netbook image courtesy of Wired

One of my friends (and co-workers) Sergei, alerted me to an article in Wired about netbooks and how their popularity points to a truth in computing - we don’t do all that much with our computers.

The article first talks about the evolution of the netbook starting with the OLPC project, whereby in order to make an ultra cheap $100 laptop for children in developing nations many of the bigger, better, faster features that we had gotten used to in a new PC had to be eliminated. After the OLPC was released there was actual, sincere consumer interest in a cheap, light but sturdy laptop. The following quote refers to Mary Lou Jepsen, the designer of the first OLPC.

But Jepsen’s design trickled up. In the process of creating a laptop to satisfy the needs of poor people, she revealed something about traditional PC users. They didn’t want more out of a laptop—they wanted less.

Consumers wanted less. This is an interesting take on netbooks and human behavior in general. Here in the US we’re always told to want “more.” More features, more power, more! I think this argument falls a little short as most people I know who have a netbook use it as a second machine, “a coffee shop laptop.” Maybe this is a trend in the US? I don’t have scientific data to prove this but my gut tells me that netbooks are a second machine for most owners. This weekend I was at our local Costco where they were selling the Acer Aspire One (a nice looking machine). I asked a few people standing around if they were considering replacing their machine with a netbook? The overwhelming response was “no.” The price point was low enough to purchase a second machine.

I digress a bit, however, because ultimately I agree with the statement the author makes - consumers want less. I might write the statement a little differently, though.

Consumers want simplicity.

I say this because, well, it’s obvious, but also because netbooks are a study in how a simple value proposition can change an industry. The netbook value proposition is: surf the web on a small, sturdy machine that doesn’t cost very much. Focused simplicity wrapped in an economical package. That’s the netbook in a nutshell.

Splashtop is the same way - which is why it’s changing the industry. Here’s another quote from that Wired article:

It turns out that about 95 percent of what I do on a computer can now be accomplished through a browser. I use it for updating Twitter and Facebook and for blogging. Meebo.com lets me log into several instant-messaging accounts simultaneously. Last.fm gives me tunes, and webmail does the email. I use Google Docs for word processing, and if I need to record video, I can do it directly from webcam to YouTube. Come to think of it, because none of my documents reside on the netbook, I’m not sure I even need the trash can.

We’ve made no apologies for keeping to our core competencies. Splashtop is there to provide the fastest, most efficient web browsing-focused operating environment. 95% of what an average consumer does is through a web browser. We think that you shouldn’t have to wait several minutes to get to what you’re looking for (the internet). In a traditional operating system, the consumer pays for the overhead of all that computing power with wasted, frustrated time. Like the netbook we cut that away and give you simplicity.

The combination of the two (netbooks and Splashtop) are incredible. Check us out on the Lenovo S10 as well as the LG X120.

image courtesy of Engadget

Recently I was in a public place when a friend asked me, “what’s a MID?” I started to explain it as best I could. I said, “A MID device is like a netbook but it’s always connected to the internet.” Of course some other dude who was nearby heard my lame description and said, “hey man, I think you’ve got that all wrong.” Now I’m usually pretty open when people come and correct me but I felt like he was encroaching on my role as the guy that knows everything about this sort of thing. He said, “A MID device is one that uses an ARM processor verses an x86 processor.” At this point my friend was very sorry he had asked because Mr. Public Interrupter guy was about to get schooled. But, I stopped myself and thought, “maybe I don’t really understand the difference between a MID and, say, a Netbook. So I did some research on the subject. After all, DeviceVM is part of the Moblin initiative. In other words, I should know the answer to this question.

According to Wikipedia, a MID Device is defined as:

Mobile Internet Device (MID) is a term used by several vendors to describe a multimedia-capable handheld computer providing wireless Internet access. It is designed to provide entertainment, information and location-based services for the consumer market (rather than the enterprise). The MID is a larger form factor than a smartphone but smaller than the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC). As such, the device has been described as filling a consumer niche between smartphones and Tablet PCs.

Hmmm…that sounds a lot like a Netbook. I’m still not satisfied with that definition. Seem like Intel is all over this. What do they have to say?

Mobile Internet Devices represent a new category of small, truly mobile devices that give you an amazing Internet experience — allowing you to communicate with others, enjoy your favorite entertainment, and access information on-the-go. Consumer electronics and PC companies are using Intel Centrino Atom processor technology to deliver exciting new products for consumers and business users. This latest generation of small, powerful, highly portable Internet-connected devices combines many great capabilities with the convenience of a pocket-sized solution for your life on-the-go.

So if I have a 3G-enabled Netbook, is this a MID? Also given that Intel seems to be highlighting their Atom processor for MIDs that debunks the theory that MIDs are running on ARM processors solely. My next stop is to go to the Moblin site and see what they have to say.

The Moblin Architecture is designed to support multiple platforms and usage models, ranging from Netbooks to Mobile Internet Devices (MID) to various embedded usage models, such as the In Vehicle Infotainment systems.

Turns out Moblin is being optimized for both MIDs and Netbooks. Again, I’m confused. A MID and a Netbook seem pretty similar from a technical perspective. Additionally some smart phones seem like they might be encroaching into MID/Netbook world. It would seem to me that there is yet another level of convergence happening. The difference between all these categories exist in tweaks to their use-case.

MIDs seem ideal for consuming content while Netbooks seem “good” for consuming content but better for creating content (a real keyboard is the best input method). Smartphones are ideal for communicating but only “good” for consuming content and “average” for creating content.

My Conclusion: MIDs core difference, at this point, would seem to be form-factor. The above image of a MID prototype is pretty hot and something I’d love to have in my bag. So, Mr. Public Interrupter, we were both wrong. History tell us a lot too. MIDs appeared well before Netbooks. My guess is that MIDs were supposed to hold down the category that Netbooks today dominate. It would seem that MIDs are converging and adapting now to create a slightly differentiated category.

If you have something to add please don’t hesitate to educate us all in the comments.

First of all, I promise not to make this blog all about Netbooks. But, I love my Netbook and I’ve been thinking a lot about how Netbooks are used and what the future holds for us gadget-loving consumers. This morning I was reading this article in BusinessWeek about carriers offering 3G coverage for netbooks (and associated plans that make Netbooks “look” inexpensive). As is generally debated, the article talks about the difference between smart phones (like the iPhone) and Netbooks. Many smart phones already have 3G coverage and a lot of the same use-case as a Netbook (surfing the web, checking email, listening to music, etc). It is very interesting that people are comparing these two types of devices so much. It makes sense to compare them, right? They have so many overlapping qualities.

Here’s my question: will smart phone owners also pay to have a Netbook with coverage?

The way I see it, Netbooks target smart phone users (at least here in the United States). Certainly a Netbook isn’t going to replace my iPhone. I predict that smart phone owners will absolutely pay extra for a Netbook with 3G coverage. Short of being allowed to tether the two devices, some kind of networking package will be standard with Netbooks a year from now. Here’s 3 reasons why…

1. Input Method - people always underestimate the importance of input method. Nothing beats a keyboard. I don’t care how advance my smart phone becomes, it’s too small to get a lot of “meaningful” work done. If it was any bigger I wouldn’t want to carry it around all day long.

2. Cloud Computing - Cloud-based applications/web applications is only going to get more standardized. Some of these “web apps” absolutely require a keyboard and a larger screen. Some of these web-based applications will be required for work, driving the need for constant connectivity.

3. Price Pressure - We want our Netbooks cheaper and cheaper. This will force OEMs to look for other ways to create revenue on their devices, perhaps even taking a loss on Netbooks to get a share of a monthly coverage plan. This is a very obvious and proven revenue stream.

All and all, a Netbook is fairly useless without connectivity. I’m looking for some kind of ultimate data plan that can cover my smart phone and my netbook.