http://www.liliputing.com/2009/11/qualcomm-show…

This Qualcomm Android prototype is much more like what I was hoping for and very encouraging–much more slim, trim, and light looking. I would be interested in a 10″ version like this and a smaller version as well.

Another thing that puzzles me is that all the smartbook prototypes I've seen so far look to be as big in all dimensions as a typical netbook. There must be some empty space in there.

The first thing that would entice me to make the jump to a smartbook would be that it could be more compact and light than a netbook with the same size screen and keyboard.

Maybe they're thinking, well, netbooks are popular, so we'll make them look just like netbooks, and people will buy them thinking they're getting a cheap netbook. This could backfire.

And I'm certainly hoping to see some inexpensive compact models with 8.9″ and smaller screens.

And I really wonder about the continual FUD about the lack of availability of Windows applications which cost more than the unsubsidized price of these machines. Are there really so many people lusting to run Adobe Creative Suite ($999 MSRP) on an inexpensive, underpowered machine with a tiny display and a cramped pointing device? But every discussion of ARM or Linux (and especially ARM/Linux) seems to be incomplete without someone bringing up the lack of Photoshop. Same goes for MS Office to a smaller degree, smaller in that most users bootleg it anyway so they do sorta expect to run it on anything since they see it as 'free.'

Granted there are apps that hold back Linux adoption, but Photoshop ain't one of them. ACT!, Quicken and Outlook are all more of a barrier to smartbook adoption than Photoshop.

I'm pretty sure that when push comes to shove, people are going to want to use Firefox and Openoffice (or Google Docs/Office Live) over Mobile Word/Excel/IE, and won't be doing Photoshop or Gimp type stuff on something with a slow processor and tiny screen regardless. K-mart is selling that MIPS “netbook” running WinCE for $120 next week, and this one had better not sell for much more than that. Thanks to closeouts, Wal-mart deals and other bargains, people expect $300 laptop-style devices to actually be laptops now.

And the lack of pricing information makes me think they're overlooking that one crucial aspect to any potential appeal smartbooks will have, whether they're running Chrome OS, Android, UNR or even WinCE: the kind of pricing that makes them ubiquitous and disposable.