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What started off as a fad of sorts, eventually grew way and beyond anyone’s expectations, and today netbooks have solidly wedged themselves in our hearts and bags as lightweight, ultra portable, and ultra affordable internet machines. But don’t just take our word for it, because the figures speak for themselves - a quick check online reveals that as of Q2 2009, the netbook market grew by 40 percent over the previous quarter as opposed to the 22 percent growth of notebooks, so go figure.
I recently traveled to Bangkok to attend an Intel sponsored workshop that discussed the potential of yet another Intel Atom based machine - the nettop - which in essence is what a netbook is to the notebook; a light weight, low powered, affordable alternative to the desktop.
Story continues after the jump.
Targeted at first time computer owners, Atom powered nettops offer all the functionality of a netbook - it can perform basic productivity activities like emailing, word processing and VoIP communications, photo and video viewing on sites like flickr, Picasa and Youtube, and is capable of running simple time wasting games - all in a desktop form factor.
But what does this all mean for the consumer?
Well first off, it means easier access to the world of computing for first time users. And when we say “first time users” we ain’t talking about first time owners like students who are shopping for their first notebook. Think of people who probably haven’t had the chance to touch a computer before. People who are intimidated by technology. People who automatically think that technology is expensive. People like your parents or people who live in rural areas. You get the idea.
Naturally, the first thing that makes a nettop so appealing to first time users is the relatively low price point that they sell for - according to an Intel report, 65% of the nettops that are sold within the APAC region cost between US$200 - US$400 (approx. RM680 - RM1360), while the remaining 35% cost between US$200 - US$300 (approx. RM680 - RM1020) - which is way below the average price for even a Celeron powered desktop computer.
Secondly, because of their relatively lower power consumption and lower thermal emissions, Intel Atom based nettops have the potential to go fanless. In simple English, this means that a nettop doesn’t have to come in the same shape as a regular desktop would, since a fanless design would mean it could fit into anything from a mini-ITX casing (roughly the size of a shoebox), to an all-in-one form factor (similar to the iMac, HP Touch Smart, etc), or even a custom case that doesn’t resemble a desktop at all.
This of course means that a nettop doesn’t necessarily have to be paired with a monitor and stay on a work desk. It could be paired with the LCD TV in your hall, and rest amongst the rest of your AV gear while acting as a media hub. An Intel Atom powered all-in-one could rest on the kitchen counter, and keep mom entertained while she cooks dinner. Heck, if you really want to go crazy, an Intel Atom could even power a custom home security system. The possibilities are practically endless!
Having said that, there still is a common misconception that a netbook or a nettop will be able to perform the same tasks as higher priced notebooks or desktops. This is obviously impossible for a multitude of technical reasons, and even with the inclusion of a add-on GPU such as NVIDIA’s ION, an Atom can only do so much.
So, before you run out and get yourself a netbook or nettop, go through this short check list to see if an Atom will be able to fulfill your computing needs:
1. Doing work on a computer means:
a) Replying emails and word processing
b) Crunching numbers and rendering graphics
2. Working with photos means:
a) Look through them and sharing them online
b) Editing, retouching and resizing
3. Working with videos means:
a) Scouring Youtube for the latest viral video
b) Creating, editing and uploading the latest viral video
4. I’m musically satisfied by:
a) Downloading or streaming new music to listen to
b) Composing, recording and broadcasting my latest hit
5. The games I expect to play include:
a) Farmville and other cute flash games
b)World of Warcraft, Grid, etc
If you answered (a) to most of the questions, then a nettop or a netbook is ideal for you, but if you found yourself answering (b) more, then it seems like a fully fledged system is more suitable for your needs.
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