Seems like the general interest around netbooks has waned and the only thing you ever hear about them are Asus' 87th minor iteration of their Eee PC computers. Tablets are obviously the new hotness when it comes to large screen mobile computing, so you can credit them with putting the nail in the coffin.
I have an Asus Eee 1000HE and I used it every now and then, but now that I have an iPad, I rarely power it up. With tablet prices are getting closer to the netbooks we have today, you can pick up a Android tabletin the $4-500 range, so more consumer can afford picking their own.
Anyone still use their netbook? Is there still a market for them?
Question about
Are netbooks finally dead?
top answers
cass' pick
I have an old Acer Aspire One 8GB flash model, the one that came with Linux. I'm running Ubuntu Netbook Edition 10.04 on it. There is not a tablet on the market I'd trade this for. Granted, I don't use it all the time, but for the specific purposes I do use it for, a tablet could never replace it.
I will admit, though, that netbooks are going to feel the pinch real soon. Now that less people are buying them, component prices are going to go up as production scales down, driving netbooks up in price and eliminating one of the key advantages they have in the minds of average consumers. I fear that 15.6" laptops are becoming the new netbook. :( I can't fit one of those in my glove box when I am going out for a coffee shop chat with friends and don't want to carry the laptop bag.
To be honest, I am considering snapping up a few more netbooks to keep in the wings for when mine dies and when I am ready to start the kids on computers. If I wait much longer, they may be gone.
I will admit, though, that netbooks are going to feel the pinch real soon. Now that less people are buying them, component prices are going to go up as production scales down, driving netbooks up in price and eliminating one of the key advantages they have in the minds of average consumers. I fear that 15.6" laptops are becoming the new netbook. :( I can't fit one of those in my glove box when I am going out for a coffee shop chat with friends and don't want to carry the laptop bag.
To be honest, I am considering snapping up a few more netbooks to keep in the wings for when mine dies and when I am ready to start the kids on computers. If I wait much longer, they may be gone.
mark as good answer
2 people like this answer
Clicking the mark as good answer button helps us highlight the best answers.
community pick
I don't think they are dead yet.
I actually sold my Dell Mini9 to get a Nook Color. I thought it would be a good switch, but it didn't work out for me. I ended up selling my Nook Color because it really just felt like a bigger phone and was ultimately less useful because it was less portable than a phone. I ordered a x120e to replace it. The iPads are nice, but once again I simply feel too limited. I understand that everyone's needs are different but I imagine it is at least a generation away before tablets feel like a viable option to me.
I actually sold my Dell Mini9 to get a Nook Color. I thought it would be a good switch, but it didn't work out for me. I ended up selling my Nook Color because it really just felt like a bigger phone and was ultimately less useful because it was less portable than a phone. I ordered a x120e to replace it. The iPads are nice, but once again I simply feel too limited. I understand that everyone's needs are different but I imagine it is at least a generation away before tablets feel like a viable option to me.
mark as good answer
3 people like this answer
I use mine only when I want to travel light or when I am working from a coffeeshop. Plus it's nice to have a machine that I can play with in terms of operating systems and experimental software. If/when I get a tablet, I'm sure the netbook would get even less use though it would still be nice to have a computer that is slightly more portable than my 15" clunker.
I also want to be able to type freely when I am traveling or in a coffeeshop so I would really have to test out a tablet to see if it would work for me in that capacity.
I also want to be able to type freely when I am traveling or in a coffeeshop so I would really have to test out a tablet to see if it would work for me in that capacity.
mark as good answer
2 people like this answer
The form factor certainly isn't dead, but I think that your average consumer interested in an inexpensive computing device--the type of person that would've purchased a comparatively slow netbook a few years ago--will instead look at a device like an iPad. At the higher end, I see products like the 11.6" MacBook Air staying around, as many people want a decently spec'd notebook of that size and weight.
mark as good answer
1 person likes this answer
follow this question
share:
Related questions
5 users following this question:
This question has been viewed 145 times.
Last activity .
Tips for giving the best answers
Sometimes it's just little details that separates a great and not so great answer! Here are a few simple tips to keep in mind:
- 1
- Be complete and thorough. Don't skimp on the details!
- 2
- Try not to answer with a question. Because that's not really an answer, right?
- 3
- A little research goes a long way. Back up your claims and assumptions!
- 4
- Try to be patient, tech questions can be complicated.
- 5
- You are awesome for both reading this and answering questions.