How sweet it is to have your madness vindicated. The niche that netbooks once controlled – namely the “cheap portable computer” market – is now being filled with tablets and netbooks, those horrible, horrible little computers, are dying. And this isn’t just me ranting. A real CEO said it!
According to Qualcomm’s Paul Jacobs:
slates like the iPad as delivering the concept of “always-on, all-day devices” that smartbooks had initially promised.
Ding dong. Witch dead.
My problem with netbooks is that they promised far more than they delivered. When you opened a netbook your initial thoughts were “Oh, I can get lots done on this.” Then you tried to run anything. In the end, users were frustrated, reviewers were angry, and the netbook became a doorstop. Our implicit expectations of tablets, however, forgo these problems. In fact, a tablet is supposed to look disappointing and then, when it doesn’t, we become enamored. The Dell Streak and the iPad fall into this category – they’re not supposed to be good, but they are.
This may sound losey goosey and emotional, but think about it: when you see a clawhammer, you think “I can hammer nails with this.” When you see a tiny hammer, you think the same thing but when you try to build a house, you’re stuck. However, when a device surprises you its value immediately goes up in your mind and experience.
Anyway, good riddance.
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
