Netbooks - chiming in

In my IT services practice, I need to be up-to-date on technology trends.  So, with that in mind (plus I like to travel light on the rare occasions I fly), I've been really curious about the Netbook trend.  Back in the winter, I picked up an original Asus eee PC 8g model to mess with and evaluate.  I used the base Linux OS provided, which was a useful version of Xandros, and carried it around for a couple of weeks.  The biggest flaws I found in the first-generation devices were:

- The 700 series (what I had) and its initial competitors all used mobile Celeron processors that were relatively high-power and high-heat, even running at underclocked speeds.

- The 7" screens weren't terribly usable.

- Battery life was fairly poor, at only about 3 hours.

That said, it was obvious that it was a device with enormous potential - the ability to package and take just the essentials on the road and make it easy to use is a game-changer in the mobile space.  Even my six-year-old wants one (I told him to learn to read first).

So a few months later, the next generation of them has already emerged.  This time I am working with a eee 901, running Windows XP instead of Linux (a Linux version is also available at the same price, but it's constrained in the market since it uses a higher-density SSD).  The simple verdict:  This category has become viable.  Period.  Here's what the 901 brings to the table that goes beyond what we could do just a few months ago:

- CPU is now an Intel Atom at 1.6 GHz.  It uses far less power and is consistently faster in all conditions I've used it in.

- The screen is an 8.9" screen - in the extra space they now give you 1024x600 resolution - enough to be useful.

- Battery life is now almost six hours without any special power-saving measures.  It can potentially go even longer.  Which means I can take it out for the day and not worry about taking my power cord with me.

- The smallest 901 has 12GB of SSD now (4GB on-board and 8GB in a slot).  It's available with 20.  The previous model had 4 on-board and 4 in a slot.

- The touchpad now is larger, and supports multi-touch.  You need (in Windows) to go get the Elantech driver, though, to really take advantage of it.

- The wireless card now supports B/G/N, and Bluetooth is built-in as well.

All this comes at a list price just south of $600 (notebook territory), but I expect this offering to be at a price point under $500 before much longer.  $500 is the magic number for a consumer electronics device (in my opinion) where a netbook becomes a no-brainer alternative to a notebook computer.

The major manufacturers are also beginning to validate the space as well - HP is already selling their 1st-generation 2133 system and both Dell and Lenovo will be shipping systems within the next month or so.  All that remains is for Apple to release a netbook of their own and convince the world that they invented the category!