Netbooks: What are they and why are they so popular all of a sudden?

What are Netbooks?

Netbooks are laptops, with the major exception that they are cheap, small and usually much less powerful than their bigger, more expensive cousins. For most people, Netbooks are an affordable second or third computer they can use to browse the web or send emails when they’re on the move.  

Why are they so cheap?

While historically, smaller laptops have always been at the higher end of the price scale, Netbooks are able to reverse this trend by using only the most basic of components and sacrificing grunt for portability at low cost.
Today, your average Netbook like the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, costs about $550, has a 9” screen, an Intel Atom processor, 1gigabyte of RAM and a tiny 16GB hard drive. By way of comparison, pocket-rockets like the Studio XPS 13 cost $1999+ and have 4GB of RAM, a graphics card, a much faster processor and a 320 gigabyte hard drive. It’s easy to see that you are not getting the fastest machine out there. Lots of power squashed into a small package is still expensive.

Why are they so popular?

Although they won’t run the latest and greatest games or play high definition video, when coupled with a mobile broadband connection, Netbooks are great for surfing the web or shooting off emails on the way to work. Younger school children are also benefiting from Netbooks as they can be an affordable way for parents to buy their kids that all-important first computer without breaking the bank. That said, keep in mind that they will need something more powerful very quickly.
If you’ve recently bought a Netbook and would like a hand setting it up, copying your files or hooking it up to your home or mobile wireless network, give gizmo a call on 1300 275 449.