Despite the sound of financial belts being tightened across the world, Netbooks are still flying off the shelves and into the pockets of every respectable businessman and woman and are the must have gadget of the moment. Netbooks have filled a perfect niche in the market. Smaller than a laptop but with most of the essential applications and functions, these portable, lightweight personal computers are, after a little bit of a shaky start, changing the face of the mobile market and how consumers use technology.
What is a Netbook? Netbooks have opened up a new market for producers, filled with people who don t want or can t afford a fully featured laptop but want a mobile personal computer to carry out basic functions. They re not particularly fast compared to top of the range laptops but what they lack in speed they more than make up for in power efficiency. They have enough processor power to handle basic needs such as web browsing, email, word processing, spreadsheets and basic photo editing, making them ideal if that s all you want from a personal mobile computer. Because of their size, there s no room for a CD/DVD drive, so if you want to expand the capacity of your Netbook then combining it with a flash drive or external hard drive is the answer.
So why choose a Netbook over a laptop? Netbooks are particularly useful for those who travel a great deal but still need to be connected to the Internet and access their emails, but need to think about keeping the weight of their luggage down. Ultralight and ultra portable, Netbooks are a great travel companion if you need to get some work done on a long flight. Even the top of the range Netbooks are cheaper than a traditional laptop, although this also means that there are fewer features and software compatibility is currently an issue. Windows Vista is generally too resource intensive for Netbook hardware to support, although Microsoft has now made Windows XP Home for Netbooks as long as they don t exceed certain specifications. This will be eventually phased out for a Windows 7 Lite version.
Any disadvantages? Apart from the applications and software issues, the Netbook doesn t have any real disadvantages. The screen and keyboard are smaller than on an average laptop, which may make extended use (especially if you have big hands!) a little uncomfortable.
Netbooks are an indicator of the direction technology is heading over the next few years. Smaller, more compact personal computers with the processing power to match the traditional laptop are becoming ever more popular. The miniaturisation of technology was led by the mobile phone companies, who are continuously developing hand held products that will do much more than take a picture or (for the real Luddites) just make a phone call. Fast Internet connection, better coverage, touch screen technology all of these developments have resulted from a fusion between personal computing needs and the mobile phone market. It also shows that the manufacturer s understand their customers 21st Century consumers love gadgets. So is the Netbook just another gadget to be lost in the plethora of technology, or does it have a future?
Once the processing power of Netbooks is improved, there is a good chance that they will become the gadget of choice for an entire generation of tech heads. A study in 2009 by the NPD group predicts an overall 99.1 growth in the sale of Netbooks from 16.4million to 32.7million units from 2008 to 2009. With phenomenal growth figures like that, and the fact that hand held units such as the Nintendo DS have gained such massive popularity amongst the public, it s unlikely that the Netbook will be superseded any time soon and that hand held computers have a pretty rosy future.
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