Version: 2008

Comments on: CES 2009 preview: Computers and hardware

CNET editors preview the the laptop, desktop, and computer hardware trends to expect during the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show.

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by Mr. Dee December 15, 2008 11:38 AM PST
Intel clearly has won the processor wars again, they have innovated since the release of the Core Duo, they have improved performance and efficiency, lowered cost and delivered real value to the consumer. AMD has not committed to Netbooks which is sad giving Intel even further dominance making the ATOM the first and only choice.

Windows 7 will be well received, I wouldn't be surprised if all computers at CES 2009 will be running the BETA 1 demo for all to try and possibly take home. Vista is not bad, its just that it has a reputation because of how it debuted on the market. But OEM's have improved the experience by delivering systems that should have been released in January of 2007 with the OS. The first SP1 and SP2 next year will further change those perceptions.
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by ca5ter December 15, 2008 12:06 PM PST
I'm not convinced the term Netbooks will stick as a computing category. At what point in time does a Netbook become a laptop? Is it price, speed, features, OS? With the cost of components continuing to fall, I see a broad range of laptops rather than a separate category called Netbooks. Another category only will confuse consumers.
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by BigGuns149 December 15, 2008 1:24 PM PST
I have my skepticism that netbooks are going to go away as quickly as you think. Some customers don't understand the purpose of netbooks and ignorantly compare them to cellphones, but there are a lot of people who do understand their purpose and netbooks are top sellers at Amazon and many other only retailers. Even the brick and mortar stores have gotten into the mix in the last 3-4 months and started carrying a few select models.

Consumer confusion with computers isn't unusual, but there have been a lot of companies that had successfully sold subcompact laptops for years that used various low voltage processors that had a large tradeoff in performance in order to maximize battery life. I will agree that netbooks will never realistically make larger and more traditional form factors like 15.4" laptops go away, but a lot of people's needs haven't grown as quickly as processing power of CPUs.

There are a lot of people for which the processing power of the Atom based netbooks is good enough. While I don't think that they will ever become the norm I wouldn't be surprised at <$300 a student that even a lot of cash strapped schools will be able to afford a 1:1 computer to student ratio. While they would be rather anemic for some HS students who might need more processing they have sufficient processing power for a lot of applications many schools are using.

I will agree with you that I see "netbooks" as simply another category like desktop replacement along a broad spectrum of everything from downright tiny laptops like Fujitsu's 5.6" U series to 20" desktop replacements catering everything from the person who simply wants something basic to jot down notes and browse the web to someone who wants to edit HD video far away from their desktop.

The only thing really novel is the low price point for a sub 10" notebook. Historically, almost anything below 10" are >$1000 as opposed to <$500. The big resistance I see is against Linux netbooks is the limit what most retail stores can possibly sell for accessories (ie. no AV subscriptions, no anti-spyware subscriptions, no sales of M$ Office, etc.) Furthermore, to actually offer extended warranties they would actually have to train their techs to use linux, which may be difficult considering how little they pay their "techs." I haven't asked any retailers how they have done with netbooks, but somehow I doubt they are selling many service plans on netbooks. Save for a case and maybe an extra battery there isn't a lot to add to a netbook sale. I think at least in the near term I think Linux won't do as well as some may think.
by Mr. Dee December 15, 2008 2:08 PM PST
I tend to agree, I think its a new category of laptops at a cheaper price with an upsell to something with a little bit more powerful features for a little bit more money. I remember back in 1998 when a Dell Latitude cost about US $3,000 with features such as a PII 233 MHz, 64 MBs of RAM. Now you can get a very powerful Dell Inspiron for US $799 or less with a Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz (64 bit) and 2 GBs of RAM. Some Netbooks you can get for US $300 to US $500. OEM's are looking for new ways to add value, Dell is coming out with a new type of Netbook that has a 12 inch screen within the same price category. So its not the characteristics, its the value of the market. Laptops have became a commodity a long time ago. Its still expensive even for me to spend $500 US on a notebook, but we have to realize that demand and durability of the products and consumer satisfaction are forcing consumers to think before they invest in new systems and the hardware manufacturers are thinking of new ways of enticing us.
by Sausagebiscuit December 30, 2008 6:09 AM PST
I enjoy my celeron asus eee so much that I am tempted to buy a new model from either asus or another vendor in 2009. I was kind of waiting to see if we get dual core Atom cpus before biting again. It would be nice to have a chipset and gpu with lower power requirements. Just enough to put up a 2D display to save even more on battery life.
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by ppgreat January 3, 2009 2:37 PM PST
I got the opportunity to play with an Acer netbook over the holidays, or more accurately, try to troubleshoot why the wireless would not work.

Drove me nuts! Didn't fit on my lap well. Tiny screen. Even tinier keyboard. Personally, I don't understand the appeal. I use laptop to get work done, not so I can stash something in my purse.
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