Cool...the conversation is still going on...and I am getting back on my soapbox! :)
Honestly, for me, the battery is no big deal. I don't plan on using a netbook on-battery much...if at all. Wherever I have wifi or a hardwired network connection, I have AC power. Could I use it on a plan or on a train? Sure, I suppose, but that's not my likely use case. In fact, I'd rather have a very small battery and either have the netbook lighter-weight or have more functionality built-in....or have it run cooler.
No, the battery isn't my thing...nor is "all day" usage. I want one of these things just because they are small and light. I can bring one to destinations that I would not consider bringing a full-fledged laptop...like on weekend trip. Even better, I can use one in bed to read PDFs and other docs that I don't want to print. Yes, I could use an e-book reader for *some* of these file formats, but I'm not interested in slow gray scale e-ink. I'd also like to be able to surf. I read tons of technical articles (and purchased PDF-based textbooks) and I'd rather read them in bed next to my wife instead of parked in my home office.
I've tried using a full-fledged laptop to read such documents in bed, but they haven't worked well because they are heavy, throw a lot of heat, and their fans bug my wife.
What I really want is a Crunchpad that can read PDFs and Word docs:
...but the Crunchpad is not yet out and they haven't committed to anything beyond web pages...so I am looking at netbooks. Netbooks that are small enough to hold like an ebook.
I don't need it for $250...but I also don't want to drop $1800 on an ultraportable. $500 is fine...but I feel like the manufacturers are driven to the bottom right now...and that folks like me don't matter. Ultraportability is either dirt cheap or insanely expensive.
How about those of in the middle? Give us the best of the NC10:
- small - light - quiet - cool - easy to upgrade - decent wireless performance - bluetooth
...and get rid off:
- glossy cases (seriously, how many times do reviewers have to use the phrase "fingerprint magnet" in their reviews before Asia figures out that we don't want frigging shiny cases)
- 600 pixel height (you've got a big frame...at least give us standard 768 height for that 1024 width)
- 1GB installed. (seriously, what's the delta for manufacturers? 10 bucks? I can get a replacement 2GB chip for $25...and then I still have the 1GB chip and I am paying retail in quantities of one. WTF? And WTF is up with Dell when they solder 1GB to the motherboard? Are you kidding me? I suspect that this 1GB debacle is all about advertising the holy grail longest battery life...at the expense of actual usage performance)
Okay, that's a *start*...but we also need a GPU that can actually allow us to watch DVDs, Hulu and other online video without dying. Gosh, where could we find a beefy low-power GPU that is already paired with Atom? Oh yeah, ION...you freakin MSI b&%$#@s !!!!
I'm not asking to run Crysis...but video is a very standard utility for netbooks. Ion is too expensive MSI? Well, as far as I am concerned, $5 is too expensive for a netbook that doesn't meet my minimum requirements. Hear that MSI?
The other parts of Ion (like GB Ethernet) would also be appreciated, but I'll settle for a faster GPU.
The Galaxy Tab 10.1, much like its Limited Edition sibling that we reviewed last month, is ever-so-slightly thinner than the iPad 2, a slate that most sane individuals (and competitors, for that matter) would confess is the market leader today.
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Cool...the conversation is still going on...and I am getting back on my soapbox! :)
Honestly, for me, the battery is no big deal. I don't plan on using a netbook on-battery much...if at all. Wherever I have wifi or a hardwired network connection, I have AC power. Could I use it on a plan or on a train? Sure, I suppose, but that's not my likely use case. In fact, I'd rather have a very small battery and either have the netbook lighter-weight or have more functionality built-in....or have it run cooler.
No, the battery isn't my thing...nor is "all day" usage. I want one of these things just because they are small and light. I can bring one to destinations that I would not consider bringing a full-fledged laptop...like on weekend trip. Even better, I can use one in bed to read PDFs and other docs that I don't want to print. Yes, I could use an e-book reader for *some* of these file formats, but I'm not interested in slow gray scale e-ink. I'd also like to be able to surf. I read tons of technical articles (and purchased PDF-based textbooks) and I'd rather read them in bed next to my wife instead of parked in my home office.
I've tried using a full-fledged laptop to read such documents in bed, but they haven't worked well because they are heavy, throw a lot of heat, and their fans bug my wife.
What I really want is a Crunchpad that can read PDFs and Word docs:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/10/about-those-new-crunchpad-pictures/
...but the Crunchpad is not yet out and they haven't committed to anything beyond web pages...so I am looking at netbooks. Netbooks that are small enough to hold like an ebook.
I don't need it for $250...but I also don't want to drop $1800 on an ultraportable. $500 is fine...but I feel like the manufacturers are driven to the bottom right now...and that folks like me don't matter. Ultraportability is either dirt cheap or insanely expensive.
How about those of in the middle? Give us the best of the NC10:
- small
- light
- quiet
- cool
- easy to upgrade
- decent wireless performance
- bluetooth
...and get rid off:
- glossy cases (seriously, how many times do reviewers have to use the phrase "fingerprint magnet" in their reviews before Asia figures out that we don't want frigging shiny cases)
- 600 pixel height (you've got a big frame...at least give us standard 768 height for that 1024 width)
- 1GB installed. (seriously, what's the delta for manufacturers? 10 bucks? I can get a replacement 2GB chip for $25...and then I still have the 1GB chip and I am paying retail in quantities of one. WTF? And WTF is up with Dell when they solder 1GB to the motherboard? Are you kidding me? I suspect that this 1GB debacle is all about advertising the holy grail longest battery life...at the expense of actual usage performance)
Okay, that's a *start*...but we also need a GPU that can actually allow us to watch DVDs, Hulu and other online video without dying. Gosh, where could we find a beefy low-power GPU that is already paired with Atom? Oh yeah, ION...you freakin MSI b&%$#@s !!!!
I'm not asking to run Crysis...but video is a very standard utility for netbooks. Ion is too expensive MSI? Well, as far as I am concerned, $5 is too expensive for a netbook that doesn't meet my minimum requirements. Hear that MSI?
The other parts of Ion (like GB Ethernet) would also be appreciated, but I'll settle for a faster GPU.
$0.02
(okay, maybe $0.04)