Netbooks 101

A few years ago desktop replacements were all the rage. These laptop computers became popular because they promised to allow all the features of a modern desktop—from managing large video and music collections to playing 3D games—in a small portable package. The only problem is that in order to pack in all the latest doodads these machines stopped being that small. The perfect example of this excess is the Dell XPS 2010 which has a 20.1” screen and weighs 18.3 pounds. While this is certainly the extreme, even a 17” MacBook Pro weighs in at just shy of seven pounds. Add in a few power adaptors and old school notebooks and these computers easily turn your backpack or briefcase into a guaranteed source of future back pain. And what weight these machines put on your back they take out of your pocket with retail prices of $1,999 and $2,799 for the two mentioned above.

Now imagine in your head a laptop that strives to be the exact opposite of these machines and you have Ultra Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC) or “netbook.” These machines have relatively small screens, hard drives, processor speeds, and price tags. There are two scenarios that make netbooks particularly attractive. One is that you are someone who doesn’t currently own a computer and are not interested in more than browsing the internet and word processing. In this case these computers can handle all these functions at a low cost. The other scenario is that you already have a computer in your home that can handle the demanding media and gaming tasks, and prefer a light, inexpensive machine to take with you to work, to school, or on travel. For both scenarios the netbook offers an effective solution.

One of the first netbooks to enter the scene was the Asus Eee PC 701 which had model had a 7” screen, 900Mhz processor, and two, four, or 8gb solid state drives starting at $299. Now however there are a wide variety of choices in this market segment. They come in the form of offerings from traditional computer makers such as the HP mini note and the soon-to-be-released Dell E, as well as from smaller brands like MSI and Everex. My next post will be a review of the Asus Eee PC 900, the 701′s “big” brother. Hopefully, reading it will help you decide if a netbook is right for you and if 900 is a good option to consider. If you do, you won’t be alone. It is predicted that over eight million netbooks will ship in 2008. That’s pretty significant for a market segment that hardly existed just a year ago.

Eee PC 900 (right) with a 17" Macbook Pro (left) for size

Why technology?

So this may seem like an easy question, but why technology? Why do we spend significant amounts of time and money on an ever-increasing supply of gadgets and electronics? Before I post any reviews or analysis of specific products, I want to try to construct a framework by which we can decide what technology we need and what we don’t. When people get frustrated with technology it is often because they forget to consider this framework.

Here’s what I suggest: technology must either simplify or enhance your life. If a product does not meet at least one of these two criteria then it is not worth owning. Technology is just a tool like any other type of tool and if it does not perform some function that either makes your life easier (simplifies) or allows you do something you could not do before (enhances) then it should be avoided. To clarify, here are definitions of these key terms from Merriam-Webster Online:

simplify: to reduce to basic essentials; to diminish in scope or complexity; to make more intelligible

enhance: to increase or improve in value, quality, desirability, or attractiveness

Note that both of these words are transitive verbs. What are they acting on? Your life! So when you go to purchase a new computer, cell phone, television, or internet service plan, consider these definitions. Ask if a device really does enhance or simplify. Hold the products you are thinking about up to these standards. If they don’t meet them just say no.

Every product review I post to this site will consider these requirements. Come back soon for my review of the Eee PC 900 to see how this will work in practice.

If you have a different answer to the question “Why technology?” I’d love to hear it. Just leave a comment below.

The Mission

Most technology blogs and news sites tend focus on one particular theme. That theme is usually a company like Apple or Microsoft or a product like the iPhone. Yet their perspectives leave the reader in the position of having to piece together all these blogs into a complete picture of the technological world and then figuring out how that picture applies that them personally.

While I cannot promise to give you a complete view of the technological world, I can offer you one perspective of it that might just be applicable to your life. Every week I’ll post updates and on the products I use and the happenings I care about in the world of technology. We all have needs and confront problems where gadgets and software can be useful. I’ll share my solutions in the hope that they might help you as well.

Leave comments. Share your thoughts. Together we’ll simplify and enhance our lives with technology.

If this sounds useful to you then bookmark this site give it a shot.