Following a rumor in the Wall Street Journal that Apple CEO (and marketing genius) Steve Jobs was working on a netbook project, writers have been speculating on what Apple might be up to. More to the point, the users have been speculating, too. I've also been following dozens of comments on TechCrunch, following the news that the popular technology blog had decided to build a prototype netboook.
It's very clear that while some folks are using netbooks and some more folks want to buy one now or soon, others have stretched their expectations about what a netbook should be, should include, or should cost to impossible dimensions. For example:
- Trying to include in netbooks hw features that won't fit either with the slim dimensions that make a netbook a netbook or with the price points (typically $300-500) that make them compelling.
- Making operating systems a big issue. Netbooks are intended mainly for surfing the web and doing email -- applications for which an OS is largely irrelevant. I don't care what the OS is -- as long as I don't have to see it (think of your Smartphone). I've had one netbook that's been unusable -- off being fixed -- for months, because something didn't work out of the box and I didn't have the familiarity with the OS to figure out what to do. Netbooks need to be consumer appliances.
- Size really counts. Make netbooks bigger to accomodate a bigger screen or a DVD drive (nice features on a notebook) and it is isn't a netbook. I want it to be small enough that I take it everywhere without ever considering its size a burden -- like my phone.
But there are design issues that will differentiate netbooks and perhaps provide the opportunity for the premiun prices Apple likes to command.
- Sleek design, that Apple trademark. Remember, it's a consumer appliance -- looks matter.
- A touchscreen interface. I have a pre-order in for a French netbook (due in June) that has both a touchscreen and an optional keyboard. Very nice.Nice enough to get lots of attention at DEMO.
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A real keyboard for those who write lots of emails or drafts on their netbooks.
Netbooks are already a successful market and will continue to grow in the places where they are compelling -- not by making them little notebooks but by making them a new class of computers, between Smartphones and Notebooks. Think:
- In emerging countries as a first computer, provided they have the required communications infrastructure.
- In places like the U.S. as a second or third computer -- or a first computer for a kid -- something to carry everywhere.
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