The Netbook Market

Just a little over 12 months ago the ASUS EEE PC 701 hit the market and took the world by storm. Extremely small, light and most importantly cheap, the EEE PC 701 was a product that placed the emphasis on price and portability rather than performance. What ASUS realised is that most end users don't require the most powerful computer available, they just need something they can use to surf the net and check their email while on the move.

As groundbreaking as it was however, the EEE PC 701 was not a great computer. With a small screen, low resolution, and a ridiculously tiny keyboard the first EEE PC was not very easy to use. The 701 was soon followed up by the much improved EEE PC 900, as well as a range of competitor products from other manufacturers.

Today there are literally dozens of different Netbooks available from a range of companies, and the Netbook Market itself has proven to be the highest growth sector in computer sales today.

So, what is a Netbook exactly?

The term Netbook (Net'Book) makes reference to the device's intended use of being a mobile internet terminal - something that you can carry with you to access the internet wherever you go. The generally accepted requirements for a device to fall into the Netbook category are as follows:

• small size (no bigger than a 10.2" screen and weighing less than 4 pounds)
• a low power processor (a CPU that is not as fast as desktop computers, and has low power draw)
• cheap (costs less than a typical laptop and much less than an ultra portable)
• not a MID (Mobile Internet Devices have a similar sized screen but are touch only and have no keyboard)

Note the last point, that is that Netbooks still have the form factor of larger laptops with a folding screen and a keyboard unlike smaller MID devices or smartphones.

All Netbooks have these 4 things in common. In addition, almost all netbooks also contain the following features:

• Intel Atom CPU
• Integrated Graphics
• Screen resolution of 1024 x 600
• 2 or 3 USB ports
• VGA out
• Wireless B or G Connectivity
• 10/100 Lan Connectivity
• Integrated Webcam
• Microphone and Stereo Speakers
• An SD/SDHC/MMC Flash Card Reader

A Netbook does not have to have all of these but almost all of the current models do. No Netbook yet developed has an optical drive either, ie. a CD or DVD Drive. These add a lot of weight and would make the devices considerably larger than what they currently are.

So there you have it! To put that all into one sentence a Netbook is simply: a small, cheap, low powered, laptop-style computer that is highly portable and primarily used for accessing the internet on the move!