devices is rather confusing.

See! I always said those tiny screens were too small to read the fine print. Eye doctors are going to make a fortune.

I know I wouldn't be happy with a computer that small no matter what you call it. And friends of mine who've bought netbooks for their kids or themselves say the screens on the ones they bought, 10 inchers I believe, are just too small to enjoy and also too small to "work" with even a lot of websites without the constant hoz scrolling.

I really like the idea of lighter and lighter laptops and even super thin and light laptops but I still need a decent sized screen 14 or 15 inches even if I'm just surfing. Dual core would be great ... 4Gb memory would be a nice to have and a huge SSD hard drive (yeah, I know, now I've really gone crazy).

somebody said it. Its all about extra battery life (ie. portability) at the expense of computing power. I liked the 11.6" screen ones because they can cram 6 cells or whatever into the machine without the bulge and get 7 or 9 hours of batt life (they claim). Size is very important too, 12" is starting to get big, but if its an edge to edge screen and keyboard, then maybe, but no bigger. All i need is to be able to primarily surf the net seamlessly (without having to scroll sideways), watch movies and output hi def thru hdmi; light, small, and especially good batt life. that's a netbook to me

As long as the netbooks or laptops or whatever can have a price tag below $300, I'm in!
In fact, I wanted a lower than $200 laptop, but I guess that's physically not possible.

I think they are doing this to bump up the prices of those pinetrail powered netbooks!

If anything, Intel's newer Atom chip should not bring a price bump to the netbooks, seeing that there's a whole bunch less of silicon inside the machine!

I guess the first player who will create the sub $300 model will run away with the profits!
$300 is the sweet spot for many for a netbook!

And how long does the battery last?
How much is a replacement battery?

Netbooks in general have a $37 replacement battery, and last between 6 and 10 hours on paper, that's 4,5 and 7,5 hours real life browsing or so...

Is pretty simple!
Is called a nettop, because it does not have an integrated screen or keyboard.
If it only had a screen, it would be a tablet pc, or touch pc (as HP calls it 'touchsmart)
If it only has a keyboard (and perhaps a small screen in the place of the num pad), it would be called an EEE Keyboard, since Asus is the first on the market with such plans.

Not to mention the Atom powered MIDS, smaller than 10" netbooks WITH DVD drive (like Kohjinsha), and Atom powered HTPC's (which is different from nettops).

6Cell fits in a 9 and 10" netbook pretty fine too!