Eee PC-like ultraportables - name that product category
By Ryan Block 
posted May 30th 2008 7:24PM
posted May 30th 2008 7:24PM
We've heard "low-cost ultraportable" and "laptop-lite" used to describe these kinds of machines, but it seems best to let you decide: leave your best suggestion for what we all should all call this emerging product category, and we'll put it up to vote next week. We'll officially be throwing "netbook" into the ring. (Intel may have initially coined the term, but that we don't think it should necessarily have to refer only to Intel-based products.)
Floatbook?
I agree with the editors. Netbook is a good name for them. There devices are basically designed for wireless Internet access. This appears to be their primary value to people.
People are not going to be using this new class of computers for serious gaming, word processing or video editing. These are things one would probably want to use a full size laptop for.
So I vote: Netbook!
Awesomeness
FOLDERS
here's why:
1.) I think back to my days in grade school where you had your heavy-ass binder full of all your papers (like your main comp desktop/laptop whatever) , and then you had your little folders which had a more dedicated purpose that you could just chuck around (like these) .
2.) Origami is folded paper
3.) Liliputer is amazingly clever and brilliant, but it's 4 syllables and something of an esoteric reference. People are too stupid for that.
4.) They're likely to continue being clamshells for at least a little while....folding action
forget it, I fold.
If we want to relate this portables to their bigger "notebook" brethren, my suggestion would be to call these:
notepad computers.
LCUPs
low cost ultra-portables, simple stupid
Portabook, Thinbook, Pamphlet PC, Leaflet PC. Data Furby, Mr PCHead ... or better yet, let's not force a name and wait for the user community, in its infinite wisdom, to name them.
How about "crap-tops" :-)
DOH! Someone beat me to it!
Loctop.
In the same way that low cost airlines are now known as locos, call these loctops as they tend to cost less.
This way the Macbook air is definately not a loctop.
Wordsmithing neologisms is fun.
instead of laptop it would be handtop, since it is light and small enough to be used with your hands and not your lap.
or
UPC (ultra portable computer)
computer books, C-books
*note i really like C-books, since they are like books (as in cheap & small, also holdable by one hand) only they are able to compute.
Kudos to the Liliputers...
Also, all my ideas were posted - I'm not sure if that reflects well on me, or poorly on everyone else.
I like "Totebook" - But I think the term "Tote-Able" might fit better. TAC - Tote-Able Computer. The next version (destined to be even smaller, yet) could be then called a "Thumb TAC"
I think we should call them "SURFBOOKS"
Kneetop
don't these aleady have a name? i thought this category was called the 'subnotebook'.
Let say it's "Mi-C", stand for "MI"ni"C"omputer
Let say it's "Mi-C", stand for "MI"ni"C"omputer
i like ULCPC Subnotebooks.
Ultra Low Cost Personal Computer Subnotebooks
Subnotebooks covers a lot of different notebook variants, including UMPCs and such. And I also believe the ULCPC specification, although a bit on the longer side, describes these types of subnotebooks very efficiently.
Minibook.
ELPC -- Extremely Light PC -- Extremely light on weight, price... and -for some- specs & features.
BBtop or BareTop -- For "Bare (Bones) laptop".
How about:
Notepad
PocketPad
PalmBook
The LC-Class, Subnotebooks. (Low-Cost = LC)
(I was thinking maybe) PoketBook's (PB's)
Just felt like throwing those out there.
I though everyone already recognized them as the obvious term : Subnotes.
Like in Sub-Notebooks.
Wich I Think is great.
But it is also a greater idea to suggest a poll. That's what I call real Readers integration.
CROTCHTOP
Cuz its smaller than you lap, but still sits in the same general vicinity.
Kneetop
How about calling them 'Laplets'
I like subnote... :)
i like
surftop
minibook
nanobook
after my 2 yr old surgically removed every key from my eeepc and i have had nervous breakdowns typing messages like this because v and k keys will never bee the same i say an acronym is in order how about:
consumer
rated
adult
pc
or Craptop
litebook
Sub-subnote. A bit repetitive, but gets the point across.
Dombook. Cause it dominates the sub market.
GreeenPC. Would be mainly a marketing gimmic, but hey, could work.
WheePC; fueling the vowel-rage of the new lappies.
Leprechaun PC
Another way to invoke the factors that made the eeePC so popular (cheap, ultraportable, but bare bones configuration) without seeming to demean it (e.g. "cheap/craptop") is to use a name that characterizes its role as an companion to another full-powered device (although Palm tried to create market the same thing as an companion to small keyboard-less device).
Thus, I throw out:
SIDEKICK
Oops, wait...not good, T-Mobile being rabid over color pirating already...
COMPANIONTOP?
Too heavy...
The easiest way to make a direct, non-copyright, public domain reference to the device which made these hit the mainstream general public where companies like Psion and Palm haven't been able to. EEETOP is asinine and not really easy (two syllables or four?) to pronounce Wait a minute...what did I just say? Say that again! The easiest way...easy to learn, easy to work, easy to play...
How about
EASYTOPS?
Minibook. Or Minitop.
I say it has to be < 1kg to qualify for the "ultraportable" subtitle.
And price > £300 means these babies are no longer in the "ultra cheap" bracket.
Liliputer is good too!
Teatop
needs to be different than 'laptop' 'ultra portable' 'mini-notebook' and so on --- because they are limited in functionality and distinquished especially from the ultraportables in terms of cost (significantly), as some have already pointed out. These are not your mother's (chose one of the above). These are simple internet machines, designed primarily for internet use ie. webmail, browsing, social networking. Netbook fits the bill well: describes portability and basic net functionality.
p.s. Intel came up with the name but it was for the entire category not just IA-specific devices.
My vote is for Litebook
I thought of it and than saw someone already entered it, but that doesn't bother me, just means im not the only one thinking it's a good name:
SurfBook
All the way... its not demeaning and states the purpose quite well.
Totebooks
[1] Cheap Ultra Portable - CUP, Cheap Ultra Portables - CUPs
[2] Cheap Ultra Portable Notebook - CUPBook
CUPs has the added bonus of already standing for something else (Common Unix Printing System) making it an excellent candidate for a computing acronym.
Textbook. It's the size of one, it's cheap enough for students. It's also a tribute to the OLPC for blazing the trail. The reference to the student consumers differentiates the market from that of the more expensive notebooks/ultraportables.
BARLFO2BM - Buy A Real Laptop For Only 2 Bills More.
I don't have one but if I had one I will call it Juan.
Since it's derived from Eee PC and economically/environmentally friendly, I call them simply 'EPC'. You can't simplify it than that.