Competing with their laptop predecessors, netbooks are a relatively new computer device that has emerged recently in early 2008 and are storming markets everywhere. Consumers now have an inexpensive alternative to laptops and notebooks, as netbooks meet the needs of consumers with dulled down features at a fraction of the cost.
The netbook philosophy is to utilize the Internet applications such as presentations, spreadsheets, word processing, and even storage, as hard drives have just recently increased up to 250 GB from 160 GB. As these are actually larger hard drives for netbooks, some are even justified to come with solid-state drives that are fast and small, but usually do not exceed 32 GB. Netbooks are not powerhouse machines, but are portals to internet-based applications and products.
In addition to small storage space, netbooks are also known for their low processing speeds and are usually equipped with low amounts of memory. As these computing marvels are not designed to run much more than an internet browser, 1 GB of memory has become the industry standard for netbooks, while some even run 512 MB. Processing speeds are currently hovering around 1.6 GHz.
Netbooks are also known to not come with an optical drive, but will have a USB port for an external hard drive, USB drive, or even an external optical drive. With a screen size ranging between 7″ to 10″, it is not only difficult to incorporate an optical drive, but also defeats the “portal to the internet” philosophy.
When manufacturers began developing netbooks, they tried to keep their computing power and features to a minimum, to also keep pricing low. The reason behind this tactic was also make sure that sales of more expensive and profitable laptops and notebooks were not compromised. Unfortunately, this marketing idea began to decline in effectiveness, as laptops and notebooks sales declines with the introduction of netbook alternatives. Currently, companies are now going to be meeting consumer demand by beginning to add features and power to these netbook products.
Microsoft and Intel have joined the netbook bandwagon as well, offering less expensive products to fit the netbook philosophy. Microsoft has claimed that their minimized version of Windows XP has fulfilled 96% of netbook users’ operating system needs. Conversely, Linux, who was originally the predominate operating system supplier for netbooks, fills the remaining 4 to 5%. Intel has introduced a line of processors entitled Atom that have about half the power of their Celeron line, but are much smaller and use less energy. Overall, these original equipment manufacturers have noticed the netbook trend and have adapted to the minimalistic computer culture.
On average, netbooks are hovering around $300, and are inexpensive alternatives to laptops due to their reduced computing capabilities. As a gateway to the Internet, netbooks are finding themselves in homes that never had a computer before, and are revolutionizing the computer industry.
Matthew Kerridge is an fan of conusmer electronics. If you want more information about types of netbook or are looking for a reputable netbook retailer please viasit http://www.ebuyer.com
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