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
 
That's right.

Tablets will replace netbooks.

They serve the same sort of function.


That is not the same as replacing as desktops /decent laptops/powerful ultrabooks
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Maybe so for the Win8 world, but I'm quite happy with my little netbook and as long as it runs and runs well I aim to keep it around. I don't expect it to run heavy-duty apps, perform like a desktop, or do ten things at once. It's great for checking e-mail, poking around on the web, editing simple documents, or when I want something lightweight and easy to tote around with me.

I was a tad disappointed to find out it wouldn't run Windows 8 (at least no Metro apps) short of the screen resolution hack. I went back to Windows 7 and it's perfectly happy with that.

I sincerely doubt most tablets - at least early on - will be capable of extensive multi-tasking, high-end graphics and processing, or any of the other "shortcomings" cited in the article in reference to netbooks.

Let's not be too hasty to sound the death kneel for netbooks.
 
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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 x64
:haha: at netbooks, never thought they served any purpose
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro ($39.99 upgrade)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel I5 3570K overclocked to 4.2ghz
    Motherboard
    Asus P8Z77-V LX
    Memory
    Cosrair DDR3-1600 (4 x 4gb)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce GT 610 2GB
    Sound Card
    None
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC 27" LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1920x0180
    Hard Drives
    Seagate HDD 500gb (windows)
    Seagate HDD 1.5tb (media)
    Seagate HDD 1tb (media)
    Seagate HDD 1tb (media)
    PSU
    CoolMax 700watt
    Case
    Cosiar R400 Carbide series
    Cooling
    Cool Master H212
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Mouse
    PowerUp 3 button mouse
    Internet Speed
    12mb down, 1mb up
    Other Info
    qty. (5) 120mm fans, four are monitored by motherboard.
    Logitech T650 Touchpad for touch screen gestures
I remember when these ultra micro PC's from companies like OQO came out;
OQO Model 03 Shows Up, Featuring Windows 7 and a High Price Tag [Updated] - SlashGear

We had some executives at our office who "thought" they could get one of these, and more or less dock it while at work and have the best thing since sliced bread. We knew it would be a disaster, but we had the money in the budget and bought them anyway. I think the longest executive tolerated it about 8 days before it was declared a complete and utter failure. But boy, as an IT guy, was it ever funny.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
I would not/could not use a netbook at work. My desktop has three 24" monitors and I typically have a bunch of apps all open at once: e-mail, IM, spreadsheets/word docs, SharePoint sites, other apps ... sometimes I have to go "hunting" to find that thing I opened an hour ago.

Tablets will probably eventually replace netbooks, but I think we all know that they're not going to be any more functional than netbooks for the foreseeable future. The only problem is that if you want a full-fledged tablet that will run PC apps just like a netbook/notebook/ultrabook/desktop it's going to come at a price. Maybe it's worth the money for some folks - as long as I can do what I need to do with my netbook, and I know its limitations, I'm fine with that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 x64
Actually, with some netbooks, you can enable a hidden screen resolution to gain some extra screen estate on the Desktop and run metro apps.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
We know - she says that in her article

While there are screen-scaling hacks that can get around the restriction, it's still a less than perfect user experience.

And so did Terry
it wouldn't run Windows 8 (at least no Metro apps) short of the screen resolution hack.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that screen resolution hack just let you run an unsupported wide screen resolution on a normal 4:3 ratio screen? If so I would think the displayed image wouldn't look right and be out of proportion.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I don't know - maybe someone who has done it will tell us.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Well gang, doing that resolution hack doesn't really seem to distort images as far as I can tell. All it really does is make the Desktop UI elements a tad smaller but some programs show more content. In metro apps, you can kind of say it's distorted. All that it does is not show a lot of the app so it means a bit more scrolling and knowing you have to scroll over as in the metro design, if there's something on the side like a bit of text showing or in this case, another screen of the app, is supposed to show some on the left to indicate that one needs to scroll over. With the netbook, that isn't there.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
See, the thing is, an LCD display only has so many pixels. You can't magically make it have more pixels. Its my understanding that the native resolution, which is usually the largest supported resolution, matches the number of pixels exactly. You can use other resolutions but its not optimal for the display. My 19 inch LCD's are 4:3, 1280 x 1024. Not wide enough for Metro snap. I'm sure I could do a registry edit to let me use larger resolutions but its not going to look good. Going wide screen on my monitors is going to be even worse. Netbook screens are even smaller with a lot less pixels. It hardly seems worth while to me if its going to give me a headache trying to read it. I'll reserve finale judgment until I can see it for myself though. If it works for you that's cool. Hopefully it doesn't damage anything. I wouldn't think it would but who knows.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
One thing that always confused me was all the different terminology. NOTEbook, NETbook, ULTRAbook etc? Best I can figure out was that NET/NOTEbooks were mini laptops with completely ass specs inside (1GB/Integrated graphics), typical FB/Email machines. And ULTRAbooks are ''skinny''/''lightweight'' normal-sized laptops with respectable specs inside?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Netbooks are like baby or midget laptops with low specs and best suited for mobility and light Office work. Notebook is generally referred to as a laptop. And yes, an ultrabook is an anorexic laptop with pretty high end specs.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
When netbooks first came out regular laptops were expensive. The netbook was an inexpensive entry level device. The reason it was small with low specs was to keep the price down. Now you can get a decent laptop with a 15 inch screen for what a netbook used to cost. Having a keyboard and being able to run regular windows programs was an advantage. I don't know if they sell very many of them these days. I believe the term netbook came about because browsing the internet was about all they were used for.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I own an acer notebook, nice specs on mine, netbooks really arent much better than smart phones IMO
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro ($39.99 upgrade)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel I5 3570K overclocked to 4.2ghz
    Motherboard
    Asus P8Z77-V LX
    Memory
    Cosrair DDR3-1600 (4 x 4gb)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce GT 610 2GB
    Sound Card
    None
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC 27" LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1920x0180
    Hard Drives
    Seagate HDD 500gb (windows)
    Seagate HDD 1.5tb (media)
    Seagate HDD 1tb (media)
    Seagate HDD 1tb (media)
    PSU
    CoolMax 700watt
    Case
    Cosiar R400 Carbide series
    Cooling
    Cool Master H212
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Mouse
    PowerUp 3 button mouse
    Internet Speed
    12mb down, 1mb up
    Other Info
    qty. (5) 120mm fans, four are monitored by motherboard.
    Logitech T650 Touchpad for touch screen gestures
My daughter has an HP Mini Netbook. About all she does on it is Facebook, and MSN. That's about all its good for really. Like you said, to her its just a big smart phone. We also have an Acer Aspire 5920 that was a hand me down from my father. My wife uses it more than I do, lol, Facebook mostly. I'll take it on the patio and use it for web browsing, forums mostly, and e-mail. The onboard graphics suck so It's not much good for gaming. The glossy screen makes it hard to use in bright sunlight conditions so I don't use it as much as I thought I would.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Native resolution on my HP Mini netbook is 1024 x 600 - about 1.7:1 - normal widescreen is 1.6:1.

TIFKAM doesn't like anything less than 1024 x 768. Running Win8 on my netbook serves no practical purpose for me so I didn't bother trying the hack (which might or might not work on my netbook). I just reloaded the Win7 image I had saved and it's prefectly fine.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 x64
And yes, an ultrabook is an anorexic laptop with pretty high end specs.
Yep, that's what I am currently looking at for home. A Lenovo X1 Carbon ultrabook. Just gotta come up with the cash.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
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