There’s a revolution starting about (evidence: 1,2). No need to panic, but you might do a double-take: the netbook revolution has started. You might have noticed some “savvy”-looking people carrying around absolutely minuscule laptops/notebooks. I know I did a double-take. But now, the number of these people are starting to grow exponentially — from a 40-year-old housewife (power to the people!) to that businessman in a power suit. Next thing you know, the majority of people will probably have one of these miniature laptops/notebooks — also known as netbooks. In fact, my own parents have considered getting one as of late — and so have I.
My desire for a netbook comes with the thought of convenient computing. Sure, good old powerful computers are still essential for tasks like heavy photo and video editing, gaming, and rendering — however, lighter, more convenient and portable netbooks are appealing for their quick boot speed and simple UI. Because practically everything in a netbook is accessed through the Internet, it’s not really necessary to have a more “complicated” UI like Windows — instead, the netbook’s main functions can all be covered in just a few tabs or menus.
photo credit: Joe Brockmeier
From the video, Moblin looks like a very inviting and warm operating system — I’ve seen some comments directed to it’s UI being too childish for some of the more mature users, but I personally find it quite refreshing. Also, it’s great that Moblin not only provides easy access to the Internet, but also to more specific and specialized features like direct Twitter updates and media players. Moblin shows great promise, and if I ever manage to get my hands on a netbook, I just might have to give it a whirl. If you’re interested in learning more about Moblin, you can visit them at http://moblin.org/.
Moblin does look pretty well designed and easy to use; at least as far as one can tell from the video. I’m starting to shop for a netbook myself and this is yet another intriguing possibility.
Memory foam: Glad I could be of service, thanks for stopping by!
I’m completely fascinated by netbooks. I’ve been staring at HP’s offerings for a few weeks, drooling and saving money. I think there’s a giant place in computing for these sorts of platforms.
I’ve got a pocket PC… an HP iPAQ h4155. I really enjoy using it, but the touch screen input system can be a pain sometimes. It’s about time for a device with an actual keyboard, which despite all the best innovation, remains the leading input device on personal computers.
In short, I can’t wait to get my hands on one.
Haha, Tux I love the enthusiasm. I used to have an HTC Touch, and I’ve inputed tons of times on the iPhone — but I always can appreciate keyboards and the good QWERTY ones that come with smartphones nowadays. Thanks for commenting.
Greet!