Headlines - JoinTech serves up cheapest, most useless, netbook of them all

[HEXUS]

We're all waiting for netbook prices to drop a little lower, but JoinTech's $99 solution isn't quite what we had in mind.

Read more.

[greenalien]

I think you're being far too quick to criticise this innovative device - it's light, has good battery life and looks ideal for mobile email and web surfing - the manufacturers website also promises WiFi as an add-on - and at that price, it looks like a great deal. Just the sort of thing to take on holiday, and no need to worry if it gets lost along with the rest of your luggage!

[Parm]

I think my concern would be what can this netbook do that most mobile phones can't?

It's a device of netbook proportions, but I personally think it offers phone-like functionality and its size is therefore a bit of a waste?

You're right though greenalien, there's little need to worry if this one is lost with the luggage.

[Jenny_Y8S]

The screen grabs show XP, which is clearly wrong.

And it only has a word viewer, not the "full" version that you should be getting. So it's totally useless as a mobile word processor.

I agree, it may be only $99 but it's next to useless, as lets face it even the CE IE is a pile of steaming...

[Methanoid]

Oh dear, there seems to be a mass attack of lack of reading here.

Sorry Hexus but this IS a worthwhile device. £60 or $99 is pretty good for an internet browsing sorta device. Its certainly not without use. I'd buy this for my kids as if they trash it I would not need to get as upset as I would if they trash a £500 laptop. I support Greenalien's comments.

"I think my concern would be what can this netbook do that most mobile phones can't?" - find me a mobile phone with a keyboard and a 7" screen.

"So it's totally useless as a mobile word processor" - if you go to the company's website they have the manual for download as well as the specs. Sure, Word viewer but there is Word pad which is acceptable as a BASIC word processor.

For the price I think this is a great device. Certainly its closer to the original Eee ethos of cheap n cheerful and basic functional. The netbook market is gradually creeping up in price and down in appeal in my opinion!

[Nelviticus]

Speaking as someone who's had the unpleasant experience of using Windows Mobile 2003, which is pretty close to Windows CE 5.0, I think it will suckety-suck. But then it is cheapety-cheap. If it has a decent browser it might reach the level of "painfully adequate" but if it's stuck with an old version of Pocket IE it will be dreadful.

[Lanky123]

People complain that companies are losing the idea of netbooks by speccing them up and increasing the price to that of cheap laptops. They then go and complain when a company decides to cost cut and sell one cheaply. Is there a sweet spot in the middle or does everyone just like complaining?

Personally I agree that they've cut it down too much for my tastes, and clearly quite a few other's as well. However, that doesn't mean there isn't a niche for it (as someone said, small children perhaps) and if you don't like it nobody's forcing you to buy the thing.

[Andaho]

Originally Posted by Methanoid

Oh dear, there seems to be a mass attack of lack of reading here.

Sorry Hexus but this IS a worthwhile device. £60 or $99 is pretty good for an internet browsing sorta device. Its certainly not without use. I'd buy this for my kids as if they trash it I would not need to get as upset as I would if they trash a £500 laptop.

If you gave this to your kids they would throw it under their bed after playing on it for 5 minutes and then never touch it again and always remember for the rest of their life that you gave them crap presents!

Kids want to do things like visit the CBBC website which is a website full of heavy flash content... it won't work on a machine like this, it probably can't even load flash! If they're a bit older, they will probably want to go on myspace or facebook, again, websites with heavy content that won't load on a device like this.... infact, it's likely with it having windows CE on it, it might load a WAP version of the site? lol

This netbook lacks the function that makes other netbooks useful. I don't even like the term netbook... I prefer to call them sub-notebooks... for a laptop to be truly useful for the internet as it is today, it has to have a fair ammount of power... and with that power comes other functionality, so thats why I don't like them being called a netbook; they're so much more - apart from this one, that I don't think can even be called a netbook!

All you people saying you can see a use for this... you probably own electric carving knifes and laser guided scissors.

[TAKTAK]

Originally Posted by Andaho

you probably own electric carving knifes and laser guided scissors.

JoinTech netbook ~ £60
multifaceted electric carving knife ~ £19.99 (HERE)
laser guided scissors ~ £9.30 (HERE)
giant penknife ~ £499.95 (HERE)

looking like a complete burk for buying them ~ PRICELESS

theres some things that money can't buy... for everything else theres

[3dcandy]

if it's £60 I'm sure I could find a use for it......
If it's more, I'll stick with my old laptop!

[Jay]

its more powerful than an iPhone I think and I am posting here using my iPhone. If the browser is decent and they can add wi-fi then it would be fine for basic browsing, webmail etc.

[MadduckUK]

Originally Posted by Jay

its more powerful than an iPhone I think

im not so sure.. seems my old, old, htc wizard would give it a run

[Twigman]

Originally Posted by Lanky123

everyone just like complaining

Nail on the head. I think it's a bit of fun. Comparing it to a £300+ mobile phone seems a bit harsh considering it is so cheap. I'd get one

[Andaho]

Originally Posted by TAKTAK

JoinTech netbook ~ £60
multifaceted electric carving knife ~ £19.99 (HERE)
laser guided scissors ~ £9.30 (HERE)
giant penknife ~ £499.95 (HERE)

looking like a complete burk for buying them ~ PRICELESS

theres some things that money can't buy... for everything else theres

HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!