2009/2/20 Paul Sutton <zl...@zleap.net>: > > this was posted to the OU linux conference > > http://www.notebooks.com/2009/01/07/new-generation-of-netbooks-199-and-299-eight-hour-battery-sexy-design/ > > > Paul Sutton > www.zleap.net > Support Open and ISO standard file formats ISO 26300 odf > http://www.odfalliance.org > Next Linux User Group meet : March 7th : 3pm, Shoreline Cafe Paignton
For my money, they're too big. If I was toting an A5 subnotebook around, I'd rather it have some genuine CPU power (which not only means CPU speed, it means an FPU, SIMD instructions and so on) and binary compatibility with mass-market software. But they're missing several tricks. Sony's new Vaio P Atom-powered subnotebook shows a better form factor: http://i.gizmodo.com/5125930/sony-vaio-p-super-dont+call+it+a+netbook-hands-on The keyboard needs to be wide to be usable. Front-to-back depth is relatively unimportant, a waste of space. Look at all the blank fascia on either side of the trackpad - that's wastage. So, give it a Trackpoint (a "nipple" or Centrally-Located Input Tool) and/or a touchscreen, make the screen wide in letterbox-format and keep the size, thickness and weight down. The Vaoi P is £800, though. The form-factor the ARM netbooks should be aiming for is that of the Psion 5 and 5mx, or a host of broadly-similar Windows-CE powered Handheld PCs, such as the HP Jornada 720, the LG Phenom, the NEC MobilePro and so on. Pocketable computer power. The Intel Atom owns the subnotebook space and the VIA Nano is coming up close behind. Both trounce ARM on processor power. So ARM should be going for a narrower niche - the pocketable, cold-running computer, not an underpowered miniature notebook. -- Liam Proven • Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/liamproven Email: lpro...@cix.co.uk • GMail/GoogleTalk/Orkut: lpro...@gmail.com Tel: +44 20-8685-0498 • Cell: +44 7939-087884 • Fax: + 44 870-9151419 AOL/AIM/iChat, Yahoo & Skype: liamproven MSN: lpro...@hotmail.com • ICQ: 73187508 -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
