no starter windows 8 kills netbooks. But wait....

[WendyWeber]

PC Pro has an article on why Windows 8 will kill the netbook because there's no cheap starter version:
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/374932/windows-8-pricing-to-kill-netbooks

But wait. Do I have Windows on my netbook? No, I have Ubuntu. Will Ubuntu save the Netbook? I sure hope it will. Let's all send Ubuntu download links to the netbook manufacturers.

[wilee-nilee]

At best uninformed speculation.

I have W7 pro on a netbook, and have run W8, both run fast, with the ram bumped to 2 gigs on a 32 bit 1.6 atom set up.

[CharlesA]

Windows 7 starter was crippled btw. Good riddance.

[KiwiNZ]

Netbooks are already dead

[cprofitt]

By what standard do we call Netbook dead?

The same standard Apple was declared dead in the late 90s?

Perhaps the way many think the desktop is dead?

Perhaps like many argued that Cobol and Fortran were dead?

The only 'dead' products, to me, are the ones no longer sold... like the Apple Newton or the Apple Mac II SE, or an i386 based computer.... those are dead.

That being said I do not think Netbook are something Ubuntu should focus on... with ultrabooks the need for a light weight machine is being met by a much more powerful machine... if you want a 10" screen and a very small unit then you are likely to be lured by a tablet... and Ubuntu tablet would be very cool... especially if it was similar to the ASUS Transformer stuff... keyboard dock that ads ports and batteries.

[Bandit]

PC Pro has an article on why Windows 8 will kill the netbook because there's no cheap starter version:
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/374932/windows-8-pricing-to-kill-netbooks

But wait. Do I have Windows on my netbook? No, I have Ubuntu. Will Ubuntu save the Netbook? I sure hope it will. Let's all send Ubuntu download links to the netbook manufacturers.

Well THIS and...


At best uninformed speculation.

I have W7 pro on a netbook, and have run W8, both run fast, with the ram bumped to 2 gigs on a 32 bit 1.6 atom set up.

THIS..


So nothing has changed...
I got Win7 Pro on one of my Netbooks (Dell 2GB RAM, 1.6 Atom) as well and even have run Visual Studio on it. No issues. Not turbo charged, but usable.

[KiwiNZ]

By what standard do we call Netbook dead?

The same standard Apple was declared dead in the late 90s?

Perhaps the way many think the desktop is dead?

Perhaps like many argued that Cobol and Fortran were dead?

The only 'dead' products, to me, are the ones no longer sold... like the Apple Newton or the Apple Mac II SE, or an i386 based computer.... those are dead.

That being said I do not think Netbook are something Ubuntu should focus on... with ultrabooks the need for a light weight machine is being met by a much more powerful machine... if you want a 10" screen and a very small unit then you are likely to be lured by a tablet... and Ubuntu tablet would be very cool... especially if it was similar to the ASUS Transformer stuff... keyboard dock that ads ports and batteries.

A walk around a retail store will find maybe one or two Netbooks, that's it.

[CharlesA]

So nothing has changed...
I got Win7 Pro on one of my Netbooks (Dell 2GB RAM, 1.6 Atom) as well and even have run Visual Studio on it. No issues. Not turbo charged, but usable.

Same on my 1.6 Atom, 2GB RAM and Win7 Pro x86. Runs fine.

[uRock]

Who needs W8? I have ubuntu on mine. I have everything I need.:P

[viperdvman]

Windows 7 is still supported. So I don't see any reason why Microsoft wouldn't keep making OEM versions for builders of netbooks and other low-cost computers, just like Windows XP was in earlier netbooks.

But yes, it also gives Canonical an opportunity to expand into the low-cost netbook field in the event that Microsoft gives it up altogether, and market Ubuntu for use in netbooks (the original platform for Unity).

The other thing to look at and hope for: We can hope that lower-powered ultrabooks come down in price and effectively replace netbooks.

[3rdalbum]

Netbooks are, unfortunately, dying anyway. The victims of the current obsession with iPads.

Probably most of the people who still want netbooks are Linux users, so we might see one or two Linux netbooks in the future for the people who want them. I'm sure Microsoft wouldn't mind too much as they know netbooks are going away for Windows users.

[cprofitt]

Take a look at the new announcement from ASUS today...

Netbooks are certainly not going to be what they were...

But there are new 'transformers' on the way with 10" screens... arm processors... Android and Windows.

What makes a netbook a 'netbook'?

[CharlesA]

Transformers are tablets, not netbooks.

A netbook is basically a small underpowered laptop made for web browsing and office documents.

[MisterGaribaldi]

But, what makes something "underpowered"?

[madjr]

Transformers are tablets, not netbooks.

A netbook is basically a small underpowered laptop made for web browsing and office documents.

transformer is not just a tablet, but a hybrid.

things are not really dying but "transforming" themselves.

the hybrid is the future (and not just in cars!).

[inashdeen]

Short word, its time for Ubuntu revolution!!! Ubuntu FTW

[CharlesA]

But, what makes something "underpowered"?

Atom processor vs i5/i7/whatever.


transformer is not just a tablet, but a hybrid.

things are not really dying but "transforming" themselves.

the hybrid is the future (and not just in cars!).

The only real difference is the transformer can hook to a docking station.

[blithen]

Netbooks are already dead
This is my thought on the subject.
Why does it matter if they finish it off once and for all?
I like my tablet 10x better then I ever liked my netbook.

[Copper Bezel]

I love my netbook, but I wouldn't settle for less than a Core i3 on my next machine, and an 11" screen actually would be kinda nifty.

I can't be the only one thinking that.

[CharlesA]

I love my netbook, but I wouldn't settle for less than a Core i3 on my next machine, and an 11" screen actually would be kinda nifty.

I can't be the only one thinking that.
That was one of the reasons I bumped up to my 14" laptop - 10" screen and single core Atom only goes so far.

[viperdvman]

I thought about replacing my netbook in the near future with an inexpensive Core i3 notebook in the 12-14" range. It'd be much more powerful than any Atom or C-series and E-series AMD netbook, and still plenty small enough, and still be a good cross platform between laptop and netbook (they can run the same OS's)

[Warpnow]

A walk around a retail store will find maybe one or two Netbooks, that's it.

I was at a Microcenter down the street from me recently and they had over 10 different kinds of netbooks on display.

Walmart had 2-3 netbooks and 3-4 laptop.s

I'd hardly call them dead.

[KiwiNZ]

I was at a Microcenter down the street from me recently and they had over 10 different kinds of netbooks on display.

Walmart had 2-3 netbooks and 3-4 laptop.s

I'd hardly call them dead.

Hmmmmmm no they will be as common as rocking horse droppings by the holiday season

[viperdvman]

Netbooks are still cheaper than a "decent" Android tablet.

[Lucradia]

ASUS released the last netbook anyone will ever make. ASUS started netbooks, it ended with them.

[Linux_junkie]

With the upcoming release of Windows 8 I predict you will see an explosion of tablet pc's running Windows 8 which I believe will kill off the netbook.

A tablet pc can do everything that a netbook can do and they are much easier to carry around with you. The netbook was created for people wanting to view websites and not much else, you can do the same thing with tablet pc's.

In the future, the only market for netbooks I can see is from the Linux community thats if they can replace Windows 8 with their favourite distro.

[Copper Bezel]

As has been noted repeatedly, netbooks can do a hell of a lot more than "view websites and not much else." But that's the most popular use case, yes.

But if the defining attributes of netbooks are a strict 1024x600 screen res and an Intel Atom processor (since ultrabooks can have all of the other qualities,) those were things that would have gone away eventually, anyway. Of course, the Atom line is moving into tablets, which says a lot.

So, yay, portability is expensive again. = P