When Asus launched the first “Netbook” in the market in 2007- it created a sense of excitement with the customers who were suddenly seeing a notebook at a very low price. The same sense of excitement did not percolate down to the other vendors who took a wait & watch attitude. 

Today- The Netbook’s time has arrived- and whether the hardware vendors like it or not- this is a product that is here to stay.  Kudos to Intel for creating a brand category, that has fast evolved to become a mainstay in the consumer segment.  That said, it has also reached a stage where many Mid size & bigger organizations are beginning to look at this as an option for the IT purchase for their employees.  

Think about it –  in these recessionary times (well, technically, we are ‘supposed’ to be moving out of recession), many companies are looking at ways of keeping the cost structures down- but at the same time becoming smarter about not letting go of their technical edge… and trying to balance both is going to be a bit of a challenge!  A computer, that is both cost effective as well as comes with the basic features (the latest netbooks infact are almost full featured) that will make a mobile employee more effective, is a welcome option.  Instead of buying a full featured notebook, the Netbook is definitely an option worth considering.

This article has some interesting thoughts- but I am looking this as a mainstay & looking forward to a state where these Netbooks also drive the features up- while forcing the cost of Notebooks to fall in the very near future.

As a consumer, these are indeed good times to shop for a PC 🙂

http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/leadership/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221100256