From the “You needed a study to prove that?” department, it seems that netbooks’ effectiveness in a business environment is being questioned. Of course, that’s like doing a study finding that spoons are a poor choice for cutting steak. Netbooks, at least those truly deserving the moniker, are designed for the lightest possible use and barely have the chops to run XP. That’s the whole idea.

Business guys need something rugged, with plenty of storage and an optical drive for porn. Netbooks are built on the cheap and are equipped for basic tasks, not to mention the fact that their little screens and keyboards aren’t really the best for extended periods of work.

Of course, tiny laptops may be good in some situations, but family-owned book stores aren’t going to make up for lost sales from banks, insurance companies, and consultancy firms.