Comparing apples and oranges- netbooks and notebooks
A recurrent theme on the Internet consists of articles and blogs comparing netbooks to larger notebooks and pushing the thesis that netbooks are inadequate systems. These complaints about netbooks are from groups who have an ax to grind or have special applications and ignore the fact that netbooks satisfy a real consumer need.
For example, a lot of netbook opposition is from the vested interests that make more money from selling bigger, more expensive systems. Microsoft, Intel, and big American OEMs like Dell don’t like netbooks because they aren’t as profitable. The best interests of the consumer are not their concern.
Then there are the industry professionals who complain because they can’t do their heavy-duty tasks and there are the journalists who say they can’t type all day on a smaller keyboard. They seem to forget that most PC users have entirely different needs and usage patterns.
Also, there are the gamers who complain that they can’t run their galactic shoot-em-ups on netbooks. Again, the complaints ignore the fact that hundreds of millions of PC users are not interested in intensive gaming that requires heavy use of graphics.
Comparing netbooks to larger systems and complaining that they aren’t the same is a useless exercise. It is partly the result of the mindset of the Microsoft ecosystem that insists on a one-size-fits-all model for the PC. Computing and the Internet encompass a very large range of needs and applications and a whole spectrum of devices is needed. Even the netbook is more than many want or need and the smartphone is becoming their computing platform.
The fact that netbooks are so successful in spite of the heavy opposition from Microsoft and its partners attests to the need that is being satisfied.
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