Comments on: The Smartbooks are coming, the Smartbooks are coming (this year)

By: max191

max191 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 07:08:56 +0000

Loved to read your blog. I would like to suggest you that traffic show most people read blogs on Mondays. So it should encourage bloggers to write new write ups over the weekend primarily.
regards
charcoal grill

By: Mikez

Mikez — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:47:50 +0000

They may be planning to call that Windows-8.
Old code never dies, it just gets new version numbers.

By: wanorris

wanorris — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:57:41 +0000

As far as Windows on ARM, that's the most common platform for Windows CE. CE is best known in its guise as Windows Mobile for phones, but it's also embedded in various other devices as well. Back in the late 90s, there were even predecessors to netbooks -- low power lightweight computers that ran all day on their battery charge on the Handheld PC Professional platform, such as the pre-Pocket PC HP Journadas.

While everyone thinks of CE as crippled, there's really no reason it has to be. I think CE has most of the Windows API, so Microsoft could probably port large chunks of Windows any time they had a reason too.

Microsoft has put a huge investment into CE lately to clean up the antiquated Windows Mobile. My guess is that if ARM netbooks gain any traction at all, vendors will find themselves with some killer deals on Windows CE.

But yes, applications are the wrench in the works. Even if Microsoft shipped a massively improved Office and IE, I doubt they can come close to reaching anywhere near feature parity even with most of the apps bundled in Windows, nevermind the universe of third party software.

I think Intel's plan is to build Atoms that go after ARM in low power draw and MIPS per watt, and I doubt they will start pitching ARM chips again unless they are left with no other choice.

By: jerrywithaj

jerrywithaj — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:16:07 +0000

Of course, there's no right or wrong. Just some people sitting around musing.

As DG points out, there are many who will prefer netbooks simply because they run Windows. I'm pessimistic enough to think that the number is so huge that it's what will determine the fate of any product that can't run a full version of Windows, but perhaps the time is ripe to wrest control away from MS in the wake of the Vista debacle. But there are a lot of business machines out there that are not going to go to Linux any time soon.

If I ran MS there would be no Windows 7. After what happened with Vista, my next OS would be called XP, Release 2, and it would be fully backwards compatible with XP.

By: john

john — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:29:53 +0000

Of course it's clear… 8-10hrs battery with no large battery pack, cheaper, lighter, HD video, Navigation, Always connected data, instant on/off.

I have used CE for years and there is very little I do on my PC that it can't do (except latest games) but then I wouldn't be playing games on a netbook anyway.

Smartbooks may not be right for you but they can be considerablly more than a niche market. It is all about how well the software is implemented (early netbooks were often badly done on linux with menus not fitting screen etc.) and how well they are sold

John

By: jerrywithaj

jerrywithaj — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:40:42 +0000

As you say, all too many of the latter, but also with netbooks at the $300 level it's not clear how smartbooks can appeal to anything other than a niche audience.

By: DougC3

DougC3 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:37:00 +0000

<”smartbook” is merely marketdroid doubletalk

My thoughts too, though it has a catchy ring to it. I've seen many times when marketers pick out their product's weakest point and present it as though it's advantageous thus nullifying the weakness in the minds of people who don't think through these things… but I still want one, and a Smart Car as well!

By: DougC3

DougC3 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:20:09 +0000

It's comforting to know that Asus will be around pumping out “real” netbooks until we can see what's happening with the smartbooks.

By: DougC3

DougC3 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:14:36 +0000

I'll believe the $150-200 when I see it.

By: DG

DG — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:10:09 +0000

Only for those needing to run full Windows applications, or who don't realise that it really doesn't matter. Sadly there are all too many of the latter, which is part (though only part) of the reason Windows has gained the toe-hold it does in the netbook world. I recently put Ubuntu on my laptop, and my wife is currently using it for general duties without a problem. The browser works, the basic applications do as they are supposed to, and even the file-system's not proving difficult to suss.

By: john

john — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:09:38 +0000

Well yes and no… Intel sold PXA xscale to marvell but IIRC they kept the other side making the xscales for controller cards etc.

By: DougC3

DougC3 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:08:46 +0000

and some of us _need_ a lot of repetitions

By: DG

DG — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:06:27 +0000

Android, surely, not Chrome (per the article!)

Chrome's just Google's browser, based on Chromium, based on Konqueror.

By: jerrywithaj

jerrywithaj — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:55:02 +0000

Can't do (full) Windows? A non-starter.

By: Brad Linder

Brad Linder — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:16:40 +0000

The only reason I mentioned it is because every time I write a line
that says something like “various Linux distributions and Google
Chrome,” someone tries to suggest that Chrome IS a Linux distribution.