Sure, the prices of CE netbooks are unbeatable, when I recall the PDAs in their days of glory.
But I can imagine ordinary customers as well as power users will expect more from these laptop-like machines, as people will miss things the CE netbooks can't do - that's the clear difference, not just between CE and XP/Windows, but also CE and OS X, CE and Linux, etc. I don't think the late CE netbooks can replace the netbooks/laptops, at least at this stage. Low price cannot make up for too many compromrises.
(Can CE 5/6 really handle web pages as well as the netbooks do? I dunno. Please enlighten me.
)
There are some real issues to worry about the CE netbooks, as some have pointed above. Lack of drivers
(USB host, SDIO, etc
) is a main disadvantage. Not so hackable as Linux. Much longer battery life... I would look more carefully here. Power get used up much faster with wifi and bluetooth on and working at full tilt. Also the many different ports and chips may also help suck up the juice. This is the case for the netbooks. The atom fantasy demystified.
Agree with RTFM about the pricing. I would never buy a Jornada for 200. I got mine for 60 and my MP900 7x. Frankly speaking, I think the prices are reasonable and justifiable by today's standards. Even cheaper than a Franklin dict on amazon, but can do X times more things. That's part of the excitement when I bought my CE devices. I know their limitations, and at the same time I know what they can do best.
"Good for you boy. But I love my netbooks..."
The same thing may apply for the comparisons between netbooks and "standard" laptops and between netbooks and umpcs.
Then again, the general market don't seem to be sold by the designs of the CE netbooks because of their limitations, even though the concept is beautiful. Their sales are telling something: the CE market in no ways can be compared to the netbook market, perhaps also true for the umpcs as well. The netbook consumers are more than a dumb mass, i believe.
Many people, such as me, will not care whether the machine is brand new or used, as far as it looks good and runs well.
On the other hand, I also think the "real netbooks"
(definition, pls
) also suck in some ways. Cheap plastic feel, poor keyboard, overheating, short batt life, no instant-on, and so on. Clive Thompson has
an interesting view on the "netbooks".
Everyone can love their devices, any devices, without any doubt.
Opinions against ABC usually get bashed in a enthusiast/fanatic forum dedicated to ABC. So pardon my rambling.
Call me split mind. I decided to give up on my netbooks and subnotebooks and turned to CE devices. I "discovered"
(so late...
) that I don't need so much power. I just desire an inexpensive productivity device free of battery dreads, with instant-on, and fitting in my jacket pocket.
Back to the topic. If connectivity is an important factor, perhaps Smartbook G138 is also worth considering. It has a SIM card slot, a CF type I&II slot, good screen, super comfortable keyboard
(even better that MP900's
), sensitive touchscreen. And it is smaller than the late CE machines. And it can run Opera 8.65 too. But still no youtube and no flash 9/10 loaded websites.
If the CE netbooks/smartbooks are superior to what I imagine, do tell me and maybe i'll buy one in a heartbeat.
Edited by MrSB 2010-03-09 2:34 AM