System 76 giving up on smaller laptops?

[hkarl629]

Think we might be seeing the influence/invasion of the tablets as a smart substitute for the smaller computers.

[fredsea]

Think we might be seeing the influence/invasion of the tablets as a smart substitute for the smaller computers.

Maybe so, but it would be a shame. Tablets and such are good for quick email, watching TouTube and following Facebook or Google+, but you can't do serious work on them. I use my Starling for everything I do on my larger machines (I teach Math, partly on line, and have a lot of writing, including technical writing to do). On the other hand, many of my students who are smartphone and tablet based are amazingly computer illiterate, even for basic stuff. I am not an admirer of Steve Jobs and what Apple has stood for in recent years, and, even though I entertained the idea at some point, could not get around and waste hundreds of bucks on a crippled gadget.

[isantop]

Please note that this is a more personal post, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of System76.

I think that the fundamental problem with Netbooks is that they were sold as a web device that is good for content creation, but there was no software differentiation from a larger, full-featured laptop. There is a lot of overlap in what they can do, but they were never intended to be used the same way, and netbooks were never meant to be a primary computer, except in certain circumstances.

Tablets are often desired for what they can do. When people dislike a tablet, it's often because of something wrong with either the platform, or with the hardware itself. Netbooks on the other hand, are disliked simply because of what they can't do, and the fact they they look and function like a primary computer, without ever really being billed as one, was their crippling feature.

Chromebooks, in my opinion, represent what netbooks were intended to be the whole time. They do have some shortcomings, but this is fine because the chromebook isn't sold as a do-it-all, primary device (yet).

[jml]

I totally agree with isantop. Netbooks were initially sold to consume content and not function as a creator of content. The original ASUS netbook really drove this home. But I think that there was a need for a small inexpensive device to do simple tasks, surf the web, stream content, check e-mail. Netbooks and tablets were good for this. Unfortunately, many of these products morphed into "mini laptops" with greater storage, RAM, and screen sizes and cost. They lost their focus. The Google based Chrome-books have again pointed this device toward that direction. Although I think that the price point is a bit high.

Having said all that, I still feel that a true laptop with an 11 or 12 inch screen size is the sweet spot for traveling and remote use. I also feel that battery life should be at least four hours without the need to have a battery that weighs half as much as the computer. I love my DARU3 except for it's 2 hour battery life. The extended life battery in my opinion is huge! I know because I bought one.

That is why, I purchased an 11 inch MacBook Air. Small in size, powerful enough for my needs and a 4-5 hour battery life. I hope that System 76 can offer a laptop with similar specifications. I would buy it in a minute.

Joe

[stillnotcool]

I hope that System 76 can offer a laptop with similar specifications. I would buy it in a minute.

Psst! Take a look at the System76 Driver changelog. It indicates that version 2.6.9 includes support for something called the "Lemur Ultra." Let the speculation begin!