The end of the Netbook era

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frankspin January 02, 2013

The end of the Netbook era

According to a report from the Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/31/netbooks...) as of January 1, 2013 both Asus and Acer will not make anymore netbooks. If you recall the term netbook first showed up around 2007 when Asus introduced the Eee PC, more specifically the Eee PC 701 (gdgt.com/asus/eee/pc/701/). A lot of people felt the netbook market would take off and usher in a new form of mobile computing but that dream quickly faded.

It's probably hard to pinpoint the exact reason the netbooks never took off but I'm sure you can point a few key product releases over the last 5 years as culprits. First and foremost the Macbook Air which debuted in 2008. While it is big comparative to todays model Apple showed you don't have to reduce a laptop down 7-inches to make it portable; this also spawned the ultrabook class of laptops we're seeing everywhere now. Then there is the evolution of the cell phone and which now amounts to being a powerful computer that is small enough to fit in your pocket. And of course lets not forget the boom of tablet devices from both Apple and Android OEMs.

While most came and went I think the most memorable one will always be the Inspiron Mini 10. For those that remember the Mini 10 had all the right hardware to allow for an easy Hackintosh build. This meant for under $400 you could have a 10-inch laptop running OSX. Unfortunately their lifespan, like most netbooks, was short lived and by time the next model came out the process became more difficult.

To me the netbook never seemed like a practical option for any professional or even for most home users. While the size was fun and made it easy to bring anywhere there were a lot of limitations. First and foremost the screen size. Running a resolution of 1024x600 is small as it is but when you put it on a 10-inch screen everything becomes even more cramped. There was also the issue of just general size, these things were cramped. At only 7-10-inches wide they made it difficult to type on and use the touchpad, more or less eliminating any practical use of the device. That is just my opinion though and I know a lot of people loved them.

This is just how technology works, though, trends come and go. As the Netbook leaves the world of technology some other device will move in as the next "big thing" and we'll all watch to see what happens. So with that I will raise my USB drive loaded with Ubuntu and bid farewell to the little platform that could.

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cass 2013-01-02 11:13:16

A major reason for the death of the netbook is the rise of the tablet.

I bought my netbook because I didn't want to lug around my bigger laptop that had crappy battery life, so I thought that a netbook would be a much better travel computer. While the small size was definitely great, the low-res screen and pretty crappy performance killed the experience.

In comes the iPad with its really snappy performance, great battery life, and an even smaller form factor. While I couldn't run full desktop apps like I could on a netbook, an iPad accomplished 95% of what I wanted out of a portable computing device. Of course, more and more tablets hit the market filling in the need/want for large screen portable computing and the desire for netbooks waned.

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marc 2013-01-02 11:54:30

I think the iPad was a very big factor, since it presented a viable alternative to netbooks. But netbooks also had problems with pricing and performance. Performance on early netbooks was terrible, so PC makers tried making improvements, but that pushed prices up. However, performance inevitably hit a wall, given the Atom's limitations. And as netbooks crept up in price, they started competing with slightly heavier but more powerful basic laptops. If an underpowered netbook is $400 and a more fully functional laptop is $500, a lot of people will pay the extra $100 for something that lets them do more work. I think Chromebooks have the potential to succeed where netbooks failed, and I think the current models, in the $200-$250 price range are in a really good spot when it comes to the price/performance trade-off.

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JRockDetroit 2013-01-03 19:22:56

I would point to inexpensive notebooks and tablets as the cause. First off, the real main draw to netbooks was the price tag, not the lure of portability. Portability has always been available, just at a steep price for decent performance. With that said, in recent years full size notebooks have dropped in price considerably. 5 years ago, the only time you could think of seeing a fullsize notebook for $300 was on black friday, yet netbooks were in that range from the beginning. However, a search just now at Best Buy revealed 6 different laptops running Windows 8 for $299.99 or less. Unless a capable netbook hits the market for $100, this is a no brainer.

On top of that, tablets hit the mainstream in the form of inexpensive android tabs, and game changing iPads. For the around the same price of a netbook, one could grab a more portable device with a much more unique feature set.

The netbook was in theory a great concept, and still is. Unfortunately, more portable devices exist, and less expensive options are out there.

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groovechicken 2013-01-03 20:36:47

Yes, good point. When you can buy a decent Lenovo for $300, the only reason left to buy a netbook is if it fills a specific niche use, as in my case. I haven't been able to recommend them to normal users since laptop prices dipped below $400 a few years ago.

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kris 2013-01-02 09:21:03

I think I'd agree with you that cellphones were probably the sharpest stake in the heart of netbooks: they offer more portability than most netbooks, because not only are they small, but they have connectivity (almost) everywhere. People don't always complain that cellphones are cramped or that the screen is too small (though some do), mostly because we accept these as limitations of the form factor while with netbooks people were expecting a standard laptop experience. I was never bothered by the small size and never felt my netbook was cramped (though mine is actually a large netbook at 12 inches), because if I wanted a bigger computer I would have just bought a regular laptop.

I think that netbooks were ultimately a stopgap measure; they gave people a taste of computing cheap and small while companies further improved on ultrabooks, tablets, and cellphones. The fact that many people feel the need to buy keyboards for their 10-inch tablets shows there was never anything inherently wrong with the size, just the form factor.

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Genjinaro 2013-02-02 22:22:11

The net-book was effectively attacked from all sides. More capable cellphones, tablets & lower-cost laptops. What drove me away from my net-book was the bare minimum power & ram. Sacrificing performance for portability cost me grey hairs & long loading times. Today I own a customized $1,000 Tablet PC with dedicated graphics, power, ram & have a better Windows 7 to 8 experience than most out there. I have the net-book to thank for the inspiration.

I do have fond memories of Ubuntu, learning about kernels, upgrading to an SSD & having a very lightweight laptop.
The netbook has taught me, you get what you pay for.

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groovechicken 2013-01-02 14:00:33

I still own and love my netbook, but I have found that I never really use it anymore except for the one place that no other device can really replace it: network testing and configuration. When I am forced to go around and make changes to any of our switches, test network drops, or install new equipment, no other device is as useful as a small netbook. Doing this work requires an ethernet jack and wifi. Having a real keyboard attached is a must for precision typing in consoles. The clamshell factor is crucial so you can throw it in a bag of network cables and tools without worrying about damaging it. Lastly, the small footprint fits on the top of a ladder or in the palm of a hand just enough to make it work anywhere.

I am sad to say, though, that this is the only time I take it out of my bag. There was a time when it made a nice portable coffee shop computer for writing, but I find I now prefer using my Nexus 7 with a bluetooth keyboard for that. And for any other use that does not warrant my full-size laptop, I am finding I prefer the Nexus 7 or my phone. It was great for its day, I used mine a lot and loved it, but I must grudgingly admit that the utility of this form factor has faded to only very niche categories that aren't large enough in demand to justify continued manufacturing. And at this point, if I were in the market for another light clamshell device, I would probably just buy a Google Chromebook and dual-boot it Chrome OS and Linux.

My little Acer has definitely earned a place, though, in my list of favorite gadgets I have owned.

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frankspin 2013-01-02 14:11:25

I forgot about the functionality of having a laptop for network testing and configuration. Sadly I always opted for a full-sized laptop over a netbook. I just could never type on those little keyboards.

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groovechicken 2013-01-02 16:01:08

The few times I got stuck using a full-sized laptop for this, I was cursing it the whole time... especially when standing on a ladder to get to a high rack. :/

I guess the netbook might be less critical in a more standard environment where everything was designed in from the get-go. Here on this campus, everything is retro-fit and there are some fairly precarious situations. So maybe this niche is even smaller than I thought. :D

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groovechicken 2013-01-05 11:10:07

Here are some interesting thoughts from Paul Thurrot on how the netbook segment has seriously damaged the Windows market from within. Very pertinent to some of our comments here.

m.winsupersite.com/windows-8/explaining-windows-8-...

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Lorenz67 2013-01-05 14:58:09

I feel like it was all just nomenclature to begin with. Netbook, Ultrabook, it's all an evolution of the laptop. 5 years from now convertibles/hybrids/form factor X will be hailed as the killer of the tablet/laptop when nothing died, just evolved.

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nitehawk 2013-01-04 14:18:30

Netbooks were only used because laptops were too heavy, desktops are not mobile, tablets weren't popular and smartphones weren't "powerful" enough. Now it's easy to replace any of the top four with a more convenient product than a Netbook.

Laptops have become lighter--> MBA is a good example of a popular 13 inch platform
In the birth of netbooks many laptop were a heavy 15-17 inches and battery was poor. That form factor still exists, but I'm seeing a shift away from 17 inch models for sure.

Desktops were not mobile. Still true in practice, but there are some desktops like the Mac mini that you can simply throw in a backpack if you have a monitor/tv at the place you will be staying away from home.

Tablets were not popular, nor did they really exist. The iPad was the #1 thing on Xmas lists this past season and personally I use my iPad much more than my personal laptop. When relatives ask me if I want their old netbook, I simply say, "What would I use it for? I have an iPad."

Smartphones weren't powerful enough. Now we have dual and quad core computers in our pockets that we can use to call people for telephone like conversations. The smartphone, or whatever it is to be called next is the most exciting device category in tech.

The newest netbooks are the chromebooks so I don't exactly believe that the category is dead, but I also don't distinguish a ultrabook from a laptop. A netbook is a separate category to me, because it uses a bastardized OS and has a screen less than 10 inches. Cheap laptops will exist as long as laptops exist. The smaller form factor has simply been replaced by stronger categories that lacked some crossover in market segmentation that allowed Netbooks to seem worthwhile.

I've never owned one, but man netbooks are frustrating to use. That's why they're dead. I am much happier to have an iPad than carry around a midget laptop.

Digging deeper:
I do believe that laptops will be replaced at some point by peripherals attached to smartphones or tablets. The Asus Eee Transformer is a perfect example and the Lenovo Yoga is the next iteration of such. Branding one as a tablet and the other as a laptop is just price semantics though. Selling a tablet as a laptop replacement means it must be cheaper than selling a laptop as a tablet replacement.

I've stated this before and I'll echo again that soon we will have a popular way to plug in our phone to a tablet shell to continue our experience on a tablet form factor. And also the ability to plug in to a laptop shell, possibly with a projector included, to continue this same experience in a laptop and possibly desktop form factor. Last year a company introduced a product called Lightpad. Maybe they'll show an improved version this year!

Check this out
www.cnet.com/8301-33373_1-57358333/lightpad-turns-...

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Met 2013-01-05 07:46:49

I never really saw netbooks as a category that could ever succeed. They were just too useless with those miniature displays with low resolutions and terrible specs. They were also pretty uncomfortable.

I was glad to see the category die so fast.

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kris 2013-01-06 19:48:26

There are many people who did not find netbooks "useless." They filled a specific niche that is now being filled by other, in some cases very similar, devices.

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garen 2013-01-12 17:15:37

In my opinion, besides from everything from portability to comfort. Intel's crap Atom processor killed netbooks. Made them unable to compete wıth tablets. Which were dominated by tegra, snapdragon etc...

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aoctavio 2013-01-15 05:51:14

I think an overlooked reason for the dead of the netbook, was the netbook itself. Once you got one, there where few reasons to upgrade. My Dell Mini9 is still alive and well and has gone through more OSs than any computer I've ever owned. I never had a reason to change that small, slow machine for another small, slow machine.

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groovechicken 2013-01-15 23:01:25

That's another good point. The only real reasons to buy a new machine are to upgrade to better specs or to replace a dead one. For the price, a lot of these were really well built and lasted long enough that there was never any real reason to upgrade since the specs never improved much over the course of the netbook era. My Acer is still going strong and has survived a lot of rough handling, so why replace it? On the other hand, if they had figured out how to ramp up performance a lot more, I might have been interested in upgrading. Oh well.

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