Windows 8: It's goodbye netbooks, hello tablets

Actually, it's not just because of Windows 8. It's just that it turns out we don't need netbooks anymore.

Since the rollout of the release code for Windows 8 on MSDN and Technet last week, we've been updating all our test machines with various versions of the latest Windows.

It's gone on desktop PCs with multiple monitors, on various laptops, on hybrid touch and pen tablet PCs, and on a selection of slate form-factor PCs.

One set of devices it's not been anywhere near is the netbooks that have been sitting around the office for the past couple of years. After all, they were at the heart of much of our Windows 7 testing, and Microsoft had done a lot of work in making it run well on low-power and small form-factor devices.

Read more at:
Windows 8: It's goodbye netbooks, hello tablets | ZDNet

 

[jimbo45]

Hi all
Apart from Brink have some of you actually USED a netbook -- with an SSD they are quite capable of running a few simultaneous even quite complex applications like say EXCEL spreadsheets etc - and you can run typical office type stuff easily enough.

With HDMI output the screen resolution argument doesn't wash since you can always plug a decent netbook into a decent size monitor. For travelling I found a netbook absolutely ideal -- with a Hotel decent size LCD TV used as an external monitor I could even run apps like Photoshop without too much of a problem. (Most Hotels I use have decent Samsung LCD TV's in the rooms and these work perfectly as external monitors with HDMI input too.

Most live TV unless it's sport is 100% really rubbish these days - especially the French channels I get in Belgium or France so using the computer with the hotel LCD TV is a much better idea).

I've now got an Ultrabook -- but I used very happily a small ACER Aspire 1 10 inch netbook for about a year and a half -- mega light for travelling -- fitted with an SSD and 4 GB RAM and running W8 it booted faster than some more powerful desktops and playing movies etc was ideal.

(Considerably cheaper too than some of these silly tablets which really aren't even as good as a smart phone -- IMO a totally pointless device which I'm sure is only going through a short period of popularity as they are new and a sort of "boys Toy".)

As for an Ipad -- I could have bought TWO Acer aspire 1 netbooks and STILL have some change left over.

Ultrabooks are IMO the next wave -- but these will hurt you wallet -- however they are worth every single cent / penny / rouble or whatever. Beats most desktops and certainly tablets hands down.

Sales of Netbooks are declining - they've probably outlived their usefulness since the Ultrabooks are available --light, extremely powerful and very very portable --just what you need when travelling.

I didn't regret my time at all with the netbook. Anybody who's a regular traveller on trains and planes will appreciate the small form factor sitting on a long flight from London to LA - especially if travelling in "Cattle Class" at the back of the plane. A "Standard" heavy laptop with its 15 inch screen was just what you DIDN'T want or need in these circumstances -- netbooks were the only viable alternative at that time.

I absolute rave over my new machine - with USB3 ports, 8GB RAM, 250 GB SSD and an I7 processor it can do everything I need of even a large desktop and the built in graphics is good enough to drive even a HUGE LCD screen in HD mode too.

It's almost as light as my old netbook and certainly a little bit thinner too !!!!.

No way would I waste my money on a tablet -- I'm happy with my Samsing Galaxy IIIs phone (US guys you'd better get yours quick before sales are stopped in US after another Apple court case).


cheers
jimbo

 

[TerryE]

Well stated, Jimbo.

 

[alphanumeric]

The Netbook my daughter has is one of the very early models. Single core low power processor, 1 gig of DDR, 5400 RPM hard drive. Not exactly stellar performance but It's what we could afford at the time. I'm sure todays Netbooks can blow it out of the water. Today I could buy a full sized basic laptop for what I paid for that Netbook back then. I don't see myself going down that road again.

 

[Got2bereal]

A netbook is just a notebook for the recession. Designed to fit the budget of those that's been laid off and uninformed. You can get used high end notebook for the same price that offer better features and performance.

 

[besb]

Hi All, I decided to chime in on this one as last week I was traveling very light and did not want a large laptop with me.
I decided too to stick the RP on my Netbook Asus 1005ha with 3g mobile internet,upped to 2GB ram 500gb disk, running W7pro.
It performs reasonable well running office email various other programs but a little slow when more extensive graphics are required but because of the hard disk size was acting as a file reasonable file store . (screen size 1024x600)
It installed OK and whilst using the desktop environment was performing slightly faster than W7.
Modern Metro however complained as noted in the previous posts and only two apps would run.
XP allowed for the forced non native slightly distorted screen size of 1024x768 which allowed you to get to controls that were hidden even when on full screen to change various settings. W7 video drivers did not and the hack had to be applied.
Now for the nonsense W8 tells you to change resolution and drops you into personalization where you only have 1024x600.

The same hack can be applied if you are aware of the solution but how many Joe public users know this.

The Windows 8 launch featured a lenova netbook running W8 but seemed to forget to tell anyone about the resolution problem.
I did a quick check an Ebuyer and found 89 netbooks 65 or so only having a resolution of 1024x600 running W7 up to £400.
Now I as an ordinary member of the public I could choose to buy one expecting to upgrade to W8 and having a nasty surprise down the line. There should be a health warning issued.
I personally don't mind I use W8 in desktop mode across multiple 24" screens with several maybe 10 or 15 windows open in more extreme cases, but the full screen Modern Metro approach seemed ideal for a netbook shame it does not work without having to have a distorted display. I feel there will be a large number of unhappy users; not users who post here, but for instance those who buy netbooks as presents for their wives etc.
It really should be made more obvious of the problems they will be facing.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
there aren't many "Netbooks" / Laptops" around with an 11,1 inch screen -- my Acer is absolutely fabulous for this --nice processor - Native resolution 1366 x 768 light and thin.

Fitted with an SSD and 8GB of memory it blows away ANY TABLET away on the planet and isn't a lot bigger either.

There aren't many laptops of this size around --pity as this is the TOP DOG for portability --and you can still plug this into multiple monitors --.

No way would I ever travel with a laptop having bigger than an 11.1 inch screen any more --these are meant to be PORTABLE devices. With a decent USB3 port and a USB3 external HDD ( 2TB self powered) why should I even THINK of a tablet.

The old 17 inch clunkers -- might be great at home but you wouldn't want to lug them around on a plane these days or even a train.

I'm not a user of "Farcebook" or a "flower" on Twitter -- for this type of stuff maybe a tablet is OK --but a smartphone can often do this better.

For doing any sort of "Sensible computing" for example applications like Photoshop, EXCEL, Power Point, Video editing etc etc -- a laptop with a proper keyboard and mouse is essential.

Try and also logon to a SAP backend system or equivalent --for example Oracle Financials with a tablet or Ipad. !!.

Case closed M'Lud. - Next Case please.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Coke Robot]

Hi there
there aren't many "Netbooks" / Laptops" around with an 11,1 inch screen -- my Acer is absolutely fabulous for this --nice processor - Native resolution 1366 x 768 light and thin.

Fitted with an SSD and 8GB of memory it blows away ANY TABLET away on the planet and isn't a lot bigger either.

There aren't many laptops of this size around --pity as this is the TOP DOG for portability --and you can still plug this into multiple monitors --.

No way would I ever travel with a laptop having bigger than an 11.1 inch screen any more --these are meant to be PORTABLE devices. With a decent USB3 port and a USB3 external HDD ( 2TB self powered) why should I even THINK of a tablet.

The old 17 inch clunkers -- might be great at home but you wouldn't want to lug them around on a plane these days or even a train.

I'm not a user of "Farcebook" or a "flower" on Twitter -- for this type of stuff maybe a tablet is OK --but a smartphone can often do this better.

For doing any sort of "Sensible computing" for example applications like Photoshop, EXCEL, Power Point, Video editing etc etc -- a laptop with a proper keyboard and mouse is essential.

Try and also logon to a SAP backend system or equivalent --for example Oracle Financials with a tablet or Ipad. !!.

Case closed M'Lud. - Next Case please.

Cheers
jimbo

Now what about an Intel powered tablet?

 

[FSeal]

Netbooks have been declining in the face of tablets for quite a while and WIndows 8 certainly had nothing to do with it, the availability and usability of tablets did.

That being said, a tablet CANNOT replace a netbook if in fact your purpose for it was as a small writing tool or something else that required a keyboard. (The surfaces KB usability still remains to be seen but it is certainly far less functional for extended or random use than a netbook is)

So no Windows 8 will not be the death of or really have anything to do with the decline in netbooks specifically... Apple and Google already did that.

 

[Coke Robot]

Netbooks have been declining in the face of tablets for quite a while and WIndows 8 certainly had nothing to do with it, the availability and usability of tablets did.

That being said, a tablet CANNOT replace a netbook if in fact your purpose for it was as a small writing tool or something else that required a keyboard. (The surfaces KB usability still remains to be seen but it is certainly far less functional for extended or random use than a netbook is)

So no Windows 8 will not be the death of or really have anything to do with the decline in netbooks specifically... Apple and Google already did that.

So, how are the Surface tablet's touch and type covers inferior to a netbook's, when both devices are relatively the same in size?

 

[alphanumeric]

Netbooks have been declining in the face of tablets for quite a while and WIndows 8 certainly had nothing to do with it, the availability and usability of tablets did.

That being said, a tablet CANNOT replace a netbook if in fact your purpose for it was as a small writing tool or something else that required a keyboard. (The surfaces KB usability still remains to be seen but it is certainly far less functional for extended or random use than a netbook is)

So no Windows 8 will not be the death of or really have anything to do with the decline in netbooks specifically... Apple and Google already did that.

So, how are the Surface tablet's touch and type covers inferior to a netbook's, when both devices are relatively the same in size?

You can use the netbooks keyboard just about anywhere including your lap. Try using a Surface Touch with the flip down keyboard in your lap. It looks like it has to be propped up with the flip out stand. I don't see that being usable in your lap. Unless your going to hold it up with one hand and type with the other.

 

[FSeal]

Netbooks have been declining in the face of tablets for quite a while and WIndows 8 certainly had nothing to do with it, the availability and usability of tablets did.

That being said, a tablet CANNOT replace a netbook if in fact your purpose for it was as a small writing tool or something else that required a keyboard. (The surfaces KB usability still remains to be seen but it is certainly far less functional for extended or random use than a netbook is)

So no Windows 8 will not be the death of or really have anything to do with the decline in netbooks specifically... Apple and Google already did that.

So, how are the Surface tablet's touch and type covers inferior to a netbook's, when both devices are relatively the same in size?

You can use the netbooks keyboard just about anywhere including your lap. Try using a Surface Touch with the flip down keyboard in your lap. It looks like it has to be propped up with the flip out stand. I don't see that being usable in your lap. Unless your going to hold it up with one hand and type with the other.

Exactly.. and it's a strange little KB beast as well, the comfort (or lack of such) on it has yet to be determined.

It's an interesting arrangement, but much like metro itself, the Surface is a thing trying to be two different things and it may be less at both rather than more than one.

People have different uses for their computing needs and if you want a writing device that's portable, a netbook wins hands down over any tablet, with or without physical KB attachment. If you are NOT a writer (or other heavy KB user) and only use your portable device for browsing and the occasional tweet then you don't need a KB at all and it's just wasted and an innefficient cover.

 

[Coke Robot]

Netbooks have been declining in the face of tablets for quite a while and WIndows 8 certainly had nothing to do with it, the availability and usability of tablets did.

That being said, a tablet CANNOT replace a netbook if in fact your purpose for it was as a small writing tool or something else that required a keyboard. (The surfaces KB usability still remains to be seen but it is certainly far less functional for extended or random use than a netbook is)

So no Windows 8 will not be the death of or really have anything to do with the decline in netbooks specifically... Apple and Google already did that.

So, how are the Surface tablet's touch and type covers inferior to a netbook's, when both devices are relatively the same in size?

You can use the netbooks keyboard just about anywhere including your lap. Try using a Surface Touch with the flip down keyboard in your lap. It looks like it has to be propped up with the flip out stand. I don't see that being usable in your lap. Unless your going to hold it up with one hand and type with the other.

I don't see that being an issue. You prop it up, put the keyboard cover on, and you have a similar footprint to a netbook.

New Microsoft Surface tablet PCs - YouTube

This is a demo of the keyboard, around 1:50, you see the guy clicking on the keyboard cover, and you can barely see that the angle it clicks on is kept without propping up or other support. Looks fairly solid to me.

 

[alphanumeric]

Yes it will have the same footprint as a Netbook, but you still can't easily use it as a laptop, in your lap and not on a table, with the keyboard attached. Also, I wouldn't really call that flip cover a keyboard. It looks to be just a big touch pad with keys painted on it. If it works as good as they say it does in that video it should be OK though. Might take some getting used to though.

I only occasionallyly use my laptop but when I do its in my lap, not on a desk or table. I like to lay back in my Lazyboy chair with my laptop right in front of me. The Surface wouldn't work for me, no mater how cool it looks. I want a real keyboard to type on.

 

[strollin]

...
there aren't many "Netbooks" / Laptops" around with an 11,1 inch screen -- my Acer is absolutely fabulous for this --nice processor - Native resolution 1366 x 768 light and thin.

Fitted with an SSD and 8GB of memory it blows away ANY TABLET away on the planet and isn't a lot bigger either. ...
jimbo

I think I have the same Acer netbook Jimbo, I also put an ssd in it and it runs Win 7 HP 64 very well, better than many low-end laptops.

I have zero desire to even try Win 8 on it as I am perfectly satisfied with it running Win 7.

 

[R0bR]

It's an interesting arrangement, but much like metro itself, the Surface is a thing trying to be two different things and it may be less at both rather than more than one.

It's not trying, Microsoft said it was a new type of device.