Is a Netbook in Your Future?

Gartner has dubbed 2009 the “Year of the Netbook.”

According to the Australian IT e-zine CIO, netbook sales growth will exceed 40 percent this year, and account for 13 percent of all notebook shipments. But what’s behind the surge in sales of this previously little-known technology?

Netbooks are not intended to replace our current notebook requirements; rather, they are intended to bridge the gap between smartphones and full-size laptops. They offer screens and keyboards large enough to be useful, but small enough not to be a burden on your back or your bank account.

The lower cost of a netbook is appealing in the current cash-strapped economy. Netbooks cost $199 to $499, with much of the price difference arising from added productivity software, and some sexy add-ons, like Web cams or Bluetooth connectivity.

Because netbooks are smaller and lighter, they appeal to a wide range of users.

Parents have told me their kids will use them at school or college, or just to be cool -- not a bad deal, balanced against the cost of a car. The smaller size also makes the netbook a good buy for the highly mobile. There is little sense in lugging a large laptop along when all you need is access to e-mail or the Internet.

I use a Dell Mini 9 when I travel. It’s small enough to carry in an over-the-shoulder bag (a.k.a. man-bag -- it’s European!). It has wi-fi, so I can always get on the Net, I can use a Web cam for video chats with family or business cronies.

One nice feature is the built-in card slot I use to upload pictures to my Facebook page. Because of the solid-state-drive (SSD) I get an amazing six-plus hours of battery life (based on my non-scientific testing). Overall, I am very happy with the Dell Mini.

While the Windows XP with service pack 3 system that is standard on the Dell Mini performed just fine for an eight-year-old program, I installed a pre-release version of Windows 7. Amazingly, Windows 7 out-performed Windows XP in almost every way, but it ate up most of my 8GB SSD. Still, it left enough room for Office 2007, Skype and Office Communicator. A bigger drive would be very nice!

Beware, however, of netbooks that keep the price low by using a Linux operating system rather than Windows. If you haven’t worked with Linux, it’s different enough to be confusing and frustrating.

Bottom line: Find a netbook and get to know it. Use it as your only notebook for a few days, to determine where it meets your needs and where it doesn’t. I think you will be surprised on both fronts.