Psion relents: 'netbook' ok to describe chubby cheap laptops lacking power
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Jun 1st 2009 4:58AM
posted Jun 1st 2009 4:58AM
As the world's attention turns from netbooks to smartbooks, Psion and Intel have ceased battle over use of the former term. Remember, this ridiculous case escalated to the point of Psion claiming $1.2 billion (billion!) in damages suffered as a result of infringement on its netbook trademark for a product few have heard of outside of the highly specialized supply chain logistics area. The "amicable" agreement reached with Intel has Psion voluntarily withdrawing its trademark. What wasn't said in the press release is how much money was extorted from the industry or the net effect on Psion sales from all the free publicity. Regardless, we're sure it's been a profitable exercise for Psion Teklogix. Now, could the obscure owner of the "smartbook" trademark please step forward to collect your prize?[Via Slashgear]
you know they are awesome by the fact that they are "teklogix"
wow, my first first...
That will be turning attention from netbook (which was used by psion)....
To Smartbook (which was already used by Book Digital in the Smartbook G138)....
You gotta wonder what checking companies do when they go to use the name (are the just stupid or do they not care?)
John
Net-book: Ultra-portable computer with:
Screen size of 5" to 13" (also of low resolution)
Low-power consuming processor such as Intel Atom or Intel Core Solo
Weight of 2 to 3 pounds
Intel integrated graphics (GMA900-950)
Low price (typically $200-$500)
Wireless b/g
No optical drive
Ubuntu Linux or Windows XP
They are typically used for email apps and web surfing
Sub-notebook:
Screen size of 12"-14" (high resolution, typically LED)
Normal (high-power) processor such as the Intel Core 2 Duo (1.2 GHz to 2.0 GHz)
Weight of 3 to 4 pounds
Very high price ($1100-$2000)
Wireless b/g/n + Bluetooth
Intel GMA 950 or Nvidia 9400M
Some have optical drives; most don't.
Mac OS X Leopard or Windows Vista/7
For people that need an ultra-portable but to have the same power as a normal laptop. Can be used for some video editing, watching movies, etc.
Where does Nvidia Ion ....book land? It lacks Intel GMA graphics, but still costs less than $500. Like Lenovo S12.
Where do those netbooks with optical drive end up?
Urm... Where is this from?
5" Is not a netbook its a portable dvd player..
Core Solo? Name one netbook with a solo/
Why ony Ubuntu or XP?
Linpus, Moblin, Vista, Fedora, Suse
All of these have been sold out of the box.
Argggh
Scrap Moblin.
What did Intel do? Threaten to buy them?
"As the world's attention turns from netbooks to smartbooks" "These devices will be marketed as companions to smartphones and bona fide laptops"
Oh look, what have we got here? This description looks frighteningly similar to that of the now defunct Palm Foleo (in which you had quite a hand, do you remember?), or what it could have been 2 years later.
How come this time you have got nothing against it? Did the netbook affair make you see sense or are you still that schizophrenic?
(Note to Palm: don't listen the boneheads at Engadget, next time)
'The "amciable" agreement'
Amciable, in quotes? Really?
Really?
The folleo was a very limited machine for tethering to a phone with only limited application access (more like a redfly if you ask me).
An ARM based netbook will run Linux or WM (well linux is a very complete OS that with the correct programs should not have to be any diffrent in functionality to the atom based machines). They will have their own data access etc.. etc..
Who cares what the company wants to position them as. If they do what you want then job done.
I have been looking for a Coat pocket size, long battery device that runs at a reasonable speed for ages. The cortex based machines will allow manufacturers to sell me this.
had Sigmarion 3 for ages and it was very typable (even though it had a small keyboard). I just want someone to sell a Modern Sigmarion III with 6" (or 7" with very small bezel) widescreen device that will play high quality video and cover all my mobile computing tasks. I want it not to need me to carry my charger and fit in my coat pocket so I can always carry it where ever I may be...
Looking forward to these..
John
John, you appear to be describing what I hope the Viliv X70 will be.
What a surprise - NOT!
It's good to know that if you trademark something you do in fact have some protection, and can get some recompense if people steal your intellectual property.
BTW Tom it's spelled "amicable", although if you know of a word "amciable" meaning "handing over money through gritted teeth while smiling in a forced manner" then you've nailed it just right. ;8¬)
D
BTW Tom it's spelled "amicable", although if you know of a word "amciable" meaning "handing over money through gritted teeth while smiling in a forced manner" then you've nailed it just right. ;8¬)
I suggest you hit the read link. The quotes are around the word for a reason.
Semantics aside, kudos to Psion for having developed the concept of the netbook 12 years before Asus and the others.
I agree... Psion may be portrayed as scumbags like Rambus, but when someone develops something earlier than others, it's worth commending.
They have got a history of buying UK tech companies - remember who came up with the ARM processor - clue: the A stands for Acorn, the makers of GUI-based computers that were light years ahead of where Mac and Windows were at the time.
If only British companies learnt how to market their wares.
Who has a history of buying UK tech companies??? Intel???
Think you are mistaken in this case anyway.
Acorn's big problem was ARM. Acorn spun of ARM so Apple could use ARM cpu's in the Newton. Trouble was ARM went global and was hugely sucessfull. It meant Acorn's holding in ARM shares were worth more than Acorn itself was worth. Intel did not buy them out or anything. In fact there are StrongArm CPU cards for the Acorn RISC PC with intel Stongarms in them - before that it was Digtial StrongArms
If you mean Intel getting hold of the StrongArm CPU. This was designed by Digital and ended up being owned by Intel in a Settlement for a legal case intel had against Digtal.
tikiwk,
Thanks kinfly for reply. the viliv X70 is nice enough looking but not really what I am after...
It is small and has an atom so what is the battery life gonna be like? I want at least 8hrs. Also want a keyboard (clamshell if it had convertable tablet even better but not essential.
Have a look here http://www.mikenchell.com/handheldpcs/
That link shows a Sigmarion 3 wich fitted in my coat pocket. Now look at the real estate round screen (wich is a 5" 800x480 unit) and imagine a 6" or 7" widescreen fitted in that device. First person to produce somthing like this with 8hrs battery + and I buy it. Now I can only see a Cortex based machine actually managing that at moment due to the low power requirements and the low cooling requirements.
John
I'm really confused by the anti-psion sentiment.
I had a netbook (as just a normal consumer, not a 'supply chain' person), and it was brilliant. The keyboard was better for typing than any that the current crop of netbooks have. The OS was instant on. It had a touch screen. It had a battery life better than the current crop of netbooks.
I used it for browsing the web, email, reading pdfs, even programming (it had a full java and java compiler available for it that could be used from the device).
The form factor was excellent, the build quality was excellent.
They have a perfectly normal and legitimate trade mark for an exceptionally good product that they registered perfectly legally, used as a normal company uses their trademarks, and is still current.
I can understand if people want to argue against the trademark system, (I'll happily use Intels pentium trademark) but we'd end up with an even stupider system if the rule was that companies I've never heard of can have their trademarks taken away on the say so of a larger company.
Is that what all the complainers want? I really can't tell, because their position doesn't seem to be even remotely consistent.
Spot on! Psion made one of the first netbook type devices i had one and i was great in fact if it had a colour screen i would have it now. Psion was also one of the forces behind Symbian and the Horace games on the specy! Thats like the british Sonic (Dizzy egg is our Mario)
Psion may not have invented the netbook but they have contibuted and hold the trademark. If sony made a new range of gaming phones called gameboys then nintendo would sue quite rightly.
Apple said the same thing about netbooks. Could it really be just a fad?
Can people please stop referring to Psion as obscure? This is the company that created Symbian!
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