Opinion Done by the tablet
A few years back,the first netbooks to hit the markets were touted as the ultimate in mobile computing.
A few years back,the first netbooks to hit the markets were touted as the ultimate in mobile computing. But people debated if there was any actual use for a product which found itself caught between a laptop and a smartphone. To add to it woes,the 10-inch netbooks didnt have an optical drive and was heavily dependent on the Internet for most of its activities.
But they cost and weighed half of what a regular notebook would and hence flew of the shelves. With a couple of years they became the computer of choice for millions of teenagers who couldnt find any good use for the more expensive components of a laptop. Soon,the small netbooks were sitting pretty commanding a 20 per cent share of overall computer shipments in many markets.
But that was when the tablet came along. While initially the higher prices of the tablet put them in a segment of their own,the advent of cheaper Android tablets,many priced even lower than netbooks,complicated things. To make matters worse,both the tablet and the netbook have similar work profiles,aimed more at consuming and not creating.
The netbook is slightly better off if you actually want to do a bit of work as it has the luxury of a proper,though smaller,keypad. Writing something long on a touchscreen tablet can often be a real pain. But that hasnt stopped the tablet from cannibalizing the netbook segment,wooing away especially those customers who are more concerned about looks and mobility than actual utility.
Though prices might still put off many from picking up a tablet in India,studies show that the laptop segment might grow at a lower rate than earlier anticipated due to the impending threat. And the larger notebooks are still not under fire from the tablet.
But the netbook seems doomed in the longer run unless it reinvents itself. This reinvention could happen when Google comes up with its Chrome OS. The cloud based operating system could breathe new life into the netbook. Another OS to look forward to is MeeGo,initially build by Intel and Nokia for a new generation of smartphones. Given the boot by Nokia,which decided to go along with Microsoft,Intel is now hardselling this Linux-based OS for netbooks,tablets and phones. Once MeeGo finds serious takers,users will have the convenience of having the same OS for multiple screens and devices. New netbooks will also have to come up with inbuilt mobile connectivity options,not just Wi-FI.
Till then,the netbook is on life support.
Share
