Michael Dell disses netbooks

I've seen some folks at work with them. I've wondered if i would like them better than a full size laptop for sitting at home like I am now.
 
Michael Dell....sigh.

Basically, he says "Netbooks are horrible, no one wants one. Oh, btw, we sell a netbook, buy that if you want one."
 
I am not yet sold on a netbook.
 
I used to be a Dell reseller. Technically I still am, but I pretty much stopped dealing with them years ago when the margins got too small and the buying process got too cumbersome.

I used to be able to call the same US-based salesman at Dell and spec out specialized machines for specialized purposes (most often, controlling other machines), and they would arrive a few days later. Nowadays, I get routed to "Harry" or "Floyd" in Bangalore, and they keep trying to push me to buy one of their stock machines. If I change anything from the standard configurations, the price skyrockets and the delivery time lengthens to several weeks.

I now deal with an outfit out of Syracuse, NY that still provides the kind of service that Dell used to: A dedicated US-based salesman, no problem with custom builds, and quick manufacture and shipping.

-Rich
 
Netbooks are awesome! I replaced a desktop and two laptops at my house with a single ATOM based laptop. It does all the web stuff you need, and can run office and just about any app you need of it.

I even use it for light software development, and it isn't terribly painful.

They definitely have a market segment that they work very well for, and if you are expecting games, etc, it isn't that great.

HOWEVER, if you are an email/youtube/internet/office user, and like to travel, it is great! I was able to watch 6 hrs of movies on a commercial airplane without ever plugging it in.
 
Basically, he says "Netbooks are horrible, no one wants one. Oh, btw, we sell a netbook, buy that if you want one."
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The message I'm hearing is "Yeah, sure, we've got one or two of those. They're nice ... if you're an old lady. But I can tell that you're a man who appreciates fine engineering! I want to show you a real beauty right over here. Yeah, it costs a little more, but just think how the ladies are going to respond when they see you plop this cream puff down on the table at Starbucks!"
-harry
 
mantakos said:
"But I can tell that you're a man who appreciates fine engineering! I want to show you a real beauty right over here. Yeah, it costs a little more, but just think how the ladies are going to respond when they see you plop this cream puff down on the table at Starbucks!"
-harry
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And the customers who respond to that pitch have already purchased Macbooks. :rofl:
 
dmccormack said:
Translation:

Margin on Desktops = 12%
Margin on Netbooks = .01%
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Bingo.

I travel, I bought a netbook, I love it - just right for the job. Wish it were a tad faster, but it's about as fast as my old laptop and it's less than 1/2 the weight. And cheap....
 
rpadula said:
And the customers who respond to that pitch have already purchased Macbooks. :rofl:
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D'oh! :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Sir, I can tell you are a man of distinction. A Yale man.

Why, yes I am, as a matter of fact. How did you know?

I read your class ring while you were picking your nose...


Trapper John
 
Computers in my house range from desktops (well, towers under the desk) with big hard drives and powerful processors and video cards to a netbook. Each has its purpose in life. The big machines are the main machines. I do my e-mail, word processing, spreadsheeting, web surfing and general fooling around on them. An older one is dedicated to the ham station. My laptop allows me to do similar stuff without being tied to my desk (yay WiFi!). I bought the netbook this summer as I wanted something to back up pictures while we were traveling (we only took about 4000 pictures, so there was some serious downloading from cameras each day) and to provide internet access for checking e-mail and posting to Facebook. The netbook has a 160 GByte hard drive in it, twice the size of the hard drive in my employer provided laptop. Go figure. And, I wanted something small enough to fit in the backpack I carry the camera gear in.

Would I settle for the netbook as my primary computer? Not only no, but h e double hockey sticks no. The aspect ratio of the display is terrible for web surfing, the keyboard is too small to be comfortable over long periods of time (and it's a 10.1 inch netbook, not one of the 8 inch toys) and you must have a network connection to load anything into it as there is no CD-ROM or DVD drive installed. It did, however, meet the requirements for which it was purchased. And when we got home all the pictures were already organized and I simply moved them to the main machine over the network in the house. I still carry it when traveling on vacation. Work trips and I take my work laptop (for obvious reasons).

So, Michael Dell can diss them if he wants, but they do have a niche in life.
 
I've been exceptionally happy with my netbook. The battery life is great, the keyboard is 96% and it does all that I need it to do on my weekly travels. As with all things, YMMV.

Not to mention every Dell I've had for biz sucked the big one. Just sayin'.
 
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I am considering one, but have been leary because of the slowness claims. I am not a gamer, but I sometimes need 3 or 4 applications running for programming automation equipment. I may just have to try one out.
 
jhausch said:
I am considering one, but have been leary because of the slowness claims. I am not a gamer, but I sometimes need 3 or 4 applications running for programming automation equipment. I may just have to try one out.
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Depends on the apps. Netbooks are not for everyone.

The one I have serves it's purposes... and waiting wasn't an option (I have a corporate laptop which is "locked down" and a packet sniffer, program logger and keylogger is used, personal use prohibited, so when traveling on business I want to access personal email or this board I have to do so through a personal laptop).

I typically have browsers, email, a VPN, and maybe word-processing or media review in use. I wouldn't try and run Photoshop on the netbook, but Irfanview runs great. I also wouldn't run AVG antivirus on it (process/CPU hog), but ESET (Nod32) runs well without significant slowdown.

I paid about $400 for the Asus. WOOT had Aspire units (refurb) today for $229 (1 GB memory, 160 GB hard drive, WinXP). For that price, you can buy a couple....
 
I have become a fan of netbooks.
At work, we looked at the people who have laptops and what they do with them, and over 70% were for occasional presentations. We are replacing most of the laptops at work with a desktop and a netbook.
Between our finding that the cost of a desktop and a netbook is still significantly less than a standard 'desktop grade' laptop, and that desktops last a year longer in replacement cycle, we are looking at significant savings.

I am also purchasing four units for my department (Office of Emergency Management) because I can keep them in my truck and hand them out at a scene, and if they get dropped or damaged, it's not a big deal vs. destroying a $1500 Latitude 630.
They also last a very long time on a charge, also important for field ops.
Most of what we do in the field is accessing web apps like WebEOC, searching for hazmat information, pulling up Google Maps or Google Earth, or using basic Office programs (Outlook, Word, Excel).
It also runs fit testing software easily, runs personnel accountability software well, etc.

All in all, quite nice for the uses described.
 
Yeah, you're not going to be using a netbook to run a demonstration instance of Oracle database, Webcenter, and JDeveloper, but for hitting the web or even running a VPN, they seem ideal. now Scott, what info do you have on what's coming own the pike. I take it I should hold off until December to get one?
 
gprellwitz said:
Yeah, you're not going to be using a netbook to run a demonstration instance of Oracle database, Webcenter, and JDeveloper, but for hitting the web or even running a VPN, they seem ideal. now Scott, what info do you have on what's coming own the pike. I take it I should hold off until December to get one?
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I know that several new netbooks were publicly acknowledged by the WiMAX Forum as being certified to include WiMAX capability as well as WiFi. I have also seen a talk by Intel on their chip roadmap that it is highly likley that there will be a nice performance bump with what will be coming out in November/December time frame. I am not under NDA so I don't mind telling you that there is stuff soon to be out there.
 
Has anyone tried running FliteStar or JeppView on a Netbook? I'm thinking of one to keep in the plane for weather and flight planning.

Joe
 
Areeda said:
Has anyone tried running FliteStar or JeppView on a Netbook? I'm thinking of one to keep in the plane for weather and flight planning.

Joe
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Yes.

Flitestar runs fine on my Asus Eee PC (sounds like a Saturday Morning cartoon, doesn't it? ;) ). I also have the Sporty's IFR approach plates and they run fine, too. Can't see why JeppView wouldn't.
 
+1 to what Ghery said.

I bought a netbook in preparation for a three-week Europe trip last spring, knowing we would be hard-pressed for space and weight on Air Berlin. Like Ghery described, I used the netbook for storing, editing and uploading thousands of photos, all in the cramped confines of a cruise ship stateroom.

A couple of weeks after I bought the netbook, my work laptop (a Dell ... :mad3:) croaked, and since then the netbook has served well enough that I haven't bothered to replace the laptop.

All in all it nicely fills the niche between a desktop or large laptop and my Blackberry.

(Typed on a Samsung NC10 netbook)
 
I found this cartoon appropriate.
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rpadula said:
"According to Michael Dell, a netbook is a dream purchase - until it's about 36 hours old."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/14/michael_dell_churchill_club_speech/
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SkyHog said:
Michael Dell....sigh.

Basically, he says "Netbooks are horrible, no one wants one. Oh, btw, we sell a netbook, buy that if you want one."
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"What would I do? I'd shut [Apple] down and give the money back to the shareholders." -- Michael Dell, October 6, 1997

Apple market cap today: $182.19B (Highest of all the computer hardware makers, behind only Microsoft in the industry.)
Google market cap today: $175.45B
IBM market cap today: $157.45B
HP market cap today: $113.48B
Intel market cap today: $111.01B
Dell market cap today: $30.06B (Hmm, 30.06. Someone should use one of those to shoot MD's next rant down...)

Now if Michael Dell actually knew what customers really wanted, maybe HIS company would have a 182.19 billion market cap too. But no, only the company he said should be shut down gets that and now has a market cap SIX TIMES what his own company has.

Clearly, Michael Dell is better at making computers than predictions. (And frankly, the computers are pretty average!) :nono:
 
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Dunno. I have a Lenovo one. Can't beat it for the price and weight. Particularly on board of a plane. Also has a spill-proof keyboard.
 
Holy Necro!
 
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