November 1st, 2009
Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Netbook computers
The debate over whether netbooks are a real phenomenon or a passing fad is pretty much over. Whether you consider them a distinct category, or simply an inexpensive and under-powered subnotebook, the fact remains that some 25 million shoppers will choose netbooks this year. In other words, they are here to stay.
The exact definition of a netbook remains somewhat fluid though, and it has certainly evolved over the past year. Last year the market was shifting from 9-inch netbooks to models with 10.1-inch displays. Now this niche is split between 10.1-inch displays and 11.6-inch models, and there are even a handful of models (Lenovo IdeaPad S12, Samsung NC10) with the 12.1-inch displays commonly found on ultraportable laptops. Many of the 11.6-inch netbooks also support a higher resolution of 1366×768, which is useful since you can see more and scroll less (Sony is the only one that squeezes this higher resolution onto a10.1-inch display with its VAIO W series). To add to the confusion, many of the same PC makers have started shipping laptops with the same display sizes–11.6 or 12.1 inches–paired with Intel’s ultra low-voltage, or ULV, processors typically at prices of around $600 and up. The HP Pavilion dv2 also falls into this category, though it is based on an AMD Athlon Neo dual-core processor.
One thing that hasn’t changed much, though, is the basic specs. Nearly all netbooks have the same starting configuration–an Intel Atom N270 or N20 processor, 1GB of memory and a 160GB hard drive. Not surprisingly, the performance also tends to be the same, which is to say not very good, among netbooks. After dragging its feet for more than a year, in early 2010 Intel will reportedly release new netbook platform, known as Pine Trail, which should deliver better performance. In the meantime, Nvidia has attempted to fill the void with its Ion chipset, which gives netbooks (and nettops) the graphics mojo to play HD video. Three netbooks currently offer Ion: the HP Mini 311, Lenovo IdeaPad S12 and Samsung N510. Though there were some concerns about the price and battery life, early reviews have been quite good and it’s a nice option if you want a netbook with a little more oomph.
One of the clearest distinctions between netbooks and notebooks–the operating system–is also about to disappear. Windows 7 replaces both Vista on notebooks and Windows XP. A few netbooks will offer full versions of Windows 7, but many will stick with Windows 7 Starter edition. There are two drawbacks here. First, to entice customers to choose more expensive versions of Windows 7, the Starter edition has some limitations. You may have heard that Microsoft planned some onerous restrictions, most notably a limit o the number of applications you can run at one time. They’ve since dropped that plan and now the primary distinction is that you can’t change the wallpaper/theme, which simply seems arbitrary. Second, it is likely that netbooks with any version of Windows 7 will cost more because Microsoft is charging more. If you want to upgrade your Windows XP netbook, things are a bit more complicated. Microsoft will offer a version on a USB drive (since netbooks don’t have optical drives), but you’ll need to back up all of your applications, files and settings and then reinstall them on Windows 7. The bottom line: The vast majority will simply get Windows 7 on a new netbook, and it is a big improvement in terms of usability and features.
Despite all the changes, netbooks still aren’t for everyone. But as long as you know exactly what you are getting (or giving, since this is a holiday gift guide), a netbook is a good second PC, and even in a in some specific cases, a reasonable primary PC.
John Morris is a former executive editor at CNET Networks and senior editor at PC Magazine. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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