The Death Of The Netbook, Again

[Hooch Tan]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20015901-260.html?part=rss&amp;subj=news&amp;tag=2547-1_3-0-20' target='_blank'>http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-2...g=2547-1_3-0-20</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"While PC makers are running full-speed to chase the iPad's success, it's notable that just as quickly they've stopped talking about Netbooks. Some people call them mini-notebooks. Even more people now call them that thing that's bigger than a smartphone but smaller than a laptop that looks more than a little bit clunky next to a tablet device."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/lpt/auto/1284139828.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 0px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>Oh no!&nbsp; If you want a netbook, you better go out and buy one fast!&nbsp; From all the press that it has been getting, you would think that manufacturers would be panicking and switching all their factories over to making slates!&nbsp; At 8.4 million shipped in the second quarter of this year, that still sounds like quite a healthy number.&nbsp; And there are some developments, although marginal, in the netbook space.&nbsp; Netbooks just do not have the sparkle they once had and have largely stagnated.&nbsp; If they were to drop in price, or offer something new like great performance (which may be coming!) or 3D acceleration (which is possible!) and more creative designs, consumers might be willing to buy more.&nbsp; I still think that netbooks are a great value, and will continue to exist for years to come.&nbsp; They just are no longer the hot topic.</p>

[Sven Johannsen]

Fine, kill the netbook and build me a slate. But build it for me so that it runs Windows 7*, and MS Office. Then bundle it with a BT keyboard/touch pad, which hopefully clips to the slate as a screen protector when transporting. Make sure there is some way of standing the screen up, maybe a small fold out stand thingy on the back. I don't need the keyboard to clip to the screen when in use, I'd actually prefer it to be separate when typing, hence the stand. Make sure the BT supports a BT mouse so I have that option. Oh, and do this for around current net book prices. I'd allow an extra $100 for the touch screen so I can actually use the slate as a slate. Oh, and don't make this thing weigh much more than my iPad and a small BT keyboard. Certainly no more than a current netbook Then, fine, kill the netbook.

*or OSX (for those that swing that way)