We are constantly hearing about how Netbook sales are booming and laptop sales are falling and how Netbooks are basically destroying the computer industry.
Consumers might love Netbooks but vendors don’t, there isn’t a lot of profit on these low cost, low processing power devices.
Apple for example have tended to shy away from Netbooks saying that users wouldn’t enjoy them because they are slow, have small screens and cramped keyboards.
Yet now, not surprisingly considering the unexpected popularity of Netbooks, we are hearing that even Apple, whose products are traditionally more expensive than other products, might be releasing a Netbook.
Just about every major computer producer in the world is producing their own version of the Netbook. Now here is where it gets interesting.
Surely the simple answer would be to stop selling Netbooks altogether or even to stop making them so that consumers are forced into buying laptops, or perhaps the answer is to sell something that combines both?
Dell’s Inspiron 11z is one of the new Ultra Thins we are also hearing a lot about, the new so called darlings of the computer industry. They make use of Intel’s ultra low voltage CULV processor, which Intel and others are pushing on the market.
This little Netbook, and that is what Dell is calling it, could well be mistaken for a notebook. According to Dell it combines “the portability of a netbook with the capability of a laptop” but like most Netbooks, it doesn’t have an optical drive.
What the Inspiron 11z does have is an 11 inch screen which makes it smaller than a standard laptop but after the latest definition of Netbooks as put out by Microsoft, which limits Netbooks to 10.1 inch displays or less, the Inspiron 11z is not a Netbook either. In other words, this little cutie is hitting the middle road.
“Our Inspiron 11z is the perfect solution for users who cannot compromise on processing power but demand ultra-portability and style” says Phil Bryant, VP and General Manager, Dell EMEA Consumer.
We also can’t forget that the Inspiron 11z has 4GB memory and a screen resolution of 1,366 x 768 so is HD friendly. Things are starting to look pretty good for this machine.
“Since its initial launch with the The Carphone Warehouse in the UK in August, demand for a device that combines the portability of a netbook with the technical capabilities of a full sized laptop is clear,” said Bryant.
No longer is it easy to define exactly what a Netbook is and isn’t. I guess consumers want as much as they can get for as low a price as possible and why not.
Dell’s latest ‘Netbook’ may well fit the bill.
