December 22nd, 2008
Is a greener netbook a better choice than a standard notebook?
Netbooks were one of the biggest stories of the year and today the discussion continues about what these devices really are and if they deserve their own class. Netbooks are just small notebook computers, but at a price much lower than the ultra-portables of a year or two ago. There may be a good reason for picking up a netbook compared to a cheap larger notebook as pointed out by Celeste LeCompte in this BusinessWeek article.
She states that netbooks are greener than laptops for several reasons, including the efficient Intel Atom processor, lower carbon footprint for shipping, and more compliant materials used in the manufacturing process. My MSI Wind also came in a pretty sleek package so there may be some savings in packaging materials too.
I argue that netbooks are fine for most people because the majority of the non-geek people I know just want a computer for email, some basic document work, and surfing the web. Music is also important for the younger generation so you will need a device with a larger capacity drive. The netbooks today are more than capable of providing this functionality and at a very reasonable price.
Check out our Netbook Holiday Guide for 2008 for some of the best netbooks available today.
Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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