Digitimes is reporting that “Microsoft plans to redefine mini-notebooks that Intel has categorized as netbooks with a new term — low cost small notebook PC.” Oh that’s much simpler, thank you.
Microsoft general manager of the Application Platform & Development Marketing Division, Steven Guggenheimer said at Computex yesterday that “netbook” shouldn’t be used any more since netbooks can do more than just get on the internet.
Hey Guggenheimer, on behalf of technology bloggers everywhere, give it up. We’re not going to type out “low cost small notebook PC” when “netbook” has done just fine, thank you. Just because your abnormally long name is eclipsed only by your ridiculously long title doesn’t mean you need to drag us all down with you.
Some see this asinine strategy as a way for Microsoft to differentiate netbooks from mini-notebooks so it won’t have to ship as many cheap versions of Windows 7 Starter Edition. So only the crappiest of the crappy netbooks will get Windows 7 Starter, while slightly more-capable low cost small notebook PCs (or LCSNPCs) will be required to ship with a more expensive version of Windows 7.
More details are expected today as Guggenheimer delivers Microsoft’s keynote speech at Computex.
“Just because your abnormally long name is eclipsed only by your ridiculously long title doesn’t mean you need to drag us all down with you.”
Awesome :)
Hopefully seeing linux on the upcoming ARM netbooks and AMD low power dual core chips will convince MS that they need to drop their silly netbook restrictions in order to remain competetive in the marketplace.
Thats not re-defining anything thats calling it what it is. re-defining it was netbook.
Do people get paid for these ideas?? How bout we call them “small light weight usually under 11″ screen little over 2 lbs notebooks under a $400 budget. ”
I’d like my check please
Let’s go with “kneetop” larger than a palmtop but smaller than a laptop.
Good one! I love kneetop.
Oh How About “The Money Generating for Microsoft with a Third of the total purchase cost a Virus Breeding Operating System Barely good Enough for Anything but Internet Cruising”. LOL I actually love my Asus Eee PC 1000HE NETBOOK with Windows XP ( Thank God Not Vista). I just use it to Check Emails, Bid on Ebay, Follow on Twitter and Broadcast Remote Live shows on BlogTV.
how come you didn’t buy an acer aspire one instead?
I guess they want to take the name which doesnt make it sound like a device made for using applications on the cloud.
MS is just trying to make sure that everybody thinks that only computers with windows are computers.
I think MS was just doing her job. Reduce the difference between Notebook/PC and Netbooks, since it can do more aside from net surfing. A marketing ploy. That is, if it is a “low cost small notebook PC” then it can be use as a normal PC, the difference is only the form factor.
And because MS have a dominant position on the PC market, naturally their dominance will follow on that “low cost small notebook PC”, such a smart move from MS. People will start to think to install games, MS office, Adobe Suite on without knowing that it won’t run most heavy games and graphic suites. However, it is too late when they realize that the power of this “LCSNPC” cannot do the games they want to run. At least MS have it installed with Windows, not Linux.
Anyway, I still call them netbooks. MS cannot dictate the public on what term to be used.