AMD VP says netbooks only good "around the house"
By Nilay Patel 
posted September 15th 2008 2:02PM
posted September 15th 2008 2:02PM
AMD's Ultra Value Client line might be set to go head to head with Intel's Atom in the netbook market, but it sounds like the company isn't particularly confident that users will accept the design compromises involved in building cheap, small laptops. According to Pat Moorhead, AMD's VP of advanced marketing, the choice between a $499 netbook and a $499 full-sized laptop with 15.4-inch screen and a dual-core processor is clear to him -- a netbook might be fine for "around the house," but the shorter battery life and lack of features means that "it's a big tradeoff." Those are some fair points, even if they have a hint of sour grapes to them, but it certainly seems like consumers don't care -- Intel can't make enough Atom chips, and machines like HP's Mini-Note are selling like crazy. So, we put it to you: if this was your $499, would you rather get a netbook (say, the Eee 901) or a full-featured 15.4-inch laptop like this AMD-powered Acer Extensa? Video after the break.[Via Eee PC News]
I've yet to see a $500 dollar laptop with suficient power for me. I have a desktop at home for gaming, file storage and whatnot, but for portability, netbooks are ideal. I plan on buying one within the next few months. They are semi popular here on campus.
These netbooks are almost as powerful as my current desktop PC:
P4 1.6GHz 256MB of RAM! (no! I'm not living in cave!)
I mean they still can handle many of your everyday needs without any hiccups. When considering their significantly lower price AND of course portablity, then I think netbooks clearly have a lead in this category.
not sure what this "battery life" compromise is that he is talking about. my aspire one gets 7.5hrs, and i paid $379. and comparing between a $499 fullsize notebook and a $499 subnote, the subnote is going to have a lot more features than the fullsize. think generic staples laptop compared to eee 1000h - the eee has wireless n, led backlighting, bluetooth, a beefy hinge. the fullsize is going to have wireless g, no bluetooth, ccfl backlight, and a flimsy plastic hinge.
Voted with my $ already.
Sold my Acer Aspire and bought a hp2133 Mini-Note.
Netbook
Ive got a powerhouse desktop, when Im out and around, I dont need anything other than the internet, and since it would really only be for use between classes, the lighter weight would make a huge difference.
Yeah I would LOVE that NOTEbook but the fact is I have a bum shoulder, and can not lift/carry stuff for a long time so unless that 15" NOtebook strips down to under 3lb then I will not be getting it.
Besides that there ARE no 15" NETbooks out there, though I am looking for probably a 12" in the end, for reading and the external touchscreen (usb)
I also have a decent laptop, and my main desktop so it is more specialized for me.
As a 2nd computer, I'd use the netbook. If I had only one computer and it had to be a laptop, I'd choose the 15.4".
well I put my eeepc1000H in my any kind of bags for Spore' or works on the road, I live in Hong Kong, I dont have a car, taking my 15'inch pwerbook is way too crazy everyday.
499 netbook is fine, I can spore!
"Only good around the house"? Netbooks didn't choose the way they were brought into this world, yet this is the discrimination they face?
Anyways, as much as I'd like a "15-incher," for the most part, the netbook is probably getting popular because not everyone wants to pay the cost of a traditional ultra-portable, nor carry around the weight of a normal laptop. I'm personally itching for reviews of the Asus N10. Everyone keeps saying it's stupid and pointless, but for me, the 9300 GS gives it that one thing that's been holding me back from the others. With the GPU, (hopefully) I should be able to play back some decently-sized media files, hook it up to my HDTV (via its HDMI port) as a lightweight media center, and also play some 3D games that don't rely on the Source engine. And for those times I DO need to carry it around, I can just disconnect it from the TV, turn off the GPU, and have a reasonable portable.
Sure, the Macbook Air and VAIO Z are better looking and more powerful, but hell if I want to pay $2000 on a computer that I'm probably only going to use to browse the web anyways.
Why are there so many people who say, "I have a 15" laptop and just leave it at home. It's too big and heavy to be portable, and doesn't fit on any tables unless I'm sitting at a desk at home or in an office"?? If you don't take your 15" notebook anywhere, then just buy a desktop!! More power than the 15", but larger, better screen, It's just as silly for someone to say that 15" laptops should be left at home than it is to say that netbooks are only good around the house.
VP of Advanced Marketing?
I would be hard at work on getting as many of my companies' chips into these smaller products, and let margins increase, so this niche grows and demands larger marketing budgets.
Being on the front page of major electronics retailers helps a long way, and so far the fruit company is strong.
Would love to see AMD come out with a lineup of integrated reference boards with ATI chips.
people are missing the point, the UMPC is more expensive because of its MOBILITY?!!! Don't you think some people are more MOBILE and need an Ultra MOBILE PC? When you're on the road you don't wanna carry tons of shit on your shoulder and you're unlikely be using it to burn DVD or download pirated movies from the net either.......
DUH...
Pat Moorhead I'm sorry but you're not making any sense here ...
Of course I'd rather have a "full featured" whatever than a "shorter battery life and lack of features"-ish netbook ..
BUT there are netbooks with LONG battery life (i.e. much longer than you 500$ 15.4 incher which probably has a crappy cheap 3cells to run its dualcore)
To make it short a netbook with a 6cell battery and 1,6Ghz 1Gb of ram is FULL FEATURED and doesn't have a shorter battery and therefore is not for "around the house".
With such a lack of vision there is no wonder why AMD is so bad right now....
The whole concept behind a Netbook is that it is small and light to carry around in a bag or briefcase. I don't care how light you try to make a 15 inch screen computer it will still weigh 2x as much as a Netbook or it will cost 5x as much. If you still carrying 5lbs then why settle for budget parts?
Honestly, the Eee 901 is the best purchase I've made in quite a while. Well, after my car. But that's a different matter. I take the silly thing damn near everywhere, and the only time I've killed the battery has been when I was trying to-- most of the time I don't bother taking the charger. It fits in the smallest messenger that Timbuk2 makes, with room to spare.
Maybe it is a fad. But everyone I've met with one of these things loves them.
I use my eeepc 901 around the home, on the road, at the office (in meetings etc), in fact almost anywhere. My other computer, a sony vaio laptop is now basically reduced to a web/media server. I have a network hdd as the storage on the eeepc is still very small, but i have still got over 5gb of space left. I enjoy the quick startup time of the eeepc, for things like getting directions in town.. I do all my development on my eeepc now, which is great when going out to clients, and thanks to the long battery life can take it to the office without a battery charger, listening to music, or watching video on the train. I wouldn't call myself a power user, more of a smart user, netbooks have all the power you need and it is there when you need it.
I've found my Acer Aspire One is perfect as a college campus computer, Screen is just big enough so I don't have to side scroll on websites and the keyboard works fine for me. 100gb hard drive is perfect for carrying ripped movies, music, pictures, and its powerful enough for me to play Diablo2, Warcraft3, and GBA roms. It just works for me.
Of course I prefer to use my tower at home.