Using my own 10" HP 210 Mini netbook as a baseline, I've gone ahead and compiled a list of 101 things that you can do today with a netbook. These examples go beyond just software that you can run and peripherals you can attach, but extend to ways in which you can get the most out of your sub-$400 investment.
Granted, much of what you see here is possible thanks to the Atom N570 processor with 2GB RAM running Windows 7. An AMD Brazos or Nile system would also be comparable. If your less-than-spectacular experience with netbooks in the past has been with a N455-based unit or older with just a gigabyte of memory, I highly advise you to look around and check out what's new on the netbook market.
With that out of the way, and in no particular order, let's move on to our list:
- Install any x86 operating system (Windows 7, OS X, Linux)
- Boot any x86 operating system when using a multiple-boot partition
- Enjoy the full MS Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, Outlook, OneNote)
- Run and install other MS software (Works, Visio, Project, MapPoint)
- Upgrade your internal hard drive to a roomy and speedy 600GB SSD
- Use any web browser (IE, Firefox, Chrome) with full plug-in functionality (Flash, Java)
- Plug in any USB printer/scanner for printing and scanning
- Plug in your USB thumb drive to move/browse files
- Plug in your external USB hard drive to move/browse hundreds of really big files
- Effortlessly stream prerecorded content from Hulu and Netflix
- Enjoy live sports streaming from ESPN3.com
- Watch 720p HD movies on-the-go with a 1366x768 display
- Attach a wireless trackball for ultimate ergonomic comfort
- Plug in two slim optical drives for disc copying and burning two discs at once
- Listen to Dolby Advanced Audio with a customizable 10-band EQ
- Get 8-hours of real-world run time on a single charge
- Easily swap your battery for a second and continue working without looking for an outlet
- Effortlessly play back any HD video codec with a Broadcom Crystal HD Video Accelerator
- Easily and simply upgrade to Windows 8 next year and keep your netbook future-proof
- Install and run Cool Edit Pro
- Use MS Streets and Trips with GPS for navigation without an active data connection
- Plug in a full-size SD card from your camera for transferring images
- Control and access your Windows PC at work/home using Remote Desktop Connection
- Connect with your home TV using HDMI/VGA for viewing movies
- Connect with your conference room projector for presentations
- Connect to a second monitor and do your work at resolutions beyond 1366x768
- Transcode and encode short videos using any number of software tools
- Touch up photos easily using Paint or Office Picture Manager
- Install and run Civilization III, MS Train Simulator, and over a dozen other 3D titles
- Web chat with a choice of webcam applications (Skype, Windows Messenger)
- Attach an external RAID enclosure for massive 20+TB storage
- Use Windows Home Server to back up and connect with all the other computers in your home
- Install and run proprietary x86 business software applications you use at work
- Attach a wireless backlit keyboard for typing at night
- Plug in a USB sound card for HD line-in audio recording
- Rip your DVD movies to hard drive and watch on-the-go
- Connect with your HTPC and watch live/prerecorded local/cable TV anywhere
- Use your netbook as a BIOS display for your motherboard when overclocking under Windows (Asus ROG Connect)
- Plug in a flexible USB fan to keep you cool while you work
- Clone any system hard drive using cloning software and a USB drive adapter/dock
- Play FarmVille
- Transfer files to/from smartphones wirelessly using Bluetooth
- Print photos and documents on-the-go with a mobile Bluetooth printer
- Enjoy the full twitter and facebook experience without compromise
- Access and create blog posts with photos and video
- Play back virtually any audio/video file format
- Connect to a secured wired network over Ethernet
- Edit, author and upload videos to YouTube
- Connect with external audio equipment for DJ applications
- Edit, author and burn camcorder video to DVD
- Open any email attachment including embedded links
- Mount and run software ISO image files
- Avoid cloud storage and data connection costs by saving your files locally
- Download drivers and troubleshoot when your main rig won't boot
- Expand connectivity by plugging in a USB hub
- Access and configure your router's security/wireless settings
- Tie in to your home automation system for hvac/lighting/sprinklers
- Connect with wifi cameras
- Stream audio over Bluetooth in your car
- Charge devices on-the-go that need juice from a USB port
- Push firmware updates over USB to various portable devices
- View two web pages side-by-side
- Stream audio/video while working on documents
- Multitask with multiple windows/tabs open
- Customize the operating system and desktop exactly as you like
- Easily remove manufacturer-installed bloatware
- Tether a satellite phone
- Attach a privacy filter to your display
- Install CompuTrace LoJack
- Enjoy the added performance of half-height 5.25-inch external USB burners
- Record from a USB turntable
- Connect powerful 2.1 speakers
- Plug in a USB tape drive to retrieve archived data
- Rip and play music CD's
- Watch and rip Blu-ray content
- Plug in a USB 4G modem
- Manage and customize WMC plug-ins for a media server
- Interface in the field with equipment requiring PC USB/RJ-45 connectivity
- Run encryption software
- Plug in USB drives with encrypted/hidden data
- Connect directly to a DSL/cable modem
- Activate a new iPad or iPhone using iTunes
- Back up your smartphone PIM data
- File your taxes online for free
- Install and run Google Earth
- Install and test SDK software
- Compile and run HTML code
- Run your accounting software
- Create CD and DVD ISO images
- Create a website
- Perform remote server/database administration
- Create a bootable USB flash drive for OS recovery
- Run portfolio management software for buying/selling stock
- View financial statements and pay balances
- Book your flight/accommodation and print your boarding pass
- Register and submit complex online forms
- Install and run Adobe Acrobat X
- Access any kind of premium subscription web content
- Cook and flash custom smartphone ROM images
- Create Flash content
- Intercept wireless IP traffic with packet-sniffing software
And if all this is possible with just a N570 Atom, it raises the question of how much MORE impressive in performance upcoming ultrabooks will be sporting a ULV Sandy Bridge under the hood. Intel's Cedar Trial, the 32nm successor to the current Atom processor models, is also just around the corner.
CONCLUSION:
As harsh as this may sound, I can only surmise those experts who proclaim that pairing an iPad 2 with a keyboard magically provides a notebook "replacement" as being totally clueless and ignorant. What exactly IS their definition of work then? They most certainly don't have the faintest idea of everything they are missing out on, as this comprehensive list clearly shows. Maybe it is the inflated ego screaming a statement to show off their tech style? Or is it they simply enjoy paying a premium and doing very little? It's very easy for those insensitive to price to drop $650 for a slate+keyboard combo, yet end up with a device that is nothing more than a glorified word-processor - happy typing to you!
The truth is that for hundreds of dollars less you can get a netbook that will run circles around any slate when it comes to productivity and entertainment, and do stuff that is just impossible to do with a slate. Yet this bang-for-the-buck argument gets ignored every single time by slate reviewers when discussing their latest over-hyped luxury toy.
Would it be valid to suggest that netbook users are more sensitive to price while slate users are not? Judging on MSRP alone, perhaps. PC enthusiasts will always look at what's best bang for the buck and have an uncanny ability to wring maximum performance out of their gear. But the overwhelming evidence shows that even irrespective of price, modern netbooks remain far more capable devices. The sacrifice slate users make in losing so much functionality and features far outweigh any advantages of gaining a fancy touch-UI. For lack of a better term, slates scream form over function - it looks hot, but it's not.
You cannot, in all fairness, replace a netbook with a slate+keyboard, and there's certainly no way a more powerful/capable notebook would fall for that argument either. Not unless you've been using a notebook for the most mundane of tasks, which would only suggest you don't really do any serious work at all, and should not be making such false statements or recommendations in the first place. As I've said once before, I have tried hard to find that killer application where slates beat netbooks, and it just doesn't exist.
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I have enjoyed reading your articles. It is well written. It looks like you spend a large amount of time and effort in writing the post. I am appreciating your effort. .
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realy great man! slates are no where near netbook..may be in future.asus 1025ce! can any body show me a slate equal to this????????????
ReplyDeleteWhatever I can do with my large laptop and desktops, I can do elegantly, with my netbook. Sure I can carry around a keyboard for my slate. But I don't want peripherals. I want simple. Elegant. Practical. And...small enough to carry around in a compact bag.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing: for people like myself, who write and write alot, tablets can't come close.
But then again, most of the folks I know who rave about tablets, use them for entertainment purposes, and really don't need keyboards, as they fly from site to site.
Thank you. This will be immensely useful every time I'm asked why I bought a netbook instead of an iPad.
ReplyDeleteBut they just won't get it anyway, I bet. It's all about the FUSS.