Microsoft Explains Netbook vs Small Notebook PC

While netbooks evolve, notebooks do as well. So there is no point. I think Microsoft is just doing some marketing advertisement so that they can consider netbooks normal notebooks and sell more premium OS on netbooks as we all know now that they can (sort of) handle it. That means higher margins.

That said, we have double speed up over time on the netbooks and as well on notebooks and the same on desktop like it's been for years now. Microsft did a good job to make a new OS that doesn't double requirements and they seam to be trying to make a bigger profit out of it.

This site has a number of news items (ok that number may be 1 or 2) bemoaning how some small notebooks are too big to be netbooks despite being described as such.
"Netbook" casts up the image of something sort of psion size to me, rather than being just a fairly small laptop - from microsoft's side, its the capability that matters not how big it is (although making the OS legible on a lower res screen is probably quite useful).

I always thought the main aim of those tiny laptops (no branding needed) was they could just about do emails, internet (maybe not well), Word processing, bit of spreadsheet stuff and decent calendar connectivity back to the office. Due to screen size you don't want to spend all day on one but its just for the guy on the road.

The main aim was to make the whole thing as portable and to keep the battery going for as long as possible. The OS was stripped back to do just the basic office items.

All the Netbook vs Small Notebook stuff just muddies the water. Apple need to make their own I-version and then everyone can chase that name and we can all move on.

Call it Nibble-book and shorten it to nib’book. There. Anyone else what to add in a name?

I agree with waxdart. I use mine for net related activities whilst I'm working away or don't fancy firing up a 'huge' PC whilst I'm at home. Anything more is just a little hard on the eyes, even on 10". In the near future I think portable internet will be more than sufficient on mobile phones with innovation in screen sizes and possibly built in projectors and touchscreen keyboards being able to cope with the same tasks as a current netbook. At the current rate of advancement we should be seeing this within five years. By that point your average 'netbook' should be capable of controlling a shuttle launch. Maybe not though.

The Netbook concept is just now describing the smallest end of PC devices. That market segment between netbooks and MIDs. It's a necessary name.

As said above, few people will use a netbook for more than quick web browsing, especially on the go. I personally had a MID, Notebook and Desktop. I am considering a netbook for the times when the other three don't satisfy, which is to say, almost any time when I'm moving at high speed for long periods and don't have much space for a notebook, but need enough processing power to run an app like Dreamweaver. Something only a netbook could accomplish, and where my Nokia E71 wouldn't be enough and my ASUS Notebook would be too much.

Leave the term netbook, it's a useful term for differenciating those small laptops and those normal sized ones.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, the "terminology shift" is only ever going to happen inside their heads, netbooks are always going to be netbooks in the same way laptops are laptops.

I can see what they are trying to do, attempting to get the idea out that a "small notebook PC" should do everything a user would expect from a full size/power laptop (which they do anyway) and thus cement Windows' position as OEM's OS of choice. I guess they want to avoid the idea taking hold that it's OK to have a "netbook" just for basic browser functionality and manufacturers producing even lower cost, ARM/Android powered devices.

But as usual they've gone about things in the most ham-fisted, embarassing, out-of-tough manner ever.