Google is soon to launch its Chromebook, the long-awaited Google Chrome netbook. While with the new web-based OS, the search giant has hoped to replace the traditional desktop based operating system – and soften Microsoft’s core business at the same time – not all reviewers believe the offering is worth having. PC World, one of the most influential IT and PC magazines in the world, has slated the Chromebook in a piece harshly titled ‘Whatever You Do, Don’t Buy a Chromebook.’

Don’t buy it

The piece is subtitled ‘Google’s cloud-only Chrome OS vision is simply not baked, and it’s not likely to ever to come together,’ serving as the jump-off point for the publication’s concerns about Google’s offerings. The post is lengthy, and is well worth a read if purchasing a Google Chrome netbook was in your plans, but we’ve pulled out the most interesting pieces to make your life easier.

The web is not an OS, basically

The whole premise of the post is in the negation of the whole premise of Chrome – that a web-based OS cannot fully replace a desktop-based OS, and where it can replicate functionality, it does so in an inferior manner. What’s more, the applications – which are all a good operating system is supposed to cater to, really – are half-baked.

Galen Gruman writes: ‘Simply put, I don’t believe Chrome OS will ever get as good as a world of real apps that tap into the Internet but don’t depend on it. The Web apps that run on Chromebooks’ Chrome OS – and they’re the only apps that can – are still primitive and not that capable. Google itself still doesn’t have its Google Apps – the key apps it expects every Chrome OS user to rely on – yet working in offline mode. That was promised for March, and still it’s MIA. Remember, this is Google: a company that has no trouble shipping apps before they’re ready.’

Buy a tablet

He also reiterates a point many have made of late – in a post-tablet PC world, do netbooks, the regular type, or even the Chromebook variation, have a place? On the latter, Gruman thinks not, writing: ‘Even if you would use the Chromebook as a secondary, supplemental device – an adjunct to your PC or Mac – you’ll have to contend with all these issues. Frankly, a tablet is a better option to be such an adjunct: It fits both the Mac and PC environments better, it supports apps whether or not you have a wireless connection, and it’s much easier to carry around.’

What do you make of this? Are the Google Chrome netbooks doomed to fail, or is this too harsh a position so early in the life cycle of Chromebooks?

While netbooks rarely make news these days, news of a dirt cheap netbook running Google Chrome OS is a story that cannot be ignored. Rumour has it Asus is developing a bone cheap netbook running on Google’s latest mobile OS platform.

$200

While these devices generally sell for $300 (£186) and upward, Asus is aiming really low, making a Chrome netbook that will be priced between $200 (£124) and $250 (£155).

The computer is rumoured to ship in either 10-inch or 11-inch variations. And, given that by spec every Chrome netbook must have built-in 3G, there are additional reports suggesting some carriers may offer them for free on six-month plus data contracts.

The effect of pricing

While it’s easy to dismiss netbooks as devices that had their time but no longer have a place, many people still purchase them because they’re so cheap and accessible.

When unwise meets unwise, do you get stupid?

After months of anticipation, Google Chrome OS was announced to very little fanfare. That’s partly attributable to the fact that tablet PCs are all the buzz these days, to the expense of netbooks. And partly attributable to the fact that Google Android has gotten so big and so versatile, Chrome OS no longer seemed to have a place.

It seems risky for Asus to be launching a struggling device format – a netbook – on a mobile operating system that might never get traction – Chrome – but at the dirt cheap price tag of $200 (about £124), it could be a colossal hit.

Dell, once the number one computer manufacturer in the world, then number two, and recently languishing in third place, has leaped back into second position, according to an iSuppli report. What makes this turnaround rather astonishing is who the company has to thank – Apple and its netbooks sales crushing iPad.

The netbook factor

The latest iSuppli report pegs Dell at the number two spot, wedged between Hewlett-Packard and Acer. Netbooks – a big component of Acer’s business – saw sales absolutely crushed by the iPad tablet PC. This meant that, as opposed to Dell seeing unprecedented growth, Acer did not have the netbook sales they would have otherwise had to keep in second spot.

Given Dell’s presence in the netbook market is nowhere near the level of Acer’s, and that Dell still has a very strong presence in the enterprise market, the company used Acer’s netbook misfortune to snag what iSuppli analyst Matthew Wilkins called a ‘firm lead’ over its competitor.

Overall sales robust

Outside of the positional switch between Dell and Acer, the iSuppli report says fourth quarter sales of PCs were the best the industry had ever seen. More than 93 million units were sold in Q4 2010, up an impressive 5 per cent from the year prior. Sales for the full year totaled 345.4 million units, up an impressive 14.2 per cent on the 302.4 million units sold in 2009.

It’s your fault, iPad

With a growing chorus of analysts saying the iPad is affecting the entire PC industry, all the naysayers who proclaim it not a productivity tool are overlooking what matters most – and that is the device is stealing sales from other personal computing devices. Netbooks were always most vulnerable, and Acer is feeling it seeing netbook sales declining rapidly enough that out-of-favour Dell has been able to steal some much needed spotlight.

After some confusion regarding Acer’s stance on netbooks, and whether the company will continue to produce them, the group has released a statement saying that the rumours of the Acer netbooks demise are greatly exaggerated, and that they will continue supporting the diminutive computers for now.

Your own people say so!

Lu Bing-Hsian, a Taiwanese sales manager at Acer, made a recent comment that Acer’s heavy tablet bet was ‘aimed at phasing out netbooks’.

As smart, and likely true, as that sounds, Acer PR have come to clear up the storm that comment has sparked. The company says [via Techradar] ‘Acer recognizes that the computer market is changing: As PCs are no longer used to only create content but are more and more becoming consumption tools, new devices and new form factors are appearing.’

The statement continues, reading: ‘This means the range of devices available to users is getting wider and tablets are just another piece of the mosaic. Therefore they will find their space next to netbooks and notebooks, without taking over.’

We don’t believe you

Acer continues justifying the backtracking, by explaining that tablets are ‘just another piece of the mosaic’ and that ‘they will find their space next to netbooks and notebooks, without taking over.’

This backtracking sounds very much like the actions of a company that don’t want to reveal their entire strategy just yet. The fact is, netbooks haven’t fared too well since tablet PCs arrived. And, given that the iPad sold 7 million units in one quarter means that, in terms of growth, there is a far bigger opportunity with tablet PCs than there is with netbooks.

Acer netbooks will fall to the wayside eventually, whether or not Acer likes it. Hopefully by then, the company’s tablets will be competing with the best on the market so far.

In the last 12 months, you’ve no doubt come across at least one doomsayer post on how the netbook is dead or dying slowly. Supposedly tablet PCs are a more interesting offering, while laptops have begun competing on form factor and price.

Well, if the HP Fusion netbook with built in LTE technology and powerful hybrid GPU/CPU tech is anything to go by, it may be premature to write netbooks off just yet. Or, at the very least, the slow decline has been delayed somewhat.

Enter the Pavilion

On Tuesday, Hewlett Packard announced the HP Pavilion DM1 – a netbook that packs an 11.6-inch screen built around AMD’s new Fusion processor. What does this mean, exactly? Well, according to concept product marketing manager Cara Baez, ‘It’s got the portability of a netbook, but it’s got the performance of the notebook all wrapped up into one.’

The HP Pavilion DM1 will ship with a 750GB hard drive, yielding 9.5 hours battery life. When the moving parts hard drive is replaced with an SSD, battery life increases to 10.5 hours.

Fusion the evolution

The main event, however, is the recently announced Fusion chip that powers the HP Pavilion DM1. The AMD developed processor will let users get full 1080p HD video on this HP netbook, something not common to the platform. Where it is present, like in some of the other entries in the HP netbook range, a separate decoder has to be used for this function, in turn being a glut on battery life.

The AMD Fusion processor is not dissimilar to Intel’s Sandy Bridge architecture, where one sees the CPU and GPU on the same piece of silicon, thus negating the need for a stand-alone graphics card.

Evolution in connectivity

In addition to the already promising specs, the HP Pavilion DM1 ships with built-in LTE mobile connectivity – a wireless networking protocol superior to and faster than 3G.

This HP netbooks ships from 9 January 2010 at a starting price of $449 (£288), and we will have a review up as soon as we’ve put it through its paces.

No matter who you ask, sentiment is universal – the netbook, as we know it, is under dual threat from both the new crop of tablets as well as the old stalwart, the laptop. With laptops fast miniaturising, the size advantage afforded by the netbook computer is being negated, while tablet computers with their touchscreen interfaces are far more exciting products with very bright futures and incredible developer interest. Even with all of this pressure, there are still some people who would do well to buy one of these miniature computers.

Broke college students

If you’re at university on a student loan or a church mouse budget, like most students, getting a laptop or a tablet may be a bit on the expensive side. As such a netbook computer is perfect for you since its proficient at what most university students need a computer for – word processing. Essay after essay, report after report, assignment after assignment, these computer can kick them out as well as any other, even if the cramped keyboard is uncomfortable if you have large hands.

You value size, yet insist on a keyboard

If you’re all about miniature computers that are exceptionally transportable, a netbook computer and a tablet computer are for you. If, in addition to the portability, you value having a physical keyboard, you can scratch tablet PC off of that list. Netbooks were designed with you in mind.

Performance doesn’t matter much to you

Writing about technology daily, just like reading about technology daily, places us in an echo chamber where we only hear our own voices and our own demands. The truth is most consumers don’t care much for performance insofar as it can do what they require of it, and it can do it well.

Sure, netbooks cannot run demanding applications, and will fall over at the mere sight of a ‘game’. However they browse the web well enough, can edit documents and spreadsheets well, and are very portable computers. If your demands do not exceed these requirements, there is no need to drop a huge sum of money on the new Macbook Air, for example. Just stick with what you know.

All evidence suggests that the market for these miniature computers will be forced to adapt or continue to decline. But that doesn’t suggest you should ignore them, particularly if the above descriptions sound similar to your financial position or your needs.

While the viability of the netbook market, in a post-tablet PC world, is in question, Google has been pressing on with its web-based operating system, Chrome OS. And if rumours are to be believed, the first Google Chrome netbooks will reach market this month, still.

November/December phase one of launch

The relentlessly resourceful folks over at Digitimes report that the first Chrome OS netbook will hit market this November, citing unnamed sources. While the first tablet is not expected to be released by one of the big manufacturers, some big players, Acer included, are rumoured to release their Google Chrome netbooks in December.
The timing isn’t at all a surprise to be fair, with this being the timeframe we reported a few months ago when Chrome OS was last discussed.

Is it too late for netbooks, in general?

A giant question mark hovers over the netbook category of computers, as well as over the place of Google Chrome OS. Firstly, netbooks are in decline, thanks to the rapid rise of tablet computers. Add to that smaller form factor ‘laptops’ like the new Apple Macbook Air also moving into their space, it is uncertain how much longer consumers will find netbooks a compelling choice.

Is it too late for Chrome?

With regards to Chrome OS, Google had articulated it wanted Chrome for netbooks and other small form factors of computing – i.e. tablets – but Android, which was initially planned as a smartphone OS, is already bleeding into the tablet space. As such, consumers, analysts, and journalists alike are unsure whether Chrome and Google Android can co-exist, and, more importantly, whether they should even be two separate operating systems.

The big question, ultimately, is do you even care about Google Chrome OS in general? This operating system could be doomed before even launching.

Asus is the grandfather of the netbook, and as such, every time the company releases new netbooks, everybody puts it under scrutiny since it is expected to lead the way. The aluminium clad Asus Eee PC 1018p is the flagship device of Asus’ new range, and we examine whether it can shoulder the burden of being the best PC in the whole category.

Tech specs

The base configuration of the Asus Eee PC 1018p has a capable 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 processor, 1GB of DDR3 RAM, a 250GB 5400rpm Seagate hard drive. A simple Intel Graphics Media Accelerator does the graphics work – meaning you won’t do much gaming on it – and it retains the rapidly standardised netbook size of 10.1-inches. The WSVGA display has an aspect ratio of 16:9, with resolution of 1024×600 – it’s still a netbook, folks, so hopes of 720p HD graphics are unreasonable. The screen’s glossy, so expect finger prints galore!

Aesthetics

Without mincing words, this computer looks amazing, especially for a netbook! At first we couldn’t quite put our finger on what we found so striking about it, but after much deliberation, we realised that the Asus Eee PC 1018p is notable for ditching the plastic, almost toy-like look found in so many netbooks, instead opting for a more mature, sleek black, silver aluminum and grey look. It’s very reminiscent of the current unibody Macbook Pros, and that is a compliment of the highest order.

Input device

Chiclet keyboards! Can I get a ‘Yes, please’? Using nearly the full width of the netbook, Asus manages to sidestep the problem that dogs so many netbooks: cramped, uncomfortable keyboards. Instead you’ve got room to maneuver on a very responsive device. The keys are wonderfully sized, but here’s the kicker: the shift key is too small. Silly oversight, which means you’ll be making typos way more often than you’d like to be.

The touchpad

The touchpad is a work of the highest engineering quality, with a clean, sophisticated layout. The touch pad has a slightly darker surface than the wrist-rest area, making it super simple to notice, and use. While I’m not a fan of the dedicated scroll area, it has one to the right, which works very well. It’s multi-touch, too, as expected, so pinch, swipe and drag all you want. It’s very responsive with the right balance of resistance and smoothness for natural-feeling swiping. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the keys have fantastic feel to them, making this the best netbook touchpad available anywhere today.

Performance

It’s a netbook, so to expect it to do big things is unreasonable. Having said that, the Asus Eee PC’s Intel Atom N455, coupled with the DDR3 RAM puts in work. It runs Windows 7 starter quite comfortably, too, which is a relief, so for performance, all in all, it’s up there with the most you can expect from a netbook. Where we cried many tears with the Asus Eee PC 1018p was with the glossy screen. Reflections are shocking, bordering on unworkable at worst out in direct sunlight, and oh, how it loves collecting grime and fingerprints.

Verdict

It’s really frustrating, then, that the Asus Eee PC 1018p regressed from the R101 and 1015P’s matte screens. But beyond that, I can think of very few reasons to not recommend this netbook. Sure the shift key thing is an oversight, but you’ll acclimatise. The rest of the package, though, is that business, making the Asus Eee PC 1018p my favourite netbook. But only just. It would have been perfect if the screen weren’t grime happy.

The netbook vs. tablet vs. notebook discussion will only get more heated once the many incoming Android tablets hit the market. However there are still certain circumstances when buying a netbook is the best purchase decision you can make when searching for a new computer. Below is our three-part questionnaire that will give you a clue on whether a netbook is for you.

Question 1: What do you need it for?

In a perfectly rational buying world, need should dictate all your purchase decisions. Sadly, as behavioural finance shows, it does not. But for your purposes, you need to ask yourself long and hard what you need a netbook for. If you genuinely just need a device to surf the net, as well as the occasional word pressing and very rudimentary computing tasks, a ‘net’ book – as its name suggests – was designed for you. Save yourself the headache and the money of buying a ‘device’ with more bells and whistles than you will ever need, want, or use.

Question 2: What is your budget?

When buying a netbook, or any device, for that matter, price will always be a sticking point. Always let your needs dictate what you should get, and then let your financial threshold determine how powerful a computer you can afford to get. Netbooks are, incidentally cheaper than notebooks and tablets both, so you can see why tablet owners have reason to try to pin them as underpowered hunks of junk. We wrote a popular post on the three best notebooks that are available at a reasonable price that may interest you.

Question 3: Is mobility important?

Netbooks are more mobile than notebooks, but about as mobile as tablets, with the added advantage of having a keyboard. Netbooks fit into oversized women’s bags, notebooks do not. Netbooks fit into nearly any backpack size, notebooks do not. If mobility is your game, buying a netbook is a no-brainer for you, too.

Need, price and mobility

That’s really it, then. Consider your needs, consider your price, and consider how much mobility you desire. Balance those needs and boom, a netbook may just be the best purchase decision for you.

Acer’s flagship range – the Acer Aspire laptop range – runs the gamut from netbooks right up to Acer’s high end laptops. It’s a good move for brand identity but it can make life a little difficult for a newcomer who doesn’t understand the product differentiation.

Product differentiation explained

‘Aspire’ is a general name Acer use for some of its laptops, much like Apple’s ‘Macbook’ monicker. Now, ‘Aspire One’ represents the company’s notebook range, Timeline represents a specific line of highly efficient laptops Acer makes, while the numbered range (ala Acer Aspire 7745G) represents the general laptops Acer ships. Confusion averted? Good, so now let’s look at what they offer.

The Acer Aspire products

The Acer Aspire One are among the most popular netbooks on the market today, and for good reason. With their Intel Atom N450, N45 and N75 processor configurations, they’re easily the most capable netbooks on the market. Each shipping with a 1GB of RAM and 250GB of storage space, Acer doesn’t skim on capability – something that can’t be said for most netbooks on the market.

Acer Timeline and numbered range

Photo: Acer

One thing we have found with the Acer Aspire laptop range, in general, is that while they’re priced well and are very capable relative to what you pay, Acer doesn’t always work hard enough on ensuring great build quality. An example of this is the Acer Aspire 7745G, which we reviewed recently – fantastic laptop with questionable design build.
And this theme holds through to the award winning, ultra-thin, long battery life Acer Timeline series of laptops. They work great, are priced great, and have admirable features, but on the rare occasion miss a beat with how the physical product is engineered.

Verdict

Acer has long made very good laptops, trading off the need to be a premium brand by moving massive volumes of product at an attractive price. The Acer Aspire One netbooks are easily my favourites of their device category, matched only by the Asus Eee PC. The Timelines are great pieces of kit if efficiency is your game, while the numbered laptops are a mixed bag, wherein you should review each one in isolation.