Used Netbooks

History

The history of netbooks is still a very short one, with the pint-sized laptop PCs only really making an appearance in around 2007 with the ground-breaking Asus EeePC. This model came about as a result of innovations made in the One Laptop Per Child project, when it was realised that a compact-format laptop had commercial potential. Indeed, the EeePC, together with the Aspire One now accounts for a huge slab of Asus’ sales, and has put the manufacturer up there with Dell in terms of portable computer sales.

Portability

The netbook is a computer primarily aimed at portability, typically running Windows XP. Early netbooks came installed with Linux and it seemed that this platform would do much for the open-source OS, but lately XP has taken over as a stable, familiar and widely-compatible platform. Netbooks tend to be stripped down to the bare essentials, with a 1024 x 768 display of around 10″, often solid-state storage (though plenty have hard disks too) and enough functionality for internet-based applications and basic office work, with WiFi connectivity standard, of course, hence the term “netbook”.

Netbook name

Speaking of names, there is some controversy with the used of the term “netbook” – Psion lays claim to this brand name based  on its now defunct netBook line and has taken legal action to protect it. However, it is hard to see how this will be sustained – with generic use of the term widespread, it is only a matter of time before somebody rules that the term “netbook” has undergone “genericide”.

Used netbooks

The netbook market is a relatively new one, but the technology has already cycled through several generations, including increases in screen size (the first ones were just TOO darn small…) and the introduction of the Intel Atom processor, which now dominates this sector, so it is now possible to find used and refurbished netbooks for as low as 50% the RRP. Perhaps not quite cheap enough to call it a “disposal netbook”, but getting close!