Why are netbooks suddenly invading notebook rankings?

Chris Tompkins — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:57:38 -0700

Notebookreview.com's listing of the most popular laptop reviews for September includes three unexpected contenders: Reviews for Atom-powered "netbooks." One of them, the Acer Aspire One, is the second most popular review on the site, with the Asus Eee and Dell Mini 9 taking the seventh and ninth positions, respectively.

The $325 Acer Aspire One premiered on the list this month with a review praising it as the cheapest and best performing netbook so far. But "best performing" is a relative assessment; all netbooks use Intel’s Atom processor, which utilizes a single 1.6ghz core, as opposed to some of the notebooks on the list, which use Intel's far more powerful Core 2 Duo Processor. Where the Aspire One shines compared to other netbooks is in storage space: The model has a 120 gigabyte hard drive option, compared to the other two netbooks' solid-state drives.

The reviews of all three netbooks highlight some surprises dedicated laptop users may run into when converting to netbooks. As The Industry Standard previously pointed out in “Will Atom-equipped netbooks be the catalyst for slimmer Web apps?”, netbooks aren’t meant to approach the power of today’s 12” or larger notebooks. Owners of many netbook models will have to deal with cramped keyboards and relatively limited storage space. All will have to consider Atom's minimum processing power, which is insufficient for heavy-duty apps such as video editing programs.

Still, it seems many readers are anxious to take a peek at the netbooks that slots itself between handheld computers and laptops. While they aren't the same as a laptop, the price is hard to beat.

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Why are netbooks suddenly invading notebook rankings?

Chris Tompkins — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:57:38 -0700

Still, it seems many readers are anxious to take a peek at the netbooks that slots itself between handheld computers and laptops. While they aren't the same as a laptop, the price is hard to beat.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Prediction: Zune Phone announced by end of 2008?
Prediction: AMD becomes takeover target
Analysis: What if Google's mission extended to public records?
News: Intel continues the WiMAX/LTE war of words
Analysis: The future of the Web is 3D, not video
Analysis: Microsoft's struggle to innovate and lead on the 'Net
Industry Standard Daily Newsletter Signup