LAS VEGAS — Netbooks have become serious business.
At the Consumer Electronics Show here, much of the buzz is
about netbooks. Nearly every major computer manufacturer has one, and
some manufacturers are explicitly targeting businesses that want a cheaper alternative for employees than full-blown laptops.
"The netbook is catching up as a much more mobile device," said Vijay
Rakesh, a ThinkPanmure analyst. "They’re great just for storage and
working when you’re out of the office."
Netbooks — inexpensive, low-powered miniature notebooks — are evolving rapidly from cute novelty devices into super-portable laptops for professionals. Three things are driving this trend. First, as netbooks gain such features as built-in 3-G wireless connectivity or GPS receivers, they are competing with standard laptops. Second, many companies use free, web-based services like Google Docs or Windows Live instead of installing software on employees’ computers. If all your documents and software are online, you don’t really need a powerful machine or lots of storage, the thinking goes. And third, netbooks are cheap. As the economy continues to put the squeeze on corporate IT budgets, companies are looking to save money wherever they can.
"I’m surprised [the business angle] is happening
so soon, but I think it makes a lot of sense," said Ezra Gottheil, a Technology Business Research analyst. "For a
large amount of people in business, all they really need is e-mail and
web access, and that’s what these things do…. It’s a lightweight PC
that’s a perfectly usable tool."
Indeed, because of the economy’s poor condition, 46 percent of
workplaces are saving money by delaying computer
upgrades. The average netbook costs $350, a more
attractive price point for employers wanting to save money and encourage employees to take their work home with them.
It’s no big surprise
that netbooks are moving into the enterprise world.
Analysts, including Rakesh, predict the netbook market will grow at
least 100 percent in 2009. And ABI Research forecasts that 200 million
ultra-portable devices, including netbooks, will ship by 2013. That’s as many units as the current worldwide laptop market — so if that prediction pans out, netbooks may be as large a product category (or even larger) than laptops.
HP’s new Mini 2140 (right), showcased at CES, is one of the first explicitly business-oriented netbooks.
HP is marketing this netbook for the enterprise world.
What makes it business-savvy? A keyboard that’s nearly the same size as
a standard one (97 percent, HP says). Also, a six-cell battery, which
HP claims will last about eight hours.
Sony launched an 8-inch notebook (top) at CES that it refuses to call a netbook because it’s "fully functional" and ideal for professionals. How? It’s 1.4 pounds, fits in a blazer pocket and it includes a 3-G modem, which gives you internet access anywhere you can get a Verizon connection. It ships with a separate dongle containing an Ethernet port and a VGA port to connect to an external monitor.
Also at CES, Multi-Star International (MSI) highlights the latest upgrade
for its popular Wind netbook. It has a sharper, more professional appearance than the first Wind, and a new option to add a 3.5-G modem.
One of the most notable features in some
of the newest netbooks is instant-on technology, which can make it easier to check mail or get some work done on the run. For example, at the
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Lenovo is showing off its
upgrade to the popular S10 netbook line, which includes a new function
called HyperSpace. Users will be able to access basic
apps like web browsers, e-mail and instant-messaging software instantly, without booting into Windows first.
Phoenix Technologies, the
company responsible for the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) that boots
many Windows computers, developed HyperSpace. In addition to expediting
basic tasks, the instant-on environment will significantly enhance
battery life, Phoenix Technologies told Wired.com.
"Booting up
your machine takes too long, and with a mobile phone it takes a second
or two," said Woody Hobbs, CEO of Phoenix Technologies. "For netbooks,
[with HyperSpace] we’re trying to head in the direction of smartphones."
But of course,
companies can’t just market netbooks as business computers without
incorporating some fundamental changes. New improvements, such as
bigger keyboards, sharper design and longer battery life, are small and
subtle — but nonetheless make a significant difference for the
business user.
Of course, marketing is marketing, and Gottheil notes netbooks won’t be ideal for every business user; it depends on the nature of your job.
"The degree at which users will feel cramped will vary a great deal," he said. "Some will feel thrilled to be carrying around something substantially lighter. Others will feel they can’t stand looking at such a small screen."
Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com, HP
The keyboard? It rocks. The screen? Beautiful. The trackball is just the right amount of gritty, so your finger sticks to it and doesn’t slide off onto the keyboard. The instant-on OS? Classy.
The keys are small, but just the perfect amount of small—you’ll only have a problem if you have fingers the size of fried carnival pastries. It took me about 15-30 seconds of mistyping to adjust and type just about perfectly, though your hands won’t feel as loose as they are on a full size keyboard by means. They’re really punchy, though shallow, too. Overall, good. The trackball is a little oversensitive, but adjustable too. What I do hate are the mouse buttons. They’re too small and not distinguished enough, so easy to miss. Oh, and it’s a smudge magnet.
The form factor looks weird in the press shots, but in person, it works—incredibly well. It’s 
I like the instant-on OS. It’s essentially a Sony XMB that gives you access to photos, internet and movies, much like other instant-on OSes, but the P’s seems exceptionally classy.
Sony’s much-hyped Vaio P Netbook has finally come out from under wraps, weighing under 1.4 pounds, sitting under an inch thick, and packing in an 8-inch screen with a 2.08:1 aspect ratio (1600×768!).
