last100 » Netbook

Smartphone and Netbook, meet Smartbook (but haven’t we met before?)

Steve O'Hear — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:47:40 +0000

Netbook or Smartbook?

On the day that Intel secured the right from Psion to legally use the trademarked term Netbook, rival chip designer Qualcomm is pushing a “new” category of mobile device, which the company is calling a Smartbook. As a marketing term, like the Netbook before it, the Smartbook definitely has legs. It’s new, catchy and yet derivative enough of existing product categories so as not to scare off consumers. But beyond marketing, what exactly separates a Smartbook from a Netbook and other ultra-mobile laptops before it?

Here’s Qualcomm’s own definition:

Smartbooks are a new class of devices running mobile operating systems that bridge the functional divide between smartphones and laptops, delivering the best aspects of a smartphone experience on a larger-display form factor. Constantly connected via 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS , smartbooks are ultra-portable, personalizable, easy-to-use and last all day on a single battery charge.

In other words a Smartbook is similar to a Netbook, except it runs a mobile operating system rather than a conventional desktop OS, such as Windows or one of the various desktop flavors of Linux.

If that sounds a lot like that Netbook running Andriod that I’ve been so skeptical of, it’s because it is. You could of course substitute Android for Symbian, Windows Mobile or even Palm’s WebOS, but the idea that rather than customizing a desktop OS to play well in a smaller and – here’s the key – lower powered form factor, a Smartbook approaches the problem from the other way round. Put a mobile OS in a larger device, powered by a chipset that is designed to bridge the two. Enter Qualcomm’s sales pitch:

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform has a unique combination of capabilities that makes it exceptionally competitive in the smartbook category, which is redefining mobility for consumers at productivity and play.

Other benefits of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and the Smartbook category as a whole (presuming the company can convince us that it actually exists) is built-in 3G cellular connectivity and an ‘all day’ battery. Both of which a growing number of Netbooks already offer.

Coming full circle

Psion 5, a Smartbook before time

Oh and now for ironic part of the whole story. As already noted, Intel today settled with Psion to use the term Netbook. Psion was the maker of a little known but much loved mobile OS called EPOC that powered mini laptop-like devices commonly referred to as ‘palm-tops’ but which had more than a little resemblance to what Qualcomm is calling a Smartbook. The best of which was the Psion Series 5. Psion then more or less abandoned the palm-top category (except for a sole product confusingly called a Netbook) as EPOC became Symbian OS, which in turn gave birth to the Smartphone. Therefore, the Smartbook isn’t anything new and easily pre-dates the Smartphone (and Netbook). And if history had been written a different way, Psion would actually be leading the “new” Smartbook category.

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Linux on a Netbook? Intel thinks its all about the User Interface

Steve O'Hear — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:30:47 +0000

Intel's Netbook-friendly OS: Mobilin 2.0

While I remain skeptical of Linux’s chances to overtake Windows as the Netbook OS of choice, that isn’t stopping Intel who continue to invest in a Microsoft alternative. The latest version of its own Linux distro called Moblin sees the light weight OS undergo a complete User Interface overall optimized for Netbooks and MIDs that typically sport a 7-10 inch screen. It’s the UI, says Intel, that will be key to Linux’s client-side adoption, and on that note Moblin 2.0 appears to take much of its inspiration from the next generation of smart phones.

At its heart are a number of ‘home screens’ that can be switched via a tabbed interface. The first offers up a social networking aggregator, giving the user an overview of all their friends’ activities across a range of web services, along with thumbnails of recently accessed files, shortcuts to frequently used applications, and upcoming appointments pulled from Moblin’s calendar app. A second tab enables a user to quickly update their status, although it’s not clear what social network this plugs into (Facebook, Twitter etc.). A third tab goes straight to contacts, including their IM status and email activity, while a fourth tab offers up a browser search bar, history and bookmarks.

Next is the media library, which features what appears to be a DLNA client so that you can access photos, music and video stored on an another device connected to the same local network, such as an XBox 360. And finally, there’s a catch-all tab for accessing other applications.

Overall, the UI looks innovative enough to potentially offer a better user experience on a notebook or other Internet device with a smaller screen, and at the same time scare off punters and OEMs who have become overly familiar with Windows. Intel’s official promotional video for Moblin 2.0 after the jump…

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Are Netbooks running out of steam? sales down 26% in Q1

Steve O'Hear — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:37:17 +0000

Netbooks were undoubtedly one of the hit products of 08, seemingly bucking the trend as the economy took a turn for the worse and with it a fall in PC sales. However, moving into 09, Netbook sales aren’t fairing quite as well, dropping 26% according to figures published by market watcher DisplaySearch (via The Register). And while that’s broadly inline with the overall PC market, it could suggest that the current generation of Netbooks may be running out of steam.

According to the researcher, 5.9m netbooks were shipped worldwide in Q1, down 26 per cent from the 8m shipped in Q4 2008. In Q1, netbooks accounted for around a fifth of the total sales of portable PCs, some 30.3m units in all, including regular laptops.

Notebooks shipments were down 25 per cent sequentially.

Acer performed best, shipping 1.8m machines. While Asus, who pioneered the whole Netbook product category, took second place, shipping 900,000 devices. This was followed by HP on 700,000, Dell on 400,000, and Toshiba and Lenovo selling 200,000 units each. The rest of the market – Samsung, MSI and Fujitsu – managed to shift just 900,000 Netbooks.

Of course, comparing Q4 (the holiday season) with Q1 isn’t nearly like for like, the figures do point to the Netbook losing its crown. And if that is indeed the case, I’m not entirely surprised.

Following the success of the original Eee PC, the market was subsequently saturated with “me-too” devices based on the same Intel Atom chipset set with little to distinguish one Netbook from another. Having had many friends and relatives seek my advice on which Netbook to purchase – and being a big Netbook fan myself – I’ve kept a close eye on the market, largely basing any recommendation on finite details, such as battery life and even how the keys are arranged on the QWERTY keyboard. In otherwords, after the initial gold rush, show me the innovation?

For example, Netbooks capable of playing back High Definition video were meant to be next on the roadmap, although Intel is reportedly scaling back on its HD-capable Atom offering, based on a lack of take up from PC manufacturers. Perhaps, for fear that this would push the cost up too much, or for technical issues, such as the hit in battery life that hardware HD decoding would impose.

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Google, Android and the future of Netbooks

Steve O'Hear — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:19:13 +0000

According to a flurry of reports, a number of established PC manufacturers – and new entrants – are planning to release a Netbook running Google’s Android operating system. However, recent comments made by the search giant’s CEO Eric Schmidt, suggest that Google isn’t particularly interested in seeing Android running on a Netbook – at least not yet, anyway – but is excited by the opportunities that these low-cost sub notebooks present.

Not only are Netbooks sales making Google take notice, their primary use case – surfing the web and accessing other Internet applications – fits perfectly with the company’s own ‘cloud computing’ vision (think Google Docs, Gmail and other Google services). “Keep an eye on this space”, attendees at a recent Google press event were told by Schmidt. So if not Android, what exactly does the company plan to bring to the Netbook experience?

It’s the browser stupid!

Android's web browser running on T-Mobile G1

As with Android running on a smart phone, the most important application as far as Google is concerned, and more important than the OS itself, is the web browser. It provides the ‘run time’ for Google applications – search being the most lucrative – regardless of what operating system is powering the device. The company’s investment in Android is all about replicating the ‘open web’ that exists on the PC by standardizing the web browser – and therefore the platform – on mobile phones. Netbooks, in their current state anyway, don’t need such a helping hand as they already run a standard desktop web browser, the same as any other PC. And this explains why Google isn’t focused on porting Android over to traditional Netbooks, although it won’t/can’t stand in the way of others doing so.

Instead, we can expect the company to start targeting Netbooks by tweaking the UI of its existing web-based applications to provide a better user experience on a PC with a 7-10 inch screen, in the same way that it already does for users of Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch, and other mobile phones, including those running Android. In fact, a recent advert on Craigslist indicates that the company is preparing to do just that.

Do you use a Netbook? A Netbook is a small portable laptop computer with a screen smaller than 10 inches and no CD/DVD drive. If you use a Netbook, we want to talk to you about participating in a research study. This study will help the Google team better understand your needs in order to incorporate them into future product enhancements.

That’s not to say that Google won’t ever put resources into developing a version of Android for a device other than a mobile phone, it’s just unlikely to do so for a traditional clam shell and non-touch screen Netbook or any other hardware that can comfortably run a PC operating system.

Were a new breed of Internet tablets to take off in numbers that rival or better the current crop of Netbooks, however, then that could be a different matter altogether.

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Android’s biggest Netbook challenge (Hint: Windows)

Steve O'Hear — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:47:22 +0000

I’ve written before about Android’s potential to power a range of consumer electronics, such as set-top boxes, media players and Mobile Internet Devices (see Google’s big bet: Android beyond the cellphone). However, one product category where I think the mobile OS will have a tough time competing is the ‘traditional’ Netbook.

(Note: I’m referring specifically to low cost sub notebooks such as those from the likes of Asus, MSI, Dell, Acer and HP, which feature a clam shell design and typically sport a screen size of between 7 and 10 inches.)

And although that seems contradictory considering Android’s low power footprint and Linux roots, coupled with its standard-based and speedy web browser, let me explain why…

Return rates for Linux Netbook are higher than Windows XP

It isn’t, I suspect, because Linux distros are much less user-friendly (if at all), it’s because Netbook makers and retailers haven’t managed expectations. If you understand the limits of a Netbook and choice of Linux OS – can’t run Windows .exe applications and has a less familiar UI – then all is well. Otherwise, according to MSI, customers are four times as likely to demand a refund. It’s hard to see why Android would fare any better, and could possibly perform worse.

Windows has 96% share of the U.S. Netbook market

Citing figures from market research firm NPD, Microsoft has claimed that Windows’ share of the U.S. Netbook market “has ballooned from less than 10% in the first half of 2008 to 96% as of February”, reports InformationWeek. There’s no doubt that Redmond spotted the threat that Linux and the rise of the Netbook posed, responding by extending XP’s shelf life and licensing to support Netbooks.

Windows 7 is targeting Netbooks

Unlike Windows Vista, which was meant to supersede XP, the upcoming Windows 7 has a version targeted at and optimized for Netbooks. If consumers can get the most up-to-date Microsoft OS on a Netbook, presuming it does deliver a speedy and reliable performance, then again its hard to see why they’d opt for Android.

Android’s Mobile Internet Device future

Of course, I could be wrong and Android may carve itsef a respectable slice of the Netbook market. That’s the view of at least one analyst. Where I do think the Google-led OS has a much better chance of succeeding – beyond the cell phone – is the emerging Mobile Internet Device (MID) market. The leader here is, surprisingly, Apple with the iPod touch, although it’s a very nascent market overall. MIDs are typically smaller than Netbooks and often larger than a cell phone, although there is plenty of overlap. Because of this it’s not clear if the market will ever be that large, with MIDs being squeezed by smart phones on one side and Netbooks on the other.

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Will Apple’s ‘Netbook’ be open or closed?

Steve O'Hear — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:32:37 +0000

Rumors of an Apple Netbook or Internet tablet have resurfaced once again. Predictably, tech pundits are debating the likely specs, not least if the device will feature the traditional clam shell form factor of current Netbooks on the market, all of which feature a physical QWERTY keyboard, or be an all touch screen device – think iPod touch only much bigger. However, perhaps the most important design decision for Apple will be whether to build the company’s future Netbook on an open or closed platform.

In other words, will Jobs and co. go down the same App Store route as the iPhone and iPod touch (closed), in which the platform is tightly controlled and all third-party software is sold by Apple and has to go through the company’s vetting process. Or will Apple take a more traditional PC approach, and like its range of desktop and laptop computers, fully open up the platform to a laissez-faire ecosystem of third-party software and hardware developers.

If I had to place a bet, I think it will be the former – closed. If only to ensure that a low cost Apple Netbook (or Internet tablet) has a very targeted use case and market, and by limiting the device’s functionality, doesn’t eat too much into sales of the company’s higher end and more open devices.

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HD video coming to a Netbook near you

Steve O'Hear — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:18:25 +0000

I may have jumped on the Netbook bandwagon a little early, as these low-cost mini-notebooks are about to get a whole lot better. Especially in terms of video playback.

Intel has released a new version of its Netbook-friendly Atom chip, which although only bumps the speed up slightly, is being paired with the company’s new GN40 chipset, whose graphics capabilities includes hardware-based 720p HD video decoding. The current range of Netbook have no problems playing back lower quality YouTube content and standard definition DivX movies but really struggle with higher definition content. So Intel’s new offering, first seen in the new Asus Eee PC 1000HE, makes Netbooks a much more viable media player.

Not content with 720p video playback on your Netbook, then you may want to hold out for future offerings based on Nvidia’s rival Ion platform with all its hardware-based 1080p decoding goodness. Watch this space.

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Mike Arrington’s CrunchPad web tablet reaches prototype but should it go into production?

Steve O'Hear — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:38:08 +0000

Six months on from TechCrunch editor Mike Arrington’s stated mission to create a “dead simple and dirt cheap touch screen web tablet to surf the web” and the first fully working prototype has been unveiled.

The device, which is now being called the ‘CrunchPad’, sports a 12 inch resistive 4:3 touchscreen, Via processor and 4GB of storage, virtual on-screen keyboard and is powered by a version of Linux and a custom WebKit browser. It’s primary use is for surfing the web, perhaps while watching TV “so you can look up stuff on Wikipedia or IMDB as you channel surf”, writes Arrington. Or as another means to consume online video (”on Hulu or Joost or wherever”) and other content, as well as check email or access other web services such as Google Docs.

See also: How do you use your Netbook?

In other words, just like existing Netbooks, the CrunchPad is designed for the Cloud, in which our data and applications increasingly reside on remote servers, accessible through a standard web browser.

That raises the question: why not just buy a Netbook, which can cost the same (the CrunchPad’s target price has risen from 200 to 300 dollars) and provide a more traditional clam-shell form factor and near full size physical QWERTY keyboard. (Since TechCrunch first touted its web tablet idea, many more companies have entered the increasingly competitive Netbook space — see Don’t buy a Netbook pleads PC industry).

Many will answer that a tablet form factor is more appealing and point to the popularity of Apple’s iPod touch, whose limited screen size the CrunchPad hopes to address.

However, while the Netbook versus CrunchPad tablet form factor is an interesting question, it maybe largely academic. Arrington concedes that his device may never make it to production.

The real question for us is whether this project has legs and should go forward towards production units, which is a very big step from a working prototype. That would require spinning the company off from the blog and building a team.. It’s a decision we haven’t made yet.

My take: TechCrunch doesn’t need to get into the hardware game in order to deliver a device with Arrington’s preferred form factor and stated purpose. At CES earlier this month we already saw how Netbooks are beginning to experiment with new form factors, including tablet incarnations, as well as Android powered devices that resemble a similar vision to the CrunchPad. Having said that, from a commercial perspective, if Arrington and co. can find a hardware partner to do most of the heavy lifting – finish the design, manufacture, retail and support – then licensing the ‘Crunch’ brand to help differentiate the device from a plethora of likely competitors could be a profitable and smart move.

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Hackintosh Netbook: Goodbye XP, hello OSX

Steve O'Hear — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:46:14 +0000

While I’ve been largely off the grid during the holiday period, I did spend part of New Year’s day tinkering with my beloved Netbook. The mission was to rid the device of Windows XP and install a hacked version of Mac OSX and, as you can see from the image above, it was a success! (Happy now Mr Zatz?)

Although it’s been possible to run OSX on the MSI Wind (or in this case the Advent 4211, a Wind clone) for many months now, it previously involved swapping out the WiFi card for a compatible one. That is until RealTek released an unofficial driver for OSX last month. So how does it run?

The short answer is: very well. It feels pretty snappy running on Intel’s Atom chip and with 1GB of RAM. Almost as fast as XP, which is slightly surprising considering that OSX (Leopard) is more demanding. For example, I tested the BBC’s iPlayer, a Flash video heavy site, and videos play back smoothly, even in full screen.

See also: How do you use your Netbook?

However, there are a number of drawbacks when running OSX on the current range of Netbooks. In the case of the MSI Wind, the built-in microphone no longer works, nor does the mic port, although this can be overcome with the use of a USB headset. (Surprisingly, the web cam works a treat.) More generally, Mac OSX isn’t really designed for a screen resolution that is only 600 pixels in height, meaning that on occasions dialogue boxes and other UI elements extend beyond the screen and are completely inaccessible. Having said that, it’s not an issue most of the time and certainly doesn’t stop the Netbook from being used for web surfing, email, Skype/IM etc. In other words, it’s still a very competent Netbook and, for many, these few compromises won’t out way the advantages of OSX.

To get my hackintosh Netbook up and running, I followed these instructions, minus the part about swapping out the WiFi card.

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How do you use your Netbook?

Steve O'Hear — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:57:11 +0000

Regular readers of this blog will know that I’m a big fan of the Netbook. And I’m not alone. A recent DisplaySearch report reveals that sales of these low-cost mini notebook computers grew 160 per cent in Q3, with the research firm predicting that a total of 14 million Netbooks will ship this year, up from just one million in 07.

It seems that 08 is the year of the Netbook (see my top ten Digital Lifestyle products of 08).

In terms of individual performance, Acer (Aspire One) and Asus (Eee PCs) are leading the pack with 38.3 per cent and 30.3 per cent market share each, while Dell (2.8 %), MSI/Medion (7.8 %) and HP (5.8 %) trail significantly.

What’s less clear, however, is how Netbooks are actually being used. Or more specifically, what role they play in a user’s digital life.

For my own needs, I bought a Netbook, in part, out of tech curiosity and also as a lightweight and inexpensive PC when traveling. I’m much less keen on taking my beloved but overpriced Macbook out on the road and, in comparison, a Netbook wouldn’t cost too much to replace if it was damaged, lost or stolen. In that sense, my Netbook plays the role of a ‘third machine’ — in addition to my iMac and Macbook — just as the PC industry intended.

Beyond mobile computing, another use case scenario for Netbooks that I’ve observed, both upfront and anecdotally, is surfing the web, Instant Messaging or updating Twitter/Facebook while sat on the couch watching television. A luxury maybe but something we’ll see more and more of as we become increasingly ‘connected’ (I’ve also seen/heard of people using an iPod touch or iPhone for the same purpose).

So how do you use your Netbook? Primary laptop or ‘third machine’? Let us know by leaving a comment.

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Analyst: Apple to release ‘closed’ Netbook with iPhone-esque App Store

Steve O'Hear — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:37:19 +0000

It’s not very often that I find myself agreeing with a likely overpaid analyst, especially one who admits that they have no “inside information”, but I think Ezra Gottheil of Technology Business Research could be onto something. Gottheil is predicting that Apple will announce its own Netbook at Macworld in January, priced higher than its competitors, that will, like the iPhone, run a new version of its OSX operating system, and will be similarly tied to an iPhone-esque App Store and iTunes for third-party software downloads and system upgrades.

His reasoning is sound…

An Apple Netbook is a necessary product in what looks like a very deep recession. Having said that, Gottheil doesn’t think Apple won’t go for the low, low-end but will price the device at around $599.
By offering a device that runs a significantly cut-down version of OSX compared to that which runs on the company’s existing Mac laptops, presumably optimized for a smaller screen and ‘cloud’ computing, an Apple Netbook won’t cannibalize existing sales of its higher-end product line.
Furthermore, like the iPhone and iPod touch, the third-party ecosystem would be tightly controlled by Apple via a dedicated App Store, ensuring that any cut in margin for the Netbook itself would be, to some degree, offset by the company’s share in revenue generated by third-party applications.
Likewise, any ecosystem around third-party hardware would also be controlled by Apple a la the existing ‘Made for iPod’ licensing program.
Synchronization and backups would be handled by MobileMe, Apple’s existing ‘cloud’-based suite of applications.
“By controlling the software that can be loaded and the hardware that can be attached, Apple’s device will be simpler, easier to use and more reliable than a PC, and will excel at the functions most required by users,” says Gottheil.

However, it was only in October that Apple CEO Steve Jobs all but ruled out releasing a Netbook, in the short term at least. Jobs told shareholders and analysts that the company didn’t know how to build a sub-$500 notebook that wasn’t “a piece of junk” and that the Netbook market wasn’t large enough anyway. Instead, Apple was taking a “wait and see” approach and that if the company did decide to release a Netbook-type of device, they had “some pretty interesting ideas.” Roll on Macworld :-)

Update: It’s now pretty much certain that there will be no Netbook announcement at Macworld, or any major new Apple product unveiling (an updated Mac Mini perhaps?). That’s because the company has announced that Steve Jobs won’t be delivering a keynote speech, and that Apple is bailing from Macworld as of next year altogether. However, when/if Apple releases a Netbook of sorts, Gottheil’s prediction of a ‘closed’ system with third-party apps only available through an Apple-vetted App Store still makes a lot of sense.

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Don’t buy a Netbook pleads PC industry

Steve O'Hear — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:17:32 +0000

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the Netbook, an emerging new product category of low-cost and ultra-portable notebooks. But it seems many in the PC industry aren’t.

Initially targeted at the education market or those wanting a third machine, Netbooks are resonating with a much broader market — and not just because of their lower price point compared to more traditional and higher specced sub-notebooks. Despite years of industry propaganda, consumers are wising up to the fact that they don’t have to step on to the processor upgrade treadmill. Instead, in an age where more and more of our applications and data resides in the cloud (on remote servers, rather than stored locally), a machine with Internet connectivity and one that is powerful enough to run a modern web browser – that’s a Netbook by the way – is often all that we need.

This has put the industry on the back foot, reports The New York Times, since the sale of Netbooks produce significantly smaller margins and could unintentionally cannibalize existing and much more profitable product lines. Although the Netbook was pioneered by smaller players such as Asus and Everex who have a lot less to lose, many of the industry’s major PC manufacturers, but not all, have since released or announced their own Netbook efforts, notes the report. Acer, Hewlett-Packard and Dell are in, while Sony and Fujitsu are sitting it out for now.

“We’re sitting on the sidelines not because we’re lazy. We’re sitting on the sidelines because even if this category takes off, and we get our piece of the pie, it doesn’t add up,” Fujitsu’s Paul Moore tells the Times. “It’s a product that essentially has no margin.”

The problem for Fujitsu and Sony, along with companies who have jumped on board, is that the Netbook pie could get pretty big. Market research firm IDC has predicted that the category “could grow from fewer than 500,000 in 2007 to nine million in 2012 as the market for second computers expands in developed economies”, while Intel is being much more bullish. The company estimates that 40 million units will ship a year by 2011, which makes it all the more curious that last week Intel was heard talking down the version of its Atom chip designed specifically to power Netbooks.

During a conference call with analysts and the press, Intel CEO Paul Otellini was quoted as saying: “(Atom) is less than a third the performance of our Centrino (processor). You’re dealing with something that most of us wouldn’t use.” This is from the company who, along with the Taiwan-based Via, has done the most to define the Netbook category.

A product it now seems that Intel, along with many in the PC industry, would rather you didn’t buy.

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