Slashdot Mirror
Who Killed the Netbook?
itwbennett writes "Netbooks died the death of a thousand cuts and there were conspirators aplenty with motive, weapons and opportunity. Was the unpopularity of Linux to blame? What about Microsoft and its efforts to kill XP? Ever smarter smartphones certainly played a role, as did the rise of the App Store, and lighter full-featured notebooks. Or maybe it was just that the American consumer wasn't going to be satisfied with technology designed for third-world use. 'In late 2005, the only computer found for $100 was stolen, was dead, or was ancient enough to require Windows 95. A real and functional computer for $100 was a dream, but also made people wonder what sacrifices might need to be made to offer such a comparatively inexpensive machine,' writes Tom Henderson, in an in-depth look at what contributed to the netbook's demise." Before solving the murder mystery, it's worth considering whether the netbook is actually dead.
A Linux user on Slashdot who seems to like Cheap, Slow hardware. Never...
Slashdot user personal stories isn't a good represented of the general public. As we are are more "IT Conservative" and poo-poo every new technology that gets out there.
Why did a lot of Slashdot users support Linux? Multi-tasking No, Stability No, Software Freedom No, It was because They liked DOS and the command prompt so I wanted an OS that would allow me to continue that and avoid the full GUI for 5 more years (so they could support their old IBM vs. Mac debates issues)
Slashdot users like netbooks because they got their old technology, just a bit portable but it was just like they use to have it.
The average person looks at what is available and you have tablets replacing netbooks, which are faster and cooler, then tiny laptops.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.