Asus plans to release a $200 Eee PC sometime in 2009, according to Jerry Shen, the company’s president.
That’s on top of the company’s plans to release a touchscreen Eee PC in 2009. Might we be looking at, finally, the year of the netbook? One can only dream.
While I’m quick to discount netbooks as hallow attempts to bilk you good people out of your money, thereby shoring up these companies’ bottom lines in otherwise dismal economic times, the thought of a $200 almost-laptop is pretty impressive. Who knows, maybe in two years’ time we’ll be looking at a $50-$100 netbook? Doug “netbook” Aamoth will be excited.
I really don’t get this hype. What the heck do people want this awful mini-display-no-graphic-power-thingy for? I mean – come on – if you buy one of those, you have to buy another real computer too, so why not buy a real good notebook in the first place??
Well its affordable and people will always like the idea of getting a “good” deal. Plus I could see this being popular with college kids like me who need a laptop to take notes in class.
Real Good Notebook is too heavy. Real Light Notebook is too expensive.
I already have a Real Good Computer for Real Work. I just need something for Wi-Fi and writing – I don’t need to compile software, I don’t need to run CS4 or the GIMP or, hell, MS Paint. I don’t need to play Pong, much less WoW. I don’t need voicechat with video. (Though it handles it fine! HOW COULD IT POSSIBLY DO THIS.) An AlphaSmart is impractically limited. An iPhone doesn’t have a keyboard. Thumb keyboards are fine for lolwuts but horrible for 2,000 words a day.
The footprint is perfect, the size and weight are perfect, the keyboard is good enough (or great enough, if it’s the HP’s), and the price is damn close to perfect.
$200 – cheap as an iPhone, but without the bullshit plan – is the sweet spot. If you actually need to do Real Work outside of your Real Office, get a Real Good Notebook for a Real Good price of $500-$1,200. If you don’t – and frankly, most people fall under this category – this is an attractive device.
It’s not for you. Congratulations. You’re weird. Enjoy the affirmation.
It’s on sale at Best Buy now, I just saw it yesterday.