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Thread: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

  1. #17
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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    I certainly wouldn't want to use one as my main computer, but I won't pretend to know much about them.

    Desktop, Laptop, Blackberry... all have a place, and will continue to do so (I assume).

    You can't say no to a 20+ inch screen, 5.1 speakers and external mouse and keyboard... As well as far superior processing power.

  2. #18
    Mike Fishcake
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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    If they were gimmicky or allowed you to do lots and lots of new EXCITING things, maybe I'd think they were merely a fad.

    However, the reason they're popular isn't because they're loud and shiny and come with all sorts of "fun" things... the reason they're popular is because they're incredibly practical.

    They may not have as much power as a dual core 15" laptop or whatever, but (apologies for saying this time and time and time again but a lot of people don't seem to grab the concept) THAT'S THE ENTIRE POINT OF THEM. They're a low power device which are far lighter and smaller than a "normal" laptop, which have more than enough power for the people that just want to type/email/web browse, but they have a proper screen and keyboard. I don't care that you can get a "proper" laptop for £50 more or whatever, it will be heavier and bulkier. Some people prefer beefier specs in a laptop, others prefer a "proper" computer at home and something they can just sling in a normal bag for when they're travelling.

    The demand will probably slow down after everybody's tried to buy one at once, but it will remain a healthy market.

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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    That is exactly right Mike. Every time I see the Eee in the likes of PCWorld, I am amazed at how small it is. I kind of forget inbetween and think "nah, i won't bother with one, my existing laptops aren't that bad". Then I see one and go "wow"

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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    I'd echo Mike's thoughts too - exactly why i bought one.
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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    So many of us are agreed here that, Sod's Law being all-powerful, we've probably destroyed any chance this sector might have!


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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    Well my EEE 901 cost £300 in the shop, and I have upgraded it with 2GB of RAM and have an 80GB 1.8" drive on the way.... still under £400.

    Find me another laptop that's around 1Kg in weight, has 2GB RAM and 80GB of storage and a battery that will last me 4-5hrs or more for under £400... you will find it very difficult.

    I don't need power in such a tiny device, I need the basics, and that's what I have... I can throw this in my bag and go to work without getting back ache and a sweat before I even hit the station!

    Sure some of the initial rush is novelty factor, but I think this was a glaringly uncatered for market, I had been crying out for an affordable ultra-portable for years - wish I'd had this available when I was at Uni!

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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    Quote Originally Posted by Pob255 View Post
    Schools is also one area that Asus moved fast on, pushed and secured. I can tel you now that RM the UKs largest school computer supplier/specialist has a contract for EEE pc's, so there's a nice chunk of govenrment funding that should keep sales up for a while.
    RM are the UK distributor or Eee PCs, but it seems they aren't pushing them at schools - certainly not to any great degree. We've heard nothing from them regarding any of these 'VSLs'. Perhaps LEAs, but not (all) individual schools just yet.

    Our LEA are looking into pushing them at schools, but are just playing around with them so far. We've bought 12 Eee PCs and will buy 20something Aspire Ones so all our Year 8s get one. They're seen as an incentive for getting kids to do some homework and getting the kids to look for stuff on the net during lessons. Other uses are very limited though... we're a bit stuck on what else they can be used for, but our superiors love the idea of showing off such gadgets... this is what your taxes are going towards guys and gals.

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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    Quote Originally Posted by BrianS View Post
    As a secondary laptop I think they're superb, but I definitely wouldn't spend over £250 on one. I just bought an Acer One (Atom 1.6GHz / 1GB RAM / 120GB HDD) for just under £220, take it almost everywhere with me
    How is it? I'm thinking of getting one - what's battery life like?
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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    I made this point back in May in my AMD blog on the same topic. There are pros and cons to the cheap, mini-notebook design. Looks like the cheap mini-notebook is morphing into the real notebook. I would put the blog link, but I need 5 posts on Hexus before it will let me.

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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    Hi Pat and welcome.

    I was going to find the link and post it myself, but the AMD blog site seems to be being a bit moody right now.

    Anyway, only four more posts and you're home free

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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?


  13. #28
    MD
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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    Its certainly and interesting time - with DSGi fulfilling the channel first through the Advent 4211 in PC world in the UK it had a bit of a shaky start.

    I was in PC world picking mine up yesterday and I was amazed at the number of parents in there buying a laptop for thier child, they were everywhere, on the phone with someone in the know giving them advice - but no one was standing anywhere near a netbook.

    Now this store in particular had quite a few in, namely the Acer Aspire One, a handful of 900 eePC's and the 4211 from Advent.

    Now I had some teething issues with mine, it took a good hour to get up and running with drivers that worked, and DSGi really need to fix this pretty soon, it would see alot less of the high returns they have seen to to date.

    For example, aside from the one on display mine was the only other retail product they had, but they were showing three in store as faulty, chances are they are perfectly fine, but the technology just isn't mature enough for the basic user which these devices are seemingly aimed at.

    Now for the £260 after cashback that I paid yesterday I had to say I am really impressed with the 4211, sure its not a fully fledged laptop, but as someone who has lots of top level kit it's a compromise I am willing to make.

    I have an HP laptop with more than enough power to cope with what I need when I am doing modest graphics or wanting to play games (Centrino C2D, 2GB Ram, GeForce7400, but the battery life is pretty poor, around 2 hours - strangely enough less than my netbook has returned off a single charge thus far.

    It does what I need it to do and, now that its all stable, I am browsing the net with something light on my lap and more importantly cool.

    If i use my HP laptop for extended periods of time it gets uncomfortably warm for my liking.

    So as it goes, my girlfriend's playing Sims 2 on my HP and I surf the net on whatever site I like, in comfort and speed - although she did do a Clarkson style its 'shoooo schweeeeet' when she saw it for the first time...

    Sometimes technology is more that the sum of its parts, its the way it fits into a personal lifestyle - for me its a great buy - especially as my HP cost me £900 about 18 months ago.

    I'm happy with the compromise, it suits ME - and in technology nowadays thats the hardest sell of all.

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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    The 4211 looks interesting Matt, looks to be a nice £50 saving on the MSI Wind.

    For £50 I can happily sort out my own drivers

    Was the cashback in store? If they can do a £20 cashback now, hopefully they can reduce the price in a months time when I come to get one

  15. #30
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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    The cashback won't be for a few months, its done through a web based site.

    Will the price drop, possibly, but I actually suspect in the case of the 4211 it may rise - it comes in under the MSI wind and its very young, given a bit of time and maturity for basic users I actually suspect it may go up 20-30 quid or so.

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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    My Advent 4211 (which as we all know is a rebadged MSI Wind - even has MSI Wind written on the bottom of it!) arrived yesterday and it's even better than I hoped! It's got the largest keyboard and screen of all the subnotebooks AFAIK and I'm glad it has as anything smaller wouldn't work for me. I've been after a small light laptop for a long time but have blanched at the cost of the previous iterations pushed out by the big manufacturers. For carrying about on my lunchbreak to write my book, this is absolutely perfect. And as an aside, it's the right size for my five month old sproglet to watch cartoons on Youtube
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    Re: Analysis - Are sub-notebooks just a fad?

    I'd be gutted if i had spent nearly 2k on one of those carbon Sony's - the idea behind needing power on the move is just an opinion - the problem witht he tech market as far as computers is we all think that more pwer is better - when in 99% of cases its a complete waste of time, money and power.

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