Tablets Digging Netbook Grave, Manufacturers React

• Rob Jackson
• 14 years ago

For a very brief period in time, the Netbook seemed like the best thing since sliced bread. It seemed like the future of portable computing. But after the seemingly overnight success of Tablets, that sentiment quickly shifted to: “Ah, the netbook: the pet rock of the PC industry,” as Moconews described.

Google initially announced their Chrome OS as being for Netbooks but now even they’ve backed away from that terminology, which may one day rest with the fabled and unfortunate Palmfoleo. Google called their first official Chrome OS device the CR-48 Notebook, making us wonder if there was a place for Netbooks at all anymore?

There is definitely a place for Netbooks and that place is the cutting room floor. Acer has begun slashing production of their Netbooks in favor of the Iconia Tab – the company’s Android Tablet – most of which will be created in the 10-inch variety. For those craving a physical keyboard, why not have a hybrid device with a detachable tablet screen or a keyboard accessory like the Atrix rather than a full blown computer mini-sized into imperfection?

I won’t pretend like I know the fate of Netbooks but it certainly seems like tablets are digging their grave. I bought a Dell Netbook to use while traveling and quickly realized it was the most irritating device I’ve ever used with a keyboard JUST cramped enough that it made me want to jump into a molten lava. I bought an ultra-lightweight Toshiba and love it to death and the XOOM has proved to me tablets are here to stay while the bulk has opened my eyes to the value of 7-inch models like Samsung’s original Galaxy Tab.

What do you think… has the Netbook era ended before it even started? Are Netbooks the “Jump To Conclusions Pad” or the “Pet Rock”?